The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1868-09-19
A Midnight Ride ON a Cow
Catcher.

A writer in the Oneida Circular
describes a singular adventure,
The train was TO start at ll:45,
and it wanted but a few minutes of
the time AS l stood there in the
darkness within a few feet Of the hiss
ing rsonster, my heart began to fail
me, and | almost resolved to abandon
the hazardous undertaking. What
if [ SHOULD lose my hold andbe thrown
off in front of that crushing mass of
machinery? What if there should be
something on the track? Such
thoughts kept whirling through my
mind, and | hesitated, Suddenly the
bell rang. Hardly realizing what |
did, l hastily left the dark recess and
stepped on the heavy framework in
front of the engine. By means OF
stout leather strap I bound myself on
by passing it round my body and
under one of the strong bats of the
COW catcher While l was thus en-
gagged the train hadleft the depot and
with rapidly increasing speed was
passing through the city. lhad some
= fears lest some OF the flag men at the
: street crossing should discover me and
4 signal to the engineer for l well
= knew that if H. should become aware
Of nv perilous situation he would
:, stop the train and take me off. My
fears we're grouudless. The strong
glare of the headlight directly oVel
. me made my position, by contrast
dlalmost invisible to any one in front.
- - Passing the last crossing with
= rush and a roar, we sped on thrOugI
:. the subrubs, ndIinto the open country
40 The city lights disappeared one b
- one in the distance, and we were fairl
- ON our way. 1t was a wild nigh
!. THE light of the moon struggled WIT
,.t difficulty through the clouds whic
IL ~ were driven before a strong wind fro
~ the southwest. Now and then
VI opening would illumine the landscaT
~ with a sudden burst of silyery ligh
W. w to be Immediately followed by aImo
81 ID total darkness as the heavy cumu
nc ms rolled up in masses ofinky blacknes
The cone Of light from the dazzlil
lens above me would then cut t
pS darkness in its onward rush wi
startling clearness, Now flashing
, the rocky sides of some mounta
u d gorge, Illuminating rock tree a
'M' shrub with almost daylight distin,
ll'' ness: anon losing itselfin the surroun
IVn ING darkness as We emerged into I
-" open country beyond; then shoot
70 along the rails ahead, making tn
ro' look like gli8tening threads until tt
/ disappeared in the darkness beyoi
W "Mile after mile we sped along,
" had become somewhat used to
.T yTu strange position, but it required G
H 1uH slant attention to prevent my
,,n,, m,,' from slipping from the lower BAR
you the frame on which | was standl
'cu' At best I hal but partial footht
Pny and the constant jar Of the engine
anu the short curves would almost tn
@ Soo me of. In passing through the
'eiy mountains the road was very TO
we and crooked. The pOnderous ens
olgI e5 bounded along with now and the
Vulu sudden side lurch in its seemr
nave mad effort to plunge into the b
~ ~ chasms which yaned on every $
'lSeu In one of these sudden moyem
'na' the buckle of my strap broke, an,
mug s was only saved from instant death
w .ne wedgiug my hands between the
len of the COW catcher and clasping t
.Ie underneath. l must hold on nov
suS dear life. Once | opened my m
'sauO to scream, in the hope that ii. "
Gu hear me. A second thought
tu09P =. yinced me Of the utter uselessnes
!. -. - attempting to make my voice
Nsos at that distance above the roar Q
mus engine. Even when standing o.
" - foot board it was with difficulty
lou we could hear each other, My
uOs - hope was that my stifening f
i0' - would,hold on for the remaining
wv miles. Au occasiOned glimpse
wv. W. country showed me thatwe had
'e' ~ ~ two-thirds of our distance, and
W. W. also most fortunately passed
y .uan ,an toughest points. Twenty m
I N 'hIn ~ more and should be safe.
We W. inc awe had now passed the mour
mr in> and the road became stpaighte
!, - viii smoother. As,we emerged fro
d sngers, tunnel on the spur of the MOI
he in. | caught sight, far down the i
be,1,to the headlight Of the C.express,
abould lroad is there perfectly stTaig
, as I three miles, and had an unobs
,on viii view Brighter and brighte
Of thoA the headlight til it. seemed !