National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1869-09-03
Terrible Race 5cih n Turning C,i
Train.

road. From the Brocktom station /,
Mayvillc.at the head of Chautauqua |
Lake, a distance of only ab0nt ten |
miles, a train is carried over an ele-
walton of 1000 feet. From the sla>
ton to the summit the grade is about
eighty feet To the mile. with curves
which increase the distance by four
miles. 1t is over this road that the
immense quantities Of petroleum ale
brought:
ON Tuesday evening about 9
o'clock a tram consisting of six oil
ears and two passenger ears reached
the summit on its way to the June
ton. Here. by some cause uneXplain-
ed, one of the oil tanks took fire.
The passenger ears were at once
detached. and the brakes stopped
them. Next the oil cars were cut
eff, and the locomotive, tender ana
boN-car, containing two valuable
horses and two men, paSSed down the
road, the engineer surprising that
the brakeman on the oil ears would
arrest the course Of those; but what
/ was his horror, on looking back, to
see the six cars III pursuit Of him
down the grade in flames. They
not only pursued, but ovcrtook him,
/ striking the b0X-car with inconceiy-
able force, knocking the horses and
men flat upon the floor, and yet,
almost mraculously, not throwing
/ the engine from the track.
1t was now with the engineer a
race for life, and be gave the engine
every ounce of steam. Looking south
from the place Of my residence at
that terrible juncturc, one of the
most magnificent SpcctacieS was
Witnessed that man sees in life
time. y sheet Of intensely bright
flame, sixty feet high, was seen com.
ing down that southern slope appar-
emily with the speed of meteor.
and really very near the speed of
a hurricane eighty miles an hou!) /;
for pursued and purSucr flew over
the course, or rather down it, and
around the curves, at the rate OF
more than seventy miles an hour
as the engineer declares. and A.
everybody can believe who witness
ed the spectacle. The whole hcaV.
ems were Illuminated, and the land
soap" was lit up as by the noondaN
light. Onward and doNnWa q flew
the engine, and behind it flew aud
thundcrcd the fiery demon. Twice
its predictions weight was driven
against the fugitive, as if instinct
with Il purpose to drive it from the
track. 1t seemed as if to the heroic
engineer and fireman there was Il
perfect environment OF peril. The
speed of the engine Was such that it
ceased to Istmp: then again the
Cincinnati express was due at the
, junction at this time. The cuginee!
of the oil train WlliStled open
Switch and, shaking hands with the
fireman, they babe each other fare
well, knowing that their lives de
= pended on the opening Of the Lake
shore switch by then friends below,
and this was 70 iml~ril the express
tram coming down from the west
with its living human freight. The
engineer on ','iS lF'In saw tle Iil'
Nil'h !, hrSI broke OUT at the sum
mit,and surprising he could clear til,
junction before the flaming terror
reached it, he, too. put his engine It
the utmost speed on level grade
. \ hilIc short OF the Junction he saw
NAV the elioi' was Il YAM ol'e,tor The
ny /" I"l,i'S id''oi hdu 'llN'ieu GU
, upon tHe Lake 'oiiofc tF0t"''''" W"
i"a'Il@ ohWI'o III 'hc "'i'e'ion O
c l'"lNlth' NE c'lef@cd me hea","i''
. luHi' III ms own lIall ana drought
| 10 a N'anoS''Ii'
h"'ll'IUS on 10 Nlic Instance iron
me orpo'' 'hr engineer OF the o.
: 'l"i'l uetac'I'd MS engine ana lei
e Tue SIA ''l!N ~ consume. tie says M
: situation was iHlIA realized 10y hln
, lie expected to lose his life. At ev
cry moment he expected the cHgin'
; to leave TIE track. lie saw he Wa
Ii going az pcrIlIous rate of speed
=: hut there was no help for 1t. III,
dtmoh was heillhd llhl, and he Gle
:, ciarcS That 1t looked like demon
II VIM that lohdueaS on real affection
d '9f ms engine Wlli'h these men dlN
:. pay ne Salo' ! lA"pG'lt cNeiAthn
"' h'N 'nS'ne,ahd was utteiml"cat
Is TO stay ny 1t to me ''S'' Inc lH'
Y MA" i''''' "'l lt'oHr escape d
( jumping rom the tender, but tn