The Republican journal., 1869-09-09

and descend again in gentle dcWs and nour-
ishin@ rains.
TERRIBLE RACE WITH A BrRNING OF.
TRAIN. The Grand Rapids (Mchigan) Eagle
tells the following exciting story Of tor
rible race with burning oil train which took
place on the Buffalo. Cory and Pittsburo
Railroad. From the Broctton station 10 Mays
Vile, at the head of Chauta1qua Lake, g dis
tanco of only about ten miles, train is cur
ricd over an elevation OF 700 feet. From the
station to the summit the grade is about
eighty feet to the mile, with curves which i'll
crease the distance by tour miles. Ii is over
this road that the immense quantities OF
petroleum are brought ''On Tuesday even
ING about 8 o'clock q train consisting Of six
oil cars and two passenger ears reached the
summit on its way to the junction. Here by
some cause Us yet unexplained. one Of the
oil tanks took fire The passenger cars were
at once detached, and the brakes stopped
them Next the oil cars were cut oil, and the
locomotive tender, and boN-carconaining two
valuable horses and two men, posted down
the road, the engineer surprising that the
bralcmcn on the oil cars would arrest the
course Of those; but what was his horror on
looking back, to see the sly ears in pursuit
Of him down the grade in flames. They not
only pursued, but overlook him. striking the
boX-car with uncomfortable force, knocking
the horses and men fiat upon the floor, and
yet, almost nnraculously, not throwing tie
engine from the track
1t was now with the engineer race for
life and he gave thc engine every ounce OF
steam. Looking south from the place Of my
residence at that terrible iunciuro one OF the
most magnificent Spectacl"s Was witnessed
that 4 man secs in lifetime. A sheet OF
intensely bright flame sixty feet high, was
seen coming down that southern slope.
apparently with the speed OF meteor. and
really very near the speed OF Il hurricane
eighty miles an houl) for pursued and
pursller flew over the course, OF rather down
it, and around the curves. nj The rate OF more
than seventy miles an hour. as the engineer
declares, and Us everybody can believe who
witnessed the spectacle. The whole heavens
were illuminated. and llnd~cap" wa, Iii up
us by the MONDAY light. Onward aud down
ward flew the engine and behind il llcW and
the huge fiery demon. Twice its
prodigious weight was driven against the
fugitive, as ifinstinct with d purpose to drive
it from the track Ii seemed a. ifto the
heroic engineer and fireman there was Il per
feet environment OF peril The speed OF the
engine was such that it ceased to pump; then
again, the Cincinnati express WAS due at tho
junction at this time The engineer Of the oil
train whistlcd open Switch, and, Stalking
hands with the fireman, they babe each other
farewell, knowing that their lives depended
on the opening OF tn Like Shore switch By
their friends below. and this WAS To ilnpcril
the express train coming down frhln the west
with lis living human freight The engineer
on this train saw the fire when il first broke
out III the summit and surprising he could
clear the junction before the flaming terror
reached it, he too SIT his engine to the
utmost speed on a level grade. \ mile short
of the junction he saw that the effort WAS n
vain one for the Tying conlagration had
rushed out upon the Lake Shore track, and
was roaring onward in The direction of
Dunkirk He checked t!lc licadiung rush of
his train and brought il 10 = sand~til.
Running on to a safe distance from the
depot, the engineer OF the oil train detached
his engine and left the six ears to CONSUME
He cxpcctedto lose his life At every moment
he expected the engine to leave the track
He saw he was going at Il periIous rate Of
speed but there was no help for it, The de
mon was behind him, and he declares that
it looked like demon. With that londnc4s
or real affection for his engine which these
men display, he said, i thought everything
of my engine. and was dotcrminA t. Stay by
it TO the last The fireman made IN attempt
to escape by jumping from thc tender but the
engineer restrained him. Altogether the 0c-
currencc was 4 remarkable one, and in part
remarkable for this, that no lives were lost
The brakeman on the oil cars had gone back
to the passenger cars when the oil cars start
ed 1t was well they did. Unless those rcal.
cars had been detached and stopped their in
mates would have been burned to death"