The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-03-25
How many miles. an hour viewers

+ How many miles. an hour welwere
making. I did not know.
I Rattle, rattle, rattle. was trying
to slacken the San EEnncisco. could
not remember what / should do. Was
it this or that? Faster-only faster
was playing with the engine like a
child.
Suddenly there was q horrible roar
a crash; I was lnung somewhere! it
7 was in the water! By . miracle I was
only sobered-not -hust 1 gained the
shore, and stood upon the ground be-
tween theltiack and the lfiver'G edge,
and there gazed at my, oE9 work.
cars in splinters; dead, dying and
wounded were strewn around-men,
women and children-old age and ten
der youth. There were groans and
shrieks of despair. The MANNED cried
out in pain; the 1uninjured bewailed
their dead and Voice unheard by any
other, was in myear whispering
Murderer"
The news had gone back to A., and
people came thronging down to find
their lost ones. Searching for an old
mans daughter, Icame to place un-
deflthe trees, and five bodies were ly-
ing there in all their rigid horror, an
old woman a young one, q baby, and
two little children. It was fancy-it
was pure fancy-born to my anguish
they looked ike-oh L great Heaven
there WAS my Old 1hotheg, nay wife, my
children all cold and dead ssai eai hai
How did they come on the train
What chance had brought this about ?
I gazed on the good old face OF her who
had given me birth, on the lovely fea-
lures Of my wife, on the innocent chill
dren. ii / called them by name; there
was no answer. There never could be
there never would be. At last CONF
pretended this. Onward up the track
Numbered another train. Its red eye
glared on; ] flung myself before It; !
| felt it crush me to atoms - ~ : ,-.s.
His head is very hOt," said some
body.
1 Iopened my eyes and saw my wife.
,...,I How t do ., you feel?" said She "a
Twas SO rejoiced and astonished by
the sight of her that could not speak
at fir4. I Skerepeated the question.
II must be crushed to pieces, y" said
/, "for the train went over me, but 1
feel no pain" "A
"There he goes about the train
again. remarked my, wife v"TWhy,
Ned w I IAtAOr5t ' ~ a4tA ! ~
Itried to move; there was something
the matter with me; 4 sat up. l was
in my own room, opposite the crib In
which two children were asleep. My
wife and children, Were safe! Was /
delirous, or could it be-?
"Joe," cried I, "tell me what has
at is 8 O'CLOCK" said Joe. "You
came home in such o dreadful state
from the club that / couldn't wake you.
You were not fit to manage steam and
risk peoples lives. The San Francisco
is half way to A. suppose, and you
have been frightening me to death with
your horrid talk.p ss1.....l - .I.i
And Joe began to cry. - -
1t was a dream-OnIy an awful
dream. But had lived through it all
as though it was reality.
Is there bible in the house, JOe"
said ...,, ...-..,..
Are we heathens ?" said Joe.
"Give it to me this moment, joe"
She brought it, and / put my hand
OH it and took All oath ttOO solemn to
he repeated here that what had hap
pened never should occur again. 1t
never has, and if the San Francisco
ever comes to grief, the verdict will not
be, as it ought to be so often-the eI-
gineer got drunk. -,.-,