St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1871-08-11

l heard Inn say; ''dOnt lie nervous
: The San Francisco is the safest Ell
@inc on tie line, and Guclden the mos
careful engineer | wouldn't he afraiC
I" trust every mortal | love TO thci
ktcpn@. Nothing could happen wrone
with the two together"
| said, iii get through it somehow
and .Io shall never talk To me AGAIN.
Alter all, it was easy enough rcelc,
rs | spoke. heard the signal W,
were of.
Five hours from l.. to d.. five hour.
back. On the last | should BE- myscl
again, | knew now. saw Il red fluttcr
and never Guessed what it was until W,
were pas-ei the down train at the wrong
place. Two minutes more and we should
have had collision. Somebody told
me. ! laughed heard him say re.
~p'rIluIIy,
'Of course, Gurl,ien, You know what
you are about"
Then | was alone, and wondering
whether should 90 faster or slower |
did something and the ears rushed on at
4 fearful rate. The same man who lad
spoken To mo before wa, Standing near
me. | heard some question.
How many miles an hour wcr. we
maxim. Ed,:.I know.
Rattle, rattlr, rattle, was tryin.
now 10 -la.kcm tlc speed of the san
Fraucl-cu.' | could not Remember what
should du--wa- IL This nr tI3t Fast
~ or slower!
Suddenly there was Il horrible roar
Il crash was tiun% somewhere, | was
in the water. BY Il miracle | was So
bcred, not huIt | Gained the shore. |
stood upon til" Ground between the track
and tie river cd"r and there aazcd at my
work.
The engine was in fragments, the ears
in splinters; dead and dying and wound
cd were strcwn Iound-mcn and wO-
men and rhil'Iren-old age and tender
youth. There were groams and shriekS
oi despair The manned cried out in
PAIN; and IL Voice unheard by any other,
was IN my ear, whispering ''mur,cr,
The news had cone 10 A AMI people
came throngin. to find their friends
he dead were stretched on tie "rasS. |
went with some of the distracted to find
their lost ones. Searching for an old
mans daughter, | came to place under
the trees and found five bodies lyin"
there in all their ri"id horrur-an old
woman, young one, Il baby and two
tiny children. Is it iincy-was it pure
fancy, born of my anguisll-tliey looked
Iikc-oh, Heaven, they were my old
mother, my wife, my children all cold
and dead
How did they come To that train
What chance has brought tlIi, about ,
NJ one could answer. groaned, |
screamed, | claSped my hands, tore my
hair. @aZel in the Good old face of
my mother, on my wife, on my innocent
children. | called them 10y name there
was no an-wcr-ncvrr could he. And
rs comprchcndcd this, onward up the
track tlIumdcrcd another train lis red
eye @larcd on me flung myself before
it: felt it crush me To- atoms
Ills head is extremely hot," SAID
| opened my eyes and saw my wife
How do You feel" said she. "a lit .
tie better ,"
| was 50 r,.ioiccd and 50 astomi,hcd by
the sight Of her that could not speak at
inst. She repeated the question.
Il must he crushed to pieces" SAID l.,
for the tram went over me, but | feel
M pain
"Ihcrc he zoe. aboutt that train again"
'rid my wife, why Ned"
tricl 10 move-thrrc was nothin.
the matter with me. was in my own
room, and opposite TO me crib in
which my two children were safe , Was
drlriouS, or wha. could it he
40" said 1. tell me what la, hap
pcned ,"
"It'S nine o'clock" said Jo. "You
came home in such Il dreadful state from
he club room that | couldn't wake you.
\ on weren't fit 10 manage steam and
Iisk peoples Lives: The San Francis
90 Is half way to \. | suppose, and you
me IL death with your strange
talk"
.Jo BEGAN TO cry.
1t was adrcam only an awful dream.
l'nt had lived through it rs though ii
were reality
'IS there II Bible in the house, .Jo ?"
'aid |. Give it to me this moment"
She brought it, and put my hand on
il, and took the oath toD solemn To be
hcrr) that what Happened ncy
r. should occur agsin. 1t never has
And it the ''!San Francisco" ever comes
to grict, the verdict will not be, rs it
has too often htcn-"1Hc CnyDcnr wdy
hU.kr'