St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1871-02-17

the barometer, couldn't imagine any one
being blue or out of spirits. We laughed
and Jokcd, made plans about sending for
Mary, and setting up the things so as to
be ready for her. | looked over the en-
glne; it was the one | had had when
ran that train. 80 you've got the old
pot-hook,' said l., she's good machine
when once you get used to her, she never
came back on me, but some of the boys
have had no end of row.with her. You
want to keep her steam up pretty well,'
ana l looked at the gauge, finding it all
right, to all appearance, and | Jumped
uowh and ran across 10 my own train.
jim called Good by after me and
llenry-the best natured fellow in the
world-sald You want to be getting
out OF the way, the IIinckley is RIGHT af7
ter you, (which advice, as his train was
an accommodation. freight and mine an
express passenger, raised shout from
the usual crowd of by ISLANDERS
Poor fellow they were the last words
he ever spoke. Just as | reached nv
machine and pulled myself up on to the
foot board, there came terrific shock.
From one OF these incomprchensible eau
scs, which have never been scientifically
explained TO the satisfaction of practical
men, the boiler of the freight engine had
exploded. Poor Henry was literally torn
into fragments. The old Uinckley was
good for nothing but the scrap heap
The fireman and half dozen brakemen
were more or less bruised or burned; the
conductor had a leg broken, and poor
unlucky Jim RuDklc
found him at last, beneath the wreck.
still alive, but scalded to death by the
water and steam. lie held up his arms
to me, saying 4 guess I've gone up
You will stay with me you are the on
ly division man here. Poor Mary y and
he told ME what to tell her,-clinging
closely to my hand the while, caring
more for her than for himself. The two
short hours he lived, in the most excru-
ciatlng agony, seemed endless. lie talked
1T intervals, and made arrangements about
everything. i have thou. Int about this,
he said, 'and am not afraid They call
all railroad men rough and hard and reck-
less, but | believe we all feel the rcspon-
sibiity of our position and ON what a
brittle thread our lives hang lie died
at last after n hard struggle, and | closed
his eyes, grateful it was all over. But
the hardest for Inc was to come
lie and Mary had both joined the
church in the little village where they had
been living And he requested to be ta-
ken there, where the pastor who baptized
him could perform the funeral service,
when they laid him in the cemetery be-
side his baby boy. We telegraphed to
his wife, and went down with the body
10 attend TO all arrangements | found
Mrs. Runklc delicate, pretty little wo-
man, who had loved her husband ,lcvot-
edly, given up home and friends to follow
his fortunes i'll the West, and now felt as
II her burden was greater than she could
bear; but after the first burst of urief
was over, she Gained down and behaved
very well while L gave her all the sad
particulars. When she asked if his face
was disiigurcd, strange, eager look in
her eyes made lie more than glad to re-
member how natural and handsome he
looked, just exactly rs if he was asleep.
l went TO open the coffin to make sure
tlat everything was in order for the loving
eyes, and oh my God the sight that met
my gaze . lie was so thoroughly scad-
ed that he motion of the train had sha-
ken every particle of flesh from the bones,
and only the white, grinning skeleton
confronted me. Obcying my first i'm
pulse, | closed the lid and fastened it Sc
curely, just as poor Mary entered the
room. told her he was so changed,
she could not see him, and the way she
moancd and took Oh was dreadful to wit
ness. l have been in Il good many tough
places, but nothing equal to that. |
never plled any creature 50. She begged,
pleaded and entreated, for Just one look,
and fairly went down on her knees to
me; and when | still remained firm, she
went into convul,ions-not Mysteries, but
the most violent spaSms you can imagine
She only lived two weeks. She came To
her senses alter 4 day or two, but never
ior9ave me for my cruelty and as they
did not tell her the circumstances, l could
not wonder. know it is a shocking
story but it is literally true, and it may
be well for the large class of people who
hold all railroad men in contempt, and
who blame an engineer for every mishap,
without giving him II kind thought, TO
know what some Of them have to 90
through with in their capacity of ser
wants Of the public.-D. Hastinys, Jr.