Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-09-28

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my mind TO deep on the club sofa AID
Iesve the place for good the next Day. Al
realty I felt my brain reel q !. had nevel
done before. In an hour / was In kiDe
Of ssupor. Il was mornirg- A waitel
grin on his fsce. Ny hear seemed read,
10 burst: nv hand tTembled; locked al
my watch ! hsd OILY inst 6ye minutes |.
r.ach the depot
| Joe'e words came to mind. Was e. r.
AXE charge Of an engipet was not d
IN answer. l ought 70 have asked some
sober man. As It was, only caught NY
hat and rushed away. was juss In time
The San Francisco glittered in the sun
The cars were filing rapidly. From my
ding each other goodbye, promising to
was an old gentleman knew by sight
one of tie sharehold rs; he w1 bidding
two timid girls adieu.
GOOD bye, Kitiy-Rood bye Lue" ]
heard him say; "don't be nervous. The
San Francisco Ia the safest engine on The
! line. and Gue,dea the most careful Tn.
gineer. would't be afraid 70 trust every
mortal I love T. tn ir keeping. Moth ns
couid happen wrong with the two TO-
ge,her."
said I'll get through it somehow, and
Joe sh III never tx TO me sgsin- After
all, 1t wss easy enough. reeled IS
spoke. heard the 81. nal. We were off
Five hours from L. to ID. i've hou 9
back. On TIE last l should be myself
again, knew now. / saw red fntter,
and never guessed what it was u1ti we
ne
pace Two minutes more and We should
have had II sion. Somebody told me
/ laughed. heard him say respectfully:
"Of course, Mr.. Guelden, you know
what you are about?'
Then / was alone, and wondering
whether should go faster or s.oxer. |
did something, and the cars rush on al a
fearful rate. The same man whu 1a1 spo-
ken t. me before was sanding near NE.
h'a ard some question.
How many miles an hour were we max
inef didn't know.
R4t.le, rsttle ratt!ei WIS trying now
to slacken The speed Of the San Fran
cisco. could not remember what should
do--was IL this or thats Faster or slower
l was playing with the engine like child.
Suddenly there was horrible roar-a
crash. was flung somewhere. was in
the water BY miracle l was sobered,
not hurt. ! gained the shore. ] stood
upon the ground between the track and
the rivers edge and there gazed at my
work
The engine was in fragments, the cars
in splinters; dead and dying and wounded
were strewn around-men and women
and children-old age and tender youth
There were groans and shrieks Of despair.
The MANNED cried out in pain; the unin-
iured bewailed their dead and voice un-
heard by any other, was in my ear, whis.
pgring Murderr
The news had gone To A, and people
came thronging down to find their friends.
The dead were stretched on the grass. |
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 lying
there ell in their rigid horror-an old wo-
man, young one, baby and two tiny
children. Was II fancy--was 1t pure fan
cy, born of my anguish--they looked like
oh, heavenl they were my old mother,
my wife, my children: all cold and dead.
How did they come on the trains What
chance had brought this aboutf No one
could answer. groaned, / screamed, !
clasped my hands, l tore my hair, gazed
In the good old face of her who gave me
birth, on the lovely features of my wife on
my innocent children. called them by
name; there was no answer. There never
could--never would be. And as com
pretended this, onward up the track
Numbered another train. Its red eye
glared on me; flung myself before 1t; l
felt IL crush me 10 atoms.
Ellis head Is extremely hot" said some
body.
Iopened my eyes and saw my wife.
"How do you feel?' said she; "a little
betterf"
/ was 80 rejoiced and astoni he'd by the
sight of her that could not speak at first.
she repeated the question.
II must be crushed to pieces" said !,
:" for the train went over me but l feel nc
pain"
"There he goes about that train again, y
said my wife; Why, Nedr
tried 10 move-there was nothing the
matter with me- Twas in my own room
opposite to me crib In which my two
children were asleep; be, ide me tiny
bald h, ad. My wife ana children were
safei Was delirious, or what could it be
"Joe," cried l, tell me what has hap
pened"
"It's nine c'elock," said Joe. "You
came home in such state from the club
that couldn't wake you. You weren:
fit to manage steam and risk peoples lives
The San Francisco is halfwa to A, Isup
pose, and you have been frightening me tG
death with your dreadful talk"
And Joe began to cry. :.
1t was only dream; only an awful
dresm. But l had lived through 1t Al
though 1t were rea ity.
"ls there Bible In the house, Joef'
said I.
"Are we heathenss" asked Joe.
"Give It. IN me this moment" Jo-.
She brought it, and put my hand on II
and took the oath (too solemn to be re-
peated here) that what had happened new
or should occur again. And ii the Sar
Francisco ever comes to grief, the verdict
will not be, as it has SO often been" Tn
| engineer rds drunk"
The TntrriOr Of the Earth.