Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1872-01-25
QUITE A RIDE.

"Right here" shouted the brakeman
in the tone, and with the emphasis so
familiar to railroad passengers.
The sound was repeated by another
from a rear car the rattle Of the whiring
brakes was heard, the conductor swung
his signal lantern, the train moved on,
and in few moments we were again
speeding along at the regular express
rate. next stop" said to myself, 'and
we reach the steamer ] glanced out
the window, and was delighted to see the
bright full moon shining brilliantly in the
clear sky. What splendid night on
the Sound, thought l, so still, and bcauti-
full; and with inward satisfaction, ! con
tcmplated the ride in the magnificent
steamer, over that noble sheet of water.
''Such night" said, twill be too fine to
be spent in sleep" and only regretted
that my business in New York next day
neccssitatcd few hours Of slumber be-
fore morning.
The passengers, with the unnecessary
haste characteristic Of Americans, were
getting overcoats, cloaks, shawls, bun
dies, valises, havcrsacks etc, in readiness
to Jump from the cars the moment they
reached the dock, although they well knew
that at least twenty-five minutes would
elapsc between the arrival Of the cars
and the departure OF the steamer. And
instinctively / made the same prepare.
tions, inwardly reprimanding myself for
joining in the foolish stampede.
Frequent travel over the same route
had made me quite familiar with the diff
ferent localities through which we passed,
and as / again glanced out ! noticed that
we had just passed the highest point Of the
grade. and were within two or three miles
Of the landing.
/ had scarcely noticed that fact, when
the short, sharp, single shrek OF the loco
motive gave warning of the danger ahead,
and the brakcmen sprang to their posts in
mn instant. Again the whistle sounded,
with what seemed to me to be voice
which told of imminent peril to the train
and its precious load of humanity.
With their utmost strength, the brake,
men strained Mt the brakes, but the train
did not seem to slackcn its speed and the
engine continued to shrek, as if it fully
realized some appalling danger.
Windows were thrown up on both
sides, the entire length of the car, and
most anxious faces filed them, straining
their sight to get glimpse OF the threat
cned danger.
the exhaust of the engine, and with such
rapidIty that it was almost a continuous
roar. as the engine mad" thought l,
or "has some accident to the throttle
made il impossible for him to close it,"
The latter doubtless, and we are running
towards the steamboat landing, on a
heavy down grade, with full head OF
steam, at the rate of more than forty miles
an hour.
The track, l distinctly remembered, ran
the whole length of the wharf, stopping
Mt it's very end and with no other guard
than two ordinary piles, which the mo
mentum of the train would snap like
glass.
remembered, too, that the tide table"
in the daily, gave high water about an
hour before, and therefore the tide must
be running out very strongly. And the
water | knew must be twenty or thirty
feet deep. In years gone by, had made
the rapidity of the Exhaust" of an engine
something of study, with view to cal
culate the rate of speed and in an instant,
of time, in a fraction of the time in which
it could be told, had calculated that we
were increasing the speed from forty to-
wards sixty miles an hour
The telegraph poles seemed to fly past
like ordinary fence posts; the windows
of the houses near the railroad were
being hastily thrown up, showing clearly
that those dwellings on the line OF the
road were aware that something very un-
usual was Transporting. OF course all was
CONSERVATION in the car, and on the plat
form. Some were franticaliy endeayor-
ing to unshackle the cars from the engine
some pulling at the bell cord some try
ing to strain up the brakes still harder,
and some were climbing upon the seats in
anticipation of the moment when we
should Jump from the rails. Fathers,
and mothers were clasping their children
in agony; husbands were vainly endeav-
oring to protect their wives women
were shrieking, and many were wringing
their hands In utter despair. Swifter, and
swifter we flew along We round the last
curve. which leads to the wharf, and the
steamer lights appear in the distance,
looking to us now like the eyes Of the
very demon of destruction. What course
should / takey More than one poor fel.
low did see in their desperation jump
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