Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1872-10-19

yopd my strength, and felt quite tired
at night, and lay awake for a long
time. At last I fell into an uneasy
slumber, and dreamed very curious
dream, seemed 10 have gone, FOR
ward into the future a couple of days,
and instead of Wednesday, the Oath,
il seemed in my dream to be Friday,
the 26th. 1t seemed to me that a
heavy rain had been falling the most
of the day, and all of the day be-
fore, but the evening was clear and
pleasant, and not very dark, though
the moon was not shining. ! seem
ed to be walking along the railroad
track towards the east: l first passed
through a piece of woods about half a
mile wide; then for about, a.. mile
through cleared field containing a
couple of farm-houses, one inhabited
and the other deserted. I then ehter-
ed another wood. and, after walking
about mile and half, 1 came to a
streams greatly swollen by the rain,
which had weakened the railroad
bridge so much, that the passenger
train, in attempting to cross, had
broken it down, and. the bridge and
cars, completely wrecked, were lying
on both sides of the stream, except
portions that were floating down.
Some of the passengers lay dead or
dying among the ruins, some were
floating in the water, and q few were
clinging to trees, aud. BUSHES on the
shore. 1t was a fearful and heart
rending sight, too fearful for descip.
tion, and such as I trust 1 may never
see in reality /. .a,,.
Although it was night, I seemed
to see all these Things very distinctly
and can well remember my feelings as
/ surveyed the scene. While viewing
the ladies in the water, I suddenly
caught sight Of tie mangled and life.
less forri Of my wife, and with a Wild
cry, awoke.
q This dream made SO great an i'm.
preston on my mind that lay awake
for the remainder of the night.
"The next day, early in the morn
ing, it commenced raining, and con
tinued to rain through the day and
following night 1 felt very lonely
and uneasy all day which feelings was
increased by receiving o letter from
my wife saying that she intended to
come home on Friday, night on the
express train. ! retired late, feeling
much worried on account of my fear
full dream. And. to add to this fear
and presentiment, or whatever you
may call it, the dream was repeated,
and more distinct and vivid than the
first.
"When arose in the morning; the
rain was still falling. This was Friday,
and therefore was the day on which
my wife was to start for home. There
were two passenger trains from the
east each day, one at nine o'clock in
the forenoon, and the other at nine in
the evening. This last was the ex-
press, and the one on which my wife
was coming.
Towards the middle of the after
noon, the rain ceased falling, and the
clouds slowly cleared away. The
dream had made such an impression
on my mind that 1 resolved to attempt
to find the stream 1 had seen 30 plain
ly in my dreams, and if it appeared at
all dangerous, to attempt to stop the
train before reaching it. Accordingly,
soon after the rain was over, 1 got
ready and started. / had never be-
fore had occasion to visit the station
in this direction, and therefore was
entirely unacquainted with this part of
the country. But found everything
just as it had happened in my dream.
"Immediately after starting I pass
ed through tie piece of woods I had
seen in my dream, and then entered
the cleared field, and found the two
farmhouses, obe inhabited and the 9TH
er deserted. In fact, everything
seemed as natural as if I really been
this way before. I walked slowly,
and late in the afternoon / came to
the stream, which flowed rapidly, and
seemed much swollen. But the bridge,
instead Of being broken down and