Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-07-07
An APPALLING RIDE.
Caught on the Cow Catcher Of a Geo.
motive Head DOWRWards = Forty
MILES an Hour Over Draw Bridge
a Nest MiracuIOGs Escape.

Caught on the Cow Catcher of q Geo.
motive Head DOWnwards = Forty
MILES an Hour Over a Draw Bridge
A Nest MiracuIOGs Escape. ~
From the Peughkeepsie Eagle, June 20.
It was published ID the Eagle on Friday
last that between 10 and II o'clock the
night previous James Carter of Hughson-
vile, was struck by the second Pacific ex-
press and carried on the pilot OF the engine
10 w-Hamburgh station with no bones
broken. To us the affair seemed remark
able one, and we accordingly sought de-
tails. and visiting tire place obtained them
as follows:
At twenty minutes past ten on the night
in question, Carter was walking up the
Hudson River Railroad on the down track,
nearly a mile south of the New Hamburger
station. Upon his back be carried an empty
trunk. His destination was New Ham
burgh, from which place he intended to
walk to HughsonVille; where he was to
work in Mr.. Faulkner's brickyard. While
plodding along he suddenly observed train
coming south on the track on which he was
walking. 1t was an extra freight train and
moving lively. He stepped hurriedly aside
to get out of the way, aid got en- the up
track, not dreaming of the danger which
awaited him there. As the extra train
was passing, the second Pacific Express
came along on the up track. The noise of
| the extra prevented Carter from hearing
! the approach of the express. The engineer
of the latter, however, saw him, and shut
| ting of steam whistled down brakes. The
express was five or ten minutes behind
time aud was running like lightning; with
speed scarcely slackened the engine struck
the man and trunk, and hurled both all of
twenty feet in the air and just little ahead
of the locomotive.
When they came down the trunk alight-
ed upon the front platform Of the locomo-
tive under the head light, and the man on
the pilot. The fireman on the engine hIlr-
riedly craWled through the window Of his
! cab and ran along The railing to the front of
| the locomotive where, scrambling over the
trunk and with one hand on the flag staff,
| he peered down through the darkness to the
! pilot below. The train was still rushing
along over the rails. a thrill of horror ran
through him as he observed the body OF the
man half bent lying across the iron bars OF
the COW catcher head doWnWards and feet
up,hangiDg across the heavy beam to which
the pilot was attached. The clothing of the
man had caught in the draw bar, and
the body was held as firmly as if in vice,
The head was within two or three inches
of the rails. and as the engine ratified the
iron, the body jolted and swayed fearfuIy.
The brave fireman, leaning over as far as
be could, and still holding on the flagstaff,
seized the man and held ON with a death
grip till the train came to a stop at New
Hamburger Station. Dan. Carroll, the
night Waterman, was at bis post of duty,
! and running TO the assistance Of the engi-
neer and fireman, the man was with much
Acknowledgement from his perilous posi-
ton, and taken into the depot building and
the train went on. Carter was entirely
unconscious, and was as limp as rag.
DR.. Downing, who resides some distance
from the depot, was sent for with all dis
patch, and in the interim a thorough exa-
mination was made of Carter's body.
Strange to relate not bone was broken,
nor was there even an abrasion of the skin
noticeable. Blood was discovered on his
mustache, but it must have emanated from
his nose. Shortly before 3 o'clock A. NJ.
DR.. Downing arrived, and about the same
time Carter suddenly returned to con-
sciousness and inquired how far it was 10
| 1uSllSOuNlu6s OPOA DOLDS AhiOAA VI
the accident he showed signs Of
great surprise, and could tell nothing what
ever about it. DR.. Downing felt his pulse
and found it beating regularly, and he wa;
soon after taken to his home, where hi:
condition prove rapidly, though he com
planned little of pain in his left leg. Hi;
hat and one shoe was found south of the
drawbridge, as was also the signal light OF
the locomotive, which had been forced from
its fastenings by the conclusion.
We have read before now of persons De-
ing struck by locomotive and carried some
distance on the covcatcher, and when found
they had their limbs broken, but this case,
So fearful in its character, has, we believe
10 parallel in the history of railroads, eX
| cept, perhaps, that of a lady at Cold Spring
Station some years ago. She was in
wagon crossing the track at that place. The
, engine struck the wagon aud smashed it
and killed the horse. The lady's hoopskir
caught on thelocomotive's flag staff, and sh
was carried along unhurt for over quartz