The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-06-18
VOLUME IX.---NO. 40.
An Hour of Fearful Suspense.

The Detroit Free Press relates most thrill
ing story as follows:
There arrived in this city on Friday morn.
ing, over the Grand Trunk Railway, a man
named Patrick Macarthur who met with
thrilling adventure about six miles east of the
junction Thursday night. He is laboring
man, and having no money, and failing to get
chance to work bis passage down from Port
Huron, on boat, he started to walk down on
the railroad track, and had nearly com pleted
his journey when the adventure befel him. He
laid by during the heat of the day Thursday,
and was walking in the evening to make it up.
While crossing the track where a switch leads
down alongside the main track, he got his foot
fast in ''frog," and his efforts to extricate it
were of no avail He had on stout boot, and
it fitted so closely over the instep that he could
not draw bis foot out. In fact the boot was
wedged in the "frog" so closely that the mans
toes were severely pinched. He pulled this
way and that, wrenched and twisted, but the
"frog" held the foot like wise.
At length he could hardly move his leg for
the pain, and found that he must either be run
one understand his situation. He shouted him.
self hoarse, but no one came. The nearest
house was halfa mile away, and if the farmer
heard the wild calls for help he gave them no
attention. After the man had been prisoner
for upward of an hour, he heard the whistle of
down freight train. 1t was yet long way
off, and he had a long time to think. He had
match box in his pocket, papers IN his bun
die, and the idea came to him to signal the
train. Tearing the paper off his bundle and
getting at q number of letters, he rolled them
| into heap, and for fear that the fame would
die out too suddenly he added two flannel shirts
from the bundle. The bundle was then made
fast to the end of his walking stick matches
produced, and he waited until the head light
of the locomotive should appear up the track.
1t finally greeted his vision, looking like
bright white STAR as it glistened afar up the
track. The rumble of the train grew louder,
the star grew larger and brighter. He struck
his match. The fame blazed up brightly, but
as he moved it toward the bundle little gust
of wind blew it out. Was there time yet? Up
the track he could hear the thunder
of hundred heavy wheels, and the great light
of the locomotive glared at him like the fiery
eye of some wild beast. Another match, an
instant of fear and doubt, and then the paper
blazed up and curled over and around the bun
die and swayed right and left with the night
wind. He waved the signal of fire back and
forth, and just when he was ready to believe
that death under the wheels was certain he
heard the whistle for brakes.
He could hear the wheels grinding and
groaning, the hiss of the steam as the engineer
threw back his lever, and then the heavy train
came to stop with the great light shining
down upon him, paling his dying signal. He
was saved, but the engineer had only thirty
feet more TO go to crush him. The fireman
came forward, got crowbar and released him,
and he was taken back to the caboose. The
train men were very kind to him, and yester.
day he found acquaintance here who arranged
| for his board until he will be able to work.
His foot is badly sweled and very tender, and
it will be several days before he will be able to
walk