Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1874-06-19
Selected Mistellanp,
An Hour Of Terror.

From the Detroit Free Press, May 20.
There arrived in the city 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 his passage down from Port Huron
on boat, he started to walk down on the
railroad track, and had nearly completed
his journey when the adventure bcfcl
him. He laid by during the heat Of the
day, Wednesday, and was walking in the
evening to make it up. While crossing
the tracks where a switch leads down
alongside the main track he got his foot
caught in frog" and his efforts to ex-
tricatc it were Of no avail. He had on
a stout boot, and it fitted SO closely over
the instep that he could not draw his 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, wrenchcd and twisted, but
the frog held the foot like wise.
At length he could hardly move his
leg for the pain, and he found that he
must either be run over by the next pas
senger train or make some one under
stand his situation. He shouted himself
hoarse, but no one came. The nearest
house was half mile away and if the
farmer heard the wild calls for help he
gave them no attention After the man
had been a prisoner for upwards of an
hour he heard the whistle of down
freight train. 1t was yet long way off
and he had little time to think. He
had matchbox in his pocket, papers in
his bundle, and the idea came to him to
signal the train. Tearing the paper off
his bundle and getting at number of
letters, he rolled them in heap, and for
fear that the flames 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, the
matches produced, and he waited until
the head light of the locomotive should
appear up the track.
It 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
vet? 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 bum
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 down brakes.
He could hear the wheels grinding
md grooming, the hiss of steam as the
engineer threw back his lever, and then
he heavy train came to stop with the
great light shining down upon him, pal
ng his dying signal He was saved,
out the engine had only thirty feet more
o 90 to crush him. The fireman came
onward, got a crowbar and released him,
md he was taken back to the caboose
The train men were very kind to him,
md yesterday he found acquaintance
lere who arranged for his board until he
will be able to work. His foot is badly
Jwelled and very tender, and it will be
several days before he will be able to
walk.