Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1874-06-18
An Hour Of Terror.
In the Grip Of a Wise before an
Approaching Railway Train.
H.. A. n-,t-n;t 10. prasa

Approaching Railway Train.
From the Detroit Free Press.
There arrived in the city Fri
day morning over the Grand
Trunk Railway a man named Pat
rick McArthue, who met with q
thrilling adventure about six
miles east of the junction Thurs
day night. He is a laboring man,
and having no mOney, and failing
to get a chance to work his pas
sage down from Port Huron on
boat, ne started to walk down on
the railroad track, and had ar
ly completed his journey when
the adventure belel him. He lay
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 fast in a "frog," and his
efforts to extricate it were of
no avail. He had on stout
boot, and it fitted so closely
that the mans toes were severe
" pinched. He pulled this
way and that, wrenched and
twisted, but the frog" held the
foot like a 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 passing
train or make some one under
stand his situation. He shout
ed himself hoarSe, but no one
| came. The nearest house was
half a mile away, and if the
farmer heard the wild calls foT
help he gave them no attention.
After the man had been pris-
oner for upward OF an hour he
heard the whistle Of q down
freight train. Ii was vet a long
way off, and he had Il little time
to think. He had a matchbox
iii 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 number Of letters, be rolled
them into a heap, and for fcal
that the fame would die Out
too suddenly he added two fan
mel shirts from the bundle.-
| The bundle was then made fast
to the end of his walking stick
matches produced, and he wait
/ ed until the head light Of th(
locomotive should appear uE
the track.
It finally greeted his vision
looking like a bright white star
as it gIistened afar up the track
The rumble Of the train grew
louder, the star grew larger an(
brighter. He struck his match
The flame blazed up brightly
but as he moved it toward the
bundle a little gust of wine
blew it out. Was there time
yet? Up the track he coulC
hear the thunder of a hundred
heavy wheels, and the grea
light of the locomotive glarec
al him like the fiery eye Of som,
wild beast. Another match, a.
instant Of fear and doubt, ant
then the paper bIazed up ant
curled over and around the bun
die and swayed right and lel
with the night wind. He wavet
the signal Of fire back and forth
and inst when he was ready t.
believe that death undeT tn
wheels was certain he heard th
whistle for breaks.
lie could hear the wheel
, grinding and groaning, the his
Of steam as the engineer threv
hack his lever. and then tn
r heavy train came to a stop wit
the great light shining dow
! upon him, paIing his dying sig
, nal. He was saved, but the en-
CINE bad only thirty feet NOR
to 90 to crush him. The fire
? man came forward, got a crow
e bar and released him, and h
| was taken back to the cabOOsC
= The train men were very kin
: to him, and yesterday he foun
/ acquaintance here who al
k ranged for his board until /
|. will be able to work. His foe
: is badly swelled and very ten
- der, and it will be several day
o before he will be able to wal