Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1874-06-24
An Hour or Terror.

From the Detroit Free Press, May. 3oth.t
There arrived in this city Friday
morning, oyer the Grand Trunk Rail
way. a man named Patrick Macarthur,
who met with u thrilling adventure
| about six miles east Of the junction
| Thursday night. lie is a laboring man,
and having no money. and failing to get
n chance to work his passage down from
| Port Huron on n boat, he started to
walk down ON the railroad track, and
had nearly completed his journey when
the adventure befell him. He Ibid by
during the heat Of the day Wednesday,
and was walking in the evening to make
it up. While crossing the tracks where
n switch leads down alongside the main
track he got his foot caught fast in n
frog" and his efforts to extricate 1t
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 wedsed TO
the frog 80 closely that the mans
toes were severely pinched. He pulled
this way and that, wrenched and twisted,
but the frog" held the foot like u wise.
At length he could hardly move his
leg for the pain, and found that he must
either be run over by the next passing
train or make some n understand his
situation. He shouted himself hoarse,
but no one came. The nearest house
was q half q mile away, and II the
farmer heard the wild calls for help he
gave them no attention. After the man
had been n prisoner for upward Of an
hour he heard the whistle n down freight
train. II was a long way of and he had
n little time TO think. He had a match
box in his pocket, papers in his bundle,
and the idea came to him TO signal tho
train. Tearing the paper of his bundle
and getting at u number of letters, he
rolled them into a heap, and for fear the
flame would die out too suddenly. he all
ded two flannel shirts from the bundle.
The bundle was then made fast to the
end Of his walking stick, matches pro-
duced. and he waited until the head
light of the locomotive should appear up
the track.
1t finally greeted his vision, looking
like n bright white star. as 1t glittered
far mp the track. The rumble Of the
train grew louder, the star grew larger
and brighter. He struck his match. the
flame blazed up brightly, but rs he
moved it toward the bundle u little gust
OF wind blew il out. Was there time
yet? Up the track he could hear the
thunder Of u 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 bundle and swayed right and left
with the night wind. He waved the
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 and
.groaning, the hiss Of steam Ms the n
threw back his lever, and then
the heavy train came to n stop with the
great light shining down upon him,
his dying signal. He wa saved.
but the engine had only three feet more
60 to crush him. The fireman came
got a crowbar and released him,
md he was taken back 10 the caboose.
The train men were very kind to him,
md yesterday he found acquaintance
iere who arranged for his board until he
vas able to work. His foot Is badly
and very tender. and 1t will be
Ieveral days before he will be able to
yalk,