The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1875-11-17

worst place in the flumc, and yet Hereford
tells me it was less than ten minutes. The
fiume at the point alluded to must have very
near As degrees inclination. In looking out
before we reached it, thought tho only way
to get to the bottom was to fall. How our
boat kept in the track is more than know.
Tho wind, tho steamboat, the railroad, never
went SO fast. have been where the wind
blew at the rate Of 80 miles an hour, and yet
my breath was not taken away. In the iiume,
it seemed in the bad places as though would
suifocate. The first bad place we reached,
and IL Iremember Alright it is the worst, |
got close against Fair. Ibid noe that would
survive the journey, but wanted to see how
fast we were going. So lay close to him aud
and placed my head between his shoulders.
The winter was coming into his face like the
breakers of the ocean. When we went slow
the breakers came in on my back, but when
the heavy grades were reached the breakers
were in 'front.' In this particularly bud place
allude to my desire was to form some judg-
pent of the speed we were making. If the
ruth must be spoken, l was really scared al
most out of reason, but If was on the way
to eternity | wanted to know exactly how fast
vent So / huddled close to Fair and
ject placed my eye on was gone before
could clearly see what it was. Mountains
passed like visions and shadows. 1t was with
difficulty thut could get my breath. felt
that did not weigh hundred pounds, al
though knew in the sharpness Of intellect
which one has ut such o moment that the
scales turned at two hundred. Mr.. Flood and
Mr.. Hereford, although they started several
minutes later than we, were close upon us.
They were not SO heavily loaded, and they had
the full sweep of the water, while We had 1t
rather at secondhand. Their boat finally
struck ours with u terrible crash. Mr.. Flood
was thrown upon his face and the waters
flowed over him, leaving not dry thread up
on him. What became of Hereford do not
know, except that when he reached the
terminus of the fume he was as wet as any O
us.
This only remains to be said We made
the entire distance in less time than railroad
train would ordinarily make, and portion of
the distance we went faster than a railroad
train ever went. Fair said we went at least
mile minute Flood said we won't at the
rate of n hundred miles an hour, and my de-
liberate belief is that we went at rate that
annihilated time and space.
We were o wet lot when we reached the
terminus of the fume. Flood said he would
not make the trip again for the whole Con-
solidated Virginia mine. Fair said that he
should never again place himself on an
equality with timber and wood, and Hereford
said he was sorry he ever built the iume AS
for myself told the millionares that had
accepted my last challenge. When we left
our boats more dead than alive, we had
yet sixteen miles to drive to Virginia City.
How we reached home, the reader will never
know. ! asked Flood what was to do with
my spoiled suit of English clothes. lie babe
me good night, with the remark that my
clothes wore good enough to give away. The
next day neither Flood nor Fair was able to
leave his bed. For myself l had only the
strength to say that have had enough of
fumes.