The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1876-07-15

Alter all, IL was easy enough. L reeleO
as spoke heard the signal. We are
off
Five hours from l.. to D.; five hours
back again. saw futter, and never
guessed what it was until we had passed
the train at the wrong place. Two min
utes and we should have had collision.
Somebody told me, and l laughed.
1 heard the shareholder say respect
fully:
"Of course. Mr.. Gueltlen, you know
what YOU are about -
Then WAS alone, wondering whether
| should go faster or slower. l did some
thing and the cars rushed on at fearful
rate. The same man who had spoken to
me before was standing near me. heard
the question:
"How many miles an hour are we
making?" didn't know.
Rattle, rattle, rattle l was trying to
slacken the speed of the "San Francis
CO." could not think what I should do
was it this or that ?-faster or slower?
I was playing with the engine like a
child!
Suddenly there was horrible roar
crash | WAS thrown somewhere,
was in the water. BY miracle I was
sobered and not hurt. l gained the
shore and gazed on my work.
The engine was in fragments, the cars
were in splinters; dead and dying and
wounded were strewn around. There
were groans and shrieks of despair. The
MANNED cried out in pain the uniniured
bewailed their dead; and a voice, I'M
heard by any other, was in my ears,
whispering murderer! !"
The news had gone to A., and
people came thronging down to find their
lost ones. Searching for an old mans
daughter, came to a place in the trees,
and found five bodies lying there in all
their rigid horror-an old woman, a
young one, baby, and two small chill
dren. Was it fancy-was it pure fancy,
born of my anguish p they locked like
%, heaven! they were my wife, my
children, all cold and dead
How had they come on the train
What chance had brought this about
No one could answer. l groaned, !
screamed. clasped my hands, tore my
hair, l gazed on the lovely face of my
wife, my children 1 called them by
name. There was no answer. There
never would be.
A whistle. Great God. Onward ur
the track Numbered another train Its
red eyes glared upon me 1 threw my.
self before it; felt it crush me to
atoms.
His head is extremely hot" said
somebody.
opened my eyes and saw my wife.
How do you feel?" said She A
little better?
l was SO astonished and rejoiced al
the sight of her that could not speak a,
first.
al must be crushed to pieces" said l
for the train went over me but l fee
no pain"
"There he goes about the train again,
said my wife.
Why, tried to move-there was moth
ing the mater with me. l was i'm my
room; opposite to me was crib, il
which my child was asleep. My wife ant
child were safe. Was l delirious, or wha
could it be?
"Joe," cried, "tell me what has hap
pened."
ats nine O'clock" said Joe. " Yot
came home in such n state from the clul
that could not wake you. You wer'
not fit Omanage steam, and risk people
lives. The San Francisco is half WAY
to A., suppose, and you have beer
frightening me half to death with you
dreadful talk"
1t was only dream only an awful
dream. But I had lived through it a
though it was reality.
els there a Bible in the house %
said 1.
| care we heathens?" asked joe
| "Give it to me this moment, joe"
She brought it, and put my hand OF
it, and took the oath (too solemnly to b
repeated here) that what had happened
should never occur again. And if tn,
g San Francisco" ever comes to grief tn,
verdict will not be, as it has been SO oft
en-, 1.-The engineer was drunk"