The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1876-06-22

"Ssn fraasisca Is The safest englhe ON
iho line, aud Gusldeu tie most caIeial
engineer would not bs sfraid 10 trast
every mortal e their keeping, Nothing
could happen wrong with The two To-
gciher
said, Wen get through il somehow
and Joe shall never talk 10 me again.
Afer an, q was easy enough, lreeled
a. spoke ! heard the signal. We are
90
Five hours from L. 10 D.; Eve hours
back again. | saw a hutler and never
guessed what Il was until we bad passed
the train az tho wrong place. Two min
ulcs aud wc should have bad q collision.
Somebody told me and ] laughed.
heard tie shareholder say respectfully:
OF course, Mr. Guelden, you know
what sou are aboutY
Then was alone, wondering whether
should 20 faster or slower, | did some
thing aud the ears rushed on at a fearful
rate. The same man who had spoken TO
nae before was standing near me. |
heard the question:
How many miles an hour are we max
ing?
didn't know.
Rattle, rattle, rattle was trying to
slscken the speed Of the "San Francisco"
| could not think what ! should do-was
it this or that--faster or slower? l was
playing with the engine like child.
Suddenly there was a horrible roar
crash! | was thrown somewhere; ! was
in the water. by a miracle was sob
cred and not hurt. | gained the shore
and gazed upon my work.
The engine was in fragments, the cars
in splinters, and the dead and wounded
were strewn around. There were groans
and shrieks of despair. The MANNED
cried out in pain; the uninjured be-
walled their dead; and voice, unheard
by any other, was whispering, "mur-
dern
The news had gone TO b, and people
came thronging down TO find their lost
ones. Searching for an old mans daugh-
ter, came to place in the trees and
found five bodies dying there all in their
horror--an old woman, young one, q
baby, and two small children. Was il
fancy-was It pure fancy, born of my
anguish ?-they looked lTke--O, 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. groaned, ! tore
my hair, gazed on the lovely face OF
my wife, my children; called them by
name. There was no answer. There
never would be.
A whistle! Great God Onward up
the track Numbered another train Its
red eyes glared upon me; threw myself
before it: felt il crush me to atomsl
His head is extremely hot, said some
body.
opened my eyes and saw my wife.
How do you feel? said she, little
better?
was so astonished and rejoiced at the
sight of her that ! could not speak al
first.
must be crushed to pieces, said /, for
the train went over me; but cannot
feel any pain.
There he goes about the train again
said my wife.
Why, tried to move-there was moth
| ing the matter with me. was in my
room; opposite TO me was a crib II
which my child was asleep. My wife and
child were safe. Was / delirous, OF
what could it be2
/ Joe, / cried, tell me what has hap
| pened.
| It's nine O'Clock, said Joe. You came
home in such state from the club that
could not wake you. You were not fl
to manage steam and Iisk peoples lives
The "San Francisco" is half way to B,
suppose, and you have been frightening
me half to death with your curious talk
1t was only dream-only an awfu
dream. But have lived through it al
though il were a reality.
Is there a Bible in the house, said |.
Are we heathens? asked Joe.
Give ii to me this moment, Joe.
She brought it, and ! put my hand OF
1t and took The oath (too solemn to b,
repeated here) that what had happened
should never occur again. And If th
"San Francisco" ever comes to grief th'
verdict will not be, as il has been SO OF
ten, "the engineer was drunk"