Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1876-11-30

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vantage was sought to be ta-
ken Of the shaken confidence
which might follow the fall Of 6
well known company, to obtain
money Of other companies tc
prevent disclosures in regard tC
them which might cause distrust
among their policy-holders.
This little game was strongly
tried on the old "United States
Life" but the noble bribe-seek-
ers promptly discovered that
they had caught a Tartar there.
The company, which is known
to be one Of the strongest in
America, had too much surplus
to fear and too much backbone
to put up with such impudence,
and the threatened charges fell
fiat. Thanks to the energy and
courage Of its officers, the com
pany stands even better than
before these attacks, its real
strength having been clearly
shown in repeling them.
The municipal government is
divided against itself, and there
are lively times among the city
fathers. The mammoth Catho-
tic cathedral on Fifth Avenue
which Cardinal McCloskey is
building, having got SO far as
wanting to make its water con-
nections, applied to the Council
to have it done free Of expense
to itself, and the Council ODE
diently passed a resolution
granting the favor. The May
or vetoed the bill OH the ground
that discrimination in favor of
a Roman Catholic structure
was not allowable, and sent it
back to the aldermen who
passed it again over his veto.
And now the nti-Catholic press
froth at the mouth, the mayor
calls the Council names, and
the Notwithstanding corpora
tion calls him another. The
deed is done, however, and St.
Patrick will probably get his
holy water free. Nor is this the
only difficulty in local affairs.
A queer railway accident
was that which occurred the
other afternoon at the Jersey
Cenlral depot situated on the
river bank in Jersey city. A
train of nine cars, arriving from
Philadelphia came blowing into
the depot at the rate Of ten
miles an hour. AS it neared
the upper end, no diminution
of speed being noticed, it be-
came suddenly and unpleasant
ly evident that the iron horse
had taken the bits in his teeth
and was running away. In a
good deal less time than it takes
to tell it, a first class panic was
under way, with usual accom-
paniments Of shouting and
''cutting for corners" on the
part Of bystanders. The fire
man jumped from the cab and
escaped. The engineer followed,
landed On his head and was
carried off insensible. Still the
train thundcred on toward the
end Of the track which was pro-
tected only by the wooden wall
Of the freight office beyond,
and barely had the terror-strick-
en- occupants got out of its de-
yastating course when the loco
motive struck the frail wall and
went through as if it were card
board. Passing through this
room and the outer side, the
dock was reached, where a fer
ryboat lay in position. This
the engine forced from its moor
ings and then plunged kissing
into the water, followed happily
by but one car. This extraordi-
nary disaster was occasioned
primarily by the failure to act of
the patent air brakes, and imme-
dintely by the lack of the proper
bumpers at the end Of the rail-
road track. Almost miracu-
lously no one was killed, but
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