The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1877-09-04
A STARTLING 1ALE.

THE night express Of the q. n. 4. d.
/ railroad rolled slowly out Of the bare
and smoking Dalton depot, as entered
the last car Of the train, and seated my
self near the three solitary occupants of
the car-two ladies and little man,
with an imitation seal-skin cap and a
wheezy cough, who was curled up on n
seat reading paper.
/ had fallen into an uneasy dose,wheE
the brakeman thrust his head into the
car and called out, Rome," and a mo-
ment later tall, slim, light haired par
ty with big bottomed pants glided into
the car and seated himself in the seat
next to the little man, who folded up his
paper, and, after quietly staring at the
newcomer for some time, remarked, as
we moved away from the station: That
was bad accident down ON the branch,
this morning."
"Yes,' replied the slim individual,
glancing at the ladies. " Yes, bad acci-
dent, bad accident and they say that this
road isn't in the best of order"
NoY"inquiringly returned the other,
watching the ladies squirm about in
their seats. "This is bad night for an
accident, too"
One of the ladies felt for her smelling
bottle, and the party in light hair re-
marked; "They don't have any first
class accidents nowadays; don't kill
off fl1ot, f1,roa of n
time. Now some of the railway smashes
I've seen would put slaughter house
to shame. No sir" he went on, ''they
don't do things here as they are done in
the West. I'm from the West myself.
remember little affair that happened
on the w. 80. road, in the spring of
'55. l was called to town on that
road ON some business for our firm.''
The two ladies bent forward, and he
continued: 1.-THE old express was half
an hour behind time, and the way she
jumped over the rails would have him
dered the cheek of commercial travel
err" The little man drew nearer, and
fastened his restless eyes upon the talka-
tive stranger, who continued: "Well,
as said, we were all an hour late, and
about a mile from where 1 was to stop
off was a high bridge over a, rough
stream, called the DEVILS Race.''
The elder lady shifted at her harts-
horn. "The br. !ge was reached by a
sharp turn in the road, and was usually
approached at slow rate of speed, but,
being late, we were running about twen-
ty miles an hour; the train approached
the bridge; the rush of waters, heard
above the roar and rumble of the train
the hoarse Shrek of the locomotive, the
intense darkness of the night; all con-
spired to make the scene memorable
one. opened my window, and looked
out. The increased loudness of the
noise appalled, me; suddenly an intense
ly bright light appeared at the other end
of the bridge Great Heavensl ex-
claimed. The down express is crossing
the bridget 1t was too late to stop the
trains"
The stranger rose to his feet, the rec
ollection was painful, the ladies leaned
forward in eager excitement. Looking
very hard at the group of listeners, he
waved his hand majestically and resum-
ed: YES my friends, it was too late
to stop the trains. Noting my exclama-
tion of horror, the passengers in my VII
cinity pushed up their windows and
gazed out; in less time than can tell
you, the terrible fact was known, our
awfal danger was appreciated, and all
in the car rose to their feet in terror"
The little man gave another wheezy
cough, shifted myself uneasily in my
seat, and in husky tonesinquired; "But
the crash-the crash ?" W )JHa
eyes" echoed the younger lady.
1.-THE crash ?n
" Crash crash ?" he returned, there
was no crash, my friends, the bridge was
laid with double track ~
Sorrowfully and wearily he wandered
toward the door, the brakeman called
out 6 Patona," and as we traced the re-
treating form of the stranger as he rolled
up the hill to the hotel, we sank back in
our seats and realized that we had been
sold.
SzT In one of the terrible battles in
Virginia Union officer fell wounded in
front of the Confederate breastworks,