The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1877-08-09

freight train from The cas-. palliag IL
ike the dsvel possest 10 set later The
switch st Broeson, ou, Of The way of due
express.
Good God says /, Jimmy, wha,'n We
doy
This al took place inside Of Eve sec
onds.
Holler for The switehl says Simaly,
That's our only chance
10 | whistled for them to oTen the
switch. Lord, what Shrek that engine
glyel Seemed rs fit knew our chances
wAs slim, and It's whistle was Jnsl one
yell ofagouy.
Suppose they don't open the switch,
jimmy said /. Hot as II was, could
feel the cold sweat stand out on my fore
head, and ooze out all over me- ikuow
was as pale as sheet, for ! could feel
IL. Jimmy had been married Jest week
afore, and knowed how mush he
thought OF that little woman OF his. ]
had wife and seven children. Il was q
kinder an ole thing with me, but there
wasn't no spot 20 me like that htlle foIife
OF mine aud it's contents.
II hey don't turn the switch, Jack,
said Jimmy-good-byel
lie stuck out his hand. knowed
what be mean. ketched hold on his
hand, and we bid each other goodbye!
In all the time we was sweeping ike the
wind toward the station, with the blaz.
ing devil only ten feet behind us. Then,
thank God they did turn the switch,
and we shot in on the Shore track, tore
by the depot like rocket, an on through
the town, and on mp the road. We
knowed then that the express bad been
warned OF our approach. We soon out
stripped the burning cars, they losing
the momentum OF the grade. We slow
ed our brave ole gal up by degrees, aud
stopped within hundred yards of the
express that lay ia the track, waiting for
the upsbot of the race. Jimmy aud me
off, but the next thing we knoved we
didn't know nothing. We tainted dead
away, and when We come too, was both
of us home, safe and sound, but terribly
shook up, now tell you.
The two hoss.keepers was both uncon-
scious iu the box car. If they'd a
knowed the other dangers we was in
aside from the burning cars, dose me If |
don't think they'd died. The hosses
was badly cut up, aud so unslIung that
guess they never got over II. After
all, our escape from collision with the
Shore express bad been more luck than
management. The express was minute
late The engineer see the blaze Of the
oil cars tearing down the mountains, and
he knowed what the matter was at once,
But he didn't calculate that we was tear
ing down with any such fearful speed,
and be thought we could get to the de-
pot in out of the way before be reached
il. lie got within mile of the station
when he see be couldn't make IL, and
stopped, and backed away TO give us
room. If he had been on time--well, 1t
amt at all likely I'd been telling you OF
this-then there would have been more
widders and orphins in the country to-
day than there Is. By bull headed luck
the engineer of the up-freight train made
bis sideing in time to get out of the way.
The oil cars was left to burn up, OF
course. They burned three hours, and
the express had to lay off until they got
through. The uckiest part Of the whole
thing was the brakemen at the summit
having sense enough to cut of the pas
senger cars and stop them Suppose they
had stayed with the oil car! They would
have been on fire in less than minute,
and as they tore down that hid at light
ming speed, hundreds Of human beings
would have been roasted in that quarter
OF mile of fire.
I've been q good while telling you
about these circumstances, but how long
do you suppose it was happening? Well
from The time we left Maysville summit
to the time Jimmy and me tainted be.
yond Brocton, was jest eleven minutes
aud twenty seconds. had the time we
started, and one of the boys looked at bis
watch when we dropped We bad run
over fifteen miles.
1t seems strange to me, ! vcntured to
remark, that you didn't jump from your
engine as you might have done, At the
start.
What leave my engine! Id as soon
think Of desertiDg my wife in trouble as
to quit my engine when there's iffculty
ahead Of her. / ain'l no brag, but If ever
they find old Jacks engine down the
bank, piece of him win be found not
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