Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1877-05-11
" Here, Lydia, you must help me"
II was her brother who stood beside he

with bunch Of keys in his hand
1.-THE passenger train follows this Mt
once, and must go to the station. viii |
you please close the switch after themY"
She took the keys mechanically, and
then turned again TO gaze after her lover
seated on the last car of the retroatng |
train. II had passed out of the switch |
and was crossing the great viaduct and |
moving more and more swiftly away.
To close and lock the switch was |
neither difficult nor dangerous, and she |
quietly walked on toward the end of the |
siding till she came TO the switch.post |
Here she leaned against the wooden frame |
for little space, shading her eyes from
the sun with her hand and watching the
train. IL had run around the valley
and was turning into the great curve
that crept upward in long grade over
the hill beyond.
1t was now mile away and she
could no longer distinguish anyone
on the cars. She turned slowly away
seized the iron bar of the switch
and easily threw it over into place so as
to leave the main line open for the next
train.
She looked back down the road and
saw that the passenger train had entered
the line from the branch and was just
pulling up at the station to discharge
passengers. 1t may seem surprising that
passenger train should be allowed to
follow freight train so closely
Bad engineering as this arrangement
was, il was not so serious as it seemed,
! for this passenger train did not follow the
| freight except for three miles, when it
reached the end of its trip and was
turned off upon siding.
She turned once more 20 look after the
retreating freight train. it was in full
view climbing the grade on the great
curve.
| Suddenly she put up both hands to
shade her eyes, and leaned forward on
the switch.frame. What had happcnedY
Two tiny pulTs of steam rose from the
engine. 1t was the signal to stop.
Ali the train has partedl Faint and
far away came the short, sharp danger
whistle. A single car had broken loose
from the train and had been left behind.
1t was standing alone on the track.
No. 1t was moving backward, II
was beginning to roll down the grade
1t was moving faster and faster. There
]
Involuntarily she spread out her arms
and let them fail to her side three or
four times in sucCcssion-the signal to
put on the brakes.
How foolishl lie cannot see me,
and" She leaned against the switch.
frame and shook with fear and agony.
The brake was broken.
Swift and swifter rolled the disabled
car. 1t was coming down the track,
gaining speed at every rod.
She sprang to the middle of the track
and tried to shout to the engineer of the
train at the station. She made the mo-
tions to back down out of danger. Her
tongue Glove to the roof of her mouth
and her cry became an innrticulate moan.
Onward came the car. She could see
her lover upon il frantiCally waving his
arms from right to left. What did it
mean? Her brain seemed to be on fire.
She could do nothing but gaze on the ad-
vancing Car in dumb horror.
All! The passengers! Could she not
save themY
With a violent wrench she opened the
switch again, and stood holding the bar
in both hands. Better so-better one
life lost than u dozen. Her feet seemed
bolted to the ground. She must stay
and see him killed, and by her own
hand.
The rails began to murmur with the
tread of the advancing car now rushing
furiously onward to destruction.
Ali why had she not thought of it be-
fore?
The cross.ovcr switch! Could she
| in I'm, inhf IA i'm,
She snatched the key from the switch
and ran with frantic speed up the line.
She never knew how she opened that
switch.
With means and cries she threw her.
self across the line and began to run
down the other side. Could she reach
that switch before the car? Its roaring
rang in her ears. Painting, with almost
bursting bosom, she reached the switch,
opened it and stood clinging to it as the
car came laundering over the viaduct.
She looked up at her lover upon the
car, He had seen and understood the
change in the switches. His car, help
less though it was, would cross over the
down track and roll harmlessly along to
the level line till its force was spent. He
was saved, and by her ready wit and
skill. The passengers in the train were
also saved.
She had saved him Love had been
her inspiration.
Great Heavens! what's thatl The eX-
press! The down express was coming!
All was in vain. He was lost. She
saw him throw up his arms in despair
The very plan she had devised to save
him would be his destruction. Better
far to have thrown him off upon the sid
ing as she had intended. Now he would
meet more dreadful death, and the de-
struction would include scores of lives
instead of dozen.
All this stlsshed through her mind like as
lightning She felt her knees give way
beneath her and she clung TO the switch
in despair. She shut her eyes to hide
the coming disaster.
Hark The whistle on the express
They had seen the imminent collision,
and were doing their best to avert it,
She, too, must do something. With a
bound she sprang to the next switch, tore
il open and stood painting and moaning
beside it with the bar in her hand. She
must save the train even if she buried
her lover under the splintered wreck of
the car.
! Onward came the car, laundering over
the viaduct and just ahead of the train
1t turned quickly at the switch, crossed
over and shot past her into the siding.
He had one look at her upturned face.
1t was full of love and helpless misery.
She was sending him to certain destruc-
tion-to save the express train.
The instant the car passed she closed
the switch, and sprang back again to the
other switch and closed it just in time to
see the express train sweep past in
safety.
In an instant the helpless Car ran into
the freight-housc with an awful splinter.
ing crash. The express pulled up oppo.
site the station, and in moment a
crowd of people ran shouting and frantic
up the line. Some of them had seen the
whole performance and knew what it
meant, but for the majority of them il