The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1877-07-18

and McCausland inspecting him. l
mounted. /" Now, | said, ''for this
great message, if you please" McCaus-
lands tone had something very solemn in
it, as he replisd:
Tell the station-master al Ammering
Junction, and any people you see, that
the South Reservoir will not last three
hours. 1t will burst down the valley,
and will destroy the Apps Viaduct, and
carry away the bridges on the Homesdale
Branch. Stop the traffic, and save the
/ passengers. God bless you and, bark
We, ride for your life. l will fire the
signal cannon, as warning. Good
| bye"
Ammering Junction was some miles
away. My route lay through an unknown
country, across moorland intersected by
flooded streams and swept by the fierce
wind and rain.
l must do it, [ thought, rs my horse
picked his cautious way amid the loose
stones down the steep by-road we had
assembled the previous day. l should
need all my strength, though, to execute
my task, SO l pressed on. a valuable
slice out of my time had been expended
when | reached the broad highway and
urged my horse to speed. bad to turn
| off again, | knew, but | fancied | should
easily find the path. Besides, WAS there
not sign-post
reached the turning and pulled up to
read the direction | should take. l
nearly tainted with horror as | read. The
fatal finger pointed up the cross-road l
was pursuiug-To Holmesdale and Sea-
ham. The opposite index pointed-To
Ruddall and Ammering. could scarce
credit my senses. Surely, was right !
We had come up the previous day, and
! up the Mill to the reservoirs. | had
merel Y to reverse the route we had tray
eled. This was a terrible mistake. 1t was
now past six o'clock. One of the three
precious hours had elasped, and | was
further from Ammering than when |
started. | was seized with despair );
whatever could | do now? Two hours
remained, and l had three uphill miles
to ride, and then about seven more across
the moor before could reach the juno,
! ton, and before that the train might
/ have started, and then!
| | burst out into COLL Precipitation at
the thought, and then desperate, and
only half conscious, | rode madly back to
the Ammering road and up the hill
again.
The SUBMITS of the neghboring hills
were shrouded in a veil OF mist, but far
in advance on the level, | could trace the
railroad line. From the elevation at
which / stood, | could trace the channel
of the Apps river down the valley, and
could guess the spot at which the flood
would strike the railroad, and the branch
line over the spur Of the hill. | could
! just distinguish the junction in the mid
die of the distance. A dark fmoke SEEM
ed to be rising from it an engine per-
haps waiting to start with a train, and
was lingering on the hill. All this, and
more, | could perceive as / rested on the
summit. Somewhat refreshed, | rode
mlnfully forward into the storm.
How my horse kept his feet l do not
to this hour, understand.
was quite alone, not human being
in sight, but suddenly the whistle of u
4 locomotive was carried to my ears. An
engine moved out of the station. Another
whistle shortly afterwards That train
the viaduct. Five minutes later | rode
into the station, and called for the sta
tionmaster. As ! dismounted the clock
struck eight The time was up, and no
signal from McCausland. Telegraphing
would nov be easy. a porter came out
in response to my summons.
''Pm sorry we lost the express" he be-
gan"
81 don't want the train" l replied, 81
must telegraph at once through. Where
is the stationmaster 2"
"He'll be in minute. But We can't
telegraph. The wires are blown down.
We had to send pilot with the express
to clear the line up to Handleigh."
"Not telegraph ! | tell you, man, l
must stop the traffic. The South
Holmesdale reservoir will burst this very
hour"
"Can that be true p inquired cool,
gentlemanly man at my elbow. 1t was
the stationmaster himself.
"True?" | echoed. cit is only too
true. 1 have ridden to tell you. We must
. stop the trains"
"The excursion leaves HandIeigh at
S:05," unused the stationmaster. ''There
may be time; come with me-" He cross
the line and entered shed opposite. |
followed Just then, loud, booming
sound rent the air. The sound came
back from the hills like thunder.
cit is the signal !" exclaimed, "The
water is out. Heaven help US now :"
The stationmaster called out. A clean
er appeared is that engine ready"
Eyes, sir; waiting for the excursion"
''Run and open the points. Now, sir,
get up"
[ obeyed mechanically, and before /
quite realized the situation we had cross
to the up line. The stationmaster stop
ped to get red flag and give few in
structions to his su5ordinates. l now
perceived that we were to race the flood
Steam versus water. Which would con-
quer?
A whistle: We started. "the food, the
food !" shouted the porter. We turned
one glance up the valley. A moving
brown wall capped with snowy ridge,
was tearing down the devoted viaduct
No time to loose. $50 ahead cried the
stationmaster. turned on steam, put the
lever over another "notch," and the race
began in earnest.
1t was an exciting race and one never
to be forgotten. On rolled the food.
We were running "neck and neck" for
one terrible half minute Now the re-
sistless food bore directly to the bridge
Stones were rolling before it like mar
bles. Trunks of trees, haystacks, debris
of every description came beadlong down
upon the doomed structure. We fled
like lightning over the rails. Our speed
told now. Sparks flew from the chimney.
Another Hnofch"-the beat of the pistOn
quickened to an almost inconceivable
rah The curling wave beneath seemed