Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1877-08-08

press due on tn Shore road mus
be bout due there from the west
l looked at my watch. 1t onl,
lacked one second of the expires,
trains time at Brocton. We'd beer
thinkin' all along that to save our
selves tn switch at tn Junction
must be opened t let us in on til
Shore track, where the road wa:
level, and we could git away from
tn burnin' cars. The switch o.
course, was closed, an now even il
the switchman opened it on my
signal, there was the danger O
crashin' into the express. ~ add
to this fearful situation, I could
see the freight train from the East
pullin' like devil possest to get
inter the switch at Brocton, out O
the way O. the due express.
|
"Good God y says !, "Jimmy
what'll we do 2"
This all took place inside of five
seconds.
"Holler for the switch ?! says
Jimmy.
Lord what a shrek that engine
give! Seemed s if it knew our
chances was slim, an its whistle
was jess one yell o agony.
"S'pose they don't open the
switch, Jimmy 2" said /. Hot as
twas, / could feel the cold sweat
stan on my forehead, and ooze out
all over me. ! know was pale as
sheet, for ] could feel it. Jim
my d been married just a week
afore, and l know'ed how much he
thought O. that little woman o.
his'n. l had a wife n seven
children. 1t was kinder an old
thing with me, but there wasn't
no spot like that little home O.
mine an its contents.
''If they don't turn tn switch,
Jack" says Jimmy, "good bye |"
"He stuck out his hand. /
lketched hold n his hand, and we
bid each other good byel N at
this time was sweepin' like the wind
toward the the station, with the
blazin' devil only ten feet behind
us. N thank God they did
turn the switch, an we shot in on
the Shore track, tore by the
depot like a rocket, an on through
th' town, an on up TIL road. We
know'd then the express had been
warned of our approach. We
soon outstripped the burnin' cars,
they losin' the momentum of the
grade. We slowed our brave old
gal up by degrees, an stopped
within hundred yards O. the
express that lay on the track,
waitin' for the upshot O. the race.
Jimmy n me got off, but tn mex
we know'd we didn't know nothin'.
We tainted dead away, and when
we come to, was both of US home,
safe and sound, but terribly shook
up, now l tell you.
"The two hoss keepers was both
unconscious in the box car. IfI
they'd knowed the other dangers
we was in, aside from the burnin'
cars, dose me if l don't think
they'd q died. The hosses was
badly cut up, and so unstrung that
| guess they never got over it.
After all, our escape from collision
with the Shore express had been
more luck than management. The
express was a minute late. The |
engineer see the blaze of the oil |
cars tearin' down the mountains,
and he know'd what the matter
was at once. But he didn't cal'c-
late that we was tearin' down with |
such awful speed, an he though he
could git to the depot n out the way
before he reached it. He got
within mile O. the station n see
he couldn't make I an stopped, an
backed away to give US room. If
he'd been on time-well, it aint
tall likely I'd be o tellin' you O.
this-'n there'd q been more wild
ders n orphins in the country to-
day than there is. BY bull-head-
luck the engineer of the up-freight
train made his sid'n in time to git
out O. our way. r.,
"The oil cars was left to burn up,
Of course. They burned in three