Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-02-13

AWAY toward the west. Not until tn
engine was fairly out of sight did tn
crowd begin to understand what ha,
been done. When the truth was real
ized the most frantic uproar arose
the mass of soldiers, citizens and trail
hands huddled upon the track in pit
liable confusion yells of rage swellet
into the air, and the sharp crackle o
comment broke the msnotone. Sud
denly two men, hatless and coatless
sped from out this bewildered crowd
and with pale, determined faces, start
ed in pursuit Of the engine. Thes,
were the conductor and engineer
Messrs. Fuller and Murphy, who, OF
foot, amid the sudden and uncon
trolled laughter Of the crowd, started
out to catch the men, who were firing
away at the rate of sixty miles an houl
with their train.
A THRILLING RACE.
The twenty-five men upon ths en-
gine had an almost impossible tasl
before them. They had to burn tht
bridges upon their route--they had t.
cut the telegraph wire as they proceed
ed. to prevent the alarm preceding
them-they had to meet and pass two
of the regular trains of the road
they were followed by maddcned en-
emies-and even if they should reach
Chattanooga, the terminus of the road
in safety, they would find themselves
in strongly fortified post of the enc
my-a hundred miles from their Owr
line-and in momentary expectation
Of the sight of their pursuers.
And yet they went ahead, bravely
and carefully. When out about one
mile from the station (where there
was no telegraph operator) they stop.
ped and cut down the wire and pull.
ed up a rail or two. Remounting
their engine, they hurried on. When
they reached the first station above
Big Shanty, they told the tank-tender
that they were putting through an
extra powder train for Beauregard,
and asked for a schedule. He gave
them one, and they found that they
would meet the down passenger train
q few stations above. Having more
than enough time to make the sched-
ule, they pulled along leisurely, stop
ping occasionally to tear up the track.
They had no tools with which to take
up the rails, and had to batter them
down with hammers While engag-
ed at this work they were astounded
at hearing short distance behind
them the whistle of an engine in pur-
suit. With a convulsive effort they
tore up the rails they were hammer
ing at and remonnted their engine.
As they did SO they saw the engine
manned by their pursuers rush
around the curve. 1t was stopped by
the torn track, and in the meantime
the raiders flew out of sight. They
had to stop SO frequently, however, to
cut the wire that their pursuers kept
in sight nearly all the way. The
chase was headlong one. Two men
stood on tho cow-catcher of the pur-
suing engine, to remove obstacles
from the track and to tear up the rails
from behind the engine and lay them
down in front. At length, just as
they were nearing the station where
they were to meet the down train, the
raiders succeeded in tearing up the
track very badly and loading their
baggage car with some fifty rails
They then drew in on the siding and
waited for the down train to clear the
track. They told the powder train
story to the conductor of this train.
As they pulled out they saw their
pursuers reach the broken track and
halt their engine. Two men (the con-
ductor and engineer of the stolen
train) jumped off and ran toward the
down train. They boarded 1t, and
hastily turned back and pushed,
wrong end foremost, in pursuit of the
flying Yankees. Then there was an
open track and fair race. Through
village after village the two trains
flew like lightning. Having to stop
occasionally to cut telegraph wires,
Andrews saw that it was necessary to
force his pursuers to halt also. Con-
sequently he knocked the rear end of
the last baggage car out and dropped
cross-ties and rails upon the track in
front of the pursuing train. At last,
when he was pushed very close, he
uncoupled one of the cars and left it
drifting upon the track. The Con-
federates halted an instant, coupled it
to their train, and hurried it OH again,
pushing it ahead of them. Another
car was finally dropped, and at
length the last car was kindled into q
blaze and left upon high bridge, in
the hope that it might burn the bridge
and thus check the pursuers. But it
was impossible, with the whirling at
such enormous speed, to get the blaze
fully started, and it went out before
it enkindled the bridge. The pursu-
ing train coupled this car and swept
on.
FLYING TO THE WOODS.
Chattanooga was now only twenty
miles distant, but the foremost en-
gine was in sad plight. Its brass
journals were all melted down; its
wood and water were exhausted, and
progress was virtually ended. A
hurried council of war was held, and
bold and brilliant plan was deter
mined upon. II was decided to let
one of the raiders pull the Yankeeen-
gine out of sight around q curve,
while the other disembarked, tore up
the track, and hid in the brush near
the road. Then, when the train of
the pursuers arrived, and the forces
on it were engaged in repairing the
track, the ambushed men would
spring upon them, disperse them, and
send their train sweeping back down
the road to wreck everything behind
it and give the raiders time to escape.
But just as this plan was determined
upon the pursuing train rushed in
sight, and bore down rapidly on the
doomed engine. Seeing that they
would inevitably be run down in a
very few moments Andrews ordered
his men to take to the woods and save
themselves, and shaking the hands OF
his comrades, who were huddled up.
ON the tender, leaped from the flying
engine and was soon lost in the
woods. He was followed by his men
who jumped from one side or the 9th.
er and took to the nearest shelter.
We recur to Messrs. Murphy and
Fuller, who set out on foot from Big
Shanty in pursuit of the stolen en-
gine. As absurd as that foot race ap.
peared, it was the means Of battling
the scheme Of the determined raiders
Murphy and Fuller ran on foot for
about three miles as fast as they could
hurry, having no definite plan excep,
to 60 ahead. After they had gone
three miles they came upon q hand
car, which was lying upon tho side Of
the track. 1t was used to move the
road workers about. Putting this
car upon the track and impressing q
force of negroes, they hurried on
pushing it up grade with poles and
letting it fly down grade Of its OWE
weight. They made pretty good
time with this, and at last reached 9
station where side road ran out to q
coal mine. An engine ready fired
was standing here. They impressed
it, and pat it through its best PAGES
until they reached Kingston, where
the engine Of the Rome Railroad {,
branch Of the Western and Atlanti,
laailroad) was awaiting the up train
They seized this and continued theil
pursuit. With this engine they cam,
in sight of the stolen train. They fol
lowed it until they came to the plac'
where the track was 90 badly tornl VI
thew COnld not rnnlaca IL They thav