Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1878-12-28

which the food would strike tho rail.
road and the branch line over the spur
OF the hill. could Just Distinguish
the junction in the middle distance. A
dark smoke appeared to be rising from
it; an engine, perhaps, waiting TO start
with train, and / was lingering on the
hill. All this, and more, could per-
ceive as rested on the summit. Some
what refreshed, role maninlly for
ward into the storm.
7 How my horse kept his feet I do not
to this day understand. The wind.
which Lad been high before, appeared
To have gathered new force while We
had halted, and it rushed across the
track territically. Pebbles we're fire.
qnently blown across the road, and
every pool had its waves, like o NINA
ture sea. Some helpless crews were
blown over my head, and Q sinister
looking raven skinned the moor close
by, uttering a weird croak which fell
upon my ears like knell and chilled
my blood. was quite alone, not hu-
man being in sight, but suddenly the
whistle Of locomotive was carried to
my ear An engine moved out of the
station. Another whistle shortly AZ
terwari. The train was safe. L watched
il glide away over the viaduct. Five
minutes later l rode into the station
and called for the station master. As
dismounted the clock struck eight.
The time was up. and no signal from
MCausland. Telegraphing would now
be easy. A porter came ont in response
to nv summons
I'm sorry We lost the express" lie
began.
II don't want the train" 1 replied;
81 must telegraph at once, though.
Where is the station master ?"
He'll be here in q minute. But
ye can't telegraph. The wire is blown
down. We had to send ''pilot" with
the express to clear the line up to
Handleigh."
"No telegraph I tell you. man, I
must stop the traffic. The South
Holmesdale Reservoir will burst this
very hour"
Can that be true?" inquired cool.
gentlemanly man at my elbow. 1t was
the station-master himself.
"True y I echoed. "It is only too
true. I have ridden to tell you. We
must stop the trains"
"The excursion leaves Handleigh at
S:5," mused the station-master. "There
may be time; come with me-" He
eros; d the line and entered the shed
opposite. I followed. Just then q loud
booming rent the air. The sound came
back from the hills like thunder.
ut is tho signal" exclaimed. "The
water is out. Heaven help us now I"
The station-master called out. A
cleaner appeared. els that engine
ready?"
Eyes, sir, waiting for the excursion. {"
"Run end open the points Now,
sir, get up"
I obeyed mechanically, and before
I quite realized the situation we had
crossed to the up line. The station.
master stopped to get red flag and
give few instructions to his subordi-
nate. now perceived that we were to
race the flood. Steam versus water.
Which would conquer?
A whistle: we started. 1.-THE flood!
the foodw shouted the porter. We
turned one glance up the valley. A
moving brown wall, capped with q
snowy ridge, was tearing down to the
devoted viaduct. No time to lose.
$50 ahead!'' cried the station. mater.
I turned on steam, put the lever over
another "notch," and the race began in
earnest.
We flew along the metals. A few
minutes would decide it. We must get
to the viaduct and over it first, or the
excursion, unwarned, would dash to
destruction. A depression in the
ground ran beside the railroad for a
short distance. We trusted to this to
turn the velocity of the approaching
water. It was an exciting race and
one never to be forgotten. On rolled
the food. We were running "neck to
neck" for one terrible minute. Now
the relentless flood bore directly to the
bridge. Stones rolled before it like
marbles. Trunks of trees, hay-stacks,
debris of every description, came head
long down upon the doomed structure.
We fled like lightning over the rails.
Our speed told now. Sparks few
from the chimney. Another "notch"
the beat of the piston quickened to
an almost inconceivable rapidity. We
were on the bridge. Hurrah! The
curling wave beneath seemed to spring
forward. It broke against the butter
esses. In second we were across. I
shut off steam, the station-master put
down the brakes. A tearing, rending
sound that was not the brakes-a crash
We looked back. The line dropped
behind us like stage trap. Then the
bridge gave way, and. with roar that
was heard two miles off the pretty via
duct was swept away by the boiling,
furious water.
We were truly thankful for our mar
row escape. And now to save the ex-
cursion. Speeding forward again,
whistling like demon, our good en-
gine-Vigilant by name-soon came in
sight of the excursion train. By wav-
ing our red flag we averted another
daDger-a collision. The telegraph
poles being down, trains had to run
upon the same line as far as Handleigh,
but our timely action set all to rights
at last.
We soon gave the bewildered passen.
gers to understand the narrow escape
they had had. Fervent and sincere