The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1878-10-31

was carried to my ears An
engine moved out of the station. An
other whistle shortly afterward. That
train was safe. l watched it glide away
over the viaduct. Five minutes later |
rode into the station and called for the
Station-master. AS 1 dismounted the
clock struck s. The time was up, and
no signal from M 'Causland. Telegraph
ing would now be easy. A porter came
out in response to my summons.
"Fm sorry ye lost the express" he
began.
81 don't want the train," replied;
81 must telegraph at once, though.
Where is the Station master?"
"He'll be here in a minute. But ye
can't telegraph. The wires is blown
down. We had to send spilot with
the express to clear the line up to Hand
leigh"
mot telegraph! 1 tell you, man,
mast stop the traffic. The South
Holmesdale Reservoir will burst this
very hour"
"Can that be trueP" inquired cool,
gentlemanly man at my elbow. 1t was
the Station-master himself.
"Truein l echoed. est is only too
true. have ridden to tell you. We
mast stop the trains"
"The excursion leaves Handleigh at
3d." unused the Station-master. "There
may be time; come with me-" He
crossed the line and entered shed OPP
posite. | followed Just then loud
booming sound rent the air. The
sound came back from the hills like
thunder.
alt is the signal" exclaimed. eThe
water is out. Heaven help US now!"
The Station-master called out. A
cleaner appeared. ''Is that engine
readyp''
Yes, sir, waiting for the excur-
sion"
"Run and open the points. Now, sir,
get up" .r7
| obeyed mechanically, and before I
quite realized the situation we had cross
ed to the up line. The Station-master
stopped to get red flag and give few
instructions to his subordinate. Inow
perceived that we were to race the flood.
Steam verssts Water. Which would
conquer?
A whistle: we started. "The food |!
the flood!" 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-master. !
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 dis
lance. We trusted to this to turn the
velocity of the approaching water. II
was an exciting race, and one never to
be forgotten. On rolled the flood, We
were running "neck and neck " for one
terrible half minute. Now the resist
less flood bore directly to the bridge
Stones rolled before it like marbles
Trunks of trees, hay-stacks, debris OF
every description, came headlong down
upon the doomed structure. We fled
like lightning over the rails Our speed
told now. Sparks flew from the chin
ney. Another g notch 1.-THE beat OF
the piston quickened to an almost in
conceivable rapidity. We were on the
bridge. Hurrah! The curling wave be-
meath seemed to spring forward. 1t
broke against the buttress. In Sec
oad we were across. | 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. The bridge gave way, and,
with roar that was heard two miles
off, the pretty viaduct 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 waving
our red flag we averted another danger
"a collision. The telegraph posts be
ing 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 were
the thanks we received from all, except
one man. He was escaping from JUS
tice, and was captured. From the ele-
waited embankment we could trace the
course of the flood for miles. The train
put back to Handleigh, whence the pas
sengers were forwarded by another COM
pany.
By the time we had arranged matters
and returned to the broken viaduct, the
water had subsidized. The work of de-
struction was complete, but sc break