Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-11-27
A BUNRNING ssSLEEPER.' .
Experience Of Passengers on q
Baltimore 4 Ohio Train.
g. Cinr ain n All n noulv>r

J
Passengers from Washington and
the East, who embarked on the Pull
man sleeper Baltimore, on the Balti
more & Ohio train due in this city
last evening at 6 O'Clock, met with /
thrilling experience Saturday NOR.
ming about s o'clock, . few miles eas
Of Cumberland, Md. Every berth
but two was filed. Among the pas
sengers was . bibulous gentleman
whose potations had rendered him
extremely talkative and noisy. Aftel
firing every body else out, he finally
laid himself down, but not to sleep
He still kept up his flow Of language
much to the disgust Of q traveller
who had the misfortune to be assign.
ed to tho same section. Finally hit
patience could Withstand 1t NO lon.
ger, and, to eecape the annoyance, go,
|up and went to the forward end Of
the coach. To his horror be saw that
. lamp had exploded and fred the
sleeper. The flames spread with ter
rible rapidity, and In few seconds
the whole end Of the car was ablaze.
His cries Of dismay and warning
aroused the other passengers, who
tumbled pell-mell In all sorts Of cos
TUNES, many Of which were distin.
guishsd principally by their scanti-
ness. Ladies half-clsd ran screaming
up and down the aisle, the two chill
dren aboard sent up walls OF terror
and distress, the men jumped about
and sw0re 40 if their st0cking-feet
we're momentarily beseiged by red
hot pokers, and . panic such as was
never Witnessed before reigned su-
preme. In the meantime the train
went humping over the ties at the
rate Of forty miles an hour. The
frantic "yanks" on the bell-rope by
the gentlemen who first discovered
the fearful situation had its effect, and
the speed was lessened. The conduc-
tor, however, who was in the coach
ahead Of the sleeper, knowing full
we'll that he had not sigusled q stop,
pulled the rope, telling the engineer
TO 60 ahead, and away she few again.
Then despair seized upon that fran
tic, bowling mob of unclad humAni-
ty, their eyes fixed in q stony stare
upon the advancing flames, while
their ears we're saluied by the crack
ling Of the dry wood that burned like
paper. 1t was . thrilling moment,
and one not likely to be forgotten.
Above the din of the rumbling wheels
and the horrible sound of the devour.
ind fiend that stalked toward the
crowd, could be heard the
prayer of mercy from some devout
soul, mingled with the curses Of q few
impious men. At length, when the
oeil-rope had been nearly severed by
the combined energies Of dozen
people, who clutched it as a drown
ing man grasps q straw, the conduc.
tor caught . glimpse of light form
the burning car as the train sped
through cut. His signal was un-
and the engine was revers-
ed. When the train was stopped, the
now almost paralyzed passengers
we're transferred to other coaches, all
safe and sound, but minus their small
baggage and most Of their clothes.
The coach, still burning, was side
tracked and totally destroyed. When
the train reached Parkeasburg, a new
supply OF hats and other wearing ap-
parel was procured by the unfortun-
ates. The train reached this city last
night about ten o'clock-thrce hours
behind time.