Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1879-05-14


the eye, were the outward indications of
the quick, comprehensive decision he came
to; for, in one moment, he had reviewed
the whole situation, and in the single chance
there was for escape; chance | did not
see, but which he did. Escape for the rest
of us, however, but not for him. He was
doomed, in any event; he realized that
perhaps We all were. but there was posi-
bility of saving the passengers; and it was
his duty to do that, ''come what might" to
himself, as he said.
'.Do you understand the exceptional
bravery of thisl Napoleon used TO say,
that very few men had four O'Clock courage.
He meant by that, that when men were
reused from sleep, suddenly, in the gray
dawn, by a surprise, it took some time to
get their wits about them they were dazed,
| they lost their presence of mind. Now
this was even a more crucial trial. Here
was train off its time. not signaled, uneX-
pectedly coming round a corner, not half a
mile off, and, therefore, at the rate at which
both trains were going, with but thirty
seconds left, not merely to determine what
to do. if anything could be done, but 10 do
it. Nine men out of ten, yes. ninety mine
out of a hundred, would have lost their
presence of mind. Even most of those,
who might have retained it, would have
sacrificed that thirty seconds in weighing
the pros and cons of the situation. But
Charley not only kept his nerves firm, and
his intellect cool, but reviewed the state of
affairs in moment, and decided as instan-
taneously.
Jump back, jim, he cried, addressing
his attendant, but not even looking around,
while his voice rose, stern and sharp, over
the thunder of the two trains. 'Uncouple
me from the baggage car. Quick It's
the only chancei'
1T was the only chance. Why had |
not thought of it If the locomotive and
tender could be unfastened from the rest of
the train, the two former would dash for
ward, with accelerated velocity, would be
the first TO meet the shock of the collision !;
would act as a buffer; and would check,
slightly, the speed; and thus, when the rest
came in contact, would, perhaps, cause but
little loss of life, if any. 1t was Leonidas
throwing himself into the pass, but Leoni-
das alone, and Leonidas that might save the
three hundred.
JIM Nds bll All biNlAlialN SipNti. uut
he had also been a soldier, where he had
learned habits of implicit obedience. He
said to me, afterwards, that he did not stop
to think. TO tell the truth, colonel. were
his words, Il was too scared to think. But
did as | was told, hardly knowing | did
il: YOU saw me. YOU and General Powell,
don't you remember; and how uncoupled
the baggage car just in time Z
Il 90 remember. behold ii all again.
as vividly as at that moment. | seem TO
hear the quick, sharp words of command,
like nothing so much as the crack of rifle !;
then | see Jim, black and begrimmed, leap
backwards, tug at a coupling; then the
locomotive and tender dart ahead, as if shot
from a battery then came wild thud, the
crash of iron, and splitting of wood, two
locomotives leaping up in the air gush Of
fire, an explosion that shook the earth. =
The colonel passed his hand across his
eyes, as if to shut out the sight, drew a
deep breath and went on.
''In another second we were upon them.
At first, | thought that we, too, were lost.
But apart from the fact that the brakes had
at last, begun to tell, our momentum had
been further diminished by the detaching
of the tender. and when we dashed against
the mass of ruin, the shock was only sIifi-
cient TO throw us off our feet, and crush in
the forward part of the baggage car. There
had been just time for us 10 retreat to the
rear of the car, before the crash.
The colonel resumed, more quietly, after
moment.
Charley was found, few feet from the
tragedy, on a bank, where the force of the
collision had flung him. He had died in
simultaneously, the physicians said. Fortu-
nately, he was not disfigured in the face at
least.
''He was buried at the cemetery, where
| went to-day 4 few of us united to erect
a simple monument over him, and every
year 90 there and lay wreath of inlDiOr-
teUes upon it.
| heard, afterwards, | may say inciden-
tally, that the monument had been put up
almost entirely at the colonel's expense.
"a few of US was his modest figure of
speech.
"And the poor girl who was to have
married himl' said our hostess, with sigh.
s'Life was over for her, answered the
colonel. ''Her's was one of those natures
that can love but once"
ut would have been proclamation to
have loved any one else, after a hero like
that"
Yes" He was silent for moment.
s'But she was one that could not live
without some object in life, so she became
hospital nurse, and when the yellow fever
broke out last year, went down South.
She was one of the first to 90, and, hesi-
tatingly, zone of the first to die She died
at Memphis"
''POor, poor thing"
"When the frosts came, her friends had
her brought North, and laid beside Char
lev" said the colonel. ''And this year, |
took out, as shall, always, hereafter, TWO
IyNORTEIIFsn