San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1879-03-08
Racing on the Rail.

n race between two railway trains re-
Gently:
"The local train on the PennsylVani"
ruilroad, which starts from Jersey CITY
ut 7 :37 in the evening, leaped ont Oh
the station like charger that had been
spurred. An old gentleman in the
smoking-car said "Bless mel with what
little breath remained in his body, and
recovering his equilibrium and his ci-
gar, held tightly on to the back OF the
seat in front of him. The telegraph
poles flew by like splinters; the CONT
guous shop fronts seemed n solid streak
of light, and mad sort OF snoring
rolled down from the locomotive upon
the rushing wind. In an instant the.
train was flying through the limits OF
Jersey City, among those thickiy-plant'
ed Luildings which are half tenement
houses, half pig-pens and all wood and
out of the right-hand windows passen'
.ers beheld % shower of fiery sparks
vlirling about the precGrious roofs OF
these, falling upon areas of tar and dry
shingles, etc, and driving in Mt open
windows and pelting astonishcd citizens
,t their doorsteps like u fierce hail.
Passengers held their breath ant
thought the coal was bad and the engi'
neer had dropped off. But after min
nte. as the train bounded and leaped
Along the open flats, u passenger who's
long beard was blown back over each
shoulder, observed, with something
glee in his quiet tones, Now therell b.
fun and waved his hand in statel,,
way to the northward.
Another train was coming along iii
the same direction upon the track OF thu
Delaware and Lnckawnnna. Ii also wa
bounding under a mad impulsion, and
the smoke-stack upon it's locomotiv,
was emitting shower of sparks. Pas
sengers then saw that there was race
"The track of the Delaware and
I.ackawanna road makes sweep south
ward Just beyond Jersey City, and fol
the rest of the distance to Newark runs
parallel with and only few feet sepa
rated from the Pennsylvania track.
When the passengers caught sight OF
the rival train it was laundering down
the curve, seemingly bent on striking
their own at right angles. But in n mo-
ment it turned, and the two locomotives
were dashins toward Newark neck and
neck. .E.
"For moment neither drew a jot
ahead of the other. 1t was an unpleas-
ant and yet fascinating sensation. The
coaches few straight as q die, swervine
not q hairs breadth, either to the right
or the left. Striking the roadway only
at intervals, fagellating the iron rails
with fierce, sharp blows, and seeming
bent on striking them in twain. Pas
sengers looked at one another out OF
their respective windows i'll IN alarmed
way, as il wondering which would be
nnnihilatcd first. The Delaware and
| Lnckawanna fireman threw open the
door of his furnace and gorged it with
coal. In response million sparks flew
from the funnel and danced backward
minglipg brilliantly with another mil
lion out of the sounding Pennsylvania
Both locomotives blazed and roared
and the wheels of the cars flying after
them ground terrible music ont of the
iron track, and struck fiery blows Mt ev
erv bound. SO near together were the
two trains that the passengers could al
most have shaken hands across. Blu
they were rival passengers now, ant
| covered at one another under the fiery
veil which the locomotives threw back
ward.
"Whan the Delaware and Lackayanni
fireman had fed his beast, u louder roal
came down from the Pennsylvania iror
horse. and it was known that the othe
fireman had done likewise. The change
for a moment was hardly perceptiblo
1t seemed as though, after the mannei
of racing boats, first one locomotive
and then the other WAS making molta
spurts. drawing for the instant 10
81 NJ. :. l.oI,;-, 1