The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1879-12-16
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A THRILLINa ExPERIENCE.

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inc Tfs fYfiver fn Save Ancthar
= ..-Tho Miraculous Escape Of
an Excursi0n Party. p
- is.s Francisco caiI) 1sa
After all We vav.stat;on te,eor,nb
are,not witboot our Iittis h;t
Of romance. occssior,lJv and th;nt +
csn show that we are bo. gsnti,e,v s;,h.
out q certain amount Of sresponsibilitv.
but il ia seldom If ever ,ecognixed.s = mn.
les, one Of our member by carelessneas
suddenly planpes a train into destruction
bY failino 10 fieliver or nnderstand or.
ders. The time of which I write vas
one. .rleaa,ht afternoon IN. early autumn
the S7t6 dav al September f876 "a -
the occurrence has made 4 deem and
vivid impression on nv mind. I cannot
FORGET the day. which was FRIDAY. Al
that time I had been An agent and oper
rative ON theL---railfoad : Tlit,le while
over three months. The line wa. di.
rec,ly, through carts of Indiana and
Illinois. and some of the stations had
no telegraph office; consequently the
order distance was somewhat lengthy.
and there was but one office between
mine and Cowans, twelve miles west.
On this day I was quietly putting nv
meerschaum in the little bay window of
nv Office, wishing for something to re-
lieve the monotony, when the operator
at Cowans called the train dispatcher,
and said an engine had sprung her throt.
tie with 140 pounds Of steam. and gone
east. while the fireman had gone to
lunch. and. the engineer, who was oil.
ing around had no time to get on. All
was still as death for minute, when the
dispatcher began to call c., the only
Office between mine and CoWans. For
fully Eve minutes he called him, using
the signal "23," which means death, but
still no answer, ana still the monotonous
click of the armature. Presently he an.
swered in dazed, hurried manner, and
when asked about the engine, said II
had passed there at q fearful rate of
speed at 4 IL o'clock, with no person
visible. It was only six miles more to
me, and an excursion was on its way
west with q heavy load of picnickers,
and had actusllv left station only eight
miles east of ne. the tirst telegraph Of
flee. at 4 .O2 O'Clock. The dispatcher
called me furiously, and being at hand
and expectant, answered Immediately.
When he said, Torn your switch and
wreck engine No. IL, going east Wild"
I replied quickly, 81 cannot without an
indemnity order "-and after q hasty con-
snltation with the superiptepdent, O. I
sftervarl learned. he went ahead with
an order. whose unusual form and wor.
ding reused many q "brass. sounder"
from a dose. Il was like tbis ,...
40 Operator: Wreck wild enrine
No. n At vour eastern aviich.. ,oate. .to
save collision. Company win uptoid
and defend you, D. r. B."
/ Immediately returned my "ls" or
understanding received nv sscorrect
at 4.18 o M" and turned to look for
the engine, when, although the conver-
sation between myself and the dispatch
er had consumed but four minutes, i
saw her coming at the graudest rate OF
speed / ever witnessed, and snatching
my order, l ran to the switch gate about
$50 feet, and when / had unlocked and
thrown the rail, the roaring monster Was
only about $50 feet away. had my
watch in my hand and stepped quickly
back out Of harms way when at exact.
ly 4 20 she went over, snd such an un-
earthly crash / hope may never see or
hear again! The dirt and stones dew
fiftv feet in the air, the engine turned
clear over, and stopped on her side.
pushing splinter of the cab on the
whistle -valve, and there she lay, q seeth-
ing, Kissing, screeching mass OF rubIsh.
But above the din and rattle I heard one
wild, despairing shrek for help, and