Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1879-08-01

could not bear in all this din. Msyb
they we're inside the car, out Of HEARING
She walked on toward the siding. No
a thing to bs seen! She wondered
there had not been q mistake3 Pei
haps the car, was on the other sid
track No, the rails were unocoupie'
az far as she could see in every direc
ton. What did it mean What ha'
happenedf She started back into tn
station and startled her husband will
cry Of despair.
The car the children F."
The station master ran out upon thu
platform and looked up and down tn
line. Not car in sight It had beel
blown away before the terrible wind
and was perhaps at this instant rolling
swiftly onward with its precious load Il
destruction. What would happen t.
it? Would it meet train or run intt
a station 7 Would the children try t.
get out, or would they stay in the cal
till it was wrecked ? He sprang to the
door Of the depot to telegraph the terri
BILE news down the line, but just as hs
opened the door he saw faint white
cloud on the western horizon. 1t was
train. Help was coming. At the
same instant his wife appeared with
new grief and terror in her eyes.
81 caunot get call in either direc'
ton. The wires are blown down."
This only added to the danger, fol
there was now no means Of sendirg
word in ADVANCE Of the runaway car.
1t must 90 on to It's tate without help 81
warning. "Hslp is coming, mother.
Here's q train bound east"
Nearer and nearer cams the train nd
the father and mother stood watching
1t as it crept along the rails. 1t seemed
az II it would never come. At last II
reached the platform and proved to be
a passenger train bound up the Black
River Road and not intended to 90
the way car had been blown away. The
instant it stopped the station-master
ran to the engineer and told his terri
BILE story.
The mother, with quicker wit, found
the conductor and demanded that the
engine be taken off and sent after the
children.
The conductor was q man Of regular
habits, and such bold request struck
him as somsthing extraordinary. Take
the engine of, and leave the train and
passengers waiting at this lonely sta
ton ? The idea was prsposterous
Some of the passengers gathered near
and asked what was the matter.
Three children lost, blown away in
an empty car. Some one said: "Yes,
go at once. We can wait here till the
engine returns" he conductor said
he must telegraph for instructions; but
some one said: "The wires are down."
and the people only cried out the more
"Let the engine ge!' SO the mother
ran to the tender and began to pull out
the pin, that the engine might start.
"Hold on, marm," said adbrakeman,
''I'll cast her Of, You jump aboard il
you want to go too. Fire up Jack, and
make her hum"
1t was all done in q moment, and
away flew the engine, leaving the con.
ductor and the station master staring in
surprise at this singular proceeding.
Tho station master did not feel very
happy. He had half intended to 60
with the engine, but it would never do
to leave his post.
Sire steady, Jack" said the engi-
neer to the fireman. otis no use to
get excited, for we're in for a long
race"
"It's enough to make fellow excited
to see that woman" said the fireman.
The engineer turned round, and there
by his side stood the mother, her eyes
strained ahead down the line in search
of the missing ones.
so, sir! open the throttle wide.
Don'ttry to save coal at such time as
this"
"We must keep cool marin, and 60
steady, or we shall run out Of coal and
water, and come to stand still on the
line.
The woman said not word, but nod.
ded mournfully and leaned against the
side OF the cab for support, and then
the fireman gave her his seat, where
she could look out ahead over the line.
How the engine shook and roared. The
little finger of the steam guage trembled
and rose higher as the steam pressure
increased over the roaring fire. The
engine seemed to BIZ eating up the track
in front, and behind the rails spun out
like shining ribbons in the sun. The
station and train had already sunk
down out of sight, and the grassy hori.
zon on either side seemed to fly away
in kind Of gigantic waltz. The
wind died away to a dead calm, and
in few moments little breeze sprang
up and blew in at the eugine's front
windows.
"We are beating the wind" said the
engineer. If We keep up this pace we
shall soon overtake them.
show long have they been gone ?"
shouted the fireman above the roar of
the engine.
81 don't know" screamed the wo-
man, without taking her eyes from the
horizon, where the rails met the sky.
ut may have been two hours or more.
They were playing in the empty car"
"How did she get out Of the sidingY"
{ He meant the car
"It's one of the new switches" said
the engineer. Gears can easily jump
out upon the maiu line"
All something ahead. Was it the
runaway carr No, the next station
What a terrible pace Twenty miles
already!
80, don't stop!" cried the woman,
as she saw the engineer put his hand
On the throttle valve.