Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1879-07-08

Willie lie Children were Sa1ely Oub OF
the way. The station-master, feeling
sure the children were safe in the
freight car, sat in his Office nearly all
the morning. At last the beds were
made, the dinner put on the fire, and
the mother wondered how the girls
were getting on in their playhouse on
the track. She threw shawl over her
head and went out on the platform At
once the wind blew the shawl over her
face, and she could not see exactly
where she stood. Turning her back to
the wind she began to call the children.
How loudly the wind roared through
the telegraph wires Perhaps they
could not hear in all this din. Maybe
they were inside the car out of hearing.
She walked on toward the siding. Not
thing to be seen! She wondered if
there had not been a mistake. Per-
haps the car was on the other side
trackP No, the rails were unoccu-
pied as far as she could see in every
direction. What did it mean? What
had happened? She staggered back into
the station and startled her husband with
a cry of despair.
The car! The children!"
The station-master ran out upon the
platform and looked up and down the
line. Not car in sight! 1t had been
blown away before the terrible wind,
and was perhaps at this instant rolling
swiftly onward with its precious load to
destruction. What would happen TO it?
Would it meet train or run into a sta
ton? Would the children try to get
out, or would they stay in the car till it
was wrecked?
He sprang to the door OF the depot to
telegraph the terrible news down the
line, but just as he opened the door he
saw faint white cloud on the western
horizon. 1t was a train. Help was
coming. At the same instant his wife
appeared with new grief and terror in
her eyes.
g l cannot get a call in either direction.
The wires are blown down."
This only added to the danger, Tor
there was now no means of sending
word il. advance of the runaway car
1t must go on to its fate without hel
or warning.
Help is com ing, mother. Here's
train bound east"
Nearer and nearer came the train, and
the father and mother st ood watching it
as it crept along the rails. 1t seemed as
if it would never come. At last it
reached the platform and proved to be
Il passenger train bound up the Black
river road and not intended to go in the
direction in which the car had been
blown away. The instant it stopped
the station-master ran to the engineer
and told his terrible story. The mother,
with quicker wit, found the conductor
and demanded that the engine be taken
off and sent after the children
e To-,
habits, and such bold request struck
him as something extraordinary. Take
the engine off and leave the train and
passengers waiting at this lonely station?
The idea was preposterousi 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,
90 at once. We can wait here till the
engine returns" The conductor said he
must telegraph for instructions; but
some one said, 1.-The wires are down."
and the people only cried out the more,
. Let the engine go!" so the mother ran
TO the tender and began to pull out the
pin, that the engine might start.
Hold on, marm,'' said a brakeman
F" I'll cast her off. You jump aboard if
you want to 60 too. Fire up, Jack, and
make her hum.n
1t was all done in moment, and away
flew the engine, leaving the conductor
and the station-master staring in surprise
ut this singular proceeding. The station
master did not feel very happy. He had
half intended to go with the engine, but
it would never do to leave his post
Fire steady, jack" said the engineer
to the fireman. ''It's no use to get ex-
cited. for we're in for long races
" 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
straining ahead down the line in search
of the missing ones.
"Oh, sir! open the throttle wide.
Don't try to save coal at such time as
this.n
I'VE must keep cool, marin, and go
steady, or we shall run out of coal and
water and come to a standstill on the
line"
The woman said not word, but nod
ded mournfully and leaned against the
side of the cab for support, and the fire
man gave her his seat, where she could
look out ahead over the line. How the en-
gine shook and roared! The little finger of
the steam gauge trembled and rose higher
and higher as the steam pressure in
creased over the raging fire. The engine
seemed to be eating up the track in front,
and behind the rails spun out like shin
ing ribbons in the sun. The station and
train had salready sunk down out of
sight, and the grassy Norizon on either
side seemed to fly away in kind of gi-
gantic waltz. The wind died away to a
dead calm, and in few moments little
breeze sprang up and blew in at the
front windows.
"We are beating the wind" said the
engineer. If we can keep up this pace
we shall soon overtake them"
How long have they been gomez"
shouted the fireman, above the roar of
the engine.
81 don't know, screamed the woman,
without taking her eyes from the hori-
zon where the rails met the sky. lit
may have been two hours or more. They
were playing in the empty car"
How did she get out of the siding"
Gle meant the carr
It's one of the new switches said
the engineer. Cars can easily jump
out upon the main line''
Ali something ahead. Was it the
runaway car? No. the next station.
What a terrible pace! Twenty miles al
ready!
"0h, don't stop!'' cried the women,
Il. Il. L