The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-03-19

machine lust Ia front oil bihl, anu NV. =.
iron cover rose toward us In slanilng az
rcctlon. so as to break the force OF tne
wInd-alroady about as strong as we cou'u
stand.
~Uoid on your hair,- be said, "and look
ON, not 10 move about. J am going 10 iet
her do her preitiest now
with tuis he suddenly drew out some
thing hike an organ-slop, ana iiesilleo Ioi
The 6rst tine In ny life how the inhaotan,'
Of comet must feel when under iuil neaa-
way. had been able TO see occasional oD-
iecis before at 10 great distance from tue
road. and could make out the horizon very
we'll: but nov oil was blank. SKY, esrto,
woods. water-aIl were plain mass OF gray
indistinctness. Directly my companion
looked ut bis watch, and. putting ms mouth
10 nv ear, made an immense enort 10 spesk.
awe have probably passed Spearh'n'
hridoe.v he shouted" twenty miles In
eight minutes"
and I began to wish that could see some
thing, IL it was only so as TO know where
we were, and how fast we had really come.
began to feel Just little uncomfortable;
il seemed something awful to be string
there in that silence, seeing nothing ana
knowing nothing, except that we were la
bic 10 60 out OF the world at any moment
at the rate OF nearly two and bali miles q
minute. While these thoughts were pass
ing through ms brain / heard faint sound
like steam whistle, and almost at the same
moment saw fash OF light, apparently I'M
der our wheels, and felt slight jar.
81 ain afraid we have run over some
thing - yelled my companion.
"Wbat d. you think 1t is 7" shouted.
"Probahly locomoiive!" he replied.
asked no more questions.
AGAIN I saw him pulling out the little
worry knob l had before noticed, and i'm
after 1 found my seat sliding
)ut from under me. knew that our speed
was increased, and grasped the handle
with all my strength. A strange hum
Mug noise occasionally attracted my at
entiou, aud puzzled me much until l
found that it only came wien l had my
mouth open. 1t was the wind playing
into my mouth as in the aperture OF hum
ming-top, and as ii became louder and loud
er, Judged that our rate was gradually
in swiftness. As we progressed
il grew darker also, until could but just
make out the form OF my Jehu dimly LOOM
ing up beside me. 1t was quite impossible
10 make our voices heard now, and, not
my monomania for travel
ling, confess that my situation was hardly
a pleasant one. did not mind the going
much, hut thought that had good reason
10 fear the consequences Of sudden stop
page.
Once more the machinist's hand sought
the knob, aud he raised himself up a little,
rs II TO look over the iron cover or apron.
when his hat. presume, must have caught
the wind and gone of, for | saw him throw
up bis arm toward his head, and as the en-
CINE darted forward everything became
dark as pitch. ! was terrified now in good
earnest. l could stand the darkness and
silence so long as could make out The form
IF my companion, but now j could see no.
hing, and my terror got the better OF me.
put out my hand to press the machnisfs
,rm as a signal for him TO slacken, when,
Judge OF my feelings, be was not there
Ny hand slid along the seat to the further
md without meeting anything, and l CON-
pretended that he had fallen overheard
when he raised his arm to catch his hat.
This would have been a very shocking
and should have been horri-
led by the probability Of the awful nature
Of bis death had not been so much occu-
pied with thoughts OF my Own-as l now
Judged no very remote event. Totally
alone then, ia thick darkness and utter
silence. sat and awaited my doom.
knew absolutely nothing OF the moduS ope-
randi OF governing or regulating the en-
CINE, cXceptsthat to pull out the little knob
the speed. and had no desire to
20 faster The wind, too, was becoming
in spite Of the iron apron,
and altogether the only desire felt was
that mig bit die quickly and easily, without
pain.
How long went at this tremendous
speed cannot imagine. 1t seemed year
an age-but l don't think IL could have
been quite that-probably about an hour;
but my suspense magnihed. the minutes into
months, and it really seemed as ii | should
never stop. But l did. After time
found myself losing sensation in all my
members. / could no longer feel the ham
dies in front OF me, nor the iron brace under
my feet so was little surprised 10 per-
ceive q cold, wet sensation overcome me,
and to find myself cleaving body Of water
and going down, down, with
slower motion than / had experienced for
some time.
A..shock at my feet convinced me that
was at the bottom Of a river or lake, and
to feel that rose toward the surface. Not
the confused state of all my
faculties [ could see, on getting above the
W .ter. that was several rods from shore
say about 800 feet-in the bay near Firepan,
the end OF my Oulney-some go miles from
With considerable trouble, for
1 was stuff and sore, swan to the railroad
dock, aud, climbing out OF the water, asked
q bewldered depot hand how came the. e.
"Shure, sir" said he, 81 don't know
but Pm after belavin' twas the devil that
fetched yel"
BY dint Of close questioning learned that
he was "jist a-settin' on bis thruck a-smok-
IN his dnudheeu," when he heard q sineu-
lar noise, such as he bad never heard before,
and Immediately after saw tremendous
splash 10 the bay, many yards from The end
OF the long dock. The truth was plain. Ny
internal machine had run the whole length
Of the road, and, stopping for nothing. had
shot over the dock. The fall into the water
bad saved my life, and was spared to tell
ibis story, which feel pretty confident no
one will believe.
/ spent the next two weeks at Flrepan in
a raging fever, and as soon as l recovered
sufficiently started out to look for the re-
mains OF the lnlucky machinist, and TO learn
what il was we had run over. discovered
that the latter was locomotive and tender
which had been found the next morning
smashed to fragments with the engineer
and fireman both killed. The accident
was attributed to whirlwind, as the
pieces Of the wreck were scattered rods
and rods around. AS for the machinist,
could find nothing OF him save few sbreds
IF clothing and little blood resting upon
he rails. spoke Of this to an old en-
,inoer who accompanied me on my search.
ind remarked that l thought it strange