Daily Republican., 1880-01-28
A Remar EabIe Experience.

lNOtfcspouuoucc VI to hhfiVtn Ainob
| met MIR. VIM. D. Hilton. Of Provi
denoe, the other day. lie used TO b
Superintendent OF the Providence AM
Worcester Railroad, and he told m
some rather odd experiences ofhis own
which he gave me free permission Il
publish. hardly remember how tn,
conversation drifted from business t
spiritualism, but II so happened; ant
with some considerable animation, Mr.
II. advocated his personal beliefs ant
opinions, founded, as he declares, upor
the testimony Of his own eyes and ears
Believing that any stories of the phe
nomena Of spiritualism, which are Gu
theniic, 80 far IS the undoubted We.
racity Of the narrator is concerned, will
prove interesting to your readers | give
you 40 exactly as Ia possible, a tran
script Of this rather extraordinary CON
versation:
81 think the most remarkable in
stance Of supernatural interference
for the benefit Of humanity, which |
have personal knowledge Of" said Mr..
Hilton, occurred when | was 10 the
freight department Of the Providence
and Worcester Railroad. As the tracks
entered the depot here, some few rods
up the road, there was q combination
Of switches, which, II covered by a
standing train, could not be rearranged,
SO that down train would, unless sig
nailed to stop. inevitably rush directly
on to whatever stood In the way. One
night the freight train, which always
arrived in time TO make It's changes and
get out Of the way before the Shore
Line Express should arrive, was late.
There were but twenty-five minutes
to make all arrangements and clear thu
track. This was no unusual occur-
renee, and, as the signal red light at
the masthead was up and brightly
burning, there was no apparent danger
or anything to produce the slightest
nervousness. The delays very frequent
ly occurred, and were thus provided
for by the signal. remember very
distinctly, however, that on this oc-
casion walked out to the very end of
the depot platform, and that l sudden
ly heard in my ear these words, twice
repeated, and with impressive distinct
ness:
"Hiltou, the light will 60 out Hill
ton, the iight will 60 out ~
The sound was SO positive, and struck
me with such strange power, that I
instantly looked at my watch, saw that
the Shore Line Express was due in
three minutes, grabbed the red lantern
on the last car Of the freight train, and
ran up the track with all the speed
which was capable. Along fairly
few, impelled by some strange tuition
that there was danger, aud never cues
tioning for an instant, as | ran, why |
was running, or what | was to do. Ar
rived at the first end of the curve near
the Corliss engine works, | stepped,
and for an instant turned and looked
back at the light. 1t was burning, but
in second 1t s1uttered little, and
went out.
A world OF emotions then seemed to
rush through my mind, for the light of
the on n-ooming express already illumina-
ted the rails. swung my lantern
round and round, shouted and danced
up and down in my anxiety. 1t SEEM
I'd athousand years before heard the
whistle for down brakes. The fate of
that crowded train, the horrible tele-
sooping of the cars as they would inevi-
tably crush into that solid freight train
seemed to rise like vision of Hades
before me. But at last the engine was
topped. Without indicating to him
,is previous danger, l informed the en-.
yineer that the signal bad gone out,
md that I was stationed to warn him,
md started back to the depot. When
got TO the switch | found the switch
nan running round and round 1t al
most mad with terror, for he could not
light the treachsrous lantern, and had
q most horrible disaster.
When he saw me, and heard that all
vas safe, he put his arms about me
md he-we-wsli, he cried like
,hild, and believe | offered up
,rayerof praise and Thanksgiving.
Immediately established a series of
hree lights as signals, so that moth
ng OF the kind could possibly occur
gain.
We examined the light, and could
ee no possible reason why i: should
lave gone out. 1t was full Of oil, with
perfect wick, and there was no wind
blowing, although, II there had been,
should have remained burning, as 1t
'ad before, through many a storm.
Vow, what was it that spoke in my
ar What was 1t that forced me to
ave that train 7 There were ordinari-
= but two passenger ears on the ex-
ress, and this night there were seven,
II full.