Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1880-04-01

Waru WIN lts precious load to destrut
tion. What would happen to it? Would
it meet train or run into n station
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 a
faint white cloud on the western horizon.
It was train. Help was coming. At
the same time his wife appeared with new
grief and terror in her eyes.
II cannot get call in either direction.
The wires were blown down."
This only added to the danger, for there
was no means Of sending word in advance
OF the runaway car. T. must 90 on to its
tate without help or warning.
Help is coming mother. Here's a
train bound east"
Nearer and nearer came the train, and
the father and mother stood watching it
as it crept along the rails. 1t seems as if
it never would come. At last it reached
the platform and proved to be 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.
The conductor was a man of regular
habits, and such bold request struck him
as something extraordinary. Take the
engine off and leave the train and passen-
gers waiting at this lonely stationP The
idea was prepOsterous. Some of the pds.
sengers gathered near and asked what was
the matter.
Three children lost; blown away In an
empty car. Some one said, "Yes, 90 al
once. We can wait here till the engine
returns. !" The conductor said he must
telegraph for Instructions; but some one
said, ''The wires are down." and the peo.
Pile only cried out the more. "Let the
engine go!" so the mother ran to the ten.
der and began to pull out the pin, tha'
the engine might start.
Hold on, marm," said a brakeman;
"l'll cast her off. You jump aboard il
you want to go, too. Fire up, Jack, and
make her hum"
1t was all done in u moment, and away
flew. the engine, leaving the conductor and
station master staring in surprise at this
singular proceeding. The station master
did not feel very happy. He had half in.
tended 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 10 get ex.
cited, we're in for a long race"
Its 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"
I'VE must keep cool marm, and 81
steady, or we shall run out of coal and
come to a stand still on the line."
The woman said not word, but nodded
mourntully, and leaned against the side Of
the cab for support, and the fireman gave
her his seat, where she could look out
ahead over the line. How the engine
shook and roared. The little finger on the
steam gauge trembled and rose higher
and higher as the steam pressure increased
over the raging FIRE. The engine seemed
to be eating up the track in front, ant
behind the rails spun out like shining rib.
bons in the sun. The station and train
had already sunk down out of sight, al
the grassy horizon on either side scene :
to fly away in kind of gigantic waltz.
The wind died away to dead calm, and
in n few moments breeze sprang up and
blew in the front windows.
"We are beating the wind," said the
engineer. "It we can keep up this pace
we shall soon overtake them"
How long have they been gomez
shouted the fireman above the rear Of the
engine.
II don't know" screamed the wsman,
without taking her eyes from the horizon
where the rails met the sky. at may have
been two hours Or more; they were play
ing in the empty car"
How did she get out of the siding?'
(He meant the car.
"lts one of the new switches" said the
engineer. Cars can easily jump out
upon the main line."
All! something ahead. Was it tht
runaway carp No; the next station
What a terrible pace! Twenty miles
already.
"Oh, don't stop!" cried the woman, as
she saw the engineer put his hand on the
throttle valve.
81 must, marm. We are getting out oI
water, and perhaps we can learn some.
thing of the runaway"
The sudden arrival OF the SOLITARY
engine, containing two men and woman,
startled the station master, and he came
out to see what it meant. He seemed to
guess the truth, for he said:
after the runaway carp"
inside"
ooh, marm, I'm sorry for ye. 1t went
past here, going twenty miles an hour.
1t came down grade all the way, but the
up grade begins about two miles out.
was inside when it passed, and didn't see
it till it had gone past the door,"
How long it took to fill the tender. The
engine stood hot and smoking by the wa.
tertank, and the water came out In a
slender stream, while the mother stood
looking on fearful and impatient.
"Good-byel I'll put up the pipe. Heay.
en- help ye-the up grade"
The rest was lost, for the engine shot
ahead on and on over the open prairie,
The watertank seemed to sink down into
the earth, and the shining rails stretched
longer and longer out behind.
Ahl what was thatp A cloud Of steam
on the horizon far ahead. The engineer
lcarefully,