The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1880-01-22


THAT MYSTERIOUS VOICE E. Il
The Timely Warning Received By q
Railroad Superintendent.
From the Hartford Times.
met Mr.. William D. Hilton of Prov
idence the other day. He used to be
Superintendent Of the Providence and
Worcester Railroad, and he told me
some rather odd experie of his own,
which he gave me free permission to
publish. I hardly remember how the
conversation drifted from business to
Spiritualism, bnt it so happened: and
with considerable animation Mr.. Hilton
advocated his personal beliefs and Opin-
ions, founded, as he declares, upon the
testimony of his own eyes and ears.
Believing that any stories of the phe-
nomena of Spiritualism which is anthem
tic, so far as the undoubted veracity of
the narrator is concerned, will prove
interesting to your readers, give you,
az exactly as is possible, transcript of
this rather extraordinary conversation:
II think the most remarkable instance
of supernatural interference for the ben
eft of humanity, which Ihave personal
knowledge Of" said Mr.. Hilton, "oc-
CURED when I was in the freight de-
partment of the Providence and Wor-
cester Railroad. As the tracks entered
the depot here, some few rods up the
road there was combination of
switches, which, if covered by stand
ing train, could not be rearranged, so
that a down train would, unless sig
nailed to stop, inevitably rush directly
on whatever stood in the way. One
night the freight train, which always ar
rived in time to make its change 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 the
track. This was no unusual occurrence,
and as the signal red light at the mast
head was up and brightly burning, there
was no apparent danger or anything to
produce the slightest nervousness. The
delays very frequently occurred, and
were thus provided for by the signal. I
remember very distinctly, however,
that On this occasion I walked out to
the very end of the depot platform, and
that suddenly heard in my ear these
words, twice repeated, and with i'm
pressive distinctness:
"'Hilton, the light will 60 out! Hill
ton, the light will 60 out!'
1.-THE ound was SO positive, and
struck me vito such strange power, that
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 of
which was capable. Along I fairly
flew, impelled by some strange intuition
that there was danger, never question
ing for an instant as I ran, why was
running or what was to do. Arrived
at the first end of the curve, near the
Corliss engine works, I stopped,
and for an instant turned and
looked back at the red light. It was
burning, but in q second it futtered q
little and suddenly went out. A world
of emotions then seemed to rush
through my mind, for the light of the
on-coming express already illuminated
the rails. I swung my lantern round and
round, shouted and danced up and
down in my terrible anxiety. It seemed
a thousand years before I heard the
whistle for down brakes The fate of
that crowded train, the horrible telescop-
ing Of the cars as they would inevitably
crash into that solid freight train, SEEM
ed to rise like vision of Hades before
me. But at last the engine was stopped.
Without indicating to him his previous
danger, I. informed the engineer that
the signal had gone out, and that I was
stationed to warn him, and started back
to. the depot. When I got to the switch
found the switchman running round
and round it almost mad with terror,
for he could not light the treacherous
lantern and had anticipated q most
horrible disaster. When he saw me
and heard that all was safe, he put his
arms about my neck. and he-we-well,
he cried like q child, and I believe I
offered up prayer of praise and thanks
giving. I Immediately established q
series of three lights as signals, so that
nothing Of the kind could possibly oc-
cur again. =. -
"We examined the light, and could
see no possible reason why it should
have gone out. 1t was full of oil, with
a perfect wick, and there was no wind
blowing, although if there had been it
should have remained burning, as it had
before through many a storm. Now,
what was it that spoke in my ear :?
What was it that forced me to save that
train? There were ordinarily but two
passenger cars on the express, and this
night there we're seven, all full"