The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1881-02-03
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Carl srrinsel Il The namr Of 9 boy wh
is held in rcmemhranoe over half of Ger
many, Tor decd oi self sacrificing hero
Ism which il unparalleled in tho leecads o
Greece ard Rome. or the annals Of NOR
modern ehivslry.
II is not 40 very bard for the soldier 4
face bullets and cannon balls npon th
battle Geld. for he knows iha, While thor,
are many chances 81 death there IL still
some chance Of life.
Carl springel, poor. lame German
boy, 10 save many human beings from Al
awful death, walked straight into tho fac.
Of certain death itsclf, and met il like 4
hero
On the 10Th Of November. 1867, terri
bic rain storm swep. over Southern Ger
many. For twenty hosr the rain poured
down in such torrents ~ bad never been
known In that region, and II seemed A. il
the day we're 10 be tho beginning OF Z
second dsluge. Rivers over flowed their
banks, and petty streams we're swollen in
10 rivers.
At nine o'clock II night the storm ragged
on in unAbated violence. whom Carl
Spnnel set ont on his cruiches from which
he lived also. to carry m evening rcpsst
to his parent, who was on watch-duty At
the bridge over the Devils Gulch a
fanciful namo given 10 sn immense cleft
in the rock, two hundred feet wide and .
hundred and fifty deep, which had been
spsnned bys strong bridge OF wood and
iron believed by the engineers who con-
structed it to be capable Of withstAnding
all possible assaults OF wind and water.
II was the dnty Of William Springel-
Carls father--te keep guard al this bridge
on stormy nights and warn the onooming
trains Of any lurking danger which might
exist
Beneath the bridge mountain.stream
boiled and bnbblsd in ordinary times; on
that night the heavy rains had swollen il
TO furious torrent
Carl Springel hobbled very slowly along
upon his crstches through tho almost
Egyptian darkness Of the night, half-blind-
Cd by tho rain, but buoyed up by the
thought that he was bringing cheer and
confort to his beloved father.
When within . hundred yards Of the
bridge an Awful crash sounded out upon
tho night sir loud and above the din Of
the storm, and shudder Of horror ran
through his brave young soul.
1t was tho bridge--the bridge which
iad been deemed impresnable. The
bridge had nccnmbsd 10 the fury Of the
wster, which rushed down its foundations
n irresistible torrents from the mountain
ide.
Hurryine on A. fsst a he could, Carl
cached the railroad rack. and his worst
ears we're realized. Upon the track.
ONE ten feet away where The entrance OF
no bridge had been, ~ss his fathers hand
ar, with his red lantern burning dimly in
!, and by the lanterns light Carl could
go the full extent Of the disaster. Every
ection, every timber OF the bridge had
'een swept away, and the yawning gulf
nd the roaring flood were all that were
eft
Father, fathcrr cried Carl, in his
oudest tonos. Father, father" he call
d again, "wherc are your
But no answering voice responded, and
here rushed across his brain the terrible
ertainty that his father had gonc down
nth the bridge.
For moment his breast WAS filled with
nutterable anguish. But it was only for
moment. Quick as thought, it flashed
pom his mind thst it VS. almost time for
he last train from the grest city above to I
ONE rushing along With its living freight.
No danger signal CLEANED fson the
atch-tovst upon the bridge. sud on they I
ould come. nnsuspicious Of their peril
ntil il would DO IN Ists, end thsy would
o dsshod in moment into the sesthing
ood more than hundred feet below. \
What WAS 10 be dones Forgetting for
ie instant the great voc that had beiallen {
i'm, Carl decided at once that ii was his {
uty to supply his fathers place. and
arm the train OF its pell in sims 70 savo il I
possible. But what could he do9 7
The tempest increased in its fury, and c
he rain poured down as though il could q
ever stop. Hnk. the train is cominy j
lready he hes,s il rambling on towards ]
.struction. and !. mus. h near. or he I
,uld not hear IL sbove the storm. :
He cannot run With his poor crippled Q
ss, 50 he throws himself upoh the hand
IT, and nerves himself for . mighty
Tort. \,
As though his own life we're Al stake, he
sgins TO turn. Slowly at first. then fast
and fss,er, he drives tho car in tho di.
,ction Of the approaching train.
On, on. daehes tho mighty horse; nearer
ID nearer ii comes Oh, il he can get
Z enough Of 10 save The train from rush
e headlons into hat horrible grave.
Around the mountain side, on the curv-
Z track, the train speeds along. Tho
Ieam Of lie lights is now shed upon tho
.llcy, and the boy knows that the supreme !,
oment is al hand.
On thunders the engine, and the track .
embles beneath the heavy burden. Sud !.
enly, around 9 sharp bend hundred
ct sway. full on his sight bursts the b
azins headlight Of the engiue. .
Ces.ing from his labor, Carl springel b
-aces himself with one hand, and grasp. ?
. tho rod lantern In tho othsr. swings il b