The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-07-16

One-half hour after the start f.,
Ludlow, No. 2, fifteen minutes bebina
time, reached Williamstown, at wbioI
place the standing rule was imperat;.rnu
that conductors should at all times Sto'
and inquire for orders. STOPPING ou Jp
long enough to unload passenoer y
the mud, the conductor, thinking onIv ~
making up lost time, signaled the any, u
neer, and the train went on. 81
The Mortified operator saw M
dash northward to what seemed inor;.
able destruction, as the telegraph linz
between his room and Ludlow was nn
broken by single instrument, and =,
that moment two trains at high rates ~
speed were rapidly lessening the dio
lance between each other on the sincio
track. He telegraphed at once to TSsS
low that 8" No. 2 had passed without
stopping for orders"
All color left the face of Train.n;,
patcher Coolidge as he received N"
message, and as he communicated tbe
dire intelligence to Jack RedmonJ
Master of Transportation, that indiyid
uaPs countenance assumed similar bno
With him to think was to act. Stenn;n"
to the station-door he quietly beck6ns5
several men to him and composedly cavs
instructions to each. One-half dozen ~
them went on the double quick in dFa,
ent directions for physicians. The II,
tion-keeper went into the warehousesrd
gathered together sponges, baskets
material for splints and soft muslins for
bandages. Meanwhile other employee,
had run up to the engine-house. and
starting fire under an idle locomotive.
had hitched on to a caboose and backed
down in front of the station, where the
car was transformed into a hospital.
coach. To all save Redmond and Cool.
edge these preparations were mysteri.
Gus. The relief train was soon in read.
mess, but did not start. Redmond.
seated at his desk and estimating the
rate of speed at which the trains were
moving, calculated about where the col
lision would take place. Some of the
passengers would escape unhurt, and
one of them would hasten at once on
horseback to Williamstown, the nearest
point, for medical aid. Here the ope.
rator would learn the exact locality Of
the accident and send a dispatch to-
Ludlow. Possessed of this information
Redmond could send his waiting engine
and car, with its corps of physicians and
nurses, to the spot at the rate of nearlya
mile minute. The other and slower plan
would be to have let the "reliefn start
out and cautiously find its way around
the many curves. He chose the wiser
course. The scene in the train-dis.
patcher's office was painful. Coolidge,
leaning over the silent instrument,
watched it with feverish eyes as if to
read its secrets before transmission. On
another chair was Redmond, with bio
globes of perspiration coming from the
pores of his face and rolling down I'M
needed. Neither man spoke. Five, ten,
twenty, thirty minutes that seemed like
ages passed, when came sharp click.
1t was Williamstown calling Ludlow.
Cooledge's hair rose up on end as he
gave the response. Redmond stood up
and placed a hand on the door-knob.
The next moment Coolidge fairly
yelled, " No collision. No. has Just
backed into Williamstown." The two
men shook hands with the same yigN
as if they were twin brothers and hadn't
met for a thousand years. /
1t was then ascertained that, by the
most fortunate circumstances, the trains
had simultaneously entered from oppo-
site ends upon the longest piece Of
straight track between the two telegraph
stations, and instantaneous applications
of brakes had brought them to stop
within twenty feet of each other. No.
2, recognizing the "special's " right Of
way, backed to Williamstown, where it
went on the siding, and Cincinnati's
millionaires and capitalists proceeded
unhurt on their journey.-Clnct'lnat
Commercial.