The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-07-16
A Fearful Hali.hour.

A Fearful IIali.hour.
In the early days of the Cincinnati
Southern, before it had attained its
present system, and Immediately after
the road had been opened for traffic to
Somerset, occurred an event the recol-
lection of which even to this day serves
to bring out goose-hesh on those who
were cognizant OF the impending disas-
ter. ~. !
Within few days after passenger
travel began, the officers of the Southern !
sent invitations. forA trip over the road
to all of Cincinnati's wealthiest men
and heaviest taxpayers, and on the
morning OF the excursion dozens of car
riages left the Purnet House, ane Maa
of meeting, and conveyed them across
the river to Ludlow, where the Especial"
headed by No. l, the crack engine, with
Mat Coombs at the lever, was in waiting.
Miles N. Beatty, now Superintendent of
the Southern Division. was conductor.
When all the excursionists were on
board, the engineer and the conductor
went into Train Dispatcher Cooledge's
office, where they read and signed the
following order and placed copiesfn their
pockets: .,ss, ,.,s.-.ss.y1
"Meet and pass No.'2, north-bound
passenger train, At Williamstown.p
ToWilliamstown, for delivery to north
bound passenger train on arrival, was
sent the following orders go.
s., Conductor : Meet and spass
south-bound special at Williamstown."
So that the situation stood thus-eith.
er train reaching the place indicated
first was to 60 on the siding and
wait there until tho one COM
inc from the opposite direction had ar!
rived and gone ahead on the clear track.
OF the wealthy! Apasseng er-load some
were seated chatting, 9th Prs were stand
ing on the platform. and still others on
the summer-car, when, ghncing up and
down-his! train, the con&uctor, finding
everything in good orderand readiness,
waved his hand to the FatchdgIepgf
neer, and the special pull led out, slowly
2 at first, but as it moved oh the sneed III.
creased until it went out ii sight around
the curve a-Aying, and little later a
rumbling sound told of its crossing
the trestle, and that it was we'll and
fairly started on its way south. ItEs,
understood that extra iG time was to
be made, and to .olf obstacle the
track had hsens d of everything
save the passenger train referred to.
va Oue.hai hour afterthe start from
Ludlow, NJ g, lhaena minutes behind
time, reached sWal2mslbwn, at which
place the standing rule was imperative
that conductors shou1d &C all times stop
and inquire for orders. Stopping Only
long enough to unload a passepS@i4
the mud, the conductor, thinking only OF
making up lost time, sigpaled the sne3'
neer, and the train went On. III
The Mortified opsrstM saw No.
dash northward to wk4eseemed newt
able destruction, % Ahs Telegraph line
between his room and sE1sdlow was un'
broken by a single instrument, and al
that moment two trains t high rates o.
speed were rapidly Jesse hing the dis.
lance between each other on the single
track. He photographed at onceto Eud'
low that "No. 2 had passed withoqr'
stopping for orders.' n
All color left, the face of Trait DIS;
patcher Coolidge as he received the
message. and as he contaminated the
dire intelligence 10 Jack Redmond
Master Of TransportatipH, that individ
ual's countenauce assumed similar hue
~ With him to think wastotct. Stepping
TO the station-door he Quietly beckoped
several men to him and composedly gav'
instructions to each. One-half dozen o
them went on the; double quick indiffer
ent directions for physicians. The sta
, tion.keeper went into tie warehouse ami
gathered together1 spQnges, baskets
" material for splints ana sdft muslins fo7
:" bandages. Meanwhile other employee
=, had run up to the 9ine- house, ant
~ starting a fire under an idle locomotive
had hitched on to . cabpose and backe(
" down IN front OF, the station, where tn
car was transformed, into hospita!
ir,'iooach. 10 all save Redmond apd.fW!
y edge these .prepdfaNSns were myster!
Gus. The relief train was soon in read
mess, but did not start -Reqpo9d
seated at his desk and estimating tn
rate Of speed at which the trains wer
moy;nx..sa2sulated about where the co
Mon would taxi place. Some OF th
passengers ,Vpp 0>cape unhurt, an
r s5ne 81 thsm@ w1nld Msten at once o
horseback to MhlAmstd IN, the neares
point lpr yedical IN. Were the OPT
NO Honld leafns " exact locality c
"a the aed1deat 134lend q dispatch I
81 Pcss6 II, this informatio
RAJ n Z ceSl q + s y iting engiu
saudasr WITH IL COY p ysicians an
nurses, 70 the SCOT atth6 rite OF nearly
mile minute. The other Id slower p'a
would be to have let the "relief" sta
e. :3S s1s'|9s:.4 d.. III s' Si:'
course. The scene in, the train di
patcher's office was. palpiuE,, Coo]edg
h., leaning over tho silent Mstrumen
Va watched itiwith fevesish eyes as IT
l2, read its secrets before tradsmissi4qi J
sof' another chair was RsdmoSa1, with b
+ globes OF perspir alton c9miAg from Il
4 pores of lis face and rolling down n
needed Neithet man spOkej Five. te
twenty. thirty minutes thu iseeped iii
a'a aces passed, when cpiflR { sharp clio
It was Williamstown calling Ludlo,
Cooledge's hair rose mp, ON lend as