The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1882-04-27
Wreckiag a Railway.


From daylight of Wednesday, Decem-
Der 7th, we marched through rain and
stiff mud, steadily toward the South,
crossing the Nottaway river on pontoons
at s p. NJ, and hating at midnight for
such rest as we could find on the cold,
damp soil of corn.feld. Next day, on
again we went, straight toward the South,
through Sussex court house at 10 A. NJ,
hating at dusk near the Weldon and
Petersburg Railway. about five miles
from the North Carolina line.
We soon learned that this was to be q
winter raid on the enemy's communica-
tons, to destroy the Weldon road, and
so render it useless to them.
Never was railway more completely de-
stroyed! The morning after we had
reached the scene of operations, in the
drizzling rain and falling sleet, the whole
command was set to work. AS far as the
eye could see down the road were men in
blue, Invested of weapons and accouter-
ments, prying and wrenching, and tear
ing away at iron rails and wooden ties.
1t wasa well built road, and hard to tear
up. The rails were what are known as
''T'' rails, and each being securely fas-
tened to its neighbor at either end by a
stout bar of iron or steel which had been
forced into the groove of the T, the track
was virtually too long. unbroken rails
for its whole length.
mo use tryin' to tear up them rails
from the ties, Major" said the old rail.
roader, with touch of his cap. "The
plagued things are all spliced together
at the jints, and the only way to get them
off is to pry off the whole thing, rails,
ties and all, and then split the ties of
from the rails when you've got her up
side down."
So, with fence rails for levers, the men
fell to work, prying and heav-I-ho-ing,
until one side Of the road, ties, track and
all, pulled and wrenched by thousands
of strong arms, began to loosen and
move, and was raised gradually higher
and higher Forced at last to perpen-
dicular, it was pushed over and laid up
side down, with a mighty cheer.
Once the thing was started it was easy
enough to roll miles and miles OF it over
without break. And so brigade after
brigade did roll it; splitting of the ties
and wrenching away the rails.
It was not enough, however, to merely
destroy the track-the rails must be rem
dered forever useless a. rails. Accord
ingly the ties were piled in heaps, or
built up as children build corn-crib
houses, and then the heaps were fired.
The rails were laid across the top OF the
burning pile, where they soon became
red hot in the middle, and bent them
selves by the weight of their ends which
hung out beyond the reach OF the fire'
In some cases, however, . grim and hu.
morous conceit led to . more artistic
use of the heated rails; for many OF them
were carried to some trees hard by, and
twisted two or three times around the
trunk, aid while not few Of the mer
hit on the happy device of bending the
rails. some into the shape of y, and
others into the shape Of an s. and setting
them MP against the fence along the lint
in order that, IN the oft-repeated U. 3
| il might be seen that Uncle Sam haf
been looking around in those parts.-
| Harry N. Keiffer, in "Recollections o
. Drummer Boy" in st. Nicholas fol
April.
FAME AND OBLIVION. - DIR. Olive
Wendell Holmes once, being on lee
turing visit to Haverbill, Mass, learnct
that an old sdhoolmate Of his was stove
dealer in the town, and thought b.
would look him up. So in the mornini
he and friend started. They found tn
stove man, and asked him IL be sttende'
such a school when boy. He said n
did. Asked him II he remembered bo'
in the Same class named Oliver Wendell
Holmes. He did mot. Had be eve
heard the name since? He had MOI
Without inqniring further they left N
| nan in ~ oongsnial companionshiP
BsnsA1. ssev "a bstinss, but injaris