The National tribune., 1882-10-19
still to encounter for any such childish demon
A-GRAND TRIUMPH,

moment to do realized II 10 the fullest extent
Thee are times in life when whole wears of en-
iovment are condensed into q SINGLE experience.
II ,,-os &, with mo +bap I could connrabend
tbe emotion of Columbus whom he first behcld
tbropch the dim dawn the long-drca,ncd- of
shores Of America. ar the less innocent hut no
less fervert iov Of Cortcz when he p,ant,d the
Cross of S,,aip ~, rho halls of Nouteyuu,a Nv
broast tbrohhea fast with cnntiopS of ;ov and
yladness that words labor in vain To ,xpr,,sS 4
sense of ethereal II rhtnc>s ran through NV veins.
and seemed ascending hirbrr hirhcr. with
o.cb nurs,tiop of tbc r,,sin,, p,mrmh,r l
was but t,yentv-tvo then. nall - hon, and am
bition. Not n dream of failure shadowra my
rapture. We had ALWAYS been told that the
greatest dif;cultv,yas tn reach and take, posscs
sion of the engine. after which su,cess WAS Ger
tain. Tut for unforeseen CONTINGENCIES il would
have been.
Away, we r,sl, scosripp mast fc,8 and ,,iII,ce
and woodland AT each lean of the cnrinc our
hearts rose birhcr. and we talked ncrriIv of
the welcome that would greet Us when we
dashed into Huntsville few hours later. our
eutorprise done, md the BRIGHTEST laureIs of the
war eclipsed!
We found tbe railroad however to he Of the
rougllcst and most difficult character. The
grades were very heavy. and tbc cur1cs numer-
ous and sharp. We seemed to be running to-
wards every point Of the co?nnass. The deep
valleys and stecp hills of this mart of the coun-
try had rendered the building of the road diff
ficult and costly. There were numerous high
embankments where an accident would be of
and in generally bad condition. for the war had
rendered railroad iron scarce and higk-priced.
besides diyerting all attention and resources
into other channels. This unfavorable char
acter Of the road very greatly increased the
difficulty experienced by an engineer unfamil-
lar with the route III making rapid time or in
avoiding the varied difficulties incident to our
progress. But we trusted implicitly that the
far-sightcd plans of Andrews, the skill of our
engineers, and our owa willing efforts would
overcome all hindrances
SUDDEN STOP.
Our first run was short. There was sudden
checking of speed and a halt. When those of
us who were in the box-car pushed open our
door and asked the reason for stopping so soon,
we were told that the fire was low and the
steam exhausted. This was startling imtelli-
gcncc. and caused a moment of CONSERVATION.
If our General "-the name of the locomotive
we had capturcd-failed us at the beginning of
the race we too well knew what the end would
be- For hundreds of miles on every side OF us
were desperate and daring foes. hundred
times our number of horss and foot could be
gathered against us in a few hours The most
HI SIC
wings can bear it above their Jaws. But if
those wings should be broken: This engine
gaveSls wings; but if it should be disabled no
valor of ours could beat back the hosts about
us. no skill elude their rage. But we found
a less threatening explanation of our premature
halt. The schedule time of our train was very
slow,-only about sixteen miles an hour,-and
the fires had been allowed to run down because
of the expected stop of twenty minutes for
breakfact at Big Shantv.-a stop that we had
reduced to less than two minutes. Then the
valve being thrown wide open the little steam
in the boiler was soon exhausted But this
difficulty was of short duration. A rest of three
minutes. with plenty of wood thrown into the
furnace, wrought change, and we again
glided rapidly forward
But when viewed soberly, and in the light of
all the facts since developed, what were the
chances of success and escape possessed by the
fiving party? Was the whole attempt as has
been frequently asserted, rash and foolhardy?
Or had it that character of practicability which
is ever the stamp of true genius? Historical
accuracy, as well as Justice to the memory of a
brave but unfortunate man, compels me to pro-
nounce the scheme almost faultless. In this
estimate have the full concurrence of all who
were engaged on the opposite side 1t is hard
to see how the plan could have been improved
without allowing its protector to have had a
knowledge of the precise condition of the enemy
such as no commander at the beginning of an
jmportant enterprise ever has. No one of the
plans bv which Generals Grant and Sherman
finally overthrew the rebellion presented a
clearer prospect of Success.
These are the elements of the probIem upor
which Andrews based his homes Bic Sbantv
is tweptv-eigbt miles north of Atlanta and
tbirtv-two soutb of Kinoston Short of these
nIaccs he p-as convinced that no eroipa corId
he obtained for rurcuir He couId ebctr,,o+ +l,o
rood so tto+ no +roi ,,,,,,1d .ooot, DE-. CIT.
for bour- pinch -bors ord o+I,o~ i,,s+r,,,,,o,,ts
for liftipe, trocl might ha fond on tho cart,,rod
" 'l' ~ W '''''N oAi VIZ "a pun oA
lng-partJ'. HIS force OF twenty men was count
ed ample to overcome resistance at any switch
or passing train. One irregular train only was
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