Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-11-02
THE PASSENGERS STORY.

THE PASSENGERS STORY.
The night mail upon the Cumberland
Valley Railroad had reached the heavy
up grade few miles beyond Kanakia
station. when IL became evident to the
passengers that something had gone de
cidcdly wrong. The speed Of the train
scnsibly slackoned; there came n series
Of tremendous iults. accompanied by n
curious and unpleasant whirrinC sound,
followed In turn BY complete stop
pagc. a dozen heads were thrust in
quisitivcly out Of the cur windows. and
rs many voircs insisted upon knowing
all about IL Immediately. In these DAYS
Of magnificent collisions and holocausts
the travelling public exhibits an aston
ishing amount Of interest I'm railway
concerns, to the great scorn and iudig-
nation Of all officials connected
You have nothing On fear. ~ said the
conductor, who passed through the ear.
superb In gold buttons and official dig
nifty. 1--WE have struck an up grade
where an oil train stopped an hour ago.
The tracks are oiled, aud the drivers
don't take hold. We shall get the sand
running in half minute"
II was, doubtless. clear enough to
those who understood such matters. but
Co me his explanation was mere iargun.
AS somebody said Of COleridgc's COM
mentary upon his poem, Chrisiabel.
wished she would explain his explain
alton"
The gentleman who occupied the seat
Immediately In front Of me. fine. mid
dlo-agcd person. with an erect. military
air, seemed to have no difficulty in max
ing out the state 81 affair. lie smiled
and nodded with an exceedingly know
ing look, and was preparing To- settle
himself comfortably In his seat again.
when tapped him upon the shoulder,
and said
Excuse me. sir. but what has oc-
cured? The conductors explanation
Is Chinese tu mo. What does he mean
by the tracks being oilcd?"
The gentleman turned about and
faced me.
1T is simple matter" he said. cour-
tcously. "tO those who have an idea of
railroad affairs. The power of an en-
CINE depends upon .hr friction of the
drivers ON the tracks taking hold. as il
l. called. II there j. oil upun the rails,
especially upon ~ NJ IRA lc. there /. no
friction. consequently the wheels simply
spin around upon the tracks without
moving the train"
"Ah.' said |. II comprehend"
90 could illustrate the case by an
event which occurred to me upon this
very spot some years ago. I have
always thought il "a rather remarkable
incident. and perhaps you may lind it
So The circumstance refer to-" he
continued. ''took place during the war.
was nj the time an Adiutant upon
General Thomas staff during the ex-
citing and momrntous campaign i'm the
mountains OF Tennessee. N Won re-
member. there were mnuy times when
II was feared that our hour had come.
Our communications were repeatedly
cut of and our whole command i'm dan
ger Of instant destruction. II was at one
Of those crises that the event am going
tO relate occurred
1--WE were ut this time int-cnchcd
upon spur uf the hills around Chatta-
nOOga, whittier we had been driven by
the desperate courage 1T the Confedcr-
atcs. Our own men had fought brave
" and we'll. hut they were exhausted
with long marches aud constant action.
Our storCs had run low. and but one
line If communication was left open 10 us
that of the railroad into the east crn
part of the State. Iy brilliant flank
movement the e'onfcdcrates succeeded
In throwing a line acriss this one high
way; and there we were. hcmmch i'm
Ike wOOdchuck IN his burruw. Star.
Walton or surrender stared us in the
face. One or the other Of these alterna.
tivcs we must accept In few days nj
most. unl's, some unexpected change
took place very speedily.
1T l.. perhaps. difficult for US 10
comprehend the feelings of a com.
mandcr, hitherto successul. and with
the fate. perhaps, Of Nation depend.
ing upon his action. placed In such A
posit On rs our General then was. /
saw his face grow hourly moro pale
and dcspairing. his step slower and
moro feeble. and his whole air that of n
man whose heart and spirit were break.
ing under the strain. But Thomas was
not the man Co yield until every re-
source hail been sounded TO the bot.
tom. And thCro was one resource vet
lcft--a desperate and almost hopeless
one. Il T. true.
Forty miles tO the eastward of us
lay StOCkton's command If nearly
thirty Thousand men. scrcncly uncon.
scious Of our danger and their own.
Several days before stockton had been
dircctcd Co occupy pass I'm tho mount.
an on the left. and TO hold il until
further orders. OF course. unaware of
the prcdicamcnt Of the main army. he
would make no movement 10 our relief
Communications were now cut on. and
Il seemed matter Of impossibility "a
reopen them through the heavy lines oI
Confoderates which lay across the rail
road. Thomas. however. determined
Co try Il. and / was selected for the
dangerous but honorable duty Of the
attempt.
ave had reason TO suppose that the
enemy had not destroyed the railroad
and that II we were not captured at tn,
outset we might get an engine through
TO Kanakia station. where Stockton lay
AT half-past ten my orders wer'
given me and i mounted the engine
which was either TO carry me TO M
death or save the army. IL was not
powerful machine. but Il was the bes
NJ our disposal, and in good order fort
unately. One OF our men who haS
been an engineer undertook to manag
the engine, and another to fire IL. Bot
were cool, tried men, but ~ we steppe,
into the cab together 1 saw them shaS'
hands with their comrades and biz
them farewell. Evidently neither o
them expected to get through alive.
Put in . couple Of extra tall0v