Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1883-11-17
n TIE FACE OF DEATH.
uu.T DFFFII. ,lR- WILLIAM BAT
1IK~O>. or BUFFALO.
r,tah,ial Experience of vnmhy Lost In
tn~ Darkness on fcnnjIvantn Kali.
rond.

NltilGUl tj1tItTSbU, VI DuAhIcs WIZ 40
bnIdIng a basket factory at Howard's
Hi, left Bradford, Pa, few nights ago
10 driyc to the plac" 'companied by his
.te AMI two children. The locality is
a isolatcd one among the mountains,
Ali tic road leading to it lies for gleat
lart # tn, Way through the wilderness,
NJ PATTERSON became bcwillercd in the
daykncss and lost his way After many
attempts 10 discover the road he finally
tie woods, following it with a lighted
illt"rn. After houndcring aimlessly
aJaut for some time, they came suddenly
nran a railroad track. Mr.. Patterson
l.I not know what road it was but felt
that there must be station or road
str seing somewhere in the vicinity. He
a, first intended to walk along tho track
n IA he camc to either one or the other,
Int his wife was afraid to remain alone
ii tho woods, 50 they concluded to take
the chances Of meeting train and
ig,yo along the track in search of
vay out Of the wild, rncss.
Mr.. PATTERSON led the horse on the
track anI walked on ahead with the
5igilt Mrs. Patterson and the children
followed II the carriage A mile or
more Was traverscl without finding any
rro,elnG or indication Of station. and.
then, t. insure the safety Of his wife aud
Children, Mr. Blttcrson took them from
tie carnage, and they followed it Oh
foat hy the side Of the track, so that at
the sound Of an approaching train they
could climb the bank.
Aitcr gong quarter OF mile further
they came to n bridge They could not
rctfar" their steps, md they resolved to
share the rls!; Of keeping on tn, ir way
MD attempting the crossing. They
found rarrow plank footpa,h at one
SIDE aud Mr.. PATTERSON succeeded in
hiding his horse upon it. Tho wheels
pr ono y lc ran on TINS walk, but on the
ether side they Jumped along the ties.
Tic bridge was swept hT high wind,
aud il was with difficulty that Mrs. Bat
t"r,on could make shcr way along with
her two children. ITO add to the terror
II the situation gust Of wind cxtin-
guishcd the lantern. The darkness was
intense, and they Gropcd their way
oil, ,1tr ! 1,, 1,
they would be crushed or hurried from
the bridge by train before they could
reach a place Of safety. They were
nearly half Al hour IN crossing it, and
then they fourd themselves in n narrow
rock cut, through which they felt their
way and stumbled along, and when they
finally emerged from 1t they were almost
overcome Will lov t" see light Just
ahead of them. At the same moment
they heard tn" whistle Of All approaching
tram The horse was turned out of the
track into the open space below the cut.
winch proved 10 be road, and Mrs.
Patterson and the children followed II
10 aplace of safety. They had not gone
twenty feet from the track when n coal
train went rushing by into the cut.
Both Mr.. B ..tcrson and his wife were
SO overcome with the sense of their
peril that it was some time before they
could proceed. When they were able
to go on they found that they were at a
small station known as Palen's Switch.
They had driven for n mile and hnlI
over the most dangerous portion Of th,
JohnsonhnrC extension Of the Eric Rail
way, and hal crossed the great Kinzus
Niaduct, tho Ii :hcst railroad hrilge il
world. uhioi,arnns the Kinzua rnvin,
at q height If 303 feet above the creek
The viaduct is nearly half milo long
Their escape from death was owine
solely to the stopping OF the north h-boun,
coal train mile below the rock cut OF
account of hot journal. The train wa
duo al the cut just rs they were pickin,
their way through it. Towards Hi
wns only four miles from Palen's Switc]
and they raachnl there in safety.
n y