Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1883-10-18
Facts Stranger than Fiction.

Those persons who in any degree
incline to belief in special Provi.
dences will find in the following some.
thing to greatly strengthen their faith
that the hand of the Divine Father is
continually outstretchcd 10 guide and
protect his children in ways past all
human comprehension. The nara.
tive of fact rivals the creations of
fiction in an eminent degree. One
night two weeks ago William Batter
son, of Buffalo, left Bradford with his
wife and two small children to drive
to Towards Hill, in the mountains
twelve miles south of Bradford. He
got on the wrong road, and after driv-
ing in various directions through the
woods came out upon the track Of the
Erie railway Bradford branch at an
isolated spot 1t was very dark, and
Mr.. Patterson determined 10 take the
risk of driving on the railroad track
IN hope OF finding Il road crossing. He
lighted lantern aud WI kcd ahead oi
the horse. while his wife drove after
him over the ties. They proceeded
mile in this way, aud found only high
banks and woods on either side 81
them. The situation now became one
Of great peril, for 4 train might ap.
proach at any minute, and il would be
impossible to turn the horse from the
track. Mr.. PATTERSON, to insure his
wife and children against danger.
helped them from the carriage, so that
they could at once climb up the bank
if necessary. lie then led the horse
and the party went or their way. They
soon came TO the kinzua viaduct. This
Is the highest railroad bridge in the
world. 1t is 303 feet above Kiuzua
Creek, and nearly half mile long.
There is narrow toot.path on one
side of the bridge. The locality is in
an unbroken wilderness. Although
lgnorantas to where it would lead him.
Mr.. Patterson determined to take the
chances OF getting across the bridge
before the coming OF any train. There
was room for the horse 10 walk on the
toot-path, but the wheels on one side
oi the carriage ran on the ties. It was
now haIt.past ten o'clock, and within
a few minutes of the time that n north.
bound was due at the bridge. of which
fact, however, Mr. Patterson was IL.
norant. His wife and children fol.
lowed along behind the carriage. The
party had reached about the middle OF
the bridge when a sudden gust of wind
extlnguished the lantern. After tryiny
IN vain to light match, Mr.. Batter.
son groped his way onward. followed
by his wife and children the latter
crying with cold aud terror. They
crossed the bridge in safety and found
themselves in a narrow cut. where the
darkness Is impenetrabIe. Trusting to
blind luck, Mr. PATTERSON gropcd his
way through this cut. If it had not
been that the up train was DELAYED for
ten minutes, 4 mile or two below. ow.
ing to n hot journal, nothing could
have saved Patterson and his family
from a horrible death in that narrow
cut. rs he emerged he heard the
whistle of the approaching train, To
his great JOY he found that there was
a road at the end Of the cut. They
had not gone thirty feet from the rail.
road track before the train rushed by
and thundered into the cut. Mr..
patterson was so overcome when she
saw what a narrow escape they had
that she tainted. Union Lc4dcr.