Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1883-09-22
An Awful Experience.


William PATTERSON, of Buffalo, N. Y,
who is building basket factory ut How
ards Hill, left Bradford, Pa, few nights
ago to drive there, accompanied by his
wife and two children. The locality is an
isolated one among the mountains, and
the road leading to it lies for a great part
of the way through deep forest. Mr..
Patterson soon became bewildered in the
darkness, and lost his way. After many
attempts TO discover the road, he finally
let the horse take its own course through
the woods, following it with lighted
lantern. After foundering aimlcssly
about for some time, they came suddenly
upon railroad track. Mr.. Patterson did
not know what road it was, but felt that
there must be a station or road crossing
somewhere In the vicinity. He at first
intended to walk along the track until he
came to either one or the other, but his
wife was afraid to remain alone in the
woods, SO they concluded to take the
chances of meeting train and drive along
the track i'm search of a way out of the will
derness. Mr.. Patterson led the horse on
the track and walked Oh ahead with the
light. Mrs. Patterson and the children
followed in the carriage. mile Or mole
was travcrsed without finding any cross
ing or indications OF a station, and then to
insure the safety of his wife and children,
Mr.. Patterson took them from the car
riage and they followed it on foot by the
side of the track, so that ut the sound OF
an approaching train they could climb the
bank. After going quarter of mile FUR
ther they came to Il bridge.
They could not retrace their steps, ana
they resolved to share the risk oil keeping
on their way and attempting the crossing.
They found narrow plank footpath ut
one side, and Mr.. PATTERSON led his horse
upon it. The wheels Oil one side ran on
this walk, but Oh the other side they
Jumped along the ties. The bridge was
swept by high wind, and it was with
difficulty that Mrs. Patterson could make
her way along with her two children. 10
add TO the terror of the situation gust OF
wind extinguished the lantern. The dark
ness was intense, and they CROPPED their
way along slowly, tortured by the fear
that they would be crushed or hurled
from the bridge by Il train before they
could reach place CT safety.
They were nearly half an hour i'll cross
ing it, and then they found themselves in
narrow rock cut, through which they
felt their way and stumbled along, and
when they finally emerged from it they
were almost overcome with JOY to see i
lirht lust ahead Of them. AT the same
moment they heard the whistle of an APP
Droaching train. The horse was turned
off the track into the open space below the
cut, which proved to be road, and Mrs.
Patterson aud the children followed it to
a place of safety. They had not gone
twenty feet from the track when coal
train went rushing by into the cut. Bo:li
Mr.. PATTERSON and his wife were so over
come with the sense of their peril that it
was some time before they could proceed.
When they were able to 90 on they found
that thew were at Il small station.
They had driven for mile and hall
over the most dangerous portion OF the
,Johnsonburg Extension of the Erie Kali
road, and had crossed the great klnzua
viaduct, the highest bridge in the world,
which spans the Kinzua ravine at neight
of 1903 feet above the creek. The viaduct
is nearly half mile long. Their escape
from death was owing solely to the stop
ming of the north-bound coal train mile
below the rock cut on account OF Il not
journal. The train was due ut the cut
Just as they were picking their way
tbrouph In