Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1884-02-27
THE PASSENGERS STORY.

THE PASSENGERS STORY.
The night mail upon the Cumberland
Valley Railroad had reached the heavy
up grade n few miles beyond Kanakia
station, when it became evident to the
passengers that something had gone de-
cidedly wrong. The speed of the train
sensibly slackencd; there came series
of tremendous iolts, accompanied by a
curious and unpleasant whirrinG sound,
followed in turn by complete stop
page A dozen heads were thrust in
quisitiyely out of the car windows, al
rs many voices insisted upon knowing
all about it Immediately. In these days
of magnificent collisions and holocausts
the travelling public exhibits an aston
ishing amount of interest in railway
concerns, to the great scorn and indig-
nation of all officials connected.
" You have nothing 10 fear" said the
conductor, who passed through the car,
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, and the drivers
don't take hold. We shall get the sand
running in half II minute"
1t was, doubtless. clear enough to
those who understood such matters, but
to me his explanation was mere jargon.
As somebody said of Coleridge's COM
mcntary upon his poem, Christabel,
! wished "hc would explain his explain
alton"
The gentleman who occupied the seat
meliatcly in front of me, IA fine, mid
4 Ia, 4
air, seemed to have no difficulty in max
ing out the state of affairs. 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 to me. What does he mean
by the tracks being oilcdPn
The gentleman turned about and
faced me.
'lt is n simple matter" he said, cour-
tcously, 'to those who have an idea of
railroad affairs. The power of an en-
CINE depends upon .hc friction of the
drivers on the tracks taking hold, rs il
is called. Ii there is oil upon the rails,
especially upon an up grade, there is no
friction, consequently the wheels simply
spin around upon the tracks without
moving the train"
"Ah, said |, II comprehend.
81 could illustrate the case by an
event which occurred to me upon this
very spot some years ago. / have
always thought it rather remarkable
incident, and perhaps you may find it
so. The circumstance refer to-" he
continued, "took place during the war.
was at the time nm Adiutant upon
General Thomas staff during the ex-
citing and momcntous campaign in the
mountains of Tennessee. If YOU re-
member there were many times when
1t was feared that our hour had come.
Our communications were repeatedly
cut off and our whole command in dan
ger of instant destruction. 1t was at one
of those crises that the event am going
to relate occurred.
ave were at this time intrenched
upon n spur OF the hills around Chatta-
nooga, whittier we had been driven by
the desperate courage of the Confeder-
ates. Our own men had fought brave
ly and well, but they were exhausted
with long marches and constant action.
Our stores had run low, aud but one
line of communication was left open TO us
that of the railroad into the east ern
part of the State. BY brilliant flank
movement the Confederates succeeded
in throwing line across this one high
way; and there we were, hemmed in
like woodchuck in his burrow. Star
walton or surrender stared us in the
face. One or the other of these alterna-
tives we must accept in q few days at
most, unless some unexpected change
took place very speedily.
1t is, perhaps, difficult for us to
comprehend the feelings of COM
mander, hitherto successful, and with
the fate, perhaps, of Nation depend
ing upon his action, placed in such q
position as our General then was. l
saw his face grow hourly more pale
and despairing, his step slower and
more 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 TO yield until every re-
source had been sounded to the bot
tom. And there was one resource vet
lcft--a desperate and almost hopeless
one, il Is true.
4" Forty miles to the eastward of us
lay Stockton's command of nearly
thirty thousand men, serenely uncon-
scious of our danger and their own.
Several days before Stockton had been
directed TO occupy q pass in the mount
ain on the left, and to hold il until
further orders. OF course, unaware of
the predcamcnt of tho main army, he
would make no movement TO our relief.
Communications were now cut off, and
il seemed matter of impossiblity to
reopen them through the heavy lines of
Confederates which lay across the rail-
road. Thomas, however, determined
to try il, and / was selected for the
dangerous but honorable duty of the
attempt.
1--WE had reason TO suppose that the
enemy had not destroyed the railroad,
and that If we were not captured at the
outset we might get an engine through
20 Kanakia station, where Stockton lay.
"At half-past ten my orders were
given me and / mounted the engine
which was either TO carry me to my
death or save the army. It was not n
powerful machine, but il was the best
at our disposal, and in good order fort
unately. One of our men who had
boen an engineer undertook to manage
the engine, and another to fire it. Both
wero cool, tried men, but rs we stepped
Into the cab together / saw them shake
hands with their comrades and bid
thcm farewell. Evidently neither OF
them expected to get through alive:
Pint In a cfup1e of extra falloW