Daily Kennebec journal., 1884-04-01
Gales aud Sketthes.
CLING rHg TRACK.

ly wrong. The speed of the train sensibly
slackened there came a series of tremen-
dous iolts, accompanied by curious and
unpleasant whirring sound, followed in
turn by a complete stoppage. dozen
heads were thrust inquisitively out of the
car windows aud as many voices insisted
upon knowing all about it Immediately
In these davs of collisions and holocausts
the travelling public exhibits an astonish-
ing amount OF interest in railway concerns,
to the great scorn and indignation of all
officials connected
! "You have nothing TO fear" said the
/ conductor, who passed through the car.
superb in gold buttons and official digni-
ty. I'VE 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 run
ming in half a minute"
Ii was. doubtless, clear enough TO those
who understood such matters, but to nae
his explanation was mere jargon. As
somebody said of Coleridge's commentary
/ upon his poem, '.Christabel," 'I-wish he
would explain his explanation.
The gentleman who occupied the seat
/ Immediately IN front of me, fine middle
aged man, with an erect, military air.
seemed to have no difficulty in making
out the state of affairs. He smiled and
nodded with an exceedingly knowing
| look and was preparing to settle himself
comfortably in his seat again when l
tapped him upon the shoulder and said:
! Excuse me sir, but what has hap
penedP The conductors explanation is
Chinese to me. What does it mean by
the tracks being oiled?"
The gentleman turned about so as to
/ face me.
at is simple matter" he said. cour-
teously, TO those who have an idea of
railroad affairs. The power of an engine
depends upon the friction of the drivers on
the tracks-taking hold. as it is called. If
there is oil on the rails. especially upon
an up grade. there is no friction, conse-
quenty the wheels simply spin around up
on the tracks without moving the train"
"Ah," said I, Il comprehend"
''I could illustrate the case by an event
which occurred to me upon this very spot
some years ago. have always thought
! it a rather remarkable incident, and perhaps
YOU NAV find it so. The circumstances
refer too" he continued, .'took place dur
| ing the war. was at the time an adjutant
on General Thomas's staff during the ex-
citing and momenteus campaigns in the
mountains of Tennessee. If you remem-
! Der, there were many times when it was
| feared that our last hour had come. Our
communications were repeatedly cut off
and our whole command in danger of in
slant destruction. 1t was at one of those
times that the event will relate occurred.
1--WE were at this time entrenched upon
spur of the hills around Chattanooga.
whittier we had been driven by the des-
perate courage of the confederates. Our
own men had taught bravely and well but
they were exhausted by long marches and
constant action. Our stores had run low ,
and but one line of communication was
left open to us-that of the railroad into
the eastern part of the State. BY brilli-
ant flank movement the confederates sue
ceeded in throwing line across this one
highway, and there we were, hemmed in
like a woodchuck in his burrow. Starva-
ton or surrender stared us in the face
One or the other OF these alternatives we
must accept in a few days at the most un-
less some unexpected change took place
very speedily.
at is perhaps difficult for us to COM
prehend the feelings of commander,
hitherto successful. and with the fate. per-
haps. of nation depending on his answer.
placed in such position as our general
then was saw his face grow hourly
more pale and despairing. his step slower
and more feeble. and his whole air that
of a man whose heart and spirit were
breaking under the strain. But Thomas
was not the man to yield until every re-
source had been sounded to the bottom
And there was still one resource vet-a
very desperate and almost hopeless one,
it is true.
Forty miles to the eastward of us lay
Stockton's command of nearly $4,000
men. serenely unconscious of our danger
and their own. Several davs before
Stockton had been directed to occupy
pass in the mountains on the left and to
hold it until further orders. OF course,
unaware of the predicament of the main
army. he would make no movement to
our relief. Communications were now
cut Off and it seemed matter of impos-
slbility to reopen them through the heavy
lines of confederates, which now Law
across the railroad. General Thomas.
however, determined to try it, 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 to Kan
aka station. where Stockton Law.
AT 10.30 O'Clock my orders were given
me and mounted the engine which was
either to carry me to my death or save the
army. 1t was not a powerful machine,
but it was the best at our disposal and in
good order fortunately One of our men
who had been an engineer undertook to
manage the engine and another to fire it.
Both were cool, tried men, but as we
stepped into the cab together. saw them
shake hands with their comrades and bid
them farewell. Evidently neither of them
expected to get through alive.
I Put in a couple of extra tallow cans,
John. said the engineer We are going
to make time and expect the old machine
!, will heat up finely
The cans were slowed awav in the
caboose. the engineer opened the throttle
valve and amid an impressive silence in
the crowd surrounding the starting point.
we moved slowly away. Aboat two miles
distant lay the battery which the enemy
had thrown up to command the road; be-
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