The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-08-13

u
known as the Devils Gulch Bridge,
which spanned a terrible cleft In
the rocks, two hundred feet wide
and hundred and fly deep. In |
the ravine below am0untain stream
struggled and fought its way into
the valley-deep5 deep down 1T
seemed to lie at ordinary times, but
In winter weather the stream
became q torrent of tremendous
force, and rose to terrific height. :
Such a sudden swell took place on |
the 10th Of November, lS5 Z, after
twenty hours of heavy and oontin-
ued rain. Wilhelm Sprengel was,
of course, on duty all day, and, not
coming home tow I'd evening, Carl
set out to pay him visit at his
post, carrying with him his fathers
supper.
The night was one of black dark
ness, but the lame lad struggled
along on his crutches, the breath
half blown out of his feeble body,
his ears dinned by the fury of the
storm. f
He was then a hundred yards of
the bridge-renowned in the neigh
borhood as triumph Of engineer
ing skill-when stronger blast
than usual ma6e him totter on his
crutches, while at the same mo-
ment an awful crseh made itself
heard above the raging of the
storm. --s
1t vast ctuld be nothing else
but the bridge giving way, Carl felt
sure. In an agony of haste and ter-
ror he pushed on toward the spot,
calling frantically on his fathers
name. But how could he hear him
through the tumult? s-.' l,Lf1. q
+ The lad pressed on still further.
/ He was on the railroad track now,
and the first object he stumbled
rgsinst was his father hand truck,
\ the red light yet burning on II, but
Y no father near. a=d ,f,--5Tzl7 2 aa t5li
And beyond that-ten yards fur
theri Ali the sight was teo awful,
d the dim glare OF the lantern showing
Z . cruel gap where the bridge hao
ID been--a fearful chaos ofehattered
masonry and timber. and boiling
waters! "Fatherl Father!' criec
q Carl aga n in his horror, but no voici
answered. size has gone down witt
the bridget Shrek, d the poor fel
low.
For second or two he fingered
as 1t paralyz sd by the sight of tn
fearful chssm, holding tightly tn
useless supper-can: then suddel
thought filed his soul to overflow
ing, and gave him new strength I
do and dare.
\ The night train-that was due. |
y father lay below in that awful gull
who would warn it of its danger
: iWho could hold it back from tina
N Heap into nothingness, which 1t mus
Z inevitably take if left to pursue il
course uncheckedS
Nh 81 must do it, said Carl wit
cleuched teeth.
n Up above no danger signal VS.
ars shining; there was only one len
ect boy and few moments of time
save train full of human beings.
n. The boy threw way his crutche
'We Jumped on to his fathers truck, al
- worked 1t back steadily t)eard IL
great city. What msttered it tn
he steered straight int0sthe jaws
Y death? He should stop the traio;i
would make the driver see him, al
learn the danger ahead.
;. twas all as Carl said it would b
Round the curve of the m0unta
. like glittering serpent, came Il
night train speeding on-ever near
8 nearer, till the line trembled und
lis weight.
THIN Carl stood up az well as
de- was able on his truck, and rails
the red light wildly above his hea
waving il back ward and forward
attract the notice OF the engir
BY driver. He had los: ali sense OF pr
( of sonsl danger; he was only bent
de- saving the. train.
per-. 1The bridge-,he bridge Is dowI
ased shrieked the boy.
ss s Only just In time came the wa
.ls ing. The eDgine>driver, alws
s ss.1 on his guard at this spot, turned
S;Wh the steam, and the train, with
crowd OF living beings was arres
nm the brink OF the abyss.
,uod But where was Carl the viii
Carl and the truck?
Hurled fifty feet into the air
the incoming train, the boy '
never agsin to be recognized as
- living Carl Springei, but was fol-
Afterwards, lifeless and mana
corpse, among the rocks.
z A tombstone stands in grs
ss yard in South Germany, On wi
plitters in letters Of gold this
- " scription: