The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-03-06

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ALE WANDER NIESBllEI'
Myname Is Alexander NeabiH lam
orrather 1 was, q choolmaster at aboar,
school sltuated-no, / won't say where
lest 1 Should get into a scrape. suficei
to say that the schoolhouse is near o rail
way cutting on "a branch line that leadst,
one OF the most insignificant OF marke
towns in q clay district. The country i
elevated, itsuppor,s few trees, and sucl
as grow are twisted orltortared out o
shape by the winds from the sea. Tht
place Is 12 miles as the crow flies from Thu
Atlantic; so 1t has all the disadvantages
and noneet the advantages Of proximity
to the ocean. THERE'S no watering place
ofany Importance along thiseoast aud, M
businessof any importance done in the
little town so-why the railway company
made the branch ], cannot conceive. II
the winter Of 1ssO7sl the branch did MOI
even reach this contemplate little town;
it drew up in the midst Of a clay moo
covered with furze and 'rnshes, and wa
met by a coach, which carried on the pas
sengers, il there were any, TO the town, OF
dropped them at intermediate villages
Thatwas q cold Winterl The snow fell
heavily and lay on the moor till late In
February-thatis, in drifts. Some of the
roads wefeb blocked Level, with the tops o.
the hedges, and communication was cut of
between the villages. In some towns nc
supply OF water was To be had. The pipes
were frozen and burst. The wind from
the northeast drove the snow and piled II
against every Obstruction, and choked
with every depression that lay across It's
path. ~ l5 y. III.
As may be surmised, our cutting got
clogged. The snow came on so suddenly
and fell or was driven in such quantities
that 1t had half filed the cutting In very
few. hours. There were not many trains
on the line, consequently there was plen-
ty OF time for the snow TO gather between
the up train and the down train. II did
gather, and gather so fast that the evening
$3.50 train went into bed OF snow and
stuck there. Now, I-had gone to look at
the line an hour before that, and ] saw
howth snow was accommodating. stood
under the bank, and I assure You II was
like sea Of foam over the edge OF the cut
+t,.. IN f,ii H., s,lttJ t,,,,oyas n nj
the roar OF the wind overhead was fright
ening. +
1iput my head down and made my way
to the rectory. I saw that something
must be done should the down train ar
rive. The rector Is an excellent man,
most amiable aud well-intentioned, but
not reliable TO do anything. However,
there was nc, one else to apply to, so i
sought him.
Dear mel bless my soul" said he, II
will talk to NVestlake about 1t.
Now, Westlake Is his iactotum-a man
who gardens, grooms, sings bass in the
choir, is clerk and sexton; he does a'little
when required; milks the
cows, cleans the boots and knives, and
pastes mp notices Of temperance meetings
and harvest thanksgiving round the
country, when the Rector has determined
these entertainments. Nothing
is done in the parish without the advice OF
Westlake; and the Rector's opinions Of
the characters Of his practitioners are form
ed in the brain Of Westlake.
What the result OF this consultation was
l am unable osry, as Iran back to the
cutting SO as TO catch the Q 1886 train. Ileit
the Rector talking to Westlake in the
laundry, where he was mangline, and l
saw no more Of them.
I got back to the cutting before the train
came up, and saw that solid bed Of snow,
curiously ribbed, had formed across it,
making u impraciicable for traffic. Iran
down theline to meet and arrest the down
train. did come uponit laboring up the
gradient, but the driver either did not
hear my shouts, owing TO the roar Of the
wind, or did not see me throughthe blind
ing snow. The engine was not going fast,
owing TO the steep incline, and because
the driver was afraid OF running off the
rails. Consequently, when he did run
into the DRIFT no great harm was done
the engine and tender were thrown of
the rails and sank into thesnow, but none
Of the. passengers were hurt, and though
driver and stoker were precipitated into
the drift the snow was 80 soft that they
took no harm by their somersaults. When
I arrived found the guard wading from
one carriage To another with his lantern
assuring the passengers that there was no
danger. Some insisted on descending, but
after tloundering in thesnow they thought
best to retire under cover again. went
up to the engine to ascertain what was
about to be done. An angry alteration
was taking place between driver, guard
andpassenners, The engine was of the
rails and could not be got on again with
out help. Only one alternative seemed
feasible, and that was for the guard to go
to the junction and send up an engine to
take the train back to the place when 1t
had started, or go forward To the next
station aud telegraph for assistance.
The passengers objected that they
wanted to get on, not be taken back tn the
place whence they had started. While
the alteration went on o mass OF snow. on
the bank behind gave way and Slid like an
avalanche upon the lfnes In the rear, COM
pletely covering them, so as 10 render an
Immediate return impossible. There was,
in the emergency, but one thing to he
done the guard must go on tn the next
station and telegraph the state Of affairs,
end ask that party OF navyies might be
sent np 10 die out the train. There was
no engine and train at tie temporary ter
MINIS, consequently no means OF getting
forward that hight was available. Fortu.