The Mineral argus. [volume] (Maiden, Mont.) 1883-1886, 1885-01-01

from the Louisville Courier Journal

from the Louisville Courier Journal
In conversation with prominent
physician the other LAY the subject Of
railroad accidents and escapes came up.
"One of the most remarkable instances
Of presence Of mine Of which ] have
sver heard" said he, twas related to
ne by Colonel John d. Wickliffc not
long ago. 1t was on the Louisville and
Nashville Railroad, near tho MUD
raugh's Hill tunnel. At that time the
science of running trains was in . very
elementary state. The practice was to
run them all one way at time. In the
morning the trains would be started
from Nashville to Louisville and in the
evening they would he run back. They
went in sections. Colonel Wicklife
one evening was one Of o party OF
officers and others who made mp
. train to Nashville. They were
preceded by another train at distance
Of about mile . third one followed.
They pulled out from the depot at y
late hour and made ~ good time as pos,
sible when fairly ON the road. Every
thing went smoothly enough till the
tunnel was reached, when the first train
was halted by o signal just before en-
tering. Upon investigation it wac
found that freight train had broken
down in the passage.
Every one who has been over the
road knows how steep is the grade Of
Muldraugh's Hill. To climb it the On.
gineers put on every ounce Of steam and
take off the brakes till the friction is re.
duced to minimum. The summit il
but short distance from the tunnel and
. deep curve in the track hides an APP
preaching train till within q few hun.
dred yards. Up this incline, but hid
den by the curve, was heard the pulling
Of the thirl train. The ponderous en-.
yinc was laboring calamity and drawing
the long string Of ears behind her ~
easily as a trotter the light sulky of his
driver. The summit was reached and
with wild shrek of delight,
the train sprang around the
frst curve and darted upon the
trestlcwork. The momentum gained
in the upward struggle carried it
across with race-horse speed and the
track quivcred and stretched beneath
its eager tread. The cold night air vi
brated with the putting of the engine
and the hills echoed and re-echoed the
shrieks Of the whistle. The train was
not two minutes distance from the
second section when first heard. The
horror stricken passengers in front
were caught in a trap. The rear train
had been totally forgotten and it was
now bearing down upon them, bringing
Heath and torture nearer and nearer.
"At that awful moment q newsboy,
with great bundle Of papers, dashed
like mad through the car to the rear.
The men yielded an instant passage and
he was but moment in sreaching the
rear platform. How he managed il no
one knew, but he had whipped out o
match and had bundle of papers in
flames just as the headlight of the adj
vancing engine appeared around the
:urve. His entire stock famed mp, and
he waved aud shouted, his face and
form lit up Is perhaps was Casabianca's
on that fatal day at Trafalgar. The
engineer saw him just in time. He re-
versed his engine apd put on breaks so
rapidly that his train simply bumped
against the one in front. The plnck
and presence Of mind of the boy had
saved scores of lives.
about five minutes after the pas.
sengers realized that they were saved
collection was taken up among the
officers and the newsboy was made
richer Ivy $500. wish could remem-
Der his name, but it is doubtful il it