Omaha daily bee., 1885-02-27
ATHRILIINe EXPERIENCES.
Struggling to wake When 20 Sleep
Meant Destruction.

Eyes, we operators sometimes have
strange experiences, said a young look.
ing white. haired telegrapher. replying to
IN Interrogation of the San Francisco
Call representative. "By all odds the
most thrilling incident that ever came
within my own experience he continued
muslngly, occurred one night about
twelve years ago, | was then q young op.
orator on the Northern pacific railroad,
at a small station in eastern Minnesota,
called Kimberly. 1 was doing the night
work-from z. m. TO Z a. M, and being
OF a social disposition, used to sleep only
when there was nothing of Interest going
on. Kimberly was quite a resort
for picnics, being situated on the edge
of one of those beautiful lakes for which
Minnesota is famed, and on the day re.
ferred to | had been out with n party of
young folks, aud by night was thoroughly
tired out. There Was no possible escape
from work, though, and l had to report
for duty as usual. Well, l struggled
along until about 3 o'clock, when | was
arose from a light doze by the ticking of
instrument. 1 dragged myself over to
where 1t stood and received the following
dispatch:
""To Operator Kimberly: Hold all
west. bound trains. Bridge No. 6 Is
washed away
Bridge No. 6 was several miles west
of my station, and spanned a email
stream in which logs were floated down
from the pinerles. l had heard that
day of a big Jam near there, and now
- eoltval 4hn4 IL h,l h.p1-nn arl n,rn,t Nho
bridge away. The section men had re-
ported it TO the next station west of me,
and my order was the result. Still, l
was in that somnolsnt state when moth
ing seems of immediate importance, and
after mechanically lighting my signal
Lantern, laid down again on the table
from which | had risen, negleciiug to
hang the lantern out. | don't know how
long l bad elept, when l was suddenly
conscious that a train was nearing the
station, at the same time being unable to
move or awaken myself. l knew that L
was asleep, realized the necessity of stop
ping the train, and that it would not
stop at Kimberly If no signal was dis
played. Yet L was powerless to save
them from the inevitable destruction
which awaited them If they were not
warned of the carrying away of the
bridge. l shall never forget the agony
those. thoughts brought me. l struggled
to break the chaius of sleep which held
me. The effort was accompanied by a
most peculiar sensation. | can only
compare it with the action of q watch
spring which has been drawn to It's
utmost tension and then let go. You
know how it will buzz for
a few moments as it unwinds itself.
That is exactly the way my brain
whirled as l sank back exhausted
after each effort. I felt the train draw
nearer and nearer. 1t was like the APP
preach of fate. If 1t passed I was a
murderer. Again and again l struggled,
with the same result; l could not wake.
1t must have been but a few moments,
yet | endured what seemed hours of
torture. | think the jar and rumble of
the train as 1t sped by must have awak-
enned me. jumped to my feet, seized
the lantern, which was still burning be-
side my chair, aud dashed out through
the open window. The rear coach vas
just passing the west end of the platform
1 screamed, and In my frenzy rushed
after the departing train. The noise and
speed Knocked me. Recollecting myself,
1 swung my lantern across the track
the usual signal OF danger. There was
no one In sight. just As the train swept
around a curve a brakeman appeared on
the rear platform. A moment later l
heard what l have always considered
the most welcome sound that
ever reached my ears-s shrek
from the engine and the rattle of the air
brakes. As l realized that the train was
saved, as q reaction overcame me and l
fell on the track unconscious.
st was six weeks before l recovered
from the brain fever which followed.
Fortunately, the trainmen were old
friends of nine, and the true cause of
my illness never reached headquarters.
Upon recovery l resigned my position at
Kimberly and came west, being haunted
with such a dread of a repetition of the
experience OF that night that l dared not
resume work IN that place. Since then I
have had many remarkable experiences,
but none which produced so startling or
lasting impression upon me. The boys
often laugh at my snow-white hair, know
me to be scarcely above 80 years of age,
little imagining what caused it."