Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1886-02-19
THE PASSENGERS STORY.

station, when IL became eVluoul W IhV
passengers that something had gone de-
cidedly wrong. The speed of the tram
sensibly slackened; then came series
of tremendous jolts, accompanied by a
curious and unpleasant whirring sound,
followed in turn by complete stoppage.
A dozen heads were thrust inquisflvely
out of the car windows and as many
voices insisted upon knowing all about
il Immediately. In these days OF mag
nificent collisions and hOllcausts the
travelling public exhibits an astonishing
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 dig
nifty. "We have struck an upgrade
where an oil train stopped an hour ago
The tracks are oiled and tie drivers
don t take hold. We shall get the sand
running in half minute"
twas doubtless clear enough to those
who understood such matters, but to me
his explanation was mere jargon.
The gentleman who occupied the seat
Immediately in front of me, fine, mid
dle-aged person, with an erect, military
air, seemed 10 have no difficulty in max
ing out the state of affairs. He smiled
and nodded with an exceedingly know
Ing look, and was preparing to settle
himself comfortably in his seat again,
when | tapped him upon the shoulder
and said:
"Excuse me, sir, but what has oc'
CURED? The conductors explanation is
Chinese to me. What does he mean by
the tracks being oiled?"
The gentleman turned about and faced
me.
at is a simple NATTER" he said cour'
teously, "to those who have an idea ol
railroad affairs. The power of an en-
CINE depends upon the friction of the
drivers on the tracks-taking bold, as il
called. If there is oil upon the rails, es
pecially upon an upgrade, there is no
friction, consequently the wheels sim
ply spin around upon the track without
moving the train"
"Ah," said L, 81 comprehend.
81 could illustrate the case by al
event which occurred to me upon this
very spot some years ago. | have al
ways thought it rather remarkable
incident, and perhaps you may find /
so. The circumstance | refer to-" ht
continued, "took place during the war
| was at the time an adjutant upon Gen
Thomas's staff during the exciting anC
momentous campaign in the mountains
of Tennessee. If you remember, there
were many times when it was feared
that our hour had come. Our commu'
nications were repeatedly cut of anC
our whole command in danger of in
stant destruction. 1t was at one of those
crises that the event am going 10 re-
late occurred.
''We were at this time intrencheC
upon a spur Of the hills around Chatta-
nooga. whittier we had been driven b,
the desperate courage of the Conieder'
ates. Ourow men had fought bravely
and well, but they were exhausted will
long marches and constant action. Oul
stores had run low, and but one line O
communication was left open to us
that of the railroad into. the eastern par
of the State. By brilliant flank move
ment the Confederates succeeded IL
throwing a line across this one high
way; and there we were, hemmed in
like a woodchuck in his burrOw. Star
yation or surrender stared us In the face
One or the other of these alternative:
we must accept in a few day at most
unless some unexpected change tooh
place very speedily.
''It is, perhaps, difficult for us to com
prehend the feelings of commander
hitherto successful, and with the fate
perhaps, of ? nation depending upon his
action, placed iii such position as ouI
General then was. saw his face grow
hourly more pale and despairing, hi:
step slower and more feeble, and hi:
whole air that of man whose heart and
spirit were breaking under the strain
But Thomas was not the man 10 yield
until every resource had been sounded
to the bottom. And there was one re-
source yet left-a desperate and almost
hopeless one, it is true.
"Forty miles to the eastward OF Us lay
Stockton's command of nearly thirty
thousand men, serenely unconscious OF
our danger and their own. Several day;
before Stockton had been directed 10 oc-
cupy pass in the mountains on the lei
and to hold it until further orders. O
course, unaware of the predicament o
the main army, he would make NJ
movement to cur relief. Communica
tions were now cut of and it seemed 1
matter of utter impossibility to re oper
them through the heavy line Of Confed
crates which lay across the railroad
Thomas, however, determined to try it
and was selected for the daDgerou
but honorable duty of the attempt.
"We had reason to suppose that th'
enemy had not destroyed the railroa'
and that if we were not captured at tn
outset we might get an engine through
to the station where Stockton lay.
cat 1890 my orders were given me
and / mounted the engine, which wa