The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1886-09-09

violent eruptions, and there was a con-
stant dread everywhere that there
would be q general inundation caused
by some extraordinary force of the
earthquake. Not only was the water
emitted in the low places where it
might be expected to exist all the
time, but on tops OF the highest eleva-
tions the mud could be seen. This
latter fact indicated that the force was
being exerted at rather more than the
depth that was at first thought to be
its limit. Near Ten Mile Hill q fatal
accident occurred on Tuesday night.
The down Columbia train jumped the
track. The engineer, Burns, and the
fireman, Arnold, colored, were badly
injured by the tremendous leap which
the train took in the dark under the
unseen influence of the shock that dis
mantled the road. 1t is said that the
earth suddenly gave way, and that the
engine first plunged down the tempo
rary declivity. 1t was then raised on
the top of the succeeding terrestrial
undulation, and having reached the
top Of the wave a sudden swerving of
the force to the right and left, hurled
the i'll fated train down the embank-
ment.
RAILROAD TRACKS TWISTED.
In many places along the track of
the South Carolina rnd North Eastern
Railroad, and for spaces of several
hundred yards in width, the dreadful
energy of the earthquake was expend-
ed in two particular ways. First,
there we're intervals of a hundred yards
and more in which the track had the
appearance of having been alternate
ly raised and depressed, like line Of
waves frozen in their last position
The second indication was where the
force had oscillated from east te west,
bending the rails in reverse curves,
most of them taking the shape of a
single, and others ola double letter rs"
placed longitudinally. These latter
accidents occurred almost invariably
at trestles and culverts. There were
no less than five OF them between the
Seven Mile Junction and Jedburg.
In other places the track had the APP
pearance of being kinked for miles, but
always in these cases in the direction
of the rails. The train at the time of
the earthquake was running along at
the usual speed, and when about a
mile south of Jedburg, it encountered
terrible experience. 1t was freight
ed with hundreds of excursionists re-
turning from the mountains. They
were all gay and happy, laughing and
talking, when all of a sudden, in the
language of one of the excursionists,
the train appeared to have left the
track and was going up, mp, up into
air. This was the rising wave.
Suddenly it descended, and as it rap
idly fell it was flung first violently
over to the east, the side of the car ap-
parently leaning over at less than an
angle of forty-fve degrees. Then
there was reflex action and the train
righted, and was hurled with a roar as
of discharge of artillery over to the
west, and finally subsidized on the track
and took plunge downward, evident
ly the descending wave. The engineer
put down the brakes tight, but so great
was the original and added momentum
that the train kept right ahead. 1t is
said on trustworthy authority that the
train actually galloped along the track
the front and rear trucks of the coach
es raising and falling alternately. The
utmost confusion prevailed, women
and children shrieked with dismay
and the bravest heart quailed in mo-
mentary expectation of more terri
| BILE catastrophe.