The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1886-10-19
A Fast Train.

Il was lately on a train,' observ
ed the timid passenger, ''that went
so fast it was dangerous to look out
of the window, as you were likely tt
have your cyesight broken off and
carried away. Why, the very farm
houses looked like the street of Q
village, they came so fast, and the
hind car wheels only touched the
rails once in while. There was
not particle of noise to be heard
because the train got far ahead Of
it, and people along the track said
the noise kept about mile back
while the dust didn't have time te
get up and dust until the train had
got far away, and the way it ther
got up and busted was a warning
1t just seemed as if the train had
got scared at something, and the
passengers all thought there was
great danger of the coaches running
over the locomotive. The telegraph
poles were visible, and the very sun.
beams did not have chance to get
in the windows, and, of course, the
shadow of the cars kept something
like mile and a quarter in the rear,
"Our watches got all out of time;
as we flew westward so fast that we
got clear ahead of the sun, and il
we had kept on at that rate around
the earth we would have been surely
half a day younger, and if we had
continued going around we would
have soon been in the middle of last
year.
"The friction of the air took all
the paint off the outside of the cars,
and hats were sucked up through
the ventilators. If you had drop
ped book it would not have touch
ed the floor until it had reached the
back of the car, while flies were
dashed against the rear end of the
coach and killed. $40
"Of course the people could not
see the train at all, and were con-
tinually driving into it at the cross
ings, but they didn't know any bet
ter before or afterwards. 1t was
thought that lightning struck them,
as they didn't know what else it
was, and people along the line said
the train left. a tunnel in the air
which did not fill up for half an
hour, while the air was hot from the
friction. If you would foolishly
point your finger out of the window
at anything it would be taken off as
slick as knife by the solidified air.
'We went through terrible rain
storm, but not drop touched the
train. 1t didn't get chance, and
several bolts of lightning went for
us, but fell short. The rear brake
man fell off the car, but the suction
kept him following right behind,
and they reached out and pulled
him in all right, but quite dizzy
headed. At one place a bridge had
been washed away, but that did not
interfere at all, for we jumped the
chasm and went ON as if nothing
had been wrong.
'sThe most wonderful thing about
it was, that night We witnessed the
phenomenon of the sun setting in
the east, a sight never before wit
messed, we had travelled so much
ahead of it. People living along
the track maintained that it was a
cyclone that had passed, and houses
we're unroofed by the disturbed at
mosphere. The rapidity with which
we went was quite alarming, espe-
cialiy when. we were not in aEhurry,
but catching hole. of the front seat
and holding back with all our might
did not seem to do any perceptible
good. "A man fired revolver at a
venture and hit.a mule half a mile
up the track. That was the fastest
ride I-eyer took. ia{ssi e>e