The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1888-01-19

high embankment, completely hiding
from the engineers vision until he was
upon the bridge itself any signal which
might he made from the spot whereon
/ stood. Here was. indeed, a singular
circumstance. If the bridge had been
sent to watch were all right, and no
danger signal needed, l could walk
across the stream and give such signal;
but If the bridge were washed away,
and signal required to save many
lives, it would be impossible for me to
cross and give it. Stran&. reflected.
that nobody had ever thought of that
before; and remember wondering as
| stood there how many railway disas-
tiers had resulted from failure on some
bOdy's part to foresee conditions quite
as obvious as those which now had to
face. But there was no time for such
reflection. 1t was action that was
wanted-action quick and successful.
"My first thought was TO run back
to the first station and tell the tele-
graph operator to stop the train by
wire: but a glance at my watch showed
ME the impossibility of that; the train
was due in eighteen minutes and the
telegraph office was five miles away.
thought of building a huge bonfire.
in hopes the engineer would be alarmed
by is light. A hundred plans, some
of them impossible and ridiculous,
chased one another through my brain.
was soon half dizzy and faint with
fear an excitement. But at laSt-it
seemed to me | had been standing
there thinking for an hour, but my
watch showed me that l had really
been there less than 4 minute-at last
hit upon the plan 0: climbing down
upon the timbers to see if there was not
some means. no matter how dangerous,
by which | might cross to that por-
ton of the bridge which could plainly
see some twenty or thirty feet away,
whenever the moon came out from be-
hind the scudding clouds. l did climb
down upon the shaking timbers, with
my lantern hung over my arm, but
there was no connecting link between
the two sections of the shattered struc-
ture, not even an iron brace-rod along
which desperate man might pull him.
self. Dismayed at the discovery, /
chung to the beams, with the water
smashing along and the ice humping
and pounding ut my feet. l watched
the huge cakes of ice floating
past. Thay seemed to possess a faS-
cination for me. A moment later l
had decided upon something. The
floating ice-cakes had given me sug-
gestion, an opportunity, u possibility.
At that point the river runs south; but
a few rods below the railroad it turns
to the southeast, and for several miles
the track runs along the river bank,
excepting here and there, where it
darts through tunnel or cuts short
across some bend in the streams
course. Along this track No. was
at this moment laundering. From IN
ice-cake in the river could. with my
lantern. signal the engineer. 1t was
upon an ice. cake that / had deter
mined to throw myself.
Tearing from the bridge a partially
loOsened timber, so heavy that it re-
quires all my strength to handle it. 1
get it in such position that when the
favorable moment comes | can push it
out and let one end of it fall upon an
icc-floe. Soon large piece comes
floating by; | run out my stick, succeed
in stopping the foe for an instant. and
in the next second l leap from my
perch, alighting safely upon the ice.
l seize the timber and endeavor to pull
it up on the foe. Why l do this can
not tell. but do it. After struggle
the thick plank is placed upon the ice
by my side. while the foe rides rapidly
away, sweeping round the bend in the
river. Seating myself on the plank,
put my lantern down on the ice near
by and reach for my watch to see what
time it is. My nand has hardy reached
the watch when there is s.lsS and
am nearly thrown into the '.sis Ny
ice-foe has collided with 49,, and
great God! my lantern has disappeared!
1t is at the bottom of the river. | am
in darkness and in despair. All seems
lost now, myself as well as the train.
l bury my face in my hands, my heart
rises in my throat, and the blood seems
to have chilled in my veins. Suddenly
am reused by a sound-a faint but
familiar one. 1t is locomotive
whistle several miles up the track.
No. Z is coming.
what is to be done? Nothing. it
seems; feel powerless. l want to
throw myself into the river. l am 60
ing crazy. And yet an idea comes to
me. What brings it l do not know,
for it seems to me my reason is
leaving me. Still, / take courage
again. no sooner see a pos
sibility of doing something then
l set about doing it in a frantic
sort of way. Unjust have fire. Where
is my matchbox? Inmy jacket pocket.
But first let me prepare the lamp.
am determined to have = lantern. So
l take out my big pocket-knife and l
dig a hole in the pine plank. My
fingers have unusual strength and cum
ming. and the splinters fly. Under the
surface of the beam the pine is dry.
Better still. the hole I'm gouging out is
right beside a black and brown knot,
rich with turpcntine. Within the cavity
L place a profusion of pine splinters and
whittliprs SOme are tiny ShavinpS