Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1888-02-22

THE WESTERN ATLANTIC OF GEORGIA
STATE LINE RAILROAD.
egram to Atlanta could very soon start
train after u.s. but it would be forty or
fifty miles behind; and long before it
could come up bridges would be burned,
the track and telegraph cut and the road
completely destroyed. We expected to
run on our regular time to Kingston,
which would thus take about two hours,
but to obstruct the track at several places
on the way; then with the local freight
safely passed, hurry OH to the Oostenaula
Tor Resaca) bridge, twenty-four miles
further, in half an hour more, burn that,
and sweep on over the eleven bridges Of
the ChickamauSa, and leaving them in
flames (ulso the one of the East Tennessee
| road, over the same Streaml. pass by
| Chattanooga on the ''Y' running over
to the Memphis and Charleston road and
press rs rapidly as possible westward to
Bridgeport, and on to Mitchell, wherever
he might be. 1t will be seen that leaving
out of account any accident to our train,
and any difficulty in passing the trains we
were to meet. our calculations were al
most dead certaintcs. With two eX-
perilnced engineers, and caution in run
ming, accidents were not likely to occur;
and Andrews trusted to his own marvel
Gus address land not vainly, as the result
showcdD to disarm suspicion from any
trains met. On Friday, so far rs human
vision can now penetrate, these calculations
would have worked out with the precision
of & machine, and all the results indicated
have followed. To-day there were new
elements which were to task our powers
to the utmost, but of these we rs yet
knew nothing.
All careful and prudent preparations
were now made for long run. \ red
| flag placed on the last car showed that
| another train was behind, and served us
q kind of silent excuse for being OIL the
time of the morning mail. The engine
was also carefully inspected by Knight,
whose mechanical knowledge was most
useful, and found to be in excellent work
ing condition. 1t was thoroughly oiled.
Then we moved lcisurely onward until
we came near Moons station, where some
wOrkmen were engaged on the track, and
the opportunity of getting necessary tools
was too good to be lost. Brown sprang
down and asked II man for n wedge pointed
llUl Will "IliIil ilC "tlo pa iilSN' hN
man gave it ut once and Brown stepped
back with his booty, but little disap
pointed, for one of the bent, clawfooted
bars for pulling out spikes would have
been worth much more, but they had
none The bar taken was the only one of
their tools that seemed likely to be of
value or more would have been borrowed
by force, if not otherwise.
AS we went OH Andrews cautioned his
engineers not to run too fast, which they
inclined to do; all of us would have
relished more speed in this first part of
the journey. But running on all south
ern roads in war times was slow: our
train was not scheduled ut over sixteen
miles an hour. The road itself was cX-
cecdingly crooked, with abundance of
short curves, and, having but light iron
rails, was untitled for high speed. We
were anxious to get past the local freight
that we might test the roads capabilities.
Those on the engine were very much
amused, rs we ran by station after sta
| ton, to see the passengers come up with
their sachels in their hands, and then
shrink back in dismay us we sped past
without sign of halting But when by
we would stop and cut the telegraph wire,
so that no suspicious or inquiries could
be sent ahead.