Omaha daily bee., 1889-05-19
Ben0iSOn Bros

travelling, that the rush of air could be
heard by the passengers. Wherever
there was n snow drift the train would
break through it like hurricance.
Faster and faster, for now they were
mounting to the highest point of the
the pass where it was coolest, steam was
not SO plentiful, and soon Edwards
had the lever in the corner
and the throttle wide open. The great
est speed his engine was cabable OF had
been attained, and Edwards could but
watch the rails in front of him and keep
his hand on the throttle. The fantom
train was gaining; he could go no fas-
ter, he was helpless. Around the
shelves of the high mountains and along
the ridge of lofty hills, over deep
aroyos, through long snow sheds the
race continued; the very landscape was
closing behind the train like cloud;
the mountains seemed to recede rap
idly, but all the while the specter train
was gaining ground. The wind arose
and sighed, and from the north heavy
clouds began to drift southwark. The
pilot struck slight snow bank and
hurled it hundred feet high.
THROUGH THE TEMPEST.
A terrific storm was soon in progress,
| the furies of which seemed to concen-
| on the fleeing passenger tram. On
| into the night the train swept, spectcr
| and passenger like bolts of lightning
pursuing one another through the sky.
| Edwards sighted bridge that was re-
| ported weak, passed it safely. and hav-
| ing by this time crossed the summit,
was now on the down grade.
| Sleeper it became, and when one
particularly heavy hill was reached
| for the first time in his life Edwards
was guilty Of running the grade with
out applying the air brakes. Soon he
sighted the switch. No. 10 was not
| there, ana with madness born OF OK
citement, he went tearing by like the
wind. Another series of short, sharp
whistles and an instant later the engt-
neer saw u red lantern swinging in the
right of way. He was running
down grade, the thought of No.
! l9 ahead, the mysterious train
behind, and a trained mechanic
he instinctively applied the air. The
wheels stopped revolving but the train
| was still running over the snowy
rails. Far ahead he observed light,
shadowy, fantastic forms, and as tho
train drew nearer, he saw that they
were repairing the track. They were
spirits, and the next minute lying to-
ward the ghosts on the track, passed
| through the crowd of ten or twelve,
|
ventured backward glance. He saw
the phantom train run TO a broken rail,
the engine ran off onto the ties, and one
second later the heavy freight pitched
the embankment, and moment later
vani shed.
Written in the frost Of the fireman q
window was the following, in peculiar
hand:
"Yeers ago frate train was rocked
as yu saw-now that yu saw IT, wes will
never make an other run. The enjine
was not ounder cantrol and four sexshun
men wor killed. If yu ever ran on this
roa again yu will be rocked"
Edwards passed No, 10 at the secon
switch reached Green Riyerat g O'Clock
the next morning, an hour ahead o.
time, and left the Rio Grande that day
The following evening he went 10 Sail
Lake, and went back TO Denver over the
Union Pacific, on which he is now run
ming, and is considered one OF the mos
Trustworthy men in their employ. Th'
phantom has not been seen since tha
eI,l,iIl lisis