Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1889-06-30

or would the rear train dash into the
coaches and kill all the passenger? Who
was their engineer? Was he competent?
Was the engineer in the rear train mad?
The curtains were all thrown up, few
daring men clung on the platform
and glanced anxiously back TIE con-
ductOr started suddenly as he csugbt a
glimpse of the driving wheels of the rear
train. They were fully ten inches larger
than those on the engine ahead With
hand tightly clinched on the throttle Ell
wards eye rapidly swept the track. He
Vas a good engineer, for even under that
awful strain he had the presence of mind
to shut of his steam in order to save it
when running down grade without brake
pressure, and never once while running
did he allow power to take the place
of speed, fault of most engineers
under excitement At this time the
snow began to descend, and in the pecul-
lar light that settles on the earth, caused
by the snow, Edwards saw something in
a backward glance be took that made his
blood freezs, and almost caused his heart
to cease beating. On. the top of one of the
cars of the rear train was a tall white fig
ure of a man gesticulatiDg wildly, while
he could see a white form in a cab. A
terrible thought fl ashed through his mind
the train, the train, the peculiar cOndi-
tion-it vas the phantom train.
Without further parley, regardless of
the broken rail be dropped the lever an
other notch, and then as quickly as posi-
BILE, bat cautiously, he opened the throttle
valve. His trained ear caught every sound
his engine made, and under the intense
| excitement he once thought be heard the
pistons grinding and the axle pound. What
a wild ride it was in the night. 1t would
be impOssib to pass broken rail at the
terrific speed they we're travelling He
vas leading the race by about 200 yards
now, and as his train approached a
point where the track reversed
and ran parallel, he nerved himsel.
| for the trial. He rounded the curve safe
| ", and started, and was moving back on
the serpentine curve with the rapidity OF
lightning AS he passed the other engine
ne saw two extremely white figures in the
cab. The spectre engineer turned B face
to him like dough, and laughed. The
gh0stly fireman reached Tor the cord, anG
again a series of short, sharp whistles
sounded. On the train plunged into the
night, roaring through snowsheds and
over iron bridges that trembled beneath
the sudden shock So fast was the
train travelling that the rush ol
air could be heard by the passen.
gers. Wherever there was snow
/ 4 / - l.
a hurricane. Faster and faster, for nov
they were mounting to the highest point Of
the pass, where the air was coolest, Steam
was not so plentiful, and soon Edwards had
the lever in toe corner and the throttle
wide open. The grestest speed his en-
CINE was capable of had been attained, and
Edwards c1uld but watch the rails in front
of him aud keep his hand on the throttle
The phantom train was gaining; he could
90 no faster. he was helpless. Around
the shelves of high mountains anC
along the ridge of lofty hills, ovel
deep aroyOs through long snow
sheds the race continued the very
landscape was closing behind the train like
a cloud; the mountains seemed to recedC
rapidly but all the while the spectre train
was gaining ground. The wind arose and
sighed, and from the north heavy clouds
begin to drift southwark. The pilot struck
a slight snOw bank and hurled it hun
bred feet high.
A terrific storm was soon in progress,
the furies of which seemed to concentrate
on the fleeing passenger train. On into the
night the train swept, spectre and passen-
ho1f &c 1fvh mi ff,c
another through the sky. Edwards sight
ed bridge thst was reported weak, passed
it safely, and having by this time crossed
the summit was now on the down grade.
Deeper it became, and when one par
ficulsrly heavy hill was reached for the
last time in his life Edwards was guilty
of running the grade without applying the
air brakes. Soon he sighted the switch.
DO. 10 vas not there, AMI, with a madness
Iorn of excitement, he went tearing by
Ike the wind. Another series of short,
-harp whis, les, and an instant later the
engineer saw red lantern swinging in the
Ugh. of way. He was running down
grade. the thought OF No. 10 ahead, the
mysterious train behind, and q trained
mechanic, he instinctiyely applied the
]
hut the train was still running over
the snowy rails Far ahead he OBJ
served light, shadowy, fantastic forms,
and as the train drew nearer he saw
that they were repairing the track.
They were spirits, and the next minute
aving toward the ghosts on the track,
passed through the crowd of 10 OF y,
reached the curve beyond and Edwards
ventured backward glance, He saw the
phantom train run to a broken rail, the
engine ran off on to the ties, and one sec
ord later The heavy freight pitched down
the emban6ment and a moment later van
ished. Written in the frost OF RE fire
mans window was the following, q pc
cular hand:
''Yeers ago rate train was wrecked as
yu sag-nrT that yu saw it, we will never
make another run. The eDjine was rot
ounder cantro' and four sexshun men Wor
| killed. Ifyu ever run or this road again
VI will be rocked"
Edwards passed No. - at the second
switch, reached Green river at o'clock
the next morning, an hour ahead of time,
and left the Rio Grande THAI day. The
| following evening he went to Salt Lake,
and went back to Denver over the Union
Pacific, on which be is now running, and
"a considered one of the most trustworthy
men in their employ. The phantom has
not been seen since that eventful night.
TALKS A LITTLE
VIII Talk More Later On, But won't be
7rt,,od About So Mucb EspecIally