The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1889-06-27
VOL. 80. NO. &c.

OF buildings the strongest, houses dashed 20
Borne madiy along on the terrific now
OF waters that seized on their prey, all I'M
The piteous Calling for mercy, the pleading
For rescue, the cries that rang through the
From thousands vain struggling for life
OF fres blazing fierceIy from wrecks OF the
Caught with trains on the bridge. consuming
OF hundreds who else might have escaped at
Fire and Hood cIasping hands to drive horror
aghast!
oh Conemaugh valley! When morning crept
DER the mountain tops and the heavens wept
Tb es s SnS Wrecks Of thy towns are:
on the sodden forms when mournful day
Revealed to sight d PG 1S 6 oSaos of 9in
The delugc of wrath so long for thee brewing:
Had made thee pale victim OF cold-oloodeo
Had stated their vengeance upon thee ana
Had seen thee too long unaware Of thy doom;
Had found thee an Eden-had left thee q tomo!
What of the rider, he who lashed
Adown the valley that fearful day
To give brief WarningP Who can say
Mhssa b 81 m n1e ia or what his 6ames
of native birth or from foreign strand.
Had he worn the gray or donned the blue2
One thing is known-that his story is true,
He saw the crest of the mighty lake
Rolling and writing like monstrous snake
Dreadful behemoth of WRATH
Miles of water, fathoms deep,
Resistless in its mighty sweep;
Than heetest horse with bravest master
Crushing houes TO shapeless pulp.
Whiriing its prey as in maniac zest
High on the front of its terrible crest
Crest hundred feet high, towering up It 10
From the foot to the top of that cataract
swiftest deer that flies the hound
Not so rapid covers ground;
Could outrun that Hood in speed
Such was was the race of the rider brave
His good bay horse 'gRinst a tidal wave!
How much of a start the horse was given,
How near to the lake when the wall Was
How far up the valley the race began.
It was ffteen miles from the lake to the town.
With riverside road running all the way
| All that was seen as on they came
| HIS nostriIs wide and his desperate stride.
And his hoofs striking fire along the roadside!
Hair blowing in wind, nor coat, nor hat,
| In his left hand the reins, and lash in his
Shouting his warning with all bis might.
| And vita wave of his lash and echolng CRY
Was gone ere his hearers could frame reply!
Such the way the bay dashed down
/ The valley road to reach JOhnetoWn'
| His StOuf-lunRoQ rider FORWARD BSnI.
| Such the way he found to save
| Thousands from impending grave.
Did he save himself and steed?
| Did he for the hillside speed
| Rapid gained in that fierce race?
| 40 MOI! He'd set his course to run,
| And finished what he had begun.
When the gnashing crest that chased them
Threw it's bloody spray on the fated town,
All that was seen from the hillside ridge
The bridge where the steam horse shriekinE
At his giant mates, drifting like helpless
Ere the rider could reach the central span
The flood sprang oh him. and horse and man,
Seen high on the front of its dizzy verge.
SeSt moment the roll Of the huge debris
On the face of the flood was ell one couId see.
And the miles of water that followed fast
In triumph raved It'll the night was past.
The race was over, won and lost,
Horse and rider together tossed,
| of as pitiless Hood as the world eer saw!
Sunken beneath the swirling surge,
Thousands of arms ali struggling wild,
Heroic striving foI wife or child.
From lips that cursed and lips that prayed
Voices eTynE from T VII Sea 70 mo more.
Such their wierd funeral knel
As down they sank in that seeming nell!
Requiem dread on earth to be born,
Requiem cold for hearts so warm,
/ REQUIEM saQ 1Of inc bklee u ncci.
Requiem fit for such CHASTITY bier:
And far in the mountains the winds Whis-
at caught them-it caught them-their
graves none may know!
who won the race. the food or the horse.
The hsh-pond lake or the clammy corse,
The crested tide with it's awful roll,
Or the centaur form of chivalric souH
The horse and rider won the race!
They reached JOhnstown, they stood the
Der busy streets the iron hoofs sprang.
Thc Ood f beSnd the Sils st 6and
| Twas life to fly, twas dea tn TO stand
And the deed will live while the world shall
last!
Not for himself did the rider urge
His stout bay steed with voice and scourge,
| STRAINED tensest nerve that fatal day,
| Not come one treasured life to keep
Yves the purpose of each desPeIasee leap'
was the chosen stake of that daring ride;
RODE Rod tn the b bold rider Of name unKnown-.
| What he won he lost: what he ioet he won;
What he knew he told; what he told was done:
He rode for humanity's bitter need.
| For human hearts all he held the steed
| 5trsight ahead of the flood until the town
Was reached and warned-and then he went
Heroic in EFFORT. in triumph sublime,
I His deed unsurpassed In historic time;
No chance for escape--all chance had forsook
To the peril he dared. to the fate that o'ertoOk
| himi
| Be his grave where it may, in river or mire,
Where'er lies the bay, in gater or nIes
| The race will be famous, the ride viii be sung,
The deed Will inspire, the Pean be runEI
What IL fame without name2 what is death
oh Poet ana Painfer. for you is this story:
Though found were the name. though certain
No greater the fame. no grander the race.
The unknown has, glamour, the ideal It's de-
Day may nay not reveal beauty equal TO night.
Yelled mystery gone. some charm might inn
Let fancy paint on and all viii be fair.
Hare i. fame without -name-hsre = aeeA
without flaw
Trace the face, grave the form-show the race
) in Conemaugh!
Why lat
J That people finger along always COM
! planning about that continual tired
, feeling? One bottle OF Beggs' Blood
Purifier and Blood Maker will entirely
remove this feeling, give them q good
appetite and regulate digestion.
D. W. NORRIS, druggist.
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Il