Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-10-25
A DOCTORS STORY.
THE SCENE A VIRGINIA MOUNTAIN
Gus REGioN-A RAILROAD.
a Startling Dream and rresentmcnt
which Averted Tcrribte Railroad
Csts.trophe-Tho Train Saved.
iErenlng Word, Now Yor..l

and considerable village about a mile TO
The west The nearest station 10 the
east was about ten miles distant
moved 10 the place with my young wife
late in the autumn, and about the LIST OF
the following March | was attacked With
typhoid-fever and was i'll for about
month but, thanks TO naturally strong
and the careful nursing OF
loving and intelligent wife, slowly re-
covered.
As soon as got strong enough to sit
Up and walk a little, l told my wife she
had better take the cars and 60 and visit
her brother, who lived about fifty miles
east OF us. She had been taking care OF
me 30 faithfully through my illness,
both by day and night, that | feared her
health and strength would fail her If
she did not rest awhile. j knew she
had been very anxious to go,
and I felt sure that her brother and
his family wonld be very glad to see her.
and would try to make her visit a plea
SAINT one. She hesitated about leaving
me, fearing 1 might need her caro- but
after waiting a few days, and seeing that
j continued TO regain my health and
strength, she decided to follow my adj
vice. Accordingly, one pleasant morn
ing about the middle of April, after do
ing everything she could for my COM
fort. and bidding me to be careful about
taking cold, or walking too far, she
started, intending to be gone a fort
night.
STARTLING DREAM.
One day exercised a little beyond my
strength and felt quite tired at night and
lay awake Tor d long time At last fell
into an uneasy slumber and dreamed
very Curious and startling dream. L
seemed TO have gone forward into the
future a couple Of days, aud instead OF
"Wednesday the oath. it seemed IN my
dream to be Friday the 26th. 1t seem
cd IN my dream that a heavy rain had
been falling most OF the day and all the
day before, bnt the evening was clear
and pleasant and not very dark, though
tine moon WIS not shining. l seem
ed 10 DO walking along tho rail-
road line towards the east. f1rst
passed through wood about hall
mile wide then for about mile
through fields, containing a couple OF
farm-houses, one inhabited and the
other deserted. l then entered another
wood, and alter walking about mile
and half | came 10 a stream greatly
swollen 10y the rain, which had weaken
ed the railroad-bridge 80 much that the
passenger train in attempting to cross
had broken it down, and the bridge and
carriage, completely wrecked, were
lying on both sides Of the stream, ex-
Cept portions that were floating down.
Some of the passengers lay dead or
dying among tho ruins ; some were
floating in the water, and a few were
Clinging TO Gees and bushes on the
bank. 1t was fearful and heartrending
sight-too fearful for description, and
such as trust may never see in real
ity.
The next day, early in the morning, 1t
commenced raining, and continued to
rain throughout the day and the follow
ing night felt very lonely aud uneasy
all day, which feeling was increased 10y
receiving letter from my wife, saying
that she intended TO come home on Fri
day night by the express train. retired
late, feeling much worried on account of
my fearful dream. And, TO odd TO this
fear, presentiment or whatever You may
call it, the dream WAS repeated, and even
more distinct and vivid than the first
time.
TWO PASSENGER TRAINS.
When / arose in the morning the rain
was still falling. This was Friday, and
therefore was the day on which my wife
was to start for home. There were two
passenger trains from the east each day,
one at 8 o'clock in the forenoon and the
other at O IN the evening. This last was
the express and tho one on which my
wife vas coming.
Towards the middle of the afternoon
che rain ceased falling, and the clouds
slowly cleared away. The dream had
made such an impression on my mind
that l resolved to attempt to
find the stream bad seen so
plainly in my dreams, and if it APP
peared at all dangerous, to attempt
to stop the train before reaching it. Ac-
cordlngly, soon after the rain was over,
j got ready and started. | had never
before had occasion to visit the station in
this direction, and therefore was entirely
unacquainted with this part Of the coun-
try. But found everything just as it
had appeared in my dream.
Immediately after starting | passed
through the wood / had seen in my
dream, and then entered the open field,
and found the two farm-houses, one in
habited and the other deserted. In fact,
everything seemed as natural as If l had
really been this way before. walked
slowly, and late in the afternoon ! came
70 the stream which flowed rapidly and
seemed much swollen. But the bridge,
instead of being broken down and
mingled with the broken car
riages and mangled passengers, was still
standing; and though its timber looked
quite old and weather.beaten, there
seemed to be little danger OF its break
ing down beneath the weight of pass.
ing train. There was heavy goods train
due from the west about 6 o'clock, and
resolved TO wait at least until it came,
and il il passed over in safety there
could be, thought, but little danger oil
accident to the lighter passenger train.
PASSED SAFELY OVER.
In due time it came laundering along
end passed safely over the bridge. Blu
though it might have been owing TO my
excited imagination, IL seemed to m'
that the bridge bent aud shook beneath
the weight OF the train in q manne
highly suggestive of danger. At al
events, / resolved TO wait awhile longe
aud see if the stream, which was still
rising, would have any apparent effec
upon the bridge. | took with me
lantern and also thick blanket to pro
tect me from the damp night air.
Shortly after sunset as j was sitting
few rods from the stream heard lout
splash, and hurrying TO the bridge sa,
that portion Of the bank on the oppc
site side had broken away, and also tina
the action OF the water. or some othe
cause, had weakened the foundations c
the bridge in such manner that poi
ton OF the line was bent and lowere
enough TO make il impossible for trai
Ia cross I Immediately crossed IN