The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-12-07
WARNED IN A DREAM

few rods in front Of my door, and a sta
ton and considerable village about a
mile to the west. The nearest station
to the east was about ten miles distant
moved to the place with my young
wife late in the autumn. and about the
first of the following March was at
tackled with typhoid fever and was i'll
for about a month. But, thanks to a
naturally strong constitution and the
careful nursing of loving and intelli-
gent wife, slowly recovered.
AS soon as | was strong enough to sit
up and walk little told my wife she
had better take the cars and go and visit
her brother, who lived about fifty miles
east Of us. She had been taking care of
me so faithfully through my illness,
both by day and night, that feared her
health and strength would fail her if
she did not rest while. l knew she
had been very anxious to go, and felt
sure that her brother and his family
would be very glad to see her and would
try to make her visit pleasant one.
She hesitated about leaving me. fearing
L might need her care; but after waiting
a few days and seeing that 1 continued
to regain my health and strength she
| decided to follow my advice. Accord
ingly one pleasant morning about the
middle Of April, after doing everything
she could for my comfort and bidding
me to be careful about taking cold or
walking too far, she started, intending
to be gone fortnight
| One day / exercised a little beyond
my strength, and felt quite tired at
night and lay awake for a long time.
At last l fell into an uneasy slumber
and dreamed a very curious and star
ting dream. I seemed To have gone for
ward into the future couple Of days,
and instead Of Wednesday, the 24th, it
seemed in my dream to be Friday, the
26th. 1t appeared in my sleep that a
heavy rain had been falling most of the
day and all of the day before, but the
evening was clear and pleasant and not
very dark, though the moon was not
shining. | seemed to be walking along
the railroad line toward the east. l first
passed through a wood about half
mile wide; then for about a mile
through fields containing a couple of
farm houses, one inhabited and the
other deserted.
then entered another wood, and after
walking about q mile and half | came
to stream gently swollen by the rain,
which had weakened tie railroad bridge
so much that the passenger train, in at
tempting to cross, had broken it down,
and the bridge and carriages, completely
wrecked, were lying on both sides of the
stream, except portions that were float
ing down. Some of the passengers lay
dead or dying among the ruins: some
were floating in the water, and a few
were chnging to trees and bushes on the
bank. It was fearful and heartrend-
ing sight, too fearful for description,
and such as trust l may never see in
reality.
The next day early in the morning it
commenced raining, and continued to
rain through the day and the following
night. l felt very lonely and uneasy all
day, which feeling was increased by re-
ceiving q letter from my wife, saying
that she intended to come home on Fri
day night by the express train. l re-
tired late. feeling much worried on ac-
count of my fearful dream. And to add
to this fear, presentiment, or whatever
you may call it, the dream was repeated,
and even more distinct and vivid than
the first time
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 o'clock in the forenoon and the
other at 8 i'll the evening. This last was
the express, and the one on which my
wife was coming.
Toward the middle of the afternoon
the rain ceased falling. and the clouds
slowly cleared away. The dream mad
made such an impression or my mind
that resolved To attempt to find The
stream L had seen SO plainly in my
dreams, and if it appeared et all dan
gerous TO attempt 10 stop the train be-
fore reaching 1t. Accordingly soon after
the rain was over got ready and started.
had never before had occasion to visit
the station in this direction. and there
fore was entirely unacquainted with this
part Of the country. But l found every
thing just as it appeared in my dream.
Immediately after starting l passed
through the wood I had seen in nv
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 had
really been this WAY before. | walked
slowly, and late in the afternoon l came
to the stream, which flowed rapidly and
seemed much swollen. But the bridge,
instead of being broken down and min
gled with the broken carriages and man
gled passengers, was still standing: and
though It's timber looked cutie Old and
weather beaten there seemed % be little
danger Of It's breaking down beneath the
weight of passing train. There was e
heavy goods train due from the west
about q o'clock. and I resolved 10 wait
at least until it came. AMI II l. passed
over in safety there could b.. I thought, /
hut little danger Of accident 10 the lighter !
passenger train.
In due time Il came laundering along. /
and passed safely over the bridge. But /
though il might have been owing 10 my 1
excited Imagination. :: seemed 70 me 4
that bridge bent and shook beneath the /
weight of the train in q manner highly
Of danger. AZ all events | !