The state herald., 1890-11-07
HAND OF PROVIDENCE.
AN OLD ENGINEER TELLS A
WILD. WEIRD STORY.
Ths Bsll.Ress Was Failed b. nystsrIsus
Agency, sAd Tie Crowded Trails Was
STOPPED On the Brink Of Yswa.
Ing Chasn.

bto)ped o. the bgtnk OF lawn
Ing CAss..
A dozen railroad engineers and con-
ductors met by chance the other day
and an old, gray haired veteran OF the
cab told story. He had been an
engineer with q big reputation as q
runner" In the years comedy. but,
on account OF failing nerves and eye
sight was now enjoying an easy berth
around the shops.
ut was when tho old Y. NJ. & B.
was Hrst opened up" he began. 81
was pullin' passenger, and took the
first coach over the road. got good
run. all day work. and was holdin' her
down a. q good thing. Bout year
after we'd got to dom q good business.
I h d some extra runnln' aud lost my
turn for while aud run nights all Of
the time. 1t was my last trip before
I'd get back my own run. aud was
feelin' glad TO get on 70 the day trick
again. We'd had some mighty bad
weather and lots Of water fell. Our
track was in pretty good shape.
though, and we didn't much fear wash.
outs, 30 we kept up with tho card
pretty well. On the night 1 spoke
about was on No. q We had heavy
train. but the machine had was able
to get there aud was on time till
We struck . freight that couldn't
take the siding. They swung US
down and we sidotracked until the
freight got away. l was pretty warm
over losing the time and when We lit
out Of there. I pulled her right up to
the notch and she went for all she was
worth. We were maxim about forty
five miles an hour. and when We reach
ed the fill east OF Wildcat worked
steam all the way down. We were
bout half way TO the creek when the
bell rang. worked mighty quick.
but 1t was down hill and the rails were
wet and didn't get stopped until the
pilot was almost over the bridge-or
where the bsidge out to be. cause
when stopped the headlight was
shinin' over chasm. The bridge was
washed away. Cad! You can tell
Just bout how l felt My fireman
nearly tainted and l wasn't far behind
him. Woll. after We stopped. the
conductor. u smart chap, with a fancy
lamp and rubber collar. came a runnin'
up. wantin' TO know why I stopped.
""Cause tho bell rang. What did
you pull the rope forP' l says.
81 didn't says he.
"'Well. who did? | says.
No One.' says no, hot like.
"'Well, some one pulled it, or
wouldn't stopped says l.
Tho con looked at me minute.
and just then the brakeman came up.
ibid you pull the rope, Joe,' said
the con-
No. says Joe.
Just as sudden. = thought struck
me and told the 'hrakey' 10 ask the
porter The coon hadn't pulled the
bell and the passengers In his car wero
all asleep until ierked them end
ways with tho air l took the con-
ductor around to tho front end and
showed him the bridge. He Was scar
ed 70 death and We won't back togeth-
or through the train 70 SEQ who pulled
the bell rope. but every mothers son
OF them sworc II wasn't touched. l
begin to got scared ag 10 and told
them about the bridge and every body
came out TO look ut II. We couldn't
find any one who gave the signal and
after we'd tagged back TO the station.
l got TO thinkin' more and more, and I
came TO the opinion that the bell was
runR by Providence. There was 1850
people on the train and II that bell
hadn't u rung I'd took them all over
into the Wildcat and dropped them
100 feet into the water. There
wouldn't been anybody left TO toll
about II either.
Tho superintendent looked into tho
thing aftcr | reported. and had me
aud Joe up on tho carpet twice. but
We both heard the bell and swore TO
It. Some chap got out long explana-
ton that the bell rope WAS tight
stretched. and we struck a low joint
coming down tho hill, when one end
OF the coach sagged. and tho rope