Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1890-11-13
HAND OF PROVIDENCE.
AN OLD ENGINEER TELLS A
WILD. WEIRD STORY.

WILD. WEIRD STORY.
Tho Bell. Hope Was Pulled By . Mysterious
Agency, and the Crowded Train Was
Stopped on the Brink Of Yawn.
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 big reputation as q
drummer" in the years gone-by. but.
on account Of failing nerves and eye
sight. was now enjoying an easy berth
around the shops.
1T was when the old Y. M. & b.
was first opened up" he began. Il
was pullin' passenger, and took the
first coach over the road. I got good
run, all day work, and was holdin' her
down as good thing. Bout year
after we'd got to dom good business,
had some extra runnin' and lost my
turn for a while and run nights all Of
the time. 1t was my last trip before
I'd get back my own run. and l was
feelin' glad to get on to 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. so we kept up with the card
pretty we'll. On the night spoke
about was on No. 9. We had heavy
train, but the machine had was able
to get there and was ON time till
we struck freight that couldn't
take the siding. They swung us
down and We sidctracked until the
freight got away. was pretty warm
over losing the time and when we lit
out Of there. l 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 'till' east of Wildcat worked
steam all the way down. We were
bout half way to the creek when the
bell rang. l worked mighty quick,
but it was down hill and the rails were
wet and didn't get stopped until the
pilot was almost over the bridge-or
where the bridge out to be. cause
when i stopped the headlight was
shinin' over chasm. The bridge was
washed away. Cad! You can tell
just bout how felt. My fireman
nearly tainted and wasn't far behind
him. Well, after. we stopped. the
conductor. smart chap, with fancy
lamp and rub Der collar. came d runnin'
up. wantin' to know why 1 stopped.
"'Cause the bell rang. What did
you pull the rope for?" I says.
Il didn't says he.
"'Well, who did?' says.
No one.' says he, hot like.
"'Well, some one pulled it, or ]
wouldn't a stopped says I.
1.-The CON looked at me a minute,
and just then the brakeman came up.
"Did you pull the rope, Joe.' said
the CON-
No. says Joe.
just as sudden. thought struck
me and l told the 'hrakey' TO ask the
porter. The coon hadn't pulled the
bell and the passengers in his car we're
all asleep until l jerked them end
ways with the air. l took the con-
ductor around to the front end and
showed him the bridge. He was scar
ed to death and we went back togeth-
or through the train to see who pulled
the bell rope, but every mothers son
Of them swOrc it wasn't touched. !
begin to get scared again and told
them about the bridge and every body
came out to look at it. We couldn'.
find any one who gave the signal and
after we'd tagged back to the station.
got to thinkin' more and more. and l
came to the opinion that the bell was
rung by Providence There was $50
people on the train and if that bel:
hadn't 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 tell
about it either.
The superintendent looked into the
thing after reported. and had me
and Joe up ION the 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 low Joint
coming down the hill, when one end
OF the coach sagged. and the rope
bein' tight it ruug the bell. but don't
believe it. II was Providence that
did it. and know 1t. and I've never
swore an oath since and never will. ="
Al Lewis.
sedsntary Soaking
According to our esteemed contem-
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