The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-10-21
RACE For LIFE.
An Exciting Experience on the Midl land
Bridge. AhnYe Newark.

An Exciting Experience on the Midland
Bridge, Above Newark.
A young man and his best girl, who live at
Newark. n. D., have had an adventure that
will finger in their memories for some time.
1t was watched with intense interest by a
large crowd who expected to see frightful
accident, but witnessed instead hair
breadth escape.
One of the favorite walks of the Newark
lads and lassies is along the picturesque
banks of the Passaic River. The road skirts
the river, which is generally dotted with
crafts of all sorts. from the rowing shell to
the lighter, and is Shaded by gigantic elms,
which almost meet overhead. forming a.
crossing from one bank of tie river to the
other above Newark is by the Midland Rail-
road bridge 1t is short distance below
Belleville. The bridge is single-track
trestle, about sixty feet high ard 100 yards
long. There is no footpath, and it can be
crossed only by walking in the center of the
track, on the ties, which are about foot
apart. The height of the bridge is so great
and the water Is SO plainly visible between
the ties that the passage is hazardous to all
but those of steady nerves. An additional
danger is the liability of meeting or being
oyertaken by trains.
This is what happened to the young man
and his best girl: Several times they started
to go across, but turned back, because they
heard the whistle of train which seemed to
be approaching, but after waiting about
fifteen minutes and seeing no train they
started again. The young man walked in
the center OF the track and partially sup
ported the girl, who stood fearlessy near the
rails. They had reached the center of the
bridge when cries from some persons stand
ing at the end caused them to look up. The
sight that met their eyes sent their hearts
into their Threats. laundering through
the cut at full speed, and coming toward
them, were a locomotive and four coaches.
The young man paused for an instant, as if
to collect his thoughts, while the girl chung
desperately to his arm. To turn back was
too late. and yet there apparently was no
other way of escape. The young mans eyes
suddenly fell upon an open box-like shed at
the side of the track some distance ahead.
1t sheltered the cogwheel Of the draw. 1t
was not much larger than kennel, but it
would save them if they could reach 1t be-
fore the train was upon them. 1t took the
young man less than second to decide, and
then began a race for life.
Grasping the frightened girl about the
waist he hurried her at terrific pace across
the ties to the only haven. The engineer
evidently did not see them for the train
came rushing on. A false step would have
hurled the young man, and perhaps the girl,
to the walters fifty feet below, but his eyes
were riveted upon the ties as they flew
under him, and his feet fell accurately
and firmly in their centers. The crowd
watched the race with horror. Nearer
and nearer approached the iron jug
gernaut, and faster and, faster flew
the couple. The engineer suddenly spied
them and pat on the brakes. 1t was too late,
however, for the train could not overcome
its momentum in the few reds that now in-
teryened between it and the two young peo-
pie. The train was not dozen feet away
when the young man and girl reached the
box and tumbled into it. while the locomo-
tive whlZzed past them. The train stopped
on the other end of the bridge, but went on
again as soon as it was learned that no one
had been injured. The couple in the mean
time crawled out Of the box and gleeiully
but very nervously resumed their journey
across the bridge. They hurried away from
the crowd which was waiting with almost
open arms to receive them before their
names could be learned. 1t will be some
time probably before they walk across the
bridge again.-N. Y. World.