The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1890-10-23
A RACE FOR LIFE.
TWO YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE A MAR
ROW ESCAPE.
While Crossing Bridge Near Newark a
Train Bears Down Upon Them-They
Have Narrow Escape From Death.
From. tie Mem York KorId

w A1o OIOoSiuS d DIiuSo N0df NoWdrk d
Train Bears Down Upon Them-They
Have Narrow Escape From Death.
From tie New York World
A young mau and his best girl, who
live at Newark, N. j., have had an
adventure that will linger in their
memories for some time. 1t was
watched with intense interest by
a large crowd who expected to see
frightful accident, but witnessed in
stead hair breadth escape
One of the favorite walks of the Ne
wark lads and lassies is along the pict
uresque banks OF the Passaic River.
The road skirts the river, which is
generally dotted with craft of all sorts,
from the rowing shell to the lighter,
and is shaded by gigantic elms, which
almost meet overhead, forming bow
er at all hours. The only means of
crossing from Que bank of the river to
the other above Newark is by the
Midland Railroad Bridge. 1t is a
short distance below Belleville. The
bridge is single-track trestle, about
sixty feet high and one hundred yards
long. There is no footpath and it can
be crossed only by walking in the cen
tire 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 overtaken by trains.
This is what ha opened 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 approach
ing. But. after waiting about fifteen
minutes and seeing no train they
started again. The young man walk
ed in the centre of the track and par
TALLY supported the girl, who stood
fearlessly near the rails. They had
reached the centre Of the bridge when
cries from some persons standing at
the end caused them to look up. The
sight that met their eyes sent their
hearts into their throats. Thunder
ing through the cut at full speed, and
coming towards them, were a locomo-
tive and four coaches. The young
man paused for an instant, as if to col.
lect his thoughts, while the girl clung
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 boxlike shed at the side OF
the track some distance ahead. II
sheltered the cogwheel of the draw
1t was not much larger than kennel,
but it would sa We them if they could
reach it before the train was upon
them. 1t took the young man less
than a second t. decide, and then be-
gan a race for life.
Grasping the frightened girl about
the waist he hurried her at a terrific
! pace across the ties t, 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
waters, 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 centres. The
crowd watched the race with horror
Nearer and nearer approached the
iron juggernaut and faster and faster
flew the couple. The engineer sud
denly spied them and put on the
brakes. It was too late, however, for
the train could not overcome its mo.
mentum in the few rods that now iE.
tervened between it and the two young
people. The train was not a dozen
feet away when the young man and
girl reached the box and tumbled into
it, while the locomotive whizzed past
them. The train stopred at the other
end ofthe bridge, but went on again
as soon as it was learned that no one
had been I'M ured. The couple in the
mean time crawled out of the box and
gleefully but very nervously resumed
their journey across the bridge. They
hurried away from the crowd which
was waiting almost with open arms to
receive them, before their names could
be learned. 1t will be some time prob.
ably before they walk across the
bridge again.