Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1891-09-10
SOMEWHAT STRANGE.
ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS OF
EVERYDAY LIFE.
Queer Episodes and Thrilling Adyen.
lures Which Show that Truth Is
Stranger than Fiction.


Stranger than Fiction.
SOME weeks ago passenger train on the
Erie Road ran into a freight neal
the Pennsylvania State line and few
passengers were hurt. No one could ex-
plain the accident The conductor and
engineer of the freight asserted their in
nocence, and those of the passenger train
were equally confident that no blame
could attach to them. The officers of
the road worked for nearly fortnight
trying to unravel the mystery, but were
unable to do so. AT last the facts were
made known in the simplest way imagin-
able. The division superintendent vis-
tied the scene of the accident shortly
after it occurred, and while lettering
about the track happened to look at the
switch tower. This tower had received
severe shock when the two trains came
together. The division superintendent
happened to look at the clock and found
it stopped. He made inquiries and
learned that it had stopped at the time
of the collision. The clock showed that
the passenger train had passed there just
two minutes and a half ahead of time.
The conductor of the passenger train
had violated one of the most stringent
rules-not to run ahead of schedule
and lost his position. The clock located
the blame.
A RESIDENT of Nyack, N. Y, con-
tributes this bit of natural history to q
contemporary 81 was crossing field,
when my attention was attracted by u
4 snake rolling over and over. The snake
ahnnt tbraa faat lnnnr nd ral
to be propelled by some power couldn t
see. l knew it was dead from the way it
moved, and on looking closer saw that
two big beetles were supplying the
motive power. They were behind the
snake, and by burrowing under it at
either end acted as rollers to send the
snake ahead. saw them move it over
I ten feet. spent most of the day in
watching. They propelled it twenty feet
farther and then stopped. One of them
went away and soon came back with at
least 100 beetles. This little army set to
work and actually dug hole in the
ground about fvo inches in diameter and
half foot deep. Ittook them half day
to do this, and Just about dark they ap-
peared to be satisfied with their task, and
the whole army set abont dumping his
snakeship into the hole, which they did
by coiling up its body SO that it fitted into
. the space nicely. Then they covered it
up and disappeared in the thicket."
A KANSAS cowboy tells of u masto-
dontic wild steer that has roamed the
plains of the southwest for many years,
unconquerable by the most daring and
skilful herder. He says the steer killed
htp stlyrar IN hnor in fai n ,rbt +,,.n
years ago. The combat was a terrible
affair, and was witnessed from safe
distance by two cowboys. The bear at
tempted to creep up on the steer, but
the latter saw him, and at once gave
battle. As the steer charged the bear
rose to his hind feet and gave the OK u
terrible blow with his paw, which served
to stagger the beast for u moment, but
with a below of rage the steer again
rushed at the bear, and before he could
administer another blow had hit him fair
in the ribs and sent him rolling on the
grass. The fight then became fast and
furious, and soon the bear was seen try
ing to crawl away from his enraged
opponent. The steer was too quick for
! him, however, and headed him off and
at last gored him to such an extent that
death ensued.
Mr.. AUSTIN MALLORY, of Franklin
county, Ky, set out not long ago to dig
well. A driver with witchhazel
switch picked out the spot where water
was to be found by digging, and the well
was begun. Six feet below the surface a
solid rock was struck, but Mr.. Mallory
persisted and blasted his way down forty
feet, when few days ago blast blew
the bottom out of the well, and he found
that he had opened the way into an i'm
mense cave. Three or four bold spirits
ventured down into the cavern. Wan
dering about the explorers came upon a
small river of crystal clearness, in whose
waters strange-looking fish disported
themselves, and whose merry ripples had
furnish music for centuries with no other
audience than the eternal rocks. A pool of
water was also foundwbich, so far as they
could sound, was bottomless. On the
banks of the stream was found the wreck
age of what had once undoubtedly been
an Indian canoe, drifted there, doubtless,
from some other water course and pre-
served so long by the pure atmosphere of
the cave. The Adventures explored the
cave for considerable distance in each
direction, but found no limit or reduction
of dimensions.
WILLIAM ii. MORRIS, of Ansonia
Conn, recently said that he had kept q
daily record of the weather for twenty
five years, and his father and grand
father had done the same before him
and in every year for over eighty years
there had been rainfall on the 25th day
of July. The next day was the 25th, and
before the Congregational Sunday -schoo
started for its annual picnic the weathe,
recorder told one of the deacons of the
church that he would do well to carry his
umbrella and rubbers. AS the day was
most beautiful one the deacon laughed
but ON the advice being repeated he be-
came reckless and offered to bet 81, ever
though he was a deacon in good standing
that it would not rain. The bet wa,
made, ten to one, and before 3 O'Clock
that afternoon the rain poured down il
torrents for fifteen minutes. The files OF
the Evening Sentinel as far back as they
run sustain Mr.. Morris statement.
UNCLE BILLY BosH, of Cabarrus county
says the st. Joseph CAL News, who has
Just died at the age of eighty was queel
old bachelor whose only companions were
two dogs and an old negro. His real es
tate consisted of 1900 acres of land
which he left to his nephews. He had 1
safe which was thought to hold thousands
of dollars, but when it was opened thu
nnlv money found was n nickel How