St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-07-13
WRECK OF THE "30."
Written for the Globe


She is such a wee bit of tot to be
travelling all alone way from New York
to Saltwater, with nothing to make
known her entire loneliness but big
card fastened securely on the back of
her chin worn cloak, and on which is
written:
Viva Cain, aged four years six months;
orphan. Going to her uncle, James Duncan.
of Saltwater. Will the railroad boys kindly
watch over the baby and see she arrives
safely? LEMUEL SMITH,
Chief Police New York City.
And do they? All. we'll, she could not
have been placed in kinder hands. The
engineer takes her OH his lap as he
thinks of his wee one at home; the fire.
man picks her flowers whenever he has
a chance; the porter always finds nest
for her at pight, although her ticket is
second-clasS. Even the newsboy gives
her an orange and some peanuts on the
sly, and the sunny blue eyes and golden
curls bob gaily here and there all day
long.
And now she is almost at her jour
ney'S end. She has reached st. Paul in
safety, has boarded No. so. for she is
very partial to engines, and now, at II
O'Clock, is Swimming along through the
lnky darkness toward Saltwater. and
loving. though sad, hearts that wait for
the baby girl, their dead sisters child
IT'S a wretchedly dark night.
And that curve between the juno
ton and South Saltwater is pretty
risky, lay Bill?" asks the fireman. as
he pops his Smutty face into the cab for
a moment. ''When we went over that
at $40 tonight thought that rain and
what the workmen had been doing had
about finished the track. and it has
been raining like wild cats ever since,
and black as Egypt"
"Neyer mind; it's our last run to-
night, thank God" says the engineer,
as he peers into the darkness beyond,
then cuddles the baby form closer on
his knee.
SIS you 'fraid?" she asks, patting his
face with motherly hand. viva take
care of you, and mamma in heaven.
She said she would and Pll ask her
now" and the blue eyes look with per-
feet trust and belief into the pale face
above he.
''God bless the babyr' and he does.
On they go, then-crash bang!! The
track has been washed away,and, quick
er than thought, the engine is rolling
down the bank; but not before some
thing wonderful has happened, for, as
she tips, the engineer, with mighty
shout. throws the child out the other
side of the cab and jumps. None too
soon. Over goes the great monster.
Over and over, and with it the smoker;
but the coupling pin on the coach has
broken; twas an old one, and the boys
had jawed about it long, but it has saved
many lives tonight, and, when the res
cuing party comes, they find the pas
sengerS bending over only three dead
forms, instead of fifteen or twenty; the
baggageman, brakeman and stranger.
But what is this? Down on the other
side of the track comes plaintive baby
voice.
''Say man. Is here. Can't you wake
up? Viva wants to go home" Then
the voice breaks and a sob is heard.
Poor nanny. Why you all still?"
They rush to the spot There on the
arm doubled under him in a helpless
way, and baby form, with golden
head bending over him and smoothing
the bloody hair from his brow.
MY manny'S asleep" she says, as
they crowd aroma.
All, no. Not asleep. Not even the
sleep of the dead. Nothing but faint,
baby girl; and though his arm is broken,
his head cut, and he is more or less
bruised, he is soon able to be around
again. And the child has escaped mi
raculously; only few bruises on the
white flesh.
And in the years after, when the en-
gineer sees her grown to sweet, gra-
cious womanhood. he thinks, with a
grateful heart, that the baby faith and
prayer were surely answered the night
of the ''30's" wreck. DONNA.
Saltwater, July 10.