The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1891-01-07


A Young man and his besi girl, who
live al Newark, n. J., have had an ad-
venture that will linger in their memo
ries for some time. i was watched WITH
intense interest by large crowd VINO
expected 70 see q frightfal accident but
witnessed Instead air-breadth escape
One OF the fsvorite walks Of the New
ark lads and lassies is along the pictnr-
esane banks Of the Passaic river. The
road skirts the river, which Is generally
dotted with craft OF all sorts from tie
rowinv shell 10 the lighter, and is shad-
ed By gigantic elms, which almost meet
overhead, forminga bower at all hours
The only means Of crossing from one
hank of the river to the other above
Newark is by the Midland railroad
bridge. II is saort distance below Belle
vile. The bridge Is a singie-trsck trestle,
about sixty feet high and one hundred
wards long. There is no fooipath and 1t
can be crossed only by walking in the
center Of the track or the ties, which are
about foot apart. The height ofthe
bridge is 50 great and the water Is 50
plainly visible between .he ties that the
passage is hazardous TO ali but those OF
nerves. An additional danger is the
liability Of meeting or being overtaken
by trains.
This il what happened 10 the young
man and his best girl Several times
they started to 20 across, but turned back
because they heard the whistle OF tram
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 supported the girl
who stood fearlessly near the rails. They
had reached the center Of the bridge
when cries from some persons standing
at the end causing them to look up. The
sight that met theireyes sent their hearts
into their throats. laundering through
the cut at full speed, and coming towards
them. were a locomotive and four coach
es. The young man paused for an in
slant. as il to collect his thoughts, while
the girl clung desperately TO his arm. To
turn back was too late, and yet there ap-
psrently was no other way Of escape.
The Young mans eyes suddenly fell upon
an opera box-like shed at the side Of
the track some distance ahead. 1t shelf
cred the cogwheel Of .he draw. il was
not much larger than KENNEL, but 1t
would save them if they could reach 1t
before the train was upon them 1t took
the young man less than second TO de-
eide. and then began a race for life.
Grasping the frightened girl about the
waist he hurried her at a terrific pace
across the ties TO the only haven. The
engineer evidently did not see them, for
the train came rushing on. A false Itep
would have hurled the young man, and
perhaps the girl to the waters, fifty feet
below, but his eyes were riyeted upor
the ties as they few under him and hi
feet fell accurately and firmly in thei
centres. The crowd watched the rac'
with horror. Nearer and nearer approach
ed the iron juggernaut, and faster sn'
faster few the couple. The engineer sud
denly spied them, and put on the brakes
Il was too late, however, for the tran
could not overcome its momentum in th'
few rods that now intervened between
and the two young people. The train wa
not dozen feet away when the youn
man and girl reached the box and tum
bled into it, while the locomotive whii
zed past them. The train stopped at tn
other end of the bridge, but went on agai
as soon as it was learned that no on
had been injured. The couple in th
meantime crawled out OF the box an
gieefuily, but very nervously, resume
their journey across the bridge. The
hurried away from the crowd which wa
waiting almost with open arms to receiv
them, before their names could be learr
ed. II will be some time, probably, b,
fore they walk across the bridge again.
n y World.