The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-01-01

Horrible Nightmares Experienced by an
Engineer Followed Deaths.

Engineer Followed Deaths.
Do you believe IN dreamsy ! mean do
you believe that dreams ever forstell any
things Listen to this story, told by an old
railroad man In eastern Massachusetts,:
There are few old timers like myself"
said he, who have not met with an ..cci-
dent OF one kind or another. In a thickly
populated section of the country like this,
especially II one Is driving 1ier, the acci-
dents are likely to consist In running down
people walking upon or crossing the track
About year and half after was mar.
ried, and when | was the proud father Of
the prettiest baby that ever lived, hak a
dream. | thought that came home one
day and my wife told me that she expected
company TO dinner, and, what Is more, she
said, Il have nothing in the house TO eat
Very coolly suggested that we kill and
eat our baby. My proposition was accept
ed, and had started TO find knife TO sac
rifce the little fellow when | awoke. 1t
was a long time before i would allow my
self TO go TO sleep again for fear the horri-
BILE nightmare would return The next
morning told the dream 10 my wife, who
suggested that l had eaten too much be-
fore going to bed. / took my train out as
usual that day and forgot all about the
dream until late in the afternoon, when it
recurred 20 me for an instant. We were
approaching a curve in the road, beyond
which was a crossing hidden from view by
a small piece OF woodland. The fireman
was blowing the whistle and ringing the
bell
Just as we rounded the bend n farmers
wagon was driven slowly upon the track
| stopped and reversed the engine as quick
ly as possible and every brakeman on the
train answered our signal, but we were go
ing at a good rate OF speed and with hor-
rible crash we struck the wagon. We
walked back and found the driver dead,
his head battered almost beyond recog-
milton. II was the first time that had
killed man, and / didn't get over the
shock for week. Somehow | couldn't
help believe that my horrible dream and
the accident had a bearing one upon the
other
Several years afterward, when the baby
had come to be quite n boy, the same dream
came TO me again, and thought was pre-
pairing TO sacrifice the lad as on the former
occasion the baby. The day following W.
ran down a man who was walking upon
the track. He plainly heard our signals
and saw us coming, but he waited too long
and started TO step aside just as we came
upon him. My boy was young man
grown when for the third and last time
had the dream. was very much depressed
when took my engine out the next day
was on my nerve at the time and my
hand never for an instant left the throttle
or my eyes the track ahead of us. We were
almost home and had struck a three mile
stretch where the track was straight as an
arrow Beyond was wide turn which we
always took slowly, for there we ap-
preached the city limits and short run
beyond brought US to the station. Old No
90 was bowling along at lively rate as we
struck the three mile stretch.
My feeling of depression had left me
and was in excellent spirits to think that
no disaster had befallen me. At last my
nightmare was not to bring me disaster
Near the end Of the stretch the road passed
through short ravine, overhanging one
bank OF which was sturdy tree. AS we
dashed into the cut there was scream Of
demoniacal laughter, and a man, half
naked, swung from one Of the outermost
branches and dropped gibbering upon the
track not twenty feet in front OF the loco
motive Since that time, thank God, l
have not had the dream or met with an ac-
cident."
There IL no doubt of the truth Of this
story. Does it prove anything
Eagle.