The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1892-11-16
ON THENALEG AZAM.
a GRAPHIC STORY OF A THRILLING
RAILROAD WRECK.

- w were SibJluS III tlIC oIlIOhIhS C&i
of the sleeper and the conversation un-
pleasantly enough, drifted into the cues
tion of railroad wrecks. 1t was strange,
too. that this should be, for we were all
old hands at travelling. That sort of
people seldom talk about wrecks, but we
were soon in the thick of it, every man
of us telling his experiences 50 spoke
James 4. Hart, to whose mind this story
was brought by the occurrence of sew
eral bad wrecks in the east eve were
travelling from one town to another
won't say where-on road | will call
the Alegazam, because | don't want to
make bad friends of the railroad people.
But the experience Is worth telling, Tor
I'll never forget it if live to be thou
sand years and a day old. There was
one big fellow in the smoker-a drum
mer who evidently was a kicker. AT all
events he did not like the Alegazam
road. why said he, 1T wouldn't sur
prise me a bit if we were to go smash
before the night is over. | never ride
On this road without buying ten dollars
worth of accident policy. Oh, this Ale
gazam is a beauty If there was
horse car line alongside of it | would
take that. The big drummer was get
ding to be nuisance in the conversa-
zion.
cat the end of every horrible tale he
would brighten up and say: That isn't
a marker to what will happen some day
on the Alegazam. Mark my words.
This road is a hoodOo if there ever was
one Our cigars were smoked out as
cigars will be smoked out, and we re-
tired for the night. The drummer's
berth was only few numbers from
mine, and as he got into bed he poked
his head out between the curtains and
said in hoarse whisper, Let your body
hang half out the window so you'll be
on hand when it strikes and then turned
in, and, | don't doubt, went sound to
sleep. never looking for an accident, not
witnstanding all his talk.
Now, railroad wreck is funny
thing," continued Mr.. Hart. Every
body thinks he's the last man out and
the last to hear the shock, and cOnse-
quently thinks there's no hope for him
People don't stop to consider that i'll
damage is all done ut once or not at all
And this case is good exemplar. /
sleep soundly but lightly when | travel,
and | am a ready walker when there is
any unusual noise-that is, noise not
caused by the travel of the train over
the rails This night | turned. in
with a smile ut my drummer fears and
was fast asleep III ten minutes. The
rub-a-dub-dub OF the wheels sung me
into Il sound slumber, and I'm sure l
don't know how long it lasted until
was awakened by combination of three
things, and pretty thoroughly awakened
at that. First, the train had stopped
and there was no rattle. Then / heard
. voice cry ont III the night outside:
For Gods sake'stop that engine!
And then following that up almost
+nstlntaneously there was great crash
ing sound Of breaking glass. That was
all Following this there was a silence
go profound that could hear my watch
licking under my pillow What dio it
mean? A thousand questions rushed
into my head III the second of time that
followed the breakingof the glass. But
before had time to get out OF the berth
"a voice rang through the car i'll a tone
the like Of which | never heard before
and hope never to hear again.
Jump for your lives!
II have heard and seen some queer
things in my day, but before | heard
chat voice | never knew what horror
meant The feeling of a mans whole
life was concentrated into that voice,
and it struck into my nerves as might
streak of lightning that had no power to
Kill.
LAS 1 jumped to the ground and
rushed up the track saw approaching
our train on the same track, coming to
meet our engine, the headlight of an
other locomotive. That headlight and
the dark outlines Of the engine behind
it looked to me like some horrible mon
sster from another world. 1t was more
than a simple piece of machinery. The
thing was alive, and seemed to be about
ten times as large as it really was The
impression had Of it then was the most
singular feeling | ever knew, and | can't
describe it. Everything had been done
so quickly, and | was so terribly excited
that it was not for some seconds that
noticed was the first man in the train
that had got out. Che strange engine
slid along the rails until it was within
Few feet Of ours and stopped. Then the
people began coming out.
''Why, in the interval that elapsed be
tween the cry of Jump for your lives!
and the time the passengers were alarmed
and had begun to come out, a thou
sand trains might have been wrecked.
Nearly all the passengers were now out