Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1892-03-18

~ Nes, ohiiohs, BroauS anu plead
ings for help were mingled with cries
of children for parents and parents for
children.
II made a struggle to get on my feet.
Though at first the pain racked me from
bead to foot. | found codld stand, and
was soon walking slowly and carefully
about. Naturally my first thought was
concerning my friends in the game Of
whist, they being the only acquaintance
! had on the train. Almost at the mo-
ment | thought Of them two of them
came to mo. They were uninjured, and
1t had been their hands that had car.
ried mo from the car while was uncon-
scious.
. took but minute for my friends
to give me some idea of the extent of
the catastrophe. Our smoking-car had
been derailsd and had rolled down
stsep embankment, dragging the engine
and one other coach with it. As near
as they could tell at that moment there
had been at least dozen killed and
twice that number wounded.
81 inquired: Where is my partner?
Is be alive p
eyes, he is alive, was the reply, but
he is in bad fix. We are working our
best to get him out of the wreck, but
without help he cannot be saved. lIc
lies there with his lower limbs pinned
in between two great iron rods, and with
all tho strength we have been able to
apply we can't release him. He must
be in horrible agony, though he is still
conscious
ut was but step or two from where
we stood to where the man lay, and we
turned to see il there might not be some
possibility of helping him. A terrible
cry came from the sufferer. Just then
some one called: The car is on fire.
The coach is burning
THE flame from some lamp had
caught the dry upholstery. The wind
had suddenly increased and was blow
ing the fame toward the spot where
our poor friend was helplcssly piniouod.
While some ran for water others with
AK and lever made an effort to pry tho
heavy rods and timbers from the sufferer.
II was no use there was no appliance
at hand with which it could then DO
done, aud these who went for water came
back empty-handed. The engine lay
upon its side ard every drop Of water
had leaked out an had been drunk up
by the greedy earth.
For the love God, men, do some
thing cried the imprisoned wretch.
Must ! slowly roast to death 2
with IN awful effort he raised him
self upon an elbow and looked around
upon the faces near him. These were
rapidly diminishing in number, for the
heat had now grown too fierce to be
borne. aud the crowd which had never
ceased their efforts TO get him cut we're
driven away Suddenly bis eyes fell on
nay face and recognized me.
"You,' he cried in an awful voice,
you are the man to do il. Take that
ak and kill me-
The thought paralyzed me. lie saw
me shrink Al shudder, and with su-
premc effort be pointed his finger straight
~ me ana cried again with more IN
tensity than before "You you do
it, tell you
"The heat was making his garments
smoke. Don't let me roast, he once
more cried. forgot my pain and in
wild delirium snatched up an AK aud
drove the blade crashing into his skull,
then all the world became again blank.
ut was many weeks before [ was re-
stored to consciousness and many more
before | was able TO move. My bodily
injuries. though severe, did not cripple
me, and | am now strong and physically
well But my mind is sometimes upset
| believe did the best thing that could
be done for the poor man, though the
act was performed 10 frenzy that made
me Irresponsible. believe to-day it
was an act Of humanity. Il has wrecked
my life, however, for until memory fails
| shall be compelled to live that scene
over and over again in all its horror"