Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1893-04-01
SOMEWHAT STRANGE.
ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS OF
Every DAY LIFE.
Queer Facts and Thrilling Adven-
lures Which Show That Truth Is
Stranger Than Fiction.

lures Which Show That Truth Is
Stranger Than Fiction.
~ WAS chased once by box-car,"
said an ex-railroad man. 1T was out In
Colorado, the land of steep grades and
sharp curves. We were sliding down
the mountains one day with baggage
car and two coaches. l was on the rear
platform looking at the road when L
deserted box-car coming down the
grade at rate of speed that was sp-
palling. If it struck us we were gone
sure. for it would smash the entire train |
into kindling- wood and pile it up in one
of the gorges. Our only hope was to
either outrun or wreck it. The engineer
caught sight of it at the same instant
that l did, and put the lever down
among the tallow pots. 1T appeared
impossible that we could hold the track
on the sharp curves while moving more
than a mile minute, but we did, and
the box-car continued to saw wood. If
we could once get to the foot of the
grade we would be safe, but that was
soon seen to be impossible. Rapidly as
we were going the boxcar continued to
gain upon us, and now we could see that
it was loaded with iron. Something
must be done and that quickly All the
passengers had fled into the forward
coach, and were hanging on to the seats.
signalled the engineer to shut OFT, set
brake hard on the rear coach, pulled the
pin and the engineer opened the throttle.
We had not gone one hundred yards
before the box-car ran into the coach
and sent splinters flying quarter of a
mile high. Both went plunging over
into a chasm, and hunted up passen-
ger who had pocket-fask, and REIN
forced my nerves.
GEORGE FRANCIS DoBsoN, a Spiritua-
list, of Muskegon, Mich, has perfected
scheme, he thinks, by which he hopes
at death to be able to prove positively
to those still in the material state that
his spirit exists. He went to Plttsburg
a short time ago and obtained large
glass cylinder, so constructed that 1t can
be sealed alright quickly. In this
cylinder he has suspended with line
copper wires two pieces OF metal. SO
LIGHT that they may be brought in con-
tact with each other by the slightest
motion of air within the cylinder.
Wires pass through the cylinder, one
connected with a battery and the other
with Geographic instrument. He has
made arrangements for his friends, just
before the spirit leaves his body, to seal
him in the cylinder, so that his spirit
may be kept from departing and at the
same time be enabled, by a series Of
systematic disturbances of the air within
the cylinder, to communicate with his
friends through the telegraphic instru.
ment. He is dying with consumption,
and the public probably will not have
long to wait for the test of his expert
ment. If it should prove successful hi
friends are pledged after three days tc
unseal the cylinder and allow the spirit
to depart and then seal up and bury thu
remains.
THOMAS ALLEN, veteran, 103 years
Of age, lives in Tyler county, few
miles above Parkersburg, w. Va. Mr.
Allen is hale and hearty man, whom
casual observer would take to be no
over 70. Every day in the year, rain o
shine, cold or warm, he walks from hi
home to the Post Office, distance o
three miles, and return. He is tn
recipient Of many newspapers, dallle
and weeklies, sent him by admirln!
friends. Mr.. Allen served under th
Duke of Wellington, in the war wit
Napoleon; under General Scott, in tn
war with Mexico, and entered and serves
in the war of the rebellion. on the Unto
side. At the time of his last enlistmen
he was u years old, but his physical az
pearance so belied mis- years that he ha
no difficulty in passing muster as on tn
lesser end of 40. The old man has III
doubted written evidence not only ofhi
great age, but of his history as soldier
He saws that the last time be heard froI
his father was some time during the las
war, when he was still living, at th
great age of 10t years. His mother die
at the age of So years. The old ma
looks as if he would be able to tack
another decade or two before 'goin
over the range"
Mrs. ROBERT JOHNSON, of Sonom
CAL, has 200 high-bred Angora cats an
three servants devote their entire tin
to them. Mrs johnson is a widow
whom money is no object, she beir
worth several millions. The San Fra
cisco Examiner says that besides the ca
Mrs. Johnson has lot of other pet
There are parrots from all over the wor
Cockatoos and paroquets perch on hiG
stands or fly about the aviary with m,
glee until the place is a feathered pand
monium. Then in another huge ca!
arc a large number of canary birds whi'
sing TO each other all the while. Gu
side the mansion arc lot of kennels
which dwell some very well-knov
prize-wnners among dogs. These do
are smooth or woolly, large or tiny, al
have two keepers in charge Of ther
Then there are lot Of japanese donke
and some splendid specimens Of Holste
cattle and Jersey cows with soft eye
A hundred horses and mares Of ElC
tioneer stock complete Mira. johnson
menagerie.
DURING the recent severe weather
Scotland a very extraordinary shot "
made by Sir Charles Ross puntsma
A large number Of birds were seen sitti
on the ice, aud the puntsman succeed
I'm getting within about sixty yards
them. Some Of the birds rose As the 3
-. a,.I bttt aha total number Killed