The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-08-24
ON A HAND CAR.
A Down-Grade Ride over a Teacher.
Gus Road.

N-AN ANANaN anu tHNANaNAf
AT 9 a. m, on the morning Of June 81. ac-
companied by an officer Of the Oroya rail
road, we started in private compart-
ment 20 inspect this wonderful feat of
engineering. The upward course began
at once, following the valley toward the
base Of the distant Andes. At ten we
breakfaSted in ourcompartment. and a bout
noon, having reached the mountains. be-
gan the steep ascent over terraces, where
looking out of the car windows, one could
drop an orange hundreds of feet ON por-
lions of the track below through tunnels
drilled into the solid rock and over
bridges spanning yawnlng chaSms, until
about p. m. our destination was reached
at an altitude of nearly 10000 feet,
Beyond a slight quickening of the pulse
none of our party suffered from sorrOche
an attack from which, however, the hight
attained could hardly have led us to ex-
pect. This malady, of which so much is
heard among the Andes, has for its symp-
toms palpitatiOn of the heart, blueneSS of
the face and violent vomiting. As in the
case of Sea-sickness, many are totally ex-
empt from it, while others are always af-
fected. That this affection is so much
better known in South American than in
other mountainous countries is probably
accounted for by the fact that greater
attitudes are there more readily reached
Monte Meiggs is comparatively not diff
cult of ascent, and yet it cannot be far
from 10000 feet in hight. .
After very substantial dinner, which
the keen morning air rendered dOubly ac-
ceptable, we prepared for our return
The descent was to be made in a hand
car and by gravity, since a car started on
any portion of the Oroya railroad can,
without any other motive power, run into
a tot ion II W. !
been brought up with US on the train
and upon putting it together it was no.
tlced tnat the fastenings of two of the
wheels were broken. After a hurried
consultation, for it was growing late,
some telegraph wire was found by the
men who were to conduct the descent and
the broken portions were tied together
They hoped this would answer, they said.
And if 1t does not?" 1 asked They
shrugged their shoulders.
l looked aSkance at my companions,
but they stood by in silence. Probably,
like myself, they would willingly have
seconded a proposition to return by the
regular train, but were too proud to make
it. Without word we took our seats on
the car. Silently one of the employees
opened bag, from which he took three
Colts reVolvers and, keeping one, han
ded the others to his two companions
These they cooked and placed between
their feet.
ut is not uncommon" one thoughtfully
explained, "for desperadoes, since this
car is used by the paymaster, to throw it
off the track and open fire with Winches-
ters upon the survivors. 1 got a tumble
and bullet myself not so very long ago"
Again looked at my companions 1t
was, perhaps, owing to the high altitude
that each seemed to exhibit the prelimi-
mary signs of sorroche. AS for myself,
my heart was in my mouth; but it did
not trouble me long, for of a sudden the
brakes were taken off, and with a spring
the car shot forward, apparently leaving
at the point of departure my entire in
ternal economy. Down we rushed with
ever increasing speed, the car swaying
from side to side, on one hand the noun
tain wall, on the other a drop of perhaps
thousand feet, through tunnels of mid
night darkness, around sharp curves
where the broken wheels fairly creaked
with the strain, whlzZing across the
Puente del Infernillo-the bridge Of hell
while the shades of evening were quick
ly gathering. The starless night closed
in around US, shutting from our .straining
eyes all view of the track in front. 1t
was simply question of chance as we
plunged into the darkness.
1--WE ought to have started sooner "
muttered one of the men; "a stick or
stone, or even dog on the track, would
. throw us in the valley" All talk, diff
cult enough before on account of the
rushing wind, now ceased, and in silence
we watched the sparks fly from the
wheels. Thoughts of the armed outlaws
and of the broken fastenings kept running
through my mind, and the Journey seemed
almost endless. AT length the sudden
twists around the sharp curves ceased.
We were in the valley. Presently big
light burst upon u.s.
'Down brakes, Skyesey," cried one of
the men. The station was before US.
Thank God.
MonRRN pAPAopApus