The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1895-08-24

tion, telllnR MIN NO. 40 Is coming He
answered so. X, and then gave them
the signal to go ahead. Just as they were
rounding the east curve, the caboose Just
disappearing, "M." called me and asked,
lis No. AZ on the siding?" I told him
"No;" that they had just left the station,
giving the time they passed.
His reply: "Be quick, has No. AZ gone?
No. l II is pulling out. They will collide.
Can't you yet No. 49," My hair felt AS
though it was raising off my head, chills
chased themselves up and down my spine,
and the cold perspiration poured down my
pallid cheeks as l rushed with all speed
and less grace from the Office and frantic
ally waved white apron wore and which
tore off AS l ran, but the crew of the
freight failed to look back as the caboose
SAILED the curve, and my heart almost
failed me as | realized that the only hope
now was to catch No. III before they left
'M."
ran back into my office and sank into a
chair, no longer able to stand on my feet,
scarcely breathing until in few-hours it
seemed to me, but in reality-seconds the
dispatcher called me- saying, We've got
No. Ill" Were ever words SO sweet to
mortal ears? The tick of that little brass
sounder as it rang those words through the
room was like sweet music, 60 welcome
were they to me.
How did they get No. Ill? l will tell
you When told the dispatcher that No.
a. was beyond recall, he opened window
in mad haste and screamed to the people on
the platform below him, ''For mercy sake,
stop that train'' And they, realizing that
something terrible was wrong, rushed after
the rapidly disappearing train, frantically
waving handkerchiefs and umbrellas,
screaming like madmen, finally attracting
the attention of the rear brakeman,
just as No. Ill was going out of
sight and hearing. They backed up on
siding and waited, and soon the freight
train pulled into an" station, the crew
as unconcerned as though they had not
just escaped smashup and the possibilities
of instant death few moments before.
A white faced operator, with trembling
lips, leaned out of the window and asked
them, Haven't you forgotten something"
And the forgotten order was suddenly re-
membered, but too late for them. The
whole crew was of course discharged, and
well, when those welcome words were
licked off that dear old sounder, telling me
that No. lips crew and passengers were
safe, | lost consciousness and only came
back to life in time to hear the conductor
OF No. III say to his engineer: "Poor
girl, she has tainted. She was almost
frightened to death"
Had not warned the dispatcher in time
to catch the passenger train, there would
have been horrible collision, and we can
only picture to ourselves the horrors ac-
companying such a catastrophe.
My reward was position with the com
pany and handsome gold.watch. stld
with the company but short time, how
ever, for | never could cure myself of the
horror had of railroad telegraphing pro-
duced by my terrible experience that
wintry day in January, and as write this
story, sitting here in my coy little sitting
room by bright lcoal fire, watching the
flames creeping around the black diamonds
in the crate, as | 90 over the scenes and
situations of that dreary afternoon, shud-
der and wonder if old Father Time will
enable me to forget that dreadful expert,
ence, so that | can speak of it without a
shudder.