The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1895-04-13
blligsfui ignorance II a we were on the

SiissIui ignorance tna6 we were on the
verge Of a terrible catastrophe.
II a few moments, while lazily gaz-
ing west from my window, l saw a
hazy, dark mist curling up over the
now capped trees III the distance,
which looked very rnch like smoke
from, an engine. ard while I was CON
.ccturirs cs to what it might mean I
hear,! the signal fo- my target Is it
sang around the curve into sight. j.
struck ne as beng exceedingly strange
that 80. is, Il freight train, was run
ring tu"tri..' regardless CO the limited,
and concluded TO Inform tie dispatch
q ot the unuSaal situation. telling him
Ia. Is is ctluing." He answered 80.
r." and tlc1. ] gave them my signal
to go ahead. 5ls5 e. they We're round
ing tic cast curve, tie cabuo:e just dii-
appearing, M calloI Mc and asked,
lis No. As on the sid!Hg"' | told him
Mo- that they had just left tho sta
tion. giving the tir:o they had passcu.
His rcply: NJ Go1, has No. lS gone?
No. Ill is pulIias oat. They will cell
lide. Can't goa get 10, 1872 My hair
felt rs though it WAS raising off my
head, chills chased themselves up and
dowa my spine, and the cold per. pira-
.ioa poured down ry pallia checks rs |
rushed with all speed aid less grace
from the office aud frartically waved IL
white apron [ wore and which | tore off
as | ran, but the crew of the freight
failed to look back as tho c2booso sailed
round the carve, and my heart almost
failed mo as | realized That the only
hope row was to catch No. Ill before
tLey left M
ran lacl, into riy Office aud sank III
! to q chair, no longer able to stand on
El- feet, scarcely breathing until III a
tow-huuTs il seemed to nc, but in
rc"~,it5--scconds tho dispatcher called
NE, saying, We've got Nc. H." Were
evcrUords 50 sweet to mGrtal ears? The
tick IF that little brass sounder as it
rang those words through the room wa
like sweet music, SO welcome were they
to me.
! How did they get No. Ill? l will tell
: you. When l told the dispatcher that
No. IS was beyond recall, ho opened q
window in mad haste and screamed to
the people on the platform below him,
For Gods sake, stop that train!' And
they, realizing tnat something was ter
rihly wrong. rushed after the rapidly
! disappearing train, frantically waving
ha.di""chiefs and rrnhrcllas, screaTing
, ike ..laaalnen, finally attracting t.. y:
tention of the rear brakeman just as Nc
Ill was going out of sight and hearing.
They backed up on a siding end waited,
and OOH the freight train pulled into
M" station, the crew as u~ncorcerned
as though they had not just escaped a
sniashup and the possibilities of instant
death 4 few moments before.
4 white faced operator, with trem-
bling lips, leaned out Of the window and
asked them, Haven't you forgotten
~somcthiDg:" And tho forgotten order
WAS suddenly remembered, but too late
for them.
The whole crew was of course dis
charged. and well, when those vel
come words We're licked off that dear old
souader, telling re that No. Ills crew
and passengers We're safe, I lost on
seriousness ard Only came back to life i'll
time to hear the conductor Of No. III
say to his engineer: Poor girl, she has
tainted. She is almost frightened to
DEATH
Had I not warned the dispatcher in
time for him to catch the passenger
train, there would have been a horrible
collision, and we can only picture to
ourselves the horrors accompanying such
q catastrophe.
My reward was a position with the
company and a handsome gold watch.
staid with the company bat a short
time, however, for l never could cure
myself of the horror l had Of railroad
telegraphing produced by my terrible
experience that wintry day in January,
and as l write this story, sitting here
in my cozy little sitting room by q
bright coal fire, watching tho flames
creeping around the black diamonds il,
the CRATE, as l go over the scenes and
situations of that dreary afternoon, /
slluader and wonder if old Father Time
will ever enable me to forget that
dreadful experience, so that | can speak
of 1t all without q shudder NORTH
west Magazine.