The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-03-26

ually., The fireman had put In his last
fire and was now straining his eyes Ia
| catch the smoke Of the special. The en-
| gineer with his left hand on the whistle
( rope. chung to the side OF the cab TO keep
| from being thrown out of the right OF
way.
The wheels under the sewing machine
were so small that the best she could
do was forty-five miles, and now when
she came down to the very last second
there was still quarter of mile be
tween her and the meeting point. hut In
that moment the flying wheels OF the
special engine crashed over the switch
and shut her out The little sewing ma
chine hid among the sand hills, was
straininE every nerve to reach the pass
ing point at which she was already over
due. The man ON the special was just
beginning TO feel sure Of his position
when he rounded u curve and saw the
light engine emerging from IL shallow
crest. OF course he shut off and tried to
lessen the force of the collision, but to
stop was out of the question.
The fireman on the light engine saw
the special, and warned his companson
for they were curving to the left and
the driver could not see but the four
men knew that nothing short of n mira
Gle could prevent dreadful collision
and that in few seconds time they
drivers had called 10 thei. tiremen TO
jump, and the firemen had turned to
their windows. The special enri-
neer was in the act of re-
vcrsing that he might take the
good opinion of the officials with him.
The other driver only showed the throttle
lever III. braced himself and awaited the
shock.
a man VINO has never lived up 10 his
las; moment on earth and survived 10
tell about ii afterwards. can never know
now much business one can ;ransac,
in his mind. during that moment in
which he waits and listens for the swish
OF the scythe liut one does not ALWAYS
review his past life nj such a momeu,
eiteh ne wastes time thinking upon a
mere trifle. X-Representative In Com
sress LATE Pence was in a wreck ,ba
next day afte. his election ana although
lie had been Democrat and had becom.
Il iophiist, lie gave no Thought tn I'M.
past nor the future, but said 10 himself
as me sleeper plunged down an embank-
ntht. Now. what the devil was ,
elected FORE"
The driver of the special cnrin. bod :,
boy. and this boy had climbed nm NV, -
picket fence TO kiss his father good nv,
maj morning at their home in Salt Lake
but he slipped. fell anl hung there with
Il renee picket through the seat of his
hrst palr OF trousers; ana it was All
;" funny that. now as the engineer re.
called the circumstance. he threw back
his head and laughed as heartily ms n,
had ever laughed in his life. The fire.
man, casting Il farewell glance at his
companion. saw him laughing and con.
Guided In his last moment. that the ur,y-
er had suddenly become insane. but rs
he glanced ahead where death was wait.
ing he was not sure that he was sane
himself
The driver having finished his laugh
ana stii feeling ma shock looked ahead
The track was clear. He Unmatched The
reverse lever ana threw the engine in
the forward motion and the speed OF
the train. which had been bur it'll,
checked. carried them away dowr
among the sand hills The driver look
ed over at the fireman and asked: 'Did
You sec anything"
NO" said the fireman Did Won -
and the driver said no, tried his waite,
and opened the throttle and the engine
whirled away. while the fireman return
ed TO his place Il; the furnace door.
The two men sCarccl" glanced At eaal
other again until they stopped for waite,
NJ Green River. hut each in his OWE
mind MAS recalling all the wild .alss oi
ghost trains he had ever heard. Each
was firm in the belief that he had srcr