Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1896-07-03
4 Runaway Train.

& Runaway Train.
Speaking of experiences on the
railroad said New York travel
ing man, Il had slight scrape one
time on a mountnin road 10 Ten
nessee that may be worth the hear
ing. We we're coming down a
long grade of ten miles 10 a mixed
tram. That IS, we had a gondola
loaded with ties as the end car
with our two passengers coaches
aud baggage car, aud l should say
we we're making about twenty
miles an hour on a track that
would be treating us kindly If 1t
didn't sling US into eternity II we
dared to add FIVE miles an bo0T
to our speed, when l happened to
look out of the rear door and saw
Wild train of loaded coal cars
swinging after us. They had ev;-
dently started at tipple which VT
hadpassed only a few MINUTES be.
fore, and when | saw they were
inst about under headway.
AT last they were going so fas
that they dlstanced the men on
the ground, who made a run to gel
on aud stop their flight. | made
a Wild rush for the conductor, bu'
before | reached him he ordered
the engineer TO let out his englnt
for all she was worth, and in THU
way keep ahead of our cbasers
Fortunately We had no womeb
aboard and the men could be KEEP
I'm better control but it was all We
could do to keep them from iun p
ing Oft.
1T was only a short time until
we began to see that our salvation
lay IN the pursuing train flying
the track, because we had reached
our limit, and our tram was sway
ing and tossing so that every yOOdS
was scared out of his wits. | know
was, aud | just sat IN my seal
and held on, waiting aud listen
ing to the thunder of the train be
hind us, which was not five hun
dred yards away and galnint
every second. 1t was tar heavier
than ours, and l knew that ii any
body went Of The track 1t WashI
going to be the coal train. | said a
moment ago We had no women
aboard. | mean We bad none t.
speak OF.
.Tnere vas one, bat she was a
homely mountain girl, who didn't
seem to know anything, and De
cause she sat quiet 10 the corner
and didu'C scream we thought sht
didn't amount to enough to count
| was looking at her III a dazeo
sort OF a way, when all of a suddei
she lit out OF her seat as If she hac
been shot out of it, and, knocking
every body out Of her way, abe
dashed out of the rear door before
ANYBODY had time to time to toucn
her, and we thought she bad
iumped of, but she hadn't. Sh'
Jumped for the open car, hangin'
on like a CAT, until she got to TIT
far end of it, and in a second sh'
was tumbliug those ties OIL at tn'
rate of a dozen a second.
'They would hit the track ant
bound every which way, but sh
kept piling them off, the coal tran
getting closer every second. aud a
last a couple of them stuck up III
cattle guard, and The next thin
we knew there was a terrific crash
rails. ties aud tracks and coal car
few, aud the coal tram rolled owe
itself and went down the hill IN
heap. By George, as that gu
stool there in her plain calico dies
, and her old sun bonnet aud walcn
ed that train pile up at her ieet'
thought shat Joan Of Are, CleC
t patra, QIee Elizabeth, Grac
ID .rliUg aud the lot OF them weren
T a patching to her, aud, "a Tar a
9 We were concerned, they "eren
4She had saved our train an
/ our lives, aud We took her on vii
Us IN triumph. Then we made U
: purse for her big enough to bn
' a farm with, aud I'll bet sues 60
!. more good clothes and jewelT
: land books and uiDkets an
: things than any gIrl 10 the noun