The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1897-11-13
FIE DIS OF ADVENTURE
THRILLING INCIDENTS AND DARING
DEEDS ON LAND AND SEA,

IN Lon: and Dark Railway Tunnt
-rlerce Duel Between Man and
Lear In the Chicago Geological Garden
"In May last" said an old Wash
lnSton newspaper man in the Star, &c
! was on pedestrian tour through
inc mountains of West Virginia.
nao found that the line between
charleston and Clifton Forge an(
along the beautiful Kanawha atforde,
IN excellent c!nder path. The morn
inss were crisp and dewy and thI
days bright. The scenery was wili
ana picturesque, often majestic. The
people whom encountered had q sor,
OF quaint kindness. I saunterei
along, drinking in returning health
with every breath Of the fresh noun.
tain air. 0"n
Il had passed through the marvel.
Gus Iron Gate, and when at night 7
stopped at q little hotel I inouired
ABOUT the road further on. Twas told
OF TWO tunnels, the Short one and the
long one; the Short one could walk
through, they said, but at the .lono'
one had better climb the hill thot +
pierced. following the telegraph wire
me next morning dawned bright and
fresh, and I started off, determined to
ma. MAKE my next stopping place, which
v was about ten miles down the line.
before 1 halted. About three miles
from my stopping place of the night I
came to tunnel faced with masonry
IL locked dark, moist and unpleasant.
out 1t was, they had said, the Short
tunnel. 1 sat down, consulted nv
time table, and, finding no passenger
tram scheduled for about that time
waited for a freight or coal train to
come through, reasoning that after one
came there would not be another verv
soon and I should have time to 90
through. " 81
"The track was doubled I figured,
anyway. Pretty soon I heard a rumble
ana a roar, seeming to come from the
bowels of the earth; and as T waited
an lntermlnable train Of empty coal
cal cars came through, leaving the tunnel
Tiled with black swirling cloud Of
GOAL smoke. looked up at the steep
mountain side, where the wires went
,Ver-agoat could hardly have climbed
t; l must go through. So, waiting
or the smoke to clear away little, I
started. [ carried in my hand nv
and when it got dark in the
unnel, as it quickly did, I guided nv.
'elf with the tightly rolled umbrella,
unnlng it along on the rail by nv
lde. All seemed we'll, but the tunnel
eemed to have no end. How [ ]oneed
o see the light once more. Suddenly
ny heart almost stopped beating.
here struck on my terrified senses a
ull and distant roar and rumble #
rev louder and palmer.
u knew it was coming coal train
which way was it coming? On which
rack? Which one should l take? T
tarted to run and stumbled over. the
es. There was no deliyerance in
nat. Was my life to go out in this
Ky darkness this living tomb? The
ain came laundering on, and my
fought was, as it came nearer: It is
Ding east; it must be on the right
and track; ! must take the left. But
0; this roads eastern trains take the
finland track; which was right? I
id not know then, which knowledge
light save my life. The train came ,
rinding behind me as I stumbled
ong. 1 saw myself ground into an
ldistinguishable mass in the smoke
I'd darkness. Who would ever know
? In desperation I almost fell on
10 wall side of the left-hand track. |
full length I lay face down in the ,
'rrow space between the wet wall I
ID the track: Ny life hung Oh the {
'rilous choice. It was wrong; I {
ust leap over to the other side of the t
her track. But there was no time, \
q came the monstrous engine. Its |
'adllght dimly lighted up the dark !
a the smoke for all instant. Icould t
ttell which track it was on. Il flat I
ned myself against the wet wall and u
Id my breath. It was near me: I Q
uld feel the suction of the merciless t
heels. O
1T was on the right-hand track, 4
q | lost my senses. When I came Il
OK to consciousness the wheels Of
e heavily laden cars were still boom c
by, leaving in their wake q smoke S
rly thick and pasty with cinders. v
Il was perfectly content to lie still "
til the smoke had somewhat settled, S
d then gathering up my remaining b
ength staggered through the re- b
lining half Of the tunnel. Oh, how Ii
leone was the faint streak of light NJ
st seen, and then the broad light of d
at the exit. My face, hands and
thing were covered with coal smoke
d CRIME. was as black as a sweep;
t I was alive! Near the exit I met P
J trackwalker. Il
"Got ketched, didn't ye? I often IL
katchad in +horo That ~ /,