The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-02-04
A FEARFUL RUN.

nave been railway guard for more
than 20 years, and during that time I've
witnessed many accidents, passed unhurt
through many tight places and had several
narrow escapes from death, but there is
one experience that stands out wildly be-
foro all others.
1t happened in 1878, yet even now, after
the lapse of Is years, shudder at the rec
objection Of the danger which threatened
us, though at the same time thrill with
admiration when think of the magnificent
courage of the man by whom this danger
was averted.
On Easter Monday of the above mention
ed year had charge of an excursion train
coming back from Portsmouth to London.
We were standing by the platform of the
Portsmouth town station, on the point of
starting for home, when man, accom-
panied by two little girls, came rushing
through the gate The carriages were
packed in every compartment by happy,
singing excursionists, and knowing the
late conner would find it difficult to obtain
aseat beckoned him and told him to get
Into my van. This, simple as it sounds,
was the luckiest thing l over did, both for
the company, myself and many others.
AS soon as the man and his children had
entered l gave the signal, and away we
went through tho gathering night Oh our
momentous journey.
My companion, whose name I subse-
quently learned was Edward Stokes was
one of those quiet, inotfensye looking
chaps who pass among their unobservant
fellows for soft" but beneath his work.
man s coat beat rs bravo and unseltish
heart as ever throbbed with life.
Tho first thing he did on entering the
van was to make his little girls as COM
Portable as possible, and they, no doubt
thoroughly tired out, were soon fast asleep
We had been travelling about half an
hour and had just cleared IA station when
suddenly there was borne to our startled
ears the loud, fierce shout OF angry men,
Wewero going at a fair pace, and the noise
evidently came down with the wind-that
is, from the direction in which we were
moving.
My van had the bulging sides so COM
mon in guards vans at the present day,
and was coupled next the smokestack of
the engine, the tender going first. gazed
through tho side windows into the night,
but beyond the subdued glare from the
engine cab l could see nothing
Another wild, angry shout. l sprang to
the window and leaned far out There
was nothing to be heard but the singing,
laughing voices of the passengers. be-
gan to feel terribly uneasy-a vague dread
of something about to happen-an indie
Unable conviction that danger was hover.
ing in the mir seized upon me. This feel
ing was intensified to degree l will not
attempt to describe as we noared the next
station, for instead of slaCkening speed
we were momentarily increasing It,
turned from the window TO say few
words to Stokes, but started back in
alarmed astonishment. The man had dis
appeared!
His children were still sleeping peace
fully on the boxes where he had placed
them, but he was invisible. Tho door was
closed, the catch fast. | looked through
the opposite window, but could see moth
ing. Just at that moment we swept
through the station at terrific rate Of
speed.
This decided me No signal had come
from the engine, but l now felt positive
something was wrong. pulled the cord,
grasped the wheel, and turned it with all
my frightened force. But no response
came from the engine, and the Kissing
smoking brakes were next to useless while
the steam was on that mighty iron horse.
Realizing that | could thus do no good
let go, and spTinging again to the win
dow shouted, with all the strength of my
lungs, toward that palpitating monster
ahead, which, like implacable fate, pressed
forward with an irresistible rush.
l have often been on FIST trains while
travelling at their greatest speed, but in no
case havo / experienced repetition Of the
peculiar sensation that calho over me as
this heavily laden excursion train shot
through the darkness with the speed of an
express.
To my excited imagination the rails ap-
peared to grCnn us We flew onward, the
wheels hummed with internal CLEO as
though in hooking answer, while the night
air seemed to he alive with bowling, shriok-
Ing demons, all yelling, Destructionr'
And now two stations, at each of which
we should have stopped, were far behind
us, and we wero approaching u third with
undminished speed. The signals flashed
their ruddy CLEARS Of danger, but we pass
cd them with II roaring rush Of scorn.
Suddenly tho locomotive emitted few
loud, Kissing snorts, and, to my inexpr"ss-
lble joy, became conscious Of great l,Ss-
aning in our pace | few to the wheel
and applied the brakes and I afterward
learned that Tom Noxon the rear guard,
who was almost us frightened as myself,
had done the same thing at the same mo-
ment,
As we brought no with rattling, rasp-
ing jar, the Portsmouth express thunder
ed along on tho down line Going to the
dGGr, behcld tho lights Of Il station not
more than SO yards ahead, and standing
by the platform was local train full of
happy holiday makers.
perceived at u glance what had been