The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-02-03
which stretches over the heads of the
peaks, cutting the cliffs off at middle
height, hiding all the mountains and
darkening the hollows in the distance

| darkcnl0g inc nOllOWs III Tue ulSCauce
into the blackest of nights. And un-
derneath that awful whirling mist the
storm is bowling, ever sweeping before
it the great tall trees, till all the land
is shrouded dim and dun. On we
rush with scarcely lessened speed, the
black storm following fast, curtained
by one dark sheet Of pouring rain, be-
fore which the forest was falling in a
long line; while every moment before
US keen blue spark leapt down to the
earth and darted zigzag through the
rain. Above US, behind US, before US
the lightning lept, ran dazzling and
binding, while the deep roar of the
thunder was changed to sharp, ear
piercing cracks. A fash, another
heavy sound and all was still. A
white sheet had flashed down in front
putting out MY headlight. What was
it, ghost, o woman ? My fireman
had fallen from his box, and was
down on his knees in front Of the fur
mace. I heard the awful words from
him: "Lord have mercy, Mas Jim,
you killed that LADY," and as he spoke
an angry growl from the westward
heavens seemed to answer his wild
words, and rolled and rolled nearer
and nearer, till right over our heads it
crashed against some cloud-cliff far
above, and all was silent. Quick as
lightning the thought came over me-
I had killed woman! I did not feel
my engine jar, but it must be so. I
reversed her quick and applied the
air. The drivers started backwards,
and the guide-rods ratified as if they
had been shattered into a thousand
pieces. Tler speed slackened, and
soon she stood still under the pouring
rain. I grabbed my lantern, felt my
Way out Of my engine back toward the
coaches. Here | met the conductor
and explained the cause of the stop.
We searched far back up the track,
but no signs of human life could be
discerned. Yet I felt that I had kill
ed her ancI still her corpse kept point
ing back and back and looking at me
with yearning eyes Of agony and lips
which !onged y tell some awful Sc
cret. We felt our way back to the
train, and, not being satisfied, I went
around in front Of my engine to see if
there was any blood upon the cow
catcher, and as / started to step-hor-
ror of herrors!-two feet before me,
by the Jagged streak Of the leaven
bolt, I discerned an awful sight. The
bridge of the river was gone; two
more minutes and the whole train
would have been precipitated head
long into this huge chasm. The wait
ing until morning, the building Of a
new trestle, the crossing and the rest
of my trip matters little to you.
Does this not argue Divine Provi-
dence, an all-powerful God who is
continually watching over His chill
dren? How much more thankful
should I feel than the man to whom
God shows His mercies from day to
day by not taking away from him his
soul?
Another occurrence similar to this
and which happened on this same run
has caused to be grated into my soul
a stronger belief in the hand of Provi-
dence. It had been a night in all it's
horrors similar to the one in Decem-
ber. 1 had made my regular nights
run unusually well. I had left Sal
isbury at one o'clock, on time, and
had passed overuthose dreary noun
tains through storm that had shak-
en- the foundations of old earth. It
was nearing the approach Of the morn.
At three o'clock the clouds began to
clear away, and the moon, surrounded
by a million dancing stars, began to
peep forth to light up the dreary
My eyes were largely fixed on the low,
wooded hills, which now slept in the
moonlight; my nostrils drank greedi-
ly the fragrant air which swept from
the mountains ladened with the scent
of thousand flowers; my ears wei
coined grateful change from the mo-
notonous roar Of the storm, the hum
of the mountain streams, the croaking
of the frogs, the plaintive notes Of the
whippoorwill, which fill night with
noisy life. Slowly and wearily broke
the dawn on such day as often fol-
lows heavy thunder-storms. I felt
exclaiming, as the immortal bard of
old: "Hail, holy Light, offspring Of
Heaven, frst-born, Or of the Eternal
&C. eternal beam; may | express thee
unbalanced.
So on we went, where the immense
wall of granite cliff, which forms the
western part of the mountain, ends
sheer in precipice of some three
hundred feet, topped by pile Of snow
white rocks, bespangled with golden
moses. AS we approached, screech
owl, which sat upon the topmost
stone, tapped lazily away, shaking
the rain from his feathers and sinking
into the abyss as if it scented the ap-
proach Of my oneoming engine. 1t was
a glorious sight on glorious day.
Now and then, in the distance, | could
discern some far. off cattle farm, while
I crashed like lightning over the
crossing of some old mountain road
which led from Knoxville down toward
the coast.
1t was dead calm. There was not
breath to stir blade Of grass. And
yet the air was full of sounds, a low,
deep roar, which lowered over lawn
and wood, intcrmingled With the
chirping of birds and insects. The
air was full of perfume, the dainty
scent of the mountain flowers. | was
now nearing a piece Of straight level
track, ten miles in length. Here the
track follows stream down throug b a
mountain pasture. I had been wont
to make this run from curve to curve
during good weather in nine minutes.
The track was bad to-day, but | re-
solved to try it. | shortened the
stroke of my drivers and pulled my
throttle out. My engine leaped for
ward like a tiger. Far down the track,
as far as my eyes could see, | could
discern white speck which seemed
shaking to and fro. AS / approached
the object became palmer and palmer.
A faint bleat borne to me by the light
breeze which now began to stir soon
told me that it was the form Of new
born lamb, shivering and drying itself
IN tho sun used nv whistle all I