Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1898-02-17
! THE PLUNGE OF ~
* THE ARCTURUS.
By MRS. ANNIE A. PRESTON.
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listening III luS ud4l-4H' % CIT wy 80
which aIl--even the most sympathetic
are obliged to regard the daily news,
which is largely made up Of others
woes, of whom we have no personal
knowledge,
For variety, here is 4 railroad COLI
SION" said the reader, after going
through a long list of coasting acct
dents, and he proceeded to read an
item, which ended with John Swift, the
engineer of the special, reversed his
engine. vhistled for brakes, and saying
10 his fireman.: Look out for yourself,
David!' jumped from the locomotive;
but his feet caught in the fireman S
shovel-which had been dropped in the
excitement-and the poor fellow, who
was one of the oldest and best engineers
on the road, was thrown beneath the
slowing wheels and quickly mangled to
death. Had he remained upon the en-
cine. he would have come out unhurt. y
when did it happen?" quickly spoke
up Horace Mason, q near neighbor, who
had dropped in-as he often did-tor an
hour in the evening.
He sat in an easy chair, balancing 4
stout crutch-whch stood him in stead
of his right leg-across the arm, and
now, without waiting for an answer TO
his question. went on. with deep sigh;
Poor John Swift! So he has gene
in that way at last. He has always been
called reckless, but luck has been with
him until now; while !, who was al
WAYS far more cautious, have been fire.
ouentlv in trouble, and after having
been iammed, bruised and p:nched, I'M
til it came to be said on the road that
I had as many lives as q cat, have lost
a leg and come off barely with my life.
John Swift and l began firing on
the Noneticut River road. on the very
same breezy March day, % years ago,
"ue was promoted to be an engineer
long before was, but I was not jealous
of his good Luck, and I will tell you how
it happened.
"Nhen we had each been throwing
wood about two years, there was fear
full freshet on the Noneticut river, after
which our road was named, and with
which it ran parallel for 40 miles or
more.
at was a good road, well managed by
conscientious officers, who treated their
employees as if they were men and
brothers, and kept their stock away up
above par, by making their road as
nearly perfect in every way as rail-
road can be made.
"The Noneticut river fairly outdid it
self in the way of a freshet that year,
There was tremendous amount of
snow at the north, and when, after Il
long rain, the ice broke up and went out,
it made a block at the Narrows, above
the OXbow falls, and in two hours time
the wafer had spread out over the great
meadow on one side, and had sub
merged ten rods of our track on the
other, midway between Nosuch and
North Nosuch stations, taking every
body by surprise, for the oldest inhab-
itants even had never before known
the placid, steady Noneticut to attempt
going beyond its prescribed bonds.
Late that afternoon the freight tina;
I was firing was standing on a siding
at North Nosuch station, waiting for
the express TO pass us, upon whose loco
motive-the Arcturus-Johnny Swift
was fireman.
There was a high wind, the rain was
pouring in torrents, the slush was ankle
deep, and as darkness settled down
upon us there was promise of the worst
kind of night for railroading-or any
thing else, for that matter-that could
take person out of doors.
Just as the express came whistling
into the North Nosuch station, little old
Jimmie Hughes. droll Irishman, who
lived in a small shanty in the center OF
as good a 'pertatee-patch' as there was
an the river road, came hurrying anc
Wheeling into the.passenger station.
Every hand on the roadknewJimmy
and made point Of swinging their hats
nj him and his 'E;yld woman in hel
stiff. white apron and her white double
ruf1ed cap, as she stood by him, smiling
md knitting, while he hoed away, keep
ing the weeds ou4 of the potatoes .ant
cabbages.
"'rherc is throuble beIow!' eX
claimed Jimmy-'throuble enough be
low! An the track-bad luck to it,
have gone down out of sight into tht
river. An the river itself, asst most al
ways does whin it gifts in such tan
thrum, is roarin' an foamin', wild it,
big chunks of ice a-pilin' upl An al
the tonne it coomes creepin
on an creepin' on, till 1 be
lave in my heart it will COON in an
warm itself by the fire wild the owlt
woman an me! An the telegraph
poles-bad 'cess to 'em!-hiv' laid thin
selves down straight to rest beside The
roadbed; an it amt so much to be won
dered at, for they hiv' been standin
there summer an whittier, rain an
shoine, liver since my ovid woman au
me COON to this counthry.'
"The telegraph wires were dow1
somewhere, we knew. The operator hat
found it out an hour before. The eN
press passenger going north would wal
at Nosuch for the outgoing south, unit
half-past seven, when it would come OF
unless telegraphed to remain where i
was until further orders. 1t twas sever
o'clock now, and as black an evening a
ever hung over a roadbed thick witt
danger. The men had to decide To-
themselves what to do, and they hat
to be quick aboutit. The two condnc