The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1904-11-19

and straining for a moment and gather
ing speed as the throttle opened wider.
She seemed to be stiff at first from lone
standing, but as she warmed up sho
loosened her joints and at the end OF
the first mile she was whirling along
with the throttle wide open. the race
for life against the insatiate flood had
begun and Jim Moore sat with eyes
straining forward over his engine as a
driver looks over his horse, Tying
through the last quarter with the wire
just ahead. Twenty miles meant only
as many minutes under ordinary cir
cumstances, but these were not ordinary
circumstances. A hundred lives n q
great engine and train Of cars were IN
the engineers keeping, and an angry
flood, eager to destroy, was creeping
swiftly upon him to take them to itself.
Five miles out into the rushing sea
and as the last car of the train rolled
across a trestle 1t swayed unde the
%contending forces of weight and water
and fell into the torrent, leaving in an
instant a gap where an instant before
the train had been. On they sped, and
the bridge over the river was in sight.
The water had risen to the tracks be-
tween the train and the bridge, and
Moore hesitated. It was as II he were
plunging into the very river itself, for
there, was a wide spread Of water IN
which no sign of a track appeared, and
the road might be washed out.
How is it, Dick?" he shouted to his
fireman, who from his side Of the cab
was looking forward.
"Wet," yelled Long in response, pale
and frightened, but with his nerve still
holding good.
Watch the fire." commanded Moore,
with a grim smile, and the engine
dashed into the unknown. The water
flew out at either side from the great
drivers in clouds of spray, drenching
the cab, but the track was firm and the
train passed through safely and onto
the bridge. The long slender structure
swayed and creaked and groaned, and
the waters roared beneath, but the net
work of steel held, and the river was
behind them. Beyond the bridge fol-
half a mile the water obliterated the
track again, but the engineer did .Ro,
stop to make inquiries. 1t was death
one way or the other-slow If he
stopped; sudden if he went ahead and
there was no track, and he chose the
quicker route.
Safely again, and on, over another
trestle which stood until the train was
half a mile beyond, when it toppled
into the food and f1oated off down the
stream. Five miles more, now, anC
the range of low hills with their eleva-
ton and safety rose before the hurry.
ing train. The engine was whirline
along at a mile a minute, and but five
minutes were needed to carry them from
the jaws of death. Suddenly the tract
sank and the engine plunged. Engineer
and fireman chung to their places, help
less, but the wheels stayedeon the rail!
and the engine dashed ahead. The watel
poured into the firebox and clouds o
steam enveloped the men in the cab
The steam in the boiler went down a.
the water rose, but the engine struggled
on as If conscious of the peril, and il
a moment had caught the solid tract
again, and with a groan and a shriel
as Of pain, yet of triumph, she dashed
out of the water and to the firm eartl
once more.
But she was not making a mile
minute now. It was all she could d.
to turn a wheel; but above the floot
she gained heat and steam again, an
ten minutes later the train pulled int
little station on the high ground an
the danger had been passed.
White faced and trembling passen
gers came hurrying from the cars t.
the engine with all kinds of praise an
congratulations and. purses, but Moor
and his fireman were quite calm. The,
were as badly shaken up as any pas
senger they pulled, worse perhaps, blu
they were o. showing it to the public
and in another ten minutes the trail
was running on to Bridgeport as If moth
ing had happened.
"Got any tobacco, Dick?" asked Moor
when things were moving smoothly.
Long handed him owe a big plug c
the juicy black kind.
well" said the engineer biting o.
a generous chew this amt exactly tn
l kind Of Thanksgiving eating l was figul
ing on, but I am darned glad to be abb
i to get away with it,"
ME, too" said Dick as he bit off
hunk and heaved a sigh Of relief.
No. At arrived in Bridgeport ten hour
after dinner time.-Detroit Free Pres
SENTENCED TO HARD LABOR.