Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-10-04
A Runaway Stagecoach
By WALTON WILLIAMS
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.


reckless driver would once In awhile
swing round a sharp curve on noun
tain side and spill a load OF passen-
gers down a preciplce a few thousand
feet, but such occurrences were rare
1 remember one close call l had out in
Colorado half a century ago when L
was a youngster that l wouldn't ike
to go through again. II an accident
of equal importance should happen 10
railroad train, even on comparatively
level ground, 1t would be awful.
"On the particular occasion I'm go
ing to tell you about we started from
Georgetown, In the mountains, TO go
down to Denver. There's loop ran
road at Georgetown now, but at that
time there was nothing but turn
pike. A green hand at driving, an
lrishman, Mike Rourke, from the sta
bles, had been put on the box, the reg
ular driver. Dan Patterson, having
been laid of for illness. Patterson
was inside the coach, going down 10
Golden City, where he lived.
1T was a fine day, and we were re-
called with many extensive views OF
the plains at the foot OF the range.
appearing for all the world ike an
ocean. Indeed, biologists say that It
WAS once an ocean bottom. From the
brow of an eminence where we were
admiring one Of these views we coufu
see the road before us winding down
q steep incline and at the bottom rs
ing n shorter distance to another sum-
nit. A few moments after we started
down we noticed that instead OF going
slow, as was necessary for safety on
such inclines, we seemed to start on
with a quickening pace and were soon
rolling downward at furious speed
Patterson thrust his head out OF the
window and drew it in again. white
as a cloth.
"'What is It? we all asked breath
lessly.
".Don't know. but we're all likely to
be dashed to pieces
Coming from trained stage driver.
this set us all wild. Some or the
women grasped frantically at the
doors, but two of us men. one on
each side, knowing that to jump would
be certain death and remaining inside
might mean life. held the doors shut
But the inside of that stagecoach was
the widest seene | ever witnessed
women shrieking and men (some OF
them) trying to reassure them. While
others were holding on to something
as il in that way they could hold the
coach back.
But looking outside was worse then
the inside The few scrub trees there
were beside the road shot by like ar
rows. The coach swayed. and as ey-
cry curve in the road we felt sure II
would upset. and sometimes an upset
meant spill over the side or rreci-
pice. We kept hoping that there
would be some slackening of speed,
but instead Of siackening the pace was
continually growing faster. and the
quicker the pace the more the coach
reeled.
by this time the babel among the
passengers was deafening- Some were
praying. while others were shouting
at us two men who kept strong grip
at the doors 10 let them out One big
strong man, maddened by terror. ham
mered me numerically to make me
open the door. But / held on with
death grip. think that having some
thing TO do helped me to retain my
own eauanimity. IL anything more
was needed it was supplied by the
sight OF men crazed by fear ready
10 do any foolish or selfish act Pass
ing house beside the road. i saw
man standing in the door looking at
the coach with his eyes and mouth
wide open. But saw him only a mo-
ment, for he few by IKE a cannon
ball.
Then the swsying Of the coach grew
less and the terrible speed at which
we were going seemed to be iessening
I nut my head out the window apd.
looking forward. saw that we were
near the bottom OF the incline and in
a few moments would be rolling along
a comparatively straight ascent. The
sudden transition from almost certain
death to sure safety produced a very
singular effect on me The blows OF
the big man who had tried to force
me to open the door had produced no
effect on me Of any kind Relieved
frOn the strain. my frst act was to
stretch my arm and plant my nst
against his eye and knock him sprawl
ing on the seat behind him Then L
cried:
-'Hurrah, Were safe
~From this moment our pace siacke1-
cd. but We went far NJ the hill before
Il was reduced to anything Ike quiet
run. The coach was { long While com
ing to a full stop. seemingly as though
Il must do 30 % It's own weight When
Il did We all tumtled out The driver,
too. came down from the COX ano