Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1910-02-03


bear It,"
Suddenly bethought myself Of the
telegram for the conductor. Strange
that had SO long forgotten it! l un-
folded 1t with cold shudder of ap-
prehension. There were only few
words, and the import of these were
dread enough. With a swimming
brain and half blinded sight l read
the two sentences:
"Slow the train at Derby Junction.
Alder Run Bridge is down."
A cold shudder shook me from
head to foot. I leaned against the
side of the car for support; while,
like lightning, thought was busy in
calculating what would be the result.
We were running at a great rate of
speed. 1t would be difficult to bring
the train to halt suddenly, and here
was 1.-THE only person on board who
knew of the danger which threatened
shut up in this vile car helpless and
powerless to give the alarm.
l climbed to the window and looked
out. 1t was dark as Erebus, but l
managed to make out the lights OF
Stratford whizzing past and l knew
we were forty-fve miles from Derby
Junction.
Alder Run was half a mile or so be-
yond Derby-a deep, rocky-bottomed
gulch, through which ran a noisy
stream, and this stream at present
was quite formidable river. l had
spoken to Axtell about the extraordi-
nary height of the water when we
passed the night before. The bridge
was narrow pile, single track, and
full twenty-five feet from the water.
I ran all this over in my mind, and
knew that If we plunged into that
stony gulch, running at our present
rate of speed, there would be very
few of us left to tell the tale.
I drew long breath.
"What could l do? Nothing with
in my power was left undone. / shout
ed from the little window until my
voice failed from very exhaustion;
thundered against the doors until my
hands were bruised and bleeding, and
the settee-the one instrument l had
feet. And all this time we were dash
ing forward to our fate. To my ex-
cited Imagination it seemed as if our
speed was swiftly increasing-we no
longer touched the earth-we flew!
And Helen! my poor darling! A
great throb Of agony swelled in my
throat and almost suffocated me at
=, .e II of
impending doom-stting quietly-her
blue eyes heavy with tears at my
neglect-going on to her fate!
Suddenly a thought struck me, and
/ was desperate enough to do any
thing. l felt l should go mad If I
could not act.
l might warn the engineer-warn
board-though in all probability l
should lose my own.
l thought of Helen and of the dis
NAL shades of Alder Run, and did not
hesitate a moment.
l would fire the car! The flames
would be seen-they would stop the
train, and I would pray to God that
tell them the jeopardy we had been
in-the danger which lay just ahead!
Without a scruple | tore open the
mail bag containing the newspapers
and piled them up in corner Of the
car. l laid everything combustible
at my command on the pile and ap-
piled the match. 1t blazed up bravely,
hot
in front of the fire had kindled like
madman. The car became insuffer-
ably hot; l was obliged to put my
head out of the window to breathe,
and my clothes-thank Heaven, they
were woolen-were beginning to crisp
and shrivel In the intense heat. AL
ready my face was blistered, and 1t
seemed as If every drop of moisture
In my body was dried up.
And still that fire gained so slowly!
Would 1t never burst through the roof
Of the car? We were nearly at
Derby; already, by the hollow roar,
/ knew that we had run through Dar-
rell's Cut-only mile from Derby!
Minutes seemed hours, and my i'm
| pdIltuCo pctdlHc 81 uuuedfdUle tIdt
l seized kerosene lamp and flung 1t
into the midst of the flames!
The car rocked as if in the breath
Of whirlwind. / was hurled violent
ly against the door, and a long spire
Of lurid flame shot through the roof
and seemed to wrap the whole fabric
in It's fiery embrace.
And simultaneously I heard the
sharp whistle of the locomotive to
down brakes" and / knew that my
signal had been seen.
The speed slackened; few NOM
ents more and the train was at a
standstill and the roar of Alder Run
could be distinctly heard.
We were within fifteen rods Of de-
struction!
had Just strength enough left to