Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1911-11-18
AN EXCITING
RAILWAY RIDE
Thrilling Experience Of a
Wartime Paymaster.


army to take 100000 from Cincinnati
to the Army Of the Cumberland at
Chattanooga. Wheeler's cavalry was
at that time anywhere and everywhere
between me and my destination, and,
of course, If we happened'to meet any
Of the attachments it would be,a great
gain to the Confederacy and a great
loss to the United States.
/ reached Nashville safely and de-
posted the safe containing the money
in the bank. In the evening II WAS
taken out through the back door, sent
to a train of freight cars standing in
the yard OF the Nashville and Chat
tanooga railroad and slowed away I'M
der the coal In the locomotives tender,
There were but half n dozen cars. and
these were empty. Tim Sullivan, an
enlisted man In the -th Ohio infantry
and n locomotive engineer who had
been running on the road since the
capture of the country and knew the
track we'll, was to carry ,me through.
He was recommended as perfectly re-
liable, and as did not care to trust
any one else with the secret doffed
my uulLOIh1, put Oh u pun Vi ONCtuho
and acted as fireman.
When we pulled out of the Nash
Vile station the locomotive headlight
showed several men standing together
beside the track watching our depar-
ture. Sullivan looked at me. and when
/ asked him If anything was wrong he
replied, Dunno" The truth was be
suspected our secret was out. felt
very uncomfortable and wished my SUI
periors had not sent me without Il
guard.
A weeks rain had ceased and left a
clear sky, a bright moonlight night,
so that we could see almost as well az
in daytime. We had no sooner left the
outskirts of Nashville than Sullivan
put ON enough steam to run at forty
miles an hour-big time for southern
railroad in those days, especially
through n hostile country. We did not
meet an obstacle or suspicious cir
cumstance till we had passed more
than half our journey, when we began
to go down grade for several miles.
with the prospect Of having to do as
much up grade after reaching bottom.
We had made about mile of the de-
cline when n brakeman shouted:
IThere,s a train behind, comm like
lightnin'."
"How do you known" asked Tim
"Seen 1t In the moonlight"
"See headlightT
"There amt no headlight. tie
freight cars; must have broke loose"
"Well. there's a switch at the bot.
tom. Well have to make 1t before
they catch u.s."
He hooked up to the first notch and
threw the throttle wide open. The en-.
CINE made jump, and before we
could say "Jack Robinson" we were
tearing down the grade at sixty miles
an hour. We hadn't far to. go, but
the question was whether the loco
motive would stick to the rails. She
swayed and pitched and shuddered
and shook like ship in gale. We
shot over bridge and out where we
could look behind, and there was the
cursed train coming like the wind.
"How far to the switch?" ! asked.
"'Bout two mile and half"
"Will we reach It In time"
Dunno"
We were now on a straight track and
could see the switch light Mt the little
station at the foot of the grade and
the moonlight cleaning on the. rails
straight as pair of arrows for miles.
Whats that standing on the track
near the top of the grader" asked.
Tim put his head away out of the
cab window and looked. When he took
it in, his face was as white as the
snow. He said I'm hoaree whisper:
-'1t isn't standin' on the track It's
comm for u.s."
Great heavenl What does It mean
a train behind, another in front7"
"Some ones bound to smash US up.
There's no engine on either train.
They've caught us in this scooped out
country and give us the choice of bein'
crushed from behind or in front"
but we may reach the switch in
time to avoid both"
''Whoever's done this Job has been
smart enough to loek the switch so
that no crowbar will open 1t. We're
done for"
JuSL tnen dDOVe tue Tdtule CHeTe was
a sound behind us as If hill had
toppled over, and, looking backward
we could sec tons of mud and stones
pouring over the rails In about q
minute there was crash, and the
coming freight cars were piled in q
heap at the landslide. The rain had
lOosened bank. and we had shaken
1t off.
ANY chance now at the switch% I
asked.
Not unless they have left one end
unlocked. which they haven't"
Tim reversed his engine. as he spoke
and whistled down brakes. We came
to n stop within quarter Of mile
of the bottom. The train coming In
front dashed past the station and be.
gan to rise, soon losing its speed, and
when within a hundred feet of us we
stopped 1t with log we had put
across the track. Then we boarded
and took possession Of It.
We fAand the switch locked and
spent half an hour opening and get
ting past 1t. Just as we got on II speed
up the grade faster than horse could
go company of Confederate cavalry
dashed into the station.
Some one had Numbered