Year: 1865

I put on Tie breaks, anu looklnS up anu
out through the rear Of the train, l saw
another train coming down upon up us
full speed and not more than three or four
hundred yards distant. | stood and
watched the exhaust of steam in her
smoke stack for few seconds as close as
a man being tried for his life would
watch the foreman of the jury before
whom he had just been tried, give in his
his verdict | watched it because | knew
there was yet time to stop the engine ere
it would reach us. All, there is a change!
The exhaust stops, and starts again with
full chamber. The engineer has shut
off the steam and reversed his engine and
again opened her valves to their full ex
tent. She now has the full power of one
hundred and forty pounds of steam on the
backward motion. Now she trembles,
and strains every Joint in her iron frame i,
Will she stop? Yes, if she does not
spring her leaver, or there is no flaw in
some one of the parts of her machinery,
for they are all strained almost beyond
endurance ofiron itself. But no, those
short, quick exbausts tell that she will
not stop. She has sprung her leaver,
and now she bounds forward with increa
sed rapidity, her valves wide open.-
There is not moment foc thought, yet
if that thought was condensed into words
it would be; "Will her engineer save
himself by jumping from his engine and
let her take her course?" No, he is a
man, for again he throws back the leaver
and this time he wedges it fast; but alas,
it is too late, even though her machinery
does not give way, there is not room for
her to stop. Twenty yards would save
us, but money could not purchase those
twenty yards in TINS.


She must strike. But do the passen,
gers know their danger? Yes, for they
too heard the signal. and are now run.
mug to the doors to get out. Oh, God!
II they would but keep their seats, they
are safe. Oh, how msdly they rush on
to DEATH Already they crowd the plat
forms of the rear cars. Reader, imagine
my feelings at seeing them thus rush
madly-yes, blindly on, when | knew
that all those who were on the platforms
when the engine should strike our train,
must be either killed or CRIPPLED for life
1 I looked around, the passengers were all
running towards where stood. cannot
save them. There is not time for words,
ahd they would not listen to me If there
was. Ii is too lste--I must jump, or be
crowded between the cars. l opened the
door and sprang from the train. Upon
alighting on the gros,nd,'I turned imme-
diately to see the engine strike, and it was
well that I did so, for l was just in time
to catch lady that had thrown herself
from the train, regardless Of the condition
Of the ground upon which she was to
alight. The lady, afterwards learned,
was the wife of member of Congress,
from Ohio; she was unharmed, not so
with her husband, as he had one of his
| legs broken. [ think it was done by
the jump from the train. Then came the
crash, mingling tie cries of agony with
the breaking and smashing Of timbers.--
| The engine had struck and bounded back
as if for another blow. But that one had
been enough. The platforms Of the two
rear ears were broken down and the cars
famed together, catching one man in the
at OF jumping. His leg was caught as
the ears came together, smashing it from
the hip to the foot. He had to remain in
that position until we got the engine
down and pulled the cars apart. Between
the middle and next to the last car is was
still worse, here both platforms were
broken down the same as the other, but
the cars Were some little distance apart
and mixed with the wreck of the two
platforms, were two more men. one killed
dead, cut almost in two; the other had bis
leg cut almost off, above the knee. Those
that had their legs so badly jamed, died
iu few hours.


There were others hurt, in fact, all that
that were on the platforms were more or
less injured, while not one of those who