Year: 1869

was almost in his immediate front, and that his
train was running with lightning pace upon 1t.
Another moment and the headlight ot his loco
motive Illuminated the rear of the train ahead,
while his ear caught the sound of the rattle and
jolt of long, loose freight train. COolly he
whistled down the brakes, while at the same
instant piercing scream went up from
those who knew too well what that appalling
token meant The precaution was in vain. The
great heavy, painting locomotive of the passen-
ger train, tearing forward in its course at the
speed of over twenty miles an hour struck the
front of the freight train as IL shuttled lazily ell
on Oblique switch towards the depot, and
literally rearing up in the air like mighty lion
i'm his rage, crashed through the foremost iron
wall of opposition and then careened over on the
track as though bereft of further strength. The
tender jumped upon the PROSTATE engine, the
mail express struck against the wreck of iron the
baggage against the express, the smoking car
ran pell nell into the fearful ruin, and in less
time than it takes to say it, the entire mass was
in a blaze of fire. The shock was terrific. 1t
reached to the uttermost end of the train in
all its intensity, shaking the sleepers to their
feet and appalling the stoutest-hearted men that
heard it. No hope at this awful moment Tor the
poor people in the smoking car. Tracks were
knocked from under baggage AID express cars,
and stood locked in combat as it were, upon the
track. The body of the baggage car lay at one
side, the express at the other, u passenger coach
on top, while thrown in confusion among them
all, tossed, torn and blazing from floor to roof,
was the baggage car, with its living
freight, caught in the stern and fiery
Jaws of death. Jets of fearful flame sprang
upwards from the wreck, or rushed Kissing like
steam from an escape-ppe along the track and
through the passenger coaches. 1t was a heart
rcndlng and awfully impressive spectacle to see
the big column of red and roaring flame tearing
through the woodwork and melting away
dozen human forms without soul under heaven
being capable of stretching forth an arm to the
rescue. Death, however, did its chief share of
havoc before applying the torch to finish its
ghastly work; but, horror of horrors! what II
fate was that reserved for poor DR.. Halleck!
Not a scratch marked him when the collision oc-
Cured. He was in the foremost sleeping coach,
and was violently pitched forward into the tam
gled mass of broken woodwork but received no
injury. Worse than injury, however, he found
himself in all his strength and sensibility locked
up in the heavy beams that made the floor
frames of the dismantled cars. The dreadful
fire from beneath fared up suddenly around
him. Men with blanched and bewildered faces
stood upon the track or rushed frantically to
and fro, crying, "Is there no help for Dr. Hal
leck?" The fire shot out with the intensity of
furnace, and triumphanty defed any man to
approach and rescue the victims within its
grasp. Above the cracking roar the firm and
intrepid voice of the doctor, in the midst of his
remarkable agony, was heard to eXclaim to the
men around the scene, 81 am not injured; but
cannot escape"