Year: 1867

deliverance. and naturally, the hrst 10
suggest itself was the guard" Yes,
doubtless the guard would see the danger
as we had seen it, and would endeavor TO
avert the awful fate which seemed now
hanging over us. There was comfort in
the thought; but, alas it was very short
lived, for a glance down the train suiliced
TO show us that the door Of the van was
one of those which were still standing
open. The conviction was therefore forced
upon US that the guard had been left be-
hind. He was not on the engine, or he
would have stopped the train; he was not
on his way 10 it, or we should have been
able TO see him by the light of the side
lamps Of the train and he was not in the
van, or his door would have been shut,
and his brake vigorously applied long ere
this. and of that there was not the slight
est indication.


Ours was truly IN awful position. Pas
sengers in runaway train, on black and
moonless night, and with neither engine
driver or guard to help as


The Middlesham and Dillmouth rail-
way was about t@ enty-two miles long, and
there were four intermediate stai ms =
Acridge, Durton, FELTON,, and Ifeombe,
between the two termini. Two Of these
| stations were passed, and we had therefore
/ e ~ II 1al
| been fifteen minutes in doing one-half, and
would most probably do the rest Of the
journey in less time than that. miser-
ably short time to save so many lives /;
| but something must be done. ] was an
emp oyee of the immense railway concern,
of Which the Mddlesham and Dillmouth
was but branch. | have used tie sound
ing word employee, but the simple fact


was that | was relief-clerk, and that


was at that very time on my way to If


combe to take The place of he station


master, who was then seriously i'll and un


able to attend % his duties. / was Yer,


often called to this particular ki:.d Of duty


and had in consequence acquired yer.


thorough and practical acquaintance wit


tie outside work of railway.


would try 10 reach the engine b


walking along the platform of the carria


ges. My mind had been made up to tha


long ago, for through my nntnsiable ex


periences Of railway accidents, had go


INTO the unconscious habit Of forming {


course Of action for myself for almost any


even,uaiity which could turn up. | iias


besides known Of two cases of runaway


trains. In both cases the steps Of the car


riages were used as the means of commu-


nication with the engine. In the first case


successfully, but in a second, the guard


was smashed against a signal-post IN


swinging from one door-hande TO the mex
and the train itself went tearing on unit


it came to the terminus, where il tore uI
the bnifers, and was finally deposited il


fragments about the platform and the frs


class refreshment room. Fortunately il
; was an empty train and late at night, 81
that no one was injured except the engine
driver, who broke his leg in jumping from


the engine, when he found he could no


stop it; and the guard, who was killed
The other case was that of train whicl
seemed certain to come in collision will
another at level crossing. The driver


put on their engines at full speed an
Jumped Of. Almost by a miracle ther
was no collision, and the train went o


without any one TO check it, AS it haT


pened the guard had seen the danger, an
had also seen the two men jump off tn
!, engine, so that when the crossing Wa
safely passed. he made the best of his wa
y along the steps of the carriages to the Ell
gine which he reached in safety, and wa
J able 10 draw up before they arrived at h
2 next station.


e This was the plan Intended 10 pl
u into practice, but on looking out of Il
2 some of the doors still flying open, and ;
q it would be extremely difficult, if not in
81 possible, to pass them at the rate we wei
i going, it was much too hazardous to thir
e of going that way, and the other side WI
e equally out of the question, for with Il
Of remembrance before me of the ill-fatt
m guard have mentioned, | could not ha,
'r gone. There remained, therefore, nothir
as but the roof of the carriages. To deci'
III was the work of one moment,-the ne
'e / was in action. 1t was terrible worl
ID aud could only get on at all by crawlil
L along on my hands and knees, and holdii
at on to such straps and rods as came in n
a way. There was an old-fashioned guart
IT seat on the front of each of the carriage
9n SO that, by stepping down upon this, lea
g. ing forward, and placing my hands on Il


mex, carriage, and springing up, and so Q
re crawling and iumping / at last reach