Year: 1870

along the tunnel, fell upon my car,doubt.
less the passenger train which had been
expecting, entering the tunnel mouth
But looking ahead at the same time, |
dscerncd through the gleam of daylight
at the bottom of the shaft towards which
| was approaching, what seemed spark
of fire. 1t moved--coud it be one of the
laborers of whom | was in search ?-it
increased. For an instant lost it. A.
gain This time it looked brighter. A
moaning, tinkling noise crept along the
floor of the vault. stood with fear, for
the noise OF the train behind me was ra-
pidly increasing turning for an instant
in that direction, | observed that it was
full in sight could no longer disguise
from myself that | stood full in the way
of another train, advancing from the op-
postc direction. The light before me was
the engine lamp it was now brilliant as
glowing star, and the roar of the wheels
of the tain was now fully heard amidst
the roar Of the gloom it came on with a
velocity which seemed to me most terri
fc.


A thousand thoughts courscd through
my brain on the instant. was in the
way of the monsters and the next moment
might be crushed into bleeding fragments.
The engine was almost upon me. | saw
the cleaning face Of the driver, and the
glow Of the furnace flashing its lurid
light far along the lower edge of the
dense volume Of steam blown from the
engine chimney. In an instant | pros
trated myself on my face, and lay there
without the power Of breathing as | felt
the engine and train laundering over me-


The low-hung ash-box swept across my
back felt the heat of the furnace as
it flashed over me, and glowing cinder
dropped near my hand. But dared not
move. | felt as if the train was crushing
over me, The earth vibratcd and shook,
and the roar of the wagon wheels smotc
into my cars with thunder which made
me fear their drums would crack.
clutched the earth, and would have cow
cred and shrunk into it if | could. There
was not fibre of body but that did not
feel the horrors of the situation. But it
passed. With swoop and a roar the
brakeman, the last in the train, flew over
me. The noise of the train was still in
my cars and the awful terror Of the stu-
alton lay still heavy upon me. When |
raised my head and looked behind the
red light in the tuil of the train was al
ready far in the distance. As for the
meeting passenger train, it also had pas
sed but had not needed it, though it
had doubtless added to the terrific noise
which for some time stunned me.


| rose up, and walked on, calling upon
my dog. But no answer-net so much
as whine. | remembered its sudden
howl. 1t must have been crushed under
the wheels Of some part Of the train. 1t
was no use searching for my little com
panion, so | proceeded anxious to escape
the perils of my situation. shortly
reached the shaft which | had before ob-
served. There was ample room on either
side of the rails for me to rest there in
perfect safety. But the place was cold
and damp, and the water trickled down
the sides of the shaft. resolved, there
fore, to 90 on the down line bat the tun-
mel being now filled with the smoke and
steam Of the two engines which had Just
passed, deemed it prudent to wait for
short time until the road became more
cleared, in case of any other train cncoun-
tering me in my further progress. The
smoke slowly eddied up the shaft, and
the steam gradually condensed, until |
considered the road sufficiently clear to
enable me to proceed with comparative
safety. once more, therefore, plunged
into the darkness.


walked on for nearly half an hour,
groping my way; my head had become
confused, and my limbs trembled under
me. passed two other shaft but the
light which they admitted was so slight
that they scarcely seemed to do more than
make the darkness visible" | now sup
pose that | must have walked nearly the
the whole length of the tunnel and yet
it appeared afterward that | was only
about half way through it. 1t looked like
n long day since | had entered. But by
and by faint gimmer of lights danced
before my eyes; and as advanced |
saw it was the torches Of the workmen,
and soon heard their voices. Never
were 81 ght and sound more welcome. In
a few minutes | had joined the party.
Bat felt quite unnamed for the mo.
mont and 1 haliovo tbot u;tt;nc, ,lorn
on one of the workmcns tool-boxcs, put
my hands over my eyes, and really
could not help it-burst into tears.


| never ventured into tunnel again
without an involuntary terror coming over
me.