On one of the darkest and stormiest
nights of the recent unusual winter, the
express on one of the leading New York
railroads was moving westward from
Albany. The engine's neadlight threw a
strong reflection in advance, but the
storm was so blinding it was almost im
possible to distinguish anything even at
a short distance. Under such circum
stances instinct necessarily takes the
place of sight. All seemed' to be going
well, when, in an instant, the engineer
reversed his engine, applied the air
brakes, and came to a full stop. Why
he did so he could not tell any more
than any of us can account for the dread
of comiug disaster and death, and to the
wondering inquiry of his fireman he
simply said: "I feel that something’s
wrong." Seising a lantern he swung
himself down from the cab and went
forward t> investigate. Everything ap
peared to be right, and he was about to
return to hisenginu when his eye c.light
sight of a peculiar appearance at the
joint of the rail next to him. Brushing
the accumulated snow away, he looked
a moment, and then uttered an exclama
tion of horror. The rails on both sides
had been unspiktd and would have
turned over the instant the engine
touched them. W hat inspired this at
tempt at train-wrecking is unknown,
but it was presumed che confederates of
some prisoners who were on the train
hoped, in the confusion of an accident,
to deliver their friends.
