All The Luggage Of The Two Trains Was Spread All Over
The Rocks And Bushes, And People Running Here And There, The Silent Lake
So Pretty And Lovely In Contrast.
The men with the crane were coming to
our assistance at Termillion Bay (where our culvert bridge gave way)
,
And the engineer felt the tressels bending as the engine crossed, and
was considering whether to jump off or stay; he decided to remain in the
cab of the engine, as the jump was a very high one, and down they went
to the bottom, but the men were only cut and bruised, and one broke his
leg. This accounted for the delay in our getting assistance, and
fortunately for us all, that our small accident happened when it did. As
our friends from Winnipeg thankfully exclaimed, "if it had not been for
your accident, which was happily so harmless, we should have gone over
that bridge, and as our train was faster and heavier there would
probably hare been a greater smash;" and we exclaimed, "but for our
comparatively harmless accident, we should have gone over that bridge
that night and come to great grief." Wasn't it a mercy we escaped? We
had Professor Boyd Dawkins, Professor Shaw, Mr. de Hamel, Bishop of
Ontario, Mr. Stephen Bourne, &c., on our car for some miles on our way
_back_, and then we were shunted on a siding to wait as patiently
as we could. At this _Hawk_ something station we parted with our
British Association friends, with many good wishes and waving of
handkerchiefs, and were left shunted on the edge of a disagreeable
embankment over the lake. After all this excitement we read, had dinner
and played whist; then made our own beds, and all the 'boys' slept in
the drawing room with me last night, and E - - had the state cabin to
herself. It was very cold in the night, and I had to hunt up another
rug. We breakfasted at half-past eight, and now the others are taking a
walk while I write. I forgot to say Gibson and Roberts went on with our
luggage, across the bridge (or rather, by its side), in the train which
returned to Winnipeg, and there they will stay till we return from the
Rockies. E - - and the boys are just off in the cab of an engine
exploring to the broken bridge. It will he fun, perhaps, for them, but
_I_ find I have frights enough to endure in our necessary journeys.
There is actually a cow at this station, so we had milk for porridge and
tea; moreover, there is a piece of ploughed land, a rare sight in this
wild stony _watery_ country. The Canadian Pacific Railway have not
had experience before this autumn of the effect of heavy rains on their
roads, bridges, &c., and things have sometimes come to grief in
consequence; some bridges are very good and not temporary.
_Later_. - Since writing the foregoing, John and E - - and Hedley
went off on the cow-catcher of an engine for two or three miles
excursion!
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