Engine Was Neatly Balanced

On the Southern road between Atlanta and Birmingham, an engine of a passenger train jumped the track just before it ran on to a high trestle. The engineer slapped on his emergency brakes and reversed his engine. The engine, with the train, ran out on the trestle. The engine was so neatly balanced that I am told a man could have pushed it off to the gorge below. If it had gone six inches further, it would have gone over and pulled the train with it. It looked like a marvelous providential intervention.

One of the leading officials of the road told me afterwards that he went to the engineer and asked what explanation he could give why the engine did not go over. He replied: “I don’t know whether you are a Christian or not; I am. I never go on a run without committing my train and my life into the hands of God, and when I saw the danger on that occasion I put on the emergency brakes, reversed the engine and turned my face to God and called for help. I believe it was the hand of God that saved us from a most horrible wreck.”
~ James R. Stuart