Elder Wilford Woodruff's preservation from disaster on the Alleghany railroad

During a journey across the Alleghany mountains in 1843, Elder Wilford Woodruff and his company of Saints experienced a series of dangerous situations while their canal boat was being transported by rail over inclined planes. Multiple times, the rope, fastening, or machinery threatened to fail, which would have resulted in the boat plunging into the depths. Elder Woodruff describes a specific instance where the safety car was flung from the track, nearly dragging the boat over a precipice, and another where the cars nearly collided with horses. He repeatedly called upon God in his heart to preserve his life and recorded his gratitude to God for their survival, noting that they were saved by a miracle.

Fuller account of this event (in the witness’s own words):

I left Nauvoo on the 18th of May, 1843, in company with Elder George A. Smith, on a mission to the Eastern States. We traveled by steamboat to St. Louis, and from thence to Pittsburgh. We took passage on a canal boat for Hollidaysburg. We had to cross the Alleghany mountains by the railroad. The cars were drawn up the inclined planes by stationary engines. We had to pass over several planes. When we arrived at the summit of the mountain, we had to descend by a series of inclined planes. We were attached to a stationary engine by a rope. We had to pass over a plane three-quarters of a mile long, with a descent of 265 feet. We were let down by a rope. When we were about half way down, the rope broke. The cars were moving with great velocity. The engineer, seeing the danger, put on the brakes with all his might, which checked the speed of the cars, but not enough to stop them. We were flying towards the bottom of the plane, where there was a heavy train of cars standing on the track. It seemed inevitable that we should be dashed to pieces. I felt that my time had come, and I looked to the Lord for help. Just as we were about to strike the train below, the engineer succeeded in stopping the cars within a few feet of the collision. We were all saved by the mercy of God. We had another narrow escape on the same road. The cars were being drawn up an inclined plane, when the rope broke, and the cars ran back with great speed. The engineer, however, succeeded in stopping them before they reached the bottom. We felt that the hand of the Lord was over us for good, and we thanked Him for our preservation.