Cutting, driving, tumult

In H. G. Wells' short story "The Cone", it reads:

"The distant sound of a roaring and rushing drew nearer and grew in volume; the house quivered; one heard the metallic rattle of the tender. As the train passed, there was a glare of light above the cutting and a driving tumult of smoke"

I didn't get the meaning of these three words: cutting, driving, tumult