New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-04-07
4 FEARFUL DESCENT.
Extraordinary Freak Of Freight TT

| Extraordinary Freak Of Freight Train
From the Lexington Press April IL
The workmen on the Big Sunday railroad
are supplied with material with which TO
carry on the laying of the track by con-
struction train, which runs at convenient
| intervals between the Covington depot.
| where the supplies are received, and the
| point where the men are at work. On
Saturday at about twelve o'clock the train
| went up the road as usual, laden with iron
| rails and crossties, the cars carving the
| iron being III front OF the engine, those
| bearing the ties behind. The iron was
taken to point as near the workmen as
possible and the cars detached. The en-
CINE then backed little to afford an oppor-
tunty 10 unload the cars laden with ties
The men who were unloading The iron hav-
ing occasion to move the trucks little, did
so, but as there were no breaks attached
they could not stop them, and they went
down the grade, which is forty-fye feet to
the mile, at a steadily increasing speed to-
ward the engine.
The engineer, seeing that there was about
to be collision, backed his engine q little,
while the hands threw rails in the way of
the descending cars to stop them, but with
out effect; they passed over them as if
they were straws, increasing in speed the
while The engine still kept backing and
increasing its speed, until the rate was
augmented TO twenty miles an hour. Down
they came, engine and cars, laundering
across Main street, the bell ringing and
engine whistling. Down Branch alley with
tremendous speed the engine dashed along.
the cars leaDing along in the rear, until the
market house was reached. Crowds of
people attending market, not knowing
what was the matter, came out to gee.
lie sight of the ears drove them of IL
fright. On the engine sped, Gu the ears
came, and like flash the market house
was passed, the engine increasing lis speed
to the switch. Here it stopped, the brakes
man jumping oil to unlock the switch. He
was too late; before he could change the
sWltch, winch was locked, tie cars came
fuSlilg on, ana in a moment into tie ell
glne. Ile IRON On the cars sma shed in the
| cast-lron heading of the cylinder. while the
trucks smashed the cowcatcher. breaking
iron bars as thick as a mans arm. and
throwing engine and cars of the track.
For a moment there was a scene Of ,g+ter
confusion, but when it was discovered +hat
the engine was not so badly hurt as to be
unable to T0rl., confidence was inspired
and men set to work to repair the damage
and ret the engine and cars bacl, uDon tho
track.
This was soon accomplished without much
loss Of time. ana without further damage
than that done to the engine. When the
trucks first started there were some four
teen negroes upon them engaged in unload
ing the iron. They stuck to their positions
until the speed became dangerous, when
they leaped off at points along the road.
turning double somersaults in the attempt.
One man leaped off at karsner's stable and
rolled down an embankment escaping I'M
hurt. One other man. more timid or more
yenturesome than the rest, remained until
the collision almost occurred, when he
tlsfnnfd t.rpt i,, IN hp1np
crushed tc Death. The CONSERVATION caused
along the whole route by the terrific speed
Oh The Tying engine and cars was very
great, the rate at one time being reckoned
at 1orty miles an hour. Fortunately, how
ever, there were no lives lost The damage
to the engine has been repaired, and to-day
it is at work as usual