Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1873-09-15

NuiCu was SLdopCu suu iAooeSiSu do oh0C
by the sturdy New England men who
manage the road, we see why southern
and northern men accomplish such diff
ferent results
To understand the difference we must
90 back to the disastrous Wednesday
night. All the energies of the Delaware
and Philadelphia, Wilmington and Bal
timore Railroad were being taxed to
their uttermost to carry forward the
great peach crop, and trains of freight
and passengers were hurrying to their
destination, when the yigilant eyes of
the road men saw that some of the cul-
verts were in danger. The evening
train from Wilmington and Philadelphia
for Delaware was moving slowly for
ward, feeling its way, when it was stop
ped by Waterman, who said the cul-
vert in front was not safe and. while
they discussed it's safety, it melted be-
fore the rising food and when the train
started to return to Wilmington it found
that the culverts crossed not ten minutes
before had succumbed and although
they we're in safety, they were cut off
from advance or retreat On the other
side the advancing peach and mixed
passenger and freight trains had been
stayed by timely warning at Middle
town, and they too waited there with no
loss of property or life. The whole bust
ness of the road stood still to see what
next. Alas for the road, the canal, the
peaches and Delaware The next news
was the roar and rush of a bursting lake,
canal feeder, which about 2 A. NJ.
swept the canal bank, huge railroad
bridge and all neighboring structures in
to desolation. Before men had time to
run and see the sight, acres of solid
ground covered with trees, cornfelds and
grass were forced into the bed of the ca
nal, carrying with them the stone piers
and abutments of the bridge in common
ruin. Quick to see and understand the
evil, the president of the road, Mr..
Hinckley, who was on the passenger
train with some friends, telegraphed to
his superintendent, Mr.. Kenney, his en-
gineers and the other officials whose aid
might be needed to hasten forward the
repair trains. and by II P. NJ. one train
had arrived with men, and the work of
renewal began, but no one can under
stand who had not seen. the ruin, what
the labor and the problem was that pre-
scented itself in the rainy and gloomy
morning of Thursday. A turbulent
flood, loaded with mud and timbers and
floating trees, was sweeping through a
huge chasm 400 feet wide, where the
night before there had been bank of
solid ground containing not less than
10000 yards. A pit fifty feet deep and
400 feet wide must be bridged with tres
tle-work, to pass the trains and get the
Delaware peaches to market.
Poor Sussex! rich in anticipation, a
large crop of peaches and high price,
and here in the very climax of realized
hope came the leveling blow that cut
twenty or thirty thousand dollars pei
day away and total loss to all partie.
of about 100000. But unlike the
man who is dumping the earth out Of
shallow carts at ST. Georges, the rail
road men seized the handles of the diff
Guilty at once They required 10000
feet of squared timbers, 80 feet long anc
l6 inches square. at once. This timber
was not to be bought; was not ever
sawed from the log at any accessible,
market; but the first train which
brought repair men to the spot brough
telegraph operators and machines, ant
soon messages to Baltimore. Port Depos
it and Philadelphia had called for tn
necessary lumber, and in few hours
began to be loaded and delivered on tn
spot. Four hundred men were gatheret
together-one- half carpenters from tn
ships and shipyards of Wilmington AM
+ Baltimore. Chisel, saw and auge
| ploughed through the timber, and willis
the patient and courageous workme
were swimming about in the deep water
below. seeking where and how to set tn
a trestles, the carpenters were gettin
them ready for its position. Now wa
the time for energy, patience and fol
: bearance; men must work night an
day. A commissary train piled betwee
n Wilmington and the gap. Gallons {
4 coffee and tea, barrels of bread and bee
t boxes of pickles, sausages, butter, cracl
ers, pears and peaches. were gathere
n together. Huge headlights of engine
4 were set about to illume the work b
e night, and night and day the men worl
) ed on accomplishing, though the drencl
d ing rain might have discouraged an
J. men, and sleeping few hours by turf
! the great body pushed the work forwar
: clearing the wreck, making foundation
h raising trestles, until Sunday afternoo
II three days after the disaster, the la
Y trcstle was set. and on Monday on
r. more travellers and peaches may folio
bt the accustomed route.
Is The great disaster every day since