St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-08-20

mere Mas Il narrow escape from 4
>'lI"u> accident ON the 9th. on TN,
Mount Washington railway. The en-
gimr WAS descending with Il can filled
with people. W hen within ten feet of
.Iac"h'> Ladder. II rIr>lIc-w"lk eight,
feet high. the engine gave two or three.
forward Jumps. passing over several
. Cog> each time. | he brakes were i'm
'"r'iinrr!l applied. and thu. engine and
rll Wri" stopped without danIanr.
though such was the force of the inIr>
that the top of the >mukr->tack WIS
"nhln@rd and thrown oil. The engineer
rs well as the passengers. WAS greatly
alarmed. rs II" C;Iu>c could Ice assigned
i"i the occurrence. There WIS som,
talk "t an obstruction on the track. but
nothing of the Kind could he found
! he feeling WAS general that the tray
Clcr> had been in "Icat danger. which
was none the less serious lccauS, il,
CAUSE WIS mmkm0Wn. 1t i believed
that travel over the road will he greatly
diminished. and that the huildin" of :,
carriage road will meet with less npp,-
>Itl"m IN the future. The pa>>riIrcr> ON
The ear belonged to several different
hotels. and few persons who have heard
Them describe the scene will venture
mp To the summit hN railway. The
Suggestion has been made that the,
nav" Il stationary engine ON the summit
l" draw the train up.
The follow ing communication from the
manager OF the railway. pats an entire
y different look ON the affair:
MI. w N>IIIN"TnN. Aug. >. $50.
My attention has been called To an
article III the New York Tribune of TN,
Eth. dated Twin Mountain House. the
:1h. and headed "\rcidrnt ON Mt.
w a>iringt"m Railway" The Article i
," unjust and incorrect that it deserve,
The tatr> in the cast. are.
a> follows: Our engines are construct
Ell with Il heavy ratchet wheel ON their
driving aNIr>. and into this wheel a
powerful pawl is allowed to dIam while
ascending the mountain. the object be
lng 10 hold and fnstcn the train when
stopping for water or other purposes.
In descending the mountain the ain
brakes are attached or put into ucar ON
he ears. which are sufficient TO LET
hem safely down without the aid of
The engine at all. To demonstrate th,
power of these brakes. we once in tho.
'aflN history of the road. when We. had
IN engine disabled at the summit.
manned 1t to the ear and let both down
P" the base of the mountain bv the, use
IF the air-brakcS on the ear only. To
make assurance douhlN sure we ALWAYS
I'M engine and ear down together. I'm
'nmImg down the mountain the pawl of
which have spoken has to be lifted ont
If the ratchet wheel to allow the en-
,lne to descend. This is done hv :
lItahN OF Il lever running from il into
he engine cab and is held in place. hy
steer pm which passes through il for
nat purpose. In coming down ton the {
c'a>i"h referred to in the aIticl,I |
ne steel pm Jared ont and let the pavI I
rop mt" the ratchet Wheel The result
is til;it The tram WIS Instantly stoppcd l
y me action OF the paWl and the IItch- Il
t-Nhc"l. The Incident (uot accident Il
: slattd.) shows the wonderful STRENGTH y
t the machinery. being the hardest Il
rst I" which 1t could possibly be put. l.
ne engineer Was not in the least /
lrlShttned. nor we've the Passengers u
hen told the cauS, of so sudIcri, t
topping the train. As soon IN th. :
nusc Was explained to them the en- II
Inerr started up the train. lifted out t
he paw and descended the mountain n
lfelN. as we have always done for the II
IN Nen> the road has been running, Ii
he engine did not make two or three n
'rward Jumps" nor did it jump at all. t
'"r engines are not jumping engines
nj never run i'll that way. The train
as not near Jacoh'> Ladder" nor :
as It near trestle work eighty feet "
Ugh. The highest trestle work ON the
BAD Is only twenty-five feet high. II
or WIS the "'smoke-stark unhin%rd Ii
nd thlown of Nor is the travel ;,
II the road diminishing" On the con- I
AIRY, 1t Is increasing steadily and grow g
Ig i'll favor with the travelling public. h