The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1875-12-03
REMARKABLE RAILWAY ACCIDENT.
A Hair breadth Escape From q Disastrous
Wreck Miraculous Conduct Of q Sw tch.


Wreck Miraculous Conduct Of q Sw .tch.
The Davenport Democrat of Saturday
has the following account of the very
queerest OF railway accidents: IL hap
pensd on the &. X. |. u p. at the Home
stead Summit. The Company has been
grading good deal at the Summit this
year, eutting down the track ON one side
about fifteen feet at the deepest part.
At this time the day-trains keep the old
or high track, so that the dirt-train may
not be interfered with in the cut.
During the night the dirt train is set
upon the high track, and the night trains
over the road are run tnreHgh the cut.
Night before last came in John MeChes-
ney's train from the West-live coaches
and Two baggage cars. or curse they
would run through the cut, which was
approached at lwenty-hve-nlile rate.
Crawford was drawing the train. The
switch was set right and the locomotive
rushed into the cut. In an instant the
engineer heard the alarm bell ring, ana
wnlstled down brakes. Looking back
to see what was up, he could see no
train. The next thought was that the
brakes might not respond promptly-it
was down glade, and the coaches might
| come down upon him with q crash. He
epened out aAd darted ahead to keep
amazed TO see the coaches ON the upper
track, some fifteen feet above hfm, charg-
Ing ON the dirt train standing ON the
| track a little way ahead.
| John Nj. Chesney was wide awake at
| the s'down brake" whistle. Tue brake
men rushed TO their places aud turned
down with all their might. The train
was heavy and gllded on with immense
lorce, John knew. The train on this road
being handled with air brakes, the old
brakes are not always SO eff -ctiveiy
worked as when i'll constant use. But
| the bows handled them Well, but couldn't
slop la time to keep of the dirt train. IL
was feared that The collision might
| seuabble the train, and perhaps piLch
Tue whole concern into the deep cut be-
| low. But it was more Fortunate. The
forward baggage car struck the rear dirt
| car, ana beng set higher up passed along
upon it, crunehinS up Things until the
trucks met. Then The train stopped.
On looking cut, about the tl,sL thing
| that John saw was that the locomotive
was IN tue deep eutl Gone TO smash
That was the first thought. Loohing
over to see the preck, he iound ~ Was a
tolerably lively ONE. Calling 10 his en-
ylneer he wanted to know what was the
matter. The engineer didn't know; his
end Of the train was ali right any how
what vas John aolng with his COACHES
climbing about up there2 Then they
| went back to the switch. lt was set to
Il the upper track. How had the locomo.
i tive and tender got upon the lower one;
John said it beat him. Engineer looked
beat toe. Then they looked at the thing
closer, and found That the target pm
was broken. That showed why the train
had parted.
The switch has been set tor the cut;
the locomotive and lender passed over;
bur wonder of wonders, before the for
ward wheels of the baggage car had
reached Che switeh--eyeA In the space eI
the shortest insGaat-Ta the twlnklsns oil
an eve, the switch had SHIFTED, ana the
| bavpage cars and coaches gfided along
upon the upper track. Not wheel aaU
felt the tfack, not ar had been ieit. Ii
was the most miraculous railroad Incl
dent in all raIiFoad history. Nor was
the collision on the upper TACK more
than that of u spent tram. Scarcely 0
jar was felt by the passengers. Tire
sleepers. slept on unuiStufbtd. The
bending OF the kiDg-bolG was the princi
pal damage. The tram was recohheeted
run back to Homestead station, tue
damged car switched out, aud the TRAIN
came in yes terday morning only an noul
behind time.
MIR. McChesney can't say how Che
thing was done; but IL was done In per.
lectW good order. But OF one thing ht
feels morally certain--wnat saved tha
tram from general smash was the Mil
Ter platform coupling. Ii We bad had
the link and bumper business, that Uail
. must have pitched into u neap OF runs
. Fnat is what ne testities, and J0hi
knows what he is taking about. Til
Miller platform and The coupling is on
: OF the greatest Inventions oil the age.