Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-03-17

RAILS FLYING THROUGH THE Air.
Several years ago building sites became
scarce in Oil City, Pom /; II number of
SPECTATORS combined to carry out II
scheme which they believed would make
available large tract of land on the
summit of one of the high hills which
overlook the city. To make the property
easily accessible they built railroad from
the foot OF the hill to the summit. The
road was quarter Of II mile long and
extended up the hill at an angle of forty
five degrees. Cars were hauled us this
inclined plane and let down it by means
of stationary engine, after the manner OF
the gravity railroads in the Pennsylvania
coal regions. a large amount OF capita
was invested in the railroad and in the
land, but the scheme proved Il failure and
the road was abandoned two years ago.
About the 1st of February the rails and
machinery were sold to persons from
ramaqua, Schuylkill county, who intend
to utilize them in the coal regions.
The road was ~ narrow guagc, and
consisted of two tracks. The rtl, were
fastened together ut each end. and formed
four unbroken lines of iron from top 10
bottom of the hill The stccpneSs OF the
hillside, and the fact that II Is III present
covered with ice, made il almost mpo'sl-
BILE for workmcn To take up the rails 10y
working upon it, SO the plan OF moving
one line of rails entire down the hllI, and
taking the rails apart AS it moved down,
was adopted Several Of the bottom rails
of one line were taken off, and u rope was
made fast to the lower end, which was
Al, b,,n.lr,l b,
bottom, and the horses Yce attached to
pull the rest OF the string. The Ties Were
covered with ice, The string OF rails was
started, but US soon as it moved from It's
position it began to slide down the hill by
| its own gravity, over the icy Ties. Before
| it reached the bottom it was going ut II
high rate of speed. When it struck the
street at the bottom of the hill. the line uf
rails broke its connection at several places,
and rails were thrown in every direction,
some being hurled distance of three
thousand feet. About Two hundred feet
of the string. however, dashed across the
street and struck barn on Henry Case $
lot. 1t passed through the barn like a
stroke of lightning, and with Its impetus
only slightly decreased glided across
Cases garden, just missing the dwelling
house, and demoishing an Clubhouse that
stood in its path. From Cases garden il
dashed into the back yard of james hotel,
and made directly for the Kitchen where
several girls were at work. Fortunately
for the girls, something in its way caused
u sliget deviation in its course, and it
plunged against stone wall near the
kitchen door. This Knocked several OF
the rails loose. These were hurled into
an adjoining yard, where they plowed vi
for fifty feet and then came to stop.
The other part of the line was thrown
high in the air, and it struck Il chimney on
the hotel, which it completely demolished
From tho roof Of the hotel the iron leaped
still higher, and landed on the roof OF Il
three story building fifty feet away. This
roof it tore up for a long distance, and
coming in contact with chimney partly
demolished that. The force of the tlyins
iron was then spent,and the rails remained
lying on the roof of the last building
But for the fortunate Intervention of tn,
stone wall. it is more than likely that loss
of life would have resulted from this sin
gular accident, for it would have dasheC
with great force into the kitchen among
the girls at work.-NeU York Times.