Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-02-21
THROUGH THE AIR.
How Railroad Took b FLYING
Leap Over HOusetOps.
Philadelphia Evening Newsl

Philadelphia Evening News.1
Several years ago building sites being scarce
bined to carry out scheme which they be-
leyed 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 mile long and extended up the hill at an angle
of As degrees Cars were hauled up this In
ciined plane and let down it by means of a
stationary engine, after the manner of the
gravity railroads in the Pennsylvania coal re-
gtons. A large amount OF capital was invested
In the land and the railroad, but the scheme
proved failure and the road was abandoned
Two years ago. Last week the rails and ma
chinery were sold to persons from Tamaqua,
the coal region.
The road was narrow gauge and consisted of
two tracks, The rails We're fastened together
at each end, and formed four unbroken lines of
iron from top to bottom of the hill, The Steep
ness of the hillside and the fact that it Is at
present covered with Ice, made it almost 1mpos-
sible for workmen to take up the rails by work
ing upon it, so the plan of moving one line of
rails entire down the hill, and taking the rails
apart as 1t moved down, was adopted Several
and then rope was made fast to the lower end,
which was then about 100 feet from the bottom,
and horses were attached to pull the rest of the
string. The ties were covered with ice The
string OF rails were started, but as soon as 1t
moved from its position it began to slide down
the hill by its own gravity over the icy ties. Be-
high rate Of speed. When it struck the
street at the bottom of the hill the line OF rails
broke its connection at several places aid rails
were thrown in every direction, some being
hurled distance of 800 feet About 200 feet OF
the string, however, dashed across the street
and struck barn on Henry Cases lot. 1t passed
through the barn like stroke Of lightning and
and with its impetus only slightly decreased
glided across Cases garden, just missing the
dwelling house and demolishing an clubhouse
that stood In its path. From Cases garden 1t
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 slight deviation
In its course, and it plunged against stone
wall near the kitchen door. This knocked sew
eral of the rails loose These were hurled Into
an adjoining yard, which they plowed up for
fifty feet and then came to stop.
The other part of the line was thrown high in
the air and 1t struck a chimney on the hotel,
which it completely demolished. From the roof
OF the hotel the iron leaped still higher. and
landed on the roof of three-story building
fifty feet away. This roof Is torn up for long
distance, and, coming In contact with CHM
ney partially demolished that. The force of
the flying iron was then spent, and the rails re-
NAMED lying on the roof OF the last building
But for the fortunate Intervention of the stone
wall 1t is more than likely that loss OF life would
have resulted from this singular accident. for IL
would have dashed with great force into the
Kitchen among the girls OF WORE = -. -.