The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-02-10
YitI,mond 1ispatrh.
-n,pSDAY.....FEBRUARY 10, 1881.
imam ACROSS TlE ST. LAWRENCE
1bh ,,Te ACCIDENT AND IT'S CAUSE.

',,ck and iimhcrS were removed
s Iht - 3,y and the next there was no
8 o'',,, IN ,bc river. A warning Of this end,
s. &C. had been given by the Ice crack
"'" .,I .ep4raiing from the shore at TIE
,...ag Of ;Ac water.
r,us YEARS BRIDGE.
..- os.o- the bridge was laid earlier IN
''.,.or. ~ The icc formed earlier than
,l Nv frequent soundln2S It was found
"'"' a.. o,.pirlum thickness Of the ice was
'. t.. TDi. was deemed sufficient 10
u,,or. s. Che continued cold be'okencd
'.- .,cr thickness before the completion OF
t,,,ro The method OF construction
''', f.,.d ,, fac simplest possible. Toe ice
,,p.I. ,'ccpers are iajd, ties put on,
w.. ,rtcr.tIce filled with ice. snow,
' .,.,.r. f5lt the whole may he frozen
rls road j. thea ready for track-laN-
1ir. SIS found ample last season for
"- ..,.tlmtrf,. but the ice was much
.,t.r The theory IN regard 10 the amount
.,r.,n that ,uch bed will stand + rs
,r.a~. Afer the severe contraclionS OF
..,, fro, have frozen over the surface 10
.-.l "a depth that the iammng mp OF ice
..t.rpr.fs. or the backing up OF the cur
-.., .h1yf. are equally ine1cclual IN break
.-. IL surface. then II l. amply strong 10
.,rltlr eNiIa pressure OF weight caused
Do, llc passage % q loaded train. In the
ascot roldbed so narrow a the one now
l,..t Nc pressure i on comparatively
.u.Ii >uiiacc. and anN weak sDOt IN thc ICE
D.. more susceptible than If broader ioun-
l,.aa W.Icu,cd. TIL !, IN all probablIilE
tt.,..u.r Cf the accident which took place
o.. Hr rt. DAY he road was IN Use this
,,.-. pr,..Hrilfn- an engine 10 ihe bottom
., t,.u', fcrf ~ water and nearly carry me-
r.tr dNr mcn who were on board az the
.t... Nothing Uu' rare presence OF NINA
r-.,..tr, serious loss If human llie.
,>rSGiNE CRASHES THROUGH.
vIa,.-ine bad made two OF three trips
securely and taken over T." cars OF
,-,,it and WAS eong back for another
asdvb,l 'hc track "c1ntcd or one 'idc,
aforementioned over and went down On
r.>IIc. IlJ 'nis Twp been successful u
intended fo draw eighteen cars al the
,.\i toad. .ad 40 doubt many, If not all.
would lite gone down with The engine I'M
l-.fh, ire VS. unusually thick "a, each side
HrilI> ytih spot. The engine was full
.,ld ward engine. With lcndvratj1chCd, and
v.-Ird@b.il0 pounds. The current at the
Mace WhDrcu ftl was found 10 be twelve
u.I,, pcs hour. where 10 = usually compare
riet ,'!n, showing tnat the blocking up IN
..urof Gle shoals aad changed the current
"a Tie river. Tins will help 10 account
fortbc I e., What tie engine was but mile in
iul,d in it, fan, ,siuct The depth WAS not
sufficient 20 ease il much, The resistance Is
not more than forty per cent. ia iail OF
twenty feet through water. The engine wa
found living on SOfl clay bottom on 4 line
direct with TIE line % the brPak in the ice.
II evidently struck ON one corner in front,
o., The frame If the cOWcatcher was broken.
T. was recovered within two weeks OF the
faH IN comparatively unchanged condi-
lion. Shcarlees and windllSS, block and
tackle were used in The recovery. The con-
tract was for 5000. and had different plan
been employed money would have been
made at that figure. \ submarine diver At
tIchcd heavy chains 10 the wheels and UNI
der the frame: the tender-bOXeS and cab
were Wrenchcd Of and the raising begun.
Horse, and men were The motive power, and
crude though ali the appliances were, the
raising was Effected with but one ac-
Cdcut. The chains slipped at one fastening,
aud the engine tipped and Topped round,
bat was not entirely dropped. 1t has just
been safely housed. and looks but little the
worse for il two weeks soaking. The
strong current kept It remarkably clean, aud
more damage i evident from the effects Of
raising Than from lis fall. The entire amount
Of damage, including the DETECTING and re-
laying u the road. engine repairs. expense
oi raising, &c, viii not exceed $4,000, which
+, little. i any, more than it would cost 10
I0Ii 90 engine down an cmbankmeDt and
~ d in shape again. However, now that
go !, over, and competent engineers have
reviewed the circumstances, some valuable
. a De-
frame and jaCkscreWs the raising could have
been effected at less expense and without
d.,poiing the engine Of much Of its wood
WORK or trimming. 20 that the till for re-
pairs would have been less.
BROADER TRACK BED NEEDED.
one II the main lessons is in regard TO
Tie construction Of such "a road across such
ice. IL o good broad bearing had been Sc
cured by laying down croS>.slcepers forty.
CITY, or sixty feet long, making a virtual
timber poaioon track, The dinser Of "cint-
lns would have been removed, and If any
accident occur 10 must be a downright
break underneath, IN which case a heavy
homework. wei fastened together, would
Hoai 900 enormous weight, and it i doubt
luI # the train, unless unusually
heavy, would 20 down at all. Ger
'..'''' 'HNh q i'NttNAtiOh NOulu SUP
p1lt single engine. The main difficulty
oI danger 70 overcome with 50 rapid a cur
Icni as that of to II. Lawrence is that OF
IT, constantly varying channel. The profile
OF the bed II tbc river between Montreal
and Quebec Is like that OF a diminuliVc
range Of mountains. the depths varying
from six 70 sixty feet. \ broad >hoal may
catch and retain ice floating under the Top
covering, until there l. solid block from
ihe top 20 The rivcr-bed. The current on
Doth side, thu, becomes sWfler, and the |
wearing force underneath the ice OF a cur
Ient filed with huge floating blocks running
Twelve mile. an hour or faster becomes sOme-
uMt' appalling.
Az UNCERTAIN RIVER.
There are several good stores told OF the |
freaks - tins unstable stream which will !
Illustrate the prCciTi0usncss OF a track laid |
on >uch foundation. An old French phi !
i''oILcI Who ran vinegar factory on the |
hahA o. Tie river had holes dug in the Ice !
one winter which reached down through !
soma lee INTO the bed beneath, some sixteen !
itel ID Oh. Here ne explained his theories
'"b champaSned his guests. His cabinet /
vas TAU Of specimens Of stone and eIlth !
taken lfon these wells. But another story |
.e.N bow be might have paid for his curlosi-
~ mere are some men not yet old who |
l@htmber going 10 party at house across
a ,' IlNer ~ sleigbS over the road on the ice. |
inel remained over night, and on coming /
- me rivers bank IN the morning they
'oUnu not % much ice A. rat. might Cross
Vh. II Is good deal like living over Il nj
80 -SIy cefine factory 10 run an engine on
,ut'e len mile, OF road, tut the engineer
sc'' less than one running on terra frind.
Short Honeymoon.
ltinch Valley tTaze well County, News, 4th.l