The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1884-09-04
WONDERFUL RAHRoADING
Overcoming /. Grade or over Four Hun.
-drsd Feet In q Nile

Overcoming . Grade or Over Four Hun.
-drsd Feet In q Mile.
From the Leadville Coli Democrat.
Much has been written about the con;
struction of the mountain division of
the Rio Grande; travellers have mar
yelled at the per cent. grades and the
Is deg. .curvatures of the remarkable
marrow gauge railroad which penetrates
the most rugged canyons and climbs the
most lofty mountain range. sof the
Rockies. Butnobody mas ever we'll de-
scribede the. wonderful little feeder
of the Leadvi1le division which mod
estly leaves the main line in Browns
Canyon, and ascends the mountain
gulehes to the East with the
steepest grades and the heaviest curves
| la the world that are overcome with the
ordinary drive wheel locomotive. Affair
| up In this range of mountains, seven
miles away, and nearly 5000 feet high
er than the bed of the canyon, is the
famous Calumet mine, from which is
extracted the hematite iron ore that
keeps in blast the furnaces of the Bes-
semer works at Pueblo. Every morn
ingso the year ponderous locomotive
and q small train of cars tolls up this
steep, and every afternoon they make
the perilous descent to the valley,
loaded with iron, with the steam brakes
on the cars, the water pressure on the
locomotive drivers, and man standing
at the brake wheel of each car.
r. This is the most wonderful piece OF
railroading in. the universe. The max
.imum grade is 4O6 feet to the mile, OF
nearly per cent, and the maximum
curvature Is deg. The terminal of'the
branch is half mile higher than the
commencement. Immagine, then, the
difficulty in ascending with empty cars
and the danger of defending with load
ed ones. Still, strange though it may
seem, locomotive cannot make the de-
scent unless least five cars are at
tached. The latter are essentiel to pro-
vide the resisting power for the steam
brakes. The trip up is<snailish, the re-
turn: is rapid, in spite of the steam
pressure which cuts the carwheels in
to sparks that fly out i'm a constant
stream from the brakes, in spite of the
reserve action, in spite: Of. the lavish
use of the sand pipes and in spite of
the water brake OF the locomotive drive
wheels.
Some few years ago, when the opera
ton of the line was commenced, run
away accidents were of almost daily oc-
currence. The seven miles were within
brief period strewn with the wrecks
of cars and locomotives and, iron ore.
1.-THE most discorraging results attended
the persistent efforts to make the line
serve the purpose for which it was con-
structed. Day after day control over
the descending train would be lost some
defect would interfere with the working
of the steam brake; and even with the
brake in successful operation, the
train. would take a crazy notion and
go flying down the mountain sides,
along the Drinks of fearful precipices;
through the rock bound gullies, and
around the acute curves like bolt of
lightning. The train hands would
leap for life, and the locomo-
tive and cars would be dashed into frag-
ments. In all these accidents, how
ever, nobody Was hurt. Thousands of
sdolhrs' Worth of rolling stock. is said to
have been destroyed before a success
full system of operation was established.
Only very. few of the higher officials of
the Rio Grande realize how terrible
was the experience of these rides, and
it is told of two OF them who once sum-
med up sufficient curiosity and courage
to make the journey that they were so
frightened that they hung on to the
steps of the caboose, expecting every
moment to have to leap for life.
Finally extremely heavy locomotives
were built and force of exceptionally
brave trammen were secured. The latter
were instructed to cling to their post at
every hazard and to never finch in
the moment of danger. Not a serious
accident has been recorded Since.
Starting from the mine every brake is
manned, so that is case the steam
should fail the train could be checked.
While there have been several run
Always, in two years there has not been
a wreck. The sight of one of these
trains descending is one of thrilling in
terest, the sparks from the car wheels
cutting pathway of light down the
mountains, which can best be described
as having the appearance of a molten
stream of fire rolling down to the river
bed of the canyon.
In Switzerland there are grades as
steep as these; of the Calumet Branch,
but they are equipped for operation
II