Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-07-24
HARMLESS ACCIDENTS
WHICH ARE NOTABLY INTERESTING
TO RAILROAD PATRONS.

Narrow Escapes and Unaccountahle Mis-
haps Never Before Eeportee-Lost Driv-
ing wheels-Wrecked Locomotiye-A
switchman's Mistake.
Curious accidents happen on railroads.
Because they are not attended with loss OF
LIE the public never hears OF them, and yet
thew ara so strange that most people VIII be
inclined to believe they never happened or
could happen
Some time last summer one Of these hap
pened on the Rock Island road within lOo
miles Of Chicago. 4 passenger tram was
running a: full speed across rather level
piece of country. The train was probably
making sixty miles an hour when, without
any premorition whatever, all four OF the
driving wheels suddenly left the engine and
went spinning of across the fences into the
adjoining fields. Why they did it nobody
knows to the present day; but they did 1t,
and the strangest pert Of it all Is that nobody
was hurt, and but little damage was done to
the road or the train OF course the train
was brought to O rather sudden standstIA
Being left without its main support, the en-
CINE dropped down until the frebox scraped
along On the ties aud rails for q short dis
lance but it was so well held up by the pilot
wheels, and the strong couplings OF the
tender that it did 10 serious damage, and not
wheel. except those that went spinning on
across the fields like SO many school boys
hoops. left the tracks. OF course the train
was DELAYED until word could be sent 70 the
nearest station and another engine secured,
but that was the only Inconvenience that
ANYBODY suffered from this very strange
happening.
4 WRECKED LOCOMOTIVE
Something over year ago passenger
train on the Northwestern road was pulling
I'D toward station IN northern Wisconsin
town The bagyageman and ons OF the otner
trainmsn were standing IN the door OF the
baggage car looking out, as such men often
do, at q village as they pass throuGhIt. Just
before they reached the station they were
surprised TO see alongside OF the track
wrecked locomotive. Ii had been gong N
tie same direction they were going, and they
saw at once the wreck had been very recent
It was not. however. until they pulled up at
the station that they discovered the engine
was the one that had been pulling their own
train 1t seems it had exploded, jumped the
track and fallen in the ditch a complete
wreck, without disturbing the remainder OF
the train, and It all happened 50 silently that
the engine, they had not heard the explosion
or the crash it made when IL LIT the track
very strange accident occurred on the
Cbesapeake and Ohio road. Tho train was
mining down grade at a rapid rate OF speed
in the West Virginia coal district, when it
plunged into q mass OF soft earth and rocks
that had fallen down the mountain eide on
to the track. Tho concu ssioa, while not SO
-fy.ia RI lOH0T1C-
tive from the rails, and it rolled over into
the river. The rebound snapped the pin con-
Meeting tho tender and tie baggage car, and
the former shot forward, Jumped clear over
the debris, landed safely on the rails, and was
found at the foot Of the grade, three miles
from the wrecked engine The automatic
brakes held the remainder Of the train, not
q wheel of which left the track. Another
engine was telegraphed for, and the train
went into Louisville on time. None OF the
passengers was any the wiser for their mirac-
ulous escape The engineer and fireman went
down with the engine, and both swan ashore.
Barring littlo shaking up and cold bath,
they were mono the worse for their nights
adventure, and proceeded westward with the
train
Pres;.a Strong, Of the Atchison, Topeka
, and Santa Fa railroad, had close call once
on the Atlantic and Pacific railroad He
was en- route 20 San Francisco and was traV-
cling in O private car. A small single span
deck bridge had burned out during the night,
leaving the rails suspended They were
ptnionad at either end by the ordinary bolts
and solce bars. and the heat had warped
them until they resenbled the phonetic
alphabet in shape. The train was running
in the neighborhood OF mile minute when
it struck the warped rails, and heaven only
knows what held it up, but they passed over
all right, with only slight damage to the
car. Probably the terrific rate of speed a,
.. which the train was dying saved the lives OF
al on board
TWO NARROW ESCAPES.
Two very narrow escapes from smash uI
have recently happened to the limited train;
running east from Chicago, and both oc
Cured not very long ago. The first happened
within the first 100 miles out from this city
to the train going east. It was TO meet g
freight at long siding cut on prairie, mid
way between stations. The freight ran intC
the siding IN ample time to be out OF the way
of the fyins Limited" and one Of the brake
men got of and went forward to the switch
to be ready to open it as soon as the trair
!, had gone by. He was very tired and sleepy
from sorle cause, and sat down On tht
, switch beam, and almost Immediately fee
, asleep He was almost as quickly awak
/, ened by the laundering Of the approaching
train. Why he did it he does not know
, to this day, but in his confusion b.
reached for the switch and turned it
Both engineers had their eyes fixed on tn,
, switch as thelr custom Is, and both in an IN
!. slant saw the danger that threatened them
The one on the flying limited quickly re
verr>d his engine and set his brakes, whil
the are on the fre;ght turned on fun hea6
: OF ssezm to force his train backward TIT
{ brakeman also saw the danger as quickly a
5 thsy did, but not quickly enough 10 correc
hi, terrible mistake, and he had only time Il
5 juap to one side, 10 fall rather thai
: SC. amtle out Of the way, when the passenge
: D ssed the switch and turned into the SIDING
/ f,ll on the freight When the switcamal
! recovered he found that the two engines hat
/ gone together, but with force enough 70 onl.
{ slightly damage their pilots Ore of sbs en-
: gineers had jumped from his train ate
/ doing aIl he could to save it, and was slghtl.
/ Injured, bu. was able TO take his position L
{ the cab and proceed on his journey. tn
I passengers probably do not know 70 this ia.
Y why the tain was stopped 50 suddenly.
: The other narrow escape also occurred o.
[ one Of the eastern roads, and not much fur
d ther away from Chicago. Il happsned on
fcggy night when the fog was so thick tia
engineers could scarcely see that .helr On
gines carried headlights. The fast tTa-l
: from the east -as ordered 70 make It's oes
" time 70 a certain station. where Is woul
meat a,orhsr train from the west. which wa