The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-07-09

these crews; expense a secondary thing, al
though no one ever accused q railroad
management of not strictly regarding the
latter item on all occasions. If fire will
aid in the dispatch of the work the torch is
applied, for frequently it is more econom-
ical to destroy than to save, when all
things, time, labor. etc.. are taken into con-
sideration.
And, by the way, the work of wrecking
affords a rare opportunity for the exercise
of Judgment and executive ability, for fire.
quently there are in the crew only three or
four experienced men. And the "boss''
must use all his knowledge of levers and
pulleys and equalization Of strain. us we'll as
profit and loss. In the recent Mendoza &C
oident much of the difficulty was removed,
for the stone, wheels, etc., at the bottom OF
the steep embankment were 'out of sight,
as conceived the railroad workmen. And
ashes are easily removed. Still, after all
the work of fire and water, it was no small
matter to restore the roadway to Il safe con-
dition in a few hours, and it could not have
been done but for the skill acquired by
practice.
An illustration Of the nicely of these
mechanical operations was given a few days
since down in. the milling district, where
some box cars had strayed 80 far from the
path of rectitude that 4 side view exposed
all the mechanical ARRANGEMENTS of trucks,
brakes, etc., while the portions allotted to
| distinctive inscriptions and advertising
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angleworms. 1t vas a bad looking mess,
and due entirely to the effort Of one of the
oars to run up an e%mbankment at an angle
of As degrees. The others followed, and
they all upset together. The train stopped.
The active verb expressing inaction, Is
proper here, if ever. The engine was de-
tached to devote it energies to piling up
switching charges in another portion of the
yard, while the fallen cars We're loft to the
tender mercies of the wrecking crew. Soon
,,,t,1 ,D 20 tina NJ
two flat cars, n box car, and another long
fiat car fitted with two cranes. One of
the latter attached it's claws to a pair of
trucks which had been left one side by the
car in falling, and the men at the wlndlass
easily lifted it to the track. Then the crane
was attached to the draHhead of the car,
which was dragged along i'll an uncere-
monious manner by the engine and team
for about forty feet. The crew at the wlnl-
lass hoisted one end OF the twelve or thlr-
teen tons of car to a height sufficient to
permit the placing of a tie beneath Its cen
ter. The chains were then removed and
the car teetered on the tie, both ends fec
of tho ground. Chains were next placed
around one corner of the roof and the
windlass crew started to work again. The
car was slowly lifted. toward an upright
position, and rs it was about half way up
the engine was started slowly, to pull it
into place. But the chain Slipped OFF and
the car crashed back to the ground. with n
sound of splintering woodwork somewhere.
However, it held together. and next time
holes were chopped and the chain passed
inside the car frame. Then tho hosting
effort was a success, and the big box rolled
over to its proper position on the track.
Next it was balanced on the two chains and
ono end hoisted skyward until the already
recovered trucks could be placed under it's
center. After this it was let down until
again it balanced, and the other pair of
trucks were replaced into position by main
strength. The other end was again raised,
the center truck returned to it's proper
place and the oar hustled off to the shops
for some new boards and castings and u
coat of pnint.
1t was all Just rs simple IA making an
egg stand ON end, and Columbus was on
hand.