Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1891-11-26
What the operator had intended to say

Tho reply was that it had Just pulled
out. About two miles from the junction
there Is sharp curve in the road, and
Immediately beyond this a bridge, which
crosses deep river The trains met on
this bridge with scarcely a moments
warning. There was terrific crash, and
the two trains, mass of twisted iron
and splnters, topped over into the wa
ter. There were some 800 passengers on
board the two trains, but not one was
saved. The operator knew what the in
evitable result of his error would be
while yet the two trains with their hu-
man freight, unconscious Of the fate
which awaited them, were rushing on
to their destruction. The effect of this
upon his mind was SO great that ere the
accident had happened he rushed from
his offico and was not found until the
following day, and then with his mind
permanently derangcd. This calamity
was due to the simple error of one word,
and goes to show how great conse-
quences may follow little acts of negli-
gence or inattention.
Another collision worthy of mention
took place on the Batavia branch of the
New York Central and Hudson River
Road. At the time it occurred there
had been some very heavy snowstorms,
and the line between Batavia and
Canandaigua was blocked in several
places. An engine came up from Can
andaigua,. got very near Batavia and
was in drift The engine was pushing
snow-plow, constructed something
like an inclined apron, extending fifteen
feet or thereabout from the front end
Of the engine, and was attached to work
train, with men to go east to help open
the road 1t got short distance from
Batavia station and was working
through the drift when a train from the
opposite direction met it and the engine
ran UP on the Snow pillow, The plow be-
ing very strong sustained the weight,
and the engine continued to move for
ward until it mounted fairly on the top
OF the other This accident also oc-
Cured through the agent installing his
orders over the wire from the neXt'sta-
ton.
The telescoping of coaches which in
variably follows serious collisions be-
tween passenger trains, may also be
| classed as one of the remarkable results
| in railroad accidents. Often passenger
| coach will become almost completely in
cased by the one next to it, while the re-
| mainder Of the train is comparatively
| but little injured.
! The derailments of trains are occa-
! stoned by variety of causes. among
| which is the open switch, the spreading
or the warping of the rails and by OBJ
| structions that may be accidentally or
purposely placed upon the rails. OF
| these the former is by far the commonest
| cause, but as an open switch is invariably
| indicated by signal Of some kind, such
| as the ann Of a semaphore by day and a
red light by night, the casualty is fire.
| quently traced to the negligence OF the
| engineer.
! Next to the air brakes in preventing
accidents a proper understanding and
prompt service of signaling is considered
as the most important. Signaling by
! torpedoes, already referred to, is both
effectual and simple in many cases, but
| it is with the manipulation of coored
| flags and lights that trainmen must make
themselves familiar in order to secure
the proper protection of life and prop
| erty. The following code of signals will
not be without interest:
| A green flag displayed at o station by
| day or green light at night tells the
engineer that orders are awaiting him
and he must bring his train to q stop.
Special trains carry two green flags
| by day or two green lights by night on
the front of The engine.
A red flag or red light or the explosion
i of torpedo denotes danger ahead If,
however, such a signal is placed Just
/ outside the rails it denotes that the track
| is out of order and speed must be re-
| ducea to six miles ar hour, but if placed
within the rails it shows that the track
| is impossible AMI the train must be
| brought to stop.
| Two red signals on an engine show
| that another train is following and has
| the same rights as the train carrying
| the signal, but if the signals be white
| instead of red it shows that the train
| following will keep ten minutes behind
all regular passenger or freight trains.
One sound of the locomotive whistle
tells the brakemen to apply the brakes;
two sounds to let them go again; three
sounds is the signal to back the train;
four sounds call in the flagman who
has been sent out to warn approaching
trains: and five sounds is warning to
men on top of freight cars that the train
is approaching covered bridge or tun-
mel.
When train is approaching a road
crossing the engines gives one long and
two short sounds, while succession of
short sounds of the whistle is a signal Of
danger.
A light swung over the head is sig
nal to go ahead, when swung across or
at right angles with the track is sig
nal to back up, and when moved up and
down is signal to stop.
With all these details to bear in mind,
with the many other duties devolvfng
upon the men in whose hands the safety
of trains and human life is placed, it is
indeed marvel that accidents are not
of more frequent occurrence and the sac
rifice of life greater.
Set Back.
The misplacing Of single letter