The state chronicle., 1893-04-09
THIS Is 1T.
The Never to Be Forgotten Switch Back
at the Fair Grounds.

The Never to Be Forgotten Switch Back
at the Fair Grounds.
We present our readers this morn
ing with an exact view Of the switch
back at the fair grounds which has
within the past week been the cause
of one of the most memorable chap
ters being written which was ever
recorded in the history Of this city.
This switch back was built at the
fair grounds just prior to the
Southern Inter State Exposition OF
1891, and has played an important
part in the amusements on the
grounds ever since it was con-
structed. 1t has always had fas
cination for the children especially.
DIMENSIONS OF THE SWITCH BACK.
The switch back is five hundred
feet in length, from one pavilion to
the other. and the floors Of the pa
vllions, or the starting and stop
ping points, are about twenty
feet from the ground. The starting
point is at the pavilion at this end
O. the two tracks, the one toward
the front entrance fair ground
gates, and the floor is reached by
stairway.
The cars are started out from
this pavilion always on the right
hand track, run the five hundred
feet over the undulating curves of
the track to the other pavilion, and
are then started back on the other
track, the momentum they gather
as they proceed brin ging them
back to the starting pavilion.
THE SPEED ATTAINABLE.
When the switchback was
built it was stated that it
was SO constructed upon the
principles of gravity as to give it a
speed which would carry it the
length Of one Of the tracks, five
hundred feet, in thirteen seconds,
or the round-trip Of one thousand
feet in twenty six seconds. A cal
culation upon a basis of $3.50 feet
to the mile will show that this is at
the rate of mile in fraction over
two minutes, or little less than
thirty miles an hour, which is very
fast railroad speed. This is the
average velocity. Some Of the time,
for instance near the starting and
stopping points, the cars go slower
than this, as they also 90 going ul
the grades. The down shoots are
therefore at greater rate Of speed
and at the swiftest point may attain
a velocity of forty or fifty miles pei
hour.
The two cars crashed into each
other last Tuesday morning at tha
point On the track where it was tht
lowest and where the highest We
locity and momentum had been st
tainsd, and the rate at which the,
were flying is fearful to contemplate
being equal to that ever attained il
any regular schedule of fast lin
tied railroad express trains.
, W WhLIE LIE COLLlelON CCCUERED-
In the accompanying illustrator
the point Of the collision is in plail
view. 1t is the lowest point in th
track toward the fountain in th
picture. The car seen on that trec
is in the proper place and running
in the right direction toward th
!. pavilion 81 this end. When it pre-
ceeeds little further it takes IL
!, most precipitous drop in the who,
!, track, darting into the depres
sion with fearful velocity and gath
, ering momentum enough to carry
: : up to the pavilion. 5It was in this d
= preston, with this terrific velocit,
that it net the other car, which ha
accidentally taken the wrong trac
Q and which came down the lon,
g sweepin 6 incline to meet it. Bot
$ driven by natures engines crashe
8 together as magnet flies to II
9 poll.
q Meeting as they did at this poin
u nothing but the lightness OF Il
9 cars, as we have before state
Q saved the fair young excusionis
9 from instant death, and the ca
q from being ground into splintere
{. pile OF wreckage. AS it was two
/ three feet of the end of one W,
crushed into kindling wood, Il
n seats all wrecked, and the twent
h four occupants were hurled hea,
If long in all directions, with the te
10 rible results heretofore described.
n The car en- the further track,
lr seen 10 the cut. is on it's prop
" track and going in the right dire
g ton. Instead Of taking that ira,
le on Tuesday last when it was startt
y out from the pavilion, it jumped
'r the switch and started down on Il
er track on this side in the pictul
'r meeting the other car as describe
a.