The morning times., 1896-05-31
RAREST OF
EXPERIMENTS
Two Railroad Trains Collide
at 60-mileS-an-hGur Speed.
BEFORE $4,000 PEOPLE
Pre-arranged Duel OF LocOmO-
tives of Sensational Nature.
Valuable Data Expected.

Y It las remained for the end OF the
Il nineteenth century to witness a de-
E liberaUcly premedItated railway col
III lision in which real engines rUsh at
each other like fiery monsters in
mortal combat in oruer that mechanical
experts may observe the outcome. The
knowledge Cleaned at the expense OF
wTeCking TWO locomotives and rolling stock
will be probably turned 10 account in
the future construction OF railroad equip
ncnt. II is the aim OF car builders 10
produce from their Stops rolling stock
that VIII not be smashed into kindini-
wood in railroad collisions. Several at
tenptS have already been made 10 turn
out cars OF this nature, but owing TO a
lack OF precise information on the nature
of the structural strength required to re-
sist le!cscopng ana the certain longitudinal
strains caused 10y COLLISIONS, success has
not been achieved. The experts with their
notebooks are never Oh hand when a COLI
sion takes place. This VIII be the first Op-
portunIty for them TO sit on a grand stand
armed with kOdaks and personally witness
q collision. which. were the cars filled with
people, would result in a terrible loss OF
life. Ia order that the Columbus Hook
ing Valley and Toledo Railroad may not
be out OF pocket by contributing this valu-
able and costly experiment to the science
OF rairoading, spectators are admitted TO
scene, and their fare will in a measure com
pensatc the company for the outlay. The
scene OF this unparalleled collision is the
the summer resort known as Buckeye Park.
situated among the picturesque hills of
Columbus. Ohio, and the appointed time is
Decoration Day. This is probably the most
realistic and expensive spectacle ever pro-
duceu for the amusement OF an American
audience. but ii is much more than that; it
isan experiment OF vitalinteresJ 10 railroad
men all over the country.
The arrangements Tor tie collision are
under the supervision of a l.. Streeter
OF the c. II. V. x L. Railroad ana W H.
Fisher OF the Hooking Valley road A
track one mile long has been built ex-
prcS>ly for the purpose OF the collision
which Is 10 take place as nearly as possi-
Ole immediately IN front of the park The
enSlues VIII toe gong at Il speed Of Irom
ioTty 10 sixty miles an hour. Each
locomotive will have attached train con-
sIsting of three coal cars aud ii Cs,Luose
IL seems almost needless To say that there
at the time of the collision. The engines
are 10 be started from the ground by cleo
trlciiY. apparatus having been specially
devised Tor pulling open the levers in each
cab gradually until both throttles are WIDE
open. The fires, of course, Will be fresh
and al their best when tie engines start
from their respective corners on the mile
track
TIE coal cars on one train are loaded.
so"ls 1" ascertain whether that will make
any aprrcCiahle difference in the result
OF the ''Smash-up." or course every DOS
sibe preoau,ion viii be taken to insure
the safety oi the spectators: yet there re-
Mains an element OF uncertainty as to
the result. until 1t is over Mr. Srreeter
and Mr- Fisher have desired TO carry out
this scheme for years, and one year ago
the former did arrange for such an exhi-
bltion at Canton. OHIO. But when the
day arrived for the collision 10 Ia ke place
though there were 10000 persons on hand
TO witness II. The crowd. instead OF ia wing !
Tor adnittance into the inCioSare. wherethe
spectacle was 10 be presented. broke down
the fences and got IN for nothing: where
upon Ia" management declared the show
off and reimbursed those who had paid for
their tickets.
The possibility OF such an event occurring |
again has bccn guarded agamSAthis time. |
and ID is announced positively that the col |
lsion viii take place. 1t is expected that |
at least 10000 persons viii he present |
The engines 10 be used in the collision are |
No. . and No. 81. and until recently have |
been carrying express trains on the Hook |
Ing Valley road. They have now been put |
Into iirSf-class shape for their Impending |
duel They Will be decorated with the flags |
Of ali nations, and every bit of braSswork |
Ghout them has been polished until it shines |
Ike mirror. They will be newly painted. |
ana VII 90 10 destruction looking as wcllas |
when they first came ont OF the shop.
II is not the purpose Of the mana cement
10 make light OF such serious calamities as |
railroad collisions by this exhibition. but |
10 secure photographs OF such cataStrophes |
not Oitalnablc in any other way and to |
lausfl the olt-cEpresSed wish Of railroad |
officials 10 witness such an occurrence in !
order 10 gain a better idea OF how best TO |
guard against collisions in general It is |
Thought tnat by this means n opportunity |
VIII br afforded for scientific dem0nstra- |
ton Of iGSt what does happen when two !
engines come head to head on
lbe engines bear the respective names /
OF a. L. Streeter and " r. Fisher. To
thoSe who have so often read Of and vet
hafo never seen collision, tie proposed
epeCiaoG Gl3r VIII he a novel treat indeed.
hiS subject was Thoroughly discussed.
rs an event for the Worlds Fair hut for
Fomc reason WAS never carried into exc
cution.
Besides Mr.. Fisher there viii be present
hli ihc officials OF the Columbus Hooking |
Valley and Toledo Railway Company: also
railroad officials from Springfield CIeve-
land. Cincinnati, Toledo, Ohio. and from
kt. Louis. Chicago, San Francisco, Buffalo
nd New York. have sirIified their in
icnlIon ofattending for She purpose OF max
ing notes Of The result. The collision is ad-
'ertlSed Ia take place at p. m