The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-19
ENGINE 1925 SUICIDE.
Pumped Air In n Runaway Down . Noun
tain Until She Blew Up.

Pumped Air In Runaway Down . Noun
tain Until She Blew Up.
From a, H,mpAn S1mitr
MI He-ry Alqu 81, q prominent railroad
man, who Is stopping at the Clarendon for
few days relates the story OF a curious wreck
the facts in which he will vouch for.
1T is such remarkable thing" said Mr. ADJUST
10 a reporter this morning that fear many
will be inclined to brand 1t as pipe l have been
railroading now for over twenty years and never
in all my varied experience have seen such a
unique and complete wreck as the one speak Of
that Of engine 1920 OF tho Rio Grande Western
Railroad men will tell you that locomotives seldom
explode nowadays, but 1929 did. and In q very
peculiar way.
AT the umo this wreck occurred I was holding
down tho Job Of train dispatcher at Soldier Sum.
nit Utah. and q tough old Job IL was Never
been there ! suppose! Well. Soldier Summit is
station on the top Of ono Of the Wasatch divides
A bleak and lonely place where tho Rio Grandc
Western has roundhouse and coal chute located
Al the summit are long snow sheds covering the
tracks These sheds protect the line from the
heavy SHOWS which fall continually there In the
winter. And II Is only due 10 this method that a
train ever gets over the mountain On both sides
OF the mountain The line winds down in a success
sion OF winding curves 10 lessen the grado Run.
hhk w hlo railway arc oWltCDoS which,
divergtng from the grade run up into the hills
and gradually come to a dead level These switch.
backs, as they are called arc so constructed that
thoy can be thrown from any point on the grade
And II train breaks In two while ascending the
steep grade, the track m be sw,cre on 10 one n,
back down the track can hc switched on 10 ono of
these spurs where Il finally stops after Il has run
up tho spur as far as tho momentum attained in
Its descent will take IT,
-Al heavy trains have an extra locomotive
before the grade Is tackled. These arc called
helper engines and arc kept In roundhouses At
each side Of tho mountain with steam up.
On, One night got word from Clear Creek. a
would be thirty minutes late on aecoun, Of hnrnr
out, Gu. her nues and had to be hauled to Grand june
That nigh about 10 o'clock, after had passed
down the Salt Lake express ! heard the freight
TSeTe Ms. up 'sn ssE S,Ads from Ccst Creek
howled around the station like the devil when
the overdue GAO pulled into the shelter OF the BIG
thing asked was Where's the dead engine,' "'''
"'Bchind the doghouso' shouted the con ::
about TO cali Ss ssaa lsed % e
when during hull In the storm We plainly heard
the familiar rattle Of the rails as the runaway
No 1920 had broken loose and was tearing down
the grade TO destruction
i Iuupou anu pullcI TIC levof which Opened
the spur switches This knew would prevent
smashup, as the engine would run up on the
switch-back and come To a stop. But / WAS loo
late. Almost at the same instant threw The
lever terrific explosion was heard from far down
the mountain. The runaway had OK piodcd." Wv"
Il thought you said a moment ago, Mr. ADJUST
interrupted the Scimiiar man. that the locomotive
was dead one II she had no Are under her
boiler, how could she exploie?"
THAT was the only thing couldn't under.
stand myself" the railroad man replied. 81 could
easily see how the dead engine could break loose
on that grade, and could understand not hearing
It's descent during such a bowling blizzard, hut
the explosion toored me The only theory which
In any way solved the mystery was that the old
kettle was blown up by compressed ART You see
when the engine broke loose from the freight and
started down the mountain the pisons In The cyl.
inders began to act as air compressors During
the rough trip up her throttle probably Jared
open and as the speed increased with every revo,
luton Of her drivers. her boiler soon filled with
compressed air II was not long before those
flying pistons had worked up a pressure OF nearly
300 pounds 10 the square inch, which came In
faster than II could escape by the safety valve,
her boiler let GO