Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-12-11
BLOCKADE OF THIRD SOUTH
Incident which II Hat One OF May
similar which Occur az the
Grade Crossings.

well known railroad man has said
THE accident was due 10 a strange
combination Of circumstances which
may not occur again for 1000 years.
Every accident has It's peculiariiies and
no two are alike. Men are often moth
ing but machines and when called upon
to do something TO which they have
not been accustomed, they make miser-
able failures. The rear brakeman of the
narrow gauge approaching Salida on
the day Of the accident was not accus-
toned TO the responsibility Of guarding
against a rear end collision as he had
been on a train which ordinarily was
safe from such an accident. He was
In the habit OF doing at 6 O'Clock In
the morning, and II is to be presumed
that he dozed as usual.
The rear brakeman on the standard
gauge train, which was approaching,
was In the habit OF being prepared. and
he would probably have saved his
train from an accident under circum-
stances whore the other man failed. II
Is no fault Of railway when an accl-
dent occurs under those circumstances
IL is impossible for a railway 10 be pre-
pared for every possible contingency
and so long as railroads are operated
by human agency accidents VIII take
place.
Another new order just placed into
service on the Rio Grande developed a
strange fact yesterday. says the Dem
Yer News OF sunday and some Of the
employees think hoodoo has taken up
his residence down near Howard, where
the big wreck occurred last week. The
new order compels employees TO report
engine failures by telegraph TO the gem
eral superintendent Since the great
rush Of freight traffic began the engines
have been overwoTked as well as the
crews. Almost every day a locomotive
has been reported dead somewhere on
the road, and the causes varied from
breakdowns to incapaclty TO steam on
account Of poor coal, But yesterdays
report had very unusual circum-
stance. An engine started east from
Sallda without train with orders to
run 20 Canyon City to help another crew
through the canyon. While bowling
along the engineer found that an accu-
mutation OF mud and slime In his boiler
was likely to give him trouble, so he
turned on the blow-on valve to get rid
Of the sediment. When he had turned
out few barrels " yellow steam and
water he tried TO close the valve and
found that It had stuck The engine
quietly died and stopped almost on the
very spot where the cinders Of the
wreck were still smoking The fire.
man and engineer started out In oppo-
site directions to flag approaching
trains as well as reach a telegraph sta
ton and call for help. An hour or two
later yard engine was sent out from
Salida and the dead engine tOwed in.
And the peculiar circumstance accord
ing 20 one OF the yardmen, is that as
soon as the helpless machine was drawn
from the hoodoo Influence the blow-od
valve was released and no difficulty was
found In closing II.
But that was not the end OF the story
by any means. The boiler was filed
with water in the Salida yards and
new FIRE started, and after steam had
been raised the engine was given clear
ance and again started east, II got just
as far as the fatal spot again when a
valve yoke blew off and the boiler was
again emptied of water and steam and
the engine was dead machine block
ing the right Of way. This time the
thing was more serious, for two Of the
regular passenger trains were tied up
and delayed while waiting for the
corpse to be pulled out Of the way.
Another new order relates TO the han
ding OF cars containing explosives by
yardmen. In the future switching
crews viii carefully place such cars
where they belong and will not kick
them along the tracks, under penalty
OF instant dismissal The wrekcing OF
a car OF dynamite in the Denver yards
a week ago is responsible for this order
Superintendent Burns has also issued
another warning for all train crews TO
see that trains are well equipped with
lanterns. flags, torpedoes aud fusees.
The wreck near sallda inspired the or
der.
The smash-up at Cuchara Junction,
November 20, between two extra en-
gnes, has been productive Of three dis
mlssals from the Rio Grande service.
Fred $. Harris assistant superintend-
ent, has issued a bulletin Intended as
a species OF warning 10 all train crews
who have been inclined to carelessness.
Extra ga backed into Extra 526 The
report says that the speed was excess
sive: that the crew showed poor judy
ment In not making the run with the
engine headed north when there was
a wye at both starting point and the
destination; and that they showed lack
OF care and thus inattentlon, and failure
10 realize the responsibility imposed in
the interests Of the company. The con-
ductor, brakeman and engineer have
been LET out.