The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-04-06
PROVED HIS THEORY
AN ENGINEERS STORY OF HIS BROKEN
RAIL EXPERIENCE.

He Was Taught a Lesson In One
Wreck, md When the Same Condi-
tions Confronted Him Second
Time He Pulled Through All Right.
"Carefulness," said an old locomotive
engineer, sis the watchword of railroad
men, but there are occasions when
prompt action in crises results disastrous
". In the early fifties was running a
passenger engine on line that is now
n part of the Boston and Maine system.
The advantage of being watchful was
made apparent to me several times while
1 was in the freight service, and l had
accustomed myself to be ready at all
times for any emergency that might arise.
In those days we did not have heavy
steel rails, rock ballast and the other
modern improvements that make railway
travel so safe and comfortable now. One
of the greatest sources of danger was
the comparatively light iron rails. In
extremely cold weather broken rails were
not uncommon, and many bad wrecks
were caused by them.
Zone night in January, 1865, I was
hauling the Montreal express from Con-
cord, n. H., to White River Junction. 1t
was very cold, and there had been con-
siderable snow, but the road had been
kept open with plows, and there was no
difficulty in making time on my division.
had left Concord 25 minutes late and
was doing my best to make it up. Near
Canaan we passed over the summit of
the ridge that divided the upper two
thirds of the road into two slopes, each
o. them having at its steepest part 4
s ade OF about 60 feet to the mile. Once
s-erted On the down grade we made up
tue rar;,ily. We were running probably
T. niles an hour-good time for those
days-whCn there was jar and grind,
and my side of the engine sagged for an
instant. | knew instinctively what the
matter was, and l reversed my engine.
Ny hand had scarcely grasped the lever
when, after succession of crashing
blows, the grinding ceased, and the en-,
CINE righted itself | could not stay my
arm, however, and the engine was in the
back motion when the tender stopped
jumping. Then, as I looked back, saw
the rear end of the baggage car leap out
from the track and strike the bank on my
side of the road.
Every car left the track. The rear
end of the baggage car turning in toward
the bank forced the one following it out,
and two cars were thrown down the en-
bankment, which was about % feet high.
-Four persons were killed outright, and
many were badly injured. The indica-
lions We're that there had been q fracture
Of the rail, and the shock and weight on
the unsupported ends when the forward
wheels of my engine reached them
caused short sections to break off, max
ing gap of perhaps four feet The in
tense cold had taken the temper out OF
tie iron and made it extremely brittle.
"When | studied the positions Of the
cars after they stopped and the general
features of the accident, an idea came tc
mic, and it was with considerable appre-
hension that l made my report to the otli'
GERS Of the road. Much to my surprise
however, | was commended for stopping
my engine so promptly. My own opinion
as to stopping my train quickly was that
/ had caused the wreck and the conse.
quent casualties, and resolved that if
ever struck q broken rail on q straight
track again l would not reverse my Ell
gine. / had before ME the fact that my
engine, its tender and the front wheels OF
the baggage car had passed over the
break without being diverted from the
straight line in which they were moving
1t was after the front wheels and before
the rear wheels of the baggage car had
passed over the break that the effect OF
reversing the engine was exercised. My
theory was that the jar from the back
pressure of the engine had caused the
cars to sway, or, as l believe it is ex
planned scientifically, to seek relief from
pressure in the direction of the least re-
sistance, so that in the case Of my train
the pressure made the rear end of the
baggage car and the front end of the
next car swing in toward the bank, with
the result that the wheels, when freed
from the rail at the break, were forced
TO one side and did not remount the rail
again at the end OF the break, as those on
the forward part of the train had done
The front end of the second car plungina
against the bank and the additional
shock caused by its leaving the rails
forced the rear end Of it out toward the
opposite side. That and the momentum
of the remaining cars tore the outside
rail out, and the rear cars, meeting nc
further resistance, went down over the
hill.
Il was firmly convinced that had | not
reduced the speed of my engine and thus
damned the cars together, or, in other
words, have kept my train stretched, all
TIE cars would have crossed the break
and remounted the rail as the engine had
done.
Several months later, near the same
place, after rounding n curve leading to a
&--@tch of straight track, my fireman.
va wGa able TO see ahead. noticed IL sec
Il : of rail out and called across the cal
To- me. y moment later, rs we struck
TIL tangent, | saw it myself, and, re
strainin;; the natural inclination to re-
verse. merely pulled the throttle wide
open. Ny fireman was so thoroughly
amazed and frightened that he chung to
his seat, while | bracpd myself against
the side OF the cab. Then there came a
mighty clattcr and racket. and for an in
slant thought we were gone, but felt
that ! had done the best thing ! could
do, whatever happened. We weren't
gone, though. Every wheel of the engine
went over the break. | couldn't see the
cars for the dust. but | knew they were
safe, because there was no backward pull
or jar. My engine needed new springs
before she could run again. and there
was mighty little glass left in the cars.
when ! told the master mechanic
what ! had done, he said my theory was
correct, but added:
at would have been all up with YOU
nevertheless, if it hadn't worked right
Somebody would have known that YOU
ran into the break at full speed in broad
daylight. and your railroading would
have ended right there
Il believe my theory is accepted every
where now. The bicycle is Il good exam
pie Of it. AS long rs you drive it ahead
its tendency is to stand erect and move
forward in Il straight liur, but if you let
it lag it is bound to wabblr. New York
Commercial Advertiser.
When n man. thinking to deceive his
wife, drceives himself instead. it is not
necessarily any sign that he and his wife
are on".-DetrOit Journal.
FOR every son born into the family of :,
turkish subject military tax amounting
to about 81 year for each person has to