New-York tribune., 1900-07-01
WELDING THE RAILS.
SAND BLAST NO. 7 AND ITS MIGHTY TASK
IN TwENTY-THIRD-sT.

SAND BLAST NO AND ITS MIGHTY TASK
IN TwENTY-THIRD-s
Many late passengers on the streetcars have
had their curiosity aroused by a wagonsmarked
Sand Blast No T." which has been working all
the way down Lexington-ave from One-hun-
dred-and- -fourth-st.. and last week
Twenty third-st The sand blast is part Of the
equipment of the Falk Company. Of Milwaukee.
who are welding the rails of the Metropolitan
Street Railway Company, to make prao-
tically continuous track of their line.
Every night when the traffic gets light and the
run on a longer headway, the Falk Com
pany's men start to work, continuing until
o'clock They excavate for about eighteen inches
each way at the joints of the rails, and about
four inches beneath the rails and take off the
fishplates. Then the sand blast comes along to
clean off the rust
The sand blast consists of a gasolene engine
on heavy bodied wagon, drawn by two horses
The engine congresses air in a horizontal drum
and a wirebound hose leads from the drum to
the upright tank containing dry river sand.
From the sand tank there is led another hose
about twenty feet long. terminating IN a nozzle
with half-inch opening The sand is forced
out Of this nozzle at pressure of one hundred
and fifty to two hundred pounds and cuts the
rust away sharply and cleanly. The nozzle is
guided by q who looks not unlike a diver
in his heavy moleskin overalls and stiff round
hat, with the leather apron attached to the brim
and hanging down over his face and neck like
divers helmet
The sand blast travels slowly along the street
stopping just beyond each joint Of the rails, and
the rust is cut away by the light of torches.
While going from joint to the next the
blast is not cut off. but the man pushes his
helmet back for breath Of air and points the
nozzle up and the sand descends in q fine, sharp
shower on the bystandeTs. One Of the negroes
working about the blast told a spectator who
had drawn him into conversation that while
working in Washington they We're in front of
the Chinese Legation one night, AN one o. dem
Chinamuns fun de implication cum mighty
nigh gfttin' his eye put out by de san count O.
gittin' too curious"
AT l o'clock the cupola comes out and the
street takes on the appearance of big open air
foundry A gang or men goes up the street
| ahead Of the cupola. setting iron moulds about
the joints Of the rails, and the cupOa, drawn by
three big grays, travels slowly behind, filling the
mOulds with molten iron
The cupola is swung in the centre OF an iron
framework and a platform at the back carries
a donkey engine which rms the hIowar An
other platform in front is piled up with pig iron
which the cupOla tender throws in at the top
from time TO time. The cupOla holds two tons
of iron. and is filled four times each night.
The two-handled ladies' with three men to
each ladle, two in front and one behind, are
kept busy pouring the iron into the moulds
The scene IS animated, weird and fascinating
Three negroes come swinging along the street
with a ladle and slide IT under the cupOla spout
with Turn er loose, man." The cupOla tender
knocks out the tamp and the liquid iron pours
out into the ladle, lighting up the shiny black
faces Of the negroes and the eagerly curious
faces Of the bystanders Sparks fly. and the
watchers duck and dodge While the callous
Workmen merely close their eyes, If they do
that. The old One-armed engineer fuses with
his engine. some UP the street shouts
Hurry up with that irOnl" the tender chokes
the stream with clay tamp. and the negroes
pick up the ladle with its 100 pounds Of stopping
Watch dem hosses," What make you lif' you
laig? Mus a stepped sumpin hot"
Toward SiXth-aVe. are little groups or men
working by the light Of smoky torches. their
hammers ringing the rails as they straghten
them into line where they have been bent in
to fill up the joints; nearer the sweating LADDERS
are pouring iron into the moulds; toward Lex
ingtOn-aye are the open holes where the moulds
have filled, and after the iron has set, have
been taken away, leaving l5-inch iron jacket
omen at the top, around the rail joints There
is a long line Of holes, and around each stands
a knot of curious spectators. Smoke from the
holes lighted by the red glow Of the hot iron,
curls around their peering faces and pointing
hands Near by is the cupola, with the names
Ieaping from the top and man on the pat
form pitching iron into the furnace. His head
and arms appear for instant from the
shadow something black goes into the names
and he disappears again like form eVolved
from the smoke. 1t is like scene from fairy
tale with gnornes and goblins witches and
work in the morning and seeing the heavy drays
passing over the esen streets and the cars tIdV-
elling regularly along the route, would doupLleSS
be disposed to unbelief and scOffng If you sug-
gested to them that Twenty -thlru-st. had Deeh
the stage for fairy drama the night before.