The National tribune., 1900-01-25

threes. and if by some Inflated chance The
number of three is exceeded no train man
will feel entil ely at ease until three times
three casualties have occurred. This be-
lief is not confined to roadmen. Recently
a series of accidents succeeded each other
md the press abused the railroad manage
ment so heartily that the General Manager
wrote out a defense for the company. In
his article he stated that accidents al times
seemed to move in cycles.
The papers ridiculed him. and made fun
of his 'cycles;;" but the General Manager
was right: the accidents do occur in cycles,
and when once started prevail like an cpl
demic.
"HOODOO" ENGINE.
An engine with "hoodoo" is another
belief of enginemen. For example. ] cite
the 1880, which had bad luck in Ari-
zona rolled down the bank in the Sierras.
and had fearful collision on the Coast Dl-
vision, in which the engineer was killed and
the fireman badly hurt.
The engine was rebuilt and sent to
another division. Almost the fist trip
she went intoth ditch and was badly wreck
ed. The men on her were also hurt. In the
accident to this engine on the Coast Di-
vision occurred one Of those marvellous
escapes from death which confirm the raIl
roader in his belief that he won't go until
his time comes" The train was a heavy
freight andwas running fast. taking run
for the hill. when. through the darkness and
fog of the night, four heavily loaded fiat
cars that had escaped from siding loomed
ND under the headlight. The crash came
before the engineer could even close his
throttle. The engine went into a cattle
guard, and rolled over on its side; the tender
went over the engine, and the cars piled
up on the wreck, mass of wheels and
broken timbers over 40 feet high. The
engineer was instantly killed.
The fireman was busy at his work, sing
ing "Just Tell Them That You Saw Me-
when the crash came. He was sent flying
out through the shattered cab into that
mass of crashing car timbers and car wheels.
The second car from the engine was loaded
with wool: this car burst open, and the wool
bales, leaping out, caught the fireman,
wrapped him up, and built breastwork
all around him. over which the wreckage
piled high 1t was midnight when the
accident happened, and it was long after
daylight before the wrecking crew found
the fireman He was inscnsble; his skull
broken and crushed. and his right arm
broken in six places, his collar bone broken.
and other injuries. Under restorativeS he
revived for moment. and began to sing
he relapsed INTO unconsciouSness, and re
mained that way for As hours.
The doctors set his broken bones. raised
the broken skull from the brain. took ont
some pieces of bone. and Sewed the lObeS
of the brain together. In this last opera
fion they used newly-discovered sui
stance that dissolved itself in the brain
as the wound healed.
On the third day the patient regaincd
his senses. but he was stone blind. The
physicians made an inciSion in his fore
head. and found that the optic nerves
were crossed. They Strengthened them
out, and his sight came lack. From that
time his recovery was rapid. The doctors
made good job on his arm. and it became
nearly as good as ever. In three months
lie was at work again. He was soon
promoted, did well. and is now full paid
engineer on the main line.
The breaking of siGe-rods was once a
fearful source of danger. These rods
ALWAYS break while running at Il high rate
fails, will literally thrash the engine TO
pieces if quick stop is not made. When
one rod breaks the one on the other side
generally follows suit. To escape from
the gangway is impossible, and the cab
is a mass of flying splinters, broken pipes,
and scalding steam and water Some
wears ago. when President Cleveland was
taking tour in the West. n side-rod broke
on the engine of his special train, and the
engineer was knocked SenSeleSS by the
flying debris. and fell upon the deck. The
fireman, at the risk of his life, closed the
throttle, put on the air-brakes, and dragged
the engineer back into the coal space. His
courageous action saved the Presidential
train, but ] never heard that the slightest
recognition from either Presidential party
DR. railroad officials was ever accorded 10
him.