Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-31
From the Colorado Springs Telegraph.

holder or the size Oh q dSoihot q
rock-ribbed tunnel over the side of a
precipice over which no one could go ana
live IL Is even little more strenuous put
this is the feat that Engineer Frank watts
and Fireman James Brandebery performed
at ) o'clock last Monday morning. ana poth
men are still alive to tell the tale.
The fact that the air brakes would not
stop the train dawned upon Engineer Watts
soon after crossing the safety switch below
Cascade. AS is we'll known to persons
familiar with the operations or this ROAD
every train that comes down Ute pass, re-
gardless of how late 1t may be, stops at
Cascade for inspection. The running gear
of the train is inspected the brakes are
examined and tested. and four diHerent men
have to sign book that says the train is
in shape to make the descent of the pass
safely before the engineer is allowed TO pun
the throttle to start his machine on its
downward journey.
Safeguard Against Runaways.
As a further safeguard against runaways
the company has a safety switch built on
the side OF the mountain about a hall mile
below Cascade, and before any train can
have the main line to make the descent
the engineer must whistle for the track
when Uncle Jimmy" Taggart. one OF the
best-known characters of the mountain
around this vicinity, turns the switch ana
opens the main line. If the engineer fails
TO whistle for this switch his train runs up
the side of the mountain and see-sa"s
back and forth on the SWltch ana the HALL
track until Ii comes TO stop III the poe'o"
of the sag.
Freight No 40 last Monday evening passed
inspection at Cascade and secured the main
track at the safety switch. 1t was not long
thereafter, however. that Engineer WAITS,
in recharging his air brakes. made the hair
raising discovery that his train was beyond
his control His brakes were not OF suth-
Client power to withstand the powerful
weight of his sixteen cars of gold ore and
lead and silver bullion, and there was no
reasonable expectation that the train would
remain on the tracks through the first tunnel
of the eight that lay between him and level
track If 1t should by any miracle pass
the first tunnel. the next curve-and there
We're curves everywhere down that stretch
of track-would probably prectpitate the
train over the side of the embankment TO
destruction.
Fireman Brandebery, as he tells the story
now SAYS: 1.-The train was inspected at
Cascade by the regular inspectors and
everything appeared to be in perfect trim.
The last safety switch was passed with
the train under perfect control, stealing
slowly and safely down the mountain SIDE.
1t ran as usual until we had covered about
three-fourths of mile, when the engineer
thought he'd better recharge his air brakes
There is a certain amount of loss of air in
running the train, and 1t is necessary from
time to time to recharge the brakes.
IF this Is not done the brakes will lose
their grip on the wheels This recharging
process requires nearly three minutes, and.
with the terrible weight of the train We
we're bringing down this time, gave US
terrific Impetus When the brakes had
been recharged the engineer applied them,
but there seemed to be little effect. He ap-
piled them again and again, but 1t was or
no perceptible effect whatever You may
imagine that we were feeling mighty I'M
comfortable just then. and we had TO de-
eide pretty quick what we were going to do.
We simply sized up the situation as best we
might and decided that we had a chance
only by jumping from the cab. and small
chance at that, and that the rest OF the
boys on the train had only the same chance
that we had. When We made up our minds
to make the leap we stayed with her for
three-quarters of a mile and knew that she
was wild and that every second lessened
our chances. Watts made the leap ahead
of me. When he jumped we were on
straight stretch OF track and he was fortu-
nate enough to strike the ground on a
gravel slide. He went at least twenty-five
feet fiat on his stomach, and 1 thought
still less of my own chances when he had
made the leap. l think it was about twenty
seconds later that l followed him. l hit
bank of disintegrated granite on the upper
side of the track. 1 rolled over and over
for about thirty feet, and how my head
kept in connection with my body Is some
thing / will never krow. 1 realized that 1
was rolling farther down the embankment
all the time and that If didn't stop / was
going under the wheels OF the train sure.
/ graSped and reached for something to
stop me, but caught nothing. When 1 real
lied that had stopped sliding and rolling
my head was swimming and everything
was black as night before me-.
After the Jump.
81 couldn't tell until after the whole train
had passed whether 1 had been ground up
beneath 1t or not. but knew that was not
dead. In few seconds, although they
Seemed hours. / realized that the train had
gone, and j sat up. There was Watts about
sixty feet behind me. also sitting up and
looking al me. 1 don't think l cried, but 1t
was not because 1 didn't want to. In
moment We remembered that the engine
that had helped US down from Leadville
was following. and we tagged 1t. From
that point down to Manitou We made a
slow run. expecting to find the train piled
up in some of the canyons along the way
and to have to carry the remains of the
rest of the boys down to Colorado City
with us. We were forty-five minutes max
ing the run to Colorado City Our surprise
at finding that there had been no one hurt
in the wreck that found there was
equaled only by our surprise at being alive
ourselves.
IAN investigation was held last Tuesday at
the office of the superintendent al Colorado
City. Those present were the crew of the
wrecked train, the superintendent of the
motive power. the travelling engineer. the
airbrake expert and the general superin-
tendent. The main reason for the cause of
the wreck brought out in the investigation
was that the train was composed of so
An explanation of this is that the braking
power of the foreign cars is only from 40 to
90 per cent. and that of the home cars is
from 20 to 30 per cent. the difference being
due to the fact that foreign cars. as a rule
have comparatively level roadbeds to travel
over, while the home cars are adapted to
the steep and curving tracks OF the noun
tain sides. When the foreign cars are
placed on the mountain roads and loaded
heavily. and the airbrakes being about 40
per cent of the weight of the cars they
cannot be applied with nearly the force OF
those of the mountain cars. whose braking
power is about so per cent of the weight.
This train was composed mostly of for
elgn cars. We have descended the same
mountains over the same roadbed with Just
as many cars as we had Monday morning
Out never with so many foreign cars. The
road had been very careful not to have too
many cars of low braking power on the
same train, but they will be much more
Careful now that the accident has occurred"
Grounds for His Belief.
From he Chtcago NOV