The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-12-27
ODD "HcLD-UP /"
Wild Animals Are . Success II Up
setting Time Tables.

With the human 'holder-up' of trains
we in this country arc fortunately not
familiar, but most railway men of OK
perience can tell tales of traffic stopped
by beasts. birds and even fishes. The
first is, naturally, the most common;
for, spite OF the warning OF George
Stephenson respecting the COO" which
has become proverbial formers and
others cannot always prevent their
livestock from 5traymg on the line.
One such case may serve as an ey-
ample. it occurred IN Forfarshire,
where train ran into 1Z0 sheep, killing
eleven and inJuring others before IL
could De pulled up. AS a result this
stoppage cost the railway company
besides the expenses Of Hugation-over
= pounds. Birds have been known TO
stop trains by becoming iammed in sig
mailing apparatus, especially at uiEnt,
when they fly for the lights.
There was a curious case some years
ago in the Fen country, where a Wild
swan was the means OF holding M"
traffic by becoming ent3ngied with tbs
telegraph wires in such a way as TO
stop all cOmmunica ton: thus bringing
n somewhat important passenger train
10 a sJandstill until the fault was dis
covered and reTnedieG. Live Ash are
eeetllL6lNs the laEL LllAE likely 10 @tDD
trains, but they have been known 10 do
so by being sucked into the watering
apparatus for locomotives mt country
stations; GELS and even trout Of consid-
cradle size. having been captured in
this way
Abroad. traffic is frequently inter
Tupted by all kinds of creatures, from
elephants to insects. Not iong ago one
OF the former escaped from a show,
charged a train upon an American line.
and stopped il. with results disastrous
to the attscker: while similar occur
rences have been reported from india.
/ Insects, especially in the form OF white
ants, have been responsible Cor many
stOppages on lines in tropical countries.
owing to the destruction of them by
4 the wooden portions of the permanent
way. and from this fact has grown up
/ the manufacture Of pot sleepers OF
iron or steel, now quite considerable
industry in the north Of England and Ia
: Scotland
The Uganda railway is probably more
+ exposed to stoppages by animals than
airy other. and lions not infrequently
J hold up fits trains. TO which they APP
pear To have a peculiar antipathy. One
: huge beast which was known TO have
I killed seventeen people attacked a van
but got warm reception from its Oc-
cNHAuLS, VINO were prepared Tor aim.
Both engines and vans have. guns
provided Tor their defense. and some
s times for sport. for il IS on record thai
a driver stopped his train Ia order u
have a shot aJ "a guinea fowl. While os
( triches are also the cause sometimes OF
like delays. SO they arc also on certain
South African lines. where they burr
their heads in the sand ballastinE o
the track ahead of "a train. involving
either the stoppage or The running Ove
Of what may be q valuable bird from a!
adjacent run.
In Canada stays sometimes stop traf
&c by running before the engine unit
exhausted, but the most curious stop
page Of the kind in a cold country oc
CURED not Ions ago between KaTny
shelf and Lamsor, in Siberia. There
while an engine was running ct SLOW
speed. bear sprang on the tender ant
attacked the driver. who fortunatel
succeeded in forcing him back on g
the line, where he was caught by th
wheels and so injured as to be easil
dispatched.
IN India lately q tram was stopped b
a large fish. This occurred dur!a
floods in Calcutta. where the waite
rose in the streets to the height OF ia
car wheels. and the fish. carried BIZ rh
current became jamnad ia the sppk7.
thus causing the vehiele to come 30
standstil