Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1905-07-13
ODD RAILROAD MISHAPS.
Some Strange and Unexpected Capers
of Engines, oarwheels
and Tracks.

An old railroad man and a man al
most equally experienced in the navl-
cation and management of large steam
ers were seated in the winter Office OF
q local company discussing the victssi-
tudes of railroad and steamboat opera
ton In the winter and swapping reminls-
cences as they toasted their shins before
the big radiator. The conversation,
says the Bangor (Me1 Commercial, led
from the discussion Of frozen harbors
and the best way Of breaking ice to
stories of big snowdrifts and blockades
on the railroads.
The talk gradually worked around to
the wreck on the Boston & Maine rail-
road at Durham, N. H., a short time
ago, and the steamboat man allowed
that he preferred travelling by water as
the safer means of transportation. IN
winter" said he, you never can tell
when there's going to be broken rail
or some other defect in the track caused
by the extreme cold, and when | travel
in q Pullman every extra jolt brings me
up on the alert, while if go on board
the bot and turn in sleep as sound
es a child, no matter how rough the
sea may be or the bot toss about.
We'll" said the old railroad man
81 feel Just she other way about it. !
lon't look for broken or spreading rails
near so much in the winter when the
weather is cold as ! do along In March
when the frost is coming out OF the
ground. and the upheavals throw the
rails out of plumb almost any time
Then look out. I've seen some mighty
bad wrecks the cause of which could
never be given.
Some mighty queer mishaps occur
on railroads sometimes. | remember
once a good many years ago-in fact, II
was when GOV, Dingley occupied the
chair at the statehouse-thatt there was
a queer wreck on the road from Bruins
wick to Lewiston. The train was made
up Of a baggage car, smoker, and
passenger car. and Gov. Dingley was
in the passenger car. The train was
bowling along at about 20 miles an hour
when. all at once, the passenger car
broke away from the rest of the train,
jumped the iron and went skiddine
along over the ground alongside the
track. The car did not tip over, and
neither passengers nor car were in
jured. The rest of the train backed up
and the passengers in the derailed cal
got aboard the train and went on to
Lewiston, having been delayed only
about Is minutes. The people didn't
know what caused the car to leave the
irons, and to a person not accustomed
to inspecting railroad tracks the rails
appeared to be in good condition, but
saw where the outside rail on the curve
should have been little higher than the
inside, it was lower, and the car had
just jumped the iron and kept on 60
ing on its own course.
Zone of the strangest things | even
saw happen on a railroad was one time
at junction down near Brunswick.
The train was bound up to Augusta, and
was going along at good rate of speed
when-it struck the switch, where the
other line started for Bath. Instead OF
keeping on its course with its fellows.
one Of the big drive wheels on the en-
CINE took the rail for Bath and start
ed down that track, breaking cleai
from the engine. The train kept going
on its original course, but that big
wheel was rolling off on a tangent
toward the shipping city"
well" said the steamboat man, Il
saw o rather queer thing happen on a
railroad once myself. 1t was down on
the Bucksport branch, and there was one
curve down below South Orrington
where the track came pretty neaI
doubling on Itself. Well, We were 60
ing down one morning. going at faii
rate of speed, when all at once noticed
car wheels alongside the track. The
train was made up of number oil
freight cars, an accommodation car and