Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1907-07-25
thing human is underneath. Whether

thing human Is underneath. Whetbei
dead or alive 1t must come out, and
the gang need no urging at the task
even if they hear 10 moan or cry to
| hasten their rescue. Then the next jot
/ is to clear the tracks. Holding up
trains for even five or six hours means
big loss to the company, and they
| don't stop to save anything that takes
too long.- Beams, wheels and rods,
perhaps entire ears, are thrown down
emhankments If necessary TO open the
right of way. When a car has merely
I been derailed it is of course an easy
matter to replace it; then it is run to
the nearest siding, but 1t is the unex-
pected that happens in railroad acci-
dents.
A locomotive may turn bottom up on
the track, with the driving wheels in
the air. Then it must be turned over
and pulled to one side of the railroad
until there is time between the pass
ing of trains to right it-if it can be
righted Cars may be swung directly
across the track, lying on their sides
pr ends, possibly ground into a mere
mass of splintered timbers, or literally
reduced to kindling wood, their con-
tents scattered q hundred yards about.
The wrecker who has been in the
business for any length of time can
tell in q moment the most difficult
task before him and. if possible, goes
at that first. If a loaded freight car
prevents him from reaching the part
ly demolished engine, he sets 1t afire.
One of the greatest delays, however, Is
caused by the track being torn up, for
new ties have to be put in position and
perhaps a dozen rails weighing a ton
apiece cut and Strengthened in order
to form a foundation on which to
move
Everything goes with q rush from
the first news of the accident. Once
the wreckers get busy there is no stop
ping for, rest or refreshment. although
q man may have to work all night or
all day. With the broken and twisted
mass of steel and wood piled on one
side of the roadbed however, there
comes a breathing spell, and the su-
perintendent or other officials look over
the debris to see what is worth saving.
Going from pile to pile, they soon de-
eide what to pull out and block up,
and then the wreckers get to work on
this. If there is an engine, it Is gen
orally secured first. Perhaps it was
imbedded in two or three feet of mud
+op 1,0v MI
ment Here the little men come in
handy. Worming themselves under
the boiler, they scrape holes beneath,
so that the steel tendons of the crane
can be passed round it.
Now the crane goes into action. If
the embankment is sloping the usual
plan is to drag the locomotive along,
allowing the earth and ballast to as
sist in supporting it until the top is
reached. But there are places where
it has to be lifted clear of the ground,
then swung over on the track.
Machinery has done much to aid the
breakdown gang in recent years. But
away back in the early days of the
way of steel they were called to many
a disaster, for then, as now, trains
sometimes butted into each other on
the same track. To clear the road the
locomotive of the wreck train could
sometimes be pressed into service, but
many derailed car or engine was
pulled back on the rails merely by hu-
man muscle. Here again the sailor
man came in very handy, as he knew
so well how to arrange the ropes and
pulleys and to make lines fast AROUND
the car or engine that had to be
moved.
One of the curious methods Of en-
ploying the locomotive of the wreck
train was to make 1t move a car for
ward by starting the locomotive back
ward. Fastening a tackle securely
round the car, 1t would be passed
through a pulley fastened to tree or
post in front Of 1t, and the rope then
led back to the locomotive. Reversing
his lever, the engineer OF course pulled
the rope around the pulley on the tree,
thus forcing the car ahead. BY this
novel plan, which Is still used occa-
sionally, much Of the debris In frone
Of the wreck train could be cleared
away.
There are times, though, when even
the most careful riggers make 9 mis-
take. They have not realized the strain
which the tackle must stand when
things begin to move. Then, Ike the
crack Of a rife, snap goes the line.
More than once loose end has caught
some poor fellow round the legs, break
ing the bones like pipestems. Many
a man on the railroads payroll who Is
fit only to wave the signal flag at the
street crossing was among the wreck
ers until the day the rope broke.--Day