Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-08-17

thing human Is underneath. Whether
dead or alive It must come out, and
the gang need no urging ait tile task,
even If they hear no moan or cry to
hasten their rescue Then the next job
IS to clear the tracks. Holding up
trains for even FIVE on six hours means
big loss to the company, and they
don't stop to- save nything that takes
too long. Beams, wheels and rods,
perhaps entire cars, are thrown down
entertainments II necessary to open the
right OF way. When 81 car has merely
| been derailed it is of course an easy
matter to replace II; then it is run to-
the nearest siding, but 1t is the unex-
pected that happens in railroad acct
dents. 81: III 5&3!
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
or ends, possibly ground into mere
mass of splintered tiInbers, or literally
reduced to kindling wood, their con
tents scattered a 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, il possible, goes
/ at that first. IL loaded freight car
/ prevents him from reaching the part
/ II demolished engine, he sets it 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 ton
apiece cut and Strengthened in order
to- form foundation on which to
move. q
/ Everything goes with rush from
the first news of the accident Once
/ the wreckers get busy there is no stop
ping for rest or refreshment, although
4 a man may have to work all night or
a 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 SUI
4 perintendent or other officials look over
the debris to see what is worth saving.
Il 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. II there is an engine, it is gen
orally secured first. Perhaps it was
I imbedded In two or three feet OF mud
or ten or twelve feet down an embank-
q ment. Here the little men come in
4 handy. Worming themselves under
Il the boiler, they scrape holes beneath,
a so that the steel tendons of the crane
can be passed round it.
a Now the crane goes into action. II
3 the embankment is sloping the usual
& plan is to drag the locomotive along
q allowing the earth and ballast to as
& sist in supporting it until the top Is
h reached. But there are places where
3 it has to be lifted clear Of the ground
then swung oyer on the track.
Machinery has done much to aid the
. breakdown gang in recent years. Blu
+ away back in the early days Of thu
q way of steel they We're called to man.
q disaster, for then, as now, trains
sometimes hutted into each other o,
4 the same track. To clear the road til,
81 locomotive of the wreck train eouIt
4 sometimes be pressed into service, blu
]. many a derailed car or engine wa.
Z pulled back. on the rails merely by hu
a man muscle. Here again the sailol
I. man came in very handy, as he knew
. so well how to arrange the ropes ans
pulleys and to make lines fast around
j. the car or engine that had to bt
moved. S 81 &
One of the curious methods Of EN-
!. ploying the locomotive of the wrecl
train was to make it move a car for
|, ward by starting the locomotive back
!; ward. Fastening tackle secured,
round the car, 1t would be passed
i through a pulley fastened to tree Of
post in front 6f lit, and the rope tl,s1
. led back to the locomotive. Reversing
} his lever, the engineer of course pullel
! the rope around the pulley on the tree
! thus forcing the ear ahead. BY thil
| novel plan, which is still used occa
] sionally. much Of the debris In from
/ Of the wreck train could be cleared
,, away.
There are times, though, when evel
the most careful riggers make a mis-
take. They have not realized the strain
!, which the tackle must stand whel
!, things begin to move. Then, like til,
: crack Of q rife. snap goes the line
I More than once a loose end has caugh
] some poor fellow round the legs, break
/ ing the bones like pipestems. Man,