The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-02-03
STRANGE RAILWAY ACCIDENTS.
An Engine That DisappeaIed-Train
Chased by a Car.

an engine mat appeaTed-TTain
Chased by a Car.
some years ago. when signaling ar
engagements We're not SO strict as al the
present time, "A collision occurred be-
tween two goods trains in Cornwall con-
sequent upon both drivers being named
Dick" The line was single. two trains
an up and down, were waiting al Men
heniot station for others 10 proceed. The
man In charge of the station knew the
driver OF the down train as Dick bur
was not acquainted with the man in
charge of the up train.
An right. Dick" was shouted from
the station, the order 10 proceed being
meant for the down train. but Dick OF
the up train assumed il was addressed
10 him and put on steam and left the
station before any one could tell him or
his mistake Another down train was
approaching on the single line. so those
at Menhenoit knew "a collision between
the two trains was Inevitable; and i'm
the cold of that dark winters morning
they had not long 10 wait for the crash.
! as. few minutes later. "A terrific re-
port was heard for miles around the
. scene as Romulus Of the up train
/ charged Lance and Brutus, the engines
/ hauling the down goods.
/ cattle wagon which belonged 10 a
/ goods train from Kimberley arrived in
/ the yard at De Aar Junction and col
/ lided with a shunting engine with the
result that the four-wheeI cattle wagon
] had its buffer (by which IL was coupled
TO the bosey. trucb), broken OF. and was
forced on this track. standing al the end
OF il in vertical position. and. save
for the broken center buffer coupling.
unchanged. To have so placed the
wagon. the higher end Of which reaches
some twenty feet above the truck upon
which il is superimposed. would prob
ably have been impossible with the me-
chanical appliances at the command of
the railway
one Of the most remarkable incidents
that have ever occurred on a railway
happened on the Furness line a few
years ago. A train was passing over the
line near Llndal when, consequent upon
an iron ore mine being beneath the rail-
way the line subsidized under the weight
OF the engine. The breakdown gang
arrived and pulled the tender out of the
hole, but the appliances were not strong
enough 10 haul up the locomotive and
the men went back TO the depot for more
tackle Upon their return 10 Lindal the
engine had entirely disappeared.
4 curious Incident once occurred in the
case OF train from Aberdeen 20 the
south, described as q passenger train,
bat on this occasion consisting of seven
FISH trucks. two brake vans and only
one passenger coach. Three OF the fish
vans became derailed but the train
continued its course fer nearly half a
mile with these vehicles of the line
without the guard or nell on the en-
CINE being aware OF IT.
The nrsI van 10 go off the line had
done so 70 the right and after so travel
ing for about 500 yards a cross over
road diverted IL TO the left when y
dragged two other Of the fish vans from
the metals A short distance afterWaFd
the train passed under bridge. the Il; 81
nsh van negotiated this obstacle al!
right, the second had its left side torn
on and the third van passed through IN
safety.
Next to the third vehicle of the line
was the passenger coach, and the de-
tached side of the second fish van re-
bounded on To this carriage and killed /
a gentleman occupying a hrst-cl1ss
coupe compartment
In another case a fruit van at the end
of a passenger train was detached, and
not being braked proceeded TO follow
the passenger train down the incline. I
The fact was tclephOned forward 20
junction half a mile ahead; here as
soon as the passenger train had passed
the points were held open 10 derail the
runaway. The EFFORT was successful on
one side, but the switch blade at the
junction acted as a check rail, so pre-
venting the wheels on the other side
leaving the line. while the heel Of the
blade on the opposite side acted as an
obstruction TO the wheels of the line
and caused them 10 jump and. remark /
able 20 relate they jumped on the line
again; Hence the runaway continued Z
its career in chase Of the train
The train had meanwhile called at a |
station and left before the fruit van ar I
rived. so information was telephOned 10 !
81 80
20 stop as a runaway van was following |
and a collision was Inevitable If the /
train stopped. This information was
conveyed 10 the engine driver as he was /
preparing TO stop. so he put on steam |
and passed through the station where /
upon the guard. who did not observe the /
signal to proceed, being under the i'm
preston that the driver had forgotten l
10 stop, applied his brake and pulled up /
the train, the runaway fruit van crash I
ing in To the rear of It after a downfall ]
journey of four and three-quarter miles
Readers have OF course noticed the i
balance weights on the driving wheels 1
OF locomotives Some years ago. when /
two trains We're approaching each other
near Ely. on the c. 4. r.. the balance 1
weight OF the driving wheel of one en-
CINE flew OF and struck the wheels Of /
the approaching down train with such /
force as 20 put IL OF the line into an /
adjacent ditch. Fortunately neither the /
men on the engine nor any of the pas
sengers were killed
Passengers and others at the Dublin 1
terminus of the ID. w. and w. railway
in HarcOurt street. had an exciting i
time one afternoon year or SO back /
A driver lost control of his engine /
which, instead OF drawing up ere II /
reached the buffer stops-as well dis /
ciplined locomotives should dO-ehaFged /
the dead end knocked IL down, de-
molished the substantial wall beyond |
and finally came 20 rest in midair, sup /
ported by the debris OF the station i
MISUNDERSTANDING Magazine. !