Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-05


The first thing to find out is if ANYTHING
human is underneath Whether dead or alive,
it must come out, and the gang need no urging
at the 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 or six hours means big loss to the COM
pany, and they don't stop to save anything
that takes too long. Beams, wheels, and rods,
perhaps entire cars, are thrown down embark
msnts. if necessary to open the right of way.
When car has merely been derailed, it is of
course an easy matter to replace it, then it is
run to the nearest siding; but it is the unex-
pected that happens in railroad accidents.
STRENGTHENING Up an Engine
A LOCOMOTIVE may turn bottom I'D ON tho
\ track, with the driving wheels in the air.
Then it must be turned over and pulled to one
side of the road bed until there is time between
the passing of trains to right tiff it can be
righted. Cars may be swung directly across
sibly ground into a mere mass of splintered
timbers, or literally reduced to kndling wood.
their contents scattered a hundred yards
about.
for any length of time can tell in moment the
most difficult task before him, and If possible
goes at that first. If a loaded freight car pre-
vents him from reaching the partly demolished
engine, he sets it afire. One Of the greatest de-
lays, however. is caused by the track being
torn up, for new ties have to be put in position
and perhaps dozen rails weighing ton apiece
cut and Strengthened, in order to form foun-
dalton on which to move.
Everything goes with rush from the first
news of the accident. Once the wreckers get
busy there is no stopping for rest or refresh
ment, although a 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
spell, and the superintendent or other officials
look over the debris to see what is worth saw
ing. Going from pile to pile, they soon decide
what to pull out and block up, and then the
wreckers get to work on this. If there is
an engine. it is generally secured first. Per-
haps it was embedded in two or three feet of
mud, or ten or twelve feet down an embanl-
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 1t.
A Powerful Machine
NOW the crane goes into action. If the en-
~ bankment is sloping. the usual plan is to
and ballast to assist 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 Break
in the early days of the way of steel they
were called to many disaster, for then as
now trains sometimes butted into each other
on the same track. To clear the road the loco
motive of the wreck train could sometimes be
pressed into service, but many derailed car
or engine was pulled back on the rails merely
by human muscle. Here again the sailorman
came in very handy, as he knew so well how
to arrange the ropes and pulleys and to make
lines fast round the car or engine that had to
be moved.
One of the curious methods of employing the
locomotive of the wreck train was to make il
move car forward by starting the locomotive
backward. Fastening tackle securely round
the car, it would be passed through pulley
fastened to tree or post in front of it, and the
rope then led back to the locomotive. Revers-
ing 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 occasionally, much of the
debris in front of the wreck train could be
cleared away
There are times, though, when even the most
careful nggers make mistake. They have
not realized the strain which the tackle must
stand when things begin to move. Then, like
the crack of ri1e snap goes the line. More
than once loose end has caught some poor
fellow round the legs, breaking the bones like
pipe stems. Many man on the railroads.
payroll who is fit only to wave the signal flag
at the street crossing was among the wreckers
until the day the rope broke.