The Washington herald., 1909-01-24

talking things supernatural and furtively glancng
about as II fearful Of discovering ghost Dippy
tried the contrivance on freight train that stopped
the tank for water with the result that the en-
gineer experienced great dihaculty n getting his
train in notion though the track was slightly down
grade Then came the affair Of Ball Bridge
Near the middle Of October there fell week in
which. by night and day, the mountain heads Of the
inner range were webbed with clouds Black and
wet the vapor masses cIung the peaks dissolvng
IN rain. Through every cleft and canon streams
roared; the Little Bear Paw, the Pecos and thou
sand rivulets frothed into the Big Bear Paw until
the broad waterway. full from bank TO bank be
came seething torrent
Dippy. living on the mountains base above it.
through two nights heard noise Of its tumur and
through two days looked down upon its turbulence.
and then he began 20 grow uneasy Several times
he went down to the great bridge and walked out
upon the long structure The flooding waters had
risen 10 within four or Eve Of the bridge track.
boiling around the piers IN siavering turmoil yel
lowish clotted with masses % dirty froth, and fun
OF battering logs and whirling tree tops
At times. standing on the bridge, Dippy felt
pleasant tremors thrill through the structure Sure
" the solid stone piers. held down by the great
weight OF the iron superstructure, would withstand
any pressure the flood might pit against them. So
long the water and Its burden Of debris passed
beneath spans doubtless the structure safe.
But should the food swell until logs and tree tops.
all rest OF the hUrrying stun should batter
and hank against the bridge and be pushed on by
ten thousand tons OF angry water what then?
Throughout the first three days OF rain the hu-
man forces employed on the West End quiekened
with apprehension. Roadmaster Payne came up from
Manzano with the work train, looking after earth
slides back the range. and Superintendent Burke
came over from Paley Fork, the middle division,
and passed on down Manzano. inspecting bridges
and culverts as he went Reporting by wire
President Sanborn Denver he said there peril
at several points, but that II the rain should
soon. all wculd be well Though delayed, the trains
still ran.
But the rain did not cease. Throughout the
fourth night black empire inner peaks rocked
with believing thunder and was washed v
heavier deluge. The next morning the Big
Paw foamng against the main stringers OF
Bali Bridge, by ten o'clock its food Tipping the
track the haIf-million dollar structure stanch
engineers and steel workers could fashion IL,
shook under the ramming blows OF debris and push
ing waters. The section foreman hurried down to
the telegraph Office at Rapids Gulch. six miles be-
low with message for the roadmaster's Office. and
Dippy Hamilton wired, with hating and laborious
care the situation to the dispatcher al Manzano
Bali Bridge IS in danger he said: water up
to track. logs and stuff jsmmiug; send help
Burke ordered Hoxie 70 get i've locomotives
ready and rush them the bridge; ne tele-
graPhed Chief Maxwell 81 Paley Fork, 10 hold
bound freight trains, wherever they might be- and
send their engines forthwith point supreme
peril I least engines that bridge
by four o'clock this afternoon his message con-
cluded- That meant approximately million eight
hundred thousand pounds Of additional pressure upon
the abUtments Surely that would hold the bridge
down. however violently the Big Bear Paw might
push against IL From end end the division thrilled
with effort through several hours, but o'clock
in the afternoon its forces paused IN CONSERVATION
Ten miles below Bail Bridge the river had cut into
the right Of way until a hundred yards OF track
slipped sdewise ready fall into the flood Hoxie's
FIVE engines south Of this point and could not
cross Burke with the engines. He boarded
OF the locomotives and whirled back 10 Broad
Pe1d at MIL he'll and
with the wire at several points ManveITs engines
he learned, had struck washout st the east base
Of the range and could proceed farther Jim
Ewell, with a bound freight train, was az
HorseIp. half way down the west side OF the range
and Roadmaster Payne, with his work train. was
Strengthening trestle over a creek two miles west
OF HorseIip
When Payne brought his train 10 the siding at
Horselp. 20 let EweH pass he received order
from Burke to take EwelPs engine and his own.
with al Of EweITs loaded and sufhc:ent OF the
work train flats, loaded with stone. 70 make train
Of about forty cars and 10 proceed TO Ball Bridge
and the train upon that imperied with
all speed
Hurried work began BY four o'clock Payne and
Ewen. with train Of thirty-eight loaded cars dou-
bleheaded by the engines started down the
for the Big Bear Paw. All night and throughout the
morning they had been IN the rain and the
nountainsides heaved and tossed with blowing rags
of fog, clumps OF pines upon the lifted heights
breathed hOarSely. glimpsinE black-green through
Tapping wells OF vapcr, every crevtce dTpped- every
gully babbled with falling water. and all
Observation-Disclosures At many points the
roadbed soft, and everywhere the track was
wet and slippery, yet a fury OF haste demanded
by the situation; II Rail Bridge should would
mean practical suspension OF traffic for weeks
The long train moved down the continually fall
ing grade, gathering speed and momentum II
rolled Every mans face grave Water spurted
from under the soggy ties, the train swept
them, the wheels cut through streaks OF mud that
covered the rails. the engine pilots
soil and clinkered with gravel and the boiIer-heads
were spattered with filth.
Seven miles downward from Horselp the first
disaster fell. As the train swept around a curve.
the track slued under the and the caboose
snapped its coupling and turned half over. IN the
cabOOse were Payne and Ewell and most OF the
The engines beloved for brakes and used air but
the train scarcely slackened At all Dick Sunday,
OF the second engine threw his drivers the back
turn and the head Of the right hand cylinder blew
out Instantly both engines wreathed hot
steam. Sundays fireman jumped, but Dick shut off
and stuck to his post while the train rOared
= brakeman, back on the train, hand
brakes, and then, panicstricken and added jumped
down muddy bank.
At Tunnel Fourteen the train struck a sharper
grade and QuicNened its appalling speed Bert Samues