The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1909-05-24
GREAT LIFTING MACHINES
WON AFTER A STRUGGLE
Several Steel Cables Broken
Before Locomotive Was
Raised From River

weeks ago, In storm at night. an
Atchlson, Topeka e Santa Fe mogul
reight locomotive, caboOse and pas.
ienger car crashed through pile
lfioge across a small stream close
beside The Cimarron river few
niles west OF here. Both streams
we're high IN flood. The crew escaped
fter struggling Ia the water, and the
locomotive disappeared beneath twen.
Y feet Of water and Quicksand aud
seW sinking until Il lay on the hard.
an" al the bottom OF the stream. The
locomotive was worth $4,000 or 10000
md orders were given to save Il it
l0asible
When the bridge gang came 10 build
view bridge there was no trace Of
he locomotive The flood had sub
aded, and where the rivers joined
Ras On expense oi oOze, mud and
ulc.eaand that shook like Jelly.
'lanks thrust down into this quag.
nire were gripped and held as II
ome devlliish were clutching with
thousand tentacles.
4 week later what seemed 10 be a
miniature battleshlp on wheels stood
N q sideirack at the bridge with
mnke pouring from It's stack A huge
fane, with innumerable steel cables
htaehed to an enormous hooked steel
onth, hung forward over the bog. This
naehlne was mrecser, with a pull.
rs and lllting capacity OF 100 tons.
IN another track. mounted on flat
ar Was machine that seemed 10
onsist mostly OF big drums round
which were wound long steel cable.
n inch and a halI IN diameter, This
Machine was called lndgerw1od.
taring the name Of rs inventor. A
lekrinled man. who pulled iis levers
backward and forward, said that lis
tetnui strength wus unknown, ais II
vas lrong enough 20 nrsak the wire
ahle as if II were e shucsirlng.
There she rs. said a man. who mad
ieen drilling in the qulcEsand with
long steel bar. "ancs right down
here The locomotive lgy at an angle
IF % degrees with one Of lts cylln-
lefa barely withln reach 3 pit. walled
With green oak plankmg. was sunk.
he water pumped out. and great
teel chain, with links nude OF rods
m inch ln diameter, was fastened
ound the cylinder Steam and smoke
leean pouring from the black wrecker
Fies and heavy blocks were placed In
roat q the wheels that supported
he Ledgnrwood, 70 Whieh was ceupled
/ mogul freight engine from which
vas 70 come the atuam supply The
Il big driving wlfoels OF the loenmo.
i've were blocked and then, fastened
o the steel rails OF the main line
Algh tremendous chains. The steel
able was made fast 10 The chain
round The cylinder Of The buried loco.
motive and ever the same chain was
dipped The one bis tooth OF The
sfecker.
The cables and chnlns dtew liant.
sufaiy, this clnld not be- done w.shlat
he groanlng ana chuiOr ANA clanaus
II machinery But the hiss OF Steam
sas the only s3udd. lka chains and
ahles did not seem tC be winning The
fraction Of an inch. Tao engineer os
nc ledgerwnod sllppc his lever for.
Aurd &c eight NntcLrs, onetlrd ths
fnl limit Whanpl The hla steel
sahln snapped In two. and tha iee1
native had been raised barely an
inch.
A new cable was wound on the
irum oi the Lcdgcrwood Again The
steam Kissed, and the wrcckef and
Tho l4edgerwOod look fresh hold, pull
Ing al the rate of 2O6 tlns. Then
something happened thar caused lhe
.edserw0ed 20 % ten forward The en-.
glneer threw off the power and ehe
big eogged wheels rumblcd and
changed as they raced backward. The
ledgerwoud had broken itG anchor
age The pun had been 80 terrific
that the chains fastened 10 The drive
aheels OF the locomotive had torn the
steel track rails In two, seemingly
with as much case as II they had heen
made Of pine, The buried locomotive
hnd been lifted three inches.
The Quicksand was unvanQulShed;
the INaEerw0Od could not brace r..
self firmly enough 10 exert It's full
strength and the black wrecker need.
I'D tho help Of the l.edgerwood 70 pull
the buried locomotive from the hog
second isedgerwo0d was sent for.
md placed beshieathe wrOoker fhe
negt pull would be at tlie rate Of not
less than 800 tons.
Al intervals there was silent
clank Of iron on the Ledgerwood. The
IN the quicksand showed
by 4 faint movement OF the cylinder
that Il was growing restless; few
broke from the surface Of the
sand for Q distance OF thirty feet:
there vas slight shift cl the cylln.
ier. and the sand began 10 wrinkle
the depth unheayed. and
With 4 belch "a mud ana slime. lae
nrllflea asnll. as X aIltnig
in IL launches Water aud sand
pVpFed lnlQ ifQ eRYg sYQm Whlch ~