The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-07-09
4 BROKEN DRIVING ROD.
The Disaster Most Dreaded BY the ls'
connective Engineer.

The Disaster Most Oreadad ~ the -.
connective Engineer.
The close calls that whiten the enGi
neer's hair are mostly due to some one
else's error or oversight which be can,
not foreses or prevent. That many OF
these close calls do not result fntaliy II
due to the engineers swift and skillfu'
meeting Of the emergency.
The great driving wheels on which
most OF the enormous weight on the 10.
connective rests are connected by mas
sive jointed bars of forged steel, The
ends Of these are attached to the
wheels about halfway between the
axis and circumference. 1t II through
these bars, called driving rods, that
the wheels receive their impulse from
the imprisoned steam. These rods
weigh thousands OF pounds each. Oc.
casionally one OF their fastenings will
break, and then every revolution Of
the wheel to which the other end - at
tached will send the rod swinging like
4 titan's flail. beating down 800 strokes
q minute Nothing can withstand these
awful blows. They tear up the track
OSEW uuO OuaStS1 NuC Su6AuS 00Vsvs
especially the cab where rides the en-
gineer. No disaster comes so unex-
pectedly and is 80 much dreaded as
this Almost Invariably II happens
when tho engine IL running at high
speed. When a driver breaks II II a
miracle II tho men In the cab escape
with their lives. II they do survive
and BY their heroism succeed In stop
ping the train aud avoiding q wreck
despite the rain of blows from this
huge naii Of steel their act brings forth
q greater measure Of praise than al
most any other form OF bravery that
the railroad knows.
Only the other day one Of the driv.
Ing rods Of fast passenger locomotive
broke while tho train was running
more than sixty miles an hour down
the steep grades OF Pickerel mountain.
In an instant the whirlinc bar OF steel
had smashed the cab and broken the
controlling mechanism. 20 that II was
Impossible to bring the train to . stop
by ordinary means. The great iocomo-
tive lunged forward like q runaway
horse that had thrown ita rider. In
come way. however. Lutz, the engineer.
had escaped injury. He crept to the
opposite side Of the cab and climbed
out through the little window upon
the boiler TO try to reach some OF the
controlling apparatus from the outside.
He was working himself astride aiona
the scorching boiler when suddenly the
engine struck curve. which It took at
terrific speed The shock half threw
the engineer from his periious position.
but he saved himself by grasping the
bell rope. Then he worked himself
down along the uuiniured side Of ths
swaying locomotive to where he could
open one Of the principal steam valves.
A cloud Of vapor rushed forth with a
tremendous roar. Although robbed OF
its power. the locomotive did not slack
en- speed until 1t reached the bottom Of
the grade. Then little by little ths
thrashing OF the great diving rod
which was pounding the upper part OF
the engine TO pieces. grew slower, and
finally 1t stopped. No one was killed
Or injured. aud not passenger In the
long train knew until Il was over Of
the danger that had been avoided &C
narrowly. - Thaddeus 8. Dayton In
Harper's Weekly.