Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1916-09-29

r OF FfDPsF-J Loss, IS tne Next ask
Marvelously efficient is the system
OF wreckis machinery in use in these
days for quick work when a smash
up occurs On one Of the great rail-
roads. Some Of the latest inventions
and appliances for clearing tracks ait
er wreck are described in the Popu-
lar Science Monthly. The magazine
says:
"Wrecking trains are located on
every division of important railroads,
standing idle in the yards waiting for
calamity crane car with sufficient
power TO lift a freight car as a child
lifts a toy; a supply car containing
ropes. cables. chains, jacks, crowbars.
tools. lanterns fire apparatus. dyna-
mite. rails ties: caboose for the
wrecking crew.
when the word comes over the wire
that the express and the fast freight
have tried to see which could butt the
other Off the track the wrecking crew
assemblies in a hurry. They are pick
ed men-these minutemen of the rails
each with his speciality. Mechanics.
trackmen. men skilled in explosives.
strong men. slender men. at least one
small but muscular man. they come
from roundhOuse and shop. freight
yards and Office at the supreme call
The wreclfng boss takes command the
best engine available backs down, and
with a clear track the wrecking train
no .rro oh Of fa
special containing doctors and nurses.
There is only one order to be obeyed
when the wrecking crew gets into ac-
tion-'save life But once the victims
are extricatel-and they are taken out
in remarkably short time-the order
changes. 1t is not. as might be expect
ed, save property 1t is clear the line
1t makes no difference that FIVE jum-
bled freight cars contain expensive
automobiles. or pianos. or Photographs.
or fruit which might be saved by care
full work If the contents cannot be
saved in less than an hour there IS
only one thing to do The big steam
crane is backed down to the mess; a
long, tentacle-like book descends chains !
and ropes are brought into play and
slowly, surely. almost daintily. the
crane swings the wrecked freight car
and its contents to one side.
Sometimes the easiest way TO clear /
the lines is to burn the wreck or blow /
it up Tracks can be quickly relaid II |
damaged but nothing can replace lost (
time The price of the cargo of auto !
mobiles is nothing against Il FIVE hour /
delay, for the price of delay mounts /
in stunning .geometrical progression. I
A few hundred dollars for the first !
hour, it may be many thousands OF dol
lars in the second or third hour. \
stoppage Of the lines may mean q stop
page of the whole railway system. with
hundreds OF thousands of dollars
worth of freight tied up. confusion.
loss, waste.
And well he knows his work-the
crane for this car the jacks for that.
This engine looks like a scrap. but
probably viii run: put her on the other
track. That engine looks all right, but
is vitality wounded: throw her off. This
car IS too inextricably tangled with
another in loving embrace TO take TO
pieces, part by part; burn it up and
throw the trucks TO one side The
small man. a necessary factor. crawls
into and out of holes too small for his
stronger mates attaching chains and
ropes. reporting conditions. doing work
as valuable as that of the Hercules
who with a crowbar heaves up tan
gle of wheels that a jack may be slip
ped into position.
"The doctors and the nurses and the
relief train have come and gone. Down
the line stands an impatient express,
behind it a long freight. In the other
direction a local is filled with Tuning
commuters. snd perhaps the presidents
special is close behind All along the
division and soon to spread through
the whole system is delay. stalled
trains. trains waiting orders. trains
costing the company thousands Of dol
lars a minute.
over the tangled debris one man
stands supreme, swapping his orders
ike the crack of a whip. utterly TN
mindful Of the property he destroys
thar other property may move. And
as If by magic the lines clear. The
last Of the bent and broken cars are
turned on their sides and slide down
the bank. The imping engine goes or 8
behind a switching engine sent for the
purpose. If the delay looks long. a 4,
sidetraek has been swiftly I
built and the several waiting trains ,
puT slowly by. The wrecking train :
Whistles. lis crew, driving the last
spike 10 make the track secure. pull
ont fmws pipes The bic crane folds
its sin2ie arm ana rests. The men pile !
into their cab0ose. The wreck IS ga :
the Intestine. dfty-dve minutes. The I
wrecking train has finished It's work.
s