GREASING THE RAILS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 573, 11 April 1873, Page 3

GREASING THE RAILS.

shr ' f , 9 ' Spnio years ago, a widow living on the line of tho Ohio and Mississippi railroad owned a young which she was very proud. As tho woman was not possessed of much of this world’s goods the cow was an important source of income to her, as she made butter for sale, and also sold some milk in the neighbourhood. One day the express train came thundering along, and struck andkille l the widow’s cow asit stood ruminating on the fiflek. The widow applied to the station agent for pay for the animal, and was told to send a bill to the general office of the Board. She did so but received no reply, and concluding that the Board did not intend to make good her loss swore vengence. Little attention was paid to her threats until about a week after, when tho morning passenger train,'came along. The station house at Fiore is situated at the top of a gentle slope, about half a mile inlenth. Tile sun just rising, and the engineer noticed what he supposed to she frost glistening on the rails. The speed at which the train was approaching carried it about half-way up to the rise, but the driving wheels cf the locomotive sprung round on the rails without pulling an ounce. The train came to a dead stop, and then began to slide backward, Tho engineer whistled down breaks and got off to inspect the rails He found that they Were covered with soft soap and as he had some previous experience knew exactly what to do He backed down tho track about half a mile, a..d, putting on a full head of steam, charged at tho rise with full speed, When he found his speed slackening he opened his sand valves and allowed the sand in the boxes to glide on tho rails in front of the driving wheels. This to some effect counteracted the effect of the soap and tiie train got nearly fifty yards further. The process was repeated several times, aud would have br ensucessful had not the sand given out. No sand could .be produced anywhere, and finally the whole force of trainmen went to remove the snap This they succeeded in doing after a halfhours haul work and nearly an hour behind time tho train reached the station, A few daysafer asimilar difficulty was experienced. But when the company appreciated the situation and paid the widow for her cow, tho rails were allowed to remain uusoaped.