NEAR TO DISASTER
RAILROAD MAN TELLS OF NAR
ROW E8CAPES.
Forward Truck Lost from Under Box
Car While Train Waa Moving
Rapidly Train Flagged in
Nick of Time.
"There are actual happenings in
railroading every year which are far
more sensational than the wildest
dreams of any writer of fiction," said
a railroad man, and lie proceeded to
tell stories to demonstrate his theory.
The first story related to a freight
train on the New Haven railroad. Wil
liam Dellert, now traveling engineer
on the New York division of the road,
was the engineer. When the train
reached Stamford the car inspectors
examined the cars and in the middle
of the train saw a sight that caused
them to start back in amazement. The
forward truck of one of the box cars
was missing and the only thing hold
ing that end of the car up was the
coupling.
A hurry call waa sent out for every
available man to start in search of
the missing truck, for an object of
that kind loose on a four-track road
was likely to cause a lot of trou
ble. The truck was located down a
bank on an out curve at Cos Cob, six
miles west of Stamford.
It seems that as the car started
around the curve the pin connecting
the car and the truck broke and the
truck shot out from under the car and
then ran down the bank, leaving the
. forward end of the car suspended only
by the coupling. When it is consid
ered that the train was running at a
speed of 35 miles an hour when it
rounded the curve, and that this gait
was kept up into Stamford, the escape
from a bad wreck was surprising.
Engineer Charles M. Clark, former
ly on the Connellsville division of the
Baltimore & Ohio railroad, had an ex
perience somewhat similar. He was
firing an engine with three large driv
ing wheels on each side, the middle
wheel being without a flange. They
had passed Glencoe and were mount
. Ing the grade to the long Sand Patch
tunnel when they were flagged and
topped.
The engineer utilized the delay to
get down and oil up a little. A
moment later Clark heard him gasp:
"Clark, for the love of heaven, come
down here and. see this engine!"
The mi&lle driver on the engineer's
Bide had twisted off its axle flush
with the outside of the journal box,
but the massive wheel was still in an
upright position leaning at a slight
angle on the side rod, which was the
only' support holding it on the rail.
It was evident that in this condition
the loose driver had been running
along the rail for at least two miles
of straight track at the end of which
. they were.
., It was thought that the wheel was
twisted from its axle as the engine
rounded a sharp curve about two
mllea below, and it was pretty certain
that It would have jumped the track
and fallen In the way of the hind driv
- ing wheel as soon as the engine start
ed to go around the very next curve.
That this did not happen was due to
the accident or the train being flagged.
The engine ran along all right until
the train was flagged, but once stop
ped, the engine was completely dead
and had to be hauled to the end of
the division.
OWN RAILROADS IN BRAZIL.
American and Canadian Capitalists
Securing Control.
American and Canadian capitalists
have secured a more or less perfect
control over the Rystem of rail and
water transportation forming a "belt
line" around the most productive por
tion of Brazil, says the New York Sun.
In a report to the bureau of manufac
tures Consul-General C. K. Anderson
at Rio Janeiro says that this "belt
line," with the help of the government
railroads and subsidized steamship
line, practically reaches every import
ant commercial center in the whole
republic.
The "belt line" system of railroads
Is distributed over the republic in
three main lines, as follows: The Sao
Paulo-Rio Grande railroad lines, which
cover the southeastern part of Brazil,
reaching into the coffee districts; the
Amazon-Bolivian line, which connects
the republic of Bolivia and the great
rivers of the northwestern part of
Brazil, which is principally grazing
country.
American Interests are now organ
izing a syndicate for the further de
velopment of the Paraguayan and Bo
livian connections. The amount of
money at present invented and which
will soon be Invested in several en
terprises now being begun, including
the Bolivian development, will prob
ably exceed $150,000,000. The move
ment of American railway and other
material to Brazil, he says, represents
the most active and the principal ele
ment In the export trade of the United
States to Brazil and Bolivia.
Cars Run by Man Power.
Street railways with cars operated
by manual power are in use at Mam
basa, in East Africa. The light, nar
row gauge tracks are laid through the
street, and the cars are for hire, like
cabs, or are the private property of
officials and wealthy residents. They
are little four-wheeled cars, with one
or two cross seats, and each Is
propelled by two natives. Spur tracks
are run into private grounds, so that
persons can take the cars to their
doors. Philadelphia Record.
Newest in steel cars.
Union Pacific Man's Invention May
Have Solved Railway Problem.
Representing the highest form of
passenger coach construction, the new
Union Pacific steel car, which was on
exhibition in front of the headquar
ters recently, attracted a large crowd
of spectators and many scientific men
who were interested in the possibili
ties it holds out for the future.
It is built on the very latest model,
with round windows which offer far
greater resistance In case of accident,
and side entrances, which also lessen .
the danger of telescoping. It has ven
tilators on the roofing which carry
an air stream around underneath the
car and distribute it evenly over the
entire surface. There Is scarcely a
stick of wood in the whole car and
conflagration in case of a wreck will
be practically impossible.
The car is the work of Superintend
ent of Motive Power McKeen of the
Union Pacific and is greatly admired
by those who make a specialty of
railroad construction. It has a large
seating capacity. The car will soon
be placed in active service and others
will be immediately turned out of the
shops in case it proves successful.
Growth of Canadian Town.
As an example of the increasing
railroad facilities for the west, comes
the report of the marvelous growth
of Nokomis, Canada, as a center,
caused by the increase of the wheat
industry of that section of the coun
try. Two lines have already been es
tablished in the town and the rich
country lying between the Quill Plains
and the famous Regina district is to
be tapped with a line running direct
from Regina, crossing the main line
at this point, and running in a north
easterly direction to the fertile Swan
river valley.
Government support has been given
to the part of the new transcontinen
tal lines that connect Winnipeg with
the great lakes, and the Grand Trunk
Pacific company, which builds the sec
tion to run from Winnipeg, is doing
Its utmost to get the rails down as
far west as Edmonton before the
ground freezes.
Already the line has been completed
and is opened for freight as far as
Minnesota, 186 miles west of Winni
peg. The increased railroad facilities
have made Nokomis the junction point
with the Canadian Pacific and have
also made it the most promising and
the liveliest town in that part of the
dominion.
Despite the fact the town is but
six months old, it has 30 buildings,
two banks and three hotels. Two
great trans-continental lines run
through the town, the Grand Trunk I
Pacific and the Canadian Pacific. I
Eating on the Train In Spain.
As even express trains seldom attain
a higher rate of speed than twenty-five
miles per hour, travel is slow and
tedious though fairly comfortable, and j'
to enjoy Spain one must assume the '
leisurely indifference of the Spaniard
to whom manana is always the chosen
time. He is wise who carries his own
luncheons and never are dainty tea
baskets more indispensable than on
these long journeys. Spanish eti
quette demands that the traveler be
fore partaking of his food must po
litely offer it to those who share the
compartment with him. It may either
be graciously accepted or declined.
In no country is it so difficult to 1
travel and to secure information, as I
but little English is spoken even by j
important officials. Travel Maga j
zlne.
The World'. Railroads.
A year and a half ago, according to
a German statistician, the railroad
mileage of the world was 563,771 i
miles, or 13,036 miles more than In the i
preceding year. Of the world's mile-1
age the United States had 215,713 j
miles and Europe 192,247 miles. The
world's capital in railways is estimated
at over $43,000,000,000, and the aver
age cost per mile, with equipment,
etc., is $76,850. In the United States
the average cost per mile was $68,038;
in England. $305,000 per mile. If the
reflective person considers what fa
cilities for transportation the various
countries have in their rivers and
canals, the cost of their railways will
appear to mark the extent of the de
ficiency of water transportation.
tlO; Ms
if H
, 7$ Sd? ' 5 :' '
u9 2-, 'S- ViiV- .:.-7tW5P II
VTiK ,V 1 V
THE ASSOCIATED
SANTA CLAUS
By CHARLES FREDERIC GILLIAM
v- ELLO, George, what's the matter
lei witn you?" asked -Will James,
as George Johnson stepped into
his office in one of the sky-scrapers,
and sank wearily into a chair.
"I'm clear fagged out," was the
reply, "po you know, this Christmas
business is something awful?"
"James laughed. "Are you finding
that out for the first time?"
"No, but it seems worse than usual
this time. It appears that my folks
have nearly every little thing they
need, and, when I find some particular
thing that strikes my fancy, it costs
so much, by the time I even up all
around, I can't afford it."
"Well, if misery loves company,
you've got plenty of it. We're all in
the same box. I confess it strains me
Joy Over a Cherished Toy.
so that It takes all the pleasure away
from the giving, because the ex
pense is really greater than I can af
ford." "That's it exactly. It wouldn't be
so bad if the gifts were restricted to
one's own family, but some relative
or friend makes some of the family
a present and it has to be met in
kind, or with something a little bet
ter, in order to relieve one's self of
tlte sense of obligation. If these
presents were all dictated by affec
tiua, a fellow wouldn't object to mak
ing considerable sacrifices, but when
large proportion are merely for the
purpose of keeping even, it's a horse
of another color."
"Yes, and our most expensive pres
ents go to those who are better fixed
financially than ourselves, and who
have the least need for them. Why,
'just last week one of my nieces, who
is in very moderate circumstances,
and of whom I think a good deal, was
married, and we sent her a piece of
plated silverware that cost four dol
lars. At the same time we sent Miss
DeForrest for her wedding present a
cut glass dish that cost $15, and she'd
hardly recognize us if we met her on
the street."
"I'm glad you told me that, Will.
I had a sort of a sneaking idea that
I was about the biggest fool in town
in that direction, but I guess you
and your family and I and my family
and everybody else and his family
are all in the' same boat. But what's
to be done? Can't we make a declar
ation of independence? My wife and
I make resolves every year, but we
keep stretching the limit a little, un
til by the time we get through the
list we find we have sent more than
the preceding year."
"I'm with you on two ' things,
George; that is, that we economize
some on our expenditures, and that
what we do spend shall be in a way
to bring most enjoyment to ourselves,
by giving the most enjoyment to oth
ers. Let's give, what we give out
side our own families, to those who
need it." ,
"I don't think I follow you exactly."
"Well, take myself, for instance.
I am very fortunate if I get off with
a hundred dollars. How much does
it cost you?"
"I can't say definitely, but fully that
niuch.I should judge."
"Suppose, then, we take our families
into the scheme with us and agree to
spend only $50 for ourselves. Then
we can spend $25 each for a num
ber of worthy poor families who
are unable to provide for themselve.
out of the ordinary, yet too proui
have too much self-respect to
themselves of the public charii.
that day. In that way we vJ
$25 ahead, and at the same.
able to furnish 10 or 15 fa,
a turkey and the other
for a good Christmas
some candies and toyd
dren." . , ,
"Good for you. Wi
down to the groum
wife will be righj
"I'm glad it fj
ably, George.
Copyright bf Undnrood & Underwood,
99
thing for us two, why not push it
along a little?, What's the matter
with getting four or five or a; half
dozen of the! other boys Interested?"
"Nothing at all. There's Scott and
Corwin and Wilson and Thompson
and Smith, all of 'em good, whole
souled fellows, and all here in the
building. , Suppose I 'phoned 'em to
come up, and we'll talk the matter
over. They're all pretty well fixed,
too, and I believe will be glad to take
a hand." , ' . .,
"Just the thing, George. The soon
er we take hold and get it under way,
the better."
Accordingly an urgent message was
telephoned in a half jovial, half mys
terious way, to each one mentioned, to
come to James' Office at once on im
portant , business. All responded
promptly, undecided as to whether it
meant a practical joke or business of
pressing importance. , V '
'Will called the meeting to order
in a very, formal manner and request
ed George to state its purpose.
, Every one seemed to enter into the
spirit of the object of the meeting, as
well as into the half jovial, half
':fiW
i h tm ?
ft
formal, parliamentary manner la
which, it was eonductetd, and they-
were soon discussing the various sug
gestions, offered with the enthusiasm
and abandon of a lot of school boys.
While there was no posing as phil
anthropists, there waa a whole-souled
spirit of consideration shown for the
worthy unfortunate, that gave them
a much deeper insight Into each oth
ers' characters and drew them into
closer bonds of sympathy than would
a year of ordinary intercourse. '.
It was found that after they had
all pledged themselves to the fund in
accordance with the rule laid down,
as to ability and percentage of or
dinary expenditure, there would' be
something over a hundred and fifty
dollars available.
It being essential to the carrying
out, of their plan that their families
should be interested, a meeting was
called for a subsequent evening at
the residence of Mr. Corwin, at which
all were represented.
The "ladies and other ' members of
the families entered into the move
ment with even more enthusiasm than
the originators. Before the labor was
completed of making out the list of
those to be aided and the various
things to be contributed to each one,
several meetings were required. More
enjoyment came from these meetings,
twice over, than if the money ex
pended had been for gifts for them
selves. ( " . . ' .
The organization was kept secret
from the public, -but at the laughing
suggestion of Mr. Scott, adopted the
name:. "The Associated Santa Claus."
With each basket, delivered late on
Christmas eve, at the1 door of various
homes, was an envelope addressed to
the recipient, containing a postal di
rected to "The , Assocated Santa
Claus," Box 619, City; requesting that
the receipt of the basket be acknowl
edged, so that it might be known
that it had not gone astray. .' ' H
It is not the province of this story
to tell of the joy ;of the little children
in these 30 or 40 homes, over the re
ceipt of some cherished toy and the
ever welcome candy and nuts, or of
the heart-felt gratitude of the parents,
that, for that one day of all others,
their families had been permitted to
partake ot the comfort and luxury 'of
a well filled table. i ,;'
At the 'final, meeting of the year,,
held the night after Christmas, at
which the 5 acknowledgments ' were
read to the association, more than one
woman's eyes were brimming . with
tears, and more than one man 'had
a lump in his throat that was difficult
to swallow, as he listened to ; the
burning words of gratitude, for the
joy that , had been brought to their
homes. Some were expressed in un
couth, and some in the most refined
language, but all bore the impress of
sincerity. ' ' ' .. : ' t - ' .
There was not a dissenting voice,
when Mr... Wilson presented the fol
lowing resolution:, "''..-'',-..:;'.'
Resolved, That the Christmas just
passed has been the happiest one of
our lives, and that we continue, as a
permanent organization, "The Asso
ciated Santa , Claus." Ohio Magazine.
.Christmas Superstitions. .
There are many Christmas supersti-
uuus "JOT
held as articles of faith
that are
be recalled, says Country
Life
kthat oxen kneel In their
stalls at
sight on Christmas eve.
in adora
ithe Nativity, and for-
one hour
power of speech
for thatJj
the lost spirits
have rev
to clanl
.Herod ceases
laughter
Herodia,'
"""nee.
which a
ever, ai
wanderiri
believed
bells e
church il
mained.
night, oil
see his
1
1
