[CBQ] 1910 near miss

[dhartman@mchsi.com]

I happened upon the following article in the January 12, 1910, Aurora Beacon. 
What is also interesting is that it was only one of three large articles on the 
Q on the front page!

MAD RACE BETWEEN TRAINS IS STAGED

SWITCH ENGINE'S SPEED ESCAPES FAST MAIL

A disastrous wreck was narrowly averted in the Burlington railroad yards when a 
switch engine was backed upon the main westbound track directly in the path of 
fast mail train No. 7. Railroad men say it was only by a miracle that a 
collision was avoided.

The switch crew had been doing some work at the freight house and was to take a 
car to the old yard. The engine was backed upon the main track directly in the 
path of the mail train, which was rounding the curve at the coal shutes at a 
speed for forty miles an hour.

Unaware of the approach of the mail train the engineer started backing up the 
main track. A switchman ran out on the track and yelling a warning to him. 
Reversing his engine and throwing open the throttle he started back for the 
cross over. A mad race between the mail train and the switch engine was then 
on. The switch engine crossed safely to the side track just as the mail whizzed 
past.


------------------------------------

Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CBQ/

<*> Your email settings:
    Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CBQ/join
    (Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
    CBQ-digest@yahoogroups.com 
    CBQ-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    CBQ-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
    http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/