Posted inDaily News Local Histories Railroads

Mercury Hangs Low Throughout Wild Snowstorm

Following the record low temperature of Monday morning, the mercury dropped rapidly again Monday evening until at midnight the thermometer registered 10 degrees below zero. In the early morning hours of Tuesday however, there was some moderation of the temperature and at 6 o’clock yesterday morning the average reported in Augusta was 6 to 8 degrees below zero.

Snow began falling about 10 o’clock Tuesday morning and continued throughout the day with increasing intensity in the afternoon and evening. With the low temperature, the storm, which was driven by a bitter wind from the northeast, made it particularly disagreeable for all who had occasion to venture forth.

Posted inDaily News Railroads

How the Big Storm Affected the Flour City

From all appearances the heavy snow storm is over, and it is well for the suburban territory of Minneapolis that it is so. Another day of the heavy snowfall would make the streets impassable and block in the inhabitants. As it is the heavy drifts have packed four and five feet deep through parts of the outer wards, on both sides of the river, and the snow plows have done very little toward breaking it up. By dint of hard work the car lines were kept open and the motor trains into town did not lose a trip. The Minnehaha and Washburn home divisions were greatly delayed, but both lines were open and in good running order last night.

Posted inDaily News Local Histories Railroads

Install Automatic Safety Signals

Automatic safety signals are being Installed on the Sand Hill and Brick Yard crossings on the Maine Central Railroad in Winslow. Several months ago hearings were held at the Winslow town hall relative to making these crossings safer and the decision rendered was to Install two electric safety signals at the Sand Hill crossing and one signal at the Brick Yard crossing which is on Bay street.

Posted inDaily News Iron & Steam Railroads Travelers' Tales

N. P. Willis on the “Baltimore and Ohio Railroad”

ldlewild, August 8, 1859

Dear Morris : There is one class of sights upon a new railroad which are very interesting while their freshness lasts—the places that have been taken by surprise. On the line of the streak of lightning that was thrown over the Alleghanies by the Baltimore thunder-cloud of thirty-one million dollars, is a succession of far-hidden remotenesses—wild valleys, cascades, solitary shanties and mountain fastnesses—many of which were thought by the hunter, or by the pioneer settler, wholly unreachable by common thoroughfares, and, in fact, inaccessible to all visitings but the eagle’s, but which have been laid open, almost with the suddenness of a thunderbolt, and are now daily looked at from crowded freight trains and expresses, as familiar to the man in the locomotive as the signs of a street!

Posted inDaily News Iron & Steam Railroads

American Locomotives

The best manufactory of Locomotive Engines in this country, is the establishment owned by Baldwin, Vail & Hussey, Broad street, Philadelphia. Since this company began their labors, few short years ago, they have manufactured one hundred and twenty-nine locomotive engines. Of this number twenty-six have been for the Columbia and Philadelphia Railway, twelve for the Utica and Schenectady, and ten for the Georgia Rail Road.

Posted inDaily News Railroads

Seven Killed, Scored Hurt in P. & R. Express Wreck Near Atlantic City

Express Train Plunges Over High Embankment After Running into Open Switch

ATLANTIC CITY, July 3.—An open switch sent seven persons to their death and resulted in injury to about 75 others, about half of them seriously, when the Camden-Atlantic City night express on the Philadelphia Reading railroad running at full speed, left the rails on a curve at Winslow Junction and rolled down an embankment. The dead and injured were from South Jersey, Philadelphia and vicinity. Nearly all of the injured were removed to this city.

John F. Walt, an operator who has been in the service of the company for twenty-four years, is in a state of collapse in his home at Hammonton, N. J. He is under the surveillance of the state police. The engineer of the express, Walter Westcott, is dead. He was killed instantly.