A RAILWAY MYSTERY SOLVED.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7660, 19 June 1896, Page 4

A RAILWAY MYSTERY SOLVED.

HOW LIO.OOO OF GOODS VANISHED.

The officials have just closed a voluminous correspondence and effected a settlement of claims growing out of one of the most remarkable incidents in the history of railroading. This was an accident on the mountain division of the Union Pacific, when a cat loaded with merchandise of the value of LIO,OOO was lost, and its whereabouts for over a year was a mystery that baffled trainmen, officials, and directors until they were at their wits' ends. The "lost car," as it came to be called, was one of the old box cara of about 10 tons capacity, painted a dull slate color, and numbered 907. It had in some manner found its way to the Pacific coast, and on its return trip was utilised to carry east a portion of the cargo of a steamship just arrivod from the Orient, consisting of silks, together with a lob of wine, these two commodities being commonly shipped together so as to secure to the shipper the advantage of both bulk and weight, for rates were very high at the time. It .was a L customary thing on the arrival of one of the Pacific Cuast Steamship Co.'s big vessels from China to make up a train, and sometimes tivo or three trains, from the silks included iii her cargo, with wine for ballast, and send them through as "silk specials," which were scheduled on passenger time, and not infrequently made better speed than the express trains. Now the steamship which brought the cargo, of which 907 received a portion, was five days overdue when'she made port, and the silk special lost 48 hoars up among the snows. The consignees being in a particular hurry for their freight, orders were sent to expedite that cargo by sending it over the line on a 60-mile schedule. The. road te a rough one. On either side of the track, rising precipitately to a height) of from one to several hundred feet, are rocky spurs whose sides have been blasted off just sufficient to permit the passage of trains. In places there are curves so sharp and with surroundings so perilous that old engineer^ never pass these spots without a feeling of profound thankfulness when they have left them behind. The special, which included the 907, was in a fair way to have time to kill when, in going over a hill, the train broke in two. In such cases the engineer pulls out for all his engine is worth, or, rather, the engineers do. This is to prevent the detached section, which is left without safeguard of air brakes, from running into the section in front and smashing the draw heads. Well, this is what the engineers did on this occasion, for it was about one o'clock a.m., dark as pitch, and inclined to be stormy. The portion of the crew on the detached section always know what to do on such occasions. They set the hand brakes and jog slowly along until the train comes to a standstill at the foot of the grade, where they know the rest of the crew will be waiting for them. Tht engineers ran like lightning that night, for they were .on the down gr.ide when the train broke in two running at the rate of 60 miles an hour, and didn't known whether the boys would discover the accident and set the brakes at once or not. Around Bharp curves, across ugly gulches, skimming along the banks of dry creek beds, they rushed with the speed of the wind until the safe halting place was reached, and there they stopped. The detached section came leisurely along, for the boys were on the alert and discovered the accident instantly. The trains were once more coupled and made the remainder of the journey to Laramio without accident. When the " number snatcher " made his rounds to check up the train he counted but 15 cars. He examined his way bills, and found they called for the usual number — 16. He took another look over the train, with the same result. Meanwhile engines and crews had been changed, and everything was in readiness to pull out. They were losing time every minute, and the engineers and conductor were furious over the delay. The latter wanted to know what in perdition was the matter, and when he was informed, said the number snatcher was a blanked idiot. Then they went over the train again. There was no doubt of it. There was a car misaing, and it was No. 907. Matters were fixed up with the train despatcher, and the silk special went on one car short. It was supposed that the car had been set out at some way station on account of a hot box, a fiat wheel, or a broken axle, and that the conductor had forgotten to make a minute of it, so the subject was dropped until the next day. When the conductor appeared the next day at the trainmaster's office he was called " on the carpet" and requested to explain. He couldn't explain. He swore he brought the train in just) as he received ib from the other district. Green River was called up, and reported that 907 left there all right. Every station was queried, but no one had seen or heard of the lost car, and for the next twenty-four hours the wires were kept red-hot with messages

relating to the car and its precious cargo. In a month its whereabouts were as much of a mystery as ever. Fine weather came on, and the track-walkers had reported no wreckage along the line, and to make a long story short, the company simply went down in its pockets and advanced a portion of the losses ; they couldn't do otherwise. In six months the incident had become a tradition to be referred to now and then in spinning yarns while on the side track. In June of the year following the disappearance of 907, a cowboy, who had been out on a round-up, was riding across the deaert in search of ■a missing steer. It was intensely hot, and he was disgusted with the world in general, and stray steers in particular. He was just ready to turn round, when he concluded he would take a look in the gulch just across the railroad track. What was his cstonishment to find himself suddenly confronted with a freight car standing upright and unharmed, as if just side-tracked in that lonely spot an hour before. He rubbed his eyes and looked again, thinking perhaps the heat waves in the atmosphere might have blinded him, and that he was the victim of an optical delusion. No, there it was, and on the grey sides of the old car he read the number 907. He looked the car over and discovered that it was sound. He even looked at the seals, and they were unbroken. Greatly puzzled he left the trail of the missing steer, and rode to the telegraph office. The operator did not credit the story of finding the car with the seals on in such an outlandish place for a self-reßpecting car to be, but when the cow puncher mentioned the number, 907, he pretty near fell off his chair. Then he rushed to his key, and in an hour the wrecking car was out on the way to Desert, accompanied by tho superintendent. Why, it was a bigger thing than finding a gold mine, for, leaving out) entirely the value of the car, the cargo, if uninjured, was worth a fortune in itself. The car was found as had been described, was raised and put on the track again, and was taken into Laramie, where an investigation revealed the fact that the contents had not suffered a sixpence worth of damage. The next question was how that car escaped from the train and got itself in such a peculiar position. The crew that brought tho special east the night 907 was lost were questioned, but could throw no light on the matter, until at last it was remembered that the train had parted on the hill and that a dash had been made down the hill to escape a rearend collision. Then, like a flash, the whole thing became clear to the conductor. The separation of the train had been made at the rear end of No. 907, which was left the last car on the front section of the train. In going round a sharp curve just as the track runs out on the embankment crossing the gulch the tremendous speed and the sudden turn had derailed No. 907 and thrown her down into the gulch. The link connecting it with the next car had broken, and and so avoided dragging it down and perhaps wrecking the entire train. It had broken off so clean that it had the appearance of being the point at which the original break occurred, and so when the detached section came up and the train was coupled together, no one ever thought of the old grey car. It is unfortunate, but true, that the excuse did not seem good to the superintendent, and the conductor and his brakesmen were told to come to the office and get their time. As for the cowboy, he was recipient of as handsome and valuable a gold watch and chain as could be found in the city of Omaha, and don't you think cowboys don't wear gold watches and chains, and use them, too.

Nelson's old vessel, the Foudroyant, will shortly be placed on exhibition at London. She is being restored in every respect to tho condition in which she was in Nelson's clay. It is proposed to dress the crew in the costume of the period. When the Foudroyant once more sails the seas she will be tho pnly existing fall-rigged, and manned specimen of the " wooden walls " of England and of the most glorious epoch in the history of the navy. Mr Boddington, who has just retired from the managership of the Bank of New Zealand after 17 years' service in tho Wairarapa, has been presented with a purse of 100 sovereigns and an illuminated address by the residents of Masterton. "For rheumatism I have found nothing equal to Chamberlain's Pain Balm. It relieves the pain as soon ns applied. J. W. Young, West Libeity, W. Vu." The prompt relief it affords is alone worth many times the cost. Its continued use will effect a permanent cure. For sale by E. D. | Smith, wholesale and retail agent. — Advt. The famous Victory Sewing Machine is the latest and most perfect of Sewing Machines. It is adapted for household and work-room use, and is capable of performing the most artistic fancy-work, The prices vary from six guineas, and any of the machines can be purchased on the easiest of time payments from the New Zealand Clothing Factory, the local agency. — Advt.