Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 308, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 January 1918 — STOPPING A RAILWAY TRAIN [ARTICLE]

STOPPING A RAILWAY TRAIN

Cars and Steamboats Have Been Held Up by Insects, and Animals— Earwig Stopped Service. . , . I. .... The earwig which some time ago held up the District railroad service In London by short-circuiting the electric signaling apparatus was unwittingly emulating the spider which, in 1908, dislocated the traffic of the Irish Great Northern railroad for nearly two hours, says London Tit-Bits. The electric staff instrument failed, the cause being traced to a spider between the lever and contact po’ints. It is only three or four years ago that a train was derailed on the London & Northwestern railroad owing to a hedge-hog having been caught between the point and side rails and preventing them from closing properly. A Mississippi steamer was not long ago stopped by an invasion of willow bugs, which made for the engine room and clogged the engines; while about five years ago a swarm of bees took possession of a South African railroad station, -drove off the passengers and officials and prevented any trains from. entering until they took their leave in the evening.