Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 313, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 January 1918 — STOPPING A RAILWAY TRAIN [ARTICLE]

STOPPING A RAILWAY TRAIN

Cars and Steamboats Have Been Held Up by insects and Animal*— Earwig/Stopped Service. 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 points. It is only three or four years ago that a train was derailed on the London & Northwestern railroad owing to a hedge-hog having canght 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.