Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 September 1902 — Might Have Caused a Wreck. [ARTICLE]

Might Have Caused a Wreck.

The engine of the northbound passenger train due here at 9:55 a. m. Sunday,' broke down a little east of the stock pen, as the train was slowing up to stop here. It was a long flat piece of iron whioh broke, called the hammer strap. It connects the two wheels, on one side of the truck under the front end of the engine. Its breakage caused the spring which supports the cylinder above to break also. The broken pieces of iron out and gouged the track, and the ties, and occasionally pulled out spikes, for quite a distance. Evidently if the break had occurred while the train was at full speed, it might have easily caused a bad wreck. The train side-tracked here and waited for another engine from Monon, being delayed over an hour.