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1887 Hartford Railroad Disaster
The 1887 Hartford Railroad Disaster, also known as the West Hartford Bridge Disaster, occurred on February 5, 1887, near Hartford, Vermont. It remains the deadliest train accident in Vermont's history, resulting in the deaths of approximately 37 individuals and injuring around 50 others. Background The Vermont Central Railroad operated the Montreal Express, which consisted of one baggage and express car combined, one mail and smoker car combined, two ordinary passenger cars, and two Pullman sleeping cars—the "Pilgrim" and the "St. Albans.” The train was estimated to be carrying between 85 and 90 passengers on the night of the accident. Many were en route to a circus in Montreal, and the train had already fallen behind schedule, prompting the engineer to drive at higher speeds to make up for lost time. The weather that night was severe, with temperatures plummeting to . Incident At approximately 2:10 a.m., as the train approached the West Hartford Bridge, a catast ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eastern Standard Time
The Eastern Time Zone (ET) is a time zone encompassing part or all of 23 states in the eastern part of the United States, parts of eastern Canada, and the state of Quintana Roo in Mexico. * Eastern Standard Time (EST) is five hours behind Coordinated Universal Time ( UTC−05:00). Observed during standard time (late autumn/winter in the United States and Canada). * Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) is four hours behind Coordinated Universal Time ( UTC−04:00). Observed during daylight saving time (spring/summer/early autumn in the United States and Canada). On the second Sunday in March, at 2:00 a.m. EST, clocks are advanced to 3:00 a.m. EDT, creating a 23-hour day. On the first Sunday in November, at 2:00 a.m. EDT, clocks are moved back to 1:00 a.m. EST, which results in a 25-hour day. History The boundaries of the Eastern Time Zone have moved westward since the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) took over time-zone management from railroads in 1938. The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Levi K
Levi ( ; ) was, according to the Book of Genesis, the third of the six sons of Jacob and Leah (Jacob's third son), and the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Levi (the Levites, including the Kohanim) and the great-grandfather of Aaron, Moses and Miriam. Certain religious and political functions were reserved for the Levites. Most scholars view the Torah as projecting the origins of the Levites into the past to explain their role as landless cultic functionaries. Origins The Torah suggests that the name ''Levi'' refers to Leah's hope for Jacob to ''join'' with her, implying a derivation from Hebrew ''yillaweh'', meaning ''he will join'', but scholars suspect that it may simply mean "priest", either as a loanword or by referring to those people who were ''joined'' to the Ark of the Covenant. Another possibility is that the Levites were a tribe of Judah not from the clan of Moses or Aaron and that the name "Levites" indicates their ''joining'' - either with the Israelites in gener ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bridge Disasters Caused By Engineering Error
A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually something that is otherwise difficult or impossible to cross. There are many different designs of bridges, each serving a particular purpose and applicable to different situations. Designs of bridges vary depending on factors such as the function of the bridge, the nature of the terrain where the bridge is constructed and anchored, the material used to make it, and the funds available to build it. The earliest bridges were likely made with fallen trees and stepping stones. The Neolithic people built boardwalk bridges across marshland. The Arkadiko Bridge, dating from the 13th century BC, in the Peloponnese is one of the oldest arch bridges in existence and use. Etymology The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' traces the origin of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1887 In Vermont
Events January * January 11 – Louis Pasteur's anti-rabies treatment is defended in the Académie Nationale de Médecine, by Dr. Joseph Grancher. * January 20 ** The United States Senate allows the United States Navy to lease Pearl Harbor as a naval base. ** British emigrant ship ''Kapunda'' sinks after a collision off the coast of Brazil, killing 303 with only 16 survivors. * January 21 ** The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is formed in the United States. ** Brisbane receives a one-day rainfall of (a record for any Australian capital city). * January 24 – Battle of Dogali: Abyssinian troops defeat the Italians. * January 28 ** In a snowstorm at Fort Keogh, Montana, the largest snowflakes on record are reported. They are wide and thick. ** Construction work begins on the foundations of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. February * February 2 – The first Groundhog Day is observed in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. * February 4 – The Interstate Commerce Ac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Derailments In The United States
In rail transport, a derailment is a type of train wreck that occurs when a rail vehicle such as a train comes off its rails. Although many derailments are minor, all result in temporary disruption of the proper operation of the railway system and they are a potentially serious hazard. A derailment of a train can be caused by a collision with another object, an operational error (such as excessive speed through a curve), the mechanical failure of tracks (such as broken rails), or the mechanical failure of the wheels, among other causes. In emergency situations, deliberate derailment with derails or catch points is sometimes used to prevent a more serious accident. History The first recorded train derailment in history is known as the Hightstown rail accident in New Jersey that occurred on 8 November 1833. The train was traveling between Hightstown and Spotswood, New Jersey, and derailed after an axle broke on one of the carriages as a result of a journal box catching fi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bridge Disasters In The United States
A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually something that is otherwise difficult or impossible to cross. There are many different designs of bridges, each serving a particular purpose and applicable to different situations. Designs of bridges vary depending on factors such as the function of the bridge, the nature of the terrain where the bridge is constructed and anchored, the material used to make it, and the funds available to build it. The earliest bridges were likely made with fallen trees and stepping stones. The Neolithic people built boardwalk bridges across marshland. The Arkadiko Bridge, dating from the 13th century BC, in the Peloponnese is one of the oldest arch bridges in existence and use. Etymology The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' traces the origin of the word ''bridge' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
List Of Rail Accidents (1880–1889)
This is a list of rail accidents from 1880 to 1889. 1880 * January 8 – ''United Kingdom'' – A collision near Southport killed ten people. * January 15 – ''United Kingdom'' – Six people were killed when the 5:30 express from Liverpool collided with a passenger train between Ormskirk and Burscough Junction. Both trains were on the same line and a signalman was arrested. * February – ''United Kingdom'' – Thirty passengers had minor injuries following a collision between a Welsh coal-train and an express from Chester, near the Queensway Tunnel, Birkenhead Tunnel. * February 10 – ''France'' – A train from St Lazare station ran into the Paris-to-Argenteuil train near Clichy station. Seven passengers were killed and at least fifty badly injured. * February 13 – ''United Kingdom'' – Two wagons and the guard's van were thrown off the viaduct over the River Almond, Scotland killing two guards and a telegraph boy. * March 13 – ''Germany'' – Two passenger trains coll ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
List Of American Railroad Accidents
This is a list of the most serious U.S. rail-related accidents (excluding intentional acts such as the 1939 City of San Francisco derailment). 19th century 1830s *1833 Hightstown rail accident, Hightstown, New Jersey; two killed plus 15 injured. Earliest recorded train accident involving the death of passengers. * 1837 Suffolk head-on collision, Suffolk, Virginia; 3 killed plus dozens injured. Later in the year, a second accident resulted in ten injuries, with two of them ultimately dying. 1850s *1853 Greater Grand Crossing rail collision, Grand Crossing (now Chicago), Illinois; 18 killed plus 40 injured. Eventually led to massive triple level grade separation project on Chicago's South Side *1853 Norwalk rail accident, Norwalk, Connecticut; 48 killed plus 30 injured. First movable bridge disaster in U.S. history and Connecticut's deadliest rail disaster to date * 1853 Providence and Worcester head-on collision, Valley Falls, Rhode Island; 14 killed plus 17 injured. Rhode Isl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Locomotive
A locomotive is a rail transport, rail vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. Traditionally, locomotives pulled trains from the front. However, Push–pull train, push–pull operation has become common, and in the pursuit for longer and heavier freight trains, companies are increasingly using distributed power: single or multiple locomotives placed at the front and rear and at intermediate points throughout the train under the control of the leading locomotive. Etymology The word ''locomotive'' originates from the Latin language, Latin 'from a place', Ablative case, ablative of 'place', and the Medieval Latin 'causing motion', and is a shortened form of the term ''locomotive engine'', which was first used in 1814 to distinguish between self-propelled and stationary steam engines. Classifications Prior to locomotives, the motive force for railways had been generated by various lower-technology methods such as human power, horse power, Gravity railroad, g ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Central Heating
A central heating system provides warmth to a number of spaces within a building from one main source of heat. A central heating system has a Furnace (central heating), furnace that converts fuel or electricity to heat through processes. The heat is circulated through the building either by fans forcing heated air through Duct (flow), ducts, circulation of low-pressure steam to Radiator, radiators in each heated room, or Pump, pumps that circulate hot water through room radiators. Primary energy sources may be fuels like coal or wood, oil, kerosene, natural gas, or electricity. Compared with systems such as Fireplace, fireplaces and Wood-burning stove, wood stoves, a central heating plant offers improved uniformity of temperature control over a building, usually including automatic control of the furnace. Large homes or buildings may be divided into individually controllable zones with their own Temperature control, temperature controls. Automatic fuel (and sometimes ash) handli ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kerosene Heater
A kerosene heater, also known as a paraffin heater, is typically a portable, unvented, kerosene-fueled, space (i.e., convectional) heating device. In Japan and other countries, they are a primary source of home heat. In the United States and Australia, they are a supplemental heat or a source of emergency heat during a power outage. Most kerosene heaters produce between . Operation A kerosene heater operates much like a large kerosene lamp. A circular wick made from fiberglass and/or cotton is integrated into a burner unit mounted above a font (tank) filled with 1-K kerosene. The wick draws kerosene from the tank via capillary action. Once lit, the wick heats the kerosene until it turns into a gas (gasification) and this gas is then burnt which heats air via convection or nearby objects via radiation. The burner is designed to properly oxygenate and distribute the flames. The flame height is controlled by raising or lowering the exposed wick height inside the burner unit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Railroad Safety Appliance Act
The Safety Appliance Act is a United States federal law that made air brakes and automatic couplers mandatory on all trains in the United States. It was enacted on March 2, 1893, and took effect in 1900, after a seven-year grace period. The act is credited with a sharp drop in accidents on American railroads in the early 20th century. Background After the Civil War, railroads expanded rapidly throughout the United States. The increased traffic was accompanied by an increase in accidents among railroad personnel, especially brakemen. Many accidents were associated with coupling and uncoupling of railroad cars, and particularly with the use of link-and-pin couplers, which were widely used then. The operation of hand brakes was also very hazardous. The rise in accidents led to calls for safety legislation, as early as the 1870s. In the 1880s, on-the-job deaths of railroad workers were second only to those of coal miners. Through that decade, several state legislatures enacted ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
