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Story
August 19, 1903
The New Dominion
Morgantown, Monongalia County, West Virginia
What is this article about?
A ten-ton steam road-roller, while working on the Model Road on the West Side, refused to reverse near an embankment and rolled over 6-8 feet into a swamp, landing upside down and sustaining significant damage. Engineer Chapman jumped to safety.
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Full Text
ROLLED OVER EMBANKMENT.
Road Machine Weighing Ten Tons Turns Over and is Badly Smashed,
Late Saturday afternoon, just when the road builders were ready to put the last finishing touch on the first half-mile of Model Road on the West Side, the big steam road-roller got stubborn, refused to back-up or be reversed and finally ended in rolling over an embankment of 6 or 8 feet, and alighting on its back, or top, in a swamp, where it now rests, with wheels and boilers, sticking skyward.
The accident was absolutely unavoidable The amount of damage done is hard to estimate and what it will cost to get it out, can not be accurately guessed at.
The machine was in charge of Engineer Chapman, who has been running it all of the time. He had started off the macadamized road on to the road to Fairmont, to do a little work, before finishing the model road.
The roller was steered near the edge of the embankment. The engine refused to reverse, and slipped over the edge. Mr. Chapman stayed with it until the last minute, and then jumped.
The roller weighs ten tons, and it is hard to tell the amount of damage it has sustained. The smoke-stack, canopy and governor were broken off and some of the steam-fittings are smashed. Part of these are buried in the mud, and the amount of the damage can not be seen.
An effort will be made to get the heavy machine out of the hole, and to have it repaired.
Road Machine Weighing Ten Tons Turns Over and is Badly Smashed,
Late Saturday afternoon, just when the road builders were ready to put the last finishing touch on the first half-mile of Model Road on the West Side, the big steam road-roller got stubborn, refused to back-up or be reversed and finally ended in rolling over an embankment of 6 or 8 feet, and alighting on its back, or top, in a swamp, where it now rests, with wheels and boilers, sticking skyward.
The accident was absolutely unavoidable The amount of damage done is hard to estimate and what it will cost to get it out, can not be accurately guessed at.
The machine was in charge of Engineer Chapman, who has been running it all of the time. He had started off the macadamized road on to the road to Fairmont, to do a little work, before finishing the model road.
The roller was steered near the edge of the embankment. The engine refused to reverse, and slipped over the edge. Mr. Chapman stayed with it until the last minute, and then jumped.
The roller weighs ten tons, and it is hard to tell the amount of damage it has sustained. The smoke-stack, canopy and governor were broken off and some of the steam-fittings are smashed. Part of these are buried in the mud, and the amount of the damage can not be seen.
An effort will be made to get the heavy machine out of the hole, and to have it repaired.
What sub-type of article is it?
Disaster
Curiosity
What themes does it cover?
Misfortune
What keywords are associated?
Road Roller Accident
Embankment Rollover
Steam Machine Damage
Unavoidable Accident
Engineer Jump
What entities or persons were involved?
Engineer Chapman
Mr. Chapman
Where did it happen?
Model Road On The West Side, Road To Fairmont
Story Details
Key Persons
Engineer Chapman
Mr. Chapman
Location
Model Road On The West Side, Road To Fairmont
Event Date
Late Saturday Afternoon
Story Details
The steam road-roller refused to reverse near the edge of an embankment, rolled over 6 or 8 feet into a swamp, landing on its back with wheels and boilers skyward. Engineer Chapman jumped to safety. The machine sustained damage including broken smoke-stack, canopy, governor, and steam-fittings.