Engine sank to level of smokestack.

Peculiar accident to construction engine near Bond Lake.

Residents in the neighborhood of Bond Lake have been given something to wonder at in the spectacle of a huge 45-ton locomotive occupying a most out of the way position deep down in the roadbed of its one time iron path. On Thursday afternoon of last week while a gravel train on the Aurora and Schomberg Railway was passing over a portion of the roadbed, a short distance from the intersection with the Metropolitan Railway, in sight of Curthis' hotel, the remarkable occurrence took place.

A gang of workmen were engaged in ballasting the roadway at this point, and had just finished unloading the gravel cars and were backing down to the gravel pit to reload when Jas. King, foreman of the construction gang, who was standing on a flat car, immediately in the rear of the tender, noticed that the roadway was rapidly sinking. He called to the driver, Norman Walton, apprising him of this danger. Walton instantly reversed the level and together with the fireman, Wm. Obe, jumped from the engine. The point at which this remarkable incident has taken place, while always regarded as swampy, and the soil as soft and spongy, was never regarded as dangerous.

An Era reported visited the spot on Friday, and the sight is truly a queer one. The monster engine has buried herself to a depth of fully 15 feet in sand and water, carrying the track along for a distance of probably 50 feet. In a lesser degree the track has subsided from 2 to 10 feet. Previous to the accident the roadway on either side was almost on a level with the railway tracks, but a most remarkable feature in connection with the sinking of the rolling stock and track is the effect produced on the roadway on either side. On the north side of the track, for a distance of probably 100 feet, a deep fissure was formed, which was subsequently refilled, and the whole elevated to a height of 10 feet. Some estimates may be formed of the situation from the fact that the smoke stack of the engine is on a lower level than the roadway.

With characteristic promptness and energy, J. W. Moyes, general manager, at once instituted plans for the release of the engine tender. A power traction engine, operating a rotary pump, was installed Friday, trenches for carrying off the water were dug, and every know appliance is being employed for the rapid prosecution of the work. Mr. Moyes said that in addition to the above machinery a 30 horse-power traction engine would be added on Saturday to the equipment, and the general manager hopes that the work of restoration will be completed by Saturday night.

As to the cause of the catastrophe opinions are rife, the generally accepted opinion being that quick sand is largely responsible. But for the iron rails the engine would probably sank out of sight. During Thursday night it went down 6 feet.

Later—The engine was got out Saturday night.

Railways: S. & A.Ry.

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