Resisting the Power of the Locomotive

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Singular Incident — Locomotive arrested by Worms.

On the completion, a few days since, of the railway on the tressel and bridge, over the Congaree Swamp and river, a general migration of the cattapillars of Richmond took place towards the St. Mathew’s shore. An army of worms, occupying in solid column the iron rail for upwards of one mile, presented, as was supposed, but a feeble barrier to the power of steam.

A locomotive, with a full train of cars loaded with iron, and moving at a speed of from ten to twelve miles an hour, was arrested notwithstanding, at midway in the swamp by these insects, and through the agency of sand alone, freely delivered on the wheel, was it able to overcome them. It was a sanguinary victory, in which millions were crushed to death, though the cattipillars maintained their ground and enjoyed a triumph in resisting, for a brief period, even the power of the locomotive.

[Charleston Patriot.

The Experiment (Norwalk, Ohio) May 4, 1842

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Think it couldn’t happen?

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Revenge of the Caterpillars!