"Chinaman's chance"
From: GilonPaul@aol.com
I once read about an railroad expression describing the action or danger of lowering one Chinese worker on a rope (instead of the three a basket) to plant a dynamite stick in the vertical surface of a cliff.
The expression described the fact that quite a few such worker were not pulled up in time to avoid being blown up.
Do you know of this expression, if my memory is correct?
—Paul
posted from CPRR Discussion Group at 8:34 PM
2 Comments:
See, information about the Chinese workers that built the Central Pacific Railroad.
For an answer to your question, see, "Chinaman's chance".
But, it is likely that most of this stuff is just made up and cannot be supported by primary source evidence.
For example, there were no baskets, and the Central Pacific Railroad used black powder and nitroglycerine, but did not use dynamite.
Also, the number of deaths from transcontinental railroad construction accidents likely have been greatly exaggerated.
From: GilonPaul@aol.com
Much obliged for the information.
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