The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-25 00:00:00

AIOSDAY EVENING,

MAIN SIGNALLING.

There is notling in which the telegraph has rendered more
service to railsays than in what has been technically called
"Train Signaling;' Its value for this purpose was pointed
out two-and-tventy years ago, in a very explicit manner,
by the origina patentee, Mr. Wm. Fothergile Cooke, in a
pamphlet of apages, illustrated by four plates. The pur-
port of this paaphlet may be gathered from the title :
" Telegraphic railways ; or, the single way recommended,
by safety, ecommy, and efficiency, under the safeguard and
control of the liectric Telegraph: with particular reference
to railway coamunication with Scotland, and to Irish
Railways." If any of the fundamental rules for protecting
trains in motica may be found is this pamphlet.
The railwa3system has in these latter days so expanded I
itself—trains lave so multiplied in number, that it is im-
perative on mangers to have recourse to the telegraph for
regulating then movements; business cannot otherwise be
conducted in afety. The old forms of instrument were not
equal to the dtties required on those lines where the traffic
was so heavy—trains following trains in such quick suc-
cession, that peaking, instruments of a new character were
imperatively remanded. Little is required to be expressed
in this servio ; but that tittle must be in language
not only unmistakeable but of extreme brevity.
There is no tine for speeches, note for sentences, not even
for spelling. ^he well-worked railway is cut up into shorter
and shorter actions, and the distance between signal sta-
tions is constntly made less and Less. As the duty of the
telegraph is tt protect the line, length by length, consecu-
tive trains areno longer separated each from the other by
an interval oftime, but by an interval of space. The inter-
val of time m.y be long or short; it may be measured by
hours or by Mnutes ; the safety is the same. A second train
is not allowed to enter upon any length of railway, be it
long or be it ihort, until the train preceding has left that
length. Whet these lengths are—as they are in some cases
of metropolitan lines—reduced to very small fractions of a
mile, and trails follow each other—as they de on high days
and holidays—as fast as they can be loaded, it is obvious
that the telegraphic language must be brief and expressive.
A few seconds is all the time at command. No pardon of
this can be spared for calling attention ; the signal and its
reply must be instant on the heels each of the other. The
organs open to the language of the telegraph ate the eye
and the ear, What human eye, even were it relieved from
its other responsible duties, is equal to the amount of fixed
watchfulness implied by such duties as we have described ?
The ear, happily, is always open ; and no action is required
on the part of him to whose ear language is addressed.
Then the ear is not fatigued with listening, as the eye is
with gazing. Hence it has become the practice to address
the ear under these pressing circumstances. The few
things to be said—and they are very few; the fewer the
better—are accordingly expressed by sounds, differing is
quantity and quality. Sometimes the memory is assisted
by a viand signal, permanent for the time being, and altered
in character, when the condition it indicates is itself changed.
This either accompanies or follows the audible signal. The
memory is more fully assistsd, and a system of checking and
permanent record is added, by booking the signals, as they
follow on in rapid succession. Not only is the fact—be it
what it may—put on record, but the interval that has passed
since the fact occurred ; since, for example, a coming
train arrived, or a parting train left, may be seen, if
required, at a glance. Ruled books are provided, where
every possible word is printed ; and little save the name of
each train and the time-figures, requires entering. This
saving of unnecessary labour is very essential; for in
times of great pressure it requires lissom fingers to enter
up legions of train signals—of ins and outs, of comings and
goings.—Pailivay News.