Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1868-12-28
How Railroad Trains are Ruu-The
use OF the Telegraph, &c.
From the Cleveland Hsrsl(

From the Cleveland Herald
Very few people have any idea TO what they
owe their safety while travelling by rail, or of
the real cause of collisions of trains on rail-
road 1t is not the object of this article to
either "puH" or censure any one, but to give
the public, or that portion of them who feel an
interest in the matter, brief outline of how
throughout the country, and to what they are
indebted for safety while travelling from one
place to another in railroad car. The iufor-
nation Is brief, and is contained, in the man,
in three wOrdS-the electric telegraph. The
minutie eft managing the telegraph in its appli-
cation to trains, Is, however, the point to un
derstand, and it is this we propose to give
There are, as we all are aware, two kinds of
trains on ali roads, passenger aud freight.
Each are supposed to run by tine card, made
out by the officers OF the road, which Is gener
ally the guide for the engineers and conductors,
but steam like most other things terrestrial, is
not always intallible, and very frequently 1t
happens train gets behind time or is COM
PEELED to lay by from an accident to some OF
the coaches or the engine. Again an accumu-
lation of freight at some particular point along
the route or an excursion party, makes 1t ne
cessary to put On an extra freight or passenger
train, and as there Is no provision In the time
card for them, they run Wild or In the parlance
of railroad men, they are wild cat trains
Il is at such tines as these that the telegraph
wires, which stretch along the road are brought
into special use, though the progress of every
train irom one station to another Is always
marked, aud record Of it kept. At every
station there is telegraph Office, which is kept
open day and night, two sets of operators being
REQUIRED for that purpose. the whole being un
der the immediate control and supervision OF
the head Office, which is generally located at
one of the termini Of the road. Connected
with all roads, and at either end Of them,
is an official called q train dlspa cher, who
is by no means an unimportant function
ary. He it is who orders the starting
of trains, aud he it is who is sometimes
responsible for the frightful collisions, result
ing in the loss of life, which once in a while
startle the community; and to some, give an
idea that 1t Is at no time safe to traVet ny ran.
Not uufreQuently it is to this perSonage alone
that travellers owe their safety. His judgment
must always be correct, his memory clear, and
his knowledge OF his business perfect. To him
she telegraph is an indispensable auxiliary,
and upon it he relies with unwaveriDg fidelity.
But TO the part electricity plays IN msnag'ne
trains and to illustrate, We will to Ike the head
ofice of the Lake Shore Ljue in this city.
There are, between this city and Erie, SIX
teen stations, and, consequently, sixteen teie-
graph Offices, all under the head Office al this
point Two trains start. one from Erie for
Cleveland and one from Cleveland tor Erie, at
the same time, both upon the same track.
Immediately they leave their respective start
ing points the head Office is at once nOtihtd,
and the information transferred, together with
the time, to time register, which Is always
ready at hand. the progress OF each train,
the time of arrival and departure from stations,
is sent by the sub Offices to headquarters, and
this is also transferred to the register. As the
trains approach each other, if not running on
regular. or time-card time, they call Tor an
order as to where they shall pass. The train
dispatcher of the division upon which they are
running, in the case 10 point located here, atter
looking at the rate they are proceeding calculs-
ted from the reports sent IN from the different
stations, sends an order to each engineer aud
each conductor telling them at what station
their trains meet. This order Is the authority
upon which each conductor goes, and, IN case
OF accident relieves him from all responsibility
The management of trains Is, however, not
so simple cs the above would seem TO make
it. Most always several freight trains are
sandwiehed In between the hrst two, ana IL Is
necessary to keep them out OF their own anq each
others way Consequently when the conductor
reaches q station where the tram stops, De
any orders for him. If rot he starts his train
on regular time, and runs to the next stopping
place, where he again seeks orders. 1t there
is one he Immediately obeys 1t, whether 1t tells
him to Law over until another train passes him,
or to 90 on. The order to the conductor is
duplicated to the engineer, so that both may
work in harmony, and each understands just
what to do. In order, however, that there
NAV be no possible mistake the conductor and
engineer repeat back to the head office the or
der With the question, Is this right Z Ii,
upon examination, it is found to have been re-
ceived correctly, the letters D. K. ere clicked
over the line, and upon their receipt the con-
ductor prepares to obey. Sometimes, ana es-
pecjaliy so IN winter, train Is delayed from
various causes, so long that the time card is no
longer on that trip, of any use. Then 1t Is
that the beauty of the workings OF the tele
graph are most apparent. The train at once
becomes one of the wild cat order, and cannot
move an inch without the permit Of the train
dispatcher. The trains running On time then
take the precedence, and the wild cat must
snatch its chance to,in baseball parianee, steal
station on the first opportunity that the
track is clear There it must again lie 5y until
the master hand studies the location OF other
trains and calculates just when 1t shall again
start, and how far it shall run before 1t must
give way. Though perhaps, hundreds OF
miles removed from its destination, still the
master eye is upon it, directing its movements
with skill obtained only from thorough
knowledge of the business. The whole road ls
mapped out in the dispatcEer's mind with
Its stations, the distance between them, the
positions OF trains and their respective rates OF
speed. Way down the read at a designated
point, be sees two trains approaching eacn
other with q station between them. de haftl
ly writes an order, the instrument clicks mo-
mcnt and ere there is possibility OF COLI
zion the ord er stopping one of the trains at
the station j. at its destination. The conduo-