The New York herald., 1868-11-11
RAILWAY IMPROVEMENTS.

In the management Of steam. Bacon had said that
the advancement OF people In science was very
clearly evidenced In their ability to transport matter
from one place to another with rapidity-he might
also have added, and with safety. Nothing had
tended moro to the development and growth Of
communities In this great age than Railways and
IL was now no uncommon thing for railway COM
pany to pay $4,000 TO $50 900 per mile for the con-
struction OF portions Of their roads, cutting up
hillsides and climbing over mountains. And 1t
must also be said that with but trifiing Increase
OF outlay very many dangers might be avoided by
lookingto methods Of evading these heavy grades
and too sudden curves. 1t was singular reflection
that railroad companies were willing to pay such
magnificent salaries to their ofcers TO build superb
palace and drawing room cars and yet endeavor to
economze so fatally in securing the best and safest
means Of carrying on their business. Proceeding to
the discussion Of the question most directly before
the society," he spoke first Of that class OF accidents
resulting from broken rails. Notess than fournfths
OF all accidents railroads were caused by broken
or detective rails, and this might therefore be con-
sidered as the most important subdivision OF the
subject. Accidents Of this kind also were more
especially frequent In cold weather when the metal
had become a1ected by the frost. The second fre-
quent source OF catastrophe arose from the burning
Of cars, causing almost Invariably great loss OF fe
AZ at Angola and Carrs Rock; but this was
in o great measure the result Of the frst-named
cause Of disaster, viz, the broken rails which
throw the trains % from the track The question was
combination that would not breakr' But there was
nothing surprising about their breaking after all
matter what material was used when 1t sis con-
sidered that very frequently thousand car wheels
per day pass over these rails, their velocity making
2 pressure on the rail equal to the blow OF
questionably praiseworthy OF some few companies,
who had taken mp their Iron and replaced them by
steel rails still it not pretended by any that
even steel rails would not break. They had been
known to break even In summer as well as
winter, sometimes from passing wheels and
in other instances from undlscoverable causes.
There was something not OF all understood In the
subject and cause of the breaking Of rails which had
ra CLASS Of ACCIDENTS was the Of mis-
placed Switches" and this was source for which
there could be no palaton or Justification occur
ring II did only through the absolute ignorance
criminal carelessness OF employees. The only remedy
for it was to indict and try the guilty parties for
their lives upon indictments for manslaughter in
the first degree. One means Of at least lessening
the liabilities to such accidents, however, would
be TO compel railway companies to reduce the speed
OF their trains whenever approaching "swftch" to
rate Of not .more than four miles an hour.
Collisions might be considered as the fourth class Of
Academia and could be undoubtedly avoided alto
gether by the adoption Of good system Of time
tables, reliable time pieces and code OF signals, all
OF which should be rigidly and attentivey adhered
to- 1t was only few years since that about dozen
persons lost their lives the Worcester railroad in
consequence OF variation Of exactly one minute
dnctors Of the coIliding trains An elecIric clock
was invented some years ago, which would have
been OF immense benefit in this respect but Dr..
Hall stated that OF his own knowledge, through the
poverty Of the inventor and his lack Of lqe9ce, he
never succeeded IN introducing Y The aholshmHnt
OF the single track system on roads would also greatly
reduce the proportion 0i collisions. Distractions on
the tracks were also frightfu source Of disaster.
The fencing In Of the roads from one end TO the
trespassing ON the tracks, and any road that was
worth running was ut least worth such fence as
passsee Of the trains. Trees and rocks, il might be
said would sometimes fall or roll on TO the track
but in nine out Of ten all trees aud rocks could
be removed from any dangerous proximity when the
pense. A perfect system OF brakes, acting on the
Of 4 incsIcuaSls a Slp- service in checking train
tfon OF the calcium light would, rule, reveal the
presence Of the obstacle In time to admit OF the
slackening Of speed The breaking Of axes, which
always occurred close up TO the inner face Of the
wheel, could to great measure be guarded against
by having at convenient intervals along the road an
apparatus for testing the condition Of the axles the
speaker had but recently seen IN an accident on the
Hudson River Railroad wheel lying beside the
track, and the end Of the axle stu attached to 1t:
That axle had evidently been fractured and uns0und
for some time. and had there been any instrument
for testing 1t its damaged condition would at once
vance was in existence spoke LII for the mechanical
skill Of the country Returning, however, to
the most important and DANGEROUS class Of accidents,
Il was evident that from whatever cause cars were
set on re there was necessity for mourning even
the slightest risk OF this kind It was not necessary
Hs anv con combustiDIe material in their CONSTRUCTION.
Buildings and steamships were now constructed Of
ron and even sheet railroad cars. as well as express
plate iron, and passenger cars could certainly be
built OF the same material In place Of stoves as
means q heating cars not eur cenauSted through %
with flexible joints between the cars. Iron cars
could not take IRE, and II thrown down embank-
wooden cara become Even the wreck would be
could not 10, Be said q the Debris Of wooden train
Railway companies should be compelled BY legisla-
ton TO build cars Of non-combustble materals for
II Congress has The power 70 compel steamboats, TO
% power TO prevent railroad companies from running
life destroyers. Broken rails u they could not be
entirely avoided, could, ct least, be 10 guarded
Dr. Hall ct this point explained diagram for .
safety rail and car wheel the principle OF which he
o douDs set Of ras the outer out rails % being the
usual distance apart and the second set being laid
just within the outer lines OF rails Both sets OF rails
monty used. The wheel diners from the ordinary
car wheel in this respect:-It has two "treadsn on
"a ,aaDsss Dr.s The inside iresa" Of the whssi Is
in other words the diameter Of the wheel at the In.
a. sa' the outer eaee a or Fss oasn
"treadn is Of chilled IRON and the inner
%s.u m. x. &c s S vbss sSd 1pOn sr %
s'treadsn on the outside rails, and the inside
"treads being quarter OF an inch lower than the
outside "treads," do not come In contact with the
rails at ALL beingj just quarter OF an inch above the
inside rail, vertically. The 'snange" thus neces-
sariiy runs between the inside and outside rails.
The outside rail Is the usual working rail- and should
II break, the wheel drops quarter OF an inch and
its inside 'read rests upon and runs the inside
rail- The outside rail- being then broken, the nange
on either side OF the inside rafls prevents the
wheel from running or at the opposite side.
OF an inch would not injure the safety rail,
as unevenness Of greater depth is common at
Dr. Hall claimed would add greatly to the strength
OF the wheel and would reduce the liability OF the
wheels TO climb the rails In turning curves at least
fifty per cent, ~ II would be necessary that two
.nanges" should climb &C once. The only objection
20 be urged against the adoption OF this plan would
be tnat OF expense; but this was insignificant when
compared with the saving OF life and limb AZ well
as property, which would result from the greater In
frequency OF accidents. It would involve OF course
the laying Of an additional set OF rails only, rs the
present rails could be used a. safety rails.
According biq estimate nor v,ilo