The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-10-22
SWITCH SIGNALS on RAILROADS

Senate is certainly to be pitied
SWITCH SIGNALS on RAILROADS.
To THE railroads, more perhaps than to any
other single influence, is due the rapid devel-
opment of the internal resources of the
United States. Traversing the continent in
every direction, they bind together our great
empire with bands of iron, and produce an
identity of interests between the inhabitants
of far distant States that would be impossible
without their aid The immense extent of
country covered by the railroads of the
United States has produced system of man
agement that is peculiar to this continent
The work to be done is so different that the
railroad system of the United States can
scarcely be put in comparison with that of
Europe. In England particularly a
degree of perfection in certain
details has been arrived at that leaves
us far behind. With a level country of
limited extent it is possible there to build
roads and mt them with a completeness that
is almost unknown here, but on the other
hand the railroads of the United States
crossing lofty mountains, immense rivers,
great deserts and connecting ocean with
ocean, present in their magnitude, and in the
enterprise and eminent ability with which
they are managed a far more sublime specta-
Gle than those of any other country under the
sun. The first thing to be done here is to
get road built and in operation, and then to
introduce such Improvements as experience
may demonstrate as necessary. The manage
ment Of the Eastern roads especially is rapidly
being brought to great state of perfection,
and the ingenuity of inventors is taxed to
provide for the safety and comfort of our
great travelling public. Any appliance that
will reduce the danger of accident to
minimum is of great consequence, and is
worthy of the consideration not only of rail
road men but of the whole public. The Cam
den and Amboy Railroad has recently intro
duced system of signalling that renders
collision between trains almost impossible,
except through the grossest carelessness of
the employees, and their signal superintendent
Mr.. Robert Stewart, has just perfected an
invention which is at once ingenious and
beautifully simple, for the purpose of obvia-
ting any danger to trains from the misplace
ment of switches or drawbridges.
A number of prominent railroad men,
members of the press, and others. visited
Trenton yesterday for the purpose of ex-
anining this invention in practical operation,
and the unanimous verdict was that Mr..
Stewart has perfected very important and
valuable contrivance, which must in very
short time be brought into use on every rail
road in the United States. Like most great
/ inventions, this is remarkable for its beauti-
full simplicity, and it practically renders an
accident from misplaced switch or draw
bridge an impossibility. 1t is intended that
| there shall be signal station some distance
on each side of switch or drawbridge, which
will be in full view by day and night of an
approaching train. A telegraph will connect
/ the switch with little instrument in the sig
nal-box, so that wheneverthe switch is moved
the red signal of danger is dropped, warning
| the engineer to stop his train to find out what
is the matter. This instrument operates
with the utmost certainty, and it is
entirely out of the control of the
switch-man or any other person, Other
contrivances to accomplish the same object
have been applied on some of the roads, bu
they are all open to the objection that they
/ Will uOt SuOM tuc SlSul uultSS Tue
switch itself is displaced. One of the grea
merits of Mr.. Stewards instrument is, that il
a bolt is out, if the telegraph wire is cut, il
the battery is not supplied with acid, or, il
fact if anything whatever is the matter will
the switch or the instrument itself. the fact il
Immediately made known by the lowering o
the danger signal, and the conductor of
train is obliged to stop and see what is th
difficulty before he can proceed. This inven
ton is OF even more importance as an attach
ment to- drawbridges, and it operates in ex
actly the same-manner as on switch. If tn
bridge is no more than quarter of an incl
out OF its proper place, the fact is immedi
ately telegraphed to the signal station an
warning given to the approaching train.
1t will easily be seen that such a con
} trivance as this does away with prolfi
source OF danger on railroads, and nothin
but the grossest carelessness ON the part o
5 an engineer can ever, cause an accident at
, switch or drawbridge, The instrument i
simple and inexpensive, and it leaves no eS
cuse whatever for negligence on the part O
the officers OF employees Of road. The paten