Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-11-10
Mistellaneous.
A CHAPTER ON RAILROAD SIGNALS.

travelling public the diabolical yells OF tls
steam whistle on the engine, the mystel
Gus waving of flags and the pantomim
gestures OF the hands by those employedt
trains, are but sealed book. As knows
edge of these signals may sometimes ave.
or at least mitigate accidents, it may L
well to explain some of them to the unir
tiated.
Upon nearly all the roads in this cou I
try the numbers of sounds of the stea
whistle represent the same orders or wal
ings; but on the Erie Railway in one
two instances the rule is exactly reverse
Thus upon that road one clear and sha
whistle means danger, and repeated quie
ly signifies that the danger is imminel.
while upon other roads it is simply nc
| to go ahead or of warning when approachi
! a crossing or station. Those accustom
| to travelling upon the Erie road. and W /
understand the whistles as there used, fr1 |
quently, therefore, make ludicous mistake
when upon the other lines. Others, ho |
ever, when upon the Erie are in consta,,
dread of their lives, hearing often the tvs |
quick whistles, which upon their own lid |
means danger, but which as there healo-
means all right ST.
Promising, therefore, thatthe whistlO,
namely, one and two notes, are revers
upon the Erie, we will proceed. O
whistle may be in most cases set down
the signal for going ahead, releasing t
brakes by the brakemen, and of warni
when approaching depot or crossil
Two sharp and decisive whistles me
danger and when repeated in pairs, s.,
Nifty that the same is close at hand. T.
passenger should then avoid, above eve
thing, the evil habit of sticking his
out Of the window of his car, dangerV
at any time, but doubly so then. TIL
whistles are the signal that the trai
about to back or retrace its steps, but are
seldom heard by ordinary passengers, the
signal being more often used in drilling
trains in the yards.
| Whatever stoppage of train takes
place upon the track watchman is at
once sent to the rear with flag or lantern
to notify and stop following trains. 1t is
to recall him to his train that the next
whistle of four long whistles is used. An
engine nearing certain stations will some
times herald its approach with number
of sharp whistles, which have the effect OF
setting a dozen men around that station
running to given point The call is for
wood, and, like the supposed use of a
|
exactly as if the engine said wood, wood,
wood" and repeated it ad infnatum. Ger
tain roads and the engineers thereof an
range codes of whistles to suit themselves,
differing in the number of sounds and the
time between them, all of which are, as a
general rule, of little interest to anybody
but themselves, and refer principally to
greetings, ETC., and may rightly be desig-
| natoN tho UoSSip pt a road
Flags in this country are of three colors,
red, white and green, and refer to danger,
safety and precaution. 1t is Il much-de-
bated question us to what color is best
adapted for distant railroad singal, but
all authorities agree upon the fact that
red is less easily distinguishable than
many other colors. Violet is said to
be the color that can be seen at the great
est distance, and the one which does not
blend itself into the colors of the general
landscape, foliage of tress, etc. Red,
however, is the old stand by, and pre-
serves its post, as signal of extreme
danger. No train may pass red flag, no
matter in whose hands it may be, and the
smallest child has the power to stop an
express train; but of course not the pow-
er to prevent getting into trouble for the
same afterwards. A red lantern at night
serves similar purpose, but as occasion
ally the light and bearer may be not no
ticed by II careless engineer, the 1agman
has the privilege of throwing his lantern
at the glass windows of the cab of the en-
CINE, which will necessarily call attention
to the fact of something being wrong.
Torpedoes, small affairs which are fas-
tened by wires to the track, but which
when passed over by the engine explode
with Il wonderful amount Of noise, are
furnished all brakeman by the railroad
authorities and are freely used at night.
The white flag is, all over the world, Il
symbol of peace and security, and is
used upon railroads to signify that trains
may proceed in safety. The green flag i.
on many roads used as Il signal OF precau-
ton to trains to run slowly when passing
over unsafe pieces of track, or when posi-
bic danger may result from the usual higi
rate of speed.
Upon other roads, however, the same
signal is given by waving both red ant
white flag together, The green flag at
tains a celebrity at least one day in the
month, which is not accorded 10 any Other
color. If an engine is seen carrying
green flags, the signal is understood by
all employed on the railroad that the pay
master will come by the next day TO dis
tribute his funds.
Passengers upon trains may often have
seen engineers and others employed on
the road samting each other by motions Of
the hands and displays of certain figures
While there is no regular rule for these
signals, they have become so generally
understood and used that they are in uss
everywhere. The open hand signifies
"ail right" and is salutary sign. Tn,
displaying of one, two, three or four fin
gers means the number of trains that ar,
following, and is an answer to the ques
ton as to any query of the kind, which il
asked by a railroad man upon the track o
by a passing engineer, and which is ex
pressed by first closing the hand and thel
opening it. The answer is given b,
closing the fist if no trains are following
and giving their number upon the finger
if any are behind. TO ask the question
''How near is the next following train P
which may be asked by the engineer o
conductor of the telegraph agent, or by
track master or other official of the engin
ha dc MI