Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1872-11-30
Mammoth Stock OyercOats,
At GATES LIVE CLOTHING STORE.
THE WILLIAMS IMPROVED
JOINT FASTENING.

fective joints. The Williams patent
remedies the evil completely, as it
is permanently and doubly secured
by tapping the hsh-bar into which
the bolts are tightly screwed, dou-
BILE keyed and cinched. It can
never work loose-is just as safe as
the solid rail itseIf-and only costs
about the same, or less than the ordi-
nary fish-bar joint. Some Of the ad-
Vantages of this joint fastening are
as follows:
l. 1t prevents the ends of the rails
from becoming broOmed and dan
gerous, thus avoiding the necessity
of taking them up for repairs.
2. 1t prevents damages TO engines
and cars from the sudden jolting
upon low joints, caused by the nuts
not being kept screwed up, as is fire.
quently the case with the ordinary
joint.
s. 1t saves man to about every
five miles Of track who, under the
present system, is employed to keep
the nuts screwed up, which, not
withstandiug, are continually work
ing loose, and rendering the trains
liable to be thrown from the track.
4. 1t saves much time and labor of
track men in surfaciDg up low joints,
caused by the momentum of the
wheels of the engines and heavy
trains striking upon them.
5. 1t will prevent certain other
kinds of accidents, especially after
heavy rains, and more particularly
on new roads, by causing the rails
in some cases to act as powerful
chains, to keep the track, bridges
and trestle from being carried away
by the foods, and in many instances
our joint fastening will suspend
train, and pass it safely over = break
in the road, even when two or three
bents Of trestle are gone, or where a
short gap in the bank has been
washed out, which cannot be said of
any joint fastening which has only
two spikes driven through the
chair into the ties, to prevent the
ends of the rails from pulling assun-
der.
6. On account of its length and
mode OF application to the rails, this
joint fastening has much less verti-
cal motion than q chair or any other
similar fastening, and, for this rea-
son, it more efrectually resists the
tendency of the trains to beat down
the joints, and, as a consequence,
preserves g more uniformly smooth
roadway. Where any kind of joint
fastening is held in its place by no.
thing but spikes driven into the
wooden ties, it is frightful source
of loose and low joints, for some of
them will, especially on an imper-
feet rOad-bed, sooner or later, work
loose.
Another advantage of our fasten.
ing is that it cannot readily be taken
apart except by the track men, who
have their proper tools for the pur-
pose.
What railroad companies require
is joint, just as safe and as near
the strength of the solid rail as pos
sible, and there is no other joint fas-
tening that approaches anywhere
near it, as can be proven by hydrau-
lie power and other tests.
In adapting this fastening to roads
now in operation, new fish-bars, on
one side only, are required, as half
the old fish-bars can be used on the
side next to the bolt heads, and the
other half sold to new companies for
the same purpose.
Finally, as the tendency of this
improvement is to reduce the num-
Der of railroad accidents, save the
lives Of passengers, and prevent the
destruction of property, it is conf
IDENTIFY hoped that it will be favora-
bly, received by all railroad compa-
MES.
1t may not be improper TO men,
ton here that some years since,
when the rear car in which Major
Fleming was riding was turned bot
tom-side up, into the ditch, near the
foot of the grade on the curve below
Jackson, and a stump came through
the top of the car, striking the Ma
jor in the back and very near killing
him, it was owing to defective
joint. The accident which occurred
when Judge Brown and his lady
were thrown of the high trestle at
Columbus, KY, by which they mi
raculously escaped with their lives,
was also owing to a detective Joint.
There are 5000 joints to every 100
miles of road, or $4,000 on five hun
dred miles. How immensely i'm
portant, therefore, in adopting a
joint fastening that is kaosoH to be
absolutely safe.
The invention of our distinguish
ed fellOw-citizen, Col. J. ]. VIII
liams, has been approved by every
experienced railroad man who has
Investigated it, including such men
as Coils. Fleming and Frost, and
there can be no doubt, if generally
adopted, that it will save annually
thousands of lives and millions of
money.
The Westinghouse Air Brake for
passenger trains, is one step in ad-
vance by way of increasing the safe
ty of travellers upon railroads, and
the Williams Patent Joint Fasten-
ing is another and still more impor-
tant improvement.
We would earnestly urge upon
railroad officials everywhere to give
this invention an impartial and tho
rough investigation, believing that
it will be universally approved, and
Of incalculable safety to life and
property. 1t is a worthy character
istc Of this age of Improvement,
that the absorbing idea and object
of inventors is, to render more safe
life and property; and in this con-
nection it affords US us real and
heartfelt pleasure TO congratulate
our distinguished fellow citizen,
Col. Williams, on his invention. In
him genius of the highest order and
philanthrophy unbounded, combine
to form a character at once useful
and catholic. We bid him Godspeed
in his great enterprise.