The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-11-24
NO MoRE SLEEPY FLlGMEN.


Messrs. David Rousseau aud VIM. e.
Smith have invented safety SIGNALS that
neither sleep, nor get drunk. nor he subiect to
the ungearing to which complicated mechan-
isms are liable, and the invention has been put
In use In the Grand Central depot. II was in
spectod 10y number Of railroad men Yesterday.
Passengers from the Grand Central depot may
have noticed little room, glass-walled and like
an ofiel window, high up Oh the inside of the
wall Of the Forty-0fth street side OF the depot.
That Is the eyrie from which the onlcial STYLED
the dispatcher starts the outgoing and signals
the incoming trains, and keeps the tracks clear
for them almost beyond the possibility of acct
dent. His tools are indicators that mark tho
progress Of trains by electric circuit He has
hanging OF the wall, under his eye, an tndicato or.
Consisting OF a magnet and two gongs. When
one gong rings. he knows that n train is below
Flfty-ninth street, coming In. and that II Will be
unsafe To start another train until the nrst has
cleared the danger point. His other mechanical
device Is telegr phic Keyboard Cohtalhlng
twenty keys. establishing an electric circuit
communicative safety or danger with both the
officers Of the depot and the engineers OF trains.
\ Hudson River train Is to starr within twenty
minutes. Ine dispatcher touches Key that
bids the doOrman throw open the depot EN-
tr0 nee doors for passengers. At nve minutes
before the starting time mother KEY u touched
| and that signals baggage mHstcts to cease check
| ing, and II repeated In the waiting room m order
! that passengers may be h hist,ned. ii his lhdl-
Gator shows that the ira rs are clear the start
! the tram moves uut.
| Suppnse IN / lust after the train has gone tho
de- atchcr'S gong indicates that an incoming
tram has reached StXty-fourth street. lie
touches KEY connecting with the signal boxe:
! beyond the "cross over. red signal i flashed
| In the face OF the engineer Of tine incoming
| :tain, and he sacks up aud gives the other TRAIN
the riEht r way.
| Ihe tr,in Itself f. the n.gman. within a few
rods Of each sign box under the rall Is a cir
| cu't breaker. consisting uf the poles OF an elcc
triC wire in "a Vulr uilcd rubber casing. whict
keeps them apart when no train is passing. hul
l. 50 leezed in by the weight of the cars. ring
Ing the pules In contact. TINS communicate,
with the signal box hcv0nd the cross over
| lposcning q ring that causes "A round dsk
painted red. to make nall revolution. The en-
gineer speeds his locomotive fCrwuTd when h'
sees the white signal. winch Is merely the ui-'
when II turns a red face toward MIN. The an,
contact performs two other functions establish
ing communication with the signal boxes OI
the other side OF the cross over. displaying tn,
danger side. and strikes the despltchcr's gong
| linus both the dispatcher ana the engineer %
end tngcrcd trans are duly Informed. beside
these there is sWitchmaa at the cros- over
with every appliance for signalling trains an'
regulating switches.
The next point on the road where the signal
perform an important part, Ia at The Junction %
tie Hudson River ana II rlem roads IN Mot
| Haven. An inbound train on the former strike
a track gnal mile from the Junction. tele
graphing it, approach TO the operator In sigma
g Ihin. He touches k"y thai sets the 4nGc
signals Tor 10 mie up the Harlem road. lh
tram passes the point ~ danger. and then run
over another ttuck signal that reseis the al
riEhN signal along he main liue.
one great merit claimed flr The new Invent i
n hat " AiwaNs gives "A Il angtr signal hrf 're
gives one of safety. and thnt 1t Is Inns 1ssih" L
Every trtn protects itselffor mile Ia front an
in rear.