The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-02-16
The ''Bleck System'' On the Penn.
sylvaosa Railroad =. Precautien,
Against Accidentv. -

l.~DeO~~ 80 s01so" On the PAnno
syAvessa Railrsaa - Precautiens
Against Accidentv.
From the Philadelphia Press.1
Of the tens of thousands of PASSENGERS
annually carried between this civ snd
New York by the fast trains of the Penn.
sylvan1a Railroad probably onlv a small
proportion have any conception Of the
myrlads of details necessary to the work.
ing of the perfect system to which th,v
IN great part owe their safety. It is not
a great many years-in fact not a great
many nonths-since few simple signals
were all on which the engineer Or con.
ductor Of long train of living fre;oht
could depend in speeding along the iron
roadway from one point to another: and
when terrible accidents did not now and
then occur it was more tho result Of I'm.
renting vigilance and heroic devotion
to duty on the part of the employees Of
road than any really practical means
provided for their guidance. Though
the hand which holds the throttle valve
and the courage which directs the self.
sacrificing actions Of many an engineer is
so well known as to be celebrated in
poetry and song, it is not a comfortable
ieellkg to realize that ones life depends
solely on qualities as rare as thew are
noble, and no doubt many an unsurpassed
fear would be Quoted, and manv tn.
multuous heart-throb Gained as the
engine whistlcd down brakes, if the pas.
sengers on lightning train only knew
OF the ntmberless precautions already
taken by the company to whom thew
intrust their lives. A striking example
IN the progress Of raiIroading is found in
the New York branch of the Penusvlya.
MA Railroad. The whole line between
the two cities is divided into sections Of
two or three miles in length, and each
subdivision is supplied with telegraph
operators and. signal men on constant duty.
Az the commencement of each section is
placed frame or apparatus for display
ing signal targets or lights, and by these
the engineers are guided with perfect
safety, when otherwise it would he neces-
sary to intrust the lives of the travelling
public to the probabilities of all trains be.
ing on time, or all conductors knowing
the full extent Of their duty. The man.
ner in which the signals are classified and
read is exceedingly simple. When the
section is entirely clear white light or
target is shown ; but when train enters
the section -or ''block,' as it is termed
"a red one is displayed. and this indi.
Gates that no other train can follow un-
til the white color shows that the divis.
ion is again clear. Presenting that 4
train has Just entered ''block," and
the red light debars all others from i'm
mediately following, let US in imagination
whirl along with the moving cars and
note the next movement. Only a few
moments is required to pass over the
''block, and as the white light at the
next section is displayed the iron horse
speeds rapidly on from the first division
to the second. The instant it passes the
line the fact is telegraphed back to the
commencement of the block, the red light
is superseded by the white, and the next
train dashcs in. Before the rear train
has cleared the first block the engine
has passed into the third section, and as
the telegraph says and the white light
indicates that the second block is again
clear, the rear train can speed along into
the second without danger. Thus section
after section is occupied by train after
train, and as they dash onward there is a
constant pulsation Of intelligence all
along the line between the two cities, of
which the passengers on the trains are
totally unconscious. They do not realize,
as they sweep on with the speed of the
wind, that their every moment is record
ed by the finger of electricity, shooting
back and forth with the velocity of light.
Should any delay occur, the trains could
be obliged to stop on whatever block
they happened to occupy, and as every
subdivision Of the road belongs to the
train which is in at the time, there can
bs no possibility Of collision or danger
from trains in the rear. When the OBJ
struction is removed the delayed engine
passes on, the telegraph notes the fact,
white lights take the place Of red, and
again all are whirling along to their des-
tination. Besides the numerous passen-
ger trains there is great number of
freight trains constantly in motion.
These have to make their way along as
best they can, being careful to keep al
ways out of the way OF passenger trains.
Knowing just what time they can make,
and also when the passenger trains are
due at any point, the conductors and en-
gineers always manage to make some
convenient side track in time to escape
the collision. When a freight
train is running on any block or sec.
ton, great signal is shown, which
indicates that succeeding trains
may follow with caution. If the next
train carries passengers, it is the business
of the freight to get out of the way ; if it
is also freight train it will probably not
overtake its predecessor. Some of the
principal side tracks have telegraph sta
tons at both ends, so that no time need
be lost by train hands. There are proba-
hlY more than fifty telegram offices