Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-11-30
TRANSPORTATION NOTES.
The Electric Headlight.
TChicago Tribune, Nov. 90. l

The Electric Headlight.
[Chicago Tribune, Nov 2Sl
For many years railway officials have
endeavored to devise light which would
replace the present headlight on locomo-
tives and give greater power, as it is we'll
known that at the present rapid speed
made by passenger trains the headlight
now used becomes practically useless
when an obstruction is sighted on the
track, as the light is not thrown far enough
ahead to enable the engineer to stop his
train in time to avoid it. The present style
of headlight, in its most perfe OF form, only
possesses power equal to about thirty
| candles, and the distance ahead of the en-
CINE which is illuminated so as to plainly
| see the track is only about three telegraph
| poles. Large sums of money have been
expended by railway corporations to invent
| a stronger light, and the electric power
has been the one most expert
mented upon. There wss always one
| thing in the way of its adoption, however,
and that was that it would be put out
| by the jarring motion of the locomotive
The carbon points would touch, and, form
ing q Circuit, darkness would be the result.
1t was deemed impracticable for this rea-
son. The Indianapolis electricians, how
ever. have been working on this question
for some years, and have recently invented
a cOunterpoise which renders il impossi-
BILE for the jarring motion to put out the
light.
Last evening the principal officers of
the stock company formed to manufacture
the new machines, together with many
prominent railway men of this city and
members of the press, were shown the sue
csssful working of the new light and loco
motive owned by the Western Indiana
Railway company. The party started
from the Union depot, at Polk street and
Third avenue, and went out on the road
about twenty miles. The light worked to
perfection and the track was lighted in a
brilliant manner for a distance of one
third of mile ahead. The color of a
freight car standing on a side track fully
four telegraph poles ahead was clearly dis
tinguished. By this light any obstruction
or defective bridge can be plainly enough
seen to enable sklllfnl engineer to stop
his train long before reaching it. The jar
and rocking of the engine produced no
effect; the light was a. steady when the
engine was in motion as whsn standing
still. By certain rods the engineer can
turn the reflector and throw this brilliant
light to either side of the track, making it
possible to light up curve as plainly as q
piece of straight track. The wonderful
invention delighted all present.
The machine is worry simple and consists
Of small disk-sngine furnished with
steam from the locomotive by connecting
pipes, and dynamo machine. The en-
CINE is of three horsepower, and the
weight of all is only 500 pounds. The en-
CINE works at all times, and can be stop
ped by the engineer at will by simply shut.
ing off the steam from the locomotive
The clock work of the feeding to the car
bon points is all inside the headlight case,
which is placed as usual in front of the
| smokestack on the head of the boiler
Wires lead from the dynamo machine
which can be placed anywhere about the
locomotive as may prove desirable, to the
headlight, and carry tbs electricity. The
invention lies in perfect double pendu,
lum and counterpoise, which rem
ders it Impossible for the carbons TO touch
for more than an instant, and this is at
| tached to the clock work. Ths feeding of
| the upper carbon is controlled by the
couuterpoise. When the carbon is so low
down as TO form continuous circuit u
magnet raises the counterpoise. This
| stops the feeding of the CARTON, which
burns enough to weaken the current. Then
| the counterpoise drops back, starting the
feeding again. The double pendulums
render it impossible for the light to &c
| out.
The pracLicabiIity of the invantjop fo,
headlight purposes was simply discussed
on board the train last night by some OF
the most practical railway men of the
west, and it was almost unanimously the
opinion that, when some minor details are
perfected, its use will be of great benefit
to the service.