Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1884-11-12

! AMONG the most recent and valuable
inventions is Il mode of telegraphing to
and from moving trains. This, it
seems, has been accomplished, and
such a thing as a collision between
moving trains will be thing of the
past. The New York Stakeholder thus
speaks Of Lucius c. Phelps, the inven-
tor, and his method, which will soon
he demonstrated by applying the APP
paratus to some line in the vicinity of
that city Mr.. Phelps has invented
Il method Of communicating from one
moving train to another or, station
without any actual connection what
ever between the moving train and the
wire which comes from the various
stations. How is it possible to tele-
graph without complete connection
between the batteries at the different
points? The solution Of the problem
is found in the curious and wonderful
property Of electricity known as the
inductive current. This current. as
here utilized, actually passes through
several inches Of clear space from
wire laid in narrow wooden box on
the sleepers of RAILROAD, midway be-
tween the rails, to wire in an iron
tube let down from Il car so that it
shall be directly over the road wire.
wherever the car may be on the track.
The electrical instruments take ND
small space on the car, and are oper-
ated by telegrapher, who may be the
train conductor or any other person.
In this way it is possible for conduc.
tor on any train to communicate bv
telegraph with every other train and
station on the road, so that he NAV
have before him n complete map of the
situation. Unintentional collision is
thus removed from all possibility of
occurrence. There are MANY inciden-
tai uses for this system, which !he pub
lie will quickly adopt. Every train is
made telegraph station. winch the
business men will utilize without leav-
ing the car. The great usefulness of
the system, aside from the saving of
life, will suggest itself at once. The
total cost to the railroad company is
about 1929 per mile, which can be
wholly made up and running expenses
paid by receipts from the system as a
public telegraph. In this respect it is
UNNECESSARILY superior to the block
telegraph system Of preventing col
lislon. The patents of the system are
perfect. 4 nominal capitalization has
been fixed upon, which will probably
be increased to several millions soon
afterthe general adoption Ofthe system.
as the stock is undoubtedly destined to
be one of the most popular invest
ments of the time. A gentleman of
wide reputation in electrical matters
has declared that this invention will
prove the most important discovery
since the creation of the Bell telephone
idea. Hence it is worth while to saw a
few words of the inventor himself.
Lucius J. Phelps is a young man of
prepossessing appearance and capabil-
tiles, being remarkably interesting
in conversation. The great idea which
Is fast making his name famous was
first suggested to him by curious
sound heard a number of years ago
through . telephone. Upon this hint
he worked necessarily until every
minute objection had been eliminated.
and the present perfect system was
evolved. The work was of the kind
which occupies the highest order of
minds in the electrical world, and it is
not too much to say that he NAV be re-
garded as a truly phenomenal thinker.
In coming years the name of Phelps is
likely to be a household word for
many important developments in con-
nectiOn with his favorite science. but il
IS difficult to believe that any future
discovery Of his will equal the almost
incalculable value Of q perfect system
of telegraphing from one moving train
TO another"