The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-04-03
fspecta-corrsspordence.l

the ice was first broken, and may be found in
the records Of more than a thousand towns
and cities.
The ''fagman" who was thus created never
amounted TO much industrially. He grew
rapidly in numbers for fifteen years, and
then the calling suddenly ceased develop
ing and began to shrivel up. Today there
are probably not ten Of the old school flag
men extant One of these, at least, is, strange
to say, in New York city and employed by a
railroad upon its local freight branch line
which runs from st. Johns park, just below
Canal street, up West street and the river
front, until it merges into the main line at
Spuyten Duyvi. This relic of the locomo-
tive babyhood precedes the huge freight
trains on horseback, carrying with him
flag large enough to be seen a league away.
Railway signaling is the rude speech by
which trains, and especially locomotives, re-
ceive and convey ideas. The iron horse has but
very few wants, and possesses e correspond
ingly small vocabulary. This in its spoken
form is accomplished by the bell. electric
bell, whistle and railway torpedo, and in its
visual phase by the arms of the human body,
by flags, lanterns, colored lights and aerial
signals.
The bell is another relic of antiquity which
will soon pass away. Its retention today is
largely the result of the influence Of Stephen
sons genius upon the age more than of any
other fact. When the great English inventor
received the first prize for a locomotive over
the late Capt. John Ericsson, his machine
used the bell where the latter did the whistle.
1t never occurred to either Stephenson or the
authorities in question that ere long trains
would speed so fast as to render the bell in
audible at a sufficient distance ahead to be
useful as warning. 1t did to Ericsson, who
was laughed at for his chimerical folly. The
bell is used within town and city limits, at
road crossings and at station stops.
The electrical bell, on the other hand, has
not yet reached its full development. It is a
simple affair, set anywhere near railroad
crossing and connected by wires with ''con-
tact point on the rails mile away. A train
coming over this point closes the circuit and
sets the bell jingling, ringing or tolling, ac-
cording 70 its size, at the distant crossing
place. The din continues until the train has
gone past, when the current is broken and
the instrument becomes silent.
The locomotive whistle is, according to the
standpoint from which it may be regarded,
the greatest curse or the greatest blessing of
the railway. It's intensity and penetrative
ness make it the relentless foe Of all pos
SCISSORS Of weak nerves or sensitive ears On
the other hand, it gives the locomotive
voice and speech of the most expressive sort.
Upon many Of the American railroads one
system of whistling is followed Two kinds
of blasts are recognlzed-the short and the
long. These are combined arbitrarily, very
much like the dots and dashes in the Morse
telegraphic alphabet. each combination rep
reseuting a command or a notice. The fol-
lowing IS tho list OF combinations, indicat-
ing long blast and S short one:
Brakes down, stop, s.; release brakes start,
SIS; back, s.S.s.; call for Switchman, station
agent, brakeman or yardman, s.ss.s; fuel,
$685. approaching stations, !. this is more than
long, usually lasting five seconds; railroad cross
ing, l.: will take side track or viii switch, LII;
cattle or horses on track, HILL; highway cross
ing, lLss. ors.sLl; train has parted, Is; bridge,
viaduct tunnel or deep cut warning, SSH. fire
alarm, Lss.ss.
The mechanical power of these locomotive
whistles is something remarkable. In the
middle and eastern states, where great acous-
tcal resistance is offered by the moisture in
the atmosphere as well as by the Topographic
cal irregularity Of the landscape, they have
been heard and understood five miles away
In the clear, dry air of the far west this
range is vastly increased, several well aUthen-
tcated instances going as high as twenty
miles.
Besides this every whistle has an individual
character Veteran engineers will recognize
4 locomotive by its whistle without seeing it
at all. On the other hand it is possible to so
change the amount of sound emitted from in
slant to instant as to make a series of easily
distinguished sound waves. Chief Arthur, Of
the Brotherhood of Engineers, said upon this
point: There are engineers 50 welded TO their
engines that they become inseparable. He
talks to the mechanism and makes the latter
talk in turn Some who are very quick of
ear and touch in this respect have frequently
astonished myself and other road veterans bv
conveying ideas to and from each other by
their whistles"
The railway torpedo is but in its infancy.
1t consists OF a small, powerful and water
proof torpedo, which Is laid on the track
ahead of a train. The impact of the wheel
fires the Illuminating powder it contains and
produces not only loud explosion but also
heavy jar of the locomotive and engineer
which cannot be overlooked. The device
was brought into use in the latter part OF the
civil war and has been more or less employed
ever since. 1t is not very much liked by en-
gineers, they believing that it Injuries the
rails and is more than detrimental to the
wheels and machinery Of the iron horse.
When it is regularly employed. one torpedo
means "Danger-stop immediately and two
''Slow up and look ahead for dagger signal,''
European governments have adopted the
torpedo for use III war, the inordinate en-
ployment of brilliant colors for Uniform
deadening the eyes Of engineers to the less
gorgeous flags Of peaceful times
\ hand, flag or white lamp swung across
the track is the signal to stop; raised and
lowered vertically, 10 so ahead; swung in a
vertical circle when the train is standing
still, TO black her" and swung in a vertical
circle at full arms length when the train Is
moving, that the train has parted.
Almost every road has besides these general
rules certain special ones appropriate to their
own needs. On such great double and quad
ripple track roads as the Pennsylvania and
New York Central there have been iusro-
dUced so many improvements and labor saw
in- appliances that little or nothing is left 10
be done in the Wa OF signaling. On the
other hand, tbs single track roads, Ike the New
York and Ontario and Delaware and Ulster,
entail 50 much work upon engiDee-, fireman,
conductor and brakeman alike that CON-
plicased code Of signals is in each case the re-
suit
The largest amount Of railway signaling is
done by appealing 10 the eye rather than 70
tho ear. and includes the U.S. Of colored dG.A
lanterns, mechanical lamps aud elevated
lights. TINS colors nost IN use are red, green
and white, tue arss indicating danger, the
second caution and the third safety Some
times the first means ''Stcp.7 the second
''Slow up And the third 'Au right. a. Keep
on" or Go ahead Sometimes White has
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