New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-02-07
ia this matter

Tho alarming increase in tho destruction Of human
lfe owing to open switches and the greater sIeeu ~"
made by the principal trunk lines, Is huuVns al
manaper. to make careful study Of system OF sghaS'
which r. has long been claimed, would efiectiay pro-
vent loss OF life The death Of the inventor some t"e
years ago and subsequent litigation nave oelaseo No
carving out Of his ideas, but his son ms ~" no' '
brought to full completion his ingenious devices ou' Ia,
80 r,rovad non them that now every requirement. which
railroad managers been obe TO suggest Is III
tho six complete systems, with one OF which '' '''
western Road is now being equipped. -
The adoption by company Of block signa sss
cas announced by The Hcald Friday. and as IL "
matter Of very great importance to the travelling puoc
more complete description OF the system Is no" g'oH ~
subject has ayitaed by all OF tho roauS e""l"s
chicago to considerable extent In the past year. ana no"
thu, the Northwestern has decided on system oil U'ih
.gnals which fulnls all It, requirements us iead VIII
undoubtedly be followed By all the Chicago trunk me
The increase OF traffic occasoned by the WORDS FAIR
cannot be- satisfactorily haadld In the crude way In winch
trains have been operated heretofore. particularly IN mo
suburban dl,~x> In G1a: Britain tbs hoard OF Iraoe
made 10 compulsory few years since Tor al e ioau
I'm the Kingdom adopt block signal ana in'eriochhg
switches, and to-day 30 per cent OF all the foads
,hc,o have been 50 equipped The system in
vogue there depends entirely uDo. the vigilance OF opera
tors who are placed in towers along the ROAD such
system though giving much additional protection IN run
ming trains by 10 ideal one. owing 10 inc
aubui,v q, man and It been acknowledged that
- NJ, au,omatl .-em could DE- found that reliable. IL
would be generally adopted BY all trunk lines Inc con-
d,ions Of traffic on the other side different from
what they are hero and distances short com
r,,,.lv that 10 i.npos.b, 10 an operative system
heea. in this country with rystcm- composed oil loVVo
us II road 4, would De runops attempt N place signal
ourotor, sumccnty Afford protection u trains, 80
tia, sys,en 10 Dee universally od1utcd must not only be
thoroughly rel liable but sufficiently cheap to admit oil Us
use over great distances.
Moro particularly the East the public press has been
bringing great pressure bear the roads ~ adopt the
block svstu The Northwestern road deserves the great
et p-sc for in TO the enormous expense
Of puttns In block signal system for the protection :"
their patrons and moro particularly because they have
d,ue 20 Of their About thre" weeks ago
President lIuahiu General Manage whitman and Principal
Assistant Engineer took trip through the East Tor
tie special purpose Of investigating all signal systems IN
use in this country. They personally went over all the
roai, using automatic and manual systems and after View"
Ing tho operation the wcllknown English block system
signals operated by cockwok and compressed air. and
those operated purely electrically decided that the purely
automatic electric the only one that was thor
ouphlv suited to thclr requirements and sufficiently
inexpensive and reliable for ado pAon.
The Hall stem which they have decided TO use Is In
operation on twenty-thrcc roads, mostly in the East
among which are tho Ncw-YorN Central, Boston and
Albany ew-iIavcn ani Hartford. Boston and Maine
Central Railroad Of NewJcrscy Long Island. Michigan
Central, Iousatonlc ard great many Others.
The first sections Of road which the Northwestern
TO equip Will be- on the Galeni Division from West
For.icth.st Chicago. TO Turner twenty-five miles the