Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1893-11-22
DIyGER sfGyiLx
Meaning Of Flags, L'gi's anI r'rp ID res
OF X tiir0nds.

"What i. the d,r..r signal ? a.kc
Hal. VIII was h ginning To c m-i Ter Ihe''
rLira signals aim ,st II. imp,r'ant an'
we'll worth KIN wing rs those in whlc'i h'
drilled his f,fbiIl team.
Rcd i,r danger. green for can'i II and
white for safety a,s. by dlv anl Ian
terms by nj shi. r-p'iel the raiIr'al un
Gle. al.ling II an sure y.,i have noticed
men at II crossings waving white f,c-
To sh w that the track was clear as vouI
train rushed bv ?
10 cnurse have. anSrerc ! Ilil.
"Or the wa;chman ~ sharp cdrve' and
brid .e- wavin. green ,... rs much rs IL
say. Y,u may z ahea |. bit yln must d
:, with caution
II dnn't rememb r seei - them. re
spndt,l IIal, "but I'll l",k on, r'r the
green fAg, the very next Iimi | gin the
ear"
a rel flag or rel light Is im?rl
tive c,l,inu Il NJ. II 'llcI. - NJ AN
sound the call f,r brakes I'm stop ~
nnce.' There are Other dang r and eau
li,nary sig ,aIs thiik yni will b. e'p'
cially interested iu." Il lrl his uncle
''lorpe lies and iusees. f'r inS'ancs. y
rorpe,lo upm the rail il one of The M 's'
II .el and M ,st reliable of all the dIngeI
signals"
But. shouldn't think il would b
lpud enongh," hjecte Il. WAY d'n
,on use something luitr-say cannon
crackers? p
"Oh, YOU are thinking of the llIlle pa
per wrapped t"rptd"es such Il, chil'lrer
play with. blt they are MT the kinl
mean. \ rAilrri lnrp.d il Il round III
hox. ir-t about The siz. of IL silver dollar
filled with percussion powder. Allachc
to il are two Iealcn strips that can h'
bent under the else of the rail. 50 ~ {,
hold The turpe'lo firmly in plac; on t"I
il. In this position when Il l"cpmnliv'
wheel Strikes il with the I"rce of Il -lc'lgc
hammer il explo les wi'h Il rep'rl fllly''
load as cannon cracker. that can | {
heard ab I'VE all uiler S, unds Of lhe trai
Ii is Il warning suflici nj 10 arouse the clr
yincman tn render him keenIy alert.
"If train meets with m acci lent ol
obstruction that bills fair l., cil'e Il DELAY
of more than few secpnl' The engine
man soun,l, i've short whistle basis. y
hearing this signal the rear brakeman
mnsl imnie lia elv lun b,c'i II q ar;er oi
Il mile or s. and p'acs II tnrpii' ~ one
of the rails that his train ha4 'ist pa<sed
aver. Then. going h,ck ab mt 2)) var'l'
farther. he places two more tnrp,'i 'cs 4
rails length apirt. IL. lheL return. T.
The first tnrpe,i.,. nnl. with hi rel Il l., il
his hand. stands there unlil the recall ,ig
nal il spImlel from his own train. d.
hearing thi, he picks mp aud takes vi i
him the signal tnrprl', but leares Ih'
other two where they are.
"These two TORPID rs thus form can
iinnarv signal. and, translated hy the mex
following en.iurmln, m''an the Irair
ahead f YOU has met with n delay
Move cautiously AMI se"p Il sharp lnpk
oui.' The single tnrpcl' is an inwra
tive warning Ia apply the airbrakes thu
of and rev, rse in other words. stu
at once, for there is danger Immediately
ahead.
"If n train is DELAYED nt nj -hi the rear
brakeman sumelimrs l,avcs another bir
of fireworks when called IN. Ii i. II 'lu
see, which is Il paper cone containing
enough red fire. inrxIingui-hablr by wind
or rain. to bIrn exactly five MINI les
which il The shortest length OF time al
lowed between two running iralus. lac
cnginpman nf fnllnwin! train NUT stop
when he cnmes IL fasee anil not III 'vc
ahead again until it has burned Out. al
,ongh he can calculate irm lis
C ndilinn just abnri how FAR ahcili the
next train is. ."-N. .NichOLIs.