The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-02-14
SIGNALS ON RAILROADS.
How Colored Flags aud Lights, Torpedoe.
and fusees Are EMPLOYED.

HOW Colored Flags aud Lights, TOrpedoes
and Fusees Are Employed.
What is the danger signal?" asked
Hal, who was beginning to consider
these railroad signals almost as impor-
tant and well worth knowing as those
in which he drilled his football team
Red for danger, green for caution
and white for safety; flags by day and
lanterns by night" replied the railroad
uncle, adding: 81 am sure you must
/ waving white flags to show that the
track was clear as your train rushed
by?"
''Of course have" answered Hal
''Or the watchmen on sharp curves
and bridges waving green flags as much
as to say: You may go ahead, but you
must do SO with caution?"
Il don't remember seeing them" re-
sponded Hal; but FL look out for the
green flags the very next time go in
the cars"
"a red flag or a red light is impera-
tive" continued Mr.. Holden, land
means Sound the call for brakes and
stop at once There are other danger
and cautionary signals think you will
be especially interested in" added his
uncle-'tOrpedoes and fusees, for in
stance. A torpedo upon the rail is one
of the most used and most reliable of
all the danger signals"
But shouldn't think it would be
loud enough" objected Hal ''Why
don't you use something louder-say
cannon craekers?"
"0h, You are thinking of the little
paper-wrapped torpedoes such as chill
dren play with, but they are not the
kind l mean. A railroad torpedo is a
round tin box, just about the size of a
silver dollar, filed with percussion
powder. Attached to it are two lit
tie leaden strips that can be bent under
the edges of the rail, SO as to hold the
torpedo firmly in place on top of it. In
this position, when locomotive wheel
strikes it with the force of a sledpe
hammer it explodes with a report fully
as loud as cannon cracker that can be
plainly heard above all other sounds of
the train 1t is warning sufficient to
arouse the engineman to render him
keenly alert
IF train meet with any accident or
obstruction that bids fair to cause a de-
lay OF more than few seconds, the en-
gineman sounds five short whistle blasts
L ----). On hearing this signal
the rear brakeman must Immediately
run back quarter of a mile or so and
place torpedo on one of the rails his
train has just passed over. Then, going
back about 200 yards farther, he places
two more torpedoes rails length
apart He then returns to the first tor
pedo and. with his red flag in hand,
stands there until the recall signal is
sounded from his own train. On hear
ing this he picks up and takes with him
the single torpedo, but leaves the other |
two where they are.
These two torpedoes thus form a !
signal; and, translated by |
the next following engineman, mean |
the train ahead of you has met with a |
delay Move cautiously, and keep a /
sharp lookout The single torpedo is
In imperative warning TO apply the air
brakes, shut off, and reverser-in
'CHeI "ofus, SGop dG once, Tor Cnerc is
LANCER immediately ahead
IF train is delayed at night the
ear brakeman sometimes leaves anoth-
r bit of fireworks behind him when
allied in. 1t is a fusee,' which is a pa
Der cone containing enough red fire, in
by wind or rain, TO
burn exactly five minutes, which is the
hortest length of time allowed between
wo running trains The engineman
# following train must stop when he
ONES to a fusee and not move ahead
gain until it has burned out. though
lie can calculate from it's condition lust
bout how far ahead the next train is"
st Nicholas