Evening star., 1894-02-17

ness is the Palmer automatic torpedo lately
introduced by the New York Central upon
a section of their road known as the
Fourth avenue tunnel. 1t has been SO sue
cessful in its operation that it has attract
ed widespread attention. Several railroad
men of undoubted ability have pronounced
it the surest automatic danger signal
known. This torpedo is attached to a
semaphore. and is designed to give audible
warning by the explosion of a torpedo
whenever train passes the signal while
set at danger. Several accidents have oc-
CARED in the last few years through negli-
gent engineers sleeping at their posts, and
rs a result running by the silent sema-
phores. When the signal is set at danger,
It automatically places torpedo under q
hammer, which is set close to the rail,
where a passing wheel is sure to strike 1t.
When the signal is turned to safety the
torpedo is automatically Withdrawn. After
a torpedo has been exploded by a passing
train. another torpedo automatically takes
It's place. Ol course. there is no guard
against malicious tampering with the ap-
paratuS, but even II there was, it only re-
duces the percentage of safety. as the origi-
nal senaphore is still ON guard. A machine
Ike this. which is certain to call an en-
glneers attention to a danger signal every
time, Is something that railroad employees
rave nave peeh looking for the past decade.
Inc railroad commissioners OF Illinois have
indorsed the torpedo, ana that il will be
soon IN general use is Indoubtei
reporter OF The Evening Star recently
unoPPed III OK session or the Ran and Tie
CIuo down on Virginia avenue and caught
several OF tie members in ii heated dis
cussion OF danger signals. An Sli white
ha!ret but vigorous looking engineer had
t.Ie moor; and ne was telling his expert
enee with signals of different descriptions
and also his opinion of the same. He said
Can't lie Too Many Signals.
1 nave come TO the conclusion that there
cannot De too many signals along a rail-
roaG. person that does not understand
raiiroading Will frequently remark that
ne toes not see how trainmSn can keen
from bsing confused on account of the
numerous lights and semaphore arms at
"A siding or railroad crossing. To rne and
all or you. L know, this sounds foolish, as
~ mas sometimes occurred that We have
been swept by the first set of signals with
out catching glimpse of their mea ming
when the second guard came into play.
Ene sooner the managers of railroads como
70 the conclusion that their employees are
only human and liable to err the better
II will be for the travelling public. To my
mind the favorite signal Of a railroad Is
the one that we fin! at the end of run
that tells us our journey is nearly ended
ana that supper will soon be ready. Sell
ously. though. there are really only two
caution signals that an engineer has any
respect f0r-the red lamp or flag. and the
tC.pe1o. Spring torpedo on me in foggy
weather or i red lamp on a pitch dark
and I'll make the sand fly a.l the
a. pump work for Its life. | am not a par
ticu.ar advocate of capital punishment but
il j was legislator / would make Il g
capital crime to tamper with railroad sis
nails.
Il have many friends In the business I'D
on the Lehigd Valley roai. and from the
letters tIey wrote me | have about come
to the conclusion that the ;aiaperias with
danger signals di1 more 10 i~jnS aho:'t a
settlement Of the strike recently in pro-
gress on that road than :le arS.t. att.n
committees. DR.. Warner. an e-rinent ply
sician employed by the road up IN pannsyi-
vania, told me not long since that ne had
case once wherein an engineer was