The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-04-15
BRING mack THE IINKLB BELL.

Il w.s B.ttsv Safety Device Thn. Any
Yet Tried q. the Cable Trolley Rosa-.
A man who has been successful a. an In
ventor asks THE Bun to publish his views
upon the subject OF safety devices upon the
trolley and cable cars now so numerous In all
the cities OF the country. He says:
Il have been studying the problem OF how
to produce q device that will serve. as tho
tinHle bell on the collars Of the car horses used
to do. to warn pedestrians OF the approach OF
street car. / have been able to think OF but
one appliance that could DO used. and that
would simply clear pedestrians of the track.
But more than that is wanted. My invention
would he device Of interlocking arms. like
the fingers Of your two hands. that would close
together when not In use. but could be flung
forward and outward whom any ono got In the
way OF car. would have It arranged so that
moving q lever would throw out one set Of fin
gers or the other set. or both sets. as the case
required. The fingers would toss one out OF
the way. but the trouble Is that It might fling
him under car going in the opposite direction.
or under truck that happened to be passing
AS z result OF q great deal OF study and
much to prevent the manSIing and Iaus liter
o. S pedsst tn as return to the OLD tlnkle
horse. collars OF old. The .gongs now 10 use
upon the swift cars Of the day are worse than
Pns, do nHs notify D that S Ike
car 10 almost upon him. They sim ply have tho
effect Of startling people 50 that they stand
out Of the way or the motorman stops
nkls tel did mot DO That f Il Was a ss S Ss
tonishingly useful continuance. and we begin
Ssssss 3 1 nSs that st Il made f ssei
heard at least q block on IL the nolsiest parts
Sstrats Il eoua BE- heard two bIoes IN thy
daytime and half mile at night. But its
co gnHs LAY i: on snsss H Snds.
louder and nearer and nearer: livery foot pas
sengsr was thus =, enabled as! to measure his
Ing car. One sense. the sense Of hearing. was
al that he employed, and he had the sense Of
in other directions and to get out OF the way Of
The trouble i with all cow.catcher devices is
that street ears are balanced upon their
m;ddIes. They DO not rest upon the ground
and down mon on what Is Practically S eenrra
truck; Therefore they are bound to rise up
The safety IN front N Of fRs
would be Il the ears were held down. but as
best device yet hit upon Is that under tho
paving stones that you can scarcely get hand
under 1t, But II mans hand did get under 1t
skirt-the impediment would act as wedge to
lift up the scrapsr over .I the victim,
railroad %snaesrs the re feet nat ths
return to the use OF the old tlnkle- bell will |
save the lives Of the people In the Streets and |
damages II any other device 10 relied upon. |
Nothing that has been tried or thought Of Is |
SO eficacious for . safety device as the hum BILE |
little bell Of the old horse-car service 1t 10 |
true that the horses themselves gave some
OF those who let the cars
get too close to- them. But they were
not as valuable for purposes OF warn
rising. measurable tinkle-t inkls OF the little
bells that told US from AfAr that a car was
coming. and that gave US the use OF our sight
TO work with. while our sense Of hearing en-
Ablsd us to gauge our distance from the APP
car The tinkle bells could be nut
on the new cars as we'll as not Electricity.
which nov lights The trolley cars. would keep
the bells ling ling on the m and on the cable
ears a simple bit OF clock work would agItate a
bel! Tor tWenty-four hours with one winding"