The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-04-05
If HE DROPPED DEAD.
WHAT WOULD RESULT " THIS HAP.
PENED TO rHE sIeNALMkN.

This Query Draws out an tntcresting De
/ scription of the workiugs Of the Auto
matte siEnals-How They Are Operated
In the ia lem Road Tunnel.
Two commuters occupied a seat In one
Of the supur BAN trains of the Harlem road
which WIS ecding through the Park ave.
nue. tunnel They were discussing block
signals aud the possibilities of accidents
In the tu1u,', which are interesting topic-
10 commute always
We'll, no ", suppose an operator in one
of these bio X signal stations in this tun-
mel after hu' ing set the white signal should
drop dead, ould not the consequences be
simply awfu s'
They would indeed" answered the
other.
Both men ,huddered aud became silent.
They were ordering doubtless whether,
after ALL i- As worth while 60 take their
lives IN tleir hands every day for the sake
Of elbow Iooi in the country.
"What No aid happen" was asked Of J.
II. Frank lin, general manager Of the IIar-
lem road, IF block signal operator should
drop deadW
Nothing at all, " he replied, laughing,
except that the poor operators place would
have to be filled Whyf Because the sig
nal would return automatically to danger.
The train that next reached the block would
stop, and the engineer would take steps to
find out why he was not allowed TO proceed
The fiagman on duty at the signal station
there is one at each of the stations in the
tunnel-would unquestionably 10y the time
the train had arrived be possessed of the de
sired information.
THE block system in the tunnel, went
ON Mr.. Franklin. lis the best in the world.
We are now averaging about 470 trains
day through the tunnel-that is, Of course,
both ways. OF these 800 are passenger
trains. and the others shop trains aud en-
gines-everything that takes up space In
block being called "A train"
what number of passengers does that
involveW
Mr.. Franklin figured for moment and
then answered: II should say low esti-
mate would be GO0O0. II you were to seek
n ratio Of the persons killed TO those car
ried in the history Of the tunnel you would
find IL almost nil There have been but
two serious accidents in the tunnel. The
first was before 1t had any block system,
and the second was prior to the adoption of
the automatic arrangement by which the
signals, in case Of any failure by the oper-
ators. will always secure safety"
The tunnel is two miles in length and
has four tracks. The two in the center are
for fast through trains, and those on the
sides for the rapid transit trains to Mott
Haven. Incoming trains run on the two
eastern tracks and outgoing trains on those
to the west. Block stations for north and
south bound trains are directly opposite
each other In the tunnel. Each station has
an operator and "A fiagman. There are three
forces at each station, one working from
n. m. to 3 p. m, one from 3 to IL p. m, and
one from II p. m. TOT. a. m.
The automatic arrangement for the re
turn OF the red or danger signal after the
white signal has been shown is the result
Of the replacing Of short, releasing currents
with rail circ'hts extending from tower TO
tower, thus providing against the possibil-
ity OF operate . clearing signals at the
entrance to an block when any portion Of
the preceding tram remains in the block,
although the Onward part OF the latter
train has passed out ana performed It's part
in unlocking at the advance tower.
This change, 1t has been said, was seen to
be desirable IN he tunnel on account OF the
difficulty at times OF operators seeing the
tall lights or M arkerS oil passing trains and
OF knowing that all the tram had been
cleared.
In the present improved state oil biock
signaling II I'll tunnel an operator cannot
clear tine slRhH's governing any Dlock wheh
car a single PAIR Oh Wheels OF any me.
talllc OBSTRUCTION reaching from ran 10 rall
Is IN tne DiocA' me operator IS IN TACT,
prevented from clearing In Slehais IN any put