New-York tribune., 1896-06-21

ton As soon as the call is finished and tho last
number of the box has been read from the tape ne
announces his fellows. who mean"hle nave
been making the lightning team hitch The doors
swing back and the ponderous machine moves OUT
into the street belching smoke and sparks as 1t Is
hurried along by the powerful horses The TWO
systems not unlike. only the repair OF "rc'A'"s
wagon OF the cable road system Is hehter ana
moves with less pretenson, although with Ike celer-
ity on the discharge of its important duty IN the
great basement OF the power-house
But the Young man sitting quietly at the desk In
front OF the Indicator would seem 70 have an easy
berth: but there are times when the fate o. uai''
lies in his grasp and ne must know exactly what 10
do and lust when TO do IT, The Indicator board an
nounces 20 the engineering department what II
going on along the route High up on the wall are
two immense dials each carrying single hahh'
which when everything is lovely. points straight 70
the zenith. In more or less Irregular quar'e''ns
the combinations run around the dial the movement
OF the hand corresponding TO the clock hands IN
their regular progress For a test the hand takes
pos,tion at ! O'Clock. say. Two signals carry 1t
forward to the second place. which means STOP
cable" the third is start cable. four means
wagon" five tells that there Is IRE somewhere
along the line six tells the engineer 10 start the
reserve cable. seven calls for the teicphohe' ana
eight pulls IS again a test call
The purpose Of these immense dals IS plain They
can readily be and the signals read al g'ahce.
IL rho call TO stop cable IA Indicated. the quickest
o
big gong rests against one OF the columns near the
Indicator board II has voice penetrating "a
any Of those carried 10y the ambulance corps. ana
when rings the order that the machinery must be
stopped. engineers assistants and AL spring Ike
magic from every corner and the engines are
stopped or the cable machinery Is disconnected from
the power shaft. and an examination can be begun
But the dials not the only vital parts OF the
Indicator board. Below them, ia a handsomely
mounted desk OF dark wood with glass front hlled
with electric appliances including highly polished
switch boards indicative OF elaborate telcgraphc
system with branching lines. In addition. and
placed the front OF the 50 that the tape
easily be run out the signal code IL trans
ferred 10 It from the ticker are two rckers. one
for the uptown and one FOR the downtown system
There two OF the big dias FOR THIS reason. The
wires that from this case and extend along the
cable conduit all along that portion Of the road
covered by the Broadway and HoustOn-st power
house connect with most comprehensive system OF
signal boxes and telephones These boxes are con-
cealed from sight and chance OF damage In small
manho.s M placed a, intervals & beside ne outer ran
and on the west side Of the track north Of that
point Cards are furnished TO conductors. erpmen
and inspectors stating in consecutive form the street
crossings where the boxes are located
placed opposite the location on the card. and the
numbers are kept as far as may be in the series
twenty-five, twenty-three, twenty-fou twenty-five.
and then t! there Is Jump to thirty-one and 20 OH
The box Is small affair possibly seven by eight
inches, and set squarely down In the manhole which
protected by An iron cover. In the centre o. the
top Is the hook with which the signalling is done.
sired TO stop the cable. Then he presses the small
button and the thing is done. In the lower corner
is telephone plug connection An inspector de-
string to use the telephone simply takes email
hand telephone and microphone In one from his
pocket. inserts the plug after ringing. and talks.
The cord is long enough to admit OF his assuming
upright posture In the Columbus-ave signal
boxes the telephone IS underneath the hood that
covers the signal box Otherwise 1T is. carried by
the official whose business 1t is to H.. Con-
ductors and grpmen have no use for this nstru-
ment They can only signal TO stop the machinery.
Four wagons with wrecking Implements repair
most any difficulty. are In constant readiness. One
OF these Is located the Broadway and Iouston-s
power-house another at Lexington and Twenty
afth-st, in the power house there; the third at
81 Fftieth-st and Broadway These wagons carry
block and tackle for hosting or pulling. ropes for
stalled wagons false wheels for broken down
wagons fire needles and the Ike. What is n false
a shoulder in which tho axle Of wagon can be
Graded after having been lacked UP from the
ground Suppose wheel gives way axle
breaks? The wagon is called for and responds The
wheel in position and the vehicle which has been
causing bad temper in the minds OF passengers for
a distance OF ten blocks is easily removed and traf
nc proceeds Fire needles simply pole contri-
yances for raising hose off the tracks In OF
fire that the cars can run underneath. The most
prolific causes OF difficulty the road the trucks
which often break under the strain Of heavy loads,
and IL is necessary TO have the wagon on the spot
at once as time Is not measured by minutes Of
delay on the Broadway cable road. IL ls counted by
seconds and fractions Of seconds almost. Therefore
II Is that all this elaborate system OF signaling was
perfected and placed In position