Evening journal., 1897-08-26
ALL DUST DISpELLED.
New Oil Sprinkler Ranks Chief
Among Innovations.
PENEsY ROADS ARE DUsTLEss
RAILROAD OFFICIALS COMMEND
THIS BIG PRACTICAL INvEN-
TIoN OF ENGINEER NIcHoL-A
BOON TO SUMMER TRAVEL.

Superintendent Barnard, Of the
Maryland division, thinks the new oil
sprinkler in use by the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company In this section a
great success and a blessing TO travel
srs in warm weather on the Maryland
and Delaware roads. The absolute
dustless roadbed, all local railroad men
think ranks chief among the many APP
pliances for Increased speed.
This great boon to the travelling pub
lie is somdghing quite new the first ex-
per1ments having been started less than
four months ago. but the results OBJ
tanned have been so unexpected that
preparations are now being made to
apply the Improvement to all OF the
thousands OF miles of track making up
the great system OF the Pennsylvania
railroad.
The method of rendering a properly
ballasted roadbed absolutely dustless Is
quite simple, as well as inexpensive
and consists Of sprinklng the entire
rOadbed except iihe rails with a heavy
oil. the residuum OF crude petroleum
after the volatile products have been
abstracted The idea originated with
James III. Welch. who, for the pas
seven years, has held the important po-
sitlon OF assistant engineer of the West
Jersey and .Seashore division OF th'
Pennsylvania railroad system.
EARLY in the Spring OF this year Mr.
Nichol. in a talk with General Mana
ger c. w. OwstOn OF the Standard OF
Company, of New York, was forcibl.
struck by the statement of Mr.. Owstor
that there was no dust in the oil re
gfons OF Pennsylvania, and that he at
tributed the absence OF that annoying
nuisance solely to the presence Of pc
lroleum oil which had become spread
over the ground for acres in extent
IL was also learned that the inhabi
tants OF the oil regions were peculiarl.
exempt from all kinds OF lung trouble
and epidemics Another pleasant fac
noted was the almost total absence o
flies and mosquitoes which never trou
BILE persons about the vicinity OF oi
wells.
Manager Owston made the assertio,
that,in certain localities where oil well
had been eabandond for from twenty
five cr. thirty years there was still al
entire absence OF dust, no matter ho'
long a drought might continue.
The total absence Of all dust In tn
oil regions set Mr. Nichol to thinklnl
and he determined to lIry an expert
rnent. Procuring large sprinklin
can and a barrel of petroleum he ma
itrappiiedo to a particularly dusty pol
tlon OF the West Jersey and Seashor
railroad and spent days in watchin
the result
The experiment. convinced him thf
ne had hit upon one Of the CREATE.
discoveries Of the age and forthwith
application was made for a patent cor
hring his invention and work was bi
aaru aon. a car designed to sprinkle II
oil evenly on the roadbed.
The car with It's oil sprinkling al
pliances was completed about fol
months ago, and since then oil hs
been applied to the rOadbed OF the We.
Jersey and Seashore division OF II
PENNSYLVANIA railroad between Camde
andl Atlantic City with the result th'
,tliere is now an entire absence OF du
inthe air to annoy passengers.
The work OF oiling the roadbed h;
been begun ON the Delaware an
MARYLAND division between Philade
phia. Baltimore andWashingtOn; on 70
New York division, between Philade
phia and New York and the Amboy d
vision, between South Amboy and Can
dem.
CONTRACTS were closed by the Pennsy
vania Railroad Company with Jhe i
ventor Monday for oiling all the tracl
of the system east OF Pittsburg.
ventor Nichof>is in receipt OF comm
nicaticns from nearly all OF the gre
railway systems in THE United Stat
making inquiries regarding the expel
ments now in progress.
Il will not be long before the Pen
sylvania system will be the only ra
road In the world having an absolute
g dustless roadbed.
OH mammal Take me to Shellp
J. Park to see the skirt-dancing dog.