The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-04
DANGER SIGNALS.
Devices Used ON Railroads to Protect
Train Service.
st. Louis Globe-Democrat.


When young Herbert Wright who was
passing along the tracks of the Old Colony
road near Boston, not long since, saw a
bright red fuse burning directly before him
he evidently concluded that 1t was placed
there for spectacular effect alone, as he
rushed forward and in great glee tossed it
in the air and to one side and enjoyed the
shower of brilliant sparks that followed its
contact with the earth.
Yet the boy was trifing with one Of the
most effective danger signals used almost
The signal had been thrown from the rear
end of a suburban train, and, if it had been
left in the proper place intended for it,
would have kept the train following at least
fifteen minutes in that trains rear.
The train following was an express, and
running at a high rate of speed; the signal
was missing; the fiagman of the suburban
train believed he had fully protected his
train and the express dashed on and into
the train ahead with terrible results. Sew
eral passengers were killed, and nearly
three score were badly injured, as a result
of the lads thoughtlessnes. Herbert was
only twelve years old and when arrested
the day following the wreck confessed that
he had removed the burning fuse not know
ing what it was.
The boy can, no doubt be forgiven on
the strength of his tender age. yet it is
question whether thousands of people twice
his age ever saw a similar signal and
would not have acted exactly as he had
done under the same circumstances The
best rule to go by when in the vicinity of
a railroad is to keep hands Off Every little
piece OF machinery or obscure burning lamp
IS playing its little part towards an eff
fective whole, and the disarrangement of
one may make the other ineffective The
employees Know this and depend upon the
proper working OF each and every one to
help them out in speedy and safe trans
action of the railroad business.
or the dozen or more signals used in
rallroadlng the red flag by day and the
red lamp by night are the oldest and no
,rlp the most useful of danger signals.
The fuse that is thrown from the rear end
OF train in foggy weather and when u
stop IS not to be thought of on account of
!ne close proximity Of an oncoming train,
is practically a late invention.
Many years beck d rcd fuse WAS uscd
but II had TO be utilized by the fiaeTnen
driving the spiked end into the crossties.
III ~ would burn ten minutes and then go out.
Inc train following would see the light and
Sltner SLOW down IN speed or stop until the
lght had burnt out. in that way trains
were Kept ten minutes apart. The improved
Iuse contains series of colored lights The
nrst, being red will burn five minutes
the second, blue, also burns five minutes
and the third, white. finishes out the ff-
teen minutes. BY this means an engineer
following the train from which the burning
fuse has been thrown knows almost to the
minute how far he is in the rear. and. in
control, and governs himself accordingly.
This fuse is weighted as we'll as spiked at
one :. end, and, upon being. thrown from a
swift-moving train. will Immediately as
sumo an upright position. thereby burning
better and being seen farther.
The torpedo is another effective danger
Signal, and also a signal of information.
In the case of rear fiagman of a passen
ger train placing, torpedo he will gener-
ally use one, while the fiagman Of a freight
train frequently makes use of two.
In the first instance, the engineer follow
ing, will slow down almost to a standstilI
and whistle for his fiagman TO protect his
train, while IL ii be a case of two explo-
sions, he will know a freight is getting out
OF his way on to siding. and slow up his
train until that particular siding has been
passed There Is no gainsaying the start
ling effectiveness OF the torpedo. The ex-
eer and instantly place him on guard The
old torpedo was made by placing three per-
cussion caps upon the points of a small
cast-iron frame and filling in common gum
powder around the outside. The outside