The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-02
A VALUABLE INVENTION
DEVICE RANKING WITH AIR
BRAKES AS A PUBLIC APPLIANCE.
Mileage Which Promises to Be More
Popular than that of the Central
Traffic Association Lines.

A very ingenious and valuable contrivance
for the saving of life by prevention of rail-
road accidents through forgetfulness Of
trainmen has been invented The machine
has just stood a very severe test on the
Great Northern road after having been
previously operated successfully on the ST.
Paul & Duluth. Practical railroad men
have given strong Endorsements to the de-
vice after seeing its work. The object of the
device is to provide an accurate and re-
liable reminder signal and distance indicator
for locomotives, by means of which en-
gineers are prevented from forgetting their
train orders as to stopping or meeting
points. The mechanism is simple and is
connected with the forward trucks of the
engine, there being an accurate measuring
of the distance travelled the dial placed in
front of the engine showing correctly the
distance travelled Above the dial are placed
fifteen triggers or dogs, pivoted at equally
distant points around the center. When the
engineer receives his orders he sets one or
more of these triggers to a point one mile
short of the distance to be travelled before
reaching the stopping place. The mileage
indicator, on reaching such point, releases
the trigger, which starts a signal whistle
blowing This continues to blow for
quarter of a mile, promptly warning the en-
gineer of the near approach to the stopping
place. If the engineer is inattentive and
fails to stop when the last mile is run over,
the machine is worked by an air brake and
stops the train for him. A train similarly
equipped coming in the opposite direction
would be stopped in the same manner and
collision prevented. The device can be made
to run forward and backward. For foggy
or stormy weather or for dark nights the
device is considered especially valuable for
ordinary road use, although it's ife-saving
feature was the point at fllst sought for.
After a trial the st. Paul q Duluth
and repeated trials on the Fergus Falls di-
vision of the Great Northern the new inven-
ton was given an unusual test on the recent
trip of President J. J Hill TO the coast and
back. For this trip the new scheme of one
engine, No $685. with Engineer John Kill
bane, for the entire trip was tried, and the
new life-saving device was attached to the
engine. For the 1920 miles TO Seattle on
the Great Northern, 1877 to portland on the
Northern Pacific, $50 TO Spokane on the Ore
gon Railway and Navigation Company and
through Montana back to st. Paul the new
device measured all distances with ac-
curacy, and by other tests completely
demonstrated its ability to do what is
claimed for it. President Hill has approved
it with considerable enthusiasm, as have
other officials on his road. During the past
few months the new device mas Oeen used
successfully on over 1900 miles of road. A
peculiar feature of the test is the fact that
it has been made with the inventors work.
ing model.
The Mileage Book of Western Lines.
Beginning Nov. nineteen different West
ern roads will adopt system of inter-
changeable mileage These roads operate
over fifty thousand miles of tracks in the
territory, all of which lies practically be-
tween Chicago and the Missouri river. The
Sebastian ticket is to be used side by side
with the present mileage tickets of the in
dividual roads The individual mileage
tickets now on sale and which will continue
to be sold are the one-thousand-mile ticket
sold at a fiat rate of $25, and the two-thou-
sand-mile ticket at a rate Of $50 with
rebate of $40 provided the conditions of pur-
chase are complied with. The sales of these
tickets have aggregated 100000 monthly.
The Sebastian ticket, which, is to be used
in addition, consists of a. mileage credit per-
NIT which will be issued through station
agents. and viii be in the form of a com
pact leather case containing the certificate
of contract and q pocket for retaining credit
checks. Among the advantages claimed for
the Sebastian ticket are: No large sum OF
money is tied up In the purchase of mileage
tickets over the various lines; no outlay be-
yond the actual service performed, the re-
fund being made Immediately after the two
thousand miles has been travelled; inter
changeable mileage for two thousand miles.
the same amount as now covered by the in
dividual lines; passengers not required to
go to the depot to sign tickets, but can send
messengers for tickets and. secure certlh-
Gates and have baggage checked, the same
as under present conditions, the only con-
dition being that the refund will not be
made unless the certificates sent into the
bureau show that the two thousand miles
has been Travelled by the same person. The
Gated affair on the same lines as the inter
changeable ticket, was in operation last
summer and gave satisfaction, It vas
INTO the hands of scalpers and not one was
lost This interchangeable mileage does
away with several objections which are
raised to the interchangeable mileage ticket
now in use on the thirty-two roads by the
Central Traffic Territory Association. and be-
ing so much less complicated 1t Will likely
nnD11lar