The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-15
TeIegraphing from Trains.

From the working models of his invention
it would seem that Walter A Royse has
solved the question of telegraphy from
moving trains. The young man was until
early this summer a newspaper man in In
dianapohs and it was collaboration with his
brother, Clarence d. Royse, of Greencastle,
Ind, that the new system was developed.
In a nutshell. the invention consists of the
Introduction of a third rail or metal rod laid
midway between the regular rails of a
track and put in connection with the car
by metal brushes that revolve over the
third rail and accomplish a complete
metallic circuit. There are two brushes, one
at either end of the car and thus, if one
end of the is jolted up and the brush
is taken from the rail the one at the other
end of the coach will still be in contact and
the circuit will continue TO exist. These
brushes are controlled by a chain and
sprocket gear attached to the axles of the
car wheels, and their speed is regulated so
that 1t will correspond with the shaft of
the moving train. The advantage of such an
invention as this to the railroad world can
will make wrecks and collisions practically
impossible. The operator on the train would
get word of the second train that might
otherwise run ii down, or perhaps strike
his train in a head-end collision.
Electrical and mechanical experts who
have examined the running models in Room
3l4 of the First National Bank building say
they see no reason why the invention
should not be feasible Mr. Royse came to
persons interested on Wednesday and
Thursday. 1t is probable that in the near
future a test will be conducted under the
auspices of one of the leading Chicago lines.
The inventors are anxious to demonstrate
the worth of their work and believe that
a thorough test is all that is needed
Personal, Local and General Notes.
A. ]. Connolly, trainmaster of the Peoria
& Eastern, is i'll with malarial fever
]. B. Lee, tariff clerk of the Big Four at
Cincinnati, is in the city visiting a brother,
he being quite unwell.
w. d. Ewing retires to-day as general
superintendent of the Fitchburg road, and
is succeeded by c. l.. Mayne.
K. =. Hannigan on Monday succeeded w.
l.. Adams, deceased as agent of the Blue
Ridge Dispatch. at St Louis.
Passenger Traffic Manager White, of the
Santa Fe lines, is arranging for selling an
interchangeable mileage ticket.
The Big -Four earned in the first week of
September 271,548.21, an increase over the
corresponding week of 1896 of $l2, 9S5.S5.
Edward May, of Terre Haute has been
appointed train master of the Evansville x
Terre Haute, vice H. Thomson resigned.
James McCrea, first vice president of the
Pennsylvania Company, and other of its
high officials, is expected to be in the city
to-day.
The Chicago & Eastern Illinois, in the first
earnings over the corresponding week last
year of 81, 400.
The general freight agent of the Balt-
more & Ohio road has notified coal shippers
that 1t Will enter into no contracts to eX-
tend beyond April l.
Z. d. Soper for some time past agent of
the Chicago & Eastern Illinois at West
Ridge, has been transferred to Sullivan,
succeeding w. S. Hancock, resigned.
The Peoria & Eastern yesterday brought
in ilfty-three day coaches, sieepers and
chair cars flied with passengers, about 1900
in all, en- route to the Springfield, o., silver
camp meeting.
Captain W. w. Peabody, vice president
and general manager of the Baltimore q
Ohio Southwestern, has gone to New York.
On Oct. Mr. Peabody will deliver an adj
dress before the Railway Club of st. Louis.
The Michigan Central and the Wabash
have asked the Central Passenger Commit
tee for the privilege of meeting the rates
of the Grand Trunk to Niagara Falls on the
occasion of the bridge celebration.
The Santa Fe has made itself popular
with travelling statesmen by giving freight
conductors permission to carry them on
freight trains, and it is stated that the Mis-
souri, Pacific will issue a like permit
At the annual meeting of the stockhold-
ers of the Wabash system, held yesterday
in st. Louis, all the members of the board
of directors were reelected. O. d. Ashley
president, was chosen to succeed himself
The Kanawha Dispatch, which sends
business over the Big Four and the Chesa-
peake a. Ohio systems, has established a
new line Of steamers The steamers will
sail direct from Newport News to Dublin
and Belfast.
The official report of Henry Fraser, gem
eral agent of the Big -Four shows that on
Saturday $50 cars were loaded or unoaded
at the city freight depots, sixteen more cars
Big -Four consolidated lines.
The Pennsylvania road is having 1900
cross ties hauled by wagons from Freetown
to Seymour, a distance of sixteen miles.
The ties will be used in making repairs on
the Evansville & Richmond Railway be-
tween Seymour and White river.
An official of the Big Four says should
. earnings continue as satisfactory as at the
present time President Ingalls, will not only
resume payment of dividends on the pre-
ferred stock, but have something with
which to pay a dividend on its common
stock.
The Pennsylvania Company has notified
trainmen on the passenger trains that they
must hereafter not only call the names of
the stations distinctly, but when a train
leaves q terminal or division point
nounce in which direction the train Is go
ing.
Train 20, on the Vandalia, consisting Of
eight cars, including three Pullman sleep
ers was yesterday hauled from a start at
Greencastle to the Union Station, thirty
nine miles, in thirtynine minutes, stopping
at the Belt road crossing. The train was
hauled by Engine l5S.
The passenger rate war, Texas common
points to Kansas City and st. Louis,
which has been prevailing for some weeks,
reached an acute stage yesterday, when
the Santa Fe announced a round-trip rate,
Galveston to Kansas City and return, of s..
Other lines will meet 1T.
II. A. ellis, late master mechanic of the
Norfolk & Western, has been appointed
superintendent of the Richmond locomo-
tive works. Quite recently r. II. Soule,
superintendent of motive power of the Nor
folk q Western was appointed general SUI
perintendent of the Baldwin locomotive
works.
o. z. McCarty, who had intended to start
for New Orleans yesterday and arrange 10
q Ohio Southwestern, decided not to go,
fearing that after reaching New Orleans
the quarantine might hold him. His fam
lily is in this city and will remain here for
the present
The Michigan division of the Vandalia
now has an excellent track, which is evi-
denced in the fact that train of four
cars was hauled on Monday from Craw-
louisville to Terre Haute. hfty-four miles,
in Sixty-three minutes making five station
stops, which is said to be the fastest run
ever made between the stations named.
The annual report of the Wabash shows
that the road. under the depressed business
conditions in the year ending June 80 earned
the full interest on its bonds, and this year
a further Improvement is shown in both
gross and net earnings, showing that Gen
eral Manager Ramsay is operating the road
to the best advantage.
1t is stated that matters look more favor
able to the reorganization of the Toledo,
ST. Louis q Kansas City than at any form
er period since the road passed into the
hands of a receiver, and when reorganized
IL is thought that r. y. F. PIERCE. who has