Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-12-21


Of Disaster IL Ahead.
Judge Albion w. Tourgee, who II now
consul at Bordeaux, France, writes to
the state department of recent impro-
vement upon the, ''block system" on rail-
roads designed by French inventor,
which, 1t is claimed, will greatly lessen
the danger of collisions on railways.
"The fact that the United States Is the
most profitable field for the exploitation
Of useful Inventions" writes the judge.
has taken firm hold upon the inven-
tive minds Of other countries, and the
first thing man does who has "A novel
idea Of any sort Is TO seek to have 1t
patented In the United States. That
this Ia especially true of inventions
pertaining to railway appliances is only
natural when one contemplates the fact
that the United States. with it's $4,000
miles of railway track. has six times
the mileage OF any other country in the
world. f.
French inventions are usually de-
fective In the mechanical character of
the means by which the end sought to
be effected Is attained. This is, no
doubt, due to the fact that so small a
proportion of the population have any
practical mechanical knowledge. Al
most every man in the United States
knows the use of tools. Very many
who have no manual occupation are
fairly skilled workers. and those who
have inventive tendencies are not
ashamed to devote their leisure time to
the requirement of technical skill neces-
sary to prepare their working models
and perfect their inventions. In
France, on the contrary. such knowledge
is considered derogatory to anyone in
the higher walks Of life. A clerk will
not close shutter nor dust off the top
Of the desk at which he works, since
that Is the business of an 'ouvrier,' nor
will man who moves in good society
permit himself to be seen carrying a
package Of any sort along the street,
"One result of this exclusive use Of
tools by laborers is that French inven-
ton usually has. to an American, n
certain sense of awkwardness in it's
mechanical application. The idea may
be good one, but there is very seldom
any of the hardness which one finds
in an American invention In the many
cases Of application for American pat
ents whichcome before me, / am almost
always struck by this lack Of directness
of application, which leaves them open
to competition, thus destroying thevalue
of the invention by Improvement Of
application Of principle
This does not apply to an invention
by Pierre Paul Guibert of Millau, depart
ment of Aveyron, France, intended to
prevent railway collisions. 1t is, in
effect. simple and natural application
of the block system; but, instead Of
merely displaying signal at each end
of section of track showing that the
same is occupied, Mr.. Guibert's system
acts also on the engines of the APP
locomotives, and, by cutting
off steam automatically. brings the
train to a standstill.
"As preventive Of head-on collisions
this invention would seem a positive
on the block system,
it is quite possible that the in
creased cost Of installation may prevent
its general adoption. l send inclosed
set of drawings and copy of the speci-
fications for his patent, which Mr..
Guibert was kind enough to send me.
Whether his system is of practical i'm
portance or not, it serves to show how
the United States is regarded by the in
ventors Of Europe, who make haste to.
secure protection under our law, so as
to take advantage of the wonderful
market it opens to really meritorious
devices"