The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-03-24

are crossed with so little noise or jar
that passengers In the dining car do
not realize where they are. The mis-
placing of one would derail either the
entire train or part of 1t and cost many
their lives, but no chances are taken on
displacement. The switches are con.
trolled either by hand power and
locked when not in use, or operated
from towers by hand levers and elec-
tricity or compressed air, and the APP
proach of a train to them is protected
by semaphores. The switches also
carry at night signal lamps which show
whether they are open or closed.
The train speeds through the yards In
this fashion. AS it approaches the first
tower in which there is a signal man,
the engineer observes that wooden
arm, projecting from high pole and
extending over the track his train Is
on. is down-that is, instead Of stand
ing out at right angles to the pole
which upholds it--and which means:
Danger. Stop"
1t Is down, PARALLEL with the pole, a
sign of:
Track clear. Go ahead"
The train sweeps by the tower and
the signal man above touches an elec-
tric button in his little coop. This sig
nails to the next tower, which may be
a hundred or a thousand feet beyond,
that the main line Is occupied with an
oncOming train for which he must give
either a "clear" signal or one of dan
ger" and hold 1t until all chance Of
peril Is passed. This second signal
man passes the train on to q third and
SO on until 1t is out of the yards, in
the open country, and where block sig
| mailing and protection is less compli-
Gated.
CHECKS AND COUNTER CHECKS.
How elaborate this protection de-
| scribed is for trains in the yards where
| constant switching is going on may
be shown by the adoption of the
Northwestern Road of system of
switch guarding, independent of the
signal lamps used. BY the old system,
an engineer on an approaching train
knew whether the switch ahead was
| open or closed b ythe color of the light
| placed upon it at night or the position
| of its target by day. Often, though,
| when these showed safety he would
dash down upon the switch only to find
when too late that the signals were
| right but the switch wrong and a
| wreck ensued.
TO prevent just this thing happen
| ing the Northwestern has connected
fts switches with a semaphore placed
1000 feet from the switch itself. If the
switch is closed it's target or lamp
must show this. and also the sema-
phore. for the switch cannot move WITH
out. the semaphore doing so also, and
vice versa. Thus the engineer is warned
| 1000 feet away from the switch as to
its condition and has every opportunity
| to bring his train under control if any,
| thing is wrong.
Full conception of the new protection
| cannot be appreciated until it is under
stood that the slow yard speed of for.
mer years enjoined upon trains no
| longer exists, and that it is not un.
| usual for a passenger train to pass
through the yards at the rate OF fort,
| and fifty miles an hour. Especially /.
this the case of suburban trains like
those Of the Burlington, the Rock Is
land, the Milwaukee and St. Paul AM
the Illinois Central. A Burlington.t trair
recently went through the Aurora
yards at the rate of seventy miles ar
hour. and the passage was as safe a!
though the trick" were done outside o.
town and where switches few.
AS If all these precautions against ac
cident to a train were not enough, de
vices have come into use by which tn.
engine itself sets danger signals in tn,
rear of the train it is hauling and drops
| MI of ha IN, Ia; la
they are necessary. This automati,
setting is done by electricity. TIL
drivers of the engine, coming in con
tact at certain point with an electri,
current, complete "a circuit, this in turn
sets a semaphore in the rear of tn,
train and keeps other trains from ap
preaching. When the train which ha
set the signal is safe distance away
the drivers release the signal and tn
main line is open again. Stf1l anothe
device is that by which the engine OF
passing a certain point sets Il bell t
ringing in a box placed close to TIL
track on standard. This bell ring
for a certain length of time, Ion,
enough to let the train proceed SOM
distance ahead. While ringing it cal
be heard by the engineer of seconc
train approaching, and he is warned
that the way is not clear.
1t would seem impossible with al
of these projections that an acciden
could occur in railroad yards. but the,
do and are usually traceabe to tn
fault of a human being. The min,
grows tired and the hand weary, an,
then the harm comes. No invention IL
the patent office at Washington cal
prevent this.
BLOCKING BY TELEGRAPH.
But the transcontinental train is on
of the yards safely and speeding to
ward the first station west of Ney
York. Apparently it is not under tn
guardianship Of any official of the roa
save the engineer or conductor, but I
think so is a mistake. Before it ha
cleared New York city the train dis
patcher at that point had wired tn,
first station west:
mo. Is, west bound, left / p. M"
AS the time it Is due at the statio
thus warned Is ! 30 p. m. the operate
at that point marks on his time-tab!
board:
mo. 10 on time
He waits contentedly for the an
proach Of the limited. because unde
the rules of the road he knows that
Is the only train between his static
and New York on the west-boun
track-in other words, it is the onl