The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-12-20
STOPS AT CROSSINGS
WILL BE AVOIDED WHEN RAIL
ROADS PUT IN DEVICES.
SIGNALING AND DETAILING.
WILL BE THE PRECAUTIONS
ADOPTED AGAINST ACCIDENTS.

Automatic Signaling and DeraiI-
ing Devices as Soon as Arrange
ments With the Railways Crossing
II Can Re M0de-President John VI.
EgRn Discusses the Improvement.
Snys II Is but Step in Railway
Dctterment and PrOgress-WiIl
Mean Economy in OperattOn-Has
no Added Element of Danger, but
Offers Greater Safety-SOmethfns,
About the Plan.
The Central of Georgia Railway
Company will inaugurate automatic
signalling and derailing appliances, I'M
der the law passed at the last session
of the Legislature, as soon as arrange
ments with lines crossing the Central
can be effected. This statement was
made yesterday by President John NJ.
Egan of the Central.
1t will be at considerable cost that
the railways in Georgia will equip
their crossings, but they want to do
it, for all of that, as it would mean
saving in the long run. The cost of
equipping a crossing with the device
varies, but it is seldom that, for ordi-
nary crossing, the cost would be as
much as $4,000. While Mr.. Egan
could not sfy-what the average cost
might be, he did say that the only
crossing that his line has so equipped
is just outside of Atlanta, and that,
where there are double tracks of the
Central crossing, cost $4,000.
Time, coal and wear and tear on ma
chinery and equipment will be saved
by the introduction of the signalling
and derailing appliances. These are
all important considerations, and they
have appealed to the railway officials
in Georgia. All of the leading lines
Will probably institute the improve
ment as soon as possible.
This Device" said President Egan,
lis but another step that has been
made in the Improvement of railway
service and equipment In many of
the states it has been in use for some
time. 1t is simply an Improvement
just as is the air brake and the auto
matic coupler. Railways should keep
pace with modern ideas and modern
betterments, and the derailing appli-
ances should be used in Georgia.
"A great consideration with the pas
senger trains is to save time. This can
be done if some other safeguard than
that of stopping at crossings is used.
This other safeguard is supplied by the
signalling and derailing device. The
law has demanded that trains come to
a stop, and this has meant the loss Of
time. 1t has also meant that more
coal must be consumed in the stopping
and starting of the engine and the loss
that is incident to the wear and tear
upon brakes and wheels in coming to
stop.
mo, there is no element of danger
in the operation of the automatic sig
Mailing and derailing device. On the
contrary, it is safer than the law de-
handing that trains be stopped at
crossings. Derailing the train that
may be in error does not mean it's
wrecking. 1t would be derailed upon
even, level ground to prevent a col
lision, and it would not be overturned
or greatly damaged. Even this is in
the remote probability of it's ever be-
coming necessary, for it is not likely
that a train would ever get beyond the
first signal arm"
The president explained the opera
ton of the device. Briefly, it is this:
Off some distance from the point of
intersection of two tracks, the dis
lance depending upon curves or other
circumstances, there is a signal arm,
one in each of the four directions from
a tower that stands near the crossing
and from which a lookout may be kept
The man in the tower can operate the
signal arms by a lever. A train having
the right of way is given the signal by
the arm, while another may be sig
nailed on the other track that train
has the right of the crossing. Then the
train having the right of way passes,
while the other waits until the coast is
clear.
That is the first safety precaution.
There is another to prevent a collision
Il in the event one train disregards the
signal that another has the right OF
the crossing. Some intermediate dis
lance between the crossing and each
of the signal arms will be the derail-
ing device, which is also operated from
the tower by a lever This is arranged |
Sc that the train that would take the |
crossing when it has no right would be |
turned from the track by a switch and |
permitted to come to a stop on the |
ground. If under control at the time |
President Egan said, there would be |
no reason why such a train should be |
overturned.