The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-07-31
TO CHANGE RAILROAD SIGNALS.
a Proposition to Abandon the White
Light.


PHILADELPHIA. July sI.-The Penn
sy!vsnia Railroad for some time has had
under Amusement a change I'm the color
Of signal lights The proposition is TO
make green the safety light instead Of
white. in fact. TO do away with the white
light altogether, replacing the green with
a yellow light for caution. but TO retain
the red to signify danger. This change
has already been made on some roads.
notably the New York. New II ven and
Hartford, and is receiving the corsidera-
ton Of many other great railroads
throughout the country
Recently a Pennsylvania Railroad Off
cial. who has direct charge Of this mat
ter received a communication from "
+. Chamberlain, General Manager Of the
New York. New Haven and Hartford on
this subject. in which Mr. Chamberlain
discussed signal lights. and set forth one
reason in particular for the change made
by his road. This reason is given as fol
lows We had an accident, and. upon
thorough investigation, we proved be-
youd all doubt that The signal that was
represented TO have been given Ey the
signal man in the tower 20 the engineer
10y hand lantern with a white globe in II
Was white light on "a crossing gate be
yond the tower. but which could be seen
q
was raised ~ the time the train was com
ing up TO the tower
II is this possibility Of confusion Of
white lights that has turned the minds
OF railroad men TO consideration OF the
question Of change. Practically an lights
IN use outside Of those FOR railroad sig
mails are white. These lights have be
come 50 common along railroad lines that
IL Is said the danger Of confusing Il rail
road signal with other white lights has
become serious. and Is constantly grow
ing more 80. Upon the light which indi-
Gates ii clear track much deprudS-Some
railroad men say more than any other
light Il Is only that light which keeps
trains at high speed. and It is 10 trains
az high speed that accident is most likely
to occur. II is contended. therefore by
the advocates Of the proposed change that
all possibility Of confusion of lights
should be entirely removed
Furthermore. there is possibility Of dan
ger in the white light In another way.
Every light back Of its tense is. Of course
white. II a red or green lens should
break the lamp would then show a white
light and instead Of indicating danger or
caution, respectively, would give the en-
gineeT TO understand that the track ahead
WAS clear. and grave accident might re
suit In fact accidents have been caused
ia uBst that way, although the possibility
is very remote However remote. say
those who argue for the proposed signals.
II ought to be removed altogether If
white lights did not play any part in
railroad signaling there would be no aC-
CideutS due 10 Such n cause
The white light, it Is pointed out has
no real significance or Individuality. be
cause Of its Common use The other
lights red, green, and yellow. have a very
distinct individuality which is given them
bv design and for AN evident purpose.
Their use would do away with the pOssi-
hiIIrv of confusion. Furthermore. il any
lens Breakage occurred the engineer get
ting no individual light. but only Il white
light which would be no signal. would
stop until righttd-
There are some considerations which
stand in the way OF the proposed change
saws Mr. Hutchinson. general manager OF
m. PENNSYLVANIA One Of these is the
fact that signal lights change in signif-
ganDs according TO where they are used
For instance. "A green light II on freight
ar a switched train, tells the engineer OF
an approaching express that the freight
or the. switched train, as the case may be-
IL NOT on his track, but that his way Is
clear Consequently he does rot reduce
the speed Of mis- train. But, II is said,
III, ARRANGEMENT could be made IL the
signal lights were changed. and, there
fore, that Is no real objection