Omaha daily bee., 1902-08-10

the wire was tabooed on the Fort Wayne
had carefully thought out the best way of
realizing these possibilities. The scheme
is simplicity itself.
"Doubie Orders"
A large proportion Of all train orders on
single track roads, such as the Fort
Wayne then was, involve two trains. They
may be moving in opposite directions and
be scheduled to meet at a given station. or
other point, where there is q side track
that viii enable them to pass. Train No. !
has lost time and to hold train No. 2 at the
usual passing point till the arrival there of
train No. / win make both late. The meet
ing therefore must be at a different point
than Is customary. Or a fast train may be
due to pass and overtake a slow one moving
In the same direction; one or the other OF
these trains may have missed It's schedule
ana therefore need instructions. Or a Wild
cat train or engine Zone not running on any
regular sehedule) may be sent out and all
trains along the line 1t is likely to meet
or pass must be notined. In all such cases
II is the use Of the telegraph alone that
enables the business OF the road to 90 on
safely and without interruption.
Before the double order system each
conductor to be instructed received an in
dividual message from the train dispatcher.
Sometimes the message was very full. tell
ing him Of the movements Of other trains as
well as directing his own; sometimes its
meagerness was extreme. all explanatory
clauses being rapidly left out. So unskiil-
fully were the messages often worded that,
as Mr.. Laying remembers. a large proper
tion had to be interpreted for the con-
duetors before they would consent to so
ahead.
Nowadays, under the double order sys-
TEN, when messages are TO be sent direct
ing conductors Of two trains. both men re-
ceive the same message. And this Is how
the thing lie done;
~copyts
From the wire reports which he is con-
stantIy receiving the dispatcher knows at
$40 a. m. say. that train No. ] teast-
bound), which should be AZ station Q At
10 O'Clock to meet and pass train No. 2
(westbound), has fallen behind, and at the
moment is approaching station U. Train
No. 2. on time. Is approaching station D.
The dispatcher calls up the operators at
stations o and U. directing them that there
viii be orders for the conductors Of the
two trains, No. 1 at Uiand No. 2 At o. Then
he sends the one word, Copy. following
It with az order reading something like
this. II there are no serious complications:
Trains No. / and 2 viii meet A. 8. In
the absence Of further orders. No. ! will
wait there until the arrival OF No. T."
This message Il given In duplicate 20
both conductors. who are sisnalled that
orders are awaiting them az they pull IN
AZ stations U and o. Before either can
then proceed he must notify the dispatcher
that Il has been received and understood.
such an order would be extremely simple.
but whether simple or complicated. the
aim 10 10 make All orders direct and Gun
dorstandable." Sometimes. even now,
there are misunderstood orders. though
forgotten orders are more frequent. but
such cases are comparatively rare and Il
Is hard to see how a better system could
be devised.
The @Cireuit areaker.y
To Mr.. Laying also are the railroad ana
telegraphic worlds indebted for the Circuit
breaker" Il was some time after the sue
cess Of the telegraph As an adjunct OF rail-
reading had been conceded all round before
the wire was uaed BY trainmen % telegraph
neSA q accidents from points between sta
tons. TNl then A. was the custom when
there Was q d accident between stations to
send a traia hand back to the nearest sta
ton and he would telegraph the news from
there 10 the suLerintends ats oflce.
But someone thought L feaesbls to carry
teiesraphie Instruments on the trains. 50