Omaha daily bee., 1902-08-10
HANDNAIDS OF PROGRESS
How the Telegraph Became the Railroads
Most Useful Servant
At FIRST THE WIRE WAS UNCERTAIN
Origin Of she "DoubIe order" system
and the "cireuit Breaker" In
ventIon Of a Noted Rail
road Executive.

Copyright, 1909. by walter Morris.)
This Is the story Of three devices two
connected with the telegraph, and all origi-
mated By one man, which have simplihed
practical railroading immensely and are
now In use wherever the locomotive puns
fts way over roads Of steel. The telling Is
especially apropos at this time. when the
relations between one Of the greatest rail-
roads and one Of the greatest telegraph
systems are being dissolved.
The telegraph was impressed into the
service OF the railroad soon after the cleo
trio wire had been taught to write, II being
seen early that through its aid the running
Of trains could be managed with greater
safety and certainty than in any other way
II was because OF this that for many years
nearly every telegraph line in the land was
strung alongside some steam road, and the
need OF the wire on the part OF the railroau
brought about the extension OF the tele-
graph. over thousands Of miles, years IN
advance OF profitable commercial demands
therefor.
This was Of great advantage to the coun-
trv In many ways. But the telegfaphtc
svstem thus created had one serious defect.
while a message could be sent between two
poInts on the same line almost as expedi-
tiously and cheaply as now, the message
between distant points generally had 70
pass over as many separate systems OF wire
az there were railroad lines etween the
sending and receiving stations. This In
voIved relays, delays and a cost that would
now be, and was then. considered excessive
and exorbitant. In this evolutionary world
such q condition Of AFFAIRS naturally brought
about telegraphic consolidation one OF the
hrst, II not the very earliest, OF the great
modern consultations that have made the
United states the wonder and envy OF the
nations Of the earth. This consolidation
took the name OF the Western Union Tele"
graph company.
western Unions Early Advantage.
II "a because the Western Union was
formed by~the union Of many small lines,
originally built chiefly for the convenience
OF the railroads. that its o1hces and not
those Of the younger Postal Telegraph
company are to be found in ninety-nine OF
every hundred railroad stations in this
country. Nor is 1t so very long ago that
railroad aud telegraph men would have
laughed ct a hint Of separation between
the Western Union and any OF the great
railroads., least Of all the Pennsylvania.
Yet for more than a month now the West
ern Union folk, peremptorily ordered on,
have been busily v~acating their offices and
removing their wires from along the Penn
syivania, tracks. By September 1 the trans
fer must be complete ana TINS viii marx
as interesting a period In the history Of
the telegraph in America as the period
which was opened when the late John w.
Mackay organized the Postal Telegraph
company.
Yet IT does not follow. in the view Of
well informed men, that this is the begin
ming of the end Of the Western Unions
close relations with the railroads in gen.
eras. The cause OF the break with the
Pennsylvania was brought about by the
determination OF the Gould railroad inter-
ests 70 lay their tracks into P%ittsburg In
spite Of the Pennsylvania objections. The
Western Unions direct yearly loss OF rev.
enue tgross) will be about $50. 900 q year,
but the net will be much less. There is
some expense and confusion incident to
changing the system in the Pennsylvania
big territory and some hundreds of points
will probably be abandoned as not profta-
bic without the railroad business, but the
chief disadvantage will be mainly senti-
mental and Of course the Gould interests
discounted that before they decided to lock
horns with the Pennsylvania.
EARLY r~cIeKraphic Train Orders.
The railroads began to use the tele-
graph In running trains early in the sos.
possibly In 40 or even As. But the train
order Of the mid oentury was crude and
often ineffective. Repeatedly Il brought
about disaster instead Of insuring safety.
II was so imperfect. indeed. that some
railroads gave up the use Of the wire alto
gether after a comparatively brief trial.
Thus, in 1858. s. w. Roberts. then super
intendent Of the Pittsburg. Fort Wayne &
Chicago railroad-now, a part Of the Penn
sylyania system-threw out the telegraph
as a help In running trains on that road
because OF an accident due to a misun-
dorstood order that resulted In some loss
Of life and the destruction Of much railroad
property. The Roberts dictum continued
in force till hia retirement In '5s or 80.
Its resembling led to one Of thu most I'm
portant forward steps ever taken In the
development Of practical railroading. This
was the invention and adoption on the
Fort Wayne road Of the Double order"
system. now used on practically every steam
railroad In the world.
Double Orders" were devised by an
enthusiastic young railroad man named
James ID. Laying. then attached to the ex-
eeutlve stan OF the Fort Wayne" road in
TIA capacity Of division superintendent. and
now one Of the most prominent OF the ex-
ecutive men IN the management Of the
West Shore and other Vanderbilt lines.
Though he had never served as q telegra-
pier. having entered railroad life as a
civil engineer. he was quite familiar with
the electric wire. As q school boy In Pitts
burg, and with his fathers hearty APP
prevail, he had strung wires "all over the
house" had made ana charged his own
batteries and had mastered the key. both
as sender ana receiver. He believed thor
oughiy IN the possibilities Of the telegraph
a. q servant OF the rail and In the years