The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-02-08
AUTOMATIC SIGNALS FAILED.
BOSTON'S Wanted SUBWAY
SYSTEM A DISAPPOINTMENT.
Commissioned Baker and n. Y. Central
and n. ", N. u. 4 u. Railroad Oficials
Made h ~Test-Train Han BY the sig
mails, Guaranteed to stop IL. 3 Times.

oabtT anu Ne l. sthtt ~
and n. y, N. u. 4 II. Railroad Officials
Made the Tett-Train Han by the sis.
mails, Guaranteed to stop II, 3 Times.
BosToN, Feb. 7.-Col. Frank NJ. Baker Of
the New York State Railroad Commission,
accompanied by an official of the New York
Central Railroad and an official Of the New
York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad,
came to this city on Thursday morning TO
test the automatic signal system which Is
In use on the electric road in the Boston
subway.
As a result Of this visit the officials Of
the local road are very much Inundated
and crushed, for their pet system, which
they have regarded as almost infallible.
failed ANONYMOUSLY. II 1t had failed at
any other time 1t might not have made 10
much difference, but TO have IL fail at such
a time, when it was being exhibited to a
Railroad Commissioner from another State
and a party of expert railroad men. was a
bitter blow, especially as It was only a few
days ago that the Boston roads expert,
stewart Ness, went all the way over to
New York to tell Col. Baker and his asso-
ciates what a cracking good system they
were using In this city.
It was during the New York State Rail-
road Commissioners investigation into the
Park avenue tunnel disaster at the Fifth
AvenueIHotel, New York, last week that Mr..
Ness was called as a witness-an expert
witness-to tell what he knew about auto
matte signal systems and safety devices.
The Commissioner were looking for some
thing to take the place of the block system,
now In the Park avenue tunnel. and Mr..
Ness modestly. but with every confidence
in the world. told them that he thought he
knew what was needed. He then eX-
planned the system In Use in this city, by
which, II a motorman runs by a danger
signal. a thrust from the track automatically
sets the brakes and the train
comes to a stop.
MIR. Ness said that the system was perfect
and that IL never failed, and he hadn't the
slightest doubt in the world that il could he
applied as well 10 a steam road as to an
electric road. He said that 10 the engineer
was dead in his cab the train would stop
within its length, If the home signal was set
against him and was disregarded. The
New York Commissioners made up their
minds that il all Mr.. Ness said was true
here was the solution OF the TUNE problem.
not only for them, but for every railroad In
the country. And they delegated Col.
Baker, who IL a practical railroad man., TO
come over here and look into the thing.
Col. Baker came on Thursday with the
two New York railroad men, and the Presi-
dent Of the Boston road put a train of three
cars at his disposal. Col. Baker said hat
he wanted TO run full tilt at a danger signal
three times, once at eighteen miles an
hour. once at twenty-five miles an hour
and once at thirty-five miles an hour. The
motorman was instructed to do this, n
then the party started out. Col. Baker
was again assured hat the system was
perfect and that the thrust from the track
would stop the train.
On the first run at eighteen miles an hour
tho train shot past the signal set at danger,
and although there was a slight commotion
under the moor car as il went by, the
brakes were not set at all, N the train
would have run the length of the tunnel
IL the motorman hadn't taken of his power
and applied tho brakes himself. What
hippened on the second test at twenty-five
miles an hour is not known. but 1t Is be-
lieved that the thrust worked a little better.
But on the third try with the train going
thirty-five miles an hour. II dashed past
the home signal set red. and although the
brakes were partially ret by the thrust.
the train ran nearly $50 feet before IL
stopped.
altogether the tests were fearful failures,
and the visitors were very much disap-
pointed. No explanation of the thing has
been made so far as can be learned. The
railroad officials here are, of course. very
much averse TO discussing the thing at all.
The remarkable thing about the third
failure of the thrust TO work is that after
the first failure, the roads experts went to
work and put the apparatus into what they
regarded az perfect condition. And still
II only partially worked.
Col. Baker and his friends left for New
York on Thursday night, but declined to
express any opinions on the Boston auto
matte signal and safety device before they
went.