The Topeka state journal., 1902-09-20
ENGINE LIGHTING.

Advancement in railroads, their ope-
ration and the way in which they plan
for the future, is notable character
istic of the age. Especially is this i'm
portant in the building of locomotives
The railroad engine is the life of the
whole system, and such the greatest
thought of the best minds is bestowed
upon it. In size and in improved meth
DDS of building them there seems to be
no limit. Something novel comes out
every day.
One of the latest and most important
devices which is to better the locomo-
tive is the recently invented electric
headlight. The Santa Fe a short while
ago contracted for $50 of these to be
used on the swiftest and heaviest pas
senger engines running on the line be-
tween Chicago, ILL.,, and Albuquerque,
N. M. A most wonderful mechanism
is the electric headlight, so compact
and at once performing such an import
ant function, deriving it's vitality from
the monster machine of which it is a
part and doing its work while the en-
gfne is running and while it is stand
ing The dynamo is actuated by steam
conducted direct from the locomotive
boiler and can be controlled by the en-
which it produces is sufficient to light
the track for half mile in the dis
tance, so that it is easily possible to
read an ordinary newspaper, were it
possible to eliminate the jar.
further Improvement on this means
of Illuminating a railroad track is one
which practically prevents collisions by
throwing bright shaft of light upward
in such a manner that it is visible as
great a distance as fifteen miles. The
Chicago, Milwaukee & st. Paul lately
has purchased an order of these after
experimenting sufficiently to feel con-
vinced that they are a success. This
beam is projected heavenward by
emans of an auxiliary plane def1ector
which Is arranged at an angle of As
degrees, in such way that about 40
per cent of the light generated by the
mechanism is DETECTED upward Thus
at night far in the distance an an
preaching engine can be detected if it
be equipped with this class of head
light, because of the possibility of see
ing the perpendicular shaft for such a
distance.
There has been some objection to the
electric headlight for several reasons,
one Of which is that the care of the ap-
paratus demands considerable knowl-
edge regarding the mysterious fluid,
electricity, and engineers often not hav-
ing this knowledge allowed the ma
chine to run at times when it was out
of order for such a length of time that
the whole apparatus was ruined, and
a considerable loss was entailed. But
the mechanism has been simplified. en-
gineers are posting themselves and this
should not much longer prove a barrier
to the electric. headlight.
Another objection raised was that or
roads having a double track where two
locomotives passed, they approached
one another the headlights of each
blinded the enginemen with its bril-
liancy. Now by the manipulation of .
translucent shade this may be tempered
and the resulting injury to engineers
and firemen's eyes prevented.
In this brief and suggestive presenta-
ton of what the electric headlight is
and how it is operated there is simply
the comment that its permanent ad-
vent into railroading should be met
with the proper appreciation not for
any other reason than that it is to serve
the public and the CORPORATIONS in an
appreciable saving Of human life and
property.