Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1903-04-16
TELEPHONES IN ENGINES.
Invention of Germans Which VIII
Make Railroad Travel Safer.

Make Railroad Travel Safer.
An officer of the Baltimore aud
Ohio railroS company, commenting
on the d:Sa Ter at WeStteld told
Baltimore American reported about a
safety device for railroads which has
been tested in Germany recently with
gratifying results, lit is the Joint in,
Senuon of MeSSrs Hubert Pttrman and
Max WeuGorf," said he, Midway be.
tween the rails is laid a light third
rail Of the ordinary 7 pattern, the
joints Of which are So connected as 10
form continuous conductor. With
this initial statement the nature and
operation Of the device are described
as follows
Midway under the forward part Of
the engine is hung the working instru.
ment and electrical apparatus in
closed N a square case or Jacket oc.
cuuying q cubic foot of space, The in.
strument is connected with contact
shoe, which slides along the third rail,
and by wires With telephone and
electric alarm bell in the cab of the en-,
gtn1 and red inCandeScent lamp,
which is lighted by the same impulse
that rouscs the alarm bell into action,
A further improvement Of the device
sets the electric brakes ON the engine
or cntire train simultaneously with the
alarm signal which sounds he bell
and lights the lamp, The apparatus
is So adjusted and arranged that the
engineer can at any moment, by touch
| ing lever satisfy himself that it is
in (Ull working condition,
Tho tests were recently conducted
ON the main line from Frankfort to
Hanau between the stations Sachsen-
hadscn and Goldstem, and transla
tion Of the official report will ILLUS
| tute cuncisely the working of the ap.
Iparatus Two locomotives. numbered
respectively 290 and 1920 had been
equipped with the new device. and
the experiments proceed rs follows
| Engine No. 200, drawing a special
| train and approaching Sachsenhauscn
at tul speed. received the danger
signal aud came to a full stop the en-.
giuecr of 300 then asked by telephone
the cause of the signal aud received
| from the keeper Of the grade crossing
| half a mile in front word that wagon
| had broken down in crossing the track
| and uhstructod the line After 10
minutes wait the engineer of 290 re-.
ceycd word by telephone that the oh.
| ,l.a. a a
thereupon resumed his trip,
"A mile further ON. the signal of
| 900 again sounded, and the engineer
was informed, by telephone as before
that the semaphore round a curve and
more than half mile distant was set
at halt Thereupon engine 200
slowed down and proceeded cautious.
/ ~, sounding its whistle ut short In
tcwals. the telephone bell In the cab
ringing continuously until the curve
notifying the engineer that the soma.
Iphore had changed to track clear
| Thereupou 800 resumed fun speed. In
the tests to prevent collision, engine
ll420 came up rapidly from behind and
on the same track as 290, which had
slowed down and was proceeding eau
ftiously. in consequence of reported
danger in front The moment that
1870 came within LOCO meters (1,093
I}ardsl of 300, the signal on both On.
ginos began to ring and their red
lights to glow. Thereupon 1920 halt.
ed, the engineer inquired of 300 in
front the cause Of alarm. and a com
plete understanding between the two
trains was Immediately established.
AN important point in this connec.
ton is that In practice the same
warning signal IL sounded upon every
engine equipped with the apparatus,
which II on the same track, and
within the prescribed rndius-a
ltlometer or a mile. as the case may
hc--frum the engine and train which
cause the obstruction. II scmaphore
be falsely set at safety the train may
run past IL into block in which an
other engine Is halted or moving with
perfect security that warning will be
given in ample time to prevent col.
lision under any and all conditions Of
darkness, fog, storm or mistaken In.
structions.
THE German government has di.
rected that section Of track be
equipped with the apparatus for care.
full, practical experiments. and II Is
reported that the government of Rus.
sa has obtained license TO test it In
actual service on It's new military
lines now under construction in
Siberia"
Australian Racial Feeling.