The St. Louis Republic., 1903-01-25
PHONES IN ENGINES
TO PREVENT WRECKS
New German Device Sounds Warn.
ing. and MAY Lessen Danger
Oi Collision.
TESTS MADE ON STATE ROAD.
American Consul General al Brr-
lin Describes Unique lnycn-
Iion in His Report 10
He Department.

Washington. Jan. @l-puIiu- ius three
GIart,-S If a century in which steam rail
roads have been operated inventive genius
has been striving for some device that Will
guard against rrar-,nd collisions. dcraiinS
at open switches and the many other causes
Of human slau@hter and the destruction Of
property.
~Mlhons Of dollars have been expended in
safety equipments. ami a thousand and on
electrical devices have been tested, only to
find that the greatest safeguard is a strict
compliance with the rules for the operation
OF trains.
However. whenever inventive skill comes
forward with something new in this line. it
is sure 10 attract the attention of railroad
managers. and, To 4 greater or less extent.
that of the travelling public.
1t is learned, through report recently
made 10 the Treasury Department hy
Consul General Frank II. Mason At Berlin.
that a unique device for preventing col
lisi1ns between railroad trains, The joint
product of Hubert PiTmanu and Max Wen
dorf of Berlin, has been tried ON one Of the
state lines near Frankfort before board Of
experts with entire success, and that il Is
likely to come into general use in Germany
and other countries.
In referring 10 its construction and gen
eraI operation. Consul General Mason says:
Midway between the rails is laid Il llShi
third rail Of the ordinary I pattern the
joints of which are 80 connected rs 10 form
a continuous conductor.
Midway under the forward part OF the
engine is hung the working instrument. an
electrical apparatus inClOsed III a square
case or jacket occupying Il cubic foot OF
space
ELECTRIC ALARM BELL.
THE instrument is connected with con-
tact shoe. which slides along the third rail
and by wires with telephone and electric
alarm bell in the cab Of the engine driver.
and a red iacandcscont lamp which is
lighted by the same impulse ihat roUSoS the
alarm bell iu.o action.
"A further Improvement uf IN" device sets
The, electric brakes on the engine or entire
train simultaneously With the alarm signal
which sounds the bell ard fights the lamp.
The apparatus Is 50 adjusted and arranged
that the engineer can al any nohs.'; HS
touching a fever. satisfy himself that IL Is
in full working condition.
The tests IN November u We're con-
Quoted on the main line from tranki9it 70
Hanau. between the stations Sachsen-
hausen and Goldstein. and translation OF
the official report Will Illustrate concisely
the working OF the apparatus. .;,..,,-
Two locomotives. numbered f"SpeClNtIH
80 and li2O had been equipped Witn me
new device. and the experiments proCeedt9
rs follows Engine 2.l, drawing a Epeclai
train and approaching Sachs"nhauStn az
full speed. received the danger signal ana
came to a full stop: the driver Of 800 then
asked by telephone the cause OF the sig
nal and received from the keeper Of =!
grade crossing. half mile in front. word
that A wagon had broken down in crossing
the track and obStructed tn" line 900 Aitsr zen
minutes wait. the engineer of y" received
word hy telephone that the obstruction had
been cleared away, and. thorcuPon. resumed
his trip.
"A mile farther on the signal on 90 again
sounded. and the driver was Informed. hy
telephone as before, that the scmaphore
nd r,N..r han hAt Il.
distant WAS set at halt. Thersupon engine
40 slowed down. and proceeded cautiously.
sounding its whistle at short intervals. iht
Telephone bell in the drivers cab ringing
continuously until the curve was rounded.
when the ringing ceased. notifying the on
gineer that the semaphore had changed t.
track clear ThereupOn 80 resumed full
speed.
LIGHTS MADE TO GLOW.
In the tests to prevent collision. engine
1870 came mp rapidly from behind and on
the same track as 80, which had slowed
down, ard was proceeding cautiously in CON
sequence of reported danger in front. The
moment that 1920 came within 1Cl0 meters
q C93 YARDS of 2eo. the signals on both en-
RInes began TO ring and their red Lights to
CURED of 80 in front the cause of The
nlarm, and complete understanding be-
tween the two trains was Immediately es-
tablished.
An important point in this connection is
that in practice the same warning signal is
sounded upon every engine equipped with
the apparatus. which is on the same track
and within the prescribed radius-a klo
meter or a mile. the case may be-from
the engine and train which cause the OBJ
struction.
II semaphore be falsely set at safety
the train may run past il into a block in
which another engine is halted or moving
with perfect security that warning will be
given In ample time to- prevent a collision
under any and all conditions Of darkness
q 81 "A lxan fnS
The Invention has other minor points of
usefulness. but the foregoing will he suf-
flcient TO indicate the general method Of its
operations and the measure Of its efficiency
In effect. IT puts the engine driver of
every ira in into instanta neous touch with
other trains. switchmen and station and
crossing keepers in his neighhorhood and
keeps ever before his eye and ear an auto
matte and infallible signal which springs in
10 activity the moment that his lncomotiye
whether running forward or backward
comes within the radius of danger from col