The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-29
RAILWAY SAFETY SIGNAL
DEVICE TO STOP TRAINS AUToMAT-
ICALLY In TIMES OF DANGER.
Control Taken from Engineer fl He
- Tries to Run Past the Signal
Details OF the Device.

1HE problem of preventing absolute
ly the loss of human life in rail-
way collisions, such as are week.
tGINEIHI ly If not daily reported in the
- newspapers. seems to have been
solved at last by the invention of a young
Yale graduate, Irving E. Burdick, of the
class of 1900. BY this invention the element
of human fallibiity on the part of engine
men, signal operators or train dispatchers
is entirely removed, as is also the additional
danger involved in failure of the present
signaling apparatus to work properly, owing
to breakdowns or adverse weather condi-
tons. Not only this. but that other long list
of accidents due to open or misplaced
switches. open drawbridges and broken
rails, is, according to the claims of the in
ventor, to be abolished from the newspapers
This seems large claim to make, but a
study of the principles involved in the sys-
tenn devised by Mr.. Burdick and the prac-
teal demonstrations made in it's actual OPP
Grafton carry conviction with them to those
who have studied the principles and wit
messed the demonstrations. The system is
based on the idea that to insure perfect
safety the train must in times of danger be
taken out of the control of the engineer
and brought to stop. whether the cause
of the danger be a failure to see signals, an
inability from any cause to act in response
to them, an error of Judgment, or obedience
to orders mistakenly given. The result Is
achieved by an electrical device attached
to the locomotive which makes an electric
test of the track obstruction, whether it be
the presence of a train, open switch, an
open drawbridge or broken rail, not only
reports the fact usually and audibly to the
engineer, but at the same time releases the
airbrakes and shuts off the steam, bringing
the train to a stop without the intervention
of human agency. AS a final safeguard, the
apparatus is so devised that any failure in
its own mechanism to operate produces ex-
actIy the same result If it had detected
danger ahead.
If it be objected that this is more than
electricity and mechanism can be depended
on to accomplish, the answer is to be found
in the wonderful instruments which have
made possible the marvellous scientific pro-
gress of the last half century. and which
see and feel and hear and record sensations
far beyond the power of the human eye or
touch or ear TO experience. These instru-
ments are not used as substitutes for hui
man agencies. So with the device under con-
sderation; 1t is not intended to supplant
human care and watchfulness in railroad
operation but to afford additional automatic
safeguards. How necessary the application
of scientific methods to railroading is
scarcely needs to be argued. The list of
casualties is too long and continuous for it
to be ever far from the public conscious
ness. but a few reminders of accidents
which have recently Mortified the world
may not be out of place.
THREE TERRIBLE COLLISIONS.
On the morning of Jan. s, 1902, New
York, New Haven & Hartford suburban
train was stopped by signal In the Park
avenue tunnel, and one minute later New
York Central train OF the Harlem division
ran int the standing train from the rear,
plowing through the last car. killing sew
enteen persons and injuring many others.
Thick snow was falling at the time, the at
mosphere was heavy, and the smoke and
steam were consequently so low that the en-
gineer of the second train could not, or did
not, see the signals set against him. con-
dition of not infrequent occurrence in this
tunnel, where from 5000 to $1,000 people
travel daily.
On the evening of Jan. n, 1903, an express
train on the Central Railroad of New Jersey