Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-01-30
Rock Island Will Try Dispatch
ing Trains by Phone In
stead Of Telegraph
SUCCESS ON EASTERN SYSTEMS
Contract Closed for the Equipment of
Its Lines With Telephone Apparatus
and Devices-other Roads to Try Ex-
acknowledgements and Efficiency
in Its Favor.

Des Moines, Jan. 30.-Mr William
Bowen. of the Stromberg- Carlson Tel
ephone Company, stated yesterday that
the company has just closed a contract
with the Rock Island railroad for the
equipment of its lines between Chicago
and Denver with telephone apparatus
for dispatching purposes, and which II
is planned to substitute for the sele-
graphic system.
This idea has been adopted by many
of the large systems of railroads and
is being tried with excellent success
The Great Northern first took it up
The Illinois Central has equipped its
lines from Chicago to Dubuque 1t is
said that the Northwestern has been
figuring on the idea for some time. The
Rock Island contract now let is the
largest of all.
OF course, the installation of the sys-
tenn will take time. 1t will not be
achieved in a day. But the idea has
been SO far tested that there is little
doubt of It's entire adoption.
Already the Stromoerg- Carlson pea
Pile have equipped the interurban lines
with this kind of a system. In the city
the street cars are dispatched by tie
ephone. The irterurban system will be
ready for trial and operation in very
few weeks.
advantages of the installation OF the
telephone dispatching is the substitu-
ton of low salaried employees for the
high salaried and technically educated
photographers who now occupy posts in
the division headquarters as well as IL,
the way stations. Under the new sys-
tenn station agent will not have TO be
n telegra pher, also. Any one can talk
thru a telephone.
The matter of records is the first
thing given consideration by those who
investigate the new idea. The interur-
ban has Installed a system which can
not possibly be less accurate than the
present Geographic system of dispatch
ing in vogue on the railroads. Three
copies of every message are made. One
is for the motorman, one for the con-
ductor and one falls into a securely
locked box which keeps the file of the
order and definitely determines the sort
of message telephoned and received, for
1t is not only dropped automatically In
10 a closed and locked receptacle, but II
is in duplicate, at the different ends of
the line. In the same way the tele-
phone system may be used in the dis
patching of railroad trains.
Another advantage OF this system -
the ability Of trainmen to connect d.
rectIy and with ease with the entire
telephone system from telegraph or
telephone pole at as close distance as
it is desired to arrange the equipment.
On the interurhan every few poles a
connection can be made with the wires
which lead to Des Moines and the con-
ductor with an instrument always at
hand, and easily adjusted. can inform
the Offices at each end of the line OF
the condition of his car and II a wreck
of a car occurs or it Is stalled, those
facts can be made known without diff
ficulty. and instantly. The same idea
will be in vogue on the railroads on
which the system is installed.