The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-02-26
NEW INVENTION
REDUCES WRECKS
Local Trains Will Probably Be
Equipped With Device.
SALT LAKE&SUBURBAN BONDS
BIDDING ON CONSTRUCTION
WORK AND MATERIAL.

One OF the most marvellous inventions
of the age for the prevention of rail-
road accidents will be tested in this
city today. The new appliance greatly
reduces the danger of railroad COLI
sions. 1t will also reduce 80 per cent
of the accidents on railroads which re-
suit through forgetfulness or careless
ness in obeying orders.
The mechanism consists of double
dial which is set so that a whistle in
the cab warns the engineer when he is
approaching danger. If he does not
heed the warning the train Will pro-
coed a fraction of a mile farther. when
the air brakes will be applied auto
matically and stop the train
William 7. Henry of the New YORK
Air Brake company has been in the city
several days and will test the machine
today in the presence of the officials
of the Oregon Short Line and the Rio
Grande Western railroads. Mr.. Henry
has been awaiting the return of some
of the officials on both lines, who have
been out of the city, before exhibiting
the appliance. Superintendent z. E.
Calvin said yesterday:
at have not seen the machine, but
from what / understand it will accom-
plish, it is a long step forward in the
way of increasing the safety of rail-
road travel. Some of the engines may
be equipped with the appliance to give
it a trial
What the Appliance Is.
The appliance consists of brass
double dial and at a hasty glance looks
like a large steam gauge. One dial is
smaller than the other, and is slight
ly raised above the face of the main
dial. The elevated dial is divided into
miles UP to 100. The marks on the
main dial are divided into fractions of
miles. Around the edge Of the small
dial at regular intervals is a series
of triggers.
When the engineer gets an order to
slow up, enter a switch or take any
other precaution at a certain point on
the road, he raises one of the triggers
on the dial to correspond with the
point Of danger. When he is about a
mile distant from that point the trigger
is pushed out of place by a revolving
hand on the dial The engineer is
warned by a whistle which the trigger
releases. If he fails to obey the warn
ing before the train has proceeded an
other tenth of a mile, plungar in the
center Of the dial is released and au-
tomatically sets the air brakes.
The hand on the dial is much like
that on the dial of a steam gauge. It
moves. however. only when the engine
moves. 1t is operated by one of the
wheels Of the forward truck of the 10
connective. This wheel is used because
there is less wear to it than to any
other of the wheels. The number of
revolutions necessary to make a mile is
known and it moves the hand on the
dial to correspond with the movement
of the train.
Gives an Alarm.
If the engineer gets an order at 4
station to wait for a coming train
twenty miles distant, the trigger of he
dial is set at that point, and as the
train moves, the hand also moves and
when the twenty miles are accom-
plished the hand has reached the rig
ger and the alarm is given. 1t is really
set to give the alarm something over
mile before the danger point IS
reached. The appliance stands between
the dispatcher and the engineer and
prevents him from forgetting the CT
der. If he fails to obey the warning
the train can proceed but fraction Of
a mile farther. when connections are
made with the air brakes.
The workings of the gauge are very
simple. Every trigger on the dial can
be set to correspond with crossings,
water tanks and other points on the
line so that on dark, foggy or stormy
night the engineer can tell to a small
fraction of a mile where he is. and IT
precautions as ne is accustomed TO in
daylight when everything is in plain
view before him. a glance Will also
show the number of miles he is trav-
cling per hour. He has a large chart
at the side of the dial with all the
stations, crossings and other points
marked and properly numbered. The
numbers, which represent miles, GORE
spond to the numbers on the dial
continuance over the dial blows a
whistle if the gauge is out of order. 1t
whistles when the train stops and
whistles when it starts. If the dial or
gauge stops working while the train is
in motion the safety appliance whistles
and warns the engineer that his dial
IS out of order 1t is immateriaI, in
other words. whether the dial stops
because it is out of order or because the
train has come to a stop. the safety
appliance makes the fact known. The
sense of security to the engineer is
something to be considered in the OPP
GRAFTON of the apparatus.
FIQATED THE RONDS