The Savannah morning news., 1903-02-11
TO PREVENT WRECKS.
Germany Has New Device That
Interests the United States.

VSHhhhS mas New Device That
Interests the United States.
washington, Feb. 1O.-The large num-
Der of railroad accidents. which have
occurred in the United States during
the past year, has led to a thorough
investigation, at the instance of rail-
way officials. of the methods employed
py European railroads to prevent dis
asters. Among the reports which have
peen received at the State Department
Is one from Consul General Mason at
Berlin, in which he tells of a new device
which is being tested by some of the
German railroads.
A light T rail is laid between the
rails. The joints of this third rail are
connected SO as to form a continuous
electrical conductor. Midway under the
engine is hung an electrical apparatus
connected with a contact shoe. which
SHOES along the third rail, and by wires
with a telephone and an electric alarm
pelI IN the cab, also with a red incan-
uescent lamp, which is lighted by the
same :T,l impulse that rings the alarm bell
Inc device sets the electric brakes
simultaneously with the alarm. The
apparatus is so adjusted that the en-
Slneer can, at any minute by touching
a lever, satisfy himself that it is work.
ing. WV
rests We're conducted on the main
une, from Frankfort to Hanau. be-
tween the stations of Sachsenhausen
ana Goldsteen. Locomotives 290 and
L4zO mad been equipped with the new
9evice. Engine 2a0, drawing a special
Tram and approaching Sachsenhausen
At LuIl speed. received a danger signal
anu anu came to a full stop. The engineer
theh asked by telephone the cause of
the signal and received from the keeper
oi grade crossing, half mile i'm front.
Word that wagon had broken down in
STrosslhg the track and Instructed the
me AFTER ten minutes wait the en-
slheer received word by telephone that
the obstruction had been cleared away
and resumed his trip.
A mile further on the signal again
sounded and the engineer was inform
eo by telephone, as before, that the
aSellldpnore round a curve, and more
tnan half mile distant, was set at
malt" Thereupon engine 300 slowed
ocWn and proceeded cautiously. sound
ing lts whistles at short intervals. the
teIephone bell in the cab ringing con-
tinuously until the curve was round
Cd when the ringing ceased, notify
ing the engineer that the semaphore
mad changed to track clear"
In the tests to prevent collision en-
glne NO. 1920 came up rapidly from
pehlnd. and on the same track as No
$50, which had slowed down and was
proceeding cautiously in consequence
Oh reported danger in front. The mo-
ment that No. 1920 came within / 600
yards of No 290 the signal on both
engines began to ring and their red
lights to glow. Thereupon No. 1920
matted, the engineer inquired on No.
z9O the cause of the alarm, and a com
plete understanding between the two
was Immediately established.
In practice the same warning signal
is sounded on every engine on the
same track and within the prescribed
radius. The German government has
directed that a section of track be
equipped with the apparatus for prac-
tlcal experiment., and it is reported
that the government of Russia has OBJ
tanned license to test it in actual serv-
ice on its new military lines now un-
der construction in Siberia.