Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-01-23
NEW TRAIN SER VICE
BURLINGTON CONCENTRATES
cHIcAGo-sT. LOUIS WORLDS
FAIR TRAIN.

Experts Are Also Working on New
Automatic Signal System Which
| Will Prevent Collisions Of All Kinds
Burlington Earnings.
The Burlington management is con-
sidering the advisability of inaugural
| ing passenger service between Chi
cago and st. Louis during the
Worlds Fair. Owing largely to
the disability of distance, the
Burlington has remained out of
the field on St. Louis business from
the Chicago territory, but it is thought
that there will be sufficient traffic to
warrant another line during the expo
sition period. The matter has not
reached the point where the character
OF the proposed service has been dis
cussed in detail. It is understood that
Vice-President Willard has taken the
matter under advisement. Together
with General Manager F. A. Delano,
Mr.. Willard has made an exhaustive
inspection of the Burlington's Chicago
freight and passenger terminals.
The New Service.
1t will be routed through Burlington.
The service will necessitate one or two
new trains, or at least the thorough
through equipment of some of those
already running. Trains will no doubt
be run solid without change from Chi
cago to st. Louis through Burlington.
Burlington Earnings.
Some Unexpectedly large gains in
gross earnings have been made by the
northwestern roads in the first six
months of the current fiscal year. Net
earnings, however, have not fulfilled
in every case the promise made by
the showing in gross.
For instance, the Illinois Central,
which shows an increase Of s per cent
in gross, shows but per cent in net.
About the same ratio may be taken to
prevail over the entire northwest.
Profits have been gradually eliminated
The year will show but little better in
surplus earnings than did last year,
and there are many railroad men in
the northwest who will state that the
year will show even less surplus than
1903.
The notable increase in the earnings
Of the Northwestern, which records
nearly so per cent of the totally Off
cially recorded increase, is not strictly
to be regarded as a percentage in
creas. The road is operating consid-
erably more mileage than in 1908. On
mileage basis the gross earnings are
better than last year, but they are not
16 per cent better. The Fremont
branch has been added.
Remarkable Increase.
| Earnings of the Burlington stand out
as the most remarkable feature of the
list. They are estimated, but they are
approximately correct For the five
months ending November 80 the three
Hill roads showed an increase of
about $4,20O,0O0. OF this Great North
ern and Northern Pacific supplied only
about $1,000,O00: Burlington, there
fore, increased it's earnings tbout
$3,200,00O in the five months, or at the
rate of about $3,SO0,O00 in the six
months. This performance ranks pref
ty nearly alone in the country. 1t
is eloquent of the results of the co
operation of the northern lines.
New Signal System.
Experts Of the Burlington are al
present conducting a series of ex-
tremely interesting tests Of new
system of railroad signaling, which
promises to revolutionize the present
method Of regulating traffic and tc
make railroad collisions almost an
| impossibility.
Every train is to be it's own auto.
matte signaling tower raising and low
ering the signal boards on each soma
phore as it moves along just as
! far ahead and behind as may be
desired.
| AS long as one train is in the BLOCK
4 the signals remain automatically sci
| at danger to keep all other trains
1 out. The signals do even more thar
that. The indicate just where the
| train is on the block and in what di.
/ rection it is moving. If the trair
\ should stop and commence to back up
Immediately indicate that fact BY
turning the semaphore in the oppo'
site direction.
How 1t Works.
For the purpose Of explaining jus
how the new signals are operated
| suppose that a double track RAILROAD
! with the new towers. These tower
are placed one mile apart from ent
| to end Of the line.
A train starts out from one end o
| the line, and instantly the semaphore
on the towers stationed one mile AM
two miles ahead along the railroad
record the fact by lowering the sigma
| arm to right angles as a signal to ey
erything else movable to keep off TIL
track. simultaneously the tower a.
the railroad terminus which the trail
i is leaving sets a signal which, beinl
interpreted, means that there is
train on the track a short distanc
ahead and no other train must star
after it until the line is clear.
In this way the train is protecte
by signals two miles in front and tw
miles in the rear throughout its jour
ney from one end Of the line to tn
other. The instant a train has trav
eled two miles beyond a signal towe
the semaphore is released and point
skyward again, opening that road TO
the next train.
Train Always Located.
1 OF course. if preferred, the sigma
towers can be placed much closer to
gether. That is very simple mat
ter to arrange. The trains can trav