The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-24
RAILROAD NEWS.
Lake Shore Drops Train Phone
Plan.
Mistakes I'm Receiving Messages
is the Chief Objection.
KEEP TICKER SEWAGE
Speaking Wire to Be Used Only
in Freight Traffic.
Gossip and Matters OF Interest
In Railroad Circles
KEEP TICKER SEWAGE

After a guarded trial of the long dis
tance telephone as a ain-dispatching
medium. the Lake Shore and Michigan
southern Railroad company has decid-
ed 70 nold on TO the present Telegraph
system
The telephone plan will be used to a
large extent in the matter of transmit
ting orders for the making up of freight
trains along the system Lines for this
purpose are now in operation between
Chicago and Elkhart, Ind, and AIisha-
Waka- Ind. and are to be extended TO
other points on the system. But the
test as 10 the movement OF passenger
trains seems not to have been of the
most satisfactory nature. For that
reason the substitution of the long
distance telephone service for the tele-
agency viii not be adopted-at least not
In the immediate future
Not Favored for Dispatching.
Telephone service for train dfspatch-
ing I should say not" said Chief Dis
patcher Mellon yesterday afternoon.
Just say We never heard of such a
proposition in this office. We use the
long-distance telephone for the trans
mission OF some of our business, but
not for train dispatching"
In the office of the superintendent it
was said that the lOng-distance tele-
phone service would not be used with
1t has been tried, but il is not en-
tirely satisfactory said an attache of
the orhce- One vital objection 10 a
telephone system 10 be used in the
transmission of train orders is that the
man 10 whom the orders are given may
misunderstood The transmitter does
not know what the receiver is putting
down He may be writing sentences
placing an opposite construction upon
the message sent him. In such case
the bother of explanation over the
phone with the ever present fear Of
Misunderstanding would make the sys-
TEN dangerously inadequate. There
has been telephone line instituted cor
the purpose of transmitting orders con-
corning the making up of trains along
the line, but not for dispatching trains.
The old plan Of telegraphy for this pur-
pose Will be maintained"
Aid in Making Up Trains.
The telephone system used for the
making up OF trains and incidental
York 10 Chicago Final connections
were yesterday made with the western
1lNlsloh HestefoaE az Misha Waka- lnn-
The new system. which is said 10 have
cost The raflroad corporation SI5O. eco
and IS the first OF its kind. will relieve
the train dispatchers' service greatly.
BY this system il is believed that the
possibility OF accidents 70 passenger
trains viii be in large measure elm
mated
Burlington VIII Use Phones
Chicago. Sept 24--As rapidly as the
change can be brought about. the man
agemeEt Of the Burlington has decided
TO substitute the telephone for the tele-
graph in dispatching and operating
both passenger and freight trains. This
announcement was made today after
comprehensive trials of the telephone
had been made on various portions OF
the coIupany's lines for several years
The mana cement stated that these
trials had proven eminently satisfac-
tory, and that under the system in
vogue there had not been recorded q
single instance Of mistake in the trans
mission and receipt Of train orders In
the opinion OF the Burlington officials
this removes the main objection hith- |
ertO made TO the use OF the telephone
for train operation.