The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1904-10-31
Railroad Traffic
Controlled by Telephone

New York.-The longest private tele-
phone lines in the world are those
used by American railways, and the
telephone is becoming so essential a
part Of railroad management that It rs
even being employed e. some extent In
the handling Of trains
Though opinions differ about doing
away with the telegraph entirely in
operating irains some very interest.
ing trials Of the telephone in its place
are being made on a freight line
which the Pennsylvania railroad has
recently constructed In West Phila-
deiphia. for example, the telephone
supersedes the telegraph altogether in
train MANAGEMENT. The departure
viii be watched with great interest
hy railroad men the country over, for
its success may mean the generua
adoption OF new order of things IN
une Of the most important depart
ments o. their business,
Now. on thoroughly equipped rail
roads. as train rushes along on its
journey its passage from block 70
block is reported by the ticking OF
telegraph keys II flashes past sig
nal station-one of those little yellow
painted structures by the side OF the
tracks; Immediately a semaphore as
sumos a position which says stop"
as plainly as If the word was painted
in letters six feet tall and no other
train may pass that way so long as
the warning arm Is upraised. When
the next signal station is passed, the
telegraph gives notice that the train
is safely by and the operator back at
the first point moves the semapliore to
the position which indicates that the
track is clear II the use Of the tele-
phone in place Of the telegraph in this
way proves feasible. it will be no
longer necessary that the men in the
signal towers should be teleg,aphers
and, what Is more important the
towermcn viii have a means of in
stant oral communication which Of
fers several advantages over the old
fashioned method.
Whether the telephone is adapted to
general use in train dispatchng is a
quoetion ON which railway men have
widely dinenne opinions. but here Is
no doubt OF It's success in the intricate
operations of The largest railway yard
in the world that of The South TERM
inal station in Boston. Here nearly
300 trains arrive and depart every
day end the opportunities for delay
are innumerahle. The maze OF tracks
There are thirty that terminate und
er The tralnshed alone-is sparned by
steel bridges hearing the semaphores,
and from the switch towers that con-
trol both feis and signals. radiate
telephone wires TO all parts OF the
yard, tho telephone being used exclus.
lively in transmitting orders and iu-
teliigence
That everything may be prepared
aud track cleared in advance So
4 ere shall be no waiting. the CONTROL.
ing tower IN the South Terminal yard
is notified of the approach OF every in
coming train 10y telephone from
watchtower a mile ont along the lines.
And when the fog rolls in from the |
harhor and the smoke hangs low, max.
ing It difficult for the engineer 10 /
see lights or semaphores, men stand /
at the bridges in the yard 20 signal |
in" by hard the ponderous "iimited, l
the more patient accommodation and |
tho ausy little switching engines. Al 1
such times the men in the towers 4
car see only a short distance, but the 4
watchful eyes OF the lookouts Identity /
approaching trains and their presence
Is reported 10 the towerman they must
pass by means OF the telephone al
tached 10 tho bridge structures
AS surpiementing the telegraph, lail
way MANAGERS have found the inven-
tlon Of Prof Ben an indispensable an
ly Tahe for Instance. tho case OF
a wreck one of the calamiues that
occasionally visit even the best regu-
lated roads. The wreclllng train
makes q quick run over a track from
which an traffic has been cleared 20
leave IL urobTtructed and until II ar
riyes. there is often very little idea of
just what ,he matter is. Very likely
1t is ten miles to the nearest telegraph
station hut the wreck master. with bis
portable telephone set. taps the long
distance wires which stretch by the
side Of the road and is Immediately
in communication with headquarters.
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