The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-02-16
RAIL ROAD NEWS.
Kansas City Men Have Invented
Railway Signalling Device.
1t Is Said Will Prevent All
Kinds of Collisions.
THE RAIL COMMISSION
viii Spend $4,000 In a Practi-
cal Test.
Gossip and Matters Of Interest
In Railroad Circles.
THE RAIL COMMISSION

Kansas City. Mo-, Feb. 16.-The in
terstate commerce commission has
just decided to make a test, which will
begin in a few days and has an appro-
priation of $4,000 for making that
test, of a Kansas City device for max
ing railroad collisions absolutely i'm
possible.
The test will be satisfactory, this is
certain, because the invention has
been thoroughly tested in private by
practical railroad men and has been
found to meet every requirement and
to make good every claim made for II
by the inventor and owners OF the
patents. The test by the interstate
commerce commission is bound to be
satisfactory. This will mean that the
device will be recommended for the
use of railroads by the commission,
that congress will pass laws requiring
as satisfactory, and in the present
state of the public mind regarding the
appalling number of deaths from rail-
road accidents all railroads will be
compelled by law and public senti-
ment to adopt its use.
Within few months the Kansas
City railroad safety device will be
known all over the country. Kansas
City will receive a lot of favorable adj
vertising and the Kansas Cityans in
terested in the device will be receiv-
ing millions of dollars for its use and
for their courage and enterprise in
backing
cessful elimination.
The invention which is to do away
with railway collisions is known as the
Rorne Electric Automatic Railway
Signalling Device, and is owned by the
American Signal company, of Kansas
City. This company numbers among
It's members such well known business
men as NJ. H. Loudon. W. A Rule DR..
c. II. Carson, A. E. Stilwell, Chester A.
Snider, H. F. Schneider and several
prominent
lied about two years ago to introduce
ana promote the sale of the Borne
electric automatic patent device to
prevent collisions on railroads Some
time in October last it secured the SER
vice of prominent New York broker,
who undertook the promotion and sale
OF this device to a New York syndicate
of capitalists. He has succeeded in
FORMING a company of well known
capitalists who are ready to assume
control as soon as the Kansas CITY
company can make the transfer The
Ma hsaS City company is now capital !
lied for 100000 shares, but the
New York syndicate reorganizes with
bO,0OO.0OO- This syndicate has among
Its members some of the most promi-
neat men in the financial world TODAY
owing to the enormous number of |
terrible wrecks within the last few
months and the apparent failure of the /
Block system to prevent collisions the /
interstate commerce commission re- |
NCHtAy LUX W the SUBJECT or the auto |
matte safety signaling device The
commission has been given an appro- /
priation of $4,000 and will make for
itself a thorough. practical test of this
AUTOMATIC system 1t has selected a |
road near Washington city al point |
where one of the recent railroad hor-
rors occurred and there within few
days viii make the test with regular |
engines and cars The result of this |
experiment with the Kansas Cftv de- /
vice will be of the greatest interest to |
railroad men and CO Ditalists every
where as we'll as to the public in gem
eraL
The success of the experiment will
mean millions to the Kansas City men
interested. The New York capitalists
have figured that placed upon half
the railroads OF the country at very
reasonable royalty it will pay 6 per
cent dividends upon a capitalization
of $50,000,000 and all believe that it
is only a question of a very few years
when all the roads in the country will
use it.
The new invention is so simple that
1t is the wonder of scientific men that
It has not been thought of before. It
Is an electrical continuance applied
to the engines through the rails in
such manner that whenever two trains
get within a certain distance of each
other Ca mile or for whatever distance
engines are signaled. If for any rea-
son they do not heed the signal the
apparatus itself takes hold auto
matically and stops the engines. A
collision is impossible and this is true
whether the engines are approaching
head-on or one is coming up in the
rear. Not only this but a broken rail,
broken bridge or obstruction on the
track short-circuits the apparatus so
that trains are stopped in the same
way. Its use will thus prevent abso-
lutely almost any usual form of acct
dent from which loss of life occurs in
and its use will also permit
tn running of many more trains over
the road than can possibly be done