The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-01-05
DOUBLE BLOCK and
TORPEDO SYSTEM
A WASHINGTON ENGINEER SUB.
MlTs HIS PLANS TO PRE-.
VENT RAILROAD
WRECKS.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5.-Mr. Edwin
A. Newman, a mechanical engineer OF
this city. In the following letter to
the Interstate Commerce Commission,
outlines his ideas for prevention of
railroad wrecks:
After much thought and c~onsidera,
ton Of the subject / herewith submit
for your consideration a double block
and torpedo system, which I believe
will absolutely prevent the possibility
of railroad collisions.
my plan is not to trust the lives
OF the travelling public to one individ,
nal or mechanical device. the failure
of which is the of the disastrous
accidents SO frequently occurring I'm.
der the present single block system.
but TO provide that the mistake or
negligence Of n can be checked by
another. which is not possible with
the devices now in use.
First, | provide two or more clear
Elocks between each railroad train.
instead Of one. as at present.
Second, an auxiliary torpedo sys-
TEN, which may work automatically
and simultaneously with the danger
signal, to set t~orpedoes at suitable
distances from the signal station, or
operate separately at the will OF the
operator.
by this system there would be two
clear blocks between each train and,
II by accident or otherwise, the first
operator should give the wrong signal.
the second operator would stop the
train. On the other hand, II the oper.
ator hal put out the danger signal
and the engineer did not see or heed
II for any cause. the auxiliary torped.
oes would give warning 10 both the
engineer and fireman to stop the
train. II the first signal and torpedo
mechanism should fail. the second
would certainly stop the misguided
train.
by this system 1t Is impossible for
two trains to enter the same block at
the same time. as in case OF the fail.
ure or inability of one operator 1t
would be checked by the next opera.
tor. II by accident to the engineer,
negligence or failure on his part to
torpedo system would give warning
and avoid the dreadful consequence
see signal on account of storm. fog,
Either the double block or the tor
smoke or otherwise. the auxialiary
Of the present signal block system
where an accident may. AMI very OF.
ten does, result from the negligence
mistake or inability of one man.
pedo system can be advantageously
used separately, but they should both
be used as an abundant %precaution
under the most unfavorable conditions
III my system had been in use on
the Metropolitan Branch of the Bal.
timore and Ohio Railroad at the time
OF the accident at Terra Gotta Station
the catastrophe would have been
avoided by a danger signal being dis
played at Silver Springs. II the en-.
gineer had passed the said signal at
Silver Springs without seeing thel
scme the automatic torpedo would
have given him as well as the fire.
man warning to stop the train at that
signal station. But IL, for any reason. |
the operator or the automatic torpedo
failed to give warning at Silver
Springs, the engineer would still hayel
had to pass the signal station at Ta.
Roma to make an accident possible.
1t Is too remote a possibility for two|
men or two mechanical devices to fail
ut nearly one and the same time. The
use or my system would furnish four
checks to prevent accidents, instead
of only one as at present, besides Civ.
ing greater distances between trains.
My system would also have pre-.
vented the accident in Kansas, which
occurred today. for the reason that.
after the first operator had made al
mistake, the second operator would
have stopped the train. In other words. |
the train would have had to pass two
operators and, two signal stations be.
fore an accident would have been pos.
sible.
IF the system herein outlined ap-
peals to you I woald be pleased to fur.
nish drawings and full particulars Of
same"
Good cabs for balls and socia,