The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-18
rom the Montgomery Advertiser.

From the Montgomery Advertiser. A freight wreck in the West End yards of the Mobile and Ohio railroad late yes terday afternoon resulted in not one cents damage.
 A switch engine, running at the rate of perhaps fifteen or twenty miles an hour pushed fiat car over deraling frog, all eight wheels leaving the rails, but there was not a scratch to be found on either of the wheels or other portions of the trucks of the car, nor was there a single mark on the rails over which the ear had run.
 The reason for this astounding state of affairs was that the car that was derailed was fitted with the safety appliance in- vented short time ago by James T. An drew. a Montgomery man, who has made q close study of mechanics, and especially of mechanics as applied to the manufac- ture of cars.
 The safety appliance of the Montgomery man worked to a nlcety The two or three men who with the conhdhce born of many opportunities to witness the dem i, onstra ton, rode the car that was thrown from the track, were scarcely even jolted. One of them stood up on the floor of the car throughout the performance.
 A party of perhaps a dozen men from the city, joined by nearly quite as many railroaders from the Mobile and Ohio yards, witnessed the demonstration. which took place about 5:30 o'clock yesterday afternoon. And not one of the entire party was anything but pleased All ex- cept the railroaders were surprised, but the demonstration was such that MT. An drew was showered with congratulations unop his invention when 1t was all over. MT Andrew explained his invention be- fore the demonstration took place. It is very simple In fact 1t Is so simple that it appeared to the uninitated that it could not possibly effect the purpose for which it Is designed.
 "It certainly looks good. but Pm from Missouri" declared one skeptic, just be- fore the demonstration.
 'I was from Missouri" said the same man, just after the demonstration, but I'm from Alabama now-and proud Of 1t.
 The apparatus in its essential features, consists of a false wheel on either side or each car wheel This wheel, which has a surface of some six inches, Is so placed that whenever the car jumps the track, In either direction. from whatever cause the false wheel lands squarely on the raiL, and in such a manner that it is impossi- ble for the car to range more than a very few inches from the proper track.
 The instant that the false wheel hits the rail- the air brake of the car fs auto matically set, and the ear' or train Of cars, is stopped within a very short dis- tanee.
 The weight of the car. whether 1t be loaded or empty, when the false wheels hit the rails, rests directly upon the jour nals the same as though the regular car wheels were on the track.
 To avoid damage. such as usually en- sues when a journal breaks, portion of the safety appliance consists of heavy tubing. through which the journal should break 1t cannot drop down upon the track. nor interfere in any way with the running of the car.
 At yesterdays demonstration. In order to make the effect all the more startling, the air was cut off entirely. Not a brake was in use. either automatic or hand, when the car fitted with the safety appli- ance ran over the derailing frog Under those circumstances there was nothing whatever to aid the safety ap- pliance itself in stopping the car And vet. after sliding along for perhaps a car length and a half. the car came to standstill with each of the eight wheels off the rails, but not a particle of damage done.
 The regular wheels of the car. so far ss could be ascertained from minute in spection. had never touched the ties. The