The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-06-23
RAILROAD NEWS.
A New Instrument for Dispatch
ing Trains Invented.
The Telegraphone Is Used by
the Lackawanna Road
PRESERVES ORDERS.
A New Principle of Nature Is
= Employed.
Other Items of Interest in
Railway Circles.

In the introduction of the telephone
for use in train dispatching on the
Delaware, Lackawanna & Western
railroad, the officials of that road have
met with one obstacle which, so far
as the telephone is concerned seemed
insurmountable. The plan is slow and
in addition to that there is no guard
against mistakes. A misinterpretation
of a word or a figure over the tele-
phone may result in the death OF
dozens of persons and the loss of hum
dreds of thousands of dollars worth of
property.
The numerous disasters which have
occurred through the errors of tele-
graph operators have made the rail-
road companies all hesitate to intro
duce telephones in place of the key and
sounder. The experiment as 1T Will be
tried on the Delaware & Lackawanna,
however, bids fair to be a brilliant sue
cess because of the invention of the
telegraphone by Valdemar Poulsen of
Copenhagen, Denmark, who is popular
ly known THE Danish Edison"
About nine years ago Prof. Poulsen,
in conducting some experiments with
the, telephone. accidentally stumbled
upon a discovery that completely up
set all previous ideas of scientists re-
garding magnetism. 1t had been pop
ularly supposed that piece of steel
when magnetized was affected alike
throughout Prof. Poulsen's discovery
was that, instead of this being the
case, a piece of steel could be affected
varyingly, according to the strength of
the magnetism applied.
Acting upon this theory he began a
series of experiments covering several
years. which resulted in the invention
of the telegraphone, for which basic
patents have been issued in almost ev-
cry country in the world.
For the information of newspaper
readers ii may be said that a basic
patent is an entirely new discovery
which utilities some hitherto unknown
force In nature. The telephone and
the photograph are both excellent ex-
amples of this. At the St. Louis ex-
position the telegraphone was exhibit
ed at the special request of the United
States government to show to the pub
lie what really constitutes a basic
patent.
In a sense the telegraphone is a COM
bination of telephone and photograph.
Telephone conversations are recorded
as carried on. The record may be
kept for ages or ii may be obliterated
in an instant and new one take its
place on the same disc or wire.
II is this instrument which is to be
tried out ON the Delaware & Lacka-
wanna. If II prove a success, as its
promoters hope 1t will, it will revolu-
tionize the manner of sending out
train orders. The day of the telegraph
operator will be ended, for the tele-
phone is much speedier and, with the
telegraphone attachment, cannot make
a mistake unless the man sending the
message should make a verbal error.
which would be duly recorded in the
telegraphone.
In popular language the telegraphone
is an apparatus which. when attached
to the telephone. makes a record which
may be reproduced, with this differ
ence-the telegraphone record is abso-
lutely clear and distinct. the tones ma
tural, none of that scratching metallic
sound which distinguishes the phono-
graph.
The construction of the telegraphone
is simple. There are lightweight parts
TO the apparatus. a delicate electro
magnet, attached to the end of tele-
phone line is made to run over the sur
face of a steel disk or wire.
The sound waves entering the tele-