The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1908-06-08

~~- wire, then a sig
- nal can be thrown
by the dispatcher to hold up any train
at any point"
He was talking about device which
is being experimental with on a
section of the Boston g. Maine rail-
road. It had been mentioned that in
one year 5000 rear and front end rail
way collisions had occurred in the
United States. The killed and IN
jured had numbered in these disasters
1000 passengers and $4,000 en-
ployes, and the property loss had been
s1O,OOOO0O
Some OF the greatest wrecks Of
America have been due to the inabil-
ity Of train dispatcher to get the OPP
orator at given point Perhaps he
was absent somewhere in the station
yard on the company's business. For
country operator IS generally station
agent freight agent and baggagemas-
ter combined Or he may have been
asleep. At any rate he couldn't be
raised and the train dispatcher had to
stand helplessly by knowing that a
train laden with passengers was rush
ing to destruction.
That is where the telemeter would
do the trick, according to the invent
or. 1t wouldn't make any difference
should the operator be absent from his
post. II he were within hearing he
would be summoned by a gong. The
same would wake him we're he asleep
Should he be out Of earshot and the
train dispatcher did not receive a re-
sponse to his call, signal could be
shown by the dispatcher at the point
received by the simple process Of
pressing a key.
For instance, suppose a telemeter
we're attached to telegraph line be-
tween Boston and Portland, Me. The
operator would 'e able to call any sta
tion without disturbing any other sta
ton. This system is 50 organized
that it may be quickly applied to line
without modification Of the existing
apparatus.
II train we're to pass a given point
between these two stations and II
was necessary to catch that train at
the next station to prevent a collision
with another--that is where the tele-
meter would be godsend. Perhaps
the operator at the station the train
dispatcher would try TO reach could
not be got No answer came to his
frantic call.
II the train passed that point there
must DO q wreck. After the dispatcher
had tried TO get the operator and 70
ceiyed no answer to his signals, be
would then press his keys to throw the
semaphore; and the colored light alg-
nal which would bring the train to q
standstill at that station
What teleEsaphefs say Is the beauty
81 this contrivance is that the dis
patcher csn call any station on the
system, snd over a single line, with
out disturbing in the least the ordi-
nary business or working Of the tele-
graph. The telemeter Is simple in con
struction. 10 attachable to the present
telegraph wires, and requires no add
tional wire whatever. Furthermore
It does not interfere with the usuai
telegraph instruments in actual opera
ton, and enables the dispatcher to
place himself into immediate eommu
nication with any operator on his line
The telemeter seems to be human
only more unerring. For after the
dispatcher has failed 70 raise the or
orator by sounding the call and thet
the gong. he sets the signal for tbs
train to stop. Immediately ther;
comes to him a response automat
ically, telling whether the signal ha.
acted or not.
1t enables the dispatcher to set ant
display any semaphore or light on hi
line from his own Office. And 1t re
turns information as to whether tha
! particular semaphore or light has beer
set No operator on the line can tam
per with II in any way. SO that false
signals cannot be shown.
There is also an attachment in con
nection with the instrument whiel
4 Is calculated to prevent delays ant
blockades Of trains where ireights il
isolated sidetracks cannot be reache,
with orders. For these attachments
placed in small boxes at every siding
can be used by the conductors of sucI
trains to report their whereabouts. B,
code Of signals they can be notifies
whether to stop or proceed. The con
ductors do not require to know telee
raphy They have only to ring Ii
the simplest signals
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