The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1908-05-15

~ cannot be got Dy
wire, then a sig
49, 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 & Maine rail-
road. 1t 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
1900 passengers and $4,000 EN-.
ployes, and the property loss had been
$10,00O,O00.
Some of the greatest wrecks OF
America have been due to the inabil-
ity of train dispatcher to get the op.
orator at given point. Perhaps he
was absent somewhere in the station
yard on the company's business. For
a 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. If he were within hearing he
would be summoned by gong. The
same would wake him were he asleep.
Should he be out of earshot and the
train dispatcher did not receive a re.
spouse 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
were attached to telegraph line be.
tween Boston and Portland, Me. The
operator would be able to call any sta
ton without disturbing any other sta
ton. This system is so organized
that it may be quickly applied to line
without modification of the existing
apparatus.
If a train were to pass given point
between these two stations and it
was necessary to catch that train at
the next station to prevent 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.
If the train passed that point there
must be a wreck. After the dispatcher
had tried to get the operator and re-
ceived no answer to his signals, he
would then press his keys to throw the
semaphore, and the colored light Sig
nal which would bring the train to a
standstill at that station.
What telegraphers say is the beauty
or this continuance is that the dis
patcher can call any station on the
system, and over 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, is attachable to the present
telegraph wires, and requires no addi-
tional wire whatever Furthermore,
it does not interfere with the usual
telegraph instruments in actual opera
ton, and enables the dispatcher to
place himself into immediate commu-
uication with any operator on his line.
The telemeter seems to be human,
only more unerring. For after the
dispatcher has failed to raise the op-
orator by sounding the call and then
the gong, he sets the signal for the
train to stop. Immediately there
comes to him response automat-
ically, telling. whether the signal has
acted or not.
It enables the dispatcher to set and
display any semaphore or light on his
line from his own Office. And it re-
turns information as to whether that
particular semaphore or light has been
set. No operator on the line can tam
per with it in any way, so that false
signals cannot be shown.
There is also an attachment in con.
nection with the instrument which
is calculated to prevent delays and
blockades Of trains where freights in
isolated sidetracks cannot be reached
with orders. For these attachments.
placed in small boxes at every siding,
can be used by the conductors of such
trains to report their whereabouts. BY
q code of signals they can be notified
whether to stop or proceed. The CON
ductors do not require to know teleg.
raphy. They have only to ring in
the simplest signals.