The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-11-23
RAILWAY HORRORS DOOMED.

AAS AIaHAa 5COFkA6u mas the IOl'
lowing comment on a new invention o,
great Importance to humanity:
We live in an age Of rapid transit
The making of journeys is no longer q
matter of miles but of minutes. The
continent is cob-webbed with iron rails
from San Francisco to New York.
And, thanks to the genius OF in
vention which has harnessed first
steam and then electricity, the barriers
OF distance have been completely an
initiated.
But think of the fatalities which are
due to mishaps.
The amount OF human blood which
yearly stains the iron highway Of pro-
gress Is positively appalling.
1t is estimated that an average of
one person is killed every hour and that
serious injuries are sustained every
ten minutes on American railroads.
Thousands upon thousands of lives
have been sacrificed to this insatiate
god. Myriads more nave paid tragic
toll in the loss Of limbs. No rank or
station has been exempt. Samuel
Spencer, president of the Southern
railway, three years ago, met his fate
in the wreck Of his splendid private
car. Among the scores OF visiting
Shriners who persisted in the great
railway catastrophe between Los An
geles and San Francisco in 1907 were
some of the wealthiess business men
of New York and Pennsylvania. And
this tragedy followed close upon the
heels of another in which instant death
was dealt to an immigrant band of
penniless Italians.
But there is good reason to believe
that this reign OF terror is at an end.
]. I. Andrew OF Montgomery, Ala.
has devised a patent whereby 1t is
claimed that the direful consequences
of derailments can be positively pre-
vented: and, since most of the railway
tragedies are directly traceable to de-
railments, 1t follows that the device
is one of incalculable lifesaving value.
If the claims Of the patentee can be
substantiated.
And he is now in Atlanta for the
purpose of convincing any who may
be skeptical upon this point.
Moreover. on account OF the import
ance of Atlanta as a railway center
he has made this city headquarters.
BY means of the Andrew railway
safety appliance-the technical name
by which the device is known-it is
contended that every accident due to
derailment could have been prevented.
And this claim is based upon not less
than one hundred actual tests.
Mr.. Andrew informs us that stand
ard gauge cars using the appliance
have been derailed at rates OF speed as
high as sixty miles per hour without
producing one penny's damage either
to the car equipment or to the track
The device can be applied to cars
Of all kinds at cost of 5000 per car
which makes 1t commercially possible
to adopt it; and IL only one serious &C
cident is prevented the outlay is re-
imbursed many times over.
In the name of suffering humanity
1t is to be hoped that this device O
Mr.. Andrews solves the problem.
And there is certainly no lack o.
evidence to prove that he has actually
succeeded.
Car builders will welcome 1t for the
additional reason that it makes wooden
cars equally as safe as steel cars and
thus saves the enormous sum repre-.
sented by the difference in cost.
Mr.. Andrew is an experienced rail-
reader. For more than thirty years
he has been actively engaged in the
business. Moreover, he is a student Of
mechanics from the purely scientific
standpoint.
The success OF his invention means
that he will rank in history with the
benefactors of his race: and he viii
well deserve his niche in the Temple
of Fame
Those who know Mr.. Andrew bes'
say that the thought OF turning his in.
vention to his own profit has never
once entered the back of his heads
disinterestedness which well becomes
humanity's friend.
Under the laws OF the state of Ala
bama the company manufacturing the
appliance has been exempted from
taxation for the next ten years.
And IL the device is what Mr.. An
drew represents it to be, then the gov
eminent Of the United States itself
should take the matter in hand and
on behalf of 100000 people make the
adoption of this life-saving patent OBJ
ligatory upon the railroads.