The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1909-11-26

y. N - Z. - ro rooa n ,ars
ago; but all our principal railroads
continued for years 60 act IA though
here were Doubts. This corsarva.
ism was due perhaps TO the fea,irn
hat while the telephone might be just
As good as the telegraph it would not
oe any better. and since the tcle,
graph was established and fairly sat
sfactory, why make any change? Tho
last two years has brought a grea,
change in this feeling. however.
This has been brought about by
ihe demand on the part of tho public
or a more rapid and frequent train
service apf the near approach for
the enforcement Of thc federal eight
hour rule, coupled with the scarcity OF
operators
To meet these conditions Of neces.
5ity three ways We're oDea The pres
ant telegraph system could be e-r
arGed, a separate telephone system
Installed. or the present televrap,
Ines equipped With telephone anpar
Atus.
Composite systems are espes'a4
popular on the vast railway ayA,
y the west whore stations often ar.
Ear apart and the ecst 81 consupct
ng telephone lines Is high
The portable telephone. has c1m
into almost general use on westcn
roads, several Of which carry the in.
struments on every train
An these instruments are Of alc az.
design, being compac, and lnclcsed ln
carrying case IN event OF w.eGR
or a washout this set may be Quiekl.
connected to the composited portion
OF the telegraph line by means OF pols
and llne provided for the purpose iny
member of the train crew can ea ily
communicate with The nearest station
and give a detailed account Of the clf
tculiy
The train dispatcher can thus be H..
formed and change his orders TO pre-
vent further oatastrophes while the
division superintendent. because OF
the detailed information given him by
some one right on the scene OF the
trouble. can issue clear and explicit
orders for correcting the diniculty
without having to wait until he has
made a long run with the wrecking
crew and sized up the situation
The wrecklng trains also are pro-
vided with portable telephones, en-
abling the crew 10 keep IN touch Will
the chief wreeker The advantages OF
such a system over the old practice OF
sending a train man back over many
miles OF track to some telegraph sta.
tion are easily apparent A few min
utes gained at such . crisis as a
wreck may often mean life to the un-
fortunate victims OF such catas-
trophe
IN handling train orders by tele-
phone the same general methods ap.
ply as with the telegraph. any names
or figures occurring IN the order be-
ing spelled out letter for letter For
instance Engine i3s9--one- three
eight nine-and on single tracks the
names Of the stations are spelled out.
This IL done not only when the orig
inal order Is given. but IN all repeti.
tions. thus avoiding even the slight.
est chance of an error. The dispatch
er, instead of sending the order and
then writing It in his book on the FIRST
repetition, now copies the order In his
book as he talks It on" He thus
gauges his spesi 10 his ability to write
Il down, so the receiving operator is
not likely to be rushed beyond his
ability 20 make a legible copy
In repeating back the message the
operator follows the same rules OF
spelling out the figures and names.
and the dispatcher underscores each
word as he receives the repeated or.
der In cases where the dispatcher
gives the same order 70 four stations,
his order book will show each word
underscored four times. This system
OF checking orders together with the
fact that much more detriied iniorma
ton can be given by using he tele.
phone than by the telegraph, accounts
for thempopularitH Of the system
II takes about eight seconds ID call
each station BY means ot this system
which is known as the se
lecior system this interyal per
mlrling the dispatcher whiis
lnstructing one r----------,
e. :: !: !: I. !. !. !. !. !. !. !.
operator to pre-
pare TO take aB dkA
order to call the l-- -
second sta Ion, IN
and while in //AlH
Istructing the see & W.