The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1909-12-10
ChIIdreP Cry
FOR FLETCHER'S
CA 8 T . RIA
Science Notes.

BY the use of the telephone instead
of the telegraph for train dispatching
it has been found in practice by ex-
tensive experiments on the Canadian
Pacific Railroad to handle 80 per cent.
more traffic, and in view of this the
use of the telephone is to be greatly
extended for this purpose. AS an ex-
pertinent. 500 miles of the line have
been thus worked for sometime and
the decision has been recently ar
rived at to equip 1000 miles of the
lines of the company for the purpose.
In this connection one of the large
electric manufacturing companies has
perfected an equipment which is be-
ing rapidly accepted by interurban
lines by which the crew of any train
may put itself in direct communi-
cation with the dispatcher's office in
case of any emergency. Portable tel
ephone instruments are carried on the
cars, and stations are located at va
rious points along the line. The
conductor or motorman can connect
the instruments to the station by
merely inserting a pair of line plugs,
and thus can get into direct COM
munication at once with the dispatch
er. In case Of delay on the road, or
an accident, these instruments are
invaluable, as they enable the dis
patcher to learn the particulars az
first hand, and make arrangements to
relieve the situation.
An interesting departure is being
made by the builders OF electrical To-
cOmotives in the manner of mounting
the motors. Heretofore 1t has been
the custom to place the motors d.
rectly on the axles, but now they
are located above the axles. thus
raising the center OF gravity and re-
ducing the strains and shocks to
which the tracks and roadbed have
heretofore been subjected.
According to the Scientific Amer
lean, very ingenious method Of ov-
grooming the friction Of intermeshing
gears has recently been devised. The
gear teeth are electromagnctically
held in engagement, without actual
ly contracting. The teeth OF the driv-
ing gear are magnetized by means OF
suitable coils, while the teeth OF the
driven gear servo In pairs as ar
natures for the magneuzed teeth.
OF course such an arrangement would
hardly be suitable for slow, heavy
work, because the cost OF current
would be greater than that of lubri-
eating oil and the loss due to fric-
ton, but for light, high-speed work
the electromagnetic engagement would
undoubtedly prove very advantageous.
The chairs of the cabins, dining
room and lounging rooms OF the ocear
going passenger boats are usually
secured 10 the floor. but at the din
ing-room table they are usually al
such a distance from the table that
many experience some discomfort
They are generally too far away, and
In order TO overcome this. Col. John
Jacob Astor has recently designed
chair for the purpose which may be
secured to the floor at any desired
distance so that a passenger may
arrange his chair at the beginning OF
the voyage and there 1t will remain
during the entire trip. 1t Is neces-
sary that the chair should be secur-
ed in some manner and this Is pro
vided for In the Aston invnetion by a
suction cup under tho chair which
takes hold of the floor. This cur
will hold either on . wood or car
peted floor.