The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1909-06-18

p. II. pudley's Dynasrsph Car,
Which Charts Slight as Well as
Dangerous Defects In Rails and
Roadbeds on Now York Central Lines.
by FREDERICK n. Toor1Bs.
who has seen dynagraphf
No; II IL not some strange nocturnal
marauder felled by Mr.. Roosevelt In
the East African wilds. 1t Is something
considerably more unusual. A dyna-
graph Is railroad car that eats.
drinks, writes-and almost thinks.
Probably every reader Of these words
has benefited from the work of the
dynagraph. and It Is safe to assume
that he never knew of the fact until
now. Much of the ease, comfort and
safety Of the railroad passengers Of
large portion of the United States for
over score Of years have been due tc
this railroad car, which is equipped
with most ingenious mechanism. Yet
& is almost impossible to find single
member of the general public not con-
nected officially with some big railroad
company who has ever heard Of, much
less seen, the dynagraph. I say the
dynagraph because there is only one
I'm the entire country, the only one. In
fact, In the whole world.
The dynagraph is the invention of
DR.. P. ii. Dudley, an Ohioan of well
known mechanical engineering ablli-
ties. 1t is large. heavy, intricate, del
icate mechanism which performs the
highly valuable service Of detecting
and registering defects. Irregularities
and weaknesses in the tracking and
roadbed Of railroads, and, being faster
and more accurate than trackwalkers.
It thus enables road officials to pro-
coed expeditiously with the proper
remedy for such defects. The saving
Of money and life and time to the rail-
roads is enormous, as also are the
services rendered to the travelling pub
lie.
In its especially adapted car, de-
signed and built by DR.. Dudley him
self. the dynagraph car goes on Its
Journey day after day over the glisten-
ing rails of numerous states, charting
the slight rs we'll as the dangerous
shortcomings In rails and roadbeds,
whether they arise from flaws in the
metal or length of exposure or wear
or from attacks by natures forces or
from accident or carelessness of en-
ployees. All these are shown and
plainly differentiated in ink on roll
of white paper. and when DR.. Dudley's
expert eye reads the telltale record he
can report to the company's offices
down to a matter Of inches where the
tracks need repairing and the detailed
nature Of the repairs required. He
does not necessarily have to look at a
single inch Of hundreds Of miles Of
tracks In order to do this. All he has
to do Is to sit or stand before the
dynagraph In his private car and see
that 1t Operats smoothly. His wonder
ful invention does the rest.
Therefore 1t is no matter OF marvel
that distinguished railroad experts
have come from foreign lands to ex-
anime this machine that has powers
approaching some Of those of human
eyes. For does 1t not write record
mouths? Does 1t not eat voraciously
the paper which 1t feeds automatically
fn itself? And, while 1t Of course does
not actually think" yet the writer is
about to explain certain Of its proc
esses that show the apparatus to have
almost uncanny powers in initiating
the workings of the human eye and
IN hun hro In, te,
can invention fully as remarkable in
Its sphere as the telegraph or the tele-
phone or the sewing machine or the
self reaper and binder, the wireless
telegraph. the photograph or the aero
plane and dirigible balloon in their fields
yet the inventor remains unknown ex-
cept among railroad men. simply be-
cause the machine has narrow field
OF use or adaptability and because the
inventor is very modest man who
shrinks from the glare of publicity.
DIR. Dudley is like the Wright broth
ers Of aerial navigation fame because
he lets his imitators do all the talk.
ing. while he does the thinking and
the working.
Let us take a trip Of column OF
two in length over this dynagraph car
a trip that should prove interesting
from half dozen viewpoints. On its
idle days, which are very few. the car
may be seen on siding at the Grand
Central station of the New York Cen.
tral railroad in New York city.
At one end Of the car. which is fifty
feet long and comfortably furnished
will be seen curious, low setting
piece Of machinery. from which un
rolls broad sheet of paper marked
with what to the uninitiated appear al
nnintelligible ink lines. Resting or
the paper or chart are small glass
tials. fifteen In number. filed with RED
Ink. When the car is in motion the
fink feeds through tiny holes in the
pointed walls and as the chart unrolls
traces lines thereon. These Walls are
set on thin bars that reach out across
the chart like legs of tarantula OF
the tentacles of young octopus.
AS the car speeds over the steel rail.
It will rise or fall or swerve or rattl,
or tilt, according TO the condition o.
the rails or roadbed or ties. TIL
xvhaaic Saarch nnt ond ara affactad hH