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

one OF the ffteen glass vinls IN pnrtlc
ularly affected by some kind Of de
feet OF another. II registers In Ink Il
mark that indicates on the chart just
what kind of defect has been discov.
cred, and, as stated previously. the To-
cality of the flaw or depression or i'm.
proper elevation can be ascertained
within a matter OF inches, no mutter
how long the distance that is covered
by the car In It's flight nor how rapidly
It may be travelling.
Among the weaknesses or defects,
etc, recorded by the dynagraph are
flaws in the tops or uYper fat surface
of rails. Irregularities In the sides of
rails. defective joints, bends In rails
which broaden or narrow the gauge,
loose rails, too much elevation or de-
preston of rails on curves. etc.
The record on the chart is made ur
of continuous lines Of ink, and. assum.
ing, for instance. that we are anxious
to locate Irregularities In the surfaces
of the rails, just how would we ascer'
tain them? We would follow the
course of the particular ink line which
DIR. Dudley would tell us indicated
the condition Of the surfaces. and II
the rails were flawless In this respect
the line would be perfectly straight, as
recorded on the roll Of paper, unwind
ing from one roller and winding up on
another. But when improper depres-
sions, etc. exist the line Of Ink Is no
IL, etv trh Tho tfnu vial frnyn
which the fluid flows swerves to right
or to left, and the broken line Is quick
ly interpreted by Or. Dudley to mean
that certain kind Of medicine must
be administered to the sick rails by
the section gang. Therefore the more
irregular the line registered on the
chart the more defective Is the track
ing.
At the finish of test run Or. Dud-
ley calls into use special system of
computation and ascertains the 'sum
of irregularity" which indicates the
general condition of the road over
which he has Travelled. The recording
apparatus Is operated by electricity
from batteries carried in the car, and
the sensitive machine Is watched con-
stantly while in operation.
Another extraordinary accomplish
ment Of the dynagraph Is the election
Of paint by means Of unique mechan-
ism beneath the car. SO that 1t smears
rail where defect Of certain ma
ture exists. The paint Is blue, and
when the fault in the rail starts the
mechanism working daub Of the
fluid is "set' on the steel track in a
manner and position according to the
nature of the flaw. The blue paint is
signal to the track repairer that
something is wrong and just what and
where the imperfection Is.
Every inch of Ink lines on the chart
represents fifty feet of railroad track.
The dynagraph Is an indication of
the expense undergone and the care
exercised by railroad companies in the
perfecting Of their roadbeds and track
age and in minimizing the chances of
accident. When catastrophe occurs
excitable individuals or yellow jour
nails usually dilate Historically on the
carelessness Of the railroad officials
In many cases the hearer or the reader
would imagine that the officials of the
roads were in the habit of meeting
secretly In dark rooms and deliberate.
ly planning how to bring about the
ditching of trahscontinental fliers. AS
a point Of absolute truth and a fact
that can easily be demonstrated by
cold logic, railroad officials are more
In fear Of accidents on their lines thar
any other class Of people. and 1t is a
simple business proposition that they
should use every means to lessen the
dangers Of travel and transportation.
DR.. Dudley carries many scientific
books and instruments on his car to
aid his investigations, which extend
over field considerably larger as re.
CARDS the railroads than has thus far
been indicated In this article. For In
stance. he is an expert on the quality
Of the steel used in the rails, and he
carries three very powerful micro.
scopes, which he uses In examining
rails and other materials. The strem
lihto6idP 10 1ONCi nIu W liz III
ventor. This device takes photographs
Of the track as 1t passes over 1t, re.
vealing its condition in minute details
the lens used being one Of unusual ex,
cellence.
He can run his car on practically
any railroad, but almost all his inves
tigating is confined to the system OF
the New York Central and its associ
ated lines. or late years the dyna.
graph car has been chiefly occupied In
inspecting eastern roads. though dur.
ing Its entire career it has covered i'm
mense stretches of territory through
out the United States.
1t is absolutely impossible to accu
rately estimate the actual value of the
dynagraph. 1t represents the study
and labor Of much of the inventors
lifetime, and he has improved II from