Evening journal., 1911-05-18

knowledge that their train is in real
danger and should be stopped.
II certainly is a wonderful device
and its adoption by the railroads Of the
country would save that great toll Of
deaths reaped each year in train
wrecks and in collisions that would be
averted by its use, and also\ would
save the millions and millions OF dol
lars of loss direct and indirect, due
&c. wrecks and collisions on the rail
roads OF this country
Great Loss in Wrecks.
During the year 1908. according to
figures just compiled by railroad ex-
perts. wrecks and personal injury
claims and damages therefrom cost
the railroad corporations of the United
states $50, 100000. Just think OF how
much OF this, If practically not all,
could have been saved by the installa-
ton Of the Automatic Train stop as
perfected by the Railway Automatic
Safety Appliance Company.
"What is this wonderful Device the
reader will ask IL is a natural ques-
ton. Railroad officials have asked It
and have found out, to their satisfac-
ton. Government experts have asked
IL, and they are finding out to their
satisfaction.
Briefly. and devoid Of technicalities,
the device consists OF a stand OF iron
about the height Of the breast beam,
OF beam above the cow-catcher OF a
locomotive. This device is erected
alongside of, but about three feet six
inches away from the tracks II has
projecting arms and when the auto
matte device is set to stop a locomo-
tive, one of the metal arms Is al right
angles to the rail Attached TO the
breast beam Of the locomotive, and
connecting with the air brake system
is a lever known as the tripping
lever" When this lever comes in con.
tact with the projecting arm OF the
Cain and La Barre automatic traiI
, stop. the arm OF the latter causes tn
=. trinping lever on the locomotive q
apply the air brake, and the train Il
brought to a stop. No sudden, jerk
stop, mind you. Just an easy applica
tion of the brakes, becoming gradually
firmer, and the heaviest train Is
brought to a standstill within any
where from 155 to 1400 feet These
distances are no idle conjecture The
hundreds Of tests and experiments,
conducted under the supervision of
Government and railroad experts, have
demonstrated the fact
Simple, isn't it? Isn't II singular
that nobody before thought of the
device. Maybe somebody did; maybe
not But there are so many develop
ments Of the original idea and in
tention that It required trained rail-
road men like Edgar NJ. Cain and
/ John La Barre 10 work out the idea
/ IN all its practical features.
The device is not merely a train
stopping mechanism. II also can be
used for block signal purposes, when
! equipped with semaphore arms or
with the regulation signal lamps. II
can be operated by hand. just as any
other signal system is operated, or it
can be operated automatically Just as
other modern signal systems are op-
) Grated, or II can be operated by cleo
tricity, as other signal systems are
operated. This device either can be
adapted to hand, pneumatic or cleo
trical control-and It also will act
automatically in event Of a broken
! rail ahead or If the device is tamper-
ed with.
A study Of the illustrations here
, with will give a clear idea OF the op-
Grafton Of the Automatic Train Stop
and how simple Il Is as a device that
can accomplish such things that seen
, 10 border on the supernatural in some
4 instances.
: What Caused the Invention.
The Automatic Train Stop was in
/ vented by Edgar NJ Cain Of Whining
Il ton, a practical man with many years
d experience on the Pennsylvania rail
Il road systems.
nj In the summer Of 1905, as Mr.. caii
" was conducting his train between
a Wilmington and New York. his trail
/ was wrecked on account Of a signa
IN showing clear when It should hav
ID been red. The experience Of this dis
10 sster caused him TO begin work o.