The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1912-12-20

Z otdItueh anu experiments luc NtN
York Central's experts have come
closer to solving this problem theI
ever before. The safety Of the great
steel structures that cover the area
above the tracks has been assured. II
I has been ascertained that it is prac
tlcally impossible to insulate these
buildings so that they will not Absorb
electricity. Therefore what has been
done Is to connect these huge edifices
containing thousands and thousands of
tons Of steel, so there is a free path
for the currents of electricity. They
/ do not flow back into the earth again
/ but straight to the nearest electrical
/ substation. Each steel structure,
therefore, in its entirety becomes a col
/ lector for stray currents and sends
them where they can be used over
again. If. these currents were damned
up they would do all sorts Of damage
eventually. Allowed to flow freely
along a clear path they are as harm
less as a stream OF water that is kept
within bounds
Many cities of the United States and
Of Europe have sent commissions to
the Grand Central terminal to look
over this unique installation and see
how it could be applied to the solu-
tion of their individual problems.
Announcing Arrivals and Departures.
When an incoming train is about to
arrive there is a great stir among the
crowds of people awaiting it. They
gather about the bulletin board and
watch to see on which track it is COM
ing in. The man at the board gets
the news from the signal towers by
means of the telautograph and chalks
up the information. An improvement
on this method has been devised and
is being perfected so that it can be put
in use later. The announcements of
train arrivals will be made on board
that has Illuminated or movable let
ters. These will be controlled from
one Of the towers in the yard. In
stantly, as soon as the switches are set
for an incoming train to end its jour
ney on certain track, the information
will flash forth on the bulletin board.
This will save a few seconds and
there will be no possibility of error.
The announcing of outgoing trains
will be done, as it has been for some
time past in the temporary station, by
At a central point a
clear voiced man speaks into the in
strument and his voice, magnified in
volume, is reproduced simultaneously
in every part of the waiting rooms
from the trumpet-like horns that are
placed inconspicuously against the
walls. While the utility of this method
depends, of course, on the clearness
with which the announcer speaks, it
is far ahead of the old way of calling
the trains by a man walking about the
station and making the announcements.
The new way saves a good many
Paging Passengers.
Incidentally this system of sound
waves transmitted from a central
point will be used on even larger
scale than ever before for paging
persons. 1t happens frequently that
1 business house suddenly finds it nee
essary to communicate with one Of |
is representatives who has gone 10
he Grand Central to take train for,
say, Chicago. 1t is highly important
hat he be reached Immediately TO re-
,eive additional information or instruc-
ions. Perhaps Il telegram has come |
n that renders his trip unnecessary. |
Il it were not for this device this |
would be impossible. AS it is, how |
.ver, the firm calls up the information |
bureau. A moment later the mechani-
al announcers call out from one end |
# the station to the other, "Mr |
smith is wanted at the information
Mr.. Smith" hears and
leeds and hurries over. He is told to
all up his office. He does so and the
Whole matter is arranged in no time.
In the temporary station many per-
ons are now being PACED. In the
ew station 1t is expected that the num-
er will be much greater This is SIM
ly one of the conveniences-the little
etails-whose sum total spells perfec
ion.
The information bureau will be larger
nan ever in the new terminal The
olume of it's work may be imagined
rom the fact that about 5000 in
uiries are answered each day.
&C. C. T."
1t has taken several years to decide
n the color of the uniforms that shall
e worn by the employees in the new
rand Central terminal. The difficulty
" in getting color Of cloth that
'ould look well and yet be conspicu-
Us, yet not so striking as to subject
S wearer to ridicue. Many kinds
nd shades We're tried. Finally blu
b gray has been selected. The frock
'at has black collar and black lapels.