davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-28
END % ] % @ @ % M ]

storms and blizzards- just the time that
they would be needed and amy covering
OF the third rail with ice or snow l.
liable to put all such appliances OUT .,
commission at the crucial moment.
The commission, however. has not lost
heart but offers hope that among half
a dozen out of the thousand and more
il may find one that will stand up under
severe weather conditions.
Another fundamental defect among
the vast number of safety appliances de
signed to prevent collisions is this That
they are all positive in their action. That
is. they are designed to operate only
when they are in good order. But II
they are out of fix, or some eNtraneous
condition such as bad weather prevents
their operation, there is nothing to warn
the engineman of danger.
Accordingly the interstate commerce
commission has notified the world of in
ventors that it will seriously consider no
device for automatically stopping trains
that will not, when out of fix and not
working. automatically stop the train.
The idea of the commission is that an
automatic safety device 10 stop train
should be one that is proof against any
defect. that is if il is defective II viii
stop the train, even though there Is no
danger ahead. 1t should. therefore, have
to be one that is working all the time
and only stops in time of danger-what
might be called a negative device.
OF course, that would mean that every
time the device stopped working or went
askew in anywise it would stop the
train. but that argues the commission.
would be much preferable to device
that when il failed to work would also
fail to give any notification to an engine
man-and result in rear-end collision
1t is clear that. maintains the commits
sion, if the roads of the country will
adopt the block system the rear COLI
sions will be cut down to one-ffth or
their present number. All this. how
ever, is still dependent upon the human
nature of the engineer. If he is negli-
gent. whether from overwork or natural
Incidence, there is nothing that can pre-
vent the impending collision.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-28


IL spite OF the fact that its efficacy against
accidents by collision has not only been
recognized by the leading railroad men Of
the country, but the interstate commere 9
commission as well has for years been
trying TO hammer il into the various man
agements that an adoption of the system
by all the roads was the only rational and
practical remedy for accidents by COLI
sions
Before going into the details OF the
block system as the most admirable
means yet devised to guard against all
collision accidents, observe first the mar
velous advance made in the speed COM
fort and safety of passenger trains In all
other respects except this one great men
with the astonishing disregard and neg
lect to provide against collisions as
shown b6 their failure to adopt the block
system.
Luxurious railway travel was introduced
with the Pullman sleeping car in the early
seventies. 1t was in these early seventies
1872. in fact-that the Pennsylvania rail-
road adopted the block system on some
OF its New Jersey lines, that the sys-
tenn Is no overnight fad In special railroad
circles, but is as old as the sleeping car
and far older than today's luxurious
travel
With the sleeping car and the opening
of the west came demands for luxury
and speed. And so. for the last thirty
years. and especially within the past ten,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-28
Dangerous Going.
COMMISSIONER

lire COMMISSIONERS JOHNSON.
! apropos of the Triangle, Binghamton
and other factory fires, said the other
day In New York:
1.-The new fire laws must be strictly
enforced, and additional laws must be
made, or otherwise to work in factory
will be as dangerous as walking through
a Florida swamp.
"A friend of mine was going through
the Florida Everglades with a guide.
The guide. as they followed the narrow
path. tapped each hollow log with his
foot.
why do you do that? asked my
friend.
"Lookin out for snakes, said the
guide.
What kind of snakes
" 'Moccasins.
Holy smoke.' said my friend. Then
he frowned and asked uneasily:
why do we walk on the logs. or so
close to them, when they're full of
snakes? Why don't we walk off there.
where the ground is solid?
Wall said the guide, as he kicked
another stump. we moughtn't sink below
yer waist off there-and then ag'in "
mought"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-28

toned at the end of each block-which
varies in length. according to the density
of traffic. from a mile to six mles-and
these communicate with each other by
telegraph. telephone or other electric
signaling appliance whereby they can
inform each other as to the arrival and
departure Of trains
In the automatic system the signals are
displayed as the word itself indicates,
By the passage of the trains in and out
of a block. For instance. if train IS
running into block l the wheels of the
engine and cars. in passing the signals
operate an apparatus which at once dis
plays the stop signal. This signal re-
mains in evidence until the train passes
out of the other end of he block, when.
by the breaking of an electric circuit
the stop signal at the far end Of the
block is withdrawn and the open signal
displayed.
TT will be seen that, as efficient as the
system is. there stiff remains the prob
ability of the default of the operator
To cover this possible error there is an
improved system of block signal now IN
operation on some roads known as the
manual controlled This is based upon
the idea that two men will rarely be neg
ligent at the same time.
Under It's working the operator at
block No. 4. for instance, cannot move
his signals without the cooperation of the
operator in block No. or No. ), as the
case may be- In other words, 1t takes
two operators to move a signal. The
great advantage Of this system is plain,
for neither man would dare to be negli-
gent when he knew the other was
watching him.
Involving this same phase of human
nature, there has been some criticism OF
the automatic block system to this ef-
feet: That. while an engineman would be
very careful not to run by a signal
when he knew there was an operator
watching him. ne might be given to neg
ligence if there was only the automatic
system and hence, in such case. run by
n danger signal. The answer of the
roads using the AUTOMATIC system mas
peen that tey employ such a high class
of enginemen that there Is no danger OF
a dereliction in this respect.
Whatever minor criticism may be made
on the block system by roads too thrifty
to adopt it is fully met in the last report
of the block signal and train control
board of the interstate commerce COM
mission of June %. 1912. 1t says:
After five years further observations
of the board, the desirabiity of using
the block system as the only reasonably
safe method of regulating the movement
of railway trains. which has already
been set forth by the commission in sew
eral reports was confirmed
The railroad accidents of the country
are under the strict inspection of the IN
terstate commerce commission. whose
energies in this behalf are embodied IN
Mr.. w. p Borland assistant chief of
the safety appliance division Mr. Borland
is a tireless Scotch-Irishman who viii
never sleep comfortably until he has put
a stop to all wrecks.
One of the minor improvements that. is
coming into use among some Of the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-28

Half a century. ago, when two passenger
trains a day was lively business for a
road. the time-interval system was SUI
ficient; furthermore, the light engines
and cars Of those days, together with the
low rate Of speed at which they ran. per-
mitted them to stop within a short dis
lance. Therefore, in case train halted
between stations, q fagman had only to
go back q short distance In order to eff
fectually flag a train. Today, however,
the great hundred-ton locomotives fol-
lowed by a dozen heavy sleeping cars,
and running at sixty miles an hour, can
with difficulty come to a dead stop under
a quarter of mile; If the grade is
against them they can accomplish even
this
The block system Is operated by two
methods, the manual and the automatic.
In the former there are operators sta
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-28

stopping a train when running out in the
open road it approaches too close to a
train ahead are based upon the principle
of an electrical connection between the
two trains. They may practically all be
included in the general plan of a rail
running beside or between the two rail-
road rails, which is connected with the
moving train by means Of an arm hav-
ing steel wires at the end, which bear
against this third rail. When the trains
approach within a certain prohibited
distance the electrical circuit is broken
and the steam is automatically shut off
of the rear train, bringing it to a stop.
The fundamental fault with many OF
these devices, as far as the interstate
commerce commission has investigated.
is that while they work all night in
pleasant weather, they are most liable
to get out Of tx in times Of severe
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-28
The Winner.

cENATOR KEY PITTMAN was talk
- ing in Tonopah about two lobbyists
who had quarreled
But there's no fear" he said, '-of thefe
manning or mutilating each other. They
are like Bluff and Stuff.
"'Who came out ahead a man asked.
in that street row between Bluff and
Stuff?'
Stuff did, WAS the answer, but has
had half a streets start"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-28
sEMAPHORES


western roads is the substitution of a
green light, as a safety signal, instead
of the regulation white light. The reason
for this innovation is that from some
cause the red globe of a danger signal
may be broken and thus the exposed
white light inadvertently show a safety
signal. If a green light is adopted as
the safety light, then the white light
Of the broken danger signal would have
no significance.
The form of signal adopted in the block
system, after passing through several
phases has at last been universally ac-
cepted as an arm projecting from an up
right post. Formerly there We're two
other forms of signals used. One, 4
metal disk about ten inches in diameter
on top Of an upright post about five feet
high set to the right of the track. When
set at STOP" the disk was at right
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-28
Not Much Light.

SECRETARY BRYAN at a luncheon IN
- Washington said of a man who,
through simulated modesty. had declined
an important and useful office:
80 he wants to hide his light under
a bushel, Ell? Then perhaps the country
is lust as well of without his services"
The Secretary smiled and added:
when a man talks of hiding his hight
under a bushel / usually think that
thimble would answer the purpose just
as WELL
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-28

or $50 ahead; In between 1T means
Caution
leisurely, morning paper from the near
est city in hand. into palatial dining
car to a meal far better than the one he
usually enjoys. And all this time he has
been flying across the United States al
the rate of sixty miles an hour.
Thus much for luxury. And, also. IN
providing against that twin menace OF
collisions, the misunderstanding on the
track, as it's generally callcd-the rail
roads have been lavish to an extent
equally wide-pocketed. No expense has
been beyond the purses and powers of the
management. especially where the pro-
vision in this respect is made for the
speed of the trains. For speed, during
the last thirty years, has become an in
dispeESaDle requisite in the fierce COM
petition for the annual one billion pas.
sengers of the nation.
In order 10 hold the train on the rails,
these rails themselves have been IN
creased two and a half times in weight
ard on all lines travelled to any extent
tine former fiimsy dirt beneath their cross
ties has given place 10 we'll tamped rock
ballast. The curves have been shaken
out of the track 10 the maximum and
the grades reduced TO the minimum
VeStibuled cars now in general use, offer
a stability to the train which permits an
increase of speed without correspond
ing increase i'm the danger of swapping
a car or two OF the rear of faSt-fiy1ng
train. Instead of a loosely connected col
lection of cars. the train has become a
solid. coherent unit.
Save on some "jerk-water branches
The deadly wooden trestle has given place
TO steady steel truss or solid concrete
bridges, while the ancient hand brake has
been replaced, not only by the air brake
but further supplemented by variety
of engine brakes. and. on all well con-
Quoted roads, any grade that offers the
Wy ha G
been amply provided with safety switches
which render the runaway question a
wholly negligible one.
In direct contrast to all these magical
developments and improvements design
ed to prevent a fast-moving train from
leaving the rails, the provisions agains,
collision have been so neglected-so side
rracked-that less than a third Of the to-
tai road mileage has in use the only sys.
tenn that has been approved by the inter.
state commerce commission-and approx
ed as being the only practical system
which can prevent collisions,
The steel car. which Is occupying a
great deal of attention just nuw-because
it was not present In the recent New
Haven wrecks not a means of pre-
venting accident, but merely mitigates
the results. The results in this respect
have been excellent, but the proximity
of steel car is fatal to a wooden car.
which is shattered under the impact OF
the heavy metal mass.
Nor must it be thought by the reader
that collisions are more a matter of Spec
tacular accident than OF real fatality to
the travelling public. Collisions rank
equally with derailments as source Of
Al
from both causes, taken for the last ten
years. show that they are about equal,
both as to the number of killed and
those merely injured But Of late
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-28

angles to the track. thus being plain TO
an approaching engineman. For an open
block, ii was turned a quarter circle,
thus presenting its edge TO the engine
man This, known as the banjo signal,
was found most unsatisfactory by the in
terState commerce commission, owing 10
the fact that it was very small and not
directly in the engineman s line of vision;
hence, it might easily be overlooked by
him, in the rafting, roaring whirl of n
swiftly passing train.
This signal, commonly known as the
banjo signal, by reason of Its shape,
was dependent for its working upon lot
of clock work mechanism, which brought
it into disrepute with both officials and
employees 1t was this signal that is al
legged by some to be responsible for the
last wreck at WaIlingford on the New
York, New Haven and Hartford railroad.
modification Of this was disk. set in a
glass case like the banjo signal, but which
instead of turning its edge to the engine
man, swerved to one side when it indi-
Gated a clear track. This was subject to
the same defects as the banjo signal,
claim the commissions experts.
The one great method of using the block
signal which has been approved by reason
and the experience of years is the soma
phore. This means of signaling consists,
in the principal part of an arm generally
about four feet long and six inches wide
set either on a post near the track or,
when there are several tracks and several
arms. on an overhead bridge above the
tracks The signals are indicated by tbs
position of this arm, which is pivoted at
one end.
X
The principal signal of danger, or
stop" is indicated by the position of this
arm thrust out horizontally across the
track. The signal for clear block is
generally a position of the arm at an an
gle of As degrees below the horizontal.
The main idea of the horizontal arm is
that almost everything with any intell-
gence would comprehend that an arm
thrust out horizontally across the track
meant stop Its advantage in this re-
spect over the small ten-inch disk of a
banjo signal is too obvious to need dis
cussion, its supporters claim. There is
also an auxiliary semaphore signal,
known as the distant signal. The OBJ
ject of this, which is generally placed
about one or two thousand feet from the
home or station signal is to indicate to
the engineman of a heavy train what the
home signal is likely to be. Thus, if the
distant signal shows STOP he does not
stop, but slows up so that he may readily
stop his train at the station.
The number of appliances devised for
the automatic stopping of trains when ap-
preaching danger is named legion. These
are for the purpose of supplementing his
block signal in case of some neglect on
the part of the engineman, and all have,
as an object, the automatic stopping of
the train when reaching some danger
point. The interstate commerce commits
sion has. within the last few years. ex-
amned into the merits of l, 148 separate
patented devices.
All of these devices for automatically
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-28

shrWers
First astoundingly much.
Second, astoundingly little.
And yet these two contradictory an
swcrs are both correct
Just the roads have gone to amazing
lengths In the expenditure of energy and
money TO provide for safety in speed ant
comfort and special protection against de-
railment. SO, on the other hand. thoy
have woefully neglected the essential pro-
visions against collisions. For more til. Il
forty years there has been an ample pro-
vision against this source of acciden-
ready at hand, through the block system
"a system that apart from enginemdn
negligence would have avoided almost
every collision accident in the past forty
years, according to the interstate COM
merce commission experts.
There are about a quarter of a million
miles ~ railroad in the United States
yet Of this less than onc-thrd is today
equipped with the block sy stem. And this
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-28

now. But there are many conditions
making it imperative that did not obtain
in the early days of railrOading.
Said a high official Of the Interstate
commerce commission on this point:
1.-The necessity of the block system
grows more imperative with the increase
both in the number and weight OF trains.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-28

Devices Calculated to
Prevent Such Wrecks
as the Most Recent
One on the New York,
New Haven and Hart
ford Railroad-Recom-
mendations of the Inter
state Commerce Com
mission = The Block
system and the Soma
phore-What the Rail
roads Are Doing to
Protect Passengers.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-28

HAT have the rail
roads Of the coun-
try done during the
past generation to-
ward promoting the
safe transportatio ton
of their passengers
This, the most vi
tai question of rail-
reading from the
viewpoint of the
everyday man. has
two widely variant
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-28

On the same railroad where forty years
ago the traveller joggled bumpingly along
through the sleepless night in cinder-
begrimed coach and reused himself to a
sooty. smoky day of travel. but i'll re-
iieved by hasty twenty minutes for
breakfast. that guaranteed dyspepsia, he
now. after a comfortable night in a bou-
doir car may wake to a luxurious bath,
followed by dainty and thorough doling
up at the hands of experts. He strolls
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-28

the railroads have addressed their ener-
gies to providing luxurious and rapid
methods of travel in a style as marvellous
as the magic of the arabian Nights
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-28

THE SEMAPHORE,.
Most approved method Of block sig
mailing, showing three positions OF
the arm. When horizontal 1t means
"StoP"; perpendicular signifies "Safe"
or $50 ahead; I'm between 1t means
"CautiOn."
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-28

One of the minor improvements that is
coming into use among some of the
The day book. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917, 1913-02-28
'-o-oh yeou! Comm in

Cocoon yeou! Comm IN
like a lion
Mexico is asort of Cook coun-
ty board conducting business on
large scale Tribune.
And the Maderos, we presume,
are by way of being civil service
commissioners of the Hearst
brand, like Greer and Tatge.
Member the howl that went up
when Bill Mckinley was elected
speaker of the house about him
being so young and innocent and
not knowing anything about
politics?
Considering yesterdays little
performance up at Springfield,
Bill is learning pretty fast for a
gent who came down in the last
political shower.
An official of a wine company
is spreading the news that Pres
elect Wilson drinks a highball
once in while.
Once Wilson was the guest of
the Denver Press club and mis-
guided German house manager
insisted on bringing him a lemon
ade every time a round Of drinks
was ordered.
Wilson drank about six lemon
AIDES, and never let a peep out of
him, but at the seventh
He looked around the room,
and in a mild voice remarked:
by birth / am American; on my
mothers side I am Irish, and on
my fathers side am Scotch. In
drinking Ilean toward my pater-
nal ancestry.
The day book. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917, 1913-02-28
ii ON PEOPLE. AND THINGS

PEOPLE AND THINGS
"de kidnapped me-" says Fay
King, "and one minute after the
ceremony was performed I real
lied I had made mistake"
Wazzarmarrer, Bat?
The Tribune has an editorial on
Inefficient Motherhood" today.
Our idea of a Iittle-minded,
two-by-twice bonehead is a high
brow editor who criticises moth
ers.
Another remark like the last
I heard from the Republican side
and I will declare Col. Lewis
elected senator. Speaker Nc
Kinley.
Amt you kinda severe in your
penal code, Bill?
If that's Bills idea of the
proper punishment for talking in
his school for scandal, Huerta'sa
mere amateur at the game.
Our American high sassiety
dances must have reached Paris.
They had to call in the police to
stop one there the other day be-
cause it was so indecent.
The Hearst gang are talking
about running independent can
didates in theNwards where they
were licked last Tuesday.
Member the story about the
auto driver yelling Look outw
after he had run man over, and
the man sitting up and saying,
What for? Are you coming
back again ?"
That's what Hearst seems to be
threatening his poor candidates
The Coconino sun., 1913-08-08
Tea Party

The chain of afternoon teas started by the ladies of the Pres byterian church, by which they are raising money toward ce' ment sidewalk around the church property, is rapidly lengthening and everyone is pleased with the progress made. Not only Pres byterian ladies, but ladies of all denomination have shown their public spirit by helping on with the good work. Five ladies, al least, are expected to attend eact tea, and each lady brings quar- ter for the cause, and pledges her self to give tea. The treasurel for this fund is Mrs. Hugh E Campbell.
The Coconino sun., 1913-08-08
CONGLOMERATION OF'
 MIX CONVERSATION

Mir. R. M. Buehler, District
 Manager of the Mountain States Telephone company was in Flag staff last week. Mir. Buehler inti.
 mated strongly that he realized
 that the local system was in a rotten state and needed a new system to repair it so that it could be used to talk over, but promised that sometime the Mountain States company would undoubtedly take the matter up and endeavor to prop up a few poles in order that conversation will not be all lop- sided. The local management is not to blame for this state of affairs and are doing all in their power to keep conversation going but indications are that it will soon stop short unless it is pos-
 sible to string out the numerous promises made in place of the present system. The patrons have paid patiently so far and have hoped for service but are contemplating action by taking up the case with the State Corpora ton commission for a decision as to whether they should pay full price if the service does not serve.