The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-06-14
Dakota invention
May R~evoIutionize the
American Railroads
|Hellstrou-Olson Safety Rail Wonderful Inyenton-Regarded
Wonder of Age
Americas Safety Steel Rail Co., Already Organized to Mana-
factue New Rails
Corporation Launched at Bismarck June 6-Has Interesting
History

That North Dakota is fast forging
to the front and is demanding a prom
inent rank among her sister states of
the union along other lines than agri-
culture and mineral resources, is prov
en- when an invention comes from the
fickertail land in the. shape of a new
railroad rail that is believed by many
experts and scientists to completely
rayolutionize the American railroad
systems and minimize the losses and
danger of wrecks.
ready commanded the respect of the
chief officials of the United States
Steel corporation at Chicago and Gary,
is the result of the work Of Frank o.
Hellstrom Of Bismarck and Peter Oh
son, a man serving a life term in the
North Dakota state ~penitentiary, sent
up for ~manslaughter, it is declared, on
circumstantial evidence.
The American Safety Steel Rail Co,
organized recently at Bismarck for the
purpose Of manufacturing the new
Hellstrom-Olson rail, was granted a
permit to do business in this state by
the state examiner on June 6. The
company is also chartered by the state
of Arizona and the rights are protect
ed by United States, Canadian, Great
Britain, French, German and Russian
patents, Officers of the new corpora
ton were chosen as follows.
President-F. H. Hiltner, Bismarck.
Vice Presidelnt--F. j. Evans, Bis
marck.
Secretary reasurer-Frank o. He'll
strom, Bismarck,
Advertising Manager. G. Pater-
son, Fargo.
Offices for the present will be main
tanned at Bismarck with the probable
ity ola branch Office at Fargo in the
near future.
Need of New Rail.
The long crying need for atbetter and
safer railroad rail led to this invention.
In recent years, engines and ears OF
enormous weight and capable of mar
velous speed have been added to the
equipment of the railroads of the
United States. This has placed an un-
usual strain upon the rails and road
bed, while provision for carrying these
heavy locomotives and cars has not
kept pace with the increase in weight
and speed,
AS proof of this 1t is but necessary
to watch the columns of the daily
press and catch their reports of the
numerous wrecks caused by rail fail
ures. Thousands OF lives and millions
OF dollars worth of property have been
destroyed in wrecks. The lives thus
snuffed out cannot be recalled and the
A1AeAAA1So DOu1C2 anu 1DIOkSn llIlDS or
the victims ca1not be restored to their
normal condition.
NO one disputes the deplorable con-
ditlonS that confront the railroads and
the travelling public. 1t is a fact and
so far the trouble has not been over
come, h a these dangers in a measure
have been alleviated by lessening
speed and adding more track-walkers
to o for broken rails and hidden
danger and warn approaching trains.
But this is very unsatisfactory.
II. w. Belknap, chief inspector of
safety appliances for the interstate
commerce commission, in his report of
May "a, 1912, commenting on the in
creased danger from broken rails, in
naming a certain well known railroad
Of the northwest, said:
1.-THE number of rail failures which
occur on the railways of the United
States is constantly increasing. On
a certain system in the northwest dur
ing the months of November and De-
cember. 1911. and January, 1912, there
Were 2.76O rail failures. Of this num-
Der 963 We're defective"
Cause of Wrecks.
Mr.. Be1nap's report Of the Inflated
Canandaigua train near Manchester,
n. Y. declared the number of wrecks
is constantly growing, that in 1902 there
WShO SSNShty C15AI Jus "
broken rails and that in 1911
there were 249 derailnents due to the
same cause.
Since broken rails ave been de-
clared the cause of the large percent
age of wrecks in this country the
American Association of Railway
Manufacturers has been searching for
some remedy for it declaring that it
is necessary to do something towards
safeguarding the travelling public as
we'll as the property interests of the
railroads themselves.
Much time and study have been
| giYen hY scientists and exnertS Ia try