The Washington herald., 1913-10-08
AUTOS AND GRADE CROSSINGS.

From the Railway Age Gazette.
II automobiles are to be free every
where to run at unlimited speeds distant
signals are a necessity. Cities and towns
may even find il necessary to erect dis
tant warnings at curves in the highways,
at narrow bridges and street corners. Tho
intoxicated and the reckless chauffeur
constitute the main difficulty; but a good
deal of regulation has got to be admins
tered to persons who class themselves as
well-meaning, before our streets and roat
will be reasonably safe. The railroads
have no reason to consider themselves
sinners above all the men that dwell in
Jerusalem.
But the distant signal problem is not
quite so simple as il seems. target or
sign fixed 500 feet to 100 feet back from
the tracks would be all right il it could
be made surely visible at night; but
visibility is question of degree. Even in
daylight a sign would have to be very
big, very bright and very near the road
way not be ignored by some drivers. Per-
sons who have been struck by trains and
subsequently have testified in court. fire.
quently manifest the most astonishing
blindness; and juries believe them. And,
remembering the great range of county
traversed by each automobile owner. uni
formity in the design of these signs Is
an important desideratum; uniformity in
size, color, location, and wording. Uni
form legislation in all the States might
be found desirable and even necessary.
II automobile drivers would exercise
even a moderate degree of caution, dis
tant signal would be valuable without
artificial light at night 1t could be
made visible at night except in such thick
darkness as would impel any reasonable
driver to limit himself to low speed; but
the public will demand all possible pro-
lection, and we may as well consider
lamp as an essential This makes care
'taker necessary; arfi as the railroads
everywhere bear the burden of watching
crossings, if anybody watches them, this
burden will fall on them. Attending to
two lamps several hundred feet from the
crossing is a matter quite different from
caring for a single lamp at the crossing.
Should the Waterman leave his post to
relight lamp that had gone out? Assum-
ing that lamps would fail no oftener than
signal lamps, or than crossing bells, the
danger from failure would be small. and
the problem OF care may perhaps not be
so serious as We have assumed; but 1t Is
well to bear in mind that lamp failures
introduce a peculiar danger. Railroad
men know this, from experience with
block signals, but other people usually
ignores the point, and they should be in
formed. At crossings where there Is no
attendant the question of care Is, of
course, more troublesome: the introduce
ton of distant signals would add ma
terially to the cost, for the work Of the
Inspector would be increased and lamps,
except where electric lights were avail
able, would have to be regularly lighted
and cleaned.
A signal distant from the tracks Is not
an absolute necessity. Drivers could
reasonably be required to take the re-
sponsibility of discerning the warning
before reaching ii, especially II an au-
dible signal were also provided This
would be possible except in time Of fog
or snowstorms; and at such times high
speed on the highway ought to be pro-
hibited. Ingenious arrangements Of NOV