Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-01-19
RAILWAYS ADOPT UNIFORM
WARNINGS TO SAFEGUARD
PUBLIC ON HIGHWAYS.
NORTHWESTERN AMONG
FIRST TO INSTALL THEM
Every Railroad Crossing in United
States to Be Made Safe IL Auteists
and other. viii Heed Warninss--
Flasmn to Be Supplied With Discs
Gates to Resemble Barber Poles.

Uniform railway crossing signals
have been adopted by railways from
Maine TO California for the safety Of
the general public and Iowa people will
be among the first to see such signals
! in use as the Northwestern Is among
the first railways in the country and
tie first west of Chicago which will in
$ all them.
| The new signals include some radical
changes which include the barber pole
stripe of black and white on the cross
ing gates and disc with the word
stop for the Waterman instead of the
'aried colored meaningless flags
All Cooperating.
Every grade crossing in the United
States will be made safe when the con-
centrated efforts now being put forth
by the railways cooperating with the
public service commissioners in the
several states are carried out. Al the
meeting of the American Railway AS
ISOLATION in October it was agreed to
adopt uniform system of warnings in
order II = people will know when they
are app. aching railroad crossing
and can do what is expected Of them
to avoid accidents.
Proposed Changes
The recommendations of the special
committee We're as follows:
l. The adoption of circular disc,
sixteen inches in diameter with the
word. Stop" painted in black upon
white background which win be used
by the crossing guards in all parts Of
the country. instead of the red and
green flags formerly used.
2. The installation of uniform color
OF lights for night indications - all
lights displayed towards the highway
at grade crossings to be red
3. Uniform painting Of crossing
gates with alternate stripes of black
and white in order TO make them vis-
iole to travellers along the highway at
q greater distance.
The members of the American Rail
way Association further agreed 10 pro-
pose in each state OF the union iegisla-
ton which will enable the erection of
uniform circular warning signs al
points on the highway 800 feet on each
side of every grade crossing. These
signs would have "R. r" painted iE,
black on a white background together
with a black cross. The railroads can
not erect these uniform signs at pres
ent because they do not own the
ground on which these signs must be
placed to be effective. but it is expect
ed that the necessary legislation VIII
not be withheld from such a worthy
project.
The New Discs!
Already the Northwestern has equip
ped its crossing watchmen with the
signal discs prescribed by the commit
tee and discontinued the old style vari-
colored meaningless flags. The gates
at grade crossings are being painted as
rapidly as possible with the conven-
tional "barberpole" stripes Of black
and white. These changes have met
with popular favor because the black
and white combination makes the
warning signs readily perceptible tc
people approaching the crossings for
some distance on either side of the
tracks.
The railroads are particularly anx-
ious to secure the installation OF the
warning signs on the highway 800 feet
from each side Of the tracks III order
to reduce the risk from automobile ac-
cidents. Automobiles so far outnum-
Der horse-drawn vehicles today that
the old style warnings do not serve TO
prevent accidents.