New-York tribune., 1922-01-11
Expert Offers
Device to End
"L'' Collisions
Speed Control Invention
Can he Used on Locals
and Not Reduce Capacity,
Says Frank J. Spraguc
hedIcy Indorses Inventor
and Is i'll Favor of Wood
Cars on Overhead Roads

""''N company experts, who testi-
n'd before the Transit Commission
'oey Knew of no device that would OBJ
N'a'e collisions on elevated local tracks
"l'hout reducing passenger capacity
were IN "lamentablc ignrancc" OF re-
cent developments in railroad safety
appliances, Frank J. Spraguc. a former
assistant Of Thomas A. Edison, de-
clared yesterday at the commissions
inquiry
Mr.. Spraguc is pioneer OF electric
traction and an uthority on pneumatic
signal equipment. He is a member OF
the United States Naval Consulting
Board
He said he perfected speed control
invention which would assure protec
tion for local trains and which could
be installed at less expense than tho
existing block system on the subway
and elevated express tracks
Device Ready for Test
intensive experimentation with the
appliance. he said. soon would be madc
on tracks Of the New York Central
near larrytown, under the direction
OF 'hr bureau of safety of the Inter
SOase 1omTrnerce Commission, the Amer
ican Railway Association. the Now Vorl-
central and himself
Mr. Sprague's device does away with
VISUAL signals and relies upon the COM
olned vigilance of the automatic CON.
troll and the operator. lie defined il
as marrying" of the wavside signal
or the block system, which underl;cs q
,he wayside signal. with the brak
ing equipment of train so as to com
through magnetic attachment the
appilance would automatically reduces
the speed of train and brinr Il To
stop IN face of danger unless the
engineer or motorman answered the
warnings on his brake lever and slowed
down '" CIV" eo
with t,is system" explained Mr..
HPrague' the operator would be in
the position of man who had an in.
visible person alongside of him. who
would be tapping him on the shoulder
and al, saying: John. there is signal.
wake up! Apply your brakes. If you
40 not am going to take control Of
your train and | am going to have you
hred when you get in"
Hedley to Cooperate
Frank Hedley.. president of the In
terborough Rapid Transit Comnanv.
who preceded Mr.. Spraguc on the
stand testified it would not surprise
hlm IT some genius would some day
provide an improved system of signals
and control. He assured the comNis-
SION of cooperation in any effort to
further eliminate accidents such as
that on the Ninth Avenue "I" recently.
Asked by Howard Thayer Kingsburg.
counsel of the commission if he had
heard of the Sprague system, Mr.. He'd
ley said he had
Even in his presence" he added. az
want to say that Mr.. Sprague has done
more for the safe, successful operation
Of electric cars and trains in this
country, than any other man living.
consider him a wizard, and it is .ust
that kind of ducks that brings out this
thing"
Mr.. Sprague was invited by the COM
mission to give his views on the unani-
nous opinion Of the company experts
that no device could be installed on the
local tracks without cutting down head
way and thus restricting capacity about
25 per cent
sble issue with the statement" said
tate to guarantee the results of this
new development, namely, that it would
absolutely protect trains from end col
isions, regardless Of weather condi
tions and without any reduction in
average capacity, whether on express
or local tracks"
McAneny Plans Safety Drive
During Mr.. sprague's testimony
George McAneny, chairman of the
commission, reiterated the commits
sion's intention to require expert
ments by the companies that would
solve the problem on the local tracks.
Mr.. Hedley was questioned by the
commission as to the company's dis
and wooden cars and the ability of the
elevated structures to support steel
trains.
The record of A. G. Abraitis, motor
man of the colliding train in the Ninth
Avenue wreck, was described by Mr..
Hedley as "bad-fair." The Ninth Ave
nue. disaster he attributed to human
failure and not to defect in equip
ment.
The Interborough president said he
believed wooden cars were preferable
to steel coaches on the elevated roads.
He pointed out that wooden and steel
cars were on an equal status when 1T
came to telescoping, with the added
danger in the steel car that it was more
likely to be hurled from the structure.
If the cars in the Ninth Avenue wreck
EdQ Deen SLeel, ne Sdlu, Hc WOulU HOt
have been "surprised a bit to find
some of them in the street"
Cost Of Reconstruction
Operation of steel cars on tho ele-
waited roads would require the re-
building of most of the structures,
Mr.. Hedley said He estimated that
reconstruction of the overhead syr-
tens would cost between $3,000,0C0
and $4,O0O,000 a mile. 1t would meap
an outlay of S70,000,00o to replace tie
3.1OO wooden cars in use on all the
al" lines with steel coaches, he
figured.
squad Of 1878," we're as fit to-day as
when they were built, having been
properly maintained, Mr.. Hedley de-
claTed.
T suppose you would agree" re.
marked Chairman McAneny, "that II
the elevated structures come down,
they ought to stay down."
81 do not think they arc coming
down in hurry" replied Mr.. Hedleyi,
now, the chances are you would have
no new elevated construction. Some
sane body would be found somewhere
who would make possible conditions
to get capital to build subways.'.
Chairman McAneny announced the
l,,, ~,o,,1d foko IN the