The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1924-02-19
TO INSTALL DEVICES TO
PREVENT TRAIN WRECKS
GOVERNMENT ACTS TO RE-
DUCE A HUGE ANNUAL LOSS
OF LIFE FROM ACCIDENT.
ROADS ARE GIVEN ONE YEAR

Commerce Commission Advocates an
Electrical Apparatus to Grip the
Wheels of Engines Running Past
Danger Signals.
The time is coming when railroad
train running past the green caution
signal and later the red danger signal
will be stopped like manned animal
in its tracks.
An electrical device will clutch the
wheels OF the engine as an unseen
giants hand to save it from destruc-
ton ahead.
Government Acts.
In the files of the Interstate Com
merce Commission is an order which
gives the major railroads of the Unit
ed States one year in which to install
safety devices upon all or portions of
their systems. Eventually the roads
will be ordered to equip all their track
age.
The New York, New Haven and
Hartford, the New York Central, and
the Pennsylvania companies already
have experimental with safety devices
These three carriers are expected to
be among the first to obey the COM
missions order.
There have been countless thousands
of inventions of railroad safety de-
vices but only one or two of these have
been found to be of practical value.
For II years the government has
been testing every safety device sub
mitted to it, until finally the way has
been opened for an actual experiment
with the more perfect of all these de
vices.
Brakes Grip Wheels
The principles of all the perfected
safety devices are virtually the same.
The powerful magnets are fastened
beneath the locomotive tender close to
the rails If the engine runs past a
block signal that has been set against
it electric current is released in the
rails, and the magnets act as brakes
upon the wheels of the locomotive.
! The devices are so arranged that if
they get out OF order they will auto
matically stop the train.
In the case OF one device it is inn
: possible for an engineer to release the
safety brakes if he becomes mentally
deranged during his exacting duties.
He cannot do it except by pressing a
series of buttons A cool mind is
necessary to go through the required
| formula.
The day is dawning, government of
hcials believe, when railroad travel in
the United States will be absolutely
safe. At least, that has been the aim
of nearly two decades of painstaking
work
May Open New Fields.
The installation OF safety devices on
railroads OF the country may open the
way for still more elaborate train CON
tol systems. Engineers already are
working on a device which will regu-
late the movement of a train accord
ing to the condition of the track ahead
of it. This device is most intricate
and would cost thousands of dollars II
il were expended to cover an entire
railroad system it is believed
Engineers hardly will be needed if
the new device is perfected, scientists
saw. for the locomotive will STOP start,
Tor proceed at slow or full speed &C
cording to the condition of the track.
No hand OF man will be needed to
control the action of the engine, and
the danger OF running past a signal
will be eliminated.
Thousands of Crashes
Every year in the United States
there are more than 1000 railroad
crashes of more or less serious nature.
Every year between 800 and 400 per
sons are killed and 5000 more are IN
iured. Millions upon millions OF dol
! lars worth OF property is lost to the
railroad company and fortunes are
spent in settling suits for damages to
human lives and health, express,
freight and personal property.
In 26,297 head-on and rear-end col
lsions during the last ten years 1870
persons were killed on the railroads
| OF the United States.
| More than 10000 persons were IN
iured. and approximately $5O,00O,O0O
damage was done to railroad property.
Also, other millions were paid as the
result OF loss of life and poperty OF
patrons OF the railroads.