The Miner and Workman's Advocate. — 1864-12-31 (London, England)

RAILWAYS.— Some carriages have been fitted up on the ances to late officers, 1,1771. 12s. 4(1. ; mortgage London and South-Western Railway foe-the purpose of debts, &c., of late Metropolitan Commissioners of testing a mode of providiw signals or communication Sewers, 20,184/. 14s. 8d making. a total of between passengers and-guards on railways. This new communication, designed by Mr. Preece, is carried out 144,501/. 6s. 4d. ; from this amount was to be by a combination of mechanical and electrical appliances. deducted the approximate surplus of estimates for Immediately above the seats between the top of the soft-1864, amounting t 0.14,0001., leaving the net estimate padding and the net-rack is fixed an ordinary bell-rope 130,501/. 6s. 4d. and tassel, which is eaAly accessible to every passenger Mr. DALTON moved:that the estimates be adopted, in the compartment. Where the compartment is dibut at the same time that they should only be sided into several seats each seat haeits separate pull,, received as approximate. The committee believed but where no division exists the bell-eope is placed. in, the centre of the compartment. The motion of this ropethat there would be a surplus of 14,4001., which they wished to remain in the hands of the Committee for by its seizure or strain in tho carriage is transferre& Local Improvements, lie congratulated the members - by wires and pulleya, to catches fixed at the two op-posite corners of the carriage, which releases two shorb on the satisfactory state of their finances, for in the semaphore arms that fall, and indicatci immediately to, year 1864 they raised 167,0001_ on a rental of the guard the partieula.r carriage that requires attene 12,500,000/. at 3/d. in the pound.;. while the rate for Lion. These semaphores are very distinct, and asthey fall 1865 would produce 130,5001., or an increased rental eimultaneously on each side of the eaeriage in whatever of 16,640,000/. at ad. in the pound so that the direction the train may be going, they are instantly ratepayers would benefit by the reduction of taxation observable. They cannot be replaced by any one bait of id. in the pound. the guard. As they fall they completnan electric circuit, After a short discussion, the further consideration, which sets in action a bell in the guard's van or in each van, when there isnnore than one on, which will ring of the question was postponed fer a week. incessantly until the arm is restorel to its original sealThe formal business was then disposed of, and, the- Lion. When the attention of the guard has thus been Board adjourned, obtained, and or:reaching the carriage that raised the alarm, he finds Ds is necessary to atop the train, he, can, by means of his key, ring a bell on the engine, which warns the driver that he must stop. Two wires are carried down the train underneath each carriage, where connections are maintained by ordinary heck-andeye couplingn Attempts have been made to make use of the ordinary couplings of the carriages, but their electric- connection is mat sufficiently reliable to depend upon their use. The couplings used, are very trustworthy' and easily manipulated. The whole details of the apparatus are exceedingly simple and their construction cheap. Two compartments of the carriage art fitted upon this combined principle; but the third has electricak buttons alone, which, upon being pressed by the hand, ring the bell in the guard's van, without expos. lag any indicator. This. is done more to show the practicability of using electricity for such a parposc than tc exhibit a complete apparatus for communication between the different parts c. 1% the train. The semaphore arm is believed to be of itself a sufficient indicator for night and day purposes;' but it is a very easy metter to fix a lamp_ in front of the semaphore, which still display a red di:4 at night. The carriage, so fitted up, has been running her some days upon the line in connection with the guard's van, and' the repeated testa which have been made have resulted in showing that there is no practical difficulty in the way of working tho apparatus.— %giver. MURDER Or TWO WIVES BY A:zi: