THE 8EMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE, NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA.
Newoevic
WIG5 WD
6y ROBERT H. MOULTON
HE Introduction of steel pas
senger cars on the rnllroada
having been tlio means of sav
ing hundreds of lives, tlio In
tcrstato commerce commission
now proposos to find somo de
vice that will nmko derail
ment, collisions and wrecks
impossible, A natlon-wldo
search Is being conducted undor congressional
order, and to Anatol Gollos, a Chlcagoan, has
fallen tho Jionor of being tlio first Invontor In
tho country to procure an official Investigation,
tlio reward coming after thrco years of work on
an automatic train control and recorder. Tests
arc made by tho government only aftor tho pre
liminary Inquiry has shown that the dovlce
practical.
Tho tests of Mr. Gollos' Invention will bo mado
on tho main branch of tho Chlcugo, Burlington &
Qulncy railroad, a stretch of six miles of track
having been equipped for tho purpose Thoy
will bo hold under tho personal direction of II. J.
Lyon, Inspector of safety appliances for tho com
mission, who has reached Chicago prepared for a
six months' study of tho subject.
Tho Gollos automatic train stop devlco con
gists of a charged third ral), about ono hundred
foot long, placod at cvory block. Tho energized
track comos Into contnet with a shoo fastenod on
tho tonder of tho onglno which is suscoptlblo to
tho sllghtost influence. If thoro Is nnother train
within a radius of ono mllo and a half, If there is
a break in tho track, or anything wrong at all,
warning is given to tho engineer by a shrill
whistle placod nonr his seat. If ho does not slow
down his train at this warning, the air brakes
automatically set. This air Is applied quickly,
but In n way that stops tho train gradually. At
privato tests glvon by Mr. Gollos recently trains
of all weights and spood wero stopped In 150 to
300 feet.
Asldo from tho fact that tho demonstrations
already given havo provod .tho practicability of
tho devices, tho Invontor claims that thoy aro
moro economical than au
,t o m a 1 1 a installations
mado according to pres
ent practice In addition,
thoy have tho advautugos
of, llrst, train control;
second, vlslblo and audlblo
signals; third, automatic
record td check englnoors,
thereby holding thorn to a
close observation of slg
uals. An Important featuro
of tho systom Is that It Is
so constructed, on a
closed circuit principle
that any break, falluro or
disarrangement of nny
part of tho main track or
contact rail connections,
or tho falluro of tho olec
trio curront, or any dlsar
rangoment of the loconio
tlvo attachments, will
cause tho most restrictive
Indication, when tho train
will bo brought to a stop
TQTMG GOUOJ AlFOmrC TfAfV COtfrtOL
3
opiyy cflBNr orAuromrc mAjy corr?oi
ANATOL
COJLLOS-
employed for this .purpose
Tho Invontor, Anatol Gol
los, was born In 1877. Early
in life ho showed a marked
Interest in mechanical sub
jects, and after a general
education was sent to a
manual training school.
Thoro ho studied for six
years. Electricity, though
then in its Infancy, had at
tracted much attention and
Gollos dropped all other sub
JoctH for a special course in
electrical engineering.
After serving a rigid ap
prenticeship, Gollos went to
Germany. There be stayed
for four years, during which
time ho superintended sev
eral big government Jobs.
In 1903 ho came to Amer
ica, and tho following year
found him in charge of the
main switchboard at tho
Louisiana exposition in St.
Louis.
Opportunities In Moxlc
attracted him and, after tho
close of tho exposition, ho
went tc; Mexico City. There
he remained for a year,
serving as superintendent on
various electrical installa
tions. Ho was 'In charge of
the electrical Installation in
Northwestern passenger terminal
the new
Chicago and other Important works
in
TRICKS THAT BULLETS PLAY
Life Saved by the Hook of a
Helmet Chain.
British Officer's
GOViNOZ WiCH CONTROLS
6PZED OF THE TJ?Altfi
CAUTON TRitTORY
ATTACiaD 7V TffZJJDr
OF LOCOMOTVJT
'Srin? u .1 'redetermined speed only. Tho
wiring is specially constructed bo that any
H.fll , CU m0t bQ mad0 Immediately by tho en
Elneer ho may cut out tho Instruments, when
tho train can proceed, but if this Is done a record
Is made. "
Anothw foftturo of tho dovlce 1b Us elasticity
and adaptability to tho movomont of any and all
Jtlnds of trains, IrroBpectlvo of their motive pow
or or frequency. Tho system will work equally
woll on trains oporated by stoam, olectrlclty, gas
ollno, or compressed air, and whether such Ap
plication is direct or by means of tho trolloy,
third rail or storago battery methods.
Tho initial purposo Is to promote tho safoty of
Railway operation and to ollmlnato all danger
from lapses of momory on tho part of tho en
gineers or othors connected with tho oporatlon
of railways, and to mako such n record na will
f rovldo un exhibit of proper or impropor opera
. Ion and observance of signals and orders.
Tho control of tho movomont of trains 1b in tho
hands of tho engineers just as long as thoy ob
sorvo tho restricting signals provided for tholr
guidance, but any falluro to do so immediately
tand automatically rollevos them of said con
trol. As soon as tho conditions pormlt of safely
doing' so, tho control Is again and automatically
rcotored to tho engineer.
Tho systom la of the intermittent contact rail
typo, with tho engine apparatus cloar or lnopora
tivo whllo running botwoon polntB or Indication.
When tho engine shoo makes contact with tho
contact rati, tho engine apparatus la still hold
clear or Inoperative, provided tho contact rail Is
onorglzed. If it is dosttod to mako tho control
of tho speed of tho train continuous, lnstoad of
Intermittent, particularly In congoutod terminals,
tho desired object Is accomplished by making the
contact rail continuous. Both the contnet rail
and tho shop on tho cnglno aro so constructed as
to keop them within the limits of tho safoty
cloaranco requirements, and personal contact
with tho contact rail Is not injurious.
Tho manner in which-tho purposo of tho ays-,
torn is carried out ia au follows:
When a train is standing at a tcrmtnal, or at
any other point, tho automatic apparatus is in
such condition that tho train can only proceed
at a predetermined reduced speed. When tho
engineer opens ttjo throttlo to procoed, It auto
matically starts a whlstlo In tho cub. This
whlstlo continues to sound and thq reduced speed
regulation contlnuoB until tho train contact shoo
engagea with a clear contact rail. This rail bo
Ing fully energized supplies a curront which sets
the control In position to pormlt tho train to
proceed at lull speed, and also stops tho whistle.
The contact with this shoo ia rocordod by a ro
cording apparatus and tho contact also causes
the llghtiug of a signal lamp In the cub. Tho
passage of this rail Ib acknowledged by tho en
gineer, who presses a button which putB out tho
lamp and this acknowledgment Is also recorded
by tho recording nppnratus.
Tho noxt action which -may bo described, is
whon tho contact shoo engages with a partially
energized contnet rail, which Indicates a caution
condition. When this occurB, tho engine appa
ratus Is again sot for reduced spqod as whon
atartlng out. and tho whlstlo blows continuously.
If, in tho meantime tho train in tho advance
block has moved on, or nny other obstruction has
been removed, so that tho next contact rail Is
In "clear" condition, the cab systom will bo auto
matically returned to normal, full speed condi
tion whon it passes such contact mil, and tho
whlstlo will stop.
On tho other hand, If the danger condition con
tinues and the contact rail is dc-oncrgized, de
noting danger, tho train will bo automatically
stopped whon Ha contact shoe conies In contact
with this doonorglzed rail. This stopping will
also bo recorded, nnd at the same time a chime
of two whistles will bo sounded to warn the on
glneor that this Is a stop application.
If tho engineer dcalrca to proceed, ho mUBt
press a button on tho cabinet door, which losols
tho autonintlc apparatus to caution or slow speed
condition. Having resot tho Instruments ho may
now proceed as in tho llrst Instance, at con
trolled reduced speed.
. If tho englneor has obaorved a danger signal
and stops his train boforo tho contact shoo comos
in contact with tho de-energlzcd rail, ho may, if
necessary, in an emergency, pasa tho de-oner-glzod
rail. In ordor to pasa tho do-energized rail
a soparato and distinctive Bwitch Is provided,
which must bo hold down continuously whllo
passing tho rail. Tho pressing of this switch Is
also recorded. However, If ho should attempt to
pass a rail by prosslng on this switch boforo the
train has stoppod, ho would causo a stop appli
cation. After passing tho do-onorglzcd rail, a3
boforo described, tho train may proceed under
caution oporatlon at' a predetermined, controlled,
reduced speed. "
While an automatic control system has many
ndvantuges, Bomo of theso advantages would bo
lo3t, If tho system could bo frooly manipulated,
unloss such Irregularity la automatically dotocted
and recorded. In ordor to lnsuro tho proper
operation of this system, nnd to record tho ac
tion tho roof, as woll as to record whether tho
englneor Is properly observing his signals, cer
tain portions of tho pystem aro Inclosed In a box
or cabinet. This bor or cabinet Is mado to con
tain the valves, magnots, rolays, clock and record
ing moclmnlsm, und Is provided with a lock and
a special door. The cabinet ia about eighteon
lnchoa Bquaro nnd six inchoa deep nnd may bo
mounted in nny convenient place in tho cab.
This ayBtom la Intended to actuate or co-opor-ato
with any aultablo form of mechanism on tho
car or locomotive which la used for stopping tho
samo, auch ub bruko actuating mechanism, and
it 1b particularly adaptod to actuate or co-oporato
with tho air brakes which are now commouly
It hag been truly said that, once you fire n bul
let from a modern rifle, nono can forecast what
It will do or where It will ultimately como to
rest. Even whon a bullet has an uninterrupted
course, says Frank Scudamore In tho London
Globo, It Is capable of upsetting all known cal
culatlona of Its flight and range. Before tho bat
tle of Omdurman a sick ofllcer was taken across
the NIlo and placed under an awning at least
5,600 yards from tho nearest point of possible
fire. This Bhould have Insured him an amplo
margin of safety, but nono tho loss a stray bullet
ato up tho intervening threo miles of desert,
struck him in tho head, and killed htm.
Shortly before the battle of Glniss, in the
Sudan, Gen. Sir Archibald Hunter, Colonel Hack-et-Thompson,
C. B., and another ofllcer whose
name escapes me, woro reconnoltorlng through
an opening in the wall of a disused sakeeyeu, or
watcrwhoel. Tho hole In tho wall was so small
that tho officers had to stand one behind the oth
er to see anything. The ofllcer whoso name 1
forget was in front using a pair of binoculars,
while Sir Archibald Hunter waa In tho rear. The
glint caused by the sotting sun shining on the
glnBS of tho binoculars attracted tho attention of
a dervish who, together with others, was retiring
along tho Nile Ho stopped, took aim, and fired.
It was a vory good shot, for it sped through one
lens of tho binoculars, through the brain of the
ofllcer holding them, killing him on tho spot,
through tho shouldor of Colonel Hacket-Thomp-son,
nnd finally lodged In tho breast of Sir Arch'
Ibald Hunter, where, I bcllevo, It romalna to this
day.
Tho vagarloB of a bullet when It touches tho
human frame aro almost beyond belief. During
another Sudan battle I -saw an officer, a friend
of mine, go down apparently shot through the
head. To my Burprlsa and relief I met him
walking about after the battlo apparently none
tho worso, save that I1I3 hoad was bandaged.
Then ho showed mo how a bullet, striking and
deflected by one of the hooks of his holmet chain,
had run right round his forehead, cutting n
groove under tho skin, and had then glanced olT
tho .helmet hook on the other side.
'TWIXT BULL AND BEAR
How Two Callforninno Released Themselves
From a Critical Situation.
E. S. Collins, postmaster at Knight's Ferry,
Cal., and Samuel Baugh, a blacksmith, have Just
escaped from an encounter with a bull and u
bear which thoy will not soon forget, tho Now
York Sun states.
Collins bought a bull and had him In a corral
Just above Knight's Ferry. Ho and Baugh wont
out to Inspect the purchnBo when tho angry ani
mal atarted aftor thorn and gave chase. Collins
reached a noarby tree In safety, but Baugh was
not so lucky, and crawled Instead Into a near
by cave, just In tlmo to cscapo tho chargo of tho
bull.
Ho emerged hastily, howovor, and again the
bull chargod him, nnd ho sought refuge in tho
hole a second tlmo. Finally Collins warned the
blacksmith to stay In tho cave, saying that the
bull would treo them both and keep them In the
field all night. For answer, Baugh again jumped
in and out of tho cavo and a moment later, as
tho bull charged past, grabbed tho animal's" tall
and threw him,
As both men climbed tho fouco, Baugh ox
plained why ho didn't remain In the cave. There
waB a bear Inside which disputed his ownership
The two men returned later and aucceojed to
dlapatchlug the boar and two cubs.
MAGNANIMOUS TURPIN
Eugeno Turpln Is tho most mag
nanimous nnd paVrlotlc of Frenchmen.
Ho has done wonders for hla country
and has received no remuneration nnd
Httlo credit. Yet ho goes on doing
other wonders and never complains.
In tho early stogos of tho war tho
world was told of turpinlto, an alleged
gas used by tho French that brought
Instant, rigid death to wholo com
panies of Gorman troppa yet without
vlalblo wounds. Turplnlte oxlsts, but
it ia not that gas. It ponetratea ar
mor pinto like cheese nnd is described
as making death on the field a pleas
uro. Thousands who looked comfort
ably dead have como back to llfo, com
plaining, "What ia it? Must wo go on
lighting?" It is a mystery, but the
secret is believed now to bo in the
noiso of tho explosion, which acts ub
a "superknockout."
During years Turpin suffered from
tho malice of men nnd tho prejudlcoa
or omcial savants. Ho invented fen
ian fire, capable of throwing panic into an entire army corps by terror and
surprise alone, and the French military authorities would not look nt it. Ho
invented nonpoisonous paints with which someone will mako a fortune
some day, but bo suro it won't be Turpln. Ho invented tho French artillery
shell actually in use, and ho invented melinite, thnt smashing-in-all-dlrectiona
explosive which tho French army pours melted into sheila so cheap, quick
and Bafe to handlo that tho cannon never lack ammunition.
WASHINGTON'S POLICE CHIEF
Unusually tall, slender, fine-featured,
soft-spoken, of highest charac
ter, executive ability and broad social
vision that is Raymond W. Pullman,
the new chief of police of tho city of
Washington. Ho has never been a
policeman, and admitted when ap
pointed that he knew little of tho
practical side of tho police business,
having been a newspaper man, but
the commissioners of tho District or
Columbia were satisfied they hall
chosen tho right man, and tho people
of the capital city believe thoy woro
right.
Pullman is a Washington product
and his now rank of major Bits easily
on him, for he was commander of one
of the crack military companies that
are part of the school system of Wash
ington. "Thoro is ono problem in Wash
ington where tho police department
can be specially helpful," said Mr.
Pullman, in discussing the department.
"A mass of tourists como to Waahlngton every year, and they are dependent
upon the policemen they meet for directions as to how to get around the
city, and for other information. A policeman can give a town a 'black eye'
more quickly than nny other citizen. There la no good reason, in my mind,
why he should not 'boost' his town as much a8 any other citizen, and I be
lieve ho can do it by seeing to it that all strangers receivo courteous treat
ment whenever thoy apply to him." f
LODGE AS MODERATOR
It was town meeting- day in tho
Httlo village of Nahant, Mass., and
most of the population, malo and fe
male, was in the hall. On the plat
form, presiding as moderator, waa
United States Senator Henry Cabot
Lodge, and for five hours he guided
the meeting with all tho ease and
flnesso ho over showed in a big po
litical convention. Running his eyes
down tho warrant ho admonished hla
fellow citizens that the times did not
warrant unnecessary expense or lux
uries in town government, and said
somo people seomed to think all they
had to do was to reach into the air
and extract money.
During a dlncussion of garbage re
moval rules ono man said a collector
had refused to remove hla garbage
because thero were .clam and lobster
shells' in it.
"What I wnnt to know, Mr. Mod
orator," said tho man with consider
able heat and emphasis, "Is, are clam
shells and lobster shells swill?" The gallery snickered and some of the
voters on' tho floor laughed outright. Without moving a muscle tho ranking
member of tho senate committee on foreign relations replied: "I'm afraid
that I am unable to define what Is swill. That would seem to bo a question
which should be addressed to tho board of health."
HINDU STUDYING AMERICA
Now Yorkers havo been immense
ly Interested of lato In Dr. S. Paul
Chlnnapa, a Hindu scholar who has
been sont hero by the Mysore gov
ernment to study conditions in Amer
ica, Especially fascinating to the
women aro his lectures on reincarna
tion, which subject ho baa taken up
with great zeal. Hla fair hearers
clamor for furthor yroofs and revela
tions of tho transmigration of souls
nftor death.
Doctor Chlnnapa began his higher
education in India and received hla
first degree of B. A. from the Uni
versity of Madras. He waB then mado
a licensed teacher of tho Indian gov
ernment. Coming to tho United States,
ho took a course In tho University of
Chicago, whore ho received Uls mas
ter's degree. On his return to tho
Orient ho was mado professor of edu
cation in tho University of Madras.
Dressed in Hindu garb, the doctor la
handsome and interesting figure
His studios in America are especially In the psychological line, and it seems
probable that he gets as much from his audiences as they do from htm.