1865.] Tyler on Circulation and Communication on Bailways. 589 



are prevented from ringing by the oscillation of the train, when the 

 circuit is incomplete, by a simple and ingenious device. A stop-bar 

 (A B), part of which forms the armature of a second electro magnet 

 (K), falls, and interposes (at F) to prevent the striker (C) from coming 

 in contact with the gong (D) when the current ceases, and is lifted 

 out of the way by the action of electro-magnet (K) upon armature (B) 

 when the current passes. 



The instrument to be acted upon by the passengers is simply a 

 circular box affixed to the partition in each compartment of each 

 carriage, with a convex glass face, covering a handle. In case of 

 alarm, the passenger breaks the glass face, and moves the handle in 

 the direction of an arrow. This completes the circuit and causes the 

 bells to ring on the engine and in the guard's van, and they continue 

 ringing until the apparatus is refixed by the guard. The fractured 

 glass forms, of itself, an excellent detector. [The regulations which 

 have been issued by the Company, being the first of the sort, are 

 given in the Appendix.] 



A young lady, Miss Gordon, of Prince's Gate, who has taken more 

 pains in making herself thoroughly acquainted with the subject than 

 almost any inventor of the stronger sex, has also proposed a system 

 of voltaic communication through passenger trains. She has con- 

 structed a special train-telegraph coupling. She has designed a 

 cheap form of telegraph-bell, intended, by repeated beats, either for 

 making special signals, or for giving alarm signals ; and she would 

 employ it, not only for inter-communication in the trains, but also for 

 communicating in cases of emergency between a train and the stations 

 on either side of it. She further proposes, as an auxiliary to safety in 

 some cases, to make each train record its movements past certain 

 points, so that a fixed signalman may, as it were, watch its progress 

 on a dial in his cabin long after it has passed out of his sight, or 

 receive indication of its distant approach. 



Whatever system may be used, it appears desirable that the handle, 

 or button, or tassel, to be acted upon by the passengers, should be 

 placed under glass ; in order that it may not run any risk of being 

 interfered with except in a case of necessity. An uncovered tassel or 

 handle would be liable to be trifled with, and to be set in action 

 thoughtlessly or unintentionally by a child, or too easily by a nervous 

 passenger ; whereas a glass, used as a cover, which could not be 

 replaced, would only be broken under the pressure of considerable 

 alarm. The keys of the doors of some of the French carriages have 

 for years been placed in the compartments, protected in this manner, 

 for the use of the passengers in case of necessity. 



These questions of circulation and communication in trains have 

 formed from time to time, as accidents have taken place or offences 

 committed, a subject of recommendation by the Bailway Commis- 

 sion and the Board, of Trade, of discussion by Kailway managers, of 

 remonstrance by the public, and of projects by inventors, for the last 

 twenty years. During that time circumstances have materially altered, 

 but the want has become, upon the whole, more and more apparent. 

 We are now labouring under great disadvantages, because the rolling 



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