As an instance, the street accidents in
London alone cause between 200 and 300 deaths per annum. This safety
in railway traveling is no doubt largely due to the block system,
rendered possible by the electric telegraph; and also to the efficient
interlocking of points and signals, which render it impossible now for
a signal man to give an unsafe signal. He may give a wrong one, in the
sense of inviting the wrong train to come in; but, although wrong in
this sense, it would still be safe for that train to do so. If he can
give a signal, that signal never invites to danger; before he can give
it, every one of the signals, which ought to be "at danger," must be
"at danger," and every "point" must have been previously set, so as to
make the road right; then, again, we have the facing point-lock, which
is a great source of safety.
BRAKES.
Further, we have continuous brakes of various kinds, competent in
practice to absorb three miles of speed in every second of time; that
is to say, if a train were going 60 miles an hour, it can be pulled up
in 20 seconds; or, if at the rate of 30 miles, in 10 seconds. With a
train running at 50 miles an hour, it can be pulled up in from 15 to
20 seconds, and in a distance of from 180 to 240 yards. Moreover, in
the event of the train separating into two or more sections, the
brakes are automatically applied to each section, thereby bringing
them to rest in a short time.
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