The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1850-09-26
Railroad agains. Steamboat.

A6llfO00 against SIeam OOoSs
A correspondent of the N. Y. Journal
of Commerce, thus describes a race be-
tween one Of the finest North river
steamboats, and train of cars on the
Hudson river railroad:
A short time since embarked on the
Oregon for Albany. AT six O'Clock r.
NJ, we left the dock and glided up the
river. AS the eye glances through the
gorgeous saloons, and surveys the COM
fort of stateroom and table prepared for
the traveller, and the smooth surface Of
the Hudson, so delightfully."- adapted to
steamboat navigation, the question sug-
gesfs itself, ''can this mode of travel
ever be seriously interfered with by any
railroad? Will these elegant accommo-
dations have to give way, and auch float
ing palaces as this, soon belong to the
things that are passed, and be consider
ed as mode of travel behind the
.imes?" The passengers were standing
about, impatiently awaiting the sum
mons to tea. A group of us stood upon
the quarter in conversation. when sud-
denly, bark! the shrill whistle sounds
ashore. 1t seems long way of, again
it sounds; and see, yonder, on the east
ern shore, just above the trees, and far
astern, white cloud ofsteam appears;
nearer and nearer sounds the whistle;
then we heard loud roaring like cat
aract, then the regular clanking Of ma
chinery, and suddenly emerging from
the trees that had hidden it, the locomo-
tive and long train ofcars of the Hud-
son river railroad came dashing furious
ly along. In moment they seem rap
idly gaining upon US; in another they
are up with us. Now for a race. The
Oregon against the world! A crowd
gathers upon the boats side, next the
eastern shore. The passengers in the
cars shake their hands at US from the
windows. On rushes the train, with
roar like Niagara. The amazing celer-
ity of movement of the machinery calls
forth many expressions of admiration.
On speeds the Oregon, but in an in
stant, quicker than thought, the cars
are far ahead ofus, in another they are
scarcely perceptilie in the dusk of eve
ming and soon the sound dies away, and
the echoes for moment reverberate
amid the palisades, then gently and grad
ually ceases. The race is over; it last
ed but moment, and the passengers in
the cars are flying at rate ofspeed that
enable the traveller when the road is
completed to retire to bed in Albany at
10 P. NJ. just as the Oregon's passengers
are throwing out their boots, and locking
their state-room doors preparatory to a
snooze until morning.
Three years hence, Tor as soon as the
Hudson river railroad runs through to
Albany } there will doubtless be night
express train to Buffalo in connection
with it, and then, giving traveller elev-
en- hours time to accomplish the distance
from Albany to Buffalo, we shall find
him comfortably taking his breakfast on
board of the steamboat on Lake Erie
having left New York the evening previ-
Gus, while the passenger per Oregon
would be in the neighborhood of Sche-
nectady, yawning and impatient ct the
thought of a whole days travel on the
railroad. These thoughts occurred to
me as we hurried down stairs to tea,
and it seemed that the whistle of the To-
connective, shrieking wildly as it dashed
along sounded prophetically, telling us
ofthe complete change in the method of
travelling soon to take place upon the
banks of the Hudson. The impetuous
American character will be content with
nothing btt the fastest mode. The own
ems of the boats seem aware that their
glory is departing and to think it useless
to resist the current.