The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1872-02-10
From New Orleans to Mobile
by Rail.

Says the New Orleans Republican of
the third instant: " When it was as
serted in these columns early last year
that it was the intention to make the
run by rail hetween New Orleans and
Mobile i'll four hours, nnbelievers in
quick railroad time declared that to
be an impOssibility. By the follow
ing from the Picayune of yesterday it
will be see that the run has been made
in three hours and thirty-seyen min
| utes:"
The fastest time ever made on any
Southern railroad was accomplished
on the thirty first ultimo by the train
of the New Orleans, Mobile and Texas
railroad, which conveyed from this
city to Mobile Mr.. Thomas A. Scott.
the RAILROAD king" and his party.
Mr.. W. j. Phelps, the efficient as
sistant and acting general superinten-
dent OF the road, promptly placed
a special train at the disposal of Mr..
Scott and his travelling companions,
all of them familiar with railroad bus
iness, improvements and requirments
in all their branches.
Mr.. Phelps put the special train in
charge of Mr.. Jabe P. Colby, one of
the oldest and most experienced con-
ductors in the service of the company.
The best engine, No. IL, was selected,
and the best engineer, Mr.. P. Quig-
ley, was put on the Z" iron horse with
instructions to take the train to Mobile
with the greatest speed consistent with
safety. Mr.. R. w. Gillespie, the gen
eral passenger agent of the road, vol
unteered his services for the occasion.
The travelling party with Mr.. Scott
was composed of III. S. McC0mb, of
Delaware /; Alfred Gather, of Cincin-
natl; w. T. Walters and B. F. New
conner, of Baltimore H, B. Plant, of
New York 7, s. Scott, Richard A.
Peters and G. f. Kromback, of Phila-
delphia, and NJ. j. 0'Brien, of Geor-
gia.
These gentlemen, with Mr.. Scott,
compose the executive committee of
the Southern Railway Security Com
pany, an association that has recently
obtained by purchase or lease control
of number of Southern railroads.
their latest arrangement of the kind
being the lease of the Memphis and
Charleston railroad.
The special train started from New
Orleans at eight A. NJ. on the thirty
first ultimo. The admirable condition
in which the track is kept was well
exemplified on this occasion. The
cars moved at lightning speed, vet
there was not IL jolt or a jar and the
train dashed into Mobile ere the pas
sengers were aware of their journey
being so near its end.
The distance, one hundred and for
ty and one-fifth miles, was made in the
(for Southern train) unprecedented
time of three hours and thirty seven
minutes, the fastest time being from
Summit station to Mobile. These
twenty miles were run in twenty
minutes
The travellers expressed themselves
delighted with their trip, not expect
ing to find so fine a road in this Sec
tion; and they pronounced it the best
and most complete they had seen
South.
Much pleasurable excitement was
created in Mobile, we learn, when the
the news of this remarkable time got
noised about, and Messrs. Colby aud
Quigley were highly complimented.
In the evening a handsome entertain
ment was given at the Gulf City Ho-
tel, when Mr.. Phelps presented Mr..
Quigley with pair of giIded horns to
ornament engine No. 12. A silver
medal is to be suspended from the
horns, bearing this Inscription:
T" New Orleans, Mobile and Texas
railroad, special train, New Orleans
to Mobile, January 81, 1872, with Col.
Thomas A. Scott and party, Pat Quig-
ley, engineer. Running time, three
hours and thirty seven minutes, Dis
tance, 140 Is miles"