New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-02-03
BY Rail to Mobile.

When it was asserted In these colu INNS
early last year that it was the intention to
make the run by rail between New Orleans
and Mobile in tour hours, unbelievers in
quick railroad time declared that to be an
impossibility. BY the following from the
Picayune of yesterday 1t will be seen that
the run has been made in three hours and
thirty-seven minutes. This is the article
from the Picayune:
The fastest time ever made on any South
ern 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 assistant
and acting general superintendent of the
road promptly placed a special train at the
disposal Of Mr.. Scott and his travelling com
paniOns. all of them familiar with railroad
business, improvements and requirements in
all their branches.
Mr.. Phelps put the special train in charge
of Mr.. Jabe z. Colby. one of the oldest and
most experienced conductors in the service
of the company. The best engine, No. II,
was selected, and the hest engineer Mr.. p.
Quigley was put on the '' iron horse" with
the greatest speed consistent with safety.
Mr.. X. w. Gillespie. the general passenger
agent of the road, volunteered his services
for the occasion.
The travelling party with Mr.. Scott was
composed of II. S. McComb, of Delaware;
Alfred Gather. of Cincinnati; w. I. Wal
ters and b. +. Newcomer, of Baltimore; Ii.
B. Plant, of New York: L. S. Scott Richard
A. Peters and c. F. Kromback, Of Phila-
delphia, and M. J. O'Brien, of Georgia
These gentlemen, with Mr.. Scott, com.
pose the executive committee of the South
ern Railway Security Company, an associa-
ton 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 Or.
leans at eight A. NJ. on the thirty first
the track is kept was well exemplifed on
this occasion. The cars moved at light,
ming speed, yet there was not a jolt or
Jar; and the train dashed into Mobile ere the
passengers were aware of their journey
being near its end.
The distance, one hundred and forty and
one-tifth miles. was made in the flor
Southern train) unprecented time of three
hours and thirty-seven minutes, the fastest
These twenty miles were run in twenty
minutes
The travellers expressed themselves de-
lighted with their trip, not expecting to
find so fine road in this section and they
pronounced it the best and most complete
they had seen South.
Much pleasurable excitement was created
in Mobile, we learn. when the news of this
remarkable time got noised about. and
Inv inh1
plimented. In the evening a handsome ell
tertainment was given at the Gulf City
Hotel, when Mr.. Phelps presented MI.
Quigley with pair of gilded horns to orna-
nlent engine No. l2 A silver medal is to
be suspended from the horns, bearing this
inscription:
New Orleans, Mobile and Texas railroad,
special train, New Orleans to Mobile, Jan
uary 81, 1871, with Colonel Thomas A. Scott
and party, Pat Quigley, engineer. Running
time. three hours and thirty seven minutes
Distance, l40 miles,"