The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-10-09
A MILE A MINUTE.
An Interesting Letter from an Old
Fireman-Speed of American LO-
cOmOtiYeS.
Prom the New York sun.

Prom the New York sun.
SIR:-In yesterdays Sun l read with
interest the account of the recent extra
ordinary time made by an engine of the
Chicago and Northwestern Railroad, g,
the "Wabashaw," in running from Clin-
ton to Chicago at a rate of nearly one
mile per minute. In the winter of 1870
l was fireman of that engine on the
same road, which then only ran to Full
ton, on this side OF the Mississippi riv-
er. The engine is a Mcqueen" built
at the Schenectady Locomotive Works,
and was put on the road in 1858. Since
then it has been thoroughly rebuilt,
and is now a frst-class machine. I re-
member on one occasion during that
winter, when We made some extra time,
and over a much poorer track than is
there now. Our usual leaving time at
Turner Junction was > p. m, but at the
time in question We started thirty-fve
minutes late, giving us but thirty-one
minutes to reach Blackberry station to
meet the down train and make one stop
at Geneva. Sam Spear ran the engine,
and though we had three ears, the meet
ing was effected, making the wonderful
time Of nearly or quite a mile a minute.
There was another engine running on
the road at that time called the Nebras-
ka, built by Rogers of Paterson n. J.
This engine once made the run over two
bridges, one mile and eight rods apart,
in sc seconds. These bridges are loca-
ted between Cherry Valley and Belvi-
dere, on the Galena division, and the
engine was then run by Harmon Nedder.
In the summer of 1856 l ran the en-
CINE Ariel from Turner Junction to
Franklin, sixty miles in seventy-three
minutes, and made three stops, but had
no cars, and am quite sure that even
more than 4 mile minute was run part
of the way.
On the 18th of May, 1872, Mr.. james
/ Wood ran engine 81 Of the New York
Central, from Rochester to Syracuse
eighty-one miles, in eighty-two minutes
drawing one car containing Mr.. Wander
bilt and others of the Central.
The American locomotive is a most
perfect machine, and with good track
there is safety in fast time. We are now
using steel rails and fish plate joints,
making, with proper ballasting, as good
track as can be had, and there is no
danger of derailing the "leaders" Of a
locomotive so long as the unevenness OF
the surface of the rail does not overcome
the elasticity ofthe truck springs enough
to throw them of, or relieve the verti-
cal pressue upon the rail to so great a
degree as TO be overcome by the side
/ thrust, as the wheel impinges on the rail,
/ and produces worming of the rail. This
is very much guarded against by eleva-
ting the outer rail on curves, which is
| better understood by track builders now
| than twenty years ago, and l have nc
doubt but speed of fifty miles pei
hour can and will be safely made ovel
the new quadrupled tracks now being
put down on the line of the New York
Central, most perfect piece of track
work. Our railway managers are wax
ing up to the economy of steel rails and
good road beds, and with these the
American locomotive can answer any de-
mand of the travelling public for fast
time. c. L.
! New York. September so.