The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-10-25
Extraordinary limo.
ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY EIGHT MILES IN
ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY. TWO MINUTES.

The recent performance of the locomo-
tive Wabashaw, on the Chicago and North
western Railroad, was go extraordinary in
point of actual time made and continuity
Of run, that we have obtained the exact
particulars and conditions under which it
was done. Through the courtesy of Mr..
Edward j. Cnyler, superintendent of the
| railway named above, we are in possession
of details of the engine az regards the lead
| ing points, and have here put them on re-
cord in connection with an achievement
unparalleled up to the present time. The
engine is an ordinary outside connection
American locomotive, having cylinders
fifteen inches in diameter by twenty-five
inches stroke of piston the drivers are four
in number, with sixty thee inch centers.
The slide-valve is Of the "American anti
friction and relief" pattern, with four and
three quarter inches travel at full stroke
three.quarters of one inch lap on steam
side, and one sixteenth of one inch ex-
haust-lap. The exhaust nozzle is two and
seven -eightbs inches diameter, double
pipes.
The boiler is of the usual type, with
shell forty -four inches diameter length of
hre-box five feet one inch outside, with
three-lnch water space width Of nre-box
thirty six inches, fitted with rocking CRATES.
The tubes are two inches diameter outside,
eleven feet six inches long, and one hun
dred and thirty five in number. The stack
Is similar to what is known as the Jauriett
stack, and is sixteen inches diameter at the
base.
The fuel used was common Illinois btu
minous coal, the valves cut off at eight in
ches from commencement of stroke of pis-
ton when running, and the throttle was
halfway open. The pressure of steam was
one hundred and twenty pounds. The
total weight of engine, with fuel and water
In boiler, is twenty-eight TOMS and it
n tUS n pkx,k rp,
minutes.
TheFun from Clinton. Ia, to Chicago,
H., was made, as stated, on September 3, |
1874, by Messrs. NJ. Hughett, general su-
perintendent Chicago and North western
Railroad E. II. Johnson, chief engineer
z. G. Wheeler, general freight agent, and
+. j. Cuyler, superintendent, under the !
just named and the latter gen.
tleman adds that the trip was made upun |
the spnr of the moment, without any pre-
vious preparation whatever, and that in his |
opinion the time could be beaten by the |
same engine, as the speed was reduced |
whenever the view of the road was not
clear, owing to thu trackmen not having |
had previous warning. We do not know
of any other record equal to this in point
OF time and distance. At the velocity
mentioned the number of revolutions was
3l6 per minute, the velocity of piston ,l59
feet and 10 inches per minute.
In the locomotive engine is concentrated
all the ingenuity, combined with endurance
and energy, man has ever shown in mechan-
ism. That mass of iron in motion all
over, big parts and little parts, carrying an
inert mass equal to half the gross weight,
and hung on yielding supports-that is,
it's own means of pre-
gress from moment to moment, could run
a mile at the speed indicated and keep the
track is wonderful that it should keep the
track and not destroy itself by its own
motion is also wonderful but the climax
is reached when it can achieve l3S miles
at the same continuous velocity without
injury to itself. 1t shows the perfection
Of modern workmanship in the construc-
ton of locomotives.