The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-09-30
THE FAST MAIL TRAIN.
Getting Heady for Start = Lively
Handling Of Mail-bags and Newspaper
Packages How the ''CRtcher" Picks

liz tSliONlIlS tNtidCbS shO AAOAh tAAN
Chicago Tribune's report of the trip OF
the first fast mail train over the Hudson
River and New York Central Rail
roads:
Col. George S. Bangs, the climax of
whose notable career seems to have
been reached in the success of the Fast
Mail Train, designated the Fifth Avenue
Hotel, New York, as the meeting place
for the invited guests. Here, during
the day and night of Wednesday,, the
railroad men, Post-office officials, and
journalists, who were to accompany the
train, assembled. The scenes at the
rendezvous were scarcely less animated
than those witnessed during the pro
gress of the train itself.
THE START
was not SO much matter of getting uD
at 2 o'clock in the morning, as of not
going to bed. The train was not to
leave until 4 4:15 a. m, but large pOr-
ton of the guests were at the depot to
watch the novelty of the preparations
shortly after 2. The crowd about the
hotel who left for this train were looked
upon by ''boOts," the clerk, and poor
..cabby," like madhouse fools about to
enter upon a ride to death. There was
a heavy morning mist, almost a rain,
as George Bangs marshaled his car
riages for the train. The heavy wheels
slipped about over the cobbleS, which
were greasy with the mist The city
was clothed in white mantle The
long line of fog in the street, feebly
lighted by the glimmery street-lamps,
seemed like an army of white crusaders
fanked by torches. Fifth Avenue was
asleep. Stewards house was solemn as
the Tombs, which it resembles. The
great wagons carrying the mail thun-
dered along with painting horses. The
depot was reached. The gatemen, pOr-
ters, and depot-masters bow to Bangs
as to the Vanderbilt of the Fast Mail,
and admit the guests upon his word.
The guests came, to the number of
ninety-eight. They were mostly rail
road folks, Post-office people, publish
ers, ioulnalistS-mena all interested in,
and getting their bread by, the publica-
ton and distribution of news.
SAFETY MEASURES.
The utmost precautions had been
taken for the safety of the train. The
Post-office Department and the railroad
were especially anxious that no accident
should befall the first train. The most
perfect appliances for speed and safety
known to modern railroad science were
put in use for this train. The time
schedule was adopted especially for it.
The train had the absolute right of way.
All trains were by special order requir-
ed to keep on side tracks from fifteen to
thirty minutes whenever this train was
due. The four postal cars and the
drawing-room car, of which the train
was composed, were all put in motion
the morning before starting, in order
that the exact condition of the journals
might become known. 1t was well I'M
derstood that a hot journal might de-
feat the purpose of the train, and all
that skilled railroad men could do was
done to prevent this. 1t was claimed
by those who constructed the cars that
new journal might be made to keep
cool as well as an old one. But it was
to be a severe test to run new Journals
for a thousand miles with but few stop
pages.
ARRIVAL OF THE MAILS.
By half-past 3 o'clock in the morning
a large portion of the letter mail, which
consisted of the most of the collections
of the preceding day after the close of
the night mail dispatch, had been re-
ceived, but it seemed as if something
must be wrong with the newspaper
mail. There had been received and
slowed away nearly 20 tons of mail in
bags and bundles, in which were pack
ed the weeklies and periodicals, but the
great daily newspaper mail had not
come. A few minutes before 1
O'Clock, however, clatter of horses
hOofs and the sharp click and rumble
of the heavy truck wagons, were heard,
and soon steaming horses rushed up to
the doors of the white postal train,
which stood there like specter in the
night, and the huge bundles of newspa-
pers, wet from the press, were thrown
in. Tall, sinewy men in waiting, stand
ing like statues in their places, and ia
miliar with every motion of their work,
caught the huge bundles as rapidly Us
the skillful truckmen could deliver them.
The gymnastic exercises which were
performed were astonishing to witness,
and Notwithstanding the tOughness of
the sinews, and the skill of the muscles,
beads of perspiration were plainly visi-
BILE on the ruddy faces of the crew.
About 4. those men seemed Overwhelm-
ed with books, bundles, and sacks of all
shapes, colors, sizes, and lengths. AS
the finger of the clock advanced, the ac-
tiyity increased. At a minute before
quarter-past 4, the men at the doors
were apparently working for their lives.
Parcels of newspapers like cannon shot
hurled past them. Small packages like
were flying over their heads.
At last the minute hand showed that the
hour of o'clock and - minutes had
come to their rescue. Two minutes
more, and the voice of the conductor
was heard, clear and sharp in the MORN
ing air:
GALL ABOARD
The hand of the engineer who was to
guide the great train on its perilous
Journey was upon the throttle, and the
words were scarcely uttered before the
steam sped through the bowels of the
great engine, No. 81, Engineer, Pat
and the train began to move.
THE CATCHERS
in use along the line of the fast mail
train are the heaviest in the service.
They are twice as heavy as any that
have ever been used before. They
have been especially constructed to re-
sist the tremendous pressure which the
of the train will give them
in doing their work. They weigh 81
pounds, and cost the Government S15
each. The railroad company erectS
the cranes at their own expense, and
keeps them in order. For the use Of
this fast mail train it has been necessa-
~ to erect a crane at every poSt-office
on the line of the road. The catch
pouches are very different from the or
dinary mailbag. They are much long
er, have a ring at both ends, by means
of which they are held in an upright
position on the crane, and and are tied
in the middle, so that the catcher can
readily confine them in its iron grip.
The catcher-pouches, when hung upon
the crane, closely resemble an hour
glass. The drivers of the trains know