The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-07-06
The Herald Special Train
to Niagara.
Carrying News at the rate OF
q Mile a Minute.
-Four Hundred and Seventy Miles
In Eleven Hours.
Scenes on the ROad-POpular Enthusiasm
Novel Way Of Celebrating the Glorious
Fourth-Stanch Engines and
Pfucky Engineers.

AT q quarter TO Two O'Clock on sunday morning
a team OF white horses, with wagon at
tsched, left the HERALD once al fast trot with
an immense pile Of papers tor a train that was
impatiently awaiting them at the Forty'second
street Grand CentraD depot Thousands OF sunday
HRRALDs were piled up In apparently inextrcable
confusion, and among them nestled few OF the
Spartan band that adopted such an exciting
method OF celebrating our ninety-ninth ami
yersary OF the Declaration OF American lndepen-
dence. CD Broadway, and aiterward Fifth ave-
nue., went the precious consignment OF news,
and many bright star IN the clear sky ABOVE
wlnked approval OF the enterprise that suggested
such an early Fourth OF July excursion for the
laudaole purpose OF telling people outside OF the
metropolis what was going on in the world The
day before. The pig depot was silent and quiet
when the HERALD wagon drove in and transferred
It's journalistic freight 10 the baggage car. When
the wagon started from the HERALD of1lce there
was quite a delegation OF 'farewellers' on Ann
street, but at the depot when the half hour struck
even the patriotic small boy was In the arms OF
Morpheus. But the stars above watcned with in
tense interest tat least so II seemed from their
peculiar style OF winKing) the Inauguration OF
centennial feature in journalism. The last pre-
hminary bunch of 6recrackers, with Its insane
juvenile patriot dancing madly over its exploding
empers, had sunk into smoke and nothing
.gentlemanly'i that is we believe the correct
expression) amateur conductor sang out in stem
torian tones GAN aboard" There was an engine,
No. TO lately overhauled at the repair yard, with
a stal wart engineer, Nat Sawyer, who has all the
chlvalrlc spirit OF an ancient paladIn; baggage
car, IN which seven folders stripped to the waist
and working away for dear lie st the PIE OF
HERALDs before them getting them Into bundles
for the various points on the 470-mle route, and
passenger car in which every seat was occupied
by laoies and gentlemen desirous Of trying
AN UNPRECEDENTED RATE OF SPEED
and an entire revolution In rallroading. spuyten
Duyvll Creek where Manhattan Isl and receives an
anectionate au reuotr, was reached in twenty
mlnutes the dark tunnels from the Grand Gen.
trial depot Tying past as II the train was proJec-
tile in the hands OF an experienced rineman.
DonneIly the representative conductor OF the
Hudson River Railroad, told the busy folders that
they were making fast time, which the perspiring
boys took as personal compliment. He meant
the train. In the baggage car the dim lamps
threw q ntful light over the work Of the faithful
seven who soon had q score OF bundles OF papers
ready for the nearest points on the line. For the
nrst nour this car was scene OF intense excite
ment It was race against time and the folders
came in winners.
The gentlemanly conductor looked in occasion
ally and pulled his long mustache and endeav-
ored to tell story. put the lightning rush OF the
train rendered all ears deaf for the moment.
Every passenger on the train was presented with
A COPY OF Sundays HERALD, and, conseq uently
sleep was dispensed with for the time being.
Outside the baggage car was long streamer, on
which was painted, "NEv YORK HERALD Lightning
Expressn At Hastings the first bundle or papers
was delivered. At the rear OF the train stood
news agent, who from long experience has become
fraA and m
the Hudson River road. Suddenly there was
nash OF light athwart the wnlrwind OF dust, a
single CRY and the bundle OF HEBALDS dropped in
the centre OF the track.
on SPED THE TRAIN,
gathering fresh speed at every mile. until the
stations went past in the darkness like meteors
on a summer night Around curves, through
rocky tunnels, across switches or on a straight
stretch, on which the engine seemed TO ny, went
the train, and conversation was soon nushed In
mute admiration OF the rate OF speed made
during those "wee sma' hours" Bundle alter
bundle OF HERALDs was dropped just in time, and
even as the train tore along through the dark q
glimpse could be caught Of the ready news agent
or a rowboat with its two rowers ready to cross
the Hudson AFTER the desired package OF papers
reached tAeir hands.
rHH FOLLOWING SCHEDULE
will show how 9 great deal OF WORK can be done
IN a small space OF time. Bundles Of HERALDs
we're dropped at the subjoned stations :-Hastings,
Dobosi Ferry, IrVington, Tarrytown (here row.
boat took lot OF papers 90 EYack), Sing Sing,
PeeKskfl, Garrisons Chere . rowDoat at an early
hour took the HERALD to west PoinD, Cold
Spring boat TO CorHwaIl, Dutcness Junction,
Fishknl Qowooat to Newburg), New Hamburg
where poor Doc. simmons aud thirty of bis pas
sengers met terrible death four years ago (here
n IT,, Ef.Ito
keepss, RhinebecK lboat 10 Rondout and King
ston), BarrytoWn, TIvoh tboat to Saugerues),
CatskiIl station (bOat and stage TO Mountain
House and other hotelsl, Hudson boat to Atnens),
CoxsacKie, Albany, schenectady wagons to Sara
toga, Lake George and intermediate points,, Am
sterdam, Fonda, Palatlne Bridge Sharon Sprlngs),
Fort Pam, Little Fails, lion, Uuca, Rome
Oneida, syracuse, hemPnls, Clyde. Palmyra,
ESese sS[. Bat1Vai S1ns0 Connecting WITH
sion Brioge connecting with Great Western Raul
Al Pougnkeepsie, over seventy miles this side OF
| Albany, engine NO. 10 commenced 10 smoke onl-
inously. she had Just come from che repair yard,
and, IKE horse Just saken on the grass she was
Every resn,H as tne engineer said. Tne boxes
| were at white heat and considerable de-
cooled down and they we're in a less nuid
state than even some Of the Plymouth church
MS rudy face with It's bus6y friose Of ses ard
showed evident signs OF discomfort with the
engine. Now Il Is seldom that one nnds en-
! Glneer accusing LIS engine. he generally PETS lt
a. II 1t were spoiled chld But MAJ was en-
phatic In his remarkA
TOLD TIE KN0rNE
AZ n IL wero sensible beng 10 beware N she
went back on hlmn and ap Ustroph sed her In the
most eloquent manner. Bat heSted journals, like
theIr represent atives on the press, get led
Down. AZ last No. 10 was in full running trim,
and Nat mounted his seat OF responsibility aad
honor. A couple OF journalists got into the cab,
under the mistaken idea that they knew ell about
cheated journals" Then Nat sald, eI,ook cut,
soysi over q mile q minute n0w.n The engine
proved itself q trump in making the trip rom
Poughkeepsis 70 Albany IN little over an hour.
/ TWO men descended from tae cab al the state
| capital black enough TO be end men In minstrel
| troupe. The imperturbable sawyer, fhand on
/ lever looked ahead during this unprecedented
run as calmly and quietly as II he were In a
billiard saloon Win cue In his hand. In fact he
| even Attempted TO exchange grim JOKES on she
i way.
AZ Albany we reached tue New York Central
/ Railroad. Mr.. I1lhngRast, the Supe nntendeDt OF
] the Eastern division OF the road, toOk Command,
and sam Austin brought out engine No. 2S5 AZ
substitute Tor tns gallant l0comouve that teok us
/ safely 70 Albany. few hours and we were at
/ Syracuse Here twenty-One minutes were Loaf,
/ and a serious task devOved upon the next a.