Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1878-08-28

From Philadelphia to New York on q
Fast Train...A Mile in Fifty Sec.

From Philadelphia to New York ON a
Fast Train...t Mile in Fifty Sec.
OmdS.
Philadelphia Times
The train leaving this city ut Z SO in
the morning for New York, over the
Pennsylvania railroad, is among the
fastest in the world. Indeed, portion
of the distance is made at rate scarce.
ly attained by any road in Europe or
America. The distance between West
Philadelphia and Jersey city is eighty
nine miles, accomplished in one
hour and fifty-four minutes, with 4
single stop, while the return is six min
utes less, including two stops. This
gives a rate, in going. of nearly fifty
miles an hour, surprising that of the
celebrated Queens mail between Lon
don anu Hoiyhead, where the run Of
two hundred and sixty-four miles oc-
cupies seven hours. AT 100 O'Clock
Friday morning, when the Times man,
by permission, boarded the engine at
the West Philadelphia depot, the steam
gauge marked 100 pounds and "still
rising" Precisely five minutes later
the bell clinked over the engineers
head, and almost simultaneously he
gave slight clutch of the lever and
the train of four cars was off. 1t
stopped at Germantown Junction thir-
teen minutes later. AS soon as the
engine got clear of the suburbs she
shrieked and bounded away at greater
speed. About twenty minutes after it
wound its way through Bristol, and in
still less time the iron bridge over the
Delaware was sighted and Trenton was
blsected at the same moderate speed
which had been adhered to through
Philadelphia. But it was necessary to
90 better in order to reach Jersey City,
nearly six miles away, at the appointed
minute. Trenton was scarcely passed
when the engineer touched up his
steed. Between the first two mile posts
noted the distance was passed in sixty
three seconds; the next in q little less
and the third in precisely sixty. Hur-
rah! The train was spinning along at
the rate Of mile minute. And yet
everything proceeded with so much
smoothness that it was impossible to
appreciate the amazing swiftness. There
was no unusual jolting, and in the cars
the passengers were smoking, doing
and reading, just as though it was
an ordinary train in which they
were riding. Just beyond Princeton
the speed rose to rate of mile
in fifty-eight seconds, and continued it
without diminution, except slight
"slowing up" at Monmouth junction,
until New Brunswick was in view. As
soon as the town was left behind the
engine was at it again, and in the neigh
borhood of Menlo Park the speed be-
came prodigious, as if the locomotive
was snoring defiance to the wonderful
Edison in his laboratory under the hill.
In this neighborhood Conductor ST.
lance, with watch in hand, carefully
timed the train for three miles. The
first was passed in fifty-four seconds,
the second in fiety-two and the third in
fifty. The puffs from the engine had
become continuous shuddering roar;
the driving-wheels were spinning around
400 times minute-a half-dozen times
a second-with centrifugal force that,
it would seem, ought to shsstter their
whizzing peripheries to atoms. The
day was hot one and the air was at
dead calm, but it rushed through the
narrow door in front Of the engine like
a tornado. Small bridges were thun-
dered over so quickly that they gave
single rumble as they whisked out of
sight behind; the express train coming
from the opposite direction flashed by
like q meteor in a single hot puff of air;
you might yell to the engineer, two feet
distant, and yet he would only see your
lips move without hearing anything
above the dreadful roar of the engine,
which browns everything excepting the
shrek of the whistle. All the time the
fireman steadily shovels in coal or
climbs around the engine with oil-can in
hand, his clothing fluttering SO fiercely
in the wind that it seems in danger of
Of being blown off. The engineer with
his hand upon the lever watches, with
a cat-like vigilance, the rails sweeping
under his wheels. The whole train is
constantly under his eye, and he never
allows his attention to be diverted for
an instant.
On Saturday morning, as the train
was approaching New Brunswick, and
before its speed had diminished, Ed.
Osmund, the engineer, felt sudden
thump beneath him. 1t was repeated
instantly and then his entire side of
the cab flew off as from thunderbolt.
But the veteran knew like flash
what was coming when he heard the
first thump, and with one bound he
threw himself astride the boiler, shut
off the steam and applied the auto
matte air-brake. This stopped the
train with such suddenness as almost
To flxnlIt he nH l.