The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-09-26
RUNNING THE FAST TRAIN.
Lightning s-Like Railroad Speed Between
New York and PhiIndelphia-A Mile in
Forty-Eisht Seconds.


Forty-Eisht Seconds.
The train leaving this city at 7.35 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 scarcely
obtained by any other 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 single
stop, while the return is six minutes
less, including two stops. This gives
rate in going, OF nearly fifty miles, and
in returning Of slightly more than fifty
miles an hour, SURPRISING that of the
celebrated Queens mail between Lon
don and Holyhesd, where the run of 264
miles occupies seven hours. At half
past seven o'clock on the morning when
Times man, by permission, boarded
the engine at the West Philadelphia
depot the steam guage marked 12O
pounds and "still rising" Precisely
five minutes later the bell clinked over
the engineers head, and almost stimuli
taneously he gave slight clutch OF the
lever and the train of four cars was of.
It stopped at Germantown Junction
thirteen 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
bisected at the same moderate speed
which had been adhered to through
| Ill IL - -
do better in order to reach Jersey City,
nearly sixty miles away at the appointed
time. 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 little less, and O
third in precisely sixty. Hurrah! 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 unu-
sual jolting, ana in the cars the passen-
gers were smoking, DOING or reading,
Just as though it was an ordinary train
in which they were riding. Just beyond
Princeton, the speed rose to the rate OF
a mile in fifty.eight seconds and con-
tinued it without diminutiop, except a
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 neighborhood of Menlo Park the
speed became prodigious, as il the loco
motive was snorting defiance to to the
wonderful Edison in his laboratory un-
der the hill.
In this neighborhood Conductor 81.
lance, with watch in hand, carefully
timed the train for three miles. The
first was passed in fifty-four seconds, the
second in fifty-two, and the third in fifty.
The last was seventy-two miles an hour.
The puffs from the engine had become 8
continuous shuddering roar; the driving
wheels were spinning around four hun
dred times minute-a half dozen times
a second-with q centrifugal force that,
it would seem, ought to shatter theil
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 tornado. Small
bridges were thundered 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 meteor in single hot
puff of air; you might yell to the en-
gineer, two feet distant, and yet he
would only see your lips move, without
hearing anything above the deafenine
roar of the engine, which browns every
thing except 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 huttering sc
fiercely in the wind that it seems il
danger of being blown off. The engineer
with his hand upon the lever watches,
with cat-like vigilance, the rails sweep.
ing under his wheels. The whole train
is constantly under his eye, and he never
allows his attention to be diverted for an
instant.
One Saturday morning, as the train
was approaching New Brunswick, and
before its speed had diminished, Ed
Osmond, the engineer, felt sudden
thump beneath him. It was repeated
instantly, and then his entire side of the
cab flew off as if from thunderbolt.
But the veteran knew like fash what
was coming when he heard the first
thump, and with one bound he threw
himself astride the boiler, shut of steam
and applied the automatic air brake
This stopped the train with such sud
denness as almost to throw the passen
gers off their seats; but no one was hurt
and the slight scratch of the engineer'i
nose and the blow on his arm did moi
prevent his running back to Philadel
phia in the evening. This is the only
accident which the fast train has encoun
tered since it began running on the Stt
of July last AS proof of the ease will
which the extraordinary speed is main
tained, it may be said that the train goc
into the Jersey City depot frequentl.
ahead of. the schedule time. One da,
the passengers began stepping off just
minute and half before the train wa
due. OF the twenty-nine trips from
West Philadelphia to New York, twenty
five were made on time connection. Th
train has been missed only twice. Ono
was ON account of the accident mention
ed, and the other was twelve minut
detention caused by an excursion trail
getting in the way. The other delay
were just two minutes apiece, occasione'
by the draw in the river. The returl
trip fails oftener, it being difficult to ge
away from Jersey city at the exact mo
ment, while the run is harder, includin!
more up grade.
The train generally consists of four o
five cars, including q palace one, an,
averages about 800 passengers day
1t is under the charge of Louis Silance