Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1878-08-29
LIGHTNING TINE.
From Philadelphia TO New York on
Fast Train---t Mile i'm Fifty Sec
PHILADELPHIA Times

Philadelphia Times.
Tne train leaving this city at 30 in
the morning for New York, over the
Pennsylvania railroad, is among the
fastest in the world. Indeed, "a portion
/ of the distance is made at a 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 a
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 ami Holyhead, where the run of
two hundred and sixty-four miles oc-
cupies seven hours. At 7:30 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 engineer s
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
bisected at the same moderate speed
which had been adhered to through
PHILADELPHIA. But it was necessary to
do 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 a. 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 IL which they
were riding. just beyond Princeton
the speed rose to Il 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 snorting 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 fifty-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 a centrifugal force that
it would seem, ought to shatter then
WhiZzing peripheries to atoms. The
day was hot one and the air was at q
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 a
!, single rumble as they whisked out OF
sight behind; the express train coming
from the opposite direction flashed by
like meteor in q 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 Oh
climbs around the engine with oil-can in
hand, his clothing futtering 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 fOl
an instant.
On Saturday morning, as the train
was approaching New Brunswick, anG
before its speed had diminished, Ed
Osmund, the engineer, felt a sudden
thump beneath him. 1t was repeated
instantly and then his entire side O
! the cab flew off rs from thunderbolt
But the veteran knew like a fiasl
what was coming when he heard the
first thump, and with one bound he
threw himself astride the boiler, shu
off the steam and applied the auto
I matte air-brake. This stopped the
train with such suddenness as almos
to throw the passengers off then
, seats; but no one was hurt, anC
the slight scratch of the engineers
nose and the blow upon his arm die
l not prevent his running back to Phila
delphia in the evening. This is The
only accident which the fast train las
encountered since it began running OF
on the Sth of July last. As proof O
I the ease with which the extraordinary
2 speed is maintained, it may be saiC
l that the train goes into the Jersey City
depot frequently ahead of its schedule
time. On Friday the passengers begar
, stepping off just minute and a hal
before the train was due. Of the
twenty-nine trips from West Philadei
phia to New York, twenty-five were
made on time connection. The train
boat was missed only twice. Once was
, on account of the accident mentioned
! and the other was twelve minute de
i tentiOn caused by an excursion trair
/ getting in the way. The other delays
were just two minutes apiece, occa
: stoned by the draw in the river. The
return trip fails oftener, it being diff
: cult to get away from Jersey City, a
the exact moment, while the run i:
harder, including more up grades.
The train generally consists of foul
| or five cars, including a palace one
| and averages about three hundred pas
II
] of Louis Stance, an experienced con
61IatOr while tho 4uC onoIDoC ,1-b7 al