The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-07-10
RICTN0 ON THE RAIL.
How q Pennsylvania TrnIr Heat tie Deia-
ware aud Incknwnnna Rival.


The local train on tho Pennsylvania Rail
road. which starts from Jersey City at 7:37 in
the evening. lcnpcd out Of the station on Monday
like charger that had been spurrcd. An
old gentleman in tho smoking ear said
" Boss mcl' with what little breath remained
in his body. and recovering his equilibrium
and his cigar. held tightly ON to the back Of tho
seat in front Of him. The telegraph poles n'w
by like spcctrcs; tho contiguous shop fronts
seemed solid streak of light and n
mad sort Of enorting rolled down
from the 10 Omohvn NJ IN the rushing wind. In
an instant the train was dying through the lin
its Of Jersey City. among those thickly- planted
buildings which are half tenement houses. half
pig pens and all wood. and out Of the right
hand windows passengers bcheld n shower Of
fiery sparks whiriing about tho precarous
roofs Of these. falling upon areas OF tar and dry
shingles. driving in at open windows and
pelting astonishcd citizens on their door
steps like q h"rce hail Passengers held
their breath aud thought. tho .co..i was
bad and the engineer had dropped on. But
after n minute, as the trim bounded and
leaned along the opcn flats, n conta ned
passenger whose long beard was blown back
oyer each shoulder ohs'rysl WIN som'thlng q
glee in his quiet tonesi Now therel be tun,"
and waved his hand in stately way to tho
nOrthward
Another train was coming along in the samo
Lacknwannn. II also WIS bounding under n
mad impulsion. and the smokestack upon its
lo"omotiv" was emitting . shower OF sparks.
Passengers then saw TINT there was n rurr.
Tho track Of the Delawnre AMI LackawAnnn
road makes sweep southwart Just beyond
Jersey City. and for the rest OF the distance to
Newark runs parallel with and only n few feet
separated from the Pennsylvania track. when
ME- passengers caught sight of the rival train u
was laundering down the curve. seemingly
bent ON strik their own ~ right angles But
IN a minute II turned. And me two locomotives
For moment neither drew n JOY ahead ~
IN" other. II was an unpleasant AMI yet ilsci-
mating sensation. The ron.hes ilnw strait nj
NJ die, swerving not hairs breadth either 10
! the right or 81 the l-it. striking the roadway
only ~ intervals, Negotiating the iron rails W IA
fierce. sharp blows. and seeming bent on strk-
| ing them in twain. Passengers looked nj one
another out OF their respective windows ia an
alarmed way. ~ il wondering which would be
annihilated first. The Delaware and Lacka-
wanna fireman threw open the door OF
his furnace and gorged L with coal. In
| response u million sparks lew from the fun
! net and danced backward, mingling brilliantly
with another million out Of the funnel Of the
sounding Pennsyivanian 10Th locomotives IN,
! Tying after them ground terrible music
| out ~ the iron track and struck fiery blows nj
every bound. SO near together were the two
| trains that tho passengers could almost have
| shaken hands across. But they were rival pas
sengers now. and glowered at one another
| under the fiery veil which the locomotives
| when the Delaware and Iackawanna fireman
| ma leu HIS N'N~i. n lbultI IRdI came uNWN
from the Pennsylvania iron horse. and
| IL known that the other fireman
! had done likewise Tho change for moment
was hardly perccptible. IL seemed as though
after the manner Of racing boats. first one loco.
motive and then the other was making morta
| spuris, drawing for the instant a lot ahead and
| then falling a lot behind. ike the boats. too
! 10 the passengers in the lrnnsylvania train
| their flying rival seemed at intervals to ift int
the air under its terrible impulses. and to ny
| unsupported sheer and clear abov" the track
| The whols locomotive shook and qnivered M Il
| a power had been let loose in II which was or
| the point Of bursting II nsunder. and the funne
| ratified and rOared with the mortal gasp,
| which drew upward through IL from tn,
tortured Interior But then. rs the swir
II sparks grew thicker and made mar
s-ngrrs saw that the massive pennsyl
| vanan was steadily drawing ahead. \ win
| dow 81 the last Delaware and 1arkawarni
chr dronped out Of sight and another
| This performance WIS gradually continued
| until the rear car " the Pennsylvania was OF
line with the Delaware and Lackawannai
| locomotive.
Then the driver Of the latter waved his han,
| after the manner Of a defeated man. and let th'
steam whistle from his veNcd boiler through
| open the door OF his furnace. and tn
| Delaware and Lackawanna train droppc,
| instantly out of sight. The heavy Pcnnsylva
| niun followed suit. The trail NJ sparks iron
! - the seats In front oi them, and she rntrre'
| Newark. ia another minute. after the staId man
| ner that ia usual % her kind.
During the race the Pennsylvania locomotiy
| ran at 4 rate of more than q mile "A minute. !
| had eight cars 20 draw. while the Delaware an'
| lnckawtuna engine had four. brake
| man on the Prnnsylvnnia train said tina
| those Delaware and LackuwRuna fellows w"r
| awully concerted aud had To- have IL taken GA
| of 'em. lie added that what had Just happene,
was the prriucsi sight IN the world.