The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-05-15
SIXTY MILES IN AN HOUR.
THE FLYING TRIP OF THE PENNSYL-
VlNIA RAILROAD PAY CAR.


The pay car OF the New York division OF
the Pennsylvania Railroad rolled into the Jer-
sey City depot at O'Clock yesterday afternoon
with no more money in 1t than acting Paymastor
Shrrefs and his assistants had about their
clothes. Twenty-iour hours earlier 1t started out
OF the same yard with bundle OF envelopes con-
tanning t150.000 The pay car is an ordinary pas
senger coach stripped OF its seats and supplied
with high wire partition at ono end. behind
which is the paymasters desk. The rest OF the
car is saloon. fitted with tables and chairs.
The rear door opening into this saloon is fast
ened with lock that would bother a bank rob-
ber. On the desk are three great books whose
pages are tho division pay rolls for the three
branches OF the service under which the en-
ployees are classified. These are the " trans
portaton men," the motive power men," and
| the maintenance OF way men," Tho trans
| portaton men are the conductors baggage
men. brakemen station agents. ticket statesmen.
&c. They number this month about 200. The
motive power men are the engineers. nremen.
machnists. carpenters. and all those who work
in tho shops and round houses. They number
| 1900. The maintenance OF way men are known
| to the public as trackmen. There are thou
sand OF these. Therefore the paymastcr divided
the pleasure OF his trip among 800 railroad
| men.
Before the pay car started down tho road the
| hands In the Jersey City depot and yard were
paid over tho car counter. and n special mes
senger ran down to the meadow shops" half
way to Newark and paid the men Mt work
| there ut one time. and II they were given an
hour to 20 to the depot and get their money the
work-which would be equal 10 giving one
skilled man six months holiday on pay.
| As the train moved down the road tho en-
| ployecs who had been notified 10y telegraph Of
| the exact hour at which the pay car would
reach them were waiting at the stations, and
was spent ut any point-eyen at Newark or
IrentonEuntll the car reached Bristol. Pa. IN
ing, emptied of its contents and left idle until
| early morning.
| or bills Checks are made to serve the pur-
pose. II there is any part OF the journey
that resembles a pleasure tour II is the home
| way cleared OF everything that could cause
either danger or delay. this tiny train. COM
| the capacity OF steam power after a fashion that
would make Mississippi steamboat captain
| uneasy. And yet its accidents have been few.
| Once when II was tearing around curve. It
| struck a hand car. and the frightened train
nhnus elhtnoereu uown On tlc psiol anu saw VIVA.
seemed TO confirm their worst fears. The front
Of the engine was Uttered with clothing But
careful search revealed nothing else than cloth;
ing, and information that came soon afterward
| told of the escape OF the laborers before their
frail vehicle was struck. Not long ago there
were picked up in one OF the Trenton tunnels
the remains OF a man who had been struck by a
train and who was so mangled that identihca-
ton seemed impossible. The corner Of an en-
| velope bearing his name. which was found In
| his clothing. showed that he had been paid his
salary onty three hours before. just month
news came that the fast four" had struck
man on the New Brunswick Bridge. This
| train Is one Of the fastest in the world. Its
schedule time is sixty miles an hour. Tho man
| had been warned that II was coming. but said
over the bridge ahead OF it, II is said To be an
| actual fact that his body was thrown fifty feet
into the air. 1t fell into the river twenty feet
| below
The journey was made partly on tho engine
| and partly in the car. On the engine 1t was mo-
uced that NJ full speed the motion Is much less
perceptbo than in the car 4 car swings side-
| ways with more or less violenco; locomotive
| strains forward and seems TO pound down
ward on the forward truck. Express trains
approaching with the switness Of the
wind seem to be standing still until they
are alongside. when they flash by with
roar that only lasts second. From
the cab window the view OF the country
| Near at hand the side track and the fences rush
madly along as 4 in death struggle 70 over
| take the train; sidings and cross tracks swing
| to and fro with clash and glitter that startle
anovice Far away the landscape moves in two
| distinct arcs. the farthest objects appearing to
curve majesticay toward the track IN front
while those nearer the railway start away from
/ before the train and describe a graceful line
that brings them toward the track again in the
rear The panorama bcwilders the brain and
tires the eye; Curves that seem to threaten de-
| struction unless the engine slows up, are lost 10
| the eye as they are rounded. and are only per
ceived by the grinding OF tho driving wheels.
| that accommodate themselves TO the change OF
track stinly and only at the last moment. Be-
hind, from the rear door OF the car there Is the
same unwinding Of flowing ribbons Of steel as
when the train moves at an ordinary rate Of
| speed.
| When some one waved his hand at pretty girl
| on country road. 1t reminded the others Of the
factory owner on the line5who wrote to the ofl-
GERS OF the road to request that an order be Is
sued commanding all train men TO desist from
kissing their hands at his female employees.
on "a" monument OF ties by he roadsiie, theS
| provoked the remark that four-track railroad
was particularly unhealthy tramping ground:
| II seems that trnmps who step from 10 front Of
q train that they see comi Ing down upon
them frequently step in front Of another
always fatal. All the railroad men know Of
other railroad men and citizens who had been
struck by trains and are now alive and we'll,
One man said that the tramps on the Psnnsyl-
vania road are often the virtual masters OF
the trains they ride on. As, many as
freight" A story is told OF Billy
Giles. when he was paymaster Of the
sev Southern. He was alone In his office. where
large amount Of money was stored. Suddenly
filIed the room. Giles is little man. The
roughs demanded money, Giles was fright,
ened. They said they would kiIl him Il he did
pulled ont an old rattle trap pistol that had not
been loaded for years. He was afraid
1t up He pointed. it at the throng
and then he was afraid to speak for fear his
| voice would betray his state Of mind. He made
an attempt however, and fortunately his voice
| sounded fearless and stern. - Ii there Is ono
| id man in this room one minute from
now" said he looking up at the clock. " I'll
| blow the top Of his head of" There was not
man within sight OF the building when the time
| expired.
While the, stories were yet unfinished. a
gong in the car rang out shrill and
clear 1t was the alarm Of tho
| track tester that had been adjusted for n mo-
ment that II might be exhibited to n visitor,
The track tester" is an ingenious contriv-
ance, consisting OF heavy double hammer set
| up on an upright steel spring 4 gong is placed
at each side OF the hammer. While the road
that is passed over presents an even surface,
| the hammer remains still or vibratcs gently;
! but when n rail is sunken or spread" or
| battered. tho hammer IL swung out OF place.
| and hits the gong on the opposite side.
| Near by is an ordinary telegraph register
| contalni ng tape that represents the track, and
these defects are recorded upon il, SO that tie
trackmaster can De- made aware Of whatever
| repairs are needed in his division.
| The road is being rock balasted from Now
York to Philadelphia. The ballast is obtained
| from the narrow cut" through the Bergen
| heights Just back Of Jersey CITY, An
immense work is being undertaken there.
| This cut" which was made for the
New Jersey Transportation Company in the
| a