Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1879-03-28
THE FLYING CONGRESSMAN.
Fastest Time Ever Made Between The
West and the East...Goy. Whiteaker'S
Wonderful Ride.
r,,tshurs POST March 1;


response ~ n message from the demo-
cratic managers, asking him To como 10
Washington immediately. lie took "
special train and reached Portland, dis
taut LOO miles from his home. in good
time iof the steamer. On Saturday,
the Sth, the steamer started down the
Columbia river to Astoria, The first
vcNatious delay was had ut the bar
After weary wait, the boat started
across NJ ! O'Clock Sunday morning,
The weather was ugly, the water was
rough, and travel was tedious The
boat should have reached San Francisco
Ivy O'clock ON Tuesday morning last,
but, tossed about by the waves, she was
detained over twcnty,tour hours, She
arrived NJ San Francisco, distant 657
miles from Portland, vt $50 Wetlnes.
day morning. This train would have
taken him through to Washington bv
8 O'Clock Tuesday morning, March Is
early enough to he present NJ tho organ.
i1ation of congress.
News of his delay was tclcSMphcd to
Washington, and back went tho mes
sage, Take special train and come ON
at all hazards" The instructions to the
traveller was followed mp with arrange
ments for his journey. The special train
was provided. A man with n light craft
was instructed to pull up to the steamer
as she approached the SAN Francisco
wharf He obeyod the instructions, and
while other passengers were eagerly
awaiting the tedious process OF tying up
the steamer, Congressman Whiteaker
was in the little boat, cutting through
the water to Oakland. Al l035, or less
than nh hour from the time of leaving
tho steamer, he had reached Oakland,
had taken the special train, and was
soon atterward whooping across the
country over the Central Pacific ut the
rate Of forty-tiye miles an hour. Tho
intention was To overtakc the train
wnich he had missed. The special con-
sisted of locomotive and sleeper.
A clear track was given tho special
and on she sped ut terrible rate of
speed until Ogden WAS reached. TWEEN
ty-one hours had now been gained, but
tho regular train was still far ahead
There was no delay ut Ogden, but the
special continued her way, now on tho
Union Pacific, flying ut an enormous
speed across tho plains. Tho traveller
was determined to reach Washington
in time for organization, in spite of
wind, and tide, and railroad schedules
and, to be sure OF doing il, had given up
the idea of taking the train which he
had missed ut San Francisco. He de-
termined to stick to the special, and nj.
lowed no diminution in the speed Of
his own train. lie swept ON through
Wyoming and then through Nebraska
sometimes travelling at the ratio of for
ty.ivo miles an hour, sometimes less
than twenty-five, "hut always maintain
ing the average of over thirty miles nm
hour.
AT ESQ lasi aturday morning his
special pulled INTO tho depot nj Omaha,
having made the run from san Francis.
co, q distance OF ! ,92S miles, in sixty
four hours. Tho usual time for tho fast-
est train is 10l hours. The usual rate
OF speed - Nh average of not quito ninc.
teen miles AN hour. The average rate
ofCongresSman Whitcakers special was
something over thirty miles mn hour.
There was no detention nj Omaha. The
special continued her way now still
over another road. She loft Omaha on
Saturday last at 3:05 II. m. She pulled
up in Chicago at $40 p. M. She deliv-
cred her distinguished passenger ut Chi.
cago just in time to take the Atlantic
express over the Fort Wayne road. The
congressman hustled himself into the
Atlantic, and at halfpast O'clock was
still shooting over terra iirma, and was
now on the first schedule train since he
left his homo, 5000 miles away. lie
arrived in Plttsburg MT 1927 yesterday
afternoon.
On the Fort Wayne road he met tho
Hon. Henry Poehor and Mr.. Smith.
The party left hero last night III 500 on
the Fast Line over the Pennsylvania
railroad, and will arrive in Washington,
d. g., ut 9;02 O'Clock this morning.
With wind, tide, and railroad schedules
all against him Gov. Whitaker will still
reach his destination twenty-four hours
ahead Of the time expected when he
left home. His trip from San Francis.
co to Washington will have been made
in ono hour and twenty-three minutes
less than i've days, the fastest time on
record from west 70 east. The trip OF
Lawrence Barrett, and other theatrical
people from New York 10 San Francis.
co some time ago was made in some
thing less than six days. These gentle
men travelled from east to west with the
sun, but Gov. Whitaker travelled in n
contrary direction. They gained three
hours, because San Francisco time is
,hree hours slower than Washington
time. Congressman Whitaker lost
three hours for the same reason. lie
also lost nearly eight hours in this city
because there was no through train to
Washington before 8:06 p. m. The
theatrical people had the advantage also
Of previous arrangements on nil the rail.
roads. Gov. Whiteaker's special train
WAS put on the road at the shortest mo-
tice.
81. .