Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1881-09-08
THE FAMOUS RIDE.
story OF the Engineer Who Hum she
Train from Washington to
ElberOn.
Special to Chicago Times.

Engineer Page was the man who
brought the President through safely to-
day. He was most striking figure on
the train as it rushed up in front of the
Elberon this afternoon. His long beard
was doating in the wind, which was
blowing in from the sea. His swarthy
face was covered with dirt and cinders.
He stood erect and firm, and with an air
of pride in every feature that showed he
was conscious of duty we'll performed.
A representative of the Times boarded
the engine as he moved out from the Ell
boron to the West End Hotel station,
| and during that short time had a chat
with him about the trip.
"Did she behave we'll to-day on the
| tIip2" was asked
behave wells should say so. She
seemed to feel all that was required of
her. When on ordinary occasions take
her over the road she goes with jerk
| like, and raising herself, and goes gal
looping down, putting and snorting: but
this morning she glided away as gently
| as lady's mare, and even when l put
| her to her best-she went at the rate of a
mile in fifty three seconds-she seemed
TO hold her breath"
As he said this, he leaned out of the
| cab and looked at the engine as fondly
as rider Houlo st his favCrite horse.
"Then you did not limit the speed to
| forty five miles an hour, which was in
| tended7"
"Oh, no. That, you see, would only
have been three quarters of q mi e min
ute, and a good deal of the way We
made more than mile per minute"
"Dld the doctors and the President
know that you were going at that speeds .
"They did not, the first time / LEI her
GO; and I'll tell you," he said latter mo-
ment's hesitation, show I came to do it.
We left Washington at 6:37 this morn
ing. We ran down to Patapsco, thirty
seven miles out, at limited rate. There
we stopped three minutes. This stop,
like all the other stops made on the way,
was made to change cars, to water, and
allow the physicians to attend on the
President. saw one of the attendants
i guess it was Col. Rockwell-coming
down the platform, and 1 called out TO
him: How is the Prcsidenti' You see,
| though was not sure who he was felt
safe in calling him Colonel. He is do
| ing finely, Page came back the answer.
And does he feel the motions' 1 asked
Not st all Why, you are going SIS
| smoothly as carriage over an asphalt
pavement
WAS it there you began to think of
running little fasterin
well, yes; but as Bay View, our next
stopping place, was only eight miles
further, did not try until We started
from Bay View to Perryville, 70 miles
out from Washington. They sent word
that the President had been doing better
as the distance from the White House
was increasing, SO 1 thought l would
watch the engine, and if she went smooth
ly, try one mile little faster. Samokin,
the next halt, was forty-six miles further
on. The engine behaved beautifully,
and half way between Bay View and
Samokin went on the trial, and wen.
one mile in ffty-three seconds did
not feel jolt or jar as she went tearing
down the track, but knew then if the
| President had q mind be might get the
sea breezes sooner. We stopped seven
minutes at Samokin- called out to one