Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-09-10
THE RIDE TO ELRERON,
What the Engineer Said About 1t.
" She Glided Away as Gently as Lady .
Mare" -
S,nncial Ia the Ginni nnati Carat

Special to the Cincinnati Gazette.
WASHINGTON, September Z.
The engineer in charge of the Presidents
train yesterday was Mr.. Page, who has long
been regarded among the most reliable en-
gineers in the employ of the Pennsylvania
Railroad. He was The most striking figure
on the trim as it pushed up in front of Ell
beron yesterday afternoon. His long beard
was floating in the wind which was blowing
in from the sea, and his swarthy face was
covered with dirt and cinders. He stood
erect and firm, and with an air of conscious
pride In every feature that showed he was
conscious of a duty well performed. As
the engine moved from Eiberon to the
West End Hotel station, a chat was had
with him about the trip. sa.
Did she behave well to-day on the
trip?" was asked.
Behave we'll? l should say so. She
seemed to feel all that was required of her
| When on ordinary occasions | take her over
the road, she starts off with jerk like, and
raising herself, goes galloping down puff
J fng and snorting, but this morning she
! glided away as gently as lady's mare, and
even when put her to her best, and she
/ went on at the rate of mile in fifty three
| seconds. she seemed to hold her breath" p"
| AS he said this he leaned out of the cab and
! looked at engine as kindly as rider would
! at his favorite horse.
Ten you limited the speed to forty-hve
/ miles an hour, which was intended ?"
| "Oh, no, that you see would only have
! been three-quarters of mile to the minute,
and good deal of the way we made more
! than mile minute" .-'
! Did the doctors and the President know
you were going at that speed"
| "They did not the first time let her go,
and I'll tell you," he said, after moments
hesitation, chow 1 came to do it. We left
! Washington at 6.37 i'll the morning. We
ran down to Patapseo, thirty miles,
at the limited rate. There we stopped three
minutes. This stop, like all other stops
made on the way, was make to change
crews, to water and allow the physicians to
attend on the President. l saw one OF the
attendants, l guess it was Colonel Rockwell,
coming down the platform, and called out
to him,
! HOW Is THE PRESIDENT? =
You see, though I was not sure who he was,
[ felt kind of safe III calling him colonel.
"He is doing finely, Page came back the
answer. Does he feel the motion? q
asked. Net at all. Why, you are going
as smoothly as a carriage over an asphalt
pavement"
"Was it then you began running little
aster 2"
:sWell, yes. But as Bayview, our next
stopping place, was only eight miles further,
I did not try until we started from Bayview
to Perryyilie, seventy -eght milea out from
! Washington. They sent me word that the
President had been doing better and better
as the distance from the White House IN
c. L he
engine, and if she went emoothly try one
mile little faster. Lamokin, the next halt,
was forty-six miles further on. The engine
!. behaved beautifully, and half way. between
Bayview and Lamokin l went on with the
! trial, and went one mile in fftp-three Sec
onds. did not feel a jolt or jar as she
went tearing down the track, but knew
! then r that if the Presidene had a
mind he might get a sea breeze
| soon. We stopped seven minutes at Lamo-
! min, and I called out to one of the attend
ants. Did you notice any extra motion
| when we were going faster?' Why, no !
was the answer; were we travelling any
faster than forty five miles an hour !? Yes,
SIR says I, we went one mile in tifty-three
seconds WELL said he, l did not notice
| it, and am sure the President did not; I'll
go and ask Pretty soon saw him coming
j down the platform:
WHIP HER UP PAGE
/ whip her up he called out. The President
did not feel any extra motion. They were
all delighted to hear that we are getting
along faster, and the President said, Tell
him to go ahead; I want to get there.
Does he continue to improve p 1 asked
Yes; he said, a short time ago, I feel as
if I were on the road to recovery
AFTER these stops" was asked, "you
went pretty much at the speed you thought
best, according to your knowledge of the
! road 2" =
| Pretty much as l thought best, and the
engine behaved well right straight through.
/ She ran more smoothly than she. is running
now, and warrant you are not being much
shaken at this moment" -
81 suppose after this she win be the most
famous engine on the road ?'' -. -. .
! 'sYes, sir, and she ought to be. I guess
, she earned national reputation today"