Democratic messenger., 1881-09-17
ENGINEER PAGE AND NO. 65s.
Notes on the Trip from Washington
to Long Branch.
From the New York SUM-


[From the New York SUM-
"Did she behave well to-day on the
journey?" he asked.
Behave well I should say so. She
seemed to feel what was required of her.
This morning she glided away as gently
as q ladys carriage horse, and even
when / put her to her pace, and she
went along at the rate of a mile in 53
seconds, she seemed to hold her
breath"
As Engineer Page said this he leaned
out of the cab, and looked at his en-
CINE as kindly as rider would look at
his favorite horse.
"Then you didn't limit the speed to
40 miles an hour, as was originally in
tended ?" he asked.
"Oh, no ; that, you see, would have
been only three quarters of a mile to a
minute. But good deal of the way we
made more than mile a minute"
"Did the doctors and President know
you were going at that rate ?"
"They didn't the first time 1 let her
go. But I'll tell you how I came to do
it. We left Washington at 6:37 ,this
morning. We ran down to Pats{5sco,
81 miles out, at the limited rate. There
we stopped three minutes. This stop,
like all the other stops on the way, was
made TO change crews, to water, and to
allow the physicians to attend on the
President. saw one of the attendants
Il guess it was Col. Rockwell-coming
down the platform, and ] called out to
him, Colonel, how is the Preside Mt p
You see, though wasn't sure who he
was, / felt kind of safe in calling him
colonel" "a ..s....- ...... =.
"'He's doing finely, Page came
back the answer"
"'Does he feel the motion 2 asked.
I" Not at all, he answered. why.
you're going as smoothly as a carriage
over an asphalt pavement. :"
''Was it then you began to think of
running little faster ?" )
"Well, yes. But Bay View our next
stopping place, was only eight miles,
further, so I didn't try it until we
started from Bay View for Perryville,
rs miles out from Washington. There
they sent me word that the President
had been doing better and better, so i
thought I'd watch the engine, and if
she went smoothly try one mile a little
faster. Shamoken, where we were to
have the next halt, was 46 miles further
on. The engine behaved beautifully;
so, half way between Bay View and La
moken, threw open the throttle and
let her go one mile in So. seconds. l
did feel jolt or jar as she went tear
ing down the track, and / knew then
that if the President had mind he
might get the sea breeze sooner. We
stopped seven minutes at Lamoken. /
called out to one of the attendants,
Did you notice any extra motion when
we were going so fast p
"'Why, no, was the reply. Were
we travelling faster than As miles an
hour?'
"' Yes, SIR says I, I'VE went one
mile in SO seconds.
"'Well, said he, 4 didn't notice it
and I'm sure the President didn't. I'll
go and ask
''Pretty soon saw him coming down
the platform. Whip her up, Page,
whip her up he called out. The
President didn't feel any extra motion.
They were all delighted to hear that
we could get along faster, and the
President said "Tell him to go
ahead. I want to get there" A short
time ago he said '.I feel as though
I were on the road to recovery. ~
''After that : went pretty much at
the speed / thought best, according to
my knowledge of the road"
81 suppose after this" said the re-
porter, ''your engine will be the most
famous one on the road ?"
eyes, sir; and she ought to be. l
guess she earned a national reputation
that day."
Engineer Page has been for twenty
five years in the employ of the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad Company. He is forty
two years old, weighs 160 pounds, has
light blue eyes and sandy whiskers. He
began as fireman for his father, Ralph
Page, who was also for many years a
trusted engineer on the road, and was
selected to take charge of the train that
brought the body of President Lincoln
to New York on the way to its final
resting place. After firing for his father
several years he was promoted for faith
full service, and has for several years
had charge of the limited Washington
express train.
Ga4A