The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-07-13
THE SHAW LOCOMOTIVE.
How 1t Feels To Be Drawn Through the All
at Sixty.Five Miles an Hour.

How 1t Feels To Be Drawn Through the Air
at Sixty.Five Miles an Hour.
Chicago Herald.
The Shaw pulled out with 100 pounds of
steam and sneaked out over the draw bridges
and through the outskirts of Milwaukee
with a kind of "oh-just-look-at-me' motion
that suggested a schoolboy's innocent run
for melon patch. Word had been passed
to Mr. Lockwood's engineer and to Mr.. Hill,
OF the Northwestern, that the first test might
be made on the ten-mile run between St
Francis and the county line Professor Dud-
ley had disconnected his track inspection APP
paratus, but left in play the machine for reg
istering speed. At St. Francis the SHAW
suddenly gathered herself up, and with low,
deep snort, shot by the little station hoase like
flash. Her every movement was watched
with the keenest interest by the railway Of
ficials. There was nothing of that jerking,
humping, vibratory motion other engines
have, but the machinery worked smooth and
regular. But for tine roar of the wheels on
the rails her movement would have been as
noiseless as that of the finest stationary en-
CINE. A moment or two, and Professor Dud-
ley looked at his dynograph' She is rum
ming pretty sharp now" he said in his quiet
way. How much?' asked Mr.. Laying.
''Sixty-one miles an hour?'' said the PROBES
sor. Mr.. Laying looked satisfied, but MIR.
Dudley motioned 10 the engineer to let her
out. A Herald man, who was of the party,
sat in the front window and watched the flu
rious steed as it shook itself, and seemed like
a living thing to reach out for rein and bit.
Down at the side the cranks on the drivers
were going in a perfect whirr-so fast the eye
could not begin to follow them-and the
great driving wheels spun like buzz-saws. ID.
1t was a thrilling sight-the flying smoke,
and steam, and cinders, the men in the cab
holding on as if for life, the engineer hold
ing with steady hand the throttle, the bell
rung automatically by the swaying engine
but above all, the terrific effect of dashing
into curves ahead, over bridges, and frogs,
and switches, with Kissing zip that con-
veyed too well the horror of a mishap at that
frightful speed.
"Hoy fast?" said Mr. Lockwood
THE last mile iii fifty -four seconds. We
are running now at sixty-four miles an
hour" said the Professor The next mile
was made in fifty seconds, and the five
miles out from st. Francis was covered in
four minutes and forty-five seconds. Mr..
Laying finally told his division superintend-
ent that that would do for the present; and
the engine slowed down to about forty-five
miles an hour, and at that speed seemed to
be only sneaking along.
One feature of the high speed was the per-
feet smoothness of the roadbed, and the soft
gliding swing of the cars. Mr.. Layngs pr-
vate car seemed to slip over the rails noise
| leSsly, and with an absence of jar or motion
that was surprising. Another very fast run
was made from Lake Forest to Highland
Park, and that distance was covered at the
rate of sixty-five miles an hour, one mile of
it being covered in exactly fifty-one seconds
or sxty-eght miles an hour.
During that run the Herald man sat
perched up in the cab of the engine, and the
sensation of being hurled over the ground at
that speed was terrific. Fences along the
road seemed devoid of posts and the rails
looked like a continuous blurr. A
gang of track-repairers were close to the
track as the train shot by The reporter had
just time to see one knocked over by the
atmospheric force created by the rushing en-
CINE, and the Others bracing themselves
against it. At little station called High
wood some ladies stood on the platform-a
mere glance in which not even the color of
their dresses could be Observation-Disclosures
they were gone. A few rods further on a
dog came bounding out. He gave one faint
bark, barely heard. when he got caught in
the atmospheric swirl and went rolling over
and over heels over head The grass along
the road was laid fiat by the rush, and even
trees swayed as the monstrous force hurled
by, At Evanston the special overlook a
regular train, and from that point on there
was no unusual speed.