The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-06-28
A MILE 4 MINUTE.
Railroad Trains Which Have Become Mar
vels Of Speed

|
By far the most important element In
the comfort of the traveller Is the rate of
continuous speed attained by a railroad
train. The high rate of the accommoda-
| ton train does not offset the worry and
fret of the frequent stops, and long
run without getting over much ground
is an annoyance almost as grievous as
being side-tracked in the broiling sun on
a hot summers day to wait for a belaid
freight train or an aggravating excur-
sion which blocks the way. England,
as a recent essay by Mr.. A. l.. Roch
shows, surpasses us both In the number
and speed of its fast trains, but Ger
many, though only little behind, can
hardly claim any superiority over this
country in the matter of fast trains.
The fastest train in the world for some
years, and it probably is so still, though
its time has been somewhat reduced, is
The Flying Dutchman," which used
to cover the distance between London
and Bristol, 1851 miles, in two hours.
Germany follows with train from Ber-
lin to Hanover, which runs 1924 miles
in three hours and forty eight minutes,
which is at the rate of ST. miles an
| hour.
The palm for speed in this country is
closely contested by the two companies
performing the service between Phila-
delphia and New York During the
| Centennial two hours and a half was
the shortest time known between New
York and Philadelphia. Since then two
hour trains have become frequent upon
| the timetable, and the competition as
to which road should make that time
the oftener has been very sharp. Ac-
! cording to the schedule, the train leav-
ing Jersey City by the Pennsylvania at
4:08 P. NJ. runs at the rate of 47.8 miles
an hour, while that on the Bound Brook
route runs at the rate of All, but has q
mile less distance to run and less popu-
lous towns to traverse. 1t is difficult to
say which best deserves the palm for
fast time. For long distance the New
York and Chicago limited is without a
rival in the world, making, as it does,
913 miles in twenty-five hours. The
fastest long-distance train, and the fast
| est train for any distance of more than
fifty miles, is the express on the Orleans
line between Paris and Bordeaux, which
runs 359 miles in nine hours and ten
minutes, or thirty-nine miles an hour.
The elements entering into the short
ening of time between two distances are
many and they increase rapidly, even
| out of proportion to the gain in the
speed. Exceptional runs have been
made on nearly every railway in the
country, and there are few first-class
roads over which passenger coach has
not been hauled at the rate of mile a
minute Mr. Vanderbilt has often
travelled one hundred miles in one hun
dred minutes, and an engine has drawn
single coach between Philadelphia and
New York in ninety-tive minutes. The
4:0S train previously spoken of always
runs some parts of the distance at q rate
of more than mile 4 minute, and its
easiest run is from New Brunswick to
| Trenton-twenty-liv miles in twenty
| six minutes and half. The speed is
only possible, however, with heavy
engine, heavy steel rails, solid road
bed, a comparatively light train, slight
grades, and easy curves. All of these
elements have their force, and how great
| force will be better understood when it
| is known that the improvements now
making on the Pennsylvania will enable
the company to shorten the time be-
tween New York and Philadelphia ten
to fifteen minutes, without any faster
running than is done on many long
stretches now. The Strengthening Of
the track and the moving of the bridge
across the Passalc and the finishing of
the last cut through Bergen hill will
save four minutes in the eight miles be-
tween Newark and New York, and the
reducing of the grade and sinking of
tracks through the northern part of
Philadelphia will help almost as much
more. When the work is completed
''to New York in one hundred minutes"
will be n reality rather than possibil-
-PhiladeLphia Press.