The Red Cloud chief., 1883-07-13

the comfort of the traveller is the rate
Of continuous speed attained by q rail-
road train. The high rate Of the &C
commodation train does not offset the
worry and fret Of the frequent stops,
and q long run without getting over
much ground is an annoyance almost as
grevious rs being side-tracked in the
broiling sun on a hot summers day to
wait for a belatcd freight train or Al
~aggravating excursion which blocks the
way. England, - a recent essay by
Mr.. A. l.. Roch shows. snrpasses us
both in the number and speed Of its
fast trains; but Germany. though only a
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 1.-The Flying
Dutchman." which used tn cover the dis
lance between London and Bristol,
1881 miles, in two hours. Germany
follows with a train from Berlin to Han
over. which runs 1924 miles in three
hours and forty-cight minutes, which is
nj the rate of 5l.7 miles an hour.
The palm for speed in this country is
closely contested by the two companies
performing the service between Philx-
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 COMPETE
ton rs TO which road should make that
time the oftcner has been very sharp.
According to schedule. the train leaving
Jersey City by the Pennsylvania ut ssQs
p. m. runs 1t the rate of AIS miles IN
hour. while that on the Bound Brook
route runs at the rate of ALL, but has a
mile less distance 10 run and less popu-
lous towns To traverse. Ii 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. rs it does.
nine hundred and thirteen miles in
twenty-five hours. The fastest long
distance train, and the fastest tram for
any distance Of more than fifty miles, Is
the express on the Orleans line between.
Paris and Bordeaux, which ms three
hundred and fifty-nine 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. "
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-clsss
roads over which q passenger coach has
not been hauled al the rate Of q mile q
minute. Mr.. Vanderbilt has often
travelled one hundred miles ia one hun
dred minutes. and an engine has drawn
q single coach between Philadelphia and
New York in n~inety-five minutes. The
4:0S train previously spoken of always
runs some parts Of the distance at q rate
easiest run is from New Brunswick to
Trenton-twenty-five miles in twenty
six minutes and a half. This speed is
only possible, however. with = heavy
engine, heavy steel rails. a solid road
bea~a comparatively light train. slight
gradeA and easy curves. All of these
clements 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
between New York and Philadelphia
ten 70 fifteen minutes, without any
faster running than IL done on many
faster long stretches now The straight-
cning Of the track and the moving of
the bridge across tho HAssaic and tho
finishing Of the last cut through Bergen
Hill will save four minutes in the eight
miles between Newark and New York,
and the reducing Of the grade and sink
ing Of tracks through the northern part
OF fhiladelphia will help almost rs much
more. When the. work is completed
Ito WORK inone hundred minutes
Will bel e,.ity rather than . possible
ity.-RHiladelpks. Press.