The Brookhaven leader., 1883-06-14
A Mile a Minute.

By far the most important element in
the comfort of the traveller is the rate
of continuous speed attained by rail-
road train. The high rate of the ac-
commodation 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
grevious as being side-tracked in the
broiling sun on hot summers day to
wait for belated freight train or an
aggravating excursion which blocks the
way. England, as recent essay by
Mr.. A. L. Roch shows, surpasses us
both in the number and speed of its
fast trains; but Germany, 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
been somewhat reduced, is 1.-THE Flying
Dutchman," which used to cover the dis
lance between London and Bristol,
1881 miles, in two hours. Germany
follows with train from Berlin to Han
over, which runs 1921 miles in three
hours and forty-eight minutes, which is
at the rate of 51.7 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 COMPETE
ton as to which road should make that
time the oftener has been very sharp.
According to schedule, the train leaving
jersey City by the Pennsylvania at 4:OS
D. m. runs at the rate of 47.S miles an
hour, while that on the Bound Brook
route runs at the rate of ALI, but has a
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,
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 runs three
hundred and fifty-nine miles in nine
hours and ten minutes, or thirty-nine
miles an hour. ~ s.s
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 frst-class
roads over which passenger coach has
not been hauled at the rate of mile
minute. Mr.. Vanderbilt has often
travelled one hundred miles in one hun
dred minutes, and an engine has drawn
a single coach between Philadelphia and
New York in ninety-fve minutes. The
4:OS train previously spoken off always
runs some parts of the distance alta rate
of more than a mile minute, and its
easiest run is from New Brunswick to
Trenton-twenty-fiv miles in twenty
six minutes'and half. This speed is
! only possible, however. with a heavy
| engine, heavy steel rails, q solid road
bed, a comparatively light train, slight
grades 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 to fifteen minutes, without any
faster running than is done on many
faster long stretches now, The straight
ening Of the track and the moving Of
the bridge across the Passaic and the
finishing Of the last cut through Bergen
Hill win save four minutes in the eight
miles between Newark and New York,
and the reducing of the grade andlsink-
ing of tracks through Ahe northern part
of Philadelphia viii ipaimost as much
more. When the work is completed
"to New York in one hundred minutes"
viii be reality rather than possible.
J ity.-Rhiladesphie Prsss