The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-06-29
NINE. PATHS SPECIAL TRAIN.
How La Grande Diva VIII Travel Next Sea-
soma Train of 'Mann BoudOir" Cars.

soma Train of "Mann BOudOir" Cars.
Troy Times.
Whe Colonel Mapleson sailed for Europe
it was announced that he had concluded a
contract with Colonel Mann for an entire
special train of Mann boudoir' cars to con-
vey his opera company on next winters tour
throughout the United States. This train is
now being constructed at the Gilbert car
works in this city, and will probably be the
most elegant and costly ever built
in this country. One OF the cars
is designed for the special use of Madame
Adalina Patti, and will be a marvel in
luxury and comfort In interior arrange
ment and decoration it will be nearly a
duplicate of car built In Europe
by Colonel Mann for their imperial high
nesses the Grand Duke Michael and consort of
Russia. In the center is a large drawing
room 10 y feet long, finished in Amaranth
wood nd embossed leather profusely deco
rated, gold predOminating. The chairs and
sofas are upholstered in French tapestry; the
curtains are of silk and velvet Adjoining
either end of this saloon are bedrooms en-
tered from side corridor, that for the grand
diva being draped with blue and gold satin;
the other is finished in embossed leather and
tapestry. Opening from the bedrooms are
bath and dressing rooms fitted with all APP
purtenances, including veritable bath-tub
/ supplied with both hot and cold water.
Further along the corridors are rooms with
berths for servants. There are also buffet,
servants lavatorieS, Closets etc. This car is
fifty-tive feet long.
The two other cars comprising the train
are each sixty-four feet long, and are Mann
boudoir cars of latest type. This system of
sleeping-cars was introduced in Europe some
years ago, and is in general use on the CONT
nent. They differ so radically from the
American palace car, and apparently offer
some such decided advantages that a descrip-
ton will be of interest. They are essentially
Through cars" i. e., while forming comfort
able sleeperS at night they are readily con-
vertible into luxurious day parlor cars, all
| indications of sleeping arrangements disap-
pearing. This is desideratum. the long dis
tances travelled by the same car in this coun-
try rendering it indispensable that it be not
only good night car but also comfortable
day car, in which regard our palace cars GER
tainly leave much to be desired.
| The boudoir car has at either end a vesti-
buie, from which open respectively ladies'
and gentlemen's dressing-rooms and closets.
The lavatories are supplied with both hot
and cold water, while the closets are real
water closets, thus preventing the disagreed
BILE odors incident to the system in use in
this country. Connecting the vestibules, and
shut off from them by doors, is commodi-
GUS corridor running along the side of the
car Opening off this hallway by doors are
| the several compartments or bou ioirs, some
arranged for two and some for four persons
/ ON Jay tllGSS IOOluS are supply DTtIbN CdDlilS
with high arched, clear ceilings large plate
glass windows and one or two luxurious
sofas with high soft backs and
cushioned arm-rests. The sofas are athwart
the car, and under them and behind the
inclined backs are carried the mattresses
and bedding. Thus the chief weight is
near the floor, while the enormously heavy
palace car bed hinged up in the top of the
car, rendering it unstable and top heavy and
| shutting off half the window space, is entire
| ly dispensed with. At night the back of the
sofa hinged at its top to the cross partitions
is raised to a horizontal position, where au-
! tomatcal ly fastening itself, it forms the up
per bed, the sofa becoming the lower bed.
| Thus, with the addition of bedding two wide
| beds are made up from each sofa. The beds
are longer than those of the palace car
| and the head is made up next to the corridor
partition, bringing the vital parts of the body
| in the middle of the car, q safer position
than along the side by the windows. In.
beds so arranged across the car the sleeper
avoids the rolling motion experienced in
| longitudinal beds, while the head is removed
from the noise incident TO close con-
tact with the car wall: The ven
tilation of the car is BY novel
system, without the dangerous draughts and
smothering dust from the windows in the
elevated roofs of American cars. This roof
a great top weight and an element OF weak
ness in construction, is superseded by a sim
| pie high dome, or Norman arch. Abundant
| air is taken in at one end of the car by fun
nes and forced through an ingenious filter,
| freeing it of all dust. after which it is dis
charged into the heater-room. In winter
the purified air Is thus heated, while in sum-
mer the heater-room is converted iuto huge
| refrigerator with ice From this room the air
passes along fine enclosing the heater pipes
! down the corridor and is discharged through
! registers opposite the door of each compart-
ment, which doors, being provided with
Stats or louvres, admit the fresh, heated or
cooled air in great quantities to the compart-
ments. In each compartment are three ex-
hausting ventiIatorS which, while they can
not admit air from without. constantly draw
! off the air from within. All the air in the
car is changed every five minutes, absolutely
without draughts or dust The importance
Of good ventilation in cars cannot be over
| estimated.
| 1t should be mentioned that off the ladies'
vestibule is two-pace boudOir, always re-
served for ladies travelling alone. In this "a
young girl might journey across the CONT
nent without escort with perfect propriety.
Connecting with the gentlemen's vestibule
are a smoking-room and buffet. In each
compartment are electric-bell communities.
| tons to call the porter.
The chief feature of these cars, seems to be
the very desirable privacy of ones home or
hotel attained by the division into compart-
ments. Every traveller has observed the
necessary exposure and inconvenience of
dressing or undressing in a palace car; so
objectionable is this that many ladies de-
| cline to travel in them Again, there is
great annoyance at night by conductors,
train-nen and way passengers passing to
and fro between the long lines OF curtains,
all Of which is avoided by the fully-parti-
toned corridor of the boudoir cars. The
entire interior of these cars is finished in
amarauth woodwork, embossed illuminated
leather and French tapestry.
1t is claimed that the dead weight of these
cars per passenger carried is fully Is per cent.
| less than that of the palace cars This would
be a vast recommendation of them to railway
managers. The interior partitions neces-
sarily strengthen the cars against crushing
in accidents and would greatly retard the
progress of fire through the car, which has