The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-06-13
- MILE A MINUTE.
Railroad Trains Which Have Become Mar
p. wells Of Speed.

& Bv far the most important element IN
ne comfort of the traveller is the rate OF
continuous speed attained by railroad
train. The high rate of the accolnmoda-
ton train does not Offset the worry and
fret of the frequent stops, and a long
run without getting over much ground
is in annoyance almost as grieVouS as
being side-tracked in the broiling sun on
a hot summers day to wait for belaid
freight train or an aggravating excur-
sion 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 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 isso still, though
its time has been somewhat reduced, Is
The FIXING Dutchman, which used
to cover the distance between London
and Bristol, 1881 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 1.-The rate of 5l,7 miles an
hour.
Tie 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 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
4:0S p M. runs at the rate of AIS miles
an hour, while that on the Bound Brook
route runs at the rate of All, 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 q
rival in. the world, making, as it does,
9l3 miles in twenty-five hours. The
fastest long-distance train, and the fast
est train for any distance of more than
fifty miles, is theexpress on the Orleans
line between Paris and Bordeaux, which
runs 359 miles in nine hours and. ter
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 beer
made on nearly every railway in the
country. and there are few first-clas:
| roads oyer which passenger coach ha:
not been hauled at the rate Of mile q
minute. Mr.. Vanderbilt has otter
Travelled one hundred miles in one hun
bred niinutes. and 40 engine has drawr
a single coach between Philadelphia ant
New York in ninety-hve minutes. Th'
4:OS train previously spoken of Away
runs SOME parts of the distance at rat
of more than mile a minute, and it
easiest run is from New Brunswick +
Trenton miles in twenty
six minutes and half. The speed i
lonly possible. however, with heav,
engine, heavy steel rails, solid road
bed, a comparatively light train, sligh
grades, and easy curves. Ali OF thes
elements have their force, and how grea
force will be better understood when
is known that the improvements noN