Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-09-17
rAsr rnAIxs oF zee WoRLp.
The speed of Great Express Trnins
on both sides of the Atlantic.

-.
Ihe speed or Urea. E'Npfess tiuf@~
on Huth rioes on the Atsa"e.
me Hotel kssls'er'
An article on English and American
railways in the current Hdrpers awakens
new interest in the much vexed question
If the relative speed attained on railways
in England and in this country. Popular
ideas on the speed of railway trains ore
Of the ynguest description. Sixty miles
an hour Is generally supposed TO be the
speed attained by the well-known English
trains, Tic ."Wiid iriahman,h "Flying
Dutchmnn aud Flying Scotchman,"
while our own Chelgo Limited" is
nasumed TO be but little If any behind.
As a ma,tor Of fac., thrre Is not train in
the worlI which hits IL schedule speed of |
u mile 70 nmuic, nor anything like it, |
unless We are 10 accept the statement Of |
correspondent of one Of the morning |
papers in which he claims the blue |
ribbon Of speed for q train run by the |
London a. Northwest railway from |
London 10 Aberdeen This train, which |
Ia knowD as the Postal" is said to
make ZOO miles between the so places ut
an average OF speed of 50 miles m hour
Ent the writer rather discredits his own
statement by making ridiculous nsser-
ton that this train in running down
l&,.shopieli, ~ point on the line in Scotland
Regularly makes nine miles in three
Minutes, in other words, III speed OF
$50 miles an hour The wild Irishmann
III no means deserves that distinction, for
it's the slowest of oil the English ''flyers."
Ii onrries the Irish mails to Holyhead ut
an average speed for its short run of but
al. g miles an hour. The "Flying Dutch
mani is still lower, taking its run to begin
nc Paddington Station, London, and end
ing ut Penzance, $685. miles away. lis
speed for that distance is ouly 80 miles
an hour. 1t will be fair, though, TO con-
slider that its run ends 1T Exeter, 1889
miles from London. II leaves London AT
11.45 n. M, arriving Mt Exeter four and q
quarter hours later. nm average of about
Asa miles. Its rival, the "Flying Scotch
man. leaves KINGS Gross station.
London, at 10 a. M, and dashes into the
Wayerly Station Edinburgh. at 7 D. M,
taking nine hours to do the distance of
1861 miles. Its average speed for tho
whole distance is thus but IA miles per
hour. Its highest speed is that made on
the return "Trip from Grantham to London,
1861 miles, II leaves Grahtham ut H. II ,
arriving at London at 6.15. This is nj
the rate of 53s miles an hour, and il the
highest authenticated speed in the world
The nearest approach to it is the average
of 53.1 Is. made by the ''Dubcbmanr in its
run from London to Swindon.
The only train in America at all ap.
nroaohine the ssSeotcllmans" record is
the lannon's 4 o'clocl, express on the Penn
sylyania railroad between New York and
PHILADELPHIA, This train leaves Jersey
City at 4. IL D. m, ami. after stopping az
Trenton and Germantown Junction, rolls
into Powelton avenue depot Philndel-
phin, at 6.1O p. M. The distance is $50
miles. the time being one hour and Is
minutes and the speed averaging 81
miles Der hour. Taking into eonsidern-
tion the fact flint tbrourh Newark. Tren.
ton. and other Inrae towns, the speed
mnst he reduced 10 something like Ii
miles nm hour this. rs n feat, Il far su-
perior 10 the "Scotchnnn's" run of 1855
miles nj as miles per hour. Coming to
the .Iimitedsr between New York and
Chicago. we find two trims under
that name the one RIM bv the Penn
svlvonio the other by the New Yorl
Central They arc both advertised t,
reach CHICAGO In "a hours and they do $,
apnnrentlv. IN .,ir nctnnl schedule tim
Is 81 bonrs for Chicnpo time is nearli
ono bonr slower tbon New Yorl, time. OK
nelly that und,r Inc standard lin
schedule. Tba distance by the Pcnnsyl
vania is gl9 miles. AZ A time rate Of 2
honrs tbis indicate m average spood 0
9Gi miles ~, bour me Central train
with n distance If ~ miles 10 tr.yeI
takes the s,tnp cine rs average spra
ia therefor, KS no n,ilos. The Unite
on tbe Central has also the distinction I
MAKING no Iongast rpr1,Iar ran without
SION In lis Hi.ht from Nav Yorl, !,
Albany 10 mil@C nj AZ miles I'M hon
Tho secnnd lon,,Sst IL thot fro,
Gronthor 10 Tondnn N ENGLAND ID
miles
There arc many isolated instances
bigb sneed ,nole IL. gnprial trning INT
is evident thnt tl,tsn c,rnot fairly ,ut,
into tba nroI,lc,n M IE,yH siar,
rms IN Rottn,, in tivc Lr,prs a disfnnrs,
ooo r;lcy v,itl Avn ,,,,,,,,r s,,,rI