The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1885-03-04
BEATING A MILE A MINUTE.
Comm bdOre vaDderbiits Fast Ride ON the
Lnlge Shore.

" II was on the Sd day of May, 1874, the
date of the annual meeting of the stock
holders of the Lake Shore in this city," said
engineer Gill, Vanderbilt, not the present
owner of the Lake Shore, but his father,
had left New York the previous evening on
his special train. lie had telographed to
some of the officials here that he would ar
rive at O'Clock the following night The
special met with bad luck the first twelve
hours of the trip. Up the Hudson River
division way-trains and accommodations
persisted in getting in front of it, and Al
bnny was reached forty minutes behind the
schedule arranged for the trip. The trip
from Albany to Buffalo was hardly more
satisfactory. Hot boxes, danger signals, OF
blocks kept the train continually chang.
ing speed. There was something the mat
ter at Utica, something more at Rochester
and something else at Syracuse. Buffalo
was reached few minutes late and here
the party stopped for dinner. The special
finally pulled out Of that city at 3 o'clock
and headed for Erie. This run was also
made under disadvantages, and Erie was
reached at exactly $50 o'clock. It had taken
two hours and thirty minutes to make the
ninety miles between Buffalo and Erie, when
1t had been expected that il could be done
in thirty minutes less at least. My engine
was waiting in the Erie depot to bring the
special to Cleveland, and we had on q great
head of steam. John, said the conductor
to me, the old man wants to reach Cleye.
land at o'clock. Make it if you cam /
backed down and hitched on, the conduc-
tor waved his hand, and at precisely 5:31
we pulled out of the depot. There wey
two cars, the special and long, heavy bag.
gage car, put on to steady the train.
" We went out Of the station at q great
rate and started for Girard, fifteen miles
away. We reached it in fourteen minutes
precisely, and had climbed up hill portion
OF the way. Then we skipped for Ashtabu-
Ia twenty-six miles further. Here we went
for all we were worth. The old engine
rolled, tossed, and leaped around, and the
cars swayed back and forth, like boat in a
storm. expected every minute to hear the
bell ring to slow up, but it didn't. Round
curves and over bridges we went at the same
awful speed, and slowed up at Ashtabula at
precisely COG. Ne had come forty-one
miles in precisely thirty-fve minutes. 1t
took lis about minute and half to drop
water enough in the tank to last until we
could go to Cleveland, and my watch re-
corded 6:0S O'Clock when we pulled away
from Ashtabula. The track was clear. Away
We rushed, regardless of everything but fast
time. We had ffty-four miles to make in
iifty-two minutes including the stop ut the
target in Paincsyille. There was great
head of steam ON and the throttle was wide
open. 1t seemed MS il the wheels didn't
touch the track more than half the time.
1t WAS balmy day in May, without breath
of air stirring, but the current created by
the speed of the train was terrific. Stones
the size of hickory nut We're caught up and
whirled against the buildings with great
force, and the whole train was covered with
dense cloud of black smoke, dust, md
cinders. We passed gainesville at 630. and
''NA tS'.taeo - ~ WV NiOsSlHR Heluett
for Cleveland. 1t was race against time.
l had promised TO get here ON schedule time
IL it could be done. and | was determined
to do it. We came up the homestretch at n
lively gait. The track is pretty straight and
there are few heavy grades. | don't think
would have failed reaching Cleveland nj
Z o'clock if 800 would have prevented it,
and yet we were doing something that had
never been attempted before. Ninety-fye
miles in eighty-nine minutes was what we
started out to do with three stops in our
way. We didn't slow up much when we
reached the city limits, and sailed through
the yard at rate of speed that made some
of the men think it was runaway train
When brought the train to standstill in
tho depot here the station clock pointed to
exactly 6:59. Vanderbilt was as happy as
child. There was quite party of rail-
road men with him, and he wanted them to
know, as he knew that the lake Shore was
daisy. guess that was the fastest time
svor made over that road. "--C2egeland
LeatiT.