San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-12-22

wnlrn can Ue fairly COMPARED with the En-
glish run was made over the West Shore road,
from Buffalo to New York, on July 0, 1885,
when 1926 miles were covered in hours and
% minutes. Quite large number of railroad
men, including officials of the Baltimore and
Ohio Wabash, Grand Trunk and West Shore
roads, happened at Buffalo together en- route
Cor New York. 1t was decided to see how
quickly they could move over the new road.
At the start the railroad men had their
watches out, and soon the mile posts were
flying past every 43 seconds. That speed was
held so steadily that the greater part of the
run was made at the rate of ID seconds to the
mile, or from 20 TO So miles an hour. From
East Buffalo to Genesee Junction, 81 miles,
took SO minutes; from East Buffalo to New
ark, 93.4 miles, 81 minutes; from Albany to
Genesee Junction, 1868 miles, so minutes.
The 81 minutes to Newark included stops of
minutes, making the actual running time
for the 9S.4 miles, So minutes From Newark
to Frankfort, where the conditions for run
ming were not so good as before, the run of
1888 miles was made in 1874 minutes, includ-
ing II minutes for stops. From East Buffalo
to Frankfort 202 miles, the time was $40
minutes, of which IS minutes were consumed
in stops.
On Oct s, 1885, over the same road, a
burst of speed was tried for II miles, DO
tween Genesee junction and East Buffalo, t
satisfy Superintendent j. E. Laying, who was
on the train. The run occupied SIP seconds
an average rate Of "a miles an hour. Three
of the miles were made at the rate of so miles
an hour, one at n and one at 70.
On the New York Central road a news
paper train with two cars, weighing go tons,
hauled into Syracuse, Sunday morning, Aug
S, 1886, at 10 o'clock, an hour late. The train
was booked to go from New York to Buff
falo in Oh hours. Orders came to try to
make up the time on the further run of l4S.7
miles to Buffalo. John W. Cool, one of the
best engineers on the road, mounted his cab,
bound to obey the order He started out at
541 miles an hour. At the end of the three
miles his speed increased to Go miles an hour,
and then to 7413. He stopped at Rochester
for water, and slowed up after passing Crit
tenden. His average speed from Syracuse
to Rochester was 674 miles per hour; from
Rochester to Buffalo, GO q miles per hour,
and from Syracuse to Buffalo, ESQ miles an
hour. The run of 14S.7 miles was made in
1856 minutes.
The most remarkable long distance run on
record was when the Jarrett Palmer combi-
nation went from New York to San Fran
cisco in half time, or 81 days. Their train
left the Pennsylvania station in Jersey City
at 1858 on the morning of June l, 1876 They
were not to make stop until they reached
Pittsburg. An engine and baggage car, on
the approach of the special to Harrisburg,
got up speed of about fifty miles and passed
mails to the special by running along an adj
joining track for several miles, while the
mail bags were thrown from train to train.
The run to Pittsburg, 43S11 miles, took 10
hours and minutes, an average of 49, miles
an hour, notwithstanding the Alleghanies.
FROM PitUsburg to Chicago 1883 miles, took
Il hours and minutes, an average of AL
niles, including 25 stops and changes of
gngines From Chicago to Council Bluffs,
l9l miles, took III hours, an average
of 42.6 miles, although there was a
record for part Of this journey of
G22 miles. Over the Union Pacific
inc run of 1,0328 miles from Omaha to
Ogden was made in "a hours and IA minutes.
at an average of Al miles and maximum of
~ miles an hour. The brakes became worn
at Ogden and hand brakes had to be used,
retarding the onward journey somewhat, as
the men feared they might lose control of the
train. San Francisco was safely reached at
1857 on June 4, quite in time for the dinner
that had been ordered for the company for
that day. The last stage of the journey was
run at an average of 81 miles. During the
entire run 20 engines were used, there were
70 stops, and the running time for $685.
miles was 81 hours II minutes, an average Of
10 miles an hour.-New York Times