The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1890-10-18
FAST IaAyeLlNe.
Against Greater Speed
Than Now Attained.

Against Greater Speed
Than Now Attained.
"My opinion is that the speed
limit Of the locomotive engine has
been reached with the present gauge
of tack and diameter of driving
Wheel" said Expert Watkins at the
Museum to a Star reporter. Il
have been given to understand on
very credible authority that an
engine on one road has already
made a record of 100 miles an hour
of course. over very short dis
tance of perfectly straight and level
track. If.that is to be beaten it will
only be done by increasing the size
of the boiler to begin with. To get
a greater capacity of boiler it will
be necessary to widen the locomo-
tive and therefore the track. III
a speed of anything like 120 miles
an hour is to be obtained in the flu
ture the track must be widened, not
by inches but by feet, and the size
|ofthe driyingwheel proportionately.
Naturally the question Of safety
is the first one brought up in con-
nection with a discussion of this
subject, and it is asked: Can trains
be run with as much security to life
and limb at $50 miles an hour as
at fifty? My answer to this Is: No.
Take given stretch of track, in
perfect condition, with nothing In
the way, and train is more likely
to run off the rail when going at 100
miles an hour than when travelling
at sixty. But such ideal conditions
are not usually found in railroad
ing. You must consider that there
are such things as frogs and switches,
which get out of order or misplaced,
as we'll as multitude Of other
things, more difficult to look out for
the more rapidly trains are going.
Most important to think of, too, Is
the fact that if an accident does
occur the train that meets with 1t
is going to suffer in proportion to
the speed at which it is going at the
moment of interruption. Two trains
each going at the rate of 100 miles
an hour and coming into collision
would quickly be reduced to kind
ling wood, if not to toothplcks.
Another thing worth inquiring
about is the number Of men that
are going to be required to run one
of these engines of the future that
are to travel 100 miles an hour.
Jump on board of one of the fast
flying locomotives at Jersey City
that carries you to Philadelphia at
the rate of nearly mile minute.
Do nothing but watch the signals
as you pass with lightning speed
< through city after city at grade and
and across railway after railway
intercepting. You will find that il
takes about all your time to catch
them. How much leisure has tht
engineer, then, to look after III;
steam gauge and water gauge, tt
see to his air brake, to make sure
I that every part of his mighty ma
chine is in order, to keep in toucl
with the train dispatcher's otfic'
and to identify any extra trains a.
they pass him so that no mistake
shall be made? So tremendous i
the strain upon this mans nerve
that as a measure of economy tn
= company only permits him to worl
! four days each week, and he spend
the remaining three in resting an.
bracing up for further contests wit
space and time.
TRAINS in England, on an aver
age, run faster than in this country
4 Their cars or carriages are not near
" so heavy as ours; they have no
nearly so many heavy grades an
sharp curves, and the law gives tn
railway exclusive rights over thel
tracks, the infringement of which
: punished by fines and imprisor
ment. In England one person OF
of every 5.25O,O0O carried is killet
sir To ride on the railway in France
<. more than twice as dangerous, il
ol- asmuch as one out of every 1000
he 'n 600 passengers is killed. Belgiu'
nd is much safer than England in tn
in respect: only one out Of every )
Id Id OOOOOOis killed on its roads. Safe
&c; of all by far are the railways OF Pru
I'd ed sia, which only kill one out Of eve'
81, 21. 500 900 people carried. The
he he are many advocates in favor OF ma
or ing our railroad cars much llghte
Of the argument being that it is absu'
nt- nt to drag a whole row OF houses ov
i'm the rails in order to transport
Der % of comparatively light packages
J. the shape of people. But it IS We e,
certain that heavy cars have =
advantage to safety in proportl'
to their weight. You will mott
that the passengers in the heavl
X built parlor cars always get OH WI
! Of very much less damage IN an ac
@ @lice dent than do the occupants OF 7
tee ted ordinary cars, which are usue'
Of telescoped by the Pullman or wa