Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-12-11
THE FASTEST TRAINS.
THEY ARE FOUND ON AMERICAN
RAILROADS.

THEY ARE FOUND ON AMERICAN
RAILROADS..
An English Newspaper Admits that
Yankee Trains "Take the Cake"
for Speedy Going-Some Fast
Performances.
On the second day after the special
train Of the New York Central Railroad
made its famous trip Of mile q minute
from New York to Buffalo, several
English newspapers published editorials
admitting that this country took the
cake " for fast trains. Here are some Of
the remarks Of the Birmingham Daily
Mail on the subject:
cit seems to be beyond dispute that
the great American nation has done
another best on record. 1t has shown
that there is nothing to prevent rail-
way train from running long distance
at the rate Of mile minute. Such a
possibility has always been admitted BY
people who know anything at oil about
engineering. There is no reason beyond
considerations Of personal safety why a
train should not travel at the rate Of o
hundred miles an hour. There are en-
presses at the present moment running
in England at the rate of considerably
over sixty miles an hour, but only, Of
course, for limited distances.
"There is q general impression on
this side Of the Atlantic that we have
developed a far more rapid rate of rail-
way travelling than has been attained in
America. We naturally pride ourselves
upon our splendid tracks. which are in
comparably better than tho average
American track, and it is one of our in
sular boasts that no nation in the world
can show such service Of trains as are
to be found, say between London and
Manchester, London and Edinburgh, or
even between Liverpool and Manchester.
But the Englishman who has now left
tic confines Of his own country must
make some allowance for the progress
which other nations are making in the
direction Of rapid locomotion. Nothing
strikes the visitor to the United States
more powerfully than the extraordinary
improvement which the American rail
way system has undergone during the
last few years. One has only to travel
from New York to Niagara, distance Of
about 800 miles, at the rate Of more than
| forty miles an hour, or to take one Of
their sumptuously furnished expresses
to Chicago and cover more than double
900 miles at still faster rate Of speed,
to be put somewhat out Of conceit with
the lightning-like qualities Of our English
trains. Nevertheless, the Americans
have not disputed till this moment that
the finest bit of railway travelling in the
wide, wide world has been done on an
English line.
"This distinction was achieved by the
London and Northwestern in their race
with the Great Northern from London to
Edinburgh. In running from London to
Crewe, 146 miles without stop, in three
hours and five minutes, the Northwestern
fairly opened the eyes Of the Americans
as to what could be done in the shape Of
speed by the best possible engine on the
best possible track. But if we are to be-
lieve the New York correspondent Of the
Standard-he is supported in his state
ment by DalziePs news agency-this
smart performance from London to Crewe
has been relegated to that back seat
| "AAieAA' eooAioA VI ldteI, Is Vic 1tto oI all
best on records in this age.
"The story is that on Monday, in an
experimental trip, train, composed of
an engine Of 100 tons and three private
carriages weighing 100 tons, made the
run from New York to East Buffalo, 436
miles, in 439 minutes. By the side Of
this our little spurts in England appear
very small beer.
"We are inclined to believe that the
details of this extraordinary trip are
capable Of complete notification 1t is
o preliminary boom for the Chicago Ex-
hibition. All the railway companies will
be trying to increase their rates of speed
in view OF the competition for traffic. The
great drawback to the Worlds Fair is
generally recognized to be the distance
which separates Chicago from the sea-
board. Travellers from Europe will not
relish thousand miles railway journey
on the top Of their ocean trip. The ex-
presses at present running between New
York and Chicago do the distance in a
a trife under twenty four hours; but now
that the New York Central Railway has
shown what a simple thing it is to run q
train hundreds of miles at the rate Of q
mile minute, there is prospect Of the
visitors to the coming exhibition being
whirled to their destination in about six
teen hours. Americans will scarcely be
staggered by such wonderful upheaval
Of the record. They have witnessed, as
we have said, some mighty transforma.
tions in their railway system during the
last few years.
It is to be hoped that this will not
develop craze for dangerous speed.
Mr.. James Gordon Bennett secured q
wonderful advertisement by running a
newspaper train from New York to
Chicago in twenty four hours, or an i'm
provement upon the previous time to the
extent Of nearly dozen hours. Now it
is the turn for the New York Central to
earn undying renown as the first railway
company in the world to run Il long dis
lance at the rate Of mile minute
Now that this has been done, the go-ahead
American, when in a +" hurrying up ~
humor, will not consider that he is NOV
ing at all unless his train is whizzing him
along at sixty miles an hour. There are
many people who consider themselves
| far safer in an EXPRESS fyinr along Mt