The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-11-02
LIKE LIGHTNING.
Seventy Miles an Hour on the New
York Central Road.
All Previous Records Are Broken by Recent
Run In the Empire state-The Old Gait :.
and the New.


The modern. era of railroading may be
said to have been inaugurated definitely
with the opening Of the Liverpool and
Manchester line on the 18th day OF Septem-
Der. 1890. Previous to this experiments in
steam locomotion had been going on for a
number of years, and the inventive genius
of George Stephenson had finally settled
the steam transportation problem, in the
production of an awkward and cumbersome
machine. to be used for hauling passengers
and freight over an iron highway. 1t was
triumph in mechanical invention and the
marvel of the day.
When the Liverpool and Manchester line
was opened, Stephensons locomotive, the
Rocket" was put on, the lllustrions in
ventor driving it on the first trip with his
own hand. The maximum rate Of, speed
was twenty-nine miles an hour but after
few trials the owners of the road insisted
that. this was too fast. and informed
Stephenson that the speed would have to be
reduced to eighteen miles an hour.
CUT DOWN THE SPEED.
Whether Stephenson was a stakeholder
in the road or not. history does not inform
US, but lie strenuOusly objected to a REDUCE
ton Of speed, and it was only after the
Directors had presented to him petition
signed by patrons of the new line that he
consented to see his "Rocket" cut down to
eighteen miles an hour.
Stephenson went in for speed and would
undoubtedly haveenjoyed the ride over the
New York Central with Vice-Presfdent
Webb few days ago, at the rate of seventy
miles an hour. Had the departed inventor
been permitted TO enjoy this privilege it is
probable that he would nave gone straight
Twin OF
Buffalo, the end of the fast run, and aske a
great many questions about the big locomo-
tive as it stood putting and blowing after
the fastest run ever recorded-a beautiful
piece Of mechanism, clean limhed and with
SiDews of polished steel. In this splendid
runner he would have hardly recognized
his crude idea Of siXty-one years ago, which
at best could cover only twenty-nine miles
an hour.
THE NEW YORK CENTRAL LEADS.
In the matter of speed the New York
Central seems to be leading the other
American roads, and this line has now
given New York the fastest train in the
world. 1t is not an experiment, and the
recent fast run from New York City to Buf-
falo was not holiday excursion. The
flyer" is TO be permanent thing and Will
undoubtedly be well patronZed, putting in
total eclipse. the "Fiying Scotchman,"
which maintains an average speed OF 5l.6
miles an hour between London and Etin-
Dul Eus VI fUO
TIE first run CT the new train was made
on October 18th. 1t left the Grand Central
Station at Is seconds after O'Clock in the
morning, and was made up of a composite
baggage and buffet car, two standard New
York Central passenger-cars, Wagner.
narlor-car and the private Car of Third
Vice-President III. Waiter Webb. These
cars weighed altogether IT'S tons. the engine
and tender weighed another 100 tons, max
ing the grand total weight of the train 27S
tons. The passengers numbered 14S, and
they were whisked into Buffalo at an aver
age rate of speed of 90 miles an hour.
SEVENTY MILES AN HOUR.
This does not seem so very fast, but in
GLIDING stops it breaks all previous records.
The whole distance covered was 40 miles
and the time consumed eight hours and forty
minutes.
AT Schenectady the engineer had lost FIVE
minutes and at Batavia only two minutes of
the time had been made up From the lat
ter point 10 destination the time was made
at the remarkable speed Of seventy miles
an hour.
This train is on the schedule to leave New
York daily at o'clock in the morning and
is to be-run for the accommodation If the
people of New York, Albany, Utica, Syra--
cuse, Rochester. Buffalo and Niagara Falls.
1t will not stop elsewhere and will carry
not more than 80 passengers. If successful
1t may be extended to Chicago and the east
bound train to. make the same scheduled
time.
TEASSCoNTINENTAL TRIPS.
The enterprise Of the New York Central
people in the development of speed is not
confined TO the Empire State alone. Several
transcontinent / runs of recent date have
attracted considerable attention. John Mac
kays fast trip from San Francisco to New
York has just been beaten by the Flood
party. This last run was made in days 70
hours and II minutes, n distance of $3.50
miles. which is the best overland time yet
recorded. A well-known citizen of the city
claims to be able to make the run in 4 days
and IL hours, and is now making figures
with the Vanderbilt agent here with a view
of trying it in the near future.