Asheville daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1890-1900, 1891-09-04
1T is A MODERN MIRACLE
ACROSS THE AMERICAN CON-
TINENT IN THREE DAYS.
True story RiVallinG the RO-
mances of the Arabian knights
and Fairy TaIes-what IL Passi.
bile ON the Rail.

New YORK, Sept. 4.-The mail from
China and Japan which left Yokohama,
Ausust 10, was safely delivered on the
steamship City of New York this morn
ing and is now on its way to England
How this marvellous feat was accom-
plished is told as follows:
August 20 the steamship Empress Of
India arrived at Victoria, B. c. There a
special train furnished by the Canadian
Pacific took the mail bags, eighteen in
number, twelve for England and six for
New York City, and started on record
breaking ride across the continent. As
sistant Superintendent Bradley yesterday
went up to Brockville, just across the
st. Lawrence on the Canadian side.
Norristown, N Y, is on this side, and
Superintendent Voorhees,, of the New
York Central Railroad, had arranged to
have special train composed of one
baggage car and engine ready at Morris
town to bring the mail to this city.
Superintendent Jackson, of the railway
mail service here, had arranged for two
trucks to be at the Grand Central De-
pot to meet the special and transfer the
mail bags to the steamer at her dock on
the North River. She was to sail at 5
O'Clock this morning-could connection
be made?
At noon yesterday Bradley telegraphed
from Brockville that the Canadian Pa
cltic was 400 miles away and two hours
late. At PIG p. M, another telegram
was received saying that the train was
but 300 miles away and every second was
valuable. At 6:lO the special passed
Chalk river, l+3 miles from Brockville, at
hity-miles an hour. At 8 o'clock last
evening the special made her last stop
before reaching Brockvile. 1t made the
previous seventy-tour miles in ninety.
three minutes for stops. The last thir-
teen miles had been covered in eleven
minutes. Down she came in dash, the
remaining sixty-one miles to Brockvillc
and arrived at the depot at 900 p. M,
having crossed the continent in three
days.
The mail bags were at once hauled out
and taken across the ferry and put on
New York Central special at Morristown
and at 9f5 the train started, arriving
here at 4:43 Il. m. From Utica to Al.
bnny, ninety-hve miles, was made in
ninety minutes; from Albany to Fluff
mans Ferry, si1ty-eight and one-hall
miles, i'll si1ty-one minutes; from Pough-
keepsie to Cold Spring. twenty-sne miles,
in twenty minutes; from Croton to Yonk
ers, nineteen miles, in sixteen minutes.
The City of New York was to sail at 5
O'Clock. The Canadian Pacific people in
this city and Supt. Jackson, of the rail
way mail service, had seen the Inman
tfieT,s the yesse sd 1ae7S11 lew mn1utes ts tbaraWS
ming Assistant Superintendent Bradley,
who had come down on the special. had
the twelve foreign mail bags dumped on
the truck and jumping in had the driver
whip into terrific speed through the
streets. Shortly after O'Clock this
morning the dock was reached and the
ship set sail at $40 a. m. The trial was
a grand success. If the good vessel
makes her voyage in the usual time, Liv-
erpool will be reached September I,
twenty days from Yokohama.