The morning call., 1891-10-31
ANOTHER RECORD BROKEN.

John Mackay'S fast trip across Gle CONT
nent in four days twelve hours and thirty
minutes has been beaten by James l.. Flood,
who covered the same distance last week in
four days twelve hours and seventeen min
utes. beating Mackay's record by thirteen
minutes. That is very minute portion Of
time TO turn the scale in a race nearly $500
miles long. but it will answer.
Floods route was by the Central Pacific
TO Ogden By the Union Pacific to the Mis-
souri, River; by the Burlington and Quincy
to Chicago; by the Lake Shore and Michi-
gan Southern to Buffalo, and by the n ew
York Central to New York. The only vari-
alton from the route usually taken by tray
elers is the substitution Of the Burlington
and Quincy for the Northwestern from the
Missouri Valley to Lake Michigan. Mr.
Flood left San Francisco at O'Clock on Sat-
urday evening, and Oakland at s; he arrived
in New York at 1890 o'clock on the Thurs
day morning following. If we call the distance
between the two cities 1850 miles, which is
the official tigare adopted by the POstofiee
Department, and reckon the time consumed
without allowing for the difference of merid-
ian, tie average rate of speed on the whole
trip was about 2952 miles an hour, including
stops. But Mr.. Flood states that the speed
east Of the Missouri was 40 miles an hour
including stops. at this rate 1883 miles Of
the total trip only consumed about 35
hours, leaving 7Gk hours for the other 1867
miles; the western portion of the journey
between San Francisco and Omaha was
iIaversed at the rate of 242s miles per hour.
There would seem to be no reason for this
extreme difference in the speed OF Eastern
and Western railroads. On the pralries,
where there are no grades or curves, and on
the long stretches OF level country in this
State, Nevada aud Utah it ought to be pos
sible TO run trains more nearly at the rate
which is usual in the East.
Fast as the Eastern trains seem in COM
parls0n with the slow-going trains of this
portion Of the continent, they are not fast
enough for the Eastern people. Last Mon
day the New York Central put on new
express train TO Buffalo, which covers the
whole distance-440 mies-in eight hours
and forty minutes, including four stops.
This is at the rate OF over 50 miles an hour
for the whole distance; on several level
stretches Of road the train runs at the rate
OF mile minute. We shall of course be
| told that such speed is impossible on roads
so imperfectly ballasted as ours, and be-
sides that the transcontinental business does
not warrant such expensive experiments
west of the Missouri River. But there is a
wider difference between 53 miles an hour
and 24h miles an hour than the respective
condition OF the roads and the volume of
their respective traffic appear to justify. 1t
would not seem unreasonable to hope that
our roads might see their way to increasing
the speed Of through trains to say 80 miles
an hour-which would be 18 miles less than
the New York Central makes. If the lines
west of the Missouri ran al this rate while
those east of the Missouri kept up their
present average of 30 miles an hour, the dis
tance between San Francisco and Omaha
would be covered in about SO hours, and the
Whnls transcontinantal journey would DO