Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-05-15
FAST TINE BY GOULD.
The Chicago and Northwestern Smasl,es
the Long Distance Record.

| The Chicago and Northwestern Smashes
| the Long Distance Record.
| jay Gould's phenomenal run from the
| Missouri river 10 Chicago is still the theme
| OF conversation in railroad circles, says the
! Chicago Herald. Many splendid runs have
! been made on American roads. but never
| before WAS the terrific speed of l02 miles an
| hour attained with steam as motive power.
! In 1854 J. d. Layng, general manager Of the
| West Shore then acknowledged to have the
| finest roadway in the world. took Rogers
I locomotive on the most favorable part of
the track and succeeded in making eighty
two miles All hour. II is said that on the
United railroads of New Jersey. part OF
the Pennsylvania, speed of ninetN-tWO
miles AN hour WAS once attained. and that
about the same time was made on the Cen
trial railroad of New Jersey. For long dis
lance running the Gould special has earned
the palm. Yesterday Superintendent Mil
Ter Of the Galeua division of the Chicago
and Mort hweStern. submitted z report of
the wonderful run to the general managers
Office. The time given on this report was
taken by watches on the train. II shows
that the train left the Broadway depot in
Council Bluffs promptly at q 4. III. ana made
the run over the Iowa division to Clinton
in seven hours and five minutes. This
was for a distance of exactly 30 miles.
The amount Of time lost in taking
water and changing engines is not Yet re-
ported, but car be safely estimated at TWEEN
ty-five minutes leaving 700 minutes for d
$50 mile run on 4 single track which carries
the heaviest traffic of any road crossing the
state of Iowa. Deducting the time lost in
getting under way from Council Bluffs,
time lost in slowing down and starting at
water and engine stops. the speed across
Iowa was abOu! sixty miles an hour. and at
times reached six'y-five or more miles an
\ l,,1r
the Iowa division. from COmanche TO Gin
ton. was run in four minutes, or at the rate
Of SiXty-seven and One-haf miles an hour
including slowing down for the dead stop
al Clinton.
From Clinton eastward is where coal was
burned, steam made and miles were coy
cred in the most rapid manner ever known
on any railroad in the world. Four min
utcs were lost in changing engines, and at
:09 p. III. the three-@ac special pulled slowly
across the great bridge over Two wide chan
nels OF the Mississippi. Fulton, on the east
bank of the Mississippi. 20 miles. was
reached in four minutes, or u thirty-three
miles an hour, which is fast time under or
binary circumstances. The next - miles
Union Grove was reached in s minutes
From Round Grove to Rock Island junction
4 speed of seVeEty-SiX miles an hour was
attained. All the way to De kalb a speed
VARYING from forty five to SeVeuty-siX
miles an hour was maintained. The dis
tanre from Clinton to De Kalb IS eighty
miles, and Superintendent Aiiller's report
shows that it was covered in eighty-nine
minutes. This would have been lowered
to about seventy-fve or seVenty-siX min
uteS but for hot box on the engine,
which broke loose a few miles west of
De Kalb. Superintendent Miller bad
thoughtfully provided two relay engines to
follow the special at intervals of seven
minutes. Cine of these was taken ON at
De kalb in place of the one with hot
box. and then commenced what was I'M
dOubt3dly the fastest run ever made III the
world. As the train passed through each
station the operator sounded his call along
the line and the call was instantly registered
at all division and registry stations. Gnulds
fast lying special, as sounded. started from
De kalb at 2:49, or two minutes later than
the time shown on Superintendent Miller'S
report. The report of the superintendent.
VINO was on the train taking time BY his
watch shows that the special left De Kalb
at IA and made the run TO Elburn. four
teen and three-tenth miles. including the
time lost in getting under Roadway, in six
teen minutes. The superintendent report
shows that the distance from Elburn TO La
Fox, three and fourteenth miles, was run
in three minutes. or at siXty-eight miles an
hour, while the five and ore-tenth miles
from La Fox to Geneva occupied four min
One-half miles an hour being attained
Here is where l02 miles an hour was
really made, if the sending operators at
Elburn, La Fox and Geneva, and the re
ceiving operator at the Turner regis
try station are correct. When the
train stopped at Turner to change engines
reporter for the Herald was informed by
the operator that the La Fox operator had |
sounded the special passing two minutes |
after Elbuln reported. and that just three |
minutes later Geneva had sounded. There |
is everything in favor of the correctness of |
the operators figures in the minds of many |
railroad officials. Superintendent Miller |
was astounded when informed Of the fig |
urcS, and still thinks that the reports must !
have been sounded on fractions of minutes. |
and that the receiving operator did not |
take this into account. At any rate every |
body agrees that the fastest time on the |
run was made from La Fox to Geneva |
Some railroad officials say that i02 miles an |
hour or even seventy miles an hour is i'm |
possible on account of back pressure. while |
others admit that eighty 10 ninety miles an |
hour can be made under favorable circum- |
stances. When Mr. Laying broke the record |
with a speed of eighty-two miles an hour in |
1884. many people said there must be q |
mistake and refused TO believe it until |
few years later, when that record was |
broken.