Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1892-12-22
FIRST MlLE.A.MINuTE TRAIN.
Il Was Run Betwee Doston and Lawrence
ms Early as 1SiS.


ms Early as 1SiS.
81 say, boys, how many of you can
tell where and when the first milc-a-
minute train was run?"
They were trainmen, They had as
sembled at a popular downtown resort
in honor of the birthday Of one of their
particular "chums," and so as they en-
joyed the fragrant "domcstics' they
had, in their free, jolly way, begun to
spin yarns and tell "reminiscences of the
rail aud iron horses which have aided
30 materially in the upbuilding of Chi
cago The boys" all old men by the
way, were not going to spoil n story If
they could help it, 50 each professed ig-
norance when thus questioned, and in
sisted upon hearing all about it. The
story as told was as follows:
you would scarcely believe that
trains had performed the feat of going
mile u minute long before the tele-
graph was discovered, but it is fact.
The first event of the kind recorded
took place on the Boston and Maine
railroad away back in 1913. Mr.. Minot,
the superintendent at that time, was
progressive man, always on the alert
for improvements that should make his
line stand among the first in the coun-
try. One day, in 1913, he conceived the
idea of running mile u minute, and
when once the thought entered his mind
he bent every energy towards realizing
it,
'He had a tcn-ton engine built TO
order at the Boston works of Hinlley e
Drury, and named it the Antelope 1t
had single drivers, six feet in diameter.
Mr. Minot declared the enCine should
run mile minute or go back to the
shops.
Lawrence, station twenty-six
miles from Boston, was chosen as the
terminus of the trial trip Choosing Il
day for the trip, men were sent over
the road to spike down all the switches
and see that everything was in perfect
order. 1t was before the Introduction
of the Morse telegraph, and to run
mile minute, a speed until then un-
heard of, required the utmost fore
thought All trains were either side
tracked or taken off the road for the
trip. Representatives of the Boston
papers were invited to accompany the
superintendent, and when the day ar
rived they, with few other guests,
were given possession of the only car
that was to make the run
"a large crowd gathered at the sta
tion and, amid cheers and waving OF
hats, the engineer pulled open the
throttle, while Mr.. Minot stool by his
side. Boston was soon left behind, and
the Antelope plunged into the open
country with the fleetuess of the wind.
Everything worked to a charm. On
they sped, dashing by stations filled
with a wondering crowd, whose cheers
could be heard but second by the pas
sengers. Half way to Lawrence Mr..
Minot looked at his watch.
Fourteen minutes he said. That
won't do, Pembcrton; we are II minute
behind. The engineer threw the
throttle wide open and the Antelope
increased the speed.
''As the train ncare1 Lawrence Mr..
Mnot stood with his watch in his hand
and just as the engineer brought the
train to standstill the timepece
marked twenty-siX minutes
"a great crowd awaited the Ante
lopes arrival eager to know whether
the much -tallked-of deed had been ac-
complished.
Ibid you make it?' cried an excited
on-loolter.
"'Yes,' shouted Mr. Minot in return,
and then cheer after cheer arose for
the men who had first driven an engine
a mile minute. Everybody congratu-
lated the superintendent and engineer,
and for long time crowds iloclled from
far and near to look at the engine that
had accomplished so wonderful run"
Chicago Tribune.