Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-08
THE FIRST MILE-A-MINUTE TRAIN
Il Was on the Boston and Maine Railroad
Nearly Half q Century Ago.

II Was on the Boston and Maine Railroad
Nearly Half Century Ago.
From the Chicago Tribune.
81 say. boys. how many of you can tell
where and when the first mile-a-minute train
was run?''
They were trainmen. They had assembled at
q popular downtown resort in honor of the
birthday Of one of their particular ''chums,
and SO. ss they enjoyed the fragrant ''domes-
tics, they had, in their free. jolly way. begun
TO spin yarns and tell "reminiscences OF the
rail and the iron horses which have aided so
materially in the upbuilding of Chicago. The
"boys," all old men, By the way. were not going
to spoil q story if they could help it. so each
professed ignorance when thus questioned and
insisted upon hearing all about 1t. The story
as told as follows:
.'You would scarcely believe that trains had
performed the feat Of going mile minute
long before the telegraph discovered. but
it Is fact. The first event of the kind recorded
took place on the Boston and Maine yailroGd
away back in 1S4S. Mr.. Minot. the supcrin-
tendent at that time. a progressive man,
always the alert for Improvement that
should make his line stand among the first in
the country. One day in 1888 he conceived the
idea Of running a mile a minute. and when once
the thought entered his mind he bent every
energy toward realizing ii.
He had lotion engine built to order at the
Boston works of Hinkley & Drury and named it
the Antelope II had single drivers. six feet
in diameter. Mr.. Minot declared the engine
should run mile minute or go back to the
shops.
Boston. was chosen the terminus Of the trial
trip. Choosing 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 a mile a minute. II
speed Until then unheard of, required the ut
most forethought. All trains we're either side
tracked or taken off the road for the trip. Rep
resentAtives of the Boston papers were invited
to accompany the superintendent. and when
the day arrived they, with a few other guests.
were given possession Of the only car that was
to make the run.
"a large crowd gathered at tine station and
amid cheers and waving of hats the engineer
pulled open the throttle, while Mr.. Minot
stood by his side. Boston was soon left be-
hind and the Antelope plunged into the
open country with the fieetness of the wind
Everything worked to a charm. On they
sped, dashing by stations filed with a won
dering crowd. whose cheers could be heard
but second by the passengers Half way
10 Lawrence Mr.. Minot looked at his watch
Fourteen minutes, he said. That won I
do, Pemberton; we are a minute behind The
engineer threw the throttle wide open and
the Antelope increased the speed.
AS the train nesred Lawrence MIR. Minot
stood with his watch in his hand. and Just as
the engineer brought the train to a standstill
the timepiece nfkrked twenty-six minutes.
"A great crowd awaited the 'Antelope's'
arrival eager to know whether the much-talked-
Of deed had been accomplished.
"Did you make it?' cried an excited on
locker.
Yes; shouted Mr.. Minot in return. and
then cheer after cheer arose to the men who
had first driven engine mile minute
Everybody congratulated the superintendent
and engineer. and for long time crowds
focked from far and near to look at the engine
that had accomplished the run"