Middletown transcript., 1892-06-23
THE FASTEST THINGS.

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New York Central and Hudson River
Railroad, which made the distance
from New York to Buffalo on Septem-
Der IA, 1891. 440 miles in 4SS minutes
"A seconds. There is no possible
doubt but that the time and distance
were exactly as stated. Angus Sin
clair, in the National Car and Loco
motive Builder, attested the official
velocity Of the train as being 6o.69
miles per hour.
This achievement was SO remarkable
as to attract the attention ofthe world.
The Birmingham Daily Mail declared
that not until then had Americans
disputed the records with English
railroads. It pointed to the fact that
the Northwestern Railroad in running
from London to Grewe, 146 miles, in
three hours and FIVE minutes, had
opened the Americana eyes. 1t con-
ceded the triumph, however. to the
New YUrk Central road. This was an
experimental train. The first regular
train to emulate this time was the EN-
pire State express, composed Of buffet,
smoking and library cars in addition
to the regular coaches, and drawn by
the same engine. On October 70,
1891, it made the 440 miles in eight
hours and forty-one and three-quarter
minutes, now the regular schedule
time and the fastest in the world.
The fastest cooking, automatically
attested, was done not long ago by
Prince Bismark's famous chef, who is
now chef cook in a restaurant of Ber-
lin. He had made bet with regu-
lar guest Of the place of $25 that he
could kill, dress, cook and serve .
chicken in six minutes. The exploit
was to be performed in the presence
of invited spectators. At nine o'clock
on the appointed evening the cook ap-
peared With his gas cooking stove on
a platform in sight of all in the reom'
he waved the chicken around his head
and 1t cackled loudly. Decapitating
the fowl with one blow of a glittering
knife, this astronomic expert, within
sixty seconds, had removed every
feather from it. The gas stove was
already lighted with broller upon it
The fowl was cut open and drawn in
one other minute and placed upon the
broiler, hot dish garnished with
water cress was at hand, and it lacked
lust a second of the six minutes when
the chicken was served amid great
applause.
The fastest trotting ever done by
horse.hesh was the accomplishment OF
Sunol, daughter ofthe famous stallion,
Electionesr, on October 81, 1891.
The event attracted the attention Of
the world. The performance was
made on a new kite-shaped track at
Stockton, CAL, in 2.0S4. This was
one clean half second better than the
famous time OF Maud S., which up to
that moment constituted the record.
The best time for mares before then
had been 2.Os2, and for stations had
been 2:O9l. Nelson and Jay Eye See
had each 2:l0,to bis credit, and Aller-
ton 2:094.s si
The fastest machine is matchmaker
that eats up $50 different bands e
wood at the same time, the wood hav-
ing been shaved ofa uniform thick
ness, and turns out 100000 matches
day. ~
The fastest book-writing il supposed
to be the achievement Of I. P. O'Con-
nor, of the London Star, whose book
reached its fourth edition in forty-eight
hours. Its length was $1,000 words,
aud the manuscript was in the hands
Of the publisher within twenty-four
hours after its author was requested
to produce it. It was the life of
Charles Stewart Parnell, the order
for which was given the day after the
great Irishman's death.
The most rapid talker in the United
States is Bishop Brooks, of Maasachu-
sstts, recently chosen bishop Of that
diocese. d Baron Dowse, the Irish
attorney-general was heard to speak
$50 words minute, while the Rev.
Arthur Munsell could not be reported.
Rev. Phillips Brooks sermons are
said often to be delivered for an hour
continuously at the rate Of 215 words
a minute. DR.. Chauncey NJ. Depew,
the most popular American speaker,
rarely exceeds 16O words a minute.
The fastest mile on record for six
day bicycle race was in October, 1891,
in Madison Square Garden by William
Martin, of Detroit. He covered
1896. A miles in that time, beating
the worlds previous record by 6l.4
miles.
The fastest long-distance transmits
sion of message is over the Atlantic
cable. About three seconds are re-
quired for message to traverse it
from one end to the other. That Is q
speed of about 700 miles second.
The fastest leather-making on record
Il r. Al L.