Omaha daily bee., 1893-10-15
A NOVEL TEST OF SPEED
FITTING American Locomotives Against
Crack Foreign Flyers.
THE 99s AND The QUeEN-ESpRfsS
while y Third, the Product Of Engineers.
Ready to Try Conclusion. with Eithsr
Interesting Facts About Moot
err Racers.

For some time past reports have been cur.
rent that a test OF speed between the crack
locomotives at the Worlds fair had been
arranged. The feasibility of such a contest
and its value in determining the speed Of
different engines, both home and foreign.
touched the popular fancy, and several cash
prizes wero offered to stimulate the owners.
Notwithstanding repeated denials, there is
reason to belle tc a trial of speed is under
consideration and may be determined in the
affirmative before many DAYS.
There are a number of locomotives on ex-
hlbition at the Worlds fair. representing
the most approved mechanical skill of
Europe and America. Freight and passep-
ger locomotives are ranged side By side. To
the inexperienced, the chief difference
visible Is that OF outline. The American loco
motive is distinguished for beauty OF form
Pnd simplicity OF construction. Foreign
locomotives on the other hand are attractivr
chiefly for their ungainiy shape. Their
mechanism is much moro complicated and
gives the impression that in the matter of
lpeed they are outclassed by the American
locomotive. The foreigners, however, will
not concede the superiority of the American
machine. either IN construction, power or
speed. These points cau be settled only by
n test, and there is every probability that it
will be made.
lWO COIlpeJltUTS are universally singled
put for the est-the famous 900 Of the New
York Central, aud the Queen Empress IN the
British exhibit. The owners OF the "E. b.
Thomas a crack Erie Locomotives, are anx-
ious To give either "A race for money, marbles
or chalk.
The Great flyer.
The 800 Of the Empiro State express Is n
magnificent specimen of modern locomotive
construction. II was specially built for
speed, and has more than justified the eX-
pectations of the builders. The first regu-
lar trial was had on the 10th Of MAY last,
with Engineer Charles Hogan at the throttle.
The engine was attached to the regular Elm
pre- state express. Between Albany and
Syracuse the boiler foamed, causing a delay
OF twenty-eight minutes. Six minutes were
made up in the run TO Rochester. and the
train left there twenty-five minutes late. 1t
was expected an attempt would be made to
break all records, and the run from Roches-
ter was timed with stop-watches. The dis
lance is sixty-nine miles, almost straight
away over a perfectly level country and the
roadbed is heavily ballasted.
That section is always relied on for fast
time when express trains are behind time.
The run from Rochester to Crittenden, forty
nine miles, was of the usual character. 1t
was fast, but there was nothing to excite
wonder. The miles were reeled off in mod
ern style, the fastest being in AZ seconds and
the slowest in l minute 1 35 seconds. There
were times when the train made slower
time, that being when it had to slow up.
Inc time taken was for actual running. 1t
was known that If an attempt was made to
knock a hoe in the record it would be be-
tween Crittenden and Forks Station. Crit
tenden was passed at 5:04i5 D.. m, and then
the mile posts began to slip past every 45
seconds.
bonneville Station went by like a
shadow. Faster and faster sounded the
clickety-click of the wheels, an lust before
Gainesville was reached the hands on a
stop-watch showed that a mile had been
made in 30 seconds.
Then the time went back to 46 seconds
until the mile before Forks station, then the
great record was made. The train seemed
TO be running on creased tracks and
trembled from the engine to the rear trucks.
1t seemed as though the mighty engine
knew what was expected of it and met the
demands.
There was just the slightest kind of a
Jerking sensation for the briefest part Of a
second and then the train settled down, and
when The mile post flashed by in a cloud of
dust and cinders the stop-watch showed that
all railroad records the world ever saw had
been smashed.
which means a speed OF 1902 81 miles an hour.
Fifteen minutes lost time was made up be-
tween Rochester and Buffalo.
A Paralyzing Gait.
The next day 800 was sent out to beat her
own record under Hogan's supervision. The
engine was attached to the regular Empire
State express and Hogan sent her at the
rate of ll2l9 miles an hour. This is beyond
question the fastest time ever made by an
engine under human control.
The test of speed was made between
Rochester ana Buffalo. Soon after leaving
Rochester the engineer slowed down little,
intending to make up the time on the west
ern end OF the stretch. Passing Batavia the
minute. Then Hogan let her out. She
braced up perceptibly and the telegraph
poles spun by faster and faster. The speed
was increased just before reaching Critten-
dan and hn. .nnNfl p,plA H.
OF Il mile in 30 seconds was cqualcd.
But this was exceeded Just this side of
that station, when the new worlds record
of a mile in 81 seconds was made. This
is equivalent to ll212 miles an hour. Nearly
as great speed was kept up until Forks
station was reached and then Hogan slowed
up and entered Buffalo at the customary
speed.
The drive wheels of this great machine
which towers more than twenty feet in the
air are 50 inches in diameter, and the whole,
with loaded tender, weighs eighty tons.
The British Locomotive.
The Queen-Empress is a full sister of the
famous Greater Britain" which has a
record Of eighty miles an hour. The great
locomotive has two high pressure cylinders,
10 inches in diameter, and 2+-inch stroke,
and one low ressure cylinder, so inches In
diameter and A-inch stroke, The great ma.
chine carries four pairs OF wheels. the lead
ing pair being 4 feet and IL inches IN diam.
eter. The high and low pressure driving
wheels are z feet l inch in diameter. The
total weight, with tender, is about seventy.
seven tons.
Another Fast One.
The &c, b, Thomas is peculiarly inter.
esting to railroad men-an interest founded
principally upon the fact that it is the pro
duct of ideas furnished by men who spend
their lives behind the throttle. For man,
years past the men who build locomotives
and those who run them have disagreed In
regard to the requisites of a successful en-
CINE. Engineers have claimed, and appar
emily with reason, that their practical ex
perience in running locomotives made then
better judges OF railway machinery than the
builders possibly could be. Engineers nave
been particularly critical of the modern idea
that in order To secure increased speed and
greater draught the number of driving
wheels should be augmented. They have nc
use for the big ten-wheel locomotives re
Gently introduced on many Of the railroads
and they clam that a locomotive with foul
driving, wheels, properly constructed, can
outrival any other engine reinforced with
two additional driving wheels. To substan
tiate this claim the big locomotive, IL. b