Milford chronicle., 1893-06-09
WORLD ON WHEELS
Infinite Variety of Transpor-
tation Department.
A WONDERFUL SHOW AT CHICAGO.

~ YOU IaNf UlDAE NldA AMNANy HAANo VI
space under one roof fitted with every sort
Of device or vehicle for the transportation
of men or materials, not only those of the
present and our own country but of all
times and peoples. So vast is the display,
and so full Of interest in whatever direc-
tion one looks or wherever he passes, that
q week might easily be devoted TO this
building alone by visitor who had come
here determined to study the fair as it de-
serves TO be studied. A single exhibit,
that Of the Oldest American railway, the
Baltimore and Ohio, is worth days in
spection. It consists not only Of old loco
motives aud cars side by side with mod
sern train, but a most surprising and in
structiv5 collection of pictures which
graphically show the Development of rail
ways in America, England, France and
Germany. Nothing like it was ever before
) attempted, There aye more than ! 200
: pictures in all, and how they were ever
gotten together is more than one can
imagine. In addition to all these there Is
a display Of steam carriages used In the
last century before the development even
OF the earliest locomotive This single ex-
hibit cost $4,000, and is a monument not
only to the enterprise of an American rail
way, but to the genius of the men who
were charged with its preparation.
After a hasty walk through this most
amazing department one is quite ready to
believe the statisticians who tell us the
railways Of the world represent one-tenth
part Of mans total wealth, and perhaps
one-quarter or one-third of his in
vested capital. One is surprised not
only by the vastness Of the exhibit, be-
speaking net works of rails spread over
the face of the earth, but the wonderful
variety of forms, structures, devices and
machines used in railway construction and
operation. Most Americans study rail
ways only by the casual method Of riding
over them. We all know just enough
about them to lead us to the conclusion
we know about all there is worth know
ing. A walk through this great building
and its greater annex viii show the most
presumptious Of us how small is our
knowledge concerning the greatest of all
methods Of transportation.
As it would take days to see it so it
would require pages on pages instead Of
columns to describe or even mention what
IS displayed here. If / call attention to
some of the more striking exhibits or en-
deavor to indicate the almost infinite
variety thereof it must not be supposed
my ymeager list has estimated the subject
OF course the old locomotives, the John
Bull, the Rocket" the "Clinton," the
"Samson" and many others ara always
surrounded by large crowds OF visitors.
Many people smile as they compare one Of
these little machines, whose boilers are
about the size Of rain-barrels with the
enormous modern locomotives standing
near by. The Rocket entire could be
loaded in one corner of the tender of the
Director General, the big locomotive
which weighs $4,000 pounds, and still
leave room enough for the fuel and the
operations of the fireman.
Other exhibits which constantly please
the popular eye are the English Iocomo-
tives and cars, the French locomotives,
which are much like the English only not
Of such fine workmanship :,
cars for freight and parsi 81
blue carriage built lsslilrls y ~. fba 4. NS,,s
.;I fa,,,;I, fhe use OF ehe NJ
peilaI ltiilll -,la is a marvel of
asas d would not run
le-,,s.r on American roads, for it
has sl1 wheels, two at either end and
two Ghder the center Of the car, all rigidly
attached 20 the car-frame.
There are cars here of the like of which
some OF us never heard before. The Pull
man company shows what is said to be the
most expensive and perfect railway train
ever built 1t is not so much Of curiosity
to Americans, who are accustomed to
using just this sort of carriages while
travelling, buC to our friends from across
the sea it is the subject of much wonder
and inquiry. The finest sleeping and par
lor cars in use in England and on the CON
tinent are of American build, but the
number of them is so liaited that many
of the visitors from abroad never even saw
them. The Pullman company shows u
model of the industrial city Of Pullman
which was built a good deal as the World
fair itself was built, on a comprehensive
plan, all at once, and in anineredibly shorb
time. When it comes to the creation oi
cities there are three fine models here al
most within gunshot of each Other-the
Columbian exposition, Pullman and great
Chicago. Here may be seen also the first
. locomotive used in the city of Chicago
the Chicago and Galena's "Pioneer,"
which began its career of usefulness fifty
years ago. Now Chicago is the greatest
railway center in the world.
If there is anything connected with rail
wa transportation, excepting possibly an
annual pass or q rear-end collision, that i
not displayed here / should be at a loss tG
tell what tits. There are all sorts of loco
motives and their appliances, such as bells,
brakes, whistles and water-taking devices
Here are Ysans, drawings and photograph
of locomql Res and locomotive shops. Her
are all h Of passenger cars-mail ba,
gage, eY h'ss, dining room, parlor, slee'
, inc OIL e's, private ard observation caI
-,Tf 90 aa1T Of annlfrnpaa md
nishings. Here you may see just how
automatic brake works-may see its pov
applied to 100 cars by a single touch of
lever, the first time such long train "
ever worked. Here you may see in coul
less details the paraphernalia Of railv
construction and peration-maohines
laying the track; methods Of drainage
kinds Of rails and rail fastenings; M
sleepers: modsls of bridges and viadu
methods Of constructing, lighting and
tilating tunEsls, including a model of
famous st. Gothard tunnel; spow 81
and snow plOws, with the great 70
plow used in the mountains; hun
different kinds Of freight and goods
hand cars and track velocipedesj ar
railway staticn and model ticket
interlockipg switch and signal syste
actual operation; train dispatching
interesting processes; wrecking cars and |
tools; methods Of testing for color blind
ness. These and ten thousand other things /
make mp an exhibit unparalleled in inn
portanee and comprehensiveness.
But this is the transportation depart |
ment, and railways by no means monopo-
live transportation on the face of this
globe Of ours. Transportation by water
is magiicently represented, though in
stead of the steamers and large ships of
course we have to be content with models