The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-10-01
NJ. DRPBW ON THE ERA OF SPEED
Records Brosen by Railroad Trains and
teamship-Four-Dsy ships.


ships-Four-Dsy ships.
On August Q, 1881, the first railroad
was opened In the United States. 1t was
the Mohawk and Hudson which ran
distance Of seventeen miles from the city
Of Albany. the capital OF the Empire State,
TO the old Dutch city OF ScheneetadV'
The first locomotive for this ROAD was
the De Witt Clinton, which was ABOUT
il feet inches in length, and was mount
ed on iron wheels about feet Inches In
diameter. The power Of this engine was
over ten horses. AS It stood on the rails
OF the fret railroad II could be very easily
moved by a single hand.
Thurlow Weed was one Of the passen-
gers TO board the first train, and he gave
me this account OF his experience some
years ago: 1T was my fortune to witness
the advent OF the two great material
forces which have contributed so largely
TO the DEVELOPMENT and civilization OF THIS
continent. / witnessed In lSyh from
an island I'm the Hudson river the
passage OF the first vessel ever propelieu
by steam, ana 1 was passenger
In 1881 In the first car propelled by steam
in the State of New York"
In August, 1893, the quickest time made
I'D to that date was made from Saratoga 10
50 seconds, "A miles an hour. In 1891 a
train of passenger cars running without
special right OF way, made the run from
New York to Buffalo, AL miles, In hours
and IS minutes, 40 miles per hour In
1872 a passenger train made the run 10
Chicago, 97S miles, IN 20 hours, 1873 miles
per hour. This has broken all records
Of passenger carrying trains. The re-
markable speed Of a mile In 30 seconds
was attained by this Chicago flyer. This
wonderful feat is repeated almost daily
and 70 miles an hour for the average
speed Of a fast railroad train is not such
an improbable thing I'm this great age OF
speed and record smashing.
The cars Of the limited" Of 1910 were
coach bodies from an Albany livery sta
bic mounted on trucks The trucks were
coupled with chains leaving two or three
feet slack so that when the train started
the passengers were "ierked from under
their hats" and in stopping they were
sent flying 10 their seats. The locomotive
fuel was pitch pine and a dense volume
Of the blacklist smoke fioated toward the
train. Those on top OF the coaches had
10 raise their umbrellas and the passen-
gers spent their time i'm whipping each
others clothes 70 put Cut the FIRE.
At first the old stage custom Of booking
passengers-entering their names-prevail-
ed but it fell into disuse. one list reads:
boy, lady, stranger. friend. whiskers."
A Boston paper said that a railroad 10
that city would be as useless as one 10
the moon. A member OF the Massachu-
sets legislature opposed it on the ground
that no one ever heard Of such a thing
before and It would be improper 20 take
peoples land for q project that no one
knew about.
1t is beneficial TO every man. no matter
what his occupation, nor how complex
his business affairs to pause In his labors
from time TO time and dispasslonately
reflect upon the circumstances surround
ing him and the general tendency Of the
age in which he lives. In these closing