The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-08-27
THE PLANT SYSTEM FLYER.
A Lightning Trip TO Washington With
The Knights Of PythiaS.

Vile and Florence.
One Of the fastest runs on record was
made yesterday by the special train Of
the Plant System carrying the Florida
Knights of Pythias 10 the grand biennial
conclave at Washington.
The run from Jacksonville to Savannah
was made in 1893 minutes including stops,
the distance being 1894 miles. The
fastest run was made between Walthour-
vile and Mcintosh, between which
points a speed Of GA miles per hour was
maintained. The fastest mile was made
in 4S seconds, and many Of the miles were
made in 81 seconds, a number of
the passengers keeping time on
the run with their watches in hand and
calculating the time closely between mile
posts.
Things being a little dull in railroad
circles. and Sunday being a day on which
there is little doing, Assistant Train
master Hutchens of the Savannah d.
vision thought 1t would be a good idea 10
fit up train and make a fast run from
Jacksonville 10 Washington just as lit
tie surprise for the railroad people and TO
set mark in the beginning of the season
by which the fast runs later on could be
estimated.
IT WAS KEPT SECRET.
The intention was kept an entire secret,
however, ana even when the train pulled
out Of Jacksonville yesterday afternoon,
few people there knew that il was a flyer,
and that it was out for the purpose Of
making and breaking records A Morn
ING NEWS reporter heard that there was
likely 10 be some fast running, and left
the city on train No. % yesterday morning
for the purpose of seeing the fun.
A second section of No. % caught up
with the regular train at Waycross, where
it was boarded by MIR. Hutchens, who had
the run in hand The second section
proved TO be the intended flyer Capt.
w. H. Wright was aboard, with Engineer
Cahill at the throttle. 1t would have
been a strange thing if Capt. Wright had
not been in charge, so well is bis reputa-
tion known as a handler of the Plant sys-
TENS fastest trains, and a better man at
the throttle than Engineer Cahill would
be hard TO find. The first section was
given half hours start, and then a very
pretty run into Jacksonville arriving
there about 5 o'clock.
HAS A REPUTATION FOR SPEED.
Engine No 50, which was selected for
the run, has a record for fast work, be-
ing the same engine that made the record
breaking run with the hotel help special
train last April, and which also made the
records for the season OF 1889 when il
made the fastest runs ever made up to
that date between Jacksonville and Sa-
vannah. No. so is one of the largest pas
senger engines in use in this section, hav-
lug an lSX24 cylinder and six-foot driving
wheels.
Jacksonville was found full of Knights
making ready for the trip to Washington
The passenger agents of the Plant system
had been forbidden to advertise the
special as flyer, however, and a large
delegation of the knights took the regu-
lar morning train No. 81 for Washington
under the impression that il would place
them there earlier than the special could
do. A large number of the Knights had
also arranged TO go by the Florida Central
and Peninsular, so that those who had
the good luck TO go by the flyer were
fewer than would have been the case had
the intention to run such a train been an
nourced beforehand.
SOME OF THOSE ON BOARD
At exactly 800 o'clock in the afternoon
the special pulled out of Jacksonville
with siXty-five knights aboard Among
the number were Col. Max Myerson of
Sanford. commander of the Florida regi-
ment; his adjutant, Capt. a. NJ. Pab-
worth OF Sanford; the quartermaster
Capt j. n. Bradshaw of Orlander; Capt
w. Q. Sherman of the Orlando division,
Judge Sparkman of Tampa and portions
of the Sanford, Tampa, Orlando, Palatka
and Ocala divisions.
The train consisted of engine No. 80, a
animation baggage and smoker, a day
coach and two Pullman sleepers. MIR.
Hutchens took his place in the cab with
Engineer Cahill while Capt Wright as
sumed charge of the train Mr. II. Il.
ration, travelling passenger agent of the
Plant system at Washington was aboard
the train, which he accompanied through
TO Washington for the purpose of looking
after the comfort of the passengers, which
he well knows how to do MIR. George
Deming, travelling passenger agent at
Jacksonville, accompanied the train to
Savannah, as did also Mr. r.. $ Richard
son, chief clerk of the passenger depart
ment of the jacksonville, Tampa and Key
West railroad.
THE RUNS IN DETAIL.
The train had hardly passed out of the
suburbs of Jacksonville before it was
under full speed. 1t left jacksonville at
3:SO O'Clock, made a momentary stop at
the Lavilla railroad crossing another at
the Callahan crossing, slowed down TO
20 miles an hour at the state line bridge.
ana arrived at Waycross at / ~ o'clock
pm, distance of 154 miles, at an aver
age speed OF - miles per hour
Five minutes was spent at Waycross
taking on water. The train left WAY
cross at 4:52 D. m, made a momentary
stop at the Brunswick ana Western cross
ing, slowed down TO twenty miles an hour
at the Satilla river bridge, to ten miles an
hour at the Jesup yard, TO twenty miles
an hour on the trestle, and arrived at
Johnston Station at as, making an aver
age speed Of Boz miles per hour.
THE RUNNING TIME 1870 MINUTES.
The train left Johnston's station at 5 80
slowed down TO four miles an hour at the
Big Ogeechee bridge, the same at the
Little Ogeechee, made a momentarv stop
at the Florida Central and peninsular
crossing and arrived at Southover juno
ton at $3.50, having made the distance Of
ass miles from Johnston's station at a
rate Of 53.7 miles per hour, and the
total distance from Jacksonville of
1894 miles in 1879 minutes, the
total time speed being 81 miles
per hour DeductinR 5 minutes for water
at Waycross, and / minutes for the same
at Johnston station, the running time
amounted to 100 minutes, giving an aver
age speed of 53.4 miles per hour for the
whole distance, with no deductions for
the four momentary stops at railroad cross
ings and the five slow downs at railroad
bridges.
STRUCK SEVEN COWS.
A large crowd gathered at Southover
Junction "A nd tho in .ssl