The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1895-01-17
IN A DAYS SPAN.
Lightning Special Speed
from Chicago to Atlanta.
RAN It IN IS HOURS, 81 MINUTES,
Brought the Exposition Edition Of the
Chicago Herald... Broke All
Previous Records.

| sahoh ny al AWeElcan newspaper was wit
messed at the union depot at $50 o'clock
last evening, when the Chicago Herald s
fast special just sixteen hours and ffty>
seven minutes out of Chicago. pulled under
the shed
The moment the dazzling headlight Of
engine 240, Western and Atlantic road
hove in sight the multitude of representa-,
tive citizens, city officials newsboys and
! every class OF people that had gathered
inside the depot, sent up terrific shout,
and the Atlanta Military band struck the
inspiring strains of Dixie
WELCOME THE HERALD MEN.
The exposition directors and the leading
citizens quickly boarded the car and went
into the dining car, where they met and
congratulated Mr.. Robert Ansley, the bust.
! nes' manager of the Herald. and Mr.. John
j. Finn, OF the editorial staff OF the Herald
the able special writer OF the Herald, who
prepared the article about Atlanta and the
exposition, which made up the Southern
edition of the Herald.
MR.. HARMAN HAPPY.
Mr. Charley Hartman, the live general
passenger agent OF the Western and At.
lantlc, who personally conducted the spe,
cial from Chattanooga, was on hand all
aglow with smiles, shaking hands with
everybody.
One hundred and thirty eight miles in
one hundred and sixty-fve minutes with
two stops" was all he had to say to the
enthusiastic greetings that he received
| from every side.
| After the general reception in the parlor
car was over, the Chicago party was taken
IN hand By the exposition directors and
escorted to the AragoA hotel.
RAILROAD SENSATION.
The marveiously quick run from Chica>
90 to Atlanta was the sensation of the hour
in railroad circles. No such time had ever
| been made before During the Worlds
Fair the announcements made in the adj
vertSements that the vestibuled fair spes
Gals would cover the distance i'll twentv>
| four hours was greeted with incredibly.
Nobody believed it, and as a matter of
TACT, it was rare occurrence that the dis
lance was covered in shorter time than
twenty>seven hours
10 make the run in sixteen hours was
feat unparalleled in the railroad world. 1t
was at the very least eight hours shorter
| than any known time between the two
| cities 1t marked new era in fast travels
ing, and it was meet that the rapid run
should be made between Chicago and At
lanta, the two most enterprising and pro.
gressiEe cities in the country
There were many railroad men who did
not believe that the run could be made in
anything like the time proposed. They
predicted that the train would get into
Atlanta about midnight, but they were
beautifully disappointed. 1t is a fact
! deserving of special mention that the run
| made over the Western and Atlantic
I Road, one of Atlanta s lines, was made in
| as quick time as was made on any other
line between Chicago and Atlanta. Mr..
Hartman made it point to cover the dis, |
lance in lightning fashion, and ifthe trAin !
had reached Chattanooga on schedule
time, it would have been put into the
depot in this city without the loss of a
single moment He had ordered the right
OF way cleared for the special, and it came
through without hitch.
The train was scheduled for Chattanoo.
ga at 3:05, and on the main line, awaiting
the coming of the train, was engine 24O,
one OF the smartest locomotives in the
South 1t is an engine that Charley Bar
rett has covered mile in less than fifty>
eight seconds with, and is one of the most
graceful movers N the world. On it was
Billy harris, an engineer who knows every
crosstie between Atlanta and Chattanooga,
an engineer who can get every wrinkle out
OF mover, an engineer who can ride his
box like Snapper once rode the horses
always to win. He was sitting there wait
ing tor Bob StaIlings, the conductor who
is known all over the South, to wave him
out, while Mr.. Stalings, watch In hand,
was watching for the coming train to turn
| tho puryA q off milo H.
Harman, the general passenger agent of
the road, was beside the track fussiny be.
cause the train was late, and q dozen ward.
men were present to do the work allotted
to them. just five minutes after 4oclock
the train rolled in. A second later the
engine was rncoupled and No. 24O was
swung IN tEe. In two minutes everv axle
hac been creased, every wheel had been
sounded and the train was moving Mr.
| Finn and Mr. Ansley had shaken hands
with number OF gentlemen and had been
told dozen tunes or more that the feat
was one OF the most remarkable they had
ever heard Of.
is there anything in our way 2' asked
Mr.. Ansley, glancing from the face of his
watch into the of Mr.. Hartman.
Not a thing" replied Mr.. Hartman.
This train has the right OF way over
everything
And what's the distance % asked Mr..
Finn, dancing at the time table.
"One hundred and thirty -elght miles"
was the answer
How long will it take us? asked Mr..
Ansley.
Less than three hours" was the an>
swer. 1--WE will make two stops only, and
we will put you in Atlanta in less than
three hours"
Three minutes before o'clock the train
came into Atlanta, having covered the
distance in two hours and fifty minutes,
including the two stops of about four Minis
utes each and the slow>up at Howells and
the slow pace within the city.
1t was run of 1873 miles in 10 minutes,
including two stops, and was the best runs
ming the train ibid from the time it left
Chicago until it reached Atlanta
The entire time, including the stops,
changes and so forth, was sixteen hours
and twenty seven minutes, as figured by
Mr.. Stone and Mr.. Hartman
That is 9S7 minutes in which 7Sl nilas