Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-06-04
FAST FLYING TRIP.
The Rock Island Beats it's Best
Record.
BIG ENGINES SPIN TO THIS CITY.

Down 1t Lightning speed-Yes Time
Could Have Beea Fesser-Ths Annual
Election Of the Company.
The Rock Island brought its off,
cial special from Chicago to this city
last evening. pulled by the new Will
son Mogul engine, in three hours and
thirty-nine minutes, thus establish
ing a record breaker in reducing the
previous fastest time three minutes.
Anticipating the proposed test. as
announced in last nights ARGUS,
fully 800 people had assembled at the
Fifth avenue station to see the flyer
come in. Boys mounted the freight
cars standing along the south side of
the main tracks east Of the depot,
and lung their hats in the air and
shouted gleefully as the big Iocomo-
tive hove in sight. The people Of
Rock Island were Of course denied
the sight of the train under full
Roadway, hut a mum Der who went up
east OF Moline to see the special pass
reported the spectacle-what could
be seen of it as it sped by in its flight
AS o nineteenth century wonder.
They saw streak of bronze pointed
out in front by huge implement Of
polished steel-and a cloud of dust.
Then there was rumble down the
track. The train was under reduced
speed from the time it entered the
limits of Moline-at which city, how
ever, it did not halt-until the great
iron horse snorted into the Rock ISL
and depot. The engine did not ap.
pear to have been overtaxed, and
there was not the painting of an over
driven race horse nor the ceaseless
exhaust that is common of the ordi-
nary locomotive.
The Assem- blei multitude set up q
shout Of approval as the train stopped.
Superintendent Nichols alighted,
chronometers in hand.
Just three hours and thirty-nine
minutes" said the superintendent.
"Good enough" responded the
president, "better than l expected.
since We were not running for time"
''The trial trip is success?"
queried an ARGUS representative of
Superintendent Nichols.
..Oh my yes" came the cheerful
reply. ave have reduced our best
record three minutes. That was three
hours and forty-two minutes made
by a standard train. Mr.. Gable was
not particularly anxious to do that
when we started. He merely wanted
to test the new engine, and incident
ally to give his guests a fast ride.
He accomplished both of these ends,
and he could have cut the time ten
to fifteen minutes had he not eau
toned me to have the train run
slower at several places along the
read. Indeed am confident we can
make the trip with that engine in
three hours"
Story Of the Trip.
The official special left the South
Side depot in Chicago at 4 03 and
reached Rock Island, covering the
distance of 1s1 miles, in three hours
and thirty-nine minutes. Seven
stops were made before reaching
Rock Island, at Sixteenth street,
Thirty. ninth street, Englewood.
Grand Trunk crossing, Joliet, Otta-
Wa, and Bureau. The stops were all
for two or three minutes. except
the one at Ottawa. where the train
lay ten minutes for water. Between
Chicago and Joliet, a distance of 30
miles, the distance was covered in
50 minutes. But the next 445 miles
to Ottawa were covered in 4S min
utes. Between Ottawa and Bureau.
30 miles, the time registered was 35
minutes. From Bureau TO GeneseO
the engine got down to a mile a min
ute even, and on a stretch of level
track this side of Sheffield the gauge
in President Cables car showed Il
miles an hour. Previous to that a
curve had been rounded at the rate
of 60 miles an hour. This satisfied
President Cable, who gave orders
that the speed he reduced. From
Genes 60 to the Rock Island depot. %
miles, the train came in 25 minutes,
which included the slow time
through Moline and Rock Island.
Supt. Nichols says that counting all
stops the engine pounded out &c
miles an hour at several places along
the road, and that between Mokena
and New Lenox the engine struck 8
IS mile clip.
Train Crew and Passengers.
The train weighed 100000 pound.
and consisted of five coaches, a bag
gage car, the diner St. James. two
Pullmans, the Panama and Novara
and President Cables private obser
walton car. the 800. The engine wa!
manned by Engineer +. L. Brewer
and Fireman A. w. Gidley, Will,
Conductor Hank Huntington was il
charge. c. l.. Nichols. superintend
ant of the Illinois division. thar
whom there is no more capable OF
affabie railroad general who comes
into Rock Island, was in genera
command. The guests Of the TRIP
were: President and Mrs. r. r. Cable
and Hon. Ben 7. Cable, of this city
and Ex-Gov. z. P. Flower and wife
Arson Flower and wife, Benjamin
Brewster and son, H. r. Bishop
Henry Seibert and wife, Mr.. ant
Mrs. Donald. W. G. Purdy and Mrs