The Anaconda standard., 1896-03-06
ABOUT THE SPEED OF TRAINS
How Ii Is Affected by the Liurnai Revo-
lution of the Firth.


| lution of the Eirth
From the Literary Digest.
1t Is as far from Buffalo TO New
York as II is from New York to Buffalc
yet. IL we are believe the reasoning o
Alexander Hogg, a correspondent o
the Railway Gazette, the railway rur
| can be made more easily In the formel
direction, because, the speed of tn,
eastward moving train being added L
that of the rotating earth, the reduc.
'tion of weight due 20 centrifugal force
Is greater. We quote such portions OF
Mr.. Hogg's letter as do not involve
difficult mathematics:
In 1891 the New York Central &
Hudson River railroad ran a train
436h miles in 425 minutes and AZ Sec
onds, or an average of 61h miles per
hour. The weight of the train was
100000 pounds. The same company on
Sept. IL this year made the remarkable
hun of the same 1894 miles In 407 2-s
minutes: this was an average of g. 36
miles per hour.
The New York Central, in starting
both times from New York city. un-
necessarily retarded fits own speed
From Albany TO Buffalo, due west, the
train encountered not only the prevail
ing west wind, but the force of the
earth's revolution eastward
Owing to the diurnal rotation of the
earth, bodies at the equator press to-
ward the earth with 2SS-2Ssths of the
pressure they would were the earth de-
prived of its rotation. IT, therefore,
the rotation OF the earth could be ac-
clerated until 1t took only 1-17th Of the
present sidereai day TO make a COM
pfete turn or revolution. the centrifu-
gal tendency would be increased Q7)
twofold; that Is. II would be 2se times
as great as now. and bodies at the
equator would have no pressure down.
ward, or, as we say, would weigh moth
ing. This rate of revolution would not
be sufficient to deprive bodies any
where else of their entire weight.
Now let US apply this to railroad
trains. train running east, at the
would be lightened as COM
pared with the weight on a stil earth.
III running due west the result would
be Oess). And the difference of weight
between the same train, running east
and west with the same velocity, would
be "a certain) fraction OF its total alb
solute pressure. Example: Take a
train running, say. 20 feet per second,
or nearly 4s miles per hour. this frac-
tion would not be far from 1-160Oth
part; in running 60 miles per hour II
would be 1-12S0th part. and IL running
100 miles per hour. or 147 feet per sec
ond, IL would be 1-765uh part, nearly:
and Ii would be greater and greater as
the speed Is increased, and still greater
rs both speed and weight of the train
are Increased. The train of the New
York Central was 337 feet long and
weighed 5e5. 900 pounds.
This calculation, vt will be observed.
rs said, will be true for the equator.
rhe New York Central train ran from
Albany to Buffalo upon the 42nd paral-
Ell or latitude. and there
ore. this calculation should be correct
ID for this latitude, and would be about
'-1oths as great"
Other correspondents agree with Mr..
dogg in principle. though not accept
ng all his mathematics. One of them |
'nds his letter with the following rath- |
n jocose suggestion:
1T is we'll known that when the /
noon is above US II draws movable OBJ
ects away from the earth, and when /
Is on the opposite side of the earth |
draws the earth away from movable
'bjects here. thereby causing the tides.
I might be well to- suggest to the New
FORK Central officers that. az the tides
ravel from east to west. they may per-
Iaps Offset the disadvantages under
fr. Hogg's theory by starting when
he position of the moon is propitious,
nd, as they would keep in the tide
shiie going west. they may still be
ole to make fast time going west.
ven IL the engineers, or. indeed. the
ngines themselves. learn of disadvan-
ages OF centrifugal force when they
re trying to make Buffalo"