The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1896-10-16
SPEED ON THE WABASH.

IT. LOUIS, Mo. 10 ride on locofno-
tive that Is pulling an express train At
the rate OF 70 miles an hour is an i'm
teresting and exciting experience,
made more Interesting. perhaps. when :
in the last Of these nine cars hltched
to this monster Of the rails there rides
w j. Bryan, the democratic candidate
for president OF the United States, with
divers and sundry minor candidates
anu diynitaries Of the democratic
party. Such an experience as this fell
To the lot OF the Times correspondent
between Kansas City aud ST. Louis last
Saturday.
RIDING oS THE ESGINE.
Through the courtesy OF Superinten'
dent Garrett, of this division OF the
Wabash road, was permitted % climb
into the firemans seat ON engine li5,
an -9,0OO-pound monster, built in the
Wabash shops at Springfield H., and
fitted up with the patent Inventions OF
j. u. harness. superintendent OF motive
power and machinery. As we pulled
out of Montgomery, the last stop Tor
6l miles, Engineer c. o. Smith, iamili-
arily known as Chris" made ready
for run. The fireman, james Cain,
shoveled the coal into the whitehot
bed of fire under the boiler, whence
came with every opening Of the door
a blast as though IL blew direct from
the internal regions There was
deep rum BILE, and "A motion thai seemed
Il blending of n trenble and "A throb,
and gradually we gathered speed until
the great driving rods few around
with almost lightning motion.
The road was nearly level, running
through slightly rolling country, for
we had left the broad Missouri valley,
and were travelling succession OF cuts
and films, with an occasional bridge
or culvert from which rose Z dull roar
as we passed. The motion was some
thing simply tremendous.
AS we dashed around the curves the
engine lurchcd and rose, seeming AL
most to leave the track in It's mad
flight. At that moment it was not es-
pecially inspiring to know that there
was Just an inch of iron flange be-
tween us and eternity. clingng des-
perately 20 whatever projections the
inside Of the cab afforded, l shouted
back. disjointedly:
How oes-the-enginc- the
track?'-
Don't YOU know" came back quite
as dis ointedly, the faster the speed
che less danger of the engine leaving
the rails?'
didn't know it. but | was glad "a
hear it. By this time we were running
along 1T fearful speed.
Look down at the ground, SAID
Mr. Braddick, the general travelling
engineer who was on the engine.
1 looked from the cab window. bu
for 90 feet from the track everything
wasan indistinguishabl blur. Furthe
away where the eyes could focus
objects were. of course, plainl,
di.cernible, and the cattle. of whicl
there were plenty, peacefully croppe'
the grass 80 yards away, undismayed
, On the train flew. the four screeche
of the whistle and the changing of tn
bell giving warning Mt road crossings
Stations were Numbered past, eacl
, with it's little group gathered to Sc
| the Bryan train 90 by, and their shril
cheers sounded for the fragment of
, second amid the din. But no stop
were made. The white arms wer'
{ up on the signal post, and the engi
neer from his side shouted 'All Clear
TO the fireman on the other. who mad
a like response, the iron clutch on tn
!. mail ear caught the mail bag. and oil
the ponderous train whirled.
sEyENTY-sIx MILES AN HOUR
4 A milepost gleamedsahead. The en-
;. gineer pointed to it and took out hi
> watch Then. after holding his time
piece. while the wind that came IN a
the front window like a wall blew hi
a hair all pompadour, he timed his iro
] s,eed. The track was straight as die
!. the grade slightly descending. On
speed seemed appalling. held on f.
O dear life. and looked right ahead WI
|. feeting misgivings rs TO the sacredne'
! Of the RICH, of way of passenger train
a on the Wabash Another mile-po'
a came in sight, and as It dashed b
a "1hris" called out in 4 voice thu
:. sounded as though IL came throug
II the roaring of gale at sea.
- Fifty -seconds-.2 miles an hour.
a tried to shout my congratulation
= but he held up his hand warningl
n and kept his eye on the track Aimo
u ,efnre YOU could count another mil
n post glittered past. and he came ov'
II and shouted in my ear:
j. "Fortv-seven seconds. Now you ca
toll your friends that you rode on Q
j engine that was making over sevent
a. six miles an hour.
- Perhaps the presidential candida
!, IN the rear coach thought IL not
- inv COMPARED TO the rate at which
faucies he is travelling to that viii
piilared mansion on Pennsylvania nv
~ nue i'm the city OF magnificent distance
~ which is the highest goal of Americ'
ambition. bat to actually realize =
speed at which one travels one mu
he clinring to the seatof 45-ton loo
motive, one side of you roasting fro
he close proximity to the boiierhead' y
ed wind butfcting your face, whsle '
so g.i,tcring rails seem to rush iorwa
as to meet YOU. only 70 be remorseiess
re troddcn under the flying feet 81 70
d. snorting stcca.