Fair play., 1896-10-17
SPEED ON THE WABASH.

/ " SOm 1AAub80 OIty TO d. 1sOub
| -How 1t Feels to Ride Seventy-Sh
| Miles m Hour.
ST. LOUIS, Mo.-To ride on locomo
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 hitched
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
and dignitaries of the democratic
party. Such an experience as this fell
to the lot of the Times correspondent
between Kansas City and St. Louis last
Saturday.
RIDING ON THE ENGINE.
Through the courtesy of Superinten.
dent Garrett, of this division of tho
Wabash road, l was permitted 20 elm b
into the fireman's seat on engine 145,
an H0,000-pound monster, built in the
Wabash shops at Spring gtield ILL.,, and
fitted up with the patent inventions OF
j. B. Barnes, superintendent of motive
power and machinery. AS we pulled
ont of Montgomery, the last stop for
61 miles, Engineer G. O. Smith, famili.
arily known as "CEris," made ready
for a run. The fireman, James Cain,
s:ioveled the coal into the whitchot
bed of fire under the boiler, whence
came with every opening of the door
blast as though it blew direct from
the Internal regions. There was u
deep rumble, and motion that seemed
blending Of tremble and Il throb,
and gradually we gathered speed until
the great driving rods flew around
with almost lightning motion.
The road was nearly level, running
through a slightly rolling country, for
we had left the broad Missouri valley,
and were travelling Il succession of cuts
md films, with an occasional bridge
or culvert from which rose n dull roar
AS we passed. The motion was some-
thing simply tremendous.
As we dashed around the curves the
engine lurched and rose, seeming al
most to leave the track in its mad
flight. At that momen it was not es-
pecially inspiring to know that there
ras just an inch of iron tiange be.
tween us and eternity. Clinging des-
peratcly to whatever projections the
inside of the cab afforded, | shouted
back, disjointcdly:
ow-does-the-eng the
traclt?'-
Don't you know" came back quite
as disjointcdly, "thc faster the speed
the less danger of the engine leaving
the raiIsp'
didn't know it. but l was glad to
hear it. BY this time we were running
along ut Il fearful speed.
Look down at the ground" said
Mr.. Braddicls, the general travelling
engineer who was on the engine.
looked from the cab window. but
for 20 feet from the track every thing
was Al ipdistinguishab BILE blur. Further
away where the eyes could focus,
objects were, of course, plainly
and the cattle, of which
there we're plenty, peacefully cropped
the grass so yards away, undismayed.
On the train flew, the four screeches
of the whistle and the Changing of the
bell giving warning at road crossings.
Stations were numbered past, each
with its little group gathered to see
the Bryan train 10 10y, and their siirill
cheers sounded for the fragment of 4
secoud amid the din. Bat no stops
were made. The white arms were
up on the signal post, and the engi-
neeT from his side shouted ''All Clear ,
to the fireman on the other. who made |
a like response, the iron clutch on the
mail car caught the mail bag, and on
the pouderous train whirled.
sEvESTY-sIX MILES AN HOUR.
A milepost gleamedsahead. The en-
gineer pointed to it and took ont his
watch, Then, after holding his time I
piece, while the wind that came III at
the front window like wall blew his .
hair al! pompadour, he timed his iron
,.ccd. The track was straight as Il die, .
The grade slightly descending. Our ,
speed seemed appalling. l held on for .
dear life, and looked right ahead with /
ieeting misgivings as to the sacrcdnesa .
IF the right of way Of passenger trains .
1n the Wabash Another milc-rost /
,ame in sight, and as It dashed by /
Chris called ont in voice that
"a though it came through
he roaring of gale at sea.
"Fifty-scconds-72 miles an hour"
| tried to shout my congratulations,
bat he held up his hand warningly,
a h &c n,, \
Deforc you could connt another mile
post g,ittcrcd past, and lie came over
md shouted in my ear:
"Forty-scycn seconds. Now you can
ell your friends that you rode on an
,ngine that was making over seventy
,ix miles an hour.
Perhaps the presidential candidate
IL the rear coach thought it moth
ny compared to the rate at which he
ancies he is travelling to that white
,iilared mansion on Pennsylvania ave-
,ue in the city of magnificent distances,
which is the highest goal OF American
lmbition. BNt to actually realize the
peed at which one travels one must
yc clinging to the seat of a Aston loco
motive, one side of you roasting from
lose proximity to the boilerhead, the
Wind buffcting your face, while the
rails seem to rush forward
% meet you, only to be remorselessly
roddcn under the flying feet of your
stccd.
And thus we brought Bryan to st.
,ouis. HENRY HALL.
Correspondent Pittsburgh Pa Tirae1