The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-05-31
AMONG RAILROAD men.
Fast Run of President Ripley,
of the Santa Fe.
Makes a Run of 400 Miles in
Less Than IL Hours.
From Florence to Emporia, AZ Miles
in 40 Minutes, and From Cedar
Grove to Elmdale, IS Miles
in 10 Minutes.

Let the New York Central and Lake
Shore roads. which have been busy dur
ing the last five years breaking the
worlds record for speed, look to their
Iaurels and see that the wreaths are
securely attached to their much swoI-
len brows
Unless heroic efforts and plenty of
Majors cement are used in retaining
them there. the great and only Santa
re road Will come along some day and
carry them off without half trying.
For the Santa Fe is making fast runs
over the western prairies and every
successful trial of speed demonstrates
that greater rate of speed can be
accomplished. Usually these remark
able runs are attendant on visits to the
west by President Ripley The chief
executive of the road when in the
ne1ghbOrhOOd of the line dividing Kan
saS from the state of Colorado sudden
~ makes up his mind that he wants to
eaten the through train to Chicago,
probably at that time half way to Kan
sas CITY, and Immediately couples his
private car 10 a special engine and
starts IN pursuit of the winged palace
on wheels. So far every pursuit of this
kind he has engaged in has been sue
cessfuL and each time the engineer
of the presidents special figuring llD
the points on his indicator. finds that
he has been galloDinS along through
space at rate ranging from so to in
the neighborhood of so miles an hour.
Last week President Ripley visited
Kansas. and, as usual, his visit was the
occasion for the latest remarkable fast
run. At o'clock Saturday morning
MI Ripley, in company with a number
OF other officials in a special train of
three private cars, left HOdgman. Kan
the terminus of the Larned branch of
the Santa F'e and located about 337
miles west of Kansas City, with the
purpose of making an inspection of a
number Of branch lines of the road in
this state. At Larned he received a tel
egram informing him that his presence
was needed in Chicago without delay,
and he at once determined to catch No.
6 at Kansas City at $50 that evening.
Having made up his mind to go east
that evening, the head official of the
greatest railroad on earth, set about to
figure out what could be done for his
proposed inspection trip. and after
few minutes deliberatiOn with pencil
and paper came to the conclusion that
by fast running he could work in a lit
tie inspection on the side. Consequent
" the engineer was ordered to keep
the track in a state conducive to con-
fagratiOn, and a few minutes after
ward the party was speeding eastward
at rate that blended the click of the
rail joints into one continual sound. It
was fast running as far as Newton, but
fast running wasn't in it from Newton
to Kansas City, or at least the greater
portion of the way. At Newton a new
engine was attached to the special train
engine No. 639, in charge of Engineer
Policy and the special then proceeded
to drop into Emporia, q distance of "A
miles, at a rate considerably over a
mile a minute. At Florence the en-
CINE attained its best speed, and from
Florence to EmDOria Junction a dis
lance of A miles, the train was shot
through the air in 40 minutes. In this
distance a squirt of IS miles, from Cedar
Grove to Elmdale, was made in less
than ten minutes.
ET7n0Tiq junction "a in
took the Emporia branch, or cut of. !"
and ran over that branch to Kansas
City, keeping up the remarkable speed
all of the way. President Ripley reach
ed Kansas City in time to take NO. 6
through to Chicago, having accom-
plished the distance of over 400 miles
and the inspection of several branch
lines i'm less than II hours.