The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-12
RUNS OF OFFICIAL TRAINS.
RAILWAY MANAGERS TELL STORIES
ABOUT SPECIALS.

From the So. Louis Globe. Democt

mas showed HIS Nerve ana Was Promoted.
From the 81. Losf, Globe. Democrat.
Some three weeks since q group Of about M.
teen railroad officials, comprising Presidents,
general managers, superintendent, and passen-
ger agents, assembled in Washington to arrange
the winter schedules, which went into effect
Nov. Ia. They represented the railroads Of the
East, and are undoubtedly the brightest mon in
the business.
After a particularly hard days work in tho
matter of arranging q schedule to suit all par
ties concerned, about q dozen of these gentle
men gathered around q window at one Of tho
big uptown hotels and, Of course. talked shop"
After going over the days work and several
minor subjects, the group fell to discussing fast
runs on the different roads, and then took up the
subject OF special trains. This subject is a ia
vorite one with the heads Of the different roads,
as they generally figure as the most important
personages connected with the runs. The
special train that carried tho Vanderbilt party
from Cleveland to Buffalo recently in record.
breaking time came under discussion, and con-
siderable OF the glory connected Herewith
melted away as tho circumstances were dis
sected in the nature Of an ideal country and an
almost perfect roadbed. II the same locomotive
and cars were placed on tho roads that cross tho
Blue Ridge or Alleghanies, 1t is q safe asser-
ton to make that the time per mile would be
increased by at least a dozen or more seconds.
.''Of course, I don't mean to detract from tho
merits Of that rum" said a prominent official
from Philadelphia. nodding to the representa-
tive Of the Globe Democrat, but VIC frequently
make time equally as fast as that when we
strike good sections Of tho road and the en-
gineer can let his locomotive spread itself. l
have been out on special trains that have made
time that would make your eyes open wide
with establishment, but it has frequently hap
pcncd that our advertising agent was not along,
and the world ut large heard nothing of the per-
formancc.
About the most dismal failure that 1 can re-
the official from the quiet city, was started
from Jersey City some years back. At that
time there WINS considerable speculation AZ to
how far n train could be run without stopping
for coal or water. The Government was desir-
Gus Of making contracts for the TRANSFORMATION
press trains for its benefit. To develop still
better service the idea of continuous runs was
THE tanks holding water in the middle OF
the tracks had proved a great success, and the
matter Of stopping for water had been done
miles continuously, but then came the change Of
engines and crews. Several of the bright young
heads together at that time and determined to
try and make n continuous run from Jersey City
to t}s pittshurg. An extra large tender was PRO Pro,
coal. Rubber tubing was run from the floor of
the cars to the axle boxes carrying oil. and
chances of n stop as much rs possible.
Everything looked lovely, for the run on the
morning TINT the train started out of Jersey City,
and as l saw the engineer oillng up the finest
engine our company owned. / knew he would
do his part to make the experiment a success.
The plan was to have the engineer go to the end
Of the division he was familiar with, drop off.
and an engineer that knew the division they
thing passed of smoothly on the Rev York
division. and the time made was some
thing remarkable. As we passed through Phila-
delphin the weather-bea,en engineer left us and
the new man grasped the throttle for his race
against time to Harrisburg, the other terminus
Out near Hryn Mawr. n pretty suburb of
PHILADELPHIA. our special, was simply SKATER
ing space, and everybody was offering con-
CALCULATIONS and predicting that records would
be made That would stand for years. A little
defect then developed in the oil tube running to
Douglass, one of the brightest young men in
the employ of our company. grasped the handle
deavorcd to repair the break. At the, moment
Douglass was deeply engr9sscd in his work
the special dashed around a short curve, and the
next instant poor Charley's head came in con.
tact with n milk stand alongside tho track.
was instantaneous. As the body was dashed
from the steps | pulled the bell cord, and after
and backed up to where the remains lay. '''p'''
"Everyhody knew Douglass well, and It took
the heart out of every one on that train; The OBJ
jcct OF the special was lost, as II stop had been
made, but for the rest of the run to Pittsburg
the different engineers ma lie records that stood
for. several years. That was the most dismal
failure of a special train that has ever come to
my notice, and to this day the experiment OF
making n continuous, run from Jersey City to
fellows here would laugh at Inc If ] limited that
officials as well as employees of railroads arc
"I can recall a run made by a special rain
about three years ago., said IA member Of the
Lchigh coal region. that comes into my mind
without the least. trouble to my thinking nppa-
and two cars. and the distance covered was only
ten miles, hut, although no record was kept of
the tim time IN made ,tr | am positive 1t was a record
specting the road, and wore returning down
telegraph office stuck in the side of the noun.
tam our engineer noticed the young operator
running toward the special like a wild man.
The engineer lost no time in pulling up 10 meet
him. and was more than frightened when he
" Three loaded coal cars have broken loose
up near the mine and are coming down the hill
like .w hin; pull ot,c Gut for r sidSll for " qhr.lifGe! tho,r
employees use profanity while on duty. i doubt
II either one Of US eyer thought of the breach
ten miles away. and WINS the nearest siding; and
away We few. II the worst came we, knew
our lives. but the engineer was true blue. and
put forward his best efforts to save his engine
fp fain nse tS S%9 G EeryF eG s Msi ha gi lHS th sS'aS,i a"ee
do for the officials
This little sally on the side created consid'
cradle mcrriment among the group Of old gray
bearded railroad officials. but the story teller
was commanded to continue his tale.
We'll, that engineer simply pulled the throt
Ito wide opon and after the special had made a
tremendous start he closed her up; and we
drifted down the mountain like the wind.
half a mile tho best of those runaway Goa
cars. and / don't believe they gained
an inch on us: ! was on the point of cry
ing out a couple of times for the engineer II
reverse tho lever and put on tho air brakes 81
we could jump. as I was hanging on to the side
of the engineers cab for dear life, because n,
every curve we struck / thought 70 would
leave. the rails, but as he and his fireman stucl
gamely to their posts without n CULVER ] knew
it would meyer do for me to weaken first.
"Wc finally reached that siding. ] though
1t was about a month from the time we had re
ccived tho warning. and in about twcnty.fy'
seconds the three cars dashed by with n rush
and were caught ms they stalled on II heavy NJ
grade near the base Of the mountain; Their
were a half dozen attaches of the road in tn,
rear car during that run, and ] must say. will
the exception of II little palcneSs. they wen
through the ordeal like game men," u,
"Thc nerve displayed by that engineer l
met every day in railrpnl life Chimun In