The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-12-25
 RUNS OF OFFICIAL TRAINS,

RUNS OF OFFICIAL TRAINS.
 Railroad Managers Tell Stories About
 Specials-A Scheme That Was Aban-
 doned-Quick Work on a Down Grade
 How Fireman Showed His Nerve
 and Was Promoted.
 Some three weeks since a group of about fifteen railroad officials, compris- ing presidents, general managers, su- perintendents and passenger agents, as- sembled in Washington to arrnge the winter schedules, which went into effect November 14 They represented the railroads of the east, and are undoubt- edly the brightest men in the business.
 After a particularly hard days work in the matter of arranging schedule to suit all parties concerned, about doz en of these gentlemen gathered around window at one of the big uptown ho- tels and, of course, talked shop" Af- ter going over the days work and sev- eral minor subjects, the group fell to discussing fast runs on the different roads, and then took up the subject of
 
 ite 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 the Vanderbilt party from Cleveland to Buffalo recently in record breaking time came under discussion, and considerable of the glory connected herewith melted away as the circum- stances were dissected in the nature of an ideal country and an almost perfect roadbed If the same locomotive and cars were placed on the roads that cross the Blue Ridge or Alleghanies, it is a safe assertion to make that the time per mile would be increased by at least a dozen or more seconds.
 "Of course, don't mean to detract from the merits of that run" said prominent official from Philadelphia, nodding to the representative of the | lobe-Democrat, but we frequently make time equally as fast as that when we strike good sections of the road and | the engineer can let his locomotive spread itself I have been out on spe- cial trains that have made time that would make your eyes open wide with | astonishment, but it has frequently I happened that our advertising agent was not along and the world at large heard nothing of the performance.
 About the most dismal failure that can recall in the way of special train, | continued the official from the quiet | city, was started from Jersey City some years back. At that time there was considerable speculation as to how 1 far a train could be run without stop pong for coal or water. The govern ment was desirous of making contracts | for the transportation of mail, and we | inaugurated the limited express trains for it's benefit. To develop still better service the idea of continuous runs was l discussed at great length in railroad | circles.
 '"The tanks holding water in the mid 1 dle of the tracks had proved a great | success, and the matter of stopping for 1 water had been done away with. This permitted a run of a hundred miles continuously, but then came the change of engines and crews. Several of the bright young men of our road, and we | had few, put their heads together | at that time and determined to try and | make a continuous run from Jersey City to Pittsburg. An extra large ten der was provided, and the car next to 1t was loaded with coal. Rubber tub | ing was run from the floor of the cars I to the axle boxes carrying oil, and oth- CT little contrivances provided to les sen the chances of a stop as much as possible
 "Everything looked lovely for the run bn the morning that the train started out of Jersey City, and as I saw the en- | gineer bling up the finest engine our | company owned I knew he would dc his part to make the experiment a suc- l cess. The plan was to have the en- gineer go to the end of the division he was familiar with drop off, and an en. gineer that knew the division they were entering thoroughly take charge Everything passed off smoothly on the | New York division, and the time made was something remarkable. As we passed through Philadelphia the weath. er-beaten engineer left us and the new man grasped the throttle for his race against time to Harrisburg, the other terminus of the division.
 Out near Bryn MaWr pretty SUD- urb of Philadelphia, our special was simply shattering space, and everybody was offering congratulations and pre- dieting that records would be made that would stand for years. A little defect then developed in the oil tube running to the axle box on one of the cars, and Charley Douglass, one of the brightest young men in the employ ot our company, grasped the handle alongside the steps and, leaning fal over, endeavored to repair the break At the moment Douglass was deeply engrossed in his work the special dash. ed around a short curve, and the next instant poor Charley's head came ir contact with a milk stand alongside
 the track. He never knew what struck
 him, as his death was instantaneous
 As the body was dashed from the steps I pulled the bell cord, and after run
 ming quarter of mile the train stop
 ped and backed up to where the re,
 mains lay.
 "Everybody knew Douglass well, ant