The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-01-04
Phenomenal Run Made By North
western Train
FROM CHICAGO TO OMAHA
TWO AND TWO-FIFTHS MILES IN
EIGHTY SECONDS.
A Run at the Rate Of $50 Miles Per
Hour-Utah G Pacific Completed
to Sulphur Springs - Eastern
Roads Arrange to Consolidate
Union Pacific Must Pay Taxes.

The Northwestern yesterday broke
every record for speed ever made by
any railway train in the world, cover
ing two and two-fifths miles in one
minute and twenty seconds. or making
the distance at the rate of $50 miles per
hour.
This beats the New York Centrars
record of a mile in thirty-two seconds,
made in 1898, and which has been the
standing worlds record ever since.
The Northwestern's remarkable run
was not limited to this distance, but
the average speed from Chicago to
Omaha was little less than phenomenal.
The race between that road and the
Burlington for the big mail contract
began on Monday, and yesterday morn
ing both trains pulled into Omaha
ahead of time, the Northwestern hav-
ing seventeen minutes to spare of its
schedule.
No event of this kind has ever Gre
ated so much interest IN local railway
circles. Il was confidently expected
that when the two trains began to
compete for supremacy in speed some
49, ~ e-.4l4ls, wV4Iu BE- dOIIe, buL IL
was hardly expected that new world S
record would be made by a western
road, but this has been the case, and it
indicates the possibility of shortening
the time between Chicago and the
coast still more in the near future
With the Union Pacific getting a move
on itself, and the other western con-
Meeting lines shortening it's schedule,
the mails from New York may before
long be delivered in Salt Lake several
hours earlier.
General Agent Walker of the Norths
western yesterday received copy OF
the new time card issued by his road.
1t allows the distance from Chicago to
Omaha-492 miles-to be covered in ten
hours and fifteen minutes, including
about dozen stops. Some of the sched-
ule calls for an average speed of
seventy miles per hour. When it is
considered that this is to be run every
day by this fast mail flyer. some idea
may be had of what the Northwestern
proposes to do in the way Of fast run
ming. The Burlington, which for years
has captured the big mail contract,
has just put on it's fleetest grey
hounds" and viii have to do some
lively hustling to hold its own. The
mail contract in previous years has
not been considered of any value, but
with the acquisitions in the Pacific and
the growing commercial Importance of
the west, it has grown to be a prize of
no little Importance. This is really the
first time the Northwestern has made
a serious effort to take the contract
away from the Burlington, and the
chances seem much in the formers
favor.
Reports from Omaha state that sew
eral fine bursts of speed were made by
both mail trains, when mile was COW
cred in as low a time as thirty-seven
seconds. OF the Northwestern it is
related that at one point it left its two
brakemen. When the train stopped
they got off to turn around, and when
they completed the circuit the train
was gone. The actual elapsed time of
the Northwestern train from the start
at Chicago to its arrival at Omaha, 1872
miles, with eighteen stops, was nine
hours and fifty-eight minutes. The
Burlington had twelve stops and con-
sumed ten hours and seven minutes
Both trains had strong head wind, and
it is believed that still better time can
be made.
The record breaking speed of the
Northwestern was made between Sid
ing and Arion, and four stop watches
caught the time. which, however, it is
said. Will not go on record because
there was no speed indicator on the
engine.