Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1899-01-05
TRAINS 70. STRIVE IN
SPEED.
Burlington and Northwest
ern Ready to Smash
All Records.
Time Between Chicago and
Omaha Will Be Materi-
ally Cut Down.
Engines will Go Seventy
Miles an Hour Part
OF Way.
General Reduction in Run
ming Schedules Is in
Contemplation.

GENERAL ReQuCClO0 IN Run
ming Schedules Is in
Contemplation.
Like the yachtsmen who hold
he international Americas cup
against the world, the Burlington
railroad company proposes to de-
f,nd all challenges for supremacy
in fast mail time from Chicago to
Omaha. The Northwestern rail
road company is the latest chal-
lenger for the record of fast time
between the points named, and
these two companies will begin
Monday night a speed contest that
seems destined to be of national
and even international interest.
For nearly fourteen years the
Burlington company has hauled
the through United. States mail
from Chicago to Omaha, and it is
an unwritten law of the postoffice
department that if q railroad COM
pany can maintain its supremacy
in making the fastest time it can
retain the government patronage.
But the Northwestern company
has been preparing for months to
wrest this supremacy from it's
competitor.
On Monday night, when the
through overland mails from New
York reach Chicago the Burling-
ton company will send out an en-
tirely new mail train, leaving Chi
cago at 9:l5 p. m. and arriving in
Council Bluffs at 1855 the follow
ing morning. The Northwestern
company will send out fast train
forty-6ze minutes later, at 10 p.
M, that is scheduled to arrive at
Council Bluffs at 8;15 the next
morning. Both trains will be
equipped with the speediest and
heaviest locomotives owned by the
respective companies, and the sv-
erage speed for the entire 500
miles to the Missouri river will
approximate a mile minute, not
including stops.
SEVENTY MILES AN Houn.
The actual running time on
some stretches of the roads will
reach seventy miles an hour. This
time has been previously made,
and even eclipsed on special rec
ord runs, but it is the first time
in the history of American rail-
reading that a regular long-dis-
lance schedule calling for such
maintained speed has been inau-
gurated.
The officials of both the North
western and Burlington companies
are chary of admission that any
thing in the nature of a speed
contest is about 10 be undertaken,
out the preparations for the new
fast mail schedule are Of such
nature that their admissions are
not necessary. In the case of
both roads the time between Chi
cago and Omaha will be whitfield
almost one hour from the fastest
schedule now existing. The early
morning mail train, which now
leaves the Burlington depot for
the west at 3 p. NJ, makes the run
to the Missouri river in. about
eleven and one-half hours. The
new night mail will make the run
in ten hours and forty minutes.
Stops for coal and water will be
made at the following points only:
Aurora, Mendoza, Galesburg, Bur-
lington, Fairfield, Ottumws, AL
bia, Charlton, Oscaola, Creston,
Villisca, Red Oak and Pacific
junction.
No passengers will be carried,
and this will make two fast trains
on the Burlington road exclusively
devoted to mail service, the 8 q.
m. train continuing to run IS
formerly. The night train will
consist of mogul engine and
three mail cars.
ONE ENGINE AND THREE CARS.
The Northwestern company's
new train will consist of mogul
engine, two mail cars and an ex-
press car. Like its competitor,
the Northwestern company will
carry no passengers on the new
mail train. but. unlike its compel.