The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-09

this was the forerunner of the modern par
Tor car, in which one can be almost as COM
Portable as at home, and still be going over
land at the rate of forty-ive miles an hour.
Dick" Thevithick. with his "Pufer' ON
the English highways and his little tram
way engine in Wales, did not live to see
anything like this with his own eyes.
though the eyes of his mind may have seen
1T afar OFF; but the good Peter Cooper, who
drove the first passenger train. did see
It accomplished and many more besides.
for when the first seemingly insurmount-
able difficulties were overcome the progress
was with the strides of a giant. Just look
at the record. BY 1850, in the United States.
we had 9,021 miles of railway; in 1860 this
had increased to sO,ss5, in 1870 to 52.S57. in
1880 to 1922, in 1890 to 166, 65S, in 1900 TO 1885,
500. This gives us in this country about
one mile of railway to 39s people, while the
travel is so great that the total mileage
of passenger trains shows that each man,
woman and child, nae they all Travelled
equally, would nave gone in a year in ex-
cess of 200 miles.
We are the greatest travellers in the
world, and require the best ~accommoda-
Nf1@@1 1-0 LII NANg OLAJ
have one mile of railway to 200 people; in
Russia only one mile to 1000. What is
more. our railways have nearly always
gone in advance of civilization. ahead of
necessity. If a new section is to be set
tied, first is the railway, then the settlers.
This accounts in a great measure for our
excessive mileage. Now that there are COM
paratively no Unopened sections, railroad
building will not be so rapid. Indeed, there
has been a great falling off in the last dec
ade. But while the mileage is not being
increased so rapidly, vast sums are ex-
pended for betterments. We are getting
better engines and cars. and much better
roadbeds. This makes for comfort and
security. Why, the security is so great
at present that a passenger, according
to mathematical calculation, would have
to travel at the rate of thirty miles an hour
for 10 years before getting hurt, N
about 1000 years before getting killed. That
is safer than staying at home. 1t is sure
ly much safer than walking in Broadway.
A LAND OF FAST RECORDS.
We also have the fastest records in
America. The best is a run of ninety
miles at the rate of $50 miles an hour, in
Guiding stops, and at the rate OF 62.2 miles
an hour, excluding stops. This trains max
imum speed was 70 miles an hour. The
next fastest record. and probably really
the best, is a run of 444.6 miles at the rate
of 53.s miles an hour, including stops, and
54.3 miles. excluding stops. The maximum
speed Of this train is 6S.5 miles an hour.
This is the famous Empire State Express
OF the New York Central. Speaking of the
speed of trains, Mr.. Depew, the president
of that road. is of the opinion that the final
speed has been reached. He does not speak
of physical or mechanical difficulties, but
of the commercial limit. Faster trains will
not pay. In the year of the worlds fair
in Chicago, every visitor wanted to take
the fastest train available, for each per-
son wanted TO participate in the most re-
markable things possible. But In ordinary
years only a few persons will pay an in
creased fare for a quicker train. For the
same reason he does not believe that the
sumptuous private car will in any sense
take the place of the private yacht. 1t is
too expensive. "A railroad official can af-
ford it, as his private car is hauled over
the other roads as a matter of courtesy,
but a private individual, besides the ex-
IChSCS VI IT'S (ai, nus pay luil 1dIG Lux
all the passengers his car could hold. And.
by the way, here is a word of warning.
All We who ever wish to be content in or
binary cars, or even d~rawing-room cars, be
sure to decline an invitation to travel in
a private car. The comfort, the privacy,
the space, the general sumptuousness.
these are sure to spoil you for other kinds
of going about. If high railway officials
Travelled more in ordinary coaches after
their experiences in private cars, the public
would soon be served even better than it is.
TRAVEL BY WATER.
Now as to the water. We had steam
boats before We had successful steam loco
motives. Here, too, Americans were the
pioneers. Every one knows the story of
Robert Fulton. He, like Morse, the father
Of the electric telegraph. was an artist-a
poor artist, but a great inventor. His
claim to be the first adapter of the steam
engine to paddle wheels for propulsion in
the water has been disputed. but the world
will always give him credit. When Napo-
leon meditated his fearful descent upon
England, Fulton engaged to build him
some steamboats, to take his armies across
the channel. Fortunately, though Napoleon
was interested in the scheme, nothing
came Of this. although Fulton's first
rufi1ed the waters of the Seine.
But the really important work was done In
America, beginning in 1907. when Fulton's
poat steamed up the Hudson river. This
was a commercial success and passengers
have been carried in boats propelled by
steam ever since. The first ocean-going
steamboats, had paddle wheels, and these
made eight and nine knots an hour. which
was not better than the great sailing YES
sells called clippers" which ran almost
on schedule time. Ericsson invented the
screw propeller. which was first shown to
the English Admiralty in 1880. But 1t was
not adopted for ten years. From then till
now steamships have been getting faster
and faster. Nine day boats across the
North Atlantic became common, then eight
days, then seven days, then six days.
There, the limit seemed to be reached and
at this the record stuck for several years.
But it has been lowered, and now it is not
unusual for the best of these wonderful
leviathans to make the trip in a little over
five days, while four day boats are talked
of with confidence by the men who ought
to know whereof they speak. To me 1t
seems the limit viii only be reached. as