New-York tribune., 1900-08-15
THE PASSING THRONG.

Passengers IN modern train said J, L. HUM
OF Altoona Penn. old railroad engineer. at the
Herald Square Hotel yesterday
SPEED OF have little comprehension
RAILROAD Of the speed az which they
TRAINS travelling They may be making
seventy, even eighty miles hour.
as they do on some Of the great Western limited
trains and yet they do not realize H. The won
derful roadheds, perfectly hallasted and with
steel rails weighing 10 pounds 70 the yard cen
tribute To this while the well built fifty vesti-
buled Pulmans hat these trains made Up OF
insure their sticking 10 and running smoothly
the rails no matter what 7peed the train may
tain. There used 10 be exec )tion, however and
that was on the Pennsylvania There the pas
sengers got idea in former times OF what Il
really was 70 travel fast From Harrisburg. going
west and from Pittshurg. coming east. the Penn
I'll Cresson the little town that marks the crest of
Jhe ascent mere changes 70 descent ana on ms
descent the time necessarily lost IN making that
bed heavy rai!s ana cars make any sort OF running
possible, and the trip down the mountain side used
and child. I remember taking 1t once wien the
diner was, contrary to custom on the rear OF tne
on those limited trains We fairly hurled
selves through the gathering darkness, and even
those great cars rocked like a storm tossed row.
boat Through cuttings. down grades, over
bridges we went at an ever increasing speed had
Just down dinner when a despairing shrek OF
the brakes announced our approach to me young
curve near Johnstown. Round 1t we few; and the
diner being last we played snap the % WHIP Our Our
blessed thing IN that car seemed TO san INTO ar
I remember A plate OF tomato soup had just been
sf R 9ns s aisle 9 @ She Sh dn e: @ GS' Rs a .
well / thought l was going to- Everything On
n the t h m haba ban9 5ao nt e t4 as o Or s e
hand tables tried 70 get out OF the Windows
When we struck the straight again" continued
Mr.. Huhn. "and the train became steady, those
lefthand windows looked as though
FELT MOST they were the net behind whose
IN THE protecting meshes James Owen
ENGINE oConnor used 10 give his version
of Hamlet" That was fourteen
years ago and the Improvements since have made
a repetition Of that performance impossible Now
matter how fast they take the mountain side
the train holds steady the rails. But in the en-
gine IL is different there the full force OF the
speed expends itself: there the brunr OF the danger
and discomfort is borne The drivers occasionally
lift from the rail curve. headlong is the
speed, and the engine sways in z most fearful
and inspiring manner. If you unused TO
it you sit tight and trust yourself 10 Providence
for you never expect TO another day. The anna
acute curve with SCARCE check to It's speed, ca1-
jump the rails, and when he is safely round there
Is always curve ahead TO keep his confidence
shattered. This does not surprise the engineers
have seen a fireman start TO throw shovelfuI
Of coal into the hrebox just as a curve was struck
and instead OF that coal going 70 its proper destia-
ton il went OF the window, back the tender.
and once caught il square in the face Travelling
al that rate is no joke. But the passengers nova
days do not appreciate it. II they took ride IN
the engine they would. however Did you ever
stop 70 think that scarce an inch OF iron stands
between you and death when you are fast
forward wheel Of the pony truck Cthe truck under
the front Of the euginel must hold or the engine
will jump the track. Let piece or Cnat uange
break and the next revolution OF. in any event,
hop the rail. for the power to hold 1t there is gone
If engine running sixty miles an n0ur goes on
me me T@ %i'n HeaTS DSS n 5 ,rsis passs1Ters for
that wreck will be a fearful and memorable one