Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-08

in 1880, to 1920: in 1890, to 1856, 653; in
1900, to 1885, 500. This gives us in this coun-
try about one mile of railway to S9S people
while the travel is so great that the total
mileage of passenger trains shows that
each man, woman and child, had they all
travelled equally, would have gone in a year
in excess Of 200 miles.
Americans Are Great Travellers.
We are the greatest travellers in the
world and require the best accommodations
and facilities. In Europe they only have
one mile of railway to 200 people; in Rus
STA, only one mile to 1000 What is more,
our railways have nearly always gone in
advance of civilization, ahead Of neces-
sity. If a new section is to be settled,
first is the railway, then the settlers. THIS
accounts in great measure for our excess
Sive mileage.
opened sections, railroad building will not
be rapid. Indeed, there has been a great
falling off in the last decade. But while
the mileage is not being increased so rap
idly, vast sums are expended for better
ments. We are getting better engines and
ears and much better roadbeds This makes
fCr comfort and security. Why. the security
is SO great at present that passenger, ac-
cording to mathematic Rehabilitation, would
have to travel at the rate of thirty miles an
hour for 10 years before getting hurt. and
about loo years before getting killed.
That is safer than staying at home. 1t is
surely much safer than walking in Broad
way.
Speed and Luxury.
We also have the fastest records in Amer
lea. The best is run of ninety miles, at
the rate of $50 miles an hour, including
stops, and at the rate of CO. miles an hour,
excluding stops. This trains maximum
speed was seventy-five miles an hour. The
next fastest record and probably really the
best, is a run of 444.6 miles at the rate Of
II mil hn1 tho I,6ir OF and
miles, excluding stops. The maximum of
this train is $50 miles an hour This is the
famous Empire State Express of the New
York Central. Speaking Of the speed of
trains, Mr. Depew is of the opinion that
the final speed has been reached. He does
not speak of physical or mechanical diff
culties, 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
person wanted to participate in the most
remarkable thing 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 afford
it, as his private car is hauled over other
roads as a matter of courtesy. but private
individual, besides the expenses of his car
must pay full fare for all the passengers his
car can hold. And, by the way here is a
word Of warning. All We who ever wish to
be content in ordinary cars, even draw
ing room cars, be sure to decline an invi-
tatlon to travel in a private car. The COM
fort, the privacy. the space, the general
umptuousness-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 thar 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 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 Napaleon meditated his fearful de-
mt 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 Fultons first
steamboat ruffied the waters of the Seine
But the really important work was done
In America beginning in 1907, when Fulton's
boat steamed up the Hudson river This
was commercial success and passengers
have been carried in boats propelled by
steam ever since.
The first ocean going steamboats, had pad
die wheels, and these made eight and nine
knots an hour, which was not better than
the great sailing vessels called clippers"
which ran almost on schedule time. Fries
son invented the screw propeller, which was
first shown TO the English admiralty in
1880. But it 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.
Limit of Speed.
There the limit of speed 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 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 it seems the limit will
only be reached, as with railway trains,
when greater speed will not pay.
The interior travel by water has de-
creased in thirty years Few travel by
water when they can go by rail except
when on pleasure bent In the old days
to go from New York to New Orleans, or
any of the gulf ports, it was usual to go by
sea or across the mountains to Pittsburg
and then down the Ohio and Mississippi on
steamboats,. No one would do that now
except for experience to recall an almost
obsolete method Of travel.
Automobiles and Airships.
And as we begin a new century we also
see the old road engines again coming into
use. The automobile would have reached
its present stage no doubt half a century
ago had not the inventive minds of the
world turned their attention to railroading
Whether the best automobile is to be pro-
PEELED by steam, by gasoline, by electricity,
by condensed air or by some other means
have no idea. but that it will come into
general use for certain kinds of transporta-
lon have not a doubt. Whenit does we shall
have smoother city streets with less dirt
and less noise; we shall have better coun-
try highways and more travel on railroads,
too, for whatever facilitates travel also in
cleases it. And we shall have better
horses, too, for horses Will in the future be
bred for special eXcellcnceS as there will
be no use whatever for the commoner
sorts
AS to travel in the air, are still in the
experimental stage. Progress, no doubt,
has been made, but the accomplishment has
been so little compared to other methods
of going about that we can well afford to
be for the moment content with what we