Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1901-05-10

and number of other cities along the
route, all of those from distance hav-
ing come to Chicago especially to ac-
company the party.
Threw a Drive whee,.
At exactly 2:30 in the afternoon on
May 8, 1898, the train pulled out of the
Rock Island station ON its way to Den
yer. In a few seconds the train was
we'll under way and making great time
through the city. When once beyond
the suburbs full steam was turned on
and che train was soon going at the
rate of mile a minute. Everything
indicated that Rock Island would be
passengers began to wonder what was
the matter after the train had been
stopping for several minutes near the
little station of Green River. Shortly
the train backed up the tracks and
several of the party became aware of
the nature of the trouble for the first
time when they looked out of the win
dow and saw great three ton and a
half driving wheel lying on its side
In wheat field. The journal of the
rear drive wheel on the left side had
broken squarely off, having been over
heated in hot box. and the momen-
tum of the train had hurled the wheel
down the track as If it We're a buggy
wheel. For some time the wheel had
remained on edge like a boys hoop.
1t hoped over to side track and
then gradually veered to the outer
edge. where it crossed the outside rail
and ran off into field, where it soon
went down in the soft earth. This
accident, of course, caused most seri-
GUS delay. The railroad officials tele-
graphcd to Rock Island for another
engine, but it did not arrive for over
an hour. Finally, however, the relief
locomotive came and the train was
few seconds afterward speeding on it's
way. Nearly all of the rest of the way
to Denver the train was pushed to rec
ord-breaking time. 1t arrived at the
Denver station the next afternoon, af-
ter starting at 1882, exactly twenty
four hours and two minutes after it
left Chicago, breaking the record for
full train going from this city to the
Rocky Mountain city.
Dash for Mail Connection.
In November, 1897, very remarka-
bic run was made between Cheyenne
and Omaah, over the Union Pacific
railroad. 1t is still maintained by many
that this was the fastest long-distance
run ever made, for the running time
was not properly reduced to the correct
figure by deducting time for stops. The
distance between the two cities is 519
miles and the mail train on Nov. 20
made the distance in 500 minutes, in
Guiding stops as was stated. This run
was not made in any vainglorious de-
| sire to smash records, but for the pur-
| pose Of avoiding a heavy government
| fine which would have been imposed if
the train had missed connections for
| the East at Omaha. When the discov-
cry was made at Cheyenne that unless
an extraordinary run was made the
| mail connection would be missed the
| two mail cars were cut loose from the
rest of the train and started with the
engine and tender alone ON the fast
| trip. Six stops of from three to five
minutes were made for coal and wat
| er, and the train had to be slowed
| down for ten minutes in passing
| through South Omaha and the yards of
| Omaha. So there can be no doubt that
| this was one of the swiftest runs ever
made on rails. In April. 1899 re-
markable run was made by train on
| the Burlington road between Creston,
Iowa, and Omaha. When the train ar
rived at the former town it was an
| hour and six minutes late. When the
| flyer arrived at Omaha 1t was only
30 minutes late, having covered
the intervening distance of 104 miles
in 113 minutes. or, deducting stops, in
the actual running time Of 103 minutes.
The Burlington considers this section
between these two cities its poorest di-
vision for making fast time, on account
of hills and curves, so all things con-
sidered, the burst of speed made on
| April 8, 1899, was most remarkable.
i