The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-10-02
American Rail.
roads Win a Mail
Award.
Sydney Mails Rushed
Through to England
on Time.

/ lhTouSn IneE uhdpprodcHdDle Speeu
American railroads have won a contract
! from the British government to carry the
colonial mail across the continent as a
part of a new mail route decided on be-
tween Australia and London.
| The recent record breaking dash of the
Union Pacific. Burlington and Lake
Shore trains made ii possible to reduce
Isthe mail-carrying time between Sydney,
y. S. w, and the metropolis of the
world by seven days. Joseph Chamber
lain, the colonial secretary, was so
pleased over the change in the schedule
which gave him an opportunity to read
about the latest hop at Melbourne that
he gave the order which shifted the itin-
erary from the Suez canal route to the
United States.
The announcement made simultaneous
Iy yesterday in the offices of the three
railroads explains the concern of the
different homogeneous over the problem
of overtaking the regular Lake Shore
mail train Sept. before it reached Cleve-
land The British government had made
II pam lIIdt SIlOulC lLt III &c lIlltS IlIdhS
it possible to shorten the period by seven
days the change would be made All
three declared that the task would not
be difficult. but an unexpected accident
on the Union Pacific almost lost the
American railroads this valuable con
cession.
The contract seemed about to slip from
the hold of the three roads, when, by an
effort, the Burlington made
UP between Omaha and Chicago all but
thirty-eight minutes of three hours
loss. special train. consisting OF an
engine ana a mail car, was in waiting
to overtake the regular train before it
reached Cleveland. 1t was admitted that ,
unless the pursuit terminated between
Chicago and the Ohio city further
chase would be fruitess.
What feats of travel it was necessary |
for the special train to perform can best
be appreciated when it is known that the |
regular train was speeding across 1ndi- |
ana at an average speed of fifty-one |
miles an hour. The pursuing special
an average rate of ffty-nine !
and one-half miles an hour, oVertakinE |
the regular at Toledo In this way the
ingenious American railway men won for
themselves the valuable award that
means thousands of dollars annually to
their earnings.
The mail from the British colonies in
the far-away Pacific and Indian oceans
is transmitted every two months. The
traffic managers of the three systems do
not believe that it will be necessary again
to appeal to the extraordinary methods
made necessary on the probationary trip
to deliver the letters and packages at the
New York docks on time. The mail last
time consisted of 1T sacks. completely
filling a railway mail coach of the latest
pattern. Great Importance attaches to
the new departure in handling the Brit
ish mail, because it consists largely Of
documents intended for the British par
Lament and the colonial secretary.
we have simply shown that We can
yet teach our English friends a few
things about railroad speed and invent
iveness,' said railroad man last night.
"A difference of seven days is a great
deal, and Mr. Chamberlain is not the sort
of man to overlook the advantage in
transporting the mail across the Amer
lean continent. Chicago Chronicle.