The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-10-05
Special Cable to The Globe.

LONDON, Oct A. - Comparisons
are odious and 1--WE Yankees hate to
be outdistanced, at the same time we
are apt to be, in more ways than one,
unless the pace is kept up that we have
established. Just as the great Ameri-
can railroads are congratulating them
selves upon the establishment of
twenty-fo hour trip between New
York and Chicago an order has been
received at the Cassel Locomotive
works for steam locomotives to run at
a speed of one hundred miles an hour
by the Russian government. The loco>
motives are to weigh rs tons and are
to be capable of hauling 100 tons at
the rate of speed fixed. With load of
only 80 tons they must be capable of
a speed of at least 125 miles an hour.
The railway question is one of the most
important in Russia and in view of the
necessary development of the empire
will be given foremost attention as it
will be the first thing requisite in the
mobilization of Russia's vast army In
dependently of this point the future of
Russian railways is bound to be al
most UP to that of the American.
am inclined to doubt that this high
standard can be reached so speedily
for, in discussion with the chief me-
chanical engineer of a large American
railroad whom 1 met at the Savoy a
day or two ago, this gentleman said:
American Engineers Ahead.
"I believe that American engineers
will be able to keep ahead of the rest
of the world, for, although general
technical education has not reached
the high standard in the United States
that it has in some parts of the CONT
nent, the American engineer is still
ahead. Of course improved speed win
be made on American roads, especially
after our roadbeds have been improved
for long distance runs. In what di-
rections the changes will be made it is
hard to tell. Many things suggest
themselves, of course, to the magma
ton, but they are beyond the range Of
practicability at present.
'In fact the idea of sustaining a
greater speed with any degree of COM
fort involves many intricate problems.
Yet every year finds us building larger
engines and making greater speed on
all our most important routes. The in
crease is so gradual that it is looked
upon as a matter of course. The me-
chanical masterpiece of the age is
train Of sixteen cars which has been
taken from Albany to New York at
the record-breal1ing pace of a mile
minute. Between Yonkers and Dobbs
Ferry the run of this train has been
made at a pace of sixty-six miles an
hour.
ut is composed mostly of sleeping
cars and its total weight is GIG tons.
The locomotive weighs 270,900 pounds
and the train is about half a mile long.
with more powerful engines it is
impossible to say how much the speed
of such trains as this can be increased.
There are so many possibilities to con-
slider, from improvements which would
eventually mean revolution to small
changes which also have in the long
run mighty bearing on the speed of
the train.
"It would surprise the average per-
son to learn how much the decrease is
made in the time of a run by the sim
pie improvement of taking on water
while the engine is running, which is
the result of one of our minor i'm
proYements. To pass from small to
great things there is, of course, the
ever present possibility that change
of motive power for heavy engines
may NC lIlduc' DuI DIS Ills Is IlOI III
sight it does not come within the prac-
liabilities Of railroading.
Would Use Coal Direct.
"Our engineers are more likely to find
the difficulties solved in a different
manner Experiments are now being
made with the purpose of using coal
direct from the cylinders, in which
case it would be exploded so as to
produce the steam direct without the
use of boilers.
This seems more likely to become
possible of realization than that any
other motive power will succeed steam
for long journeys. Compressed air is
a competitor which steam may have
to face, but we do not look upon it as
yet within the realm of practicability
first place the cost of installing the
plant would be fabulous. The main
objection to the use Of compressed air
would be the danger of a breakdown
which would involve the entire sys-
tenn.
''Now the worst accident that could
happen only involves the substitution
OF another engine.
"Our metallurgists are confident
that within a short while new metals
will be made which will possess enor-
nous tensile strength compared with
that of those already in use.
"Some discovery in this direction
and a further means of avoiding fric-
ton on the wheels would lead to a
positive increase of speed because it
would remove the risk attending more
rapid revolutions.
my opinion nevertheless is that the
increase of speed and in fact all
changes will be the result Of gradual
changes unless unexpected develop