Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1902-07-05
$50 MILES AN HOUR
!. HArOLD ENGINEERS SAY ABOUT
ENGINES WITH THAT SPEED.
The Possibility Of building Locomotives
and Training Men TO stand the
stratn-Engines of the Future

and Training Men 20 STAND the
strain-Engines Of the Future
Can an engine haul a train at {
speed of $50 miles an hour? That II
the question that was asked OF a mum
Der Of enQinemen on differ mt roads
saws the indianapolis News. They
all agreed that the science OF engine
building might in time develop SC
that an engine could be built to make
the speed, hut said that they were en-
CINE not engine builders.
"Can a man stand it to drive All en-
CINE at that speed?' was asked of a
Pennsylvania engineman.
II suppose, . said he, THAT a man
could stand 1t for a little. while. The
general public has no idea OF the
strain en- the engineman. and the fas-
ter the sneed the greater the strain
When Won get up to so miles an hour
you are going the pace tnat makes
Young men old When IN engine
mar on one of the fast trains hat
run into this city leaves his seat he is
often nervous and worn out he is
sometimes in the condition that IN a
woman would be called hysterical.
'sThere are men on the road in fact
on all loads, who Will not take a fast
/ passenger run They are splendid
freight hut when they get
on IA passenger train they cannot make
the time, and. no matter how much
they dislike to do SO, they have to go
back TO a freight train. The engine
man has 10 keep his ewes rivetrd on
the rails ahead of him. He mast be
prepared TO see any danger that NAV
suddenly present itself, and he must
and blocks.
"ThIs is q terrible strain on the
nerves of his ewes. and it is bound to
tell on a man before long, especially
il he has a great deal of night run.
ming. At night the shadows bother
him a great deal, and q an II
RiiIGlluh HAS bR'a wv VIII ~
them. In fact. everything about run
ming an engine tends to rack the brain
aid disturb the nerves. Ii the en.
gines get to runs1ng $50 miles an
hour a new set OF men with new
kinds OF constitutions, must be secur-
eli to run them"
II. l.. Ett1nger. mechanical engi-
neer of the Big -Four. and a recogniz-
ed authority IN his line, was asked if
an engine could be driven $50 miles
nm hour.
Not as they are constructed at
present, 2 replIed Mr. Ettlnger. "All
the power in an engine of the ordina-
nv size is exhausted in running it at
a speed of SO miles an hour. although
it could not haul a train at that
speed. The highest speed attained by
an engine is 100 miles an hour, and
that under the most favorable cneum
stances and for a short distance.
Before a greater speed could be at
tanned. there must be n radical
change in rhe construction of loco
motives. 1t a wheel large enough for
that speed was made, the internal fric-
ton of the engine would use upall the
mower Then there would have to be
a radical change IN track building
for an engine to make $50 miles an
hour. ~ the present time the track
curves are elevated for a speed aver
aging go miles an horr and the more
speed the more elevation needed.
"Do YOU think 1t is possible cor an
eupineman 10 drive IA locomotive $50
miles an hndr?"f
That j. a question that Is hard to
answer. Men do things every day
that nt first seems imuossible, II /
would not want to say that it would
be impossible Tor an engInemhn TO
drive a locomotive at that speed. But
if he did he would have to be protect
Ell a great deal more than he ls now.
For instance, he could not put his
head out ut the cab window as he does
now for the force OF the wind would
be so great that he could not breathe
And there are a good many things
that would have TO he changed before
a locomotive conld haul a rain 1850
miles an hour. This Is a problem that
uD to tins time no one 10 my knowl-
edge has tried to solve-the sneed
problem along the lines YOU suggest. ="
OFFICERS ELECTED.
At the regular semi-annual election
of Tuscarora Tribe No. 80, Improved
Orter OF Red Men, heli in the wig
wan in the Grantham building, last
night. the following officers We're
elected Tor the ensuing six months:
o. II. Wilson. Saohem y. X, Cham
bers. Senior Sycamore VIM L. Boak.
.Juulor SapamQrp w III Bowers.