New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-25
RAPID TRANSIT.
n Study of Developments in Al
Kinds of Transportation.

THE STORY OF RAPID TRANSIT BY Beckles
Wilson Emo. pp. 2s. ID. Appleton q co.
Mr.. Wilson writes an interesting restatement
OF progress made from the days Of the mail
coach. the omnibus and the dandy horse 70 the
present hour OF the trans-siberian railway. the
'tuppenny tube and the motor He includes
IN his discussion the development OF telegraphy
and the later elimination Of experimentation in
wireless telegrsphy. Aerial navigation. Of which
Franklin said. 1T is an infant. but IL will grow,
is followed in its growth from the airship de-
signed by Francis Lana. OF Barcelona in 400
TO the rounding OF the Eiffel Tower by Santos
Dumont in his airship in 1901.
on the occasion OF opening the first rail-
road line in Spain a ceremony was performed
which reads oddly in this day. The Cardinal
Archbishop Of Toledo. in the presence or the
Court. Cortes. distinguished mobiles. troops ana
hslberdiers and three miles OF spectators. blessed
the engine For some time after the line had
been established the sight Of a trains progress
at the rate OF fifteen miles an hour Woulo prihE
the peasants In the fields down 70 their knees
crossing themselves. Fifteen miles. however
was not the standard speed as tweiTe was Tor
some time considered ample. one OF the most
interesting developments in the acceleration OF
railway speed was the race 10 the North OF
the Great Northern. the Northwestern and the
Midland Railway In 1855 the best long run
was one made by a Great Northern special from
Iondon 20 Scarborough in three hours and twen-
ty-seven minutes. This railroad precipitated
competition by announcing that Il would carry
third class passengers it's night express 10
Edinburgh and Glasgow-rides respectively OF
nine hours and ten hours and twenty minutes
thus underwriting the similar trains Of the
North Western by an hour.
The older road Immediately lowered its run
ming time to nine hours between Glasgow and
Edinburgh and London. Presently the Great
Northern announced its running time for Edin-
burgh as eight and a half hours and for Glasgow
nine hours and fifty minutes The Midland. with
a longer route. also responded with a decreased
schedule The North Western then gave
abrupt three DAYS notice that 1t would run TO
Edinburgh in eight hours and half. Where
Upon the Great Northern IN a few hours issued
working notices all along the line for an eight
hour schedule. During the first week of the ex-
citing runs following the Northwestern gave
notice that il would equal its rivals time.
Every day the contending expresses ran actual
" within the time. The Great Northern finally
made the run into Edinburgh in seven and
three-quarters hours, according 10 announce
rnent The Northwestern did it then in seven
hours and thirty-eight minutes. The Great
Northern replied with of seven hours and
thirty-two minutes. and a compromise was ne
sotiated. Racing ceased for the time. II was
resumed in 1899. but the East Coast Express
beat the previous record IN the last part of Au-
gust, and was Immediately followed by North
Western run beating that by one minute. The
fight in 1895 resulted in saving an hour on the
running time between London and Aberdeen.
and captured the time record temporarily from
the Empire State Express.
The book is illustrated from photographs, old
cuts and drawings and is supplied with an
index