The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1903-12-16
The Fastest Journey Ever Made.


Note--the fastest journey ever made
| was the recent run of an electric car
from Berlin 70 Zossen, at the rate Of
over 130 miles an nour. The follow
! ing vivid description is written by one
Of the engineers in the car. It is
gratifying TO know that the motorman
was an American engineer, from Pitts
burg:
With whirr the car starts on its
memorable journey from Marienfelde.
The overhead wires are swaying in q
strong wind. A mile and quarter
has been covered. The speed indica-
tor shows velocity Of rs niles an
! hour.
Each second the speed increases.
just before the station ef Mahlow sp.
peares curve Of $500 feet radius
looms up. The speed is Eow 1O9 miles
an hour. We eeem to be leaping to-
werd the .eurve. No bend cen be
seen; che eraek apparently ends ab-
raptly. We know there is curve,
aad yet we are anxious; we brace our
selves Cor shock. just as We reach
the curve the track seems to bend in.
60 gentle arc into which the oar runs
easily.
We climb grade Of 26 feet TO the
miIe--slight, to be sure, Gnd yet 60 as
cepd it ct full speed We must expend
30O.horss power more. The train is
flying on faster and faster. We rush
through Mahlow at speed Of 11h
miles an hour. No vibration or shock
is felt. It seems as if the Gar itself
were not moving, as If buildings,
poles, trees were fickering past. On
i iy the humming OF the wheels assuree
US that it is we who are moving.
The finger Of the speed indicator
slips along to mark which shows that
che oar is making 12l miles en- hour.
At every crossing loud ringing note
can be heard, caused by the wheels.
Fragments Of ballast as large as wal
nuts are sucked up into the air and
fall back as the train rushes on. At
first the speed is bewildering, almost
supplying.
Suddenly g smashing blow is heard
against the window Of the cab, as if q
man brought his fst heavily down
upon table. It was bird overtaken
in i.a fight and killed. The apeed in
dicator finger climbs up past the 1914
mile mark.
Aquarter Of mile before reaching
the curve near Ranssdore ne shut eff
the current and apply the full power
of the brakes. The speed Of the car
drops 60 102 miles. The curve is
rounded in noble swing. The brake
is, released, and the car glides along
under its own momentum without any
current whatever until Zossen is
reached. In eight minutes we have
leaped from Marienfelde to Zossen.
We crowd around the telegraph in
s.-uments,. which have recorded o
speed never before attained in the an
nals,of railroadipg. The telegrapher
can hardly attend to his instruments,
go many heads are pressing about
him. Finally he 0ucceeds in reading
of the record 1904 miles an hour.
1 Every one smiles; hands are shak-
en-, congratulations exchanged. An
officer rushes of TO the telegraph sta
tion 60 announce TO his majesty, the
kaiser, the feat which German engi.
Asasvs ssaasseesaea u performing.
/ 1 a The front end OF tha oar Is covered
/! with lies, bees and email insects,
| crashed, as IL by thumb against the
iron and glass. DIR. Re;ahel in Soien-
i tiic American. Is
"A marvolcas downfall Of little
toads deaceading from the clouds has
Il go = = -