The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1903-10-01
BREAKS ALL RECORDS
rRoz ATLANTIC TO PACIFIC IN
THREE DAYS THE.
Account Of Most Remarkable Long
Distance Run In History OF
I.aliroading.

All previous records for railroad
time from Atlantic to Pacific coast
were broken on Friday. August z.
when the II. p. Lowe special rolled
into Los Angeles over the Santa Fe
at 1:06 p. m.
Henry p. Lowe. Of the Engineering
Company Of America. left New York
Tuesday afternoon. August 4. at 2:45.
Immediately upon hearing OF his
daughters fatal illness In the distant
California city of Los Angeles Catch
ing the Twentieth Century Limited
over the New York Central and Lake
Shore Railroads. he raced westward to
Chicago at an average speed OF 4S.S
miles per hour. arriving In Chicago
on Wednesday forenoon. Hurryinr
from the Lake Shore to the Santa Fe
depot in a cab which was being held
In waiting for him. the anxious father
boarded the special and was outward
bound twenty.three minutes after
reaching the Windy City" Compos-
ed Of coach and hotel.car Rocket
and drawn by powerful iron grey
hound, with Engineer Duggan at thu
throttle. the Santa Fe special lenpe,i
into the race. with orders to make no
stops except those to take water and
coal and to change engines and crews
Leaving Dearborn station. Chi
cago. tho train struck out toward
the Southwest. with whirl and a
rush. Swiftly rising to the level OF
the elevated roadbed Il was off on its
way toward Joliet before the grief
stricken passenger had had time to
settle down for his long ride. Indeed.
II cannot be said that he settled down
at all. for. In his anxiety to cover the
ground In the shortest possible time.
Mr.. Lowe repeatedly urged that the
speed be increased. and for a great
share Of the distance he rode in the
engine cab. the rumble and roar OF the
mighty locomotive soothing. in a
measure. his troubled mind.
Faster and faster the giant ten
wheeler few. Faster and faster the
local way stations whizzed by the
windows In an indistinct blurr. Cross
ing the State Of Illinois In a space OF
time heretofore unequnled. the special
rolled across the Mississippi at Fort
Madison. clipped of a section of Iowa.
traversei the northern part of the
State Of Missouri. bridgcd the broad
Missouri river and steamed into Kan
sas City Union depot.
With scarcely halt In its wild
flight II was off over the rolling prai.
rie land OF Kansas and on toward
| Colorado. climbing the everincrcasing
grade as the Rockies were approach
ed. On and on II sped. not only main
tanning the schedule laid out. but
gaining with every mile II few.
la Junta was reached at 9:1O q. m.
august 6. and veering toward the
southwest the special spl.; the soli-
tude OF the Colorado and New Mexico
wilderness. plunging into Albuquerque
at 5:3T p. IN. From Albuquerque
straight west, crossing the desert of
| New Mexico and Arizona. surmount-
ing the range OF the Glorieta noun
tains. the train reached Seliginan la
western Arizona at n. m, Aug. z.
| Leaving here II climbed the Williams
range and entered the Golden State
across the Colorado river.
At :O6 p. IN. on Friday. August 7.
the train rolled into Los Angeles ten
hours ahead of the schedule as origl-
nally planned, the distance from Chi
cago to the Pacific coast (2,265 mlles)
having been covered at an average of
42S miles per hour. beating the time
| of the Santa Fe's California Limited
by fifteen hours and sixteen minutes.
While he was still this side of the
Rocky mountains. II was known that
Mr.. loves daughter had passed away.
/ Messages were hurried ahead of tho
special. As the wircs were down. the
sad word was not received by MIR.
Lowe until he had reached Las Vegas,
New Mexico.
In spite Of his disappointment. how
ever. MIR. Lowe expressed his graft
tude To the Santa Fe officials who had
tried to the utmost to assist him in
The time made by the Lowe special
is an achievement OF which we are
Justly proud" said Passenger Traffic
Our only regret Is that the extra
ordinary speed could not avail Mr..
Lowe as he hoped II might"
This crossing of the American con.
tInent In scventythrce hours and
twenty-onc minutes establishes rec
ord for the trans continental trip that
will not be surpassed for many days
In come. When II IL considered that
thc time was brought down tn this
remarkably low figure only by extra
ordinary speed on the level prairics
and the broad table.lands, some idea
of the tremendous strain may be
! gathered. For long distances n speed
ot considerably over a mile a minute
was maintained. Tho route from the
Mississippi to the Continental Divide
IL upgrade. with much steep noun
tain climbing In places.
In 1900 n remarkable run was made
by the Peacock special from West to
East. Its average speed being AT
miles an hour between Los Angeles
and Chicago. This train. however,
had the advantage OF the down grade
from the Rockies to the Mississippi
valley
The famous Nellie Bly special made
the trip from San Francisco To Chi
cago In sixty nine hours at an average
speed OF 81 l.s miles an hour.
BY a comparison of these schedules
a fair idea may be gathered of the
resus rk nble rerarA of tha Inwe ANA