Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1903-08-28
BREAKS All REC CORDS
FROM ATLANTIC 70 PACIFIC -
THREE DAYS TINE.


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All previous records for RAILROAD
time from Atlantic to Pacific coast
were broken on Friday. August !
whom the H. p. Lowe special rolled
Into Los Angeles over the santa Fe
Of l:0s p. N.
Henry p. Lowe. Of the Engineering
Company Of America. LEFT New YORK
Tuesday afternoon. August 4. ct 2:lS.B
Immediately upon hearing OF his
daughters fatal illness In the distant
California city Of Eos 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 cab which was being held
in waiting for him, the anxious father
boarded the special and was outward
bound twenty-thrse minutes after
reaching tho Windy City" Compos.
cd Of coach and hotel-car Rocket"
and drawn by = powerful iron grey.
hound, with Engineer Duggan at the
throttle, the Santa Fe special leaped
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. the train struck out toward,
the Southwest with whirl and I
rush. Swiftly rising to the level Of
the elevated roadbed. It was OF on its
way toward Joliet before the grief.
stricken passenger had had time to
settle down for his long ride. Indeed,
4 cannot be said that no settled down
ut all, for. In his anxiety to cover the
ground in the shortest possible time.
Mr.. Lowe repeatedly urged that the
ypeed be increased, and for . great
share Of the distance he rode In the
,ngine cab. the rumble and roar Of the
mighty locomotive soothing. In O.
measure, his troubled mind.
Faster and faster the giant ten
wheeler hew. Faster and faster the
local way stations whizzed BY the
windows in an indistinct blurr. Cross
ing the State Of Illinois In space Of
time heretofore unequaled, the special
rolled across the Mississippi at Fort
Madison. clipped Of section Of Iowa,
traversed the northern part Of the
State Of Missouri. bridged the broad
Missouri river and steamed into Kan
sas City Union depot. /
With scarcely q halt in its wild
flight it was OF over the rolling prai.
RE land Of Kansas and on toward
Colorado, climbing the ever-increasing
grade as the Rockies were approach
ed. On and on It sped. not only main.
tanning the schedule laid out, but
gaining with every mile It dew.
La Junta was reached 1t $40 a. m,
august s, and veering toward the
southwest the special splil the soil
tude Of the Colorado and New Mexico
wilderness, plunging into Albuquerque
1t 5:37 p. m. From Albuquerque
straight west. crossing the desert Of
New Mexico and Arizona, surmount.
ing the range Of the Glorieta noun.
tains, the train reached Seligman II
western Arizona at 14 Z. M, Aug. q.
Leaving here It climbed the Williams
'ange and entered the Golden State
jcross the Colorado river.
At 1:06 p. m. on Friday, August Z,
the train rolled into Los Angeles ten
hours ahead of the schedule Is origi.
nally planned, the distance from Chi
cago to the Pacific coast (2,2e5 miles,
Having been covered at an average Of
42.S 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, it was known that
Mr.. loves daughter had passed away.
Messages were hurried ahead of the
special. As the wires were down, the
sad word was not received by MI.
Lowe until he had reached Las Vegas,
New Mexico.
In spite Of his disappointment, how
ever, Mr.. Lowe ( pressed his graft
tude to the Santa Fe oflcials who had
tried to the utmost to assist him II
his trouble.
"The time made by the Lowe special
Is an achievement Of which we are
Justly proud" said Passenger Tramc
Manager Nicholson Of the Santa Fe.
"Our only regret is that the extra.
ordinary speed could not avail Mr..
Lowe as he hoped It right
This crossing Of the American con.
tinent in seventy-three hours and
twentyone minutes establishes rec
ord for the trans-continenta trip that
will not be surpassed for many days
to come. When It is considered that
the time was brought down to this
remarkably low, figure only by extra-3
ordinary speed on the level prairies
and the broad tab1e-lands, some ides
Of the tremendous strain may b.
gathered. For long distances . speed
OF considerably over . mile q minute
was maintained. The route from the 7
Mississippi to the Continental Divide
Is upgrade, with much steep noun
tain climbing In places.
In 1900 = remarkable run was made
by the Peacock special from West to
East. It's average speed being All
miles an hour between Los Angeles