The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1903-09-15
BREAKS ALL RECORDS
FROM ATLANTIC 70 PACIFIC IN
TEaRE pAYN TIMK.


we're broken on Friday, August Z,
when the II. p. Lowe special rolled
into Los Angeles over tie Santa Fo
at 1905 D. m. "
Henry P. Lowe, OF the Engineering
Company Of America. left New York
Tuesday afternoon. August T. at 2:l5,
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. be raced westward to
Chicago at an average speed of 4So
miles per hour, arriving In Chicago
on Wednesday forenoon. Hurrying
from the Lake Shore to The Santa Fe
depot IN cab which was being hela
IN waiting for him, the anxious father
boarded the special and was outward
bound twenty-thrce minutes after
reaching the Windy city" Compos-
cd Of coach and hotel.car Rocket
and drawn By a powerful iron grey
hound. with Engineer Duggan at the
throttle. the Santa Re special leaped
into the race with orders to make no
stops except those to take water ana
coal and to change engines and crews
Leaving Dearborn station, Chi
cage. the train struck out toward
the Southwest. with a whirl and q
rush. Swiftly rising to The level q
the elevated roadbed, Il was on on ito
way toward Joliet before the grief.
stricken passenger had had time 70
settle down for his long ride. Indeed.
II cannot be said that be 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 ne rode In the
engine csb. the rumble and roar OF the
mighty locomotive soothing. In .
measure, his troubled mind.
Faster and faster the giant ten
wheeler few. Faster and faster the
local way stations whizzed BY tha
windows IN an indlstlnct blurr. Cross
Ing the State Of Illinois IA space a
time heretofore unequaled, the special
rolled across the Mississippi at Fort
Madison. clipped on a section Of Iowa,
lFaversed the northern part Of the
State Of Missouri. brldged the broad
Missouri river and steamed into Kan
sas City Union depot
with scarcely a halt IN its wild
flight Il was on over the rolling pFaR.
Fie land OF Kansas and on toward
Colorado, climbing the ever-increasing
grade as the Rockies we're approach
cd. q and on It Sped not only main
tainl q the schedule laid out. but
gaining with every mile Il flew.
La Junta was reached at $40 a. M.
august 6. and veering toward tho
southwest the special spLs the soli-
tude OF the Colorado and New Mexico
wilderness. plunging into Albuquerque
az 5:37 .. m. From Albuquerque
straight west. crossing the desert oi
New Mexico and Arizona surmount-
Y ing the range Of the Glorleta moun-
tains, the train reached Seligman IN
western Arizona at a. m., Aug Z.
Leaving here It climbed the Williams
range and entered the Golden State
across the Colorado river .
At 1:O6 p. m. on Friday, August 4.
the train rolled into Los Angeles ten
hours ahead Of the schedule as origi
nally planned, the distance from Chf
cago to the Pacific coast t2.2e5 milesl
having been covered al an average a
l2S miles per hour. beating the time
Of the Santa Fe's California Limitea
BY fifteen hours and sixteen minutes.
While he was still this side Of the
Rocky mountains. Il 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 Mp.
Lowe until be had reached Las Vegas.
New Mexico.
In spite OF his disappointment, how
ever, Mr. Lowe expressed his grati-
tude to the Santa Fe officials who haa
tried to the utmost 10 assist him in
his trouble.
The time made by the Lowe special
Is an achievement Of which we are
justly proud" said Passenger frame
Manager Nicholson OF the Santa Fe.
"Our only regret is that the extra
ordinary speed could not avail Mr..
Lowe as he hoped It might
This crossing Of the American con-
tinent IN seventy-three hours and
twenty-one minutes establishes a rec
ord for the trans-continental trip that
will not be surpassed for many days
70 come. When It is considered that
the time was brought down 20 this
remarkably low figure only by extra
ordinary speed on the level prairies
and the broad table-lands, some idea
Of the tremendous strain may be
gsthered For long distances a speed
of considerably over a mile a minute
was maintained. The route from the
Mississippi to the Continental Divide
is up grade. with much steep NOUN
tain climbing IN places.
In 1900 a 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 BY special made
the "trip from San Francisco to Chi.
cago Ia sixty-nine hours at an average
speed OF 81 1-S miles an hour
BY a comparison Of these schedules
a fair idea may be gathered of the
remarkable record Of the Lowe spe
cial This achievement viii go down
n red letters in the annals Of railroad
Ing.