Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1903-08-27
BREAKS ALL RECORDS
FROM ATLANTIC TO PACIFIC IN
THREE DAYS TIME.
Account of Most Remarkable Long
Distance Run In History Of
RailroAding.

time from Atlantic to Pacific coast
were broken on Friday, August z.
when the H. 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 245,
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. Hurrying
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 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 a whirl and a
rush. Swiftly rising to the level of
the elevated roadbed, 1t was OF on its
way toward Joliet before the grief
stricken passenger had had time to
settle down for his long ride. Indeed.
1t 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 great
share of the distance he rode In the
engine cab. 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 the
windows in an indistinct blurr. Cross.
ing the State of Illinois in a space of
time heretofore unequaled, the special
rolled across the Mississippi at Fort
Madison, clipped off a section of Iowa.
tsaversed 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 1t was on over the rolling prai-
rie land Of Kansas and ON toward
Colorado, climbing the FREDERICKSBURG
grade as the Rockies were approach
ed. On and on 1t sped. not only main
tanning the schedule laid out, but
gaining with every mile II few.
La Junta was reached at 9:10 q. m,
august 8. and veering toward the
southwest the special split the soil
tude OF the Colorado and New Mexico
wilderness, plunging into Albuquerque
at 5:37 D. 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 In
western Arizona at a. m. Aug. q.
range and entered the Golden State
across the COLORADO river.
At loo p. m. on Friday, August z,
the train rolled into Los Angeles ten
hours ahead of the schedule as origi.
nally planned. the distance from Chi
cago to the Pacific coast (2,265 miles)
having been covered at an average OF
AIS miles per hour. beating the time
of the Santa Fes California Limited
by fifteen hours and sixteen minutes.
While he was still this side Of the
Rocky mountains, 1t was known that
Mr.. loves daughter had passed away.
Messages we're hurried ahead Of the
special As the wires were down, the
sad word was not received by Mr..
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 officials who had
tried to the utmost to 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 night"
This crossing of the American con-
tinent in seventy-three hours and
twenty-one minutes establishes rec
ord for the trans-continental trip that
will not be surpassed for many days
to come. When II Is considered that
the time was brought down to 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
gathered. For long distances a speed
Of, considerably over mile a minute
was maintained. The route from the
Mississippi to the Continental Divide
] is upgrade. 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 Alt
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 1'3 miles an hour.
BY comparison of these schedules
a fair Idea may be gathered of the
remarkable record of the Lowe spe.
cial. This achievement will go down
In red letters in the annals of railroad.
ing.