Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-09-12
TRACK AND TRAIN

er employee Of the shops here. has
gone to Albuquerque to join her hus-
band, who is now a machinist in the
Santa Fe Pacific shops.
What is said to be a new worlds
record in long-distance train running
has just been made on the Baltimore
& Ohio road out in Ohio and Indiana,
where 12S miles were covered without
stops in l25 minutes. In the course
of the run a speed of IS miles an hour
was reached, and much Of the dis
lance was run at the rate Of 10 and rs
miles an hour.
A party Of seventy-two of the repre-
sentative people of the little state of
Rhode Island visited the Petrified For
est at Adamana Tuesday. This party
left Providence, r. l.. August 9Th, In
three special cars, with a tourist agent
in charge, who faithfully looked after
the comforts of the party. The trip
west was made oyer the Union Pacific
taking in Denver, Colorado Springs,
Salt Lake, on to San Francisco and
Los Angeles, returning, on the Santa
Fe. The party visited the Grand Can
yon Monday and the forest was the
last stop for sightseeing. The party
included several of the state officers
mayors of several of the leading cities
and many prominent citizens.
Fire in a box car in the Santa re
yards just below the Coal avenue via
duct in Albuquerque called out the
fire department. The car was one OF
a train Just ready to pull out for the
west and the fire had gained consid-
cradle headway when discovered. But
for the prompt work Of the department
it is probable that a large portion OF
the train would have been destroyed.
AS it was, the car in which the fire
originated was practically demolished
and several other cars standing near
it in the yards were seriously damaged,
The origin Of this fire, like the several
others which have occurred within the
past week, is a mystery. 1t seems GER
tain that 1t originated inside the a
Santa Re Won-One Of the most
unique contests between big railroad
systems ever held in the west took
place last week between the Colorado
& Southern, the Santa Fe and the
International and Great Northern. An
attempt was made to break all records
for fast freight business between Den
yer and Houston, Texas, and the Santa
Fe almost cut the existing records in
two. A freight car loaded with vege-
tables made the trip of 1,200 miles in
four days time and beat the previous
record of six days.
Recently the Colorado & Southern
entered into traffic agreements with
the International & Great Northern
whereby the Colorado road could enter
the field more thoroughly for Texas
business. When this agreement was
completed the road, In connection with
the Fort Worth and Denver City and
the International & Great Northern,
tried to secure the bulk of the whole
sale business from Denver to Houston
on the ground that 1t had the shortest
haul and could make the fastest time.
The Santa Fe, which had previously
held practically a monopoly Of the bus
mess. resented this action and inform
ed the wholesale houses that 1t could
beat the other roads. even If 1t did
have the longest route. The result
was that the wholesale houses OF Hous-
ton got together and requested a test
to see which road vas right. Two car
loads Of vegetables were ordered from
Denver. One was to go by the Colo
RADIO & Southern and the other by the
Santa Fe.
The Colorado & Southern car was
started out over that road to Texline.
where it took the Fort Worth and Den
yer City to Fort Worth. At that point
It was transferred to the international
& Great Northern for Houston. The
Santa Fe car was started out Of Den
yer at the same time and went from
there BY way Of La Junta to Newton,
Kan. At that point 1t was transferred
to the Oklahoma division, which took
It into Fort Worth. The gulf line 70
the Santa Fe then carried the car into
Houston, the entire journey being over
It's own tracks. The Santa Re car was
delivered to the consignees just ex-
actly four days after starting from
Denver. When the delivery was made