Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1905-11-30
ANNlAILATINo DISTANCE.
Zine, Of Trip Between Washington
and New York Being Greatly
Reduced.

New York." remarked a prominent or
ficlal OF one Of the big trunk lines that
center at the capital, as he chatted In
hi private car TO a Star man.
-Four hours, you mean,' was sug'
sested, with incredulity, and a long
time on, too"
"The irreduclble minimum OF rail-
road time between the queen OF the
cities OF this continent and the king
Of It's population centers Is three houvs
when the present plans are carried
out and the machinery OF trafiic Is
we'll oiled and In easy and complete
working order. Now. listen and let
the Star tell It. for. though this highly
desirable result seems an tmpossi'
bility, II Is already within the bounds
Of consideration, and will In less time
than will be believed be evolved into
an actually.
"I'n admit" continued the ofilcial.
1T Is SUFFICIENT to cause the shade OF
L'Enfant to sit up and wonder when
II comes TO eating up railway rails
and ties at the rate per minute sug'
gested; OF skimming over meadows
and blowing through intermediate
towns and cities at the average and
continuous rate Of 70 miles per hour,
including all stops. slow.uSs, block
signal setbacks, and other hindrances
and halts incidental to and com
ponent part Of rapid railroad flight.
"Seventy-two miles an hour main
tained continuously between two
points 227 miles apart, as Washington
and New York, for three consecutive
hours every day In the year. sunshine
or snow. presents q problem to rail-
road men that they are attempting to
bring to a perfect solution to-day,
though 10 miles per hour over short
distances OF hard-bottom level track
rot sustained for given time be.
tween two given points doesn't present
any problem at all.
THE fastest time-and when l say
time I mean time table schedule
t:me-between New York and Wash.
ington at present is run at the average
late OF about 45 miles on hour. Yet
I know the popular supposition is that
It IL at the rate Of 60 miles an hour.
but II isn't. To cut down the running
time to three hours. the actual speed
per hour must be raised and main
tanned 81 miles per hour additional, or
close to double the. average running
time OF to-day. When It Is borne In
mind that the average record time per
hour per trip in this country OF what
are known as the reccrd-breaking lin
tied expresses between New York and
Chicago over several OF the roads av-
crages from 81 to SO miles. arproxi''
mately. per hour. and the best Euro
pean record time of similar trains IL
about 50 TO 81 miles per hour, WASH
!ngtonians will family perceive wha!
is intended when we say that the time
IL not far distant when space will be
robbled up between here and the me-
tIopolis at 70 average miles per hour"
There are few questions Of greater
local Importance than the one covered
BY your statement" said the Star man.
"why don't you do 1t now?"
Because" responded the of3cial, 1T
can't be done to-day. The real fun
Ct annihilating time and distance be-
tween New York and Washington will
begin when all the kinks and curves
ere taken out OF the roadbeds; heavier
bridges over certain waterways have
taken the place of the present struc-
lures, viaducts span cities and towns.
grade crossings disappear, a tunnel
rierces the mud and rocks beneath the
hudson. and the companies can laugh
OF the city and town ordinances which
restrict speed through their limits.
ITO get over the last and one OF the
worst hindrances to put distance and
lime out Of business between the two
cities huge granite viaducts costing
millions have now been finished and are
in course of construction or already
planned high over the streets OF every
city and town Of importance between
here and the metropolis. The founda-
tons for the heavy bridges are already
laid. AS all know, the insufficient
terminal facilities at Washington.
which greatly affect the point under
discussion, are in course Of eradica'
ton, while the river tunnel is pro-
crossing.
And thus we reduce the question
10 schedule time. Four tracks will re-
MACE the double. You see, 1t is the
'slow-ups' that prevent distance an
utilization. Chicago would be but IL
hours from New York but for these.
The big engines tug the heavy trains
OF Pullmans from mile post to mile
post in 50 and So seconds when the
engineer let's out an extra hitch In the
steam buckling strap, and 1t Is done
60 easily and noiselessly that the pas
sengers don't know 1t, but 1t Is travel
ing
with q three-hour train to New
York a Washington business man can
stroll leisurely down to the station
take the nine q. m. express for the
city, eat lunch on Broadway, take the
subway to Wall street, confer with his
brokers. 60 up town to the matinee.
Cine at a fashionable uptown restan-
rant, take In the first act of the play
al any one OF a dozen theaters, jump
On the nine D. m. express from tbs