Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1906-03-22
MANIPULATING DISTANCE.
Time of Trip Between Washington
and New York Being Greatly
Reduced.

htuQNEQs
Three hours from Washington to
New York" remarked a prominent Of.
fetal Of one Of the big trunk lines that
center at the capital, as he chatted IN
his private ear to a Star man.
-Four hours, YOU mean, was sug
Iested with incredulity, and long
time of, too"
The irredueible minimum of rail
road time between the queen OF the
cities of this continent and the king
Of its population centers is three hours
when the present plans are carried
out and the machinery of traffic is
well oiled and in easy and complete
working order Now, listen and let
the Star tell it, for, though this highly
desirable result seems an impossi.
bility, 1t is already within the bounds
OF consideration, and will in less time
than will be believed be evolved into
an actuality.
"Ill admit" continued the official,
cit is sufficient to cause the shade of
L'Enfant to sit up and wonder when
IL 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 ~ miles per hour
including all stops, slow.ups block
signal setbacks. and other hindrances
and halts incidental to and a com.
ponent part Of rapid railroad flight
"Seventy-twO miles an hour main.
talned continuously between two
points POI miles apart, as Washington
aud New York, for three consecutive
hours every day in the year, sunshine
or snow. presents a problem to rail-
road men that they are attempting to
bring 10 a perfect solution to-day,
though u miles per hour over short
distances Of hard-bottom level track
not sustained for given time be
tween two given points doesn't present
any problem at all.
The fastest time-and when | say
time / mean time table schedule
tme-hetween New York and Wash
ington at present is run az the average
rate OF about 45 miles an hour. Yet
| know the popular superstition is that
Il is at the rate of go miles an hour
but il isn't. To cut down the running
/ time 10 three hours, the actual speed
Der hour must be raised and main
/ famed 81 miles per hour additional, OF
/ dose 10 double the average running
| time Of to-day When IL Is borne IN
mind that the average record time pei
| hour per trip in this country oil Wha'
are known as the reeord-breaking lin
| tted expresses between New York and
Chicago over several of the roads av'
erages from 81 to 90 miles, approx
| mately per hour and the best Euro
reau record time OF similar trains i
pbout 50 to 81 miles per hour, WASH
sngtonians will family perceive VIVA
80 intended when we say that the time
a. NOT far distant when space Will %
robbed up between here and the me
uopolis at 72 average miles per hour'
There are few questions of greater
local importance than the one coNere'
IN your statement" said the Star man
"Why don't you do il nov?
"Beeause.r responded the Official j
can't be done to-day The real lul
# anplhilating time and distance be
tween New York and Washington VIII
begin when all the kinks and curve
are taken out Of the roadbeds heaVie
bridges over certain waterways nav
taken the place of the present struc
trrss viaducts span cities and towns
grade crossings disappear tunne
tierces the mud and rocks beneath IN
Buason. and the companies can laugl
at the city and town ordinances whle
restrict speed through their limits
..To get over the last and one OF lh
worst hindrances to put distance an
lime ont OF business between the U"
cities huge granite viaduets eostln
millions have now been finished ana al
IN course of construction or alread
MANNED high over the streets OF ever
eity and town Of importance betwee
here and the metropolis. The founas
tons for the heavy bridges are alreau
aid AS all know, the insuiiieien
terminal facilities at washington
which greatly affect the point unde
discussion. are in course OF eraaic'
| ton. while the river tunnel Is PFC
lressing. os,,o
10 schedule time. Four tracks WIN :
nl.ce the double. You see, II is 20
.slow-ups that prevent distance =,
r;hilation. Chicago would be but
bours from New York but Tor ines
|, The big engines tug the heavy trair
of Pullmans from mile post @ M,
most in 50 and 80 seconds "heh :. :,
engineer lets out an extra hlten ~ =
steam buckling strap. and u Is uo'
50 easily and noiselessly that the pa
s.ngers don't know it, but II Is uase
p rag Ne