The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1909-04-01
FASTEST TRAIN TOO
SLOW FOR DEATH
BANKER BREAKS NEW YoRK.cHl-
cAeo SPEED RECORD.
'RusHEs TO DYING MOTHER
Frank A. Vanderbilt on Special Gov.
ers the Distance In Fifteen Hours
But Finds His Parent
Dead.

1
Chicago, Mar. 29.--Frank A. Van.
derlip, president Of the National City
bank of New York, broke the worlds
long distance record for speed in any
vehicle known to civilization yester-
day in a dash from New York to Chi.
cago that consumed Is hours time.
But all the speed of steam and steel
and human conhivance was as naught
In his race with death.
The race was lost by 2S minutes.
Mr. Vanderbilt chartered special
train to reach the bedside Of his dying
mother, Mrs. Charlotte l.. Vanderbilt,
1891 Madison avenue. Twenty-eight
minutes before his train few into the
Englewood station, life departed from
the frail body of the aged woman.
Mrs. Vanderbilt. who was CO years
old. had been Ill week from pneu.
monia. Her son had been kept almost
hourly informed of her condition.
News Of Approaching Death.
Shortly before midnight, Saturday
night, she took a decided change for
the worse. Mr.. VANDERBILT was In
formed by telegraph that it was feared
she could not lrva ~
Calling up the New York office OF
the Lake Shore railroad ne told them
to have a special ready for him in
so minutes.
Officials replied that they couldn't
get fast train ready in that time.
81 want it and haven't any time to
spare" Mr.. Vanderlip answered.
Without waiting for a reply he hung
up the receiver. In an automobile he
was rushed to the Grand Central sta.
ton in New York The officials had
rugged up a train of three coaches
and a private car by that time. It was
exactly 11:40 o'clock when the special
pulled by an electric motor engine,
drew out of the station. g..
Hardly had it left the big depot on
It race against death than the wires
half way across the United States
we're buzzing with orders to side track
everything and clear track. ID .
"clear the Track" Is Order.
Never before in the history of the
road had such an order been given.
Flyers and limited trains, the pride Of
the railroad world were thrown into
the backgrounds as though they were
common plug" freights. A continu.
Gus clear schedule from New York to
Chicago was hastily arranged. H.,
| At Highbridge, at the outskirts Of
New York the. special made its first
stop. II was then ! :02 o'clock. The
electric motor was disconnected. The
hurried order had left the officials
there in sorry plight. Only a small
steam road engine was available. It
was hastily connected on to the spe-
cial.
The little engine, with the hands
on the steam gauge set almost to the
danger mark. started in on the first
lap of the great record breaking fight
The crew worked their best.
AT 6:39 o'clock In the morning a
pause was made while big mogul OF
the 1890 type replaced the smaller
engine. But so seconds were spent in
the operation. 500.
RECORD lime TO cleveland
At 1927 a. m. the train arrived at
Cleveland. The lap between Buffalo
and the latter place of 1873 miles was
made in 1GS minutes. When the train
steamed into Toledo, 10S miles from
that place. 11G minutes later, 1t had
covered the hardest division on the
road. .3a .-,- ~ .f.. y@ Il.
The next lap OF 1873 miles, to Elk
hart, Ind, was made in 1913 minutes
Here the yardmen were slow. Three
minutes were lost in changing en-
| glnes. ..... .a.- -
Eighteen minutes aheadof the spe
cIal when 1t left Elkhart, was the
Twentieth Century" limited, the fast
est train and the pride OF the road
| At Mishawaka, the special overlook
and passed the train. ten, minutes tins
having elapsed. ... ....s..-
With the train crew working almost
to exhaustion, the last lap was mads
In record. breaking time. Between
Elkhart and the Englewood station, I
distance of So miles, the time was
! 80 minutes. The special beat the Is
hour train by SO minutes to tina
| point l
The train arrived at the EnglewooC
depot at 2:5s o'clock yesterday after
noon. Is hours and 27 seconds after 4
| left it's destination. The actual tim,
4 spent in running was IA hours and p
seconds, subtracting the hours differ
I, ence in time between New York an,
Chicago.