Omaha daily bee., 1911-07-09
FAST RUNS or MONEYED MEN
some Notable Records of Special
Trains Over Cleared Tracks.
CR0WDEG rHE SPEED LIMIT


Price.
When . man has the price and nnds
Il Necessary 70 be whisked ACROSS the cuun-
ny at the fastest possible speed then
look cut for now recorisi Dur1nH recent
years. a number of rich Americans have
found the regular schedules and the last
est trains too slow. or the Importance at
tending their journey too great. and have
engaged special trains 70 have the rignt-
of-way over evsrythfnE to get them 70
their destination. rns most recent case
ON record II that OF Charles G. Gates. a
New York broker. who was suddenly
taAen ~ IN San niego. Cal. And wanted
to get home 70 New York as fast as
steam could carry him-or faster.
1Ir Gates hurried 20 the telephone and
rang up ths Southern Pacific cumpany's
Office az san Diego A special train could
not be procurcd Immediately. but the sun
set Limited wRs leaving m a few hours and
the railroad officials agreed to attach the
Ranger" Mr. Garss's private car.
Arrangements were then completed for
q special train to be made up and waiting
on his arrival AZ Yuma. Arszona. which
would make the run acrozs the continent
in me fastest time that schedules would
allow
An engine. buffet car and three coaches
for ballast. we're standing on side track
At Yuma. and no time was lost coupling
the Ranger 20 them
AT half past I'VE o'clock on Thursday
February 16 the special pulled cut OF the
little western town on it's 1000 mile Jour
ney. while the wires beside the track
hummsd with messages arranging spe-
Al
traverse
When M Gates paid his bills he found
that the TIP from coast 20 coast had cost
him s601a. at the rate Of about = mile.
The cost OF the run from Chicago 70 New
York was u-Ezs. which figures W TO a
charge Of = for every minute thar ths
specizl was On rails
Sixteen Rsur- New YsrIz TO ChteaEs.
Few runs have proved more thrilling than
that participated in BY Frank A Van
deriip. president Of the National City Bank
Of New York. who during the early par
OF 1s10. started from New York in 4 vain
effort to bear the Grim Reaper to Chi
cage. where his aged mother lay dying.
/ When at the point OF retiring tor the
might. Mr. vanderiip received a telegram
from his hrother-ln-iaw In Chicago. saying
sudden and serious attack OF pneumoiaia.
SEEKING the teIephone. Mr.. vanderaip nors.
tied the New York Central authorities tina,
he wanted a special made I'D for him al
0ncn.
The vz1der1ip race against death should
live In the history OF railrnadinE. II sstab-
Iiuhsd the fastest time bsrwssn New York
and Chicago. the train rsachinE the Ia
Sale Street station at seven minutes aftel
three o'clock the next afternoon. sfxtesr
hourSe and seven minutes frum New York
almost an hour better that the previous
record OF seventeen hours. and two hours
faster than the schedules OF the Twentieth
Century Limited and the Pennsylvanta Sps
ciaL The entire run OF ss5 miles was mad,
in exactly sU minutes. making an aver
mgr Of Los mile minute.
Il Throughout the race Mr. vzndsr4ip KEEP
begging the engfnesr Tor more spsed. II
received no messages az 70 his mother
condition IN route. and lived in constant
J lear that death would beat him TO tn,
bedside.
When the train reached Engiewood sta
ton he Jumped into a waiting automohil.
and started At top speed for his mother
home ON Madison avenue
''MotherT' he asked a. the door opened
She died At ten minutes to rhree" wa
tho rspiy-which was the very time tn
Special had pulled into the EngiewoO'
station.
Race AGAINST Death
A railroad race with death that take
rank with the abuve occurred several year
ago. when DR.. W. Meyer and two nurse
stzrtsd from New York In a record break
ing run TO the scens az a wreck ON the Mex
York Central near Lyons. N. z. in wilicl
Mr.. Newman Erb. wife Of the vice presi
dent OF the Psre Marquet1s railroad. Ia.
bean seriously injured
Accompanied by Mr.. Erb's scn-In-las
and his wife. the physician and nurses lei
the metropolis ON a special. composed q
the fastest engine available. three IA,
coaches and private car The specia
was ordered AZ O'Clock in the murndnl
when the news Of the disaster arrives
ard pulled out n 7-N II was given
clear and whiried up the Hudson At N
rate az a mile a minute
Al Albany, Or. Meyer appealed TO IN
engineer and Conductor william Lewis 70
more speed. and from Albany 70 Syrzcus
all reeurds were broken. ths distance {
the latter city from New York being mad
, In four and 0ns-half hours After a qllic
, change Of engines. the train hurried On {
) Rochester. the sighty-one Intervening mile
being covered IN se4enty-four minutes