The Washington herald., 1912-08-18

have steadily absorbed the weaker ones
Many Of the earlier lines have been eco
nomically reconstructed. and old routes
abandoned. A much greater freedom in
curvatures Is now found practicable
than was once ever thought allowable
In England, In, ls4s. IL was a standing
rule Of Parliament that no curve should
be made with a radius Of less than half
q mile (2,6<0 feet. Now, by making the
wheels conical. and elevating the outer
rail. wheels are accommodated to the
different lengths they have to traverse.
without strain of axles. without greatly
increased friction or slipping Of the in
ner wheel. Consequently curves Of an
alarmingly short radius are possible.
Grades Of seventy to eighty feet to the
mile were once considered almost in
superable: 1t is now asserted that grades
80 feet to the mile can be worked by
locomotives. The greatest victories over
the obstacles of nature are seen In the
Swiss Alps and in the Peruvian Andes.
where the Lima and Oroya Railroad Is
famed as the highest railroad in the
world. The Mount Cents tunnel. In the
Swiss Alps is eight miles long, wide
enough for q double railway and al
most entirely cut through solid rock.
More Than 100000 Miles.
In 1881 the United States had thirty
miles of railroad To-day It has over
100000 miles. About 100000 men are en-
ployed is its management, and $4,000 Is
fairly accurate estimate Of the railroad
mileage of the world 1t is said that
Illinois has the maximum and Alaska the
minimum number Of miles OF railroad in
North America.
The Tom Thumb engine weighed but
little more than one ton. and on its first
ri nhaA nfa f0ht flaG m
hour. Some of the noteoric monsters
now In Use weigh over 200 tons. and can
haul a load of nearly 5000 tons. A few
passenger engines have made the record
Of seventy-eight miles an hour. short |
run has been made on a down grade at
the rate OF 102 miles an hour. A few
weeks ago a special train run from Bal |
timore TO New York made the phenome- |
nal run for five consecutive days of Isl
miles in 172 minutes.
The number of patents obtained on |
improvements in locomotives and railway |
cars is larger than on any other inven- !
tion. Men from almost every nation |
have contributed items Of improvement |
toward some branch of the industry.
A list Of such individuals would be In
terspersed with the names of men whose
genius has won the admiration Of the
world. II would also acquaint one with
men who have occupied the most exalted
as we'll as the most lowly walks of life.
In 1864 George NJ. Pullman invented and
had patented a car which meets all the
of comfort. These cars are
used almost as extensively in Europe as
they are in America.
RevoIutionires Travel.
The usefulness OF the refrigerator car
is so we'll understood that to mention 1t
at all seems expletory. 1t has become
almost as indispensable as the food
which II carries to every corner OF the
earth.
Before the advent Of the railroad. only
those men, stout of heart and cherishing
the most adventurous dreams ever left
New York. for the Pacific Coast
When they did undertake such a jour-
ney. their leave taking was considered
inal: for II they were fortunate enough
10 reach the desired destination. their
experiences had usually inspired in them
1 distaste for travel. and robbed them
" all desire to repeat such hardships- |
In this age OF economical efficiency in
railroads. one can board a train in New
York on Monday and In less than week
hey will have arrived in San Francisco.
,al
The Pioneer Fast Line" in the early
lays OF railroads. guaranteed to take
passengers from Philadelphia to Pitts
ourg in three and half days. by rail
md canal packets, II the weather was
favorable" To-day one OF the miracles
" velocity will pick you up at New York
City, after business hours, and speed
rou through the mOnotonous miles with
such dispatch that you can open shop
It o'clock the next morning in Chicago
1t is a salient fact, that the railroad
$ paramount to all other achievement
# civilization. The conquest of mod
.rn engineering has consolidated the