Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-09-11
IT was a little after three o'clock Of

ut was little after three o'clock Of
4 Saturday morning. In a suite of
rooms on the twentieth floor Of a
great New York hotel telephone bell
suddenly began to shrill and chatter
insistently. A man sat up in bed and
then stumbled sleepily across the floor
nnd took down the receiver. The mes
tsase rha. vas flung across a thousand
miles Of star-lit night told him OF a
,rriss IN some o: his affairs. He would
have 10 hurry TO Denver as quickly as
.stean, and steel would carry him. lie
called Up the ticket Office at Grand Cen
t1al. Nc combination OF trains would
land him in Denver before carly alter
noon Monday. That would be too late.
"Well, how much would a special train
cost What time could it make?" he
asked.
"About $500. That would include
A,private car with cook and porter. You
should reach Denver by a. m. Sunday
"All right. I'm Mr.. Blank. Will you
fake my personal check if tie hotel will
endorse it? Yes? How soon can you
get the special ready? Yes, I'll hold the
wire while you ask the dispatcher.
Hall an hour Good. Yes, stock the
car and put a cook aboard at Albany
while YOU arc changing engines. Good
by"
More than anything else that the world
knows yet in the way OF transportation
the special train comes the nearest to
eliminating time and space Sometimes
it is hired to meet business cxigency;
sometimes for pleasure. Now and then
the race is with the shadow OF death.
Unless you are high official OF a rail
road the principal thing necdful is
money. Z
During the night watches, when his
superiors are asleep, the train dispatcher
Is the only one who can send special
racing over the rails. What he must
know first Of all is the identity of the
applicant for the unusual privilege and
whether he is able to pay, If the man
is unknown, currency or guaranteed
check must be deposited in advance
IF he is a man OF wealth and prominence
and unimpeachable credit he may not be
required to pay the price before he starts
on his journey.
The man who hires special is the
r. II & l,n holm In
his race against time he must not be
stopped en- route. 1t requires the high
est ability, on the part of the dispatcher
to give the special clear track so that
there may not be moments delay be
yond that of changing engines. If one
of the fast trains is likely to be over
taken the limited has TO be laid out SC
that the special may rush by. The bes'
engineers obtainable must drive the pom
derous locomotives and Trustworthy con
ductors must be placed In charge OF the
iequipment during its run.
Usually the extraordinary passenge
who hires a special train is required t.
give the railroad company some form 0
release from responsibility from loss o
life or injary from accident. Generall
the special must be run at maximum
fpeed--:hc ighes: speed permitted ordi
lary trains in making up tine an
astc. than the fastest OF regula
,chedules. Despite the thousands o
iollars that private citizens some
g. iva n
With death, or to forestall imam
.ial crisis, the railroads are loath t
ncept passengers on these condition
Tie risk is not only 10 these upon tn
pec;ai itself, but 10 the thousands o
,ther passengers on the trains which ar
ls;.ig the tracks at the same time. BIZ
flc railroad people feel that no one
likely to hire special for a long run III
less Il is case of great urgency. There
lore, when they do send one Cut, III
pcw and every one concerned are in
bued with the excitement that alway
,ur.ounds a contest with time. and tie
train every nerve toward the accom-
plishment of their errard
While money is all-powerful when
ZONES to getting a special train ar
hurling it across a continent at top spe,
like some great projectlle--cyen III
limited money cannot send the ira
roaring over the vibrant rails faster tn;
certain established maximum of mil
per minute. Ga each section OF "a
road there is speed limit which eve
nngineer is supposed TO know and o
serve. This limit is established by car
ful calculations which aI;e into accou
the straightness OF the track, its physic
condition, bridges, culverts, and ever
thing else. Beyond this. il is theorctc;
jy unsafe to venture. These establish
snaximuns of speed may be exceed
bnly under direct and specific ords
from The president OF the road wh'
for some weighty reason. he may