The New York herald., 1922-10-15
A Race That Lost.
Record Breaking Trip Of a Rescue
Car to the Argonaut Mine.

From the Southern Pacific Bulletin.
All records for train running time on
the Southern Pacific line over the Sierra
Nevada Mountains from Sparks. Nevada,
to Roseville, Cal, were smashed on
August 20, when the Government mine
rescue car was rushed from Elko, Me-
vada. to lone, California, to assist in the
relief of the forty-seven entombed min
ers in the Argonaut mine at Jackson.
The rescue car was brought from
Elko to Sparks attached to the Pacific
Limited, which was delayed by cloud
burst in western Nevada causing wash
outs. On arriving at Sparks IT was
decided to run the rescue car with an
other coach as special train.
The main line was cleared OF all
traffic and the two car train reeled off
the 139 miles through the snowsheds
and over the grades OF the high Sierra
in four hours and fifteen minutes TO
Roseville. This is twenty minutes faster
than the previous record made at the
time of the Jeffries-Johnso fight at
Reno, when a special train was used to
bring photographs OF the fight to San
Francisco papers. IL is one hour and
fifteen minutes faster than the time
made by the fastest mail train.
Engine 2312 was used on the run
from Sparks to Roseville. The mountain
engine was replaced at Roseville by
lighter engine and the air brakes were
tested in four minutes. The run to Gait.
the junction point for the lone branch.
1912 miles away, was made in forty-one
minutes The average speed from de-
Ia
was sixty miles an hour, Including the
slow movement through Roseville yard.
through Elvas interloclsing plant and
through Brighton. at which point orders
were picked UP on the run.
Engine 1857 was used as far as Gait.
At Gait the branch line for lone made
reverse movement necessary and en-
gine 1874 in charge of IT. @. Rosa and
Fireman w. J. Johnston was substituted.
Conductor J. E. Duffy was stationed at
Gait I'm charge OF engine 1874 and had
this engine coupled to buffer car stand
ing ready to be backed onto the mine
rescue car the instant II was stopped at
Gait. Orders, check of register and
register instructions were in the hands
OF the engineer and the operator was
on the ground to deliver them immedi-
ately TO Conductor Frost. Conductor
Duffy handled the switches, assisted by
Conductor J. ID. Nelligan and crew OF
freight train No. ESQ, 80 that air brake
and signal hose couplings were being
made from both sides and both ends OF
train at same time "It was due largely
to Conductor Duffy's prearranged plans
that the movement through Gait was
so quickly made" writes superintendent
Gaylord. The special wGs sT on tbe
run to lone In ffty-nine seconds
! The run from oast to is-c- n dis-
tance of 27.1 miles. was made in forty
two minutes. Five minutes after ar
rival at lone the special left over the
Amador Central for Jackson.
Tho average speed from Gait to lone
was thirty-six miles an hour. consid-
cradle portion OF that branch lying in
the hills being laid with sharp curva-
lures necessitating reduced speed. Tots
time consumed from Roseyille to 1one
was one hour and. twenty-five minutes.
Total time from Sparks to lone was
FIVE hours and forty-three minutes.