THREE HUNDRED MILES AN HOUR.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 1585, 15 April 1887, Page 3

THREE HUNDRED MILES AN HOUR.

When G-eorge Stevenson asserted his ability to run passenger coaches at a speed of twelve to fifteen miles an hour, scientific and practical men deemed him fit for a lunatic asylum, but time haa shown that trains may be run at a much greater velocity without materially adding to the dangers of railway travel. The flight of the fast express on the Pennsylvania railway is a marked example of the possibilities in the way of suita : ning high rates of speed. This road now runs the fastest train in America. Nine hundred and twelve miles, including seven stops, are accomplished in 25| hours, and the average time is 36 30 miles an hour. A portion of the distance is run at the rate of 75 miles an hour. At a speed of 60 miles an hour the driving wheels of the locomotive on this train mike 258§ revolutions a minnte. William Vanderhilt's spurt of 81 miles in 61 minuets on the New York Central is declared to be the highest rate of speed ever attained in this country, but this speed was not a surprise to good engineers, many of whom are firm in the belief that 100 miles an hour will yet be accomplished on American roads.

Thirty-one years ago Col. Meiggs mad a paper before the New York Farmers' Club on " Future Travelling," in which he expressed the belief that railroad-cars could be safely propeibd by steam at the rate of 300 miles an hour. He said: "The Emperor of Russia has taken the first great step towards what I deem the ultimatum of railroad travel. Instead of cutting what I call a mere drill through t'lo coui3 try, xnd going round everything for a straight line, ho has cut a broad way far over 500 miles from St Petersburg to Moscow. He has made it all the way 200 feet wide, so that the engineer sees everything on the road. This is part of the future—the railroad from point to point with a mathematical line; the rails 10 times stronger than are now used ; the locomotives on wheels of far greater diameter; the gauge ofarelative breadth ; the signals and times perfectly settled ; the roads on both sides during the transit of trains having the gates all closed—then instead of travelling 100 miles an hour, we shall more safely travol 300 miles an hour."

One of the latest efforts at improvement in locomotives is that of a Frenchman named Estrade, who has constructed an engine which he calls La Parisienne. La Pariienne, when watered and fired, weighs 42 tons. Its drivingwheels, six in number are Bjft. in diameter. The cylinders are on the outside, with valve boxes ou the top. The diameter of each cylinder is Situ., and the length of stroke 2ft. 3|in. This engine is built for high speed, aad will carry a pressure of 2001b. to the square inch above the atmosphere, or an.absol ate pressure of 2151b. engine is designed to ruu at the average rare of 78 miles an hour.—San Francisco Chronicle.