ONE HUNDRED MILES AN HOUR.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2281, 15 November 1889, Page 2

ONE HUNDRED MILES AN HOUR.

The problem of faa tec railroad travel In again to the fore. A hundred miles an hour la what tbe typ.C-t Amerloon now eeema to have his eye fastened <n. In order to run tratna at 100 ratios an hour, roadbed, traok, aud rolling stock •nuat be specially prepared for the porpoao, aud a new system of operating .vould also bo necessary j but to one wbo has been familiar with tho progress of Amerioan railroads since 1849, there appears no insuperable obstacle In the way of running 100 miles an hour with is much n^foty and omfoet aa we now enjoy 48, 50 or 60 miles ao bour, time that Is new 'common time,' although It In not so long bldcs 40 miles an hour vaa thoaght tho d?aam of a lunatic. The average yearly Increase la speed for the laat elghtoen years has bee a about 1\ miles, and a continuation of tbat rata for five yoars would easily give .ua the 100 miles an hour. Expensive preparations will be necessary; Grades must be made as nearly level aa possible. Mountains must be torn down aud tunnelled, streams and ravines mußt ;be oroßsed ou solid masonry and embankments, and no orosslngH at grades. The alignment must be perfeot, and the curves, if any, must be very slight. Double traoks will bo required, and the right of way must be securely fenced and protected nt all points. Heavier rails will be needed and tbey must be saoured to the oiobb - ties without the possibility of displacement. Suob a system of sgnals and rules of operating or movement of trains mußt be adopted as will render collisions and derailments from miaplaoed switoheß utterly impossible. In short, everything must be m auoh a state of perfection aud so systematically arranged that when au engineer pulls out of a station he -frill feel absolutely s lie from collisions with other trains, or obatruotiona of any kind at any plaoe. We muat be m a state of perfect confidence that his train ia ai safe as , those on an ordinary road rnnning at 40 miles, an hour. In fact, under these i conditions, he would be safer. Many of j the most frequent oaaeea of accident would be entirely removed. Contrary t. the u»ual opinion, It baa been shown (bat fast running does not cause derailment. With proper alignment end with track In perfect order the_.e would be no more danger of derailment at one hundred than at forty mllea an hourf Ab tb tha motive power, experts^ aay there la no diffioulty about furnishing it, All these arrangements | would east money, but when the publio la willing to pay for the privilege, there is no reasonable doubt that It oan travel at the rate of 100 miles an bour. And the ; American publio, it Is to be remembered, la always ready to pay for what it haa made up Its mind lt wants.— Amerioan paper. ____^_