ct
that the world's record for long distance speed rested once more with
Great Britain. From the tone which the English newspapers adopted, it
appeared that they believed that the record then made was one which
could not be beaten in this country, but that the former records of
the New York Central represented the maximum speed obtainable on an
American railway with American engines.

Undoubtedly the West Coast run was a remarkable one. But English
judges were mistaken as to the permanence of the record. It was left
unchallenged for just twenty days--or until September 11th, when the
cable carried to England the unpleasant news that the New York Central
had covered the 436.32 miles from New York to East Buffalo at
an average speed, when running, of 64.26 miles an hour--or about
one-third of a mile an hour faster than the English run.

There was still left to the Englishmen, however, a loophole for escape
from confession of defeat. It will be noticed that the distance from
New York to Buffalo is rather more than 100 miles shorter than that
from London to Aberdeen. It was yet possible for the Englishmen to
say: "We are talking only of long distance speeds. We do not consider
anything under 500 miles a long distance." The record, in fact, for a
distance of over 500 miles was still with England.

There are not many railways in the United States on which a sustained
high speed for a distance of over 500 miles would be possible. In
England the run is made, as already stated, over the connecting lines
of two companies. In this country, while not a few roads have over 500
miles of first-class track in excellent condition, there is usually at
some point in that distance an obstacle (either steep grades to cross
a mountain range, or bad curves, or a river to be ferried) sufficient
to prevent the making of a record. On the Lake Shore and Michigan
Southern, from Chicago to Buffalo, there exists no such impediment,
and between the outskirts of the two cities the distance is 510.1
miles. It was in an informal conversation between certain officers
of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway that the idea of
attempting to beat the record on this piece of track was first
suggested.

In making comparison of different runs there are other matters to be
taken into consideration besides the mere distance covered and
the speed attained. It is not possible to exactly equalize all
conditions--as, for instance, those of wind and weathe