Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 February 1895 — An Easy Way to Find the Distances. [ARTICLE]

An Easy Way to Find the Distances.

Several veteran railroad men were seated in the smoking com psrtment ol s Pullman car the other day. The irain was due in Detroit about two nours later. A discussion arose as to the rate of speed that they we traveling at. One of the party guessed that the train was going over 48 miles an hour. Another estimated the speed at U miles, another at 50 and so on. Finally one of the men took out hid watch, held it in his hand less than half a minute looking at it steadily all the while. “Weave going 46| miles an hour,” ae said, looking up from bis watch. One of the other men thereupon took jut his watch, held it in the palm ol bis hand, and kept his eyes rivited upin the dial, never once looking out of the window. After the lapse of half a minute he looked up and said that they were traveling at the rate of fortyjeven males an hour. •‘Hbw can you tell the rate of speed ay simply looking at your watch?" inquired an interested witness of these proceedings. "Why, easy enough,’’ replied the 'ailroud man. "You know every’ time the car passes over a rail joint there is i distinct click. Just count Lhenumoirof these clicks in twenty seconds tnd you have the number of miles ;he train Is going per hour. This is a simple matter of arithrh stlc, as tho •engLh of the rail is uniform.” It is announced that Whitelaw Roltl Is a social success in Paris. Ho his m >re invitations to dine out than ho ciiu possibly accept This is accounted miulalerlul success.