OCR Text |
Show Teavei.eks on railroads are often desirous of knowing the spued at which they are moving, and, as a general thing, are not aware that with the a:d ol a watch they may readily lo so, even when mile, posts are not j placed along the track. This may lie done, says the Srieuli ti-: 1 res.i, by ' simply counting tho number ot rails which arc p;issed over in any given minute. On the best 1 iid roads the hammering sound made by the , wheels in passing from one rail to another is quite audible, and may be easily noted on whic.i ever side ol the car tho observer may be siltiiii.- All rails are either twenty-four or thirty lejt long the length may be easily ascertained by pacing or measuring with a pocket rule at any elation where the train stops. Then by counting the number of rails passed in thirty or sixty seconds, the sped ot travel may be calculated by any passenger. When a train moves 14.07 feet a second, it is traveling at the rate of ten mi'es an hour, or a mile in six minutes. |