Fastest Trip on Record

As much as we like to look at this and think, "Wow, news sure traveled slow 160 years ago)...I do believe this is more of that old-timey sarcasm, since it appears they're referring to a trip from Brooklyn to Trenton, New Jersey.

FASTEST TRIP ON RECORD.--The Brooklyn Eagle of March 5th, reached our office yesterday having made the trip in the unprecedented time of twelve days! The news by this arrival, however, was an anticipated two days by the horse-boat around Cape Horn.--Trentonian, 18th.

We can realize the extent of your sufferings during the elven days' deprivation. That unfortunate number of our sheet must have somehow got on board the new mail steamer, which, on her "trial trip," actually accomplished the extraordinary feat of running from Coney Island to Brooklyn, in the unprecedented time of fourteen hours!

--Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Thursday, March 20, 1851

It appears the Trentonian they spoke of was a New Jersey newspaper that started in 1848:



--History of the City of Trenton, New Jersey by John O. Raum (1871)

And obviously 14 hours to get from Brooklyn to Coney Island was not very good time in the age of steamers.