The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1849-05-16
k.ILRoAps ANp LocoNoTNEs.

RAILROADS AND LOCOMOTIVES
The ilsl Rxilsays hist se hsts ans
satisfactory seenuhl Il. aers emlleyet
ahaul he middle rf The l7Ih cenlury 2
ths nrighboshood a New csslle. Eagisnd.
They we're male VI timber. lsid dosn O.
usasrerse slsspers. Which wrrs places a
right singles 10 The usrk, o. about ~
inches apart. ifhs ffsns between ne
two1 rails we're fastened with wooden
spikes.-whieh were planned OF swooth.
The wagons drawn on lhess roads with
6.nse 1heels, ike those nov in general
use. These First rails were named = he
edge rails Another kind Was introduced
inio Wales and sons paris of England IA
ITO. II Vas named the IRAN rail. .
These rails had hznges ar shoulders and
The garages used on them had none. For
drawing heavy loads. such IS in The min
ing distrisls. they were preferred 20 The
edge-Fail as The speed Was no great Object.
bnl the loading and unloading. hence The
wagons were built with small wheels.
and therefore had low bodies.
The first malleable iron rail way that
was constructed. 80 far as We have BEN
able 10 Discover. was one constructed a The
Ilur.ei. near Glasgow. Scotland. Cast
inon rails, however, had been used preyl-
cesiy in England. This msllesble inn
rsilrosd was very solid structure. and The
wagons used on il carried very heavy
loads. Il only wanted the steam engine
then TO perfect The system.
The first locomotive patented. we be-
iieys vas thai Of Messrs. TreveIhick and
NiSian In 1902. Those engineers. con-
. sirucied a locomotive in 1904. and iri-
ed IL on the Merlhyr Tydsille rall road in
Wales. This was the alma mater Of To-
eomoiivss. as il was high pressure. using
q horizontal boiler and had q tube and re-
turn flue. Treveihick was a sery inge-
Nous engineer and too little credi, has been
awarded him for his inventions. although
the Treye Valve bears lis name on lis
fronilei. The first locomotive was made
with driving wheels which had rough sur
fares. il beingihe common belief then. ihsl
SMOOTH wheels would only SPIN round on
an iron rail when propelled BY iorce IN
sid. Of lis periphery.
In 1874 Oliver Evans submitted plan
10 the " Lancaster Turnpike Company.
Pa" to construct sieaB carriage 10 draw
wagons an thai road at The rate Of 50
miles 10 one dav. and IN lsU5 he publish.
ell q hook describing the whole system.
Evans in America, and Treveihick in
England, invented and constructed high
pressure engines nhnnl The same period.
There would be Nh plagiarism in either
esse: both were original inventors. both
were men 0f uncommon mechanical geni-
us. In 1912 Mr.. Davis in Boston en-
desvured TO induce some Boston capita.
lists 10 build an iron railroad. for which he
would construct steam engine 10 prnpel
carriages on il. They laughed al him
then but they know better now. Al that
Tins, however. Oliver Evans, while lesid.
ing nj Ellicou's Mills, Nd. offered to build
IN engine tina, would run Is miles an hour
on 0 railroad.
In 1914 Mr.. George Stephenson. the
celebrated Mechanic, mol long since de-
ceased, constructed locomotive which j.
was worked by two cylinders and the
diving cranks were placed Al right angles
10 one another. This engine was only
used for drawing Goals. Roads aud loco
motives made but little progress prior 10
1896, although Mr.. James invented an
engine 10 ascend inclines in 1924, and 10 i,
this engineer, Manchester gentleman we
believe, belongs the credit Of proposing
and planning the grea, railway between
Manchester and Liverpool. where The first
successful experiment ofrailwav travelling
was made. This va. on The sih Of DC.
iober 1929, day never 10 be forgotten,
when Mr.. Robert Stephenson, the son of
George. started with his engine the Rock.
ct. and performed at the rate Of 35 miles !
per hour ore trip. From the 6lh day Of
October 1929. all doubts of The success Of
railway travelling disappeared. and during
the years thai have elapsed since then the
progress Of railways all the world over"
has been so rapid and extensive, that the
mind, when taking retrospective glance,
is almost bedizzened with the magnii-
cence oflhe prospect spread on. before il.
Ten years ago The hoof of the iron
courser had not broken the silence Of
glen in The Green Mountains. now liz
thunder rolls daily through their chisel-
cleft adamanine sides; and leaping over
The Hudson The smoke Of his nostrils may
be seen streaming up the valley Of the
away through the wilds
and the woods Of Illinois, and Michigan
AYE and in few years more " The shep-
herd standing on some tall cliff of The
rocky mountains, will see il beneath him.
- . !
Like silver veil :,
Swept by the gale"
eareering and curling along to The verge Of
tie honndless Pacific.
Scientific american. ]
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