The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-02-07

and Timothy Ford, Stephen Elliott. and Rene
GODDARD, of Charleston.
Little, however, was really done for some
months. The work hung fire; but, in Febru-
ary. 1929. an experiment which was made on
Weutworth-street, where Mr.. Memminger's
house now stands, turned public attention
anew to the railroad project. To show the ad-
yantaees of railroad or ram-way, railroad
of one hundred and fifty feet in length was
laid down, and upon this tram one mule drew,
without difficulty, q car containing forty-seven
bales of cotton. It is true that the rails were
laid on slight incline, but the success Of the
trial was still surprising. Only two months
later. temporary track, about one hundred
and seventy yards long, was laid on Chisolm's
Wharf, and upon it the rails for the South Caro-
lima Company we're moved from the ship to
the shore. It worked admirably, and the only
accident was that boy, who was taking a
clandestine ride, fell from the truck and had
| his leg cut off.
In June, 1929, meeting OF the stockholders
was held. 1t was resolved to commence the
work at once, and the directors were author
ized to construct and complete forthwith q
| portion of the road between Charleston and
Hamburg. Five hundred tons Of rails had al
ready been received, and in December an act
of the legislature was passed authorizing On
advance of 500, 900 by the State to the compa-
ny by way Of loan. This practical aid gave
life and strength to the company, and in jan
uary, 1880, the work was commenced.
BEGINNING THE WORK.
There was still prejudice and ignorance to
fight against; and, to save themselves from sa-
tire and ridioule, the directors stole quietly out
to Line-street, on the night Of January 9th,
1880, and turned the first sod Of what is now
the South Carolina Railroad. There was no
parade and fuss, silver shovel or plated BAL
row, the work was begun, and those might
laugh who won.
But since 1897 new discoveries had been
made The praotioabilitY Of the application Of
steam power to railroad looomotion had been
fully demonstrated, and the Directors Of the
Charleston and Hamburg Road, giving up
their idea Of horse railroad, resolved that
stoam power alone should be used.
The first Of April, 1880, was .'golden day"
in the estimation Of railroad men. One mile
Of the iron track had been laid and q number
ofpersons sailed gaily up the road. They had
but weak four-wheeled car, with large
square sail; but, propelled by the wind, it
carried thirteen persons and three tons of iron
at the rate of from twelve to fifteen miles an
hour. By the middle Of June two and hall
miles Of the road had been completed, and two
locomotives were ready for work. little
later eighty-eight miles Of the road we're under
contract, and, for the edidcation Of the multi
tude, miniature working model of q locomo-
tive was exhibited at the company'a Office. In
August the subscription to make up the capi-
cal to $eO0, 900 was complete, and in November
the "Best Friend" of South Carolina, made
her first appearance in the State, which she
and her Successors were destined to revolu-
tionize.
The "Best Friend" the first railroad engine
built in the United States, was designed by
Mr.. E. L. Miller, Of Charleston, and was built
in New York. She was small four-wheeled
engine, with an upright boiler, with Aues
close to the bottom, and the flames circulating
around them. The engine was brought out in
parts, and put together in this city. But, even
when complete, she was far different from the
powerful and handsomely decorated locomo-
tives-with their ten wheels, their artistcally
decorated cabs, their ingenious spark arresters,
their brilliant lamps, the gliding, thepaintirg
and the yarnish,-with which we are now fa-
miiar.
The "Best Friend" however, was the first
locomotive engine that had been seen in the
South, and its performances on it's trial trip in
December $780, were regarded with wonder
and, perhaps, apprehension.
In January Of the following year, 1881, the
directors were formally authorized to locate
the road, and by the end of the month the
BEST Friend" was running over eight miles Of
track to Goose Creek. But in June the "Best
Friend" met with serious accident. Her
boilers blew up. and the engineer vas severely
scalded. This was not allowed to daunt the
energy CT our first railroad men. The "Best
Friend" was rebuilt by the company, and, as
IuS IuOSHlA, Wdo dSaut PiaCoo VI tlo iOho.
Still the work was pushed on. In August,
1882, the road was completed to Summerville,
twenty-one and half miles, and two locomo-
tives we're running on the road. In December
the road was opened to Branchville, and the
dcubters and sceptics began to fear that they
had wept and foreboded in vain.
FAIRLY UNDER WAY.
Sixty-two miles we're now open, and trains
were running with considerable regularity.
The road was in fair condition, but it was very
different from the road-beds and railroad gu
perstructures Of twenty years later. Heavy T
and bridge rails were unknown; and those used
on the South Carolina Railroad we're nothing
more than fat iron bars about three inches in
width and five-eighths of an inch in thickness.
It was considered necessary that the rails
should be made rigid and have but little spring
or play, and a sleeper was used upon which the
rail lay along it's entire length, and 10 which it
was spiked. This plan, however, had some
disadvantages. The spikes became loose, the
rails cracked and bent; and, occasionally, the
loose ends would fly up, run through the bot
tom of the cars, and place.th heads and bodies
Of the passengers in imminent peril. Tradi-
tion saws that upon one occasion passenger
had his coat sleeve torn off by one of these in
truding rails, but no lives arc known to have
loo,, 10 b,, nv o,rnh nauEo.