The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-02-08
Our FIrat Rnilroad.

/ The Charleston Neics publishes an
interesting sketch of the South Caro-
lima Railroad, from which we extract
I the following.
Il Tits little more than forty years
ago that the pfaoticsbility of railroad
I'M q io5asi0n win 6ne interior was
first discussed in South Carolina.
Horse power was all that was con-
templated; and those who favored
the project believed that horse power
alone, upon rail or tram-way, would
be so superior to the ordinary road
as to be highly profitable to the COM
pany, as we'll as convenient to the
public. One of the earliest projectors
was Mr.. Alexander Black. He was
ably seconded by Mr.. Tristram Tup-
per, Mr.. VIM. Aiken, Gov. Bennett,
Mr.. B. J. Howland and DR.. Samuel
81. Dickson. These gentlemen met
with every kind of encouragement;
they persevered, and, as the result of
their .labors, South Carolina may
claim:
1. The first railroad of any consi-
derable size built in the United
States.
2. This first steam propelled cars,
running regularly with passengers
and baggage, in the world.
8. The first application of Ameri-
can improvements to locomotives and
passenger coaches, which improve
ments have since been almost uni
versally adopted.
In 1927, the charter of the South
Carolina Canal and Railroad Com
pany was obtained, and in February
of that year, books were opened for
additional subscriptions. The stock
was all taken, and in May, 1928, the
company was formally organized.
In june. 1929, a meeting of the
stockholders was held. It was re-
solved to commence the work at once,
and the directors were authorized to
construct and complete forthwith
portion of the road between Charles
ton and Hamburg. To save them
selves from satire end ridicule, the
directors stole quietly out to Line
street, on the night of January 8,
1880, and turned the first sod of
what is now the South Carolina Rail-
road.
The sBest Friend" the first rail-
road 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 hues close to the bottom,
and the flames circulating around
them. Its performances on it's trial
trip, in December, 1891, were regard
ed with wonder and, perhaps, appre-
hension.
In January of the following year,
1881. the directors were formally au-
thorized to locate the road, and by
the end of the month the "Best
Friend" was running over eight miles
of track to Goose Greek. In Decem-
ber, 1882, the road was opened to
Branchville, and the doubters and
skeptics began to fear that they had
wept and foreboded in vain.
1888 was an eventful year. In
April, the road was completed to
Midway, seventy-two miles, and q
train was run up to that point, at the
rate of twelve miles an hour. In
October, the entire road to Hamburg
was completed and thrown open for
traffic.
The road was fairly stocked with
engines and cars, but they were of a
weak and incomplete description.
The engine "Ph@nix," for instance,
was three-horse power. and was capa-
BILE of hauling 5000 pounds of
freight. The "West Point" was
eleven-horse power, and could haul
five cars of a capacity of 1000 pounds
each; and the "Barnwell," a man.
moth among the locomotives of thirty
years ago, was twenty-four-horse
power, and could haul ten cars of
1000 pounds each. It is interesting
to compare these locomotives with
those of the present day, which have