The Richmond palladium., 1870-03-22


There are probably but few people
who are familiar with the origin and
history of the railway locomotive, which
has been SO potent an element in indus
trial and commercial development, par
ticularly in our own country during the
last quarter of century. We gather
from the American reprint of an English
work, that the locomotive originated in
the beginning of the present century,
with Richard Trevethic, q distinguished
English mechanical engineer, but that it
was subsequently vastly improved and
brought nearer to perfection by George
and Robert Stephenson, father and son,
also of England.
After tracing the remote origin Of the
railway to che early coal wagon ways in
the north of England, and noticing the
first attempts to apply the power Of wind
to drive carriages, the proposal Of Sir
Isaac Newton to supply steam as mo-
tor for land vehicles, with DIR. Darwin's
remarkable speculations and predictions
on the subject, the biographer describes
Watt and Robinson's proposed steam
carriage and Cugnot's road locomotive,
cites James Watts specification Of To-
comotive engine, mentions the models
of Murdock, SymingtOn and Evans, and
finally passes to an account of the tram
roads built in Wales and England at the
close of the last century, and to the in
vention of the railway locomotive by
Trevethic in 1903. Trevethic was "a
person Of extraordinary mechanical skill
but Of marvellous i'll fortune, who, though
the inventor of many ingenius contriv-
ances, and the founder of the fortunes
of many, himself died in cold obstruc-
tion and in extreme poverty, leaving be-
hind him nothing but his great inven-
tions and the recollections of his genius
1t was the glory of George Stephenson
that he perfected the locomotive, over
came the objections to its use on iron
roads. and inaugurated for England and
the world the era of railroad building.
He was born in the most abject poverty,
and in his early boyhood was obliged to
labor in the lowliest ways, being first
employed as herder, rising to the dig
nifty of driving gin-horse, and after
wards to that Of assistant fireman, be
coming ultimately engineman, or plug
man. He showed the bent of his genius
in youth by making clay engines. When
he became plug man, in his seventeenth
year, he began to study the construc-
ton of the steam engine, before he
knew how to read. From this time he
applied himself, in the intervals Of la
Dor, to sci: education, particularly in
mechanics, natural philosophy and en-
gineering, and distinguished himself for
numerous ingenious contrivances, apply
ing himself especially to the improves
ment Of the locomotive engine. At this
last object he worked with great patience
and many discouragements. It was
years after he had completed an efficient
engine before he could convince the
public of its value or obtain an oppor-
tunity to apply it to the use he intended
Meanwhile he devoted himself quietly
to the ordinary work of the colliery.
From 1914 to 1922 the Stephenson loco
motive was successfully at work upon
the Killingworth colliery railway, with
out attracting the attention of the Eng
lish public and government. The first
charter for q regular iron railway for
general traffic was granted 1921. and was
known as the Stockton and Darlington
scheme. On this road it WAS originally
intended to use horses. George Steph-
ensen was chosen to construct it, and
urged the use of his locomotive. The
Company's charter was amended in 1923
to pemit this, but the experiment was
generally regarded with doubt, suspi-
cion, contempt or aversion, and alter
nately ridiculed or denounced The
first railroad on which train of cars
was drawn by the locomotive was com.
pleted and opened Septem bcr 81, 1925.
Its success WAS SO great that two years
afterwards, when Robert Stephenson re
| turned from America, he saw his father 3
locomotive adopted as the tractive pow
er on railways generally. The Liver
pool and Manchester Railway came next
giving Mr.. Stephenson greater scope for
| his engineering and mechanical ability.
| From that date the triumph Of the rail-
way locomotive was complete, and the
two Stephensons rose to fame and to
fortune. Robert was especially distin-
| guished as an engineer, and for the con
struction of such great works as the iron
tubular bridges across the Straits of
Menal in Wales, and the st. Lawrence
river in Canada. Both labored together
| in the wonderful series of railroad enter
prises with which their names are iden-
tilted, and have left behind them his.
tory Of early struggles, trials and final
triumph, which has undoubtedly exer-
cised, and will continue to exercise,
much influence in stimulating the smbi-
ton and encouraging the hopes of young
men struggling to rise in the world.