The New York herald., 1875-10-18
ENGLAND'S RAILWAY JUBILEE.
Fiftieth Anniversary Of the Iron
Horse at Darlington.
The Lord Mayor Of London and Other
Celebrities Present.
JOSEPH PEASE'S STATUE.
JOSEPH PEASE'S STATUE.
Contrasting the Past with
the Present.
pAnL1NeroN. Eng.. sept. IS. 1s75.

owes so much have celebrated tho hfieth anniversary
of the opening Of the first railway in England. In
manner much like unto that in which William Penn de-
veloped the resources Of Pennsylvania have these
Quaker people Of Durham opened up any quantity OF
''new words' to civilization. They began in de-
termined way; they carried their through Para
ment by the persistent eIort they surveyed the
railway routes across the meadows OF Durham and
Yorkshire at the point OF the bayonet, or, to speak
accurately at the point Of the ptchork for there
is evidence TO show that the worthy Friends resorted
to any other offensive defensive weapons. The theo-
res of Stephenson and Pease laughed att the ac-
tua work carried all sorts of obstacles and
through all Of legal diincutics The first rail
laid who the whole Of England looked on and
laughed The last spike driven in the presence OF
gaping, grnning gang. The drst engine started in
full view Of great multitude, more than half Of whom
had come ITO the machine break down"
Stephenson and Pease regarded the journey to Stock
ton remarkable achievement Of human ingenuity.
Yet both laughed when they prophesied that
speed miles an hour could be obtained Fastdious
gentlemen Of leisure like Mr.. Ruskin, Of those days,
insisted that the introduction Of steam would destroy
all the romance in this life, and that they would rather
spend four five days in stage coach between
Darlington and London than to be transported the
distance in five hours. 1t is worthy of remark, how
ever that just such the first to accommodate
themselves to the mode of travelling just as soon
it fairly introduced. From this experiment has
grown up better commerce. better civilization,
and with it has followed progressive journalism The
railway and the newspaper were soon allied, as the
former the means OF bringing the latter that
strangely indefinite article of merchandise called
'news and then again Of spreading the printed pages
ia which the work Of the news gatherer was utilized
Tho electric telegraph has greatly renched upon this
branch Of the railways occupaton but the introduc-
ton Of lightning expresses for the distribution OF the
information which the telegraph has gathered together
from the north, east and south has become fea
ture and necessity Of modern journalism SO it will
be that to the railway journalism owes too great
a debt to cast II of at this late day. All will recall the
famous Of the New York newspaper press to OBJ
tain and print the first news from Europe at the time
threatened between England and America on
the Oregon question, and how occasion the loco
motive dashed the Long Island Railroad faster than
it had done before has done snce bearing
the news to the HERALD disancing by hours all its
rivals Mr. Frederick Hudson graphically tells tho
story OF that ride which in than respect was
fully important event and well worthy the pen
of poet as sheridan's gallop from Winchester.
PREJUDICE AND DIGoTRy.
The crowd Of working people and farmers who came
together at Darlington the occasion Of the Inaugural
ton of the railway, fifty years ago, formed an
assembly very strangely in contrast with the select and
educated body of engineers and railway men who are
here this occasion Many, indeed most, of those
who, September 81 1926, Stephenson's engine
travel at tho wonderful rate of fifteen miles hour
were unwilling to concede any great success Failure
would have been their delight, calamity their choicest
morsel of sweet revenge. To-day there in Darling
ton the experienced railway in Europe many
Of whom have watched the growth Of the iron monster
from infancy to its present perfection In just great
contrast, too is likely to be the centennial celebration
fifty years hence when, probably, expresses will make
the journey between London and Darlington in two
hours, just as they now do in five Then will
be living to speak OF the time when railways did not
exist For this there is much greater interest
attaching to tho present occasion than there possibly
be to any future There present many living
witnesses Of the early struggles against silly prejudice
and conservative bigotry.
FROM LONDON
made by way of the Great Northern Railway route
through the most uninterestng piece Of country have
yet encountered in the whole of England. The ride
to York, through Peterborough and Doncaser Is SO
devoid OF picturesque scenery that the tired passenger
counts the time wasted when he was not asleep
About an hour sulces to transport us from York to
Darlngton-stl toTthe northward. This quiet Quaker
town has been very much magned by guide books;
but it stands on level plateau overlooking the sur
rounding country and made up Of succession Of well
paved aud closely built streets The very com
pact; and although the last census gave it a
population of 1920 it hardly equals in the
extent of its 'ground plan" our New York
State villages Of 1000 5000 Yet here
located the engine works and the repair shops of
the Northeastern Railway. The dwelling houses are
for the most part Of clean looking red and yellow brick
but here and there crops out old house dating far
behind the days Of railways and railway jubiloes For
more than week every house owner and tenant has
been preparing for this event No household so poor
but has invested largely in Chinese lanterns and gas
fittings for transparencles; street shabby but ITS
residents have decorated it with arches Of green and
streamers OF blazing red bunting. The whole was a
gala occasion such the quiet people Of Darlington
never dreamed OF in the olden time
THE GROWTH or THE LOCOMOTIVE
II was an emnently proper and fitting idea for the
Stockton and Darlington Railway Company to make a
collection OF all the forms oflocomotve engines and to
have thom on exhibition this occasion As the pio-
neer company they already possessed the first locomo
tive, and they had plenty Of the latest patterns hand
Through the Kindness of the secretary OF the company
], in company with London correspondent was adj
mtted TO private view of this interesting collection
~ 2uiuay leio arc tMentysN locomotives sent Tor
exhlbton by various railway companies of Great Brit
ain. which show at glance the several gradations
through which the iron horse has passed the first
attempt OF george stephenson. Side by side
stand the historical "Locomoton" and mo. ], ,O6s -
the former small and apparently fragile the latter
the very newest strongest healthcst Of his race II
has often been matter OF curiosity to me how the in
ventOr should have struck the right shane for she
boiler the position of the driving wheels and Tho loca
understood to mean the shape which II has been deemed
best to retain through ifty years of trial. why the
hrst locomotive boiler not spherical or square prob
ably no living man can exactly explain. Sir Isaac
Newton, who probably planted the seed from which
locomotives grew proposed TO construct a spherical
steam generator on whoels, with a scat for a passenger
In front and long Pipe tube extending from tho
boiler behind The escape of the steam from this pipe
would he held propel the carriage an opposite drec-
ton IN manner similar to the recoil Of a cannon.
sephensons great idea tho utilization Of tho cyn.
der and the crank movement
Here, then, under one roof was ocularly told the
whole story OF the steam engine applied TO rawavs
In place stands locomotive which has travelled
the amazing distance of 600 miles Whether this |
will exceed tho number of miles traversed by Joe
Woods famous engine, whose reputation ns 4 fast
traveller has reached this side Of the water am un-
able " state.
TIE FIRST ENGINE
stands near her She Is mounted on bed Of masonry
so that her wheels do not touch the rails-the original
fish bccd rails of cast Iron fastened by oak treenas
TO stone blocks embedded IN ballast There were no /
tiles" IN those old times, and II Is no longer marvel
lous that the gauge sometimes lost, |
SO that "Locomotionn went or the line These /
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