The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1877-09-13
THE FIRST LOCOMOTIVE.
George Stephenson's Idea First Success
fully Tried on the Banks of the Lacka-

George stephenson's Idea First Success
fully Tried on the Banks of the Lacka-
wanna.
From the New York Tribune.l
On August. s, 1929, forty-eight years
ago, the first locomotive that ever turn
ed driving wheel on a railroad track
in America, was run at this place on the
newly finished road that connected the
Lackawanna coal-felds with the water
on the Hudson, by way of the Delaware
and Hudson Canal The road in ques-
ton was the first of any general COM
mercial Importance ever built in this
country, and inaugurated the economi-
cal system of inclined planes since
adopted by engineers wherever practical
BILE. Up to the Sth of August, 1929,
there were only twelve miles of railroad
in operation in America-three miles of
a five-foot gauge road running from the
Quincy granite quarries to the Napon-
sett River, in Massachusetts,, and the
novel "mule road,'' nine miles in length,
connecting the Summit Hill coal mines,
back of Mauch Chunk, with the Le-
high River. The road between Homes
dale and Carbonate was sixteen
miles in length, and was the result of
the enterprise and persistency of Maur-
ice and William Wurts, the pioneer coal
operators of the Lackawanna Valley,
who introduced the first anthracite coal
into New York City. Railroad building
was, at the time mentioned, just begin
ming to awaken interest among the cap
italists. The first great enterprise OF
the kind-the Liverpool and Manches-
ter Railway in England-had been in
process of construction for some time,
and was approaching completion.
George Stephenson, the father of steam
locomotives, was struggling with the
managers of the company for the intro
duction of steam as a motive power on
the road. His experiments had attract.
ed attention in this country. Pending
the decision as to whether locomotives
should be used on the Liverpool Road
Horatio Allen, who had been John B
Jervis's assistant engineer in the con
struction of the Delaware and Hudson
Canal, went to England to examine into
the merits of steam as applied to rail
roads. He was satisfied that Stephen
sons idea would revolution
ize all branches of com
merce, and, acting on his judg
ment, Mr.. Jervis, by authority of tn,
company, commissioned him to pur
chase three steam locomotives for ust
on the pioneer road of America. Georg,
Stephenson was at the time busy in pre-
pairing his subsequently famous engine
the Rocket, for trial on the Liverpool
and Manchester Railway. Allen con
tracted, therefore, with other machin
ists-Foster, Rastwick & Co., of Stour
bridge-to construct the machines TO
the American company About tn
middle of May, 1929, Lone of them reach
ed this country in the ship John Jay
and was landed at the foot of BeacI
Street, New York. The West Poin
Foundry yard was then at the foot O
that street. Mr.. Allen put the machin
together, and, blocking its wheels clea
of the ground, exhibited its working
by means of steam generated with Goa
that had been brought from the mine
the engine was intended to transpor
ears from. For six weeks the wonder
ful machine was visited by thousands
Then it was sent up the North River t.
Rondout, and from there forwarded il
boats up the canal to Honesdale.
The intention of the company hat
been to open the road and canal ant
celebrate the running of the locomotiv,
on the Fourth of July, 1929, but tn,
work was delayed so that it was no
ready for use until the 1st of August
The locomotive had arrived on the 23t
of July. When the road was in readi
ness the engine was set up on the tract
of the company's coal dock, under di
reotion of Mr.. Allen. This primitiv,
railroad track consisted of hemlock rails
eight inches by ten in thickness, PLACED
four feet three inches apart, and spiket
to hemlock ties, with space of ten fee
between them. The timber had no
been well seasoned, and being put dow
under q midsummer sun, was warped
and twisted out of all regularity by tn