Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1879-11-15
FORTY-NINE YEARS AGO.
Opening Of the First Passenger Railroad In
the World.

IFrom the Baltimore Americana
September 10. 1880, the first passenger
railroad In England, the Liverpool and
manchester railway, was opened with
great ceremony. A year before prize
OF f5OO had been offered for the best
locomotive engine, which had been won
by Robert Stephenson's Rocket, upon
which was subsequently modelled the
Old grasshopper engines OF the Balti-
more and Ohio railroad, their appear
ance being suggestive of their name.
Eight locomotive engines had been
completed and upon the line, and all
ha6 been tested with entire success.
10 every engine was attached four
passenger carriages, each containing
twenty persons. The first engine. the
Northumbrian, drew the most distin-
guished guests-the Duke of yelling
ton, Sir Robert Peel, and other mem
bers OF the Ministry. 1t had one line
OF the double track to itself. The
other seven locomotives, with their
carriages, followed each other on the
other line. The procession started
from Liverpool at IL o'clock, with flags,
music, fine weather and great enthusi-
asm. Seventeen miles from Liver
pool they stopped to take in water,
and, in order to afford the Duke OF
Wellington an opportunity of seeing
the procession, the seven locomotives,
with their carriages, were ordered to
pass slowly by the Northumbrian stand
ing on its track. Several gentlemen
alighted while the locomotives were
taking in water, and one Of them, Mr..
Huskisson, member of Parliament
for Liverpool, and an earnest supporter
ofthe railroad cause, catchingsight ofthe
Duke OF Wellington, between whom and
himself there had been some political
GOODNESS, ran eagerly across the track to
shake him by the hand. At that mo-
ment the order was given for the seven
engines 10 move forward. Mr.. Huskis-
son was bewildered. The Rocket,
which was the leading engine, struck
him while he was still in doubt where
to flee. The wheels went over his leg
and thigh and he expired that evening.
The accident cast deep gloom over
the days festivity. The trip was con-
cluded, that the people waiting along
the line might not be disappointed, but
all rejoicing and gayety were at an end.
The next day the railway was opened for
passenger traffic and carried lao persons
from Liverpool TO Manchester in two
hours. The original calculations of
the construction had been based on
probable returns from heavy merchand-
Use traffic-coal, cotton and iron. They
had formed no high estimate of emolu-
ment from transporting passengers.
But the railway was hardly opened be-
fore an average Of 1000 persons daily
were willing to trust it with their lives.
In few years it was found.hat the en-
ormous traffic was too heavy for the
original rails, and it became necessary
to relay the road at considerable ex-
pense. But, though Sept. Is, 1880, is
The greatest day in railroad annals, be.
ing that on which the worlds first rail
road was opened complete, our own
railroad preceded the Liver
pool and Manchester in utility. The
irst sod of the Baltimore and Ohio
.ailroad was broken for its construction
July 4, 1928, and by the next year
assisted by one locomotive
,ngine were carrying passengers be-
ween Baltimore, the Relay House, and
lllicott's Mills.