The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-10-13
FORTY.NINE NEARS AGO.
Opening of the First Passenger Rail-
road in the World.
IRnltmnre "A AmeritNn.l


September Is, 1880, the first passenger
railroad in England, the Liverpool and
Manchester Railway, was opened with
great ceremony. A year before a prize
of f509 had been offered for the best To-
comotive engine, which had been won by
Robert Stephenson Rocket, upon which
was subsequently modelled the old grass
hopper engines of the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad, their appearance being sug-
gestive Of their name. Eight locomotive
engines had been completed and upon
the line, and all had been tested with en-
tire success. To every engine was at
tached four passenger carriages, each con-
tanning twenty persons.
The first engine, the Northumbrian,
drew the most distinguished guests-the
Duke of Wellington, Sir Robert Peel and
other members 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 9th
er line. The procession started from Llv-
erpool at ii o'clock, with flags, music,
fine weather and great enthusiasm. Sew
enteen miles from Liverpool they stopped
to take in water, and in order to afford
the Duke of Wellington an opportunity
of seeing the procession the seven loco
motives, with their carriages, were Or
dered to pass slowly by the Northum-
brian standing ON its track.
Several gentlemen alighted while the
locomotives were taking in water, and
one of them. Mr.. Husklsson, member OF
Parliament for Liverpool, an earnest sup
porter of. the railroad cause, catching
SIGHT of the Duke of Wellington, between
whom and himself there had been som'
political GOODNESS, ran eagerly across th
track to shake him by the hand. A
that moment the order was given for tn
seven engines to move forward. MI
Huskisson was bewiIdered. The Rocket
which was the leading engine, struck hlr
while he was still in doubt where to tlee
t The wheels went over his leg and thigh
: and he expired that evening. The acc
e dent cast a deep gloom over the day
e festivitv. The tri p was concluded, tina
: the people waiting along the road Nigh
: not be disappointed, but all rejoicing an
: eavety were at an end. The next da
S the railway was opened for passeng'
e traffic and carried one hundred and fort
e persons from Liverpool to Manchester
s two hours The original calculations
e the construction had been based G
IS probable returns from heavy merchandi
J. traffic coal, cotton and iron. They hs
d D formed no high estimate of emolume1
> from transporting passengers.
$ But the railway was hardly opened b
: fore an average of 1900 persons dai
" were willing to trust it with their live
s. In few years it was found that the enc
r nous traffic was too heavy for the orig
|, nal rails, and it became necessary to rel'
q the road at considerable expense. b
n though September 15, 1880, is the gres
{ est day in railroad annals, being that
n which the worlds first railroad W
"a opened complete, our own MARYLAND ra
m road preceded the Liverpool & Manch'
O. ter in utility. The first sod of the Bal
r more & Ohio Railroad was broken for
u construction July 4, 1928, and by t
I, next year horse cars, assisted by one lot
a motive engine, were carrying passengt
N between Baltimore, the Relay House a
= Ellicott's Mills