The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-09-21
FORTY.NlNE YEARS AGO.
Opening Of the First Passenger Railroad IN
the World.
baltimore Americana

just fOrty-nine years ago-that is, Septem.
her 15, 1930-the lirst passenger railroad In
England, the Liverpool and Manchester Rail-
way, was opened with great ceremony. A
year before q prize Of $500 had been offered
for the best locomotive engine, which had
been won by Robert Stephenson's Rocket.
upon which were subsequently modeled the
old grasshopper engines Of the Baltimore and
gestiye of their name. Eight locomotive
engines had been completed and placed
upon the line. and oil had been
tested with entre success. To every engine
vas attached four passenger carriages,
each containing Nwenty persons, The first
engine. the Nor1t. .mbrian. drew the most dis
MngnisheeS guests the Duke OF Wellington,
Sir Robert Peel. aid other members Of the
Ministry. It had ono line Of the double track
I'd itself. The other seven locomotives with
their carriages, followed each other on the
other line The procession started from Liv-
erpvol ut IL o'clock, with flags, music, fine
weather, and great enthusiasm Seventeen
miles from Liverpool they stopped to take In
water, and IN order to afford the Duke Of
Wellington An opportunity Of seeing the pro-
cession, the seven locomotives, with their car
1iagea,swere ordered to pass slowly by the
Northumbrian standing on It's track. Several
gentlemen had alighted while the LOGON olives
were taking in water. and one OF them, Mr..
HuskisaoD, member Of Parliament for Liver
pool, and an earnest supporter 81 the railroad
| cause, catching sight u the Duke OF Yelling
bDHt U6UWGHU whom anu ullIlSBiI blGIg IlHI
been some political coolness ran eagerly
| across tho track to shake him by the hand.
At that moment the order was given for the
seven engines to move forward. Mr.. Hnskisson
was bewldered. The Rocket, which was the
leading engine. struck him while he was still
lii doubt where to flee. The wheels went over
his leg and thigh. and he expired that evening.
Ths accident cast deep gloom over the days
festvity. The trip was concluded, that people
waiting along the line might not be disap-
pointed, but all rejoicing and gayety were at
| an end The next day the railway was opened
for passenger traffic. and carried 40 persons
from Liverpool to Manchester In two hours.
The original calculations OF the construction
had been based on probable returns from
heavy merchandise traf1ic-coHl, cotton and
iron. They had formed no high expectation
Of any great emolument from transporting
passengers. But the railway was hardly
opened before mn average OF 1900 persons daily
| were willing to trust 1t with their lives. In a
| few years 1t was found that the enormous
traffic WAS too heavy for the original rails,
and 1t became necessary to relay the road at
considerable expense. But though September
ID 1880, is the greatest day In railroad annals,
being that on which the worlds first railroad
was opened complete, our Maryland Railroad
preceded the Liverpool and Manchester in
utility. The first sod Of the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad was broken for It's construction
July a. 1898, and by the next year horse cars,
assisted by one locomotive engine, were car
rying passengers and traffic between Balti-
more, the Relay House and EllicOtt's Mills.