The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1880-06-25
THE ENGINE AT HoNEsDALE.

been laid in the summer the rails were
warped and twisted out of all regularity by
the time the locomotive trial was to be
made. Besides this, after running on the
coal docks for some distance the railroad
turned westward by curve of theatenng
radius and crossed the Lsckawaxen river on
a slender hemlock trestle, nearly one hun
dred feet in height. The locomotive, it was
found, instead of weighing four tons, as the
contract stipulated, weighe2 seven. When
it was placed on the track the impression
became general that it was too heavy to be
borne by the hemlock rails over the trestle,
and Mr.. Allen, who had taken his place at
the throttle to direct the movements of the
first locomotive in America, was earnestly
importuned by many prominent citizens not
to attempt the trial. Mr.. Allen was well
aware of the great danger that attended the
trial under the circumstances, but as he af-
terwards said, he felt that railroads were
destined to become universal in transporta-
tion and that locomotives would be the pow
er that was to make them nseful. The pride,
therefore, of having the distinction of being
the engineer who pulled the throttle and di-
rected the energies of the first locomotive on
the Continent of America overpowered his
sense of danger. and he declared he would
make the trip, let the consequences be
what they might.
THE TRIAL TRIP.
Honesdale, now one Of the wealthiest aud
handsomest boroughs in the State, was then
but three years out of the wilderness of pine,
hemlock and laurel that covered its entire
site when the canal was commenced. Phil
ip Hone, ex-Mayor of New York city, and
patron of the canal enterprise, gave it its
name It's population was but few hun
dred in 1929, but every one of these hun
dreds was out on the Sth of August to see
the novel tial trip of the "Stourbridge
Lion" as the locomotive was called from
the place of its manufacture and the picture
of fierce lions head, painted in red, on
the front of the boiler. The entire farming
population of the surrounding country was
also out in force. An ancient Queen Anne
cannon had been purchased in New York to
salute the pioneer locomotive on its trip. 1t
was to this cannon that the date of the trial
trip was perpetuated, as there is no record
of the event in any of the canal compauy's
records.
After steamng up the locomotive, Mr..
Allen ran it backward and forward along
the coal dock for few minutes. He then
invited some one from the assemblage to ac-
company him, but no one could be induced
to CO. Pulling the Unbelievable open the
engineer shouted "Good-by" to the crowd
aud went dashing away from the village,
round the abrupt curve and over the shak.
ing trestle at the rate of fifteen miles an
hour. He ran the locomotive for several
miles up the track and then bridge across
it was too low to admit the tall smoke stack
beneath it, and returned to Honesdale and
was met with the shouts of the populace and
the booming OF the cannon. The first sa
lutte fired by the cannon was premature, and
the gunner, a man named Alva Adams, hat
his arm blown off. He was taken to DR.
f. I. L0see for surgical treatment. When
a few years ago, the date of the ru nning o
the Stourbrdge lion was disputed by public
prints, and the honor of running the first 10
comotive was placed elsewhere, the books o
DR.. LOsey were hunted up. There the entr.
was found under date of August s, 1929, o
service rendered to Alva Adams, who wa
wounded, as above stated. In one of tn
ledgers of the late Jason Torrey was ais
found the entry under date of August
1929. "The locomotive Stourbridge Lio
was run to-day Alva Adams had his arr
blown off by premature discharge of can
non." This cannon did duty on all occasion
of plblic rejoicing or patriotism in Homes
dale until 1877. When the news of the aC
ton of the Electoral Commission in seatin
Mr.. Hayes was received in Honesdale tn
cannon was taken to the summit of Irwin
Cliff a high ledge east of the village, wher
the Republicans intended to celebrate th
occasion by firing a hundred guns. At tn
first discharge the cannon was blown into n
one ever found out how many pieces, fc
, only few fragments of the gun were ev'
found.
, BUSTING A WAY IN A sIANTY.
: After the trial trip the engine was attacl
7 ed to trains Of coal cars and handled the
satisfactorily on the docks. But, while Il
5 locomotive was success as a loeomotiy
the railroad was of too slight construction
enable it to lie used. The expense of adap
S ing it to the weight of the locomotive beir
t too great to be considerered for a moment
!, that early day, and in the straitened fina
g cial condition of the company, the "Stou
$ bridge Lion' was placed in shanty on Il
dock, where it lay for years prey to negle
: and decay, Its boiler was finally taken
" Carbondale, where it has been in consta
e use in foundry ever since and is good
h day. The pump was taken by "boss"
y the coal docks--who afterwards becal