Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-03-27
AMERICAS FIRST LOCOMOTIVE.
History of the ''stourbrldge Lion" The
Experimental Trip-A Description.
tPittsburg Dispatch.

Experimental Trip-A Description.
lPittsburg Dispatch.l
The first locomotive in America was
brought from England by the Delaware
& Hudson Canal company, placed upon
the track and given its trip at Homes.
dale, the site of which was then laurel
and hemlock thcket, broken only for
the construction of half do en-
humble houses. 1t seems strange that
the first locomotive on the continent
should have been tried in this obscure
spot, and upon railroad which, though
now doing tremendous carrying trade,
employs none at all, but such was the
fact.
The locomotive, which was called the
'Stourbridge Lion" was built in ng.
land in the ity whose name 1t bore,
under the supervision of Horatio Allen,
an American, and q civil engineer who
had been engaged upon the company s
mountain railroad. 1t was intended
for use upon the so-called levels oil
the road between the planes, whose
stationary engines supplied the power
necessary to draw up or lower coal-cal
AhCu W ~
1928, and the Lion became veritanlt
lion of hew ork in the succeeding
autumn, Icing given a partial tria
there 1.-THE wheels were revolved while
the Dody of the strange mechanism was
supported upon blocks, greatly to The
admiration of the metropolitans OF the
time.
Brought to Honesdale by canal in the
summer of 81, it was duly placed
upon the track and duly given its initia
tory trial lug. s, be ore great Grove
OF people who had come from the sur
rounding country, some of them MANY
miles, to witness the novel spectacle
1t was thought to. be too heavy for III,
trestle-work, of which the Railroad
largely consisted, and many predicted I
disaster, Tut allen, who was to act a
engineer was willing to assume thi
risk, and bravely started out alone
The trestle creaked rather ominously
the people lifted up their voices II
cheers, and the clumsy little pioneer o.
locomotives sped along the strap-rSi
track with considerable swiftnesS ant
as smoothly as could De expected.
1t was run only two or three miles
but the experiment demonstrated tn
practcability of the use of locomotive
and convinced the most far-seeiug q
last that they were to form the trans
portation of the future. The Stourbridg
Lion in proportion TO power was larL
and cumbrous compared with those @
the present day, and not OF strlkingl.
handsome appearance 1t had no cab
but was SUI piled with small teuder
The wheels of the latter, and Of tie 10
connective itself, were four in numi or
The spokes and telloes were wood; tn
tires and hubs of iron. The cylinder
were upright, and the power was cou
veyed to the wheels by a walking bean
on each side. he smoke-stack wa
straight, and there was nothing abou
its construction, or that Of the entir
machine, which was ornamental. hi
locomotive was little used upon the rail
road, horse and gravity power beinJ
employed, and the latter finally takin.
the place of the former entirely. Som
portions of the locomotive are still TrC
served at Carpondale.
Horatio Allen, who en'oys the lis
tinction of having been the engineer O
the first locomotive in America, is stll
living, hale old man of - years o
thoreabouts, and has comfortabi
home in outh range, n. j. Whea b
made the trial trip of the "iion q
Honesdale there were but twenty tire
miles of railroai constructed in u
United States, and now there are aoOu
100, 900 miles in operation. He lei
the scene of his now distinguishe
labors and assisted al y est ONT, +
Y, in the planning Of the first locQmc
motive built in the nited tates AM
the second one placed upon track
This was THE Best riend OF harleS
ton, placed upon the south Caroiin
railroad, connecting Charleston an
Augusta, Ga, on ,oy. ,, 1880.