Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-07-18

uHts cl Toilroao, lIoIn INC CisJ- VI De
timore to Ellicott's mills, YVES, perhaps,
the first piece of railroad regularly
operated in this country. It's construc-
lion was begun in 1923. The first hrn'
bred miles of railroad built and ope'
rated was in South Carolina. and upon
that road the first three American-built
locomotives were used, known as the
grasshopper engines; the first about
1890. An engraving Of each of these
locomotives will be exhibited. The
Camden and Amboy railroad ordered
the engine "John Bull, already spoken
Of as on exhibition, through Its
president, Robert L. Stevens, who
was sent to Europe for the pur-
pose in the fall Of 1880. The engine
was built by Stevenson & Son, New
castle-on-Tyue, was shipped in May,
and arrived at Bordertown. y. j., the
last week in August, 1881. IL was
put together and run for the time early
in September, 1881. It is rather in
teresiirg fact to note that the man who
put it together ard first ran it-isaac
Dripps-was the same who placed the
ruddor after the propeller. This en-
CINE, when it arrived in the country,
was substantially as it now is--with
inside cylinders, four driying.wbeels,
and tubular boiler. The driying-wheels
originally bad cast-iron hubs and locust
spokes and felloes and O tire about
five inches wide and Hanged, sbrunk on
Ike tne til of an ordinary cart-wheel.
There was TO headlight. Even at
this day headlights are used on
very few locomotives abroad. There
was DO bell and no pilot. The steam
pipes were inside the boiler, and the
dome was right over the fro-box. In
the dome was secret valve, which the
engineer could not reach. This valve
could be arranged SO that the engineer
could rot get steam up 70 high press
ure. There was no cab, and there is
70 cab on English locomotives to-day.
No tender came with the engine. To
take its place when the first expert
ments were made. a tender was made
OF an ordinary construction car, with a
whiskey barrel to hold the water,
which was fed to tie engine through
hose made by shoemaker cut OF
leather, connected with the tank by
waxld thread.
THAT ENGINE
las the type from which the locomotives
Of the present day have been derived.
Other engines, like the grssshopper
engines, were built, but they have dis
appeared. In the John Bull" is
found the horizontal cylinders, the tu-
bular boiler, two eneines-One on either
side. These forms have stood the test
Of time and lived. When this engine
arrived in this country it was the most
perfect locomotive IN the world. II
had been built by Stevenson Il Son as
al Improvement OF the Planet, which
for number Of years afterward LED
the engines OF the Old World. Consider
Jig the time and the requirements, it
was a splendid engine. Ii was used
first to demonstrate to the Legislature
| Of New Jersey, which had been asked
10 charter a steam railroad, that the use
of steam on railroads was to be the
ibiug Of the future. 1t was tried be-
fore the Legislature Of the State Novem-
Der, 1881, and was so successful that
the Legislature granted to the Camden
and Amboy Company the privileges
that they asked. After this trial, made
on q short piece Of track then construct
ed, the engine was stored in q shed to
await the completion of the balance
of the track. At that time a man
named Peale, who had large museum
in Philadelphia. became anxious to
have toy engine built to run on cir
cular track in his museum. He arranged
with Baldwin, o mathematical instru-
ment-maker. and man Of ingenuity,
who went to Bordentown, where the
engine was stored, and, in connection
with Isaac Dripps, made an examine
ton of her. Ho then built toy loco
motive, which was exhibited as curl
osisy for \ number of months. The
managers Of the Philadelphia, German
town and Norristown railroad saw this
toy locomotive, and
ORDERED A LOCOMOTIVE
of regular size from Baldwin. 1t was
built in 1882 and called Old Ironsides.
With It's construction began the history
Of the Baldwin Locomotive and Iron
Works, which has built az many and
as good engines as any establishment
IN The country. A number Of others
went into the business, but the Camden
and Amboy railroad was for number
of years looked upon as being the piO-
peer in locomotive construction in and
about Philadel phia and New York, al
though the Baltimore and Ohio Com
pany, in the construction Of the grass
hopper, brought out type which was
commercially successful for the peculiar
requirements Of the business which the
road entered upon, and their invention
should not DO overlooked.
The first locomotive that ever per.
formed work continuously will be
shown by drawing in Mr.. Watkins's
collection. 1t was built by TreVithick,
and was run on the Myrthyr Tidvil
railroad, in Wales, as early as 1904,
and was used TO haul pig-ron from a
furnace TO a wharf. The reason Trevi-
thick was successful was because he
was familiar with the high-pressure en-
CINE. When he built the hlgh-pressure
engine he intended it for a stationary
engine. Then he put it on wheels and
made it run just as Fulton put low
pressure engine on boat.
In regard to the development OF the
rail, Mr. Watkins says that when Ro-
bert L. Stevens was on the ship on his
way to Europe to order the John Bull,
in 1890, he devoted considerable
amount Of time to whiting out cross
sections Of what ne though. would be
a good kind of iron rails to lay on the
railroad. At that time the best rail
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