The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-03-13
AN INTERESTING RELIC.
ksNTUckYs LIBRARY GETS WHAT
IS LEFT or A RAILROAD.

IS LEFT or A RAILROAD.
IL Is Fleece from the First Hallway West
81 the AlIeghaniesA Fatal Accident
Causes tho Management TO Substitute
Horse Power for steam.
state Librarian Thompson. through the
suggestion of Col John o. Hodges. Of
Lexington, and the courtesy of Vice Pres
idcnt ii. III. Smith Of the Louisville and
Nashville railroad, was put into possession
of a relic for the stsne library. which has
an interesting biz Of history attached 10
it. The relic consists Of two large stones,
each about four feet long, eighteen inches
wide and twelve inches deep. One stone
is followed out ON the top, the full length
Of the middle. about two and ono-half
inches wide and two inches deep. On the
edge of this chiscled indentation IS flat
strip Of bar iron about two and one-half
inches wide, fastened with iron spikes
driven into drilled holes in the stone.
The other stone has the bar iron fastened
at the edge of the outer surface These
stones are an that is left of the first rail-
road west of the Allegheny mountains,
and the second railroad ever built in the
/ United States
STONES FOR sTKiNGERs.
The road had its beginning in Lexing-
ton. Oct Of. 1881, when the "comcr
stono7 was laid with appropriate public
demonstrations 1t was finished to this
city, a distance of twenty-eight miles,
IA December 1885. stone sills like q line
of broad flat street cur0ing i'm cities, TAX
/ ing thc placeof what is now called string
cra. TO which the rails were fastened
The ordinary straight or slightly curying
/ lines of Che road were constructed with
/ plain fiat surface stones. but for the ave
/ erago or heavy curves. the stones with
chisclod gutter way i'm the center were
used as q double pgecaution TO keep the
ilange Of the wheel from jumping the
rails.
The engineers Of the day claimed that
the road was the safest and most sub
stantial that could be built, but it was
found that for anylength Of time the
action of the machinery pressing heavily
against the edge Of the stone rendered it
/ liable 20 wear and crumblo, requiring
constant attention 40 great expense to
keep the road i'm good repair Despite
an this care and cost i'm the construction
this road had the honor of the first rail-
road accident in the United States This
accident occurred in March, 1885, at q
point about two miles the other side of
this city. From a report Of Thomas
Smith, president of the Lexington and
Ohio railroad. Of which the Lexington
and Frankfort was part, published in
1896 and reproduced by Col. John o.
Hodges for his March number of The
Trades journal, the following excerpt is
taken:
Notwithstanding these precautions ON
the occasions alluded to. the hanges of
the wheels of Che engine, while passing
with the usual speed over an embank-
mont, lost their hold upon the rails, and
before the brakes could be used the en-
gine and several cars, one Of them con-
tanning q large number of passengers
were upset and broken. Two indivilu- !
ais were killed and several wounded. It !
is probablvnot within the scope of human |
invention to devise @ means of travelling /
entirely free from ali hazard
WHIT ONE ACCIDENT DID.
Tho Locomotive FIRST r.e5 uoon tbis |
r.ilroad WAS Iuilt Inv Josenb Brnen of |
r.,;nolor IN 1e25 n had on unriobf |
bo;ior and two nnrigbt cylinders and /
lo,..r hoo,,s both dffecbed ~ ono ovlo
,,...b crooi,s ot rigbt onolas Rrnon oof
~. ;5o. From, TEoroos II psrlo,g who
f. ,,.,s ci.ir,e5 bnilf The first Locomotive
IL, a.. ,~orl5 M rovinoton fe3e-o7
r,,iC,,. had a. o,, for two rassenqors af.
tacbe3 to his locomotive. which had
,,,,.or ~. ascend an elevation EIGHTY feet
r. tbo mile. I'm Nav 1927. 10 was OPENED
Ear ,,,hli, exhibition i'm a large room over
ro.lnh pruon's machine sbon. where an
oval troct around the room was con-
...,,,4ol THIS was fine frat frain In