New-York tribune., 1890-01-02
OBITUARY..
uORATIO ALIEN.


Horatlo Allen. the well-known civil engineer, un-
der whose direction the first locomotive brought to
America was built and run, died az his home IN Mont
rose " j.. on Tuesday evening. lie had no specihc
disease and retained his faculties to the laSt lie was
the son Of DR.. Benjamin Allen and Mary Beheuic'
Allen, and was born at schenectady y. y, III loO-'
His father was the principal Of an academy at yue
Park, n. Y. Young Allen entered Columbia college
in 1921, and was graduated near the head Oh MS
class in 1923 taking especially high rank in physics
lie studied law at first. but after short uHc ue
cidcd 10 make civil engineering his work. and entered
the employ Of the Delaware and Hudson Canal 'om
panv under Judge Wright, then constructing ell
cinecr Of the line. lie sent to ST. "eorse' Del
as rodman and within two weeks was piaced III iuI
charge Of party. In the fall Of 1924 he was ap
pointed resident engineer of the Delaware ana Sus
ouebanna Canal year later he appointed
resident engineer Of the summit level OF the Dela
ware and Hudson Canal, under John B' JcrNlS' onen
chief engineer of the company.
In september 1928 the first successful locomotive
was put in operation on the stockton ana "r"'suo"
Railroad In England, by George ScphehSoh' inc
news OF its success reached this country carry III
1926 and so greatly interested Hr Allen that ne
decided to go to Europe and stuiF he new motive
mower He received an appointment from inc Dela
ware and Hudson Company As oonracthS agent !"
purcbase i'm England the railroad iron rcq"lrcu 10
build the sixteen mile, Of road from inc 'ohp""'
mines in the Lackawanna Valley to inc La'h"N'
a trihutary Of the Delaware, and also authority W
purchase three locomotives for the new raHo'" "
be built on plans to be decided on by hh'
AZ Allen ON arriving at Liverpool, made the ac'
ouaintancc of George stephenson, with whom nc con
suited in the carrying out Of his plans Two oi ''e
locomotives were ordered from Mr.. Stephenson anu
one from Foster Rastrck Co., OF StourOFldsc' ~
was the Iatter-thc stourbrdee Lon'- that was ''o
first locomotive ever run in America. The locomo'
Nrrr Ia -
90 set up and tested while suspended IN thc ar, anu
il was not until August. 1929, that they were TAKEN
10 the road for which they were built' l"s 'oa ~
terminated al Honcsdalc Penn, and ran about o'o
Yards I'm a straight line then crossing the Lacka"aAeh
Creek by a sharp curve Of $50 yards radius when 'no
"stourbridge Lion7 swung In the air prePaH''''
70 being placed on the track ii was discovered LOT tc
first time that the axcs had an unyieIdlng paraHei
nositou and that there no truck with KING Doll
that would permit OF the engine accommodating l'SeH
to the curve Of the road. Further. the road had Dcen
built Of green timber in long lengths and 'he uhoes
had warped considerably In places. NeNer'neesS' '''
,re, WAS confident that all would be
well. lie tried in vain, however, to get an engineer
TO run the locomotive and 10 Official of the road
would risk hi, life the apparently foolariy enter
prise. Mr. Allen then acted a, enGlneer nl.,-"lt t
and ran the locomotive thrc" miles down the trA'N
any In l-2G Mr. Alien wa appointed chief engineer Of
the south Carolina Railroad, extending ron ,n',v ni
road bnnt Ia the United states In l-;'l. after th@
road wa nnishcd he married Mis- Mary N"n'rei
Simons Of Charleston. In 1-35 thcN wen' abr9Hl
and spent two years In forcicn travel. In -, Mf,
Alien wa, appointed principal assistant enenccr "i
flc Crofon iqucduct Department, and on thc CON
plction of the Aqucduct. In l-i2, was CHOSEN ono
1f the Board of Water Conm --ion"r,. .,,,
In I-44 he became a member 81 me Irhl ol Siiil
man Allcn a CO.. the proprctors If the N"VeN II".
Works. building the engines OF thc ''ii,nN Liuc ="
steamships, During thc.c years Mr. Allen was at
different times connected with the Ere kAll"N st@
tcm holding the Office of chief consulting engineer ii
a long time and servcd one term a. PRESIDENT "l 'lr
road Nr. Aliens li' official place was thft 81
consulting engineer OF tho Bruo,lNu Bridge. ~ l-'"
he retired from active life. and building hin-' % N'
home M Nontrosc y T.. settled down to the NE oi
student and inventor. Mr. Allen W. the inventor "i
the eight wheel passcngc coach truck now e" nm
vcr-nlly used. and Of cutoff for steam engines mat
b. widely known. ,
life embraced The Unitarian faith and waf one oi ne
prominent members - ~ souls church under -"
pa-toratc ~ the Rev. Dr Henry ". Fellows. ilr
wa, a man ~ quiet domestic tt>t"> great hrnnr-r
and ~ minimizing integrity. Politically he vas
Rcpu lHcan and east Dol. Lat vote for President liar
ris6n lie rcavcs q widow thrc" dau ghters and one
son Tho funeral Will be at H. home 10 morrow
afternoon. and accordance with hs expressed wish
viii De private.