Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-10-03
BIRTH OF A RAILROAD.
HOW THE CHIEF LINE OF THE EN-.
PlRs STATE WAS STARTED.

from schenectady to Aibauy-now Peo.
pie Wore Educated Up to tho idea Of
n Railroad and How tho Idea orow-A
Hids GU the ftt,t Horse Railway.
The railroads play 80 important part
In the comedy or tragedy Of human life.
that II ia somewhat difficult to realize
that they have only existed In the United
states siuco 1891 For several years be.
fore that time, however. the newspapors
bad discussed the subject Of railroads
aud In 1919 MIR. Stevens, OF uoboken.
had advocated their construction. but
nothing practical had been done until
then
In the Utica Sentinel and Gazette Of
Aug. %. 1895. appeared letter signed
Improvement" In which tho writer
taid. II intend 10 show the probable OK.
pcnsc Of single edged railroad con.
ttructed for horse power from this VII.
Iazc 10 Albany. with eonyeniouccs for
passing teams"
The writer then treats Of railroads his.
torirally. and estimates that the cost u
single track road from Utica 10 Schc.
neclady would be- about $3.50 per mile
lie also declares that the whole road
could be constructed for Si00.OOO. After
various attempts and failures the first
railroad. called the Mohawk and llui.
son. between Albany and Schenectady
was constructed and opened for traffic
In 1881.
All the newspapers Of tho time had
much 10 say of tho new wonder The
American Railroad journal u Sept. 10
lsa2, saidi The Mohawk and Hudson
railroad connects the city Of Albany
with Schenectady The length il fifteen
miles aud tixty.uine chains The delay
aud embarrassment resulting from tho
numerous locks and very oircuitous
course Of tho great Eric canal between
these towns "a canal which is, moreover
navigablc only go days IN the year, oven
when no accidents occur, induced u
company to obtain an act Of inc0rpOra-
ton for the purpose OF forming q rail.
road TO supcrscdo the grand canal within
one year from tho completion Of that
far famed enterprise The work was
commenced on Aug. ~, 1880, by the
Hon. O. &. Cambrlcng -Four hundred
and oighty.thrcc thousand two hundred
aud fifteen dollars aud forty-six cents
have been and $le0. O9l will DO expended
IN completing the work. according to tho
official report made TO the legislature OF
New YORK IN January, 1852
GOVERNOR sEwARo's FIRsr RIDE
Governor Seward rode over tho infant
road soon after It's completion and de-
fcnbod his trip In this wnyi Eve ar
rived at Schenectady at this morning
and Immediately were carried IN post
coaches. distance Of a mile aud half,
10 the present termination Of the rail-
way. There were IN waiting three
large cars. which the passengers entered.
These cars differ not much % 20 the con-
siruotlon Of tho body from stage coaches
except that they arc about on0.third
larger and have seats upon tho top
1.-THE body IL set upon very short
Epriugs, which cause but little elasticity
OF motion. The fore and hind whcols
Arc equal In size. made IT iron, and arc
about two rad half feet In diameter
They hayo rims four and half inches
wide. with projection ON the side next
the carriage which serves 10 keep the
cars secure upon the rails, not suffering
the wheels 70 vary from tho track. The
car Is divided into two parts by n high
though not entire partition IN tho confer,
the door admitting into the forward
compartment being on one side Of tho
carriage and that admitting into tho
other on the other side In each Of these
compartments were siS Passengers, On
the top was the drivers scat aud ono
other, each holding three persons, ~
that tho car carried eighteen passongors,
with all their enormous bulk Of baggage,
TWELVE MLEs AN HOUR
"liaying mounted our vehicle, a Cue,
large gray horse was attached to It by
shafts, exactly like those Of one horse
wagon. 'Readyr said the stage man,
the driver whistlod 10 the grayi away
went the car through hills aud over val
legs Before we had done looking a,
our novel vehicle tho car was stopped 10
water tho horse under bridge, and on
inquiring we found We had come four
miles In less than twenty minutes The
horse drank aud away We went tive
miles farther, mud then a fresh stord
was Immediately put In place OF oui
gray. l mounted tho top Of tho car
and, standing mp there, looking oyei
upon the mountains beyond the river
was driven In forty minutes more TO IN,
present termination VI the railroad. thu
accomplishing the journey OF twelve
miles in eighty minutes, including stop
pings'
In brief. this was the beginning mol
only Of the New York Central, but OF tn.
great railway bystens OF tho country
New York Recorder