The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-05-05

New York Sun.
The late Judge J. l.. ellis, of Pennsyl-
wanna. who wac among the persons lndict-
ed for the alleged abduction and murder of
Morgan. the expOser of the secrets of Ma
sonry at Batavia. in 1926. W as tho last survi-
vor, so far rs 10 known, of the passengers
who rode on the brst railroad train that
made a trip in this State drawn by q loco
motive, on Aug. Q. 1881, and. in letter TO
w. II. Brown. Of Huntingdon. Pa, he gave.
just before his death, q description of the
pioneer trip.
'In the early part of August, 1884," he
qua. travelling by stages and steam boats,
by way of New York and Albany. Stop
ping at the latter place. learned that O
locomotive had arrived there, and that IL
would mako its first trip over the road to
Schenectady next day. L concluded to lie
over and crafty my curiosity with first
ride after locomotive. l am not
machinist enough to give q de-
scription of the locomotive that
drew us over the road that day,
but recollect distinctly the general make
uD of the train. lt was composed of coach
bodies. mostly from Thorpe n Spregue's
stage coaches. placed on trucks. The trucks
were coupled together with chains or chain
links. leaving from two to three feet slack,
and when the locomotive started Ii took up
the slack by jerks, with sufficient force to
jerk the passengers who sat on seats on top
OF the coaches out from under their hats.
III ctOpDlnR tnoy oeHO boScbucE WIN
such force rs TO send them lying from their
seats.
They used dry pitch pine for fuel. aud.
there being no smoke or spark catcher to
the chimney or smOkestsck, q volume of
black smoke. strongly impregnated with
sparks. Goals and cinders, came pouring
back the whole length of the train. Each
OF the Outside passengers who mad an UNI
brella raised 1t as protection against the
smoke and fire. They we're found 10 be but
a momentary protection; for L think in the
first mile the last one went overheard, all
having their covers burned Oft from the
frames. when a general melee took place
among the deck passen gers. each whipping
his neighbor TO put ont the fire. They pre-
scented very motley appearance on arriving
at the first station. There rails were pro-
cured and lasned between the trucks. TAX
ing the slack out OF the coupling chains.
thereby aif0rding rs more steady run TO
the top of the inclined plane at Science
tady.
The incidents off the train were quite ms
striking those on the train. A general
notice having been given of the con-
templated trip, IL excited not only the
curiosity of those living along the line of
the road. but those living remote from it,
causing a large collection of people at all
the lntersecting roads along the line of
the route. Every body. together with
his wife and all his children. came q DIS
ance with all kinds of conveyancee. and
being as ignorant of what was coming az
as they could get only looking for the best
position TO get look at tho train. As it
approached the horses TOOK fright and
wheeled. upsettinR buagies, carriages and
wagons. and leaving for parts unknown TO
tho passengers. If not to sheir owners, and
il is not positively known that some of
them have yet stopped.
previous TO the trial trip OF this loco
motive train on the Mohawk IL Hudson
railroad, the coaches had been drawn by
horses. being first hauled ND sn inclined
plane ont of Albany by stationary en-
CINE. OF the top of which the horses were
attached To them. The conductor of this
pioneer locomotive train was John L.
Clark master of transportation OF the road.
He was the first railroad conductor in this
country. Before that the drivers Of
collected the tickets The signal
to start the train on this memora-
bic occasion was given by conduc-
tor Clark blowing q blast on q tin horn.
His place on the train was on the platform
of the locomotive. near the smoke-stack.
which was in the center of the engine. He
went through the coaches and collected
the tickets. which had been sold at hotels
and other public places. before he gave the
signal 70 David Matthews. the engineer. TO
start. This important and historical rail-
road trip was thought worthy of as much
space as the following In the Albany Argus
of Aug. IL. 1881. two days after the event:
MOHAWK AND HUDSON RAILROAD-On
Monday, Aug g 1881. the De Witt Clin-
ton attached 20 o train of cars. passed
over the road from plane to plane. to the
delight of large crowd Assem- bled to wit
ness the performance. The engine per-
formed the entire route IN less than one
hour, including stoppages. and on part OF
the road it's speed was at the rate OF thirty
miles an hour.
THAT pioneer New York railroad was
fifteen m es long between the Albany and
Schepect. dy planes. In spite of the cred
liable performance OF the Dewitt Clinton
and other primitive locomotives. however.
| il was several years before the company
depended on steam power with entire con-
| fidence in its being successfully utilized on
| the road by the machines then acting its
medium, for as late as 1854 horses were still
! kept in readiness along he line to help out
refractory locomotives on their trips.