The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1893-06-19

Blue Ridge in some way, and strike the
upper waters of the Great Kanawha.
OVER THE MOUNTAINS.
Virginia and Maryland undertook to
build the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.
But the keystone State, in order that her
metropolis might not be ruined by the
superior advantages now enjoyed by
New York among other schemes planned
a canal to extend from Harrisburg to
Pittsburg, and the same was duly dug
from either side as far as possible toward
the lofty central ridge, and the thirty-flve
miles intervening were crossed by sew
eral steep inclined planes, up which cars
were hauled by stationary engines, and
level stretches over which horses sup
piled the motive power.
A number of hours from eight to
twelve) were consumed in making the
passage on dry land, and trips were made
only by daylight. AS a feat of engineer
ing this was regarded at the time as the
wonder of the world. And most of all
about the date when one Christman, con-
Guiding to move West, built him u scow
of capacity sufficient to carry family, stock
and worldly goods, named her the Hit
or-miss," and set out upon the raging
canal. Arriving at the foot of the mount
aims she was hoisted to a platform car,
drawn up on one side and let down on
the other. and presently was peacefully
floating upon the bosom of the Ohio. The
Pennsylvania papers made much OF this
'canalboat navigation across the Ale
gheny Mountain" and in vision caught
sight of glorious procession of similar
craft taking the same elevated route.
The steamboat had already begun to
render valuable service TO emigration.
AS early as 1911 a vessel of this kind had
cut loose from Pittsburg, but not until
four years later was an engine built pow
erful enough to steam the current OF the
Mississippi, and she was in season to
take a cargo of ordnance down to New
Orleans to furnish Jackson with material
for his immortal fight.
BY 1882 nearly 500 steamboats, had been
launched upon the various tributaries of
the Father of Waters. The Walk-in-the-
Water was the pioneer on Lake Erie, and
steamed out from Buffalo harbor in 1878.
No craft propelled by steam ventured so
far as infant Chicago until 1882, but not
long after large fleet was kept busy
transporting freight and passengers upon
The upper lakes.
EARLY DAYS OF THE RAILROAD.
But the irresistible and deadly rival of
turnpike, canal and steamb boat together
had already made it's appearance on the
scene. The locomotive could far surpass
them for speed, and besides knew no in
terruption day or night, summer or win
ICAy WHO LuC lAOn u dCh COu1u D6 GA
tended over mountain ana river, in
whatever direction and to any point de-
sired. But the early attempts were in
fantiIe and amusing in the extreme.
W hen the first tracks were laid grave
discussions were held as to whether
steam, or horses, or sails were most avail
able for motive power, and especially on
the Baltimore and Ohio Road. Penn
sylvania, to connect Philadelphia with
her great canal, constructed early
railroad to Columbia, distance OF eighty
eight miles.
At each end was an inclined plane up
which, some two hundred feet, the train
was drawn by stationary engine from
the valley to the general level of the
country. At the beginning horses were
the sole reliance, though it was not long
before locomotives took their place, and
the public was informed that these would
run when the weather was not untavor-
able.' In 1884 the Governor and his staff
deigned to take Il ride by rail, and It is on
record that from Columb ia to Lancaster
twelve miles, the run was made i'll forty
minutes. 1t was in these same days
primeVal that on the Fourth of July
Simon Cameron, being much inspired by
the occasion, ventured to propheSy boldly
to the multitudes assem- Dled, and which
he was addressing, that the child was
then born who would live to be able to
start from Harrisburg after breakfast
and take supper in Philadelphia, distant
upward of hundred miles though it
was. After the Grafton one of his init
mates, man of considerable eminence,
slapping him on the shoulder, said: "Of
course, Simon, it's all right to say that to
the boys, but then you know that you
and [ are not fools enough to believe itr'
And the railroad men of the period
wrestled with such problems as these ::
Who should own the track-the State or
some corporation? And more, who should
own and manage the trains? In the anx-
ious discussion it was stated that on this
Columbia road already there are forty
private sidings put in by individuals, and
soon the number will be doubled, and
then there will be about one to every
mile" And with some hundreds of cars
upon the track at the same time, some
going one way and some the other, more
over with different hours for starting and
different rates OF speed-some horses slow
and some swift-chaos would surely come
And what would happen when locomo-
tives were put on! And how tiny and
feeble were the early engines. The range
of weight was between one and a half
tons and eight tons.
THE FIRST TRAIN.
In 1881 the first train left Albany for
Schenectady. AS it assembled the steep
incline another train descended a paralle Ell
track, loaded with stones to balance the
weight. And then followed sore trails
and fluctuations to the passengers.
The cars were open, being merely
coaches strung together, and by chains
with abundance of slack. For fuel pine
knots were employed, and, ah, the suffo-
eating smoke, and the sparks which were
continually setting the clothing of the
passengers on fire, not to mention the
iary inu and the hmm ToiY ~
lima was making experiments at the same
date along the line. and was early treated
to an explosion. A train had been left
in charge of the fireman-a darkv. of
course-and the steam blowing off, think
ing the noise too much of a nuisance, he
essayed to sit upon the safety-valve, with
a colored funeral as a result in due sea-
son. Learning wisdom from this acct
dent, for the protection of the travelling
public barrier car" was provided and
put next to the engine, consisting of a
platform on which were piled several
bales of cotton TO bear the brunt OF the
damage If again the boiler should happen
TO burst.
The infancy of the railroad lasted about
ten years. The strap rail was in univer-
sal use, so liable to roll up at the ends,
and to thrust itself through the floor Of
the car to the mortal peril of the passen-
gers. And for not few years the idea
held sway that communication by water
was the ideal, while this method of land
carriage contrived by Stevenson, good as
it was in its way, yet found its full mis-
sion in connecting water routes, thus TAX
ing the place of the old-time portages
such was the Camden and Amboy Rail-
road in the thought of the builders. By
the Boston and Providence Railroad the
inhabitants of the Hub would strike the
sound at the nearest point, and so on
through many examples. The Erie Ca
nal was aimed at when the Boston and
Albany Railroad began to push west
Next followed about ten years of lusty,
busting boyhood. and then suddenly
burst in the astonishing adult life of the