The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-04-09
WHO HAS THE JOHN BUILT
soyE POINTS ABoUT TIE FIRST
LOCOMOTIVES IN THIs COUNTRY.

,,or.er Locomotives Buiit In Tits Clty-rn-
.orted English Locomotives-where ths
.,o,, Buli Comes In - Peter Coopcr's
1oeomotive-The First Practical Steam
u,rrond-The hest Friend or Chnrierton,
An Albany newspaper says that "a large
o., m OF the bost mechanics at the West Albany
.hops Of tho New York Central Railroad are
workinp on tho old John Bull. the first engine
useI in the United States. on the first railroad
n, tbs United States, which ran between
Albany AMI Schenectady. This locomotive
nss no, had steam on for years. and was stored
.w,v in n room In tho Grand Central Depot,
New York"
Philadelphia newspaper says that "one OF
,bo most interesting OF the exhibits to be
made at tho Worlds Fair by the PENNSYLVANIA
R.ilroal will TO the locomotive John Bull and
.train OF cars such as were used on the old
Camden and Amboy Railroad In 1896 The
original locomotive was built In England by
stephenson. and put up by Isaac Dripps at
Bordentown Ia 1881"
II theso announcements AFRO made on In
formation obtained from officials Of the two
railroad companies mentioned. IL Is due to ths
truth OF history aud to visitors to the Chicago
Fair who may have an interest In tho story OF
the pioneer locomotives and railroads OF this
AOuntry, tnlt tnDSe OIuclnlS SnOuiu 1883 no
fine in finding out how far they arc away
from authenticity on this subject OF the old
John Bull. In tho first place. II the New York
Central is in possession OF that interesting
relic tho Pennsylvania Railroad cannot be.
and vicc versa. In the second place. the John
Ball WAS not thu first engine used in tho
United states, nor WAS tho railroad between
Albany and Schenectady tho first railroad. In
the third place. tho John Ball was not put up
By Isaac Dripps ut Bordentown In 1891"
There are doubtless many peDblo now living
In New York who romn'nber the West Point
Foundry at the foot Of Dsrch street. 1t was q
famous shop In its day. inl should have an
important place in history. 1t was at tho West
Point Foundry. in May. 1929. that three loco
motives. consigned TO John Is Jervis. then
chief engineer OF the Delaware and Hudson
Canal Company. wero unloaded from the ves-
sci John Jay. on which the novel machines
hal come from England. This was months
before the histori. prize competition on the
Liverpool and Manchester Railroad. in Octo-
Dor. 1870. betwcen George Stephonson's loco
motive Rocket and othcrs. n competition from
which Is dated tho successful application OF
steam Ms n motive power on railroads. al
though ono OF those imported locomotives
mono Of which was made by Stephenson. con.
trary to the general belief-had demon
st-ated that important fact in this conn
try carly in Angus OF that same
year. One OF the locomotives was set
up in tho West Point Foundry yard.
her wheels were lacked clear Of tho ground.
and. with anthracite coal brought from the
mines that were yet unconnac.ed with market
by any means OF transportation. steam was
generated In her boiler. and for weeks her ma
ehinery was kept going for the benefit Of the
spectators that flocked daily to see tho queer
apparatus. That locomotive was taken up the
Hudson River to Rondout In the summer. and
thence. by the new canal. to Honesdale. Pa.
where 1t was put together by the late Horatio
Allen. and on Aug. o. 1923. was run by him on
the tracks Of tho canal company's railroad be-
tween Honesdale and Prompton-the first To-
eomoiive thar ever turned 2 wheel on a rail.
t%its q s.a assls Sss.p IL tS Sossfts sS niles liz s ns H The,s
Which Ioeds xsre eCnstructed only for carry
motive Cd, o." vas run ss d not ~a,f been NJ bu 1!HnS With a1 any
MO nst Sss csSGliRed The. sroarbrisse. LionH wa,
t ssss,r' S. :eo1 ssy tss pr nsa .s,aI vi 81 s sieam ss
81. having draw. Y With snl case !. On The SIooksa
hour. ltis said that the boiler OF this loco |
G CssSU. y |. w. r. to-day In a machine shop In
TIE pioneer railroad Of America. designed
more and Ohio In, the summer Of 1880 the
tie 8 talus e Il 'f hse ESs va. sef fSi.Hod HalffI II tbs s and
ception Of the road the iIea Of steam as the
motive power hal not entered into the raicu-
i.tion OF any one connectsd with the project.
long time. but Peter Cooper had been study |
log the problem Of steam. and In lS2J con
o. str q.i I, an engine after plans Of his own He
manager OF tho Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
itoo.,SeI.n nm give i = tr al on their road. His little
~ me average rate OF fifteen miles an hour,
ATT once naloa spurt at the rate nf eighteen
ioso,s" az NJ ho ux.r tn Tn was tGe nrst American
MP ever made by An American locomotive.
It topper was hii W engineer anil fireman.
aitnn'Ish that crul, machine was not In itself
y success. i set Mt rest forever tho doubts
Jar' eS.s'et anon: civi! engineers OF that
th. tnnt a Stenni l"con",ive could run around
,nr SHARP curves that were necessary in
pulling railroads in this country.
dol .hs igst railroad eyer built in the world
i've r,owsr was thu south Carolina I,nilroad.
ON, 81 the first railroads. chartered In this
, ,iSHrs; ,'v an %spi Mt meing granted In ls21;
W.r"nl, 1t. length being I3j miles. Horatio
I nn"n was tue chief eng neer Of this historic
o-lerri BY the soatl, dar"Ii"a '9 t;.iir"ni S" Mns
famy. 70 be huiit, NJ tn. West Point Foundry,
~ w. r%oniplei"d early in the fall and shipped
O; onn "tn wilrre IT arrived toward the end
Of Of ,Jb" n pwter DAVID Matthew was the foreman
Mth" N.st Pom, Foundry. nnI 1t was he who
H. w me English locomotive Stourbriig.
ptapn IN ms city IN lS!A. The South Carolina
E..!toau. locomotive was named tho Lest
ss'i'ni OF charleston. This first prncti-
C ~ hMerichn locomotive was set up In
Inmntrs'ln by julius u. i'etsrh. foreman OF
.n,'aters machine shop. His assistant WAS
SSyoulh named Nicholas ". Darrell, Just out OF
t M ,,is ~ u mtriinist's Apprentices. Wren
~" engihe was ready for trial. on Nov. .. 1890.
;yJiunS Dhrre was placed in charge OF 1t. The
VIZ WIS successful in every way. and the Best
raavii herlnlr the first locomotive that ran
a mn on 4 railroad In the United States,
NV nicn1lls ". Darrell the first practical loco
NAV Movn VI eh".ncsr. for he continued IN tho en-
FIoni me rail- rOad comuany and ran the best
ixxaSlhd ,Tesnlarly until the mlddln OF January.
81 Then his negro fireman, to save him q,
iha a Imn"s' fastened down tho safety valve OF
nv ihs locomotive on one Of her trips. and the
TTTss locomotive explosion in history occurred.
wy negro WAS, killed and Engineer Darrell
on q thl!y, srtIicd, Tho Best Friend was not
tha' ~. GrSt American locomotive. but was
lhthe world. ''S' o"''
smoEatio Allen. as chief engineer Of the
io Sw carolina l%iaiiroad. had ordered another
iiHe",notIye at tn, West Point Foundry, nftor
!" success 81 the Bost Friend WAS beyond
lhNF1ltn Il mt am ..-4 - . a Al 80" - -.