Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-07-15

/ Journal. The railroad as the developer is
| almost superhuman in Western eyes. To it
are due such marves as tho growth OF Chi
cagot Then why not have temple to cele-
brate its greatness? And what d temple it
I is Long lines Of massive yet superbly
/ graceful cars, mighty locomotives, exquisite
| ly decorated, and watched over by men who
treat them as if they were 3teeds which can
4 think and act gigantic snow plows; fit to
! cleave the most stubborn drifts ofthe Sierras ;
| quaint groups of early loeomotiyes-littlo
old-fashioned tea-pots, which look as if they
( could be carried in the tenders of modern en-
| gines vast collections Of photographs illus
! trating railroad machinery air brakes on
Grating on a hundred cars at once limited
trains equipped like palaces-what is there
| not in this wonderful placer
| Look at the old "Comet' here It is the
very oldest locomotive ever run in America,
and was brought from England in 1881 by
| an English company. Near it stands Robert
/ p. Burt, of GAINESVILLE. Wisconsin, who has
| the honor OF being the Oldest engineer in the
| land.
| wonder how he feels when he gets in the
shadow Of such monsters as that locomotive
| from tho Baldwin Works, iii Philadelphia;
| which weighs 1876, 900 pounds2 There is an
| other giant on its pedestal, an engine from
the Brooks Works, weighing $50 900 pounds.
! When tho Corean Embassy saw these
they asked if they would really run on tracks,
and the assurance that they would filed
| them with amaZement
Another very interesting exhibit is the old
locomotive Samson, enc of the first engines
ever introduced into America. This engine
was built in 1888, at New Sheldon, Durham,
England, and brought to this country about
the same time. II was used in the Albion
coal mine, near Stellarton, Nova Scotia, until
few years ago. Accompanying the loco
motive is the passenger ear, IT is a clumsy
affair, containing two seats, with room for
about four or five passengers. The doors
open on the sides, the same as many English
coaches of to-day. The engine and coach
are in pretty fair state of preservation.
The tender in those days went ahead OF tho
locomotive, while the engineer stood on the
rear. The engine is q standard gauge. in
verted direct-1cting, with four-soot drivers.
Two other ancient locomotives arc also
among the exhibits, the Albion" and 'Old
lronsides, Both of these are moro primitive
in their construction than tho Samson
and are not quite SO large.
The original "John Bull" Is staining on
tho New York Central tracks, AMI the De
! Witt Clinton, with its historic train of
coaches, is also here in its counterfeit.
One of the gigantic exhibits in the south
end OF this transportation Building is the
model of the great PISTON steam hammer of
the Bethlehem PENN Iron Works. The
original hammer weighs 1886 tons. Tho
model is of staff and wood. It is exhibited
! here because tho Bethlehem hammer FORCES
steamship shafts and cranks, as well as guns
and arnor plates. 1t IS shaped like 4 letter
A. Its highest point stands ninety feet
above the floor line, and is thrty-sig feet
wide. Tho supports are each composed OF
two parts, the lower ones Weighing seventy
one tons each. and the upper ones forty
eight tons each The Bethlehem hammer is