The Portland daily press., 1895-05-22
OLDEST RAILROAD IN THE WORLD.
An Interesting Story of Evolution on the
Baltimore g. Ohio Railroad.

(From Popular Science News)
g The Baltimore and Ohio is the Oldest
chartered railroad in America, and the
oldest passenger railroad in the world.
On the 4th of July, 1928. ground was
broken for the promising enterprise by
Charles Carroll of Carrollton, the only
remaining signer of the Declaration of
Independence. At that time it was only
designed for horse railroad. for steam
had not yet been evolved into practical
motive power. 1t was the original in
tention to extend the road ultimately to
the Ohio river, hence the name which
it now bears was given to it at it's begin
ming.
On the 22d of May, 1880, the road was
opened for business from Baltimore to
Ellicott's Mills. 13 miles. The first
American passenger car then used was
almost 12 feet long; one horse was at
tached, good for eight miles an hour,
carrying rs passengers. The driver sat
IN front, the conductor stood on the
steps behind. Many old timers renem-
ber the old Relay Station where horses
were changed land yarns spun of the
wonderful new railroad. The first driver
Mr.. Galloway, who was afterward made
engineer, lived to see the road perfected
from the primitive one-horse power to
it's climax of wonderful display at the
worlds fair, where he held forth with
pride as he first engineer Of the first pas
senger railway in America.
Very soon after the road startet
more am bilious car was used, known as
the "double-decker." Then a tread car
WAS introduced-the object being for the
horse to move it's own car and passenger
Car attached at the same time; sor5 of
animated four-legged locomotive, which
is doubtless more humorous to read
about than 1t would be to ride behind,
particularly in this day of lightning
speed.
Momentous events followed quickly on
this new road, and on August 2S. 1880,
the first American locomotive ever con-
sructed, made by Peter Cooper, drew the
first passenger car ever propelled by
steam upon any railroad in the world,
MIR. Cooper acting as engineer. 1t is re-
lated of the famous good old Peter Coop
er that Mt that time becoming elated at
the speed of his engine, he took to racing
with horse and wagon, and pulling the
throttle in haste he numerically
jammed his finger, and those who were
near enough to hear say the air was
blue; not with smoke. Such is not so
difficult to behave of any one of the
genus homo-except Peter Cooper.
Many experiments were made upon
this line, among them the plan of run
ming cars by sails. The engines were
what ia known as the "Grasshoppers, :"
having walking beams like a steamboat; (;
the grasshopper still remains "as idle as
painted ship"upon first. class railway
Great things were hoped at one time
from magnetic attraction as motive
power. But the times then were not
ripe for this new wonder of motive power
which is only now beginning to take
practical form in the brain of scientists.
This characteristic policy of progress and
Improvement demonstrates what may
be possible to the road in the future, it
having already adopted electric motors
in its great tunnel just completed; and
| those of the next century may relate
even more marvellous advancement than
| this century has chronicled of its WON
derfu growth from crude beginning.
| The last achievement of the road has
been the opening of the great belt tun-
mel, travelling under the busy city OF
Baltimore; the first tunnel ever built to
enable railroad trains to run under the
heart of a populous city. The tunnel
proper is one and one half miles long,
and including two cuts it is nearly two
miles long. The length of the belt road
is seven miles, including the tunnel and
the cost of building was $1,000. 600 The
trains will be drawn through it by
great electric motors. being tie frst raj
road to adopt electricity in place Of