Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-11-18

After visiting Stephenson's locomotive ut
Killingworth Peace and another stock
holder became convinced that 1t was the
proper system, and in 1923 an amended
act was passed permitting the use Of this
power.
Two years later the road was opened
to the public, aud from the start proved a
great success. The rails were of MALE
able and cast iron and the gauge was four
feet eight and one half inches. The first
engine, the Active, that was put on the
line, was constructed by George Stephen
son. 1t weighed about eight tons. and
was capable of drawing about forty tons,
in insignificant contrast with the Ameri-
can consolidation" locomotive Of to-day,
weighing fifty tons and able to haul on
dead level over $4,000 tons, while more
powerful engines are still being designed.
No sooner did tho coal and merchandise
trains begin to run than new business re-
latons sprang up between Stockton and
Darlington, and the increase in freight
traffic called into existence a pew pas
senger transportation. Before his plant
was put in operation an attempt had been
made to run a stage coach between Stock
ton, Darlington and Barnard Castle three
times a week, but owing to the want Of
support it was discontinued. However,
after the railway began running the
stages were again put on and did thriv-
ing business. The railway company, rec
ognizing the Importance of this branch of
service, started the first passenger coach,
the Experiment, Oct. 10, 1926, fortnight
after the opening of the line. 1t was
drawn by one horse and performed the
journey daily each way between Stockton
and Darlington, accomplishing the dis
lance Of twelve miles in about two hours.
The fare was a shilling and each passen-
ger was allowed fourteen pounds Of lug
gage free. The Experiment was not op-
Grated by the railway company, but was
let to Pickersgill and Harland, who paid
tolls for the use Of the line. This first
passenger coach was regarded as a won
derful conveyance at the time, but it
would cut a rather poor figure If placed
beside the modern drawing-car palaces
constructed at cost of $4,000 or over.
Stephenson next constructed and equip
ped with his locomotive the Liverpool and
Manchester Railway, which was opened
Sept. Is, 1880. Passengers were carried
the entire distance of thirty miles In a
little over an hour. fnasmuch as it had
been previously considered great feat
for the locomotives on the Stockton and
Darlington road to beat the stage coaches,
and twelve miles an hour had been regard
ed as absolutely dangerous, this new rate
Of speed must have been looked upon as
something phenomenal. The growth Of
the railway from this date was rapid, COM
panies Icing formed in all civilized coun-
tries.
America quickly adopted the railway
system. As early as 1927 a crude line
was opened between Boston and Quincy
for the purpose Of importing granite for
the Bunker Hill monument. In August,
1929, the Carbonate railroad was opened
by the Delaware and Hudson Canal Com
pany and extended from Honesdale, Pa,
to Carbonate, a distance of about six
teen miles. 1t was the first road on which
a locomotive was used in this country.
The engine was built in England, under
the direction OF Hontio Allen, who en-
joyed the distinction of being the first to
run a locomotive in America. 1t was
called the Stourbridge Lion and arrived
at its destination Aug. o, 1929.
First Baltimore & Ohio Road.
In May, 1880, the first division of the
Baltimore and Ohio Railway, extending
from Baltimore to Ellicott's Mills, a dis
lance of fifteen miles. was formally open
ed, but the passenger service was not in
augurated till July OF the same year,
owing to the scarcity Of cars. Horse power
was employed until the road was complet-
ed to Frederick, in 1882.
Peter Cooper built a little locomotive in
1920 for the Baltimore and Ohio Rail-
way, and was very much delighted over
the fact that on the trial trip he succeed
ed in beating horse attached to another
car. The York, which was built at York,
Pa. was the progenitor of the famous
"grasshopper" locomotives so many years
in service on the Baltimore and Ohio.
Thus did the beginning Of the railway
system on the Stockton and Darlington
line extend over the old and the new
world. 1t has grown nightly during the
last two and seventy years, and its pos
sibilities are still unmeasured.
When George Stephenson died, Aug. IL,
1913, his statue which the Liverpool and
Manchester and Grand Junction COM
panies had ordered, was on its way to
England, and arrived in time to serve as
his monument. Far greater than any
monument that mind of sculptor can con-
ceive and cunning hand execute Is the
enduring monument of his own works and
the undying memory of a name made glo-
rious.