The sun., 1898-01-16
WILMINGTON WAS N i.
This City and State Factors In
An Early Railroad.
SEN. GRAY'S FATHER ENGINEER
The Venerable Librarian. Amos &
BrintOn, Designed the First Loco.
motive Built in This City.

Railroads and railroatling have occr
pied the attention of the people of thi
! city recently. A new road has beel
started here and this recalls the diffeen
connections this city has had with rail
roads.
The situation of Wilmington from tn
beginning Of the first Swedish compan
landing in the year 1888 until the pres
ent time, has been one of the most desir
able parts of this country and especial,
along the Atlantic coast line bet ween TIN
east and south.
New York, it being the great centr
for European travel and Washington a
the capital Of the United States govern
ment, the question, uppermost in tn,
minds Of the people was to establish .
quick and direct route from New Yorl
to Washington, D. G. The first rout,
was to 60 from New York to Camden
n. j., then down the Delaware by boat
to New Castle, by stage to the Susuue
hanna, then by boat across it, and ti,er
by stage to Washington. The route wa.
a very slow one.
The Baltimore people conceived tn.
idea of railroad but it was then sngges.
ted only for freight transportation and
the Brandywine millers, who conducted
the leading mills of this country at this
time proposed Il railroad up the Brandy
wine to bring grain down to the MI )
from Pennsylvania but the demand !
passenger transportation by railroad was
the greater 1t seemed likely the first
railway would be laid from New York to
cross New Jersey to Bordentown by stage
then down the river to New Castle, across
the Peninsula about lG miles by rail then
by steamboat to Baltimore.
This route was built and the New
Cast lie and Frnchtown Turnpike Com
pany was granted the privilege of laying
single track, which they did, and after
it was partly laid the ca,s were drawn
over il by horses, and So continued until
the track was finished when the power
of steam was introduced in the fall of
1881. The first passenger cars resenblcd
the old fashioned stage coaches, support
ed by wheeled trucks. All passcn-
gers entered at the rear, as the brakeman
sat in front in small box or seat
near the top OF the car, from where
all obstruction could be easily observed
and accidents prevented.
Horse power was too slow to satisfy
the travelling public, SO steam was intro
duccd, as previousl y stated. Many plans
for locomotives were devised by the
pattcrn-makcrs Of that time, but none
proved satisfactory. One was built at
Bush Hill, Philadelphia, but failed to
meet approval.
At last the New Castle and French
town Railroad Company had one i'm
ported from Liverpool to Philadelphia,
which was built on the George Stephen
son plan, somewhat similar to the pres
ent locomotive, but the front of the evil
inder was slightly raised, with the piston
at an angle Of Is degrees, and the boiler
and engine !1 was supported by heavy
was supported by fonr-whcclcd truck,
the truck bolster working on a pivot,
which was suggested by farmer, James
Dawsey, who also suggested the long
coach. At the rear end was a Shaft with
Il four feet driving wheel on both ends.
The engineer had his cab just back of the
boiler and tir-box, where he could
tn" throttle and the eccentric
rods.
The tender which was to carry the
water and wood, as wood was the fuel
used at this time, was just in the rear of
The ehginc. The wood was cut in short
pieces and brought by the iircmcn, who .
stayed most Of the time ON the tender
and placed it in the furnace.
Lao ~ k,,. 4 ~,
,ngine and watch distractions while
he fireman, was kept busy firing and
throwing pieces Of wood at the cows,
sheep and hogs on the track. There was
no roof over the head of the fireman and
engineer, but they had to go through
stormy or clear days.
As engineering was new business
md the Frenchtown and New Castle
Railroad was the first in this country
hey had but one engineer, who could be
rl,stcd to run their engine. and he, John
Point, being overworkcd, Andrew C.Glay
ather OF Senator Gray, and grand
atLcr of the present Andrew c. Gray of
he firm Gray, Ward and Gray, attorneys
1t law, and also one of The leading
awyers Of that time, having studied the
lrt OF engineering, would take Points
,lacr at night make his run successfully
hen come back and clruently argue il
asc for a defendant.
As time passed the mode Of travel over
he +. and N. route proved to be to slow
here being SO many changes and long
)Oat connections. The desire of the peo-
DE was for quick fcrriagc and quick
in general, and as near as
possible, an unbrokcn railway system
rom New York to Washington. So to
improve the speed finer road beds were
made. a proposition which was after
yard put into effect, was made to lay
oad from Wilmington to the Maryland
inc to meet a road that had or was be-
ng laid from Baltimore to Port Deposit,
nut now changed to IIavr de Grace.
his line was called the Wilmington and
Baltimore Railroad. .
Passengers were carried from Whining
on to Camden, N. j., by steamboat and
hen by the Philadelphia and Camden
railroad to Bordentown and on to New
iork.
On July 4th, 1887 there was a race be- |
wcen the New Castle and Frenchtown
.ailroad Company and the Wilmington ;
nd Baltimore Company. A victory was ;
lamed by both companies.
This line rather left Philadelphia out,
, Il syndicate was formed and a charter !
;as granted for a Delaware county rail
'ay down the Delaware line, and the !
eoplc Of Wilmington and Delaware held
ut their hands to the Delaware county