Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-06-19
THE INFANCY OF RAILROADING.
Queer Things Done On the First
south Carolina Line.
Charleston News and Courler)

Charleston News and COurler)
Mr.. L. A. Emerson, traffic manager OF
the South Carolina and Georgia railroad,
has recently returned from Texas, and the
people Of the Lone Star State have since
been talking about the splendid road
which connects Charleston with the West,
and laughing over the queer beginning
from which it sprang The Dallas Morn
ing News of June 9Th published the follow
ing interesting article, dated from Fort
Worth, in regard to Mr.. Emerson and his
road:
MIR. L. a. Emerson, traffic manager or
the South Carolina and Georgia Railway,
who recently spent several days in Fort
Worth. gives some highly interesting in
formation about his road, which is the
oldest in the United States, and except
ing a few short lines built in England in
the early 2Vs, the oldest in the world. The
company was organized, May r. 1893, and
during 1929 six miles Of the road was con-
structed. At the start horsepower only
was used, and a premium of 500 was
awarded to the inventor OF the endless
chain process, which was calculated to
move twelve passengers at the rate or
twelve miles an hour In 1929 and 1880 a
sail was substituted for the horse. This
experiment proved highly satisfactory, as
IT carried, when the wind was right, thir-
teen passengers and three tons Of iron
at the rate of ten miles an hour. This
means OF iocomotion. however, came TO
an abrupt end one day when the wind
suddenly changed and took, sail, mast,
sailors and all overheard while going at
the great speed of only fifteen miles an
hour. In March, 1890. a contract was
awarded 10 the West Point Foundry, OF
New York, to construct an engine, guar
anteed 10 make ten miles an hour and
carry three times its weight. This was
the first locomotive built in America. 1t
was named Best Friend. It was four
wheel concern. all four wheels being
drivers. The wheels had iron hubs with
wooden spokes and fellOes. The boiler
was vertical like an old style porter bot
tie. The machine exceeded in power the
widest hopes OF both the road and the
builder, for It proved capable of carrying
between forty and fifty people sixteen TO
twenty-one miles an hour. On June IS,
1881, however, a negro fireman held down
the safety valve, and as result the
boiler exploded, landing the whole con-
Germ in the ditch. The accident was
thought at first TO be the result OF fast
running, as the train was at the time
making close to eighteen miles an hour,
and the following resolutions were adopt
ed by the Board of Directors:
NO greater speed shall be made by the
engineer than fifteen miles per hour with
one car OF passengers, twelve miles with
two cars, and ten miles with three cars.
"The next engine was named the West
Point, and made two miles in eight min
utes. The State Legislature stepped in at
this point and declared that this rate or
speed was excessive and dangerous TO
human life, and as a consequence the
company put a barrier car on each train.
This barrier car was a fiat car, loaded
with cotton bales, which was expected
to act q sort OF brake and diminish the
force Of the fall when the passengers
hit the ground.
"These crude experiments, Mr.. Emerson
says. were among the early experiences
of this now historical road. They began
at the beginning with horsepower ana
sails, and to-day, after varied expert
ence extending over nearly three-quarters
Of a century, possess one OF the best
equipped roads in America"
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