Rocky Ford enterprise., 1899-01-26
EARLY SLEEPING CARS
THE INVENTION AT FIRST MET
WITH COOL RECEPTION.
Whom the Idea Began to Boom Pas
Sengers Occupying Upper Berths suf-
fered from the Confined and vitiatsd
Atmosphere.

The first sleeping car was devised
by Theodore r. Woodruff. who con-
structed small working model in
1854. at Watertown, N. Y. and whose
first patents for Improvement in
Railroad Car Seats and Couches" were
issued on Dec. 2. 1856. says Cassier's
Magazine. Mr.. Woodruff was then
resident of Alton, ILL.,, and attached to
the st. Louis, Alton & Terre Haute
railway. The invention was original
and wholly unprecedented, but at first
met with no favor from the railroads.
and for several years Mr.. Woodruff
was obliged to defend his patent in
the courts before his priority OF in
vention was fully established. Having
built his first sleeping car, he was. af-
ter much persuasion. permitted to at
tach it to the night express on the
New York Central railroad, between
Albany and Buffalo. making its first
trip on Oct. &c, 1856. He personally
managed the car, charging each pas
senger so cents for its use, and was
delighted when a dozen passengers
took lodging with him for the trip.
Gradually the car became talked about
among travellers. and the demand for
1t was effectively and permanently es-
tablished. So little was the sleeping
car appreciated by the railroads when
first introduced that the New York
Central actually charged Woodruff full
fare while he was conducting his car
and trying to introduce its merits to
the travelling public. but President
Erastus Corning of the railroad COM
pany finally issued free pass to Mr..
Woodruff and thenceforth he ran the
car without having the gross earnings
nearly exhausted by his own fare for
the trip.
In the meantime the same idea began
to find development farther west In the
United States. Mr.. George NJ. Pullman.
after trip in one of Mr.. Woodrun's
cars from Buffalo to Chicago. con-
ceived the notion that they might be
greatly improved and that passengers
might have upon sleeping cars COM
forts equal to those then provided
upon steamboats,. In 1859 he altered
some day coaches on the Chicago &
Alton railroad. converting them into
sleeping cars, which were considered
q material advance upon any previous
ly constructed. In 1864 Mr.. Pullman
constructed new car in the Chicago
& Alton company's yards at cost OF
$4,000. which was direct departure
from the previous plan. 1t was named
the Pioneer and designated by the let
ter a." ns 1t was supposed that the
letters of the alphabet would be quite
a. 49, Ill hat
might ever be constructed. II had i'm
proved trucks and n raised deck and
was two feet and n half higher and a
foot wider than any car then in SER
vice. necessitating considerable altera-
tlons In station platforms and bridges
along the line. The first cars OF Mr..
Woodruff were scarcely more than old
style flat-top day coaches. provided
with mattresses and blankets. stored at
one end during the daytime and spread
upon the seats, which were SO con-
structed as to form n bed. Each car
accommodated about sixty passengers.
In the Pullman car there was double
berth below and two single berths
above. let down by hangers or fixtures
on the side OF the car. The charge was
81 for n lower and SO cents for an up
per berth.
Prior to Mr.. Puilman's experiment.
however. the first regular sleeping car
constructed according to modern Ideas
of what sleeping car should be was
built by mechanic named Thomp-
son ut the car works OF the Wasson
Manufacturing Company, at SPRING
field. Mass. in the fall OF 1857 or early
in 1858. and was bought from him by
the late Webster Wagner. One OF
wagners first improvements in sleep
ing cars was to make them wider and
higher, and then came improvements
in ventilation. us 1t was found that
passengers occupying the upper berths
suffered from the confined and vitiated
atmosphere. This resulted in the in
PRODUCTION of the distinctive feature
of the raised roof. or double deck. af-
terward applied also to the ordinary
American passenger coaches. Another
improvement was the introduction OF
the adjustable upper berth. which per-
mitted OF the storing of the bedding in
the daytime in the space behind 1t.
Four of these improved sleeping cars
were built by Wagner and placed in
regular service on the New York Gem
trail in 1858. running between New
York and Niagara Falls. He subse.
quently turned his attention to draw
ing-room cars for day travel, and in
1867 introduced the first car of this
description.