The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1902-10-10
FIRST RAILROAD
IN THE COUNTRY,
Description Of Old South Caro-.
lima Line.

description OF Uld South Caro-.
lima Line.
In Case of Favorable Winds Sails
VIZ Used to Assist Engines. A
Negro Who Was Killed on Track
Was Called olive Stock" in
Complaint.
To those Augu.tans who are SC
fortunate as not to como under ,he
head of ''Stay-at-Ilome ard ar.
able every summer to pack their
81 IS and take the tran for some one
If the numerous resorts of the South
aid North, brief history of the first
railroad to enter their fir city may
be interesting, says the Ausus,s
Herald. AS the yumncr tourist
Tolls l"z''y back in his seat in the
elegant Pullman of o!ay aud caro-.
lessly glances over his time table. c
rarely gives thought to the time
when s figures meant days instead
of hours. Such, however, was once
the CAGE. AS the rate Of speed has
quickened hours and minutes have
been gradually clipped from schcd.
ules, until now, what was once n
twsnty-four hour run is gone over in
hardly more than an hour. In thrse
earlier days the beaches skirting
Charleston harbor were pr,bab y not
adorned by the many pretty figures
Of Augusta girls that may be seen
there now.
Augusta sports of the '30's wou' Il
have had to spend about eight days
of their weeks holiday on the train
if they had then taken in the Is'e Of
Palms. About the year of 1880 the
fret steam railway in the South was
opened for tr,ffc between Charleston
and Hamburg, S. G. The road
from Charleston as far rs Aiken,
followed closely an old Indian trail,
and occupied the same bed over
which the Southern trains run today.
The company did business under the
title of The South Carolina Rail-
way and Canal Company" When
the road was fr>t proposed the
scheme met with the widest protest
from citizeLs all over the country.
Farmers all along the propos, d route
made long trips on horseback to
Charleston to enter their protest,
many of them contending that the
enormous weight of the locomotives
running over the country at the ter
rible speed of eight miles an hour,
would endanger the life of every
man and animal so unfortunate as to
lvo near the track. For u time the
primative railroad magnets stood al
most convinced that, even If the road
was built, it would soon be in state
of bankruptcy, occas;oned by kun
dreds Of damage suits brought on by
the slaughter Of live stock.
However, in spite of the objection
of half the State, the infant roai be-
gan to crawl slowly out from Char
lesion, in the direction of Augusta.
The road was built above ground, the
rails being laid upon a trcstle work
some four feet high. Soon after the
completion, however, it was found
necessary to come down to earth, The
passage of trains being frequently
interfered with by the road tumbling
down. The track was almost entire
ly straight, and, when it was found
necessary to construc. curve, it was
made as long as possible. Short
curves were declared impossible, the
engineers declaring that the train
S would certainly leave the track,
should an attemt be made to round
q curve at fall speed (sight miles an
hour.) Some contended that the
road might be so constructed that it
would be unnecessary to slow up.
Much argument ensued, and it was
finally decided to lay the inner rail
of the curve somewhat lower than the
outer one. A trial was first made,
and, at thi, trial the first accident to
q passenger on the road took place.
A circular track was built in a vG-
cant l.t in Charleston, the inner rail
being lower than tho outer. A car
was placed upon it, and a team OF
negro mon engaged to push it around
at top speed. The inevitable small
!, boy was present, and when the car
started, a little darkey was seated in
state on top Of tho car. The speed
quickened as each negro tried to out.