The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-10-10
American Locomotive Is Only
Seventy-five Years Old.
Diminutiye ssTOm Thumb Has
Developed Into Giant.
PETER COOPER LED.
He Built the Firsa Iron Horse
in This Country.
Gossip and Matters Of Interest
in Railroad Circles.

I
in Railroad Circles.
It is only seventy five years almost
to day since the first steam locomo-
tive was built in this country. 1t was
the diminutive Tom Thumb which
Peter Cooper first ran in Baltimore,
in 1880. and the differences between
it and the marvellous flyers of today
are marked to d wonderful degree.
/ In the limited period of three
quarters of a century American inven-
tiveness. American mechanical genius
! to put it more accurately, has develop
ed locomotive building from an ex-
pertinent into the wonderful system
that is really the foundation of the
marvellous industrial progress of the
country.
/ The. primitive machine that Peter
Cooper pushed to a successful test
seventy-five years ago meant more
than a newly discovered and improved
means of transportation. It was the
medium of turning isolation into pOpu-
4 lous cities. It opened up a close com
munication that was to bring New
+ York and san Francisco days, instead
/ of months apart. It made it possible
for the United States to become a real
confederation of states with little in
common.
The tiny locomotive has become the
marvellous giant of today There are
now in the neighborhoOd of $4,000
| locomotives in the United States, and
all of them busy. Nearly 214,0 900 miles
of track have been laid to satisfy the
growing demand for railroad commu-
nication. over these tracks were last
year hauled, as nearly as the combined
/ reports of all the railroads are avail
/ able, a matter of 5000, 600 passen-
gers, and 1900, 100000 tons net pounds
/ of freight.
! These are figures which would stag
| ger the belief of the widest optimist
| that ever lived. just a recital of the
! figures conveys a more graphic picture
/ of progress than could be drawn by the
most gifted of pens.
The locomotive in England antedated
the one in this coantry by few
years. One of British manufacture
/ was brought to these shores Ior use IN
/ the coal regions of Pennsylvania in
i 1922 It was called the "Stourbridge
Lion but it turned out to be more of
4 a jay, and after an unsuccessful trial,
/ was sent to the scrap heap and the ex-
| pense of the venture charged to 2roht
/ and loss.
This incident was not of a kind to
/ instilI confidence in the minds OF future
I capitalists who were beSought TO ex7
pertinent with locomotives but Cooper
4 proved an eSceptionsrsf he early saw
the limitless possibilities of such an. in
vention if it could be applied to BalJl-
more where he owned land.
Not the least of the opposition came
from Baltimoreans themselves. They
I said that the road, as planned. was
/ too crooked, that the grades were 100
steep and that not. enough steam could
/ be applied and maintained to make pos
sibIe the hauling of heavy loads
Notwithstanding all this cold water,
Cooper persisted, and fortunately had
the means to put his beliefs to a prac=
teal test. In 1929, he had ioeono-
tive constructed according to his own
| plans.
This he sent from New York to
/ Baltimore by d sailing vessel. When
it arrived, there were no wheels on
which to mount it. but Ross Wlnans
promptly supplied these missing es-
sentfals and the trial trip was essayed.
The outcome gave the carpers q
fine chance to have their fun at
/ Cooper's expense, for the locomotive
| obstinately refused to move, and the
| Joke passed current that Cooper had
an idea he could haul passengers and
freight with a stationary engine
Cooper, still undaunted, decided
that the failure was due to defects
that could readily be remedied in the
/ hands of competent mechanics and OBJ
/ tanned the services of George w, john
son and Jades Mulholland TO remodel
! the locomotive regardless or cost
/ These two men thus became really
the mechanical fathers of the urst
really successful American locomotive.
They finished their work in thei2 IN
adequately equipped shop, and.apphed
the name "Tom Thumb to the crea-
ton of their endeavor.
Cooper now had his revenge. The
| TON Thumb made the trip from
Baltimore to Ellicotts mills without a
break in an hour ana quarter. ana
the return trip in ffty-seven minutes.
! One horse was its computed power,
land the weight it drew was less than
five tons. The speed it made was
about twelve miles an hour
/ Now one of the flyers that go be-
tween New York and Chicago thinks
nothing of avera ging more that mile
| a minute for long stretches.
This was the beginning. In a short
time came Matthew Baldwin, the
/ pioneer of great American locomotive
| builders, and founder of the house
that still bears his name. the greatest
company of locomotive builders in the
world.
The Baldwins got the first foreign
| recognition for American locomotive
building, when, in 1870. they were
awarded an order by Austria. Since
that time they have constructed loco
| motives for almost every known coun-
engine they first built are now TO be
matched giants weighing $4,000
| It is not alone in the increased size
of the locomotive, or in its increased
carrying capacity or speed, that the
story Of the wonderful development Is
told.
PROGRESS ON BELEN CUTOFF.
Gfrdess for seven Bridges in Abo Can
yon About to Be Placed.