Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-06-19

i u iLlCCl llll6S I'LL i.
An old picture, very curious to
modern eyes, represents a race be-
tween Tom Thumb, a tiny locomo-
tive built in Baltimore by Peter
Cooper, and a big horse drawing a
car. the summer of 1880 the en-
gine, a liliputian affair that couldn't
have weighed a ton, had made some
trips during which the speed at
times was as high as Is miles an
hour. At that time the great stage
proprietors in Baltimore were Stocton
and Stokes, and they owned big
gray horse which they were loath to
believe could be beaten by mere
machine.
Accordingly race was arranged
and the big horse hitched to car
was driven by them on the second
traek-for the railroad company had
two tracks and met the engine at
the relay house" on his way back
fcom The Mills. From this point it
was agreed to race home, and, the
start being even, away went horse
and engine, the snort Of one and
1.-THE puff of the other keeping time.
An old account says: cat first
the gray had the best Of it, for his
steam could be applied on the in
stant to the greatest advantage,
while the engine had to wait until
the rotation of its wheels set the
blower to work. The horse was
perhaps quarter of mile ahead
when the safety valve of the engine
lifted and the thin blue vapor
issuing from it allowed an excess of
steam.
'The blower whistled, the steam
blew off in vapory clouds, the pace
increased, the passengers shouted,
and the engine gained on the horse.
Soon it Tapped him, the silk was
placed, the race was neck and neck,
nose and nose-then the engine
passed the horse and great hurrah
hailed the victory. But it was not
to be repeated, for about this time
when the gray's master was about to
give up. the pulley which moved
the blower slipped from the drum,
the safety valve ceased to steam and
the engine for want of breath began
to wheeze and pant.
In vain Mr.. Cooper, who was his
own engineer, lacerated his hands
attempting to replace the belt on
the wheel; in vain he tried to urge
the Ere with light wood. The horse
gained on the machine and soon
passed it and although the band
was presently replaced and the
sse gain did its best. the horse
was too far ahead to be oyertakep.s y
In the early days locomotives had
as rivals cars propelled by horse
power and also sailing cars. In the
former horse was placed on
tread mill from which power was
communicated to the wheels. The
machine worked indifferently well,
buto one occasion, when drawing
a car filled with editors and other
newspaper men itran into COW and
the passengers having been tilted
out and rolled down an embank-
ment, were naturally unanimous in
condemning the contrivance. And
so the horse power car, after count
less bad jokes had been prepared on
the "cowed" editors passed out of
existence and out of mind.
Following the horse power car
came the Meteor, a sailing vessel,
invented by Evan Thomas, who was
probably the first person to advocate
railroads in Baltimore. This con-
sisted Of a wicker work basket on
wheels. equipped with a mast and
square sails. The Meteor required
a good gale to drive it along the
rails and would run only when the
wind was "abaft" or on the quarter
head" winds were fatal to it's pro-
gress and Mr.. Thomas was afraid to
trust a strong side wind lest it up
set the car, SO it rarely made It's
appearance save when a northeaster
was blowing. Then it would be
dragged out and would roll along
literally with flying colors.
Strange it is to the modern eye to
see an old account of a ride on one
OF the old time engines, in which
the writer says; we flew on the wings
of the wind at the varied speed Of
fifteen to twenty-five miles an hour,
annihilating time and space" In
1884 the Best Friend, a locomotive
Of the South Carolina railroad, blew
up because the "colored fireman, an
noyed at the noise of steam escaping
from the safety valve sat on the
valve to hold it down." An accident
at a switch with this same engine
called forth the following from the
directors Of the road:
Resolved, That in the future not
over twenty-five people will be al
lowed to go on each car; that the
locomotive shall not travel at a great
er speed when there is attached:
One car and passengers, at fifteen
miles an hour; two cars and pas
sengers, at twelve miles an hour;
three cars and passengers, at ten
miles an hour and that directions be
given to that effect.
The foregoing is enough to bring
a smile from the railroad man or the
passenger Of today, although it