The Washington herald., 1912-08-18


the outer edge to prevent the wheels
Of carts from slipping. That was the
embryo from which developed an enter
prise which has since assumed such vast
importance. BY the use of this tram
way It was found that one horse could
do the work OF several on q common
dirt road.
Nearly nifty years later some ingenious
mind discovered that II the beams were
clothed with iron they would be greatly
improved, so in 173s an iron covering
was used. 1t was not until 17S6. how
ever, that the frst practical iron rail-
way was built at the iron works OF
Colebrookdale. The upper rails were
made of cast iron s feet long, inches
wide, and "a inches thick. with holes
the lower wooden rails These rails
were laid on sleepers or ties. which
construction was very much like the
railway Of the present day.
Building Roadbed.
The rcadbed was filled In with gravel
or coal waste, SO that the horses would
have q smooth surface to walk upon.
This railway proved SO successful that
II was used extensively about mines and
colieries all over the northern part Of
G<u8l8uu. III look INC Iisl toh
was authorized by Parliament. II was
called the surry Railway, running from
the banks of the Thames at Wadsworth.
to Croydon. Rails were at this time
made entirely of cast iron; but. with
out nanges as 1t had been found ad-
visable to have a raised edge on the
wheels Of vehicles.
The germ Of the modern train was
evolved when 1t was found that two
or three small wagons, linked together.
could be conveyed more easily than a
single large wagon. A great improve
ment took place when. in 1870. suitable
machinery was devised for rolling rails
into other than fiat shapes. The intro
duction OF wrought iron permitted them
to be made any length. The application
Of the steam engine was the next logical
step. Many minds had conceived the
possibility Of utilizing 1t in such a way,
that It would propel the carriages. As
early as 1850. Sir Isaac Newton built a
model. 1t was crude. but a reliable pre-
cursor Of succeeding attainment. Watt
constructed a model that seemed practi-
cal. and. In 1854. his assistant. Murdoch.
built a working model OF II and had II
patented; but the invention of the To-
ccmotive was really the work OF sue
cessive geniuses- One idea invariably
suggested another and improvement
gradually increased. In 1902 Richard
Trevithick had patented a locomotive
that drew ten tons OF iron at the rate
of five miles an hour. Another distinct
advancement was made in 1914, when
George Stevenson became interested. de-
voting much time and money to further
the undertaking.
Getting the Speed.
Speed. however. remained an absent
quantity. and the rate Of progress con-
tinued to be little faster than the walk
of a horse. The public could not be
reused to give enthusiastic heed to the
subject Americas first railroad was
built in 1896, by Gridley Bryant and Col.
T. II. Perkins. II was constructed to
carry granite from the quarries OF
Quincy, Mass. to the nearest tidewater
and was called the Quincy Granite Rail-
road. The draft was executed by
horses. In 1877 the Delaware and Hud-
son Canal Company sent Horatio Allen
to Europe to buy three locomotives and
the iron for a railroad. which was built
the following year, from the coal mines
II Honesdsle. to the terminus of their
canal One of these locomotives was the
Lion. which Is now in the 1
National Museum, Washington. D. c.
This was the first locomotive actually |
put into use in the United States. In |
February. 1897. the Legislature of Mary |
and granted a charter to the first rail- !
road company in America to carry on |
The business of transportation.
Baltimore and Ohio First.
This first railway was the Baltimore |
Ind Ohio. The construction was COM |
nenced July T. 1873. and the FIRST spadeful |
,f earth was cast by Charles Carroll OF |
carrollton. the last surviving signer of |
he Declaration of Independence. The |
ceremonies attending the event were con- |
iucted by the Masonic fraternity. The