The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-24
QUESTIONS AND

Long Island Railroad Company. to
whom the question was referred. comes
a letter In which he says:
At a meeting held June Is, 1885. the
board Of directors Of the Long island
Railroad Company voted to engage
Major william q. Mcneil of tho United
states Engineer Corps as chief en-
sineer. His special recommendation
was his then recent experience as chief
engineer Of the Boston and Providence
and Providence and stonington rail-
roads.
On November ~. 1885. the minutes
OF the board OF directors contain the
following:
"Mr. Delaheld, on behalf OF the ex-
ecutive committee. reported that the en-
sineer had caused surveys and cxami-
nations to be made over the different
parts Of Long Island and had furnished
certain reports. estimates and maps.
which he now submitted to the board
On jun 4. 1896. the minutes set
forth that "the report OF the engineer
and resident engineer was read and ac-
copied and ordered to be placed on the
minutes with the former reports OF the
engineer"
Here follow thirty-three blank pages
in the minute book.)
So this report OF the engineer, with
which no doubt the map In question was
made and connected. are missing.
The New York Public. Library con-
7 entna ssDAv-.xt - I-.-l-- ~
P~racticabiltty OF the Ions Island Rail
road" but this was made in 1884 and
not by Major Mcneil.
The report or reports which the map
or "1S35-36" was made to
' must have discussed the relative value
or several routes through Long Island,
particularly between Hicksviiie and
Grecnport: for the board of directors
was debating at that time whether to
run n northerly course through a more
attractive hilly country or through the
less expensive even graded plains TO the
south.
These deliberations were cut short by
the panic of 1897 and the national fnan-
c'al revulsion that followed and put an
end for the time being TO all railroad
construction.
It was not until January ~. 1871. that
the Long Islands board OF directors
definitely chose the route from which
tho line was actually laid from Hicks
! VILE to C~reenport.
In this interval engineering plans were
probably charged IN some extent. Major
Mcneil resigned in April. 1898. In
January. 1899. Major Douglass, with
former maps and profles before him.
submitted estimates OF construction
costs II certain slight notifications ~
cute could he made. At this time
Major Mcneil. being asked for his ad-
vice. refers 10 "the humorous and minute
surveys made under my direction"
This Indicates "A great many maps In
existence AZ that time and the fact that
some OF tn. early studies were still USE
ful In lsti.
So far az the map itself IL concerned.
while u possesses q merely sentimental
and historical rather than intrinsic
value. I would nevertheless greatly APP
prcciate having n In the files Of the
company as a relic Of tho early con-
strlrtion period. Naturally I am hoping
come 20 light. although We have
searched for II in every conceivable re-
posifory.
noticed In THE SrN Of sunday.
October ;. a statement az 70 the date
and place OF construction Of the first
railway IN America,
7 was brought M 20 believe that this
honor, such as Il IL. belonged TO my
great-grandfathcr. Thomas I.ciper. who
owned tho Guarries near Chester. Pa.
and. according 20 family tradition. built
n railway 10 handle the stone.
There Is better evidence han 'rtdi-
ton. however. I'm this connection. AMI |
would invite YOU attention to the fol.
lowing
"a Short Account, Of tho FRS, Per-
manent Tramway in America.
Reprinted from the copy richtcd
Phila.. Vol. ;. by permission OF the
Board of Directors,
To which Is added a biographical
sketch Of its protector,
THOMAS LEfPER. ESQ.
Thomas Patterson Robbins, \ NJ
VI. n"
quot. below from the pullication
referred to above:
and tho RAILWAY was nm
ished carly in 1910.
"Mr. Loipe-'s road In Delaware
county was. however. tho first perina-
nent tramway constructed In his couu-
try the next In point nf date was that
laid in Nashua. y. H., IN iS25 the
third was the one laid down 1t Quiur1
Mass. in 1867. and the fourth me
Great filf'lIlS' Ut Nlilltl 7 Ullk.
Pennsylvania, nine miles In length. "a
which the former ones are mere child's
play" o.. W. TAYLOR.
Fire only when Won are fired uuon"
was ~ ar order issued to The United
States marines aud sailors prior 10 their
landing nj Vera cruz. April II, 1"ii
! have omitted noting the name Of IN.
officer giving tie command. Can you
furnish Il: also his rank. and the name
Ut the vessel to which he was attached"
NJ. j.
This was the order OF Rear Admiral
Frank Friday Fletcher, commanding the
ships at Vera Cruz. As related IN a
despatch printed IN The SIN Of April
30. 1914;
Admiral Fletcher's orders were that
the landing forces should occupy these
positions and make no attack on the
iexican troops unless they were attacked
themselves"
Admiral Fletcher had command OF the
battleships Utah and Florida and the
transport Prairie,
What is the original and what are the
other verses of the old time song
Mol. the wad and I fell out
What dye think & was about
She had money and | had none
And that Is the way the fuss hegun
II was set 10 an air that nfcrs and
drummcrs OF military org~anizatlons nave"
played from 1861 to datc-may be longer.
Can any OF your oldest literary inhabl-
tants help Y. T.. \.