Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-06-09
The First Steam Railway in the
South.

About the year 1880 the first
steam railway in the South was
opened for traffic between Charles.
ton, S. c., and Hamburg, S. C. The
road from Charleston. as far as
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 Caro-
lima Railway and Canal Company"
When the road was first proposed
the scheme met with the widest
protests from citizens all over the
country, Farmers all along the pro-
posed route made long trips on
horseback to Charleston to enter
their protest, many of them con-
tending that the enormous weight
of the locomotives rushing over the
country, at the terrific speed of
eight miles an hour, would endanger
the life of every man and animal so
unfortunate as to live near the
track. For a time the primitive
railroad magnates stood almost con-
WINGED that, even if the road were
built, it would soon be in state of
bankruptcy, occasioned by hundreds
of damage suits brought on by the
slaughter of live stock.
However, in spite of the objection
of half the state, the infant road be-
gan to crawl slowly out from
Charleston, in the direction of Au-
gusta. The road was built above
ground, the rails being laid upon a
trestle 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 tumbIing down. The track
was almost entirely straight, and
when it was found necessary to con-
struct curve, it was made as long
as possible. Short curves were de-
clare6 impossible, the engineers de-
claring that the train would certain
ly leave the track, should an attempt
be made to round a curve at full
speed (eight miles an hour. Some
contended that the road might be
SO constructed that it would be I'M
necessary to slow up. Much argu-
ment ensued, and it was finally de-
cided to lay the inner wall of the
curve somewhat lower than the
outer one.
Every one has seen pictures of
the first locomotive used in America.
The S. C. R. W. & C. Co. imported
two engines of this pattern from
England. The description of the
early methods shows them to have
been primitive in the extreme.
The first cars were equipped with
sails. This sounds, in newspaper
talk, like a pipe dream" but it is
fact. The object of the sails was
to help the engine in case a favor
able breeze should spring up from
behind. After making several trip
over the line, it was found necessar!
to have headlight of some kind
After a deal of thought and consid
GRAFTON, the superintendent provid
ed fiat car with dirt floor. Thi
was coupled on in front of the en-
CINE and piled with light woo
knots. Just before the train wa
ready to pull out these were set o.
fire, and a negro was employed t
keep the fire going. One can we
imagine the inconvenience to tn
engineer. In very few minute
he was thoroughly smoked.
The authorities Of the new ente,
prise we're at first very timid abou
increasing speed. Eight miles wa
considered fast enough, as the live
of passengers had to be considered
At a meeting of the directors of tn
road, some time after it had been i
operation, it was proposed that a
increase in speed be attempted. Tn
proposition, however, met with Ii
! tie encouragement. The more pre-
gressive member then rose and d.