i^iaKJi WONDERS MD GORIOSITIES OF THE RAILWAY WM.SLOANE KENNEDY rmms iiuM Book \ j1__ Copyright ]^^_______ COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT WONDERS AND CURIOSITIES OF THE RAILWAY OR STORIES OF THE LOCOMOTIVE IN EVERY LAND WITH AN APPENDIX, BRINGING THE VOLUME DOWN TO DATE BY V^ILLIAM SLOANE KENNEDY \ NEW YORK HURST & COMPANY PUBLISHERS . / LIBRARY ot CONGRESS Two Conies Received SEP 4 1906 /) Couyrie«u Entry «LASS d XXc. No. COPY B. '^ Copyright, 1884, By S. C. GRIGGS AND COMPANY. Copyright, 1906, By hurst & COMPANY. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. A LTHOUGH, in the preparation of the following work I have drawn upon tte entire literature of the rail- way during the half-century of its existence, and am there- fore under obligation for materials to innumerable books, magazines, and newspapers, I must yet acknowledge espe- cial indebtedness to the "Railway Age," of Chicago; to files of the London " Times," and certain early American newspapers kindly placed at my disposal by the librarian of the Boston Athenaeum, Mr. Charles A. Cutter; and to Mr. William H. Brown's " History of the First Locomotives in America." Mr. Brown's book is standard authority on the subject of early American railroads, although it has been for some time out of print, and is unfitted for the general reader by reason of its technical details. The chapter on " The Vertical Railway," in the present volume, was originally contributed by me to "Harper's Monthly Magazine " ; and for permission to use it here, with the accompanying illustrations, I am indebted to the courtesy of Messrs. Harper & Brothers. Special thanks are ren- dered to Mr. E. H. Talbott, editor of the " Railway Age,'* ill IV ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. for the engraving of the George Stephenson passenger-car, that of the old Michigan Central railroad car, the car " Vic- tory," Interior of " Railway Age " car, and several others. Messrs. Hoopes and Townsend, of Philadelphia, have placed in my hands for use the quaint picture of " Old Iron- sides," with his *' Train of cars behind, obedient, merrily following"; and Messrs. H. K. Porter and Company, of Pittsburgh, have kindly furnished an electrotype of their logging train. Mr. Thomas A, Edison and the Leo Daft Electric Light Company have furnished views of their electric locomotives. To the " Scientific American " I am indebted for the use of sev- eral cuts; also to Mr. John Stevenson for permission to reproduce the engraving of his first street car. The train of cars figured on page thirteen is a reduced fac-simile of the large folded picture that forms the frontispiece to the original edition of Thomas Gray's work on the railway (London: 1823). The picture is, of course, an ideal one, for when it was made the railway was not in existence. W. S. K. — . COJS'TENTf CHAPTER I. Introduction -.-.-.-.... 1-6 Sidney Smith and the Solan Goose, 1. The "Womb of the Dragon, 2. Balaklava-charge of the Locomotive, 2. Poetry of the Train, 3. Anecdote of the Ameer of Afghan- - istan, 3. The Railroad a Good Democrat, 3, The Feat* of Steam, 3. From Cologne to London, 4. CHAPTER IL Beginnings in Europe -.--.-.. 6-30 ** Grasshopper Engines," 6. The Cornish Monster and the Clergyman, 6. "Na-noth-nothing to pay, my de-dear Mr. Devil!" 7. Road-engines with Legs, 8. **Owd Neddy's Quaker Line " (the Stockton and Darlington), 8. First Rail- road Passenger Car in the World, 9. First Steam Passenger Car (George Stephenson's), 10. The '* Puffing Billy" and the Burning-glass, 12. Quaint Early Signals, 12. The Darlington Jubilee of 1875, 12. The Railroad Train of Thomas Gray, 14. Snapped Legs and Bursting Hearts, 15. A Thrill of Annihilation! 16. Downfall of the Bonifaces, 16. Eating a Stewed Engine-wheel, 16. George Stephen- son before the Parliamentary Committee, — Roars of In- credulous Laughter, 17. Stephenson's Victory at Rainhill, 18. Opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railroad, T — " Vi CONTEl^^TS. The First Railway Accident, 18. Fanny Kemble's Loco- motive Ride with Old Northumbrian George, 19 (note). The First French Railway, '^ Triomphe merveilleuse ! ** Flaisir inconnu /^' 20. A Grouty Englishman, 21. Old Samuel Breck of the Corps of Silver Grays, 23. Railway Mania of 1836, 23. " Wily, Slily, Gammon and Bubble!" 24. Railway Mania of 1844, 24. Spinsters and Scrip, 25. Speculations of a Fascinating Marchioness, 26. The Debate of the Crack Engineers, 28. Railway Magnate Hudson and his " Umbrageous Scrip," 28. CHAPTER III. The First American Railroads - - . 30-68 Oliver Evans's Steam-wagon on Wheels, 30. His Remark- able Prophecy, 30. Dr. Darwin's Fiery Chariot, 31. Mother Shipton a Myth, 31. Colonel John Stevens's Railway on Posts, 32. Old *' Granite Railroad" of Quincy (first in America), 33. First Snow-plough, 34. First Revolution on American Soil of the Driving-wheel of a Locomotive, 36. Peter Cooper, the "Father of the Locomotive System in America," 39. Peter Cooper building his Engine, the ** Tom Thumb," 39. Baron Krudener and the Sailing-car, yj 39. The ''Cowed'' Editors, 39. Race of the "Tom ' ' " ' Thumb and the ' Gallant Gray, " 44. The Flying Dutch- man," 46. A Negro Fireman sits on the Safety-valve of ' the ' Best Friend, " with Unpleasant Results, 46. Silhouette- artist Brown snips out a Quaint Picture of the First Rail- road Train in the North, 47. Thundering along toward Schenectady, 48. Wood-sparks, Burnt Umbrellas, and Merry- woful Deck-passengers, 50. Stampede along the Road, 51. Ludicrous Trial-trip of "Old Ironsides," 52. Old Car, "Victory," 54. A Novel Track-illuminator, 54. Pounding down * * Snake-heads, " 56. Old Custom of Registering Names COi^^TElS'TS. vM of Railway Passengers, 56. The Early Railroads of Massa- chusetts, 57. Edward Everett Hale's First Locomotive Ride, 57 (note). Thick-headed Legislators, 59. Boston and Wor- cester Railroad, 59. First Locomotive-whistle in Ohio, 62. The Lexington and Frankfort Railroad in Kentucky, 62. Its Queer Little Locomotive with Hickory Brooms in Front, 63. First Puff of a Locomotive on the Prairies, 65. f Charge of a Bull upon the Engine, 66. General Semples and his Prairie-locomotive, 66. View of Old Car on the Michigan Central, 67. CHAPTER IV. The Banding of the Continent _ . - - - 68-90 Trunk Lines, 68. Colossal Statue of Columbus, hewn out of the Rocky Mountains, 68 (note). "The Strong, Light Works of Modern Engineers," 69. Longest Railroad in the World, 69 (note). First Railroad out of Chicago, 70. Union Pacific, — The Spinning of the Iron Thread, The Steady Tramp across the Plains, The Last Spike, 70. Cen- tral Pacific, — The Battle with the Sierras, 7L An Avalanche of Earth, 72. Southern Pacific, — Tank-cars, Red Apaches, Sand-storms, 73. The Mexican Central, — " Viva la Repub- lica de Mexico ! " 73. The Denver and Rio Grande Railway, the Iron Poem of the West, 74. Railway Exposition at Chi- cago, — Old Curiosity Shop, Electric Railway, 75. Night- battle with the Indians on the Union Pacific, 78. Anecdote of the Tenderfoot Engineer, 79. Trains running the Fire- gauntlet, 80. Waterspouts on the Plains, — Lost Train, Buried Locomotive, 80. A Wonderful Hail-storm, 80. Snow-ploughs, — Charge of the Harnessed Engines, 82. Trains lost in Snow-storms, 83. The New Time-standard, 87. — • %• VUl CONTEKTS. CHAPTER V. The Locomotive in Slippees _..... 90-101 The Three-elephant Team in Ceyion, 90. "Change Cars for Nazareth ! " 90. The Steam Wagon in the Land of Roses, 90. The Locomotive in the Sunrise Land, — the Mikado open- ing the First Railroad in Japan, 91. How the " Japs " take to Steam Travel, 93. The First and Only Railroad in China, — Disturbing the Spirits of the Earth and Air, 93. India, Attack of an Elephant upon a Locomotive ; A Military Cor- don of Stations; Feathery-foliaged Telegraph-poles; Novel Sleeping Cars; The Chota-hazare; The Railroad a Caste- destroyer; Uproar of the Natives at a Station; The "Fra- grance of a Monkey-house " ; Scarlet Turbans and Grinning ^ Teeth, 94. Africa, — Balconied Cars; Tipped into the Nile; Prayer-carpets ; The Imperturbable Old Turk ; The Mish- mish, 98. CHAPTER VI. A Mosaic of Travel 101-114 Russia, — Sumptuous Two-story Saloon-Cars; Clean, Bright Restaurants, 101. Travel in Norway, 102. Sweden, — The Arcadia of Travellers by Rail; Paul du Chaillu and his Wonderful Dinner, 103. Germany, — No Broken Rails ; The Conductor in his Little Watch-tower ; Five Hours and Fifteen Beers from Cologne to Mainz ; The Jolly Buffets, 104. Spain, * " — Take your Time ; ' Quien quiere Aguaf Fruit Vendors, 106. France, — The Missis of Mugby Junction relates her Travels, "The Universal French Refreshment Sangwich busts on your Disgusted Vision"; Traln^lunches, 107. England,— Shadowing a Thief in Woman's Apparel; Features of English Cars ; Description of the Underground Railways of London, Gigantic Subterranean and Subfluvial Tunnels, Weird Gliding of the Noiseless Trains, 111. ! CONTENTS. IX CHAPTER VII. A Handful of Curiosities 114-125 A Locomotive on Sled-runners, 114. Railroads on the Ice, 115. A Railroad in the Tree-tops, 115. The Old Fremont and Maumee Road, 115. Wooden Railways, 116. Bicycle Railways, — The Steam Caravan at Aleppo; A Two-wheeled Locomotive in New Jersey, 118. Toy Railroads, 118. A Submarine Railway, 119. The Marine Railway of Captain James B. Eads, —Transfer of Ocean Vessels across the Isth- mus of Tehuantepec by Rail, 119. Atmospheric Railways (Compressed Air the Motive-power), 120. A Flying Loco- motive, 121. Cars Propelled by Sails, 121. A Travelling Telegraph-office, 122. The Dynograph-car, 124. CHAPTER VIII. Mountain Railways -.. 125-145 The Locomotive a Good Climber, 125. The Gravity Road of Honesdale, — Magically Propelled Cars, 125. Old Switch- back Road, 126. Old Portage Railroad across the Alleghany Mountains,—* * One of the Wonders of the World, " 127.