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About Google Book Search Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and to make it universally accessible and useful. Google Book Search helps readers discover the world’s books while helping authors and publishers reach new audiences. You can search through the full text of this book on the web at http://books.google.com/ 1 (lhi» tjirpliins Etbmrtt presented. to the ieland SlatUurd Junior chtipfreity tr«(Timuthp fcrpkins. > 1 i THE HISTORY OF THE FIRST LOCOMOTIVES IN AMERICA. FROM ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS, AND THE TESTIMONY OF LIVING WITNESSES. BY WILLIAM H. BROWN. NEW YORK : D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, 5 4 9 k 551 BROADWAY. 1871. $ f LIBRARY ^ ! OF THE LfcLAND STANFORD JUNiUR 1^ UNIVERSITY. t tf.yjt> Entered, according to Act of Congress, In the year 18T1, By BOTCH A. HOERELL, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. DEDICATION. To Petee Coopee, Esq., New Yoek — My deae Sib : It is my belief that your early and most successful experiments upon the Baltimore and Ohio Kailroad in 1829-1830 proved that the locomo tive could he used as a power upon the short-curved railroads in this country. The practicability of this was doubted at the time mentioned even by the most eminent engineers in Europe. I cannot, therefore, re frain from bestowing upon you the praise of having given the first impulse to the adoption of the locomo tive in the United States, a fact which justly entitles you to the honor of being regarded as the " Father of the Locomotive System in America." This, sir, is not the only benefit your energy, your wealth, and your liberality, have conferred upon your countrymen. The expenditure in acts of benevolence of large sums from your private fortune, acquired by your own industry and frugality, is an example to the youths of America ; and in your " Institute " you will (after a long life of usefulness) leave an imperishable monument for futuie generations to dwell upon and admire. l iv DEDICATION. Will you permit me now, my dear sir, as a slight tribute to the respect and veneration I have ever felt for your many good deeds to your countrymen, to dedicate to you this humble effort on my part to record the history of the early locomotives in Ameri ca, in which you took such an active and promi nent part — a system which has resulted eventually in the development of the vast resources of our coun try, and given employment to many thousands of the mechanical and industrial classes of this community? With the hope, sir, that my wish upon this subject may meet with your cordial approbation, and that my work may be favorably received and prove instructive and interesting to the public, I remain, dear sir, • Respectfully yours, William H. Brown. P E EFAO E. The author of this work, being familiar with rail roads from their first construction, has, at much labor and expense, collected all the important facts in rela tion to their commencement and to the development of the locomotive-machine in this country. These facts have been obtained from the living witnesses who were the actors in those early events, and are presented in their own language in these pages. While making no pretensions to literary merit, he claims to have em- *: bodied in this volume all the facts of the early history of locomotives, in such a complete form as to satisfy the most skeptical. He therefore presents his work to the public with full confidence that his efforts to rescue from oblivion the names of some of the most distin guished pioneers in promoting the industrial progress vi PREFACE. of this nation will be kindly appreciated. To Mr. Peter Cooper and Mr. Jackson S. Schultz, of New- York City, in an especial manner, is he indebted for their generous assistance in enabling him to bring his task to completion. New Yoke, August 14, 1871. CONTENTS. I. — DEDICATION: Misrepresentations — Errors — John B. Jervis, Esq. — Horatio Allen, Esq. — B. H. Latrobe, Esq. — David Matthew, .... 9 II. — EARLY RAILROADS i The Egyptians — The Romans — Railroads in Scotland and Eng land — First Iron Rails cast, 19 m.— FIRST HEAD OF STEAM: Hero — Champollion — Cardan — Solomon de Cause — Marquis of Worcester — First Steam-Engine — Pepin, 24 rv.— FIRST STEAMBOATS:. Sarary — Blasco de Garay — Genevois — Count d'Auxiron — Perfler — Marquis de Jouffroy — Rumsey — Fitch — Miller — John Stevens — Stanhope — Livingston — Fulton — First Ocean-Steamer, . 29 ^ V.— FIRST STEAM-CARRIAGE : Cugnot — Symington — Murdoch — Thomas Allen — Oliver Evans — First Proposition for Railroad — Mr. Thomas's Proposal — Dr. Anderson's, ... 34 S VI.— TREVITHICK'S ENGINE : Blankensop — Chapman — Brunton's Engine — Blackett, . 38 -f.'VH.— GEORGE STEPHENSON: Early Education — Experiments at the Mines, . .45 -fflll.— STEPHENSON'S ENGINE: Blucher — Second Locomotive — Railways for General Use — Mr. Thomas — Mr. Gray, . 49 / IX— FIRST TRAINS: Hatton Colliery Road — Locomotive used — Stockton and Darling ton Railroad, 1825— Stephenson's Works — The Active — Experi ments — First Passenger-Coach — Manner of running Passenger- Coaches, . 54 ^-'X— FIRST DELIBERATIONS ON RAILROADS: Comparisons between Locomotive and Stationary Engines — Com mittee appointed — Report — Prize offered for the Best Locomotive, 60 yiii CONTENTS. CHAP. .^XL-^COMPETITION FOR THE PRIZE: Engines entered— Trials— The " Rocket "—" Novelty "—" Sans- pareil," 68 6 511.— RAILROADS IN AMERICA: First Railroad — Second Railroad — De Witt Clinton and the Canal — Colonel Stevens's Proposition — Chancellor Livingston's Opinion — Dearborn's Proposal, 70 Xm.— FIRST ENGLISH LOCOMOTIVE: David Matthew's First Letter — Certificates, etc. — John B. Jer- vis's Letters — Horatio Allen's Letters to John B. Jervis, fixing Date of Arrival of the "Stourbridge Lion," . .74 XTV.— DATE OF ITS RUNNING: President Dickson's Letter — Superintendent Toung's Letter — Miss Blackman's Letter — Extract from the Dundaff Republican, . 79 / XV.— LANDING IN AMERICA: Its Performances in New York — Arrival at Honesdale — Hon. John Torry's Description — Mr. Matthew's Description — A Sketch of the English Locomotive, 83 VXVI.— MORE FACTS OF THE "STOURBRIDGE LION:" First Stephenson Engine — Mr. Allen's Description — What be came of the " Stourbridge Lion " — Mr. Allen's Account of his First Ride— The Last of the " Lion," 88 +X XVII.— FIRST MEETING OF THE BALTIMORE AND OHIO RAIL ROAD CO.: Road commenced — Charles Carroll, of Carrollton — Road com pleted — How built — Mr. Swann's Remarks, . .93 XVIII.— FIRST BRIGADE OF CARS: First Experiment — Charles Carroll — Railroad Notice, etc. — Travel ling Memoranda — Early Passenger-Cars, . .97 XIX.— ROSS WINANS'S IMPROVEMENTS: Passenger-Cars — First Trains — First Car with Centre Gangway — Horatio Allen on Springs, 103 ^XX.— EXPERIMENTAL LOCOMOTIVES: Peter Cooper's Locomotive — When and where built — Mr. Cooper's Letter — Why it was built — Mr. Latrobe's Letter — De scription of the Experiment, 108 ' XXI.— PETER COOPER'S LOCOMOTIVE: Mr. Latrobe's Letter — Description of the Machine — Mr. Ross Winans's Description of the Experiment, 113 ''XXII.— ROSS WINANS'S COMPARISONS: The " Rocket " of Stephenson or Peter Cooper's Machine — The " Tom Thumb " — First Ride by Mt.