OPENING OF THE FIRST PASSENGER RAILROAD IN THE WORLD.

Colonist, Volume XXIII, Issue 2630, 22 November 1879, Page 1 (Supplement)

OPENING OF THE FIRST PASSENGER RAILROAD IN THE WORLD.

(From the Baltimore American.) , Just forty-nine years age—that is, Sept. 15, 1830 —the first passenger railroad, in England, the' Liverpool and Manchester Bailway, was opened with great ceremony. A year, before a prize of £500 had' been offered* for the best locomotive engine, which had been won by Geo. Stephenson's " Bocket," upon which was subsequently modeled the old grasshopper engines of the Baltimore, and Ohio Bailroad, their appearance being suggestive of their name. Eight locomotive engines had been completed and placed upon tbe line, and all had been tested witb entire success. To every engine was attached/our passenger carriages, each containing twenty persons. 'The first engine, the V -Northumbrian," drew the! most j distinguished guests —the Dulse of Wellington, »ir Bobert Peel, anqYo'ther members of the Ministry. It had one line of the double track to ' itself., The otuer seven locomotives', with their carriages, followed each other on the other line., The procession started from Liverpool at eleven o'clock', with flags, 'music', fine weather and great enthusiasm. Seventeen , miles from Liverpool they stopped to take in wattr, md in order to aftord the Duke of Wellington an opportunity of seeing the'processiojn. The'seven locomotives, with tbeir carriages, were ordered to pass slowly by the "Northumbrian," standing on its track:. Several geutlemen had alighted while the locomo-, tives were taking in .water, and one of them, Mr Huskisson, member of, (Parliament for LiverpooCand an earnest supporter of, the; railroad cause, catching sigbt of the Duke of Wellington, between whom and him.elt than bid bejo soma political qwlmu» tan

. eagerly;-across - the-track iter shaken him by *the haod.sftiAMhat moment,-theioider was /given- for the seven ,engineers'Cto : ;,move forward. .-. jMr Huskisson vf as bewildered. The Vißoqket," which was the. .leading, .engine, struck him while he was still in doubt where to/flee.; The wheels went^over, his.leg and .thigh,.and he,expired that. evening. The .acciflept casta deep gloom over the day's feVttvity..,, The trip -was, concluded, that ;pgopJe;waiting along,the line: might, not bo disappointed,,b^utj all. rejoicing^and gaiety were at an end.-., The next.day, .the- railway was. opened for passenger, traffic, and carried 140 ; persons from' Liverpoo- tp.-Manchester in[two, hours..,, The .original.jCalculutions of .tbe.constrpctipnhad been; baseclpn probable returns ifrom heavy., merchandise traffic— eqal, cotton, etc. ; . They had formed no high j expectation ofu any-great emolument from ..tranaportingv passengers. ~, B,ut^the, railway was hardly opened,, before an;iaverage of 1200 persons dailyjwere willing-to : trust it with, their lives. In a. few years it was found that the enormous traffic.: was too , heavy for the original rails,' and; it became • necessary.to relay .the road^atiConßiderable expense.. But though .September 15, 1830, is,the greatest day.in^railroad annala-r-beiug • 'that on which the ; world's first, railroad was i opened complete*?-our own-lMarylaud Railroad preceded the Liverpool and Manchester /inutility. The first sod : of„the .Baltimore and.Qhio; Railroad was for its construction July 4. 1828,.and f by. the next year horae-.cars assisted by one, locomotiveengine, were carrying, possengers and; traffic between Baltimo/e,; and the Relay House, and.Eilicott's;Mills.. . ; . , 4 . „ .