THE FIRST ELECTRIC RAILROAD.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XIX, Issue VIII, 14 August 1897, Page 250

THE FIRST ELECTRIC RAILROAD.

*Thb first electric railroad, trolley road, ever established and successfully run in the world was built not in thia country, as most persona would naturally suppose, for the idea was American all the way through ' said a prominent railroad man who only recently returned from a tour of the world, to a ir<wAinpfon Star reporter, * but in Ireland. It runs along the north coast of Ireland, from Port Rush to the Giants* Causeway. It baa been a success from the start, and though it has been greatly improved during the past year or so, the original poles are still in use. There is a very heavy travel during the tourist seasons to the Giants’ Causeway, which is one of the natural wonders of the world. The owners of the road patterned after a small model which they saw in running operation at the Centennial Exposition in 1876, and had it constructed the following year. Before that visitors were taken to the Giants’ Causeway in all kinds of conveyances, principally the jaunting car, but this mode of transportation was not exactly satisfactory, for the distance that had to be travelled was over seven miles from Port Rush. This meant fourteen miles of very rough and at times dangerous travel. It was also expensive. The trolley road does the work in lees than an hour, and it has been the means of greatly increasing the numbers who make the trip. The most violent opposition was made to the trolley by the jaunting-car trap owners, bnt this has completely died out. Suits of all kinds were brought against the trolley, but beyond having to nay for a few goats, cows and calves killed, the management has had to pay no very serious damages. On the other hand, ib has steadily made money. It is fair enough, however, to give credit, and there are cards in each stating that the system is of American invention. There is no record of a trolley line in operation in this country for four or five years afterward.’