CHAPTER XIV
DATE OF ITS RUNNING
THE exact date of the arrival and landing of the first English
locomotive that was ever run upon a railroad in America being
now settled by Mr. Horatio Allen's letters to John B. Jervis,
Esq., the next object of the author was to learn upon what day
that engine was first run upon a railroad. For this purpose, by
advice of Mr. Jervis, he addressed a letter to C. F. Young, Esq.,
the present general superintendent of the Delaware and Hudson
Railroad and Canal Company. Previously to receiving Mr. Young's
answer, the author addressed a letter to Thomas Dickenson, Esq.,
the president of the company, to which he received the following
reply.
DELAWARE AND HUDSON CANAL COMPANY,
SCRANTON February 26, 1870. WM. H BROWN, Esq.,
DEAR SIR: I have yours of the l9th last. C. F. Young, of Honesdale,
Pennsylvania, our general superintendent, has been looking up,
for you, the matters you refer to, and has doubtless written you
ere this. In a conversation I had with him, Young, a few days
ago, he told me that the time of the trial-trip he had found positively
to have been between the 3d and 8th of August, 1829. That it was
in 1829, and on one of the days mentioned, there is not the shadow
of a doubt, and that it was the first locomotive run upon this
continent is beyond question.
We take pleasure in affording you every opportunity in making
a your investigation; and, that there may be no mistake, I will
enclose your letter to Mr. Young, that his attention may be called
to it again.
Very truly yours,
THOMAS S. DICKENSON, President.
Almost the same mail brought the long-looked-for letter from
Mr. Young; and, as he gives the date of the first day's trial
near to the consummation of the author's desire upon that subject,
we evils, as we promised our readers, present Mr. Young's letter,
just as it was written, as every portion of it is of interest:
OFFICE OF GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT,
DELAWARE AND HUDSON CANAL COMPANY,
HONESDALE, PA., February 23, 1870. WM. H. BROWN ESQ.,
DEAR SIR: I owe you an apology for the long delay in furnishing
you what information I might be able to obtain respecting the
date of the experimental trip of the first locomotive-engine imported
by our company. I waited to hear from a gentleman who was to have
examined a file of newspapers, published at Montrose, Susquehanna
County, in 1829; but I have not yet heard from him. I have not
been able, from any thing I can find in the books or papers of
the company, to fix the exact day on which the trial-trip took
place. I find from our collector's books, at Eddyville, that two
locomotive-engines were cleared at that office, and started up
the canal, July 16, 1829. I do not find any record of their arrival
at Honesdale, which was probably five or six days thereafter.
The old inhabitants of this place, who were present at the
time, agree that the experimental trip was made in August, 1829.
John Torry informs me that he finds in the books of his father,
Jason Torry, a charge against the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company,
dated August 3, 1829, for labor of men and horses, drawing stones,
'this day,' to load a railroad-car. This car, loaded with stone,
is understood and believed to be the one which was to be attached
to the locomotive on its trial trip. I find many, who were present
at the time, remember the car-load of stone designed to be attached
to the locomotive on its trial-trip. At the celebration, on the
day the experiment was made, a young man, by the name of Alva
Adams, had his arm badly shattered by the premature discharge
of the cannon which was used. Dr. E. T. Losey, who is now living
here, assisted in amputating the arm and afterward attended the
patient. Dr. Losey finds the charge on his books, for amputating,
dated August 8, 1829. The trial-trip, no doubt, took place some
time from the 3d to the 8th of August, 1829. Dr. Losey thinks
the arm was amputated the same day on which the injury was received;
but says he might have omitted to make the charge for three or
four days, but is not certain of this.
I have had the file of letters for 1829 examined, at our office
in New York, without finding any letters from John B. Jervis or
Horatio Allen which fix the date of the experiment. I am of opinion
that there were such letters, and that they have been lent to
some previous explorer, who has failed to return them.
John B. Jervis's annual report for 1829 I have examined (it
is now in our New-York office); but, while he speaks of the causes
of failure as to the success of the locomotive, he does not give
the day on which the experiment was made.
I am sorry that I am unable to fix the exact day on which the
trial trip of the first locomotive was made, but there is no doubt
it occurred some time from the 3d to the 8th of August, 1829.
Yours very truly,
C. F. YOUNG,
General Superintendent.
Determined to leave no stone unturned and no effort untried
to establish the exact day the first locomotive was run upon a
railroad in America, the author (taking the hint from Mr. Young's
letter) addressed the postmaster of Montrose, relative to the
old file of newspapers said to be in existence, stating the object
of his inquiry. In a few days he received a reply from a lady,
Miss Emily C. Blackman, offering her aid and services in examining
the said file, and through her energy and perseverance he received
much valuable information, by following which, he was rewarded
with complete success. In one of Miss Blackman's letters, she
corroborates Mr. Young's information, by the following extract
from the Montrose paper:
Melancholy Accident. We are informed that a young man,
by the name of Adams, was severely injured on Saturday last, at
Honesdale, by the sudden and unexpected discharge of a cannon.
Adams and others were engaged in firing signals on starting the
locomotive-engine.
From the Dundaff Republican, but no date.
Through the kindness of Miss Blackman, the author learned that
a file of the Dundaff Republican of 1829 could be obtained from
Dilton Yarrington, Esq., of Carbondale; who, on application, kindly
forwarded the same to the author. From this file, under date of
Thursday, August 13, 1829, we extract the following:
"Melancholy Accident.We are informed that a young
man, by the name of Adams, was severely injured on Saturday last,
at Honesdale," etc., etc.
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