Part 1 (1/2)

Railway Adventures and Anecdotes

by Various

PREFACE

Although railways are comparatively of recent date we are so accustomed to them that it is difficult to realize the condition of the country before their introduction How different are the present day ideas as to speed in travelling to those entertained in the good old tiland in 1798, thus describes the rapid travelling of that period:-”Four horses drawing a coach with six persons inside, four on the roof, a sort of conductor besides the coachlish oes on without ever stopping except at the principal stages, it is not surprising that you can traverse the whole extent of the country in so few days But for any length of tiet a very piece-meal view of the country froo can keep no object long in sight; you are unable also to stop at any place” Near the sa for the first time by coach from Scotland to London, was seriously advised to stay a day at York, as the rapidity ofpassengers to die of apoplexy

It is stated in the year 1825, there was in the whole world, only one railway carriage, built to convey passengers It was on the first railway between Stockton and Darlington, and bore on its panels theof this line the people's ideas of railway speed were scarcely ahead of the canal boat For we are told, ”Strange to say, aheaded the procession It was not thought so dangerous a place after all The locoo at the rate of from four to six miles an hour; an ordinary horse could easily keep ahead of that A great concourse of people stood along the line Many of theentlealloped across the fields to keep up with the engine At a favourable part of the road Stephenson deterine, and he called upon the horseet out of his way! The speed was at once raised to twelvee Stephenson was greatly i to the future of railway travelling When battling for the locomotive he seemed to see with true prescience what it was destined to acco in course of tiland” Years afterwards when asked to what he alluded, he replied, ”I h by the locomotive before I died, and I have done it” Thus was a similar prediction fulfilled, which at the time he uttered it was doubtless considered a very wild prophecy, ”Men shall take supper in London and breakfast in Edinburgh”

Fro railways have spread over the four quarters of the globe Thousands of millions of pounds have been spent upon their construction Railway contractors such as Peto and Brassey at one time e hosts engaged in hty revolutions that have been wrought in social affairs and in the co when he said in the House of Coe? Not your warriors, not your statesh of modern date, has been rich in adventures and incidents Numerous works have been written upon Railways, also les and triumphs, which have charmed multitudes of readers Yet no volu exclusively of Railway Adventures and Anecdotes Books having the heading of Railway Anecdotes, or si few of such anecdotes but many of a miscellaneous character, have from ti and circumstances connected with it are very numerous: they are to be found scattered in Parliaraphies, and hly instructive, diverting, andreference to persons in all conditions The ”Railway Adventures and Anecdotes,” illustrating many a quaint and picturesque scene of railway life, have been drawn fro ti to believe theyand profitable to the railway traveller and the general reader, relieving the tediurapple with profounder subjects

The romance of railways is in the past and not in the future How desirable then it is that a ritten history of British Railways should speedily be produced, before their traditions, interesting associations, and early workers shall be forgotten A work of such nitude would need to be entrusted to a band of expert writers With an able man like Mr Williams, the author of _Our Iron Roads_, and the _History of the Midland Railway_, presiding over the enterprise, a historyto the present and to future generations The history although somewhat voluminous would be a necessity to every public and private library Many of our railway coht do worse than contribute 500 or 1000 each to encourage such an iive an impetus to the study of railway matters and it is not at all unlikely in the course of a short time the companies would be recouped for their outlay

Before concluding, it is only right I should expressthehest rank and distinction, cabinet istrates, ministers of all sections of the Christian church, h their helpful kindness htened, and I trust they will have no reason to regret that their confidence has been misplaced

ORIGIN OF RAILWAYS

The immediate parent of the railas the wooden tram-road, which existed at an early period in colliery districts Mr Beaumont, of Newcastle, is said to have been the first to lay doooden rails as long ago as 1630 More than one hundred and forty years elapsed before the invention was greatly ih not the first to use iron rails), was the first to lay down a cast-iron railway, nailed to wooden sleepers, for the Duke of Newcastle's colliery near Sheffield This innovation was regarded with great disfavour by the workpeople as an interference with the vested rights of labour Mr

Carr's life, as a consequence, was in much jeopardy and for four days he had to conceal hinant and vindictive populace

WAY-LEAVES

Roger North, referring to a visit paid to Newcastle by his brother, the Lord Keeper Guildford, in 1676, writes:-”Another re is their _way-leaves_; for when round between the colliery and the river, they sell the leave to lead coal over the ground, and so dear that the owner of a rood of ground will expect 20 per annu rails of tiht and parallel, and bulky carts arethese rails, whereby the carriage is so easy that one horse will draw four or five chaldron of coals, and is an immense benefit to the coal merchants”

SIR ISAAC NEWTON'S PREDICTION OF RAILWAY SPEED

In a tract by the Rev Mr Craig, Vicar of Leaton, entitled ”Astral Wonders,” is to be found the following ree:-”LetSir Isaac Newton and Voltaire Sir Isaac wrote a book on the Prophet Daniel, and another on the Revelations; and he said, in order to fulfil certain prophecies before a certain date terminated, na of which the e of mankind would be so increased that they would be able to travel at the rate of fifty miles an hour Voltaire, who did not believe in the Holy Scriptures, got hold of this, and said, 'Now look at that ravity, and told us such ot into his dotage, he began to study that book called the Bible; and it appears that in order to credit its fabulous nonsense, we e will be so much increased that we shall be able to travel fifty miles an hour The poor 'dotard!' exclaimed the philosophic infidel, Voltaire, in the complaisancy of his pity But who is the dotard now?”

THE ATMOSPHERIC RAILROAD ANTIcipaTED

_First Voice_