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I 



mm 



ri^m&':i^>aMj"K*'nsy 



® LIVES 



OF TUB 



ENGINEEES 

THE LOCOMOTIVE. 

QEOBQE AND BOBEBT STEPHENSON. 



Bt SAMUEL JMILBS, 

▲X7TH0B 09 'OHARACTEB,* <8ELF-HBLP/ KO. 



-BU HMiwm o|Mn. P«bllo Waji ntmtdt 
Bid Templai; woitUar of Qod, uotod ; 
Bia ttM bRMA Ardi the dAag'rovi flood oonlBla. 
The Mole iir<«Jaoiad bnek the roertnc main, 
Beok to hiB boumda their ial||eot Ma oommead. 
And roll obedknl ilTen ttuoofh the laod. 

honoan, Paeoe to happy Britain brines; 

are in^irial wortik aad woflkj Hngi.** 



A NEW AND REVISED EDITION, 



LONDON: 
JOHN MURBAT, ALBEMARLE STBEET. 

1879. 

fkt right ^ TVaiMlatum U reMrwd. 




Works by the same Author, 

LIVES OF THE ENGINEERS. Illustrated by 9 Steel Portraits and 
34a Engravings on Wood. 5 vols, crown 8vo. ft, 6d. each. 
Vol. I. Embankments and Canals— Vbrmuyden ; Mvddbltom ; 
Perry; Brindlby. 
II. Harbours, Lighthouses, and Bridges.— Smbatqn ; 
Rennib. 

III. History op Roads— Mbtcalfb ; Tblford. 

IV. The Stbam-Enginb — ^Boulton and Watt. 

V. Thb Locomotive— George and Robert Stephenson. 

\* Each Volume is com^te in itself, and may be had separately, 

SFXF-HELP ; or Illustrations op Conduct and Persbvbrancb. 6f. 
CHARACTER. A Volume op Noble Characteristics. 6f. 
THRIFT. A Book op Domestic Counsel. 6f. 
DUTY ; WITH Illustrations of Courage, Patience, and Endurance. 

6*. 
INDUSTRIAL BIOGRAPHY: Ironworkers and Toolmakers. (a. 
MEN OF INVENTION. 6*. 
LIFE AND LABOUR; or Characteristics op Men op Culture 

AND Genius, (a, 
LIFE OF THOMAS EDWARD, (Shoemaker op Banff,) Scotch 

Naturalist. Small 8vo. 6f. 
LIFE OF ROBERT DICK, (Baker op Thurso,) Geologist and 

Botanist. Crown 8vo. x%s. 
JAMES NASMYTH, C.E. : Inventor op the Steam Hammer. 6f . 



^NpoN: printed by william clowbs and sons, umited, 
j^amford street and charing c&oss. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Since the appoaranoe of this book in its original fornix 
some seventeen years since, the constmction of Hailwajt 
has continued to make extraordinary progress. Although 
Great Britain, first in the field, had then, after about 
twenty-five years' work, expended nearly 300 millions 
sterling in the constmction of 8300 miles of railway, it 
has, during the last seventeen years, expended about 288 
millions more in constructing 7780 additional miles. 

But the construction of railways has proceeded with 
equal rapidity on the Continent. France, Germany, Spain, 
Sweden, Belgium, Switzerland, Holland, have largely 
added to their railway mileage. Austria is actively en- 
gaged in carrying new lines across the plains of Hungary, 
which Turkey is preparing to meet by Hues carried up 
the valley of the Lower Danube. Bussia is also occupied 
with extensive schemes for connecting Petersburg and 
Moscow with her ports in the Black Sea on the one hand, 
and with the frontier towns of her Asiatic empire on the 
other. 

Italy is employing her new-bom liberty in vigorously 
extending railways throughout her dominions. A direct 
line of communication has already been opened between 
France and Italj;, through the Mont Genis Tunnel ; while 

r. a 2 



It INTRODUmO> 

another has been opened between Germany and Italy 
through the Brenner Pass, — so that the entire journey 
may now be made by two different railway routes (ex- 
cepting only the short sea-passage across the English 
Channel) from London to Brindisi, situated in the south- 
eastern extremity of the Italian peninsula. 

During the last sixteen years, nearly the whole of the 
Indian railways have been made. When Edmund Burke, 
in 1783, arraigned the British Government for their 
neglect of India in his speQch on Mr. Fox's Bill, he said : 
" England has built no bridges, made no high roads, cut 

no navigations, dug out no reservoirs Were we to 

be driven out of India this day, nothing would remain 
to tell that it had been possessed, during the inglorious 
period of our dominion, by anything better than the 
ourang-outang or the tiger." 

But that reproach no longer exists. Some of the greatest 
bridges erected in modem times— such as those over the 
Sone near Patna, and over the Jumna at Allahabad — have 
been erected in connection with the Indian railways. More 
than 5000 mi],es are now at work, and they have been con- 
structed at an expenditure of about 88,000,000Z. of British 
capital, guaranteed by the British Government. The 
Indian railways connect the capitals of the three Presi- 
dencies — uniting Bombay with Madras on the south, and 
with Calcutta on the north-east — while a great main line, 
2200 miles in extent, passing through the north-western 
provinces, and connecting Calcutta with Lucknow, Delhi, 
Lahore, Moultan, and Kurrachee, unites the mouths of the 
Hooghly in the Bay of Bengal with those of the Indus 
in the Arabian Sea. 



nrrRODucriON. n 

When the first edition of this work appeared, in the 
beginning of 1857, the Canadian system of railways was 
but in its infancy. The Grand Trunk was only begnn, 
and the Victoria Bridge — the greatest of all railway 
siractnres — was not half erected. The Colony of Canada 
has now more than 3000 miles in active operation along 
the great valley of the St. Lawrence, connecting Riviere 
da Loup at the month of that river, and the harbour of 
Portland in the State of Maine, vid Montreal and Toronto, 
with Samia on Lake Huron, and with Windsor, oppo- 
site Detroit in the State of Michigan^ During the same 
time the Australian Colonies have been actively engaged 
in providing themselves with railways, many of which 
are at work, and others are in course of formation. The 
Cape of Good Hope has several lines open, and others 
making. France has constructed about 400 miles in 
Algeria ; while the Pasha of Egypt is the proprietor of 
360 miles in operation across the Egyptian desert. The 
Japanese are also making railroads. 

But in no country has railway construction been prose- 
cuted with greater vigour than in the United States. 
There the railway famishes not only the means of inter- 
communication between already established settlements, 
as in the Old World ; but it is regarded as the pioneer of 
colonization, and as instrumental in opening up new and 
fertile territories of vast extent in the west, — the food- 
grounds of future nations. Hence railway construction in 
that country was scarcely interrupted even by the great 
Civil War, — at the commencement of which Mr. Seward 
publicly expressed the opinion that "physical bftnds— 
such as highways, railroads, rivers, and canals- -are vastlv 



d INTRODUCTION. 

more powerful for holding civil communities together 
than any mere covenants, though written on parchment or 
engraved on iron." 

The people of the United States were the first to follow 
the example of England, after the practicability of steam 
locomotion had been proved on the Stockton and Darling- 
ton, and Liverpool and Manchester Kailways. The first 
sod of the Baltimore and Ohio Eailway was cut on the 4th 
of July, 1828, and the line was completed and opened for 
titiffic in the following year, when it was worked partly 
by horse-power, and partly by a locomotive built at 
Baltimore, which is still preserved in the Company's 
workshops. In 1830, the Hudson and Mohawk Eailway 
was begun, while other lines were under construction in 
Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and New Jersey; and in the 
course often years, 1843 miles were finished and in opera- 
tion. In ten more years, 8827 miles were at work ; at the 
end of 1864, 35,000 miles ; and at the 31st of December, 
1873, not less than 70,651 miles were in operation, of 
which 3916 had been made during that year. One of the 
most extensive trunk-lines is the Great Pacific Eailioad, 
connecting the lines in the valleys of the Mississippi and 
the Missouri with the city of San Francisco on the shores 
of the Pacific, by means of which it is possible to make the 
journey from England to Hong Kong, via New York, in 
little more than a month. 

The results of the working of railways have been in 
many respects different from those anticipated by their 
projectors. One of the most unexpected has been the 
growth of an immense passenger-traffio. The Stock ton 



iin:RODacTiON. fU 

and Darlington line was projected as a ooal line only, anc 
the Liverpool and Manchester as a merchandise line. Pas 
sengers were not taken into account as a source of revenue 
for at the time of their projection, it was not believed that 
people would trust themselves to be drawn upon a rail- 
way by an " explosive machine," as the locomotive was de- 
scribed to be. Indeed, a writer of eminence declared that lie 
would as soon think of being fired off on a ricochet rocket, 
as travel on a railway at twice the speed of the old stage- 
coaches. So great was the alarm which existed as to the 
locomotive, that the Liverpool and Manchester Committee 
pledged themselves in their second prospectus, issued in 
1825, *' not to reqtiire any clause empowering its use ;** 
and as late as 1829, the Newcastle and Carlisle Act was 
conceded on the express condition that the line should 
not be worked by locomotives, but by horses only. 

Nevertheless, the Liverpool and Manchester Company 
obtained powers to make and work their railway without 
any such restriction ; and when the line was made and 
opened, a locomotive passenger-train was advertised to be 
run upon it, by way of experiment. Greatly to the sur- 
prise of the directors, more passengers presented them- 
selves as travellers by the train than could conveniently 
be carried. 

The first arrangements as to passenger-traffic were of 
a very primitive character, being mainly copied from the 
old stage-coach system. The passengers were '* booked '* 
at the railway office, and their names were entered in a 
way-bill which was given to the guard when the train 
started. Though the usual stage-coach bugleman could 
not conveniently accompany the passengers, the traini 



*•• 



Vlll INTRODDCTION. 

were at first played out of the terminal stations by a lively 
tune performed by a trumpeter at the end of the platform ; 
and this continued to be done at the Manchester Station 
until a comparatively recent date. 

But the number of passengers can ied by the Liverpool 
and Manchester line was so unexpeotedly great, that it 
was very soon found necessary to remodel the entire sys- 
tem. Tickets were introduced, by which a great saving 
of time was eflfected. More roomy and commodious car- 
riages were provided, the original first-class compartments 
being seated for four passengers only. Everything was 
found to have been in the first instance made too light 
and too slight. The prize ' Kooket,' which weighed only 
4^ tons when loaded with its coke and water, was found 
quite unsuited for drawing the increasingly heavy loads of 
passengers. There was also this essential difference be- 
tween the old stage-coach and the new railway train, that, 
whereas the former was " fall " with six inside and ten 
outside, the latter must be able to accommodate whatever 
number of passengers came to be carried. Hence heavier 
and more powerful engines, and larger and more substan- 
tial carriages were from time to time added to the carrying 
stock of the railway. 

The speed of the trains was also increased. The first 
locomotives used in hauling coal-trains ran at from four 
to six miles an hour. On the Stockton and Darlington 
line the speed was increased to about ten miles an hour ; 
and on the Liverpool and Manchester line the first pas- 
senger-trains were run at the average speed of seventeen 
miles an hour, which at that time was considered very 
fast. But this was not enough When the London and 



INTRODUCriON. iz 

Bimiinghain line was opened, tHe mail-trains were mn 
at twenty-three miles an hour ; and gradually the speed 
went up, until now the fast trains are run at from fifty to 
sixty miles an hour, — the pistons in the cylinders, at sixty 
miles, travelling at the inconceivable rapidity of 800 feet 
per minute ! 

To bear the load of heavy engines run at high speeds, 
a much stronger and heavier road was found necessary ; 
€knd shortly affcer the opening of the Liverpool and Man 
Chester line, it was entirely relaid with stronger materials 
Now that express passenger-engines are from thirty tc 
thirty-five tons each, the weight of the rails has been 
increased from 35 lbs. to 75 lbs. or 86 lbs. to the yard. 
Stone blocks have given place to wooden sleepers ; rails 
with loose ends resting on the chairs, to rails with their 
ends firmly " fished " together ; and in many places, where 
the traffic is unusually heavy, iron rails have been replaced 
by those of steel. 

And now see the enormous magnitude to which railway 
passenger-traffic has grown. In the year 1873, 401,465,086 
passengers were carried by day tickets in Great Britain 
alone. But this was not all. For in that year 257,470 
periodical tickets were issued by the different railways ; 
and assuming half of them to be annual, one-fourth half- 
yearly, and the remainder quarterly tickets, and that their 
holders made only five journeys each way weekly, this 
wQuld give an additional number of 47,024,000 journeys, 
or a total of 448,489,086 passengers carried in Great 
Britain in one year. 

It is difficult to grasp the idea of the enormous num1>er 
of persons represented by these figures. The mind is 



K INTRODUCTION. 

marely bewildered by them, and can form no adequate 
notion of their magnitude. To reckon them singly would 
occupy twenty-five years, counting at the rate of one a 
second for twelve hours every day. Or take another 
illustration. Supposing every man, woman, and child in 
Great Britain to make ten journeys by rail yearly, 
the number would greatly fall short of the passengers 
carried in 1873. 

Mr. Porter, in his * Progress of the Nation,' estimated 
that thirty millions of passengers, or about eighty-two 
thousand a day, travelled by coaches in Great Britain in 
1834, an average distance of twelve miles each, at an 
average cost of •Sa. a passenger, or at the rate of bd, a mile ; 
whereas above 448 millions are now carried by railway 
an average distance of 8^ miles each, at an average cost of 
I«. I^. per passenger, or about three halfpence per mile, 
in considerably less than one-fourth of the time. 

But besides the above number of passengers, over one 
hundred and sixty-two million tons of minerals and mer- 
chandise were carried by railway in the United Kingdom 
in 1873, besides mails, cattle, parcels, and other traffic. 
The distance run by passenger and goods trains in the 
year was 162,561,304 miles;, to accomplish which it is 
estimated that four miles of railway must have been 
covered by running trains during every second all the 
year round. 

To perform this service, there were, in 1873, 11,2c: 5 
locomotives at work in the United Kingdom, consuming 
about four million tons of coal and coke, and flashing into 
the air every minute some forty tons of water in the form 
of steam in a high state of elasticity. There were alfiQ 



INTRODUCnOK. n 

24,644 passenger-oarriagee, 9128 vans ani breaks attaohed 
to passenger-trains, and 329,163 tracks, waggons, and 
other vehicles appropriated to merchandise. Buckled 
together, buffer to buffer, the locomotives and tenders 
would extend from London to Peterborough; while the 
carrying vehicles, joined together, would form two trains 
occupying a double line of railway extending irom London 
to beyond Inverness. 

A notable feature in the growth of railway traffic of 
late years has been the increase in the number of third- 
class passengers, compared with first and second class. 
Sixteen years since, the third-class passengers constituted 
only about one-third; ten years later, they were about 
one-half; whereas now they form more than three-fourths 
of the whole number carried. In 1873, there were about 
23 million first-class passengers, 62 million second-class, 
and^ not less than 306 million third-class. Thus G^rge 
Stephenson's prediction, '* that the time would come 
when it would be cheaper for a working man to make 
a journey by railway than to walk on foot," is already 
verified. 

The degree of safety with which this great traffic has 
been conducted is not the least remarkable of its features. 
Of course, so long as railways are worked by men they 
will be liable to the imperfections belonging to all 
things human. Though their machinery may be perfect 
and their organisation as complete as skill and fore- 
thought can make it, workmen will at times be forget- 
ful and listless; and a moment*s carelessness may lead 
to the most disastrous results. Yet, taking all circnm- 
stances into account, the wonder is, that travelling hj 



XJl INTRODUCTION. 

railway at high B^eed should have been rendered o )m- 
paratively so safe. 

To be struck by lightning is one of the rarest of all 
causes of death ; yet more persons are killed by light- 
ning in Great Britain than are killed on railways from 
canses beyond their own control. Most persons would 
consider the probability of their dying by hanging to be 
extremely remote ; yet, according to the Kegistrar-Gene- 
ral's returns, it is considerably greater than that of being 
•tilled by railway accident. 

The remarkable safety with 'jrhich railway traffic is on 
the whole conducted, is due to constant watchfulness and 
highly-applied skill. The men who work the railways 
are for the most part the picked men of the country, and 
every railway station may be regarded as a practical 
school of industry, attention, and punctuality. 

Few are aware of the complicated means and agencies 
that are in constant operation on railways day and night, 
to ensure the safety of the passengers to their journey's 
end. The road is under a system of continuous inspection. 
The railway is watched by foremen, with " gangs " of men 
under them, in lengths varying from twelve to five miles, 
according to circumstances. Their continuous duty is tc 
see that the rails and chairs are sound, their fastenings 
complete, and the line clear of all obstructions. 

Then, at all the junctions, sidings, and crossings, 
pointsmen are stationed, with definite instructions a« to 
the duties to be performed by them. At these places, 
signals are provided, worked from the station platforms, 
or from special signal boxes, for the purpose of protecting 
tlio stopping or passing trains. When the first railways 



INTRODUCTION. Xiil 

were opened, the signals were of a very simple kind 
The station men gave them with their arms stretched out 
in different positions ; then flags of different colours were 
used ; next flxed signals, with arms or discs of rectangular 
or triangular shape. These were followed by a complete 
system of semaphore signals, near and distant, protecting 
aU junctions, sidings, and crossings. 

When Government inspectors were first appointed by 
the Board of Trade to examine and report upon the work- 
ing of railways, they were alarmed by the number of 
trains following each other at some stations, in what then 
seemed to be a very rapid succession. A passage from a 
Eeport written in 1840 by Sir Frederick Smith, as to the 
traffic at "Taylor's Junction," on the York and North 
Midland Bailway, contrasts curiously with the railway 
life and activity of the present day : — " Here," wrote the 
alarmed Inspector, "the passenger trains from York as 
well as Leeds and Selby, meet four times a day. No less 
than 23 passenger-trains stop at or pass this station in 
the 24 hours — ^an amount of traffic requiring not only the 
most perfect arrangements on the part of the manage- 
ment, but the utmost vigilance and energy in the servants 
of the Company employed at this place." 

Contrast this with the state of things now. On the 
Metropolitan Line, 667 trains pass a given point in one 
direction or the other during the eighteen hours of the 
working day, or an average of 36 trains an hour. At 
the Cannon Street Station of the South-Eastem Bailway, 
527 trains pass in and out daily, many of them crossing 
each other's tracks under the protection of the station- 
8iga£^s. Forty-five trains run in and out between 9 and 



Xiy INTRODUCnOK. 

10 A.M., and an equal number between 4 and 5 f.h. 
Again, at the Clapbam Junction, near London, about 
700 trains pass or stop daJy ; and though to the casual 
observer the succession of trains coming and going, run- 
ning and stopping, coupling and shunting, appears a scene 
of inextricable confusion and danger, the whole is clearly- 
intelligible to the signalmen in their boxes, who work the 
trains in and out with extraordinary precision and regu- 
larity. 

The inside of a signal-box reminds one of a pianoforte 
on a large scale, the lever-handles corresponding with the 
keys of the instrument ; and, to an uninstructed person, 
to work the one would be as difficult as to play a tune on 
the other. The signal-box outside Cannon Street Station 
contains 67 lever-handles, by means of which the signal- 
men are enabled at the same moment to communicate with 
the drivers of all the engines on the line within an area of 
800 yards. They direct by signs, which are quite as in- 
intelligible as words, the drivers of the trains starting 
from inside the station, as well as those of the trains 
arriving from outside. By pulling a lever-handle, a dis- 
tant signal, perhaps out of sight, is set some hundred 
yards off, which the approaching driver — ^reading it 
quickly as he comes along — at once interprets, and stops 
or advances as the signal may direct. 

The precision and accuracy of the signal-machinery 
employed at important stations and jimctions have of late 
years been much improved by an ingenious contrivance, 
by means of which the setting of the signal prepares the 
road for the coming train. When the signal is set at 
♦* Danger," the points are at the same time worked, and 



iNTRODu:rnoi« jlv 

the road is ** locked " againsi it ; and when at " Safety, ' 
the road is open, — the signal and the points exactly cor- 
responding. 

The Electric Telegraph has also been found a valuable 
auxiliary in ensuring the safe working of large railway 
traffics. Though the locomotive may run at 60 miles an 
hour, electricity, when at its fastest, travels at the rate oi 
288,000 miles a second, and is therefore always able to 
herald the coming train. The electric telegraph may, 
indeed, be regarded as the nervous system of the railway. 
By its means the whole line is kept throbbing with intel- 
ligence. The method of working the electric signals 
varies on different lines; but the usual practice is, to 
divide a line into so many lengths, each protected by 
its signalnstations, — ^the fundamental law of telegraph - 
working being, that two engines are not to be allowed to 
run on the same line between two signal-stations at the 
same time. 

When a train passes one of such stations, it is imme- 
diately signalled on — usually by electric signal-bells — 
to the station in advance, and that interval of railway is 
"blocked" until the signal has been received from the 
station in advance that the train has passed it. Thus 
an interval of space is always secured between trains fol- 
lowing each other, which are thereby alike protected before 
and behind. And thus, when a train starts on a journey, 
it may be of hundreds of miles, it is signalled on from 
station to station — it "lives along the line,'* — until at 
length it reaches its destination and the last signal of 
" train in " is given. By this means an immen«e number 
of trains can be worked with regularity and safety. Go 



XVI lOTRODUCnON. 

the South-Eastem Bailway, wHere tHe system has been 
brought to a state of high efficiency, it is no unusual thing 
during Easter week to send 600,000 passengers through 
the London Bridge Station alone ; and on some days as 
many .as 1200 trains a-day. 

While such are the expedients adopted to ensure safety, 
others equally ingenious are adopted to ensure speed. In 
the case of express and mail trains, the frequent stopping 
of the engines to take in a fresh supply of water occasions 
a considerable loss of time on a long journey, each stoppage 
for this purpose occupying from ten to fifteen minutes. 
To avoid such stoppages, larger tenders have been provided, 
capable of carrying as much as 2000 gallons of water each. 
But as a considerable time is occupied in filling these, a 
plan has been contrived by Mr. Bamsbottom, the Looo- 
motive Engineer of the London and North- Western Bail- 
way, by which the engines are made to feed them9elve8 
while running at full speed I The plan is as follows : — 
An open trough, about 440 feet long, is laid longitudinally 
between the rails. Lito this trough, which is filled with 
water, a dip-pipe or scoop attached to the bottom of the 
tender of the running train is lowered ; and, at a speed of 
50 miles an hour, as much as 1070 gallons of water are 
scooped up in the course of a few minutes. The first of 
such troughs was laid down between Chester and Holy- 
head, to enable the Express Mail to run the distance of 
84J miles in two hours and five minutes without stopping ; 
and similar troughs have since been laid down at Bushey 
near London, at Castlethorpe near Wolverton, and at Park- 
side near Liverpool. At these four troughs about 1 30,000 
gallons of water are scooped up daily. 



INTRODUCTION. ivil 

Wherever railways have been made, new (owns have 
sprung up, and old towns and cities been quickened into 
new life. When the first English lines were projected, 
great were the prophecies of disaster to the inhabitants ot 
the districts through which they were proposed to bo 
forced. Such fears have long since been dispelled in thif< 
country. The same prejudices existed in France. When 
the railway from Paris to Marseilles was laid out so aft to 
pass through Lyons, a local prophet predicted that if the 
line were made the city would be ruined — " Ville traversSe^ 
ville perdue ;" while a local priest denounced the locomotive 
and the electric telegraph as heralding the reign of AtUi- 
christ. But such nonsense is no longer uttered. Now it 
is the city without the railway that is regarded as the 
" city lost ; " for it is in a measure shut out from the rest 
of the world, and left outside the pale of civilisation. 

Perhaps the most striking of all the illustrations tliat 
could be offered of the extent to which railways facilitate 
the locomotion, the industry, and the subsistence of the 
population of large towns and cities, is afforded by the 
working of the railway system in connection with the 
capital of Great Britain. 

The extension of railways to London has been of com- 
paratively recent date ; the whole of the lines connecting 
it with the provinces and terminating at its outskirts, 
having been opened during th© last thirty years, while the 
lines inside London have for the most part been opened 
within the last sixteen years. 

The first London line was the Greenwich Railway, part 
of which was opened for traffic to Deptford in February 
1836. The working of this railway was first exhibited as 

V. h 



«VUl INTRODUCTION. 

a shoi/f , and the usual attractions were employtd to make 
it ^* draw." A band of musicians in the garb of the Beef- 
eaters was stationed at the London end, and another band 
at Deptford. For cheapness' sake the Deptford band was 
shortly superseded by a large barrel-organ, which played 
in the passengers ; but when the traffic became established, 
the barrel-organ, as well as the beef-eater band at the 
London end, were both discontinued. The whole length 
of the line was lit up at night by a row of lamps on either 
side like a street, as if to enable the locomotives or the 
passengers to see their way in the dark ; but these lamps 
also were eventually discontinued as unnecessary. 

As a show, the Greenwich Railway proved tolerably 
successful. During the first eleven months it carried 
456,750 passengers, or an average of about 1300 a-day. 
But the railway having been found more convenient to 
the public than either the river boats or the omnibuses, 
the number of passengers rapidly increased. When tho 
Croydon, Brighton, and South-Eastem Railways began to 
pour their streams of traffic over the Greenwich viaduct, 
its accommodation was found much too limited; and it 
was widened from time to time, until now nine lines of 
mlway are laid side by side, over which more than twenty 
millions of passengers are carried yearly, or an average of 
about 60,000 a day all the year round. 

Since the partial opening of the Greenwich Railway in 
1836, a large extent of railways has been constructed in 
and about the metropolis, and convenient stations have 
been established almost in the heart of the City. Sixteen 
of these stations are within a circle of half a mile radius 
from the Mansion House, and above three hundred stations 



1 "IIM" 



INTRODUCTION. Xll 

arc in actual use within about five miles of Charing 
Cross. 

To aocommodate this vast traffic, not fewer than 3600 
local trains are run in and out dailj, besides 340 trains 
-which d^art to and arrive from distant places, north, 
south, east, and west. In the morning hours, between 
8.30 and 10.30, when business men are proceeding inwards 
to their offices and counting-houses, and in the afternoon 
between four and six, when they are returning outwards 
to their homes, as many as two thousand stoppages are 
made in the hour, within the metropolitan district, for 
the purpose of taking up and setting down passengers, 
while about two miles of railway are covered by the 
running trains. 

One of the remarkable effects of railways has been to 
extend the residential area of all large towns and cities. 
This is especially notable in the case of London. Before 
the introduction of railways, the residential area of the 
metropolis was limited by the time occupied by business 
men in making the journey outwards and inwards daily ; 
and it was for the most part bounded by Bow on the east, 
by Hampstead and Highgate on the north, by Paddington 
and Kensington on the west, and by Clapham and Brixton 
on the south. But now that stations have been established 
near the centre of the city, and places so distant as 
Waltham, Bamet, Watford, Hanwell, Bichmond, Epsom, 
Croydon, Eeigate, and Erith, can be more quickly reached 
by rail than the old suburban quarters were by omnibus, 
the metropolis has become extended in all directions along 
its railway lines, and the poptilation of London, instead of 
living ii;i the City or its immediate vicinity, as formerly, 

h 2 



XX INTRODUCTION. 

have oome to occupy a residential area of not ^ess than six 
hundrod square miles I 

The number of new towns which have consequently 
sprung into existence near London within the last twenty 
years has been very great ; towns numbering from ton to 
twenty thousand inhabitants, which before were but vil- 
lages, — if, indeed, they existed. This has especially been 
the case along the lines south of the Thames, principally 
in consequence of the termini of those lines being more 
conveniently situated for city men of business. Hence 
the rapid growth of the suburban towns up and down 
the river, from Kichmond and Staines on the west, to Erith 
and Gravesend on the east, and the hives of population 
which have settled on the high grounds south of the 
Thames, in the neighbourhood of Norwood and the Crystal 
Palace, rapidly spreading over the Surrey Downs, from 
Wimbledon to Guildford, and from Bromley to Croydon, 
Epsom, and Dorking. And now that the towns on the 
south and south-east coast can be reached by city men in 
little more time than it takes to travel to Clapham or 
Bayswater by omnibus, such places have become as it were 
parts of the great metropolis, and Brighton and Hastings 
are but the marine suburbs of London. 

The improved state of the communications of the City 
with the country has had a marked effect upon its popu- 
lation. While the action of the railways has been to add 
largely to the number of persons living in London, it has 
also been accompanied by their dispersi n\ over a much 
larger area. Thus the population of the central parts of 
London is constantly decreasing, whereas that of the 
suburban districts is as conistantly increasing. Tbe popu- 



INTRODUCTION. 

lation of the City fell off more than 10,000 between 1851 
and 1861 ; and during the same period, that of Holbom, 
the Strand, St. Martin'B-in-the>Fields, St. James's, West- 
minster, East and West London, showed a considerable 
decrease. But, as regards the whole mass of the metro- 
politan population, the increase lias been enormous. Thus, 
starting from 1801, when the population of London was 
958,863, we find it increasing in each decennial period at 
the rate of between two and three hundred thousand, until 
the year 1841, when it amounted to 1,948,369. Railways 
had by that time reached London, after which its popula- 
tion increased at nearly double the former ratio. Li the 
ten years ending 1851, the increase was 513,867 ; and in 
the ten years ending 1861, 441,753 : until now, to quote 
the words of the Begistrar-General in a recent annual 
Beport, " the population within the registration limits is 
by estimate 2,993,513 ; but beyond this central mass there 
is a ring of life growing rapidly, and extending along 
railway Hues over a circle of fifteen miles from Charing 
Cross. The population within that circle, patrolled by the 
metropolitan police, is about 3,463,771 " I 

The aggregation of so vast a number of persons within 
BO comparatively limited an area — the immense quantity 
of food required for their daily sustenance, as well as of 
fuel, clothing, and other necessaries — would be attended 
with no small inconvenience and danger, but for the 
facilities again provided by the railways. The provisioning 
of a garrison of even four thousand men is considered a 
formidable affair ; how much more so the provisioning of 
nearly four millions of people ! 

The whole mystery is explained by the admii*able 



jrxii INTRODUCTION. 

organisatioQ of the railway service, and the regularity and 
despatch with which it is conducted. We are enabled 
by the courtesy of the General Managers of the London 
railways to bring together the following brief summary of 
facts relating to the food supply of London, which will 
probably be regarded by most readers as of a very remark- 
able character. 

Generally speaking, the railways to the south of the 
Thames contribute comparatively little towards the feed- 
ing of London. They are, for the most part passenger and 
residential lines, traversing a limited and not very fertile 
district bounded by the sea-coast ; and, excepting in fruit 
and vegetables, milk and hops, they probably carry more 
food from London than they bring to it. The principal 
supplies of grain, flour, potatoes, and fish, are brought by 
railway from the eastern counties of England and Scot- 
land ; and of cattle and sheep, beef and mutton, from the 
grazing counties of the west and north-west of Britain, as 
far as the Highlands of Scotland, which have, through the 
instrumentality of railways, become part of the spreat 
grazing grounds of the metropolis. 

Take first " the staff of life " — bread and its constituents. 
Of wheat, not less than 222,080 quarters were brought into 
London by railway in 1867, besides what was brought by 
sea; of oats 151,757 quarters; of barley 70,282 quarters; 
of beans and peas 51,448 quarters. Of the wheat and 
barley, by far the largest proportion is brought by the 
Great Eastern Eailway, which delivers in London in one 
year 165,000 quarters of wheat and 45,500 quarters of 
barley, besides 600,429 quarters more in the form of malt. 
The largest quantity of oats i« brought by the Great 



INTBODUCTION. uiii 

Northern Eailway, principallj from the north of England 
and the East of Scotland, — the quantity delivered by that 
Conipany in 1867 having been 97,500 quarters, besides 
24,664 quarters of wheat, 5560 quarters of barley, and 
103,917 quarters of malt. Again, of 1,250,566 sacks of 
flour and meal delivered in London in one year, the 
Great Eastern brings 654,000 sacks, the Great Northern 
232,022 sacks, and the Great Western 136,312 sacks; 
the principal contribution of the London and North- 
western Eailway towards the London bread-^tores being 
100,760 boxes of American flpur, besides 24,300 sacks 
of English. The total quantity of malt delivered at the 
London railway stations in 1867 was thirteen hxmdred 
thousand sacks. 

Next, as to flesh meat. In 1867, not fewer than 172,300 
head of cattle were brought to London by railway, — 
though this was considerably less than the number carried 
before the cattle-plague, the Great Eastern Bailway alone 
having carried 44,672 less than in 1864. But this loss 
has since been more than made up by the increased quan- 
tities of fresh beef, mutton, and other kinds of meat im- 
ported in lieu of the live animals. The principeJ supplies 
of cattle are brought, as we have said, by the Western, 
Northern, and Eastern lines : by the Great Western from 
the western counties and Ireland; by the London and 
North-Westem, the Midland, and the Great Northern 
from the northern counties and from Scotland ; and by the 
Great Eastern from the eastern counties and from the 
ports of Harwich and Lowestoft. 

In 1867, also, 1,147,609 sheep were brought to London 
by railway, of which the Great Eastern delivered not lent 



INTRODUCTION. 

than 265,371 head. The London and North- Western a^id 
Great Northern between them brought 390,000 head from 
the northern English coiLnties, with a large proportion from 
the Scotch Highlands. While the Great Western brough'* 
up 130,000 head from the Welsh mountains and from th< 
rich grazing districts of Wilts, Gloucester, Somerset, and 
Devon. Another important freight of the London and 
North- Western Kailway consists of pigs, of which they 
delivered 54,700 in London, principally Irish ; while the 
Great. Eastern brought up 27,500 of the same animal, 
partly foreign. 

While the cattle-plague had the eifect of greatly re- 
ducing the number of live stock brought into London 
yearly, it gave a considerable impetus to the Fresh 
Meat traffic. Thus, in addition to the above large num- 
bers of cattle and sheep delivered in London in 1867, the 
railways brought 76,175 tons of meat, which — taking, 
the meat of an average beast at 800 lbs., and of an average 
sheep at 64 lbs. — would be equivalent to about 112,000 
more cattle, and 1,267,500 more sheep. The Great 
Northern brought the largest quantity ; next the London 
and North- Western ; — these two Companies having brought 
up between them, from distances as remote as Aberdeen 
and Inverness, about 42,000 tons of fresh meat in 1867, at 
an average freight of about Jd. a lb. 

Again as regards Fish, of which six-tenths of the whole 
quantity consumed in London is now brought by rail. 
The Great Eastern and the Great Northern are by far the 
largest importers of this article, and justify their claim to 
be regarded as the great food lines of London. Of the 
61 358 tons of fish brought by railway in 1867, not leeu 



INTRODUCTION. XXW 

than 24,500 tons were delivered by the former, and 
22,000 tons, brought from mnch longer distances, by tha 
latter Company. The London and North- Western brought 
about 6000 tons, the pnncipal part of which was salmon 
from Scotland and Ireland. The Great Western also 
brought about 4000 tons, partly salmon, but the greater 
part mackerel from the south-west coast. During the 
mackerel season, as much as. a hundred tons at a time are 
brought into the Faddington Station by express fish-train 
from Cornwall* 

The Great Eastern and Great Northern Companies are 
also the principal carriers of turkeys, geese, fowls, and 
game; the quantity delivered in London by the former 
Company having been 5042 tons. Jn Christmas week no 
fewer than 30,000 turkeys and geese were delivered at the 
Bishopsgate Station, besides about 300 tons of poultry, 
10,000 barrels of beer, and immense quantities of fish, 
oysters, and other kinds of food. As much as 1600 tons of 
poultry and game were brought last year by the South- 
western Kailway; 600 tons by the Great Northern 
Eailway ; and 130 tons of turkeys, geese, and fowls, by 
the London, Chatham and Dover line, principally from 
France. 

Of miscellaneous articles, the Great Northern and the 
Midland each brought about 3000 tons of cheese, the 
South- Western 2600 tons, and the London and North- 
western 10,034 cheeses in number; while the South- 
western and Brighton lines brought a splendid contribu- 
tion to the London breakfast-table in the shape of 11,259 
tons of French eggs; these two Companies delivering 
between them an average of more than three millions oi 



INTBODUCnOK. 

eggs a week all the year rotuid ! The same Companies 
delivered in London 14,819 tons of bntter, for the most 
part the produce of the farms of Normandy, — the greater 
cleanness and neatness with which the Normandy bntter 
is prepared for market rendering it a favourite both with 
dealers and consumers of late years compared with Irish 
butter. The London, Chatham and Dover Company also 
brought from Calais 96 tons of eggs. 

Next, as to the potatoes, vegetables, and fruit, brought 
by rail. Forty years since, the inhabitants of London 
relied for their supply of vegetables on the garden-grounds 
in the immediate neighbourhood of the metropolis, and 
the consequence was that they were both very dear and 
limited in quantity. But railways, while they have ex- 
tended the grazing-grounds of London as far as the High- 
lands, have at the same time extended the garden-grounds 
of London into all the adjoining counties — into East Kent, 
Essex, Suflfolk, and Norfolk, the vale of Gloucester, and 
even as far as Penzance in Cornwall. The London, 
Chatham and Dover, one of the youngest of our main 
lines, brought up from East Kent in 1867 5279 tons of 
potatoes, 1046 tons of vegetables, and 5386 tons of fruit, 
besides 542 tons of vegetables from France. The South- 
Eastem brought 25,163 tons of the same produce. The 
Great Eastern brought from the eastern counties 21,315 
tons of potatoes, and 3596 tons of vegetables and fruit ; 
while the Great Northern brought no less than 78,505 tons 
of potatoes — a large part of them from the east of Scotland 
— and 3768 tons of vegetables and fruit. About 6000 
tons of early potatoes were brought from Cornwall, with 
about 5000 tons of brocoli, and the quantities are Bteadily 



INTRODUCnON. 

inoreasing. " Truly London hath a large belly," said old 
Fuller, two hundred years sinoe. But how much more 
capacious is it now ! 

One of the most striking illustrntions of the utility of 
railways in contributing to the supply of wholesome 
articles of food to the population of large cities, is to be 
found in the rapid growth of the traffic in Milk. Beaders 
of newspapers may remember the descriptions published 
some years since of the horrid dens in which London cows 
were penned, and of the odious compound sold by the 
name of milk, of which the least deleterious ingredient in 
it was supplied by the " cow with the iron tail." That 
state of affairs is now completely changed. What with 
the greatly improved state of the London dairies and the 
better quality of the milk supplied by them, together with 
the large quantities brought by railway from a range of 
a hundred miles and more all round London, even the 
poorest classes in the metropolis are now enabled to obtain 
as wholesome a supply of the article as the inhabitants of 
most country towns. 

These great streams of food, which we have thus so 
summarily described, flow into London so continuously 
and uninterruptedly, that comparatively few persons are 
aware of the magnitude and importance of the process 
thus daily going forward. Though gathered from an 
immense extent of country — embracing England, Scotland, 
Wales, and Lreland — the influx is so unintermitted that it 
is relied upon with as much certainty as if it only came 
from the counties immediately adjoining London. The 
express meat-train from Aberdeen arrives in town as 
punctually as the Clapham omnibus, and the express milk- 



XXVlil INTRODUCTION. 

train from Aylesbury is as regular in its delivery a4B the 
penny post. Indeed Ijondon now depends so much upon 
railways for its subsistence, that it may be said to be fed 
by them from day to day, having never more than a few 
days' food in stock. And the supply is so regular and 
continuous, that the possibility of its being interrupted 
never for a moment occurs to any one. Yet in these days 
of strikes amongst workmen, such a contingency is quite 
within the limits of possibility. Another contingency, 
which might arise during a state of war, is probably still 
more remote. But were it possible for a war to occur be- 
tween England and a combination of foreign powers pos- 
sessed of stronger ironclads than ours, and that they were 
able to ram our ships back into port and land an enemy 
of overpowering force on the Essex coast, it would be suffi- 
cient for them to occupy or cut the railways leading from 
the north, to starve London into submission in less than a 
fortnight. 

Besides supplying London with food, railways have 
also been instrumental in ensuring the more regular and 
economical supply of fuel, — a matter of almost as vital 
importance to the population in a climate such as that of 
England. So long as the market was supplied with coal 
brought by sea in sailing ships, fuel in winter often rose 
to a famine price, especially during long-continued easterly 
winds. But now that railways are in full work, the price 
is almost as steady in winter as in summer, and (but for 
strikes) the supply is more regular at all seasons. 

But the carriage of food and fuel to London forms but a 
small part of the merchandise traffic carried by railway. 
Above 600,000 tons of goods of various kinds yearly pass 



LNTRODUCTION. uil 

through one station only, that of the London and North- 
Western Comp€my, at Camden Town; and aomotimeB aa 
many as 20,000 parcels daily. Every other metropolitan 
station is similarly alive with traffic inwards and ontwarda, 
London having since the introduction of railways become 
more than ever a great distributive centre, to which 
merch€mdize of all kinds converges, and from which it is 
distributed to all parts of the country. Mr. Bazley, M.P., 
stated at a late public meeting at Manchester, that it 
would probably require ten millions of horses to convey 
by road the merchandise traffic which is now annually 
carried by raHway. 

Eailways have also proved of great value in connection 
with the Cheap Postage system. By their means it has 
become possible to carry letters, newspapers, books and 
post parcels, in any quantity, ezpeditiouslj'', and cheaply. 
The Liverpool and Manchester line was no sooner opened 
in 1830, than the Post Office authorities recognised its 
utility, and used it for carrying the mails between the 
two towns. When the London and Birmingham line was 
opened eight years later, mail trains were at once put on, 
— ^the directors underfakijig to perform the distance of 113 
miles within 5 hours by day and 5^ hours by night. Ai 
additional lines were opened, the old four-horse mail 
coaches were gradually discontinued, until in 1858, the 
last of them, the "Derby Dilly," which ran between 
Manchester and Derby, was taken ofif on tiie opening of 
the Midland line to Kowsley. 

The increased accommodation provided by railways was 
found of essential importance, more particularly after the 
adoption of the Cheap Postage system; and that snob 



INTRODUCrnON. 

accommodation was needed will be obvious from the wxtnw 
ordinary increase which has taken place in the namber 
of letters and packets sent by post. Thus, in 1839, the 
number of chargeable letters carried was only 76 millions, 
and of newspapers 44} millions; whereas, in 1865, tha 
numbers of letters had increased to 720 millions, and ir 
1867 to 775 millions, or more than ten-fold, while tht 
number of newspapers, books, samples and patterns (a new^ 
branch of postal business began in 1864) had increased, in 
1865, to 984 millions. 

To accommodate this largely-increasing traffic, the bulk 
of which is carried by railway, the mileage run by mail 
trains in the United Kingdom has increased from 25,000 
miLos a day in 1854 (the first year of which we have any 
return of the mileage run) to 60,000 miles a day in 1867, 
or an increase of 240 per cent. The Post Office expendi- 
ture on railway service has also increased, but not in like 
proportion, having been .364,000Z. in the former year, and 
559,575/. in the latter, or an increase of 154 per cent. 
The revenue, gross and net, has increased still more 
rapidly. In 1841, the first complete year of the Cheap 
Postage system, the gross revenue was 1,359,466Z. and 
the net revenue 500,789/ ; in 1854, the gross revenue wag 
2,574,407/., and the net revenue 1,173,723/. ; and in 1867, 
the gross revenue was 4,548,129/., and the net revenue 
2,127,125/., being an increase of 420 per cent, compared 
with 1841, and of 180 per cent, compared with 1854. 
How much of this net increase might fairly be credited to 
the Eailway Postal service we shall not pretend to say ; 
but assuredly the proportion must be very considerable. 

One of the great advantages of railways in connecUOD 



INTRODUCTION. 

with the postal Bervice is the greatly increased fineqnency 
of communication which they provide between all the large 
towns. Thus LiYei*pool has now six deliveries of Manohestei* 
tetters daily ; while every large town in the kingdom halp 
two or more deliveries of London letters daUy. In 1863, 
393 towns had two mails daily from London ; 50 had three 
mails daily ; 7 had four mails a day /rom London, and 15 had 
four mails a day to London ; while 3 towns had five mails 
a day from London, and 6 had five mails a day to London. 
Another feature of the railway mail train, as of the 
passenger train, is its capacity to carry any quantity of 
letters and post parcels that may require to be carried. 
In 1838, the aggregate weight of all the evening mails 
depatched from London by twenty-eight mail coaches 
was 4 tons 6 cwt., or an average of about 3^ cwt. each, 
though the maximum contract weight was 15 cwt. The 
mails now are necessarily much heavier, the number of 
letters and packets having, as we have seen, increased 
more than ten-fold since 1839. But it is not the ordinary 
so much as the extraordinary maiLs that are of consider- 
able weight, — more particularly the American, the Con- 
tinental, and the Australian mails. It is no unusual thing, 
we are informed, for the last-mentioned mail to weigh as 
much as 40 tons. How many of the old mail coaches it 
would take to carry such a mail the 79 miles' journey to 
Southampton, with a relay of four horses every five or 
seven miles, is a problem for the arithmetician to solve. 
But even supposing each coach to be loaded to the 
maximum weight of 15 cwt. per coach, it would require 
about sixty vehicles and about 1700 horses to carry the 
to tons, besides the coachman and guards. 



xxxii INTRODIJCTION. 

AVhatever may be said of the financial management 
of railways, there can be no doubt as to the great benefits 
conferred by them on the public wherever made. Even 
those railways which have exhibited the most " frightfu] 
examples " of financing and jobbing, have been . found tc 
prove of unquestionable public convenience and utility. 
And notwithstanding all the faults and imperfections that 
have been alleged against railways, we think that they 
must, nevertheless, be recognised as by far the most 
valuable means of communication between men and nations 
that has yet been given to the world. 

The author's object in publishing this book in its original 
form, was to describe, in connection with the 'Life of 
George Stephenson,' the origin and progress of the railway 
system, — to show by what moral and material agencies 
its founders were enabled to carry their ideas into effect, 
and work out results which even then were of a remark- 
able character, though they have since, as above described, 
become so much more extraordinary. The favour with 
which successive editions of the book have been received, 
has justified the author in his anticipation that such a 
narrative would prove of general, if not of permanent 
interest. 

The book was written with the concurrence and assist- 
ance of Robert Stephenson, who also supplied the necessary 
particulars relating to himself. Such portions of these 
were accordingly embodied in the narrative as could with 
propriety be published during his lifetime, and the re- 
maining portions have sinoe been added, with the object 
of rendering more complete the record of tie son's life 
IS well as of the early history of the Eailway system. 



CONTENTS 



CHAPTER I. 

Newcastle and the Great Northern Coal-Fuelus. 

The ooUieiy dlBtricts of the North — Newcastle-upon-Tyne in ancient 
times — The Soman settlement — Social inaecnrity in the Middle 
Ages — Korthnmberland roads — The coal-trade — Modem Newcastle 
— Goal haulage — Early waggon-roads, tram-roads, and railways — 
Machinery of coal-mines — Newcomen's fire-engine — The colliers, 
their character and habits — Ooal-staiths — The keelmen Page l-1 1 



CHAPTER n. 



Wylam and Dewley Burn — George Stephenson's Early 

Years. 

Wylam Colliery and village — George Stephenson's birth-place — Uis 
parents — The Stephenson family — Old Bobert Stephenson — George's 
boyhood — Dewley Bum Colliery — Sister Nell's bonnet — Employed 
as a herd-boy — Makes clay engines — Follows the plough — £m> 
ployed as corf-bitter — Drives the gin-horse — Black Oallerton Col- 
liery — Love of animals — Made assistant-fireman — Old Bobert and 
femily shift their home — Jolly's Close, Newburn — Family earnings 
— George as fireman — His athletic feats — Throckley Bridge — 
** A made man for life ! " — Appointed engineman - Studies his 
engine — Experimentis in egg-hatohlng* — Puts himself to school, and 
learns to read — His schoolmasters — Progress in arithmetic — His 
dog — Learns to brake — Brakesman at Black Oallerton — Duties 
of brakesman — Begins shoe-making — Fanny Henderson — Saves 

his first gn^inea — Figki with a pitman 12-31' 

V. e 



"^i^ CONTKN'iS. 

CHAPTBB ra. 
Enqineman at Willtnqton Quay and Killinowobth. 

ttobriety and stodiooMneM — InventiyeiieBB — Bemores to Willington 
Quay — Marries Fanny Henderson — Their cottage at Willington ~ 
Attempts at perpetual motion — William Fairbaim and G^rge Ste- 
phfsnson — Ballast-heaving — Ohimney on fire, and dock-cleaning— 
Birth of Bobert Stephenson — G^rge removes to West Moor, Killing- 
worth — Death of his wife — Engineman at Montrose, Scotland — 
His pump-boot — Saves money — His return to Killingworth — 
Brakesman -at West Moor — Is drawn for the Militia — Thinks of 
emigrating to America — Takes a contract for brakeing engines — 
Improves the winding-engine — Cures a pumping-engine — Becomes 
&mous as an engine-doctor — Appointed engine-wiight of a col- 
liery 81-46 

CHAPTER IV. 

l^HE StEPHENSONS AT KiLLINGWORTH — EDUCATION AMD 

Self-education of Father and Son. 

George Stephenson's self-improvement — John Wigham — Studies in 
Katured Philosophy — Sobriety — Education of Bobert Stephenson — 
Sent to Butter's school, Benton — Bruce's school, Newcastle — 
Literary and Philosophical Institute — Qeorge educates his son in 
Mechanics — Bide to Killingworth — Boberfs boyish tricks — Bepeatd 
the Franklin kite-ezpeifiiient — Stephenson's cottage. West Moor — 
Odd mechanical expedients — Competition in last-making — Father 
and son make a sun-dial — Oolliery improvements — Stephenson's 
mechanical expertness .. 47-62 

CHAPTER V. 

Early History of the Locomotive — Gboboe Stephenson 

BEGINS its Improvement. 

Various expedients for ooal-hanlage — Sailing-waggons — Mr. Edg- 
worth's experiments — Ougnot's first locomotive steam-carriage — 
Murdock's model locomotive — Trevithick's steam-carriage and tram- 
engine — ^Blenkinsop's engine — Chapman and Brunion's looomotivei 
—The Wylom waggon-wiiy — ^Mr. Blackett's experiments— Jonathan 



tm^mma 



CONTENTS. 

Fofiter — WilliAm Hedley— The Wylam engine— SiephenaoD dtler- 
Diinefi to build a looomotiTe — Lord Bavensworfh — The first KiUing- 
worth engine deflcribed — The Bteam-blast invented — Stepbenno't 
wooimI locGoiotiTe 68-M 



CHAPTEB VL 

Invkntion of the "Geordy** Safett-Lamp. 

ITreqnency of oollieiy explodons — Aooident in tlie Killingworth Pit 
— Stephenson's heroic conduct — A safety-lamp described — Dr. 
Olanny's lamp — Stephenson's experiments on fire-damp — Designs 
a lamp, and tests it in the pit — Cottage experiments with coal-gas 
— Stephenson's second and third lamps — The Stephenson and Davy 
controyersy — Scene at the Newcastle Institute— The Dary testi- 
monial — The Stephenson testimonial — Merits of the " Geordy " 
lamp 89-106 

CHAPTER VIL 

Geoboe Stephenson's further Improvements in the Loco- 
MOTiTE — The Hetton Bailway — Robert Stephenson 
AS Viewer's Apprentice and Student. 

llie EiUingworth mine machinery — Stephenson improves his looo- 
motive — Strengthens the road — His patent — His steam-springs— 
ExpeHments on friction — Steam-locomotion on common roads — 
Early neglect of the looomotiTe — Stephenson again thinks d emi- 
gration — Gonstracts the Hetton Bailway — The woridng power 
employed — Bobert Stephenson Tiewer's apprentice — His porsoits 
at Eillingworth — His fiither sends him to Edinburgh Uniyersity — 
His application to the studies of Chemistry, Natnral History, and 
Natural Philosophy — His- MS. Yolnmes of Lectures — Geological 
tour with Professor Jameson in the Highlands .. 109-122 

CHAPTER VIII. 

George Stephenson Engineer of the Stockton and 

Darlington Railway. 

rhe Bishop Auckland CSoal-field — Edward Pease projects a railway 
from Witton to Stockton — The Bill rejected — The line re-surreytxi 

e ^ 



^gBesaamoBi^mBmmK^mmmmmm 



I 



I 



xxivi CONTENTS. 

ftnd the Act oMained — Oeorge Btepheoson s visit to Edward f ease— 
Appointed engineer of the railway — Again soryeys the line — Mr. 
Pease Yisits Eillingworth — The Newcastle looomotiYe works pro- 
jected — The railway constructed — LooomotiYes ordered- Stephen- 
son's anticipations as to railways — Public opening of the line — The 
ooal traffic — The first railway passenger-ooach — The coaching trafiSc 
described — The ** Locomotion " engine — Race with stage-coach — 
Oommeroial results of the Stockton and Darlington Bail way — llie 
town of Middlesborough craated 123-145 



CHAPTER IX. 
The Liverpool aito Manchester Railway projected. 

Insufficient communications between Manchester and Liverpool — The 
canal monopoly — A tramroad projected — Joseph Sanders — Sir B. 
Phillip's speculations as to railways — Thomas Gray — William James 
surveys a line between Liverpool and Manchester — Opposition to the 
survey — Mr. James's visits to Killingworth — Bobert Stephenson 
assists in the survey — G^rge Stephenson appointed engineer — The 
first prospectus — Stephenson's survey opposed — The canal com- 
pam'es — Speculations as to railway speed — Stephenson's notions 
thought exteavagant — Article in the * Quarterly' — The Bill before 
Parliament — The Evidence — George Stephenson in the witness box 

— Examined as to speed — His cross-examination — The survey found 
defective — Mr. Harrison's speech — Evidence of opposing engineers 

— Mr. Alderson's speech — The Bill withdrawn — Stephenson's vexa- 
tion — The scheme prosecuted — The line re-surveyed — Sir Isaac 
Coffin's speech — The Act passed 14G-172 



CHAPTER X. 

Chat Moss — Construction of the Liverpool and 

Manchester Railway. 

George Stephenson appointed engineer — Ghat Moss described — The 
resident engineers — Mr. Dixon's visit of inspection — Stephenson's 
theory of a fioatrng road — Operations begun — ^ Tar-barrel -drains — 
The embankment sinks in the Moss — Proposed abandonment of the 
work — Stephenson perseveres — The obstadas ooDquered — £jad 



m 



OOKTENTS. 

Bcrofle Parr Mow— The road foimed — Stephenioii • ocganizatioii of 
labour — The liverpool Tmmel — Olive Mount Cntdng — Sankey 
Viaduct— Stepfaenson and Cropper — Stephenaon't labonn — Pupila 
and aaaLBtants— His daily life — Praotioal adnoatfoa — Ereninga at 
home .. .. .. •• •• •• •• 173-199 



CHAPTEB XL 

Robert Stephenson's Residence in Colombia and Retubn — 
The Battle of the Locomotiye — The ** Rocket." 

Robert Stephenson mining engineer in Oolombia — Mule journey to 
Bogota — Mariquita — Silver mining— Difficultiea with the Gomish- 
men — His cottage at Santa Anna — Longs to return home — Resigns 
his post — Meeting with Trevithick — Voyage to New York, and 
shipwreck — Returns to Newcastle, and takes chaige of the &ctory — 
The working power of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway — Fixed 
engines and locomotives, and their respective advocates — Walker and 
Bastrick's report — A prize offered for the best locomotiye — Con> 
ferences of the Stephensons — Boiler arrangements and heating sur- 
fitce — Mr. Booth's contrivance — Building of the •• Rocket " — The 
competition of engines at Rainhill— The " Novelty " and ** Sanspareil " 
_ Triumph of the " Rocket," and its destination . . 193-220 



CHAPTER Xn. 

Openino of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, 
AND Extension of the Railway System. 

rhe railway finished — the traffic arrangements organized — Public 
opening of the line — Accident to Mr. Huskisson — Arrival of the 
trains at Manchester — llie traffic results — Improvement of the road 
and rolling stock — Improvements in the locomotive — The railway a 
wonder — Extension of the railway system — Joint-stock railway com- 
panies — New lines projected — New engineers — The Grand Junction 
— Public opposition to railways — Robert Stephenscni engineer to the 
Leicester and Swannington Railway — George Stephenson removes to 
Snibeton — Sinks for and gets coal—. Stimulates local enterprise — 
Hialib^ality 221 23« 



Mxvui ^ CONTENTS. 

CHAPTEB Xlll. 

« Robert Stephenson constructs the London and 

BiRMiNOHAM Railway. 

The line projected — G^rge and Robert Stephenson appdnted engmeen ' 

— OppcMdtion — Hostile pamphlets and pnblio meetings — Bobert 
Stephenson and Sir Astley Cooper — The smrey obstmoted — The 
opposing clergyman — The Bill in Parliament — Thrown ont in the 
Lords — PMprietors conciliated, and the Act obtained — The works 
let in contracts — The difflcnlties of the undertaking — The line 
described — Blisworth Catting — Primrose Hill Tunnel — Kilsby 
Tunnel — Its construction described — Cost of the Railway greatly 
increased — Pailuie of contractors — Magnitode of the works — Bail- 
way nawieB .. .. 337-252 

CHAPTER XIV. 

Manchester and Leeds, and Midland Railways — Ste- 
phenson's Life at Alton — Visit to Beloium — General 
Extension of Railways and their Results. 

Projection of new lines — Dutton Viaduct, Grand Junction — The Man- 
chester and Leeds — Summit Tunnel, littleborough — Magnitude of 
the work — The Midland Bailway — The works compared with the 
Simplon road — Slip near Ambergate — Bull Bridge — The York and 
North Midland — George Stephenson on his surreys — His quick 
observation — Trayelling and correspondence — life at Alton Grange 

— The Stephensons' London office — Visits to Belgium — Interviews 
with the King — Public openings of English railways — Stephenson's 
pupils and assistants — Prophecies folsified concerning railways — 
Their advantageous results .. .. • 253-274 

CHAPTER XV. 

Oeoboe Stephenson's Coal Mines — The Atmospheric 
System — Railway Mania — Visits to Belgium and 
Spain. 

George Stephenson on railways and coal-traffic — Leases the Clay- 
cross estate, and sinks for coal — His extensive lime-works — 
Bemjves to Tapton House — Britivh Association at Newoestlo — 



CONTENTtt. 

Appears at Mechanics' Institutes — Speech at Jjoeds — His self- 
acting brake — His views of railway speed — Theory of " imdiilating 
lines '* — Chester and Birkenhead Company — Stephenaon's libe- 
rality — Atmospheric railways projected — Stephenson opposes the 
principle of working — The railway mania — Stephenson resists, and 
warns against it — George Hudson, *' Bail way King"— Parlia- 
ment and the mania — Stephenson's letter to Sir B. Peel — Again 
visits Belgium — Interviews with King Leopold — Journey into 
Spain >. •• S7&"8(K) 



CHAPTER XVL 

Robert Stephenson's Career — The STKpnBirscura jlhd Bbu- 
NEL — East Coast Route to Scotland — Rotal Border 
Bridge, Berwick — High Level Bridge, Newcastle. 

George Stephenson's retirement — Boberfs employment as Parlia- 
mentary Engineer — His rival Bmnel — The Great Western Bailway 
— The width of gauge — Robert Stephenson's caution as to invest- 
ments — The Newcastle and Berwick Bailway — Contest in Parlia- 
ment — George Stephenson's interview with Lord Howick — Boyal 
Border Bridge, Berwick — Progress of iron-bridge building — Bobert 
Stephenson constructs the High Level Bridge, Newcastle — Pile- 
driving by steam — Characteristics of the structure — Through rail- 
way to Scotland completed .. .. .. .. 801-81 9 



CHAPTER XVII. 

Robert Stephenson's Tubular Bridges at Menai and 

Conway. 

George Stephenson surveys a line from Chester to Holyhead — Bobert 
Stephenson's construction of the works at Penmaen Mawr — Crossing 
of the Menai Strait — Various plans proposed — A tubular beam 
detennined on — Strength of wrought-iron tubes — Mr. William 
Fairbaim consulted — His experiments — The dedgn settled — The 
Britannia Bridge described — The Conway Bridge — Floating of the 
tubes — Lifting of the tubes — Bobert Stephenson's anxieties — Burst- 
ing of the Hydraulic Press — The works completed — Merits of the 
Britannia and Conway Bridges .. 820-340 



tl CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XVin. 

Ghorge Stephenson's Closing Yeabs — Illness and 

Death. 

Gtoi^rge Stephenson's Life at Tapton — Experiments in Hortioaltitre, 
Qurdening, and Farming —Affection for animals — Bird-batching and 
bee-keeping — Reading and conyersation — Rencontre with Lord 
Denraan — Hospitality at Taptou — Experiments with the microscope 
— Frolics — ** A crowdie night" — Visits to London — Visit to Sir 
Robert Peel at Drayton Manor — Encounter with Dr. Buckland — 
Goal formed by the sun's light — Opening of the Trent Valley Bail- 
way — Meeting with Emerson — Illness, death, and funeral — 
Blemorial Statues .. .. .. .. .. 841-^356 



CHAPTER XIX. 

RoBEBT Stephenson's Victoria Bbidqk, Lower Canada — 
Illness and Death — Stephenson Characteristics. 

Robert Stephenson's inheritances — Gradual retirement from the pro- 
fession of engineer — His last great works — Tubular Bridges ovet 
the St Lawrence and the Nile The Grand Trunk Railway, Canada 

— Necessity for a great railway bridge near Montreal — Discussion as 
to the plan — Robert Stephenson's report — A tubular bridge deter- 
mined on — Massiyeness of the piers — Ice-floods in the St. Lawrence 

— Victoria Bridge constructed and completed — Tubular bridges in 
Egypt — The Suez Canal — Robert Stephenson's employment a^ 
arbitrator — Assists Brunei at launching of the ** Great Eastern" — 
Regardlessness of health — Death and Funeral — Characteristics of the 
Stephensons and resume of their history — Politics of father and son 

— Seryices rendered to civilization by the Stephensong . . 357-38C 

IsPBX • •• .. 381 






\ 



LIST OF JLLUSTRATT0N8. 



-•a»i 



pxas 
Portrait of Qeorge Stephenwii. to/ioe 
title jMge. 

V High Level Bridge, to/aoe 1 

Map of Newculle District a 

Flange rail • 

f3oal-Btaith on the Tjne 10 

Joal waggons 11 

Wylam Colliery and village. 12 

High Street House, Wylam— Qeorge 

Stepbenson's birthplace 14 

Newborn on the Tyne 20 

CJolliery Whimsey 30 

Stepbenson's Oottage^WQllngton Quay 31 

West Moor Cblliery 37 

Killlngworth Hi^ Pit 46 

Glebe Fann House, Benton 47 

Ratter's School House, Long Benton. . 61 

Bmce's School, Newcastle 63 

Stepbenson's Cottage, West Moor . . 67 

Snn-dial at Eillingworth «0 

Colliers' Cottages at Long Benton . . 92 

Gngnot's fiogine 64 

Section of Mnrdockfs Model Looo- 

motlTe 66 

Trevithjck's bigh-pressnre Tram-En- 
gine 70 

Improved Wylam Engine 78 

Spur-gear 83 

The Fit-bead. West Moor 91 

01 
08 
11 
13 



Davy's and Stephenson's Safety-lamps 

West Moor Fit, KOlingwortb .. .. 

Half-lap Joint 

Old KiUingworth Locomotive . . . . 

Map of Stockton and DiarUnftoii Rail- 
way 

Portrait of Edward please 

The first Railway Coach 

The No. I. Engine at DarUoftom 

Middlesborougb-cD-Tees 

Map of Liverpool and Mandiester 
Railway .. .. (Western part) 

(Baatempart) 

Surveying on Cbat Moss 

Olive Mount Catting . . . . 



• • • • 



23 
24 
39 
42 
46 

60 
61 
72 
84 



PAOI 

Sankey Viaduct 188 

Robert Stepbenson's Ootlaft at Santa 

Anna ibs 

The "Rocket" 212 

Locomotive oompetitioo RaiohiU . . 21ft 

Railway vertut Road 220 

Map of Leicester and SwumingtoD 

Railway 233 

Stephenson's House at Alton Orange. . 238 

Fortnit of Robert Stephenaon, to/ace 237 
Map cS London and Birmingham 

Railway (Rugby to WatliNd).. .. 242 

Blisworth Cutting 243 

Shafts over KUahy Tunnd 246 

Dntton Viaduct 264 

Entrance to Summit Tunnd, Lannu 

shire and Torkahlre Railway . . . . 256 
Land-slip, near Ambergate^ North 

Midland RaUway 259 

BoIlbridg^ near Ambergate . . . . 260 

Coalville and Snibston OoUiery . . . . 274 

Tapton House, near Clieaterfleld. ... 275 

Lime-works at Ambergate 278 

Newcastle, from the High Level 

Bridge 301 

Royal Border Bridge, Berwick-upon- 
Tweed 311 

Ififl^ Level Brldge~ElevatiMi of one 

Arch 318 

Penmaen Mawr 322 

Map of Menal Straits 328 

Conway Tnbular Bridge 334 

Britannia Bridge 330 

Conway Bridge— Floating the first 

Tube. 340 

View in Tapton Gardens 34i 

Pathway to Tapton House 347 

Trinity Church, Chesterfield . . . . 36.'^ 

Tablet in Trinity Church. Chesterfield 356 

The Victoria Bridge, Montreal . . . . 357 
Robert Stephenson's Burial-place in 

Westminster Abbey 369 

The Stephenson Memorial Schools^ 

WUUi^ton Quay 



NBWCAeiLE-OTOK-TlKI AKS THE UlQB LeTEL BUDOli 

{BjS-V. Ldlch, iCIa bli orlgntl inviag.} 



LIFE 



OF 



GEOEGE STEPHENSON, &c. 



CHAPTEB 1. 

NswoASTLs uo) THB Obbat Nobthbbm Ooal-Fdbu>« 

Ls no quarter of England have greater changes been 
wrought by the suooessive advances made in ihe practical 
science of engineering than in the extensive colliery districts 
of the North, of which Newcastle-upon-Tyne is the centre 
and the capital 

In ancient times the Romans planted a colony at New- 
castle, throwing a bridge across the l^nie near the site of 
the low-level bridge shown in the prefixed engraving, and 
erecting a strong fortification above it on the high ground 
now occupied by the Central Kailway Station. Noi*th and 
north-west lay a wild country, abounding in moors, moun- 
tains, and morasses, but occupied to a certain extent by 
fierce and barbarous tribes. To defend the young colony 
against their ravages, a strong waU was built by the 
Romans, extending from Wallsend on the north bank of the 
Tyne, a few miles below Newcastle, across the coimtry to 
Burgh-upon-Sands on the Solway Frith. The remains of 
the wall are still to be traced in the less populous hill- 
disiricts of Noi-thumberland. In the neighbourhood of 
Newcastle they have been gradually efiaced by the works of 
Bocceeding generations^ though the '* Wallsend " ccal con- 

V. A 



KOETHEEN COLONISTS, 



Ksp of NeHcuUe IXstrki. 

stimed in our hoiisehold fires still serves to remind us of the 
great Roman work. 

After the withdrawal of the Romans, Northunibria Tsecame 
planted by immigrant Saxona from North Germany and 
Norsemen from ScandinaTia, whose Eorls or Earla made 
Newcastle their principal seat Then came the Normans, 
from whose New Castle, biiilt some eight hundred years 
since, the town derived its present name. The keep of this 
venerable structure, black with age and smoke, still stands 
entire at the northern end of the noble high-level bridge — 
the utilitarian work of modem times thus confronting the 
warlike relic of tlie older ciyilifiation. 

The nearness of Newcastle to the Scotch Border was a 
great hindrance to ItB security and progress in the middle 
ages of English history. Indeed, the district between it 
and Berwick continued to be ravaged ^yJ moes-troopers long 
after the union of the Crowns. The gentry lived iu their 
strong Peel castles ; even the lai^r ferm-houses were forti- 
fied ; and bloodhounds were trained for the purpose of 
tracking the cattle-reavers to their retreats in the hills. 
The Judges of Aeaizo rode from Carlisle to Newcastle 
guarded by an escort armed to the teeth. A tribute called 



Clap. I. NORTHUMBERLAND ROADS. 3 

** dagger and protection money " was annually paid by tLo 
Sheriff of Newcastle for tlie purpose of providing daggers 
and other weapons for the escort ; and, though the need of 
such protection lias long since ceased, the tribute contimies 
to be paid in broad gold pieces of the time of Charles the 
First 

Until about the middle of last oentiny the roads across 
Northxmiberland were little better than horse-tracks, and 
not many years since the primitive agiiaultural cart with 
solid wooden wheels was almost as comjnon in the western 
parts of the county as it is in Spain now. The tract of 
the old Eoman road continued to be the most practicable 
route between Newcastle and Carlisle, the traffic between 
the two towns having been carried along it upon pack- 
horses imtil a comparatively recent period. 

Since that time great dianges have taken place on the 
Tyne. AVhen wood for firing became scarce and dear, and 
the forests of the South of England were lound inadequate 
to supply the increasing demand fur fuel, attention was 
turned to the rich stores of coal lying underground in the 
neighbourhood of Newcastle and Durham. It then became 
an article of increasing export, and " seacoal " fires gradually 
supplanted those of wood. Hence an old writer described 
Newcastle as " the Eye of the North, and the Hearth that 
warmeth the South parts of this kingdom with Fire." Fuel 
has become the staple product of the district, the quantity 
exported increasing from year to year, imtil the coal raised 
from these northern mines amounts to upwards of sixteen 
millions of tons a year, of which not less than nine millions 
are annually conveyed away by sea. 

Newcastle has in the mean time spread in all directions 
far beyond its ancient boundaries. From a walled mediaeval 
town of monks and merchants, it has been converted into a 
busy centre of commerce and manufactures inhabited by 
nearly 100,000 people. It is no longer a Border fortress-^ 
a " shield and defence against the invasions and frequent 
insults of the Scots," as described in ancient charters — but 

9 2 



NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE 



Chap. I 



a busy centre of peaoefnl industiy, and the outlet for a vat>t 
amount of steam-power, which is exported in the form of 
coal to all parts of the world. Newcastle is in many 
respects a town of singular and curious interest^ especially 
in its older parts, which are full of crooked lanes and nar- 
row streets, wynds, and chares,* formed by taU, antique 
houses, rising tier abcire tier along the steep northern bank 
of the Tyne, as the similarly precipitous streets ot* Gates 
head crowd the opposite shore. 

All over the coal region, which extends from the Coquei 
to the Tees, about fifty miles from north to south* the sur- 
face of the soil exhibits the signs of extensive undergroimc 
workings. As you pass through the country at night, the 
earth looks as if it were bursting with fire at many points; 
the blaze of coke-ovens, iron-furnaces, and coal-heaps red- 
dening the sky to such a distance that the horizon seems 
to be a glowing belt of fire. 

From the necessity which existed for lieicilitating the 
ti*ansport of coals from the pits to the shipping places, it 
is easy to understand how the railway and the locomotive 
should have first foimd their home in such a district as we 
have thus briefly described. At an early period the coal 
was carried to the boats in panniers, or in sacks upon 
horses' backs. Then carts were used, to facilitate the pro- 
gress of which tramways of flag-stone were laid down. 
This led to the enlargement of the vehicle, which became 
known as a waggon, and it was mounted on four wheels 
instead of two. A local writer about the middle of the 
seventeenth century says, "Many thousand people are 
engaged in this trade of coals ; many live by working of 



* In the Newcastle dialect, a 
cliare is a narrow street or laiie. 
At the local assizes some years 
since, one of the witnesses in a 
criminal trial swore that " he saw 
three men come out of the foot of a 
^are," The judge cautioned the 



jury not to pay any regard to the 
man's evidence, as he must be in- 
sane. A little explanation by the 
foreman, however, satisfied his lord- 
ship that the original statement waa 
oonect. 



TT 



Chap. I. EAKI.Y TBAMBOADS. 5 

them in the pits; and many live hy oonTejing them in 
waggons and wains to the river Tyne." 

Still further to fietcilitate the haulage of the waggons, 
pieces of planking were laid parallel upon wooden sleepers, 
or imbedded in the ordinary track, by which friction was 
still further diminished. It is said that these wooden railb 
were first employed by one Beaumont, about 1630 ; and on 
a road thus laid, a single horse was capable of drawing a 
large loaded waggon from the coal-pit to the shipping 
staith. Boger North, in 1676, found the practice had become 
extensively adopted, and he speaks of the large sums then 
paid for way-leaves ; that is, the permission granted by the 
owners of lands lying between ihe coal-pit and the river-side 
to lay down a tramway between the one and the other. A 
centui^' later, Arthur Yoimg observed that not only had 
these roads become greatly multiplied, but important works 
had been constructed to carry them along upon the same 
leveL " The coal-waggon roads from the pits to the water," 
he says, " are great works, carried over all sorts of inequali- 
ties of ground, so far as the distance of nine or ten mile& 
The tracks of the wheels are marked with pieces of wood 
let into the road for the wheels of the waggons to run on, by 
which one horse is enabled to draw, and that with ease, 
fifty or sixty bushels of coals."* 

Similar waggon-roads were laid down in the coal dis- 
tricts of Wales, Cumberland, and Scotland. At ihe time 
of the Scotch rebellion in 1745, a tramroad existed between 
the Tranent coal-pits and the small harbour of Cockenzie in 
East Lothian ; and a portion of the line was selected by 
General Cope as a position for his cannon at the battle of 
Prestonpans. 

In these rude wooden tracks we find the germ of the 
modem railroad. Improvements were gradually made in 
them. Thus, at some collieries, thin plates of iron were 
nailed upon their upper surface, for the purpose of protect- 



• Six Months' Tour; toI. liL 9 



"! THE FIHST EAILEOADS. Chap. L 

ing the parts most exposed to friction. Cast-iron rails 
were aleo tried, the wooden rails having been found 
liable to rot. The first rails of this kind are supposed 
to have been used at Whitehaven as early as 1738. This 
cast-iron road was denominated a " plato-way," from the 
plate-like form in which the rails were cast. In 1767, as 
appears from the books of the Coalbrookdale Iron Works, 
in Shropshire, five or six tons of rails were cast, as an ex- 
periment, on the su^estion of Mr. Eeynolde, one of the 
partners ; and they were shortly after laid down to form 
a road. 

In 1776, a cast-iron tramway, nailed to wooden sleepers, 
was laid down at the Duke of Norfolk's colliery near 
Sheffield. The person who designed and constructed this 
coal line was Mr. John Curr, whose son has erroneously 
claimed for him the invention of the cast-iron railway. He 
certainly adopted it early, and thereby met the fate of men 
before their age ; for his plan wae 
opposed by the labouring people of 
the colliery, who got up a riot in 
which they tore up the road and 
burnt the coal-staith, whilst Mr. 
Curr fled into a neighbouring wood 
for concealment, and lay there perdu 
for three days and nights, to escape 
the fury of the populace. The plates 
_ of these early tramways had a ledge 
; on their edge to guide the wheel 
^ along the road, after the manner 
' shown in the annexed cut. 
'' In 1789, Mr. WUliam Jessop constructed a railway at 
Loughborough, in Leicestershire, and there introduced- the 
cast-iron edge-rail, with flanches cast upon the tire of the 
wa^on-wheels to keep them on the track, instead of having 
the mai^in or flanch cast upon the raU itself; and this plan 
was shortly after adopted in other places. In 1800, Mr. 
Benjamin Outram, of Little Eaton, in Derbyshire (father of 




Chap. L THE LOCOMOTIVE. T 

the distiLguished General Outram), used Btone propH instead 
of timber for supporting the ends or joinings of the rails. 
Thus the use of railroads, in various forms, gradually 
extended, until they were found in general use all over the 
mining districts. 

Such was the growth of the railway, which, it will be 
observed, originated in necessity, and was modified accord- 
ing to experience ; prc^ess in this, as in all depai*tments of 
mechanics, having been effected by the exertions of many 
men, one generation entering upon the labours of that 
which preceded it, and carrying them onward to further 
stages of improvement. We shall afterwards find that the 
invention of the locomotive was made by like successive 
steps. It was not the invention of one man, but of a 
succession of men, each working at the proper hour, and 
according to the needs of that hour; one inventor inter- 
preting only the first word of the problem which his suc- 
cessors were to solve after long and laborious efforts and 
experiments. " The locomotive is not the invention of one 
man," said Eobert Stephenson at Newcastle, '^but of a 
nation of mechanical engineers." 

The same circumstances which led to the rapid extensioB 
of railways in the coal districts of the north tended to 
direct the attention of the mining engineers to the early 
development of the powers of the steam-engine as a usefiil 
instrument of motive power. The necessity which existed 
for a more effective method of hauling the coals from the 
pits to the shipping places was constantly present to many 
minds ; and the daily pursuits of a large class of mechanics 
occupied in the management of steam power, by which the 
coal was raised from the pits, and the mines were pumped 
clear of water, had the effect of directing their attention to 
the same agency as the best means for accomplishing that 
object. 

Among the upper-ground workmen employed at the coal- 
pits, the principal are the firemen, enginemen, and brakes- 
men, who fire and work the engines, and superintend the 



B COLLIEET MACHmEET. Chap. 1 

■nachinei; b; means of which tike collieries are irorkecL 
Prerions to ^e introduction of tlte steam-engine the usnal 
machine employed for the pnrpose was what is called & 
" gin." The gin oonsifltB of a. l&rge drum placed horizon- 
tolly, round which ropes attached to buckets and corves lire 
noond, whic^ at« thus drawn up or sent down the shafts 
by a horse travelling in a circular track or "gin race," 
This method was employed for drawing up both coals and 
water, and it is still used for the same purpose in small 
collieries ; but where the quantity of water to be raised is 
great, pumps worked by steam power are called into reqni- 

Newoomen's atmospheric engine was first made use of to 
work the pumps ; and it continued to be so employed long 
after the more powerful and economical condensing engine 
of Watt had been invented. In the Newcomen or "fire 
ei^ine," as it was called, the power is pi-oduccd by the 
pressure of the atmosphere forcing down the piston in the 
cylinder, on a vacuum being produced within it by condensa- 
tion of the contained steam l^ means of cold water injection. 
The pi«ton-rod is attached to one end of a lever, whilst 
the pump-rod works in oonnezion with the other, — the 
hydraulic action employed to raise the water being exactly 
similar to that of a common sucking-pump. 

The working of a Newcomen engine was a clum^ and 
apparently a very painful process, accompanied 1^ an extra* 
ordinary amount of wheezing, sighii^, creaking, and bump- 
ing When the pump descended, there was heard a plunge, 
a heavy sigh, and a loud bump : then, as it rose, and the 
sucker b^an to act, there was beard a creak, a wheeze, 
■mother bump, and then a strong rush of water as it was 
lifted and poured out Where engines of a more powerful 
and improved description are used, the quantity of water 
raised is enormous — as much as a million and a half 
gallons in the twenly-fonr hours. 

ITie pitmen, or " tiie lade belaw," who work out the coal 
below ground, are a peculiar dass, quite distinct &om 



Chap. I. THE PITMEN. 9 

tlio workmen on the snr&oe. They are a people with 
peculiar habits, manners, and character, as much as 
fishermen and sailors, to whom, indeed, they bear, in some 
respects, a considerable resemblance. Some fifty years 
since they were a much rougher and worse educated dav 
than they are now; hard workers, but veiy wild and 
uncouth; much given to '^steeks," or strikes; and distin- 
guished, in their hours of leisure and on pay-nights, for 
their love of cock-fighting, dog-fighting, hard drinking, and 
cuddy races. The pay-night was a fortnightly saturnalia, 
in which the pitman's character was fully brought out, 
especially when the "yel" was good. Though earning 
much higher wages than the ordinaiy labouring population 
of the upper soil, the latter did not mix nor intermarry with 
them ; so that they were left to form their own communi- 
ties, and hence their marked peculiarities as a cla8& Indeed, 
a sort of traditional disrepute seems long to have dung to 
the pitmen, arising perhaps from the nature of their 
employment, and from the circumstance that the colliers 
were among the last classes enfranchised in England, as 
they were certainly the last in Scotland, where they con- 
tinued bondmen down to the end of last centuiy. The last 
thii-ty years, however, have worked a great improvement 
in the moral condition of the Northumbrian pitmen; the 
abolition of the twelve months* bond to the mine, and the 
substitution of a month's notice previous to leaving, having 
given them greater freedom and opportunity for obtaining 
employment ; and day-schools and Sunday-sdiools, together 
with the important influences of railways, have brought 
them folly up to a level with the other classes of the 
labouring population. 

The coals, when raised from the pits, are emptied intc the 
waggons placed alongside, from whence they are sent along 
the rails to the staiths erected by the river-side, the waggons 
sometimes descending by their own gravity along inclined 
planes, the waggoner standiuf^ behind to check the speed by 
means of a convoy or wooden bi-ake bearing upun the rims 



10 TTSE SHIPPISG. CBiP, I. 

of the wheels. Arrived at the staiths, the waggons are 
emptied at once into the ships waiting alongside for cai^o. 
Any one who has sailed down the Tyne from Newcastle 
Bridge cannot but have been atnick with the appearance of 
the immense staiths, conatnicted of timber, which are 
erected at short distances from each other on both sides of 
the river. 



dul^SuJIh on Ibe True. 

Bnt a great deal of the coal shipped from the Tyne comes 
from above-bridge, where sea-going craft cannot reach, and 
is floated down the river in " keels," in which the coals are 
sometimes piled np according to convenience when large, or, 
when the coal is small or tender, it is conveyed in tubs to 
prevent breakage. These keela are of a very ancient 
model, — perhaps the oldest extant in England : they are 
even said to be of the same build Ets those in which the 
Korsemen navigated the Tyne centuries ago. The keel is a 
tabby, grimy-looMng craft, roimded fore and aft, with a 
tingle large square sail, which the keel-bullies, as the 
Tyno watermen are called, manage with great dexteri^; 



CiiiP.I. THE KEELMEN. II 

tlie vessel being guided by the aid of the " swapo," or 
great oar, which is used as a kind of rudder at the st«ni of 
the vesseL Theee keelmen are an exceedingly hardy class 
of workmen, not by any means eo quarrelsome as their 
deaignation of "bully" would imply — the word being 
merely deriyed from the obsolete t«rm "boolie," or beloved, 
an appellation still in &miliar use amongst brother workers 
in the coal districts. One of the most curious sights upon 
the Tyne is the fleet of hundreds of these black-sailed, 
black-huUed keels, bringing down at each tide their black 
cargoes for the ships at anchor in the deep water at Shields 
and other parts of the river below Newcastle. 

These preliminary observations will perhaps be sufficient 
to explain the meaning of many of the occupations alluded 
to, and the phrases employed, in the course of the following 
narrative, some of which might otherwise have been com- 
paratively unintelligible to the general reader. 



Wjkon CoUiei? uid Village. 



CHAPTER IL 



Wylam AMD Bkwlet Bdsh — Gbokgb Stephbmsoh's Eabli 

YSABB. 

The ooUieiy village of Wylam is situated on the north 
bank of the Tyne, about eight mil^ west of Newcastle. 
The Kewcaatle and Carlisle railway runs along the opposite 
bank ; and the traTeller by that line sees the usual signs of 
a colliery in the unsightly pumping-engines surrounded by 
heaps of ashes, coal-dust, and dag ; whilst a neighboiiring 
iron-fumace in fuU blast throws out dense smoke and loud 



■I 



Ohap. II. ^ YLAM. 13 

jets of Bteaiu b]p da)* and lurid flames at night These 
works form the nucleus of the village, which is almost 
entirely occupied by coal-miners and iron-fumaoemen. The 
place is remarkable for its large population, but not for its 
cleanness or neatness as a village ; the houses, as in most 
colliery villages, being the property of the owners or 
lessees, who employ them in temporarily accommodating 
the workpeople, against whose earnings there is a weekly 
set-ofif for house and coals. About the end of last century 
the estate of which Wylam forms part, belonged to Mr. 
Blackett, a gentleman of considerable celebrity in coal- 
mining, then more generally known as the proprietor of the 
' Globe ' newspaper. 

There is nothing to interest one in the village itsell 
But a few hundred yards from its eastern extremity stands 
a humble detached dwelling, which will be interesting to 
many as the birthplace of one of the most remarkable men 
of our times — George Stephenson, the Railway Engineer. 
It is a common two-storied, red-tiled, rubble house, por- 
tioned off into four labourers* apai*tments. It is known by 
the name of High Street House, and was originally so called 
because it stands by the side of what used to be the old 
riding post road or street between Newcastle and Hexham, 
along which the post was carried on horseback within the 
memoiy of persons living. 

The lower room in the west end of this house was the 
home of the Stephenson family ; and there George Stephen- 
son was bom, the second of a family of six children, on the 
dth of June, 1781. The apartment is now, what it was 
then, an ordinary labourer's dwelling, — its walls are un- 
plastered, its floor is of clay, and the bare rafters are 
exposed overhead. 

Eobei*t Stephenson, or "Old Bob," as the neighbours 
fA.Tni1ia.r1y called him, and his wife Mabel, were a respectable 
couple, careful and hard-working. It is said that Eobert 
Stephenson's father was a Scotchman, and came into 
E&gland as a gentleman's servant Mabel, his wifla. was 



8TEPHESS0X*S PAREXTS. 



HlglMlIeet Hoiiae, Wjlui, the Blntaplaa of Qeorge StspbensoiL 

the daughter of Robert Carr, a dyer at Ovingham. When 
first married, they lived at Walbottle, a village situated 
between Wylam and Kewcastle, afterwards removing to 
Wylam, where Eobert was employed as fireman of the old 
pumping engine at that colliery. 

An old Wylam collier, who remembered Geoi^o 
Stephenson's father, thus described him: — "Geordie'a 
fayther war like a peer o' deals nailed thegither, an' a 
bit o' flesh i' th' inside ; he war as queer as Dick's hatband 
— wont thrico aboot, an' wudn't tie. His wife Mabel war 
a delicat' boddio, an' varry flighty. Thay war an honest 
family, but sair hadden doon i' th' world." Indeed, the 
earnings of old Eobert did not amount to more than twelve 
shillings a week ; and, as there were sii children to main- 
tain, the family, during their stay at Wylam, were neces- 
sarily in. very straitened cireumstancea. The father's wages 



Chat. il. OLD ROBERT STEPHENSON. 16 

boing barely sufficient, even with the most rigid economy, 
for the sustenance of the household, there was little to 
spare for clothing, and nothing for education, so none of 
the children were sent to school. 

Old Robert was a general favourite in the village, espe- 
cially amongst the children, whom he was accustomed to 
draw al>out him whilst tending the engine-fire, and feast 
their young imaginations with tales of Sinbad the Sailor 
and Eobinson Crusoe, besides others of his own invention ; 
so that " Bob's engine-fire " came to be the most popular 
resort in the village. Another feature in his character, by 
which he was long remembered, was his affection for birds 
and animals ; and he had many tame fiivourites of both 
sorts, which were as fond of resorting to his engine-fire as 
the boys and girls themselves. In the winter time he had 
usually a flock of tame robins about him ; and they would 
come hopping fiimiliarly to his feet to pick up the crumbs 
which he had saved for them out of his humble dinner. 
At his cottage he was rarely without one or more tame 
blackbirds, which flew about the house, or in and out at 
the door. In summer-time he would go a-birdnesting with 
his children ; and one day he took his little son George to 
see a blackbird's nest for the first time. Holding him up 
in his arms, he let the wondering boy peep down, through 
the branches held aside for the purpose, into a nest full of 
young birds — a sight which the boy never forgot, but used 
to speak of with delight to his intimate friends when he 
himseK had grown an old man. 

The boy George led the ordinary life of working-people's 
children. He played about the doors ; went birdnesting 
when he could ; and ran errands to the village. He was 
also an eager listener, with the other children, to his 
lather's curious tales; and he early imbibed from him 
that affection for birds and animals which continued 
throughout his life. In course of time he was promoted to 
the office of carrying his other's dinner to him while at 
work, and it was on such occasions his great delight to see 



16 THB BOT GB0BG15. Chap, a 

the robins fed. At home he helped to nurse, and that with 
a carefiil hand, his younger brothers and sisters. One oi 
his duties was to see that the other children were kept out 
of the way of the chaldron wagons, which were then 
dragged by horses along the wooden tramroad immediately 
in front of the cottage-door. This wa^on-way was the 
first in the northern district on which the experiment of a 
locomotive engine was tried. But at the time of which we 
speak, the locomotive had scarcely been dreamt of in 
England as a practicable working power ; horses only were 
used to haul the coal; and one of the first sighte with 
which the boy was familiar was the coal-waggons draped 
by them along the wooden railway at Wylam. 

Thus eight years passed ; after whidi, the coal having 
been worked out, the old engine, which had grown " dismal 
to look at," as one of the workmen described it, was pulled 
down ; and then Eobert, having obtained employment as a 
fireman at the Dewley Bum Colliery, removed with his 
family to that place. Dewley Bum, at this day, consists of 
a few old-£Eushioned low-roofed cottages standing on either 
side of a babbling little stream. They are connected by a 
rustic wooden bridge, which spans the rift in front of the 
doors. In the central one-roomed cottage of this group, on 
the right bank, Eobert Stephenson lived for a time with 
his family ; the pit at which he worked standing in the 
rear of the cottages. 

Young though he was, George was now of an age to be 
able to contribute something towards the family main- 
tenance ; for in a poor man's house, every child is a burden 
until his little hands can be turned to profitable account 
That the boy was shrewd and active, and possessed of a 
ready mother wit, will be evident enough from the follow- 
ing incident. One day his sifter Nell went into Newcastle 
to buy a bonnet ; and Geordie went with her " for com- 
pany." At a draper's shop in the Bigg Market, Nell found 
a " chip " quite to her mind, but on pricing it, alas ! it was 
found to be fifteen pence beyond her means, and she left 



Chap. U. QBuROE EMPLOTED AS HBHD-BOT. 17 

the shop very mucli disappointed. But Ooordie said, 
" Never heed, Nell ; see if I canna win siller enongli to bay 
the bonnet ; stand ye there, till I come back." Away ran 
the boy and disappeared amidst the throng of the market, 
leaving the girl to wait his return. Long and long she 
waited, until it grew dusk, and the market people had 
nearly all left She had begun to despair, and fears crossed 
her mind that Geordie must have been run over and killed ; 
when at last up he came running, almost breathless. " Ive 
gotten the siller for the bonnet, Nell I" cried ho. **Kh 
Geordie r she said, "but hoo hae ye gotten it?" "Haudin 
the gentlemen's horses!" was ihe exultant reply. The 
bonnet was forthwith bought, and the two returned to 
Dewley happy. 

George's first regular employment was of a very humble 
sort. A widow, named Grace Ainslie, then occupied the 
neighbouring farmhouse of Dewley. She kept a number of 
cows, and had the privilege of grazing them along the 
waggon-road. ' She needed a boy to herd the cows, to keep 
them out of the way of the waggons, and prevent their 
straying or trespassing on the neighbours' '* liberties;" the 
boy's duty was also to bar the gates at night after all the 
waggons had passed. George petitioned for this post, and, 
to his great joy, he was appointed at the wage of twopence 
a day. 

It was light employment, and he had plenty of spare 
time on his hands, which he spent in birdnesting, making 
whistles out of reeds and scrannel straws, and erecting 
Lilliputian nulls in the little water-streams that ran into 
the Dewley bog. But his favourite amusement at this 
early age was erecting clay engines in conjunction with his 
chosen playmate, Bill ThirlwalL The place is still pointed 
out where the future engineers made their first essays in 
modelling. The boys found the clay for their engines in 
the adjoining bog, and the hemlocks which grew about 
supplied theiA with imaginary steam-pipes. They even 
proceeded to make a mmiature winding-nutchine in oou« 
. V. 



19 DRIVES THE GIN-HORSEL Chap, a 

aexion with their engine, and the apparatus was erected 
apon a bench in front of the Thirlf^alLs* cottaga The 
oorres were made out of hollowed corks ; the ropes were 
supplied by twine ; and a few bits of wood gleaned from 
the refuse of the carpenter's shop completed their materials. 
W ith this apparatus the boys made a show of sending the 
conges down the pit and drawing them up again, much to 
the marvel of ihe pitmen. But some mischievous person 
about the place seized the opportunity early one morning 
of smashing the fragile machinery, much to ^e grief of the 
young engineeiu 

As Stephenson grow older and abler to work, he was bet 
to lead the horses when ploughing, though scarce big 
enough to stride across the furrows; and he used after^ 
wards to say that he rode to his work in the mornings at 
an hour when most other children of his age were asleep in. 
their beds. He was also employed to hoe turnips, and do 
similar fBirm-work, for which he was paid the advanced 
wage of fourpence a day. But his highest ambition was to 
bo taken on at the colliery where his father worked ; and 
he shortly joined his elder brother James there as a " corf- 
bitter," or " picker," to clear the coal of stones, bats, and 
dross. His wages were then advanced to sixpence a day, 
and afterwards to eightpence when he was set to drive the 
gm-horse. 

Shortly after, George went to Black Callerton to drive 
the gin there ; and as that colliery lies about two miles 
across the fields from Dewley Bum, he walked that dis- 
tance early in ihe morning to his work, returning home 
late in the evening. One of the old residents at Black 
Callerton, who remembered him at that time, described 
him to the author as " a grit growing lad, with bare legs 
an* feet ;" adding that he was " very quick-witted and full 
of fun and tricks : indeed, there was nothing under the sun 
but he tried to imitate." He was usually foremost also in 

V the spoii» and pastimes of youth. 

fo Among his first strongly-developed tastes was the loTe 



Chap. U. APPOINTED ASSISTANT-FIREMAN. 13 

of birdH and animals, whicli he inlierited from his &Uier 
Blackbirds were his special fevourites. The hedges 
between Lewley and Black Callerton were capital bird- 
nesting places ; and there was not a nest there that he did 
not know of. When the young birds were old enough, he 
would bring them home with him, feed them, and teach 
them to fly about the cottage unconflned by cages. One of 
his blackbirds became so tame, that, after flying about the 
doors aU day, and in and out of the cottage, it would take 
up its roost upon ihe bed-head at night And most singular 
of all, the bird would disappear in the spring and summer 
months, when it was supposed to go into the woods to pair 
and rear its young, after which it would reappear at the 
cottage, and resume its social habits during the winter. 
This went on for several years. George had also a stock 
of tame rabbits, for which he built a little house behind the 
cottage, and for many years he continued to pride himself 
upon the superiority of his breed. 

After he had driven the gin for some time at Dewley and 
Black Callerton, he was taken on as an assistant to his 
father in firing the engine at Dewley. This was a step of 
promotion which he had anxiously desired, his only fear 
being lest he should be found too young for the work. 
Indeed, he used afterwards to relate how he was wont to 
hide himself when the owner of the colliery went round, in 
case he should be thought too little a boy to earn the wager 
paid him. Since he had modelled his day engines in the 
bog, his young ambition was to be an engineman ; and to 
be an assistant fireman was the first step towards this posi- 
tion. Great therefore was his joy when, at about fourteen 
years of age, he was appointed assistant-fireman, at the 
wage of a shilling a day 

But the coal at Dewley Bum being at length worked 
out, the pit was ordered to be '' laid in," and old Eobert 
and his family were again under the necessity of shifting 
their home; for, to use the common phrase, they must 
^ follow the wark." They removed accordingly to a place 

2 



20 LIFE AT KEWBURN. CuAr. It. 

called Jolly's Close, a few miles to the south, close behind 
the village of Nowbum, where another coal-mine belonging 
to the Buke of Northwmberland, called " the Duke's 
Wumin," had recently been opened out 



Newbum on tbe T^ne. 

One of the old persona in the neighbourhood, who knew 
the family well, describes the d^-dlling in which they lived 
as a poor cottage of only op.e room, in which the father, 
mother, four eons, and two daughters, lived and slept. It 
was crowded with three 1; w-poled beds. The one apart- 
ment served for parlour, kitchen, sleeping-room, and all. 

The children of the Stephenson family were now growing 
apace, and several of them were old enough to be able to 
earn money at various kinds of colliery work. James and 
George, the two eldest sony, worked aa assietant-firemen ; 



Chap. U. ATHLETIC FEATS. IM 

dind the younger boys worked as wheelers oi pickers on thti 
bank-tops. The two girls helped their mother with the 
household work. 

Other workings of the coal were opened out in the neigh- 
bourhood; and to one of these George was removed as 
fiieman on his own account This was called the ^ Mid 
Mill Winnin," where he had for his mate a young man 
named Coe. They worked together there for about two 
years, by twelve-hour shifts, George firing the engine at the 
wage of a shilling a day. He was now fifteen years old. 
His ambition was as yet limited to attaining the standing 
of a full workman, at a man's wages ; and with that view 
ho endeavoured to attain such a knowledge of his engine as 
would eventually lead to his employment as an engineman, 
with its accompanying advantage of higher pay. He was 
a steady, sobei:, hard-working young man, but nothing more 
in the estimation of his feUow-workmen. 

One of his &vourite pastimes in by-hours was trying 
feats of strength with his companions. Although in frame 
he was not particularly robust, yet he was big and bony, 
and considered very strong for his aga At throwing the 
hammer George had no compeer. At lifting heavy weights 
ofiT the ground from between his feet, by means of a bar of 
iron passed through them — ^placing the bar against his 
knees as a fulcrum, and then straightening his spine and 
lifting them sheer up — he was also very successfuL On 
one occasion he lifted as much as sixty stones weight — a 
striking indication of his strength of bone and muscle. 

When the pit at Mid Mill was closed, George and hi» 
companion Coe were sent to work another pumping-engine 
erected near Throckley Bridge, where they continued for 
8C»ne months. It was while working at this place that his 
wages were raised to 12«. a week — an event to him of great 
importance. On coming out of the foreman*s officte that 
Saturday evening on which he received the advance, ho 
announced the fact to his fellow-workmen, adding triumph 
antly ** I am now a made man for life I" 



22 LEAANS TO BE AN E^*GIN£MAN. Chip. U. 

The pit opened at Kewbum, at which old Robert 
Stephenson worked, proving a failure, it was closed ; and 
a new pit was sunk at Water-row, on a strip of land lying 
between the Wylam waggon-way and the river l^e. 
about half a mile west of Newbum ChnrcL A. pumping 
engine was erected there by Robert Hawthorn, the Duke's 
engineer ; and old Stephenson went to work it as fireman, 
his son George acting as the engineman or plugman. At 
that time he was about seventeen years old — a very youth- 
ful age at which to fill so responsible a post He had thus 
already got ahead of his father in his station as a workman ; 
for the plugman holds a higher grade than the fireman, 
requiring more practical knowledge and skill, and usually 
receiving higher wages. 

George's duty as plugmeui was to watch the engine, to 
see that it kept well in work, and that the pumps were 
efficient in drawing the water. When the water-level in 
the pit was lowered, and the suction became incomplete 
through the exposure of the suction-holes, it was then his 
duty to proceed to the bottom of the shaft and plug the 
tube so that the pump should draw : hence the designation 
of *' plugman." If a stoppage in the engine took place 
tiirough any defect which he was incapable of remedying, 
it was for him to oall in the aid of the chief engineer to 
set it to rights. 

But from the time when George Stephenson was 
appointed fireman, and more particularly afterwards as 
engineman, he applied himself so assiduously and so sue- 
oessfolly to the study of the engine and its gearing — ^taking 
the machine to pieces in his leisure hours for the purpose 
of cleaning and understanding its various parts — that he 
soon acquired a thorough practical knowledge of its con- 
stmction and mode of working, and very rarely needed to 
call the engineer of the colliery to his aid. His engine 
became a sort of pet with him, and he was never wearied 
of watching and inspecting it with admiration. 

Though eighteen years old, like many of his fellow. 



Chap. II. ARTIFICIAL BIRD-HATCHINO. 23 

workmen, Stephenson had not yet learnt to read. All that 
he could do was to get some one to read for him bj hii 
engine fire, out of any book or stray newspaper which 
found its way into the neighboui'hood. Buonaparte was 
then overrunning Italy, and astounding Europe by his 
brilliant succession of victories ; and there was no more 
eager auditor of his exploits, as read from the newspaper ac- 
counts, than the young engineman at the Water-row Pit. 

There were also numerous stray bits of information and 
intelligence contained in these papers, which excited 
Stephenson's interest. One of these related to the Egyptian 
method of hatching birds* eggs by means of artificial heat. 
Curious about everything relating to birds, he determined 
to test it by experiment. It was spring time, and he 
forthwith went a birdnesting in the adjoining woods and 
hedges. He gathered a collection of eggs of various sorts, 
set them in flour in a warm place in ihe engine-house, 
covering the whole with wool, and then waited the issue. 
The heat was kept as steady as possible, and the eggs were 
carefully turned every twelve hours, but though they 
chipped, and some of them exhibited well-grown chicks, 
they never hatched. The experiment &iled, but the inci- 
dent shows that the inquiring mind of the youth was 
fairly at work. 

Modelling of engines in clay continued to be another of his 
favourite occupations. He made models of engines which 
he had seen, and of others which were described to him. 
These attempts were an improvement upon his first trials at 
Dewley Bum bog, when occupied there as a herd-boy. He 
was, however, anxious to know something of the wonder- 
ful engines of Boulton and Watt, and was told that they 
were to be found fully described in books, which he must 
search for information as to their construction, action, and 
uses. But, alas! Stephenson could not read; he had not 
yet learnt even his letters. 

Thus he shoi-tly found, when gazing wistfully in the 
direction of knowledge, that to advance further as a skOle'J 



34 LEARNS TO READ. Cuai*. II 

workman, he must master this wonderful art of reading — 
the key to so many other arts. Only thus oould he gain an 
access to books, the depositories of the wisdom and experi- 
ence of the past. Although a grown man, and doing the 
work of a man, he was not ashamed to confess his ignorance, 
and go to school, big as he was, to learn his letters. Per- 
haps, too, he foresaw that, in laying out a little of his spare 
earnings for this purpose, he was investing money judi- 
ciously, and that, in every hour he spent at school, he was 
really working for better wages. 

His first schoolmaster was Hobin Cowens, a poor teacher 
in the village of Walbottle. He kept a nightnschool, which 
was attended by a few of the colliers and labourers' sons in 
the neighbourhood. George took lessonh in spelling and 
reading three nights in the week. Robin Cowen*s teaching 
cost threepence a week ; and though it was not very good, 
yet George, being hungry for knowledge and eager to 
acquii-e it, soon learnt to read. He 'also practised *' pot- 
hooks," and at the ago of nineteen he was proud to be able 
to write his own name. 

A Scotch dominie, named Andrew Eobertson, set up a 
night-school in the village of Newbum, in the winter of 
1799. It was more convenient for George to attend this 
school, as it was nearer to his work, and only a few minutes* 
walk from Jolly's Clos«. Besides, Andrew had the reputa- 
tion of being a skilled arithmetician ; and this branch of 
knowledge Stephenson was very desirous of acquiring. He 
accordingly began taking lessons from him, paying four- 
pence a week. Eobert Gray, the junior fireman at the 
Water-row Pit, began arithmetic at th^ same time; and 
Gray afterwards told the author that George learnt 
" figuring " so much faster than he did, that he could not 
make out how it was — " he took to figures so wonderfuL" 
Although the two started together from the same point, at 
the end of the winter George had mastered "reduction,*' 
while Bobert Gray was still struggling with the difficulties 
of simple division. But George's secret was his persever- 



JHAP. n HIS DOQ. 2h 

ance. He worked ov. ^e tsuma in his bye-boors, improTing 
every minute of bis spare time by tbe engine-fire, and study 
ing tbere tbe aritbmetical problems set for bim upon bib 
slate by tbe master. In tbe evenings be took to Bobertson 
tbe sums wbicb be bad "worked," and new ones were 
" set " for bim to study out tbe foUowing day. Tbus bis 
progress was rapid, and, with a willing beart and mind, bo 
soon became well advanced in aritbmotic. Indeed, Andrew 
Hobertson became very proud of bis scbolar ; and sbortly 
after, wben tbe Water-row Pit was closed, and George 
removed to Black Callerton to work tbere, tbe poor scbool- 
master, not baving a very extensive connexion in Newbum, 
went witb bis pupils, and set up bis nigbt-scbool at Black 
Callerton, where be continued bis lessons. 

George still found time to attend to bis favourite animals 
wbile working at tbe Water-row Pit. Like bis fittber, be 
used to tempt tbe robin-redbreasts to bop and fly about bim 
at tbe engine-fire, by tbe bait of bread-crumbs saved from 
bis dinner. But bis cbief favourite was bis dog — so saga- 
cious that be almost daily carried George's dinner to bim at 
the pit Tbe tin containing tbe meal was suspended from 
tbe dog s neck, and, tbus laden, be proceeded faithfully from 
Jolly's Close to Water-row Pit, quite through tbe village of 
Newbum. He turned neither to left nor right, nor beede<l 
tbe barking of curs at bis beels. But bis course was not 
unattended witb perils. One day tbe big strange dog of a 
passing butcher espying tbe engineman's messenger witb tbe 
tin can about bis neck, ran after and fell upon bim. Tbere 
was a terrible tussle and worrying, wbicb lasted for a brief 
wbile, and, sbortly after, tbe dog's master, anxious for bis 
dinner, saw bis faithful servant approaching, bleeding but 
triumphant. Tbe tin can was still round bis neck, but the 
dinner bad been spilt in tbe struggle. Tbough George 
went without bis dinner that day, be was prouder of bis dog 
than ever wben the circimxstances of tne combat were related 
to bim bj- tbe villagers wbo had seen it. 

It was wbile working at tbe AVater-row Pit that Stephen 



'<S6 LEARNS TO BRAKE. Chap, n 

•on leaxnt the art of farakeing an engine. This 1x ing one 
of the hig^her departments of colliery labour, and among 
the best paid, George was very anxious to learn it. A 
small winding-engine having been put up for the purpose of 
drawing the coals from the pit, Bill Coe, his friend and 
fellow-workman, was appointed the brakesman. He fr^ 
quently allowed George to try his hand at the machine, and 
instructed him how to proceed. Coe was, however, opposed 
in this by several of the other workmen— one of whom, a 
banksman named William Locke,* went so £Eir as to stop the 
working of the pit because Stephenson had been called in to 
the brake. But one day as Mr. Charles Nixon, the manager 
of the pit, was observed approaching, Coe adopted an expe- 
dient which put a stop to the opposition. He called upon 
Stephenson to ** come into the brake-house, and take hold of 
the machine." Locke, as usual, sat down, and the working 
of the pit was stopped. When requested by the manager to 
give an explanation, he said that ** young Stephenson couldn't 
brake, and, what was more, never would learn, he was so 
dumsy." Mr. Nixon, however, ordered Locke to go on with 
the work, which he did ; and Stephenson, after some farther 
practice, acquired the art of brakeing. 

After working at the Water-row Pit and at other engines 
near Newbum for about three years, George and Coe went 
to Black CaUerton early in 1801. Though only twenty 
years of age, his employers thought so well of him that 
they appointed him to the responsible office of brakesman at 
the Dolly Pit. For convenience* sake, he took lodgings at 
a small farmer's in the village, finding his own victuals, 
and paying so much a week for lodging and attendance. In 
the locality this was called " picklin in his awn poke neuk." 
It not unfrequently happens that the young workman 
about the collieries, when selecting a lodging, contrives to 
pitch his tent where the daughter of the house ultimately 



* Father of Mr. Locke, M J*., the engineer. Ue afterwards remoyed 

U* Bamsley, in Yorkshire. 



Chap. 13 DUTIES OF BRAKESMAN. 27 

beoomes his wife. This is often the real atta^action that 
draws the youth from home, though a very different one 
may be pretended. 

George Stephenson's duties as brakesman may be briefly 
described. The work was somewhat monotonous, and con- 
Bisted in superintending the working of the engine and 
machinery by means of which the coals were drawn out of 
the pit Brakesmen are almost inyariably selected from 
those who have had considerable experience as engine- 
firemen, and borne a good character for steadiness, punc- 
tuality, watchfulness, and " mother wit." In George Stephen- 
son's day the coals were drawn out of the pit in corves, or 
large baskets made of hazel rods. The corves were placed 
together in a cage, between which and the pit-ropes there 
was usually from fifteen to twenty feet of chain. The 
approach of the corves towards the pit mouth was signalled 
by a bell, brought into action by a piece of mechanism 
worked from the shaft of the engine. When the bell 
sounded, the brakesman checked the speed, by taking hold 
of the hand-gear connected with the steam-valves, which 
were so arranged that by their means he could regulate the 
speed of the engine, and stop or set it in motion when re- 
quired. Connected with the fly-wheel was a powerful 
wooden brake, acting by pressure against its rim, something 
like the brake of a railway-caniage against its wheels. On 
catching sight of the chain attached to the ascending ccrve- 
cage, the brakesman, by pressing his foot upon a footnstep 
near him^ was enabled, with great precision, to stop the 
revolutions of the wheel, and arrest the ascent of the corves 
at the pit mouth, when they were forthwith landed on the 
** settle board." On the full corves being replaced by empty 
ones, it was then the duty of the brakesman to reverse the 
engine, and send the corves down the pit to be filled again. 

The monotony of George Stephenson's occupation as a 
brakesman was somewhat varied by the change which he 
made, in his turn, from the day to the night shift. His 
duty, on the latter occasions, consisted chiefly in sending 



iS FANNY HENDERSON. Chap. II 

Diet and materials into the mine, and in drawing other 
men and materials out Most of the workmen enter the pit 
during the night shift, and leave it in the latter part of the 
day, whilst coal-drawing is proceeding. The requirements 
of the work at night are such, that the brakesman has a 
good deal of spare time on his hands, which he is at liberty 
to employ in his own way. From an early period, George 
was accustomed to employ those vacant night hours in 
working the sums set for him by Andrew Eobertson 
upon his slate, practising writing in his copy-book, and 
mending the shoes of his fellow-workmen. His wages 
while working at the Dolly Pit amoimted to from U. 15«. to 
2/. in the fortnight ; but he gradually added to them as he 
became more expert at shoe-mending, and afterwards at 
shoe-making. 

Probably he was stimulated to take in hand this extra 
work by the attachment he had by this time formed for a 
young woman named Fanny Henderson, who officiated as 
servant in the small farmer's house in which he lodged. 
We have been informed that the personal attractions of 
Fanny, though these were considerable, were the least of 
her charms. Mr. William Fairbaim, who afterwards saw 
her in her home at Willington Quay, describes her as a very 
comely woman. But her temper was one of the sweetest; and 
those who knew her were accustomed to speak of the charm- 
ing modesty of her demeanour, her kindness of disposition, 
and withal her sound good sense. 

Amongst his various mendings of old shoes at Callerton, 
George was on one occasion favoured with the shoes of his 
sweetheart to sole. One can imagine the pleasure with 
which he would linger over such a piece of work, and the 
pride with which he would execute it. A friend of his, 
still living, relates that, after he had finished the shoes, he 
carried them about with him in his pocket on the Sunday 
afternoon, and that from time to time he would pull them 
out and hold them up, exclaiming, " what a capital jcb he 
had made of them I" 



Chap. II. SAVES HIS FIRST OUTNlt^. 2« 

Out of his earnings by Bhoe-mending at Callerton, 
George contrived to save his first guinea. The first gainea 
saved by a working man is no trivial thing. If, ns in 
Stephenson's case, it has been the result of prudent self- 
denial, of extra labour at bye-hours, and of the honest reso- 
lution to save and economise for worthy purposes, the first 
guinea saved is an earnest of better things. When Stephen- 
son had saved this guinea he was not a little elated at the 
achievement, and expressed the opinion to a friend, who 
many years after reminded him of it, that he was " now 
a rich man." 

Not long after he began to work at Black Callerton as 
brakesman, he had a quarrel with a pituMin named Ned 
Nelson, a roistering bully, who was the terror of the 
village. Nelson was a great fighter ; and it was therefore 
considered dangerous to quarrel with him. Stephenson was 
so unfortunate as not to be able to please this pitman by the 
way in which he drew him out of the pit; and Nelson swore 
at him grossly because of the alleged clumsiness of his 
brakeing. George defended himself, and appealed to the 
testimony of the other workmen. But Nelson had not been 
accustomed to George's style of self-assertion ; and, after a 
great deal of abuse, he threatened to kick the brakesman, 
who defied him to do so. Nelson ended by challenging 
Stephenson to a pitched battle ; and the latter accepted the 
challenge, when a day was fixed on which the fight was to 
come oil. 

Great was the excitement at Black Callerton when it 
was known that George Stephenson had accepted Nelson's 
challenge. Everybody said he would be killed. The 
villagers, the young men, and especially the boys of the 
place, Avith whom George was a great favourite, all wished 
that he might beat Nelson, but tliey scarcely dared to say 
so. They came about him while he was at work in the 
engine-house to inquire if it was really true that he was 
'* goin to fight Nelson ? " " Ay ; never fear for me ; I'll fight 
him.'^ And fight him he did. For some days previous tc 



30 FIGHT WITH A PITMAN. Chap. IJ. 

the appointed day of battle, Xelson went entirely off work 
for the purpose of keeping himself freeh and Etrong, whereas 
Stephenson went on doing Mb daily work as vsaai, and 
appeared not in the leaat diaconcerted hj the prospect of the 
afiair. So, on the evening appointed, after George had done 
his day's labour, he went into the Dolly Pit Field, where 
his already exulting rival was ready to meet him. Geoi^ 
stripped, and " went in " like a practised pugilist — thoiigh 
it was his first and last fight. After a few rounds, George's 
wiiy muscles and practised strength enabled him severely 
to punish his adversary, and to secure an ea*y victory. 

This circumstance is related in illustration of Stephenson's 
personal pluck and courage ; and it was thoroughly charac- 
teristic of the man. He was no pugilist, and the very 
reverse of quarrelsome. But he would not be put down by 
tiie bully of the colliery, and he fought him. There his 
pugilism ended ; they afterwards shook hands, and continued 
good friends. In after life, Stephenson's mettle was often as 
hardly tried, though in a different way ; and he did not fail 
to exhibit the same resolute courage in contending with the 
bullies of the railway world, as he showed in his encountor 
with Ked Nelson, the fighting pitman of CaUerteu. 






CHAPTER III. 



fblGINBtlAN AT WiLLIKfllON QuAT AND ElLUNOVOBTH, 

Georoe Stefhensos had now acquired the cliaracter of an 
expert workman. He waa diligent and observant while at 
work, and sober and etudioas when the day's work was 
over. His friend Coe described him to the anthor as " a 
standing example of manly character." On pay-Saturday 
afternoons, when the pitmen held their fortnighlJy holiday, 
occupying themselves chiefly in cock-fighting and dog- 
Sghtiiig in the adjoining fields, followed by adjournments 



»2 WILLINGTON Q[TAT. Chap. Ul 

to the ** yel-house," Geoi'ge was aocostoined to take hk 
engine to pieces, for tlie purpose of obtaining ** insight," and 
ho cleaned all the parts and put the machine in thorough 
working order before leaving it 

In the evenings he improved hknself in tlie arts of reading 
and writing, and occasionally took a turn at modelling. It 
was at Callerton, his son Bobert infoimed us, that he began 
to try his hand at original invention ; and for some time he 
applied his attention to a machine of the nature of an 
engine-brake, which reversed itself by its own action. But 
nothing came of the contrivance, and it was eventually 
thrown aside as useless. Yet not altogether so; for even 
the highest skill must undergo the inevitable discipline of 
experiment, and submit to the wholesome con-ection of 
occasional failure. 

After working at Callerton for about two years, he re- 
ceived an offer to take charge of the engine on Willington 
Ballast Hill at an advanced wage. He determined to 
accept it, and at the same time to marry Fanny Henderson, 
and b^n housekeeping on his own account. Though he 
was only ti?v'enty-one years old, he had contrived, by thrift, 
steadiness, and industry, to save as much money as enabled 
him to take a cottage-dwelling at Willington Quay, and 
furnish it in a humble but comfortable style for the reception 
of his bride. 

Willington Quay lies on the north bank of the Tyne, 
about six miles below Newcastle. It consists of a line of 
houses straggling along the river-side; and high behind it 
towers up the huge mound of ballast emptied out of the 
ships which resort to the quay for their cargoes of coal for 
the London market. The ballast is thrown out of the ships* 
holds into waggons laid alongside, which are run up to the 
summit of the Ballast Hill, and emptied out there. At the 
foot of the great mound of shot rubbish was the fixed 
engine of which George Stephenson acted as brakesman. 

The cottage in which he took up his abode was a small 
two-storied dwelling, standing a little back from the quay 



!'i 



mef 



QBkv. III. STEPHENSON'S MAERIAO& '3 

with a bit of gardeii ground in front* The StophonBon 
family occupied the upper room in the weet end of the 
cottage. Close behind rose the Ballast HilL 

When the cottage dwelling had been made snug, and waa 
feady for occupation, the marriage took place. It was cele- 
brated in Newbum Church, on the 28th of November, 1802. 
After the ceremony, George, with his newly-wedded wife, 
proceeded to the house of his £Either at Jolly's Close. The 
old man was now becoming infirm, and, though he still 
worked as an engine-fireman, contrived with difficulty ** to 
keep his head above water." When the visit had been 
paid, the bridal party set out for their new home at Will- 
ington Quay, whither they went in a manner quite oommou 
before travelling by railway came into use. Two farm 
horses, borrowed from a neighbouring £Emner, were each 
provided with a saddle and pillion, and G^rge having 
mounted one, his wife seated herself behind him, holding 
on by his waist The bridesman and bridesmaid in like 
manner mounted the other horse; and in this wise the 
wedding party rode across the country, passing through 
the old streets of Newcastle, and then by Wallsend to 
Willington Quay — a ride of about fifteen miles. 

George Stephenson's daily life at Willington was that 
of a steady workman. By the manner, however, in which 
he continued to improve his spare hours in the evenmg, he 
was silently and surely paving the way for being some- 
thing more than a manual labourer. He set himself to 
study diligently the principles of mechanics, and to master 
the laws by which his engine worked. For a workman, 
he was even at that time more than ordinarily speculative 
—often taking up strange theories, and trying to sift out 
the truth that was in them. While sitting by his wife's 
side in his cottage-dwelling in the winter evenings, he was 



* The Stephenson Memorial 
Bohools have since been erected 
on the site of the old cottage at 



Willington Quay represented in 
the engraving at the head of this 
chapter. 



V. 



S4 WILLIAM FAIBBAI&N. Gbap. 01. 

Qfluallj occupied in studying mechanical subjects, or in 
modelling experimental machines. Amongst his yariouH 
speculations while at Willington, he tried to discover a 
means of Perpetual Motion. Although he fisiiled, as so 
many others had done before him, the very efforts he made 
tended to whet his inventive faculties, and to call forth his 
dormant powers. He went so £Eir as to construct the model 
of a machine for the purpose. It consisted of a wooden 
wheel, the periphery of which was furnished with glass 
tubes filled with quicksilver; as the wheel rotated, the 
quicksilver poured itself down into the lower tubes, and 
thus a sort of self-acting motion was kept up in the appa- 
ratus, which, however, did not prove to be perpetuaL 
Where he had first obtained the idea of this machine — 
whether from conversation or reading, is not known ; but 
his son Robert was of opinion that he had heard of the 
apparatus of this kind described in the ''History of In- 
ventions." As he had then no access to books, and indeed 
oould barely read with ease, it is probable that he had been 
told of the contrivance, and set about testing its value ac- 
cording to his own methods. 

Much of his spare time continued to be occupied by 
labour more immediately profitable, regarded in a pecu- 
niary point of view. In the evenings, after his day's labour 
at his engine, he would occasionally employ himself for an 
hour or two in casting ballast out of the collier ships, by 
which means he was enabled to earn a few extra shillings 
weekly. Mr. William Fairbaim of Manchester has informed 
us that while Stephenson was employed at Willington, 
he himself was working in the neighbourhood as an 
engine apprentice at the Percy Main Colliery. He was 
very fond of George, who was a fine, hearty fellow, besides 
being a capital workman. In the summer evenings young 
Fairbaim was accustomed to go down to the Qi^y to see 
ids friend, and on such occasions he would frequently take 
charge of George's engine while he took a turn at heaving 
ballast out of the ships' holds. It is pleasant to think of 



CHAP. m. THE COTTAOS CfllMNET TAKES FIRB. 35 

ike fnture Precddent of the British Association thus helping 
the future Eailway Engineer to earn a few extra shillingR 
by overwork in the evenings, at a time when both occupied 
the rank of humble working men in an obscure northern 
village. 

Mr. Fairbaim was also a frequent visitor at Gooige's 
cottage on the Quay, where, though there was no luxury, 
there was comfort, cleanliness, and a pervading spirit of 
industry. Even at home George was never for a momeni 
idle. When there was no ballast to heave out at the Quay 
he took in shoes to mend ; and from mending he proceeded 
to making them, as well as shoe-lasts, in which he was 
admitted to be very expert 

But an accident occurred in Stephenson's household about 
this time, which had the effect of directing his industry 
into a new and still more profitable channel. The cottage 
chimney took fire one day in his absence, when the alarmed 
neighbours, rushing in, threw quantities of water upon the 
flames ; and some, in their zeal, even mounted the ridge of the 
house, and poured buckets of water down the chimney. The 
fire was soon put out, but the house was thoroughly soaked 
When George came home he found everything in disorder, 
and his new furniture covered with soot. The eight-day clock, 
which hung ckgainst the waU — one of the most highly-prized 
articles in the house — ^was much damagev3 by the steam 
with which the room had been filled ; and its wheels were 
so clogged by the dust and soot that it was brought to a 
complete standstill. George was always ready to turn his 
hand to anything, and his ingenuity, never at fault, imme- 
diately set to work to repair the imfortunate clock. He 
was advised to send it to the clockmaker, but that wotdd 
cost money; and he declared that he would repair it 
himself — at least he would try. The dock was accordingly 
taken to pieces and cleaned ; the tools which he had been 
accumulating for the purpose of constructing his Perpetual 
Motion machine, enabled him to do this readily ; and he 
SQOoeeded so well tl^t, shortly after, the neighbours sent 

D 2 



36 BIRTH OF KOBE&T STEPHENSON. Chap. !a 

him their clocks to dean, and he soon became one of the 
most famous clock-doctors in the neighbourhood. 

It was while lining at Willuigton Quay that George 
Stephenson's only son was bom, on the 16th of October, 
1803. The child was a great favourite with his father, and 
added much to the happiness of his eTening hours. George's 
** philoprogenitiveness," as phrenologists call it, had been 
exercised hitherto upon birds, dogs, rabbits, and even the 
poor old gin-horses which he had driven at the Callerton 
Pit; but in his boy he now found a much more genial 
object for the exercise of his a£fection. 

The christening took place in the school-house at 
Wallsend, the old parish church being at the time in so 
dilapidated a condition from the ** creeping " or subsidenoe 
of the ground, consequent upon tlie excavation of the coal, 
Ihat it was considered dangerous to enter it. On this 
occasion, Bobert Gray and Anne Henderson, who had 
o£&ciated as bridesman and bridesmaid at the wedding, came 
over again to Willington, and stood god&ther and godmother 
to little Eobert, — so named after his grand&ther. 

After working foi* several years more as a brAicesbMin at 
the Willington machine, George Stephensox. was induced to 
leave his situation there for a similar one at the West Moox 
Colliery, Killingworth. It was not without considerable 
persuasion that he was induced to leave the Quay, as he 
knew that he should thereby give up the chance of earning 
extra money by casting ballast from the keels. At last, 
however, he consented, in the hope of making up the loss in 
some other way. 

The village of Killingworth lies about seven miles north 
of Newcastle, and is one of the best-known collieries in that 
neighbourhood. The workings of the coal are of vast 
extent, and give employment to a large number of work- 
people. To this place Stephenson first came as a brakesman 
about the beginning of 1805. He had not been long in 
his new place, ere his wife died (in 1806), shortly after 
giving birth to a daughter, who survived the mother only a 



Chap. III. BRAKESMAN AT KILLINGWOETH. 37 

few mooths. George deeply felt tlie loss of bis wife, for 
they had been, very happy tt^ther. Their lot had been 
sweetened by daily suocesafiil toU. The husband was 



West Uoor CulUei;. 

sober and hard-working, and his wife made his hearth ho 
bright and his home so snug, that no attraction could draw 
him from her side in the evening hotirs. But this domestic 
happinesB was all to pass away; and Geoige felt as one that 
had thenceforth to tread the journey of life alone. 

Shortly after this event, while his grief was still fresh, he 
received an invitation from some gentlemen concerned in 
large spinning works near Montrose in Scotland, to proceed 
tiiither and superintend the working of one of Boulton and 
Watt's engines. He accepted the offer, and made arrange- 
ments to leave Eillingworth for a time. 



38 



ENOINEMAN AT MONTKOSE. 



CiiAP IIL 



Having left his little hoj in good keeping, he set out upon 
his long jonmej to Scotland on foot, with his at npon 
his back. While working at Montrose he gave a striking 
proof of that practical ability in oontriTance for which he 
was afterwards so distinguished. It appears that the 
water required for the purposes of his engine, as well as 
for the use of the works, was pumped from a considerable 
depth, being supplied from the adjacent extensive sand 
strata. The pumps frequently got choked by the ^and 
drawn in at the bottom of the well through the snore-holes, 
or apertures through which the water to be raised is ad- 
mitted. The barrels soon became worn, and the bucket 
and clack leathers destroyed, so that it became necessary 
to devise a remedy ; and with this object the engineman 
proceeded to adopt the following simple but original expe- 
dient. He had a wooden box or boot made, twelve feet 
high, which he placed in the sump or well, and into this 
he inserted the lower end of the pump. The result was, 
that the water flowed clear from the outer part of the well 
over into the boot, and being drawn up without any ad- 
mixture of sand, the difi&culty was thus conquered.* 

Being paid good wages, Stephenson contrived, during 
the year he worked at Montrose, to save a sum of 28/., 
which he took back with him to Killingworth. Longing 
to get back to his kindred, his heart yearning for the son 
whom he had left behind, our engineman took leave of his 
employers, and trudged back to Northumberland on foot as 
he had gone. While on his journey southward he arrived 
late one evening, footsore and wearied, at the door of a 
small farmer's cottage, at which he knocked, and requested 
shelter for the night. It was refused, and then he entreated 



* This incident was related by 
Bobert Stephenson during a voyage 
to the north of Scotland in 1857, 
when off Montrose, on board his 
yacht Titania ; and the remi- 
niscence was coinmunicated to the 



author hj the late Mr. WilUam 
Kell of Gateshead, who was pro- 
sent, at Mr. Stephenson's request 
as being worthy of insertion in his 
other's biography. 



Chap. 111. RETURN TO KILLING WORTH. 31? 

that, being tiiad, and unable to proceed further, ihe farmer 
would permit him to lie down in the outhouse, for that 8 
little clean straw would serve him. The famer*8 wife 
appeared at the door, looked at the trayellei^ then retiring 
with her husband, the two confabulated a little apart, and 
finally they invited Stephenson into the cottage. Always 
full of conversation and anecdote, he soon made himself at 
home in the farmer's family, and spent with them a few 
pleasant hours. He was hospitably entertained for the 
night, and when he left the cottage in the morning, he 
pressed them to make some charge for his lodging, but they 
refdsed to accept any recompense. They only asked him 
to remember them kindly, and if he ever came that way, to 
be sure and call again. Many years after, when Stephenson 
had become a thriving man, he did not forget the humble 
pair who had succoured and entertained him on his way ; 
he sought their cottage again, when age had silvered their 
hair ; and when he left the aged couple, they may have 
been reminded of the old saying that we may sometimes 
" entertain angels unawares.*' - 

Beaching home, Stephenson found that his feither had 
met with a serious accident at the Blucher Pit, which had 
reduced him to great distress and poverty. While engaged 
in the inside of an engine, making some repairs, a fellow- 
workman accidentally let in the steam upon him. The 
blast struck him full in the face ; he was terribly scorched, 
and his eyesight was irretrievably lost The helpless and 
infirm man had struggled for a time with poverty; his 
sons who were at home, poor as himself, were little able to 
help him, while George was at a distance in Scotland. On 
his return, however, with his savings in his pocket, his first 
step was to pay off his father's debts, amounting to about 
15^.; and shortly after he removed the aged pair from 
Jolly's Close to a comfortable cottage adjoining the 
tramroad near the West Moor at Killingworth, where the 
old man Hved for many years, supported entirely by his son. 

Stephenson was again taken on as a lirakesman at the 



« 18 DEAWN FOE THE MIUTIA. Ch*p. IT. 

Wert Moor Fit. He doe« not eeem to have been veiy ho^ 
ful u to bia prospects in life about this time (1807-8). 
Indeed the condition of the working class generally wa« 
veiy discouraging. England was engaged in a great war, 
which pressed upon the industry, and severely tried the 
roBOUTces, of the oonntiy. There was a constant demand 
for men to fill the annj. The working people were also 
liable to be pressed for the navy, or drawn for the milit ia ; 
and though they oould not fail to be discontented under 
■Doh oiroumstanceA, they scarcely dared even to mutter 
their discontent to their neighbours. 

Stephenson was drawn for the militia: he must there- 
fore either quit his work and go a-soldiering, or find a 
Bubetituto. He adopted the latter course, and borrowed 61., 
which, with the remainder of his savings, enabled him to 
provide a militiaman to serve in his stead. Thus the 
whole of his hard-won earnings were swept away at a 
stroke. He was almost in dee^ir, and contemplated the 
idea of leaving the oountry, and emigrating to the United 
States. Although a voyage thither was then a much more 
formidable thing for a working man to accomplish than a 
vc^age to Australia is now, he seriously entertained the 
project, and had all but made up his mind to go. His Hister 
Adu, with her husband, emigrated about that time, but 
Oeorge could not raise the requisite money, and they 
departed without him. After all, it went sore against 
his heart to leave his borne and his kindred, the scenea 
of bis yoath and the friends of his boyhood ; and he strug- 
gled long with the idea, brooding over it in sorrow. 
Speaking afterwards to a friend of his thoughts at the 
time, he said ; " You know the road from my bouse at the 
West Moor to Kiliingworth. 1 remember once when I 

i .1 — ig jjmj road I wept bitterly, for I knew not where 

life would be cast" . 

i, Stephenson, with two other brakesmen, took a 
tract under the ooUiei? lessees for braheing the 
t the West Moor Fit. The brakesmen fonnd the 



Chap. UI. MAKES IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MACHINERX 41 

oil and tallow ; they divided the work amongst them, and 
wore paid so much per score for their labour. It was the 
interest of the brakesmen to economise the working as 
much as possible, and George no sooner entered upon the 
contract than he proceeded to devise ways and means of 
making it '* pay." He observed that the ropes which, at 
other pits in the neighbourhood, lasted about three months, 
at the West Moor Pit became worn out in about a month. 
He immediately set about ascertaining the cause of the 
defect ; and finding it to be occasioned by excessive friction, 
he p^goceeded, with the sanction of the head engine-wright 
and the colliery owners, to shift the pulley-wheels and 
re-arrange the gearing, which had the effect of greatly 
diminishing the tear and wear, besides allowing the work 
of the colliery to proceed without interruption. 

About the same time he attempted an improvement in 
the winding-engine which he worked, by placing a valve 
between the air-pump and condenser. This expedient, 
although it led to no practical result, showed that his mind 
was actively engaged in studying new mechanical adapta- 
tions. It continued to be his regular habit, on Saturdays, 
to take his engine to pieces, for the purpose, at the same 
time, of familiarising himself with its action, and of placing 
it in a state of thorough working order. By mastering 
its details, he was enabled, as opportunity occurred, to tuni 
to practical account the knowledge he thus diligently and 
patiently acquired. 

Such an opportunity was not long in presenting itself. 
In the year 1810, a new pit was sunk by the "Grand 
Allies " (the lessees of the mines) at the village of Killing- 
worth, now known as the Killingworth High Pit. An 
atmospheric or Newcomen engine, made by Smeaton, was 
fixed there for the purpose of pumping out the water from 
the shaft ; but somehow it failed to clear the pit. As one 
of the workmen has since described the circumstance — 
^ She couldn't keep her jack-head in water : all the engine- 
men in the neighbourhood were tried, as well as Crowthei 



*a THE I^FIEM PUMPING-BNGINE. Chap. UL 

of the OoBebam, bnt they were dean bet" The engiiw 
had been froitlefialy pumping for nearly twelve months, 
and began to be spoken of as a total &ilm-e. Stephenson 
had gone to look at it when in course of erection, and then 
ohserred to the over-man that hu thought it waa defective ; 
he also gave it as his opinion that, if ttiere were much 
water in tlie mine, the ei^ine would never keep it nnder. 
Of course, as he was only a brakesman, his opinion was 
considered to be worth very little on such a point He 
continued, however, to make frequent visits to the engine, 
to see " how she was getting on." From the ban^head 
where he worked his brake he could see the chimney 
smoking at the High Pit; and as lite men were passing 
to and from their work, he would call out and inquire " il 
they had gotten to the bottom yet?" And the reply was 
always to the same eSect — the pumping made no prc^^ress, 
and the workmen were still " drowned out" 

One Saturday afternoon he went over to the High Fit U 
examine the engine more carefully than he had yet done. 
He had been ttuning the eubject over thoughtfully in ias 
■ulnd ; and seemed to have satisfied himself as to the cause 
of the &ilure. Kit Heppel, one of the sinkers, asked bini, 
" Weel, George, what do you mak' o' her ? Do you think 
yon oould do anything to improve her ?" Said George, " 1 
oonld alter her, man, aad make her draw : in a week's time 
I could send you to the bottom." 

Forthwith Heppel reported this conversation to Ralph 
Dodds, the. head viewer, who, being now quite in despair, 
and hopeless of sucoeedii^ with the engine, determined to 
give George's bHU a triaL At the worst he could only 
fail, aa the rest h&i done. In the evening, Dodds went in 
aearcli of Stephenson, and met him on the road, dressed in 
his Sunday's suit, on the way to " the preaching " in the 
Methodist Chapel, which he attended. " Well, George," 
said Dodds, " they toll me that yon think yon can pnt the 
engine at the High Pit to rights." "Yes, sir," said George. 
" I think I coold." " If that's the case, FU g^ve yea a &ii 



CtaAP. m. UNDERTAKES TO CUKE FT. 48 

trial, and 7011 must set to work immediately. We are dean 
drowned out, and cannot get a stnp further. The engineers 
nereabouts are all bet ; and if you really succeed in accom- 
plishing what they cannot do, you may depend upon it I 
will make you a man for life." 

Stephenson began his operations early next morning. 
The only condition that he made, before setting to work^ 
was that he should select his own workmen. There was, 
as he knew, a good deal of jealousy amongst the ** regular " 
men that a colliery brakesman should pretend to know more 
about their engine than they themselves did, and attempt 
to remedy defects which the most skilled men of their craft, 
including the engineer of the colliery, had fisuled to do. 
But George made the condition a tine qud non. **The 
workmen," said he, "must either be aU Whigs or all 
Tories." There was no help for it, so Dodds ordered the 
old hands to stand aside. The men grumbled, but gave 
way ; and then George and his party went in. 

The engine was taken entirely to pieces. The cistern 
containing the injection water was raised ten feet; the 
injection cock, being too small, was enlarged to nearly 
double its former size, and it waa so arranged that it 
should be shut off quickly at the beginning of the stroke. 
These and other alterations were necessarily performed in 
a rough way, but, as the result proved, on true principles. 
Stephenson also, finding that the boiler would bear a 
greater pressure than five pounds to the inch, determined 
to work it at a pressure of ten pounds, though this was con- 
trary to the directions of both Kewcomen and Smeaton. 
The necessary alterations were made in about three days, 
and many persons came to see the engine start, including 
the men who had put her up. The pit being nearly full of 
water, she had little to do on starting, and, to use George's 
words, " came bounce into the house." Dodds exclaimed, 
*' Why, she was better as she was ; now, she will knock the 
liouse down." After a short time, however, the engine got 
fairly to work, and by ten o'clc^ck that night the water 



M CirSES THE PDHPING.BXGINE. catp. IH 

lower in the pit than it had ever been befora It was kept 
pumping all Thursday, and by the Friday afternoon the 
pit was cleared of water, and the workmen weru " sent to 
the bottom," as Stephenson had promised. Thus the 
alterations effected in the pumping apparatus proved oom- 
plefely enooeseful. 

Dodds was particularly gratified with the manner in 
which the job bad been done, and be made Stephenson a 
present of ten poundB, which, though veiy inadequate when 
compared with the value of the work performed, was ac- 
cepted with gratitude. George was proud of the gift as the 
first marked recc^^tion of bis skill as a workman ; and be 
nsed afterwards to say that it was the biggest sum of mcoiey 
he had up to that time earned in one lump. Kalph Dodds, 
however, did more tbaa thia. He released the brakesman 
troia the handles of bis engine at West Mooi, and appointed 
him engineman at tbe High Fit, at good wages, during the 
time tbe pit was sinking, — the job lasting for about a 
year ; and he also kept bim in mind for further advance- 

Stepbeneon's skill as an engine-doctor soon became noised 
abroad, and be was called upon to prescribe remedies for all 
tbe old, wheezy, and ineffective pumping-macbinee in the 
neigbbourbood. In this capacity be soon left the " regular" 
men fiir behind, though they in their turn were verj' moch 
disposed to treat the Eillingworth btakesman as no better 
than a qnack. Nevertheless, his practice was reaUy founded 
upon a close study of the principles of mccbanios, and on 
an intimate practical acquaintance with the details of tbe 



Another of bis smaller achievements in tbe same line :s 
BtiU told by the people of tbe district. At tbe comer of the 
road leading to Long Benton, there was a quarry &om which 

a r.Ai>ii1iar anil bchitoi Irinil iif n/'Tira -^aS taken. In the COUTSe 

collected in considerable 
leans of draining it ofti it 
t the further working ol 



CiiAP. in. ATHLETIC FEATS. 4fi 

the ochre was almost entirely stopped. Ordinaiy pnmpb were 
tried, and failed ; and then a windmill was tried, and &iled 
too. On this, George was asked what onght to be done to 
clear the quarry of the water. He said, ^'he would set 
up for them an engine little bigger than a kail-pot, that 
would dear them out in a week.'* And he did so. A little 
engine was speedily erected, by means of which the quany 
was pumped diy in the course of a few days. Thus hk 
skill as a pump-doctor soon became the marvel of the 
district. 

In elastic muscular vigour, Stephenson was now in his 
prime, and he stiQ continued to be zealous in measuring his 
strength and agility with his fellow workmen. The com- 
petitive element in his nature was always strong ; and his 
success in these feats of rivalry was certainly remarkable. 
Few, if any, could lift such weights, throw the hammer and 
putt the stone so far, or cover so great a space at a standing 
or running leap. One day, between the engine hour and the 
rope-rolling houi*, Kit Heppel challenged him to leap from 
one high wall to another, with a deep gap between. To 
Heppel's surprise and dismay, George took the standing 
leap, and cleared the eleven feet at a bound. Had his eye 
been less accurate, or his limbs less agile and sure, the feat 
must have cost him his life. 

But so full of redundant muscular vigour was he, that 
leaping, putting, or throwing the hammer were not enough 
for him. He was also ambitious of riding on horseback, 
and, as he had not yet been promoted to- an office enabling 
him to keep a horse of his own, he sometimes borrowed one of 
the gLQ-horses for a ride. On one of these occasions, he 
brought the animal back reeking ; when Tommy Mitche- 
son, the bank horse-keeper, a rougli-spoken fellow, exclaimed 
to him : '' Set such fellows as you on horseback, and you'll 
soon ride to the De'iL" But Tommy Mitcheson lived tc 
tell the joke, and to confess that, after all, there had been a 
better issue to George's horsemanship than that which he 
predicted. 



48 ENGINE-WEIGHT AT KILMNGWORTH. Chap. JII. 

Old Cree, the engme-wright at Killingworth Hig^ Pit, 
having been killed by an accident, George Stephenson was, 
in 1812, appointed engine-wright of the collieiy at the 
salary of lOOL a year. He waa also allowed the nse of a 
galloway (« ride upon in his visita of inspection to the 
collieries leased by the " Grand Allies " in that neighbour- 
hood. The " Grand Alliefi " were a company of gentlemen, 
consisting of Sir Thomas Liddell (afterwards Lord Bavens- 
worth), the Earl of Strathmore, ano Mr. Stuart Wortley 
(afterwards Lord WhamclifFe), the leeseee of the K illing - 
worth collieries. Having been informed of the merits of 
Stephenson, of hia iiide&,tigable indiistry, and the skill 
which he had displayed in the repairs of the pumping- 
engines, they readily acceded to Mr. Dodds' recommendation 
that he should be appointed the colliery engine-wright; 
and, as we shall afterwards find, they continued to hononr 
him by distinguished marks of their approvaL 



KlUlngwonh High Pit. 



Qtebc Fum Hoiue, Bealor 



CHAPTEE IV. 



The Stephbnsons at Killinowoeth — Edtioatiom and 
Self-Edccation oj Fathbe and Soh. 

Geobge Stephehsos had now been diligently employed for 
several years in the wort of Belf-improvement, and he expe- 
rienced the usual results in increasing mental strength, 
capability, and skilL Perhaps the secret of every man's 
best success is to be found in the alacrity and industry 
with which he takes advantage of the opportunities which 
present themselves for well-doii^. Our engineman was an 
eminent illustration of the importance of cultivating this 
habit of life. Every spare moment was laid under contribu- 
tion by him, either for the purpose of adding to hia earnings, 
or to his knowledge. He mi^ed no opportunity of extend- 
ing his observations, especially in his own department of 



W JOHN WIGHAM. Chap. IV 

work, ever aiming at improvement, and trying to torn all 
tliat he did know to tuseful practical account. 

He continued his attempts to solve the mystery of Per- 
petual Motion, and contrived several model machines with 
the object of embodying his ide&s in a practical working 
shape. He afterwards used to laiment the time he had lost 
in these futile efforts, and said that if he had enjoyed the 
opportunity which most young men now have, of learning 
from books what previous experimenters had accomplished, 
he would have been spared much labour and mortification. 
Not being acquainted with what other mechanics had 
done, he groped his way in pursuit of some idea originated 
by his own independent thinking and observation; and, 
when he had brought it into some definite form, lo! he 
found that his supposed invention had long been known and 
recorded in scientific books. Often he thought he had hit 
upon discoveries, which he subsequently found were but old 
and exploded fallacies. Yet his very struggle to overcome 
the dif&culties which lay in his way, was of itself an educa- 
tion of the best sort By wrestling with them, he strength- 
ened his judgment and sharpened his skill, stimulating and 
cultivating his inventivenegs and mechanical ingenuity. 
Being very much in earnest, he was compelled to consider 
the subject of his special inquiry in all its relations ; and 
thus he gradually acquired practical ability even through 
his very efforts after the impracticable. 

Many of his evenings were now spent in the society d 
John Wigham, whose father occupied the Glebe Farm at 
Benton, close at hand. John was a fair penman and a 
sound arithmetician, and Stephenson sought hiiSi society 
chiefly for the purpose of improving himself in writing and 
" figures." Under Andrew Bobertson, he had never quite 
mastered the Bule of Three, and it was oiJy when Wigbam 
took him in hand that he made much progress in the higher 
branches of arithmetic. He generally took his slate with 
him to the Wighams' cottage, when he had his sums set, 
that he might work them out while tending his engine on 



CuAP. IV. THE F2SLI.OW STtTDENTS. 49 

die f Qllowing day. When too btusy to be able to oall upon 
Wigbam, he sent the slate to have the former sams cor- 
rected and new ones set Sometimes also, at leisure mo- 
ments, he was enabled to do a little *' figuring" with 
chalk upon the sides of the coal-waggons. So much patient 
perseverance could not but eventually succeed ; and by dint 
of practice and study, Stephenson was enabled to master 
successively the various rules of arithmetia 

John Wigham was of great use to his pupil in many 
ways. He was a good talker, fond of argument, an exten- 
sive reader as country reading went in those days, and a 
very suggestive thinker. Though his store of infoimation 
might be comparatively small when measured with that of 
more highly-cultivated minds, much of it was entirely new 
to Stephenson, who regarded him as a very clever and 
ingenious person. 

Wigham taught him to draw plans and sections ; though 
in this branch Stephenson proved so apt that he soon sur- 
passed his master. A volume of ' Ferguson's Lectures on 
Mechanics,' which fell into their hands, was a great treasure 
to both the students. One who remembers their evening 
occupations says he used to wonder what they meant by 
weighing the air and water in so odd a way. They were 
tiying the specific gravities of objects; and the devices 
which they employed, the mechanical shifts to which they 
were put, were often of the rudest kind. In these evening 
entertainments, the mechanical contrivances were supplied 
by Stephenson, whilst Wigham found the scientific rationale. 
The opportunity thus aflForded to the former of cultivating 
his mind by contact with one wiser than himself proved of 
great value, and in after-life Stephenson gratefully remem- 
bered the assistance which, when a himible workman, he 
had derived from John Wigham, the farmer's son. 

His leisure moments thus carefully improved, it will be 
inferred that Stephenson continued a sober man. Though 
his notions were never extreme on this point, he was 
systematically temperate. It appears that en the invitation 

v. F 



5C STEPHENSOITS SOBRIETY. Chap. t\ 

of Lis master, he had, on one or two oocaaioiis, been induoed 
to join hiTn in a forenoon glass of ale in the pnblio-honse of 
the village. But one day, about noon, when Dodds had got 
him as far as the public-house door, cm his invitation to 
*' oome in and take a glass o' yel," Stephenson made a dead 
stop, and said, firmly, " No, sir, you must excuse me ; I have 
made a resolution to drink no more at this time of day.^' 
And he went back. He desired to retain the character of 
a steiidy workman; and the instances of men about him 
who had made shipwreck of their character through intem- 
perance, were then, as now, unhappily but too frequent. 

But another consideration besides his own self-improve- 
ment had already begun to exercise an important influence 
on his life. This was the training and education of his 
son Eobert, now growing up an active, intelligent boy, as 
full of fun and tricks as his father had been. When a 
little fellow, scarcely able to reach so high as to put a clock- 
head on when placed upon the table, his father would make 
him mount a chair for the purpose ; and to " help father " 
was the proudest work which the boy then, and ever after, 
could take part in. ^When the little engine was set up ai 
the Ochre Quarry to pump it dry, Eobert was scarcely 
absent for an hour. He watched the machine very eagerly 
when it was set to work ; and he was very much annoyed 
at the fire burning away the grates. The man who fired 
the engine was a sort of wag, and thinking to get a laugh 
at the boy, he said, "Those bars are getting varra bad, 
Eobert ; I think we maun cut up some of that hard wood, 
and put it in instead." " What would be the use of that, 
you fool ? " said the boy quickly. " You would no sooner 
have put them in than they would be burnt out again ! " 

So soon as Eobert was of proper age, his father sent him 
over to the road-side sdhool at Long Benton, kept by Eutter, 
the parish clerk. But the education which Eutter could 
give was of a very limited kind, scarcely extending. beyond 
the primer and pothooks. While worldng as a brakesman 
on the pit-head at Killingworth, the fathei had ofU^s 



^ 



Ceap. IV. EDUCATION OF HIS SON ROBERT. SJ 

bethought him of the obstructions he had himself encoun- 
tered in life through his waot of schooling ; and he 
formed the uoble determination that no labour, nor pains, 
aor self-denial on his part should be spared to furnish his 
son with the beet education that it was in hia power U 
bestow. 



Bntts'a Sdiixil House. Long BeolOD. 

It is true hia earnings were comparatively small at that 
time. He was still maintaining his in£rm parents ; and the 
coat of living continued excessive. But ho fell baclt upon 
his old expedient of working up his spare time in the 
evenings at home, or during the night ^fts when it was 
his torn to tend the engine, in mending and making ehoeu, 
cleaning clocks and watehes, making ehoe-laata for the shoe- 
makers of the neigbourhood, and cutting out the pitmen's 
clothes for their wives ; and we have he&a told that to this 



52 



BRUCEnS SCB>OL, NEWGASTLEL 



Crap. 1¥ 



day there are clothes worn at Eillingworth made after 
'* Groordy Steevie's cut." To give his own words : — " In the 
earlier period of my career," said he, " when Robert was a 
little boy, I saw how deficient I was in education, and I 
made up my mind that he should not labour under the same 
defect, but that 1 would put him to a good school, and give 
him a liberal training. I was, however, a poor man ; and 
how do you think I managed ? I betook myself to mending 
my neighbours' clocks and watches at nights, after my 
daily labour was done, and thus I procured the means of 
educating my son." * 

Canying out the resolution as to his boy's education^ 
Robert was sent to Mr. Brace's school in Percy Street, 
Newcastle, at Midsummer, 1815, when he was about twelve 
years old. His father bought for him a donkey, on which 
ho rode into Newcastle and beusk daily ; and there are many 
still living who remember the little boy, dressed in his suit 
of homely grey stuff, cut out by his father, cantering along 
to school upon the " cuddy," with his wallet of provisions 
fbr the day and his bag of books slung over his shoulder. 

When Robert went to Mr. Brace's school, he was a shy, 
unpolished country lad, speaking the broad dialect of the pit- 
men ; and the other boys would occasionally tease him, for the, 
purpose of provoking an outburst of his Killingworth Doric. 
As the shyness got nibbed off, his love of fun b^an to show 
itself, and he was found able enough to hold his own 
amongst the other boys. As a scholar he was steady and 
diligent, and his master was accustomed to hold him up to 
the laggards of the school as an example of good conduct 
and industry. But his progress, though satisfactory, was by 
no means extraordinary. He used in after-life to pride 
himself on his achievements in mensuration, though another 
boy, John Taylor, beat him at arithmetic. He also made 



* Speech at Newcastle, on the 
18th of June, 1844, at the meeting 
hold in oelehration of the opeoing 



of the Newcastle and DarlingtoB 
Railwaj. 



Chap. IV. SIHJCATION OP FATHER AND SON. 63 

considerable prc^rese in mathematiGfl ; and in a letter 
written to the son of Ids teacher, many years after, be said, 
" It waa to Mr. Brace's tnition and m^ode of modelling 



Brvco't Bcfaool (I««natte. 

the mind that I attributo much of my success as an en- 
gineer; for it was from him that 1 derived my taate for 
mathematical pursuits and the ^cility I posseaa of applying 
this kind of knowledge to practical purposes and modifying 
it according to circumstances," 

During the time Bobert attended school at Newcastle, 
his lather made the boy's education instrumental to his 
own. Robert was accustomed to spend some of his spare 
time at the rooms of the Uiterary and Fhilosophical Insti- 
tute ; and when he went home in the evening, he would 
recount to his father the resulte of his reading. SometimeE 



54 ROBERT STEPHENSON AT KILLINGWORTH. Chap. IV 

he was allowed to take with him to Killingworth a yolnmo 
of the • Eepertoiy of Arts and Sciences/ which father and 
son studied together. But many of the most valuable 
works belonging to the Newcastle Library were not lent 
out ; these Eobert was instructed to read and study, and 
bring away with him descriptions and sketches for his 
father's information. His father also practised him in 
reading plans and drawings without reference to the 
written descriptions. He used to observe that " A good plan 
should always explain itself;" and, placing a drawing of 
an engine or machine before the youth, would say, " There, 
now, describe that to me — the arrangement and the action." 
Thus he taught him to read a drawing as easily as he 
would read a page of a book. Both father and son profited 
by this excellent practice, which enabled them to appre- 
hend with the greatest facility the details of even the most 
difi&cult and complicated mechanical drawing. 

While Eobert went on with his lessons in the evenings, 
his father was usually occupied with his watch and clock 
cleaning ; or in contriving models of pumping-engines ; or 
endeavouring to embody in a tangible shape the mechanical 
inventions which he found described in the odd volumes on 
Mechanics which fell in his way. This daily and unceasing 
example of industry and application, in the person of a 
loving and beloved father, imprinted itself deeply upon the 
boy's heart in characters never to be efGaiced. A spirit of 
self-improvement was thus early and carefully planted and 
fostered in Eobert's mind, which continued to influence 
him through life ; and to the close of his career, he was 
proud to confess that if his professional success had been 
great, it was mainly to the example and training of hif 
fieither that he owed it 

Eobert was not, however, exclusively devoted to sludy, 
but, like most boys full of animal spirits, he was very fond 
of fun and play, and sometimes of mischief. Dr. Bi-uco 
relates that an old Killingwortii labourer, when asked by 
Eobert, on one of his last visits to Newcastle, if he remem* 



L 



Chap. IV. ROBEfiT STEPHENSON'S BOYISH TRICKS. 55 

bered him, replied with emotion, " Ay, indeed I Haven't 1 
paid your head many a time when you came with yonr 
father's bait, for yon were alwB.yB a sad hempy ?" 

The author had the pleasure, in the year 1854, of acoom- 
panying Eobert Stephenson on a visit to his old home and 
haunts at Killingworth. He had so often travelled the 
road upon his donkey to and from school, that eveiy foot 
of it was familiar to him ; and each turn in it served to 
recall to mind some incident of his boyish days. His eyes 
glistened when he came in sight of Killingworth pit-head. 
Pointing to a humble red-tiled house by the roadnside at 
Benton, he said, '' Ton see that house — that was Butter's, 
where I learnt my ABC, and made a beginning of my 
school learning. And there," pointing to a colliery chim- 
ney on the left, " there is Long Benton, where my fether 
put up his first pumping-engine ; and a great success it 
wa& And this humble clay-floored cottage you see here, is 
where my grandfeither lived till the close of his life. Many 
a time have I ridden straight into the house, mounted on 
my cuddy, and called upon grandfather to admire his 
points. I remember the old man feeling the animal all 
over — ^he was then quite blind — after which he would 
dilate upon the shape of his ears, fetlocks, and quarters, 
and usually end by pronouncing him to be a * real blood.' 
I was a great favourite with the old man, who continued 
very fond of animals, and cheerful to the last; and 1 
believe nothing gave him greater pleasure than a visit from 
me and my cuddy." 

On the way from Benton to High Killingworth, Mr. 
Stephenson pointed to a comer of the road where he had 
once played a boyish trick upon a Killingworth collier. 
" Straker," said he, " was a great bully, a coarse, swearing 
fellow, and a perfect tyrant amongst the women and 
children. He would go tearing into old Nanny the 
huxter's shop in the village, and demand in a savage voice, 
What's ye'r best ham the pund?' * What's floor the 
aunder ? ' What d'ye ax for prime baoon ? ' — his quosfcbiui 



56 BOBEBT STEPHENSON'S BOYISH TBIOJES. Chap. IV. 

often ending with the miserable order, aooompanied with a 
tremendons oath, of ' Gie's a penny rrow (roll) an' a baubee 
herrin 1' The poor woman was nsually set ' all of a shake * 
by a yisit from this fellow. He was also a great boaiSter, 
and used to orow over the robbers whom he had put to 
flight; mere men in buckram, as everybody knew. We 
boys," he oontinned, " believed him to be a great coward, 
and determined to play him a trick. Two other boys 
joined me in waylaying Straker one night at that comer," 
pointing to it '* We sprang ont and called npon him, in 
as gruff voices as we could assume, to ' stand and deliver !' 
He dropx)ed down upon his knees in the dirt, declaring he 
was a poor man, with a sma' fisanily, asking for * mercy,' 
and imploring us, as ' gentlemen, for God's sake, t' let him 
a-be !' We couldn't stand this any longer, and set up a 
shout of laughter. Becognizing our boys' voices, he sprang 
to his feet and rattled out a volley of oaths ; on which 
we cut through the hedge, and heard him shortly after 
swearing his way along the road to the yel-house." 

On another occasion, Bobert played a series of tricks of 
a somewhat different character. Like his father, he was 
veiy fond of reducing his scientific reading to practice ; and 
after studying Franklin's description of the lightning expe- 
riment, he proceeded to expend his store of Saturday 
pennies in purchasing about half a mile of copper wire at 
a brazier's shop in Newcastle. Having prepared his kite, 
he sent it up in the field opposite his father's door, and 
bringing the wire, insulated by means of a few feet of silk 
oord, over the backs of some of Farmer Wigham's cows, he 
soon had them skipping about the field in aU directions 
with their tails up. One day he had his kite flying at the 
cottage-4oor as his Other's galloway was hanging by the 
bridle to the paling, waitinjg for the master to mount 
Bringing the end of the wire just over the pony's crupper, 
so smart an electric shock was given it, that the brute was 
almost knocked down. At this juncture the father issued 
horn the door, riding-whip in hand, and was witness to the 



LIFE AT EILLINGWOETB. 



SwptaaiHD'a Cotuge, W«M Hoot. 

scieutifiG triok just plaj-ed off upon his galloway. "Ah I 
yon miscMevons scoondrel I" cried he to the boy, who ran 
6S. He inwardly ohnokled with pride, nevertheless, at 
Bobert's siiccessfiil experiment* 

At this time, and for many years after, Stephenson dwelt 
in a cott£^ standing hy the side of the road leading from 
the West Moor colliery to Killingworth. The railway 
from the West Moor Pit oroesee this road close 1^ the east 
end of the cottage. The dwelling originally oonsiBted of 
1>at one apartment on the gronnd-floor, with the garret 



* Bobert Stepbenson was per- 
haps, prouder oE this little boyish 
espcnment than he was of many of 
his anbeequeTit achieTcmenta. Not 
Jiaving been quite accnntely stated 
in ttiB fiist edition of this book, 
Mr. Stephenson noted the concc- 



tion for the second, and wrote the 
author (Sept. 18th, 18S7) w fol- 
lows : — " In the kite experiment, 
will yon say, that the coppeivwire 
wai inanlated by a few feet of silk 
cord : without this, the ezperimeDt 
cannot be made." 



68 ODD MECHANICAL CONTRIVANCES. Chap. IV. 

oyer-head, to which aooess was obtained by means of a step- 
ladder. Bnt with his own hands Stephenson built an OTon, 
and in the course of time he added rooms to the cottage, 
until it became a comfortable four-roomed dwelling, in 
which he lived as long as he remained at Killingworth. 

He continued as fond of birds and animals as ever, and 
seemed to have the power of attaching them to him in a 
remarkable degree. He had a blackbird at Killingworth 
so fond of him that it would fly about the cottage, and on 
holding out his finger, would come and perch upon it A 
cage was built for " blackie " in the partition between the 
passage and the room, a square of glass forming its outer 
wall; and Eobert used afterwards to take pleasure in 
describing the oddity of the bird, imitating the manner in 
which it would cock its head on his father's entering the 
Qouse, and follow him with its eye into the inner apart- 
ment 

Neighbours were accustomed to call at the cottage and 
have their clocks and watches set to rights when they went 
wrong. One day, after looking at the works of a watch 
left by a pitman's wife, George handed it to his son ; " Put 
her in the oven, Eobert," said he, " for a quarter of an hour 
or so." It seemed an odd way of repairing a watch ; never- 
theless, the watch was put into the oven, and at the end of 
the appointed time it was taken out, going all right The 
wheels had merely got clogged by the oil congealed by the 
cold ; which at once explains the rationale of the remedy 
adopted. 

There was a little garden attached to the cottage, in 
which, while a workman, Stephenson took a pride in grow^- 
iDg gigantic leeks and astounding cabbages. There was 
great competition amongst the villagers in the growth of 
vegetables, all of whom he excelled, excepting one of his 
neighbours, whose cabbages sometimes outshone his. In 
the protection of his garden-crops from the ravages of the 
birds, he invented a strange sort of "fley-craw," which 
moved its arms with the wind ; and he fastened his garden* 



-.tjk. 



Chap. IV. ATTEMPTS TO ENLIGHTEN THE PITMEN. 59 

door by means of a piece of ingenions mechanism, so that 
no one but himself could enter it His cottage was quite % 
ouriositjHBhop of models c^ engines, self-acting planes, and 
perpetual-motion machines. The last-named contri'vances, 
however^ were only unsuocessfiil attempts to soIto a problem 
which had effectually baffled hundreds of preceding in- 
ventors. His odd and eccentric contrivances often excited 
great wonder amongst the Killingworth villagers. He won 
the women's admiration by connecting their cradles with 
fche smoke-jack, and making them self-acting. Then he 
astonished the pitmen by attaching an alarum to the clock 
of the watchman whose duty it was to call them betimes in 
the morning. He also contrived a wonderful lamp which 
burned under water, with which he was afterwards wont to 
amuse the Brandling family at Gosforth, — going into the 
fish-pond at night, lamp in hand, attracting and catching 
the fish, which rushed wildly towards the flame. 

Dr. Bruce tells of a competition which Stephenson had 
with the joiner at Killingworth, as to which of them could 
make the best shoe-last ; and when the former had done his 
work, either for the humour of the thing, or to secure fail 
play from the appointed judge, he took it to the Morrisons 
in Newcastle, and got them to put their stamp upon it. So 
that it 16 possible the EJllingworth brakesman, afterwards 
the inventor of the safety lamp and the originator of the 
railway system, and John Morrison, the last-m&ker, after- 
wards the translator of the Scriptures into the Chinese 
language, may have confronted each other in solemn con- 
templation over the successful last, which won the verdict 
coveted by its maker. 

Sometimes he would endeavour to impart to his fellow- 
workmen the results of his scientific reading. Everything 
that he learnt from books was so new and so wonderful tc 
him, that he regarded the facts he drew from them in the 
light of discoveries, as if they had been made but yesterday. 
Once he tried to explain to some of the pitmen how the 
earth was round, and kept turning round. But his anditois 



60 CONSTEOCTION OP THE SUN-DIAL. Chap. IV. 

flftdy declared the thing to be impoeeible, as it was dear 
that "at tho bottom side they mnst fiill ofTI" "Ah I" said 
^icorge, "yoa don't qtdt« tinderstaod it jsL" Bis son 
Uobert also early endeavoured to communicate to others 
the infonuation which he had gathered at school ; and Dr. 
Brace has related that, when visiting Eillingworth on one 
oocaaion, he fonnd him engaged in teaching algebra to saoh 
of the pitmen's boys as wonld become bis pupils. 

While Eobert was still at school, hie fether proposed to 
him during the hoUdays that he should construct a eaa-dial, 
to be placed over their oottage-door at West Moor. " I 
expoetolated with bim at first," said Bobert, " that I had 
not learnt sufficient astronomy and mathematics to enable 
mo to make the necessary calculations. But he would have 
no denial ' The thing is to be done,' said he ; ' so just set 
about it at once.' Well ; we got a ' Ferguson's Astronomy,' 
and studied the subject together. Many a sore head I had 
while making the necessary calculations to adapt the dial 
to the latitude of Killingworth. But at length it was fairly 
drawn out on paper, 
and then my fetber got 
a stone, and we hewed, 
and carved, and polish- 
ed it, until we made 
a veiy respectable dial 
. of it; and there it is, 
you see," pointing to 
it over the cottage - 
' door, "still quietly 
, numbering the hours 
. 'when the sun is shin- 
ing. I assure you, not 
a little was thought of 
that piece of work l^ 
the pitmen when it 
was put up, and began to tell its tale of time." The date 
■irved upon the dial is "August 11th, mdcccxtl" Both 



CHAf . IV. EBEGTS HIS FIRST 'W'INDING-ENGIKS. 61 

fieitlier and son were in after-life very proud of the joint 
production. Many years after, George took a party of saTaiM, 
when attending the meeting of the British Association at 
Newcastle, over to KiUingworth to see the pits, and he did not 
SeoI to direct their attention to the snn-dial ; and Bobert, on 
the last Tisit which he made to the plaoe, a short time 
before his death, took a friend into the cottage, and pointed 
out to him the very desk, still there, at which he had sat 
while making his calculations of the latitude of KiUingworth. 

From the time of his appointment as engineer at the 
KiUingworth Pit, George Stephenson was in a measure 
reUeved from the daily routine of manual labour, having, 
as we have seen, advanced himself to the grade of a higher 
class workman. But he had not ceased to be a worker, 
though he employed his industry in a different way. It 
might, indeed, be inferred that he had now the command of 
greater leisure ; but his spare hours were as much as ever 
given to work, either necessary or self-imposed. So far as 
regarded his social position, he had already reached the 
summit of his ambition ; and when he had got his hundred 
a year, and his dun gaUoway to ride on, he said he never 
wanted to be any higher. When Robert Whetherly offered 
to give him an old gig, his travelling having so much 
increased of late, he accepted it with great reluctance, 
observing, that he should be ashamed to get into it, ** peopk) 
would think him so proud." 

When the High Pit had been sunk, and the coal was 
ready for working, Stephenson erected his first winding- 
engine to draw the coals out of the pit, and also a pumping- 
engine for Long Benton CloUiery, both of which proved quite 
«(ucce8sful. Amongst other works of this time, he projected 
and laid down a self-acting incline along the declivity 
which fell towards the coal-loading place near WUlington, 
where he had officiated as brakesman ; and he so arranged 
it, that the fuU waggons descending drew the empty 
wagons up the railroad. This was one of ihQ first self 
acting inclines laid down m the district. 



62 STUDY OP THE STEAM-BNGINl. Chap. IV. 

Stephenson had now much hotter opporttmities than 
hitherto for improving himself in mechanics. His familiar 
acquaintance with the Bt«am-cngine proved of great valne 
to him. His shrewd insight, and his intimate practical ac- 
quaintance with its mechanism, enabled him to apprehend, 
B8 if by intuition, ita most abstruse and difflcnlt combina- 
tions. The practical stndy which he had given to it when 
a workman, and the patient manner in which hejiad groped 
his way through all the details of the machine, gave him 
the power of a master in dealing with it as applied to 
collieiy purposes. 

Sir Thomas Liddell was frequently about the works, and 
took pleasure in giving every encouragement to the engine- 
wright in his efforts after improvement. The subject of 
the locomotive engine was already closely occupying 
Stephenson's attention ; although it was still regarded as 
a curious and costly toy, of comparatively little real use. 
But he had at an early period detected its practical valne, 
and formed an adequate conception of the might which as 
yet slumbered within it ; and he now bent his entire fecul- 
ties to the development of its exti-aordinary powers. 



tJBAP. 7. ORIGIN OF THE LOCOMOTIVE. «8 



OHAPTEB V. 

EABIiT HiSTOBT OW THX LOOOMOTIW — GlOBOf STXPIiSlfSOll 

BBOINS ITS ImPBOYXMBNT. 

The rapid increase in the coal-trade of the Tyne about the 
beginning of the present century had the effect of stimu- 
lating the ingenuity of mechanics, and encouraging them 
to devise improved methods of transporting the coal from 
the pits to the shipping places. From our introductory 
chapter, it will have been observed that the improvements 
which had thus fax been effected were confined almost en- 
tirely to the road. The railway waggons still continued to 
be drawn by horses. By improving and flattening the 
tramway, considerable economy in horse-power had indeed 
been secured; but uiiless some more effective method oi 
mechanical traction could be devised, it was clear that rail- 
way improvement had almost reached its limits. 

Many expedients had been tried with this object One 
of the earliest was that of hoisting sails upon the waggons, 
and driving them along the waggon-way, as a ship is driven 
through the water by the wind. This method seemys to 
have been employed by Sir Humphrey Mackworth, an 
ingenious coal-miner at Neath in Glamorganshire, about the 
end of the seventeenth century. 

After having been lost sight of for more than a centui-y, 
the same "plaji of impelling carriages was revived by 
Kidiard Lovell Edgworth, with the addition of a portable 
rail^^ray, since revived also, in Boydell's patent. But 
although Mr. Edgwoi*th devoted himself to the subject for 
many years, he failed in securing the adoption of his sailing 
carriage. It is indeed quite clear that a power so uncertain 
na wind could never be relied on for ordinary traffic, and 



64 CUONOrS LOCOMOTIVE. Chap. V. 

Mr. Edgworth's pn^ect was oonseqaeiilly left to repose in 
the limbo of the Patent Office, with ^ousands of other 
equally luelefls thon^ ingenious contrivances. 

A much more fevourite achemo was the application of 
steam power for the purpose of carriage traction, Savery, 
the inventor of the wor^ng steam-engine, was the first to 
propose its employment to propel vehicles along the common 
roads ; and in 1759 Dr. Bobison, then a young man study- 
ing at Glasgow Collie, threw out the same idea to his 
friend James Watt ; but the scheme was not matured. 

The first locomotive steam-carriage was built at Paris by 
the French engineer Cugnot, a native of Lorraine. It is 
said to have been invented for the purpose of drafting 
cannon into the field independent of horses. The original 
model of this machine wae made in 1763. Count Saxe was 
so mnch pleased with it, that on his recommendation a full- 
sized engine was coustmcted at the cost of the French 
monarch ; and in 1 769 it was tried in the presence of the 
Duo de Choisenl, Minister of War, General Gribeauval, and 
other officers. At one of the experiments it ran with such 
force as to knock down a wall in its way. But the new 
vehicle, loaded with four persons, could not travel faster 
than two and a half miles an hoar. The boiler was in- 
sufficient in size, and it could only work for about fifteen 
minutes 1 after which it was neceesary to wait until the 



CnswfB EDglne. 
steam had again risen to a sufBdent pressure. To remedy 
this defect, Cugnot constructed a new machine in 1770, 



-a'-s^-WS""^"^ 



Chap. V. EVANS AND SYHINGTOll. 64 

the working of which was more satisfisMstoiy. It was com- 
posed of two parts — ^the fore part oonsistiiig of a small 
steam-engine, formed of a round copper boiler, with a 
furnace inside, provided with two small chimneys and two 
single-acting brass steam cylinders, whose pistons acted 
alternately upon the single driying-wheeL The hinder 
part consisted merely of a rude carriage on two wheels to 
carry the load, furnished with a seat in front for the 
conductor. This engine was tried in the streets of Paris ; 
but when passing near where the Madeleine now stands, it 
overbalanced itself on turning a comer, and fell over with a 
crash ; after which, its employment being thought danger- 
ous, it was locked up in the arsenal to prevent farther 
mischief. The machine is, however, still to be seen in the 
collection of the Conservatoire des Arts et Metiers at Paris. 
It has very much the look of a long brewer's cart, with 
the addition of the circidar boiler hung on at one end. 
Bough though it looks, it was a highly creditable piece of 
work, considering the period at which it was executed;' 
and as the first actual machine constructed for the purpose 
of travelling on ordinary roads by the power of steam, it is 
certainly a most curious and interesting mechanical relic, 
weU worthy of preservation. 

But though Cugnot's road locomotive remained locked up 

from public sight, the subject was not dead ; for we find 

inventors employing themselves from time to time in 

attempting to solve the problem of steam locomotion in 

places far remote from Paris. The idea had taken root in 

the minds of inventors, and was striving to grow into a 

reality. Thus Oliver Evans, the American, invented a 

steam-carriage in 1.772 to travel on common roads; in 1787 

he obtained from the State of Maryland an exclusive right 

to make and use steam-carriages, but his invention never 

came into use. Then, in 1784, William Symington, one of 

the early inventors of the steamboat, was similarly occupied 

in Scotland in endeavouring to develope the latent powers 

of the steam-carriage. He had a working model of one oon- 



66 MUBDOCTS LOCOMOTIVS. CHiv. V. 

strnoted, which he exhibited in 1786 to the profeesora of 
Edi^boTgh College ; bnt the state of the 8cx>teh roads was 
then 80 bad that he found it impracticable to proceed further 
with his scheme, which he shortly after abandoned in. 
favour of steam navigation. 

The same year ia which Symington was occupied upon 
hifi steam-carriage, William Unrdock, the friend and as&ifitant 
of Watt, constructed his 
model of a locomotiTe at 
the opposito end of the 
island — at Bedxuth in 
ComwaU. His model 'was 
of small dimensions, stand- 
ing little more tiian a foot 
high; and it was until 
recently in the poesession 
of the son of the inventor, 
■ B«amofMBrt«k-.Modd. ^t ^i^oge iiouse we saw it 

a lew years ago. The annexed sectioQ will give an idea of 
the arrangements of this machine. 

It acted on the high-pressure principle, and, like Cugnot's 
engine, ran upon three wheels, the boiler being heated by a 
spirit-lamp. Small though the machine was, it went so 
f^t on one occasion that it fairly outran its inventor. It 
seems that one ni^t after returning from his duties at the 
Bedruth mine, Murdock determined to try the working of 
his model locomotiTe. For this purpose he had recourae to 
the walk leading to the church, about a mile from the town. 
It was rather narrow, and was bounded on each side by 
high hedges. The night was dark, and Murdock set ont 
alone to try his experiment. Having lit his lamp, the 
water boiled speedily, and off started the engine with the 
inventor after it. He soon heard distant shoute of terror. 
It was too dark to perceive objecte; but he found, on 
following up the machine, that the cries proceeded firom the 
worthy pastor of the parish, who, going towards the town, 
vfw met on this lonely road hy the hissing and fiery little 



Mill L . P ^BP^BglF^BlW^gggBJ 



Chap Y. TBEVITHICK'S STSAM^JABBUOB. 07 

monster, which he sabaeqnently dedared he had taken to be 
the Evil One in proprid peraond. No farther steps were, 
however, taken by Mnrdock to embody his idea of a 
locomotive carriage in a more practical form. 

The idea was next taken up by Mnrdock^s pupil, Biohard 
Trevithick, who resolved on building a steam-oarriage 
adapted for common roads as well as railways. He took 
out a patent to secure the right of his invention in 1802. 
Andrew Vivian, his cousin, joined with him in the patent — 
Yivian iSnding the money, and Trevithick the brains. 
The steam-carriage built on this patent presented the 
appearance of an ordinary stag&HX)ach on four wheels. The 
engine had one horizontal cylinder, which, together with 
the boiler and the fdmace-box, was placed in the rear of the 
hind axle. The motion of the piston was transmitted to a 
separate crank-axle, from whidi, through the medium of 
spur-gear, the axle of the driving-wheel (which was mounted 
with a fly-wheel) derived its motion. The steam-cocks and 
the force-pump, as also the bellowB used for the purpose of 
quickening combustion in the furnace, were worked off the 
same crank-axle. 

John Fetherick, of Camborne, has related that he remem- 
bers this first English steam-coach passing along the prin- 
cipal street of his native town. Considerable difficulty was 
experienced in keeping up the pressure of steam ; but when 
there was pressure enough, Trevithick would call upon the 
people to ^* jump up," so as to create a load upon the engine. 
It was soon covered with men attracted by the novelty, nor 
did their number seem to make any difference in the speed 
of the engine so long as there was steam enough ; but it was 
oonstantiy running short, and the horizontal bellows &iled 
to keep it up. 

This road-locomotive of Trevithick's was one of the first 
high-pressure working engines constructed on the principle 
of moving a piston by the elasticity of steam against the 
pressure only of the atinosphere. Such an engine had been 
described by Leopold, though in his apparatus it was pro- 

V 2 



68 TEEVlTHICiE'S STKIM^AERUQE. Ciur. V. 

pooed that the prowore enoald wot only on one aide of the 
piston. 1q Trevithiok'a engme the piston was not onlj 
raisod, but waa also depressed by the action of tlie eteam, 
being in this reapeot an entirely original invention, and of 
great meriL The Bteatn was admitted iram the boiler nnder 
the piston moving in a cylinder, impelling it npward 
When the motion had reached its limit, the oommonioatktt 
between the piston and the under side was shnt ofE^ and the 
etoam allowed to escape into the atmosphere. A passage 
being then openod between the boiler and the npper side of 
the piston, which was pressed downwards, tlie steam w^a 
again allowed to escape as before. Thus the power of the 
ei^ine was equal to the difference between the pressure of 
tlie atmosphere and tlie elasticity of the steam in tlie 
boiler. 

This Bteom-carriage excited considerable interest in the 
remote district near the Land's End where it had been 
erected. Being so far removed from the great movements 
and enterprise of the commercial world, Trevithiclc and 
Vivian determined upon exhibiting their machine in the 
metropolis. They accordingly set out with it to Flymonth, 
whence it was conveyed by sea to London. 

The carriage Bafely reached the metropolis, and excited 
much pnblio interest. It also attracted the notice of 
scientific men, amongst others of Mr. Davies Gilbert, 
President of the Koyal Society, and Sir Humphry Davy, 
botli Comiahmen like Trevithick, who went to see the 
private perfurmanoes of tite engine, and were greatly pleased 
with it Writing to a Cornish friend shortly after its 
arrival in town, Sir Hnmphry said : " I shall soon hope to 
hear that the roads of England are the haunts of Captain 
Trevithick's dragons — a characteristic name." The machine 
y exhibited in an enclosed piece of 
[uare, where Hie London and North- 
stands, and it dn^ed behind it a 
passengers. On the second day of 
di flocked to see it ; but Trevlthick, 



Chap. V. TfiEVITHICK'S TRAM-ENGINE. 69 

in one of his odd freaks, shnt np the place, and shortly after 
removed the engine. It is, however, probable that the 
inventor came to the concltudon that the state of the roads 
at that time was such as to preclude its coming into general 
use for purposes of ordinary trafio. 

While the steam-carriage was being exhibited, a gentle- 
man was laying heavy wagers as to the weight which could 
be hauled by a single horse on the Wandsworth and Croydon 
iron tramway; and the number and weight of waggons 
drawn by the horse were something surprising. Trevithick 
very probably put the two things together — ^the steam- 
horse and the iron-way — and kept the performance in mind 
when he proceeded to construct his second or railway loco- 
motive. The idea was not, however, entirely new to him ; for, 
although his first engine had been constructed with a view 
to its employment upon common roads, the specification of 
his patent distinctly alludes to the application of his engine 
to travelling on railroads. Having been employed at the 
iron-works of Pen-y-darran, in South Wales, to erect a forge 
engine for the Company, a convenient opportunity presented 
itself, on the completion of this work, for canying out his 
design of a locomotive to haul the minerals along the Pen-y- 
darran tramway. Such an engine was erected by him in 
1803, in the blacksmiths* shop at the Company's works, and 
it was finished and ready for trial before the end of the 
year. 

The boiler of this second engine was cylindiical in form, 
flat at the ends, and made of wrought iron. The furnace 
and flue were inside the boiler, within which the single 
cylinder, eight inches in diameter and four feet six inches 
stroke, was placed horizontally. As in the first engine, the 
motion of the wheels was produced by spur gear, to which 
^was also added a fly-wheel on one side, to secure a rotatory 
motion in the crank at the end of each stroke of the piston 
in the single cylinder. The waste steam was thrown into 
the chimney through a tube inserted into it at right angles ; 
but it will be obvious that this arranj^ement wa» not oalca- 



70 THE STEAM-BLAST, Caip. V 

lated to prodnoe as; recruit in tlie way of a steam-blast in 
the chimney. In &ct, the waste steam seems to have been 
turned into the chimney in order to get rid of the nuisanoe 
caused by throwing the jet directly into the air. TrevitMt^ 
was bere hovering on die reige of a great diacovery ; bat 
that be was not awase of the action of the blast in contribnt- 
ing to increase the draught and thiis qnicken combofition, 
is clear &om the fact that he employed bellows for this 
special purpose ; and at a much later date (1815) he took 
out ft patent which included a method of urging the fire by 
means of &nners.* 



Chap. V. 



THE TRAM-ENGINS ABANDONED. 



71 



At the first trial of this engine it saooeeded in dragging 
after it several waggons, containing ten tons of bar-iron, ai 
the rate of about five miles an honr. Bees Jones, who 
worked at the fitting of the engine, and remembers its per- 
formances, says, ** She was used for bringing down metal from 
the furnaces to the Old Forge. She worked very well ; bat 
frequently, from her weight, broke the tram-plates and the 
hooks between the trama After working for some time in 
this way, she took a load of iron from Pen-y-darran down 
the Basin-road, upon which road she was intended to work. 
On the journey she broke a great many of the tram-plates, 
and before reaching the basin ran off the road, and had to 
be brought back to Pen-y-darran by horses. The engine 
was never after used as a locomotive.'** 

It seems to have been felt that unless the road were 
entirely reconstructed so as to bear the heavy weight of the 
locomotive — so much greater than that of the tram- 
waggons, to carry which the original rails had been laid 
down — the r^ular employment of Trevithick's high- 
pressure tram-engine was altogether impracticable ; and as 
the owners of the works were not prepared to incur so 
serious a cost^ it was determined to take the locomotive ofi* 
the road, and employ it as an engine for other purposes. It 
was accordingly dionounted, and used for some time after 
as a pumpiog-engine, for which purpose it was found well 
adapted. Trevithick himself seems from this time to have 
taken no farther steps to bring the locomotive into general 
use. We find him, shortly after, engaged upon schemes of 
a more promising character, abandoning the engine to other 



means of fimnen in 1815. But the 
isMst JB, that while the speed of the 
looomotiye was only loxa or five 
miles an honr, the blast was scarcely 
needed. It was only when high 
speeds were adopted that artificial 
methods of urging the fire became 
Heoessar}', and that the fall impcoi- 



of the inyention was reoog* 
nised. Like many other inventions, 
stimulated if not originated by ne- 
cessity, the steam-blast was cer- 
tainly reinvented, if not invented, 
by George Siephenson. 

* 'Mining Jonmal,* 9th Septem 
b6r.l85&. 



72 BLENEINSOFS ENOIKE. Catr. T. 

meohanical inventors, thongh little improvement was made 
in it for sAveral years. An imaginary difBcul^ seems t« 
have tended, amongst other obstaclee, to prevent ita 
adoption ; viz., the idea that, if a heavy weight were 
placed behind ihe engine, the "grip" or "bite" of ite 
imooth wheels upon the equally smooth iron mi], most 
necessarily be so slight that they wonld whirl rosud 
upon it, and, oonsequentiy, that lie machine wonld not 
make progreaa. Hence Trevithic^ in his patent, provided 
that the periphery of the driving-wheels ahoold be nade 
rough by the projection of bolts or cross-groovee, so thai the 
adhesion. of the wheels to the road might be seciired. 

Following up the presmned neoeesily for a more efiectnal 
adhesion between the wheels and the rails, Mr. BlcnkiaBop 
of Leeds, in 1811, took out a patent for a racked or tooth- 
rail laid along one side of the road, into which tlie toothed- 
whe§l of his looomotivo worked as pinions work into a 
rack. The boiler of his engine was supported by a carriage 
with four wheeb without teeth, and rested immediately 
upon ihe axles. These wheels were entirely independent of 
the working parts of tbe engine, and therefore merely sup- 
ported its weight upon Uie rails, the progress being efiectod 
by means of the cogged-wheel working into the oc^ged-raiL 
The engine had two cylinders, instead of one as in Trevi- 
thick's engine. The iuventiou of the double cylinder was 
due to Matthew Murray, of Leeds, one of the best mechanical 
engineers of his time; Mr. Bleukmsop, who was not a 
mechanic, having consulted him as to all the practical 
arrangements. The connecting-rods gave the motion to 
two pinions by cranks at right angles to each other ; these 
pinions coiomunicating tbe motion to Ute wheel which 
worked into the cogged-rail. 

Mr. BlenkuDSop's engines began running on the railway 
from the Middleton Collieries to Leeds, about 3i miles, 
on the 12th of August; 1812. They continued for many 
yeare to be one of the principal curiosities of the plaoe, and 
were visited by strangers from all parls. In 181<i, the 



Chap. V. 



CHAPMAN AND BRUNTON. 



78 



Grand Duke Nicholas (afterwards Emperor) of BtiMia 
observed the working of Blenkinsop's looomotiTe with 
Gurions interest and admiration. An engine dragged as 
many as thirty coal-waggons at a speed of about 3i miles 
per hour. These engines continaed for many years to be 
thus employed in the haulage of coal, and furnished the 
iirst instance of the regular employment of looomotiye 
power for commercial purposes. 

The Messrs. Chapman, of Newcastle, in 1812, endeaTOured 
to overcome the same fictitious difficulty of the want of 
adhesion between the wheel and the rail, by patenting a 
locomotive to work along the road by means of a chain 
stretched from one end of it to the other. This chain was 
passed once round a grooved barrel-wheel under the centre 
of the engine : so that, when the wheel turned, the loco- 
motive, as it were, dragged itself along the railway. An 
engine, constructed after this plan, was tried on the Heaton 
Bailway, near Newcastle; but it was so clumsy in its 
action, there was so great a loss of power by friction, and it 
was found to be so expensive and difficult to keep in repair, 
that it was soon abandoned. Another remarkable expedient 
was adopted by Mr. Brunton, of the Butterley Works, 
Derbyshire, who, in 1813, patented his Mechanical Traveller, 
to go upon legs working alternately like those of a horse.* 
But this engine never got beyond the experimental state, 
for, at its very first trial, the driver, to make sure of a good 
start, overloaded the safety-valve, when the boiler burst and 
killed a number of the bystanders, wounding many more. 
These, and other contrivances with the same object, pro- 
jected about the same time, show that invention was 
actively at work, and that many minds were anxiously 



* Other machines, with legs, 
were patented in the following 
year by Lewis Gompertz and by 
Thomas Tindall. In Tindall's 
specification it is provided that 
the power of the engine is to be 



assisted by a horizonUil umdmiU; 
and the four pushers, or legs, are 
to be caused to come suocessively 
in contact with the ground, and 
impel the carriage I 



74 MB. BLACKETT, OP WYLAM. Chap. V. 

labouring to soIyo the important problem of looomotive 
traction upon railways. 

But the difficulties contended with by these early in- 
ventors, and the step-bynstep progress which they made, will 
probably be best illustrated by the experiments conducted 
by Mr. Blackett, of Wylam, which are all the more worthy 
of notice, as the persevering efforts of this gentleman in a 
great measure paved the way for the labours of George 
Stephenson, who, shortly after, took up the question of 
steam locomotion, and brought it to a successful issue. 

The Wylam waggon-way is one of the. oldest in the north 
of England. Do^im to the year 1807 it was formed of 
wooden spars or rails, laid down between the colliery at 
Wylam — ^where old Kobert Stephenson had worked — and 
the village of Lemington, some four miles down the l^ne, 
where the coals were loaded into keels or barges, and 
floated down past Newcastle, to be shipped for London. 
Each chaldron-waggon had a man in charge of it, and was 
originally drawn by one horse. The rate at which the 
waggons were hauled was so slow that only two journeys 
were performed by each man and horse in one day, and 
three on the day following. This primitive waggon-way 
passed, as before stated, close in front of the cottage in 
which George Stephenson was bom ; and one of the earliest 
sights which met his infant eyes was this wooden tramroad 
worked by horses. 

Mr. Blackett was the first colliery owner in the North 
who took an active interest in the locomotive. Having 
formed the acquaintance of Trevithick in London, and 
inspected the performances of his engine, he determined to 
repeat the Pen-y-darran experiment upon the Wylam 
waggon-way. He aooordingly obtained from Trevithick, in 
October, 1804, a plan of his engine, provided with " friction* 
wheels," and employed Mr. John Whinfield, of PipeweUgate, 
Gatediead, to construct it at his foundry there. The 
engine was constructed imder the superintendence of one 
John Steele, an ingenious mechanic who had been in 



Chap. V. ME. BLAOKETT'S WTLAM ENGINE. 76 

Wales, and worked under Trevithick in fitting Hie engine 
at Fen-y-darran. When the Gateshead locomotiTe was 
finished, a temporary way was laid down in the works, on 
which it was run backwards and forwards many times. For 
some reason, however — ^it is said because the engine was 
deemed too light for drawing the coal-trains — it never left 
the works, but was dismounted from the wheels, and set to 
blow the cupola of the foundry, in which service it long 
continued to be employed. 

Several years elapsed before Mr. Blackett took any farther 
steps to carry out his idea. The final abandonment of 
Trevithick's locomotive at Pen-y^arran perhaps contributed 
to deter him from proceeding further; but he had the 
wooden tramway taken up in 1808, and a plate-way of cast- 
iron laid down instead — a single line furnished wilh sidings 
to enable the laden waggons to pass the empty ones. The 
new iron road proved so much smoother than the old 
wooden one, that a single horse, instead of drawing one, 
was now enabled to draw two, or even three, laden 
waggons. 

Encouraged by the success of Mr. Blenkinsop's experi- 
ment at Leeds, Mr. Blackett determined to follow his 
example; and in 1812 he ordered a second engine, to 
work with a toothed driving-wheel upon a rack-raiL This 
locomotive was constructed by Thomas Waters, of Gates- 
head, under the superintendence of Jonathan Foster, Mr. 
Blackett's principal engine-wrighl It was a combination 
of Trevithick's and Blenkinsop's engines ; but it was of a 
more awkward construction than either. The boiler was of 
oast-iron. The engine was provided with a single cylinder 
six inches in diameter, with a fly-wheel working at one side 
to carry the crank over the dead points. Jonathan Foster 
described it to the author in 1854, as **a strange machine, 
with lote of pumps, cog-wheels, and plugs, requiring con- 
stant attention while at work." The weight of the whole 
was about six tons. 

When finished, it was conveyed to Wylam on a waggon. 



76 ANOTHER WTLAM ENGINE TBIED. Chain V. 

Mid there mounted upon a wooden £rame supported by four 
pairs of wheels, which had been constructed for its recep- 
tion. A barrel of water, placed on another frame upon 
wheels, was attached to it as a tender. After a great deal 
of labour, the cumbrous machine was got upon the road. At 
first it would not move an incL Its maker, Tommy 
Waters, became impatient, and at length enraged, and 
taking hold of the lever of iiie safety valve, declared in his 
desperation, that " either she or he should go." At length 
the machinery was set in motion, on which, as Jonathan 
Foste^ described to the author " she flew aU to pieces, and, 
it was the biggest wonder i' the world that we were not all 
blewn up." The incompetent and useless engine was 
declared to be a failure ; it was shortly affcer dismounted 
and sold; and Mr. Blackett's praiseworthy efforts thus 
far proved in vain. 

He was still, however, desirous of testing the practi- 
cability of employing locomotive power in working the coal 
down to Lemington, and he determined on another trial 
He accordingly directed his engine-wright to proceed with 
the building of a third engine in the Wylam workshops. This 
nfew locomotive had a single 8-inch cylinder, was provided 
with a fly-wheel like its predecessor, and the driving-wheel 
was cogged on one side to enable it to travel in the rack-rail 
laid along the road. This engine proved more successful 
than the former one ; and it was found capable of dragging 
eight or nine loaded waggons, though at the rate of little 
more than a mile an hour, from the colliery to the shipping- 
place. It sometimes took six hours to perform the journey 
of five miles. Its weight was found too great for the road, 
and the cast-iron plates were constantly breaking. It was 
also very apt to get off the rack-rail, and then it stood still. 
The driver was one day asked how he got on ? " Get on ? " 
said he, "we don't get on; we only get off!" On such 
occasions, horses had to be sent to drag the waggons as 
before, and others to haul the engine back to the work- 
Ukoya, It was constantly getting out «f order ; its plugs, 



Chap. V. WILLIAM flEDLEYTS EXPERIMENTS. 77 

pumps, or cranks, got wrong ; it was under repair as often 
as at work ; at length it became so cranky that the horses 
were nsnally sent out after it to drag it when it gave np ; 
and Hie workmen generally declared it to be a '* perfect 
plagiie." Mr. Blackett did not obtain credit amongst his 
neighbours for these experiments. Many laughed at his. 
machines, regarding them only in the light of crotchets, — 
frequently quoting the proverb that " a fool and his money 
are soon parted." Others regarded them as absurd innova- 
tions on the established method of hauling coal ; and pro- 
nounced that they would " never answer." 

Notwithstanding, however, the comparative failure of 
this second locomotive, Mr. Blackett persevered with his 
experiment& He was zealously assisted by Jonathan 
Foster the engine-wright, and William Hodley, the viewer 
of the oollieiy, a highly ingenious person, who proved of 
great use in carrying out the experiments to a successful 
issue. One of the chief causes of failure being the rack-rail, 
the idea occurred to Mr. Hedley that it might be possible to 
secure adhesion enough between the wheel and the rail by 
the mere weight of the engine, and he proceeded to make a 
series of experiments for the purpose of determining this 
problem. He had a &ame placed on four wheels, and fitted 
up with windlasses attached by gearing to the several 
wheels. The frame having been properly weighted, six 
men were set to work the windlasses ; when it was found 
that the adhesion of the smooth wheels on the smooth rails 
was quite sufficient to enable them to propel the machine 
without slipping. Having found the proportion which the 
power bore to the weight, he demonstrated by successive 
experiments that the weight of the engine would of itself 
produce sufi&cient adhesion to enable it to draw upon a 
smooth railroad the requisite number of waggons in all 
kinds of weatlier. And thus was the fallacy which had 
heretofore prevailed on this subject completely exploded, 
and it was satisfactorily proved that rack-rails, toothed 
wheels, endless chains, and legs, were alike unneoessaiy foi 



78 THE IHPEOTED WTLAH ENGINE. Chap. T. 

the efBoient traction of loaded yrsggoDB upon a moderately 
level road. 

From tliis time forward confflderaUy lees difficolly w 
experienced in working the coal trains npon the Wylam 
tramroad. At length the rack-rail was dispensed witL 
The road woo laid with heavier rails ; the working of the 
old engine was improved ; and a new engine was shortly 
after bnilt and placed upon the road, still ou eight wheels, 
driven by seven rack-wheels working inside them — with a 
wrought-iron boiler through which the flue was returned so 
as largely to increase the heating surface, and tlius give 
increased power to the engine. 



As may readily be imagined, the jets of steam from the 
piston, blowing off into the air at high preesura while the 
engine was in motion, caused considerable annoyance to 
horses passing along the Wylam road, at that time a public 



Chap. V. TBS 81JJIM EESEKYOIB. 76 

highway. The nuisanoe wna felt to he ahnost intolerahle» 
and a neighbouring gentleman threatened to have it put 
do-wn. To diTninifih the noise as much as possihle, Mr. 
Blackett gave orders that so soon as any horse, or hoiWB, 
came in sight, the looomotiye was to be stopped, and the 
frightful blast of the engine thus suspended until the pass- 
ing aniTnals had got out of hearing. Much interruption 
was thus caused to the working of the railway, and it 
excited oonsideiable dissatisfaction amongst the workmen. 
The following plan was. adopted to abate the nuisance: a 
reservoir was provided immediately behind the chimney (as 
shown in the preceding cut) into which the waste steam 
was thrown after it had performed its ofGice in the cylinder ; 
and from this reservoir, the steam gradually escaped into 
the atmosphere without noise. 

While Mr. Blackett was thus experimenting and building 
locomotives at Wylam, G^rge Stephenson was anxiously 
studying the same subject at EiUingworth. He was no 
sooner appointed engine-wright of the collieries than his 
attention was directed to the means of more economically 
hauling the coal from the pits to the riverHaide. We have 
seen that one of the first important improvements which he 
made, after being placed in charge of the colliery machineiy , 
was to apply the surplus power of a pumping steam-engine, 
fixed underground, to drawing the coals out of the deeper 
workings of the Killingworth mines, — ^by which he suo- 
ceeded in effecting a large reduction in the expenditure on 
manual and horse labour. 

The coals, when brought above ground, had next to be 
laboriously dragged by horses to the shipping staiths on the 
Tyne, several miles distant The adoption of a tramroad, 
it is true, had tended to facilitate their transit : neverthe- 
less the haulage was both todious and costly. With the 
view of economising labour, Stephenson laid down inclined 
planes where the nature of the ground would admit of this 
expedient Thus, a train of full waggons let down the 
incline by means of a rope running over wheels laid along 



80 STEPHENSON'S STUDT OF THE LOCOHIOIIYE. Chap. V 

Ui6 tramioad, the other end of which was attached to a 
train of empty waggons placed at the bottom of the parallel 
road on the same incline, dragged them up by the simple 
power of gravity. But this applied only to a comparatively 
small part of the road. An economical method of working 
the coal trains, instead of hy horses, — ^the keep of which was 
at that time very cosily, from the high price of com, — ^was 
still a great desideratum ; and the best practical minds in 
the collieries were actively engaged in the attempt to solve 
the problem. 

In the first place Stephenson resolved fo make himself 
thoroughly acquainted with what had already been done. 
Mr. Blackett's engines were working daily at Wylam, past 
the cottage where he had been bom ; and thither he fre- 
quently went to inspect the improvements made by Mr. 
Blackett from time to time both in the locomotive and in 
the plateway along which it worked. Jonathan Foster 
informed us that, after one of these visits, Stephenson 
declared to him his conviction that a much more effective 
engine might be made, that shoidd work more steadily and 
draw the load more oflfectively. 

He had also the advantage, about the same time, of seeing 
one of Blenkinsop's Leeds engines, which was placed on the 
tramway leading from the collieries of Kenton and Cox- 
lodge, on the 2nd September, 1813. This locomotive drew 
sixteen chaldron waggons containing an aggregate weight 
of seventy tons, at the rate of about three miles an hour. 
George Stephenson and several of the Killingworth men 
were amongst the crowd of spectators that day ; and after 
examining the engine and observing its performances, he 
observed to his companions, that *'he thought he could 
make a better engine than that, to go upon l^s." Probably 
he had heard of the invention of Brunton, whose patent 
had by this time been published, and proved the subject of 
much curious speculation in the colliery districts. Certain 
it is, that, shortly after the inspection of the Coxlodge 
engine, he contemplated the construction of a new looomo- 



Chap. V. THJfi GOXLODGB ENGINE. 81 

tire, which was to sorpass all that had preceded it JFItt 
ohserved that those engines which had been constractod up 
to this time, however ingenious in their arrangements, had 
proved practical failures. Mr. Blackett's was | as yet both 
clumsy and expensive. Chapman's had been removed from 
fche Heaton tramway in 1812, and was regarded as a total 
failure. And the Blenkinsop engine at Coxlodge was found 
very unsteady and costly in its working ; besides, it pulled 
the rails to pieces, the entire strain being upon the rack- 
rail on one side of the road. I'he boOer, however, having 
soon after blown up, there was an end of that engine ; and 
the colliery owners did not feel enopuraged to try any 
further experiment. 

An efBcient and economical working locomotive, there- 
fore, still remained to be invented ; and to accomplish this 
object Mr. Stephenson now applied himself. Profiting by 
what his predecessors had done, warned by their failures 
and encouraged by their piirtial successes, he commenced 
his labours. There was still wanting the man who should 
accomplish for the locomotive what James Watt had done 
for the steam-engine, and combine in a complete form the 
best points in the separate plans of others, embodying with 
them such original inventions and adaptations of his own as 
to entitle him to the merit of inventing the working loco- 
motive, in the same manner as James Watt is to be regarded 
as the inventor of the working condensing-engine. This 
-was the great work upon which George Stephenson now 
entered, though probably without any adequate idea of 
the ultimate importance of his labours to society and 
civilization. 

He proceeded to bring the subject of constructing a 
'* Travelling Engine," as he then denominated the locomo- 
tive, under the notice of the lessees of the Killingworth 
Colliery, in the year 1813. Lord Ravensworth, the prin- 
cipal partner, had already formed a very favourable opinion 
of the hew engine-wright, from tiie improvements which he 
had effected in the coUiery engines, both above and belo^v 



82 STEPHENSON'S FIRST LOCOMOTIVK Ohap. V 

groiird; and, after ooniddenng iie matter, and hearing 
6tephenBon*s explanations, he authorised him to proceed 
wilh the constructiou of a locomotive, — though his lordship 
>vas, by soma, called a fool for advancing money for such a 
purpofie. **The first looomotiye that I made," said 
Stephenson, many years after,* when speaking of his early 
career at a public meeting in Newcastle, '* was at Eillisg- 
woi'th Colliery, and with Lord Bavensworth's money. Yes ; 
Lord Havensworth and partners were the first to entrust 
me, thirty-two years since, with money to make a lxxx>mo- 
tive engine. I said to my friends, there was no limit to 
the speed of such an engine, if the works could be made to 
stand." 

Our engine-wright had, however, many obstacles to 
encounter before he could get fairly to work with the 
erection of his locomotive. His chief difficulty was in 
finding workmen sufficiently skilled in mechanics, and in 
the use of tools, to follow his instructions and embody his 
designs in a practical shape. The tools then in use about 
the collieries were rude and clumsy ; and there were no such 
facilities as now exist for turning out machinery of an 
entirely new character. Stephenson was under the neces- 
sity of working with such men and tools as were at his 
conunand; and he had in a great measure to train and 
^instruct the workmen himsel£ The engine was built in 
the workshops at the West Moor, the leading mechanic 
employed being the colliery blacksmith, an excellent work- 
man in his way, ' though quite new to the work now 
entrusted to him. 

In this fii*st locomotive constructed at Killingworth, 
Stephenson to^ some extent followed the plan of Blenkin- 
sop's engine. The boiler was cylindrical, of wrought iron, 
8 feet in length and 34 inches in diameter, with an interna) 
flue-tube 20 inches wide passing through it. The engine 



* Speech nt the openiDg of the Newcr^le aod Darlin§^n Railway 
Juno 18, 1844. 





Chap. V. STEPHENSON'S FIRST LOCOMOTIVR 83 

had two vertical cylinders of 8 inches diameter, and 2 feet 
stroke, let into the boiler, working the propelling gear with 
cross heads and connecting rods. The power of the two 
cylinders waa combined 
by means of spurwheels, 
w^hich communicated the 
motive power to ihe 
wheels supporting the 
engine on the rail, in- 
stead of, as in Blenkin- The Spur-gwr. 
sop's engine, to cogwheels which acted on the cogged rail 
independent of the four supporting wheels. The engine 
thus worked upon what is termed the second motion. The 
chimney was of wrought iron, round which was a chamber 
extending back to the feed-pumps, for the purpose of heat- 
ing the water previous to its injection into the boiler. The 
engine had no springs, and was mounted on a wooden 
frame supported on four wheels. In order to neutralise as 
much as possible the jolts and shocks which such an engine 
would necessarily encounter from the obstacles and inequali- 
ties of the then very imperfect plateway, the water-barrel 
w^hich served for a tender was fixed to the end of a lever 
and weighted, the other end of the lever being connected 
with the frame of the locomotive carriage. By this means 
the weight of the two was more equaUy distributed, though 
the contrivance did not by any means compensate for the 
absence of springs. 

The wheels of the locomotive were all smooth, Mr. 
Stephenson having satisfied himself by experiment that 
the adhesion between the wheels of a loaded engine and 
the rail would be sufficient for the purpose of traction. 
Hobert Stephenson informed us that his father caused a 
number of workmen to mount upon the wheels of a waggon 
moderately loaded, and throw their entire weight upon the 
spokes on one side, when he found that the waggon could 
tlius be easily propelled forward without the wheels slip- 
ping. This, together with other experiments, satisfied him 

6 2 



■ 



64 PEBFOBMAKCE OP THE ENGINE. Chap. V. 

of the expediency of adopting smootli wheels on his engine, 
and it was so finished acooidingly. 

The engine was, after much labour and anxiety, and fre- 
quent alterations of parts, at length brought to completion, 
having been about ten months in hand. It was placed upon 
the Killingworth Railway on the 25th July, 1814; and its 
powers were tried on the same day. On an ascending 
gradient of 1 in 450, the engine succeeded in drawing after 
it eight loaded carriages of thirty tons* weight at about four 
miles an hour ; and for some time after it continued r^u- 
larly at work. 

Although a considerable advance upon previous locomo- 
tives, ** Blutcher " (as the engine was popularly called) was 
nevertheless, a somewhat cumbrous and clumsy machine. 
The parts were huddled together. The boiler constituted 
Ihe principal feature ; and being the foundation of the other 
parts, it was made to do duty not only stu a generator of 
steam, but also as a basis for the fixings of the machinery 
and for the bearings of the wheels and axles. The want of 
springs was seriously felt; aad the progress of the engine 
was a succession of jolts, causing considerable derangement 
to the machinery. The mode of communicating the motive 
power to the wheels by means of the spur-gear also caused 
frequent jerks, each cylinder alternately propelling or be- 
coming propelled by the other, as the pressure of the one 
upon the wheels became greater or less than the pressure 
of the other ; and when the teeth of the cogwheels became 
at all worn, a rattling noise was produced during the tra- 
velling of the engine. 

As the principal test of the success of the locomotive was 
its ecDnomy as compared with horse power, careful calcula^ 
tions were made with the view of ascertaining this 
important point. The result was, that it was found the 
working of the engine, was at first barely economical ; and 
at the end of the year the sieam po-wer and the horse power 
were ascertained to be as nearly as i)ossible upon a par in 
point of cost. The fate of the locomotive in a great 



Chap. V. STEPHENSON INVENTS THE STEAM-BLAST. 85 

measure depended on this very engine. Its speed was not 
beyond that of a horse's walk, and the heating stirfaoe pre- 
sented to the fire being comparatiyely small, sufficient steam 
oould not be raised to enable it to accomplish more on an 
average than about four miles an hour, llie result was 
an^iihing but decisive ; and the locomotive might have been 
condemned as useless, had not our engineer at this juncture 
applied the steam-blast, and by its means carried his expe- 
riment to a triumphant issue. 

The steam, after performing ils duty in the cylinders, 
was at first allowed to escape into the open atmosphere 
with a hissing blast, to the terror of horses and cattle. It 
was complained of as a nuisance; and an action at law 
against the colliery lessees was threatened unless it was 
stopped. Stephenson's attention had been drawn to the 
much greater velocity with which the steam issued from the 
exit pipe compared with that at which the smoke escaped 
from the chimney. He conceived that, by conveying the 
ednction steam into the chimney, by means of a small pipe, 
after it had performed its office in the cylinders, allowing 
it to escape in a vertical direction, its velocity would be 
imparted to the smoke from the ^e, or to the ascending 
current of air in the chimney, thereby increasing the draft, 
and consequently the intensity of combustion in the furnace. 

The experiment was no sooner made than the power of 
the engine was at once more than doubled ; combustion was 
stimulated by the blast ; consequently the capability of the 
boiler to generate steam was greatly increased, and the 
effective power of the engine augmented in precisely the 
same proportion, without in any way adding to its weight. 
This simple but beautiful expedient was really fraught with 
the most important consequences to railway communication ; 
and it is not too much to say that the success of the loco- 
motive has m a great measure been the result of its adop- 
tion. Without the steam-blast, by means of which the 
intensity of combiistion is maintained at its highest point, 
producing a correspondingly rapid evolution of steam, high 



86 BTEPEENBON'S SECOND LOCOMOTIVE. Chap. \ 

rates of speed could not have been kept up ; the advantages 
of the multituhular boiler (afterwards invented) conld never 
have been fairly tested ; and locomotives might still have 
been dragging themselves iinwieldily along at little more 
than five or six miles an hour. 

The steam-blast had scarcely been adopted, with so 
decided a success, when Stephenson, observing the numer- 
ous defects in his engine, and profiting by the expe 
rience which he had already acquired, determined to 
construct a second engine, in which to embody his improve- 
ments in their best form. Careful and cautious observation 
of the working of his locomotive had convinced him that 
the complication arising out of the action of the two 
cylinders being combined by spur-wheels would prevent 
its coming into practical use. He accordingly directed his 
attention to an entire change in the construction and 
mechanical arrangements of the machine ; and in the 
following year, conjointly with Mr. Dodds, who provided 
the necessary funds, he took out a patent, dated the 28th 
of February, 1815, for an engine which combined in a 
remarkable degree the essential requisites of an economical 
locomotive; that is to say, few parts, simplicity in their 
action, and directness in the mode by which the power was 
communicated to fhe wheels supporting the engine. 

This locomotive, like the first, had two vertical cylinders, 
which communicated directiy ^vith each pair of the four 
wheels that supported the engine, by means of a cross head 
and a pair of connecting rods. But in attempting to 
establish a direct communication between the cylinders and 
the wheels that rolled upon the rails, considerable diffionlties 
presented themselves. The ordinary joints could not be 
employed to unite the parts of the engine, which was a 
rigid mass, with the wheels i oiling upon the irregular 
surface of the rails ; for it was evident that the two rails 
of the line of way — more especially in those early days ol 
imperfect construction of the permanent road — could not 
always be maintained at the same level, — ^that the wheel at 



Cbap. V. STEPHENSOITS SECOND LOCOMOTIVR. 37 

ono end of the axle might Ix) depreased into one part of the 
line which had subsided, whilst the other wheel would be 
oomparatiYelv elevated ; and in such a position of the axle 
and wheels, it was obvions that a rigid communication 
between the cross head and the wheels was impracticable. 
Hence it became necessary to form a joint at the top of the 
piston-rod where it united with the cross head, so aa to 
permit the cross head to preserve complete parallelism 
with the axle of the wheels with which it was in com- 
munication. 

In order to obtain that degree of flexibility combined 
with direct action, which was essential for ensuring power 
and avoiding needless friction and jars from irregularities 
in the road, Stephenson made use of the " ball and socket " 
joint for effecting a union between the ends of the cross 
heads where they united with the connecting rods, and 
between the ends of the connecting rods where they were 
nnited with the crank-pins attached to each driving-wheel. 
By this arrangement the parallelism between the cross 
head and the axle was at all times maintained and preserved, 
without producing any serious jar or friction on any part of 
the machine. Another important point was, to combine 
each pair of wheels by means of some simple mechanism 
instead of by the cogwheels which had formerly been used. 
And, with this object, Stephenson made cranks in each axle 
at right angles to each other, with rods communicating 
horizontally between them. 

A locomotive was constructed upon this plan in 1815, 
and was found to answer extremely well. But at that 
period the mechanical skill of the country was not equal to 
forging cranked axles of the soundness and strength neces- 
sary to stand the jars incident to locomotive work. Stephen- 
son was accordingly compelled to fall back upon a substitute, 
which, although less simple and efficient, was within the 
mechanical capabilities of the workmen of that day, in 
respect of construction as well as repair. He adopted a 
chaiii which roUed over indented wheels placed on the 



38 STEPHENSOITS SECOITD LOCOMOTIVE. Chap. 7, 

centre of eaoh axle, and was so arranged that the two pairs 
of wheeLs were effectually coupled and made to keep pace 
with each other. The dbain, however, after a few years* 
use, became stretched ; and then the engines were liable to 
irregpilarity in their working, especially in changing from 
working back to working forward again. Eventually the 
chain was laid aside, and the front and hind wheels were 
united by rods on the outside, instead of by rods and crank 
ixles inside, as specified in the original patent This expe- 
iient completely answered the purpose required, without 
Involving any expensive or difficult workmanship. 

Thus, in 1815, by dint of patient and persevering labour, 
— ^by careful observation .of the works of others, and never 
neglecting to avail himself of their suggestions, — ^Stephenson 
succeeded in manufacturing an engine which included the 
following important improvements on all previous attempt? 
in the same direction : — ^viz., simple and direct communica- 
tion between the cylinders and the wheels rolling upon the 
rails ; joint adhesion of all the wheels, attained by the use 
of horizontal connecting-rods; and finally, a beautiful 
method of exciting the combustion of the fuel by employing 
the waste steam, which had formerly been allowed to escape 
uselessly into the air. Although many improvements in 
detail were afterwards introduced in the locomotive by 
George Stephenson himself, as well as by his equally dis- 
tinguished son, it is perhaps not too much to say that this 
engine, as a mechanical contrivance, contained ike germ of 
all that has since been effected. It may in fact be regarded 
as the type of the present locomotive engine. 



CiiAP. VI. COLLIEKT EXPLOSIONS. B9 



CHAPTER VL 

IirVBNTION OF THE "GeOBDT" SaVETT-LaMP. 

Explosions of fire-damp were unusoally frequent in tho 
coal mines of Northumberland and Durham about the lime 
when George Stephenson was engaged in the constraction 
of his first looomotives. These explosions were often 
attended with fearful loss of life and dreadful suffering to 
the wprkpeopla Killingworth Colliery was not free from 
such deplorable calamities ; and during the time that Ste- 
phenson was employed as a brakesman at the West Moor, 
several " blasts " took place in the pit, by which many 
workmen were scorched and killed, and the owners of the 
colliery sustained heavy losses. One of the most serious of 
these accidents occurred in 1806, not long after he had been 
appointed brakesman, by which 10 persons were killed. 
Stephenson was working at the mouth of the pit at the 
time, and the circumstances connected with the accident 
made a deep impression on his mind.' 

Another explosion took place in the same pit in 1809, by 
which 12 persons lost their lives. The blast did not reach 
the shaft as in the former case ; the unfortunate persons in 
the pit having been suffocated by the after-damp. More 
calamitous still were the explosions which took place in the 
neighbouring collieries ; one of the worst being that of 1812, 
in the Felling Pit, near Gateshead, by which no fewer than 
90 men and boys were suffocated or burnt to death. And 
a similar accident occurred in the same pit in the year fol- 
lowing, by which 22 persons perished. 

It was natural that George Stephenson should devote his 
attention to the causes of these deplorable accidents, and to 
the means by which they might if possible be prevented 



90 DANGERS OF COLLIEEY WORKING. Chap. VI. 

riis daily occupation led him to tbinlc mudi and deeply on 
the subject. As engine-wright of a colliery so extensive aa 
that of Killingworth, where there were nearly 160 miles of 
gallery excavation, in which he personally superintended the 
working of the inclined planes along which the coals were 
sent to the pit entrance, he was necessarily very offcen imder- 
ground,and brought face to face with the dangers of fire-damp. 
From fissures in the roofis of the galleries, carburetted hydro- 
gen gas was constantly flowing ; in some of the more dan- 
gerous places it might be heard escaping from the crevices 
of the coal with a hissing noise. Ventilation, firing, and aU 
conceivable modes of drawing out the foul air had been 
adopted, and the more dangerous parts of the galleries were 
built up. Still the danger could not be wholly prevented. 
I'he miners must necessarily guide their steps through the 
extensive underground wayb with lighted lamps or candles, 
the naked flame of which, coming in contact with the inflam- 
mable air, daily exposed them and their fellow-workers in 
the pit to the risk of death in one of its most dreadful 
forms. 

One day, in 1814, a workman hurried into Stephenson's 
cottage with the stnj'tling information that the deepest 
main of the colliery was on fire ! He immediately hastened 
to the pit-head, about a hundred yards off, whither the 
women and children of the colliery were running, with 
wildness and terror depicted in every faoe. In a com- 
manding voice Stephenson ordered the engineman to lower 
him down the shaft in the corve. There was peril, it 
might be death, before him, but he must go. 

He was soon at the bottom, and in the midst of the non, 
who were paralysed by the danger which threatened the 
lives of all in iht) pit Leaping from the corve on its 
touching the ground, he called out; "Are there six men 
among you who have courage to follow me ? If so, come, 
and we will put the &re out" The Killingworth pitmen 
had the most perfect confidence in their engine-wright, and 
they readily volunteered to follow him. Silence succeeded 



■ ■ - ■ I ,- ■ 



STEPHENSOS'3 HEROIC CONDUCT. 



Tbe Fit HMd, West Hoot. 

the frantio tunmlt of the previouB minute, and the men 
Bet to work with a -will. In every mine, bricks, mortar, 
and tools enough are at hand, and by Stephenson's direction 
the materials were forthwith carried to the required spot, 
where, in a very short time a wall was raised at the 
entrance to the main, he himself taking the most active part 
in the work. The atmospheric air was by this means 
excluded, the fire was exttnguished, the people were saved 
irom death, and the mine was preserved. 

This anecdote of Stephenson was related to the writer, 
near the pit^mouth, by one of the men who had been 
present and helped to build up the brick wall by which the 
fire was stayed, though several workmen were suffocated. 
He related that, when down the pit some days after, seeking 
oat the dead bodies, the cause of the accident was the 
subject of conversation, and Stephenson was asked, " Can 
noliing be done to prevent such awful occurrences ? " His 
reply was that he thought something might be done. 



^2 DE. CLANNY'S LAMP. Chj». vi 

"Then," 9aid the other, "the sootier you start the better; 
for the price of ooal-miniiig now is pUmen's Ui^s." 

Fifty years since, many of the best pits were so fall o^ 
the inflammable gas given forth by the coal, that they could 
not be worked without the greatest danger; and for this 
reason some were altogether abandoned. The rudest possible 
methods were adopted of producing light sufficient tc emible 
the pitmen to work by. The phosphorescence of decayed 
fish -skins wa« tried; but this, though safe, was very in- 
efficient. The most common method employed was what 
was called a steel mill, the notched wheel of which, being 
made to revolve against a flint, struck a succession of sparks, 
which scarcely served to do more than make the darkness 
visible. A boy carried the apparatus after the miner, 
working the wheel, and by the imperfect light thus given 
forth he plied his dangerous trade. Candles were only used 
in those parts of the pit where gas was not abundant 
Under this rude system not more than one-third of the coal 
oould be worked ; and two-thirds were left 

What the workmen, not less than the coal-owners, eagerly 
desired was, a lamp that should give forth sufficient light, 
without communicating flame to the inflammable gas which 
accumulated in certain parts of the pit. Something had 
already been attempted towards the invention of such a 
lamp by Dr. Clanny, of Simderland, who, in 1813, contrived 
an apparatus to which he gave air from the mine through 
water, by means of bellows. This lamp went out of itself 
in inflammable gas. It was found, however, too unwieldy 
to be used by the miners for the purposes of their work, and 
did not come into general use. A committee of gentlemen 
vras formed to investigate the causes of the explosions, and 
to devise, if possible, some means of preventing them. At 
the invitation of that Committee, Sir Humphry Davy, then 
in the full zenith of his reputation, was requested to turn 
his attention to the subject He accordingly visited the 
collieries near Newcastle on the 24th of August, 1815 ; and 
on the 9th of November folloT^'ing, he read before the Boyal 



Chap. VI. STEPHENSON EXPERIMENTS ON FIBE-DAMP. 93 

Society of London liis oelebrated paper '* On t^ie Fire-Damp 
of Coal Mines, and on Methods of lighting the Mine so as to 
prevent its explosion." 

But a humbler though not- less diligent and original 
tlunker had been at work before him, and had already prac- 
tically solved the problem of the Safety-I.iampu Stephenson 
Tvas of course well aware of the anxiety which prevailed in 
tlie collieiy districts as to the invention of a lamp which 
should give light enough for the miners to work by without 
exploding the fire-damp. The painful incidents above 
described only served to quicken his eagerness to mastei 
the difficulty. 

For several years he had been engaged, in his own rade 
way, in making experiments with the fire-damp in the 
Killingworth mine. The pitmen used to expostulate with 
him on these occasions, believing his experiments to be 
fraught with danger. One of the sinkers, observing him 
holding up lighted candles to the windward of the 
"blower" or fissure from which the inflammable gas 
escaped, entreated him to desist ; but Stephenson's answer 
was, that " he was busy with a plan by which he hoped 
to make his experiments useful for preserving men*s lives." 
On these occasions the miners usually got out of the way 
before he lit the gas. 

In 1815, although he was very much occupied with the 
business of the collieries and the improvement of his loco- 
motive engine, he was also busily engaged in making 
experiments upon inflammable gas in the EjJlingworth 
pit. According to the explanation afterwards given by him, 
he imagined that if he could construct a lamp with a 
chimney so arranged as to cause a strong current, it would 
not fire at the top of the chimney ; aa the burnt air would 
ascend with such a velocity as to prevent the inflammable 
air of the pit from descending towards the flame ; and such 
9 lamp, he thought, might be taken into a dangerons 
atmosphere without risk of exploding. 

bach was Stephenson's theory when he proceeded to 



94 BTEPHSNBOK'8 FIBST LAMP MADE. Chap VI 

embody bis idea of a miner's safety-lamp in a pTacticaJ 
form. In the month of August, 1815, he requested his 
friend Niobolas Wood, the head viewer, to prepare a draw 
ing of a lamp aooording to the description which he gave 
him. After several evenings' careful deliberations, the 
drawing was made, and shown to several of the head men 
about the works. 

Stephenson proceeded to order a lamp to be made by 
a Newcastle tinman, according to his plan ; and at the same 
time he directed a glajas to be made for the lamp at the 
Northumberland Glass House. Both were received by him 
from the makers on the 21st October, and the lamp was 
taken to Killingworth for the purpose of immediate experi 
ment. 

'* I remember that evening as distinctly as if it had been 
but yesterday," said Bobert Stephenson, describing the 
circumstances to the author in 1857 : '^ Moodie came to our 
cottage about dusk, and asked, ' if father had got back yet 
with the lamp?' *No.* *Then 111 wait till he comes,' 
said Moodie, * he can't be long now.' In about half-an- 
hour, in came my &ther, his face all radiant He had the 
lamp with him ! It was at once uncovered, and shown to 
Moodie. Then it was filled with oil, trimmed, and lighted. 
All was ready, only the head viewer hadn't arrived. * Eun 
over to Benton for Nichol, Eobert,' said my father to ma 
* and ask him to come directly ; say we're going down the 
pit to try the lamp.' By this time it was quite dark ; and 
ofif I ran to bring Nicholas Wood. His house was at 
Benton, about a mile o£ There was a short cut through 
the Churchyard, but just as I was about to pass the wicket, 
I saw what I thought was a white figure moving about 
amongst the grave-stones. I took it for a ghost I My heart 
fluttered, and I was in a great fright, but to Wood's house 1 
must get, so I made the circuit of the Churchyard; and 
when I got round to the other side I looked, and lo 1 the 
figure was still there. But what do you think it was? 
Only the grave-digger, plying his work at that late hour by 



*j 



Chap. VI. TRIAL OF THE FIRST SAFETY-LAMP. 95 

(lie light of Iii£» lanthom set upon one of the gravestones 1 
I found Wood at home, and in a few minutes he wau 
mounted and off to mj father's. When I got back, I "was 
told they had just left — ^it was then about eleven — and 
gone down the shaft to try the lamp in one of the most 
dangerous parts of the mine." 

Arrived at the bottom of the shaft with the lamp, the party 
directed their steps towards one of the foulest galleries in the 
pit, where the explosive gas was issuing through a blower in 
the roof of the mine with a loud hissing noise. By erecting 
some deal boarding round that part of the gallery into which 
the gas was escaping, the air was made more foul for the pur- 
pose of the experiment After waiting about an hour, Moodie, 
whose practical experience of fire-damp in pits was greater 
than that of either Stephenson or Wood, was requested to 
go into the place which had thus been made foul; and, 
having done so, he returned, and told them that the smell 
of the air was such, that if a lighted candle were now 
introduced, an explosion must inevitably take place. He 
cautioned Stephenson as to the danger both to themselves 
and to the pit, if the gas took fire. But Stephenson 
declared his confidence in the safety of his lamp, and, 
having lit the wick, he boldly proceeded with it towards 
the explosive air. The others, more timid and doubtful, 
hung back when they came within hearing of the blower ; 
and apprehensive of the danger, they retired into a safe 
place, out of sight of the lamp, which gradually dis- 
appeared with it8 bearer in the recesses of the mine.* 



* The Editor of the * Aiheunuiii* 
having (Nov. 8th, 1862), diaiao- 
terized the author's aooount of 
this affidr as ''perfectly untrue" 
and a ** fiction," it becomes neces- 
sary to say a few worde in expla- 
nation of it. The Editor of the 
* Athen»um' quotes in support of 
his statement a passage from Mr. 



not say that the anecdote is ** per- 
ffectly untrue," but merely uiat 
** the danger was not quite so grecU 
as is represented:*' he adds that 
" at most an explosion might have 
burnt the Lands of the operator, 
but would not extend a few feet 
fixjm the blower." However that 
mav be, we were not without good 



Nicholas Wood, who, however does ! authority for making the original 



96 



STEPHENSON'S COURAGE IN TRYING IT. Chap. VI, 



Advancing to the place of danger, and entering -mthiii 
the fouled air, his lighted lamp in hand, Stephenson held 
it firmly out, in the full current of the blower, and 
within a few inches of its mouth I Thus exposed, the flame 
of the lamp at flrst increased, then flickered, and then 
went out; but there was no explosion of the gas^ Ke- 
tuming to his companions, who were still at a distance, 
he told them what had occurred. Having now acquired 
somewhat more confidence, they advanced with him to a 
point from which they could observe him repeat his ex- 
periment, but still at a safe distance. They saw that 



statement. The fiicts were verbally 
communicated to the author in the 
firat place by Robert Stephenson, 
to whom the chapter was after- 
wards read in MS., in the presence 
of Mr. Sopwith, F.R.S. at Mr. 
Stephenson's house in Gloucester 
Square, and received his entire 
approval. But at the time at which 
Mr. Stephenson communj.cated the 
verbal information, he also handed 
a little book with his name written 
in it, still in the author's possession, 
saying, " Read that, you will find 
it all there." We liave again re- 
ferred to the little book which 
contains, among other things, a 
pamphlet, entitled Report on the 
Claims of Mr. George Stephenson 
relative to flie Invention of his 
Safety Lamp. By the Committee 
appointed at a Meeting holden in 
NewcaMle, on this 1st of November^ 
1817. With an Appendix contain- 
ing the Evidence. Among the 
witnesses examinM were George 
Stephenson, Nicholas Wood, and 
John Moodie, and their evidence ib 
given m the pamphlet. We quote 
that of Stephenfion and Moodie, 
which was not contradicted, but in 
all material points confirmed by 
Wood, and was published, we be- 
lieve, with hid sauctdon. George 



Stephenson said, that he tried the 
first lamp " in a part of the mine 
where the air was highly explo- 
sive. Nicholas Wood and John 
Moodie were his companions when 
the trial was made. They became 
frightened when they came within 
hearing of the blower, and would 
not go any further. Mr. Stephen- 
son went alone with the lamp to 
the mouth of the blower," &c. 
Tliis evidence was confirmed by 
John Moodie, who said the air of 
the place where the experiment 
was about to be tried was such, 
that, if a lighted candle had been 
introduced, an explosion would 
have taken place that would have 
been "extremely dangerous.*' "Told 
Stephenson it was foul, and hinted 
fit the danger ; nevertheless, 
Stephenson would try the lamp, 
confiding in its safety. Stephen- 
son took the lamp and went with 
it into the place in which Moodie 
had been, and Moodie and Wood, 
apprehensive of the danger, retired 
to a greater distance," &c. The 
other details of the statement made 
in the text, are fully borne out by 
the published evidence, the accu- 
racy of which, so fieo: as the authuf 
is aware, has never before been 
celled in question. 



0841 VI IMPEOTES HIS LAMP. 97 

when the lighted lamp was held within the explosive mix- 
tore, there was a great flame ; the lamp became almost full 
of fire ; and then it smothered out. Again returning to his 
companions, he relighted the lamp, and repeated the experi- 
ment several times with the same result At length Wood 
and Moodie ventured to advance close to the fouled part of 
the pit ; and, in making some of the later trials, Mr. Wood 
himself held up the lighted lamp to the blower. 

Before leaving the pit, Stephenson expressed his opinion 
that by an alteration of the lamp which he then contem- 
plated, he could make it bum better ; this was by a change in 
the slide through which the air was admitted into the lower 
part, under the flame. After making some experiments on 
the Air collected at the blower, by bladders which were 
mounted with tubes of various diameters, he satisfied him- 
self that, when the tube was reduced to a certain diameter, 
the foul air would not pass through ; and he fashioned his 
elide accordingly, reducing the diameter of the tube until he 
conceived it was quite safe. In about a fortnight the 
experiments were repeated, in a place purposely made foul 
as before ; on this occasion a larger number of persons ven- 
tured to witness them, and they again proved successful. 
The lamp was not yet, however, so efficient as the inventor 
desired. It required, he observed, to be kept very steady 
when burning in the inflammable gas, otherwise it was 
liable to go out, in consequence, as he imagined, of the 
contact of the burnt air (as he then called it), or azotic gas, 
which lodged round the exterior of the flame. If the lamp 
was moved horizontally, the azote came in contact with the 
flame and extinguished it '* It struck me," said he, *' that if 
I put more tubes in, I should discharge the poisonous 
matter that hung round the flame, by admitting the air to 
its exterior part" Although he had then no access to scien- 
tific books, nor intercourse with scientific men, nor anything 
that could assist him in his investigation, besides his own 
indefatigable spirit of inquiry, he contrived a rude apparatus 
by which he tested the explosive properties of the gas and 

V. H 



99 DASOEEOUS EXPEBIMENTINQ. CBA».n 

the velooity of onirent (for tluB wnn the direction of his 
inqairiee) neoossaiy to enable the explodve gaa to pa« 
through tubee of difierent diametets. In mftlriiig these 
oxperimenla in his humble cottage at the Weet Moor, 
Nicholas Wood and Oeoi^'s son Bobert usually acted as 
his assistante, and sometimeB the gentlemen of the neigh- 
bourhood intareeted in coal-mining attended aa speotAtors. 

These esperim^its were not performed without risk, for 
on one occasion the experimenting partT' had nearly blovn 
off the roof of the cottege. One of theee " blows up " was 
described by Stephenson bim wlf before the Committee on 
Accidents in Coal Mines, in 1635 : " I made several experi- 
ments," auid he, " as to the velooity required in tubes of 
different diameters, to prevent explosion from fire-damp. 
We made the mixtures in all proportions of light car- 
buretted hydrogen with atmospheric air in the receiver, 
and we found 1^ the experiments that when a current of 
the most explosive mixture that we could make was forced 
up a tube -j^ of an inch in diameter, the necessary current 
woe 9 inches in a second to prevent its coming down that 
tube. These experiments were repeated several times. We 
had two or three blows up in making the experiments, by 
the flame getting down into the receiver, though we had a 
piece of very fine wire^uze put at the bottom of the pipe, 
between the receiver and the pipe through which we were 
forcing Qie current. In one of these experiments I was 
watchii^ the flame in the tube, my son was taking the 
vibrations of the pendulum of the clock, and Mr, Wood 
was attending to give me the column of water as I called for 
it, to keep the current up to a certain point. As I saw 
the flame descending in tite tube I called for more water, 
and Wood unfortunately turned the cock the wrong way , 
the onrrent ceased, the flame went down the tube, and all 
our implements were blown to pieces, which at the tim« 
we were not voy able to replace." 

Stephenson followed up those experiments by others of 
a similar kind, with the view of ascertaining whether or 



Chap. YI. STEPHENSON'S SECOND SAFETT-LAMP. 99 

dinary flame would pass through tabes of a small diameter 
and with this object he filed off the barrels of seyeral small 
keys. Placing these together, he held them perpendionlarl j 
OYer a strong flame, and ascertained that it did not pass 
upward. This was a further proof to him of the sonncbiesi 
of the oonrse he was pursuing. 

In order to correct the defect of his first lamp he resolved 
to alter it so as to admit the air to the flame by sereral 
tubes of reduced diameter, instead of by a single tube. He 
inferred that a sufficient quantity of air would thus be intro- 
duced into the lamp for the purposes of combustion, while 
the smallness of the apertures would still prevent the ex- 
plosive gas passing downwards, at the same time that the 
*' burnt air " (the cause, in his opinion, of the lamp going 
out) would be more effectually dislodged. He accordingly 
took the lamp to a tinman in Newcastle, and had it altered 
BO that the air was admitted by three small tubes inserted 
in the bottom of the lamp, the openings of which were 
placed on the outside of the burner, instead of having (as in 
the original lamp) the one tube opening directly under the 
flame. 

This second or altered lamp was tried in the Eillingworth 
pit on the 4ih November, and was found to bum better 
than the first, and to be perfectly safe. But as it did 
not yet come quite up to the inventor's expectations, he 
proceeded to contrive a third lamp, in which he proposed to 
surround the oil vessel with a number of capillary tubes. 
Then it struck him, that if he cut off the middle of the 
tubes, or made holes in metal plates, placed at a distance 
from each other, equal to the length of the tubes, the air 
would get in better, and the effect in preventing explosion 
would be the same. 

He was encouraged to persevere in the completion of his 
safety-lamp by the occurrence of several fiatal accidents 
about this time in the Killingworth pt On the 9th 
November a boy was killed by a blast in the A pit, at the 
very place where Stephenson had made the experiments 

H 2 



^^^^^^B-5»» 



100 THE DATT LAMP COHTBOYEBSY. Chap n, 

wiHi his first lamp ; and, when told of the accident, he 
observed that if the boj had been provided with his lamp, 
his life wotdd havA been saved. On the 20th November he 
went over to Newcastle to order his third lamp from a 
plumber in that town. The plumber referred him to his 
clerk, whom Stephenson invited to join him at a neighbour- 
ing publio-hoQse, where they might quietly talk over the 
matter, and finally settle the plan of the new lamp. They 
adjonmed to the " Newcastle Arms," near the present High 
Level Bridge, where they had some ale, and a design of the 
lamp was drawn in pendl npon a half-sheet of foolscap, with 
a rough specification subjoined. The sketch, when shown to 
us by Hobert Stephenson some years since, still bore the 
marks of the ale. It was a very rude design, but sufficient 
to work fromu It was immediately placed in the hands of 
the workmen, finished in the course of a few days, and 
experimentally tested in the Eillingworth pit like the 
previous lamps, on the 30th November. At that time 
neither Stephenson nor Wood had heard of Sir Humphr}^ 
Davy's experiments nor of the lamp which that gentleman 
proposed to construct 

An angry controversy afterwards took place as to the 
respective merits of George Stephenson and Sir Humphry 
Davy in respect of the invention of the safety-lamp. A 
committee was formed on both sides, and the iBicts were 
stated in various ways. It is perfectly clear, however, that 
Stephenson had ascertained the fcust that flame will not pass 
through tubes of a certain diameter — ^the principle on which 
the safety-lamp is constructed — ^before Sir Humphry Davy- 
had formed any definite idea on the subject, or invented 
the model lamp afterwards exhibited by him before tlie 
Boyal Society. Stephenson had actually constructed a 
lamp on such a principle, and proved its safety, before Sir 
Humphry had communicated his views on the subject to any 
person ; and by the time that the first public intimation had 
been given of his discovery, Stephenson's second lamp had 
been constructed and tested in like manner in the Kiliiuij^' 



Chap. VI. STEPHESEOITB MEKIT8 AB AH INVENTOR. 101 



worth pit The firA was tried on the 2lBt Octoher, 1815 ; 
the »teimd was tried on the 4th November ; bnt it was not 
imlil the 9th November that Sir Eomphiy Davy presented 
his first hunp to the public. And by the 30th of the same 
month, aa -we have seen, Stephenson had constructed and 
tested his third eafely-lamp. 

Stephenson's theory of the " burnt air " and the " draught " 
was no doubt wrong ; but his lamp was right, and that was 
the great iact which mainly concerned him. Torricelll did 
not know the rationale of his tube, nor Otto Gtirike that of 
his air-pump; yet no one thinlce of denying them the 
merit of their inventions on that account The discoveries 
of Yolta and Galvani were in like manner independent of 
theory ; the greatest disooyeries consisting in bringing to 
light certain grand &cts, on which theories are afterwards 
firamed. Our inventor had been pursuing the Baconian 



102 BCESE AT THE NEWCASTLE INBTITDTE. CHiP. «. 

inetliod, tJutngh he did not tbink of that, but of in-rentrng a 
aafe lamp, whiofa he knew oonld only be done through the 
prooeea of repeated experiment He experimented npon the 
fire-damp at the blowers in the mine, and also by means of 
the apparatus which was blown np in his oottaf;e, as above 
described by himself By experiment he distinctly ascer- 
tained that the explosion of fiie-damp oonld not pass throng 
small tubes ; and he also did what had not before been done 
by any inventor — ^he oonstmcted a lamp on this principle, 
and r^eatedly proved ita safety at the risk of his life. At 
the same time, there is no donbt that It was to Sir Humphry 
Davy that the merit belonged of having pointed ont ttw 
true law on whioh the safety-lamp is congtructed. 

The snbject of this important inTention excited so macb 
interest in the norihem mining districis, and Stephen- 
son's numerous fiiends considered his lamp so completely 
soooeesful — having stood the test of repeated experimeBts — 
that they ni^ied him to bring his invention before the 
Philosophical and Literary Society of Newcastle, of whose 
apparatus he had availed himself in the oonrse of his experi- 
ments on fire-damp. After much persoasion he consented, 
and a meeting was appointed for the pnrpose of receiving 
his explanations, on the evening of the 5th December, 1815. 
Stephenson was at that time so diffident in maimer and 
unpractised in speech, that he took with him his Mend 
Nicholas Wood, to act as his interpreter and expositor on the 
occasion. From eighty to a hundred of the most intelligent 
members of the society were preeeiit at the meeting, when 
Mr. Wood stood fbrwsJd to expound the principles on which 
the lamp had been formed, and to desoribe the details of ita 
constmotion. Several questions were put, to which Mr, 
Wood proceeded to give replies to the best of his knowledge. 
But Stephenson, who up to that time had stood bdiind 
Wood, screened from notice, observing that the explanations 
given were not quite correct, could no longer control his 
reserve, and, standing forward, he proceeded in his strong 
Northumbrian dialect, to describe the lamp, down to its 



CkXP. VI. CLAIMS OF DATY AH D 8TKPHEIT80N. 103 

minutest detailcu He then prodnced several bladders full of 
carburetted hydrogen, which he had collected from the 
blowers in the Killingworth mine, and proved the safety 
of his lamp by numerous experiments with the gan, repeated 
in yarions ways ; his earnest and impressive manner exciting 
in the minds of his auditors the liveliest interest both in the 
inventor and his invention. 

Shortly after, Sir H. Davy's model lamp was received 
and exhibited to the coal-miners at Newcastle, on which 
occasion the observation was made by several gentlemen, 
'* Why, it is the same as Stephenson's 1 " 

Notwithstanding Stephenson's claim tobe r^arded as the 
first inventor of the Tube Safety-lamp, his merits do not 
seem to have been generally recognised ; and Sir Humphry 
Davy carried off the larger share of the Seiai which attach^ 
to tlie discovery. What chance had the unknown work- 
man of Killingworth with so distinguished a competitor ? 
The one was as yet but a colliery engino-wright, scarce raised 
above the manual-labour class, pursuing his experiments in 
obscurity, with a view only to usefulness; the other was the 
scientific prodigy of his day, the most brilliant of lecturers, 
and the most popular of philosophers. 

No small indignation was expressed by the friends of Sir 
Humphry Davy at Stephenson's '* presumption " in laying 
daim to the invention of the safety-lamp. In 1831 Dr. Paris, 
in his ' Life of Sir Humphry Davy,' ^us wrote : — " It will 
hereafter be scarcely believed that an invention so eminently 
scientific, and which could never have been derived but 
from the sterling treasury of science, should have been 
claimed on behalf of an engine-wright of Killingworth, of 
the name of Stephenson — a person not even possessing a 
knowledge of the elements of chemistry." 

But Stephenson was far above claiming for hiniflelf any 
invention not his own. He had already accomplished a fax 
greater feat than the making of a safety-lamp— he had con* 
structed a successful locomotive, which was to be seen in 
daily work on the Killingworth railway. By the improvo- 



104 rHE DATT TE8TIM0SUL. Ch»p. VI 

mDntB he had made in Uie en^ne, he might almost be Hkid 
to have tnwnteij it ; but no one — not evfsa the philoBophers — 
detected the Bigmficance of th&t 'wonderful machine. Whal 
railways were to become, rested in a great meosnre with that 
' engine-wright of Eillingwortb, of the name of Stephen- 
son," though be was acarcely known as yut beyond the 
bounds of h~£ own district 

As to the vaJtie of the invention of the safety-lamp tliere 
could be no doubt ; and the colliery owners of Durfaam and 
Northumberland, to testily their aeuse of its importanoe, 
determined to present a testimonial to its inventor. The 
friends of Sir H. Davy met in August; 1816, to take steps 
for raising a enbeoriptioiL for the purpose. The advertised 
object of the meeting was to present him with a reward for 
" the invention of M* safety-lamp." To this no objection 
eould be taken ; for thoi^h the principle on which tlie 
eafefy-lampe of Btephenson and Davy were oonstmcted was 
the same ; and although Stephenson's lamp was, unqupetion- 
ably, the first auocesfful lamp that had been oonstmcted on 
such principle, and proved to be efficient, — yet Sir H, Davy 
did invent a safety-lamp, no doubt quite independent of t^ 
that Stephenson had done ; and having directed his careful 
attention to the subject, and el ucidated the tme theory of 
esplodon of oarburetted hyin^n, he was entitled to all 
praise and reward for hia labours. But when the meeting 
of coal-owners proposed to raise a subscription for the 
purpose of presenting Sir H. Davy with a reward for " his 
invention of the safety-lamp," the case was entirely ^tered ; 
and Stephenson's friends then proceeded to assert his olaima 
to be regarded as its first inventor. 

Many meetings took place on the subject, and mnoh dis- 
cussion ensued, the result of which was that a sum of 20001. 
was presented to Sir Hamphry Davy as " the inventor of the 
safety-lamp ; " but, at the same time, a purae of 100 guineas 
was voted to George Stephenson, in consideration of what h< 
had done in the same direction. This reeolt was, however 
very unsatisfactory to Stephenson, as well as to his friends 



Chap. VI. LETTEK TO '•THE PAPEK8.- 105 



and Mr. Brandling, of Goaf Drth, suggested t3 him that» tl 
subject being now fairly before the public, he should publish 
a statement of the &cts on which his cLuxn was founded. 

This was not at all in Geoige's line. He had never 
appeared in print ; and it seemed to him a more formidable 
thing to write a letter for *' the papers " than to invent a 
safety-lamp or design a looomotive. However, he called to 
his aid his son Eobert, set him down before a sheet of fools- 
cap, and told him to ''put down there just what I tell 
you." The composition of this letter, as we were informed 
by the writer of it, occupied more evenings than one ; and 
when it was at length finished, after many corrections, and 
fairly copied out, the father and son set out — ^the latter 
dressed in his Sunday's round jacket — to lay the joint pro- 
duction before Mr. Brandling, at Gosforth House. Glancing 
over the letter, Mr. Brandling said, '* George, this will never 
do." " It is all true, sir," was the reply. " That may be ; 
but it is badly written." Bobert bludied, for he thought 
the penmanship was called in question, and he had written 
his best Mr. Brandling, however, revised the letter, which 
WH8 Shortly after pnblidied in tte local joBnuda 

Stephenson's Mends, folly satisfied of his claims to priority 
as the inventor of the safety-lamp used in the Killingworth 
and other coUieries, held a pubHo meeting for the purpose 
of presenting him with a reward " for the valuable service 
he had thus rendered to mankind." A subscription was 
immediately conmienoed with this object, and a commit- 
tee was formed, consisting of the Earl of Strathmore, 
C. J. Brandling, and others. The subscriptions, when 
collected, amounted to lOQQl Fart of the money was 
devoted to the purchase of a silver tankard, which was pre- 
sented to the inventor, tc^ther with the balance of the 
subscription, at a public dinner given in the Assembly 
Iloonis at Newcastle.* But what gav€ Stephenson even 



* The tankaid bore th(» follow- I plate, pmohaaed with a part of the 
|d|S iiu33ription : — ** This piece of I sum of 10002., a sabficription laiaed 



lUO THI BTEPHKITBON TESTIHONUL. Cttir. VI 

greater pleMore than the alver tankard and parse of bot» 
reigns wan the gift of a cdlver watch, purchased by aaaW 
mbsoriptioQS amonget the oolliere themselTee, and presented 
by tikem as a token of their personal eeteem and regard foi 
him, as well as of their gratitude for the peisereranoe and 
skill with which he had prosecuted his Enable and life- 
BBving invention to a BOOceBsfid iflsne. 

However great the merits of Stephenson in oonnezioii 
with the inyention of the tiibe safety-lamp, they cannot 
be regarded as detnu;ting from the repntation of Sii 
Humphry Davy. His inquiries into the explosiTe pro- 
perties of carburetted hydrc^^ gaa were qoita original; 
and his discoTery of the fact that explosion will not pasB 
through tabee of a certain diameter was made independently 
of all tHat Stephenson had done in verificatLon of the same 
fact It even appears that Mr. Smithson Tennant and 
Dr. WoUaston had observed the same £tct several years 
before, though neither Stephenson nor Davy knew it while 
thoy were proseoutdng their experiments. Sir Hnmphry 
Davy's sabseqiient modification of the tabe-lamp, by which, 
while iHiTiiniatiing the diameter, he in the same ratio 
shortened the tubes without danger, and in the form of 
wire^nze enveloped the safety-lamp by a moltiplioity of 
tubes, was a beautiful application of the true theory 'which 
he had formed upon the sobjeot. 

The inoreased number of accidents which have occorred 
from expIoaionB in coal-mines since the general introduction 
of the Davy lamp, have led to oonsideTable doubts as to ita 
safety, and to inquiries as to the means by which it may 
be further improved ; for experience has shown that, under 
tanoea, the Davy lamp is not safe. St«phen- 

1 of Mr. OsoBOs Mfa^-lamp oalcnlatod fat tin pm- 
YiDg duKovered serratiaa of human lite !n aitDa- 
Bmed flie-damp tdaiiB (onoerly of the ^leateat 
nigh tabes aod duigei, vw jireeented ki him at a 
tluaeiuioaB, and |[ensnl meetuig of the anbaciiben, 
rit to apply that . Chailes John Brandling, Esq., in 
MUtmctloD of a : the Cbair. Jaimai; 12th, ISIS." 



Chaiw VI. DEFECTS OF THE DAVT LAMP. lO? 

0on was himself of opinion that the modification of his owe 
and Sir Humphry Davy's lamp, combining the glass cylinder 
with the wire-gauze, was the most secure ; at the same time 
it must be admitted that the Davy and the Geoidy lamp« 
alike £uled to stand the severe tests to which they were 
submitted by Dr. Pereira, before the Committee on Acci- 
dents in Mhies. Indeed, Dr. Fereira did not hentate to 
say, that when exposed to a current of explosive gas the 
Pavy lamp is *' decidedly unsafe," and that the experiments 
by which its safety had been *' demonstrated *' in the lecture- 
room had proved entirely " fedlacions." 

It is worthy of remark, that under droumstances in 
which the wire-gauze of the Davy lamp becomes red-hot 
from the high explosiveness of the gas, the Geoidy lamp is 
extinguished ; and we cannot but think that this fiict 
testifies to the decidedly superior safety of the Geordv 
An accident occurred in the Oaks colliery Fit at Bamslej 
on the 20th August, 1857, which strikingly exemplified 
the respective qualities of the lamps. A sudden outburst 
of gas took place from the floor of the mine, along a dis- 
tance of fifty yards. Fortunately the men working in the 
pit at the time were all supplied with safety-lamps-^the 
hewers with Stephenson's, and the hurriers with Davy's. 
Upon this occasion, the whole of the Stephenson's lamps, 
over a space of five hundred yards, were extinguished almost 
instantaneously ; whereas the Davy lamps were filled with 
fire, and became red-hot — so much so, that several of th^ 
men using them had their hands burnt by the gauze. 
Had a strong current of air been blowing through the 
gallery at the time, an explosion would most probably have 
taken place — an accident which, it will be observed, could 
not, under such circumstances, occur from the use of the 
Geordy, which is immediately extinguished as soon as the 
air becomes explosive.* 



* The accident above referred to 1 Times,' a copy of which, oontain- 
WBt deMribed in the 'Barogley | ing the aooonnt, Bobert Stephenson 



108 THE "OEOEDY" SAFETY-LAMP. Ciup. VL 

Nioholaa Wood, a good judge, has said of the two inven- 
tiona, "Priority has been claimed for each of them — I 
believe the inventioiis to be paralleL By different roada 
they both arrived at the same result. Stephenaon'a is 
the superior lamp. Davy's is safe — Stephenson's is safer." 

When the question of priority was under discnssiozi at 
the studio of Mr. Longh, the sculptor, in 1857, Sir Matthew 
White Ridley asked Robert Stephenson, who was present, 
for his opinion on the subject. His answer was, " I un not 
exactly the person to give an unbiassed opinion ; but, as 
you ask me frankly, I will as &ankly say, that if Georgie 
Stephenson had never lived. Sir Humphry Davy could and 
most probably would have invented the safety-lamp ; bnt 
t^iain, if Sir Humphry Davy had never lived, George 
Stephenson oertaiuly would have invented the safety-lamp, 
as I believe he did, independent of all that Sir Humph^ 
Davy had ever done in the matter." 

rorwBided to the aathcs, with the I is, I think, worth; of leooid in my 
obaervation th&t " it ia eriilently I fiither's Life " 
written b; a practicftl miner, and [ 



Chap. VD. KILLINGWORTH COAL-MINS. 109 



CHAPTEB VIL 

GlOBGE StBPHXNSOM's FUBTHXB iMPBOYXiaEHTS IN TBI LoOO* 

MOTiYiB — The Hbtton Bailwat — Bobebt Stsphknsox 
AS Yieweb's Appbentigb and Student. 

Stephenson's experiments on fire-damp, and his labours in 
comiexion with the invention of the safety-lamp, occupied 
but a small portion of his time, which was neoeasarily 
devoted for the most part to the ordinary business of the 
ooUiery. From the day of his appointment as engine- 
wright, one of the subjects which particularly occupied his 
attention was the best practical method of winning and 
raising the coaL He was one of the first to introduce 
steam machinery underground with the latter object. In- 
deed, the EiUingworth mines came to be r^arded as the 
models of the district; the working arrangements generally 
being conducted in a skilful and efficient manner, reflecting 
the highest credit on the colliery engineer. 

Besides attending to the underground arrangements, the 
improved transit of the coals aboveground ttom the pit- 
head to the shipping-place, demanded an increasing share of 
his attention. Every day's experience convinced him that 
the locomotive constructed by him after his patent of the 
year 1815, was £ax from perfect; though he continued to 
entertain confident hopes of its eventual success. He even 
went so far as to say that the locomotive would yet super- 
sede every other traction-power for drawing heavy load& 
Many still r^arded his travelling engine as little better 
than a curious toy; and some, shaking their heads, pre- 
dicted for it " a terrible blow-up some day." Nevertheless, 
it was daily performing its work with regularity, dragging 
the coal-waggons between the colliery and the staiths, and 



110 IHPEOV£H£NT OF THE ROAD. C?hap. Vfl. 

Baving the labonr of many men and horses. There was 
not, however, bo marked a saving in haulage as to indnoo 
the ooUiery masters to adopt locomotive power generally as 
a snVstitate for horses. How it conld be improved and 
rendered more efiBicient as well as economical, was constantly 
present to Stephenson's mind. 

At an early period of his labours, or abont the time when 
he had completed his second locomotive, he b^an to direct 
his particular attention to the state of the Boad; as he 
perceived that the extended use of the locomotive muKt 
necessarily depend in a great measure upon the perfection, 
solidity, continuity, and smoothness of the way along which 
the engine travelled. Even at that early period, he was 
in the habit of regarding the road and Uie locomotive as 
one machine, speaking of the rail and the wheel as " man 
and wife." 

All railways were at that time laid in a careless and 
loose manner, and great inequalities of level were allowed 
to occur without much attention being paid to repairs. The 
consequence was a great loss of power, as well as much tear and 
wear of the machinery, by the frequent jolts and blows of 
the wheels i^ainst the rails. His first object therefore was, 
to remove the inequalities produced by the imperfect junc- 
tion between rail and raiL At that time, (in 1816) Ihe 
rails were made of cast iron, each rail being about three 
feet long ; and suf&cient care was not taken to maintain the 
points of junction on the same level The chairs, or cast- 
iron pedestals into which the rails were inserted, were flat 
at the bottom; so that, whenever any disturbance took 
place in the stone blocks or sleepers supporting them, the 
flat base of the chair upon which the rails rested being 
tilted by unequal subsidence, the end of one rail became 
depressed, whilst that of the other was elevated. Hence 
constant jolts and shocks, the reaction of which very often 
caused the fracture of the rails, and occasionally threw the 
engine off the road. 

To remedy this impeifection Mr. Stephenson devised a 



CBiP. VIL IMPROVED EAILS AND CHAIES. HI 

new chair, with an entirely new mode of fixing the rails 
therein. Instead of adopting the bultjoaU which had 
hitherto been used in all cast-iron rails, he adopted the 
haif-Iap joint, by which means the rails extended a certain 
distance over each other at tlie ends, like a soarf-joint. 
These ends, instead of resting upon the flat chair, were 
made to rest upon 
the apex of a curve 
forming the bot- 
tom of the chdr. 
The Hopports were 
also extended &om 
three feet to three „ ., 

... HilMip JolDt 

feet nine inches or 

four feet apart These nuls were accordingly substituted 
for the old cast-iron plates on the Eillingworth Colli^y 
BaQway, emd they were found to be a very great improve- 
ment upon the previous system, adding both to the effi- 
ciency of the horsepower, still employed in working the 
' railway, and to the smooth action of the locomotive engine, 
bat more particularly increasing the efficiency of the latter. 

This improved form of nul and chair was embodied in a 
patent taken out in the joint names of Mr. Losh, of New- 
castle, iron-founder, and of Mr. Stephenson, bearing date 
30th September, 1816. Mr. Losh being a wealthy, enter- 
prising iron-numnfacturer. Mid having confidence in George 
Stephenson and his improvements, found the money for the 
purpose of taking ottt the patent, which, in those days, was 
a very costly as well as troublesome a&ir. 

The specification of the same patent also described variooa 
important improvements in the locomotive iieeiL The 
wheels of the engine were improved, being altered &om 
cast to malleable iron, in whole or in part, by which they 
"were made lighter as wdl as more durable and safe. But 
the most ingenious and original contrivance embodied in 
this patent was the substitute for springs which Mr. Ste- 
phenson invented. He contrived that the steam generated 



1 12 STEPHENSON'S STEAM-SPEIWGS. Chap, YH 

in tne boiler should perfoim this important office. The 
method by which this was effected displayed such genuine 
mechanical genius, that we would particularly call atten- 
tion to the device, which was the more remarkable, as it 
was contrived long before the possibility of steam loco- 
motion had become an object of general inquiry or of public 
interest 

It has already been observed that up to, and indeed after, 
the period of which we speak, there was no such class of 
skilled mechanics, nor were there any such machines and 
tools in use, as are now available to inventors and manufac- 
turers. Although skilled workmen were in course of gradual 
training in a few of the larger manufiEtcturing towns, they 
did not, at the date of Stephenson's patent, exist in any con- 
siderable numbers, nor was there then any class of mechanics 
capable of constructing springs of sufficient strength and 
elasticity to support locomotive engines of ten tons weight. 

In order to avoid the dangers arising from the inequalities 
of the road, Stephenson so arranged the boiler of his new 
patent locomotive that it was supported upon tho frame of 
the engine by four cylinders, which opened into the interior 
of the boiler. These cylinders were occupied by pistons 
with rods, which passed downwards and pressed upon the 
upper side of the axles. The cylinders opening into the 
interior of the boiler, allowed the pressure of steam to be 
applied to the upper side of the piston; and the pressure 
being nearly equivalent to one-fourth of the weight of the 
engine, each axle, whatever might be its position, had at all 
times nearly the same amount of weight to bear, and conse- 
quently the entire weight was pretty equally distributed 
amongst the four wheels of the locomotive. Thus the four 
floating pistons were ingeniously made to serve the purpose 
of springs in equalising the weight, and in softening the 
].erks of the machine ; the weight of which, it must also be 
observed, had been increased, on a road originally calculated 
to bear a considerably lighter description of carriage. This 
mode of supporting the engine remained in use until the 



« 



Chap. VU. THE KILLINGWOETH LOCOMOTIVE. 113 

progress of spring-making had so &r advanced that steel 
springs could be manofactured of sufGoient strength to bear 
the weight of locomotive engines. 

The result of the actual working of the new locomotive 
on the improved road amply justified lie promises held 
forth in the specification. The traffic was conducted with 
greater r^ularity and economy, and the superiority of the 
engine, as compared with horse traction, became still more 
marked. It is a feet worthy of notice, that the identical 



. Old KiHluEWSrUi Locomotive, sUU In nae. 

engines constructed in 1816 after the plan above described 
are to this day to be seen in regular useful work upon the 
Killingworth Eailway, conveying heavy coal-trains at the 
speed of between five and six miles an hour, probably as 
economiptdly as any of the more perfect locomotives now in 
use. 
Mr. Stephenson's endeavours having been attended with 



114 EXPEBIMENTS ON FRICTION. OHAP.m 

0iich markod snooesB in the adaptation of locomotiYe power 
to railways, his attention was called by many of his friends, 
about the year 1818, to the application of steam to travelliiig 
on common roads. It was from this point that the looo* 
motive started, Trevithick's first engine having been con- 
structed with this special object Stephenson's friends 
having observed how far behind he had left the original 
projector of the locomotive in its application to railroads, 
perhaps naturally inferred that he would be equally suc- 
cessful in applying^ it to the purpose for which Trevithick 
and Vivian had intended their first engina But the 
accuracy with which he estimated the resistance to which 
loads were exposed on railways, arising from friction and 
gravity, led him at a very early stage to reject the idea of 
ever applying steam power economically to common-road 
travelling. In October, 1818, he made a series of carefol 
experiments in conjunction with Nicholas Wood, on the 
resistance to which carriages were exposed on railways, 
testing the results by means of a dynamometer of his own 
construction. The series of practical observations made by 
means of this instrument were interesting, as the first 
systematic attempt to determine the precise amount of 
resistance to carriages moving along railways. It was then 
for the first time ascertained by experiment that the Mctioii 
was a constant quantity at all velocities. Although this 
theory had long before been developed by Vinoe and 
Coulomb, and was well known to scientific men as an 
established truth, yet, at the time when Stephenson made 
his experiments, the deductions of philosophers on the 
subject were neither believed in nor acted upon by prac- 
tical engineers. 

He ascertained that the resistances to traction were 
mainly three ; the first being upon the axles of the car- 
riages, the second, or roUing resistance, being between the 
circumference of the wheel and the surface of the rail, and 
the third being the resistance of gravity. The amount of 
friction and gravity he could accurately ascertain ; but the 



i 



Chap VU. FRICTION ON BOADS AND BAILWAT8. 115 

roUing resistanoe was a matter of greater difSoolty, being 
sabject to much variatioii. He satisfied himself^ howerer, 
that it was so great when the surface presented to the 
wheel was of a rough character, that the idea of working 
steam carriages eoonomically on common roads was dis- 
missed by him as entirely impracticable. Taking it as 
10 lbs to a ton weight on a level railway, it became obvions 
to him that so smaU a rise as 1 in 100 woidd diminish the 
osefol effort of a locomotiye by upwards of 50 per cent 
This was demonstrated by repeated experiments, and the 
important fact, thus rooted in his mind, was never lost 
sight of in the course of his future railway career. 

It was owing in a great measure to these painstaking 
experiments that he early became convinced of the vital 
importance, in an economical point of view, of reducing the 
country through which a railway was intended to pass as 
nearly as possible to a leveL Where, as in the first coal 
railways of Northum]>erland and Durham, the load was 
nearly all one way, — that is, from the colliery to the 
shipping-place, — it was an advantage to have an inclination 
in that direction. The strain on the powers of the locomo- 
tive was thus diminished, and it was easy for it to haul the 
empty waggons back to the colliery up even a pretty steep 
incline. But when the loads were both ways, he deemed it 
of great importance that the railroad should be constructed 
as nearly as possible on a leveL 

These views, thus early entertained, originated in Ste> 
phenson's mind the peculiar character of railroad works as 
distinguished from other roads ; for, in railways, he early 
contended that large sums woidd be wisely expended in per- 
forating barriers of hills with long tunnels, and in raising 
the lower levels with the excess cut down from the adjacent 
high ground. In proportion as these views forced them- 
selves upon his mind and were corroborated by his daily 
experience, he became more and more convinced of the hope- 
lessness of applying steam locomotion to common roads ; for 
every argument in £sivour of a level railway was, in his 

I 2 



116 A.OAIN PBOPOSES TO EMIGRATE. Chap. YIl. 

triew, an argument against the rough and hilly oourse of a 
oommon road. 

Although Stephenson's looomotiYe engines were in cUdly 
use for many years on the Killingworth Eailway, they 
excited oomparatively little interest They were no longer 
experimental, but had become an establish^ tractive power. 
The experience of years had proved that they worked moie 
steadily, drew heavier loads, and were, on the whole, con- 
siderably more economical than horses. Nevertheless eight 
years passed before another locomotive railway was con- 
structed and opened for the purposes of coal or other traffic 

Stephenson had no means of bringing his important in- 
vention prominentiy under the notice of the public. He 
himself knew well its importance, and he already anticipated 
its eventual general adoption ; but being an unlettered man, 
he could not give utterance to the thoughts which brooded 
within him on the subject Killingworth CJolliery lay far 
from London, the centre of scientific life in England. It 
was visited by no savans nor literary men, who might have 
succeeded in introducing to notice the wonderful machine of 
Stephenson. Even the local chroniclers seem to have taken 
no notice of the Ballingworth Eailway. 

There seemed, indeed, to be so small a prospect of intro- 
ducing the locomotive into general use, that Stephenson,— 
perhaps feeling the capabilities within him, — again recurred 
to his old idea of emigrating to the United States. Before 
joining Mr. Burrel as partner in a small foundry at Forth 
Banks, Newcastle, he had thrown out to liim tiie sugges- 
tion that it would be a good speculation for them to emi- 
grate to North America, and introduce steamboats upon tho 
great inland lakes there. The first steamers were then 
plying upon the Tyne before his eyes ; and he saw in them 
the germ of a great revolution in navigation. It occurred 
to him that North America presented the finest field for 
trying their wonderful powers. He was an engineer, 
his partner was an iron-founder ; and between them he 
thought they might strike out a path to fortune in tho 






Chap. VII. THE HETTON RAILWAY. 1 1 1 

mighty West. Fortimately, tliis idea remained a mero 
speculation so far as Stephenson was oonoemed ; and it wai 
left to others to do what he had dreamt of achieving. After 
all his patient waiting, his skill, industry, and perseveranoe 
were at length about to bear fruit 

In 3 819 the owners of the Hetton Colliery, in the county 
c^ Durham, determined to have their waggon-way altered 
to a locomotiYe railroad. The result of the working of the 
KULingworth Hail way had been so satusfaclory, that they 
resolved to adopt the same system One reason why an 
experiment so long continued and so successful as that at 
Killingworth should have been so slow in producing results, 
perhaps was, that to lay down a railway and famish it 
with locomotives, or fixed engines where necessary, required 
a very large capital, beyond the means of ordinary coal- 
owners ; whilst the small amount of interest felt in railways 
by the general public, and the supposed impracticability 
of working them to a profit, as yet prevented ordinary 
capitalists from venturing their money in the promotion ot 
such undertakings. The Hetton Coal Company were, how- 
ever, possessed of adequate means ; and the load reputation 
of the Kaiingworth engine-wright pointed him out as 
the man best calculated to lay out their line, and superin- 
tend their works. They accordingly invited him to act as 
the engineer of the proposed railway, which was to be the 
longest locomotive line that had, up to that time, been con- 
structed. It extended from the Hetton Colliery, situated 
about two miles south of Houghton-le-Spring, in the count}- 
of Durham, to the shipping-places on the banks of the Wear, 
near Sunderland. Its length was about eight miles ; and 
in its course it crossed Warden Law, one of the highest 
hiUs in the district. The character of the country forbade 
the construction of a flat line, or one of comparatively easy 
gradients, except by the expenditure of a much larger 
capital than was placed at the engineer's disposal. Heavy 
i^vorks could not be executed ; it was therefore necessary to 
lf>rm the line with but little deviation from the natural 



118 THB HBTTON RAILWAY. Chap. VU. 






oonformation of tlie district which it traverBed, and also to 
adapt the mechanical xoethodfi employed for its working to 
the character of the gradients, which in some places ^ere 
necessarily heavy. 

Although Stephenson had, with every step made towards 
its increased utility, become more and more identified with 
the success of the locomotive engine, he did not allow his 
enthusiasm to carry him away into costly mistakes. He 
carefully drew the line between the cases in which the 
locomotive ooidd be usefully employed, and those in which 1 

stationary engines were calculated to be more economical | 

This led him, as in the instance of the Hetton Eailway, to 
execute lines through and over rough countries, where gra- 
dients within the powers of the locomotive engine of that 
day could not be secured, employing in their stead stationary 
engine where locomotives were not practicable. In the 
present case, this course was adopted by him most suooess- 
fiilly. On the original Hetton line, there were five self- 
acting inclines, — the full waggons drawing the empty ones 
up, — and two inclines worked by fixed reciprocatiDg engines 
of sixty horse power each. The locomotive travelling 
engine, or " the iron horse," as the people of the neighbour- 
hood then styled it, did the rest. On the day of the opening 
of the Hetton Bailway, the 18th November, 1822, crowds of 
spectators assembled from all parts to witness the first 
operations of this ingenious and powerful machinery, which 
was entirely successfuL On that day five of Stephenson's 
locomotives were at work upon the railway, under the 
direction of his brother Bobert ; and the first shipment of 
coal was then made by the Hetton Company, at their new 
staiths on the Wear. The speed at which the locomotives 
travelled was about 4 miles an hour, and each engine 
dragged after it a train of 17 waggons, weighing about 64 
tons. 

While thus advancing step by step, — attending to the 
business of the Killingworth Colliery, and laying out rail- 
ways in the neighbourhood, — he whs earefully watching 



Chap. VII. ROBERTS PURSUITS AT KILLINGWORTH. 119 

over the educatioii of his son. We have already Rec^u that 
Robert was sent to Brace's school at Newcastle, whore he 
remained about four years. He left it in the tnimmer of 
1819, and was then put apprentice to Mr. Nicholas Wood, 
the head viewer at Killingworth, to learn the bnsine'j^ of 
the colliery. He served in that capacity for about tnree 
years, during which time he became familiar with most 
departments of underground work. The occupation was 
not unattended with peril, as the following incident will 
show. Though the use of the Geordy lamp had become 
general in the Killingworth pits, and the workmen were 
bound, under a penalty of half-€t-crown, not to use a naked 
candle, it was difficult to enforce the nile, and even the 
masters themselves occasionally broke it. One day Kichola» 
Wood, the head viewer. Hoodie the under viewer, and 
Robert Stephenson, were proceeding along one of the ga) 
leries. Wood with a naked candle in his hand, and Robert 
following him with a lamp. They came to a place where a 
fall of stones from the roof had taken place, on which Wood, 
who was first, proceeded to clamber over the stones, holding 
high the naked candle. He had nearly reached the summit 
of the heap, when the fire-damp, which had accumulated in 
the hollow of the roof, exploded, and instantly the whole 
party were blown down, and the lights extinguished. They 
were a mile from the shaft, and quite in the dark. There 
was a rush of the workpeople from all quarters towards the 
shaft, for it was feared that the fire might extend to more 
dangerous parts of the pit, where, if the gas had exploded, 
every soul in the mine must inevitably have perished. 
Robert Stephenson and Hoodie, on the first impulse, ran 
back at full speed along the dark gallery leading to the 
flhaft, coming into collision, on their way, with the hind 
quarters of a horse stunned by the explosion. When they 
had gone halfway. Hoodie halted, and bethought him of 
Nicholas Wood. " Stop, laddie !" said he to Robert, " stop ; 
we maun gang back, and seek the maister." So they 
*«traoed their steps. Happily, no further explosion had 



120 ROBERT'S PURSUITS AT KILLINGWORTH. Chap. VIL 

taken place. They found the master lying on the heap of 
stones, stunned and bruised, with his hands severely burnt 
They led him to the bottom of the shaft ; and he took 081*6 
aft.erwards not to venture into the dangerous parts of the 
mine without the protection of a Geordy lamp. 

The time that Eobert spent at Killingworth as viewer's 
apprentice was of advantage both to his &ther and himself. 
The evenings were generally devoted to reading and study, 
the two from this time working together as friends and co- 
labourers. One who used to drop in at the cottage of an 
evening, well remembers the animated and eager discussions 
which on some occasions took place, more especially with 
reference to the growing powers of the locomotive engine. 
The son was even more enthusiastic than the father on this 
subject. Eobert would suggest numerous alterations and 
improvements in details. His father, on the contrary, 
would offer every possibLs objection, defending the existing 
arrangements, — ^proud, nevertheless of his son's suggestions, 
and often warmed and excited by his brilliant anticipations 
of the ultimate triumph of the locomotive. 

These discussions probably had considerable influence in 
inducing Stephenson to take the next important step in the 
education of his son. Although Robert, who was only nine^- 
teen years of age, was doing well, and was certain at the 
expiration of his apprenticeship to rise to a higher position, 
his father was not satisfied with the amount of instruction 
which he had as yet given him. Eemembering the disad- 
vantages under which he had himself laboured through his 
ignorance of practical chemistry during his investigations 
connected with the safety-lamp, more especially with refer- 
ence to the properties of gas, as well as in the course of his 
experiments with the object of improving the locomotive 
engine, he determined to furnish his son with as complete 
a scientific culture as his means would afford. He also be- 
lieved that a proper training in technical science was indis- 
pensable to success in the higher walks of the engineer's 
profession ; and he determined to give to his son that kind 



Chap. VII. ROBERT SENT TO COLLEGE. 121 

and degree of education which he so much desired for him- 
self. He would thus, he knew, secure a hearty and generous 
co-worker in the elaboration of the great ideas now looming 
before him, and with their united practical and scientific 
knowledge he probably felt that they would be equal to any 
enterprise. 

He accordingly took Robert from his labours as under- 
viewer in the West Moor Pit, and in October,- 1822, sent 
him to the Edinburgh University, there being then no col- 
lege in England accessible to persons of moderate means, 
for purposes of scientific culture. Robert was furnished 
with letters of introduction to several men of lite!rary 
eminence in Edinburgh ; his father's reputation in connexion 
with the safety-lamp being of service to him in this respect. 
He lodged in Drummond Street, in the immediate vicinity 
of the collie, and attended the Chemical Lectures of Dr. 
Hope, the Natural Philosophy Lectures of Sir John Leslie, 
and the Natural History Class of Professor Jameson. He 
also devoted several evenings in each week to the study of 
practical Chemistry under Dr. John Murray, himself one 
of the numerous designers of a safety-lamp. He took care- 
fol notes of all the lectures, which he copied out at night 
before he went to bed ; so that, when he returned to Kil- 
lingworth, he might read them over to his father. He 
afterwards had the notes bound up, and placed in his 
library. Long years after, when conversing with Thomas 
Harrison, C.E., at his house in Gloucester Square, he rose 
from his seat and took down a volume from the shelves. 
Mr. Harrison observed that the book was in MS., neatly 
written out. "What have we here?" he asked. The 
%nswer was — "When I went to college, I knew the 
Uf&culty my father had in collecting the funds to send me 
there. Before going I studied short-hand; while at 
Edinburgh, I took down verbatim every lecture; and in 
the evenings, before 1 went to bed, I transcribed those 
lectures word for word. You see the result in that range 
of books." 



122 EXCURSION IN THE HIGHLANDS. Crap. VII 

One of the practical sciences in the study of which Eobert 
Stephenson took special interest while at Edinburgh was 
that of geology. The situation of the city, in the midst of 
a district of highly interesting geological formation, easily 
accessible to pedestrians, is indeed most fSEtvonrable to the 
pursuit of such a study ; and it was the practice of Professor 
Jameson frequently to head a band of his pupils, armed with 
hanuners, chisels, and clinometers, and take them with him 
on a long ramble into the country, for the purpose of teach- 
ing them habits of observation and reading to them from the 
open book of Nature itself. At the close of this session, 
the professor took with him a select body of his pupils on 
an excursion along the Great Glen of the Highlands, in 
the line of the Caledonian Canal, and Bobert formed one 
of the 'party. They passed under the shadow of Ben 
Nevis, examined the famous old sea-margins known as the 
" parallel roads of Glen Eoy," and extended their journey 
as far as Inverness ; the professor teaching the young men 
as they travelled how to observe in a mountain country. 
Not long before his death, Robert Stephenson spoke in 
glowing terms of the great pleasure and benefit which he 
had derived from that interesting excursion. "I have 
travelled for, and enjoyed much," he said ; " but that de- 
lightful botanical and geological journey I shall never forget , 
and I am just about to start in the TUania for a trip round 
the east coast of Scotland, returning south through the 
Caledonian Canal, to refresh myself with the recollection 
of that first and brightest tour of my life." 

Towards the end of the summer of 1822 the young stu- 
dent returned to Killingworth to re-enter upon the active 
bosmeee of life. The mx months' study had cost his father 
801, ; but he was amply repaid by the better scientific 
culture which his son had acquired, and the ovidenoe ol 
ability and industry which he was enabled to exhibit in a 
prize for mathematics which he had won at the University. 



Chap. VIIL THE BISHOP AUCKLAND COAL-FIELD. 



CHAPTEB VIIL 

Geobgk Stephxkbon E^aiNKSB or thx Stooktox aks 
Dabungton Bail vat. 

The district weet of Darlington, in Durham, is one of the 
richest mineral fielda of the North. Vast stores of coal 
onderlie the Bishop Auckland Valley ; and from an early 
period new and good roads to market were felt to be ex- 
ceedingly desirable. As yet it remained almost a closed 
field, the cost of transport of the coal in carts, or on horses' 
or donkeys' backs, greatly limiting the sole. Long ago, 
in the days of canal formations, Brindley was consulted 
about a canal; afterwards, in 1812, a tramroad was sur- 
veyed by Bennie; and eventually, in 1817, a railway was 
projected from Darlington to Stoc^n-on-Tees. 



Hap Df Glockton and SuUngtsn Kallwir. 



Of this railway Edward Pease was the projector. A 
thoughtful and sagacious man, ready in resources, poeeessed 
of indomitable enei^ and perseverance, ho was eminently 



12i EDWAED PEASE, Caip, VIII. 

qualified to undertake wliat appeared to many the bopelesa 
cnteiprise of obtaining an Act for a railway through each an 
unpromiBing district. One who knew him in 1818 said, "be 
was a man who could see a htindred years ahead." When the 
writer last saw him, in the autumn of 1854, Mr. Pease was 
in his eighty -eighth year ; yet he etill possessed the hope- 



Edward Peaae. 

fulness and mental vigour of a man in his prime. Hale 
and hearty, and full of reminiscences of the past, he con- 
tinued to take an aotive interest in all measures calculated 
to render men happier and better. Still sound in health, 
his eye had not lost ite brilliancy, nor his cheek its colour ; 



Chap. VIIL DAKLINGTON BAILWAY PBOJECTED. 125 

and there was an elaBticity in his step which younger mon 
might have envied.* 

In getting up a company for surveying and forming a 
railway, Mr. Pease had great dif&culties to encounter. The 
people of the neighbourhood spoke of it as a ridiculous 
undertaking, and predicted that it would be ruinous to all 
concerned. Even those most interested in the opening of 
new markets for their coal, were indifferent, if not actually 
hostile. The Stockton merchants and shipowners, whom it 
was calculated so greatly to benefit, gave the project no 
support ; and not twenty shares were subscribed for in the 
whole town. Mr. Pease nevertheless persevered; and he 
induced many of his Mends and relations to subsoribe the 
capital required. 

The necessary preliminary steps were taken in 1818 to 
apply for an act to authorise the construction of a tramroad 
from Witton to Stockton. The measure was however, 
strongly opposed by the Duke of Cleveland, because the 
proposed line passed close by one of his fox covers ; and the 
bill was rejected. A new survey was then made, avoiding 
the Duke's cover ; and in 1819 a renewed application was 
made to Parliament. The promoters were this time suc- 
oessfol, and the royal assent was given to the first Stockton 
and Darlington Eailway Act on the 19th April, 1821. 

The projectors did not originally contemplate the employ- 
ment of locomotives. The Act provided for the making 
and maintaining of tramroads for the passage " of waggons 
and other carriages" "iw^A men and horua or otherwise," 
and a further clause made provision for damages done in 
course of traffic by the " waggoners." The public were to 
be free '* to use with horses, cattle and carriages," the roads 
formed by the company, on payment of the authorised rates, 
^ between the hours of seven in the morning and six in the 
eTening," during winter ; " between six in the morning and 



* Mr. Peaar died at DarUngton, on the Slst of July, 1858, aged ninety- 
two. 



126 STEPHENSON AND MR. PEASE. Chap. VUI 

eight in the eTening," in two of the spring joid antamn 
months; aD<) *' between five in the morning and ten in 
the evening," in the summer months of May, Jnne, Jnly, 
and August From this it will be obvious that the pro- 
jectors of the line had themselves at first no very large 
conoeptions as to the scope of their project. 

One day, in the spring of 1821, two strangers knocked 
at the door of Mr. Pease's house in Darlington; and the 
message was brought to him that some persons from Kil- 
lingworth wanted to speak with him. They were invited 
in, on which one of the visitors introduced himself as 
Nicholas Wood, viewer at Killingworth, and then turning 
to hiR companion, he introduced him as George Stephenson, 
engine-wright, of the same place. 

Mr. Pease entered into conversation with his visitors, and 
was soon told their object. Stephenson had heard of the 
passing of the Stockton and Darlington Act, and desiring to 
increase his railway experience, and also to employ in some 
laiger field the practical knowledge he had already gained, 
he determined to visit the known projector of the under- 
taking, with the view of being employed to carry it out. 
He had brought with him his friend Wood, for the purpose 
at the same time of relieving his diffidence, and supporting 
his application. 

Mjt. Pease liked the appearance of his visitor : " there 
was," as he afterwards remarked when speaking of Stephen- 
son, **such an honest, sensible look about him, and he 
seemed so modest and unpretending. He spoke in the 
strong Northumbrian dialect of his district, and described 
himself as ' only the engine-wright at Killingworth ; that's 
what he was.* " 

Mr. Pease soon saw that our engineer was ihe very man 
for his purpose. The whole plans of the railway wero still 
in an undetermined state, and Mr. Pease was thereforo glad 
to have the opportrmity of profiting by Stephenson's ex- 
perience. In the course of their conversation, the latter 
strongly recommended a railway in preference to a tram* 



Chap. VIII. RETURN JOCBNEY TO NEWCASTLE. 127 

road. They also discnased the kind of tractiye powei to be 
employed: Mr. Pease stating that the company had baded 
their whole oalcnlations on the employment of horse power. 
^ I was so satisfied," said he afterwards, " that a horse upon 
an iron road would draw ten tons for one ton on a 
common road, that I felt sure that before long the railway 
would become the King's highway." But Mr. Pease was 
scarcely prepared for iJie bold assertion made by his visitor, 
that the locomotive engine with which he had been working 
the Killingworth Railway for many years past was worth 
fifty horses, and that engines made after a similar plan 
would yet entirely supersede all horse power upon rail- 
roads. Stephenson was daily becoming more positive as to 
the superiority of his locomotive; and hence he strongly 
urged Mr. Pease to adopt it. " Come over to Killingworth," 
said he, " and see what my engines can do ; seeing is be- 
lieving, sir." Mr. Pease accordingly promised that on some 
early day he would go over to Killingworth, and take a 
look at the wonderful machine that was to supersede horses. 

The result of the interview was, that Mr. Pease promised 
to bring Stephenson's application for the appointment of 
engineer before the Directors, and to support it with his 
influence; whereon the two visitors prepared to take their 
leave, informing Mr. Peaso that Ihey intended to return 
to Newcastle "by nip;" that is, they expected to get a 
smuggled lift on the stage-coach, by tipping Jehu, — for in 
those days the stage coachmen rep;arded all casual roadside 
passengers as their proper perquisites. They had, how- 
ever, been so much engrossed by their conversation, that 
the lapse of time was forgotten, and when Stephenson and 
his friend made enquiries about the return coach, they 
found the last had left ; and they had to walk the 18 mileii 
to Durham on their way back to Newcastle. 

Mr. Pease having made further inquiries respecting Ste- 
phenson's character and qualifications, and having received 
a very strong recommendation of him as the right man loi 
tlie intended work, he brought the subject of his appli 



m^^^m^^'^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^immmtB^mmmm^^^mmmm 



128 THK LINE RE-SQBVETED. Chap. VIU 

oation before the directors of the Stockton and Darlington 
Company. They resolved to adopt his reoommendation 
that a railway be formed instead of a tramroad ; and they 
fiu-ther requested Mr. Pease to write to Stephenson, desirmg 
him to undertake a re-snrvey of the line at the earliest 
practicable period. 

A man was despatched on a horse with the letter, and 
when he reached Killingworth he made diligent enquiry 
after the person named upon the address, *' George Stephen- 
son, Esquire, Engineer." No such person was known in 
the village. It is said that the man was on the point oi 
giving up all farther search, when the happy thought 
struck some of the colliers' wives who had gathered about 
him, that it must be '* Geordie the engine-wright " the man 
was in search of; and to Geordie's cottage he accordingly 
. went, found him at Home, and delivered the letter. 

About the end of September, Stephenson went carefully 
over the line of the proposed railway, for the purpose of 
suggesting such improvements and deviations as he might 
consider desirable. He was accompanied by an assistant 
and a chainman, — his son Bobert entering the figures while 
his father took the sights. After being engaged in the 
work at intervals for about six weeks, Stephenson reported 
the result of his survey to the Board of Directors, and 
showed that by certain deviations, a line shorter by about 
three miles might be constructed at a considerable saving in 
expense, while at the same time more favourable gradients 
— an important consideration — would be secured. 

It was, however, determined in the first place to proceed 
with the works at those parts of the line where no deviation 
was proposed ; and the first rail of the Stockton and Dar- 
lington Railway was laid with considerable ceremony, near 
Stockton, on the 23rd May, 1822. 

It is worthy of note that Stephenson, in making his first 
estimate of the cost of forming the railway according to the 
histructions of the directors, set down, as part of the cost, 
6^00^ for stationaiy engines, not mentioning locomoti'ves at 



Chap. VIII. MR. PEASE VISITS KILLINGWORTH. 129 

all. The directors as yet confined their views to the f^m- 
ployment only of horses for the haulage of the coals, and 
of fixed engines and ropes where horse-power was not 
applicable. The whole question of steam locomotive power 
was, in the estimation of the public, as well as of practical 
and scientific men, as yet in doubt. The confident antici- 
pations of George Stephenson, as to the eventual success of 
locomotive engines, were regarded as mere speculations; 
and when he gave utterance to his views, as he frequently 
took the opportunit}'^ of dwing, it even had the effect of 
shaking the confidence of some of his friends in the solidity 
of his judgment and his practical qualitieb as an engineer. 

When Mr. Pease discussed the question with Stephenson, 
his remark was, " Come over and see my engines at Killing- 
worth, and satisfy yourseK as to the efiiciency of the 
locomotive. I will show you the colliery books, that you 
may ascertain for yourself the actual cost of ^y^orking. And 
I must tell you that the economy of the locomotive engine 
is no longer a matter of theory, but a matter of fact." So 
confident was the tone in which Stephenson spoke of the 
success of his engines, and so important were the conse< 
quences involved in arriving at a correct conclusion on the 
subject, that Mr. Pease at length resolved upon paying a 
visit to Killingworth in the summer of 1822, to see with 
his own eyes the wonderful new power so much vaunted 
by the engineer. 

When Mr. Pease arrived at Killingworth village, he 
inquired for George Stephenson, and was told that he must 
go over to the West Moor, and seek for a cottage by the road- 
side, -with a dial over the door — "that was where George 
Stephenson lived." They soon found the house with the 
dial ; and on knocking, the door was opened by Mrs. Ste- 
phenson — his second wife (Elizabeth Hindmarsh), the 
daughter of a farmer at Black Callerton, whom he had 
married in 1820.* Her hueband, she said, was not in the 



* The story bas been told that Hindmarsh, while occupying the 
Qecr^& iwas a fonner ffidtar of Mian position of a humble workman at 



X 



ISO 



THE RAILWAY SURVEY. 



Chap. VUL 



honsb at present, bnt she would send for him to the colliery. 
And in a short time Stephenson appeared before them in 
his working dress, just as he had come out of the pit 

He very soon had his locomotive brought up to the cross- 
ing close by the end of the cottage, — ^made the gentlemen 
mount it, and showed them its paces. Harnessing it to a 
train of loaded waggons, he ran it along the railroad, and so 
thoroughly satisfied his visitors of its power and capabilities, 
that from that day Edward Pease was a declared supporter 
of the locomotive engine. In preparing the Amended 
Stockton and Darlington Act, at Stephenson's urgent re 
quest Mr. Pease had a clause inserted, taking power to work 
the railway by means of locomotive engines, and to employ 
them for the haulage of passengers as well as of merchan 
disc.* The Act was obtained in 1823, on which Stephenson 
was appointed the company's engineer at a salary of 300/. 
per annum; and it was determined that the line should 
be constructed and opened for traffic as soon as practicabla 

He at once proceeded, aocompanied by his assistants, with 
the working survey of the line, lajdng out every foot of 
the ground himself. Bailway surveying was as yet in its 
infancy, and was slow and difficult work. It afterwards 
became a separate branch of railway business, and was 
entrusted to a special staff. Indeed on no subsequent line 
did George Stephenson take the sights through the spirit 



Black Gallerton, but that baying 
been rejected by her, he made love 
to and married Fanny Henderson ; 
and that long after the death of 
the latter, when he had become a 
comparatively thriving man, he 
again made up to Miss Hindmarsh, 
and was on the second occasion 
accepted. This is the popular 
story, and diflferont versions of it 
are current. Desirous of ascertain- 
ing the facts, the author called on 
Thomas Hindmarsh, Mrs. Stephen- 
son's brother, who assured him that 
George knew nothing of his sister 



until he (Hindmarsh) introdnced 
him to her, at George's express re- 
quest, about the year 1818 cr 1819. 
The author was himself originally 
attracted by the much more ro- 
mantic version of the story, and 
gave publicity to it many years 
since; but after 'Mi. Hindmarah's 
explicit statement, he thought fit 
to adopt the soberer, and perhaps^ 
the truer view. 

* The first clause in any railway 
act, empowering the employment 
of locomotive engines for ihe wnriE- 
iog of passenger trnffio. 



Ohap. vni. GIVES LESSONS IN EMBEOIDBRY. 131 

level with his own hands and eyes as he did on this rail- 
way. He' started very early — dressed in a blue tailed coat, 
breeches, and top-boots — and surveyed until dusk. He wa« 
not at any time particular as to his living ; and during the 
survey, he took his chance of getting a little milk and 
bread at some cottager's house along the line, or occasionally 
joined in a homely dinner at some neighbouring farmhouse 
The country people were accustomed to give him a hearty 
welcome when he appeared at their door ; for he was alwayt 
full of cheery and homely talk, and, when there were chil 
dren about the house, he had plenty of humorous chat foi 
them as well as for their seniors. 

After the day's work was over, George would drop in at 
Mr. Pease's, to talk over the progress of the survey, and 
discuss various matters connected with the railway. Mr 
Pease's daughters were usually present ; and on one occa- 
sion, finding the young ladies learning the art of embroi- 
dery, he volunteered to instruct them.* " 1 know all aboul 
it," said he ; " and you will wonder how I learnt it. I will 
tell you. When I was a brakesman at Killingworth, I 
learnt the art of embroidery while working the pitmen*s 
buttonholes by the engine fire at nights." He was never 
ashamed, but on the contrary rather proud, of reminding 
his friends of these humble pursuits of his early life. Mr. 
Pease's family were greatly pleased with his conversation, 
which was always amusing and instructive; full of all 
sorts of experience, gathered in the oddest and most out-of- 
the-way places. Even at that early period, before he mixed 
in the society of educated persons, there was a dash of 
speculativeness in his remarks, which gave a high degree of 
originality to hk conversation ; and he would sometimes^ 
in a casual remark, throw a flash of light upon a subject^ 
which called up a train of pregnant suggestions. 

* This incident, communicated Bankley^ A.B.A., exhibited at tba 



io the author by the late Edward 
Pease, has since been made the 
subject of a fine picture by Mr. A. 



Royal Academy Exhibition ol 
1861. 

K 2 



1 



132 THE NEWCASTLE FOUNDRY PROJECTED. Ciiap. VIIL 

One of the moBt important subjects of discussion at these 
meetings with Mr. Pease, was the establishmenlf of a maun- 
factory at Newcastle for the building of locomotiye engines. 
Up to this time all the locomotives constructed after Ste- 
phenson's designs, had been made by ordinary mechanics 
working among the collieries in the North of England. 
But he had long felt that the aocuracy and style of their 
workmanship admitted of great improvement, and that upon 
this the more perfect action of the locomotive engine, and 
its general adoption, in a great measure depended. One 
great object that he had in view in establishing the pro- 
posed factory was, to concentrate a number of good work- 
men for the purpose of carrying out the improvements in 
detail which he was constantly making in his engine. He 
felt hampered by the want of efficient help from skilled 
mechanics, who could work out in a practical form the 
ideas of which his busy mind was always so prolific 
Doubtless, too, he believed that «Jie manufactory would 
prove a remunerative investment, and that, on the general 
adoption of the railway system which he anticipated, he 
would derive solid advant£^es from the fact of his establish 
ment being the only one of the kind for the special con 
struction of locomotive engines. 

Mr. Pease approved of his design, and strongly recom- 
iuended him to carry it into effect But there was the 
question of means ; and Stephenson did not think he had 
capital enough for the purpose. He told Mr. Pease that he 
could advance lOOOZ. — the amount of the testimonial pre- 
sented by the coal-owners for his safety-lamp invention, 
which he had still left untouched ; but he did not think 
this sufficient for the purpose, and he thought that he 
should require at least another lOOOZ. Mr. Pease had been 
very much struck with the successful performances of the 
Killingworth engine ; and being an accurate judge of cha- 
racter, he believed that he could not go far wrong in linking 
a po^^t^ of his fortune with the energy and industry 
George knt Stephenson. He oonsultelhis friend Thomas 



Chap. VIII. DISCUSSIONS WITH MR. P£ASE. 133 

fiichardson in the matter ; and the two consented to ad 
vance 500Z. each for the purpose of establishing the engine 
&ctory at Newcastle. A piece of land was accordingly 
purchased in Forth Street, in August, 1823, on which a 
fimall building was erected — the nucleus of the gigantic 
establishment which was afterwards formed around it ; and 
aotLve operations were begun early in 1824. 

While the Stockton and Darlington Railway works were 
in progress, our engineer had many interesting discus 
dons with Mr. Pease, on points connected with its con- 
struction and workmg, the determination of which in a 
great measure affected the formation and working of all 
future railways. The most important points were these : 

1. The comparative merits of cast and wrought iron rails. 

2. The gauge of the railway. 3. The employment of horse 
or engine power in working it, when ready for traffic 

The kind of rails to be laid down to form the permanent 
road was a matter of considerable importance. A wooden 
tramroad had been contemplated when the first Act was 
applied for ; but Stephenson having advised that an iron 
road should be laid down, he was instructed to draw up a 
specification of the rails. He went before the directors to 
discuss with them the kind of material to be specified. He 
was himself interested in the patent for cast-iron rails, 
which he had taken out in conjunction with Mr. Losh in 
1816 ; and, of course, it was to his interest that his articles 
should be used. But when requested to give his opinion 
on the subject, he frankly said to the directors, " WoU, 
gentlemen, to tell you the truth, although it would put 
500?. in my pocket to specify my own patent rails, I cannot 
do so after the experience I have had. If you take my 
advice, you will not lay down a single cast-iron raiL" 
"Why?" asked the directors. "Because they will not 
stand the weight, and you will be at no end of expense for 
repairs and relays.'* " What kind of road, then,*' he was 
asked, "would you recommend?*' "Malleable rails, cer- 
tainly,*' said he; "and I c^ recommend them with the 



134 THE RAILWAY GAUGE. Chap. VIU. 

more confidence from the fact that at Killingworth we 
have had some Swedish bars laid down — nailed to wooden 
sleepers — for a period of fourteen years, the waggons passing 
oyer them daily ; and there they are, in nse yet, whereas 
the cast rails are constantly giving way." 

The price of malleable rails was, however, so high-* 
being then worth about 12Z. per ton as compared with cast- 
iron rails at about 5Z. 10<. — and the saving of expense was 
so important a consideration witii the subscribers, that 
Stephenson was directed to provide, in the specification, 
♦hat only one-half of the rails required — or about 800 tons 
— should be of malleable iron, and the remainder of cast- 
iron. The malleable rails were of the kind called " fish- 
bellied," and weighed 28 lbs. to the yard, being 2i inches 
broad at the top, with the upper flange i inch thick. They 
were only 2 inches in depth at the points at which they 
rested on the chairs, and 3^ inches in the middle or bellied 
part. 

When forming the road, the proper gauge had also to be 
determined. What width was this to be? The gauge of 
the first tramroad laid down had virtually settled the point. 
The gauge of wheels of the common vehicles of the country 
— of the carts and waggons employed on common roads, 
which were first used on the tramroads — ^was about 4 feet 
8^ inches. And so the first tramroads were laid down of 
this gauge. The tools and machinery for constructing 
coal-waggons and locomotives were formed with this gauge 
in view. The Wylan^ waggon-way, afterwards the Wylam 
plate-way, the Killingworth railroad, and the Hetton rail 
road, were as nearly as possible on the same gauge. Some 
of the earth-waggons used to form the Stockton and Dar- 
lington road were brought from the Hetton railway ; and 
others which were specially constructed were formed of the 
same dimensions, these being intended to be afterwards 
employed in the working of the traffic. 

As the period drew near for the opening of the line, tho 
question of the tractive power to be employed was anxioualy 



Chap. VIII. LOCOMOTIVES ORDERED. 185 

discussed. At the Brusselton incline, fixed engines mnst 
necessarily be made use of; but with respect to the mode of 
working the railway generally, it was decided that horses 
were to be largely employed, and arrangements were made 
for their purchajse. The influence of Mr. Pease also Bocuri-d 
that a fair trial should be given to the experiment of work- 
ing the traflSc by locomotive power; and throe engines 
were ordered from the firm of Stephenson and Co., New- 
castle, which were put in hand forthwith, in antici{)ation 
of the opening of the railway. These were constructed 
after Mr. Stephenson's most matured designs, and embodied 
all the improvements which he had contrived up to that 
time. No. I. engine, the "Locomotion," which was first 
delivered, weighed about eight tons. It had one large flue 
or tube through the boiler, by which the heated air passed 
direct from the furnace at one end, lined with fire-bricks, 
to the chimney at the other. The combustion in the fur- 
nace was quickened by the adoption of the steam-blast in 
the chimney. The heat raised was sometimes so great, and 
it was so imperfectly abstracted by the surrounding water, 
that the chimney became almost red-hot Such engines, 
when put to their speed, were found capable of running at 
the rate of from twelve to sixteen miles an hour ; but they 
were better adapted for the heavy work of hauling ccal- 
trains at low speeds — for which, indeed, they were specially 
constructed— than 'for running at the higher speeds after 
wards adopted. Nor was it' contemplated by the directors 
as possible, at the time when they were ordered, that loco- 
motives could be made available for the purposes of passenger 
travelling. Besides, the Stockton and Darlington Bailway 
did not run through a district in which passengers were 
supposed to be likely to constitute any considerable portion 
of the traffia 

We may easily imagine tne anxiety felt by Mr. Stephen- 
son during the progress of the works towards completion, 
and his mingled hopes and doubts (though his doubts were 
but few) as to the issoa of this great experiment. AVhen 



136 STEPHENSON'S ANTICIPATIONS. Chap. VIII. 

tho formation of the line near Stockton was well advanced, 
Mr. StophensTin one day, accompanied by his son Robert 
and John Dixon, made a journey of inspection of the works. 
The party reached Stockton, and proceeded to dine at on^ 
of the inns there. After dinner, Stephenson ventured 
on Ihe very unusual measure of ordering in a bottle of 
wine, to drink success to the railway. John Dixon relates 
with pride the utterance of the master on the occasion. 
'*Now, lads," sari he to the two young men, "I venture 
to toll you that I think you will live to see the day when 
railways will supersede almost all other methods of convey- 
ance in this country — ^when mail-coaches will go by railway, 
and railroads will become the great highway for the king 
and all his subjects. The time is coming when it will be 
cheaper for a working man to travel upon a i-ailway than to 
walk on foot. I know there are great and almost insur- 
mountable difficulties to be encountered ; but what I have 
said will come to pass as sure as you live. I only wish I 
may live to see the day, though that I can scarcely hope for, 
as I know how slow all human progress is, and with what 
difficulty I have been able to get the locomotive thus fer 
adopted, notwithstanding my more than ten years' suocess&l 
experiment at Killingworth." The result, however, out- 
stripped even the most sanguine anticipations of Stephenson ; 
and his son Eobert, shortly after his return from America in 
1827, saw his feither's locomotive generally employed as the 
tractive power on railways. 

The Stockton and Darlington line was opened for traffic 
on the 27th September, 1825. An immense concourse of 
people assembled from all parts to witness the ceremony of 
opening this first public railway. The powerful opposition 
which the project had encountered, the threats which were 
still uttered against the company by the road-trustees and 
others, who declared that they would yet prevent the line 
btung worked, and perhaps the general unbelief as to its 
success which still prevailed, tended to excite the curiosity 
of the public as to the result Some went to rejoice at the 



Chap. VIII. THE LINE OPEXED. 137 

opening, some to see the "bubble burst;" and theie were 
many prophets of evil who would not miss the blowing up 
of the boasted travelling engine. The opening waa, how- 
ever, auspicious. The proceedings commenced at Bnisseltun 
Incline, about nine nules above Darlington, where the fixed 
engine drew a train of loaded waggons up the incline fmm 
the west, and lowered them on the east side. At the foot 
of the incline a locomotive was in readiness to receive thvm, 
Stephenson himself driving the engine. The train con- 
sisted of six waggons loaded with coals and flour ; after 
these was the passenger-coach, filled with the directors and 
their friends, and then twenty-one waggons fitted up with 
temporary seats for passengers; and lastly came six 
waggon-loads of coals, making in all a train of thirty-eight 
vehicles. The local chronicler of the day almost went 
beside himself in describing the extraordinary event: — 
" The signal being given," he says, " the engine started off 
with this immense train of carriages; and such was its 
velocity, that in some parts the speed was frequently 12 
miles an hour!" Bj the time it reached Stockton there 
were about 600 persons in the train or hanging on to the 
waggons, which must have gone at a safe and steady pace 
of from four to six miles an hour from Darlington. " The 
arrival at Stockton," it is added, " excited a deep interest 
and admiration." 

The working of the line then commenced, and the results 
were such as te surprise even the most sanguine of its pro- 
jectors. The traffic upon which they had formed their 
estimates of profit proved te be small in comparison with 
that which flowed in upon them which they had never 
dreamt of. Thus, what the company had principally relied 
upon for their receipts was the carriage of coals for land 
sale at the stations along the line, whereas the haulage of 
Goals te the seaports for exportation to the London market 
was not contemplated as possible. When the bill was 
before Parliament, Mr. Lambton (afterwards Earl of 
Durham) succeeded in getting a clause inserted, limiting 



r 



138 THE COAL AND PASSENGER TRAFFIC. Chap. Vlil 

the charge for the haxilage of all coal to Stockton-on-Teee 
for the purpose of shipment to id. per ton per mile ; whereas 
a rate of 4d. per ton was allowed to be taken for all coak 
led upon the railway for land sale. Mr. Lambton's objeci 
in enforcing the low rate of id. was to protect his own 
trade in coal exported from Simderland and the northern 
ports. He believed, in common with everybody else, thai 
tlie id. rate would effectually secure him against competi- 
tion on the part of the Company ; for it was not considered 
possible to lead coals at that price, and the proprietors of 
the railway themselves considered that such a rate would 
be utterly ruinous. The projectors never contemplated 
sending more than 10,000 tons a year to Stockton, and 
those only for shipment as ballast ; they looked for their 
profits almost exclusively to the land sale. The result, 
however, was as surprising to them as it must have been 
to Mr. Lambton. The id. rate which was forced upon 
them, instead of being ruinous, proved the vital element in 
the success of the railway. In the course of a few years, 
the annual shipment of coal, led by the Stockton and Dar- 
lington Eailway to Stockton and Middlesborough, was more 
than 500,000 tons; and it has since fax exceeded this 
amount Instead of being, as anticipated, a subordinate 
branch of traffic, it proved, in fact, the main traffic, while 
the land sale was merely subsidiary. 

The anticipations of the company as to passenger traffic 
were in like manner more than realised. At first, passen- 
gers were not thought of ; and it was only while the works 
were in progress that the starting of a passenger coach was 
seriously contemplated. The number of persons travelling 
between the two towns was very smaU; and it was not 
known whether these would risk their persons upon the 
iron road. It was determined, however, to make trial of a 
railway coach ; and Mr. Stephenson was authorised to have 
one bmlt at Newcastle, at the cost of the company. Tbia 
was done accordingly; and the first railway passenger 
carriage wa^ built after our engineer's design. It was, how- 



THE PA8SENGEB TEAFFIC. 



The Flrrt Billmr Cnch. 

ever, a veiy modest, and indeed a somewkat tincoiitli 
machine, more resembling the caraTans still to bo seen at 
ooimtiy fairs containing the "Giant and the Dwarf" and 
other wonderB of the world, than a passenger-ooach of any 
extant form. A row of scata ran along each side of the 
interior, and a long deal table was fixed in the centre ; £he 
acceaa being by means of a door at the back end, in the 
manner of an onmibns. This coach arrived firom Newcastle 
the day before the opening, and formed part of the railway 
proccBBion above described. Mr. Stephenson was consulted 
as to the name of the coach, and he at onoe so^ested " The 
Slxperiment ;" and by jbia name it was called. The Cmn- 
pany's arms were afterwards painted on her side, with the 
motto " Pericnlnm privatum utilitas publica." Such was 
the sole passenger-canyiug stock of the Stockton and Dar- 
lington Company in the year 1825. But the " Experiment" 
proved the forerunner of a mighty traffic : and long time 
did not elapse before it was displaced, not only by improved 



140 COACHING COMPANIES FORMED. Chap VIIL 

noachm (still drawn by horses), but afterwards by long 
trains of passenger-carriages drawn by looomotive engines. 

** The Experiment " was fedrly started as a passeitger- 
coach on the 10th October, 1825, a fortnight after the open- 
ing of the line. It was drawn by one horse, and performed 
a jonmey daily each way between the two towns, aooom- 
pllshing the distance of twelve miles in about two hours. 
The tare charged was a shilling without distinction of class ; 
and each passenger was allowed fourteen pounds of luggage 
free. "The Experiment" was not, however, worked by 
the company, but was let to contractors who worked it 
under an arrangement whereby toll was paid for the use of 
the line, rent of booking-cabins, &c. 

The speculation answered so well, thac several private 
coaching companies were shortly after got up by innkeepers 
at Darlington and Stockton, for the pui3)08e of running 
other coaches upon the railroad ; and an active competition 
for passenger traffic sprang up. " The Experiment" being 
found too heavy for one horse to draw, besides being found 
an uncomfortable machine, was banished to the coal dis- 
trict. Its place was then supplied by other and better 
vehicles, — ^though they were no other than old stage-coach 
bodies purchased by the company, and each mounted upon 
an underframe with flange-wheels. These were let on hire 
to the coaching companies, who horsed and managed them 
under an arrangement as to tolls, in like manner as the 
** Expeiiment " had been worked. Now began the distinc- 
tion of inside and outside passengers, equivalent to first and 
second class, paying different fores. The competition with 
each other upon the railway, and with the ordinary stage- 
coaches upon the road, soon brought up the speed, which 
was increased to ten miles an hour — ^the mail-coach rate of 
travelling in those days, and considered very fest 

Mr. Clephan, a native of the district, has described some 
of the curious features of the competition between the rival 
coach companies : — " There were two separate coach compa- 
nies in Stockt«in, and amusing collisions sometimes occurred 



] 



Chap. VUl. THE COACHING TRAFFIC. 141 

between the drivers — ^who found on the ibQ a novel element 
for contention. Coaches cannot pass each other on the rail 
as on the road ; and, as the line was single, with four sidingR 
in the mile, when t^o coaches met, or two trains, or coach 
and train, the question arose which of the driyers must go 
back? This was not always settled in silence. As to 
trains, it came to he a sort of understanding that empty 
should give way to loaded waggons ; and as to trains and 
coaches, that the passengers should have preference over 
coals ; while coaches, when they met, must quarrel it out 
At length, midway between sidings, a post was erected, 
and a rule was laid down that he who had passed the pillar 
must go on, and the * coming man' go back. At the Goose 
Pool and Early Nook, it was oonunon for these coaches to 
stop; and there, as Jonathan would say, passengers and 
coachmen * liquored.' One coach, introduced by an inn- 
keeper, was a compound of two mourning-coaches, — an 
approximation to the real railway-coach, which still adheres, 
with multiplying exceptions, to the stage-coach type. One 
Dixon, who drove the 'Experiment' between Darlington 
and Shildon, is the inventor of carriage-lighting on the rail. 
On a dark winter night, having compassion on his passen- 
gers, he would buy a penny candle, and place it lighted 
amongst them on the table of the * Experiment ' — the first 
railway-coach (which, by the way, ended its days at Shildon 
as a railway cabin), being also the first coach on the rail 
(first, second, and third class janmied all into one) that 
indulged its customers with light in darkness." 

The traific of all sorts increased so steadily and ho rapidly 
that considerable difficulty was experienced in working it 
satisfiujtorily. It had been provided by the first Stockton 
and Darlington Act that the line should be free to all 
parties who chose to use it at certain pi-escribed rates, and 
that any person might put horses and waggons on the rail- 
way, and carry for himself But this arrangement led to 
increasing confusion and difficulty, and could not continue 
in the face of a large and rapidly-increasing traffic. The 



142 THE BTEPHENSON LOCOMOTIVES. Chap. Via 

goods tmma got so long that the canierB found it neceesaiy 
to call in the aid of the locomotive engine to help them on 
their way. Then mixed trains of passengers and merchan- 
dise began to run ; and the result was that the raUway 
company found it neceesary to take the entire chaige and 
working of the traffic In course of time new coaches 
were specially built for the better accommodation of the 
pnblic, until at length r^ular paesengeT-trains were nm, 
drawn by the locomotive engine,— though this waa not 
until after the Liverpool and Manchester Company had 
established this as a distinct branch of their trafSc 

The three Stephenson locomotiveB were from the first 
r^nlarly employed to work the coal trains ; and their 
proTod efficiency for this purpose led to the gradual increase 
of the locomotive power. The speed of the engines — slon 
though it seems now — was in those days regarded as some- 
thing marvellons. A race actually came off between No. I. 



Tbe So. I. Engine at DirUnguxi. 



Chap. VU\ HAULAGE PERFORMED BY HORSES. 14S 

engino, the "Locomotion," and one of the stage ooadiei 
traTelling from Darlington to Stockton by the ordinary 
road ; and it was regarded as a great triumph of mechanical 
skill that the locomotive reached Stockton first, beating the. 
stage-coach by about a hundred yards I The same engine 
continued in good working order in the year 1846, when it 
headed the railway procession on the opening of the Mid- 
dlesborough and Eedcar Eailway, travelling at the rate of 
about fourteen miles an hour. This engine, the first that 
travelled upon the first public railway, has recently been 
placed upon a pedestal in front of the railway station at 
Darlington. 

For some years, however, the principal haulage of the line 
was performed by horses. The inclination of the gradients 
being towards the sea, this was perhaps the cheapest mode 
of traction, so long as the traffic was not very large. The 
horse drew the train along the level road^ until, on reaching 
a descendii^ gradient, down which the train ran by its own 
gravity, the animal was unharnessed, and, when loose, he 
.wheeled round to the other end of the waggons, to which a 
" dandy-cart " was attached, its bottom being only a few 
inches from the raiL Bringing his step into unison with 
the speed of the train, the horse learnt to leap nimbly into 
his place in this waggon, which was usually fitted with a 
well-filled hay-rack. 

The details of the working were gradually perfected by 
experience, the projectors of the line being scarcely con- 
scious at first of the importance and significance of the 
work which they had taken in hand, and little thinking 
that they were laying the foundations of a system which 
was yet to revolutionise the internal communications of the 
world, and confer the greatest blessings on mankind. It is 
important to note that the commercial results of the enter- 
prise were considered satisfactory from the opening of the 
railway. Besides conferring a great public benefit upon 
the inhabitants of the district and throwing open entirely 
new markets for coal, the profits derived from the traffic 



144 



TOWN OP MIDDLESBOKOUGH. 



Chap VIII. 



creaiod by the railway yielded increasing dividends to those 
who had risked their capital in the undertaking, and thus 
held forth an encouragement to the projectors of railways 
generally, which was not without an important effect in 
stimulating the projection of similar enterprises in other 
districts. These results, as displayed in the annual 
dividends, must have been eminently encouraging to the 
astute commercial men of Liverpool and Manchester, who 
were then engaged in the prosecution of their railway. 
Indeed, the commercial success of the Stockton and Dar- 
lington Company may be justly characterised as the turning- 
point of the railway system. 

Before leaving this subject, we cannot avoid alluding to 
one T)f its most remarkable and direct results — ^the creation 
of the town of Middlesborough-on-Tees. When the railway 
was opened in 1825, the site of this future metropolis of 
Cleveland was occupied by one solitary farmhouse and its 
outbuildings. All round was pasture-land or mud-banks; 
scarcely another house was within sight In 1829 some of 
the principal proprietors of the railway joined in the purchase 
of about 500 or 600 acres of land five miles below Stock- 
ton — the site of the modem Middlesborough — for the pur- 
pose of there forming a new seaport for the shipment of coals 
brought to the Tees by the railway. The line was accordingly 
extended thither ; docks were excavated ; a town sprang up ; 
churches, chapels, and schools were built, with a custom- 
house, mechanics* institute, banks, shipbuilding yards, and 
iron-factories. In ten years a busy population of some 
6000 persons (since increased to about 23,000) occupied the 
site of the original fannhouse.* More recently, the discovery 



* Middlesborough does not famish 
the. only instance of the extraor- 
dinary increase of population in 
certain localities, occasioned by rail- 
ways. Hartlepool, in the same 
neighbourhood, has in thirty years 
increefed from 1330 to above 15,000 ; 
md Stockton-on-Tees from 7763 to 



above 16,000. In 1831 Grewe was 
a little village with 295 inhabi- 
tants : it now numbers upwards of 
10,000. Bngby and Swindon have 
quadrupled meir population in the 
same time. The railway has been 
the making of Southampton, and 
added 80,000 to its formerly smftU 



CuiP. Vm. GIFT TO Ma. PEASE. 145 

of vast stores of ironstone in the Cleveland Hills, closely 
adjoining Middlesborongh, has tended still more rapidly to 
augment the population and increase the commercial im- 
portance of the place. 

It is pleasing to relate, in connexion with this great 
work — the Stoiiton and Darlington Railway, projected l>y 
Edward Pease and executed by Geoi^o Sttphensou — that 
when Mr. Stephenson became a prosperous and a celebrated 
man, he did not forget the friend who had taken him by 
the hand, and helped him on in his early days. IIo con- 
tinned to remember Mr. Peaao with gratitude and affection, 
and that gentleman, to the close of his life, was protid to 
exhibit a handsome gold watch, received as a gift from his 
celebrated protege, bearing these words; — "Esteem and 
gratitude : from George Stephenson to Edward Pease." 



nnmhr of inliabitaaU. lu like 
manner lie mQway luia taken 
London to Uie sea-aide, and in- 
creased the popnlalion uf Brigliton 
from 40,000 to nearly 100,000. 
That of Folkealme kas ^xea trebled. 
New and populous suburbs have 
spniDg ap all round London. The 
population of Stratford-le-Bon and 
West Ham was ll.SSO in 1831 : it 



has been creatsd by tlie 
Blackhcatb, Forest Hill, Bydonham, 
New Cmaa, Wimblodoo, end a 
number o( populoua plac(.<a round 
London, may almoet be said to hare 
sprung into eiisten<« since the 
eitenaion of raU ways to thorn within 
the last thirty years. 



UO INCBEASE OF LANCASHIBE T&ADE. Chip IX. 



CHAPTER IX- 

Tub LiTEfiPOOL and Manohesteb Bailwat pbojsotied. 

Thb rapid growth of the trade and manufactures of Sonth 
Lancashire gave rise, about the year 1821, to the project of 
a tramroad for the conveyance of goods between Liverpool 
and Manchester. Since the construction of the Bridge- 
water Canal by Brindley, some fifty years before, the 
increafie in the business transacted between the two towns 
had become quite marvellous. The steam-engine, the 
spinning-jenny, and the canal, working together, had accu- 
mulated in one focus a vast aggregate of population, mann- 
factures, and trade. 

Such was the expansion of business caused by the inven- 
tions to which we have referred, that the navigation was 
found altogether inadequate to accommodate the traffic, 
which completely outgrew all the Canal Companies' 
apjpliances of wharves, boats, and horses. Cotton lay at 
Liverpool for weeks together, waiting to be removed ; and 
it occupied a longer time to transport the cargoes from 
Liverpool to Manchester than it had done to bring them 
across the Atlantic from the United States to England. 
Carts and waggons were tried, but proved altogether 
insufficient Sometimes manufacturing operations had to 
be suspended altogether, and during a frost, when the 
canals were frozen up, the communication was entirely 
stopped. The consequences were often disastrous, alike to 
operatives, merchants, and manufacturers. 

Expostulation with the Canal Companies was of no use. 
They were overcrowded with business at their own prices, 
and disposed to be very dictatoriaL When the Duke first 
constructed his canal, he had to encounter the fierce opposi- 
tion of the Irwell and Mersey Navigation, whose mono|>uly 



Chap. IX. THE CANAL MONCPOLY. 147 

his new line of water oonveyanoe threatened to mterfere 
with.* But the innovation of one generation often becomes the 
obBtniction of the next. The Duke's agents would scarcely 
listen to the remoDstrances of the Liverpool merchants and 
Manchester manufacturers, and the Bridgewater Canal wa« 
accordingly, in its turn, denounced as a monopoly. 

Under these cii-cumstances, any new mode of transit 
between the two towns which offered a reasonable prospect 
of relief was certain to receive a cordial welcome. The 
scheme of a tramroad was, however, so new and compaiu- 
tively untried, that it is not surprising that the parties 
interested should have hesitated before committing them- 
selves to it. Mr. Sandars, a Liverpool merchant, wbh 
amongst the first to broach the subject. He had suffered 
in his business, in common with many others, from th^ 
insuf&ciency of the existing modes of communication, and 
was ready to give consideration to any plan presenting 
elements of practical efficiency which proposed a remedy 
for the generally admitted grievance. Having caused 
ini^uiry to be made as to the success which had attended 
the haulage of heavy coal-ti*ains by locomotive power on 
the northern railways, he was led to the opinion that the 
same means might be equally efficient in conducting the 
increasing traffic in merchandise between Liverpool and 
Manchester. He ventilated the subject amongst his 
Mends, and about the beginning of 1821 a committee 
was formed for the purpose of bringing the scheme of a 
railroad before the public. 

The novel project having become noised abroad, attracted 
the attention of the friends of railways in other quarters. 
Tramroads were by no means cew expedients for the 
transit of heavy articles. The Croydon and Wandsworth 
Railway, laid down by William Jessop as eai-ly as the year 
1801, had been regularly used for the conveyance of limn 
and stone in waggons hauled by mules or donkeys froxa 



* Lives of the Engineerei, v>l. i. p. 371. 



148 THOMAS OBAT. Chap. IX 

MerBtham to London. The sight of this humble railroad 
in 1813 led Sir Richard Phillips in his * Morning Walk to 
Kew ' to anticipate the great advantages which would be 
derived by the nation from the general adoption of Blen- 
kinsop*8 engine for the conveyance of mails and passengers 
at ten or even fifteen miles an hour. In the same year we 
find Mr. Lovell Edgworth, who had for fifty years been 
advocating the superiority of tram or rail roads over common 
roads, writing to James Watt (7th August, 1813) : '*Ihave 
always thought that steam would become the universal 
lord, and that we should in time scorn post-horses ; an iron 
railroad would be a cheaper thing than a road upon the 
common construction." . 

Thomas Gray, of Nottingham, was another speculator on 
the same subject. Though he was no mechanic nor in- 
ventor, he had an enthusiastic belief in the powers of the 
railroad system. Being a native of Leeds, he had, when a 
boy, seen Blenkinsop's locomotive at work on the Middle- 
ton cogged railroad, and fix)m an early period he seems to 
have entertained almost as sanguine views on the subject 
as Sii' Richard Phillips. It would appear that Gray was 
residing in Brussels in 1816, when the project of a canal 
from Charleroi, for the purpose of connecting Holland with 
the mining districts of Belgium, was the subject of discus- 
sion; and, in conversation with Mr. John Cockerill and 
others, he tpok the opportunity of advocating the superior 
advantages of a railway. He was absorbed for some time 
with the preparation of a pamphlet on the subject. Ho 
shut himself up, secluded from his wife and relations, de- 
clining to give them any information as to his mj^^terious 
studies, beyond the assurance that his scheme "would 
revolutionise the whole face of the material world and of 
society," In 1820 Mr. Gray published the result of his 
studies in his * Observations on a General Iron Railway,' 
in which, with great cogency, he urged the superiority of 
a locomotive railway over common roads and canals, point- 
ing out, at the same time, the advantages to all cla&ses of 



Ohap. IX. THOMAS GRAY 149 

the oommtmity of this mode of conYeyanoe for mercluuidise 
and persons. In this book Mr. Gray suggested a railway 
between Manchester and Liverpool, " which," ho observed, 
'' would employ many thousands of the distressed population 
of Lancashire." The treatise must have met with a ready 
sale, as we find that two years later it had passed into a 
fourth edition. In 1822 Mr. Gray added diagrams to the 
book, showing, in one, suggested lines of railway connect- 
ing the principal towns of England, and in another, the 
principal towns of Ireland. 

These speculations show that the subject of railways was 
gradually becoming familiar to the publio mind, and that 
thoughtful men were anticipating with confidence the 
adoption of steam-power for the purposes of railway trac- 
tion. At the same time, a still more profitable class of 
labourers was at work — ^first, men like Stephenson, who 
were engaged in improving the locomotive and making it a 
practicable and economical working power ; and next, those 
like Edward Pease of Darlington, and Joseph Sandars of 
Liverpool, who were or^nising the means of laying down 
the railways. Mr. William James, of West Bromwich, ^ 
belonged to the active class of projectors. He was a man 
of considerable social influence, of an< active temperament, 
and bad from an early period taken a warm intereat in the 
formation of tramroads. Acting as land-agent for gentlemen 
of property in the mining districts, he had laid down 
several tramroads in. the neighbourhood of Birmingham, 
Gloucester, and Bristol ; and he published many pamphlets 
urging their formation in other places. At one period of 
his life he was a large iron-manufacturer. The times, how- 
ever, went against him. It was thought he was too bold, 
some considered him even reckless, in his specidations ; and 
he lost almost his entire fortune. He continued to follow 
the business of a land-agent, and it was while engaged in 
making a survey for one of his clients in the neighbour 
hood of Liverpool early in 1821, that he first heard of the 
project of a railway between that town and Manchester. 



WILLIAM JAMES. 



He at once called upon Mr. SandarB, and offered Lis services 
as snrveyor of the proposed Ime, and his offer was ac- 
cepted. 

A trial survey was then began, bnt it was conducted 



Uap of Umpool hdS Uanclmler Ikailwa;. (Western Put) 

with great difficulty, the inhabitants of the district enter- 
taining the most violent prejudices against the scheme. In 
some places Mr. James and his surveying party even en- 
countered personal violence. The &nners stationed men at 
the field-gates with pitchforks, and sometimes with guns, 
to drive them back. At St. Helen's, one of the chainmen 
was laid hold of by a moh of colliers, and threatened to be 
hurled down a coal-pit. A number of men, women, and 
children, collected and ran after the surveyors ■wherever 
they made their appearance, bawling nicknames and throw- 
ing atones at them. As one of the chainmen was climbing 
over a gate one day, a labourer made at him with a pitch- 
fork, and ran it through his clothes into his haak. ; other 
watchers running up, the chainman, who was luore stunned 
than hurt, took to his heels and fled. But that mysterious- 
looking inatmment — the theodolite — most excited the fiiry 
of the natives, who concentrated on the man "who carried 



Chap. IX. SURVET OF A LINK 151 

it their fiercest execrationfl and moet offensiTe nick- 

A powerful fellow, a noted bruiser, was hired by the 
BurveyoiB to carry the instrument, with a view to ito pro- 



Hap of Uverpoul and Uaacbsaler Railway. (Bulav Part.) 

taction against aJl assailants ; but one day an equally 
powerful fellow, a St. Helen's collier, cock of the walk in 
his neighbourhood, made up to the theodolite bearer to 
wrest it from him by sheer force. A battle took place, the 
collier was soundly pummelled, but the natives poured in 
volleys of stones upon the surveyors and their instruments, 
and the theodolite was smashed to pieces. 

An outline-survey haying at length been made, notices 
were published of an intended application to Parliament. 
In the mean time Mr. James proceeded to Killingworth to 
see Stephenson's locomotives at work, Stephenson was not 
at home at the time, but James saw his engines, and was 
very much struck by their power and efficiency. He saw 
at a glance the magnificent uses to which the locomotive 
might be applied. "Hero," said ho, "is an engine that 
will, before long, efiect a complete revolution in society." 
Eetuming to Moreton-in-the-Marsh, he wroto to Mr. Loah 



162 JAMES'S VISIT TO KILLINGWORTH. Chap, a 

(Stephenson's partner in the patent) expressing his adnui* 
tion of the Killingworth engine. "It is," said he, "the 
greatest wonder of the age, and the forerunner, as I fiimlj 
believe, of the most important changes in the internal 
communications of the kingdom." Shortly after, Mr. 
James, accompanied by his two sons, made a second jour* 
ney to Killingworth, where he met both Losh and 
Stephenson. The visitors were at once taken to whsre 
the locomotive was working, and invited to mount it 
The uncouth and extraordinary appearance of the machine, 
as it came snorting along, was somewhat alarming to the 
youths, who expressed their fears lest it should burst ; and 
they were with some difficulty induced to niount. 

The engine went through its usual performances, drag- 
ging a heavy load of coal- waggons at about six miles an 
hour, with apparent ease, at which Mr. James expressed 
his extreme satis&ction, and declared to Mr. Losh his 
opinion that Stephenson " was the greatest practical genins 
of the age," and that, " if he developed the full powers ol 
that engine (the locomotive), his fame in the world would 
rank equal with that of Watt" Mr. Jcones informed Ste- 
phenson and Losh of his survey of the proposed tramroad 
between Liverpool and Manchester, and did not hesitate to 
state that he would thenceforward advocate the construc- 
tion of a loconK>tive railroad instead of the tramroad which 
had originally been proposed. 

Stephenson and Losh were naturally desirous of enlisting 
James's good services on behalf of their patent locomotive, 
for as yet it had proved comparatively unproductive. They 
believed that he might be able so to advocate it in in- 
fluential quarters as to ensure its more extensive adoption, 
and with this object they proposed to give him an interest 
in the patent. Accordingly they assigned him one-foiuiJi 
of any profits which might be derived from the use of the 
patent locomotive on any railways constructed south of a 
line drawn across England from Liverpool to HulL The 
arrangement, however, led to no beneficial results. Mr. 



Chap IX. THE SURVEY FOUND IMPERFECT. 153 

James endeavoured to introduce the esgine on the Moreton- 
on-Marsh Eailway ; but it was opposed by the engineer of 
fche line, and the attempt failed. He next urged that a 
locomotive should be sent for trial upon the Merstham 
Iramroad ; but, anxious though Stephenson was respecting 
its extended employment, he was too cautious to risk an 
experiment which might only bring discredit upon the 
GDgine ; and the Merstham road being only laid with cast- 
iron plates, which would not bear its weight, the invitation 
was declined. 

It turned out that the first survey of the Liverpool and 
Manchester line was very imperfect, and it was determined 
to have a second and more complete one made in the fol- 
lowing year. Eobert Stephenson was sent over by his 
&ther to Liverpool to assist in this survey. He was present 
with Mr. James on the occasion on which he tried to lay 
out the line across Chat Moss, — a proceeding which was not 
only difficult but dangerous. The Moss was very wet at 
the time, and only its edges could be ventured on. Mr. 
James was a heavy, thick-set man; and one day, when 
endeavouring to obtain a stand for his theodolite, he felt 
himself suddenly sinking. He immediately threw himself 
down, and rolled over and over until he reached firm groimd 
again, in a sad mess. Other attempts which he subse- 
quently made to enter upon the Moss for the same purpose, 
were abandoned for the same reason — ^the want of a solid 
stand for the theodolite. 

On the 4th October, 1 822, we find Mr. James writing to 
Mr. Sandars, " I came last night to send my aid, Eobert 
Stephenson, to his father, and to-morrow I shall pay off 
Evans and Hamilton, two other assistants. I have now 
only Messrs. Padley and Clarke to finish the copy of plans 
for Parliament, which will be done in about a week or nine 
days' time." It would appear however, that, notwithstand- 
ing all his exertions, Mr. James was unable to complete his 
plans and estimates in time for the ensuing Session ; and 
nuother year was thus lost. The Eailroad Committee 



154 STEPHENSON APPOINTED ENGINEER. Chap. IX. 

became impatient at the delay. Mr. James's financial 
embarrassments reached their climax ; and, what with 
illness and debt, he was no longer in a position to fulfil his 
promises to the Committee. They were, therefore, under 
the necessity of calling to their aid some other engineer. 

Mr. Sandars had by this time visited George Stephenson 
at Killingworth, and, like all who came within reach of his 
personal influence, was charmed with him at first sight 
The energy which he had displayed in earring on the works 
of the Stockton and Darlington Kail way, now approaching 
completion ; his readiness to face difficulties, and his prac- 
tical ability in overcoming them; the enthusiasm which 
he displayed on the subject of railways and railway loco- 
motion, — concurred in satisfying Mr. Sandars that he was, 
of all men, the best calculated to help forward the Liver- 
pool undertaking at this juncture. On his return he stated 
this opinion to the Committee, who approved his recom- 
mendation, and George Stephenson was unanimously ap- 
pointed engineer of the projected railway. 

It will be observed that Mr. Sandars had held to his 
(Original purpose with great determination and perseverance, 
and he gradually succeeded in enlisting on his side an 
increasing number of influential merchants and manu&c- 
turers both at Liverpool and Manchester. Early in 1824 
he published a pamphlet, in which he strongly urged the 
great losses and inteiTuptions to the trade of the district by 
the delays in the forwarding of merchandise ; and in the 
same year he had a Public Declaration drawn up, and 
signed by upwards of 150 of the principal merchants of 
Liverpool, setting forth that they considered "the present 
establishments for the transport of goods quite inadequate, 
and that a new line of conveyance has become absolutely 
necessary to conduct the increasing trade of the country 
with speed, certainty, and economy." 

A public meeting was then held to consider the best plan 
to be adopted, and resolutions were passed in fe-vour of a 
railroad. A committee was appointed to take the necessary 



Chap. IX. FIRST PKOSPECXaS OF THE SCHEME. 155 

measuref) ; but, as if reluctant to enter upon their arduoua 
etruggle with the " vested inteiests," they first waited on 
Mr. Bradshaw, the Duke of Bridgewater's canal agent, in 
the liox>e of persuading him to increase the means of con- 
veyance, as well as to reduce the charges ; but they were 
met by an unqualified refusaL They suggested the expe- 
diency of a railway, and invited Mr. Bradshaw to become 
a proprietor of shares in it. But his reply was — " All or 
none ! " The canal proprietors, confident in their imagined 
security, ridiculed the proposed railway as a chimera. It 
had been spoken about years before, and nothing had come 
of it then : it would be the same now. 

In order to form a better opinion as to the practicability 
of the railroad, a deputation of gentlemen interested in the 
project proceeded to Killingworth, to inspect the engines 
which had been so long in use there. They first went to 
Darlington,, where they found the works of the Stockton 
line in progress, though still unfinished. Proceeding next 
to Killingworth with Mr. Stephenson, they there witnessed 
the performances of his locomotive engines. The result of 
their visit was, on the whole, so satis&otor^', that on their 
report being delivered to the committee at Liverpool, it 
was finally determined to form a company of proprietors for 
the construction of a double line of railway between Liver- 
pool and Manchester. 

The first prospectus of the scheme was dated the 29th 
October, 1824, and had attached to it the names of the 
Leading merchants of Liverpool and Manchest'Cr. It was a 
modest document, very unlike the inflated balloons which 
were sent up by railway speculators in succeeding years. 
It set forth as its main object the establishment of a safe 
and cheap mode of transit for merchandise, by which the 
conveyance of goods between the two towns would be 
effected in 5 or 6 hours (instead of 36 hours by the canal), 
whilst the charges would be reduced one-third. On looking 
at the prospectus now, it is curious to note that, while the 
advantages anticipated from the carriage of merchandise 



ir)« DEPUTATIONS VISIT KILLINGWORTII. Chap. IX. 

were strongly insisted npon, the conveyance of paasengars 
—which proved to be the chief source of profit — was onlj 
very cautiously referred to. " As a cheap and expeditioiw 
means of conveyance for travellers," says the prospectus io 
conclusion, " the railway holds out the feir prospect of a 
]>ublic accon&modation, the magnitude and importance of 
which cannot be immediately ascertained." The estimated 
expense of forming the line was set down at 400,000/L,— 
a sum which was eventually found quite inadequate. 
The subscription list when opened was filled up without 
difficulty. 

While the project was still under discussion, its pro- 
moters, desirous of removing the doubts which existed as to 
the employment of steam power on the proposed railway, 
sent a second deputation to Killingworth for the purpose 
of again observing the action of Stephenson's engines. 
The cautious projectors of the railway were not yet quite 
satisfied ; and a third journey was made to Killingworth, 
in January, 1825, by several gentlemen of the committee, 
accompanied by practical engineers, for the purpose of 
being personal eye-witnesses of what steam-carriages were 
able to peiform upon a railway. There they saw a train, 
consisting of a locomotive and loaded waggons, weighing in 
all 54 tons, travelling at the average rate of about 7 miles 
an hour, the greatest speed being about 9^ miles an hour. 
But when the engine was run with only one waggon at- 
tached containing twenty gentlemen, five of whom were 
engineers, the speed attained was from 10 to 12 miles an 
hour. 

In the mean time the survey was proceeded with, in the 
face of great opposition from the proprietors of the lands 
through which the railway was intended to pass. The 
prejudices of the farming and labouring classes 'were 
strongly excited against the persons employed upon the 
g^round, and it was with the greatest difficulty that the 
Levels could be taken. At one place, Stephenson was driven 
off the ground by the keepers, and threatened to be ducked 



Chap. IX. OVERTUllES OF THE CANAL COMPARES. 151 

in ihe pond if found there again. The ^rmers also turned 
out their men to watch the surveying party, and prevent 
tliem entering upon any lands where they had the power 
of driving them off. 

One of the proprietors declared that he would order his 
game^keepers to shoot or apprehend any persons attempting 
a survey over his property. But one moonlight night a 
survey was obtained by the following ruse. Some men, 
under the orders of the surveying party, were set to fire off 
guns in a particular quarter ; on which all the gamekeepers 
on the watch made off in that dii'ection, and they were 
drawn away to such a distance in pursuit of the supposed 
poachei-s, as to enable a rapid survey to be made during 
their absence. 

When the canal companies found that the Liverpool 
merchants were determined to proceed with their scheme— 
fhat they had completed their survey, and were ready to 
apply to Parliament for an Act to enable them to form the 
railway — ^they at last reluctantly, and with a bad grace, 
made overtui*es of conciliation. They promised to employ 
steam-vessels both on the Mersey and on the Canal. One 
of the companies offered to reduce its length by three miles, 
at a considerable outlay. At the same time they made a 
show of lowering their rates. But it was too late ; for the 
project of the railway had now gone so fer that the pro- 
moters (who might have been conciliated by such overtui'es 
at an earlier period) felt they were fully committed to it, 
and that now they could not well draw back. Besides, the 
remedies offered by the canal companies could only have 
had the effect of staving off the diflBculty for a brief season, 
— ^the absolute necessity of forming a new line of conmiuni- 
cation between Liverpool and Manchester becoming more 
urgent from year to year. Arrangements were therefore 
made for proceeding with the bill in the parliamentary 
session of 1825. 

On this becoming known, the canal companies prepared 
to resist the measure tooth and nail The public were 



158 STEPHENSON'S INTERVIEWS WITH COUNSEL. Ch. IX 

appealed to on the subject ; pamphlets were written and 
newspapers were hired to revile the railway. It was de- 
clared that its formation would prevent cows grazing and 
hens laying. The poisoned air from the locomotives woula 
kill bii^ as they flew over them, and render the presorva 
tion of pheasants and foxes no longer possible. Koiusd- 
holders adjoining the projected line were told that their 
houses would be burnt up by the fire thrown from tlie 
engine-chimneys ; while the air around would be polluttjd 
by clouds of smoka There, would no longer be any use for 
horses ; and if railways extended, the species would become 
extinguished, and oats and hay be rendered unsaleable co]q- 
modities. Travelling by rail would be highly dangerous, 
and country inns would be ruined. Boilers would burst 
and blow passengers to atoms. But there was always this 
consolation to wind up with — that the weight of the 
locomotive would completely prevent its moving, and that 
railways, even if made, could never be worked by steam- 
power. 

Indeed, when Mr. Stephenson, at the interviews with 
counsel, held previous to the Liverpool and Manchester bill 
going into Committee of the House of Commons, confidently 
stated his expectation of being able to impel his locomotive 
at the rate of 20 miles an hour, Mr. William BroughaiQ, 
who was retained by the promoters to conduct their cate, 
frankly told him that if he did not moderate his views, and 
bring his engine within a reasonable speed, he would "in- 
evitably damn the whole thing, and be himself r^arded as 
a maniac fit only for Bedlam." 

The idea thrown out by Stephenson, of travelling at a 
rate of speed double that of the fastest mail-coach, appeared 
at the time so preposterous that he was unable to find any 
engineer who would risk his reputation in supporting such 
" absurd views." Speaking of his isolation at the time, ho 
subsequently observed, at a public meeting of railway men 
in Manchester: "He rememl)ered the time wh,en he had 
very few supporters in bringing out the railway system-- 



I-; 

i 



Chap. IX. HOSTILITY OF THE CIVIL EXGIKEERS. 15^ 

when he sought England over foi an engineer to suppoit 
him in his evidence before Parliament, and could find only 
one man, James Walker, but was afraid to call that gentle- 
man, because he knew nothing about railways. He had 
then no one to tell his tale to but Mr. Sondars, cf Liver 
pool, who did listen to him, and kept his spirits up ; and 
his schemes had at length been carried out only by dint of 
sheer perseverance." 

George Stephenson's idea was at that time regarded as 
but the dream of a chimerical . projector. It stood bcforv 
the public friendless, struggling hard to gain a footing, 
Bcarcely daring to lift itself into notice for fear of ridicula 
The civil engineei-s generally rejected the notion of a Loco- 
motive Eailway ; and when no leading man of the day 
oonld be found to stand forward in support of the Killing- 
worth mechanic, its chances of success must indeed have 
been pronounced but small. 

When such was the hostility of the civil engineers, no 
wonder the reviewers were puzzled. The ' Quarterly,' in 
an able article in support of the projected Liverpool and 
Manchester Eailway, — ^while admitting its absolute neceaniy, 
and insisting that there was no choice left but a railroad, 
on which the journey between Livei'pool and Manchester, 
whether performed by horses or engines, would always be 
acoomplidied " within the day," — ^nevertheless scouted the 
idea of travelling at a greater speed than eight or nine 
miles an hour. Adverting to a project for forming a rail- 
way to Woolwich, by which passengers were to be drawn 
by locomotive engines, moving with twice the velocity of 
ordinary coaches, the reviewer observed : — " What can be 
more palpably absurd and ridiculous than the prospect 
held out of locomotives travelliiig twice as fast as stage- 
ooachoB I We would as soon expect the people of Woolwich 
to suffer themselves to be fired off upon one of Congreve's 
ricochet rockets, as trust themselves to the mercy of such a 
machine going at such a rate. We will back old Father 
Thames against the Woolwich Hallway for any sum. Wc 



160 THE BILL BEFOBE PABLIAMENT. Chap. IX 

troBl that Parlianient will, in all railways it may sanction, 
limit the speed to eight or nine mUee an hour, which we 
entirely agree with Mr. Sylvester is as great as can he ven- 
tured on with safety." 

At length the survey was completod, the plans were 
deposited, the requisite preliminary arrangements were 
made, and the promoters of the scheme applied to Parlia- 
ment for the necessary powers to construct the railway 
The Bill went into Committee of the Commons on the 21st 
of March, 1825. There was an extraordinary array of 
legal talent on the occasion, but especially on the side of the 
opponents to the measure; their counsel including Mr. 
(afterwards Baron) Alderson, Mr. (afterwards Baron) Parke, 
Mr. Harrison, and Mr. Erie. The counsel for the bill were 
Mr. Adam, Mr. Serjeant Spankie, Mr. William Brougham, 
and Mr. Joy. 

Evidence was taken at great length as to the difl&cnltiea 
and delays in forwarding raw material of all kinds from 
Liverpool to Manchester, as also in the conveyance of 
manu£EU)tured goods from Manchester to Liverpool The 
evidence adduced in support of the bill on these grounds 
was overwhelming. The utter inadequacy of the existing 
modes of conveyance to carry on satisfeotorily the large 
and rapidly-growing trade between the two towns was 
fully proved. But then came the gist of the promoter's 
case — ^the evidence to prove the practicability of a railroad 
to be worked by locomotive power. Mr. Adam, in hifi 
opening speech, referred to the cases of the Hetton and the 
Killingworth raih'oads, where heavy goods were safely and 
economically transported by means of locomotive origines. 
" None of the tremendous consequences," he observed, " have 
ensued from the use of steam in land carriage that have 
been stated. The horses have not started, nor the cows 
ceased to give their milk, nor have ladies miscarried at the 
sight of these things going forward at the rate of four miles 
and a half an hour." Notwithstanding the petition ol 
two ladies alleging the great danger to be appi^hended 



Chip. IX. STEPHENSON IN THE WITNESS-BOX. 161 

from tlie burstmg of the locomotive boilers, he urged the 
safety of the high-pressure engine when the boilers were 
constructed of wrought-iron ; and as to the rate at which 
they could travel, he expressed his full conviction that such 
engines " could supply force to drive a carriage at the rate 
of five or six miles an hour." 

The taking of the evidence as to the impediments thrown 
in the way of trade and conmierce by the existing system 
extended over a month, and it was the 21st of April before 
the Committee went into the engineering evidence, which 
was the vital part of the question. 

On the 25th George Stephenson was called into the 

witness-box. It was his first appearance before a Committer 

of the House of Commons, and he well knew what he had 

tx) expect. He was aware that the whole force of the opjx)- 

sition was to be directed against him ; and if they could break 

down his evidence, the canal monopoly might yet be uphdd 

for a time. Many years afterwards, when looking back at hiM 

position on this trying occasion, he said : — " When I went 

to Liverpool to plan a line from thence to Manchester, I 

pledged myself to the directors to attain a speed of 10 miles 

an hour. I said I had no doubt the locomotive might be 

made to go much &ster, but that we had better be moderate 

at the beginning. The directors said I was quite right ; for 

that i^ when they went to Parliament, I talked of going at 

a greater rate than 10 miles an hour, I should put a cross 

upon the concern. It was not an easy task for me to keep 

the engine down to 10 nules an hour, but it must be done, 

and I did my best. I had to place myself in that most 

unpleasant of all positions — the witness-box of a Parlia- 

naentary Conomittee. I was not long in it, before I began 

to wish for a hole to creep out at ! I could not find words 

to satisfy either the Committee or myself. I was subjected 

to the cross-examination of eight or ten barristers, purposely, 

as £ar as possible, to bewilder me. Some member of the 

Ck>nunittee £isked if I was a foreigner, and another hinted 

that I was mad. But I put up with every rebuff, and 



102 8T£rH£N80N IN THE WITNESS-BOX. Chap, IX 

weut on with my plans, determined not to be put 
down." 

Mr. Stephenson stood before the Committee to proTe 
what the public opinion of that day held to be impossible. 
The self-taught mechanio had to demonstrate the practi- 
cability of accomplishing that which the most distingiiished 
engineers of the time regarded as impracticabla Clear 
though the subject was to himself^ and familiar as he was 
with the powers of the locomotive, it was no eaay task for 
him to bring home his convictions, or even to convey his 
meaning, to the less informed minds of his hearer& In his 
strong Northimibrian dialect, he struggled for utterance, in 
the face of the sneers, interruptions, and ridicule of the 
opponents of the measure, and even of the Committee, some 
of whom shook their heads and whispered doubts as to his 
sanity, when he energetically avowed that he coidd make 
the locomotive go at the rate of 12 miles an hour I It was 
so grossly in the teeth of all the experience of honourable 
members, that the man '* must certainly be labouring under 
a delusion I " 

And yet his large experience of railways and locomotives, 
Bfi described by himself to the Committee, entitled this 
*' untaught, inarticulate genius," as he has so well been 
styled, to speak with confidence on such a subject. Begin- 
ning with his experience as a brakesman at Killingworth 
in lb03, he went on to state that he was appointed to take 
the entire charge of the steam-engines in 1813, and had 
superintended the railroads connected with the numerous 
collieries of the Grand Allies from that time downwarda 
He had laid down or superintended the railways at Bur- 
radon, Mount Moor, Springwell, Bedlington, Hetton, and 
Darlington, besides improving those ai Killingworth, South 
Moor, and Derwent Crook. He had constructed fifty-five 
steam-engines, of which sixteen were locomotives. Some 
of these had been sent to France. The engines constructed 
by him for the working of the Killingworth Bailroad, 
eleven years before, had continued steadily at work «rver 



Chat. IX. THE QUESTION OP SPEED. 16?r 

since, and fdlfilled his most sangoine expectationfi. Ho 
was prepared to prove the safety of working high-preisare 
locomotives on a railroad, and the superiority of this mrxle 
of transporting snoods over all others. As to speed, he said 
he had recommended 8 miles an hour with 20 tons, and 4 
miles an hour with 40 tons ; but he was quite confident 
that much more might be dona Indeed, he had no doubt 
they might go at the rate of 12 miles. As to the charge 
that locomotives on a railroad would so terrify the horses 
in the neighbourhood, that to travel on horseback or to 
plough the adjoining fields would be rendered highly daik- 
gerous, the witness said that horses learnt to take no notice 
of them, though there toere horses that would shy at a 
wheelbarrow. A maO-coach was likely to be more shied at 
by horses than a locomotive. In the neighbourhood of 
Killingworth, the cattle in the fields went on grazing while 
the engines passed them, and the farmers made no complaints. 
Mr. Alderson, who had carefully studied the subject, and 
was well skilled in practical science, subjected the witness 
to a protracted and severe cross-examination as to the speed 
and power of the locomotive, the stroke of the piston, the 
slipping of the wheels upon the rails, and various other 
points of detail. Mr. Stephenson insisted that no slipping 
took place, as attempted to be extorted from him by the 
oounseL He said, ** It is impossible for slipping to take 
place so long as the adhesive weight of the wheel upon the 
rail is greater than the weight to be dragged after it.'* As 
to accidents, Stephenson said he knew of none that had 
occurred with his engines. There had been one, he was 
told, at the Middleton Colliery, near Leeds, with a Blen- 
kinsop engine. The driver had been in liquor, and put a 
considerable load on the safety-valve, so that upon going, 
forward the engine blew up and the man was killed. But 
he added, if proper precautions had been used with thai 
boiler, the accident could not have happened. The folJ ow- 
ing cross-exa^nination occurred in reference to the questioiv 
of speed : — 

m2 



I«4 CROSS-EXAMINATION. Chap. IX. 

•*0f course," he waa asked, "when a body is moving 
npoa a road, the greater the Telocity the greater the mo- 
mentum that is generated ? " " Certainly." — ** What would 
be the momentum of 40 tons moving at the rate of 12 milee 
an hour ? " " It would be very great." — " Have you seen a 
railroad that would stand that?" "Yes."— "Where?" 
" Any railroad that would bear going 4 miles an hour : 1 
mean to say, that if it would bear the weight at' 4 miles 
an hour, it would bear it at 12." — " Taking it at 4 miles an 
hour, do you mean to say that it would not require a 
stronger railway to carry the same weight 12 miles an 
hour ? " "I will give an answer to that. I dare say every 
person has been over ice when skating, or seen persons go 
over, and they know that it would bear them better at a 
greater velocity than it would if they went slower; when 
they go quick, the weight in a measure ceases." — ^" Is not 
that upon the hypothesis that the railroad is perfect ? " "It 
is ; and 1 mean to make it perfect." 

It is not necessary to state that to have passed the ordeal 
of so severe a cross-examination scatheless, needed no small 
amount of courage, intelligence, and ready shrewdness on 
the part of the witness. Nicholas Wood, who was present 
on the occasion, has since stated that the point on which 
Stephenson was hardest pressed was that of speed. "I 
believe," he says, " that it would have lost the Company 
their bill if he had gone beyond 8 or 9 miles an hour. If 
he had stated his intention of going 12 or 15 miles an hour, 
not a single person would have believed it to be practi- 
cable." 

The Conmiittee also seem to have entertained considerable 
alarm as to the high rate of speed which had been spoken 
of, and proceeded to examine the witness further on the 
subject. They supposed the case of the engine being upset 
when going at 9 miles an hour, and asked what, in such a 
case, would become of the cargo astern. To which the 
witness replied that it would not be upset. One of the 
members of the Committee pressed the witness a little 



"■^^B" 



ChAF. IX. AWKWARD TOR THE COO.- 165 

further. He put the following case : — " Suppose, now, one 
of these engines to be going along a railroad at the rate of 
9 or 10 miles an hour, and that a cow were to stray upon 
the line and get in the way of the engine ; would not that, 
think you, be a very awkward oircumfttance ? ^ "Yes,* 
replied the witness, with a twinkle in his eye, " very awk- 
ward — -for the cooT* The honourable member did not 
proceed further with his cross-examination ; to use a rail- 
way phrase, he was '^ shunted." Another asked if animals 
would not be very much frightened by the engine passing 
them, especially by the glare of the red-hot chimney? 
" But how would they know that it wasn't painted ? *' said 
the witness. 

On the following day, the engineer was subjected to a 
very severe examination. On that part of the scheme with 
which he was most practically conversant, his evidence was 
clear and conclusive. Now, he had to give evidence on the 
plans made by his surveyors, and the estimates which had 
been founded on such plans. So long as he was confined 
t-o locomotive engines and iron railroads, with the minutest 
details of which he was more familiar than any man living, 
he felt at home, and in his element. But when the designs 
of bridges and the cost of constructing them had to be gone 
into, the subject being in a great measure new to him, his 
evidence was much less satisfactory. 

Mr. Alderson cross-examined him at great length on the 
plans of the bridges, the timnels, the crossings of the roadie 
and streets, and the details of the survey, which, it soon 
clearly appeared, were in some respects seriously at &ult 
It seems that, after the plans had been deposited, Stephen- 
son found that a much more favourable line might be made ; 
and he made his estimaties accordingly, supposing that Par- 
liament would not confine the Company to the precise plan 
which had been deposited. This was felt to be a serious 
blot in the parliamentary case, and one very difficult to be 
got over. 
For three entire days was our engineer subjected to 



166 EVIDENCE FOR THE OPPONENTS. Chap. IX 

this crofis-examinatioiL He lield his ground bravely, and 
defended the plans and estimates with remarkable ability 
and skill ; but it was clear they were imperfect, and the 
result was on the whole damaging to the measure. 

The case of the opponents was next gone into, in the 
course of which the counsel indulged in strong vituperation 
against the witnesses for the bill. One of them spoke of 
the utter impossiblity of making a railway upon so treach- 
erous a material as Chat Moss, which was declared to be an 
immense mass of pulp, and nothing else. '* It actually," 
said Mr. Harrison, ** rises in height, from the rain swelling 
it like a sponge, and sinks again in dry weather ; and if a 
boring instrument is put into it, it sinks immediately by 
its own weight. The making of an embankment out of 
this pulpy, wet moss, is no very easy task. Who but Mr. 
Stephenson would have thought of entering into Chat Moss, 
carrying it out almost like wet dung? It is ignorance 
almost inconceivable. It is perfect madness, in a person 
called VLpan. to speak on a scientific subject, to propose such 

a plan Every part of this scheme shows that this 

man has applied himself to a subject of which he has no 
knowledge, and to which he has no science to apply." Then 
adverting to the proposal to work the intended line by 
means of locomotives, the learned gentleman proceeded: 
" When we set out with the original prospectus, we were 
to gallop, I know not at what rate ; I believe it was at the 
i*ate of 12 miles an hour. My learned friend, Mr. Adam, 
contemplated — ^possibly alluding to Ireland — ^that some of 
the Irish members would arrive in the waggons to a divi- 
sion. My learned friend says that they would go at the 
rate of 1 2 miles an hour with the aid of the devil in the 
form of a locomotive, sitting as postilion on the fore horse, 
and an honourable member sitting behind him to stir up 
the fire, and keep it at full speed. But the speed at which 
these locomotive engines are to go h&s slackened : Mr. Adam 
does not go faster now than 5 miles an hour. The learned 
Serjeant (Spankie) says he should like to have 7, but he 



C3HAP. IX. MR. GILES. C.E.. ON CHAT MOSS. 107 

would be content to go 6. I will show lie cannot go 6 ; 
and probably, ibr anj practioal purpofies, I may be able to 
show that I can keep up with him hy the canal Loco- 
motive engines are liable to be operated upon by the wea- 
ther. You are told they are affected by rain, and an attempt 
has been made to cover them; but the wind will affect 
them ; and any gale of wind which would affect the traffic 
on the Mersey would render it imposgible to set off a loco- 
motive engine, either by poking of the fire, or keeping up 
the pressure of the steam till the boiler was ready to burst.**' 
How amusing it now is to read these extraordinary views 
as to the foimation of a railway over Chat Moss, and the 
impossibility of starting a locomotive engine in the face of 
a gale of wind ! 

Evidence was called to show that the house property 
passed by the proposed railway would be greatly deterio- 
rated — in some places almost destroyed ; that the locomo- 
tive engines would be terrible nuisances, in consequence of 
the fire and smoke vomited forth by them ; and that the 
value of land in the neighbourhood of Manchester alone 
would be deteriorated by no less than 20,000Z. ! Evidence 
was also given at gi*eat length showing the utter impos- 
sibility of forming a road of any kind upon Chat Moss. A 
Manchester builder, who was examined, could not imagine 
the feat possible, nnless by arching it across in the manner 
of a viaduct from one side to the other. It was the old 
story of "nothing like leather." But the opposition mainly 
relied upon the evidence of the leading engineers — not 
like Stephenson, self-taught men, but regular profes- 
sionals. One of these, Mr. Francis Giles, C.E., had been 
twenty-two years an engineer, and could speak with some 
authority. His testimony was mainly directed to the utter 
impossibility of forming a railway over Chat Moss. " No 
engineer in his senses ," said he, " would go through Chat 
Moss if he wanted to make a railroad from Liverpool to 

Manchester. In m.j ^^dgment a railroad certainly 

cannot he safely made over Chat Moss without going to the bottom 



168 MR. ALDERSON ON CHAT MOSS. Chap. IX 

of£ke Mom. The soil ought all tc be taken out, undoubt- 
edly ; in doing which, it will not be practicable to approach 
each end of the cutting, as you make it, with the carriages. 
No carriages would stand upon the Moss short of the 
bottom. My estimate for the whole cutting and embank- 
ment over Chat Moss is 270,000Z. nearly, at those quantities 

and those prices which are decidedly correct 

It will be necessary to take this Moss completely out at the 
bottom, in order to make a solid road." 

When the engineers had given their evidence, Mr. 
Alderson simmied up in a speech which extended over two 
days. He declared Mr. Stephenson's plan to be " the most 
absurd scheme that ever entered into the head of man to 
conceive. My learned friends," said he, "almost endea- 
voured to stop my examination ; they wished me to put in 
the plan, but I had rather have the exhibition of Mr. Ste- 
phenson in that box. I say he never had a plan — ^I believe 
he never had one — I do not believe he is capable of making 
one. His is a mind perpetually fluctuating between oppo- 
site difficulties : he neither knows whether he is to make 
bridges over roads or rivers, of one size or of another ; or 
to make embankments, or cuttings, or inclined planes, or in 
what way the thing is to be carried into eflFect. Whenever 
a difficulty is pressed, as in the case of a tunnel, he gets out 
of it at one end, and when you try to catch him at. that, he 
gets out at the other." Mr. Alderson proceeded to declaim 
against the gross ignorance of this so-<5alled engineer, who 
proposed to make "impossible ditches by the side of an 
impossible railway" upon Chat Moss; "I care not," he 
said, " whether Mr. Giles is right or wrong in his estimate, 
for whether it be effected by means of piers raised up all 
the way for four miles through Chat Moss, whether they 
are to support it on beams of wood or by erecting masonry, 
or whether Mr. Giles shall put a solid bank of earth 
through it, — in all these schemes there is not one found 
like that of Mr. Stephenson's, namely, to cut impossible 
drains on the side of this road ; and it is sufficient for me 



Chai». IX. WITHDRAWAL OF THE BILL. 169 

to suggest and to show, that this scheme of Mr. Stephenson's 
is impossible or impracjticable, and that no other scheme, if 
they proceed upon this line, can be suggested which will 
not produce enormous expense. I think that has been 
irrefragably made out. Every one knows Chat Moss — every 
one knows that the iron sinks immediately on its being 
put upon the surface. I have heard of culverts, which 
have been put upon the Moss, which, after having be^n 
surveyed the day before, have the next morning disap- 
peared ; and that a house (a poet's house, who may be 
supposed in the habit of building castles even in the 
air), story after story, as fast as one is added, the lower one 
sinks! There is nothing, it appears, except long sedgy 
grass, and a little soil to prevent its sinking into the shades 
of eternal night. I have now done, sir, with Chat- Moss, 
and there I leave this railroad." 

The case of the principal petitioners against the bill 
occupied many more days, and on its conclusion the 
committee proceeded to divide on the preamble, which 
was carried by a majority of only one — 37 voting for it, 
and 36 against it. The clauses were next considered, 
and on a division the first clause, empowering the Company 
to make the railway, was lost by a majority of 19 to 13. In 
like manner, the next clause, empowering the Company to 
take land, was lost ; on which the bill was withdrawn. 

Thus ended this memorable contest, which had extended 
over two months — carried on throughout with great perti- 
nacity and skiU, especially on the part of the opposition, 
who left no stone unturned to defeat the measure. The 
want of a third line of communication between Liverpool 
and Manchester had been cleaiiy proved ; but the engineer- 
ing evidence in support of the proposed railway having 
been thrown almost entirely upon Stephenson, who fought 
this, the most important part of the battle, single-handed, 
was not brought out so clearly as it would have been, had 
he secured more efiBicient engineering assistance — which he 
was not able to do, as the principal engineers of that day 



170 STEPHENSON'S DEJECTION. Chap. IX 

were agamst tho locomctrro railway. The obetaeles 
thrown in the way of the survey by the landowners and 
canal companies, by which the plans were rendered exceed- 
ingly imperfect, also tended in a great meaisare to defeat 
the bill. 

The rejection of the bill was probably the most severe 
trial George Stephenson underwent in lie whole course of 
his life. The circumstances connected with the defeat of 
the measure, the errors in the levels, his rigid cross- 
examination, followed by the fact of his being superseded 
by another engineer, all told fearfully upon him, and for 
some time he was as much weighed down as if a personal 
calamity of the most serious kind had be&Ilen him. 

Stephenson had been so terribly abused by the leading 
counsel for the opposition in the course of the proceedings 
before the Committee — stig^matised by them as an ignoramus, 
a fool, and a maniac — that even his friends seem for a 
time to have lost faith in him and in the locomotive sys- 
tem, whose efficiency he nevertheless continued to uphold. 
Things never looked blacker for the success of the railway 
system than at the close of this great parliamentary 
stmggle. And yet it was on the very eve of its triumph. 

The Committee of Directors appointed to watch the 
measure in Parliament were so determined to press on the 
project of a railway, even though it should have to be 
worked merely by horse-power, that the bill had scarcely 
been thrown out ere they met in London to consider their 
next step. They called their parliamentary friends together 
to consult as to future prooeediogs ; and the result was that 
they went back to Liverpool determined to renew their 
application to Parliament iu the ensuing session. 

It was not considered desirable to employ Mr. Stephenson 
in making the new survey. He had not as yet established 
his reputation as an engineer beyond the boundaries of his 
own district ; and the promoters of the bill had doubtless 
felt the disadvantages of this in the course of their parlia- 
mentary struggle. They therefore resolved now to employ 



/ 



Chap. IX. SECOND APPLICATION TO PAELIAMENT. 171 

engineers of the highest established reputation, as well as 
the best surveyors that could be obtained. In accordance 
with these views they engaged Messrs. George and John 
Kennie to be the engineers of the railway ; and Mr. 
Charles VignoUes was appointed to prepare the plcms and 
sections. The line which was eventually adopted differed 
somewhat from that surveyed by Mr. Stephenson. The 
principal parks and game-preserves of the district were 
careftdly avoided. ' The promoters thus hoped to get rid of 
the opposition of the most influential of the residenb land- 
owners. The crossing of certain of the streets of Liverpool 
was also avoided, and the entrance contrived by means of a 
tunnel and an inclined plane. The new line stopped short 
of the river Irwell at the Manchester end, by which the 
objections grounded on an illegal interruption to the canal 
or river traffic were in some measure removed. The oppo- 
sition of the Duke of Bridgewater's trustees was also got rid 
of^ and iiie Marquis of Stafford became a subscriber for a 
thousand shares. With reference to the use of the locomo- 
tive engine, the promoters, remembering with what effect 
the objections to it had been urged by the opponents of the 
bill, intimated, in their second prospectus, that " as a gua- 
rantee of their good faith towards the public they will not re- 
quire any clause empowering them to use it ; or they will sub- 
mit to such restrictions in the employment of it as Parliament 
may impose." 

The survey of the new line having been completed, the 
plans were deposited, the standing orders duly complied 
with, and the bill went before Parliament. The same 
counsel appeared for the promoters, but the examination of 
witnesses was not nearly so protracted as on the previous 
occasion. The preamble was declared proved by a majority 
of 43 to 18. On the third reading in the House of Com- 
mons, an animated, and what now appears a very amusing 
discussion took place. The Hon. Edward Stanley moved 
that the bill be read that day six months ; and in his speech 
he undertook ic prove that the railway trains would take 



172 PASSING OF THE BILL. Cbip. IS. 

ten hourt on the journey, and that they could only be worked 
by horses. Sir Isaac Coffin seconded the motion, and in 
doing eo denounced the project as a most flagrant imposi- 
tion. He would not consent to see widows' premises 
invaded; and " What, he would like to imow, was to be 
done with all those who had advanced money in making 
and repairing turnpike-roads? What was to become of 
coach-makers and harness-makers, coach-masters and coach- 
men, inn-keepers, horse-breeders, and horse-dealers? Was 
the house aware of the smoke and the noise, the hiss and 
the whirl, which locomotive engines, passing at the rate of 
10 or 12 miles an hour, would occasion ? Neither the cattle 
ploughing in the fields or grazing in the meadows could be- 
hold them without dismay. Iron weuld be raised in price 
100 per cent., or more probably exhausted altogether! It 
would be the greatest nuisance, the most complete disturb- 
ance of quiet and com£>rt in all parts of the kingdom, that 
the ingenuity of man could invent 1" 

Mr. Huskisson and other speakers, though unable to reply 
to such arguments as these, strongly suppqjrtod the bill ; and 
it was carried on the third reading by a majority of 88 to 
41. The bill passed the House of Lords almost unani- 
mously, its only opponents being the Earl of Derby and 
his relative the Earl of Wilton. 



Chap. X. STEPHENSON PRINCIPAL ENGINEER. 173 



OHAPTEB X. 

Ohat Moss — Conbtbugtion of thb Railway. 

The appointment of principal engineer to the railway wa« 
taken into consideration at the first meeting of the director 
held at Liverpool subsequent to the passing of the Act. The 
magnitude of the proposed works, and the vast consequences 
involved in their experiment, were deeply impressed upon 
their minds ; and they resolved to secure the services of a 
resident engineer of proved experience and ability. Their 
attention was naturally directed to Mr. Stephenson ; at the 
same time they desired to have the benefit of the Messrs. 
Rennie's professional assistance in superintending the 
works: Mr. George Rennie had an interview with the 
Board on the subject, at which he proposed to undertake 
the chief superintendence, making six visits in each year, 
, and stipulating that he should have the appointment of the 
resident engineer. But the responsibility attaching to the 
direction in the matter of the efficient carrying on of the 
works, would not admit of their being influenced by 
ordinary pimctilios on the occasion ; and they accordingly 
declined this pi-oposal, and proceeded to appoint Mr. 
Stephenson their principal engineer at a salary of 1000^. 
per annum. 

He at once removed his residence to Liverpool, and made 
arrangements to commence the works. He began with the 
"impossible thing" — to do that which the most distin- 
guished engineers of the day had declared that *' no man in 
his senses would undertake to do " — ^namely, to make the 
road over Chat Moss I It was indeed a most formidable 
undertaking ; and the pr DJect of carrying a railway along, 
under, or over such a material as that of which it consisted, 



174 DESC&IFnON OF CHAT 3I08& Chap. X. 

wofold certainly neTer haTe oocmred to an ordinaiy mind. 
Michael Drayton supposed the Moss to have had its origin 
at the Deluge. Xothing acre impassable ooold have been 
imagined than that dreary waste ; and Mr. Giles only spoke 
the popular feeling of the day when he declared that no 
carriage could stand on it ** short of the bottonL" In this 
bog, singular to say, Mr. Boecoe, the acoomplislied historian 
of the Medids, buried his fortune in the hopeless attempt 
to cultiyate a portion of it which he had bought. 

Chat Moss is an immense peat bog of about twelve square 
miles in extent. Unlike the bogs or swamps of Geonbridge 
and Lincolnshire, which consist principally of soft mud or 
silt, this bog is a vast mass of spongy Y^etable pulp, the 
result of the growth and decay of ages. The spagni, or 
bog-mosses, cover the entire area ; one year's growth rising 
over another, — ^the older growths not entirely decaying, but 
remaining partially preserved by the antiseptic properties 
peculiar to peat. Hence the remarkable &ct that, although 
a semifluid mass, the sur&ce of Chat Moss rises above the 
level of the surrounding country. Like a turtle's back, it 
declines from the summit in every direction, having fiiom 
thirty to forty feet gradual slope to the solid land on all 
Sides. From the remains of trees, chiefly alder and birch, 
which have been dug out of it, and which must have pro* 
viously flourished upon the surfieu^e of soiL now deeply sub- 
merged, it is probable that the sand and clay base on which 
the bog rests is saucer-shaped, and so retains the entire mass 
in position. In rainy weather, such is its capacity for 
water that it sensibly swells, and rises in those parts where 
the moss is the deepest. This occurs through the capillary 
attraction of the fibres of the submerged moss, which is 
from 20 to 30 feet in depth, whilst the growing plants 
affectually (iheck evaporation from the surfiEtoe. This pecu- 
]iar character of the Moss has presented an insuperable 
diificulty in the way of reclaiming it by any system of ex- 
tensive drainage— such as by sinking shafts, and pumping 
up the water by steam power, as has been proposed. Sup 



Chap. X. THE RESIDENT ENGINEERS. 1 75 

posing a shaft of 30 feet deep to be sunk, it huF. been calcu- 
lated that this would only be effectual for draining a circle 
of about 100 yards, the water running down an incline of 
about 5 to 1 ; for it was found in the course of draining the 
bog, that a ditch 3 feet deep only served to drain a space of 
less than 5 yards on each side, and two ditches of this depth, 
10 yards apart, left a portion of the Moss between them 
scarcely affected by the drains. 

The three resident engineers selected by Mr. Stephenson 
to superintend the construction of the line, were Joseph 
Locke, William Allcard, and John Dixon. The last was 
appointed to that portion which lay across the Moss, neither 
of the other two envying his lot. On Mr. Dixon's arrival, 
about July, 1826, Mr. Locke proceeded to show him over 
the length he was to take charge of, and to instal him in 
office. When they reached Chat Moss, Mr. Dixon found 
that the line had already been staked out and the levels 
taken in detail by the aid of planks laid upon the bog. 
The cutting of the drains along each side of the proposed 
road had also been commenced ; but the soft pulpy stuff had 
up to this time flowed into the drains and filled them up 
as fast as they were cut. Proceeding across the Moss, on 
the first day's inspection, the new resident, when about 
halfway over, slipped off the plank on which he walked, 
and sank to his knees in the bog. Struggling only sent 
him the deeper, and he might have disappeared altogether, 
but for the workmen, who hastened to his assistance upon 
planks, and rescued him from his perilous position. Much 
disheartened, he desired to return, and even thought of 
giving up the job ; but Mr. Locke assured him that the 
worst part was now past ; so the new resident plucked up 
heart again, and both floundered on until they reached the 
further edge of the Moss, wet and plastered over with bog- 
sludge. Mr. Dixon's companions endeavoured to comfort 
him by the assurance that he might avoid similar perils, by 
walking upon ^* pattens," or boards fastened to the soles of 
his feet, as they had done when taking the levels, and as 



170 A FLOATING ROAD. Chap X 

the workmen did when engaged in making drains in the 
softest parts of the Moss. The resident engineer was sorely 
puzzled in the outset by the problem of constructing a road 
for heavy locomotives, with trains of passengers and goods, 
upon a bog which he had found incapable of supporting his 
o'wn weight I 

Mr. Stephenson's idea was, that such a road might be 
made to float upon the bog, simply by means of a sufficient 
extension of the bearing surface. As a ship, or a raft, ca- 
pable of sustaining heavy loads floated in water, so in his 
opinion, might a light road be floated upon a bog, which was 
of considerably greater consistency than water. Long 
before the railway was thought of, Mr. Roscoe had adopted 
the remarkable expedient of fitting his plough-horses with 
flat wooden soles or pattens, to enable them to walk upon 
the Moss land which he had brought into cultivation. 
These pattens were fitted on by means of a screw apparatus, 
which met in front of the f K)t and was easily festened. The 
mode by which these pattens served to sustain the horse is 
capable of easy explanation, and it will be observed that 
the rationale likewise explains the floating of a railway train. 
The foot of an ordinary farm-horse presents a base of about 
five inches diameter, but if this base be enlarged to seven 
inches — the circles being to each other as the squares of the 
diameters — it will be found that, by this slight enlargement 
of the base, a circle of nearly double the area has been se- 
cured; and consequently iJie pressure of the foot upon 
every unit of ground upon which the horse stands has been 
reduced one half. In &ct, this contrivance has an effect 
tantamount to setting the horse upon eight feet instead of 
four. 

Apply the same reasoning to the ponderous locomotive, and 
it will be found, that even such a machine may be made to 
stand upon a bog, by means of a similar extension of the 
bearing suiface. Suppose the engine to be 20 feet long and 
6 feet wide, thus covering a surface of 100 square feet, 
and, provided the bearing has been extended by means ol 



OJIAP. X. DBAIX8 ACROSS THE BOO. 171 

oi*oss sleepers supported on a matting of heath and branohea 
of trees covered with a few inches of gravel, the pressure of 
an engine of 20 tons will be only equal to about 3 pounds 
per inch over the whole surface on which it stands. Such 
was George Stephenson's idea in contriving his floating 
road — something like an elongated raft across the Moss; 
and we shall see that he steadily kept it in view in carry- 
ing the work into execution. 

The first thing done was to form a footpath of ling or 
heather along the proposed road, on which a man might 
walk without risk of sinking. A single line of temporary 
railway was then laid down, formed of ordinary cross-bars 
about 3 feet long and an inch square, with holes punched 
through them at the ends and nailed down to temporary 
sleepers. Along this way ran the waggons in which were 
convftyed the materials requisite to form the permanent 
road. These waggons carried about a ton each, and they 
were propelled by boys running behind them along the 
narrow iron rails. The boys became so expert that they 
would run the 4 miles across at the rate of 7 or 8 miles an 
hour without missing a step; if they had done so, they 
would have sunk in many places up to their middle. A 
comparatively slight extension of the bearing surface being 
found sufficient to enable the bog to bear this temporary 
line, the circumstance was a source of increased confidence 
and hope to our engineer in proceeding with the formation 
of the permanent roadway alongside. 

The digging of drains had been proceeding for some time 
along each side of the intended line; but they filled up 
almost as soon as dug, the sides flowing in, and the bottom 
lising up. It was only in some of the drier parts of the 
bc^ that a depth of three or four feet could be reached. 
The surface-ground between the draius, containing the 
intertwined roots of heather and long grass, was left un- 
touched, and upon this was spread branches of trees and 
hedge-cuttings. In the eofbest places, rude gates or hurdlee, 
«ome 8 or 9 feet long by 4 feet wide, interwoven with 

V N 



17t5 TJlBtBABBEL DBAIN8. Chap. X 

heather, were laid in double thicknesses, their ends over- 
lapping each other ; and upon this floating bed was spiiead 
a thin layer of gravel, on which the sleepers, chairs, and 
rails were laid in the usual manner. Sudi was the mole 
In which the road was formed upon the Mosv. 

It was found, however, after the permanent way had 
been thus laid, that there was a tendency to sinldng at 
those parts where the bog was softest In ordinary cases, 
where a bank subsides, the sleepers are packed up with 
ballast or gravel; but in this case the baUast was dug 
away and removed in order to lighten the road, and the 
sleepers were packed instead with cakes of dry turf or bundles 
of heath. By these expedients the subsided parts were again 
floated up to the level, and an approach was made towards 
a satisfactory road. But the most formidable difBculties 
were encountered at the centre and towards the edges of 
the Moss ; and it required no small d^ree of ingenuity and 
perseverance on the part of the engineer successfully to 
overcome them. 

The Moss, as already observed, was highest in the 
centre, and it there presented a sort of hunchback with a 
rising and feiUing gradient. At that point it was found 
necessary to cut deeper drains in order to consolidate the 
groimd between them on which the rood was to be formed. 
But, as at other places, the deeper the cutting the more 
rapid was the flow of fluid Ix^ into the drain, the bottom 
rising up almost as fast as it was removed. To meet this 
emergency, numbers of empty tar-barrels were brought 
from Liverpool ; and as soon as a few yards of drain were 
dug, the barrels were laid down end to end, firmly fixed to 
each other by strong slabs laid over the joints, and nailed 
They were then covered over with clay, and thus formed an 
underground sewer of wood instead of bricks. This expe- 
dient was found to answer the pm-pose intended, and the 
road across the centre of the Moss having been so pre- 
pared, it was then laid with the permanent materials. 

The greatest difficulty was, h:4wever, experienced in form- 



Chap. X. ALARM OF DIHECTORS. 179 

ing an embankiaent upon tlie edge of the bog at the Man- 
Chester end. Moss as dry as it could be cut, was brought up 
in small waggons, by men and boys, and emptied so as to 
form an embankment ; but the bank had scarcely been raised 
three or four feet in height, when the stuflf broke through 
the heathery surface of the bog and sank out of sight. 
More moss was brought up and emptied with no better 
result ; and for weeks the filling was continued without any 
visible embankment having been made. It was the duty 
of the resident engineer to proceed to Liverpool every fort- 
night to pbtain the wages for the workmen employed under 
him ; and on these occasions he was required to colour up, 
on a section drawn to a working scale suspended against 
the wall of the directors* room, the amount of excavation 
and embankment from time to time executed. But on 
many of these occasions, Mr. Dixon had no progress what- 
ever to show for the money expended on the Chat Moss 
embankment. Sometimes, indeed, the visible work done 
was less than it had appeared a fortnight or a month before ! 

The directors now became seriously alarmed, and feared 
that the evil prc^ostications of the eminent engineers were 
about to be fulfilled. The resident engineer was even called 
upon to supply an estimate of the cost of forming an em- 
bankment of solid stuff throughout, as also of the cost of 
piling the roadway, and in effect constructing a four mile 
viaduct of timber across the Moss, from twenty to thirty 
feet high from the foundation. The expense appalled the 
directors, and the question arose, whether the work was to 
be proceeded with or abandoned t 

Mr. Stephenson afterwards described the alarming posi- 
tion of affairs at a public dinner at Birmingham (23rd 
December, 1837), on the occasion of a piece of plate being 
presented to his son, upon the completion of the London 
and Birmingham Eailway. He related the anecdote, he 
said, for the purpose of impressing upon the minds of those 
who heard him the necessity of perseverance. 

^' After working for weeks and weeks>" said he, " in filling 

N 2 



180 STEPHENSON MOTTO •• PERSEVEEE." Chai X. 

m matorials to form the road, there did not yet appear to 
be the least sign of onr being able to raise the solid ua* 
bankment one single inch ; in short we went on filling ir 
without the slightest apparent effect. Even my assistants 
began to feel uneasy, and to doubt of the success of the 
scheme. The directors, too, spoke of it as a hopeless task : 
and at length they became seriously alarmed, so much so, 
indeed, that a board meeting was held on Chat Moss to 
decide whether I should proceed any further. They had 
previously taken the opinion of other engineers, who re- 
ported unfavourably. There was no help for it, however 
but to go on. An immense outlay had been incurred ; and 
great loss would have been occasioned had the scheme been 
then abandoned, and the line taken by another route. So 
the directors were compelled to allow me to go on with my 
plans, of the ultimate success of which I myself never for 
one moment doubted." 

During the progress of this part of the works, the 
VVorsley and TrafFord men, who lived near the Moss, and 
plumed themselves upon their practical knowledge of bog- 
work, declared the completion of the road to be utterly 
unpracticable. " If you knew as much about Chat Moss as 
we do," they said, " you would never have entered on so 
rash an undertaking ; and depend upon it, all you have 
done and are doing will prove abortive. You must give up 
the idea of a floating railway, and either fill the Moss hard 
from the bottom, or deviate so as to avoid it altogether." 
Such were the conclusions of science and experience. 

In the midst of all these alarms and prophecies of failure, 
Stephenson never lost heart, but held to his purpose. His 
motto was "Persevere!" "You must gc en filling in," 
he said ; " there is no other help for it. The stuff emptied 
in is doing its work out of sight, and if you will but have 
patience, it will soon begin to show." And so the filling in 
went on ; several hundreds of men and boys were employed 
to skin the Moss all round for many thousand yards, by 
means of sharp spades, called by the turf cutters " tommy- 



Chap. X. COMPLETION OF THE ROAD. 181 

spades; " and the dried cakes of turf were afterwaidi^ used 
to form the embankment, until at length as the stuff sank 
and rested upon the bottom, the bank gradually rose above 
the surface, and slowly advanced onwards, declining in 
height and consequently in weight, until it became joined 
tc the floating road already laid upon the Moss. In the 
course of forming, the embankment, ihe pressure of the bog 
turf tipped out of the waggons caused a copious stream of 
bog-water to flow from the end of it, in colour resembling 
Barclay's double stout; and when completed, the bank 
looked like a long ridge of tightly pressed tobacco-leaf. 
The compression of the turf may be imagined from the 
fact that 670,000 cubic yards of raw moss formed only 
277,000 cubic yards of embankment at the completion of 
the work. 

At the western, or Liverpool end of the Chat Moss, there 
was a like embankment ; but, as the ground there was solid, 
little difficulty was experienced in forming it, beyond the 
loss of substance caused by the oozing out of the water held 
by the moss-earth. 

At another part of the Liverpool and Manchester line, 
Parr Moss was crossed by an embankment about 1^ mile 
in extent. In the immediate neighbourhood was found a 
large excerfs of cutting, which it would have been necessary 
to "put out in spoil-banks" (according to the technical 
phrase) ; but the surplus clay, stone, and shale, were tipped, 
waggon after waggon, into Parr Moss, until a solid but 
concealed embankment, from fifteen to twenty-five feet high, 
was formed, although to the eye it appears to be laid upon 
the level of the adjoining surface, as at Chat Moss. 

The road across Chat Moss was finished by the 1st Janu- 
ary, 1830, when the first experimental train of passengera 
passed over it, drawn by the " Eocket ; " and it turned out 
that, instead of being the most expensive part of the line, it 
was about the cheapest. The total cost of forming the line 
over the Moss was 28,000Z., whereas Mr. Giles s estimate 
was 270,0002. ! It alsD proved to be one of the best portions 



182 OEOAl^ISATION OF THE LABOUR. Chap. X 

of Hie railway. Being a floating road, it was smooth and 
easy to run upon, just as Dr. Amott's water-bed is soft and 
easy to lie npon — the pressure being equal at all points. 
There was, and still is, a sort of springiness in the road 
over the Moss, such as is felt in passing along a suspended 
bridge; and those who looked along the line as a train 
passed over it, said they could observe a waviness, such as 
precedes and follows a skater upon ice. 

During the progress of these works the most ridiculous 
rumours were set afloat. The drivers of the stage-coaches 
who feared for their calling, brought the alarming intel- 
ligence into Manchester from time to time, that *' Chat Moss 
was blown up I " *^ Hundreds of men and horses had sunk . 
and the works were completely abandoned!" The engi- 
neer himself was declared to have been swallowed up in the 
Serbonian Ix^ ; and " railways were at an end for ever ! " 

In the construction of the railway, Mr. Stephenson's 
capacity for organising and directing the labours of a large 
number of workmen of all kinds eminently displayed itself 
A vast quantity of ballast-waggons had to be constructed, 
and implements and materials collected, before the army of 
necessary labourers could be efficiently employed at the 
various points of the line. There were not at that time, 
as there are now, large contractors possessed of railway 
plant, capable of executing earth-works on a large scale. 
The first railway engineer had not only to contrive the 
plant, but to organise and direct the labour. The labourers 
themselves had to be trained to their work ; and it was on 
the Liverpool and Manchester line that Mr. Stephenson 
organised the staff of that mighty band of railway navvies, 
whose handiworks will be the wonder and admiration of 
succeeding generations. Looking at their gigantic traces, 
the men of some future age may be found to declare of the 
engineer and of his workmen, that " there were giants in 
those days." 

Although the works of the Liverpool and Manchester 
Bailwav are of a much less formidable character than those 



ijBAP. X. TUNNEL UNDER LIVEEPOOL. 183 

of luanj lines that have since been oonstructed, they were 
then regarded as (if the most stupendous description. In 
deed, the like of them had not before been executed in 
England. It had l»een our engineer's original intention te 
carry the railway from the north end of Liverpool, round 
the red-sandstone ridge on w]iich the upper part of the 
town is built, and also round the higher rise of the coal 
formation at Eainhill, by following the natural levels. But 
the opposition of the landowners having forced the line 
more to the south, it was rendered necessary to cut through 
the hills, and go over the high giounds instead of round 
them. The first consequence of this alteration in the plans 
was the necessity for constructing a tunnel under the town 
of Liverpool H mile in length; the second, a long and 
deep cutting through the red-sandstone rock at Olive 
Mount ; and the third and most serious of all, was the neces 
sity for surmounting the Whiston and Sutton hills by in 
clined planes of 1 in 96. The line was also, by the same 
forced deviation, prevented passing through the Lancashire 
coal-field, and the engineer was compelled to carry it across 
the Sankey vaUey, at a point where the waters of the brook 
had dug out an excessively deep channel through the marl- 
beds of the district 

The principal difficulty was experienced in pushing on 
the works connected with the formation of the tunnel undea: 
Liverpool, 2200 yards in length. The blasting and hewing 
of the rock were vigorously carried on night and day ; and 
the engineer's practical experience in the collieries here 
proved of great use to him. Many obstacles had to be 
encountered and overcome in the formation of the tunnel, 
the rock varying in hardness and texture at different parts. 
In some places the miners were deluged by water, which 
surged from the soft blue shale found at the lowest level of 
the tunnel. In other places, beds of wet sand were out 
through; and there careful propping and pinning wore 
necessary to prevent the roof from tumbling in, until the 
masonry to support it could be erected. On one ocoadon, 



184 TOE OLIVE MOUNT CUTTIXG. Chap. X 

whilo tlie engineer was absent &om Liverpool, a mass of 
loose mos8-cart}i and sand fell from the root which had 
been insufficiently propped. The miners withdrew from 
the work ; and on Stephenson's return, he found them in. a 
refractory state, refusing to re-enter the tunueL He in- 
duced them, however, by his example, to return to their 
labours ; and when the roof had been secured, the work 
went on again as before. When there was danger, he ^ras 



Chap. X. NUMEROUS BRIDGES. 186 

always ready to share it with the men ; and gathering con- 
fidence from his fearlessness, they proceeded vigorously with 
the undertaking, boring and mining their way towards the 
light. 

The Olive Mount cutting was the first extensive stone 
cutting executed on any railway, and to this day it is one 
of the most formidable. It is about two miles long, and in 
some parts 80 feet deep. It is a narrow ravine or defile cut 
out of the solid rook ; and not less than 480,000 cubic yards 
of stone were removed from it. Mr. VignoUes, afterwards 
describing it, said it looked as if it had been dug out by 
giants. 

The crossing of so many roads and streams involved the 
necessity for constructing an unusual number of bridges. 
There were not fewer than 63, under or over the railway, 
on the 30 miles between Liverpool and Manchester. Up to 
this time, bridges had been applied generally to high roads 
where inclined approaches were of comparatively smaU 
importance, and in determining the rise of his arch the 
engineer selected any headway he thought proper. Every 
consideration was indeed made subsidiary to constructing 
the bridge itself, and the completion of one lai^e structure 
of this sort was regarded as an epoch in engineering history. 
Yet here, in the course of a few years, no fewer than 63 
bridges were constructed on one line of railway! Mr. 
Stephenson early found that the ordinary arch was inappli- 
cable in certain cases, where the headway was limited, and 
yet the level of the railway must be preserved. In such 
cases he employed simple cast-iron beams, by which he 
safely bridged gaps of moderate width, economizing head- 
way, and introducing the use of a new material of the 
greatest possible value to the railway engineer. The 
bridges of masonry upon the line were of many kiiids; 
several of them askew bridges, and others, such as those at 
Newton and over the Irwell at Manchester, straight and of 
considerable dimensions ; but the principal piece of masonry 
was the Sankey viaduct 



THE SANKEY VIADUCT. 



This fine work is principally of brick, with stone fecinga. 
It consists of nine arches of fifty feet span each. The 
massive piera are supported on two hnndred piles driven 
deep into the soil; and they rise to a great height, — the 
coping of the parapet being seventy feet above the level of 
. the valley, in which flow the Sankcy brook and canal. Its 
, total cost was aboat 46,000/. 

By the end of 1 828 the directors found they had expended 
460,000/. on the works, and that they were still fer from 
completion. They looked at the loss of interest on this 



CJhap.X. STEPHENSON AND CROPPER. 187 

large investment, and began to grumble at the delay 
They desired to see their capital becoming productive ; and 
in the spring of 1829 they urged the engineer to push on 
the works with increased vigour. Mr. Cropper, one of the 
directors, who took an active interest in their progress, said 
to Stephenson one day, "Now, George, thou must get on 
with the railway, and have it finished without further 
delay ; thou must really have it ready for opening by the 
first day of January next." " Consider the heavy character 
of the works, sir, and how much we have been delayed by 
the want of money, not to speak of the wetness of the 
weather : it is impossible." " Impossible ! " rejoined Crop- 
per; "I wish I could get Napoleon to thee — he would tell 
thee there is no such word as * impossible * in the vocabu- 
lary." "Tush!" exclaimed Stephenson, with warmth; 
" don't speak to me about Napoleon I Give me men, money, 
and materials, and I will do what Napoleon couldn't do 
— drive a railway from Liverpool to Manchester over Chat 
Moss!" 

The works made rapid progress in the course of the year 
1829. Double sets of labourers were employed on Chat 
Moss and at other points, by night and day, the night shifts 
working by torch and fire light; and at length, the work 
advancing at all points, the directors saw their way to the 
satisfactory completion of the undertaking. 

It may well be supposed that Mr. Stephenson's time was 
ftdly occupied in superintending the extensive, and for the 
most part novel works, connected with the railway, and 
that even his extraordinary powers of labour and endurance 
were taxed to the utmost during the four years that they 
were in progress. Almost every detail in the plans was 
directed and arranged by himself. Every bridge, from the 
simplest to the most complicated, including the then novel 
structure of the " skew bridge," iron girders, siphons, fixed 
engines, and the machinery for working the timnel at the 
Liverpool end, had to be thought out by his own head, and 
reduced to definite plans under his own eyes. Besides aU 



188 HTS PUPILS AND ASSISTANTS. C^ak JL 

this, he had to design the working plant in antici})ation of 
the opening of the railway. He must be prepared with 
waggons, tmcks, and carriages, himself superintending their 
manufacture. The permanent road, turntables, switches, 
and crossings, — in short, the entire structure and machinery 
of the line, from the turning of the first sod to the running 
of the first train of carriages upon the railway, — ^were 
executed under his immediate supervision. And it was in 
the midst of this vast accumulation of work and responsi- 
bility that the battle of the locomotive engine had to be 
fought, — a battle, not merely against material difficulties, 
but against the still more trying obstructions of deeply- 
rooted mistrust and prejudice on the part of a considerable 
minority of the directors. 

He had no staff of experienced assistants, — not even a 
staff of draughtsmen in his office, — ^but only a few pupils 
learning their business; and he was frequently without 
even their help. The time of his engineering inspectors 
was fully occupied in the actual superintendence of the 
works at different parts of the line ; and he took care to 
direct all their more important operations in person. The 
principal draughtsman was Mr. Thomas Gooch, a pupil he 
had brought with him from Newcastle. "I may say,*' 
writes Mr. Gooch, " that nearly the whole of the working 
and other drawings, as well as the various land-plans for 
the railway, were drawn by my own hand. They were 
done at the Company's office in Clayton Square during the 
day, from instructions supplied in the evenings by Mr. 
Stephenson, either by word of mouth, or by little rough 
hand-sketches on letter-paper. The evenings were also 
generally devoted to my duties as secretary, in writing 
(mostly from his own dictation) his letters and reports, 
or in making calculations and estimates. The mornings 
before breakfast were not uiifrequently spent by me in 
visiting and lending a helping hand in the tunnel and 
other works near Liverpool, — the untiring zeal and per«>e- 
verance of George Stephenson never for an instant flagging 



C^HAP. X. HIS DAILY LIFE 189 

and inspiring with a like enthusiaom all who were engacc<i 
under him in carrpng forward the works." * 

The usual routine of his life at this time — if routine it 
might be called — was, to rise early, by sunrise in summer 
and before it in winter, and thus " break the back of the 
day's work " by mid-day. While the tunnel under Liver- 
pool was in progress, one of his first duties in a morning 
before breakfkst was to go over the various shafts, clothed 
in a suitable dress, and inspect their progress at different 
points ; on other days he would visit the extensive workshops 
at Edgehill, where most of the " plant " for the line was in 
course of manufacture. Then, returning to his house, in 
Upper Parliament Street, Windsor, after a hurried break 
fast, he would ride along the works to inspect their pro- 
gress, and push them on with greater energy where needful. 
On other days he would prepare for the much less congenial 
engagement of meeting the Board, which was often a cause 
of great anxiety and pain to him ; for it was difficult to 
satisfy men of all tempers, and some of these not of the 
most generous sort. On such occasions he might be seen 
with his right-hand thumb thrust through i^e topmost 
button-hole of his coat-breast, vehemently hitching his right 
shoulder, as was his habit when labouring under any con- 
siderable excitement. Occasionally he would take an early 
ride before breakfast, to inspect the progress of the Sankey 
viaduct. He had a favourite horse, brought by him from 
Newcastle, called "Bobby," — so tractable that, with his 



* Mr. Gooch's letter to the 
author, December 13th, 186L 
Referring to the preparations of 
the plans and drawings, Mr. Grooch 
adds, " When we consider the ex- 
tensive sets of drawings which 
most engineers have since found 
it right to adopt in carrying out 
similar works, it is not the least 
surprising feature in George Ste- 
phenson's early profesaional career, { largo contidk^i system. 



that he should have been able to 
confine himself to so limited s 
number as that which could be 
supplied by the hands of one per- 
son in carrying out the construc- 
tion of the Liverpool and Man- 
chester Bailway ; and this may 
still be said, after full allowance is 
made for the alteration of system 
involved by the adoption of Hko 



100 HIS DAILY LIFE. Chap. X. 

ridor on his back, he would walk up to a looomotive with 
the steam blowing off, and put his nose against it without 
shying. "Bobby," saddled and bridled, was brought to 
Mr. Stephenson's door betimes in the morning ; and mount- 
ing him, he would ride the fifteen miles to Sankey, putting 
up at a little public house which then stood upon ihe banks 
of the canal. There he had his breakfast of "crowdie," 
which he made with his own hands. It consisted of oat 
meal stirred into a basin of hot water, — a sort of porridge, 
— which was supped with cold sweet milk. After this 
frugal hreaMast, he would go upon the works, and remain 
there, riding from point to point for the greater part of the 
day. When he returned before mid-day, he examined the 
pay-shoets in the different departments, sent in by the 
assistant engineers, or by the foremen of the workshops. 
To all these he gave his most carefcd personal attention, 
requiring when necessary a full explanation of the items. 

After a late dinner, which occupied very short time and 
was always of a plain and frugal description, he disposed 
of his correspondence, or prepared sketches of drawings, 
and gave instructions as to their completion. He would 
occasionally refresh himself for this evening work by a 
short doze, which, however, he would never admit had ex- 
ceeded the limits of " winking," to use his own term. Mr. 
Frederick Swanwick, who officiated as his secretary, after 
the appointment of Mr. Gooch as Eesident Engineer to the 
Bolton and Leigh Bailway, has informed us that he then 
remarked — ^what in after years he could better appreciate 
— the clear, terse, and vigorous style of Mr. Stephenson's 
dictation. There was nothing superfluous in it ; but it was 
close, direct, and to the point, — in short, thoroughly business- 
like. And if, in passing through the pen of the amanuensis, 
his meaning happened in any way to be distorted or modified, 
it did not fail to escape his detection, though he was always 
tolerant of any liberties taken with his c wn form of expres- 
sion, so long as the words written down conveyed his real 
meaning. 



GtaAP. X. SVENINGS AT HOME. 191 

Bis letters and reports written, and his sketches of 
drawings made and explained, the remainder of the evening 
was nsnally devoted to conversation with his wiie and tho^e 
of his pupils who lived under his roof^ and constituted, as 
it were, part of the family. He then delighted to test the 
knowledge of his young companions, and to question them 
upon the principles of mechanics. If they were not quite 
"up to the mark" on any point, there was no escaping 
detection by evasive or specious explanations. These always 
brought out the verdict, " Ah ! you know nought about it 
now ; but think it over again, and tell me when you under- 
stand it." If there were even partial success in the reply, 
it was at once acknowledged, and a full explanation given, 
to which the master would add illustrative examples for the 
purpose of impressing the principle more deeply upon the 
pupil's mind. 

It was not so much his object and purpose to " cram " the 
minds of the young men committed to his charge with the 
resvUs of knowledge, as to stimulate them to educate them- 
selves —to induce them to develope their mental and moral 
powers by the exercise of their own free energies, and thus 
acquire that habit of self-thinking and self-reliance which 
is "die spring of all true manly action. In a word, he sought 
to bring out and invigorate the character of his pupils. He 
felt that he himself had been made stronger and better 
through his encounters with difficulty ; and he would not 
have the road of knowledge made too smooth and easy for 
them. "Learn for yourselves, — think for yourselves," he 
would say : — " make yourselves masters of principles, — per- 
severe, — be industrious, — and there is then no fear of you." 
And not the least emphatic proof of the soundness of this 
system )f education, as conducted by Mr. Stephenson, was 
aiForded by the after history of these pupils themselves. 
There was not one of those trained under his eye who did 
not rise to eminent usefulness and distinction as an engineer. 
He sent them forth into the world braced with the spirit of 
manly self-help — inspired by his own noble example ; and 



192 EVENINGS AT HOBfS. C^iaf. X 

they repeated in their after career the lessens of eamesi 
effort and persistent industry which his daily life had 
taught them. 

Stephenson's evenings at home were not, however, excln- 
sively devoted either to business or to the graver exerciseb 
above referred to. He would often indulge in cheerful con- 
versation and anecdote, falling back from time to time upon 
the struggles and difficulties of his early life. The not 
iinfirequent winding up of his story addressed to the young 
men about him, was, "Ah! ye young fellows don't know 
what wark is in these days I" Mr. Swanwick takes pleasure 
in recalling to mind how seldom, if ever, a cross or captious 
word, or an angry look, marred the enjoyment of those 
evenings. The presence of Mrs. Stephenson gave them an 
additional charm : amiable, kind-hearted, and intelligent, 
she shared quietly in the pleasure of the party ; and the 
atmosphere of comfort which always pervaded her home 
contributed in no small degree to render it a centre of 
cheerful, hopeful intercourse, and of earnest, honest in- 
dustry. She was a wife who well deserved, what she 
through life retained, the strong and unremitting affection 
of her husband. 

When Mr. Stephenson retired for the night, it was not 
always that he permitted himself to sink into slumber. 
Like Brindley, he worked out many a difficult problem in 
bed ; and for hours he would turn over in his mind and 
study how to overcome some obstacle, or to mature some 
project, on which his thoughts were bent. Some remark 
inadvertently dropped by him at the breakfast-table in the 
morning, served to show that he had been stealing some 
Lours from the past night in reflection and study. Yet Le 
would rise at his accustomed early hour, and there was no 
abatement of his usual energy in carrying on the busircst 
of the day. 



Chap. XI. aOBERT STEPHENTSON'S CAREER. »»S 



CHAPTER XL 

Robert Stephenson's Rbsidenoe in Colombia, and Return 
— The Battle op the Locomotive — *' The Rocket." 

We return to the career of Robert Stephenson, who had 
been absent from England daring the construction of the 
Liverpool railway, but was shortly about to join his £^ther 
and take part in ^* the battle of the locomotive," which was 
now impending. 

On his return from Edinburgh College in the summer of 
1823, he )iad assisted in the survey of the Stockton and 
Darlington line ; and when the Locomotive Engine Works 
were started in Forth Street, Newcastle, he took an active 
part in that concdm. "The factory," he says, "was in 
active operation early in 1824 ; I left England for Colombia 
in June of that year, having finished drawing the designs 
of the Brusselton stationary engines for the Stockton and 
Darlington Railway before I left." * 

Speculation was very rife at the time ; and amongst the 
most promising adventures were' the companies organised 
for the purpose of working the gold and silver mines of 
South America. Great difficulty was experienced in finrliTig 
mining engineers capable of carrying out those projects, 
and young men of even the most moderate experience were 
eagerly sought after. The Columbian Mining Association 
of London offered an engagement to young Stephenson, to 
go out to Mariquita and take charge of the engineering 
operations of that company. Robert was himself desirous of 
accepting it, but his feither said it would first be necessary 
to ascertain whether the proposed change would be for his 



* Letter to tne author. 
V. 



194 PROCEEDS TO COLOMBIA. Cbat. XL 

good. His health h&d been very delicate &>i some time, 
partly oooasioned by his rapid growth, but principally 
because of his close application to work and study. Father 
and son together called upon Dr. Headlam, the eminent 
physician of Newcastle, to consult him on the subject. 
During the examination which ensued, Robert affcerwards 
used to say that he felt as if he were upon trial for life or 
death. To his great relief^ tho doctor pronounced that a 
temporary residence in a warm climate was the very thing 
likely to be most beneficial to him. The appointment was 
accordingly accepted, and, before many weeks had passed, 
Robert Stephenson set sail for South America. 

After a tolerably prosperous voyage he landed at La 
Guayra, on the north coast of Venezuela, on the 23rd July, 
from thence proceeding to Csiraccas, the capital of the dis- 
trict, about 15 nules inland. There he remained for two 
months, unable to proceed in consequence of the wretched 
state of the roads in the interior. He contrived, however, 
to make occasional excursions in the neighbourhood, with 
an eye to the mining business on which he had come. About 
the beginning of October he set out for Bogota, the capital 
of Columbia or New Granada. The distance was about 
1200 nules, through a very difficult region, and it was 
performed entirely upon mule-back after the fashion of the 
country. 

In the course of the journey Robert visited many of the 
districts reported to be rich in minerals, but he met with 
few traces except of copper, iron, and coal, with occasional 
indications of gold and silver. He found the people ready 
to furnish information, which, however, when tested, usually 
proved worthless. A guide, whom he employed for weeks, 
kept him buoyed up with the hope of richer Tnining quar- 
ters than he had yet seen ; but when he professed to be 
able to show h\m mines of "brasb, steel, alcohol, and pinch- 
beck," Stephenson discovered him to be an incorrigible 
rogue, and immediately dismissed him. At length our 
traveller reached Bogota, and after an interview with M» 



Chap. XL BOGOTA TO MARIQUITA. 195 

lUingworth, the commercial manager of the miniTig Com- 
pany, he proceeded to Honda, crossed the Magdalena, and 
shortly after reached the site of his intended operations on 
the eastern slopes of the Andes. 

Mr. Stephenson used afterwards to speak in glowing 
terms of this his first mnle-joumey in South America. 
Everything was entirely new to him. The variety and 
beauty of the indigenous plants, the luxurious tropical 
vegetation, the appearance, manners, and dress of the peo- 
ple, and the mode of travelling, were altogether different 
from everything he had before seen. His own travelling 
garb also must have been strange even to himsel£ " My 
hat," he says, *'was of plaited grass, with a crown nine 
inches in height, surrounded by a brim of six inches ; a 
white cotton suit ; and a ruana of blue and crimson plaid, 
with a hole in the centre for the head to pass through 
This cloak is admirably adapted for the purpose, amply 
covering the rider and mule, and at night answering the 
purpose of a blanket in the net-hammock, which is made 
from fibres of the aloe, and which every traveller carries 
before him on his mule, and suspends to the trees or in 
houses, as occasion may require." The part of the journey 
which seems to have made the most lasting impression 
on his mind was that between Bogota and the mining 
district in the neighbourhood of Mariquita. As he ascended 
the slopes of the mountain-range, and reached the first step 
of the table-land, he was struck beyond expression with the 
noble view of the valley of the Magdalena behind him, so 
vast that he failed in attempting to define the point at 
which the course of the river blended with the horizon. 
Like all travellers in . the district, he noted the remarkable 
changes of climate and vegetation, as he rose from the 
burning plains towards the fresh breath of the mountains. 
From an atmosphere as hot as that of an oven he passed 
into delicious cool air; until, in his onward and upward 
journey, a still more temperate region was reached, the 
very perfection of climate. Before Lim rose the majestic 

2 



iOfl MAKING A PAETT. Chap. XI 

Cordilleras, forming a rampart against the western skies, at 
certain times of the day looking black, sharp, and, at their 
summit, almost as gv&d. as a walL 

Our engineer took up his abode for a time at Mariquitfti 
a fine old city, though then greatly decayed. During the 
period of the Spanish dominion, it was an important place, 
most of the gold and silver convoys passing through it on 
their way to Cartagena, there to be shipped in galleons for 
Europe. The mountainous country to the west was rich in 
silver, gold, and other metals, and it was Mr. Stephenson's 
object to select the best site for commencing operations for 
the Company. With this object he "prospected" about 
in all directions, visiting long-abandoned mines, and ana- 
lysing specimens obtained £nom many quarters, llie mines 
eventually fixed upon as the scene of his operations were 
those of La Manta and Santa Anna, long before worked by 
the Spaniards, though, in consequence of the luxurianoe and 
rapidity of the vcjgetation, all traces of the old workings 
had become completely overgrown and lost. Everything 
had to be begun anew. Beads had to be cut to the mines> 
machinery to be erected, and the ground opened up, in 
course of which some of the old adits were hit upon. The 
native peons or labourers were not accustomed to work, 
and at first they usually contrived to desert when they 
were not watched, so that very little progress could be 
made until the arrival of the expected band of miners from 
England. The authorities were by no means helpful, and 
the engineer was driven to an old expedient with the 
object of overcoming this difl&culty. "We endeavour all 
we can," he says, in one of his letters, " to make ourselves 
popular, and this we find most effectually accomplished by 
* regaling the venal beasts.' " * He also gave a ball at Mari- 
quita, which passed off with ^clat, the- governor from Honda, 
with a host of friends, honouring it with their presence. 
It was, indeed, necessary to " make a party " in ^lis way, 



* Letter to Mr. IHingworth, September 25th, 1825. 



Chap. XI MINING TEOUBLES. 19' 

VI other schemers were already trying to undermine the 
Colombian company in influential directions. The engi- 
neer did not exaggerate when he said, " The uncertainty of 
transacting business in this country is perplexing beyond 
description." 

At last, his party of miners arrived from England, but 
they gave him even more trouble than the peons had done. 
They were rough, drunken, and sometimes altogether un- 
governable. He set them to work at the Santa Anna mine 
without delay, and at the same time took up his abode 
amongst them, " to keep them," he said, " if possible, from 
indulging in the detestable vice of drunkenness, which, if 
not put a stop to, will eventually destroy themselves, and 
involve the mining association in ruin." To add to his 
troubles, the captain of the miners displayed a very hostile 
and insubordinate spirit, quarrelled and fought with the 
men, and was insolent to the engineer himself. The captain 
and his gang, being Cornish men, told Bobert to his face, 
that because he was a North-country man, and not bom in 
Cornwall it was impossible he should know anything of 
mining. Disease also fell upon him, — ^first fever, and then 
visceral derangement, followed by a return of his "old 
complaint, a feeling of oppression in the breast." No 
wonder that in the midst of these troubles he should 
longingly speak of returning to his native land. But ho 
stuck to his post and his duty, kept up his courage, and by 
a mixture of mildness and firmness, and the display of great 
coolness of judgment, he contrived to keep the men to 
their work, and gradually to carry forward the enterprise 
which he had undertaken. By the beginning of July, 1826', 
we find that quietness and order had been restored, azid the 
works were proceeding more satisfisustonly, though the yield 
of silver was not as yet very promising. Mr. Stephenson 
calculated that at least three years' diligent and costly 
0]>erations would be needed to render the mines productive. 

In the meatL time he removed to the dwelling which had 
been erected for his accommodation at Santa Anna. It was 



198 COTTAGE AT SANTA ANNA Chap, SI. 

a stmcture apeedily laiaed after the fashion of the ooimtry. 
The walle were of split and flattened hamhoo, tied together 
with the long fibres of a dried climbing plant ; the roof waa 
of pabn-leavea, and the ceiling of reeda. When an earth- 
quake shook the district^for earthquakes were freqnent — 
the inmates of such a fabric merely felt as if shaken in a 
basket, without sustAining any barm. In front of the 
cottage lay a woody ravine, extending almost to the base of 
the Andes, goigeoualy clothed in primeval v^etation — 



Bobnt Slcpbensm's CutUge at Sunta Anna. 

magnolias, palms, bamboos, tree-ferns, acacias, cedars ; and, 
towering over all, the great almendrona, with their smooth, 
silvery sterna, bearing aloft noble clusters of pure white 
blossom. The forest was haunted by myriads of gay insects, 
butterflies with winga of dazzling lustre, birds of brilliant 
plumage, humming-birds, golden orioles, toucans, and a 



CHAP. XI. DETEEMINES TO RETURN HOME. 199 

host of solitaiy warblers. But the glorious sunsets seen 
from his oottage-porch more than all astonished and de- 
lighted the young engineer ; and he was accustomed to say 
that, after having witnessed them, he was reluctant to 
accuse the ancient Peruvians of idolatry. 

But all these natural beauties failed to reconcile him to 
the harassing difficulties of his situation, which continued 
to increase rather than diTninish. He was hampered by the 
action of the Board at home, who gave ear to hostile 
criticisms on his reports; and, although they afterwards 
made handsome acknowledgment of his services, he felt his 
position to be altogether unsatisfactory. He therefore 
determined to leave at the expiry of his three years 
engagement, and communicated his decision to the directors 
accordingly. On receiving his letter, the Board, through 
Mr. Kichardson, of Lombard street, one of the directors, 
communicated with his father at Newcastle, representing 
that if he would allow his son to remain in Colombia the 
Company would make it " worth his while." To this the 
&ther gave a decided negative, and intimated that he 
himself needed his son's assistance, and that he must 
return at the expiry of his three years' term, — a decision, 
writes Robert, "at which I feel much gratified; as it is dea^ 
that he is as anxious to have me back in England as I am 
to get there." * At the same time, Edward Pease, a principal 
partner in the Newcastie firm, privately wrote Eobert to the 
foliowing effect, urging his return home : — " I can assure 
thee that thy business at Newcastle, as well as thy father's 
engineering, have suffered very much from thy absence, and, 
unless thou soon return, the former will be given up, as Mr. 
Longridge is not able to give it that attention it requires ; 
and what w done is not done with credit to the house." 
'The idea of the manufectory being given up, which Eobert 
had laboured so hard to establish before leaving England, 
was painful to him in the extreme, and he wrote to the 



• Letter to Mr. llUngworth, A^tfil 9th, 1827. 



200 MEETS 'W ITH TREVITHICK. Chap. XL 

manager of the Company, strongly nixing that arrange- 
ments shotJd be made for kim to leave without delay. In 
the mean time he was again laid prostrate by another violent 
attack of aguish fever ; and when able to write in Jmie^ 
1827, he expressed himself as ''completely wearied and 
worn down with vexation." 

At length, when he was sufficiently recovered from his 
attack and able to travel, he set out on his voyt^e home^ 
ward in the beginning of August. At Mompox, on his way 
down the river Magdalena, he met Mr. Bodmer, his suc- 
cessor, with a fresh party of miners from England, on their 
way up the country to the quarters which he had just 
quitted. Next day, six hours after leaving Mompox, a 
steamboat was met ascending the river, with Bolivar the 
Liberator on board, on his way to St. Bogota ; and it was 
a mortification to otir engineer that he had only a passing 
sight of that distinguished person. It was his intention, on 
leaving Mariquita, to visit the Isthmus of Panama on his way 
home, for the purpose of inquiring into the practicability of 
cutting a canal to unite the Atlantic and Pacific — a project 
which then formed the subject of considerable public dis- 
cussion ; but his presence being so anxiously desired at 
home, he determined to proceed to New York without 
delay. 

Arrived at the port of Cartagena, he had to wait some 
time for a ship. The delay was very irksome to him, the 
more so as the city was then desolated by the ravages of the 
yellow fever. While sitting one day in the large, bare, 
comfortless public room of the miserable hotel at which he 
put up, he observed two strangers, whom he at once per- 
ceived to be English. One of the strangers was a tall, gaunt 
man, shrunken and hollow-looking, shabbily dressed, and 
apparently poverty-stricken. On making inquiry, he found 
it was Trevithick, the builder of ihe first railroad loco- 
motive I He was returning home from the gold-mines of 
Peru penniless. He had left England in 1816, with power- 
ful steam-engines, intended for the drainage and working of 



Chip. XI. THE VOYAGE HOME. 201 

the Perayian mines. He met with abnost £• royal reoeptioD 
on his landing at Lima. A guard of honour was appointed 
to attend him, and it was even proposed to erect a statue of 
Don Ricardo Trevithick in solid silver. It was given forth 
in Cornwall that his emoluments amountod to 100,000i. a 
year,* and that he was making a gigantic fortune. Great, 
therefore, was Eobert Stephenson's surprise to find this 
potent Don Bicardo in the inn at Cartagena, reduced almost 
to his last shilling, and unable to proceed farther. He had 
indeed realised the trath of the Spanish proverb, that 
" a silver-mine brings misery, a gold-mine ruin." He and 
his friend had lost everything in their journey across the 
country from Peru. They had forded rivers and wandered 
through forests, leaving aU their baggage behind them, and 
had reached thus far with little more than the clothes upon 
their backs. Almost the only remnant of precious metal 
saved by Trevithick was a pair of silver spurs, which he 
took back with him to CornwaU. Eobert Stophenson lent 
him 50Z. to enable him to reach England ; and though he 
was afterwards heard of as an inventor there, he had no 
farther part in the ultimate triumph of the locomotive. 

But Trevithick's misadventures on this occasion had not 
yet ended, for before he reached New York he was wrecked, 
and Eobert Stephenson with him. The following is the 
account of the voyage, " big with adventures," as given by 
the latter in a letter to his friend lUingworth : — " At first 
we had very Httle foul weather, and indeed were for several 
days becalmed amongst the islands, which was so far 
fortunate, for a few degrees farther north the most tre- 
mendous gales were blowing, and they appear (from otir 
future information) to have wrecked every vessel exposed to 
their violence. We had two examples of the effects of the 
hurricane; for, as we sailed north we took on board the 
remains of two crews found floating about on dismantled 
hulls. The one had been nine days without food of any 



* ' Geological Transactaons of ComwalV i. 222. 



202 ARRIVES AT LIVERPOOL. C&ap. XL 

kind, ezoept the carcaaseB of two of their oompanions who 
had died a day or two preyionsly from &tigae and hunger. 
The other crew had been driven about for six days, and 
were not so dejected, bnt reduced to sach a weak state that 
they were obliged to be drawn on board our vessel by icpes. 
A brig bound for Havannah took part of the men, and we 
took ihe remainder. To attempt any description of my 
feelings on witnessing such scenes woxQd be in vain. You 
will not be surprised to learn that I felt somewhat uneasy 
at the thought that we were so fSe^r from England, and that 
I also might possibly suffer similar shipwreck ; but I con- 
soled myself with the hope that fate would be more kind to 
11& It was not so much so, however, as I had flattered 
myself; for on voyaging towards New York, after we had 
made the land, we ran aground about midnight. The 
vessel soon jQlled with water, and, being surrounded by the 
breaking surf, the ship was soon split up, and before morn- 
ing our situation became perilous. Masts and aU were out 
away to prevent the hull rocking ; but all we could do was 
of no avail. About 8 o'clock on the following morning, after 
a most miserable night, we were taken off the \vreck, and were 
so fortunate as to reach the shore. I saved my minerals, 
but Empson lost part of his botanical collection. Upon the 
whole, we got off well ; and, had I not been on the Ame- 
rican side of the Atlantic, I * guess* I wouli not have gone 
to sea again." 

After a short tour in the United States and Canada, 
llobert Stephenson and his friend took ship for Liverpool, 
where they arrived at the end of November, and at once 
pitoceeded to Newcastle. The fectory was by no means in a 
prosperous state. During the time Eobert had been in 
America it had been carried on at a loss; and Edward 
Pease, much disheartened, wished to retire, but George 
Stephenson was unable to buy him out, and the establish- 
ment had to be carried on in the hope that the locomotive 
might yet be established in public estimation as a practical 
\nd economical working power. Bobert Stephenson immedi- 



Chap. XI. FIXED jlND LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES. 203 

ately instituted a rigid inquiry into the working of the cx)n- 
oem, nnraYelled the acoonnts, which had fallen into oonfusion 
during his father's absence at Liverpool ; and he soon suc- 
ceeded in placing the affairs of the fsictory in a more healthy 
condition. In all this he had the hearty support of his 
fiktber, as well as of ihe other partners. 

The works of the Liverpool and Manchester Bailway 
were now approaching completion. But, singular to say, 
the directors had not yet decided as to the tractive power 
to be employed in working the line when opened for traffic. 
The differences of opinion among them were so great as 
Apparently to be irreconcilable. It was necessary, however, 
that they should come to some decision without further loss 
of time ; and many Board meetings were accordingly held to 
discuss the subject. The old-fashioned and well-tried 
system of horse haulage was not without its advocates ; but, 
looking at the large amount of traffic which there was to be 
conveyed, and at the probable delay in the transit from 
station to station if this method were adopted, tho directors, 
after a visit made by them to the Northumberland and 
Durham railways in 1 828, came to the conclusion that the 
employment of horse power was inadmissible. 

Fixed engines had many advocates ; the locomotive very 
few : it stood as yet almost in a minority of one — George 
Stephenson. The prejudice against the employment of the 
latter power had even increased since the Liverpool and 
Manchester Bill underwent its first ordeal in the House of 
Commons. In proof of this, we may mention that the 
Newcastle and Carlisle Eailway Act was conceded in 1829, 
on the express condition that it should not be worked by 
locomotives, but by horses only. 

Grave doubts existed as to the practicability of working 
a large traffic by means of travelling engines. The most 
celebrated engineers offered no opinion oq the subject. 
ITiey did not believe in the locomotive, and would scarcely 
take the trouble to examine it. The ridicule with which 
George Stephenson had been assailed by the barristers 



3M SCHEMES FUB LOCOMOTION. C^ap. XI 

befiire the Pttrliamentaiy Committee bad not been alto- 
getber distastefol to tbem. Perbaps^tbey did not i^didi 
tbe idea of a man wbo bad picked up bis ezperienoe in 
Newcastle ooal-pits appearing in ibe capacitj of a leading 
engineer before Parliament, and attempting to establisli a 
new system of internal oammnnication in tbe connliy 
Tbe directors ooold not disregard tbe adTerse and oonfiict- 
ing yiews of tbe professional men wbom tbey cmsulted. 
Bnt Mr. Stepbenson bad so repeatedly and earnestly mged 
upon tbem tbe propriety of making a trial of tbe looomotrve 
before coming to any decision agoiDst it, tbat tbey at lengtb 
antborised bim to proceed witb the construction of one of 
bis engines by way of experiment. In their report to the 
proprietors at their annual meeting on the 27th Mardi, 
1828, they state that they had, after dne consideration, 
authorised the engineer ^ to prepare a locomotive engine, 
which, from the nature of its construction and from the 
experiments already made, he is of opinion will be effectiye 
for the purposes of the Company, without proving an annoy- 
ance to the publia" The locomotiYe thus ordered was 
placed upon the line in 1829, and was found of great ser- 
vice in drawing the waggons foil of marl from the two 
great cuttings. 

In the mean time the discussion proceeded as to the kind 
of power to be permanently employed for the working of 
the railway. The directors were inundated with schemes 
of all sorts for &cilitating locomotion. The projectors of 
England, France, and America, seemed to be let loose upon 
them. There were plans for working the waggons along 
the line by water power. Some proposed hydrogen, and 
others carbonic acid gas. Atmospheric pressure had its 
eager advocatea And various kinds of fixed and locomo- 
motive steam-power were suggested. Thomas Gray urged 
his plan of a greased road with cog rails; and Messrs. 
Yignolles and Ericsson recommended the adoption of a 
central friction rail, against which two horizontal rollers 
onder the locDmotive, pressing upon tbe sides of this lail, 




Chap. XI. WALKER AND RASTRICTS REPORT. 205 

were to afford the means of ascending the inclined planea 
The directors felt themselves quite nnable to choose from 
amidst this multitude of projects. The engineer expressed 
himself as decidedly as heretofore in faiYonr of smooth rails 
and locomotive engines, which, he was confident, wonld be 
found the most ecoucmical . and by far the most convenient 
moving power that oould be employed. The Stockton and 
Darlington Eailway being now at work, another deputation 
went down personally to inspect the fixed and locomotive 
engines on that line, as well as at Hetton and Eillingworth. 
They returned to Liverpool with much information ; but 
their testimony as to the relative merits of the two kinds of 
engines was so contradictory, that the directors were as fiir 
from a decision as ever. 

They then resolved to call to their aid two professional 
engineers of high standing, who should visit the Darlington 
and Newcastle railways, carefully examine both modes of 
working — ^the fixed and the locomotive, — and report to them 
frdly on the subject. The gentlemen selected were Mr. 
Walker of Limehouse, and Mr. BcLstrick of Stourbridge. 
After carefully examining the modes of working the northern 
i^ailways, they made their report to the directors in the 
spring of 1829. They concuired in the opinion that the 
cost of an establishment of fixed engines would be some- 
what greater than that of locomotives to do the same work ; 
but thought the annual charge would be less if the former 
were adopted. They calculated that the cost of moving a 
ton of goods thirty miles by fixed engines would be 6*40(1., 
and by locomotives, 8-36<l., — assuming a profitable traffic tc 
be obtained both ways. At the same time it was admitted 
that there apx)eared more ground for expecting improve- 
ments in the construction and working of^locomotives than 
of stationary engines. On the whole, however, and looking 
especially at the computed annual charge of working the 
road on the two systems on a laige scale, the two reporting 
engineers were of opinion that fixed engines were prefer- 
ablci and accordingly recommended their adoption. And, in 



206 



STEPHENSON'S PEBSISTENCE. 



Chap. XI. 



order to oai-ry the system recommended by them into effect, 
they proposed to divide the railroad between Liverpool and 
Manchester into nineteen stages of about a mile and a half 
each, with twenty-one engines fixed at the different points 
to work the trains forward. 

Such was the result, so &r, of George Stephenson's labours. 
Two of the best practical engineers of the day concurred in 
reporting substantially in faiYour of the employment of fixed 
engines. Not a single professional man of eminence sup- 
ported the engineer in his preference for locomotiYe over 
fixed engine power. He had scarcely an adherent, and the 
locomotive system seemed on the eve of being abandoned. 
Still he did not despair. With the profession as well as public 
opinion against him — for the most frightfdl stories were 
abroad respecting the dangers, the unsightliness, and the 
nuisance which the locomotive would create — Stephenson 
held to his purpose. Even in this, apparently the darkest 
hour of the locomotive, he did not hesitate to declare that 
locomotive railroads would, before many years had passed, 
be " the great highways of the world." 

He urged his views upon the directors in all ways, and, 
as some of them thought, at all seasons. He pointed out 
the greater convenience of locomotive power for the purposes 
of a public highway, likening it to a series of short uncon- 
nected chains, any one of which could be removed and 
another substituted without interruption to the traffic; 
whereas the fixed engine system might be regarded in the 
light of a continuous chain extending between the two 
termini, the failure of any link of which would derange the 
whde.* He represented to the Board that the locomotive 



* The argumenta used by Mr. 
Btophendon with the direotors, in 
favout of the locomotive engine, 
were afterwards collected and pub- 
lished in 1830 by Robert Stephen- 
son and Joseph Locke, as ** com- 
piled from the Beports of Mr. 
tieoigo Stephenson." The pam- 



phlet was entitled, ' Obserrationfl 
on the Comparative Merits of 
Locomotive and Fixed Engines.* 
Robert Stephenson, speaking of 
the authorship many years after, 
said, *' I believe I ftirnished the 
facts and the arguments, and Looko 
put them into shi^. Locdce wm 



Chap. XI. 



A PRIZE OFFEBEB. 



207 



¥ra8 yet capable of gi-eat improyements, if proper indnoe- 
ments were held out to inventors and machinists to make 
them ; and he pledged himself that, if time were given him, 
he would construct an engine that should satisfy their 
requirements, and prove itself capable of working heavy 
loads along the railway with speed, regularity and safely. 
At length, influenced by his persistent earnestness not less 
than by his arguments, the directors, at the suggestion of 
Mr. Harrison, determined to offer a prize of 500Z. for the 
best locomotive engine, which, on a certain day, should be 
produced on the railway, and perform certain specified 
conditions in the most satisfactory manner.* 

It was now felt that the fate of railways in a great 
measure depended upon the issue of this appeal to the me- 
chanical genius of England. When the advertisement of 
the prize for the best locomotive was published, scientific 
men began more particularly to direct their attention to 
the new power which was thus struggling into existence. 
In the mean time public opinion on the subject of railway 



a very flowery writer, whereas my 
style was rather bald and unat- 
tractive; so he was the editor of 
the pamphlet, which excited a 
good deal of attention amongst 
engineers at the time." 

* The conditions were these : — 

1. The engine must effectually 
consume its own smoke. 

2. The engine, if of six tons 
weight, must be able to draw after 
It, d&j by day, twenty tons weight 
(including tlie tender and water- 
tank) at ten miles an hour, with a 
pressure of steam on the boiler not 
exceeding fifty pounds to the square 
inch. 

3. The boiler must have two 
safety-valves, neither of which 
must be fiistened down, and one 
of them be completely out of the 
control of the engineman. 

4. The engine and boiler must 
be supported on springs, and rest 



on six wheels, the height of the 
whole not exceeding fifteen feet to 
the lop of the chimney. 

5. The engine, with water, must 
not weigh more than six tons ; but 
an engine of less weight would be 
prefenred on its drawing a propor- 
tionate load behind it ; S oi^y four 
and a half tons, then it might be 
put on only four wheels. The Com- 

Eauy'to be at liberiy to test the 
oiler, &c., by a pressure of one 
hundred and fifty pounds to the 
square inch. 

6. A mercurial gac£;e must be 
affixed to the machine, showing 
the steam pressure above forty-five 
pounds per square inch. 

7. The engine must be delivered, 
complete and ready for trial, at the 
Liverpool end of the railway, not 
later than the 1st of October, 1829. 

8. The price of the engine must 
not exceed 5502. 



20R DISCUSSIONS OP THE BTKPHENSONS Chap. Xi 

working remained suspended, ard the progress of the under', 
taking was watched with intense interest. 

During the progress of the discussion with reference to 
the kind of power to be employed, Mr. Stephenson wtis in 
constant communication with his son Bobert, who made 
frequent visits to Liverpool for the purpose of assisting hia 
father in the preparation of his reports to the Board on tho 
subject They had also many conversations as to the best 
mode of increasing the powers and perfecting the mechanism 
of the locomotive. These became more frequent and inte- 
resting, when the prize was offered for the best locomotive, 
and the working plans of the engine which they proposed 
to construct came to be settled. 

One of the most important considerations in the new 
engine was the arrangement of the boiler and the extension 
of its heatii&g surface to enable steam enough to be raised 
rapidly and continuously, for the purpose of maintaining 
high rates of speed, — ^the effect of high-pressure engines 
being ascertained to depend mainly upon the quantity of 
stetam which the boiler can generate, and upon its d^ree 
of elasticity when produced. The quantity of steam so 
generated, it will be obvious, must depend chiefly upon the 
quantity of fuel consumed in the furnace, and by necessary 
consequence, upon the high rate of temperature maintained 
there. 

It wiQ be remembered that in, Stephenson's first Killing- 
worth engines he invented and apjdied the ingenious 
method of stimulating combustion in the fomaoe, by throw- 
ing the waste steam into the chimney after performing its 
of&ce in the cylinders, thus aooeleraling the ascent of the 
cun*ent of air, greatly increasing the draught, and conse- 
quently the temperature of the fire. This plan was adopted 
by him, as we have already seen, as early as 1815 ; and it 
was so successful that he himself attributed to it the 
greater economy of the locomotive as compared with horse 
power. Hence the continuance of its use upon the Killing 
worth Bailway. 



CBAP XT. TITBDLAR BOILEK. 200 

Tbongli the adoption of the steam-Llast greatly quickened 
oombnstion and contribnted to the rapid production of high- 
pressure steam, the limited amount of heating sur£su)e pre- 
sented to the fire was still felt to be an obstacle to the 
complete success of the locomotive engine. Mi*. Stephenson 
endeavoured to overcome this by lengthening the boilers 
and increasing the surface presented by the flue-tubes. The 
" Lancashire Witch," which he built for the Bolton and 
Leigh Bailway, and used in forming the Liverpool and 
Manchester Railway embankments, was constructed with 
a double tube, each of which contained a fire and passed 
longitudinally through the boiler. But this arrangement 
necessarily led to a considerable increase in the weight of 
the engine, which amounted to about twelve tons ; and as 
six tons was the limit allowed for engines admitted to the 
Liverpool competition, it was clear that the time was come 
when the Killingworth locomotive must undergo a further 
important modification. 

For many years previous to this period, ingenious me- 
chanics had been engaged in attempting to solve the problem 
of the best and most economical boiler for the production of 
high-pressure steam. As early as 1803, Mr. VVoolf patented 
a tubular boiler, which was extensively employed at the 
Cornish mines, and was found greatly to facilitate the pro- 
duction of steam, by the extension of the heating surface. 
The ingenious Trevithick, in his patent of 1815, seems also 
to have entertained the idea of employing a boiler con- 
structed of "small perpendicular tubes," with the same 
object of increasing the heating sur&ce. These tubes were 
to be closed at th*) bottom, and open into a common reser- 
voir, from which they were to receive their water, and 
where the steam of all the tubes was to be united. 

About the same time George Stephenson was trying the 
effect of introducing small tubes in the boilers of his looa 
motives, with the object of increasing their evaporative 
power. Thus, in 1829, he sent to France two engines con- 
structed at the Newcastle works for the Lyons and St 

V. P 



210 CONSTRUCTION OF THE "ROCKET." Cmap. XI. 

Etienne Railway, in the boilers of which tubes wei-e placed 
containing water. The heating surface was thus found to 
be materially increased ; but the expedient was not success- 
ful, for the tubes, becoming furred with deposit, shortly 
burned out and were removed. It was then that M. S<^in, 
the engineer of the railway, pursuing the same idea, adopted 
his plan of employing horizontal tubes through which 
the heated air passed in streamlets. Mr. Henry Booth, the 
secretary of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, with- 
out any knowledge of M. Seguin's proceedings, next devised 
his plan of a tubular boiler, which he brought under the 
notice of Mr. Stephenson, who at once adopted it, and 
settled the mode in which the fire-box and tubes were to be 
mutually arranged and connected. This plan was adopted 
in the construction of the celebrated " Rocket " engine, the 
building of which was immediately proceeded with at 
the Newcastle works. 

The principal circumstances connected with the construc- 
tion of the " Rocket," as described by Robert Stephenson to 
the author, may be briefly stated. The tubular principle 
was adopted in a more complete manner than had yet been 
attempted. Twenty-five copper tubes, each three inches in 
diameter, extended from one end of the boiler to the other, 
the heated air passing through them on its way to the 
chimney ; and the tubes being surrounded by the water of 
the boiler, it will be obvious that a large extension of the 
heating surface was thus eflfectuaUy secured. The principal 
difficulty was in fitting the copper tubes within the boiler 
so as to prevent leakage. They were made by a Newcastle 
coppersmitn, and soldered to brass screws which were 
screwed into the boiler ends, standing out in great knobs. 
When the tubes were thus fitted, and the boiler was filled 
with water, hydraulic pressure was applied ; but the water 
squirted out at every joint, and the factory floor was soon 
flooded. Robert went home in despair ; and in the first 
moment of grief, he wrote to his father that the whole 
thing was a failure. By return of nost came a letter from 



Chap. XI. THE STEAM-BLAST. 211. 

liis father, telling him that despair was not to be thought 
of — that he must '' try again ;" and he suggested a mode of 
overcoming the difficulty, which his son had already antici- 
pated and prooeedtjd to adopt. It was, to bore clean holes 
in the boiler ends, fit in the smooth copper tubes as tightly 
as possible, solder up, and then raise the steam. This plan 
succeeded perfectly, the expansion of the copper tubes com- 
pletely filling up all interstices, and producing a perfectly 
watertight boiler, capable of withstanding extreme internal 
pressure. 

The mode of employing the steam-blast for the purpose 
of increasing the draught in the chimney, was also the 
subject of numerous experiments. AVhen the engine was 
first tried, it was thought that the blast in the chimney 
was not strong enough to keep up the intensity of the firo 
in the furnace, so as to produce high-pressure steam in suf- 
ficient quantity. The expedient was therefore adopted of 
hammering the copper tubes at the point at which they 
entered the chinmey, whereby the blast was considerably 
sharpened ; and on a further tiial it was found that the 
draught was increased to such an extent as to enable abun- 
dance of steam to be raised. The rationale of the blast may 
be simply explained by referring to the effect of contracting 
the pipe of a water-hose, by which the force of the jet 
of water is proportionately increased. Widen the nozzle of 
the pipe, and the force is in like manner diminished. So is 
it with the steam-blast in the chimney of the locomotive. 

Doubts were, however, expressed whether the greatei 
draught secured by the contraction of the blast- pipe was 
not counterbalanced in some degree by the negative 
pressure u\K>n the piston. A series of experiments was 
made with pipes of different diameters; the amount oi 
vacuum produced being determined by a glass tube open 
at both ends, which was fijted to the bottom of the smoke- 
box, and descended into a bucket of water. As ihe rare- 
faction took place, the water would of course rise in the 
tube; and the height to which it rose above the f?urfiice 



212 ARRANGEMENTS OF THE "ROCKET." Chap. XI. 

of the water in tie bucket was made the meaeore of the 
amount of rare&ction. These experimeuts proTed that a 
considerable increase of draught was obtained by the con- 
traction of the orifice; accordingly, the two blast-pipee 
caning from the cylinders into either side of the " Eo^et " 
chimney, and turned up within it, were contracted slightly 
below the area of the 8l«am-ports ; and before the engine 
left the factory, the water rose in the glass tube three 
inches above the water in the bucket. 

The other arrangements of the " Kocicet " were briefly 
these; — the boiler was cylindrical with flat ends, 6 feet 
in length, and 3 feet 4 inches in diameter. The upper 
half of the boiler was ttsed as a reservoir for the steam, 
the lower half being filled with water. Through the lower 



jiart, 25 copper tubes of 3 inches diameter extended, which 
were open to the fire-box at one end, and to the chimney 
at the other. The fire-box, or furnace, 2 feet wide and 3 



Chap. XI. THE -ROCKET- FINISHED. 213 

feet high, wa£ attached immediately behind the boiJer, and 
WHS also suiTounded with water. The cylinders of the 
engine were placed on ea<;h side of the boiler, in an oblique 
position, one end being nearly level with the top of the 
boiler at its after end, and the other pointing towards 
the centre of the foremost or driving pair of wheels, with 
which the connection was directly made from the piston- 
rod, to a pin on the outside of the wheel. The engine, 
together with its load of water, weighed only 4 J tons, and 
was supported on four wheels, not coupled. The tender 
was four-wheeled, and similar in shape to a waggon, — 
the foremost part holding the fuel, and the hind part a 
water-cask. 

When the "Eocket" was finished, it was placed upon 
the Killingworth railway for the purpose of experiment. 
The new boiler arrangement was found perfectly successful. 
The steam was raised rapidly and continuously, and in a 
quantity which then appeared marvellous. The same 
evening Kobert despatched a letter to his father at Liver- 
pool, informing him, to his great joy, that the " Rocket " 
was " all right," and would be in complete working trim 
by the day of trial. The engine was shortly after sent 
by waggon to Carlisle, and thence shipped for Livei'pool. 

The time so much longed for by George Stephenson 
had now arrived, when the merit of the passenger loco- 
motive was to be put to a public test. He had fought 
the battle for it until now almost single-handed. En- 
grossed by his daily labours and anxieties, and harassed 
by difficulties and discouragements which would have 
crushed the spirit of a less resolute man, he had held 
firmly to his purpose through good and through evD 
report The hostility which he experienced from soiq€ 
of die directors opposed to the adoption of the locomo- 
tive, was the ciromnstance that caused him the greatest 
grief of all; for where he had looked for encouragement, 
he foimd only carping and opposition. But his pluck 
uever failed him; and now the "Bockef was upon the 



ill 



THE COMPETING ENGINES. 



Chap. XI. 



grounil, — tc prove, to use his own words, "whether he 
was a man of his word or not." 

Great interest was felt at Liverpool, as well as through • 
out the country, in the approaching competition. En 
gineers, scientific men, and mechanics, arrived from alJ 
quarters to witness the novel display of mechanical in- 
genuity on which such great results depended. The public 
generally were no indifferent spectators either. The in- 
habitants of Liverpool, Manchester, and the adjacent towns 
felt that the successful issue of the experiment would 
confer upon them individual benefits and local advantages 
almost incalculable, whilst populations at a distance waited 
for the result with almost equal interest. 

On the day appointed for the great competition of loco 
motives at Bainhill, the following engines were entered for 
the prize : — 

1. Messrs. Braithwaite and Ericsson's* "Novelty.'* 

2. Mr. Timothy Hackworth's " Sanspareil." 

3. Messrs. R. Stephenson and Co.'s " Rocket." 

4. Mr. Burstall's " Perseverance." 

Another engine was entered by Mr. Brandreth of Liver- 
pool — the " Cycloped," weighing 3 tons, worked by a horse 
in a frame, but it could not be admitted to the competi- 
tion. The above were the only four exhibited, out of a 
considerable number of engines constructed in different 
parts of the country in anticipation of this contest, many of 
which could not be satisfactorily completed by the day 
of trial. 

The ground on which the engines were to be tried was 
a level piece of railroad, about two miles in length. Each 
was required to make twenty trips, or equal to a journey 



♦ The inventor of this engine 
was a Swede, who afterwards pro- 
ceeded to the United States, and 
tiiere achieved considerable dis- 
tliintioD as an engineer. Hif Ca- 



loric Engine has so &r proved a 
failure, but his iron cupola vessel, 
the '* Monitor," must be admitted 
to have been a ]:emarkable succea 
in its way 



Ci[«p. XL . TMAL AT lUISniLL. 215 

of 70 miles, in the coureo of the day ; and the average rate 
of travelling was to bo not nnder 10 miles an hour. It 
was determined that, to avoid confusion, each engine should 
be tried separately, and on different days. 

The day fixed for the competition was the let of October, 
but to allow sufficient time to get the locomotives into good 
Working order, the directors extended it to the 6th. On the 
morning of the 6th, the ground at BainhiU presented a 
lively appearance, and there was as much excitement as if 
the St, Leger were about to be run. Many thousand 
spectators looked on, amongst whom were some of the first 
engineera and mechanicians of tho day. A stand was 
provided for the ladies; the "beauty and fashion " of the 
neighbourhood wore present, and the side of tho railroad 
waa lined with carriages of all d 



LocoOHtlT.' comiKtitloo at BaluliilL 

It was quite characteristic of the Stephensons, that, 
although their engine did not stand first on the list for trial, 
it was the first that was ready ; and it was accordingly 
ordered out by the judges for an experimental trip. Yet 
the " Rocket " was by no means " the favourite " with either 
the judges or the spectators. A majority of the judges was 



216 SPEED OF THE •ROCKET.'. Chap. XJ. 

fifciongly predisposed in &TOTir of the •* Ncnrelty/' and nine- 
tenths of those present were against the *• Bocket " because 
of its appearance. Nearly every person feiToured some other 
engine, so that there was nothing for the '* Kocket *' but the 
practical test. The first trip which it made was quite 
vucoessfuL It ran abont 12 miles, without interruption, in 
about 53 minutes. 

The "Novelty" was next called out It was a light 
engine, very compact in appearance, carrying the water 
and fuel upon the same wheels as the engine. The weight 
of the whole was only 3 tons and 1 hundredweight. A 
peculiarity of this engine was that the air was driven or 
forced through the fire by means of beUows. The day being 
now far advanced, and some dispute having arisen as to the 
method of assigning the proper load for the " Novelty," no 
particidar expeidment was made,, foi'ther than that the 
engine traversed the line by way of exhibition, occasionally 
moving at the rate of 24 miles an hour. The " Sanspareil," 
constructed by Mr. Timothy Hackworth, was next ex- 
hibited ; but no particidar experiment was made with it on 
this day. 

The contest was postponed until the following day , but 
before the judges arrived on the ground, the bellows tor 
creating the blast in the " Novelty " gave way, and it was 
found incapable of going through its performance. A defect 
was also detected in the boiler of the " Sanspareil ;" and 
some further time was aUowed to get it repaired. The 
large number of spectators who had assembled to witness 
tlie amtest were greatly disappointed at this postponement ; 
but, to lessen it, Stephenson again brought out the " Bocket," 
and, attaching to it a coach containing thirty persons, he ran 
them along the line at the rate of from 24 to 30 miles an 
hour, much to their gratification and amazement. Before 
separating, the judges ordered the engine to be in readiness 
by eight o'clock on the following morning, to go through its 
definitive trial according to the prescribed conditions. 

On the momin£C of the 8th October, the "Bocket'' was 



Chap. XL TRIUMPH OF THE -EOCKET/' 217 

again roady for fclie contest. The engine was taken to tlie 
extremity of the stage, the fire-box was filled with coke, the 
fire lighted, and the steam raised until it lifted the safety- 
valve loaded to a pressure of 60 pounds to the square inch. 
This proceeding occupied fifty-seven minutes. The engine 
then started on its journey, dragging after it about 13 tons 
weight in waggons, and made the first ten trips backwards 
and forwards along the two miles of road, running the 35 
miles, including stoppages, in one hour and 48 minutea 
The second ten trips were in like manner performed in 2 
hours and 3 minutes. The maximum velocity attained 
during the trial trip was 29 miles an hour, or about three 
times the speed that one of the judges of the competition 
had declared to be the limit of possibility. The average 
speed at which the whole of the journeys were performed 
was 15 miles an hour, or 5 miles beyond the rate specified 
in the conditions published by the Company. The entire 
performance excited the greatest astonishment amongst the 
assembled spectators ; the directors felt confident that their 
enterprise was now on the eve of success; and George 
Stephenson rejoiced to think that in spite of all false 
prophets and fickle counsellors, the locomotive system was 
now safe. W hen the " Eocket," having performed all the 
conditions of the contest, arrived at the " grand stand " at 
the close of its day's successful run, Mr. Cropper — one of the 
directors fiivourable to the fixed-engine system — lifted up 
his hands, and exclaimed, " Now has George Stephenson at 
last delivered himself I " 

Neither the " Novelty " nor the " Sanspareil " was ready 
for trial until the 10th, on the morning of which day an 
advertisement appeared, stating that the former engine was 
to be tried on that day, when it would perform more work 
than any engine upon the ground. The weight uf the car- 
riages attached to it was only about 7 tons. The engine 
passed the first post in good style; but in returning, 
the pipe from the forcmg-piunp burst and put an end to the 
triaL The pipe was afterwards repaired, and the engine 



218 FAILURE OF THE OTHER ENGINES. Chap. XI 

made sevei-al trips by itself, in which it was said to have 
gone at the rate of from 24 to 28 miles an hour. 

The ** Sanspareil " was not ready until the 13th; and 
when its boiler and tender were filled with water, it wm 
found to weigh 4 cwt. beyond the weight specified in the 
published conditions as the limit of four-wheeled engines ; 
nevertheless the judges allowed it to run on the same foot- 
ing as the other engines, to enable them to ascertain 
whether its merits entitled it to faivourable consideration. 
It travelled at the average speed of about 14 miles an hour, 
with its load attached; but at the eighth trip the cold- 
water pump got wrong, and the engine could proceed no 
farther. 

It was determined to award the premium to the success- 
ful engine on the following day, the 14th, on which 
occasion there was an unusual assemblage of spectators. 
The owners of the " Novelty " pleaded for another tnal ; 
and it was conceded. But again it broke down. The 
owner of the " Sanspareil " also requested the opportunity 
for making another trial of his engine. But the judges had 
now had enough of feUures; and they declined, on the 
ground that not only was the engine above the stipulated 
weight, but that it was constructed on a plan which they 
could not recommend for adoption by the directors of the 
Company. One of the principal practical objections to this 
locomotive was the enormous quantity of coke consumed or 
wasted by it — about 692 lbs. per hour when travelling — 
caused by the sharpness of the steam-blast in the chimney, 
which blew a large proportion of the burning coke into 
the air. 

The " Perseverance " was found unable to move at more 
than ^ve or six miles an hour ; and it was withdrawn from' 
the contest at an early period. The " Rocket " was thus 
the only engine that had performed, and more than per- 
formed, all the stipulated conditions ; and its owners were 
declared to be fuUy entitled to the prize of 500Z., which 
was awarded to the Mussrs. Stephenson and Booth accord 



Chap. XI. TRIUMPII OF THE RAILWAY SYSTEM. 



219 



ingly. And further, to sliow that the engine had Ix^ei. 
working quite within its powers, Mr. Stephenson ordered it 
to be brought upon the ground and detached from all in- 
cumbrances, when, in making two trips, it was found to 
trayel at the astonishing rate of 35 miles an hour. 

The " Bocket " had thus eclipsed the performances of all 
looomotive engines that had yet been constructed, and out- 
stripped even the sanguine expectations of its constructors. 
It satisfactorily answered the report of Messrs. Walker and 
Bastrick ; and established the efficiency of the locomotive 
for working the Liverpool and Manchester Bailway, and 
indeed all future railways. The " Rocket *' showed that a 
new power had been bom into the world, full of activity 
and strength, with boundless capability of work. It was the 
simple but admirable contrivance of the steam-blast, and its 
combination with the multitubular boiler, that at once gave 
the locomotive a vigorous life, and secured the triimiph of 
the railway system.* It has been well observed, that this 
wonderful ability to increase and multiply its powers of 
performance with the emei^ency that demands them, has 
made this giant engine the noblest creation of human wit, 
the very lion among machines. The success of the Rain- 
hill experiment, as judged by the public, may be inferred 
from the fact that the shares of the Company immediately 
rose ten per cent., and nothing more was heard of the 
proposed twenty-one fixed engines, engine-houses, ropes, <fec. 
All this cumbersome apparatus was thenceforward efifeo- 
tually disposed of. 

Very different now was the tone of those directors who 
had distinguished themselves by the persistency of their 
opposition to Mr. Stephenson's plans. Coolness gave way 
to eul(^y, and hostility to unbounded offers of friendship — 
after the manner of many men who run to the help of the 
strong. Deeply though the engineer had felt aggrieved by 



♦ •*The Rocket'* is now to be 
-Mien at the Muaeuii' of Patents at 



Kensington, where it is oarefal]; 
preserved. 



220 FAIR-WEATHER FRIENDS. Chap. XI. 

the oondact purBued towards him dnring this . eventful 
struggle, by eome from vrhom forbearanoe was to have been 
expected, he never entertained towards them in after lifs 
any angry feelings; ou the contrary, he forgave alL But 
though the directors afterwards passed unanimous resolu' 
tions eulogising " the great stdll and unwearied enei^ " of 
their engineer, he himself, when speaking confidentially to 
those with whom he was most intimate, could not help 
pointing out the difference between hia " foul-weather and 
fair-weather friends," Mr. Gooch says of him that though 
naturally most cheerful and kind-hearted in his disposition, 
the anxiety and pressure which weighed upon his mind 
during the cont^truction of the railway, had the effect of 
making him oocaaionally impatient and irritable, like a 
spirited horee touched by the spur; though hia original 
goodnature from time to time shone through it all. When 
the line had been brought to a successful completion, a very 
marked change in hun became visible. The irritability 
passed away, and when difficulties and vexations arose they 
were treated by him as matters of course, and with perfect 
composure and cheerfulness. 



Chap. XII. FIHST JOCENEY ON CHAT MOSft. 221 



CHAPTER XII. 

Opening of the Liverpool and Manohesteb Sailvat, 
AND Extension of the Railway System. 

The directors of the Railway now began to see dayL'ght ; 
and they derived encouragement from the sldlfal manner in 
which liieir engineer had overcome the principal difficulties 
of the undertaking. He had formed a solid road over Chat 
Moss, and thus achieved one *' impossibility ;" and he had 
constructed a locomotive that could run at a speed of 30 
miles an hour, thus vanquishing a still more formidable 
difficulty. 

A single line of way was completed over Chat Moss by 
the 1st of January, 1830 ; and on that day, the "Rocket" 
with a carriage full of directors, engineers, and their friends, 
passed along the greater part of the road between Liver- 
pool and Manchester. Mr. Stephenson continued to direct 
his close attention to the improvement of the details of the 
locomotive, every successive trial of which proved more 
satisfactory. In this department he had the benefit of 
the able and unremitting assistance of his son, who, in the 
workshops at Newcastle, directly superintended the con- 
struction of the new engines required for the public work- 
ing of the railway. He did not by any means rest satisfied 
with the success, decided though it was, which had been 
achieved by the " Rocket." He regarded it but in the light 
j)f a successful experiment; and every succeeding engine 
placed upon the railway exhibited some improvement on its 
predecessors. The arrangement of the parts, and the weight 
and proportions of the engines, were altered, as the expe- 
rience of each successive day, or week, or month, suggested ; 
and it was soon found that the performances of the 



222 THE RAILHOAD COMPLETED. Chap. XII 

•* Rocket " on the day of trial had been greatly within the 
powers of the locomotive. 

The tirst entire trip between Liverpool and Manche«ter 
was performed on the 14th of June, 1830, on the occasion 
of a Board meeting being held at the latter town. The train 
was on this occasion drawn by the " Arrow," one of the 
new locomotives, in which the most recent improvements 
had been adopted. Mr. Stephenson himself drove the 
engine, and Captain Scoresby, the circumpolar navigator, 
stood beside him on the foot-plate, and minuted the speed 
of the train. A great concourse of people assembled at both 
termini, as well as along the line, to witness the novel 
spectacle of a train of carriages dragged by an engine at a 
speed of 1 7 miles an hour. On the return journey to Liver- 
pool in the evening, the " Arrow " crossed Chat Moss at a 
speed of nearly 27 miles an hour, reaching its destination 
in about an hour and a half. 

In the mean time Mr. Stephenson and his assistants were 
diligently occupied in making the necessary preliminaiy 
arrangements for the conduct of the traffic against the time 
when the line should be ready for opening. The experi- 
ments made with the object of carrying on the passenger 
traffic at quick velocities were of an especially harassing 
and anxious character. Every week, for nearly three 
months before the opening, trial trips were made to 
Newton and back, generally with two or three trains fol- 
lowing each other, and carrying altogether from 200 to 300 
persons. These trips were usually made on Saturday after 
n'X)ns, when the works could be more conveniently stopped 
and the line cleared. In these experiments Mr. Stephenson 
had the able assistance of Mr. Henry Booth, the secretai-y 
of the Company, who contrived many of the arrangements 
in the rolling stock, not the least valuable of which was his 
invention of the coupling screw, still in use on all passenger 
railways. 

At length the line was finished, and ready for the public 
ceremony of the opening, which took place on the 151h 



Chap. XII. ACCIDENT TO MR. HUSKISSON. 223 

September, 1830, aud attracted a vast niunber of spectators 
The completion of the railway was justly regarded as an 
important national event, and the opening was celebrated 
aooi>rdingly. The Duke of Wellington, then Prime Minister, 
Sir Eobert Peel, and Mr. Huskisson, one of the members 
for Liverpool, were among the number of distinguished 
public personages present. 

Eight locomotive engines, constructed at the Stephenson 
works, had been delivered and placed upon the line, the 
whole of which had been tried and tested weeks befoi*©, 
with perfect success. The several trains of cari-iages accom- 
modated in all about six hundred persons. The processioD 
was cheered in its progress by thousands of spectators — 
through the deep ravine of Olive Mount; up the Sutton 
incline ; over the great Sankey viaduct, beneath which a 
great multitude of persons had assembled, — carriages filling 
the narrow lanes, and barges crowding the river ; the people 
below gazing with wonder and admiration at the trains 
which sped along the line, far above their heads, at the 
rate of some 24 miles an hour. 

At Parkside, about 17 miles from Liverpool, the engines 
stopped to take in water. Here a deplorable accident oo- 
ourred to one of the illustrious visitors, which threw a deep 
shadow over the subsequent proceedings of the day. The 
** Northumbrian " engine, with the carriage containing the 
Duke of Wellington, was drawn up on one line, in order 
that the whole of the trains on the other line might pass in 
review before him and his party. Mr. Huskisson had 
alighted from the carriage, and was standing on the oppo- 
site road, along which the " Eocket " was observed rapidly 
coming up. At this moment the Duke of Wellington, 
between whom and Mr. Huskisson some coolness had ex- 
isted, made a sign of rec<^nition, and held out his hand. 
A hurried but friendly grasp was given ; and before it wiis 
loosened there was a general cry from the bystanders of 
•* Get in, get in I " Flurried and confused, Mr. Huskisson 
ondeavoured to get round the open door of the carriage. 



224 Tflk. TEAiNS AT MANCHESTER. Chap. XU 

u'hioh projooted over the opposite rail ; but in so doing be 
was struck down by the " Rocket, " and falling with his leg 
doubled across the rail, the limb wcus instantly crushed 
His first words, on being raised, were, " I have met mj 
death," which unhappily proved true, for he expired that 
same evening in the parsonage of Eccles. It was cited at 
the time as a remarkable fact, that the " Northumbrian " 
engine, driven by George Stephenson himself, conveyed the 
woimded body of the unfortunate gentleman a distance of 
about 15 miles in 25 minutes, or at the rate of 36 miles an 
hour. This incredible speed bui'st upon the world with 
the effect of a new and unlooked-for phenomenon. 

The accident threw a gloom over the rest of the day's 
proceedings. The Duke of Wellington and Sir Robert Peel 
expressed a wish that the procession should return to Liver- 
pooL It was, however, represented to them that a vast 
concourse of people had assembled at Manchester to witness 
the arrival of the trains ; that report would exaggerate the 
mischief, if they did not complete the journey ; and that a 
false panic on that day might seriously affect future railway 
travelling and the value of the Company's property. The 
party consented accordingly to proceed to Manchester, but 
on itie understanding that they should return as soon as 
possible, and refrain from further festivity. 

As the trains approached Manchester, crowds of people 
were found covering the banks, the slopes of the cuttings, 
and even the railway itself.. The multitude, become im- 
patient and excited by the rumours which reached them, had 
outflanked the military, and all order was at an end. The 
people clambered about the carriages, holding on by the 
door-handles, and many were tumbled over ; but, happily 
no fiital accident occurred. At the Manchester station, the 
political element began to display itself-j placards about 
" Peterloo," &c., were exhibited, and brickbats were thrown 
at the carriage containing the Duke. On the carriages 
coming to a stand in the Manchester station the Duke did 
not descend, but remained seated, shaking hands with the 



Chap, XII. TRAFFIC BEGUN. 226 

women and children who were pushed forward by the 
crowd. Shortly after, the trains returned to Liverpool, 
which they reached, after considerable interruptions, in the 
dark, at a late hour. 

On the following morning the railway was opened for 
public traffic. The first train of 140 passengers was booked 
and sent on to Manchester, reaching it in the allotted period 
of two hours ; and from that time the traffic has regularly 
proceeded from day to day until now. 

It is scarcely necessary that we should speak at any 
length of the commercial results of the Liverpool and Man- 
chester Bailway. Suffice it to say that its success was 
complete and decisive. The anticipations of its projectors 
were, however, in many respects at fault. They had based 
their calculations almost entirely on -the heavy merchandise 
traffic — such as coal, cotton, and timber, — relying little 
upon passengers; whereas the receipts derived from the 
conveyance of passengers far exceeded those derived from 
merchandise of all kinds, which, for a time continued a sub- 
ordinate branch of the ti*affic. 

For some time after the public opening of the line, Mr. 
Stephenson's ingenuity continued to be employed in devising 
improved methods for securing the safety and comfort of 
the travelling public. Few are aware of the thousand 
minute details which have to be arranged — the forethought 
and contrivance that have to be exercised — to enable the 
traveller by railway to accomplish his journey in safety. 
After the difficulties of constructing a level road over bogs, 
across valleys, and through deep cuttings, have been over- 
come, the maintenance of the way has to be provided for with 
continuous care. Every rail with its fastenings must be com- 
plete, to prevent risk of accident; and the road must be kept 
regularly ballasted up to the level, to diminish the jolting 
of vehicles passing over it at high speeds. Then the stations 
must be protected by signals observable from such a dis- 
tance as to enable the train to be stopped in event of au 
obstacle, such as a stopping or shunting tmin being in the 

T. « 



226 IMPBOVEMENT OF BOAD AND PLANT. Csap. XIL 

way. For some years the Eognals employed on the Liver- 
pool railway were entirely given by men with flags of dif- 
ferent oolonrs stationed along the line ; there were no fixed 
signals, nor electiio telegraphs ; but the traffic was never- 
theless worked quite as safely as under the more elaborate 
and complicated eystem of telegraphing which has since 
been established. 

From an early period it became obvious that the iron road 
as originally laid down was &tT too weak for the heavy 
traffic which it had to carry. The line was at first laid 
with fish-bellied rails weighing thirty-five pounds to the 
yard, calculated only for horse-traffic, or, at most, for engines 
like the " Rocket," of very light weight. But as the power 
and the weight of the locomotives were increased, it was 
found that such r^ils were quite insufficient for the safe 
conduct of the traffic, and it therefore became necessary to 
ro-lay the road with heavier and stronger rails at consider- 
ably increased expense. 

The details of the carrying stock had in like manner to 
be settled by experience. Everything had, as it were, to be 
begun from the beginning. The coal-waggon, it is true, 
served in some degree as a model for the railway-truck ; but 
the railway passenger-carriage was an entirely novel 
structure. It had to be mounted upon strong framing, of a 
peculiar kind, supported on springs to prevent jolting. 
Then there was the necessity for contriving some method of 
preventing hard bumping of the carriage-ends when the 
train was pulled up ; and hence the contrivance of buffer- 
springs and spring frames. For tho purpose of stopping the 
train, brakes on an improved plan were also contrived, 
>vith new modes of lubricating the carriage axles, on which 
the wheels revolved at an unusually high velocity. In all 
these arrangements, Mr. Stephenson's inventiveness was kept 
constantly on the stretch ; and though many improvements 
iix detail have been effected since his time, the foundations 
were then laid by him of the present eystem of conduct- 
ing railway traffia As an illustration of the inventive 



Chap. XH. THE CARBYING STOCK. 227 

mgenuity which he displayed in providing for the working 
of the Liverpool line, we may mention his oontrivanoe of the 
Self-acting Brake. Ue early entertained the idea that the 
momentum of the running train might itself be made 
available for the purpose of checking its speed. He proposed 
to fit each carriage with a brake which should be called 
into action immediately on the locomotive at the head of the 
train being pulled up. The impetus of the carriages carry- 
ing them forward, the buffer-springs would be driven home 
and, at the same time, by a simple arrangement of the 
mechanism, the brakes would be called into simultaneous 
action; thus the wheels would be brought into a state oi 
sledge, and the train speedily stopped. This plan was 
adopted by Mr. Stephenson before he left the Liverpool 
and Manchester Bailway, though it was afterwards discon- 
tinued ; but it is a remarkable fact, that this identical plan, 
with the addition of a centrifugal apparatus, has quite 
recently been revived by M. Gu^rin, a French engineer, and 
extensively employed on foreign railways, as the best 
method of stopping railway trains in the most efficient 
manner and in the shortest time. 

Finally, Mr. Stephenson had to attend to the improvement 
of the power and speed of the locomotive — ^always the grand 
object of his study, — ^with a view to economy as well as 
regularity of working. Li the " Planet " engine, delivered 
upon the line immediately subsequent to the public opening, 
all the improvements which had up to that time been 
contrived by him and his son were introduced in combina- 
tion — the blast-pipe, the tubular boiler, horizontal cylinders 
inside the smoke-box, the cranked axle, and the fire-box 
firmly fixed to the boiler. The first load of goods conveyed 
from Liverpool to Manchester by the " Planet " was 80 tons 
in weight, and the engine performed the journey against a 
strong head wind in 2i hours. On another occasion, the 
same engine brought up a cargo of voters from Manchester 
to Liverpool, during a contested election, within a space oi 
sixty minutes ! The " Samson," delivered in the following 

Q 2 



228 IMPBOYEMENT OF THE L0C0M0TI\:B. Chap. Xf 1 

year, exhibited still further improTements, the mcNst impcr 
tant of which was that of coupling the fore and hind wheels 
of ihe engine. By this means, the adhesion of the wheels 
on the rails was more effectually secured, and thus the full 
hauling power of the locomotiTe was made available. Th& 
" Samson,*' shortly after it was placed upon the line, dragged 
after it a train of waggons weighing 150 tons at a speed of 
about 20 miles an hour; the consumption of coke being 
reduced to only about a third of a pound per ton per 
mile. 

The success of the Liverpool and Manchester experiment 
naturally excited great interest People flocked to Lanca- 
shire from all quarters to see the steam-coach running upon 
a railvray at three times the speed of a mailcoach, and to 
enjoy the excitement of actually travelling in the wake of 
an engine at that incredible vdocily. The trareUers r^ 
turned to their respective districts full of the wonders of 
the locomotive, considering it to be the greatest marvel 
of the age. Railways are familiar enough objects now, and 
our children who grow up in their midst may think little 
of them ; but thirty years since it was an event in one*s life 
10 see a locomotive, and to travel for the first time upon a 
public railroad. 

The practicability of railway locomotion being now proved, 
and its great social and commercial advantages ascertained, 
the general extension of the system was merely a question 
of time, money,,and labour. Although the legislature took 
no initiative step in the direction of railway extension, the 
public spirit and enterprise of the coimtry did not fail it at 
this juncture. The English people, though they may be 
defective in their capacity for organization, are strong in 
individualism ; and not improbably their admirable qualities 
in the latter respect detract from their efficiency in the 
former. Thus, in all times, their greatest enterprises have 
net been planned by officialism and carried out upon any 
regular system, but have sprung, like their constitution, 
their laws, and their entire industrial arrangements, from 



Chap. xn. NEW LINE& 22i) 

(lie force of cironmstanoes and the indiTidual energies of 
the people. 

The mode of action in the case of railvray extension, was 
characteristic and nationaL The execution of the new lines 
was undertaken entirely by joint-stock associations of 
proprietors, after the manner of the Stockton and Darling- 
ton, and Liverpool and Manchester companies. These 
associations are conformable to our national habits, and fit 
well into our system of laws. They combine the power of 
vast resources with individual watdifulness and motives of 
self-interest; and by their means gigantic undertakings, 
which otherwise would be impossible to any but kings and 
emperors with great national resources at command, were 
carried out by the co-operation of private persons. And 
the results of this combination of means and of enterprise 
have been truly marvellous. Within the life of the present 
generation, the private citizens of England engaged in 
railway extension have, in the face of Government obstruct- 
tions, and without taking a penny from the public purse, 
executed a system of communications involving works of 
liie most gigantic kind, which, in their total mass, their 
cost, and their public utility, far exceed liie most famous 
national nndertlngs of any^ or country. 

Mr. Stephenson was of course, actively engaged in the 
construction of the numerous railways now projected by the 
joint-stock companies. The desire for railway extension 
principally pervaded the manu&cturing districts, especially 
after the successful opening of the Liverpool and Manchester 
line. The commercial classes of the larger towns soon be- 
came eager for a participation in the good which they had 
so recently derided. Eailway projects were set on |bot in 
great numbers, and Manchester became a centre from which 
main lines and branches were started in all directions. The 
interest, however, which attaches to these later schemes is 
of a much less absorbing kind than that which belongs to 
the earlier history of the railway and the steps by which it 
vas mainly establiillied* We naturally sympathise mare 



230 NEW ENOINEEES. <^ap XIL 

keenly with the early stamggles of a great principle, its 
trials and its diffictQties, than with its after stages of sno- 
0686 ; and, howeyer gratified and astonished we may be at 
its consequences, the interest is in a great measure gone 
when its triumph has beoome a matter of certainty. 

The commercial results of the Liverpool and Manchester 
line were so satisfactory, and indeed so greatly exceeded 
the expectations of its projectors, that many of the aban- 
doned projects of the speculative year 1825 were forthwith 
revived. An abundant crop of engineers sprang up, ready 
to execute railways of any extent. "Now, that the Liverpool 
and Manchester line had been made, and the practicability 
of working it by locomotive power had been proved, it was 
as easy for engineers to make railways and to work them, 
as it was for navigators to find America after Columbus had 
made the first voyage. Mr. Francis Giles attached himself 
to the Newcastle and Carlisle and London and Southampton 
projects. Mr. Brunei appeared as engineer of the line pro- 
jected between London and Bristol ; and Mr. Braithwaite, 
the builder of the "Novelty" engine, acted in the same 
capacity for a railway from London to Colchester. 

The first lines constructed subsequent to the opening of 
the Liverpool and Manchester Eailway, were mostly in con- 
nection with it, and principally in the county of Lancaster. 
Thus a branch was formed from Bolton to Leigh, and ano- 
ther from Leigh to Kenyon, where it formed a junction 
with the main line between Liverpool and Manchester. 
Branches to Wigan on the north, and to Euncom Gap and 
Warrington on the south of the same line, were also formed. 
A continuation of the latter, as far south as Birmingham, 
was shortly after projected under the name of the Grand 
Junction Eailway. 

The last mentioned line was projected as early as the 
year 1824, when the Liverpool and Manchester scheme was 
under discussion, and Mr. Stephenson then published a 
report on the subject The plans were deposited, but the 
Dill was thrown out through the opposition of the landowners 



Chap. XII. OPPOSITION TO RAILWAYS. 231 

and canal proprietoi-s. When engaged in making the sur- 
vey, Stephenson called upon some of the landowners in 
the neighbourhood of Nantwich to obtain their assent, and 
was greatly disgusted to learn that the agents of the 
canal companies had been before him, and described the 
locomotive to the farmers as a most frightful machine, emit- 
ting a breath as poisonous as the fabled dragon of old ; and 
telling them that if a bird flew over the district where one 
of these engines passed, it would inevitably drop down 
dead I The application for the bill was renewed in 1826, 
and again fiEtiled ; and at length it was determined to wait 
the issue of the Liverpool and Manchester experiment. The 
act was eventually obtained in 1833. 

When it was proposed to extend the advantages of rail- 
ways to the population of the midland and southern coun- 
ties of England, an immense amount of alarm was created 
in the minds of the country gentiemen. They did not 
relish the idea of private individuals, principally resident in 
the manufacturing districts, invading their domains; and 
they everywhere rose up in arms against the " new-fengled 
roads." Colonel Sibthorpe openly declared his hatred of 
the " infernal railroads," and said that he " would rather 
meet a highwayman, or see a burglar on his premises, than 
an engineer!" The impression which prevailed in the 
rural districts was, that fox-covers and game-preserves 
would be seriously prejudiced by the formation of railroads ; 
that agricultural communications would be destroyed, land 
thrown out of cultivation, landowners and farmers re- 
duced to beggary, the poor-rates increased through the 
number of persons thrown out of employment by the 
railways, — and all this in order that Liverpool, Man- 
chester, and Birmingham shopkeepers and mannfactiirers 
might establish a monstrous monopoly in railway traffic. 

The inhabitants of even some of the large towns were 
thrown into a state of consternation by the proposal to pro- 
Vide them with the accommodation of a railway. The line 
from London to Birmingham would naturally have passed 



282 LEICESTER AND 8WANNII(OT0fif. Ouap. Xll 

doee to the handsome town of Northampton, and was so 
projected; but the inhabitants of the shire, urged on b^ 
the local press, and excited by men of influence and educa- 
tion, opposed the project, and succeeded in forcing the pro- 
moters, in their survey of the line, to pass the town at a 
distance. When the flrst railway through Kent was 
projected, the line was laid out so as to pass by Maid- 
stone, the county town. But it had not a single supporter 
amongst the townspeople, whilst the landowners for many 
miles round combined to oppose it. In like manner, the 
line projected from London to Bristol was strongly de- 
nounced by the inhabitants of the intermediate districts ; 
and when the first bill was thrown out, Eton assembled 
under the presidency of the Marquis of Chandos to con- 
gratulate the country upon its defeat. 

During the time that the works of the Liverpool and 
Manchester line were in progress, our engineer was con- 
sulted respecting a short railway proposed to be formed be- 
tween Leicester and Swannington, for the purpose of open- 
ing up a communication between the town of Leicester and 
the coal-fields in the western part of the county. The pro- 
jector of this undertaking had some difficult}'- in getting the 
requisite capital subscribed for, the Leicester townspeople 
who had money being for the most part interested in 
canals. George Stephenson was invited to come upon the 
ground and survey the line. He did so, and then the 
projector told him of the difi&culty he had in finding sub- 
scribers to the concern, " Give me a sheet," said Stephen- 
son, " and I will raise the money for you in Liverpool." 
The engineer was as good as his word, and in a short time 
the sheet was returned with the subscription complete. Mr. 
Stephenson was then asked to undertake the office of en- 
gineer for the line, but his answer was that he had thirty 
miles of railway in. hand, which were enough for any en- 
gineer to attend to properly. Was there any person he 
could recommend? "Well," said he, "I think my son 
Robert is competent to undertake the thing." Would Mr, 



Ck*p. xn. APPOINTMENT OF ROBERT STEPHENSON. 233 

Stephenflon be answerable for him ? " Oh, yes, certainly." 
And Robert StephenBon, at twenty-seven years of age, was 
iuBtalled engineer of the line accordingly. 

The reqniait© Parliaraentary powers having been ob- 
tained, Eobert Stephenson proceeded with the construction 
of the railway, about 16 miles in length, towards the end 
of 1830. The works were comparatively easy, excepting at 
the Leicester end, where the yonng engineer encoiiuteTed 
his first stiff bit of tunnelling. The line passed under- 
ground for li mile, and 500 yards of its course lay in 
loose dry running sand. The presence of this material ren- 
dered it necessary for the engineer first to construct a 
wooden tunnel to support the soil while the brickwork was 
being executed. This proved sufBcient, and the whole was 



Uiqi (« LdctMcT *Dd SwA 



234 



THE SNIBSTON ESTATE. 



Chap. XIL 



a coal-viewer and practical geologist suggested to his mind 
that coal was most probably to be found underneath. He 
communicated his views to his father on the subject The 
estate lay in the immediate neighbourhood of the railway ; 
and if the conjecture proved correct, the finding of coal 
would necessarily greatly enhance its value. He accord* 
ingly requested his father to come over to Snibston and 
look at the property, which he did ; and after a careftd in- 
spection of the ground, he arrived at the same conclusion 
as his son. 

The large manufacturing town of Leicester,, about four- 
teen miles distant, had up to that time been exclusively 
supplied with coal brought by canal firom Derbyshire ; and 
Mr. Stephenson saw that the railway under construction 
from Swannington to Leicester, would furnish him with a 
ready market for any coals which he might find at Snib- 
ston. Having induced two of his Liverpool friends to join 
him in the venture, the Snibston estate was purchased in 
1831 : and shortly after, Stephenson removed his home 
from Liverpool to Alton Grange, for the purpose of super- 
intending the RinkiTig of the pit. He travelled thither by 
gig with his wife, — his favourite horse " Bobby " perform- 
ing the journey by easy stages. 

Sinking operations were immediately begun, and pro- 
ceeded satisfactorily until the old enemy, water, burst in 
upon the workmen, and threatened to drown them out. 
But by means of efficient pumping-engines, and the skilful 
casing of the shaft with segments of cast-iron — a process 
called " tubbing," * which Mr. Stephenson was the first to 
adopt in the Midland Counties — it was eventually made 
water-tight, and the sinking proceeded. When a depth of 



♦ Tubbing is now adopted in 
many cases as a substitute for 
brick-walling. The tubbing con- 
sists of short portions of cast-iron 
cylinder fixed in segments. Each 
weighs about 4} owt., is about 8 or 



4 feet long, and about ) of an inch 
thick. These pieces are fitted 
closely together, length undei 
length, and form an impermeabk 
wall along the side of the pit 



Chap. XII. PIRST TRAIN OF COAL TO LEICESTER. 235 

166 feet had been reached, a still more formidable difficulty 
presented itself — one which had baffled former sinkers in 
the neighbourhood, and deterred them from further opera- 
tions. This was a remarkable bed of whinstone or green- 
stone, which had originally been poured out as a sheet of 
burning lava over the denuded surface of the coal measures ; 
indeed it was afterwards found that it had turned to cinders 
one part of the seam of coal with which it had come in 
contact. The appearance of this bed of solid rock was so 
unusual a circumstance in coal mining, that some expe- 
rienced sinkers urged Stephenson to proceed no further, 
believing the occurrence of the dyke at that point to be 
altogether fatal to his enterprise. But, with his faith still 
firm in the existence of coal underneath, he fell back on 
his old motto of "Persevere." He determined to go on 
boring ; and down through the solid rock he went until, 
twenty-two feet lower, he came upon the coal measures. 
In the mean time, however, lest the boring at that point 
should prove unsuccessful, he had commenced sinking 
another pair of shafts about a quarter of a mile west of 
the " feiult ; " and after about nine months' labour he reached 
the principal seam, called the " main coaL" 

The works were then opened out on a large scale, and 
Mr. Stephenson had the pleasure and good fortune to send 
the first train of main coal to Leicester by railway. The 
price was immediately reduced to about 8«. a ton, effecting 
a pecuniary saving to the inhabitants of the town of about 
40,0002. per annum, or equivalent to the whole amount then 
collected in Government taxes and local rates, besides giving 
an impetus to the manufeicturing prosperity of the place, 
which has continued down to the present day. The correct 
principles upon which the mining operations at Snibston 
were conducted offered a salutary example to the neigh- 
bouring colliery owners. The numerous improvements 
there introduced were freely exhibited to all, and they were 
afterwards reproduced in many fonns all over the Midland 
Counties, greatly to the advantage of the mining interest 



236 GEOEGE STETHENSON-S WOEKPEOPLB. Chap. XII. 

Nor was Mr. StepbenBOD less attentive to the comfort 
BJid well-beii^ of those immediately dependent npoa him 
— the workpeople of the Snibeton colliery and their familie& 
Unlike many of those lai^e employers who have " spning 
from the ranks," he was one of the kindest and most in- 
dulgent of mafitan. He would have a lair day's work for a 
fair day's wages ; hat he never forgot that the employer 
had his duties as well as his rights First of all, he attended 
to the proper home accommodation of his workpeople. He 
erected a village of comfortable cottages, each provided 
with a sung little garden. He was also instrumental in 
erecting a chnrch adjacent to the works, as well as Church 
schools for the education of the colliers' children ; and with 
that broad catholicity of sentiment which distinguished 
him, he Airther provided a chapel and a school-house for 
the tise of the Dissenting portion of the colliers and their 
families — an example of benevolent liberality which was 
not without a salutary influence upon the neighbouring 



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Chap. XIIL LONDON AND BIRMINGHAM LINE. 237 



CHAPTEE XIIL 
BoBBBT Stephenson oonstbuots the London and 

BlBMINGHAM EaILWAT. 

Of the ntuneroiis extensive projects which followed close 
upon the completion of the Liverpool and Manchester line, 
and the LocomotiYe triumph at Bainhill, that of a railway 
between London and Birmingham was the most important 
The scheme originated at the latter place in 1830. Two 
committees were formed, and two plans were proposed. 
One was of a line to London by way of Oxford, and the 
other by way of Coventry. The simple object of the pro- 
moters of both schemes being to secure the advantages of 
railway communication with the metropolis, they wisely 
determined to combine their strength to secure it They 
then resolved to call George Stephenson to their aid, and 
requested him to advise them as to the two schemes which 
were before them. After a careful examination of the 
country, Mr. Stephenson reported in favour of the Coventry 
route, when the Lancashire gentlemen, who were the prin- 
cipal subscribers to the project, having every confidence in 
his judgment, supported his decision, and the line recom- 
mended by him was adopted accordingly. 

At the meeting of the promoters held at Birmingham 
to determine on the appointment of the engineer for the 
railway, there was a strong party in favour of associating 
with Mr. Stephenson a gentleman with whom he had been 
brought into serious collision in the course of the Liverpool 
and Manchester undertaking. W hen the offer was made to 
him that he should be joint engineer with the other, he 
requested leave to retire and consider the proposal with his 
ison. The father was in favour of accepting it His struggle 
heretofore had been so hard* tixat he could not brvir the 



238 IMTERVIEW WITH SIB ASTLEY COOrER. Chip. XItt 

idea of miamtig 80 promising an opportunity of professional 
adTanoement. But the son, foreseeing the jealousies and 
heartburnings which the joint engineership would most 
probably create, recommended his father to decline the con 
nection. Qeorge adopted the suggestion, and returning to 
the Committee, he announced to them his decision; on 
which the promoters decided to appoint him the engineer 
of the undertaking in conjunction with his son. 

This line, like the Liverpool and Manchester, was very 
strongly opposed, especially by the landowners. Numerous 
pamphlets were published, calling on the public to '^ beware 
of the bubbles," and holding up the promoters of railways to 
ridicule. They were compared to St. John Long and similar 
quacks, and pronounced fitter for Bedlam than to be left at 
large. The canal proprietors, landowners, and road trustees, 
made common cause against them. The &ilure of railways 
was confidently predicted — ^indeed, it was elaborately at- 
tempted to be proved that they had failed ; and it was in- 
dustrioudy spread abroad that the looamotiye engines, ha.nng 
been found useless and highly dangerous on the Liverpool 
and Manchester line, were immediately to be abandoned in 
favour of horses — a rumour which the directors of the Com- 
pany thought it necessary publicly to contradict. 

Public meetings were held in all the counties through 
which the line would pass between London and Birming- 
ham, at which the project was denounced, and strong 
resolutions against it were passed. The attempt was made 
to conciliate the landlords by explanations, but all such 
efforts proved fatile, the owners of nearly seven-eighths of 
the land being returned as dissentients. '* I remember," 
said Eobert Stephenson, describing the opposition, ''that 
we called one day on Sir Astley Cooper, the eminent sur- 
geon, in the hope of overcoming his aversion to the railway. 
He was one of our most inveterate and influential opponents. 
His country house at Berkhampstead was situated near the 

. intended liue, which passed through part of his property. 

■ We found a courtly, fine-looking old gentleman, of veiy 



Chap. XIII. OBSTRUCTION OF THE SURVEY. 239 

stately manners, who received us kindly and heard ail wo 
had to say in fevonr of the project. But he was quite 
inflexible in his opposition to it. No deviation or improve- 
ment that we could suggest had any effect in conciliating 
him. He was opposed to railways generally, and to this in 
partictdar. ' Your scheme,' said he, * is preposterous in the 
extreme. It is of so extravagant a character, as to be posi- 
tively absurd. Then look at the recklessness of your pn> 
oeedings ! You are proposing to cut up our estates in aU 
dii'ections for the purpose of making an unnecessary road. 
Do you think for one moment of the destruction of property 
involved by it? "Why, gentlemen, if this sort of thing be 
permitted to go on, you will in a very few years destroy the 
noblesse ! ' We left the honourable baronet without having 
produced the slightest effect upon him, excepting perhaps, it 
might- be, increased exasperation against our scheme. 1 
could not help observing to my companions as we left the 
house, * Well, it is really provoking to find one who has 
been made a " Sir " for cutting that wen out of George the 
Fourth's neck, charging us with contemplating the destruo 
tion of the noblesse, because we propose to confer upon him 
the benefits of a railroad.' " 

Such being the opposition of the owners of land, it was 
with the greatest difficulty that an accurate survey of the 
line could be made. At one point the vigilance of the 
Landowners and their servants was such, that the surveyons 
were effectually prevented taking the levels by the light of 
day ; and it was only at length accomplished at night by 
means of dark lanterns. There was one clergyman, who 
made such alarming demonstrations of his opposition, that 
the extraordinary expedient was resorted to of surveying 
his property during the time he was engaged in the piilpit. 
This was managed by having a strong force of surveyors 
in readiness to commence their operations, who entered the 
clergyman's grounds on one side the moment they saw him 
fsiirly off them on the other. By a well-organised and 
systematic arrangement each man concluded his allotted 



340 REJECTION OP THE BILl.. Chap. XIH 

tupk just as the reyerend gentleman concluded his sermon ; 
BO that, before he left the church, the deed was done, and 
the sinnerB had all decamped. Similar opposition was 
offered at many other points, but ineffectually. The labo- 
rious application of Robert Stephenson was such, that in 
examining the country to ascertain the best line, he walked 
the whole distance between London and Birmingham 
upwards of twenly times. 

When the bill went before the Committee of the Commons 
in 1832, a formidable array of evidence was produced. All 
the railway experience of the day was brought to bear in 
support of the measure, and all that interested opposition 
could do was set in motion against it. The necessity for an 
improYed mode of communication between London and 
Birmingham was cleariy demonsti'ated ; and the engineering 
evidence was regarded as quite satisfactory. Not a single 
fact was proved against the utility of the measure, and the 
bill passed the Committee, and afterwards the third reading 
in the Commons, by large majorities. 

It was then sent to the Lords, and went into Committee, 
when a similar mass of testimony was again gone througli. 
But it had been evident, from the opening of the pro- 
ceedings, that the fate of the bill had been determined 
before even a word of the evidence had been heard. 
At that time the committees were open to all peers; 
and the promoters of the bill found, to their dismay, 
many of the lords who were avowed opponents of the 
measure as landowners, sitting as judges to decide its fate. 
Their principal object seemed to be, to bring the proceedings 
to a termination as quickly as possible. An attempt at 
negociation was indeed made in the course of the proceed- 
ings in committee, but fetiled, and the bill was thrown out. 

As the result had been foreseen, measures were taken to 
neutralise tlie effect of this decision as regarded future 
operations. Not less than 32,000Z. had been expended in 
preliminary and parliamentary expenses up to this stage ; 
but the promotei*s determined not to look back, and forth- 



chap.xiil its opponents -conciliated." 241 

with made aTrangements for proseouting the bill in the ilaxt 
session. Strange to say, the bill then passed both Houses 
silently and almost without opposition, The mysteiy was 
afterwards solved by the appearance of a circular issued by 
the directors of the company, in which it was stated, that 
they had opened " negociations " with the most influentia] 
of their opponents ; that " these measures had been suc- 
cessful to a greater extent than they had ventured to 
anticipate; and the most active and formidable had been 
conciliated." An instructive commentary on the mode by 
which these noble lords and influential landed proprietors 
had been "conciliated," was the simple fact that the 
estimate for land was nearly trebled, and that the owners 
were paid about 760,000^. for what had been originally 
estimated at 260,000/. 

The landowners having thus been "conciliated," the 
promoters of the measure were permitted to proceed with 
the formation of their great highway. Eobert Stephenson 
was, with the sanction of his father, appointed sole engineer ; 
and steps were at once taken by him to make the working 
survey, to prepare the working drawings, and arrange for 
the construction of the railway. Eighty miles of the road 
were shortly under contract; having been let within the 
estimates ; and the works were in satisfeotory progress by 
the beginning of 1834. 

The dif&culties encountered in their construction were 
very great ; the most formidable of them originating in the 
character of the works themselves. Extensive tunnels had 
to be driven through unknown strata, and miles of under- 
ground excavation had to be carried out in order to form a 
level road from vaUey to valley, under the intervening 
ridges. This kind of work was the newest of all to the 
contractors of that day. Eobert Stephenson's experience in 
the collieries of the North rendered him well fitted to 
grapple with such difficulties; yet even he, with all his 
practical knowledge, could scarcely have fbrseen the serious 
obstacles which he was called upon to encounter in executing 



COKSTETTCTION OF THE LINK Chap. SUL 



the formidable oattmgs, embankmeDts, 
and tunnels of the London and Bir- 
mingham Railway. It would be an 
uninteresting, as it would be a fi-uitleas 
tAsk, to attempt to describe the worfca 
in detail ; bnt a general outline of 
their extraordinaiy character and ex- 
tent may notbe out of place. 

The length of railway to be con- 
Bfcructed between London and Eir- 
mingham was 112^ miles. The line 
crossed a series of low-lying districts 
separated &om each other by consi- 
derable ri^es of bins ; and it was the 
object of the engineer to cross the 
-valleys at as high, and the hills at as 
low, elevations as possible. The hi^ 
ground was therefore cut down and 
the "stuff" led into embankments, in 
some places of great height and extent, 
80 as to form a road upon as level a 
plane as was considered practicable 
for the working of the locomotiTe en- 
gine. In some places, the high grounds 
were passed in open cuttings, whilst 
in others it was necessary to bore 
through them in tunnels with deep 
cuttings at each end. 

The most formidable excavations 
on the line are those at Trii^, Den- 
bigh HaU, and Blisworth. TheTrii^ 
cutting is an immense chasm across the 
great chalk ridge of Ivinghoe, Itis2^ 
miles long, and fori of a mile is 57 feet 
deep. A million and a half cwlno yards 
of chalk and earth were taken out of 
this catting l^ means of horse-ruiisand 



Ch*p. Xin. THE BLI8W0ETH CTJTTING. 243 

depoeited in Bpoil banks ; besides the immense qtiantity run 
into the embankment north of the cutting, forming a solid 
momid nearly 6 miles long and about 30 feet high. Pass- 
ing over the Denbigh Hall cutting, and the Wolverton 
embantment of li mile in length across the valley of the 
Ouse, we come to the oscavation at Blisworth, a brief 
deaoription of ■which will give the reader an idea of one of 
the most difficult kinds of railway work. 

The Blisworth Cutting is one of the longest and deepest 



grooves cut in the solid earth. It is 1^ mile long, in some 
places 65 feet deep, pasaii^ through earth, stiiT clay, and 
bard rock. Not less than a million cubic yards of these 
materials were dug, quarried, and blasted out of it. One- 
third of the cutting was stone, and beneath the stone lay a 
K 2 



244 THE TUNNELS. Chap. XUI 

thick bed of olay, under which were found beds of loose 
shale so full of water that almost constant pumping was 
necessary at many points to enable the works to proceed. 
For a year and a half the contractor went on fruitlessly 
.contending with these difficulties, and at length he was 
compelled to abandon the adventure. The engineer then 
took the works in hand for the Company, and they were 
vigorously proceeded with. Steam-engines were set to work 
to pump out the water ; two locomotives were put on, one 
at each end of the cutting, to drag away the excavated rock 
and day ; and 800 men and boys were employed along the 
work, in digging, wheeling, and blasting, besides a large 
number of horses. Some idea of the extent of the blasting 
operations may be formed from the fact that 25 barrels of 
gunpowder were used weekly ; the total quantity exploded 
in forming this one cutting being about 3,000 barrels. Con- 
siderable difficidty was experienced in supporting the bed 
of rook cut through, which overlaid the clay and shale along 
each side of the cutting. It was found necessary to hold 
it up by strong retaining walls, to prevent the clay bed 
from bulging out, and these walls were further supported 
by a strong invert, — that is, an arch placed in an inverted 
position under the road, — thus binding together the walls 
on both sides. Behind the retaining walls, a drift or hori- 
zontal drain was provided to enable the water to run off, 
and occasional openings were left in the walls themselves 
for the same purpose. The work was at length brought to 
a successful completion, but the extraordinary difficidties 
encountered in forming the cutting had the effect of greatly 
increasing the cost of this portion of the railway. 

The Tunnels on the line are eight in number, their total 
length being 7336 yards. The first high ground encoun- 
tered was Primrose HiQ, where the stiff London clay was 
passed through for a distance of about 1164 yards. The 
clay was close, compact, and dry, more difficult to work 
than stone itself. It was entirely free from water ; but the 
absorbing properties of the clay were such that 'vhen *mc 



CShap. xm: KILSBY TUNNEL. 246 

posed to the air it swelled out rapidly. Henoe an unnsual 
thickness of brick lining was found necessary ; and the en- 
gineer afterwards informed the author that for some time 
he entertained an apprehension lest the pressure should 
force in the brickwork altogether. It was so great that it 
made the &ce of the bricks to fly off in minute chips which 
covered his clothes whilst he was inspecting the work. The 
materials used in the building were, however, of excellent 
quality ; and the tunnel was happily brought to a completion 
without any accident. 

At Watford the chalk ridge was penetrated by a tunnel 
about 1800 yards long ; and at Northchurch, Lindslade, and 
Stowe Hill, there were other tunnels of minor extent. But 
the chief difficulty of the imdertaking was the execution of 
that under the Kilsby ridge. Though not the largest, this 
is in many respects one of the most interesting works of 
the kind in England. It is about 2400 yards long, and 
runs at an average depth of about 160 feet below the sur- 
face. The ridge under which it extends is of considerable 
extent, the famous battle of Naseby having been fought 
upon one of the spurs of the same high groxmd about seven 
nules to the eastward. 

Previous to the letting of the contract, the character of 
the underground soil was examined by trial-shafts. The 
tests indicated that it consisted of shale of the lower oolite, 
and the works were let accordingly. But they had scarcely 
been conmienced when it was discovered that, at an inter- 
val between the two trial-shafts which had been sunk, about 
200 yards from the south end of the tunnel, there existed 
an extensive quicksand under a bed of clay 40 feet thick, 
which the borings had escaped in the most singular manner. 
At the bottom of one of these shafts the excavation and 
building of the timnel were proceeding, when the roof at 
one part suddenly gave way, a deluge of water burst in, and 
the party of workmen with the utmost difficulty escaped 
with their lives. They were only saved by means of a raft, 
on which they were towed by one cf the engineers swim* 



"DBOWNED onr." 



Tltt Btiaf ij over KDibr TumeL 

ming with the rope in his mouth to the lower end of the 
shaft, out of which thoy wore safely lifted to the daylight. 
The works wore of coiarse at that point immediately stopped. 
The cxmtractor, who had undertaken the construction, of 
tiie tunnel, was so overwhelmed by the calamity, that, 
though he was relieved by the Company from his engage- 
ment, he took to his bed and shortly after died. Fumpiug- 
engines were then erected for the purpose of draining off 
the water, but for a long time it prev^ed, and sometimes 
even rose in the shaft. The question then presented itself, 
whether in the face of so formidable a ditBculty, ^e works 
should be proceeded with or abandoned. Robert Stephen- 
son sent over to Alton Grange for his &ther, and the two 
took serious counsel together. George was in £iTOiir of 



Chap. xm. PUMPINa-ENGINES EMPLOYED. 247 

ptunping out the water from the top by powerful enginei 
erected over each shaft, until the water was mastered. 
Robert concurred in that view, and although other en- 
gineers pronounced strongly against the practicability of 
the scheme and advised its abandonment, ^e directors au- 
thorised him to proceed ; and powerful steam-engines were 
ordered to be constructed and delivered without loss of time. 

In the mean tihie, Booert su^ested to his fieither the 
expediency of running a drift along the heading from 
the south end of the tunnel, with the view of draining 
off the water in that way. George said he thought it 
would scarcely answer, but that it was worth a trial, at al\ 
events imtil liie pumping-engines were got ready. Robert 
accordingly gave orders for the drift to be proceeded with. 
The excavators were immediately set to work; and they 
were very soon dose upon the sand bed. One day, when 
the engineer, his assistants, and the workmen were clustered 
about the open entrance of the drift-way, they heard a sudden 
roar as of distant thunder. It was hoped that the water 
had burst in — ^for all the workmen were out of the drift, — 
and that the sand bed would now drain itself off in a natu- 
ral way. Instead of which, very little water made its 
appearance ; and on examining the inner end of the drift, 
it was found that the loud noise had been caused by the 
sudden discharge into it of an immense mass of sand, which 
had completely choked up the passage, and prevented the 
water from flowing away. 

The engineer now found that there was nothing for it 
but to sink numerous additional shafts over the line of the 
tunnel at the points at which it crossed the quicksand, and 
endeavour to master the water by sheer force of engines 
and pumps. The engines erected, possessed an aggregate 
power of 160 horses ; and Ihey went on pumping for eight 
successive months, empiying out an almost incredible quan- 
tity of water. It was found that the water, with which the 
bed of sand extending over many miles was charged, was 
to a certain degree held back by the partides of the sand 



248 THX WMEM, FUMFKD OUT. Chai. XUl 

itmit, mad tittt h oonld cmlj peroolate duoi^ at a oertaiD 
aTenge imte. It appeared in its flow to take a Blanting 
directioii to the soctioii cf tlie pumps, tlie an^e of indiiia- 
tion depeikding upon tlie co aiwa icBB or finenesB of the sand, 
and regulating the time of the flow. Hence the distriba- 
tion of the ponqiing power at short intervals along the line 
(4 the tnnnel had a mndh greater effect than the concentra- 
tion of that power at anj one apoL, It soon appeared that the 
water bad found its master. Protected hj the pmnps, which 
cleared a space for the engmeerii^ operations— carried on 
in the midst, as it were, of two almost perpendicular walls 
of water and sand cm either side — ^the workmen proceeded 
with the hoilding cf the tnnnel at nnmerons pointa Eveiy 
exertion was nsed to wall in the dangerons parts as qnickly 
as possible ; the ezcaTatcnrs and hricUayers labouring night 
and day until the work was finished. Even while under 
the protection of the immenfle pumping power above de- 
scribed, it often happened that the bricks were scarcely 
covered with cement ready for the setting, ere they were 
washed quite dean by the streams of water which poured 
from overhead. The men were accordingly under the 
necessity of holding over their work large whisks of straw 
and other appliances to protect the bridra and cement at 
the moment of setting. 

The quantity of water pumped out of the sand bed during 
eight months of incessant pumping, averaged 2,000 gallons 
per minute, raised from an average depth of 120 feet. It 
is difficult to form an adequate idea of the bulk of the water 
thus raised, but it may be stated that if allowed to flow 
for three hours only, it would fill a lake one acre square to 
the depth of one foot, and if allowed to flow for one entire 
day it would fill the lake to over eight feet in depth, or 
sufficient to float vessels of 100 tons' burthen. The water 
pumped out of the tunnel while the work was in progress 
would be nearly equivalent to the contents of the Thames 
at high water, between London and Woolwich. It is a 
curious circumstance, that notwithstanding the quantity 



Chap. XIIL MAGNITUDE OF THE WORKS. 249 

thus removed, the level of the snifaoe of the water in the 
tnnnel was only lowered about 2^ to 3 inches per week, 
proving the vast area of the quicksand, which probably 
extended along the entire ridge of land under which the 
railway passed. 

The cost of the line was greatly increased by the diffi- 
culties encountered at Kilsby. The original estimate for 
the tunnel was only 99,000L ; but before it was finished it 
had cest more than lOOZ. per linetil yard forward, or a total 
of nearly 300,000Z. The expenditure on the other parts of 
the line also greatly exceeded the amount first set down by 
the engineer ; and before the works were finished it was 
more than doubled. The land cost three times more than 
the estimate ; and the claims for compensation were enor- 
moius. Although the contracts were let within the esti- 
mates, very few of the contractors were able to complete them 
without iJie assistance of the Company, and many became 
bankrupt. * 

The magnitude of the works, which were unprecedented 
in England, was one of the most remarkable features in the 
undertaking. The foUowing striking comparison has been 
made between this railway and one of the greatest works of 
ancient times. The Great Pyramid of Egypt was, according 
to Diodorus Sicnlus, constructed by 300,000 — according to 
Herodotus, by 100,000 — men. It required for its execution 
twenty years, and the labour expended upon it has been 
estimated as equivalent to lifting 16,733,000,000 of cubic 
feet of stone one foot high. Whereas, if the labour ex- 
pended in constructing the London and Birmingham Bail- 
way be in like manner reduced to one common denomination 
the resxdt is 26,000,000,000 of cubic feet more than was 
lifted for the Great Pyramid ; and yet the English work 
was performed by about 20,000 men in less than five years. 
And whilst the Egyptian worK was executed by a powerful 
monarch concentrating upon it the labour and capital of a 
great nation, the English railway was constructed, in the 
fikse of every conceivable obstruction and difficidly, by a 



2M THE RAILWAY HAVYISS. Cbap. Xlli 

oompaiiy of private indiTidnab out of their own reaoaroeB, 
without the aid of GoTenunent or the oontribution of one 
farthing of pablio money. 

The labonrers who executed this formidable work were 
in many respects a remarkable class. The '* railway nav- 
▼ies," as they are called, were men drawn by the attrac- 
tion of good wages from all parts of the kingdom; and 
they were ready for any sort of hard work. Some of the 
best came from the fen districts of Lincoln and Cambridge, 
where they had been trained to execute works of excava- 
tion and embankment. These old practitioners formed a 
nucleus of skilled manipulation and aptitude, which ren- 
dered them of indispensable utility in the immense under- 
takings of the period. Their expertness in all sorts of 
earthwork, in embanking, boring, and wellnsinking — ^their 
practical knowledge of the nature of soils and rocks, the 
tenacity of days, and the porosity of certain stratifications 
— ^were very great ; and, rough-looking though they were, 
many of them were as important in their own department 
as the contractor or the engineer. 

During the railway-making period the nawy wandered 
about from one public work to another — apparently be- 
longing to no country and haying no home. He usually 
wore a white felt hat with the brim turned up, a vel- 
▼eteen or jean square-tailed coat, a scarlet plush waist- 
coat with little black spots, and a bright-coloured kerchief 
round his herculean neck, when, as often happened, it was 
not left entirely bare. His corduroy breeches were retained 
in position by a leathern strap roxmd the waist, and were tied 
and buttoned at the knee, displaying beneath a solid calf 
and foot encased in strong high-laoed boots. Joining 
together in a " butty gang/' some ten or twelve of these 
men would take a contract to cut out and remove so much 
"dirt" — as they denominated earth-cutting — fixing their 
price according to the character of the "stuff," and the 
distance to which it had to be wheeled and tipped. The 
ountract taken, every man put himself on his mettle ; if any 



Chap XHI. THE RAILWAY NAVVIES. 251 

was found skulking, or not putting forth his fiill working 
power, he was ejected from the gang. Their powers t»l 
endurance were extraordinary. In times of emergency they 
would work for 12 and even 16 hours, with only short 
intervals for meals. The quantity of flesh-meat which they 
consumed was something enormous; but it was to their 
Dones and muscles what coke is to the locomotive — the 
means of keeping up the steam. They displayed great 
pluck, and seemed to disregard peril. Indeed the most 
dangerous sort of labour — such as working horse-barrow 
runs, in which accidents are of constant occurrence — has 
always been most in request amongst them, the danger 
seeming to be one of its chief recommendations. 

Working, eating, drinking, and sleeping together, and 
daily exposed to the same influences, these railway labourers 
soon presented a distinct and well-deflned character, 
strongly marking them from the population of the districts 
in which they laboured. Eeckless alike of their lives as of 
their earnings, the navvies worked hard and lived hard. 
For their lodging, a hut of turf would content them ; and, 
in their hours of leisure, the meanest public-house would serve 
for their parlour. Unburdened, as they usually were, by 
domestic ties, unsoftened by family affection, and without 
much moral or religious training, the navvies came to be 
distinguished by a sort of savage manners, which contrasted 
strangely with those of the surrounding population. Yet, 
ignorant and violent though they might be, they were 
usually good-hearted fellows in the main — frank and open- 
handed with their comrades, and ready to share their last 
penny with those in distress. Their pay-nights were often 
a saturnalia of riot and disorder, dreaded by the inhabitants 
of the villages along the line of works. The irruption of 
such men into the quiet hamlet of Kilsby must, indeed, 
have produced a very startling effect on the recluse inhabi- 
tants of the place. Eobert Stephenson used to tell a story 
of the clergyman of the parish waiting upon the foreman of 
one of the gangs to expostulate with him as to the shocking 



252 THE RAILWAY NAVVIES. Cillp. Xia 

impropriety of his men working during Sunday. But tlie 
head navvy merely hitched up his trousers, and said, " Why, 
Soondays hain't cropt out here yet I " In short, the navvies 
were little better than heathens, and the village of Rilshy 
was not restored to its wonted quiet until the tunnel-works 
were finished, and the engines and scaffoldings removed, 
leaving only the immense masses of debris around the line 
of shafts which extend along the top of the tunneL 

In illustration of the extraordinary working energy and 
powers of endurance of the English navvies, we may men- 
tion that when railway-making extended to France, the 
English contractors for the works took with them gangs of 
English navvies, with the usual plant, which included 
wheelbarrows. These the English navvy was accustomed to 
run out rapidly and continuously, piled so high with 
" stuff " that he could barely see, over the summit of his 
load, the gang-board along which he wheeled his barrow. 
While he thus easily ran out some 3 or 4 cwt. at a 
time, the French navvy was contented with half the 
weight Indeed, the French navvies on one occasion struck 
work because of the size of the English barrows, and there 
was an 4meute on the Bouen Eailway, which was only 
quelled by the aid of the military. The consequence 
was that the big barrows were abandoned to the English 
workmen, who earned nearly double the wages of the 
Frenchmen. The manner in which they stood to their 
work was matter of great surprise and wonderment to the 
FrenC/h countrypeople, who came crowding round them in 
their blouses, and, after gazing admiringly at their expert 
handling of the pick and mattock, and the immense loads of 
*'dirt" which they wheeled out, would exclaim to each 
other, ** Mon Dieu, voGa ! voUa as Anglais, comme tZs (ravaU- 



Chap. XIV. RAILWAY EXTENSION. '<^53 



CHAPTEB XIV. 

Manohestxb and Leeds, and Midland Railways — Ste- 
phenson's Life at Alton — Visit to Belgium — GsNaaAL 
Extension of Railways and theib Results. 

The rapidity with which railways were carried out, when 
the spirit of the country became roused, was indeed remark- 
able. This was doubtless in some measure owing to the 
increased force of the current of speculation at the time, but 
chiefly to the desire which the public began to entertcdn for 
the general extension of the system. It was even proposed 
to fill up the canals, and convert them into railways. The 
new roads became the topic of conversation in all circles ; 
they were felt to give a new value to time ; their vast 
capabilities for "business" peculiarly recommended them 
to the trading classes; whilst the friends of "progress" 
dilated on the great benefits they would eventually confer 
upon mankind at large. It began to be seen that Edward 
Pease had not been exaggerating when he said, "Let the 
coimtiy but make the railroads, and the railroads will 
make the country ! " They also came to be regarded as 
inviting objects of investment to the thrifty, and a safe out- 
let for the accumulations of inert men of capital. Thus 
new avenues of iron road were soon in course of formation, 
branching in all directions, so that the coimtry promised in 
a wonderfully short time to become wrapped in one vast 
network of iron. 

In 1836 the Grand Junction Railway was under construc- 
tion between Warrington and Birmingham — the northern 
part by Mr. Stephenson, and the southern by Mr. Rastrick. 
The works on that line embraced heavy cuttings, long 
embankments, and nimierous viaducts; but none of theee 



MANCHESTEB AND lEEDS LINE. CHiP. XIV 



Tbs Dnlton Yladnrt. 

are worthy of any special description. Perhaps tie fineat 
piece of maaoory on the railway is the Dutton Viaduct 
across the valley of the Weaver. It consiste of twenty 
arches of CO feet span, springing 16 feet from the perpendi- 
cular shaft of each pier, and 60 feet in height from the 
crown of the arches to the level of the river. The founda- 
tions of the piere were built on piles driven 20 feet deep. 
The structure haa a solid and majestic appearance, and in 
perhaps the finest of George Stephenson's viaducts. 

The Manchester and Leeds line was in progress at the 
same time— an important railway connecting the principal 
manufacturing towns of Yorkshire and Lancashire. An 
attempt was made to obtain the Act as early as 1831 ; but 
its promoters were defeated by the powerful opposition of 
the landowners aided by the canal companies, and the pro- 
ject was not revived for several years. The line waa some- 
what circuitous, and the works wore heavy; but on the 
whole the gradients were £ivourable, and it had the advan- 



CHAP. XIV. THE SUMMIT TUNNEL. 265 

tage of passmg through a district full of manu&otnr- 
ing towns and Tillages, teeming hives of population, in- 
dustry, and enterprise. The Act authorising the construc- 
tion of the railway was obtained in 1866; it was greatly 
amended in the succeeding year, and the first ground was 
broken on the 18th August, 1837. 

In conducting this project to an issue, the engineer had 
the usual opposition and prejudices to encounter. Predic- 
tions were confidently made in many quarters that the line 
could never succeed. It was declared that the utmost 
engineering skill could not construct a railway through 
such a country of hills and hard rocks ; and it was main- 
tained that, even if the railroad were practicable, it could 
only be made at a ruinous cost. 

During the progress of the works, as the Summit Tunnel, 
near Littleborough, was approaching completion, the rumour 
was spread abroad in Manchester that the tunnel had Mien 
in and buried a number of the workmen. The last arch had 
been keyed in, and the work was all but finished, when the 
accident occurred which was thus exaggerated by the lying 
tongue of rumour. . An invert had given way through the 
irregular pressure of the surrounding earth and rock at a 
part of the tunnel where a " fault " had occurred in the 
strata. A party of the directors accompanied the engineer 
to inspect the scene of the accident. They entered the 
tunnel's mouth preceded by upwards of fifty navvies, each 
liearing a torch. 

After walking a distance of about half a mile, the in- 
specting party arrived at the scene of the " fiightful acci- 
dent," about which so much alarm had been spread. All 
that was visible was a certain unevenness of the ground, 
which had been forced up by the invert under it giving 
way ; thus the ballast had been loosened, the drain running 
along the centre of the road had been displaced, and small 
pools of water stood about. But the whole of the walls and 
tlie roof were still as perfect as at any other part of the 
tunneL The engineer explained the cause of the acoideDt 



THE SOMMIT TUNNEL. 



the bine shale, he said, through which the excavation 
passed at that point, was considered ho hard and firm, as 
to render it unneceasaiy to build the invert very strong 
there. But shale ia always a deceptive materiaL Subjected 
to the influence of the atmosphere, it gives but a treacherous 
support In this ease, felling away like quicklime, it had 
left the lip of the invert alone to support the preesure of die 
arch above, and hence its springing inwards and upwards. 
Mr. Stephenson directed iho attention of the visitors to the 
completeness of the arch overhead, where not the slightest 
fracture or yielding could be detected. Speaking of the 
work, in the course of the same day, he said, " I will stake 
my character and my head, if that tunnel ever give way, so 
as to cause danger to any of the pnblio passing throu^ it 



CHAP. Xiv; THE MIDLAND RAILWAY. 257 

Taking it as a whole, I don't think there is such another 
piece of work in the world. It is the greatest work that 
has yet been done of this kind, and there has been less 
repairing than is nsnal, — though an engineer might well be 
beaten in his calculations, for he cannot beforehand see into 
those little fractured parts of the earth he may meet with." 
As Stephenson had promised, the invert was put in ; and 
the tunnel was made perfectly safe. 

The construction of this subterranean road employed the 
labour of above a thousand men for nearly four years. 
Besides excavating the arch out of a solid rock, they used 
23,000,000 of bricks, and 8000 tons of Roman cement in 
the building of the tunneL Thirteen stationary engines, 
and about 100 horses, were also employed in drawing the 
earth and stone out of the shafts. Its entire length is 2869 
yards, or nearly If mile — exceeding the fiunous Kilsby 
Tunnel by 471 yards. 

The Midland Eailway was a favourite line of Mr. Ste- 
phenson's for several reasons. It passed through a lich 
mining district, in which it opened up many valuable coal- 
fields, and it formed part of the great main line of com- 
munication between London and Edinburgh. The Act 
was obtained in 1836, and the first ground was broken in 
February, 1837. 

Although the Midland Railway was only one of the 
many great works of the same kind executed at that 
time, it was almost enough of itself to be the achievement 
of a life. Compare it, for example with Napoleon's military 
road over the Simplon, and it will at once be seen how 
greatly it excels Ihat work, not only in the constructive 
skill displayed in it, but also in its cost and magnitude, and 
the amount of labour employed in its formation. The road 
of the Simplon is 45 miles in length ; the North Midland 
Railway is 72i miles. The former has 50 bridges and 6 
tunnels, measuring together 1338 feet in length; the latter 
has 200 bridges and 7 tunnels, measuring together 11,400 
feet, or about 2i miles. The former cost about 720,000/. 

V. a 



258 THE MIDLAND RAILWAY. Chap. XIV. 

aterling, the latter above d,000,OOOZ. Napoleon's grand 
military road was oonstructed in six years, at the public 
cost of the two great kingdoms of I ranee and Italy ; .while 
8tephenson*B railway was foimed in about three years, by 
a company of private merchants and capitalists out of their 
own funds, and under their own superintendenoe. 

It is scarcely necessary that we should give any account 
in detail of the North Midland works. The making of one 
tunnel so nldch resembles the Tngking of another, — the 
building of bridges and yiaducts, no matter how extensive, 
so much resembles the building of others, — ^the cutting out 
of " dirt," the blasting of rocks, and the wheeling of exca- 
vation into embankments, is so much a matter of mere 
time and hard work, — that is quite unnecessary for us to 
detain the reader by any attempt at their description. Of 
course there were the usual difficulties to encounter and 
overcome, — ^but the railway engineer regarded these as 
mere matters of course, and would probably have been 
disappointed if they had not presented themselves. 

On the Midland, as on other lines, water was the great 
enemy to be fought against, — water in the Gaycross and 
other tunnels, — water in the boggy or sandy foxmdations 
of bridges, — and water in cuttings and embankments. As 
an illustration of the difficulties of bridge building, we may 
mention the case of the five-arch bridge over the Derwent, 
where it took two years* work, night and day, to get in the 
foundations of the piers alone. Another curious illustra- 
tion of the mischief done by water in cuttings may be 
briefly mentioned. At a part of the North Midland Line, 
near Ambergate, it was necessary to pass along a hillside 
in a cutting a few yards deep. As the cutting proceeded, 
a seam of shale was cut across, lying at an inclination of 
G to 1 ; and shortly after, the water getting behind the bed 
of shale, the whole mass of earth along the hill above began 
to move down across the line of excavation. The accident 
completely upset the estimates of the contractor, who, 
instead of 50,000 cubic yards, found that he had about 



THE OAKENSHAW CUTTING. 



L«I>d4Up «i Norlli HdUuid liae, nsr Ambergiw. 

600,000 to remove ; the execution of this part of the rail- 
way occupying fifteen months instead of two. 

The Oakenshaw cutting near Wakefield was also of a 
very formidable character. About 600,000 yards of rock- 
shale and bind were quarried out of it, and led to form tht 
adjoining Oakenshaw embankment The Kormanton cut- 
ting was almost as heavy, reqiiiring the removal of 400,000 
yards of the same kind of excavation into embankment and 
spoil. But the prc^eas of the works on the line was so 
rapid in 1839, tiiat not less than 450,000 cubic yards of 
excavation were removed monthly. 

As a curiosity in construction, wo may also mention a 



BUrXBEIDGK 



very delicate piece of work executed on tho same railway 
at Bullbridgd in Derbyehire, where the line at the same 
point passes over a bridge which here spans the river 
Amber, and under the bed of the Cromford CanaL Water, 
bridge, railway, and canal, were thus piled one above the 
other, four stories high ; such another curious complication 
probably not existing. In order to prevent the poasibilily 
of the waters of the canal breaking in upon the works of 
the railroad, Mr. Stephenson had an iron trough made, 150 
feet long, of the widtii of the canal, and exactly fitting the 
bottom. It was brought to the spot in three pieces, which 
were firmly welded together, and the -trough was then 
floated into its place and sunk ; the whole operation being 
completed without in the least interfering with the naviga- 
tion of the canal. The railway works nndemeath were 
then proceeded with and fimished. 



Chap. XIV. QUICKNESS OF OBSERVATION. 261 

V 

Another line of the game eeriee constructed by George 
Stephenson, was the York and North Midland, extending 
from Normanton — a point on the Midland Railway — to 
York; but it was a line of easy formation, traversing a 
comparatively level country. 

During the time that our engineer was engaged in 
superintending the execution of these undertakings, he was 
occupied upon other projected railways in various parts of 
the country. He sui'veyed several lines in the neighbour- 
hood of Glasgow, and afterwards routes along the east 
coast from Newcastle to Edinburgh, with the view of com- 
pleting the main line of communication with London. 
When out on foot in the fields, on these occasions, he was 
ever foremost in the march ; and he delighted to test the 
prowess of his companions by a good jump at any hedge 
or ditch that lay in their way. His companions used to 
remark his singular quickness of observation. Nothing 
escaped his attention — the trees, the crops, the birds, or the 
farmer's stock ; and he was usually full of lively conversa- 
tion, everything in nature affording him an opportunity for 
making some striking remark, or propounding some ingeni- 
ous theory. When taking a flying survey of a new line, his 
keen observation proved very useful to him, for he rapidly 
noted the general configuration of the country, and inferred 
its geological structure. He afterwards remarked to a 
friend, " I have planned many a railway travelling along in 
a postchaise, and following the natural line of the country." 
And it was remarkable that his first impressions of the 
direction to be taken almost invariably proved correct ; and 
there aje few of the lines surveyed and recommended by 
him which have not been executed, either during his life- 
time or since. As an illustration of his quick and shrewd 
observation on such occasions, we may mention that when 
employed to lay out a line to connect Manchester, through 
Macclesfield, with the Potteries, the gentleman who accom- 
panied him on the journey of inspection cautioned him to 
provide large accommodation for carrying c^ the water 



262 MORECAMBE BAY. Chap. XIV 

obsonring^** You mnfit not judge by the appearanoe of the 
brooks ; fur after heavy rains these hills pour down volmnes 
of water, of which you can have no conception." " Pooh I 
pooh ! don't I see your bridges f " replied the engineer. Hu 
had noted the details of each as he passed along. 

Among the other projects which occupied his attention 
about the same time, were the projected lines between 
Chester and Holyhead, between Leeds and Bradford, and 
between Lancaster and Maryport by the western coast 
This latter was intended to form part of a west-coast line to 
Scotland ; Stephenson favouring it partly because of the 
flatness of the gradients, and also because it could be formed 
at comparatively small cost, whilst it would open out a 
valuable iron-mining district, from which a large traffic in 
ironstone was expected. One of its collateral advantages, 
in the engineer's opinion, was, that by forming the railway 
directly across Morecambe Bay, on the north-west coast of 
Lancashire, a large tract of valuable land might be re- 
claimed from the sea, the sale of which would considerably 
reduce the cost of the works. He estimated that by means 
of a solid embankment across the bay, not less than 
40,000 acres of rich alluvial land would be gained. He 
proposed to carry the road across the ten miles of sands 
which lie between Poulton, near Lancaster, and Humphrey 
Head on the opposite coast, forming the line in a segment 
of a circle of five miles' radius. His plan was to drive in 
piles across the entire length, forming a solid fence of stone 
blocks on the land side for the purpose of retaining the sand 
and silt brought down by the rivers from the interior. The 
embankment would then be raised from time to time as the 
the deposit accumulated, until the land was filled up to 
high- water mark ; provision being made by means of suffi- 
cient arches, for the flow of the river waters into the bay. 
The execution of the railway after this plan would, how- 
ever, have occupied more years than the promoters of the 
West Coast line were disposed to wait ; and eventually Mr. 
Locke's more direct but uneven line by Shap Fell was 



Chap. XIV TRAVELLING AND CORRESPONDENCE. 



263 



adopted. A. railway has since been carried across the head 
of the bay; and it is not improbable that Stephenson's 
largei scheme of reclaiming the vast tract of land now left 
bare at each receding tide, may yet be carried out. 

While occupied in carrying out the great railway under- 
takings which we have above so briefly described, Mr. 
Stephenson's home continued, for the greater part of the 
time, to be at Alton Grange, near Leicester. But he was 
so much occupied in travelling about from one committee of 
directors to another — one week in England, another in 
Scotland, and probably the next in Ireland, — that he often 
did not see his home for weeks together. He had also to 
make frequent inspections of the various important and 
difficult works in progress, especially on the Midland and 
Manchester and Leeds lines ; besides occasionally going U> 
Newcastle to see how the locomotive works were going on 
there. During the three years ending in 1837 — perhaps 
the busiest years of his life* — he travelled by postchaise 
a] one upwards of 20,000 miles, and yet not less than six 
months out of the three years were spent in London. 
Hence there is comparatively Ettle to record of Mr. Stephen- 
son's private life at this period; during which he had 
scarcely a moment that he could call his own. 

His correspondence increased so much, that he found It 
necessary to engage a private secretary, who accompanied 
him on his journeys. He was himseK exceedingly averse to 
writing letters. The comparatively advanced age at which 
he learnt the art of writing, and the nature of his duties 
whUe engaged at the KiUingworth colliery, precluded that 
facility in correspondence which only constant practice can 



* During this period he was en- 
gaged on the North Midland, ex- 
tending &om Derby to Leeds ; the 
York and North Midland, from 
Normanton to York ; the Manches- 
ter and Leeds; the Birmingham 
tnd Derby, and the Sheffield and 
Rotherham Eailways; tlie wholo 



of these, of which he was principal 
engineer, having been authorised 
in 1836. In ti^at session alone, 
powers were obtained for the con- 
struction of 214 miles of new rail- 
ways under his direction, at an 
expenditure of upwards of five 
millions sterling. 



264 LIFE AT ALTON ORAKGR Chap. JOV. 

give. He gradually, however, aoqxiired great facilify in 
dictation, and possessed the power of labouring continnotisly 
at this work ; the gentleman who acted as his secretary in 
1835, having informed ns that during his busy season he 
one da} lictated not fewer than 37 letters, several of them 
embodying the results of much close thinking and calcula- 
tion. On another occasion, he dictated reports and letters 
for twelve continuous hours, until his secretary was ready to 
drop off his chair from sheer exhaustion, and at length he 
pleaded for a suspension of the labour. This great mass of 
correspondence, although closely bearing on the subjects 
under discussion, was not, however, of a kind to supply the 
biographer with matter for quotation, or give that insight 
into the life and character of the writer which the letters 
of literary men so often furnish. They were, for the most 
part, letters of mere business, relating to works in progress, 
parliamentary contests, new surveys, estimates of cost, and 
railway policy, — curt, and to the point ; in short, the letters 
of a man every moment of whose time was precious. Ho 
was also frequentiy called upon to inspect and report upon 
colliery works, salt works, brass and copper works, and such 
like, in addition to his own colliery and railway business. 
And occasionally he would inin up to London, for the pur- 
pose of attending in person to the preparation and deposit 
of the plans and sections of the projected undertakings of 
which he had been appointed engineer. . 

Fortunately Stephenson possessed a facility of sleep- 
ing, which enabled him to pass through this enormous 
amount of fatigue and labour without injury to his health. 
He had been trained in a hard school, and could bear with 
ease conditions which, to men more softiy nurtured, would 
have been the extreme of physical discomfort. Many, many 
nights he snatched his sleep while travelling in his chaise ; 
and at break of day he would be at work, surveying 
until dark, and this for weeks in succession. His whole 
powers seemed to be under the control of his will, for 
he could wake at any hour, and go to work at once. It 



Chap. IIV. THE EOBtNff NEST. 266 

was difficult for seoretariee and assistants Id keep up with 
ducb a man. 

It is pleasant to record that in the midst of these 
engrossing occupations, his heart remained as soft and 
loving as ever. In spring-time he would not be debarred 
of his boyish pursuit of bird-nesting ; but would go rambling 
along the hedges spying for nests. In the autximn he went 
nutting, and when he could snatch a few minutes he in- 
dulged in his old love of gardening. His uniform kindness 
and good temper, and his communicative, intelligent dispo- 
sition, made him a great favourite with the neighbouring 
&rmers, to whom he would volimteer much valuable advice 
on agricultural operations, drainage, ploughing, and labour- 
saving processes. Sometimes he took a long rural ride on 
his fovourite " Bobby," now growing old, but as fond of his 
master as ever. Towards the end of his life, "Bobby" 
lived in clover, its master's pet, doing no work; and he 
died at Tapton, in 1845, more than twenty years old. 

During one of Oeorge's brief sojourns at the Orange, 
he found time to write to his son a touching account of a pair 
of robins that had built their nest within one of the upper 
chambers of the house. One day he observed a robin 
fluttering outside the windows, and beating its wings 
against the panes, at) if eager to gain admission. He went 
up stairs, and there found, in a retired part of one of the 
rooms, a robin's nest, with one of the parent birds sitting 
over three or four young — aU dead. The excluded bird 
outside still beat against the panes ; and on the window 
being let down, it flew into the room, but was so exhausted 
that it dropped upon the floor. Mr. Stephenson took up 
the bird, carried it down stairs, had it warmed and fed. 
The poor robin revived, and for a time was one of his pets. 
But it shortly died too, as if un&ble to recover from the 
privations it had endured during its three days' fluttering 
and beating at the windows. It appeared that the room 
had been unoccupied, and, the sash having been let down, 
the robins bad taken the pportunity ^ building their nesi 



266 STEPHENSON'S LONDON OFFICE. Chap. XIV. 

within it; bat the servant haying closed tha wipdow 
again, the calamity befel the birds which so strongly excited 
Mr. Stephenson's sympathies. An incident such as this, 
trifling though it may seem, gives the tnie key to the heart , 
of the man. 

The amount of their Parliamentary business having 
greatly increased with the projection of new lines of railway, 
the Stephensons found it necessary to set up an office in 
London in 1836. George's first office was at 9, Duke Street, 
Westminster, from whence he removed in the following year 
to 30^, Great George-street. That office was the busy scene 
of railway politics for several years. There consultations 
were held, schemes were matured, deputations were re- 
ceived, and many projectors called upon our engineer for the 
purpose of submittii]^ to him their plans of railways and 
railway working. His private secretaiy at the time has in- 
formed us that at the end of the first Parliamentary session 
in which he had been engaged as engineer for more com- 
panies than one, it became necessaiy for him to give 
instructions as to the preparation of the accounts to be 
rendered to the respective companies. In the simplicity of 
his heart, he directed Mr. Binns to take his full time at the 
rate «f ten guineas a day, and charge the railway companies 
in the proportion in which he had been actually employed 
on their respective business during each day. When Robert 
heard of this instruction, he went directly to his father and 
expostulated with him against this unprofessional course ; 
and, other influences being brought to bear upon him, 
George at length reluctantly consented to charge as other 
engineers did, an entire day's fee to each of the Companies 
for which he was concerned whilst their business was going 
forward ; but he cut down the number of days charged for 
and reduced the daily amount from ten to seven guineas. 

Besides his journeys at home, Mr. Stephenson was o\ 
more than one occasion called abroad on railway business. 
Thus, at the desire of King Leopold, he made several visits 
to Belgium to assist the Belgian engineers in laying out the 



Chap. XIV. RAILWAYS IN BELGIUM. 207 

national lines of that kingdom. That enlightened monarch 
at an early period discerned the powerful instinimentality 
of railways in developing a country's resources, and he 
determined at the earliest possible period to adopt them aa 
the great high-roads of the nation. The country, being 
rich in coal and minerals, had great manu&cturing capabi- 
lities. It had good ports, fine navigable rivers, abundant 
canals, and a teeming, industrious population. Leopold 
perceived that railways were eminently calculated to bring 
the industry of the country into full play, and to render the 
riches of the provinces available to the rest of the kingdom. 
He therefore oi)enly declared himself the promoter of public 
railways throughout Belgium. A system of lines was pro- 
jected, at his instance, connecting Brussels with the chief 
towns and cities of the kingdom ; extending from Ostend 
eastward to the Prussian frontier, and from Antwerp south- 
ward to the French frontier. 

Mr. Stephenson and his son, as the leading railway-engi- 
neers of England, were consulted by the King on the best 
mode of carrying out his important plans, as early as 1835. 
In the course of that year they visited Belgium, and had 
several interesting conferences with Leopold and his 
ministers on the subject of the proposed railways. The 
King then appointed George Stephenson by royal ordinance 
a Knight of the Order of Leopold. At the invitation of the 
monarch, Mr. Stephenson made a second visit to Belgium 
ii^ 1837, on the occasion of the public opening of the line 
from Brussels to Ghent. At Brussels there was a public pro- 
cession, and another at Ghent on the arrival of the train. 
Stephenson and his party accompanied it to the Public 
Hall, there to dine with the chief Ministers of State, the 
mimicipal authorities, and about five hundred of the prin- 
cipal inhabitants of the city; the English Ambassa- 
dor being also present. After the King's health and a 
few others had been drunk, that of Mr. Stephenson wa« 
proposed; on which the whole assembly rose up, amidst 
great excitement and loud applause, and made their way tc 



268 RAILWAYS OPENED FOB TRAFFIC. Chap. XIY, 

wliere he sat, in order to jingle glasses with him, greatlj; 
to his own amazement. On the day foUdKing, onr engineer 
dined with the King and Queen at their own^ table at 
Laaken, by special invitation; afterwards accompanying 
his Majesfy and suite to a public ball given by the 
municipality of Brussels, in honour of the opening of the 
line to Ghent, as well as of their distinguished English 
guest. On entering the room, the general and excited 
inquiry was, "Which is Stephenson?" The English 
engineer had not before imagined that he was esteemed to 
be so great a man. 

The London and Birmingham Bailway having been com- 
pleted in September, 1838, after being about five years in 
prepress, the great main system of railway communication 
between London, Liverpool, and Manchester was then 
opened to the public. For some months previously, the line 
had been partially opened, coaches performing' the journey 
between Denbigh Hall (near Wolverton) and Rugby, — the 
works of the Kilsby tunnel being still incomplete. It was 
already amusing to hear the complaints of the travellers 
about the slowness of the coaches as compared with the 
railway, though the coaches travelled at the speed of eleven 
miles an hour. The comparison of comfort was also greatly 
to the disparagement of the coaches. Then the railway 
tiuin could accommodate any quantity, whilst the road con- 
veyances were limited; and when a press of traveUers 
occurred — as on the occasion of the Queen's coronation — the 
greatest inconvenience was experienced, and as much as 10/. 
was paid f Dr a seat on a donkey-chaise between Rugby and 
Denbigh. On the opening of the railway throughout, of 
course all this inconvenience and delay was brought to an. 
end. 

Numerous other openings of -railways constructed by Mr 
Stephenson took place about the same time. The Birming. 
ham and Derby line was opened for trafi&c in August, 1839 ; 
the Sheffield and Rotherham in November, 1839 ; and in 
the course of the following year, the Midland, the York and 



Chai. XIV RAILWAY OPEXiyOS. 260 

North Midland, the Chester and Crewe, the Chester an 3 
Birkenhead, the Manchester and Birmingham, the Man- 
ofaester and Leeds, and the Maryport and Carlisle raHwajs, 
were all publicly opened in whole or in part Thns 321 
mQes of railway (exdnsive of the London and Birmingham) 
constructed under Mr. Stephenson's superintendence, at a cost 
of upwards of eleven millions sterling, were, in the course 
of about two years, added to the traffic accommodation of 
the country. 

The ceremonies which accompanied the public opening 
of these lines were often of an interesting character. The 
adjoining population held general holiday; bands played, 
banners waved, and assembled thousands cheered the pass- 
ing trains amidst the occasional booming of cannon. The 
proceedings were usually wound up by a public dinner; 
and in the course of the speeches which followed, Mr. 
Stephenson would revert to his favourite topic — the difficul- 
ties which he had early encountered in the promotion of 
the railway system, and in establishing the superiority of 
the locomotive. On such occasions he always took great 
pleasure in alluding to the services rendered to himself and 
the public by the young men brought up under his eye — his 
pupils at first, and afterwards his assistants. No great 
master ever possessed a more devoted band of assistants 
and fellow-workers than he did. It was one of the most 
marked evidences of his own admirable tact and judgment 
that he selected, with such undeviating correctness, the men 
best fitted to cany out his plans. Indeed, the ability to 
accomplish great things, and to carry grand ideas into prac- 
tical effect, depends in no small measure on that intuitive 
knowledge of character, which Stephenson possessed in so 
remarkable a degree. 

At the dinner at York, which followed the partial open- 
ing of the York and North Midland Eailway, Mr. Stephen- 
son said, '* he was sure they would appreciate his feelings 
when he told them, that when he first began railway 
business his hair was black, although it was now gi*oy ; and 



270 STEPHENSON'S ASSIST iNTS. Chap. XIV 

that he began his life's labour as but a poor ploughboy 
About thirty years since, ho had applied himseK to the 
study of how to generate high velocities by mechanical 
means. He thought he had solved that problem ; and they 
had for themselves seen, that day, what perseverance had 
brought him too. He was, on that occasion, only too 
happy to have an opportunity of acknowledging that he 
had, in the latter portion of his career, received much most 
valuable assistance, particularly from young men brought 
up in his manufustoiy. Whenever talent showed itself in a 
young man he had always given that talent encouragement 
where he could, and he would continue to do so." 

That this was no exaggerated statement is amply proved 
by many fetcts which redound to Mr. Stephenson's credit 
He was no niggard of encouragement and praise when he 
saw honest industiy struggling for a footing. Many were 
the young men whom, in the course of his useful career, he 
took by the hand and led steadily up to honour and emolu- 
ment, simply because he had noted their zeal, diligence, 
and integrity. One youth excited his interest while work- 
ing as a common carpenter on the Liverpool and Manchester 
line ; and before many years had passed, he was recognised 
as an engineer of distinction. Another young man he 
found industriously working away at his bye-hours, and, 
admiring his diligence, engaged him for his private secre- 
tary, the gentleman shortly after rising to a position of 
eminent influence and usefulness. Indeed, nothing gave 
Mr. Stephenson gi*eater pleasure than in this way to help 
on any deserving youth who came under his observation, 
and, in his own expressive phrase, to "make a man of 
him." 

The openings of the great main lines of railroad communi- 
cation shortly proved the fallaciousness of the numerous 
rash prophecies which had been promulgated by the 
opponents of railways. The proprietors of the canals were 
astounded by the fact that, notwithstanding the immense 
trafl&c conveyed by rail, their own traffic and receipts con- 



Chap. AIV. KESULTS OF RAILWAYS. 271 

tinued to increase ; and that, in common with other in- 
terests, they fully shared in the expansion of trade and 
commerce which Had been so effectually promoted by the 
extension of the railway system. The cattle-owners were 
equally amazed to find the price of horse-flesh increasing 
with the extension of railways, and that the number of 
coaches running to and from the new railway- stations gave 
employment to a greater number of horses than under the 
old stage-coach system. Those who had prophesied the 
decay of the metropolis, and the ruin of the suburban 
cabbage-growers, in consequence of the approach of railways 
to London, were also disappointed; for, while the new 
roads let citizens out of London, they let country-people in. 
Their action, in this respect, was centripetal as well as oen- 
tnfagal. Tens of thousands who had never seen the metro- 
polis could now visit it expeditiously and cheaply; and 
Londoners who had never visited the country, or but rarely, 
were enabled, at little cost of time or money, to see green 
fields and clear blue skies, £ir from the smoke and bustle of 
town. If the dear suburban-grown cabbages became depre- 
ciated in value, there were truck-loads of fresh-grown 
country cabbages to make amends for the loss : in this case, 
the " partial evil " was a fiir more general good. The food 
of the metropolis became rapidly improved, especially in the 
supply of wholesome meat and vegetables. And then the 
price of coals — ^an article which, in this country, is as in- 
dispensable as daily food to all classes — was gr^tly reduced. 
What a blessing to the metropolitan poor is described in 
this single fact ! 

The prophecies of ruin and disaster to landlords and 
&rmers were equally confounded by the openings of the 
railways. The agricultural communications, so far from 
being "destroyed," as had been predicted, were im- 
mensely improved. The fiirmers were enabled to buy 
dieir coals, lime, and manure for less money, while 
they obtained a readier access to the best markets for 
^eir stock and fiirm-produce. Notwithstanding the pre- 



tn T&ATELLIXG BY RAILWAY. Cdap. XIV 

dicdmiB to the cunir mi y, their oows ga^e milk as befoi'e, 
their dieep fed and fifcttened, and cTen akittifih horses ceased 
to Ay at the panKing looomotiTe. The smoke of the engines 
did not obscure the sky, nor were fiurmyardB burnt np by 
the fire thrown from the looomotiyesL The fiuming classes 
were not reduced to b^gaiy; on the oontraiy, they soon 
felt that, 80 fiLt finom hairing anything to dread, they had 
Teiy mndi good to expect from the extension of rail- 



Landlords also found that they could get higher rents 
for &rnis situated near a railway than at a distance 
from one. Hence they became clamorous for ''sidings." They 
felt it to be a grieTance to be placed at a distance from 
a station. After a railway had been once opened, not a 
landlord would consent to have the line taken from hinn. 
Owners who had fought the promoters before Parliament, 
and conqielled them to pass their domains at a distance, at 
a TastLy-increased expense in tunnels and deviations, now 
petitioned for branches and nearer station accommodation. 
Those who held property near towns, and had extorted large 
sums as compensation for the anticipated deterioration in 
the Tsdue of their building land, found a new demand for it 
springing up at greatly advanced prices. Land was now 
adYertised for sale, with the attraction of being *' near a 
railway station." 

The prediction that, even if raHways were made, the 
public would not use them, was also completely feilsified by 
the results. The ordinary mode of fsust travelling for the 
middle classes had heretofore been by mail-coach smd sts^e* 
coach. Those who could not afford to pay the high prices 
charged for such conveyances went by wa^on, and the 
poorer classes trudged on foot. George Stephenson was 
wont to say that he hoped to see the day when it would be 
csheaper for a poor man to travel by railway than to walk, 
and not many years passed before his expectation was fal> 
filled. In no country in the world is time worth more 
mooej' than in England ; and by saving time — ^the criterion 



Cbap. XIV. TRAVELLING BY RAILWAY. 273 

of difitanoe — the railway proved a great benefSactor to men 
of industry in all classes. 

It was some time before the more opulent, who could 
afford to post to town in aristocratic style, became recon- 
ciled to railway travelling. In the opinion of many, it 
was only another illustration of the levelling tendencies 
of the age. It put an end to that gradation of rank in 
travelling which wad one of the few things left by which 
the nobleman could bo distinguished from the Manchester 
manufacturer and bagman. But to younger sons of noble 
families the convenience and cheapness of the railway did 
not fail to recommend itself. One of these, whose eldest 
brother had just succeeded to an earldom, said one day to a 
railway manager : "I like railways — they just suit young 
fellows like me with * nothing per annum paid quarterly.' 
You know we can't afford to post, and it used to be deuced 
annoying to me, as I was jogging along on the box-seat of 
the stage-coach, to see the little Earl go by drawn by his 
four posters, and just look up at me and give me a nod. 
But now, with railways, it's different. It's time, he may 
take a first-class ticket, while I can only afford a second- 
class one, but we both go the same pace,*' 

For a time, however, many of the old families sent 
forward their servants and luggage by railroad, and con- 
demned themselves to jog along the old highway in the 
accustomed faimily chariot, dragged by country post-horses. 
But the superior comfort of the railway shortly recommended 
itself to even the oldest families ; posting went out of date j 
post-horses were with difficulty to be had along even the 
great high-roads ; and nobles and servants, manufacturers 
and peasants, alike shared in the comfort, the convenience, 
and the despatch of railway travelling. The late Dr. Arnold, 
of Rugby, regarded the opening of the London and Bir- 
mingham line as another great step accomplished in the 
march of civilisation. " I rejoice to see it," he said, as he 
stood on one of the bridges over the railway, and watched 
the train flashing along under him, 'ind away through the 

V. -^ 



274 TEAVELLING BY RAILWAY. Chap. XIV. 

distant hedgerows-^" I rejoice to see it, and to tliink that 
feudality is gone for ever : it iB so great a blessing to think 
that any one evil ia really extinct" 

It was long before the late Duke of Wellington would 
trust himself behind a locomotiTe. The tStal accident to 
Mr. Iluekisson, which had happened before his eyes, contri- 
buted to prejudice him strongly against railways, and it was 
not until the year 1843 that he performed his first trip on 
the South-Westem Railway, in attendance upon her Majesty. 
Prince Albert had for some time been accustomed to travel 
by railway alone, but in 1842 the Queen began to make use 
of the same mode of conveyance between 'Windsor and 
London. Even Colonel Sibthorpe was eventually compelled 
to acknowledge its utility. For a time he continued to post 
to and from the country aa before. Then he compromised 
the matter by taking a railway ticket for the long journey, 
and posting only a stage or two nearest town; until, at 
length, ho undi^uisedly committed himself, like other 
people, to the express train, and performed the journey 
throughout upon what he had formerly denounced as " the 
infernal railroad." 



Ooolvllk ud Suiteton CuIUii?. 



TsfUia Bausc, near UusUiMd. 

CHAPTER XV. 

Gkobgb Stephenbon's Coal Minxb — Appbabs at Mechanics' 
iHOTmrTEB — HiB Opinion oh Eailwat Spbeds — Atmo- 

BFHBBIC StBTEM EaUWAT MaMU — VlBTTB TO BsLGiril 

aiid Spain. 

While George Stephenson was engaged in canning on tLo 
works of the Midland Eailway in the neighbourhood, of 
Cheflterfield, Beveral Beams of coal were cut through in the 
Claycroea Tunnel, and it occurred to him that if mines were 
opened out there, the railway would provide the means of a 
ready sole for the article in the midland counties, and as far 
south as even the metropolis itself. 

At a time when everybody else was sceptical aa to the 
T 2 



276 A GREAT COAL RaILEOAD. Chap. XV, 

posAibility of coals being carried from the midland counties 
to London, and sold there at a price to compete with those 
which were seaborne, he declared his firm conviction that 
the time was fcist approaching when the London market 
would be regularly supplied with north-country coals led by 
railway. One of the greatest advantages of railways, in his 
opinion was that they would bring iron and coal, the staple 
products of the country, to the doors of all England. " The 
strength of Britain," he would say, " lies in her iron and coal 
beds ; and the locomotive is destined, above all other agencies, 
to bring it forth. The Lord Chancellor now sits upon a bag 
of wool ; but wool has long ceased to be emblematical of the 
staple commodity of England. He ought rather to sit upon 
a bag of coals, though it might not prove quite so comfort- 
able a seat. Then think of the Lord Chancellcrr being 
addressed as the noble and learned lord on the coal-sack / I 
am afraid it wouldn't answer, after all." 

To one gentleman he said: "We want from the coal- 
mining, the iron-producing and manufacturing districts, a 
great railway for the carriage of these valuable products. 
We want, if I may so say, a stream of steam running 
directly through the country, from the Koi*th to London, 
and from other similar districts to London. Speed is not 
so much an object as utility and cheapness. It will not do 
to mix up the heavy merchandize and coal trains with the 
passenger trains. Coal and most kinds of goods can wait ; 
but passengers will not. A less perfect road and less 
expensive works will do well enough for coal trains, if run 
at a low speed ; and if the line be flat, it is not of much 
conjsequence whether it be direct or not. Whenever you 
put passenger trains on a line, all the other trains must be 
run at high speeds to keep out of their way. But cof 
trains run at high speeds pull the road to pieces, besides 
causing large expenditure in locomotive power; and 1 
doubt very much whether they will pay after all ; but a 
succession of long coal trains, if run at from ten to fourteen 
miles an hour, would pay very well. Thus the StcKjkton 



Cfup. XV. LEASES CLAYCR0S8 ESTATE. 277 

and Darlington Company made a larger profit when ninuing 
coal at low speeds at a halfpenny a ton per mile, than they 
have been able to do since they put on their fiust passenger 
ti*ains, when everything must niBeds be run faster, and a 
much larger proportion of the gross receipts is absorbed by 
working expenses." 

In advocating these views, Mr. Stephenson was con- 
siderably ahead of his time ; and although he did not live 
to see his anticipations fully realised as to the supply of the 
London coal-market, he was nevertheless the first to point 
out, and to some extent to prove, the practicability of 
establishing a profitable coal trade by railway between the 
northern counties and the metropolis. So long, however as 
the traffic was conducted on main passenger lines at 
comparatively high speeds, it was found that the expendi- 
ture on tear and wear of road and locomotive power, — not 
to mention the increased risk of carr^-ing on .the first-claas 
passenger traffic with which it was mixed up, — necessarily 
left a very small margin of profit ; and hence Mr. Stephen- 
son was in the habit of urging the propriety of constructing 
a railway which should be exclusively devoted to goods and 
mineral traffic run at low speeds as the only condition on 
which a large railway traffic of that sort could be profitably 
conducted. 

Having induced Qome of his Livei-pool fiiends to join him 
in a coal-mining adventure at Chesterfield, a lease was 
taken of the Claycross estate, then for sale, and operations 
were shortly after begun. At a subsequent period Mr. 
Stephenson extended his coal-mining operations in the same 
neighbourhood ; and in 1841 he himself entered into a eon- 
tract with owners of land in adjoining townships for the 
working of the coal thereunder ; and pits were opened on the 
Tapton estate on an extensive scale. About the same time 
he erected great lime-works, close to the Ambergate station 
of the Midland Railway, from which, when in full operation 
he was able to turn out upwards of 200 tons a day. The 
limestone was brought on a tramway from the village ol 



273 TAPTON HOUSE. Chap. XV. 

Crich, 2 or 3 miles distant, the coal being supplied from his 
adjoining Claycroee colliery. The works were on a scale 
such as had not before been attempted 1^ any private 
individnal engaged in a similar trade; and we believe they 
proved very succeasful. 



Tapton House was included in the lease of one of the 
collieries, and as it was conveniently situated — being, as it 
were, a central point on the Midland BaUway, &om which 
he could readUy proceed north or south, on his journeys 
of inspection of the various lines then under construction 
in the midland and northern counties, — he took up his 
residence there, and it continued his home until the close of 
his life. 

Tapton House is a lai^ roomy brick mansion, beauti- 
fully situated amidst woods, upon a commanding eminence, 
about a mile to the north-east cf the town of Chesterfield. 
Green fields dotted with fine trees slope away from the 



Chap. XV. BRITISH ASSOCIATION AT NEWCASTLE, 279 

house iii all directions. The sarrounding oountrj is undu- 
latdng and highly picturesque. North and soutii the eye 
ranges over a vast extent of lovely scenery; and on the 
west, looking over the town of Chesterfield, with its church 
and crooked spire, the extensive range of the Derbyshire 
hills bounds the distance. The Midland Bailway skirts the 
western edge of the park in a deep rock cutting, and the 
shrill whistle of the locomotive sounds near at hand as 
the trains speed past. The gardens and pleasure-grounds 
adjoining the house were in a very neglected state when 
Mr. Stephenson first went to Tapton; and he promised 
himself, when he had secured rest and leisure from busi- 
ness, that he would put a new face upon both. The first 
improvement he made was cutting a woodland footpath up 
the lull-side, by which he at the same time added a beauti- 
ful feature to the park, and secured a shorter road to the 
Chesterfield station. But it was some years before he 
found time to carry into effect his contemplated improve- 
ments in the adjoining gardens and pleasure-grounds. He 
had so long been accustomed to laborious pursuits, and 
felt himself still so full of work, that he could not at once 
settle down into the habit of quietly enjoying the fruits of 
his industry. 

He had no difficulty in usefully employing his time. Be- 
sides directing the mining operations at Claycross, the 
establishment of the lime-kilns at Ambergate, and the con- 
struction of the extensive railways still m progress, he 
occasionally paid visits to Newcastle, where his locomotive 
manufactory was now in full work, and the prophetors 
were reaping the advantages of his early foresight in an 
abundant measure of prosperity. One of his most interest- 
ing visits to the place was in 1838, on the occasion of the 
meeting of the British Association there, when he acted as 
one of the Vice-Presidents iu the section of Mechanical 
Science. Extraordinary changes had occurred in his own 
fortunes, as well as in the face of the country, since he had 
first appeared before a scientific body in Newcastle— the 



280 MECHANICS' INSTITUTES. Chap. XV 

memben of the Literary and Philosophical Institute— to 
Bubmit his safety-lamp for theii examination. Twenty- 
three years had passed over his head, fall of honest work, 
of manful struggle ; and the humble '* oolliery enginewright 
of the name of Stephenson " had achieved an almost world- 
wide reputation as a public bene&ctor. His fellow-towns- 
men, therefore, could not hesitate to recognise his merits 
and do honour to his name. During the sittings of the 
Association, Mr. Stephenson took the opportunity of paying 
a visit to EiUingworth, accompanied by some of the dis- 
tinguished savans whom he numbered amongst his friends. 
He there pointed out to them, with a degree of honest 
prido, the cottage in which he had Uved for bo many years, 
showed what parts of it had been his own handiwork, and 
told them the story of the sun-dial over the door, describing 
the study and the labour it had cost him and his son to 
calculate its dimensions, and fix it in its place. The dial 
had been serenely numbering the hours through the busy 
years that had elapsed since that humble dwelling had been 
his home ; during which the Killingworth locomotive had 
become a great working power, and its contriver had esta- 
blished the railway system, which was now rapidly becoming 
extended in all parts of the world. 

About the same time, his services were very much in 
request at the meetings of Mechanics' Institutes held 
throughout the northern counties. From an early period 
in his histoiy, ho had taken an active interest in these 
institutions. While residing at Newcastle in 1824, shortly 
after his locomotive foundry had been started in Forth- 
street, he presided at a public meeting held in that town 
for the purpose of establishing a Mechanics' Institute. The 
meeting was held ; but as George Stephenson was a man 
comparatively unknown even in Newcastle at that time, 
his Dame failed to secure "an influential attendance." 
AmoDg th(jse who addressed the meeting on ihe occasion 
was Joseph Locke, then his pupil, uiid afterwards his rival 
Hb an engineer. The local papers scarcely notice:) the pra 



Chap. XV. SELF-ACTING BRAKE. 281 

ceedings; yet the Mechanics* Institate was founded, and 
struggled into existence. Years passed, and it was now 
felt to be an honour to secure Mr. Stephenson's presence at 
any public meetings held for the promotion of popular edu- 
cation. Among the Mechanics' Institutes in his immediate 
neighbourhood at Tapton, were those of Belper and Chester- 
field ; and at their soirees he was a frequent and a welcome 
visitor. On these occasons he loved to tell his auditors of 
the difficulties which had early beset him through want of 
knowledge, and of the means by which he had overcome 
them. His grand text was— -Pebsbveue ; and there was 
manhood in the very word. 

On more than one occasion, the author had the pleasure 
of listening to George Stephenson's homely but forcible 
addresses at the annual soirees of the Leeds Mechanics' 
Institute. He was always an immense favourite with his 
audiences there. His personal appearance was greatly in 
his favour. A handsome, ruddy, expressive fiace, luup by 
bright dark-blue eyes, prepared one for his earnest words 
when he stood up to speak and the cheers had subsided 
which invariably hailed his rising. He was not glib, but 
he was very impressive. And who, so well as he, could 
serve as a guide to the working man in his endeavours after 
higher knowledge ? His early life had been all struggle — 
encounter with difficulty — groping in the dark after greater 
light, but always earnestly and perseveringly. His words 
were therefore all the more weighty, since he spoke from 
the fulness of his own experience. 

Not did he remain a mere inactive spectator of the im- 
provements in railway working which increasing experience 
from day to day suggested. He continued to contrive im- 
provements in the lcx)omotive, and to mature his invention 
of the carriage-brake. \\ hen examined before the Select 
Committee on Railways in 1841, his mind seems principally 
to have been impressed with the necessity which existed 
for adopting a system of self acting brakes ; stating that, in 
his opinion, this was the most important arrangement that 



282 RAILWAY SPEED. Chap XV. 

oould be provided for increasmg the safety of railway 
travelling. " I believe," he said, " that if self-acting brakes 
were put upon every carriage, scarcely any accident could 
take place." His plan consisted in employing the mo- 
mentum of the running train to throw his proposed brakes 
into action, immediat€4.y on the movii^ power of the engine 
being checked. He would also have these brakes under 
the control of the guard, by means of a connecting line 
running along the whole length of the train, by which they 
should at once be thrown out of gear when necessary. At 
the same time he suggested, as an additional means of 
safety, that the signals of the line should be self-acting, and 
worked by the locomotives as they passed along the railway. 
He considered the adoption of this plan of so much im- 
portance, that, with a view to the public safety, he would 
even have it enforced upon railway companies by the l^is- 
lature. At the same time he was of opnion that it was 
the interest of the companies themselves to adopt the plan, 
as it would save great tear and wear of engines, carriages, 
tenders, and brake-vans, besides greatly i^imiTiiain'T^g the 
risk of accidents upon railways. 

While before the same Committee, he took the oppor* 
tunity of stating his views with reference to railway speed, 
about which wild ideas were then afloat— one gentleman of 
celebrity having publicly expressed the opinion that a 
speed of 100 miles an hour was practicable in railway tra- 
velling ! Not many years had passed since George Stephen- 
son had been pronoimced insane for stating his conviction 
that 12 miles an hour could be performed by the locomotive ; 
but now that he had established the fsict, and greatly ex- 
ceeded that speed, he was thought behind the age because 
he recommended the rate to be limited to 40 miles an hour. 
He said : *' I do not like either 40 or 50 miles an hour upon 
any line — I think it is an unnecessary speed ; and if there is 
danger upon a railway, it is hign velocity that creates it. 
I should say no railway ouii:ht to exceed 40 miles an hour 
on the most ^vourable gradient ; but upon a curved iiaa 



Chap. XV. RAILWAY SPEED. 283 

the speed ought not to exceed 24 or 25 mllfts an honr.'' 
He had, indeed, constructed for the Great Western Bailway 
an engine capable of iiinning 50 miles an hour with a load, 
and 80 miles without one. But he never was in favour of 
a hurricane speed of this sort, believing it could only be 
accomplished at an tmnecessary increase both of danger and 
expense. 

"It is true," he observed on othir occasions, "I have 
said the locomotive engine might be made to travel 100 
miles an hour ; but I always put a qualification on this, 
namely, as to what speed would best suit the public. The 
public may, however, be unreasonable ; and 50 or 60 miles 
an hour is an unreasonable speed. Long before railway 
travelling became general, I said to my friends that there was 
no limit to the speed of the locomotive, provided the worJu 
could he made to stand. But there are limits to the strength 
of iron, whether it be manufactured into rails or loco- 
motives ; and there is a point at which both rails and tyres 
must break. Every increase of speed, by increasing the 
strain upon the road and the rolling stock, brings us nearer 
to that point. At 30 miles a slighter road will do, and less 
perfect rolling stock may be run upon it with safety. But 
if you increase the speed by say 10 miles, then everything 
must be greatly strengthened* You must have heavier 
engines, heavier and better-fastened rails, and all your 
working expenses will be immediately increased. I think 
I know enough of mechanics to know where to stop. I 
know that a pound will weigh a pound, and that no more 
should be put upon an iron rail than it will bear. If you 
could ensure perfect iron, perfect rails, imd perfect loco- 
motives, I grant 50 miles an hour or more might be run 
with safety on a level railway. But then you must not 
forget that iron, even the best, will * tire,' and with constant 
use wiU become more and more liable to break at the 
weakest point — ^perhaps where there is a secret flaw that 
the eye cannot detect. Then look at the rubbishy rails 
now manufekctured on the contract system — some of them 



284 UNDULATING RAILWAYS. Chap. XV. 

little better than cast metal: indeed, I have seen rails 
break merely on being thrown from the truck on to the 
ground. How is it possible for such raiLj to stand a 20 or 
30 ton engine dashing over them at the speed of 50 imlvs 
an hour ? No, no," he would conclude, " I am in favour of 
Low speeds because they are safe, and because they are 
economical ; and you may rely upon it that, beyond a certain 
point, with every increase of speed there is an increase in 
the element of danger." 

When railways became the subject of popular discussion, 
many new and unsound theories were started with reference 
to them, which Stephenson opposed as calculated, in his 
opinion, to bring discredit on the locomotive system. One 
of these was with reference to what were called "imdu- 
iating lines." Among others. Dr. Lardner, who had origi- 
nally been somewhat sceptical about the powers of the 
locomotive, now promulgated the idea that a railway con- 
structed with rising and fallen gradients would be practically 
as easy to work as a line perfectly level. Mr. Badnell went 
even beyond him, for he held that an undulating railway 
was much better than a level one for purposes of working. 
For a time, this theory found favour, and the " undulating 
system " was extensively adopted ; but Mr. Stephenson 
never ceased to inveigh against it; and experience has 
amply proved that his judgment was correct. His practice, 
from the beginning of his career until the end of it, was to 
secure a road as nearly as possible on a level, following the 
course of the valleys and the natural line of the country : 
preferring to go round a hill rather than to tunnel under it 
or c&Try his railway over it, and often making a consider- 
able circuit to secure good, workable gradients. He studied 
to lay out his lines so that long trains of minerals and 
merchandise, as well as passengers, might be hauled along 
them at the least possible expenditure of locomotive power. 
He had long before ascertained, by careful experiments at 
Killingworth, that the engin« expends half of its power in 
overcoming a rising gradient of 1 in 260, which is about 



Chap. XV. EAILWATS COMMERCIAL 8PECULATI0XS. 285 

20 feet in the mile ; and that when the gradient is so steep 
as 1 in 100, not less than three-fourths of its power is 
sacrificed in ascending the acclivity. He never forgot the 
valuable practical lesson taught him by the early trials 
which he had made and registered long before the advan- 
tages of railways had been recognised. He saw clearly 
that the longer flat line must eventually prove superior to 
the shorter line of steep gradients as respected its paying 
qualities. He urged that, after all, the power of the loco- 
motive was but limited ; and, although he and his son had 
done more than any other men to increase its working 
capacity, it provoked him to find that every improvement 
made in it was neutralised by the steep gradients which 
the new school of engineers were setting it to overcome. 
On one occasion, when Eobert Stephenson stated before a 
Parliamentary Committee that every successive improve- 
ment in the locomotive was being rendered virtually nuga- 
tory by the difficult and almost impracticable gradients 
proposed on many of the new lines, his father, on his 
leaving the witness-box, went up to him, and said, " Robert, 
you never spoke truer words than those in all your life." 

To this it must be added, that in urging these views 
Mr. Stephenson was strongly influenced by commercial 
considerations. He had no desire to build up his reputa- 
tion at the expense of railway shareholders, nor to obtain 
engiueering eclat by making " ducks and drakes " of their 
money. He was persuaded that, in order to secure the 
practical success of railways, they must be so laid out as not 
only to prove of decided public utility, but also to be worked 
economically and to the advantage of their proprietors. 
They were not government roads, but private ventures — in 
fact, commercial speculations. He therefore endeavoured 
to render them financially profitable; and he repeatedly 
declared that if he did not believe they could be " made to 
pay," he would have nothing to do with them. He was 
not influenced by the sordid consideration of what he could 
maie out of any company that employed him ; indeed, is 



286 ATMOSPHERIC RAILWAYS. Chap. XV 

TUHDy cases ho voluntarily gave up his claim to remunera- 
tion where the promoters of schemes which he thought 
praiseworthy had suffered serious loss. Thus, when the 
first application was made to Parliament for the Chester 
and Birkenhead Railway Bill, the promoters were defeated. 
They repeated their application, on the understinding that 
in event of tiieii* succeeding, the engineer and surveyor 
were to be paid their costs in respect of the defeated mea- 
sure. The Bill was successful, and to several parties their 
costs were paid. Mr. Stephenson's amounted to 800^., and 
he very nobly said, "You have had an expensive career 
in Parliament ; you have had a great struggle ; you are a 
young Company ; you cannot afford to pay me this amount 
of money • I will reduce it to 200Z., and I will not ask you 
for that 200Z. until your shares are at 20Z. premium : for 
whatever may be the reverses you will go through, I am 
satisfied I shall live to see the day when your shares will 
be at 20Z. premium, and when I can legally and honourably 
claim that 200Z." We may add that the eiiares did eventu- 
ally rise to the premium specified, and the engineer was no 
loser by his generous conduct in the transaction. 

Another novelty of the time, with which George Stephen- 
son had to contend, was the substitution of atmospheric 
pressure for locomotive steam-power in the working of 
railways. The idea of obtaining motion by means of 
atmospheric pressure is said to have originated with Denis 
Papin, more than 150 years ago; but it slept until revived 
in 1810 by Mr. Medhurst, who published a pamphlet to 
prove the practicability of carrying letters and goods by 
air. In 1 824, Mr. Vallance of Brighton took out a patent 
for projecting passengers through a tube large enough to 
contain a train of carriages; the tube being previously 
exhausted of its atmospheric air. The same idea was 
afterwards taken up, in 1835, by Mr. Pinkus, an ingenious 
American. Scientific gentlemen. Dr. Lardner and Mr. 
Clegg amongst others, advocated the plan ; and an associa- 
tion was formed to carry it into effect. Shares were 



Chap. XV. ATMOSPHERIC RAILWAYS. 28V 

created, and 18,000^. rained : and a modei apparatus waa 
exhibited in London. Mr. VignoUes took bis fiiend Ste- 
phenson to see the model ; and after carefully examining 
it, he observed emphatically, "J< won't do: it is only the 
fixed engines and ropes over again, in another form ; and, 
to tell you the truth, I don't think this rope of wind wiU 
answer so weU as the rope of wire did." He did not think 
the principle would stand the test of practice, and he 
objected to the mode of applying the principle. After all, 
it was only a modification of the stationary-engine plan ; 
and every day's experience was proving that fixed engines 
could not compete with locomotives in point of efficiency 
and economy. He stood by the locomotive engine; and 
subsequent experience proved that he was right 

Messrs. Clegg and Samuda afterwards, in 1840, patented 
their plan of an atmospheric railway ; and they publicly 
tested its working on an unfinished portion of the West 
London Railway. The results of the experiment were so 
satisfactory, that the directors of the Dublin and Kingstown 
line adopted it between Kingstown and Dalkey. The 
London and Croydon Company also adopted the atmo- 
spheric principle ; and their line was opened in 1845. The 
ordinary mode of applying the power was to lay between 
the line of rails a pipe, in which a large piston was inserted, 
and attached by a shaft to the framework of a carriage. 
The propelling power was the ordinary pressure of the 
atmosphere acting against the piston in the tube on one 
side, a vacuum being created in the tube on the other side 
of tlie piston by the working of a stationary engine. Greai 
was the popularity of the atmospheric system; and still 
George Stephenson said " It won't do : it's but a gimcrack." 
Engineers of distinction said he was prejudiced, and that 
ho looked upon the locomotive as a pet child of his own. 
" Wait a little," he replied, " and you will see that I am 
right." It was generally supposed that the locomotive 
fystem was about to be snuffed out. "Not so fast." said 
Stephenson. '• Iiot v£ wait to tee if it will i)ay." E!e never 



288 THE RAILWAT MANIA. Chap. XV 

believed it would. It was ingenious, clever, scientific, and 
all that; but railways were commercial enterprises, not 
toys ; and if the atmospheric railway could not work to a 
profit, it would not do. Considered in this light, he even 
went so far as to call it '' a great humbug." *' Nothing will 
beat the locomotive," said he, '* for efficiency in aU weathers, 
for economy in drawing loads of average weight, and for 
power and speed as occasion may require." 

The atmospheric system was fSsdrly and folly tried, and it 
was found wanting. It was admitted to be an exceedingly 
elegant mode of applying power ; its devices were very 
skilful, and its mechanism was most ingenious, But it was 
costly, irregular in action, and, in particular kinds of 
weather, not to be depended upon. At best, it was but a 
modification of the stationary-engine system, and experience 
proved it to be so expensive that it was shortly after entirely 
abandoned in favour of locomotive power.* 

One of the remarkable results of the system of railway 
locomotion which George Stephenson had by his persevering 
labours mainly contributed to establish, was the outbreak 
of the railway mania towards the close of his professional 
career. The success of the first main lines of railway 
naturally led to their extension into many new districts ; 
but a strongly speculative tendency soon began to display 
itself, which contained in it the elements of great danger. 

The extension of railways had, up to the year 1844, been 
mainly effected by men of the commercial classes, and the 
sliareholders in them principally belonged to the manufac- 
turing districts, — the capitalists of the metropolis as yet 



• The questiou of the specific 
nmrits of the atmospheric as com 
paied with the fixed eugine and 
locomotiYe systems, will be found 
fully discussed in Robert Stephen- 
son's able * Report on the Atmo 



ments made by hiiu on tne Kings- 
town Atmospheric Riulway, with 
the object of ascertaining whethei 
the new {)Ower would be applicable 
for the working of the Chester aud 
Holyhead Railway, then under con- 



spheric Railway SyKtem,' 1844, in j struction. His opinion was deci 
whidi he gives the result of nu - I dedly against the atmospheric syg 
mero*J8 ubservations and o^peri tQOi, 



Chap. XV. THE RAILWAY MANIA. 289 

holdiiig aloof, and prophesying disaster to all ooncemed in 
railway projects. But when the lugubrious anticipations of 
the City men were found to be so entirely falsified by the 
results^ when, after the lapse of years, it was ascertained 
that railway trajffic rapidly increased and dividends steadily 
improved — a change came over the spirit of the London 
capitalists. They then invested largely in railways, the 
shares in which became a leading branch of business on the 
Stock Exchange, and^the prices of some rose to nearly 
double their original value. 

A stimulus was thus given to the projection of further 
lines, the shares in most of which came out at a premium, 
and became the subject of immediate traffic. A reckleao 
spirit of gambling set in, which completely changed the 
character and objects of railway enterprise. The public 
outside the Stock Exchanire became also infected, and many 
persons utterly ignorant of railways, knowipTand cari^ 
nothing about their national uses, but hungering and thirst- 
ing after premiums, rushed eagerly into the vortex. They 
applied for allotments, and subscribed for shares in lines, of 
the engineering character or probable traffic of which they 
knew nothing. Provided they coiJd but obtain allotments 
Which they could sell at a premium, and put the profit — in 
many cases the only capital they possessed * — into their 
pocket, it was enough for them. The mania was not con- 
fined to the precincts of the Stock Exchange, but infected 
all ranks. It embraced merchants and manufacturers, 
gentry and shopkeepers, clerks in public offices, and loungers 
at the clubs. Noble lords were pointed at as "stags;" 
there were even clergymen who were characterised as 
"bulls;" and amiable ladies who had the reputation of 



♦ The Marquis of Glanricarde 
brought under the notice of the 
House of Lords, in 1845, that one 
Charles Guernsey, tke son of a 

eharwoman, and a clerk in a bro* by the brokers, his omplay^s. 
ker's office, at 12«. a week, had his 

V. 



name down as a subscriher for 
shares in the London and Yorb 
line, for 52,0002. Doubtless he had 
been made useful for the purpose 



290 IHE HAIL WAT MANIA. Chap. XY. 

^ Ixxirs," in the share markets. The few quiet men who re- 
mained uninfluenced by the speculation of the time were, in 
not a few cases, even reproached for doing injustice to their 
families, in declining to help themselves from the stores of 
wealth that were poured out on all sides. 

FoUy and knavery were, for a time, completely in the 
ascendant The shai-pers of socieiy were let loose, and 
jobbers and schemers became more and more plentiful 
They threw out railway schemes as lures to catch the 
unwary. They fed the mania with a coi::stant succession of 
new projects. I'he railway papers became loaded with their 
advertisements. The post-ofifice was scarcely able to distri- 
bute the multitude of prospectuses and circulars which they 
issued. For a time their popularity was immense. They 
rose like froth into the upper heights of society, and the 
flunkey FitzPlushe, by virtue of his supposed wealth, sat 
amongst peers and was idolised. Then was the harvest- 
time of scheming laA^yers, parliamentary agents, engineers, 
surveyors, and traffic-takers, who were ready to take up 
any railway scheme however desperate, and to prove any 
amount of traffic even where none existed. The traffic in 
the credulity of their dupes was, however, the gi-eat fact 
that mainly concerned them, and of the profitable character 
of which there could be no doubt 

Mr. Stephenson was anxiously entreated to lend his name 
to prospectuses during the railway mania ; but he invariably 
refused. He held aloof from the headlong folly of the hour, 
and endeavoui-ed to check it, but in vain. Had he been 
less scrupulous, and given his countenance to the numerous 
projects about which he was consulted, he might, without 
any trouble, have thus secured enormous gains ; but he had 
QO desire to accumulate a fdjrtiiiie without labour and with- 
out honour. He himself never speculated in shares. "When 
he was satisfied as to the merits of any undertaking, he 
Kubscribed for a certain amount of capital in it, and held 
un, neither bu}'ing nor selling. At a dinner of the Leeds 
and Bradf'/i^l directors at Ben Bydding in October, 1844, 



Chap. XT. THE KAILWAT MANLL 291 

before the mania had reached its height, he warned those 
present against the prevalent disposition towards railway 
speculation. It was, he said, like walking upon a piece oi 
ice with shallows and deeps ; the shallows were frozen over, 
and they would carry, but it required great caution to get 
over the deeps. He was satisfied that in the course of the 
next year many would step on to places not strong enough 
to carry them, and would get into the deeps ; they would 
be taking shares, and afterwards be unable to pay the calls 
upon them. Yorkshiremen were reckoned clever men, and 
his advice to them was, to stick together and promote com- 
munication in their own neighbourhood, — not to go abroad 
with their speculations. If any had done so, he advised 
them to get their money back as fast as they could, for if 
they did not they would not get it at alL He informed the 
company, at the same time, of his earliest holding of railway 
shares ; it was in the Stockton and Darlington Bailway, 
and the number ho held was three — " a very large capital 
for TiiT" to possess at the time." But a Stockton friend was 
anxious to possess a share, and he sold him one at a pre- 
mium of 33^. ; he supposed he had been about the first man 
in England to sell a railway share at a premium. 

Duiing 1846, his son's offices in Great George-street, 
Westminster, were crowded with persons of various condi- 
tions seeking interviews, presenting very much the appear- 
ance of the levee of a minister of state. The burly figure of 
Mr. Hudson, the " Bailway King," surrounded by an admir- 
ing group of followers, was often to be seen there ; and a 
still more interesting person, in the estimation of many, 
was George Stephenson, dressed in black, his coat of some- 
what old-fashioned out, with square pockets in the tails. 
He wore a white neckdoth, and a large bunch of seals was 
suspended fix)m his watch-ribbon. Altogether, he presented 
an appearance of health, intelligence, and good humour, 
that rejoiced one to look upon in that sordid, selfish and 
eventually ruinous saturnalia of railway speculation. 

Powers were granted by Parliament, in 1845, to construct 

u 2 



292 PAELIAMENT AND THE MANIA. Chap. XV. 

not less tlian 2883 miles of new railways in Britain, at an 
expenditure of about forty-four millions sterling I Yet tlie 
mania was not appeased ; for in the following session of 
1846, applications were made to Parliament for powers to 
raise 389,000,000/. sterling for the construction of further 
lines ; and powers were actually conceded for forming 4790 
miles (including 60 miles of tunnels), at a cost of about 
120,000,0002. sterling. During this session, Mr. Stephenson 
appeared as engineer for only one new line, — ^the Buxton, 
Macclesfield, Congleton, and Crewe Eailway — a line in 
which, as a coal-owner, he was personally interested ; — and 
of three branch-lines in connexion with existing companies 
for which he had long acted as engineer. At the samo 
time, all the leading professional men were folly occupied, 
some of them appearing as consulting engineers for upwards 
of thirty lines each I 

One of the features of the mania was the rage for " direct 
lines" which everywhere displayed itself. There were 
" Direct Manchester," " Direct Exeter," " Direct York," and, 
indeed, new direct lines between most of the large towns. 
The Marquis of Bristol, speaking in favour of the '* Direct 
Norwich and London" project, at a public meeting at 
Haverhill, said, "If necessary, they might make a tunnel 
henecUh his very drawing-room^ rather than be defeated in 
their imdertaking ! " And the Rev. F. Litchfield, at a 
meeting in Banbury, on the subject of a line to that town, 
said " He had laid down for himself a limit to his approba- 
tion of railways, — ^at least of such as approached the neigh- 
bourhood with which he was connected, — and that limit 
was, that he did not wish them to approach any nearer to 
him than ix> run through his bedroom, with the bedposts for a 
station I " How different was the spirit which influenced 
these noble lords and gentlemen but a few years before ! 

The House of Commons became thoroughly influenced by 
the prevailing excitement. Even the Board of Trade began 
to favour the views of the fast school of engineers. In their 
"Eeport on the Lines projected in the Manchester and 



Chap. XV. STEPHENSON AND PEEL. 298 

Leeds District/' they promulgated some remarkable views 
respecting gradients, declaring themselves in favonr of the 
" undulating system." They there stated that lines of an 
undulating character " which have gradients of 1 in 70 or 
1 in 80 distributed over them in short lengths, may be 
positively better lines, t. 6., more susceptible of cheap and expe- 
ditious working, than others which have nothing steeper 
than 1 in 100 or 1 in 120 1 " They concluded by reporting 
in favour of the line which exhibited the worst gradients 
and the sharpest curves, chiefly on the ground that it could 
bo constructed for less money. 

Sir Eobert Peel took occasion to advert to this Eeport in 
the House of Commons on the 4th of March following, as 
containing "a novel and highly important view on the 
subject of gradients, which, he was certain, never could 
have been taken by any Committee of the House of Com 
mons, however intelligent ; " and he might have added, that 
the more intelligent, the less likely they were to arrive at 
any such conclusion. When Mr. Stephenson saw this 
report of the Premier's speech in the newspapers of the 
foUowing morning, he went forthwith to his son, and 
asked him to write a letter to Sir Robert Peel on the 
subject. He saw clearly that if these views were adopted, 
the utility and economy of railways would be seriously cur- 
tailed. "These members of Parliament," said he, "are 
now as much disposed to exaggerate the powers of the loco- 
motive, as they were to under-estimate them but a few 
years ago." Robert accordingly wrote a letter for his 
£3tther's signature, embodying the views which he so strongly 
entertained as to the importance of flat gradients, and 
referring to the expeiiments conducted by him many years 
before, in proof of the great loss of working power which 
was incurred on a line of steep as compared with easy gra- 
dients. It was clear, from the tone of Sir Robert Peel's 
speech in a subsequent debate, that he had carefully read 
and considered Mr. Stephenson's pi-actical observations on 
the subject ; though it did not appear "ihat he had come 



294 ILL EFFECTS OF THE MAMA. Chap. XV. 

to any definite oondnsion thereon, farther than that he 
strongly approved of the Trent Valley Bailway, by which 
Tamworth would be placed npon a direct main line of com- 
munication. 

The result of 'iie labours of Parliament was a tissue of 
legislative bungling, involving enormous loss to the pubb'c. 
£ai]way Bills were granted in heaps. Two hundred and 
seventy-two additional Acts were passed in 1846. Some 
Authorised the construction of lines running almost pa- 
rallel to existing railways, in order to afford the public 
"the benefits of unrestricte<l competition," Locomotive 
and atmospheric Hues, broad-gauge and narrow-gauge 
lines, were granted without hesitation. Committees de- 
cided without judgment and without discriminatiDn ; it was 
a scramble for Bills, in which the most unscrupulous were 
the most successful 

Amongst the many ill effects of the mania, one of the worst 
was that it introduced a low tone of morality into railway 
transactions. The bad spirit which had been evoked by it 
unhappily extended to the commercial classes, and many of 
the most flagrant swindles of recent times had their origin 
in the year 1845. Those who had suddenly gained large 
sums without labour, and also without honour, were too 
ready to enter upon courses of the wildest extravagance ; 
and a false style of living shortly arose, the poisonous influ- 
ence of which extended through all classes. Men began to 
look upon railways as instruments to job with. Persons, 
sometimes possessing information respecting railways, but 
more frequently possessing none, got upon boards for the 
purpose of promoting their individual objects, often in a 
very unscrupulous manner ; landowners, to promote branch 
lines through their property ; speculators in shares, to trade 
upon the exclusive information which they obtained ; whilst 
some directors were appointed through the influence mainly 
of solicitors, contractors, or engineers, who used them as 
tools to serve their own ends. In this way the unfortunate 
proprietoi'f: were, in many cases, betrayed, and their pro- 



Chap. XV. . STEPHENSON VISITS BELGIUM. 205 

perty was shamefully squandered, much to the discredit ol 
the railway system. 

While the mania was at its height in England, railways 
were also being extended abroad, and George Stephenson 
was requested on several occasions to give the benefit of 
his advice to the directors of foreign undertakings. One of 
the most agreeable' of these excursions was to Belgium in 
1845. His special object was to examine the proposed line 
of the Sambre and Meuse Bailway, for which a concession 
had been granted by the Belgian legislature. Arrived on 
the ground, he wont carefully over the entire length of the 
proposed line, to Couvins, the Forest of Ardennes, and 
Bocroi, across the French frontier ; examining the bearings 
of the coal-field, the slate and marble quarries, and the 
numerous iron-mines in existence between the Sambre and 
the Meuse, as well as carefully exploidng the ravines which 
extended through the district, in order to satisfy himself 
that the best possible route had been selected. Mr. Ste- 
phenson was delighted with the novelty of the journey, the 
beauty of the scenery, and the industry of the population. 
His companions were entertained by his ample and varied 
stores of practical information on all subjects, and his 
conversation was full of reminiscences of his youth, on 
which he always delighted to dwell when in the society of 
his more intimate friends. The journey was varied by a 
visit to the coal-mines near Jemappe, where Stephenson 
examined with interest the mode adopted by the Belgian 
miners of draining the pits, inspecting their engines and 
brakeing machines, so familiar to him in early life. 

The engineers of Belgium took the opportunity of Mr. 
Stephenson's visit to their country to invite him to a mag- 
nificent banquet at Brussels. The Public Hall, in which 
they entertained him, was gaily dioorated with flags, pro- 
minent amongst which was the Union Jack, in honour of 
their distinguished guest. A handsome marble pedestal, 
ornamented with his bust crowned with laurels, occupied 
one end of the room. The chair was occupied by M. Massui, 



296 INTEKVIEW WITH KING LEOPOLD. Chap. XV. 

the GLief Director of the National Bailways of Belgium ; 
and the most eminent scientific men of the kingdom were 
present Their reception of " the Father of railways '* was 
of the most enthusiastic description. Mr. Stephenson was 
greatly pleased with the entertainment. Not the least 
interesting incident of the evening was his observing, when 
the dinner was abont half over, a model of a locomotive 
engine placed upon the centre table, under a triumphal 
arch. Turning suddenly to his friend Sopwith, he ex- 
claimed, "Do you see the *Eocket'?" The compliment 
thus paid him, was perhaps more prized than all the en- 
comiums of the evening. 

The next day (April 6th) King Leopold invited him to 
a private interview at the palace. Accompanied by Mr. 
Sopwith, he proceeded to Laaken, and was very cordially 
received by His Majesty. The king immediately entered 
into familiar conversation with him, discussing the railway 
project which had been the object of his visit to Belgium, 
and then the structure of the Belgian coal-fields, — ^his 
Majesty expressing his sense of the great importance of 
economy in a fael which had become indispensable to the 
comfort and well-being of society, which was the basis of 
all manu&ctures, and the vital power of railway locomotion. 
The subject was always a fiivourite one with Mr. Stephen- 
son, and, encouraged by the king, he proceeded to describe 
to him the geological structure of Belgium, the original 
formation of coal, its subsequent elevation by volcanic forces, 
and the vast amount of denudation. In describing the coal- 
beds he used his hat as a sort of model to illustrate his 
meaning ; and the eyes of the king were fixed upon it as 
he proceeded with his interesting description. The con- 
versation then passed to the rise and progress of trade and 
manufactures, — Mr. Stephenson pointing out how closely 
they everywhere followed the coal, being mainly dependent 
upon it, as it were, for their very existence. 

The king seemed greatly pleased with tho interview, 
and at its close expressed himself obliged by the interest- 



Chap. XV. NOETH OF SPAIN EAILWAT. 297 

ing informatioi) which the engineer had oommimicated. 
Shaking hands cordially with both the gentlemen, and 
wishing them success in their important undertakings, 
he bade them adieu. As they were leaving the palace 
Mr. Stephenson, bethinking him of the model by which he 
had just been illustrating the Belgian coal-fields, said to 
his friend, " By the bye, Sopwith, I was afraid the king 
would see the inside of my hat ; it's a shocking bad one ! " 
Little could Q-eorge Stephenson, when brakesman at a coal- 
pit, have dreamt that, in the course of his life, he should be 
admitted to an interview with a monarch, and describe to 
him the manner in which the geological foundations of his 
kingdom had been laid I 

Mr. Stephenson paid a second visit to Belgium in the 
course of the same year, on the business of the West 
Flanders Eailway ; and he had scarcely returned from it ere 
he made arrangements to proceed to Spain, for the purpose 
of examining and reporting upon a scheme then on foot for 
constructing " the Eoyal Korth of Spain Eailway." A con- 
cession had been made by the Spanish Government of a 
line of railway from Madrid to the Bay of Biscay, and a 
ntunerous staff of engineers was engaged in surveying it. 
The directors of the Company had declined making the 
necessary deposits until more &kvourable terms had been 
secured; and Sir Joshua Walmsley, on their part, was 
about to visit Spain and press the Government on the sub- 
ject. Mr. Stephenson, whom he consulted, was alive to the 
difficulties of the office which Sir Joshua was induced to 
undertake, and oifered to be his companion and adviser on 
the occasion, — declining to receive any recompense beyond 
the simple expenses of the journey. He could only arrange 
to be absent for six weeks, and set out from England about 
the middle of September, 1845. 

The party was joined at Paris by Mr. Mackenzie, the 
contractor for the Orleans and Tours Eailway, then in 
course of construction, who took them over the works, and 
aocompaided them as far as Tours. They soon reached the 



298 FTRENEAN PASTOK\L. Jbap. XV. 

great chain of the Pyrenees, and crossed over into Spain. 
It was on a Sunday evening, affcer a long day's toilsome 
journey through the mountains, that the party suddenfy 
found themselves in one of those beautifal sednded vaUeys 
lying amidst the Western Pyrenees. A small hamlet lay 
before them, consisting of some thirty or forty houses and a 
fine old church. The sun was low on the horizon, and, 
under the wide porch, beneath the shadow of the church, 
were seated nearly all the inhabitants of the place. They 
were dressed in their holiday attire. The bright bits of 
red and amber colour in the dresses of the women, and the 
gay sashes of the men, formed a striking picture, on which 
the travellers gazed in silent admiration. It was something 
entirely novel and unexpected. Beside the villagers sat 
two venerable old men, whose canonical hats indicated their 
quiJity as village paatars. Two groups of young women 
and children were dauciug outside the porch to the accom- 
paniment of a simple pipe ; and within a hundred yards 
of them, some of the youths of the village were disporting 
themselves in athletic exercises ; the whole being carried 
on beneath the fostering care of the old church, and with 
the sanction of its ministers. It was a beautifal scene, and 
deeply moved the travellers as they approached the principal 
group. The villagers greeted them courteously, supplied 
their present wants, and pressed upon them some fine 
melons, brought from their adjoining gardens. Mr. Ste- 
phenson used afterwards to look back upon that simple 
rtoeno, and speak of it as one of the most charming pastorals 
he had ever witnessed. 

They shortly reached the site of the proposed railway, 
passing thit)Ugh Iran, St. Sebastian, St. Andero, and Bilbao, 
at which places they met deputations of the principal in 
habitants who were interested in the subject of their 
journey. At Baynosa Stephenson carefully examined the 
mountain passes and ravines through which a railway 
QOnld be made. He rose at break of day, and surveyed 
unUl the darkness set in ; and frequently his re&iing-place 



CHA.P. XV. NORTH OF S]>AlX RAILWAY 2P9 

at night was the floor of some miserable hovel. lie was 
thus laboriously occupied for ten days, after which ho pro- 
ceeded across the province of Old Castile towards Madrid, 
surveying as he went. The proposed plan included the 
purchase of the Castile Canal ; and that property was also 
surveyed. He next proceeded to £1 Escorial, situated at the 
foot of the Guadarama mountains, through which he found 
that it would be necessary to construct two formidable 
tunnels ; added to which he ascertained that the country 
l)etween El Escorial and Madrid was of a very difficult and 
expensive character to work through. Taking these cir- 
cumstances into account, and looking at the expected traffic 
on the proposed line, Sir Joshua Walmsley, acting under 
the advice of Mr. Stephenson, offered to construct the line 
from Madrid to the Bay of Biscay, only on condition that 
the requisite land was given the Company for the purpose ; 
that they should be allowed every fe^cility for cutting such 
timber belonging the Crown as might be required for the 
purposes of the railway; and also that the materials re- 
quired from abroad for the construction of the line should 
be admitted free of duty. In return for these concessions 
the Company offered to clothe and feed several thousands of 
convicts while engaged in the execution of the earthworks. 
General Narvaez, afterwards Duke of Valencia, received 
Sir Joshua Walmsley and Mr. Stephenson on the subject of 
their proposition, and expressed his willingness to close 
with them; but it was necessary that other influential 
parties should give their concurrence before the scheme 
could be carried into effect. The deputation waited ten 
days to receive the answer of the Spanish Government; 
but no answer of any kind was vouchsafed. The authori- 
ties, indeed, invited them to be present at a Spanish bull- 
fight, but that was not quite thu business Mr. Stephenson 
]Lad gone aU the way to Spain to transact ; and the offer 
was politely declined. The result was, that Mr. Stephenson 
dissuaded his friend from making the necessary deposit at 
Madrid. Besides, he Lad by this time formed an unfavour- 



300 T&AVELLIX6 iNCIDSSTT. Chap. T9 

%ble opuiion of the entire project, and considered that the 
traffic would not amount to oue-eighlh of the estimate. 

Mr. Stephenson was now anxious to be in ?2ngland. 
During the jonrn^ from Madrid he often spoke with affile- 
tion of friends and rehttives ; and when apparently absorbed 
by other matters, he would revert to what he ihou^t 
might then be passing at home. Few incidents worthy ai 
notice occurred on the journey homeward, but one may 
be mentioned While tiavelling in an <qpen coiiTeyanoe 
between Madrid and V ittoria, the driver urged his mules 
down hill at a dangerous pace. He was requested to slacken 
speed ; but suspecting his passengers to be afraid, he only 
flogged the brutes into a still more furious gallop. Observing 
this, Mr. Stephenson coolly said, " Let us try him on the 
other tack ; tell him to show us the fsustest pace at which 
Spanish mules can go." The rogue of a driver, when he 
found his tricks of no avail, pulled up and proceeded at a 
more moderate speed for the rest of the journey. 

Urgent business required Mr. Stephenson's presence in 
London on the last day of November. They travelled, 
therefore almost continuously, day and night; and the 
fatigue consequent on the journey, added to the privations 
voluntarily endured by the engineer while carrying on the 
survey among the Spanish mountains, began to tell seriously 
on his health. By the time he reached Paris he was evi- 
dently ill, but he nevertheless determined on proceeding. 
He reached Havre in time for the Southampton boat ; but 
when on board, pleurisy developed itself^ and it was neces- 
sary to bleed him freely. During the voyage, he spent his 
time chiefly in dictating letters and reports to Sir Joshua 
Walmsley, who never left him, and whose kindness on the 
occasion he gratefully remembered. His friend was struck 
by the clearness of his dictated composition, which exhibited 
a vigour and condensation which to him seemed marvellous. 
After a few weeks' rest at home, Mr. Stephenson gradually 
recovered, though his health remained severely shaken. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

BoBEBT Stefhinbom's Oakbeb — The Stkphjbnbons and 
Bbunbl — East Coast Route to Scotland — Royal 
BooDXB Bbidce, Bebwioe — HiQH Level Bridge, Nbw- 

The career of Geo:^ Stephenson was drawing to a close. 
He had for some time been gradually retiring from the 
more active pursuit of railway engineering, and confining 
himself to the promotion of only a few undertakings in 
which he took a more than ordinary personal interest. In 
1840, when the extensive main lines in the Midland 
districts had been finished and opened for traffic, he pub- 
licly expresBed his intention of withdrawing from the 
profession. He had reached sixty, and, having spent the 
greater part of his life in very hard work, he naturally 
desired rest and retirement in his old s^a. There was the 
lees necessity for hia continuing " in harness," aa Robert 



302 ROBERT STEPHENSON Chap. XVL 

Stephenson was now in fall oareer as a leading railway en- 
gineer, and his father had pleasure in handing over to him, 
with the sanction of the companies conoemed, nearly all the 
railway appointments which he held. 

Bobert Stephenson amply repaid his father's care. The 
soimd education of which he had laid the foundations at 
school, improved by his subsequent culture, but more than 
all by his father's example of application, industry, and 
thoroughness in all that he undertook, told powerfully in 
the formation of his character, not less than in the disci- 
pline of his intellect. His father had early implanted 
in him habits of mental activity, fEuniliarized him with the 
laws of mechanics, and carefully trained and stimulated his 
inventive Acuities, the first great fruits of which, as we 
have seen, were exhibited in the triumph of the " Eocket " 
at EainhilL ** I am fully conscious in my own mind," said 
the son at a meeting of the Mechanical Engineers at 
Newcastle, in 1868, "how greatly my civil engineering has 
been regulated and influenced by the mechanical know- 
ledge which I derived directly from my father; and the 
more my experience has advanced, the more convinced I 
have become that it is necessary to educate an engineer in 
the workshop. That is, emphatically, the education which 
will render the engineer most intelligent, most useful, and 
the fullest of resources in times of difficulty." 

Eobert Stephenson was but twentyndx years old when 
the performances of the " Eocket " established the practica- 
bility of steam locomotion on railways. He was shortly 
after appointed engineer of the Leicester and Swannington 
Eailway ; after which, at his father's request, he was 
made joint engineer with himself in laying out the Lon- 
don and Birmingham Eailway, and the execution of that 
line was afterwards entrusted to him as sole engineer. 
The stability and excellence of the works of that railway, 
the difficulties which had been successfully overcome in the 
course of its construction, and the judgment which was dis- 
played by Eobert Stephenson throughout the whole conduct 



Chap. XVL COMMITTEE WOliK. 303 

of the undertaking to its completion, established his repu- 
tation as. au engineer ; and his father could now look with 
confidence and with pride upon his son's achievementfi. 
From that time forward, father and son worked together as 
one man, each jealous of the other's honour; and on tho 
father s retirement, it was generally recognized that, in the 
sphere of railways, Kobert Stephenson was the foremost 
man, the safest guide, and the most active worker. 

Bobert Stephenson was subsequently appointed engineer 
of the Eastern Counties, the Northern and Eastern, and the 
Blackwall railways, besides many lines in the midland and 
southern districts. When the speculation of 1844 set in, 
his services were, of course, greatly in request. Thus, in 
one session, we find him engaged as engineer for not fewer 
than 33 new schemes. Projectors thought themselves for- 
tunate who could secure his name, and he had only to 
propose his terms to obtain theuL The work which he 
performed at this period of his life was indeed enormous, 
and his income was large beyond any previous instance of 
engineering gain. But much of his labour was hea^y 
hackwork of a very uninteresting character. During the 
sittings of the committees of Parliament, almost every mo- 
ment of his time was occupied in consultations, and in 
preparing evidence or in giving it. The crowded, low- 
roofed committee-rooms of the old Houses of Parliament 
were altogether inadequate to accommodate the rush of 
perspiring projectors of bills, and even the lobbies were 
sometimes choked with them. To have borne that noisome 
atmosphere and heat would have tested the constitutions 
of salamanders, and engineers were only human. With 
brains kept in a state of excitement during the entire day, 
DO wonder their nervous systems became unstrung. Their 
only chance of refreshment was during an occasional rush to 
the bun and sandwich stand in the lobby, though some- 
times even that resource failed them. Then, with mind 
and body jaded — probably after undergoing a series of con- 
sultations upon many bills after the rising of the committees 



304 8TEPHE29SOX AND BRUXEL. Chap. XVI. 

— the exhansted engmeerB wonld seek to stimidate natoTB 
by a late, perhaps a heavy, dinner. What chanoe had any 
ordinary constitation of sorviving sach an ordeal? The 
oonseqnence was, that stomach, brain, and liver were alike 
irretrievably injured; and henoe the men who bore the 
brunt of those straggles — Stephenson, Bronel, Lock^ and 
Errington— have already all died, comparatively young men« 

In mentioning the name of Brunei, we are reminded of 
him as the principal rival and competitor of Bobert Stephen- 
son. Both were the sons of distinguished men, and both 
inherited the fame and followed in the footsteps of their 
fathers. The Stephensons were inventive, practical, and 
sagacious ; the Brunels ingenious, imaginative, and daring. 
The former were as thoroughly English in their characteris- 
tics as the latter were perhaps as thoroughly French. The 
iJEithers and the sons were alike successful in their works, 
though not in the same d^ree. Measured by practical and 
profitable results, the Stephensons were unquestionaUy the 
safer men to follow. 

Bobert Stephenson and Isambard Kingdom Brunei were 
destined often to come into collision in the course of their 
professional life. Their respective railway districts 
** marched " with each other, and it became their business 
to invade or defend those districts, according as the policy 
of their respective boards might direct. The gauge of 7 
feet fixed by Mr. Brunei for the Great Western Railway, so 
entirely different from that of 4 ft. 84 in. adopted by the 
Stephensons on the Northern and Midland lines, was from 
the first a great cause of contention. But Mr. Brunei had 
always an aversion to follow any man's lead; and that 
another engineer had fixed the gauge of a railway, or built 
a bridge, or designed an engine, in one way, was of itself 
often a sufficient reason with him for adopting an altogether 
different course. Eobert Stephenson, on his part, though 
less bold, was more practical, preferring to follow the old 
routes, and to tread in the safe steps of his father. 

Mr. Brunei, however, determined that the Great Western 



C?HAP. XVI. BRUNEL AND ROBERT STEPHENSON. 306 

Bkould be a giant's road, and that travelling should be 
conducted upon it at double speed. His ambition was to 
make the best road that imagination could devise ; whereas 
the i?\ain object of the Stephensons, both father and son, 
was to make a road that would pay. Although, tried by 
the Stephenson t«st, Bruners magnificent road was a 
failure so far as the shareholders in the Great Western 
Company were concerned, the stimulus which his ambitious 
designs gave to mechanical invention at the time proved a 
general good. The narrow-gauge engineers exerted them- 
selves to quicken their locomotives to the utmost. They 
improved and re-improved them ; the machinery was 
simplified and perfected; outside cylinders gave place to 
inside ; the steadier and more rapid and effective action of 
the engine was secured ; and in a few years the highest 
speed on the narrow-gauge lines went up fix>m 30 to about 
60 miles an hour. For this rapidity of progress we are in 
no small degree indebted to the stimulus imparted to the 
narrow-gauge engineers by Mr. Brunei. And it is well for 
a countiy that it should possess men such as he, ready to 
dare the untried, and to venture boldly into new paths. 
Individuals may suffer from the cost of the experiments ; 
but the nation, which is an aggregate of individuals, gains, 
and so does the world at large. 

It was one of the characteristics of Brunei to believe in 
the success of the schemes for which he was professionally 
engaged as engineer ; and he proved this by investing his 
savings largely in the Great Western Eailway, in the South 
Devon atmospheric line, and in the Great Eastern steam- 
ship, with what results are well known. Robert Stephen- 
son, on the contrary, with characteristic caution, towards 
the latter years of his life avoided holding unguaranteed 
railway shares ; and though he might execute magnificent 
structures, such as the Yictoria Bridge across the St. 
Lawrence, he was careful not to embark any portion of his 
own fortune in the ordinary capital of these concerns. In 
1845, he shrewdly foresaw the irevitable crash that vn^ 



1J0 THS 5SWGASTLE AND DARLINGTON. Chap. XVI. 

•boat to loUow the mania oi that year; and while sharee 
were still at a premium he took the opportu nity of selling 
out all that he had. He uiged his £Eiiher to do the same 
thing, bat Geoige's reply was characteristic: ''No," said 
he; **^I took my shares for an inyestment, and not to 
qiecnlate with, and I am not going to sell them now 
because folks haTe gone mad about nulways." The conse- 
qwnoe was, that he oontinuod to hold the 60,0002. which he 
had invested in the shares oi various railways until his 
death, when they were at once sold out by his son, though 
at a great depredation on their original cost. 

One oi the hardest battles fought between the Stephensons 
and Brunei was for the railway between Newcastle and 
Berwick, fogming part of the great East Coast route to 
Scotland. As early as 1836, George Stephenson had sur- 
veyed two lines to omnect Edinburgh with Newcastle : one 
by Berwick and Dunbar ab>ng the coast, and the other, 
more inland, by Carter Fell, up the vale of the Gala, to the 
northern capital; but both projects lay dormant for 
several years longer, untiL the completion of the Midland 
and other main lines as £sLr north as Newcastle, had the 
effect of again reviving the subject of the extension of 
the route as far as Edinburgh. 

On the 18th of June, 1844, the Newcastle and Darlington 
line — an important link of the great main highway to tho 
north — ^was completed and publicly opened, thus connecting 
Ihe Thames and the Tyne by a continuous line of railway. 
On that day the Stephensons, with a distinguished par^ 
of railway men, travelled by express train from London to 
Newcastle in about nine hours. It was a great event, and 
was worthily celebrated. The population of Newcastle 
held holiday ; and a banquet given in the Assembly Booms 
the same evening assumed the form of an ovation to George 
Stephenson and his son. Thirty years before, in the 
capacity of a workman, he had been labouring at the con- 
struction of his fii'st locomotive in the immediate noighbour- 
bood. By slow and laborious steps he had worked his way 



Chap. XVI. THE NEWCASTLE AND BERWICK. 807 

on, dragging the locomotive into notice, and raising himself 
in public estimation; until at length he had victoriously 
established the railway system, and went back amongst his 
townsmen to receive their greeting. 

After the opening of this railway, the project of the East 
Coast line from Newcastle to Berwick was revived; and 
George Stephenson, who had already identified himself with 
the question, and was intimately acquainted with every foot 
of the ground, was called upon to assist the promoters with 
his judgment and experience. He again recommended as 
strongly as before the line he had previously surveyed; 
and on its being adopted by the local committee, the 
necessary steps were taken to have the scheme brought 
before Parliament in the ensuing session. The East Coast 
line was not, however, to be allowed to pass without a fight. 
On the contrary, it had to encounter as stout an opposition 
as the Stephensons had ever experienced. 

We have already stated that about this time the plan of 
substituting atmospheric pressure for locomotive steam- 
power in the working of railways, had become very popular. 
Many eminent engineers supported the atmospheric system, 
ind a strong party in Parliament, headed by the Prime 
Minister, were greatly disposed in its favour. Mr. Brunei 
warmly espoused the atmospheric principle, and his persua- 
sive manner, as well as his admitted scientific ability, 
unquestionably exercised considerable influence in deter 
mining the views of many leading members of both Houses 
Amongst others. Lord Howick, one of the members for 
Northumberland, adopted the new principle, and, possessing 
great local influence, he succeeded in forming a powerful 
confederacy of the landed gentry in favour of Brunei's 
atmospheric railway through that county. 

George Stephenson could not brook the idea of seeing the 
locomotive, for which he had fought so many stout battles, 
pushed to one side, and that in the very county in which 
its great powers had been first developed. Nor did he 
rdish the appearance of Mr. Brunei as the engineer of Lord 

X 2 



308 FAILURE OP BRUNEL'S PROJECT. Chap. XVI 

TIowiok*s scheme, in opposition to the line which had 
occupied his thoughts and been the object of his strenuous 
advocacy for so many years. When Stephenson firist met 
Brunei in Newcastle, he good-naturedly shook him by the 
collar, and asked "What business he had north of the 
Tyne ? " George gave him to understand that they were 
to have a fair stand-up fight for the ground, and, shaVing 
hands before the battle like Englishmen, they parted in 
good humour. A public meeting was held at Newcastle in 
the following December, when, after a full discussion of the 
merits of the respective plans, Stephenson's line was almost 
unanimously adopted as the best. 

The rival projects went before Parliament in 1845, and 
a severe contest ensued. The display of ability and tactics 
on both sides was great. Robert Stephenson was examined 
at great length as to the merits of the looomotive line, and 
Brunei at equally great length as to the merits of the 
atmospheric system. Mr. Brunei, in his evidence, said that 
after numerous experiments, he had arrived at the conclu- 
sion that the mechanical contrivance of the atmospheric 
system was perfectly applicable, and he believed that it 
would likewise be more economical in most cases than loco- 
motive power. "In short," said he, "rapidity, comfort, 
safety, and economy, are its chief recommendations." 

But the locomotive again triumphed. The Stephenson 
Coast Line secured the approval of Parliament; and the 
shareholders in the Atmospheric Company were happily 
prevented investing their capital in what would unques- 
tionably have proved a gigantic blunder. For, less than 
three years later, the whole of the atmospheric tubes which 
had been laid down on other lines were pulled up and the 
materials sold — including Mr. Brunei's immense tube on 
the South Devon Eailway — ^to make way for the working 
of the locomotive engine. George Stephenson's first verdict 
of " It won't do," was thus conclusively confirmed. 

Robert Stephenson used afterwards to describe with 
great gusto an interview which took place between Lord 



CiiAP. XVI. STEPHENSON AND LORD HOWICK. 



309 



Howick and His father, at his office in Great George Street, 
dnnng the progress of the bill in Parliament. His father 
was in the outer office, where he used to spend a good deal 
of his spare time ; occasionally taking a quiet wrestle with 
a friend when nothing else wa? stirring.* On the day in 
question, George was standing with his back to the fire, 
when Lord Howick called to see Robert. Oh! thought 
George, he has come to try and talk Robert over about that 
atmospheric gimcrack ; but I'll tackle his Lordship. " Come 
in, my Lord," said he, "Eobei-t's busy; but I'll answer 
your piu-pose quite as well ; sit down here, if you please.*' 
George began, " Now, my Lord, I know very well what you 
have come about : it's that atmospheric line in the north ; I 
will show you in less than five minutes that it can never 
answer." "If Mr Robert Stephenson is not at liberty, 
I can call again," said his Lordship. " He's certainly oc- 
cupied on important business just at present,'* was George's 
answer ; " but I can tell you fiir better than he can what 
nonsense the atmospheric system is : Robert's good-natured, 
you see, and if your Lordship were to get alongside of him 
you might talk him over ; so you have been quite lucky in 
meeting with me. Now, just look at the question of ex- 
pense," — and then he proceeded in his strong Doric to 
explain his views in detail, until Lord Howick could stand 
it no longer, and he rose and walked towards the door. 
George followed him down stairs, to finish his demolition of 
the atmospheric system, and his parting words were, " You 
may take my word for it, my Lord, it will never answer." 
George afterwards told his son with glee of " the settler " 
he had given Lord Howick. 



* '* When my father came abont 
the office,' said Robert, "he some- 
times did not well know what to 
do with himself. So he used to 
invite Bidder to have a wrestle 
with him, for old acquaintance' 
sake. And the two wrestled to- 
gether HO often, and liad so nuuiy 



'&lls' (sometimes 1 thought they 
would bring the house down be- 
tween them), that they broke half 
the chairs in my outer office. I 
remember once sending my fi&thcr 
in a joiner's bill of about 21 lOs. 
for mending broken chn7r&* 



310 THE BOTAL BORDER BRIDGE. Chat. XVL 

So closely were the Stephensons identified with this 
measure, and so great was the personal interest which they 
were hoth known to take in its success, that, on the news 
of the triumph of the bill reaching Newcastle, a sort of 
general holiday took place, and the workmen belonging to 
the Stephenson Locomotive Factory, upwards of 800 in 
number, walked in procession through the principal streets 
of the town, accompanied with music and banners. 

It is unnecesBary to enter into any description of the 
works on the Newoistle and Berwick Railway. There are 
no fewer than 110 bridges of all sorts on the line — some 
under and some over it. But by £u: the most formidable 
piece of masonry work on this railway is at its northern 
extremity, where it passes across the Tweed into Scotland, 
immediately opposite the formerly redoubtable castle of 
Berwick. Not many centuries had passed since the district 
amidst which this bridge stands was the scene of almost 
constant warfare. Berwick was r^arded as the key of 
Scotland, and was fiercely fought for, sometimes held by 
a Scotch and sometimes by an English garrison. Though 
strongly fortified, it was repeatedly taken by assault. On 
its capture by Edward I., Boetius says 17,000 persons were 
slain, so that its streets "ran with blood like a river." 
Within sight of the ramparts, a little to the west, is Halidon 
Hill, where a &mous victory was gained by Edward III., 
over the Scottish army under Douglas ; and there is scarcely 
a foot of ground in the neighbourhood but has been the 
scene of contention in days long past. In the reigns oi 
James I. and Charles 1., a bridge of 15 arches was built 
across the Tweed at Berwick ; and in our own day a rail- 
way-bridge of 28 arches has been built a little above the old 
one, but at a much higher level. The bridge built by the 
Kings, out of the national resources, cost 15,0002., and oc- 
cupied 24 years and 4 months in the building ; the bridge 
built by the Kailway Company, with funds drawn from 
private resources, cost 120,000Z., and was finished in 3 years 
and 4 months from the day of laying the foundation-stone. 



THE BOYAL BOEDEB BBIDGE. 



Tlie Bojil Bocdei Bridge, Berwick-ut 



312 HIGH LEVEL BRIDGE, NEWCASTLE. Chap. XVI 

This important viadnct, built after the design cf Eobert 
Stephenson, consists of a series of 28 semicircular arches, 
each 61 feet 6 inches in span, the greatest height ahoYe the 
Ded of the river being 126 feet. The whole is built of 
ashlar, with a hearting of rubble ; excepting the river parts 
of the arches, which are constructed with bricks laid in 
cement. The total length of the work is 2160 feet The 
foundations of the piers were got in by coffer-dams in the 
ordinary way, Nasmyth's steam-hammer being extensively 
used in driving the piles. The bearing piles, from which 
the foundations of the piers were built up, were each capable 
of carrj-ing 70 tons. 

Another bridge, of stiU greater importance, necessary to 
complete the continuity of the East Coast route, was the 
masterwork erected by Eobert Stephenson between the 
north and south banks of the Tyne at Newcastle, commonly 
known as the High Level Bridge. Mr. E. W. Brandling, 
George Stephenson's early friend, is entitled to the merit 
of originating the idea of this bridge as it was eventually 
carried out, with a central terminus for the northern rail- 
ways in the Castle Garth. The plan was first promulgated 
by him in 1841 ; and in the following year it was resolved 
that George Stephenson should be consulted as to the most 
advisable site for the proposed structure. A prospectus of a 
High Level Bridge Company was issued in 1843, the names 
of George Stephenson and George Hudson appearing on the 
committee of management, Eobert Stephenson being the 
consulting engineer. The project was eventually taken 
tip by the Newcastle and Darlington Eailway Company, 
and an Act for the construction of the bridge was obtained 
in 1846. 

The rapid extension of railways had given an extra- 
ordinary' stimulus to the art of bridge-building ; the number 
of such structures erected in Great Britain alone, since 
1830, having been above 26,000, or more than all that 
had before existed in the country. Instead of the ei*ection 
of a single large bridge constituting, as formerly, an epoch 



Chap. XVI. PROGRESS OF BRIDGE-BUILDIXO. 313 

in engineering, hundreds of extensive bndges of novel 
design were simultaneously constructed. The necessity 
which existed for carrying rigid roads, capable of bearing 
heavy railway trains at high speeds, ove'r extensive gaps 
free of support, rendered it obvious that the methods 
which had up to that tune been employed for bridging 
space were altogether insufficient. The railway engineer 
could not, like the ordinary road engineer, divert his road, 
and make choice of the best point for crossing a river or 
a va!ley. He must take such ground as lay in the line of 
his railway, be it bog, or mud, or shifting sand. Navigable 
rivers and crowded thorough&res had to be crossed without 
interruption to the existing traffic, sometimes by bridges at 
right angles to the river or road, sometimes by arches more 
or less oblique. In many cases great difficulty arose from 
the limited nature of the headway ; but, as the level of the 
original road must generally be preserved, and that of 
the railway was in a measure fixed and determined, it was 
necessary to modify the form and structure of the bridge, in 
almost every case, in order to comply with the public 
requirements. Novel conditions were met by fresh inven- 
tions, and difficulties of the most unusual character were 
one after another successfully surmounted. In executing 
these extraordinary works, iron has been throughout the 
sheet-anchor of the engineer. In its different forms of cast 
or wrought iron, it offered a valuable resource, where 
rapidity of execution, great strength, and cheapness of 
construction in the first instance, were elements of prime 
importance ; and by its skilful use, the railway architect 
was enabled to achieve results which thirty years ago would 
scarcely have been thought possible. 

In many of the early cast-iron bridges the old form of the 
arch was adopted, the stability of the structure depending 
wholly on compression, the only novel feature being the use 
of iron instead of stone. But in a large proportion of cases, 
the arch, with the railroad over it, was found inapplicable 
in consequence of the limited headway which it provided^ 



U4 SABLT l&ON BBIDOES. Chap. XVX 

Heiioe it early oocarrcd to Greorge Stephenson, when oon- 
stiTicting the Liverpool and Mandiester BaiLwaj, to adopt 
the simple cast-iron beam for the crossing of several roads 
and canals along that line — ^this beam resembling in some 
measure the lintel of the early temples — ^the jressnre on 
the abutments being purely vertical. One of the earliest 
instances of this kind of bridge was that erected over 
Water Street, Manchester, in 1829 ; after which, cast-iron 
girders, with their lower webs considerably larger than 
their upper, were ordinarily employed where the span 
was moderate ; and wrought -iron tie rods below were 
added to give increased strength where the span was 
greater. 

The next step was the contrivance of arched beams or 
bowstring girders, firmly held together by horizontal ties to 
resist the thrust, instead of abutments, ^tmierous excellent 
specimens of this description of bridge were erected by 
Robert Stephenson on the original London and Birming- 
ham Railway ; but by far the grandest work of the kind — 
perfect as a specimen of modem constructive skill — ^was the 
High Level Bridge, which we owe to the genius of the 
same engineer. 

The problem was, to throw a railway bridge across the 
deep ravine which lies between the towns of Newcastle and 
Gateshead, at the bottom of which flows the navigable 
river Tyne. Along and up the sides of the valley — on the 
Newcastle bank especially — run streets of old-fashioned 
houses, clustered together in the strange forms peculiar to 
the older cities. The ravine is of great depth — so deep and 
so gloomy-looking towards dusk, tliat local tradition records 
that when the Duke of Cumberland arrived late in the 
evening at the brow of the hiU overlooking the Tyne, on 
his way to CuUoden, he exclaimed to his attendants, on 
looking down into the black gorge before him, " For God's 
flake, don't think of taking me down that coal-pit at this time 
of night I " The road down the (rateshead High Street is 
almost as steep as the roof of a house, and up the Newcastle 



Chap. XVI. THE HIGH LEVEL BRIDGE DESCRIBED. 316 

Side, as the street there is called, it is little better. During 
many centuries the traffic north and south passed along this 
dangerous and difficult route, over the old bridge which 
crosses the river in the bottom of the valley. For about 30 
years the Newcastle Corporation had discussed various 
methods of improving the communication between the 
towns ; and the discussion might have gone on for 30 years 
more, but for the advent of railways, when the skill and 
enterprise to which they gave birth speedily solved the diffi- 
culty and bridged the ravine. The local authorities adroitly 
took advantage of the opportunity, and insisted on the pro- 
visicxi of a road for ordinary vehicles and foot passengers in 
addition to the railroad. In this circumstance originated 
one of the striking peculiarities of the High Level Bridge, 
which serves two purposes, being a railway above and a 
carriage roadway underneath. 

The breadth of the river at the point of crossing is 515 
feet, but the length of the bridge and viaduct between the 
Gateshead station and the terminus on the Newcastle side 
is about 4000 feet. It spiings from Pipewell Gate Bank, 
on the south, directly across to Castle Garth, where, nearly 
fronting the bridge, stands the fine old Norman keep of 
the New Castle, now nearly 800 years old, and a little 
beyond it is the spire of St Nicholas Church, with its light 
and graceful Gothic crown; the whole forming a grand 
architectural group of unusual historic interest. The 
])ridge passes completely over the roofe of the houses which 
fill both sides of the valley ; and the extraordinary height 
of the upper parapet, which is about 130 feet above the bed 
of the river, offers a prospect to the passing traveller the 
like of which is perhaps nowhere else to be seen. Far 
below are the queer chares and closes, the wynds and lanes 
of old Newcastle ; the water is crowded with pudgy, black, 
coal keels ; and, when there is a partial dispersion of the 
great smoke clouds which usually obscure the sky, the 
funnels of steamers and the masts of shipping may be seen 
far down the river. The old brid$;e lies so far beneath that 



316 PILE-DRIVING BY STEAM. Chap. XVI. 

the pa4isengers 3ro8sing it seem like so many bees passing 
to and fro. 

The first difficulty enoountered in building the bridge 
was in securing a solid foundation for the piers. The 
dimensions of the piles to be driven were so huge, that the 
engineer found it necessary to employ some extraordinary 
means for the pui-pose. He called Nasmyth's Titanic 
steam-hammer to his aid — the first occasion, we belieye, on 
which this prodigious power was employed in bridge pile- 
diiving. A temporaiy staging was erected for the steam- 
engine and hammer apparatus, which rested on two keels, 
and, notwithstanding the newness and stifihess of the ma- 
chinery, the first pile was driven on the 6th October, 1846, 
to a depth of 32 feet, in four minutes. Two hammers cf 
30 cwt each were kept in regular use, making from 60 to 
70 strokes a minute; and the results were astounding to 
those who had been accustomed to the old style of pile- 
driving by means of the ordinary pile-frame, consisting of 
slide, ram, and monkey. By the old system, the pile was 
driven by a comparatively small mass of iron descending 
with ^eat velocity from a considerable height-the velo- 
city being in excess and the mass deficient, and calculated, 
like the momentiun of a cannon-ball, rather for destructive 
than impulsive action. In the case of the steam pile-driver, 
on the contrary, the whole weight of a heavy mass is 
delivered rapi^y upon a driving-block of several tons 
weight placed directly over the head of the pile, the 
weight never ceasing, and the blows being repeated at 
the rate of a blow a second, until the pile is driven home. 
It is a curious fact, that the rapid strokes of the steam- 
hammer evolved so much heat, that on many occasions the 
pile-head burst into flames during the proi:e8S of driving. 
The elastic force of steam is the power that lifts the ram, 
the escape permitting its entire force to fall upon the head 
of the driving block ; while the steam above the piston on 
the upper part of the cylinder, acting as a buffer or recoil- 
spring, materially enhances the effect of the downward 



Chap. XVI. DETAILS OF HIGH LEVEL BRIDGE. 317 

blow. Afi soon as one pile was driven, the traveller, ho- 
vering overhead, presented another, and down it went into 
the solid bed of the river, with almost as much ease as a 
lady sticks pins into a cushion. By the aid of this powerful 
machine, pile-driving, formerly among the most costly and 
tedious of engineeiing operations, became easy, rapid, and 
comparatively economical. 

When the piles had been driven and the coffer-dams 
formed and puddled, the water within the enclosed spaces 
was pumped out by the aid of powerful engines, so as, 
if possible, to lay bare the bed of the river. Considerable 
difficulty was experienced in getting in the foundations of 
the middle pier, in consequence of the water forcing itself 
through the quicksand beneath as fast as it was removed. 
This fruitless labour went on for months, and many expe- 
dients were tried. Chalk was tiirown in in lai^e quanti- 
ties outside the piling, but without effect. Cement concrete 
was at last put within the coffer-dam, until it set, and the 
bottom was then found to be secure. A bed of concrete 
was laid up to the level of the heads of the piles, the foun- 
dation course of stone blocks being commenced about two 
feet below low water, and the building proceeded without 
further difficulty. It may serve to give an idea of the 
magnitude of the work, when we state that 400,000 cubic 
feet of ashlar, rubble, and concrete were worked up in 
the piers, and 450,000 cubic feet in the land-arches and 
approaches. 

The most novel feature of the structure is the use of cast 
and wrought iron in forming the double bridge, which 
admirably combines tLu two principles of the arch and 
suspension ; the railway being carried over the back of the 
ribbed arches in the usual manner, while the carriage-road 
and footpaths, forming a Jong gallery or aisle, are suspended 
from these arches by wrought-iron vertical rods, with hori- 
zontal tie -bars to resist the thrust. The suspension-bolts 
are enclosed within spandril pillars of cast iron, which 
give grea,t stiffness to the superstructure. This system ol 



DETAILS OP HIGH LEVEL BKTDGE. Chap. XVI. 



Hi^ Lenl &1dg»-QcviiUoD atone Arch. 

longitudinal and vertical bracing has been much admired, 
for it not only accompliBhea the primary object of securing 
rigidity in the roadway, but at the same time, by its grace- 
ful arrangement, heightens the beauty of the stracture. 
The arches consist of four main ribs, disposed in pa^irs with 
a clear distance between the two inner arches of 20 feet 
4 inches, forming the carriage-road, while between each of 
the inner and outer ribs there is a space of 6 feet 2 inches, 
constituting tlie footpaths. Each arch is cast in five sepa- 
rate lengths or segments, strongly bolt«d t<^ether. The 
ribs spring &om horizontal plates of cast iron, bedded and 
secured on the stone piers. All the abutting joints were 
carefully executed by machinery, the fitting being of the 
most perfect kind. In order to provide for the expansion 
and contraction of the iron arching, and t» preserve the 
equilibrium of the piers without disturbance or racking of 
the other parte of the bridge, it was arranged that the ribs 
of every two adjoining arches resting on the same pier 
should bo secured to the springing-plates by keys and 
joggles ; whilst on the next piers on either side, the riba 
remained free and were at Jjber^ to expand or contract 
according to temperature^ — a space being left tor the pur- 
pose. Hence each arch is complete and independent in 
itself, the piers having simply to sustain their vertical pres- 
sure. There are six arches of 125 feet span each ; the two 
approaches to the bridge being formed of cast-iron pillars 
and bearers in keeping with the arches. 

The result is a bridge that for masaive solidity may be 



Chap. XVI. THE LAST ACT OF THE UNION. 319 

pronoTinoesl unrivalled. It is perhaps the most magnificent 
and striking of all the bridges to which railways have given 
birth, and has been worthily siyled " the King of railway 
structures." It is a monument of the highest engineering 
skill of our time, with the impress of power gi-andly 
stamped upon it. It will also be observed, from the 
drawing placed as the frontispiece of this book, that the 
High Level Bridge forms a very fine object in a picture 
of great interest, fuU of striking architectural variety and 
beauty. The bridge was opened on the 16th August, 1849, 
and a few days after the royal train passed over it, halting 
for a few minutes to enable her Majesty to survey the won- 
derful scene below. In the course of the following year the 
Queen opened the extensive stone viaduct across the Tweed, 
above described, by which the last link was completed oi 
the continuous line of railway between London and Edin- 
burgh. Over the entrance to the Berwick station, occupy- 
ing the site of the once redoubtable Border fortress, so often 
the deadly battle-ground of the ancieiit Scots and English, 
was erected an arch under which the royal train passed, 
bearing in large letters of gold the appropriate words, 
" The last act of the Union" 

The warders at Berwick no longer look out from tlie 
castle walls to descry the glitter of Southron spears. The 
beU-tower, from which the alarm wate sounded of old, 
though still standing, is deserted ; the only bell heard 
withia the precincts of the old castle being the railway 
porter's bell announcing the arrival and departure of trains. 
You see the Scotch express pass along the bridge and speed 
southward on the wings of steam. But no alarm spreads 
along the border now. Northumbrian beeves are safe. 
Chevy-Chase and Otterbuni are quiet sheep-pastures. The 
only men at arms on the battlements of Alnwick Castle are 
of stone. Bamborough Castie has become an asylum for 
shipwrecked mariners, and the Norman Keep at Newcastle 
has been converted into a Museum of Antiquities. The 
I'ailway has indeed consummated the Union. 



320 FEOM C]iBST£R 10 HOLYHEAD. Cua?. XVTL 



OHAPTEB XVIL 
RoBXBT Stiphkhson'b Tubular Bridges at Menai and 

CONWAT. 

We have now to describe briefly another great nndertaking, 
begun by George Stephenson, and taken np and completed 
by his son, in the course of which the latter carried out 
some of his greatest works — we mean the Chester and 
Holyhead Railway, completing the railway connectioii 
with Dublin, as the Newcastle and Berwick line completed 
the connection with Edinburgh. It will thus be seen how 
closely Telford was foUowed by the Stephensons in per- 
fecting the highways of iheir respective epochs ; the former 
by means of turnpike-roads, and the latter by means of 
railways. 

George Stephenson surveyed a line fi*om Chester to 
Holyhead in 1838, and at the same time reported on the 
line through North Wales to Port Dynllaen, proposed by 
the Irish Railway Commissioners. His advice was strongly 
in favour of adopting the line to Holyhead, as less costly 
and prese^-ting better gradients. A public meeting was 
held at Chester, in January, 1839, in support of the latter 
measure, at which he was present to give explanations. 
Mr. Uniacke, the Mayor, in opening the proceedings, said 
that Mr. Stephenson was present, ready to answer any 
(luestions which might be put to him on the subject ; and 
it was judiciously remarked that " it would be better that 
he should be asked questions than required to make a 
speech ; for, though a very good engineer, he was a bad 
speaker." One of the questions then put to Mr. Stephenson 
i^lated to the mode by which he proposed to haul the pas- 
senger carriages over the Menai Suspension Bridge by 



r 



Chap. XVII. MENAI SUSPENSION BEIDGE. 321 

horse power; and he was asked whether he knew the 
pressure the bridge was capable of sustaining. His answer 
was, that " he had not yet made any calculations ; but he 
proposed getting data which would enable him to anive 
at an accurate calculation of the actual strain upon the 
bridge during the late gale. He had, however, no hesita- 
tion in saying that it was more than twenty times as much 
as the strain of a train of carriages and a locomotive 
engine. The only reason why he proposed to convey the 
carriages over by horses, was in order that he might, by 
distributing the weight, not increase the wavy motion. 
All the train would be on at once ; but distributed. This 
he thought better than passing them, linked together, by a 
locomotive engine." It will thus be observed that the 
practicability of throwing a rigid railway bridge across the 
Straits had not yet been contemplated. 

The Dublin Chamber of Commerce passed resolutions in 
&,vour of Stephenson's line, after hearing his explanation 
of its essential features. The project, after undergoing 
much discussion, was at length embodied in an Act passed 
in 1844 ; and the work was brought to a successful comple- 
tion by his son, with several important modifications, 
including the grand original feature of the tubular bridges 
across the Menai Straits and the estuary of the Conway. 
Excepting these great works, the consiruction of this line 
presented no unusual features; though the remarkable 
terrace cut for the accommodation of the railway under the 
steep slope of Fenmaen Mawr is worthy of a passing 
notice. 

About midway between Conway and Bangor, Penmaen 
Mawr forms a bold and almost precipitous headland, at the 
base of which, in rough weather, the ocean dashes with 
great fury. There was not space enough between the 
mountain and the strand for the passage of the railway ; 
hence in some places the rock had to be blasted to form a 
terrace, and in others sea-walls had to be built up to the 
proper level, on which to form an embankment of sufficient 

V. Y 



PENMAEN MXWB. 



hDUMoUivr. CBrPcndnlSkdtaLl 

width to enable the road to be laid. A tuimel 10) diainB 
in leugtlt waa cut throngh tlie headland itself; and on its 
eaet and west ddes the line wae formed by a terrace cut 
out of the eli£F, and by embankments protected by eea 
walls ; the terrace being three times interrupted hy em- 



Chap. XVll. PENMAEK MAWR. 323 

bankments in its course of about 1^ mile. I'he road lies 
so close under the steep mountain face, that it was even 
found necessary at certain places to protect it against 
possible accidents from falling stones, by means of a covered 
way. The terrace on the east side of the headland was, 
however, in some measure protected against the roll of the 
sea by the mass of stone run out from the tunnel, and 
forming a deep shingle bank in front of the wall. 

The part of the work which lies on the westward of the 
Headland penetrated by the tunnel, was exposed to the full 
force of the sea; and the foimation of the road at that 
point was attended with great difficulty, \^'hile the sea 
wall was still in progress, its strength was severely tried by 
a strong north-westerly gale, which blew in October, 1846, 
with a spring tide of 17 feet. On the following morning it 
was found that a large portion of the rubble was irreparably 
injured, and 200 yards of the wall were then replaced by 
an open viaduct, with the piers placed edgeways to the sea. 
the openings between them being spanned by ten cast-iron 
girders each 42 feet long. This accident induced the 
engineer to alter the contour of the sea wall, so that it 
should present a diminished resistance to the force of the 
waves. But the sea repeated its assaults, and made further 
havoc with the work ; entailing heavy expenses and a com- 
plete reorganisation of the contract. Increased solidity was 
then given to the masonry, and the face of the wall under- 
went further change. At some points outworks were 
constructed, and piles were driven into the beach about 15 
feet from the base of the wall, for the purpose of protecting 
its foundations and breaking the force of the waves. The 
work was at length finished after about three years' anxious 
labour ; but Mr. Stephenson confessed that if a long tunnel 
had been made in the first instance through the solid rock of 
Penmaen Mawr, a saving of from 25,000/, to 30,000Z. would 
have been effected. He also said he had anived at the 
conclusion that in railway works engineers should endeavour 
as (a,r as possible to avoid the necest^ity of contending with 

Y 2 



324 CROSSING THE MENAI STRAIT. Ch>p. XVU 

the sea ; * but if be were ever again compelled to go witbio 
its reach, he would adopt, instead of retaining walls, an 
open viaduct, placing all the piers edgeways to the force of 
the sea, and allowing the waves to break upon a natural 
slope of beach. He ^vas ready enough to admit the errors 
he had committed in the original design of this work ; but 
he said he had always gained more information from stady- 
iDg the causes of fidlures and endeavouring to surmount 
them than he had done from easily-won successes. Whilst 
many of the latter had been forgotten, the former were 
indelibly fixed in his memory. 

But by fiir the greatest difficulty which Eobert Stephenson 
had to encounter in executing this railway, was in carrying 
it across the Straits of Menai and the estuary of the Conway, 
where, like his predecessor Telford when forming hifi high 
road through North Wales, he was under the necessity of 
resorting to new and altogether untried methods of bridge 
construction. At Menai the waters of the Irish Sea are 
perpetually vibrating along the precipitous shores of the 
Strait ; rising and falling from 20 to 25 feet at each succes- 
sive tide ; the width and depth of the channel being such as 
to render it available for navigation by the largest ships. 
The problem was, to throw a bridge across this wide chasm 
— a bridge of unusual span and dimensions — of such 
strength as to be capable of bearing the heaviest loads at 
high speeds, and at such a uniform height throughout as 
not in any way to interfere with the navigation of the 
Strait From an early period, Mr. Stephenson had fixed 
upon the spot where the Britannia Rock occurs, nearly in 
the middle of the channel, as the most eligible point for 
crossing; ths water-width from shore to shore at high 



* The simple fact that in a neavy 1 foimidable an element. Mr. K. 
etorm the force of impact of the - Steyenson (Edinburgh; registered 
waves is from one and a-half to , a force of three tons per square foot 
two tuns per square foot, must ! at Skerryvore, during a gale in the 
noocssarily dictate the sreatest Atlantic, when the waves were 
poseihLe caution in approaebing so i supposed to run twenty foot high. 



CiiiP.XVII. IKON-ABCHED BRIDCE REJECTED. 



325 



water there being about 1100 feet Hia first idea was to 
construct the bridge of two cast-iron aretes, each of 350 
feet Bpan. There was no noveltj' in thia idea; for, as 
early as the year 1 8 1 , 
Mr. Bennie prepared 
a design of a cast- 
iron bridge across the 
Strait at the Swilly 
rocks, the great centre 
arch of which was to 
be 4 50 feet span ; and 
at a later period, in 
1810, Telford sub- 
mitted a design of a 
similar bridge at la- 
ys -y-Moch, with a 
single cast-iron arch 
of 500 foet. But the 
same objections which 
led to the rejection 
of Eeimie's and Tel- 
ford's designs, proved 
fetal to Robert Ste- 
phenson's, and his 
iron -arched railway 
bridge was rejected 
by the Admiralty. 
The navigation of the 
Strait was under no 
circimistances to be 
interfered with ; and even the erection of scaffolding from 
below, to support the bridge during construction, was not 
to be permitted. The idea of a suspension bridge was 
dismiesed as' inapplicable ; a degree of rigidity and strength, 
greater than could be secured by any bridge constructed 
on the principle of suspension, being considered an indis- 
pensable condition of the proposed structure. 



326 TUBULAR BEAM PROPOSED. Chap. XVll, 

Various other plans were snggested; but the whole 
question remained unsettled even down to the time when 
the Company went before Parliament, in 1 844, for power to 
construct the proposed bridges. No existing kind of 
structure seemed to be capable of bearing the feaiful 
extension to which rigid bridges of the necessary spans 
would be subjected ; and some new expedient of engineering 
therefore became necessary. 

Mr. Stephenson was then led tc reconsider a design which 
he had made in 1841 for a road bridge over the river Lea 
at Ware, with a span of 60 feet, — the conditions only ad- 
mitting of a platform 18 or 20 inches thick. For this 
purpose a wrought-iron platform was designed, consisting 
of a series of simple cells, formed of boiler-plates riveteil 
t(^ether with angle-iron. The bridge was not, however 
carried out after this design, but was made of separate 
wroughi-iron girders composed of riveted platea Recur- 
ring to his first idea of this bridge, Mr. Stephenson thought 
that a stiff platform might be constructed, with sides of 
strongly trussed frame-work of wroughi-iron, braced to- 
gether at top and bottom with plates of like material 
riveted together with angle-iron ; and that such platform 
might be suspended by strong chains on either side tc 
give it increased security. "It was now," says Mr. Ste 
phenson, " that I came to regard the tubular platform as a 
a beam, and that the chainiS should be looked upon as 
auxiliaries." It appeared, nevertheless, that without a 
sj'stem of diagonal struts inside, which of course would 
have prevented the passage of trains through it, this kind of 
structure was ill-suited for maintaining its form, and would 
be very liable to become lozenge-shaped. Besides, the 
rectangular figure was deemed objectionable, from the large 
surface which it presented to the wind. 

It then occurred to him that circular or elliptical tubep 
might better answer the intended purpose ; and in March, 
1 845, he gave instructions to two of his assistants to pre- 
pare dravdngs of such a structure, ihe tubes being made 



Chap. XVII PRINCE OF WALES STEAMSHIP. 327 

with a double iMckneBS of plate at top and bottom. The 
results of the calculations made as to the strength of such a 
tube, were considered so satis&ctory, that Mr. Stephenson 
says he determined to fall back on a bridge of this descrip- 
tion, on the rejection of his design of the two cast-iron 
MTches by the Parliamentary Committee. Indeed, it became 
evident that a tubular wrought-iron beam was the only 
structure which combined the necessary strength and sta- 
bility for a railway, with the conditions deemed essential for 
the protection of the navigation. " I stood," says Mr. Ste- 
phenson, " on the verge of a responsibility from which, I con- 
fess, I had nearly shrunk. The construction of a tubular 
beam of such gigantic dimensions, on a platform elevated and 
supported by chains at such a height, did at jQrst present 
itself as a difficulty of a very formidable nature. Beflection, 
however, satisfied me that the principles upon which the 
idea was founded were nothing more than an extension of 
those daily in use in the profession of the engineer. The 
method, moreover, of calculating the strength of the struc- 
ture which I had adopted, was of the simplest and most 
elementary character ; and whatever might be the form of 
the tube, the principle on which the calculations were 
founded was equally applicable, and could not fail to lead 
to equally accurate results."* Mr. Stephenson accordingly 
annoimced to the directors of the railway that he was pre- 
pared to carry out a bridge of this genend description, and 
they adopted his views, though not without considerable 
misgivings. 

While the engineer's mind was still occupied with the 
subject, an accident occurred to the Prince of Wales iron 
steamship, at Blackwall, which singularly corroborated his 
views as to the strength of wrought-iron beams of large 
dimensions. When this vessel was being launched, the 
deet on the bow gave way, in consequence of the bolts 



* Robert Stephenson's narrative in Clark's 'Britannia and Gonway 
Tubular Brid^i^es/ vol. i. p. 27. 



S28 MR. FAIRBAIBN'S EXPERIMENTS. Chap. KVIL 

breaking, and lot the Tessel down so that the nilge came in 
contact with the wharf, and she remained suspended be- 
tween the water and the wharf for a length of about 110 
feet, but without any injury to the plates of the ship ; 
satis&ctorily proving the great strength of this form of 
construction. Thus, Mr. Stephenson became gradually 
confirmed in his opinion that the most feasible method of 
bridging the strait at Menai and the river at Conway was 
by means of a hollow beam of wrought-iron. As the time 
was approaching for giving evidence before Parliament on 
the subject, it was neoessaiy for him to settle some definite 
plan for submission to the committee. " My late revered 
father," says he, ** having always taken a deep interest in 
the various proposals which had been considered for carrying 
a railway across the Menai Straits, Requested me to explain 
fully to him the views which led me to suggest the use of a 
tube, and also the nature of the calculations I had made in 
reference to it. It was during this personal conference 
that Mr. William Fairbaim accidentally called upon me, to 
Whom I also explained the principles of the structure I 
had proposed. He at once acquiesced in their truth, and 
.expi?essed confidence in the feasibility of my project, giving 
ine iat the same lihne s^une &ct8 relative to the remarkable 
strength of iron steamships, and invited me to his works at 
MillwaU, to examine the construction of an iron steamship 
which was then in progress." The date of this consultation 
was early in April, 1845, and Mr Fairbaim states that, on 
that occasion, ** Mr. Stephenson asked whether such a design 
was practicable, and whether I could accomplish it : and it 
was ultimately arranged that the subject should be in- 
vestigated experimentally, to determine not only the value 
of Mr. Stephenson's original conception (of a circular or 
egg-shaped wrought-iron tube, supported by chains), but 
that of any other tubular form of bridge which might 
present itself in the prosecution of my researches. The 
matter was placed unreservedly in my hands ; the entire 
conduct of the investigation was entrusted to me ; and, as 



Chap. XVII. PE EGRESS OF THE EXPEKIMENTS. 820 

an experimenter, I was to he left free to exercise my o^vn 
discretion in the investigation of whatever forms or con- 
ditions of the structure might appear to me best calculated 
to secure a safe passage across the Straits." * Mr. Fair- 
bairn then proceeded to construct a number of experimental 
models for the purpose of testing the strength of tubes of 
different forms. The short period which elapsed, however, 
before the bill was in committee, did not admit of much 
progress being made with those experiments ; but from the 
evidence in chief given by Mr. Stephenson on the subject, 
on the 5th May following, it appears that the idea which 
prevailed in his mind was that of a bridge with openings of 
450 feet (afterwards increased to 460 feet ; with a roadway 
formed of a hollow wrought-iron beam, about 25 feet in 
diameter, presenting a rigid platform, suspended by chains. 
At the same time, he expressed the confident opinion that 
a tube of wrought iron would possess sufficient strength 
and rigidity to support a railway train running inside of 
it without the help of the chains. 

While the bill was still in progress, Mr. Fairbaim pro- 
ceeded with his experiments. He first tested tubes 'of a 
cylindrical form, in consequence of the favourable opinion 
entertained by Mr. Stephenson of the tubes in that shape, 
extending them subsequently to those of an elliptical form.'l' 
He f^iind tubes-'thtis shaped more or less defective, and 
proceeded to test those of a rectangular kind. After the 
bill had received the royal assent on the 30th June, 1845, 
the directors of the'Con^)any, with great liberality, voted 
a siun for the purpose of enabling, the experiments to be 



* ' Aoooontof iheOoustniotiouof 
the Britunnia and Conway Tubular 
Bribes.' By W. Fairbaim, O.E. 
London, 1849. 

t Mr. StephensFtm continued to 
liold that the elhptical tube wsus 



year or two befora. his death Mr 
StephensoQ reniark|&d.to the authoi; 
that had the same arrangement for 
stiffening been adopted to which 
the oblong rectangular tuhes owe a 
greal^ part of their strength, a very 



the right idea, and that sufficient difi^ht result would naTe bees 
iujitioe had not been done to it A I obtained. 



830 ROBERT STEPHENSON'S CAUTION. Chap XV I\ 

prosecuted, and upwards of 6000Z. were thus expended to 
make the assuranoe of their engineer doubly sure. Mr. 
Fairbaim's tests were of the most elaborate and eventually 
oondusive character, bringing to light many new and im- 
portant fiEtcts of great practical value. The due proportions 
and thicknesses of the top, bottom, and sides of the tubes 
were arrived at after a vast number of trials ; one of ihe 
results of the experiments being the adoption of Mr. Fair- 
bairn's invention of rectangular hollow cells in the top oi 
the beam for the purpose of giving it the requisite degree 
of sti'ength About the end of August it was thought 
desirable to obtain the assistance of a mathematician, who 
should prepare a formula by which the strength of a fall- 
sized tube might be calculated from the results of the ex- 
periments made with tubes of smaller dimensiona Professor 
Hodgkinson was accordingly called in, and he proceeded 
to verify and confirm the experiments which Mr. Fairbaim 
had made, and afterwards reduced them to the required 
formulaB. 

Mr. Stephenson's time was so much engrossed with his 
extensive engineering business that he was in a great 
measure precluded from devoting himself to the considera- 
tion of the practical details. The results of the experi- 
ments were communicated to him from time to time, and 
were regarded by him as exceedingly satisfactorily. It 
would appear, however, that while Mr. Fairbaim urged 
the rigidity and strength of the tubes without the aid of 
chains, Mr. Stephenson had not quite made up his mind 
upon the point. Mr. Hodgkinson, also, was strongly in- 
inclined to retain them. Mr. Fairbaim held that it was 
quite practicable to make the tubes " sufficiently strong to 
sustain not only their own weight, but, in addition to that 
load, 2000 tons equally distributed over the surfjBice of the 
platform, — a load ten times greater than they will ever be 
sailed upon to support." 

It was thoroughly characteristic of Mr. Stephenson, and 
of the caution with which he prx5eeded in every step of 



Chap. XVIl. THE BRITANNIA BKIDGE. 331 

this great undertakiiig —probing every inch of the ground 
before he set down his foot upon it — that he should, early 
in 1856, have appointed his able assistant, Mr. Edwin Clark, 
to scrutinise carefully the results of every experiment, and 
subject them to a separate and independent analysis before 
finally deciding upon the form or dimensions of the struc- 
ture, or upon any mode of procedure connected with it. 
At length Mr. Stephenson became satisfied that tlie use of 
auxiliary chains was unnecessary, and that the tubular 
bridge might be made of such strength as to be entirely 
self-supporting. 

While these important discussions were in progress, mea- 
Bui'es were taken to proceed with the masonry of the bridges 
simultaneously at Conway and the Menai Straits. The 
foundation-stone of the Britannia Bridge was laid on the 
10th April, 1846 ; and on the 12th May following that of 
the Conway Bridge was laid. Suitable platforms and 
workshops were also erected for proceeding with the punch- 
ing, fitting, and riveting of the tubes; and when these 
operations wore in full progress, the neighbourhood of the 
Conway and Britannia Bridges presented scenes of extraor 
dinary bustle and industry. About 1500 men were em- 
ployed on the Britannia Bridge alone, and they mostly 
lived upon the ground in wooden cottages erected for the 
occasion. The iron plates were brought in ship-loads from 
Liverpool, Anglesea marble from Penmon, and red sand- 
stone from Kuncom, in Cheshire, as wind and tide, and 
shipping and convenience, might determine. There was an 
unremitting clank of hammers, grinding of machinery, and 
blasting of rock, going on from morning till night In fit- 
ting the Britannia tubes together, not less than 2,000,000 of 
boltjs were riveted, weighing some 900 tons. 

The Britannia Bridge consists of two independent con- 
tinuous tubular beams, each 1511 feet in length, and each 
weighing 4680 tons, independent of the cast-iron frames 
inserted at their bearings on the masonry of the towers. 
These immense beams are supported at five places, namely, 



832 CONSTRUCTION OF THE TUBES. Cbat. XrU 

on tho abntmenta and on three towers, the oentnJ of which 
is known as the Great Britannia Tower, 230 feet hi^L, 
built on a rock in the middle ci the Stndt. The side towers 
are 18 feet less in height than the central one, and the abat- 
uiont 36 feet lower than the side towers. The design of 
the masonry is such as to accord with the form of the tabes, 
h«»ing somewhat of an Egyptian character, massiTe and 
gigantic rather than beautifiil, but bearing the nnmistakahle 
impi^ess of power. 

Tho bridgo has four spans, — ^two of 460 feet over the 
water, and two of 230 feet over the land. The weight of 
the larger spans, at the points where the tubes repose on the 
masonry, is not less than 1587 tons. On the centre tower 
the tubes rest solid ; but on the land towers and abutments 
they lie on roller-beds, so as to allow of expansion and con- 
traotion. The road within each tube is 15 feet wide, and 
the height varies from 23 feet at the ends to 30 feet at the 
coutre. To give an idea of the vast size of the tubes by 
comparison with other structures, it may be mentioned that 
each lei^th constituting the main spans is twice as long as 
Loudon Monument is high ; and if it could be set on end in 
St l^ul s Churchyard, it would reach nearly 100 feet above 
theciXMS. 

The Conway Bridge is, in most respects, simOar to the 
Britaimia, consisting of two tubes, of 400 feet span, placed 
side by side, each weighing 1180 tons. The piinciple 
adi^ptuil in the construction of the tubes, and the mode oi 
flirting and raising them, were nearly the same as at the 
Britannia Bridge, though the general arrangement of the 
plates is in many respects different. 

It wan determined to construct the shorter outer tubes 
of tht> Britannia Bridge on scaffoldings in the positions in 
which they wei*e permanently to remain, and to erect the 
larger tubes upou wooden platforms at high-water-mark on 
the Caemarvoi> shore, fixon whence they were to be floated 
In pontoons. s 

The floating of the tubes on portoontt, from the places 



Chap. XVII. FLOATING OF THE TUBES. 333 

where they had been constraoted, to the recesses in the ma- 
8onry of the towers, np which they were to be hoisted to 
the positions they were permanently to occupy, was an 
anxious and exciting operation. The first part of this 
process was performed at Conway, where Mr. Stephenson 
directed it in person, assisted by Captain Claxton, Mr. 
Bnmel, and other engineering friends. On the 6th March, 
1 848, the pontoons bearing the first great tube of the up- 
line were floated round quietly and majestically into their 
place between the towers in about twenty minutes. Unfor- 
tunately, one of the sets of pontoons had become slightly 
slued by the stream, by. which the Conway end of the tube 
was prevented from being brought home ; and five anxious 
days to all concerned intervened before it could be set 
in its place. In the mean time, the presses and raising 
machinery had been fitted in the towers above» and the 
lifting process was begun on the 8th April, when the 
immense mass was raised 8 feet, at the rate of about 
2 inches a minute. On the 16th, the tube had been raised 
and finally lowered into its permanent bed ; the rails were 
laid along it; and, on the 18th, Mr. Stephenson passed 
through with the first locomotive. The second tube was 
proceeded with on the removal of the first from the plat- 
form, and was completed and floated in seven months. 
The rapidity with which this second tube was constructed 
was in no small degree owing to the Jaoquard punching* 
machine, contrived for the purpose by Mr. Roberts of Man- 
chester. This tube was finally fixed in its permanent bed 
on the 2nd of January, 1849. 

The floating and fixing of the great Britannia tubes was 
a still more formidable enterprise, though the experience 
gained at Conway rendered it easy compared with what 
it otherwise would have been. Mr. Stephenson superin- 
tended the operation of floating the first in person, giving 
the arranged signals from the top of the tube on which 
he was mounted, the active part of tiie business being per- 
formed by a numerous corps of sailors, under the immediate 



FLOATDtQ or THE TDBE3. 



direotion of Captain Claxton. Thoufianda of Epectators 
linod the shoroa of the Strait on the evening of the 19th 
June, 1849. On the land attachments being cat, the pon- 
toons bog&Q to float off; but one of the capstans having 
given way from excessive strain, the tube vras brought 
home t^ain for the night. By next morning the defective 
ottpstan was restored, and all was in readiness for another 
trial. At half-past seven in the evening the tube was 
afloat, and the pontoons swung out into the current like 
a monster pendulum, held steady by the shore guide-lines, 
but inoreaaiug in speed to almost a fearful extent as they 



Chap. XVII. THE TUBE SUSPENDED. 336 

aeared their destined place l)etweeii the piers. *' The suooesa 
of this operation," says Mr. Clark, " depended mainly on 
properly striking the * butt * beneath the Anglesey tower, 
on which, as upon a centi-e, the tube was to be veered round 
into its position across the opening. This position was 
determined by a 1 2-inch line, which was to be paid out to a 
.fixed mark from the Llanfair capstan. The coils of the rope 
unfortunately over-rode each other upon this capstan, so 
that it could not be paid out. In resisting the motion of the 
tube, the capstan was bodily dragged out of the platform by 
the action of the paUs, and the tube was in imminent danger 
of being can-ied away by the stream, or the pontoons crushed 
upon the rocks. The men at the capstan were all knocked 
down, and some of them thrown into the water, though 
they made every exertion to arrest the motion of the cap- 
stan-bars. In this dilemma Mr. Eolfe, who had charge of 
the capstan, with gi*eat presence of mind, called the visitors 
on shore to his assistance ; and handing out the spare coil of 
the 12-inch line into the field at the back of the capstan, 
it was carried with great rapidity up the field, and a crowd 
of people, men, women, and childi'en, holding on to this huge 
cable, arresting the progress of the tube, which was at length 
brought safely against the butt and veered round. The 
Britannia end was then drawn into the recess of the 
masonry by a chain passing through the tower to a crab on 
the far side. The violence of the tide abated, though the 
wind increased, and the Anglesey end was drawn into its 
place beneath the corbelling in the masonry ; and as the 
tide went down, the pontoons deposited their valuable cargo 
on the welcome shelf at each end. The successful issue was 
greeted by cannon from the shore and the hearty cheers of 
many thousands of spectators, whose sympathy and anxiety 
were but too clearly indicated by the unbroken silence with 
which tJie whole operation had been accompanied." * By 



* *The Britaunia and Conway Tubular BridgeB.' By Edwin dark. 
Vol. U pp. 68^4. 



836 STEPHENSON'S ANXIETY. Chap. XVII. 

midnight all the pontoons had been got clear of the tubi), 
which now hung suspended over the waters of the Strait by 
its two ends, which rested upon the edges cut in the rock 
for the purpose at the base of the Britannia and Anglesey 
towers respectively, up which the tube had now to be lifted 
l^ hydrauUc power to its.permanent place near the summit. 
The accuracy with which the gigantic beam had been con- 
structed may be inferred from the fact that, after passing 
into its place, a dear space remained between the iron 
plating and the rock outside of it of only about three- 
quarters of an inch ! 

Mr. Stephenson's anxieiy was, of course, very great up to 
the time of performing this trying operation. When he had 
got the first tube floated at Conway, and saw all safe, he said 
to Captain Moorsom, " Now I shall go to bed." But the Bri- 
tannia Bridge was a still more difficult enterprise, and cost 
him many a sleepless night Afterwards describing his 
feelings to his friend Mr. Gooch, he said : ** It was a most 
anxious and harassing time with me. Often at night I 
would lie tossing about, seeking sleep in vain. The tubes 
filled my head. I went to bed with them and got up with 
them. In the grey of the morning, when I looked across 
the Square,* it seemed an immense distance across to the 
houses on the opposite side. It was nearly the same length 
as the span of my tubular bridge ! " When the first tube 
had been floated, a friend observed to him, "This great 
work has made you ten years older." "I have not slept 
sound," he replied, " for iiiree weeks." Sir F. Head, how- 
ever relates, that when he revisited the spot on the following 
morning, he observed, sitting on a platform overlooking the 
suspended tube, a gentleman, reclining entirely by himself, 
smoking a cigar, and gazing, as if indolently, at the aerial 
gallery beneath him. It was the engineer himself, con- 
templating his new bom child. He had strolled down froni 



* No. 84, Glouoester Square, Hyde Park, where be lived. 



Chap. XVII. THE HTDKAULIO PRESS BURSTS. 337 

the neighboTiring Tillage, after his first sound and refreshing 
sleep for weeks, to behold in sunshine and solitude, that 
which during a weary period of gestation had been either 
mysteriously moving in his brain, or, like a vision — some- 
times of good omen, and sometimes of evil — ^had, by night 
as well as by day, been flitting across his mind. 

The next process was the lifting of the tube into its 
place, which was performed very deliberately and cau- 
tiously. It was raised by powerfiil hydraulic presses, only 
a few feet at a time, and carefully under-built, before being 
raised to a farther height When it had been got up by 
successive stages of this kind to about 24 feet, an extraordi- 
nary accident occurred, during Mr. Stephenson's absence iii 
London, which he afterwards described to the author in as 
nearly as possible the following words: — "In a work of 
such novelty and magnitude, you may readily imagine how 
anxious I was that every possible contingency should be 
provided for. Where one chain or rope was required, I 
provided two. I was not satisfied with * enough : ' I must 
have absolute security, as far as that was possible. I knew 
the consequences of failure would be most disastrous to the 
Company, and that the wisest economy was to provide for 
all contingencies at whatever cost. When the first tube at 
the Britannia had been successfully floated between the 
piers, ready for being raised, my young engineers were very 
much elated; and when the hoisting apparatus had been 
fixed, they wrote to me saying, — * We are now all ready for 
raising her : we could do it in a day, or in two at the most. 
But my reply was, * No ; you must only raise the tube inch 
by inch, and you must build up under it as you rise. Every 
inch must be made good. Nothing must be left to chance or 
good luck.* And fortunate it was that I insisted upon this 
cautious course being pursued; for, one day, while tho 
hydraulic presses were at work, the bottom of one of them 
burst clean away ! The crosshead and the chains, weighing 
more thaa 50 tons, descended with a fearful crash upon the 
press, and the tube itself fell down upon the packing 

V. z 



388 THE QUEEN'S VISIT. Chap. KW 

beneath. Though the fall of the tube was not more than 
nine inches, it crashed solid castings, weighing tons, as 
if they had been niit& The tube itself was slightly strained 
and deflected, though it still remained sufficiently servioe- 
ablo. But it was a tremendous test to which it was put, 
for a weight of upwards of 6000 tons falling even a few 
inches must be admitted to be a very serious matter. That 
it stood so well was extraordinary. Clark immediately 
wrote me an account of the circumstance, in which he 
said, * Thank God, you have been so obstinatx). For if 
this accident had occurred without a bed for the end of 
the tube to fell on, the whole would now have been lying 
across the bottom of the Straits.' Five thousand pounds 
extra expense was caused by this accident, slight though 
it might seem. But careful provision was made against 
future failure ; a new and improved cylinder was provided : 
and the work was very soon advancing satisfactorily to- 
wards completion." 

When the Queen first visited the Britannia Bridge, on 
her return from the North in 1852, Robert Stephenson 
accompanied Her Majesty and Prince Albert over the 
works, explaining the principles on which the bridge had 
been built, and the difficulties which had attended its 
erection. He conducted the Eoyal party to near the margin 
of the sea, and, after describing to them the incident of the 
fall of the tube, and the reason of its preservation, he 
pointed with pardonable pride to a pile of stones which 
the workmen had there raised to commemorate the event. 
While nearly all the other marks of the work during its 
progress had been obliterated, that cairn had been left 
standing in commemoration of the caution and foresight of 
their chief. 

The floating and raising of the remaining tubes need not 
be described in detail The second was floated on the 3rd 
December, and set in its permanent place on the 7th January, 
1850. The others were floated and raised in due course. 
On the 5th March, Mr. Stephenson put the last rivet in the 



Chap. XVII. THE BRIDGE OPENED FOE TEAFFIC. 339 

last tube, and passed through the completed bridge, accom- 
panied by about a thousand persons, drawn by three loco- 
motives. The bridge was opened for public traffic on the 
I8th March. The cost of the wholo work was 234,45021 



Ttw BriUnnli Bridge. [By Perdval Skelloo.] 

The Britannia Bridge ia one of the most remarkable 
monuments of the enterprise and sltill of the preeent centurj-. 
Robert Stephenson was the master spirit of the under- 
taking. To him belongs the merit of first seizing the ideal 



340 MEEIT8 OP THE TUBULAS BRIDGE. Ch*p. XVII. 

conmptioQ of the etruoture beet adapted to meet the neces- 
dtiee of the case ; and of Heleoting the best men to ^vork 
oat his idea, himself yratchisg, contioUing, and testing 
every result, by independent check and cotmter-check. 
And finally, he organised and directed, tlirough his assist- 
ants, the vast band of skilled workmen and labourers who 
were for so many years oocnpied in carrying his magnificent 
original conception to a successful practical issae. As he 
himself said of the work, — " The true and accurate calcida' 
tion of all the conditions and elements essential to the 
safety of the bridge had been a source not only of mental 
but of bodily toil ; including, as it did, a combination of 
abstract thought and well-conaidered eiperimeot adequate 
to the magnitude of the project." 

The Britannia Bridge was the result of a vast combina- 
tion of skill and industry. . Bat for the perfection of our 
tools and the ability of our mechanics to use them to the 
greatest advantage ; but for the matured powers of the 
eteam*engine ; but for the improvements in the iron manu- 
facture, which enabled blooms to be puddled of sizes before 
deemed impracticable, and plates and bare of immense size 
to be rolled and forged ; but for these, the Britannia Bridge 
would have been designed in vain. Thus, it was not the 
product of the genius of the railway engineer alone, but of 
the collective mechanical genias of the English nation. 



CSawKj Bridge. -FluaUng Ih 



Chap. XVIii, GEOEGE STEPHENSON VISITS CONWAY. 341 



OHAPTEB XYIII. 

Geobgi Stbpbenson's Closino Teabb — Illhsss and Death. 

Is describing the completiori of the series of great works 
detailed io the preoeding chapter, we have Bomewhat anti- 
cipated the closing years of George Stephenson's life. He 
could Qot fail to take an anxious interest in the success of 
his son's designs, and he accordingly paid many visits to 
Conway and to Menai, during the pn^ress of the works. 
He was present on the occasion of the floating and raising 
of the first Conway tube, and there witnessed a clear proof 
of the soundness of Robert's judgment as to the efficiency 
and strength of the tubular bridge, of which he bad at first 
expressed some doubts ; but before the like test could be 
applied at the Britannia Bridge, Geoi^e Stephenson's mortal 
anxieties were at an end, for he had then ceased from all 
his labours. 

Towards the close of his life, Geoi^e Stephenson almost 
entirely withdrew from the active pursuit of his profession. 



M2 GAEDSyCTG AT TAPTON. . Chap. .Will 



ke dtrvuted himself diiefly to his extencve collieries and 
tddiu; a local interest only in sach projected 
ys as were calcnlated to open np new markets for 
thtrii pnjdncts. 

At h-: me he liTed the life of a coontiy gentleman, enjoy- 
ir^ his garden and giomidfl, and indulging his love of 
i^nue. wLich, throng all his hosy life, had never left him. 
Ii was cic^t until the year 1845 that he took an active 
intenast in horticaltmal parsaita Then he h^an to huild 
r.i w i::!eIc<n-hooses« pineries, and vineries, of great extent ; 
AT.! be now eeemed as eager to excel all other growers of 
tXvtSo pUnts in his nei^honrhood, as he had been to 
>^rT:is> tile villageni ni Killingworth in the production of 
id^r^kniio cabbages and cauliflowers some thirty years before. 
He L>d a pine-houis Ixult 68 feet in length and a pinery 
1 4'j feet. i\ c>rkmen were constantly employed in enlarging 
thesL until at length he had no fewer than ten glass 
fv rv^ing-hcTi^ieis^ heated with hot water, which he was one 
ef the fix^ in th^t neighbourhood to make use of for such 
a pTiTTv^g«L He did not take so much pleasure in flowers as 
in ^niis. At one of the county agricultural meetings, he 
:iykid thi^t he intended yet to grow pine-apples at Tapton 
AS b;^ as pcmpkins. The only man to whom he would 
"^ kt:vvk under ^ was his friend Paxton, the gardener to the 
l>uke of DeTon:$hire; and he was so old in the service, 
and so skilfuL that he could scaucely hope to beat him. 
Yet his *" Que^i "" pines did take the first prize at a competi- 
ticn with the Duke^ — ^thoo^ this was not until shortly after 
his death, when the plants had become more fully grown. 
His $!T«pe5 also took the first pnze at Botherham, at a com- 
l^titica open to all England. He was extremely successful 
itt pTv^lueii^ melons, having invented a method of sus- 
^nidii^ th^n in baskets of wire gauze, which, by relieving 
«he stalk f rv>m tensioou aUowed nutrition to proceed more 
fKvlr^ and better euabled the frnit to grow and ripen. 

He Kx^ much pride also in his growth of cucumbers. 
He rused them veiy fine and large, but he could not maka 



CHAP. XVIII. FARMIMG OPERATIONS. 343 

them grow straight. Place them as he would, notwith* 
standing aU his propping of them, and hnmouring them by 
modifying the application of heat and the admission of 
light for the purpose of effecting his object, they would 
still insist on growing crooked in their own way. At last 
he had a number of glass cylinders made at Newcastle, for 
the purpose of an experiment; into these the growing 
cucumbers were inserted, and then he succeeded in grow- 
ing them perfectly straight Carrying one of the new 
products into his house one day, and exhibiting it to a 
party of visitors, he told them of the expedient he had 
adopted, and added gleefully, "I think I have bothered 
them noo ! " 

Mr. Stephenson also carried on fEirming operations with 
dome success. He experimented on manure, and fed cattle 
after methods of his own. He was very particular as to 
breed and build in stock-breeding. " You see, sir," he said 
to one gentleman, " I like to see the cod's back at a gradient 
something like this " (drawing an imaginary line with his 
hand), " and then tho ribs or girders will carry more flesh 
than if they were so— or so." When he attended the 
county agricultural meetings, which he frequently did, he 
was accustomed to take part in the discussions, and he 
brought the same vigorous practical mind to bear upon 
questions of tillage, drainage, and farm economy, which he 
had been accustomed to exercise on mechanical and en- 
gineering matters. 

All his early affection for birds and animals revived* 
He had favourite dogs, and cows, and horses ; and again he 
began to keep rabbits, and to pride himself on the beauty 
of his breed. There was not a bird's nest upon the grounds 
that he did not know of; and from day to day he went 
round watching the progress which the birds made with 
their building, carefully guarding them from injuiy. No 
one was more minutely acquainted with the habits of 
British birds, the result of a long, loving, and dose obserTa- 
.ion of nature. 



»44 STEPHEJfSON'S AEADING. Chap. XVIU 

At Tapton lie remembered iae fidliire of his earlj* ex 
periment in batching birds' eggs by heat, and he noiv 
performed it saooeBsfally, being able to secure a proper 
apparatus for maintaining a nniform temperature. He was 
also cnrions abont the breeding and feittening of fowls ; and 
when his friend Edward Pease of Darlington idsited him 
at Tapton, he explained a method which he had invented 
for ^ttening chickens in half the nsnal time. 

Mrs. Stej^enson tried to keep bees, but found they would 
not thrive at Tapton. Many hives perished, and there was 
no caae of success. The cause of £ulure was a puzzle to 
the engineer ; bat one day his acute powers of observation 
enabled him to unravel it. At the foot of the hill on which 
Tapton House stands, he saw some bees tiying to rise up 
firom amongst the grass, laden with honey and wax. They 
were already exhausted, as if with long flying ; and then 
it occurred to him that the height at which the house stood 
above the bees' feeding-ground rendered it difficult for 
them to reach their hives when heavy laden, and hence 
they sank exhausted. He afterwards incidentally men' 
tioned the circumstance to Mr. Jesse the naturalist, who 
concurred in hiff view as to the cause of fEulure, and was 
much struck by the keen observation which had led to its 
solution. 

Mr Stephenson had none of the in-door habits of the 
student. He read very little ; for reading is a habit whicl: 
18 generally acquired in youth ; and his youth and manhood 
had been for the most part spent in hard work. Books 
wearied him, and sent him to sleej). Novels excited his 
feelings too much, and he avoided them, though he would 
oooasionally read through a philosophical book on a subject 
in which he felt particularly interested. He wrote very 
few letters with his own hand ; nearly aU his letters were 
dictated, and he avoided even dictation when he could. 
His giieatest pleasure was in conversation, from which ha 
gathered most of his imparted infui-mation. 

It was his practice, ih hen about to set out on a joumey b^ 



Chap. XVIIL PLEASURE OF CONVERSATION. 34£ 

railway, to walk along the train before it started, and look 
into the carriages to see if he could find "a conversable 
face." On one of these occasions, at the Euston Station, he 
discovered in a carriage a very handsome, manly, and 
intelligent face, which he afterwards found was that of 
the late Lord Denman. He was on his way down to his 
seat at Stony Middleton, in Derbyshire. Mr. Stephenson 
entered the carriage, and the two were shortly engaged in 
interesting conversation. It turned upon chronometry and 
horology, and the engineer amazed his lordship by the 
extent of his knowledge on the subject, in which he dis- 
played as much minute information, even down to the latest 
improvements in watchmaking, as if he had been bred a 
watchmaker and lived by the trade. Lord Denman was 
curious to know how a man whose time must have been 
mainly engrossed by engineering, had gathered so much 
knowledge on a subject quite out of his own line, and he 
asked the question, "I learnt clockmaking and watch- 
making," was the answer, " while a working man at Killing- 
worth, when I made a little money in my spare hours, by 
cleaning the pitmen^s clocks and watches ; and since then 
I have kept up my information on the subject" This led 
to further questions, and then Mr. Stephenson told Lord 
Denman the interesting story of his life, which held him 
entranced during the remainder of the journey. 

Many of his friends readily accepted invitations to Tapton 
House to enjoy his hospitality, which never failed. With 
them he would " fight his battles o*er again," reverting to 
his battle for the locomotive ; and he was never tired of 
telling, nor were his auditors of listening to, the lively 
anecdotes with which he was accustomed to illustrate the 
struggles of his early career. Whilst walking in the wdods 
or through the grounds, he would arrest his friend's 
attention by allusion to some simple object, — such as a leaf, 
a blade of grass, a bit of bark, a nest of birds, or an ant 
carrying its eggs across the path, — and descant in glowing 
terms upon the creative power of the Divine Mechanician. 



84« HOSPITALITY AT TAPTON. Chap. XVUI 

whose oontrivanoeB were so exhausUess and so wonderful 
lliis was a theme upon which he was often accustomed to 
dwell in reverential admiration, when in the sodely of his 
more intimate friends. 

One night, when walking under the stars, and gazing up 
into the field of suns, each the probahle centre of a system, 
forming the Milky Way, a friend said to him, " What an in- 
significast creature is man in sight of so immense a creation 
as that * " " Yes ! " was his reply ; "but how wonderful a 
creature also is man, to be able to think and reason, and 
even in some measure to comprehend works so infinite I " 

A microscope, which he had brought down to Tapton, 
was a source of immense enjoyment to him ; and he was 
never tired of contemplating the minute wonders which it 
revealed. One evening, when some friends were visiting 
him, he induced them each to puncture their skin so as to 
draw blood, in order that Jie might examine the globules 
through the microscope. One of the gentlemen present was 
a teetotaller, and Mr. Stephenson pronounced his blood to 
be the most lively of the whole. He had a theory of his 
own about the movement of the globules in the blood, which 
has since become familiar. It was, that they were respec- 
tively charged with electricity, positive at one end and 
negative at the other, and that thus they attracted and 
repelled each other, oausing a circulation. No sooner did 
he observe anything new, than he immediately set about 
devising a reason for it. His training in mechanics, his 
practical fiEimiliarity with matter in all its forms, and the 
strong bent of his mind, led him first of all to seek for a 
mechanical explanation. And yet he was ready to admit that 
there was a something in the principle oiHfe — so mysterious 
and inexplicable — which baffled mechanics, and seemed to 
dominate over and control them. He did Dot care much, 
either, for abstruse mechanics, but only for the experimental 
and practical, as is usually the case with those whose know- 
ledge has been self-acquired. 

Even at his advanced age, the spirit of frolic had not left 



CHAP. XVIir. FONDNESS FOB FROLIC. 347 

him. When proceeding from Chesterfield stotioii to Tapton 
Hoiue with his 
friends, he woiild 
almost inTariably 
challenge them to 
a race up the steep 
path, partly formed 
of stone 8f«pa, along 
the hill side. And 
he would Htru^le, 
as of old, to keep 
the &ont place, 
though by this time 
his "wind" had 
greatly failed. He 
would occasionally 
invite an old friend 
to take a quiet 
wrestle with him 
on the lawn, to 
keep up his skill, 
and perhaps to try 
some new " knack " 
of throwing. In 
the evening, he 

woidd Bometimes .. _ 

indulge his visitors by reciting the old pastoral of " Damon 
and Phyllis," or singing his fevonrite song of " John Ander- 
son my Joe." But his greatest glory amongst those with 
whom he was moat intimate, was a " crowdie ! " " Let's have 
a crowdie night," he would say ; and forthwith a kettle of 
boiling water was ordered in, with a basin of oatmeaL 
Taking a large bowl, containing a sufficiency of hot water, 
and placing it between his knees, he poured in oatmeal with 
one hand, and stirred the mixture vigorously with the 
other. \\ hen enough meal had been added, and the stirring 
was completed, the crowdie was made. It was then supped 



548 HIS VISITS TO LONDON. Chap. XVIIL 

inth new milk, and StepHenaon generally pitmonnced it 
^ capital ! " It was the diet to which he had been accus- 
tomed when a working man, and all the dainties with 
which he had become familiar in recent years had not 
spoiled his simple tastes. To enjoy crowdie at his i^, 
besides, indicated that he still possessed that quality on 
which no doubt much of his practical success in life had 
depended, — a strong and healthy digestion. 

He would also frequently invite to his house the humbler 
companions of his early life, and take pleasure in talking 
over old times with them. He never assumed any of the 
bearings of a great man on such occasions, but treated the 
visitors with the same friendliness and respect as if they 
had been his equals, sending them away pleaded with them- 
selves and delighted with him. At other times, needy men 
who had known him in youth would knock at his door, and 
they were never refused access. But if he had heard of 
any misconduct on their part he would rate them soundly. 
One who knew him intimately in private life has seen him 
exhorting such backsliders, and denouncing their miscon- 
duct and imprudence with the tears streaming down his 
cheeks. And he would generally conclude by opening his 
purse, and giving them the help which they needed " to 
make a fresh start in the world." 

Mr. Stephenson's life at Tapton during bis latter years 
was occasionally diversified with a visit to London. His 
engineering business having become limited, he generally 
went there for the purpose of visiting friends, or " to see 
what there was fresh going on." He fbund a new race of 
engineers springing up on all hands — ^men who knew him 
not; and his London journeys gradually ceased to yield 
him pleasure. A friend used to take him to the opera, 
but by the end of the first act, he was generally in a pro- 
found slumber. Yet on one occasion ho enjoyed a visit to 
the Haymarket with a party of friends on his birthday, to 
fee T. P. Cooke, in " Black-eyed Susan ; " — ^if that can bo 
called ei\joyment which kept him in a state of tears during 



Chap. XVIII. SIR ROBERT FEEL'S INVITATION. 349 

half the performance. At other times he visited New* 
castle, which always gave him great pleasure. He would, 
on such occasions, go out to Killingworth and seek up 
old friends, and if the people whom he knew were too 
retiring, and shrunk into their cottages, he went and 
sought them there. Striking the floor with his stick, 
and holding his noble person upright, he would say, in his 
own kind way, "Well, and how's aU here to-day?" To 
the last he had always a warm heart for Newcastle and its 
neighbourhood. 

Sir Kobert Peel, on more than one occasion, invited 
George Stephenson to his mansion at Drayton, where he was 
accustomed to assemble round him men of the highest dis- 
tinction in art, science, and legislation, during the intervals 
of his parliamentary life. The first invitation was respect- 
fully declined. Sir Robert invited him a second time, and 
a second time he declined: "I have no great ambition," 
he said, " to mix in fine company, and perhaps should feel 
out of my element amongst such high folks." But Sir 
Eobert a third time pressed him to come down to Tarn 
worth early in January, 1845, when he would meet Buck- 
land, Follett, and others well known to both. " Well, Sir 
Robert," said he, " I feel your kindness very much, and can 
no longer refuse : I will come down and join your party." 

Mr. Stephenson's strong powers of observation, together 
with his native humour and shrewdness, imparted to hia 
conversation at all times much vigour and originality, 
and made him, to young and old, a delightful companion- 
Though mainly an engineer, he was also a profound thinker 
on many scientific questions; and there was scarcely a 
subject of speculation, or a department of recondite science, 
on which he had not employed his faculties in such a way 
as TO have formed large and original views. At Drayton, 
the conversation usually turned upon such topics, and 
Mr. Stephenson freely joined in it. On one occasion, an 
animated discussion took place between himself and Dr. 
Buckland on one of his favourite theoiios as to the fonna- 



S60 STEPHEKSOX YISITS DRATTON MASOSL Chap. XYIII 



of ooaL Bat the result was, that Dr. Bnckland, a 
much greater master of tongne-fenoe than Mr. Stephenfion, 
oompletelj silenoed hiio. Next morning, before breakfast, 
when he was walking in the grounds, deeply pondering. 
Sir William FoUett came np and asked what he was think- 
ing abont ? ** Why, Sir William, I am thinking over that 
aigoment I had with Bncldand last night ; I know I am 
right, and that if I had only the command of words which 
he has, Fd haTC beaten him." ^ Let me know all about it," 
said Sir William, "^and 111 see what I can do for you.'' 
The two sat down in an arbonr, and the astute lawyer. 
made himself thoroughly acquainted with the points 
of the case; entering into it with aU the zeal of an 
advocate about to plead the dearest interests of his 
client After he had mastered the subject. Sir William rose 
up, rubbing his hands with glee, and said, *^Kow I am 
ready for lum." Sir Robert Peel was made acquainted with 
the plot, and adroitly introduced the subject of the contro- 
versy after dinner. The result was, that in the argument 
which foUowed, the man of science was overcome by the 
man of law ; and Sir WHliam FoUett had at all points the 
mastery over Dr. Buckland. " What do you say, Mr. Ste- 
phenson ? " asked Sir Robert, laughing. " Why," said he, " I 
will only say this, that of aU the powers above and under 
the eaiih, there seems to me to be no power so great as the 
gift of the gab." * 

One Sunday, when the party had just returned from 
church, they were standing together on the terrace near 
the HaU, and observed in the distance a railway-train 
flashing along, tossing behind its long white plume of 
steam. "Now Buckland," said Stephenson, "I have a 
poser for you. Can you teU me what is the power that is 
driving that train?" " Well," said the other, "I suppose 
it is one of your big engines." "But what diives the 
engine?" "Oh, very likely a canny Newcastle driver." 



* ITie %bove anecdote is given on the authority of Mr. Sop with, F.R.S. 



Ch. XVIII. OPENING OF THE TRENT VALLEY RAILWAY. 861 

What do you say to the light of the sun ? " " How can 
that be^" asked the doctor. " It is nothing else," said the 
engineer "it is light bottled up in the earth for tens of 
thousauds of years, — flight, absorbed by plants and vege- 
tables, being necessary for the condensation of carbon 
during the process of their growth, if it be not carbon 
in another form, — and now, after being buried in the earth 
for long ages in fields of coal, that latent light is again 
brought forth and liberated, made to work as in that loco- 
motive, for great human purposes." 

During the same visit, Mr. Stephenson, one evening 
repeated his experiment with blood drawn from the finger, 
submitting it to the microscope in order to show the curious 
circulation of the globules. He set the example by pricking 
kis own thumb; and the other guests, by turns, in like 
manner, gave up a smaU portion of their blood for the 
purpose of ascertaining the comparative livelinesss of theii 
dbrculation. When Sir Robert Peel's turn came, Mr. Ste- 
phenson said he was curious to know "how the blood 
globules of a great politician would conduct themselves." 
Sir Robert held forth his finger for the purpose of being 
pricked ; but once, and again, he sensitively shrunk back, 
and at length the experiment, so far as he was concerned, 
was abandoned. Sir Robert PeeFs sensitiveness to pain waa 
extreme, and yet he was destined, a few years after, to die 
a death of the most distressing agony. 

In 1847, the year before his death, Mr. Stephenson was 
again invited to join a distinguished party at Drayton 
Manor, and to assist in the ceremony of formally opening 
the Trent Valley Railway, which had been originally 
designed and laid out by himself many years before. The 
first sod of the railway had been cut by the Prime Minister, 
in November, 1846, during the time when Mr. Stephenson 
was abroad on the business of the Spanish railway. The 
formal opening took place on the 26th June, 1847, the line 
having thus been constructed in less than two years. 

What a change had come over the spirit of the landed 



352 INTERVIEW WITH EMERSON. Chap. XVUI 

gentry flinoe the time when George Stephenson had fins* 
projected a railway through that district ! Then tliey were 
up in arms against him, characterising him as the devastator 
and spoiler of their estates ; now he was hailed as one of 
the greatest benefactors of the age. Sir Bobert Peel, the 
chief political personage in England, welcomed him as a 
gnest and friend, and spoke of him as the cliief among 
practical philosophers. A dozen members of Parliament, 
seyen baronets, with all the landed magnates of the district, 
assembled to celebrate the opooing of the railway. The 
clei-gy were there to bless the enterprise, and to bid aU 
hail to railway progress, as ^ enabling them to carry on 
with greater fsEUsility those operations in connexion with 
religion which were calculated to be so beneficial to the 
oonntry." The army, speaking through the mouth of 
General A'Court, acknowledged the vast importance of 
railways, as tending to improve the military defences of the 
oountiy. And repreeentativeB from eight oorporatioBB were 
there to acknowledge the great benefits which raiLways 
had conferred upon the merchants, tradesmen, and working 
classes of their respective towns and citiea 

In the spring of 1848 Mr. Stephenson was invited to 
Whittington House, near Chesterfield, the residence of hie 
friend and former pupil, Mr. Swanwick, to meet the dis- 
tuiguished American, Emerson. Upon being introduced, 
they did not immediately engage in conversation; but 
presently Stephenson jumped up, took Emerson by the 
collar, and giving him one of his friendly shakes, asked 
how it was that in England we could always teU an 
American ? This led to an interesting conversation, in the 
course of which Emerson said how much he had been 
everywhere struck by the haleness and comeliness of th€ 
English men and women; and then they diverged into 
a further discussion of the influences which air, dimate, 
moisture, soil, and other conditions exercised upon the 
physical and moral development of a people. The con- 
versation was next directed to the subject of electricity 



r'-"^ 



Chap. XVIU. HIS LAST PUBLIC APPEARAlSrOK SM 

upon which StephenBon launched out enthusiastically, ex 
plaining his yiews by several simple and striking illus* 
trations. From thence it gradually turned to the events 
of his own life, which he related ia so graphic a manner as 
completely to ri%'et the attention of the American. After- 
wards Emerson said, "that it was worth crossing the 
Atlantic to have seen Stephenson alone; he had such na- 
tive force of character and vigour of intellect" 

The rest of Mr. Stephenson's days were spent quietly 
at Tapton, amongst his dogs, his rabbits, and his birds. 
When not engaged about the works connected with his 
coUieries, he was occupied iu horticultiLre and farming. 
He continued proud of his flowers, his fruits, and his crops ; 
and the old spirit of competition was still strong within 
him. Although he had for some time been in delicate 
health, and his hand shook from nervous affection, he 
appeared to possess a sound constitution. Emerson had 
observed of him that he had the lives of many men 
in him. But perhaps the American spoke figui-atively, in 
reference to his vast stores of experience. It appeared that 
he had never completely recovered from the attack of 
pleurisy which seized him during his return from Spain. 
As late, however, as the 26th July, 1848, he felt himself 
sufficiently well to be able to attend a meeting of the 
Institute of Mechanical Engineers at Birmingham, and to 
read to the members his paper " On the Fallacies of the 
Botatory Engine." It was his last appearance before them. 
Shortly after his return to Tapton, he had an attack of 
intermittent fever, from which he seemed to be recovering, 
when a sudden effusion of blood from the lungs carried 
him off, on the 12th August, 1848, in the sixty-seventh 
year of his age. When aU was over, Robert wrote to 
Edward Pease, " With deep pain I inform you, as one of 
his oldest friends, of the death of my dear father this 
morning at 12 o'clock, after about ten days' illness from 
severe fever." Mr. Starbuck, who was also present, wrote, 
** The favourable symptoms of yesterday morning were 

V. 2 a 



S54 



HEMORIAL 8TATUBS 



Chap. XVIU 



towards eTening followed by a serious change for the worm. 
This oontiimed during the night, and early this morning it 
became evident that he was sinking. At a few minutes 
before 12 to-day he breathed his last All that the most 
devoted and unremitting care of Mrs. Stephenson * and the 
skill of medicine could accomplish, has been done, but 
in vain." 

George Stephenson's remains were followed to the grave 
by a large body of his workpeople, by whom he was greatly 
ftdmired and beloved. They remembered hini as a kind 
master, who was ever ready actively to promote all measures 
for their mo\al, physical, and mental improvbment. The 
inhabitants of Chesterfield evinced their respect for the 
deceased by suspending business, closing theii shops, and 
joining in the funeral procession, which was headed by the 
corporation of the town. Many of the surrounding gentry 
also attended. The body was interred in Trinity Church, 
Chesterfield, where a simple tablet marks the great engi- 
neer's last resting-place. 

The statue of George Stephenson, which the Liverpool 
and Manchester and Grand J unction Companies had com- 
missioned, was on its way to England when his death 
occurred; and it served for a monument, though his best 
monimieut will always be his works. The statue referred 
to was placed in St George's Hall, LiverpooL A full-length 
dtatue of him, by Bailey, was also erected a few years later, 
in the noble vestibule of the London and North- Western 
Station, in Euston Square. A subscription for the purpose 
was set on foot by the Society of Mechanical Engineei-s, of 
which he had been the founder and president A few 
advertisements were inserted in the newspapers, inviting 
subscriptions; and it is a notable fiict that the volimtary 
offerings included an average of two shillings each from 



■^ 'the aeoond Mrs. Stephenson 
baring died in 1845, G^rge mar- 
a third time in 1848, «bout six 



months before his death. The thud 
Mrs. Stephenson had for some time 
beeo his oousekeeper. 



Chap. XVIII, STATUE AT NEWCASTLB. 355 

3150 working men, who embraced thia opportunity of doing 
touoar to their distinguiahed fellow workman. 

But nnqaestioiiably the finest and moat appropriate statue 
to the memory of George Stephenson ia that erected in 1862, 



Trlnliy Cborcb, CbaterfleU. 

after the design of John Lough, at Kewcaetle-upon Tyve. 
It is in the immediate neighbourhood of the Literary and 
Fhiloeophical Institnto, to which both George and his son 
Bobert were so much indebted in their early years ; close to 
the great Stephenson locomotive foundry established by 
the shrewdness of the father ; and in the vicinity of the 
High Level Bridge, one of the grandest products of the 
genius of the son. The bead of Stephenson, as expressed 
in this noble work, ia massive, charaoteriatio, and faithful ; 
and the attitude of the figure is simple yet manly and 
enei^tic. It stands on a pedestal, at tho respective comers 
of which are sculptured the recumbent figures of a pitman, 
a mechanic, an engine-driver, and a plate-layer. The statue 



35S PEHSONAL APPEAEANCE. Cbav. XVIII, 

tippropriately stands in a veiry thoron^ilare of workmg^ 
men, thousands of whom see it daily as they pass to and 
from their work ; and we can imagine them, as they look 
up to Stephenson's manly figure, applying to it the words 
Rddreseed by Bobert Kicoll to Bobert Bums, with perhaps 
still greater appropriateness ; — 

" Before the proudest of the earth 

We Btaud, with an npUlted brow; 
Like US, thou wast a toiling man, — 

And we are nohle, now ! " 
The portrait prefixed to this Toliuue gives a good indica- 
tion of Qeoi^ Stephenson's shrewd, kind, honest, manly 
face. His fiur, clear countenance was ruddy, and seemingly 
glowed with health. The forehead was lai^e and high, 
projecting over the eyes, and there was that massve breadth 
across the lower part which is usually observed in men of 
cmineot constructive skdlL The mouUi was firmly marked, 
and shrewdness and humour lurked there as well as in the 
keen grey eye. His frame was compact, well-knit, and 
rather spare. His hair became grey at an early age, and 
towards the close of his life it was of a pure siliy whiteness. 
He dressed neatly in black, wearing a white ne<:^oth ; and 
his face, his person, and his deportment at once arrested 
attention, and marked the Gentleman. 



GiiAP. XIX. ROBERT STEPHEKSOirS RETIEEMENT. 



rkUiiU Eililg^^, UunuuL 



CHAPTEE XIX. 



BoBSBT Stepsbhson's Viotobia Bbidob, Lower Canada — 
Illmbss and Death — Stephenson Chabaotbbibtiob. 

Georqe Stephenson beqiieathed to liis eon his valtiable 
collieriee, his sliare in the engine mannfactor}' at Newcastle, 
and lus lai^ accumulation of aavingB, which, together widi 
tlie fortune he had himself amaased by railway work, gave 
Robert the position of an engineer millionaire — the first of 
his order. He continued, however, to live in a quiet sfr^le ; 
and although be bought occasional pictures and statues, and 
indulged in the luxury of a yacht, he did not live up to bis 
income, which went on rapidly accmnulating until bis death. 
There waa no longer the necessity for applying himself 
to the laboriona business of a parliamentaiy engineer, in 
which be had now been occupied for some fifteen years. 
Shortly after his father's deadi, Edward Pease strongly 
recommended him to give up the more harassing work of 
hia profession; and his reply fl-^th June, 1850) was as 



3SR THE TICTUKIA BRIDGE. ChJK Xir 

fiJlowB : — ** Tlie saggestion wliich jonr kind note oontaina 
is quite in aoooidanoe with raj own feelings and intentions 
reqiecdng retirement ; bat I find it a very difficult matter 
to bring to a doee so complicated a connexion in basiness 
as that which has been established by twenty-five years of 
actire and aidnons profeasionai duty. Comparatiye retire- 
ment is, howcTer, my intention; and I trust that your 
prayer for the Divine blessing to grant me happiness and 
quiet comfort will be fufilled. I cannot bat feel deeply 
gratefol to the Great Disposer of events for the saooess 
whidi has hitherto attended my exertions in life; and I 
trost that the fatore will also be marked hy a oontinaanoe 
of His merxaes." 

Although Robert Stephenson, in conformity with this 
expressed intention, for the most part dedined to undertake 
new business, he did not altogether lay aside his harness ; 
and he lived to repeat his tubular bridges both in Lower 
Canada and in Egypt* The success of the tubular system, 
as adopted at Menai and Conway, was such as to recom- 
mend it for adoption wherever great span was required; 
and the peculiar circumstances connected with the naviga- 
tion of the St. Lawrence and the Nile, may be said to have 
com])ell6d its adoption in carrying railways across those 
great rivers. 

The Victoria Bridge, of which Bobert Stephenson was 
the designer and chief engineer, is, without exception, the 
greatest work of the kind in the world. For gigantic pro- 
portions and vast length and strength there is nothing to 
compare with it in ancient or modem times. The entire 
bridge, with its approaches, is only about sixty yards short 
of two mUeSj being five times longer than the Britannia 
across the Menai Straits, seven and a half times longer than 
Waterloo Bridge, and more than ten times l(Miger than the 
new Chelsea Bridge across the Thames ! It has not less 
than twenty-four spans of 242 feet each, and one great 
central span — ^itself an immense bridge — of 330 feet The 
road IS carried within iron tubes 60 feet above the level of 



^lAP. XIX. %VR\ IS Y MADE. 859 

the St Lawrenoe, wLioh runs beneath at a speed of about 
ten miles an hour, and in winter brings down the ice of two 
thousand square miles of lakes and rivers, Avith their nume- 
rous tributaries. The weight of iron in the tubes is about tei 
thousand tons, supported on massive piers, which contain, 
some six, and others ten thousand tons of solid masonry. 

So gigantic a work, involving so heavy an expenditure 
— ^about 1,300,0001. — was not projected without sufficient 
cause. The Grand Trunk Bailway of Canada, upwards cl 
1200 miles in length, traverses British North America from 
the shores of the Atlantic to the rich prairie country of the 
Far West It opens up a vast extent of fertile territory for 
future immigration, and provides a ready means for trasport- 
ing the varied products of the Western States to the sea- 
board. So long as the St. Lawrence was relied upon, the 
inhabitants along the Great Valley were precluded from 
conmiunication with each other for nearly six months ot 
the year, during which the navigation was closed by the ice. 

The Grand Trunk Eailway was designed to famish a 
line of communication through this great district at all 
seasons ; following the course of the St Lawrence along its 
north bank, and uniting the principal towns of Canada. 
But stopping short on the north shore, it was still an in- 
complete work; unconnected, except by a dangerous and 
often impracticable ferry, with Montreal, the capital of the 
province, and shut ofif from connection with the United 
States, as well as with the coast to which the commerce of 
Canada naturally tends. Without a bridge at Montreal, 
therefore, it was felt that the system of Canadian rail- 
way communication would have been incomplete, and the 
benefits of the Grand Trunk Kailway in a great measure 
nugatory. 

As early as 1846 the construction of a bridge across ttie 
St. Lawrence at Montreal was strongly advocated by 
the local press for the purpose of directiy connecting that 
city with the then projected Atlantic and St Lawrence 
Railway. A survey of the bridge was made, and ''ho 



m Dmfflff. Chap. XIX 

iiyj i lB d to be practacalile. A period ni oolanial 
JepraBskn, however, intervened, and altLoo^ the project 
was not ket n^t ai, it was not imtQ 1852, when the Grand 
Trunk RaOwajr Companjr began their operations, that there 
■eoned to be anjr reasonable prospect of its being carried 
iAXL In that year, Mr. A. M. Hobs — who had superintended, 
under Bobert Stephenson, the oonstmction of the tabular 
bridge over the Conwajr — liaited Canada, and inspected the 
site of the proposed bridge, when he readiljr arrived at the 
oondusion that a like structure was suitable for the crossing 
of the St. LawrenoeL He returned to England to confer 
with Bobert Stephenson on the subject, and the result was 
the plan of the Victoria Bridge, of which Bobert Stephenson 
was the designer.and Mr. A. M. Boss the joint and resident 



The partftcolar kind of structure to be adopted, however* 
formed the subject of mnch preliminary discussion. Even 
after the design of a tubular bridge had been adopted, 
and the piers were commenoed, the plan was made the 
subject of seYere criticism, on the ground of its allied 
exoesBiTe cost. It therefore became necessary for Mr. 
StefJbenson to vindicate the propriely of his design in a 
rq[N>rt to the directotrs of the railway, in which he satis&o- 
torily proved that as respected strength, efficiency, and 
eooncMuy, with a view to permanency, the plan of the 
Victoria Bridge was nnimpeachable. There were varions 
methods proposed for spanning the St Lawrence. The 
suspension bridge, such as that over the river Kiagara, was 
found inapplicable for several reasons, but chiefly because 
of its defective rigidity, whidi greatly limited the speed and 
weight of the trains, and consequently the amount of traffic 
which conld be passed over such a bridge. Thus, taking the 
Length of the Victoria Bridge into account, it was found 
that not more than 20 trains could pass within the 24 
hours, a number insufficient for the accommodation of the 
anticipated traffia To introduce such an amount of mate- 
rial into the suspensioQ bridge as would supply increased 



CUAP. XDL H3BIZ0NTAL GIRDSR8. 361 

rigidiiy, would only be approximating to the original beam, 
and neutralizing any advantages in point of cheapness 
which might be derivable from this form of structure, 
without securing the essential stiffiiess and strengtL Iron 
arches were also considered inapplicable, because of the 
large headway required for the passage of the ice in winter, 
and the necessity which existed for keeping the springing 
of the arches clear of the water-line. This would have 
involved the raising of the entire road, and a largely 
increased expenditure on the upper works. The question 
was therefore reduced to the consideration of the kind of 
horizonlal heam or girder to be employed. 

Horizontal girders are of three kinds. The 7\ibular is 
constructed of riveted rectangular boiler plates. Where 
the span is large, the road passes within the tube ; where 
the span is comparatively small, the roadway is supported 
by two or more rectangular beams. Next there is the 
Lattice girder, borrowed from the loose rough timber bridges 
of the American engineers, consisting of a top and bottom 
flange connected by a number of flat iron bars, riveted 
across each other at a certain angle, the roadway resting on 
the top, or being suspended at the bottom between the 
lattice on either side. Bridges on the same construction 
are now extensively used for crossing the broad rivers of 
India, and are especiallly designed with a view to their 
easy transport and erection. The Trellis or Warren girder 
is a modification of the same plan, consisting of a top and 
bottom flange; with a connecting web of diagonal flat bars, 
forming a complete system of triangulation — hence the 
name of "Triangular girder," by which it is generally 
known. The merit of this form consists in its comparative 
rigidity, sti-ength, lightness, and economy of material 
These bridges are also extensively employed in spanning 
the rivers of India. One of the best specimens is the 
Crumlin viaduct, 200 feet high at one point, which spans 
the river luid valley of the Ebbw near the village of Crumlis 
in South Wales. This viaduct is about a third of a zuile 



382 P&INCIPLBS OF COKSTBUCTION. Gkup. XIX 

loDi^ dhrided into two parts by a ridge of liilk which nuns 
chron^ the centre of the valley — each part fi>miiig a 
«qpaiate Tiadnct, the one of seven equal spans of 150 feet, 
the other of three spans of the same diameter. The bridge 
has been very skilfhlly designed and constructed, and, by 
reason <^ its great dimensions and novel arrangements, is 
sntitled to be regarded as one of the most remarkable 
engineering works of the day. 

** In calcolating the strength of these different classes of 
girdeTB," Mr. Stephenson observed, ^one ruling principle 
appertains, and is ccHnmon to all of them. Primarily and 
essentiaUy, the ultimate strength is considered to exist in 
the top and bottom, — ^the former being exposed to a com- 
proBsion force by the action of the load, and the latter to a 
force of tension; therefore, whatever be the dass or de- 
nomination of girders, they mnst all be alike in amount of 
^ective material in these members, if their spans and 
depths are the same, and they have to sustain the same 
amount of load. Hence, the question of comparative merit 
amongst the different classes of cunsLr action of beams or 
girdeTB is reaUy narrowed to the method of connecting the 
top and bottom wdm, so called.** In the tubular system the 
connexion is effected by continuous boiler plates riveted 
ti^ther ; and in the lattice and trellis bridges by flat iron 
bars, more or less numerous, forming a series of struts and 
tie& Those engineers who advocate the employment of the 
latter form of constructian, set forth as its principal advan* 
tage the saving of material which is effected by employing 
bars instead of iron plates; whereas Mr. Stephenson and 
his followers urge, that in point of economy the boiler plate 
side is equal to the bars, whilst in point of effective strraagth 
and rigidity it is decidedly superior. To show the compa- 
rative economy of material, he contrasted the lattice girder 
bridge over the river Trent on the Great Northern Bailway 
near Newark, with the tubes of the Victoria Bridge. In 
the former case, where the span is 240^ feet, and the bridge 
13 &6t wide» the wei^^t including bearings is 292 tons; 



Chap. XIX. SUPERIORITY OF TUBULAR BRIDGES. 3d3 

in the latter, where the span is 242 feet, the width of the 
tube 16 feet, the weight including bearings is 275 tons, 
showing a balance in favour of the Victoria Tube of 17 tons. 
The comparison between the Newark Dyke Bridge and the 
Tubular Bridge over the river Aire is equally favourable to 
the latter ; and no one can have travelled over the Great 
Northern line to York without noting that, as respects 
rigidity under the passing train, the Tubular Bridge is 
decidedly superior. It is ascertained that the. deflection 
caused by a passing load is considerably greater in the 
former case ; and Mr. Stephenson was also of opinion that 
the «ides of till trellis or lattice girders are useless, except 
for the purpose of connecting the top and bottom, and 
keeping them in their position. They depend upon their 
connexion with the top and bottom webs for their own 
support ; and since they could not sustain their shape, but 
would collapse immediately on their being disconnected 
from their top and bottom members, it is evident thai tlioy 
add to the strain upon them, and consequently to that 
extent reduce the ultimate strength of the beams. *'I 
admit," he added, " that there is no formula for valuing the 
8did sides for strains, and that at present we only ascribe 
to them the value or use of connecting the top and bottom ; 
yet we are aware that, from their continuity and solidity, 
they are of value to resist horizontal and many other strains, 
independently of the top and bottom, by which they add 
very much to the sti&ess of the beam ; and the fact of 
their containing more material than is necessary to connect 
the top and bottom webs, has by no means been fairly 
established." Another important advantage of the Tubular 
bridge over the Trellis or Lattice structure, consists in iti^ 
greater safety in event of a train running off the line, — a 
contingency which has more than once occurred on a 
tubular bridge without detriment, whereas in event of such 
an accident occurring on a Trellis or Lattice bridge, it must 
infallibly be destroyed. Where the proposed bridge is of 
the unusual length of a n ile and a qoiirter. it is obvious 



364 MASSIVBXESS OF THE PIERS. Chap. XIX. 

that this oonsideratioii must have had no small weight 
with the directors, who eyentually decided on proceeding 
with the Tubular Bridge according to Mr. Stephenson's 
miginal design. 

From the first projection of the Victoria Bridge, the 
difficulties of executing such a work across a wide river, 
down which an avalanche of ice rushes to the sea eveiy 
spring, were pronounced almost insiumountable by those 
best acquainted with the localiiy. The ice of two thou- 
sand miles of inland lakes and upper rivers, besides their 
tributaries, is then poured down strecun, and, in the neigh- 
bourhood of Montreal especially, it is often piled up to 
the height of from forty to fifty feet, placing the sur- 
rounding country under water, and doing severe damage 
to the massive stone buildings along the noble river front 
of the city. To resist so prodigious a pressure, it was 
necessary that the piers of the proposed bridge should be 
of the most solid and massive description. Their founda- 
tions are placed in the solid rock ; for none of the artificial 
methods of obtaining foundations, suggested by some en- 
gineers for cheapness' sake, were found practicable in this 
case. Where the force exercised against the piers was likely 
to be so great, it was felt that timber ice-breakers, timber 
or cast-iron piling, or even rubble- work, would have proved 
but temporary expedients. The two centre piers are 
eighteen feet wide, and the remaining twenty-two piers 
fifteen feet ; to arrest and break the ice, an inclined 
plane, composed of great blocks of stone, was added to the 
up-river side of each pier — each block weighing from seven 
to ten tons, and the whole were firmly clamped together 
with iron rivets. 

To convey some idea of the immense force which these 
piers are required to resist, we may briefly describe the 
breaking up of the ice in March, 1858, while the bridge 
was under construction. Fourteen out of the twenty-four 
piers were then finished, tc^ether with the formidable 
abutments and approaches to the bridge. The ioe in the 



<?HAP, XIX. BREAKING XJP 07 THE ICE. 365 

river began to show signs of weakness on the 29t}i March, 
but it was not until the 31st that a general movement 
became observable, which continued for an hour, when 
it suddenly stopped, and the water rose rapidly. On the 
following day, at noon, a grand movement commenced; 
the waters rose about four feet in two minutes, up to 
a level with many of the Montreal streets. The fields 
of ice at the same time were suddenly elevated to an 
incredible height; and so overwhelming were they in 
pearance, that crowds of the townspeojde, who had 
assembled on the quay to watch the progress of the flood, 
i-an for their lives. Tiiis movement lasted about twenty 
minutes, during which the jammed ice destroyed seversJ 
portions of the quay-wall, grinding the hardest blocks to 
atoms. The embanked approaches to the Victoria Bridge 
had tremendous forces to resist. Tn the full channel of 
the stream, the ice in its passage between the piers was 
broken up by the force of the blow immediately on its 
coming in contact with the cutwaters. Sometimes thick 
sheets of ice were seen to rise up and rear on end against 
the piers, but by the force of the current they were speedily 
made to roll over into the stream, and in a moment affc^ 
were out of sight. For the two next days the river was 
still high, until on the 4th April the waters seemed sud- 
denly to give way, and by the following day the river was 
flowing dear and smooth as a millpond, nothing of winter 
remaining except the masses of bordage ice which were 
strewn along the shores of the stream. On examination 
of the piers of the bridge, it was found that they had 
admirably resisted the tremendous pressure; and though 
the timber " cribwork " erected to feicilitate the placing 
of floating pontoons to form the dams, was found con- 
siderably disturbed and in some places seriously damaged, 
the piers, with the exception of one or two heavy stone 
blocks, which were still unfinished, escaped uninjured. 
One heavy block of many tons' weight was carried to « 
considerable distance, and must have been torn out («f itb* 



166 STEPHENSON ON THE SUEZ CANAL. Chap. XIX 

place by sheer force, as scTeral of the broken firagments 
were fomid left in the pier. 

The works in connection with the Victoria Bridge were 
begun on the 22nd July, 1854, when the iirst stone was 
laid, and continued uninterruptedly during a period of 5i 
years, until the 17th December, 1859, when the bridge was 
finiiihed and taken off the contractor's hands. It was 
formally opened for traffic early in 1860 ; though Robert 
Stephenson did not Htc to see its completion. 

The tubular system was also applied by the same en- 
gineer, in a modified form, in the two bridges across the 
Nile, near Damietta in Lower Egypt That near Benha 
contains eight spans or openings of 80 feet each, and two 
centre spans, formed by one of the largest swing bridges 
ever constructed, — the total length of the swing-beam 
being 157 feet, — a dear water-way of 60 feet being pro- 
vided on either side of the centre pier. The only novelty 
in these bridges consisted in the road being carried upon 
the tubes instead of within them; their erection being 
carried out in the usual manner, by means of workmen, 
materials, and plant sent out from England. 

During the later years of his life, Mr. Stephenson took 
considerable interest in public affairs and in scientific 
investigations. In 1847 he entered the House of Commons 
as member for Whitby ; but he does not seem to have been 
very devoted in his attendance, and only appeared on 
divisions when there was a " whip " of the party to which 
he belonged. He was a member of the Sanitary and 
Sewage Commissions, and of the Commission which sat 
on Westminster Bridge. The last occasions on which he 
addressed the House were on the Suez Canal and the 
cleansing of the Serpentine. He pronounced the Suez 
Canal to be an impracticable scheme. "I have surveyed 
the line," said he, " I have travelled the whole distance on 
foot, and I declare there is no fall between the two seas 
Honourable members talk about a canal. A canal is im- 
possible — the thing would only be a ditch " 



Chap. XIX. STEPHENSON AND BEUNSL. 367 

Betddos oonstmotmg the railway botween Alexandria 
and Cairo, he was consulted, like his fiskther, by the King 
ot Belgium, as to the railways of that country ; and he was 
made Knight of the Order of Leopold because of the im- 
provements which he had made in locomotive engines, so 
much to the advantage of the Belgian system of inland 
transit. He was consulted by the King of Sweden as to 
the railway between Christiana and lake Miosen, and in 
consideration of his services was decorated with the Grand 
Cross of the Order of St Olaf He also visited Switzerland, 
Piedmont, and Denmark, to advise as to the system of 
railway communication best suited for those countries. At 
the Paris Exhibition of 1855 the Emperor of France de- 
corated him with the Legion of Honour in consideration 
of his public services; and at home the University of 
Oxford made him a Doctor of Civil Laws. In 1865 he 
was elected President of the Institute of Civil engineers, 
which office he held with honour and filled with dis- 
tinguished ability for two years, giving place to his friend 
Mr. Locke at the end of 1857. 

Mr. Stephenson was frequently called upon to act as 
arbitrator between contractors and railway companies, or 
between one company and another, — great value being 
attached to his opinion on account of his weighty judg- 
ment, his great experience, and his upright character, and 
we believe his decisions were invariably stamped by the 
qualities of impartiality and justice. He was always ready 
to lend a helping hand to a friend, and no petty jealousy 
stood between him and his rivals in the engineering world 
The author remembers being with Mr. Stephenson on© 
evening at his house in Gloucester Square, when a note 
was put into his hands from his friend Brunei, the^ en- 
gaged in his first fruitless efforts to launch the Great 
Eastern, It was to ask Stephenson to come down to 
Blackwall early next morning, and give him the benefit 
of his judgment. Shortly after six next morning Ste- 
phf>nson was in Scott Eussell's building-yard, and he 



868 BSATH OF ROBERT STEPHENSON. Chap. XO. 

remained there until dnsL About middaj, while super- 
intending the launohing operations, the baulk of timber 
on which he stood canted np, and he fell up to his middle 
in the Thames mnd« He was dressed as usual, without 
groat-coat (though the day was bitter cold), and with only 
thin boots upon his feet He was urged to leave the yard, 
and change his dress, or at least dry himself; but with 
his usual disregard of health, he replied, ^ Oh, never mind 
me — Fm quite used to this sort of thing ; " and he went 
paddling about in the mud,* smoking his cigar, until 
almost dark, when the day*s work was brought to an 
end« The result of this exposure was an attack of in> 
flammation of the lungs, which kept him to his bed for a 
fortnight 

He was habitually careless of his health, and perhape 
ho indulged in narcotics to a prejudicial extent Hence 
he often became ** hipped " and sometimes ilL When Mr. 
Sopwith accompanied him to Egypt in the Titania, in 1856, 
he succeeded in persuading Mr. Stephenson to limit his 
indulgence in cigars and stimulants, and the consequence 
was that by the end of the voyage he felt himself, as he 
said, '^ quite a new man." Arrived at Marseilles, he tele- 
graphed from thence a message to Great George Street, 
prescribing certain stringent and salutary rules for ob- 
servance ia the office there on his return. But he was 
of a &cile, social disposition, and the old associations 
proved too strong for him. When he sailed for Norway, 
in the autumn of 1859, though then ailing in health, he 
looked a man who had still pleniy of life in him. By 
the time he returned, his fatal illness had seized him. 
He was attacked by congestion of the liver, which fii-st 
develox)ed itself in jaundice, and then ran into dropsy, of 
which he died on the 12th October, in the fifty-sixth year 
of his age.* He was buried by the side of Telford in 



* In 1829 Robert Stephenwn I Sarderaon, merchant, London ; bat 
iDAnied Fianoee, daughter of Jt^oi | atu) died in 1842, without iagae^ 



CHiP. XIX. ROBERT STEPHEHaON'S FUNERAL. S69 

Weetminster Abbey, amidst the departed great men of bis 
coiintiy, and was attended to bis reetrng-place by many 
of tbe intimat« friends of bis boybood and bis manbood. 
Among those wbo assembled round his grave were eome 
of the greatest men of thought and action in England, 
-wbo embraced the ead occasion to pay the last mark of 
their respect to this illustrious eon of one of England's 
greatest ■working men. 



and Mr, Slephenson did not mariy | twice in every yew to visit lua 
again. Until the olose of Iiia life, wife's grave Id Hampstead church- 
Robert SlepteuBoa was BccLutomed | jaid. 

T. 2 B 



S70 THE 8TEPHSXS0N CHARACTEAISTICS. Chap. XIX. 

It would be oat of keeping with the sabject thus drawn 
Id a ooncliinoii, to prononnoe any panegyric on the cha- 
ncier and achierementB of George and Bobert Stephenson. 
Tlieee lor the most part speak for themsehres. Both were 
empjiatkally trae men, exhibiting in their lives many 
steriing qnalitiea. No b^inning oonld have been less 
promising than that of the elder Stephenson. Bom in a 
poor oonditioii, yet rich in spirit, he was from the first 
compelled to rely npon himself; and eveiy step of advance 
which be made was oonqnered by patient labour. Whether 
woridi^ as a brakesman or an engineer, his mind was 
always fall of the work in hand. He gave himself 
thatoni^blj ap to it Like the painter, he might say that 
be had become great ** by n^|ecting nothing." WhateTer 
he was engpiged apon, he was as careftd of the details as 
if each were itself the whole. He did all thoroughly and 
bcviesdiy. There was no ** scamping" with him. When 
a workman he pat his brains and labonr into his work ; 
and wh»i a master he pot his conscienoe and character 
into it. He woald haTe no slop-work executed merely 
fix- the sake of profit. The materials must be as genuine 
as the workmanship was skilful. The structures which 
he designed and executed were distinguished for their 
th«>i\Mig)in68B and solidity; his looomotiTes were &mous 
&v their durability and excellent working qualities. The 
engines whidi he sent to the United States in 1832 are 
Sitill in good condition; and even the oigines built by 
him ^ the Killingworth Collieiy, upwards of thirty 
years a^ are worki]^ steadily there to this day. All his 
wv^ was honesty lepresenting the actual character of the 



He was rea^y to torn his hand to anything — shoes and 
«lodaBk railwi^ and locomotives. He oontriTed his safety- 
lamp with the object of saving pitmen's liTee, and perilled 
hi$ own life in testing it. W hateTer work was nearest him, 
be tmned to and did it W ith him to resohre was to da 
Many men knew frr more tiban he; but none were more 



CHAP. 3UX. MANUAL DEXTERITY. 371 

ready forthwith to apply what he did know to practical 
purpoees. It was whUe working at Willington as a brakes- 
man, that he first learnt how best to handle a spade in 
throwing ballast out of the ships' holds. This casual em- 
ployment seems to have left upon his mind the strongest 
impression of what ** hard work " was ; and he often used 
to revert to it, and say to the young men about him, " Ah, 
ye lads I there's none o' ye know what wark is." Mr. Gooch 
says he was proud of the dexterity in handling a spade 
which he had thus acquired, and that he has frequently 
seen him take the shovel from a labourer in some railway 
cutting, and show him how to use it more deftly in filling 
wagons of earth, gravel, or sand. Sir Joshua Walmsley 
has also informed us, that, when examining the works of 
the Orleans and Tours Eailway, Mr. Stephenson, seeing a 
large number of excavators filling and wheeling sand in 
a cutting, at a great waste of time and labour, went up to 
the men and said he would show them how to fill their 
barrows in half the time. He showed them the proper posir 
tion in which to stand so as to exercise the greatest amount 
of power with the least expenditure of strength ; and he 
fiUed the barrow with comparative ease again and again in 
their presence, to the great delight of the workmen. When 
passing through his own workshops, he would point out 
to his men how to save labour, and to get through their 
work skilfully and with ease. His energy imparted itself 
to others, quickening and influencing them as strong cha- 
racters always do — flowing down into theirs, and bringing 
out their best powers. 

His deportment towards the workmen employed under 
him was familiar, yet firm and consistent. As he respected 
their manhood, so did they respect his masterhood. Al- 
though he comported himself towards his men as if they 
occupied very much the same level as himself, he yet 
possessed that peculiar capacity for governing which en- 
abled him always to preserve among them the strictest 
discipline, and to secure their cheerful and hearty services. 

2 B 2 



372 DEPORTMENT TO WOBKME^^. Chap, XIX. 

Mr. Ingbam, M.P. for South Shields, on going xyver the 
workshops at Newcastle, was particularly struck with this 
quality of the master in his bearing towards his men. 
** There was nothing," said he, " of undue familiarity in 
their intercourse, but they spoke to each other as man to 
man ; and nothing seemed to please the master more than 
to point out illustrations of the ingenuity of his artisans. 
He took up a rivet, and expatiated on the skill with which 
it had been fashioned by the workman's hand — ^its perfect- 
uess and truth. He was always proud of his workmen and 
his pupils ; and, while indifferent and careless as to what 
might be said of himself he fired up in a moment if dispa- 
ragement were thrown upon any one whom he had taught 
or trained." 

In manner, George Stephenson was simple, modest, and 
unassuming, but always manly. He was frank and social 
in spirit. When a humble workman, he had carefully pre- 
served his sense of self-respect His companions looked 
up to him, and his example was worth even more to many 
of them than books or schools. His devoted love of know- 
ledge made his poverty respectable, and adorned his 
humble calling. When he rose to a more elevated sta- 
tion, and associated with men of the highest position and 
influence in Britain, he took his place amongst them with 
perfect self-possession. They wondered at the quiet ease 
and simple dignity of his deportment ; and men in the best 
ranks of life have said of him that " He was one of Nature's 
gentlemen." 

Probably no military chiefs were ever more beloved by 
their soldiers than were both father and son by the army of 
men who, under their guidance, worked at labours of profit, 
made labours of love by their earnest will and purpose. 
True leaders of men and lords of industry, they were always 
ready to recognise and encourage talent in those who worked 
for and with them. Thus it was pleasant, at the openings 
of the Stephenson lines, to hear the chief engineers attri- 
buting the successful completion of the works to their ^ble 



Chap. XIX. ESSEiffTIALLY UNSORDID. 373 

assistants ; whilst the assistants, on the other hand, ascribed 
the glory to their chiefs. 

Mr. Stephenson, though a thrifty and frugal man, was 
essentially un8ordid. His rugged path in early life made 
him careful of his resources. He never saved to hoard, but 
saved for a purpose, s'ich as the maintenance of his parents 
or the education of his son. In later years he became a 
prosperous and even a wealthy man; but riches never 
closed his heart, nor stole away the elasticity of his soul. 
He enjoyed life cheerfully, because hopefully. When he 
entered upon a commercial enterprise, whether for others or 
for himself, he looked carefully at the ways and means. 
Unless they would " pay," he held back. " He would have 
nothing to do," he declared, "with stock-jobbing specula- 
tions." His refusal to sell his name to the schemes of the 
railway mania — ^his survey of the Spanish lines without 
remuneration — ^his offer to postpone his claim for payment 
from a poor company until their affairs became more prosper- 
ous — are instances of the unsordid spirit in which he acted* 

Another marked feature in Mr. Stephenson's character 
was his patience. Notwithstanding the strength of his con- 
victions as to the great uses to which the locomotive might 
be applied, he waited long and patiently for the opportunity 
of bringing it into notice ; and for years after he had com- 
pleted an efficient engine he went on quietiy devoting 
himself to the ordinary work of the colliery. He made no 
noise nor stir about his locomotive, but allowed another 
to take credit for the experiments on velocity and friction 
made with it by himself upon the Killingworth railroad. 

By patient industry and laborious contrivance, he was 
enabled, with the powerful help of his son, to do for the 
locomotive what James Watt had done for the condensing 
engine. He found it clumsy and inefficient ; and he made 
it powerful, efficient, and useful Both have been described 
as the improvers of their respective engines ; but, as to all 
that is admirable in their structure or vast in their utility, 
they are rathei entitled to be described as their Inventorsi 



B74 COMPARED WITH WATT. Gbap. XLX. 

WLile the inTention of Watt increased the power, and at 
the same time so regulated the action of the steam-enginei 
as to make it capaUe of being applied alike to the hardest 
work and to the finest mannfactnres, the invention of Ste- 
phenson gaTC an effective power to the locomotiTe; which 
enabled it to perform the work of teams of the most power- 
ful horses, and to outstrip the speed of the fleetest. Watt's 
invention exercised a wonderfully quickening influence on 
every branch of industry, and multiplied a thousand-fold 
the amount of manufactured productions ; and Stephenson's 
enabled these to be distributed with an economy and de- 
spatch such as had never before been thought possible 
They have both tended to increase indefinitely the mass of 
human comforts and enjoyments, and to render them cheap 
and accessible to all. But Stephenson's invention, by the 
influence which it is daily exercising upon the civilisation 
of the world, is even more remarkable than that of Watt, 
and is calculated to have still more important consequences. 
In this respect, it is to be regarded as the grandest applica- 
tion of steam power that has yet been discovered. 

The Locomotive, like the condensing engine, exhibits the 
realisation of various capital, but wholly distinct, ideas, 
promulgated by many ingenious inventors. Stephenson, 
like Watt, exhibited a power of selection, combination, and 
invention of his own, by which — while availing himself of 
all that had been done before him, and superadding the 
many skilful contrivances devised by himself — he was at 
length enabled to bring his engine into a condition of mar- 
vellous power and efficiency. He gathered together the 
scattered threads of ingenuity which already existed, and 
combined them into one firm and complete fabric of his 
own. He realised the plans which others had imperfectly 
formed; and was the first to construct, what so many 
others had unsuccessfully attempted, the practical and eco- 
nomical working locomotive. 

Mr. Stephenson's dose and accurate observation provided 
him with a fulness of information on many subjects, whic^ 



Chap. XIX CONVERSATIONAL POWERS. 375 

often appeared surprising to those who had devoted to them 
a special study. On one occasion the accuracy of his know- 
ledge of birds came ont in a curious way at a ccnTivial 
meeting of railway men in London. The engineers and 
railway directors present knew each other as r^way men 
and nothing more. The talk had been all of railways and 
railway politics. Mr. Stephenson was a great talker on 
those subjects, and was genei'aUy allowed, from the interest 
of his conversation and the extent of his experience, to take 
the lead. At length one of the party broke in with — 
"Come now, Stephenson, we have had nothing but rail- 
ways ; cannot we have a change and try if we can talk a 
littie about something else ? " " Well," said Mr. Stephen- 
son, " 111 give you a wide range of subjects ; what shall it 
be about?" "Say birds' nests/" rejoined the other, who 
prided himself on his special knowledge of this subject. 
" Then birds' nests be it." A long and animated conversa- 
tion ensued: the bird-nesting of his boyhood, the black- 
bird's nest which his &ther had held him up in his arms to 
look at when a child at Wylam, the hedges in which he 
had found the thrush's and the linnet's nests, the mossy 
bank where the robin built, the cleft in the branch of the 
young tree whore the chaffinch had reared its dwelling— all 
rose up clear in his mind's eye, and led him back to the 
scenes of his boyhood at Callerton and Dewley Bum. The 
colour and niunber of the bird's ^gs, the period of their 
incubation, the materials employed by them for the walls 
and lining of their nests, were described by him so vividly, 
and illustrated by such graphic anecdotes, that one of th<^ 
party remarked that, if George Stephenson had not been 
the greatest engineer of his day, he might have been one of 
the greatest naturalists. 

His powers of conversation were very great He was so 
thoughtful, so original, and so suggestive. There was 
scarcely a dex>artment of science on which he had not 
formed some novel and sometimes daring theory. Thus 
Mr. Gooch, his pupil, who lived with hin when at Liver 



376 HIS B£K£yOL£NCK. Chap. XDL 

pool, iiifo:ms vb that when sitting oTer the fire, he would 
frequently broach his fayourite theory of the son's light 
and heat being the original source of the light and heat 
given forth by the burning ooaL **It fed the plants of 
which that coal is made," he would say, ''and has been 
bottled up in the earth ever since, to be given out again 
now for the use of man." His son Bobert once said of him, 
** My &ther flashed his bull's eye full upon a subject, and 
brought it out in its most vivid light in an instant : his 
strong common sense, and his varied experience operating 
upon a thoughtful mind, were his most powerful illumina- 
tors." 

Mr. Stephenson had once a conversation with a watch- 
maker, whom he astonished by the extent and minuteness 
of his knowledge as to the parts of a watch. The watch- 
maker knew him to be an eminent engineer, and asked 
him how he had acquired so extensive a knowledge of a 
branch of business so much out of his sphere. '' It is very 
easy to be explained," said Mr. Stephenson; "I worked 
long at watch-cleaning myself^ and when I was at a Icbb, 
I was never ashamed to ask for information." 

Towards the dose of his life he' frequently w^it down to 
Newcastle, and visited the scenes of his boyhood. " I have 
been to Callerton," said he one day to a fitiend, '* and seen 
the fields in which I used to puU turnips at twopence a 
day ; and many a cold finger, I can tell you, 1 had." 

His hand was open to his former fellow- workmen whom 
old age had left in poverty. To poor Robert Gray, of 
Newbum, who acted as his bridesman on his marriage to 
Fanny Henderson, he left a pension for life. He would 
slip a five-pound note into the hand of a poor man or a 
widow in such a way as not to offend their delicacy, but to 
make them feel as if the obligation were all on his side. 
When Farmer Paterson, who married a sister of George's 
first wife, Fanny Henderson, died and left a large young 
family fatherless, poverty stared them in the fiice. ** But 
ye ken." said our informant, <* Oeorge struck in fayther for 



DiAP. XK. BOBRRT STEPHENSON'S CHARACTER. 377 

Ikemr And perhaps the providential character of the act 
coiild not have been more graphically expressed than in 
these simple words. 

On his visit to Newcastle, he would frequently meet the 
friends of his early days, occupying very nearly ihe same 
station, whilst he had meanwhile risen to almost world-wide 
£ame. But he was no less hearty in his greeting of them 
than if their relative position had continued the same. 
Thus, one day, after shaking hands with Mr. Brandling on 
alighting from his carriage, he proceeded to shake hands 
with his coachman, Anthony Wigham, a stiU older friend, 
though he only sat on the box. 

Eobert Stephenson inherited his father's kindly spirit 
and benevolent disposition. He almost worshipped his 
father's memory, and was ever ready to attribute to him 
the chief merit of his own achievements as an engineer. 
** It was his thorough training," we once heard him say, 
*' his example, and his character, which made me the man 
I am." On a more public occasion he said, " It is my great 
pride to remember, that whatever may have been done, 
and however extensive may have been my own connection 
with railway development, all I know and all I have done 
is primarily due to the parent whose memory I cherish and 
revere."* To Mr. Lough, the sculptor, he said he had 
never had but two loves — one for his &ther, the other for 
his wife. 

Like his &.ther, he was eminently practical, and yet 
always open to the influence and gaidance of correct 
theory. His main consideration in laying out his lines of 
railway was what would best answer the intended purpose, 
or, to use his own words, to secure the maximum of result 
with the minimum of means. He was pre-eminently a safe 
man, because cautious, tentative, and experimental ; follow- 
ing closely the lines of conduct trodden by his father, and 
often quoting his maxims. 

* AddiesB as l^vesident of the iDstitXioQ of Civil Engineere, Jauuury, 1H&6 



378 GEORGE STEPHENSON'S POLITIOS. Chap. XIX. 

In society Kobert Stephenson was simple, unobtmsive, 
and modest; but charndng and even &scinating in an 
eminent degree. Sir John Lawrence has said of him that 
he was, of all others, the man he most delighted to meet in 
England — he was so manly, yet gentle, and withal so 
great While admired and beloTed by men of such calibre, 
he was equally a faTonrite with women and children. He 
put himself npon the level of all, and charmed them no less 
by his inexpressible kindliness of manner than by his simple 
yet impressive conversation. 

His great wealth enabled him to perform many generous 
acts in a right noble and yet modest manner, not letting his 
right hand know what his left hand did. Of the numerous 
kindly acts of his which have been made public, we may 
mention the graceful manner in which he repaid the obliga- 
tions which both himself and his father owed to the 
Newcastle Literaiy and Philosophical Institute, when 
working together as humble experimenters in their cottage 
at Killingworth. The Institute was struggling under a 
debt of 62002. which seriously impaired its usefulness as an 
educational agency. Bobert Stephenson o£fered to pay one- 
half of the sum, provided the local supporters of the Insti- 
tute would raise the remainder ; and conditional also on 
the annual subscription being reduced from two guineas to 
one, in order that the xusefiilness of the institution might be 
extended. The generous offer was accepted, and the debt 
extinguished. 

Both &ther and son were offered knighthood, and both 
declined it. During the summer of 1847, George Stephen- 
son was invited to offer himself as a candidate for the 
representation of South Shields in Parliament. But his 
politics wore at best of a very undefined sort ; indeed his 
life had been so much odcupied with subjects of a practical 
character, that he had scarcely troubled himself to form any 
decided opinion on the parly political topics of the day; 
and to stemd the cross fii*e of the electors on the hustiDgB 
might have been found an even more distressing oideal 



CHAP XIX. ROBERT STEPHENSON ON RAILWAYS. 379 

than the cross-questioning of tlie barristers in the Commit- 
tees of the House of Commons. " Politics," he used to say, 
" are all matters of theory — there is no stability in them ; 
they shift about like the sands of the sea : and I should 
feel quite out of my element amongst them." He had 
accordingly the good sense respectfully to decline the 
honour of contesting the representation of South Shields. 

We have, however been informed by Sir Joseph Faxton, 
that although George Stephenson held no strong opinions 
on political questions generally, there was one question on 
which he entertained a decided conviction, and that was 
the question of Free-trade. The words used by him on one 
occasion to Sir Joseph were very strong. " England," said 
he, ^*is, and must be a shopkeeper; and our docks and 
harbours are only so many wholesale shops, the doors of 
which should always be kept wide open." It is curious 
that his son Eobert should have taken precisely the opposite 
view of this question, and acted throughout with the most 
rigid party amongst the protectionists, supporting the Navi- 
gation Laws and opposing Free Trade. 

But Robert Stephenson will be judged in after times by 
his achievements as an engineer, rather than by his acts 
as a politician ; and happily these last were far outweighed 
in value by the immense practical services which he 
rendered to trade, commerce, and civilisation, through the 
facilities which the railways constructed by him afforded 
for free intercommunication between men in all parts of 
the world. Speaking in the midst of his friends at New- 
castle, in 1850, he observed : — 

" It seems to me but as yesterday that I was engaged aa 
an assistant in laying out the Stockton and Darlington 
Eailway. Since then, the Liverpool and Manchester and a 
hundred other great works have sprung into existence. 
As I look back upon these stupendous undertakings, accom- 
plished in so short a time, it seems as though we had 
realised in our generation the fabled powers of the magi- 
dan's wand. Hills have been out down and valleys ftUed 



380 ADVANTAGES OP RAI1WAT8. Chap. XIX. 

tip; and when theae simple expedients have not sufficed, 
high and magnificent vudncte have been raised, and if 
motmtaina stood in the way, tonnels of tmexampled magni- 
tode have pierced them throagh, bearing their triniiiphant 
attestation to the indomitable energy of the nation, and the 
anrivalled skill of our artisans." 

As respects the immense advantages of isilways to man- 
kind, there cannot be two opinions. They exhibit, probably, 
the grandest organisation of capital and labour that the 
world has yet seen. Although they have unhappily occa- 
sioned great loss to many, the loss has been that of 
individuals ; whilst, as a natiraial system, the gain has 
already been enormous. As tending to multiply and spread 
abroad the oonvenienoes of life, opening up new fields of 
industty, bringing nations nearer to each other, and thus 
promoting the great ends of oiviliaation, the founding of 
the railway ayatem by Geoi^ Stephenson and his son must 
be r^arded as one of the most important events, if not the 
veiy greatest, in the first half of this nineteenth century. 



INDEX. 



AOOIDEim. 

AodDEMTB in coal-mines, 89, 119. 

Adam, Mr., oouBsel for Liverpool and 
Manchester Railway, 160, 166. 

Alderson, Mr. (afterwards Baron), 
160,163.165. 168. 

Alton Grange, G. Stephenson's resi- 
dence at, 234-6, 263. 

Ambergate Railway slip, 259 ; Lime- 
works, 278. 

Anna, Santa, mines at, 196. 

Arnold, Dr., on Railways, 273. 

Ashby-de-la-Zoach, 233. 

Atmospheric Railway system, 286, 
308. 

BEA.nHOin', Mr., his wooden waggon- 
ways, 5. 
Belgium, G. Stephenson's visit to, 296. 
Benton Colliery and village, 44, 47, 

51, 61. 
Berwick Royal Border Bridge, 311. 
Birds and bird-nesting, 15, 17, 25,-58, 

353, 376. 
Birmingham and Derby Railway, 268. 
Bishop Auckland coal-field, 123. 
Black CallertoD, 18, 26, 29, 32. 
Blackett, Mr., Wylam, 13, 74. 
Blast, invention of the Steam, 85, 208, 

811. 
Blenkinsop's Locomotive^ 72, 80. 
Blisworth Cutting, 243. 
Boiler, multitubular, 210. 
Booth, HeRry, Liverpool, 210, 222. 
Bradshaw, Mr., opposes Liverpool and 

Mancheister line, 155. 
Braithwaite, Isaac, Locomotive, 214, 

230. I 

Brakeing coal-engine, 27, 36, 40. 
Brandling, Messrs., 105, 312. 
Brandreth's Locomotive, ^^CyiAoped, 

214. 



>t 



CLAT. 

Bridges, Railway, on Liverpool line^ 
185 ; improved bridges, 310-19; 
tubular bridges, 326-40, 360. 

Bridgewater Canal monopoly, 147, 157. 

Britannia Tubular Bridge, 339. 

British Association Meeting at Kew- 
castle, 279. 

Brougham, Mr. William, counsel on 
Liverpool and Manchester Bill, 
158,160. 

Bmoe's School, Newcastle, 53, 59. 

Brunei, I. K., 230, 304, 367. 

Brunton*s Locomotive, 73. 

Brussels, railway celebrations at, 267. 

Brusselton incline, 135. 

Buckland, Dr., 350. 

Bullbridge, Ambergate^ 260. 

Burstall's Locomotive^ " Perseve- 
rance," 214, 218. 

Callerton CoUiery and village, 18, 
26, 29, 32. 

Canal opposition to Railwaji^ 146, 
157, 238. 

Cartagena, R. Stephenson at, 200. 

Chapman's Locomotive, 73. 

Characteristics of the Stephensons, 
368-80. 

Ghat Moss, William James's attempted 
Survey, 151 ; Mr. Harrison's speech, 
166 ; evidence of Francis Giles, 
C.E., 167 ; Mr. Alderson's speech, 
168; description of, 174; con- 
struction of Railway over, 177. 

Chester and Birkenhead Railway, 286. 

Holyhead Railway, 320. 

Chesterfield, 279, 283. 

Clanny, Dr., his safety-lamp, 92. 

Clark, Edwin, C.E., 331, 335, 338. 

Clay Cross Colliery, G. Stepheuscv 
l&iGeb, 277. 



Ckigr and Suniida't Atmoqphenc Rul- 

waj, 287. 
Ckphan, Ifr., dMcription of fint nfl- 

waj trafiicv 140. 
Caertland, Duke of, and Stockton awl 

DuhDgUm RaUway, 125. 
dock-nocndiiif and cleaning, 35, 51, 

845. 
OoMh, fint railway, 139. 
Coal tnuie, 3, 11 ; staitlw, 10; luml- 

age, carij expedients far, 5, 7, 63, 

143 ; traffic hj RaUway, 138, 276 ; 

mining, Geoiige Stoftheoson's adren- 

tmei in, 234, 877 ; theory of liuw 

mation of, 351. 
Coalbrookdale, rails eailj caal al^ 6. 
Coe, Wm., fidlow worknum of G. 

Stephenson, 21, 26, 31. 
Coffin, Sir I., 172. 
Colliery districts, 1-4 ; machineij 

and workmen, 7-11. 
Colombia, mining association of, 193 ; 

Robert Stephenson's residenoe in, 

196. 
Contractors, railway, 229, 249. 
Conway, tabular bridge at^ 334. 
Cooper, Sir Astley, Robert Stephen- 
son's interview with, 238. 
Crich Lime-works, Ambergate, 278. 
Cropper, Isaac, Liverpool, 187, 217. 
Cngnot's steam-carriage, 64-6. 
Curr, John, his casUirm Railway at 

Sheffield, 6. 
Cuttings, railway,— Tring, 242 ; Blis- 

woith, 243 ; Ambergate, 259 ; 

Oakenshaw and Normanton, 259. 
'•Cydoped" Locomotive, 214. 

Dablxnoton and Stockton Railway, 

123, 136. 
Davy, Sir Humphry, his description of 

Trevithick's steam-carriage, 68 ; 

his paper on fire>damp in mines, 92 ; 

his safety-lamp, 101-^ ; testimonial, 

104. 
Denman, Lord, 345. 
Derby, Earl of, 172. 
Dewley Bum Colliery, 16. 
Direct lines, mania for, 292. 
Dixon. John, C.E., assists in suney of 

Stockton and Darlington line, 136 ; 



■stent enpneer, Liverp^Nil and 
Manchester Railway, 175-9. 

Dodds, Ralph, Killingworth, 42-4, 50 
86. 

I>ray*Dn Manor, George St^enson's 
Tif It to, 349. 

DutUn Viaduct, 254. 

Durham, Earl of. See L&mbton. 

East Coast Railway to Scotland, 
306-9. 

Edgworth, Mr., sailing-waegons^ 63 ; 
advocacy of Railways, 148. 

Edinburgh University, Robei-t Stephen- 
son at» 121. 

Educatiim, George Stephenson's sdf- 
education, 24, 47 ; Robei-t Stephen- 
aim's, 50, 121 ; George Stephenson's 
ideas of, 191, 281. 

Egg-hatcbdng by artificial heat, 23, 

Egyptian Tubular Bridges^ Robert 

Stephenson's, 357. 
Emerson, George Stephenscm's meeting 

with, 353. 
Emigration, George Stephenson coo- 

templat^ 40, 116. 
Eqpne, study of, 22, 62, 78, 80. 
Ericsson, Mr., engineer, 204, 214. 
Estimates, railway, 165, 249. 
'* Experiment," the first railway coach, 

139. 
Explosion of fire-damp, 89. 
Evans's steam-carriage, 65. 

Fairbaibn, Wm., C.E., 28; at Percy 

Main Colliery, 34; experiments on 

iron tubes, 328-30. 
Fire-damp, explosions of, 89. 
Fixed-engine powei', 118, 129, 135, 

203, 205. 
Floating road. Chat Moss, 176. 
Floating Conway and Britannia Tubes, 

332. 
FoUett, Sir Wm., 350. 
Forth-stieet Works, Newcastle^ 132, 

193. 
Foster, Jonathan, Wylam, 75, 77» 80^ 

310. 
Franklin's lightning expaimeni ra* 

peated by Robert Stephenson, 5d. 



363 



FBEE. 

Free trade, George Stephenson's views 
on, 379. 

Friction on common rcncU and Rail- 
ways, 113. 

Gardening, George Stephenson's 

pursuits in, 58, 342. 
Gateshead, 4, 314. 
Gaage of Railways, 134, 304. 
**GeordT** safety-lamp, invention o^ 

93. 
Giles,' Fnmcis, C.E., 167, 174, 2S0. 
Gooch, F. L., C.E., 188, 190, 220, 

336,371. 
Gradients, George Stephenson's views 

(m, 115, 284. 
Grand Allies, Killingworth, 41, 46. 

Junction Railway, 230, 253. 

Trunk Railway, Canada, 359. 

Gray, Robert, 24, 36, 376. 

— 1, Thomas, 148. 

Gnat Western RaUway, 230, 232, 

304. 

Hackwobth, Timothy, bis engine 
•* Sanspareil," 214,216, 218. 

Half-lap joint, G. Stephenson's, 111. 

Harrison, Mr., barrister, 160, 166. 

Hawthorn, Robert, G.E., 22. 

Heating surface in Locomotives, 208, 
209. 

Hedley, William, Wylam, 77. 

Henderson, Fanny, 32. 

Heppel, Kit, 42, 45. 

Hetton Railway, 117. 

High Level Bridge, Newcastle, 2, 312. 

Street House, Wylam, 14. 

Holyhead, Railway to, 320. 

Howick, Lord, and the Northumber- 
land Atmospheric Railway, 307, 
309. 

Hudson, Geoige, the Railway King, 
291, 312. 

Huskisson, Mr., M.P., and the Liver- 
pool and Manchester Railway. 172 ; 
killed at its opening, 223. 

Hydraulic presses at the BriUnnia 
Bridge, 237. 

iMOLiNKa, self-acting, 9, 61. 
Iron railway bridges, 312, 325. 



UTERPOOL. 

Jaices, William, surveys a line be« 
tween Liverpool and Manchester, 
150; visits Killingworth, 151; 
supei-seded by George Stephenson, 
154. 

Jameson, Professor, Edinburgh, 122. 

Jessop, William, C.E., 6. 

Jolly's Close, Newburn, 20, 24. 

Jones, Rees, on Trevithick's i.ooomo- 
tive, 71. 

Keelmen of the Tyne, 10-11. 

Killingworth, West Moor, 31, 36, 38, 
40 ; High Pit, 41 ; colliery explo- 
sions and mining, 89 ; Locomotive, 
84, 88 ; the underground machin- 
ery, 109. 

Kilsby Tunnel, 245. 

Lambton, Mr. (Earl of Durham), 
137. 

Lamp, safety, invention of, 93. 

Last-making competition, 59. 

Lardner, Dr., and Railways, 284, 28C. 

Lattice Girder Bridges, 361. 

Leeds Mechanics' Institute, George 
Stephenson's Speech at, 281. 

Leicester and Swannington Railway, 
232. 

Lemington Coal-staith, 74. 

Leopold, King of the Belgians, and 
fUiilways, 266 ; George Stephen- 
son's interviews with, 268, 296. 

Level Railways, advantages of, 115, 
284. 

Liddell, Sir T. (Lord Ravensworth), 
46, 62. 

Lime-works at Ambeigate, Georgs 
Stephenson's, 278. 

Literaiy and Philosophical Institute, 
Newcastle, .'53, 102,280, 378. 

Littlcborough Tunnel, 255. 

Liverpool and Manchester Railway 
projected! 147 ; surveyed by Wm. 
James, 150 ; the survey opposed, 
151; George Stephenson engaged, 
154 ; prospectus issued, 155; de- 
putations visit Killingworth, 151 
154-5 ; opposition of the land* 
owners and canal companies, 156-7 ; 
the bill in committde^ 160; r» 



&R4 



JTDEX. 



LOCKE. 

)wt4Nl, 169; scheme proncoted, 
170; Messrt. Rennie ^fipointed 
engineers, 171 ; the bill paaaed, 
1 72 ; Gecnrge StephenaoQ again en- 
eaged as engineer, 173 ; dNiatmo- 
tion of the Uoe acroas Chat Moss, 
176 ; diacoaiions as to the working 
power to be employed, 203 ; George 
Stephenson adyocatea the Locomo- 
tive, 201 ; prise of 500/. for best 
engine, 207 ; won by Stephenson's 
« Bocket," 218 ; public opening of 
the line, 222 ; results of the traffic, 
228. 

Ucke, Mr. Joseph, C.E., 26, 175, 
367. 

^Locomotion" engine. No. I, Dar- 
lington, 135, 142. 

Looomotiyo engine, invention of, 7 ; 
Bobison and Watt's idea, Cagnot*s 
steam-carriage, 64; Evans and 
Symington's, 65 ; Murdock's model, 
66^ Trcvithick's steam-carriage, 
67 ; his tram engine, 69, 74 ; 
Blenkinsop's engine, 72; Chap- 
man and Brunton's engines, 73; 
Blackett's Wylam engine, 74; 
Kenton and Coxlodge engine, 80; 
Stephenson's Killingworth locomo- 
tive, 81, 86 ; Stockton and Darling- 
ton locomotives, 135; prize at 
Liverpool for the best engine, 207 ; 
won bj the "Rocket," 218; the 
"Arrow," 222; further improve- 
moits, 226. 

manufactory, Stephenson's, 

at Newcastle, 132, 193, 199, 310. 

Long Benton. See Benton. 

London and Birmingham Railway 
projected, 237 ; the St^phensons 
appointed engineers, 238 ; opposi- 
tion to the Bill, Sir Astley Cooper, 
239; the Bill rejected, 240; Bill 
paned, 241; the works, 242; 
Tring Catting, 244; Bliswoi-th 
Cutting, 243; Primroae Hill Tun- 
nel, 244; Kilsby Tunnel, 245; 
magnitude of the works, 249. 

Losh/Mr., Newcastle, 111, 152. 

Lough's statue of Qaorge Stepnensw, 
355. 



KEW0A6TLB. 

Mavchested and Leeds Railway 
254 ; the Act obtained, 255 ; oon* 
atmction of summit tunnd, 256; 
mi^itude of the works, 257. 

— — ^— — trade with Liverpool, 
increase of, 146, 154. 

Mania, the Railway, 288. 

Maps,— Newcastle district, 2 ; Stock- 
ton and Darlington Railway, 123 ; 
Liverpool and Manchester Railway, 
150 ; Leicester and Swannington 
Railway, 233; London and Bir- 
mingham Railway, 242 ; Menai 
Sti-ait, 325. 

Mariquita, Robert Stephenson at, 196. 

Mechanical Engineers, Society of, 353. 

Mechanics' Institutes, George Stephen- 
son's interest in, 280. 

Moiai Suspension Biidge, 320 ; Rail 
way Bridge, 331. 

Merstham Tram-road, 153. 

Microscope, George Stephenson's, 346. 

Middlesborough-on-Tees, 144. 

Middleton Railway, Leeds, 72, 148. 

Midland Railway, 257. 

Militia, G. Stephenson, drawn for, 
40. 

Mining, ooal, 3, 7, 92; in South 
America, 197. 

Montrose, G. Stephenson at, 38. 

Moodie, xmderviewer at Killingworth, 
94-7, 119. 

Morecambe Bay, proposed reclamation 
of, 262. 

Morton-on-the- Marsh Railway, 153. 

Multitubular boiler, 208. 

Murdock's model Locomotive^ 66. 

Murray, Mathew, Leeds, 72. 

Nasmtth's steam hammer, 312, 

316. 
Narvies, railway, 250-52. 
Nelson, the fighting pitman 29. 
Newbum Colliery, 20, 22. 
Newcastle and Berwidc Railway, 306. 
and Carlisle Railway, 12, 



203. 



306. 



and Darlington Railway 



Newcastle-on-Tyne in ancient times, 
1-3; 'JtenuT and Philosophical 



IHDKX. 



385 



NGWIX>MEirt 

Institute, 378 ; Stephenson jubilees 
at, 206, 310 ; High Level Bridge, 
312 ; George Stephenson's statue, 
354. 

Kewcomen's atmospheric engine, 8, 
41. 

Kile, R. Stephenson's tubular bridges 
oyer, 357. 

North Midland Railway, 257, 261. 

North, Roger, description of early 
tram-roads, 5.^ 

Northampton, opposition of to Rail- 
ways, 232. 

Noi-thumberland Atmospheric Railway, 
337. 

" Novelty," Locomotive, 214, 216, 
218, 230. 

Olive Moumt Cattmg, Liverpool, 
185. 

Openings of Railways, — Hetton, 118 ; 
Stockton and Darlington, 136; 
Middlesborough, 143 ; Liverpool 
and Manchester, 222 ; London and 
Biimingham, 268 ; Birmingham 
and Derby, 268 ; East Coast route 
to Scotland, 319 ; Britannia Bindge, 
339 ; Trent Valley, 352. 

Organization of labour, G. Stephen- 
son's, 182, 222, 225. 

Oatram, Benj., Little Eaton, 6. 

Parliament and Railways, 292, 294. 

ParrMoss^ Railway across, 131. 

Passenger traffic of early Railways, 
138, 156, 160. 

Paxton, Sir Joseph, 378. 

Pease, Edward, projects the Stockton 
and Darlington lUilway, 123 ; first 
interview with George Stephenson, 
156; visiU Killing worth, 129; 
joins Stephenson in Locomotive Ma- 
Lu&ctory, 132, 199, 202 ; Stephen- 
son's esteem and gratitude, 145 ; 
letters to Robert Stephenson, 199, 
253, 357. 

Peel, Sir Robert^ 224, 293. 

Penmaer Mawr, Railway under, 321. 

Permanent way of liailroads, 110. 

Perpetual motion, George Stephenson 
studies, 34, 48. 

V. 



I 



RAYENSWORTH. 

" Perseverance." Burstall's Locomo- 
tive, 214, 218. 

Phillips, Sir R., speculations on liail- 
ways, 148. 

Pile-driving by steam, 312, 316, 

Pitmen, Noi-thumbiian, S. 

•* Planet" Locomotive, 229. 

Plugman, duties of, 22. 

Politics, George and Robert Stephen- 
son's, 378-9. 

Primrose Hill Tunnel, 244. 

Prophecies of railway failure, 158, 
166, 172. 

Pum ping-engines, George Stephensctt's 
skill in, 38, 41, 44, 247. 

Pupils, George Stephenson's, 190-2, 
269. 

Pyrenean Pastoral, 298. 

' Quarterly,' the, on railway speed, 
159. 

Queen, the, her first use of the Railway, 
274 ; opens the High Level and 
Royal Border Bridges, 319 ; visits 
the Britannia Bridge, 338. 

Rails, cast and wrought iron, 6, 
133. 

Railways, — early, 5-7 ; Merthyr Tydfil 
rPen-y-darran), 69, 71; Middleton, 
Leeds, 72; Wylam, 74; Killing- 
worth, 84, 116; Hetton, 118; 
Stockton and Darlington, 123; 
Liverpool and Manchester, 222 ; 
Grand Junction, 230, 253 ; Great 
Western, and Leicester and Swan- 
ington, 232 ; London and Birming- 
ham, 237; Navvies, 250 ; Manches- 
ter and Leeds, 254 ; Midland, 257 ; 
York and North Midland, 261 ; 
travelling, 270-4 ; undulating, 284 ; 
atmospheric, 286 ; Chester and Bir- 
kenhead, 286 ; mania, 288 ; New- 
castle and Berwick, and Newcastle 
and Darlington, 306 ; South Devon, 
308 ; Chester and Holyhead, 320 ; 
Tr«)t Valley, 352. 

Rainhill, locomotive competition at, 
215. 

Basfcrick, Mr., C.E., 219, 25a 

Rarssworth, Wlof, 46, 82. 

2 c 



386 



IXDO. 



BSNHIE. 

RmiM, MeMn., C.E., t23, 171, 173, 

325. 
Roid loooinoti>o, — Cugnot's iteua- 

ctfii«(^, 64; Eyam and Syming- 

toDV65; Trerithick's, 67 ; George 

StepheDMD on, 113. 
Roberteon, Andrew, ichoolinafter, 24, 

2d. 
liobins, aneodcte of Geoi^e Stephen- 

•on and the, 265. 
Robiaon, Dr., his idea of a Locomotire, 

64. 
*' Rocket,*' the, ite construction, 210 ; 

arrangements of, 212; wins the 

prize of 500/., 218. 
Roscoe, Mr., his farm on Chat Moss, 

169, 174, 176. 
Rois, A. M., Engineer, 360. 
Royal Border Bridge, Berwick, 311. 
Rutter's School, Benton, 50, 55. 

Safety-lamp, Dr. Clann/s, 92; 
Stephenson's first lamp, 94 ; second 
lamp, 99; third lamp, 100; Sir 
H. Davy's paper, 92; his lamp, 
101 ; the safety-lamp controversy, 
102; the Davy and Stephenson 
testimonials, 104-6 ; comparatiye 
merits of the Davy and *' Geordy" 
lamps, 107-8. 

Sailing-waegons on tram-roads, 63. 

** Samson 'H^oGomotiye, 227. 

Sandars, Joseph, Liverpool, 147, 149, 
154. 

Sankey Viaduct, 185. 

*' Sanspareil " Locomotive, Tim Hack- 
worth's, 214, 216,218. 

Soa, the fbix»of, 321, 323. 

Seguin, Mr., C.E., his tubular boiler, 
210. 

S^lt-McUng incline, 61. 

Sibthorpe, Colonel, on Railways, 231, 
274. 

Simplon Road, Midland Railway com- 
pared with, 257. 

Snibston Colheiy piut^hased by George 
Stephenson, 234, 

Sopwith, Mr., C.E., 96, 297. 

Spanish Railway, George Stephenson's 
sttrrey of, 298. 

iipc>l, railw.y,— on Middleton Rail- 



SPUn-GEAB. 

way, 72; Wylam, 80; Killing- 
worth, 85, 156; Coxlodge, 80; 
Stockton and Darlington, 143; G. 
Stephenson before Committee of 
House of Commons on, 282. 

Speed of engines tried at Rainhill, 
214-19; of the << Northnmbrian," 
224 ; George Stephenson's views en, 
282. 

Spur-gear, looomotiye, 83. 

Staitl^ coal, 10. 

Stationary-angine power, 118, 129 
135,203,205. 

Statues of George Stephenson, 354. 

Steam-blast, inyention of, 85, 208-11. 

Steam-springs, G. Stephenson's, 112. 

Stephenson family, the, 15, 17, 19, 
21,39; «« Old Bob," 14, 15, 39, 55. 

Stephenson, George, birth and paroit- 
age, 13, 15 ; employed as herd-boy, 
makes day engines, 16, 17 ; plough- 
boy; driyes the gin-horse, 18; 
assistant-fireman, 19; fireman, 21 ; 
engineman — study of the steam- 
engine, 22; his schoolmaster, 24, 
48, 60 ; learns to brake an engine, 
26 ; duties as brakesman, 27 ; 
soles shoes, 28; sayes his first 
guinea, 29; fights with a pitman, 
30 ; maiTies Fanny Henderson, 33 ; 
heaves ballast, 34; deans clocks, 
35 ; death of his wife, 36 ; goes to 
Scotland, 37 ; returns home, 38 ; 
brakesman at West Moor, Killing- 
worth, 39 ; drawn for the militia, 
40 ; takes a brakeing contract, 41 ; 
cui*^ pumping-engine, 42 ; engine- 
wright to the colliery, 46; eyen- 
ings with John Wigham, 48 ; 
education of his son, 50-4 ; cottage 
at West Moor, 57 ; the sun-dial, 60 ; 
erects winding and pumping engines, 
61 ; study of locomotive, 62; makes 
his first travelling-engine, 82; 
invents the steam-blast, 85 ; second 
locomotive, 85 ; fire in the main, 
personal coui-age, 90; invents and 
tests his safety-lamps, 93, 102 ; the 
Stephenson testimonial, 105; furthei 
improvements in the Killiiigwortb 
locomotive, 110; oonstmcts tin 



0n[>KX. 



387 



STEPBXHBON. 

Eetton Railway, 117; suitcjs and 
oonstracts the Stockton and Dar- 
lington Railway, 128; his second 
wife, 129; starts a Locomotive 
Mano&ctory, 132; appointed en- 
gineer of the Liverpool and Man- 
chester line, 154 ; examined before 
ParUamentary Committee, 162; 
the Railway across Chat Moss, 173- 
86, 192; life at home, 190; the 
"Rocket" constructed, 210; pub- 
lic opening of Liverpool and Man- 
chester line, 223 ; engineer of Grand 
Junction, 230 ; pui-chases Snibston 
Colliery, and removes to Alton 
Grange, 234 ; appointed joint en- 
gineer of London and Biimingham 
Railway, 237; engineer of Man- 
chester and Leeds Railway, 253; 
of Midland Railway, 257 ; of York 
and North Midland Railway, 261 ; 
life at Alton Grange, 263 ; visit to 
Belgium and interviews with King 
Leopold, 267 ; takes lease of Clay- 
'oss Colliery, 277; lime-works at 
Ambergate, residence at Tapton 
House, 278; appearance at Me- 
chanics' Institutes, 280 ; opinions 
of railway speed, 282 ; views as to 
atmospheric system of working, 
287 ; opposes the railway mania, 
290 ; again visits Belgium, 295 ; 
visit to Spain, 297; retires from 
the profession of engineering, 301 ; 
Newcastle and Berwick Railway, 
and Chester and Holyhead Rail- 
way, 307 ; habits, conversation, 
&c., 343 ; theory of coal formation, 
351 ; meeting with Emerson, 352 ; 
illness and death, 354; character- 
istics, 368. 
Stephenson, Robert, — ^his birth, death 
of his mother, 36 ; his father's cmre 
for his education, 50 ; is put to 
Rutter's school, Benton, 50 ; sent 
to Bruce's school, Newcastle, 52 ; 
evenings with his father, 54 ; his 
boyish tricks, 55 ; repeats Frank- 
lin's lightning experiment, 56 ; his 
father's assistant, 50, 53 ; gives 
lessens to the pitmen's sons, 60 ; 



STOCKTON. 

calculates the latitude for a sua- 
dial at Killingworth, 6i) ; his re- 
collections of the trial of the first 
safety-lamp, 94 ; apprenticed to a 
coal -viewer, 119 ; sent to college at 
Edinbui^h, 121 ; assists in survey 
of Stockton and Darlington Rail- 
way, 128 ; assists in survey of 
Liverpool and Manchester Riul- 
way, 153 ; leaves England for 
Colombia, 193 ; residence at Mari- 
quita, 196 ; resigns his situation 
as mining engineer, 199 ; rencontre 
with Trevithick at Cailagena, 200 ; 
shipwreck, 201 ; return to New- 
castle, 202 ; pamphlet on the loco- 
motive engine, 206 ; discussions 
with his father as to the locomo* 
tive, 208 ; constnicts the «< Rocket,** 
210; wins the prize, 218; im- 
provements in the locomotive, 
221 ; appointed engineer of Lei- 
cester and Swannington Railway, 
232 ; his first tunnel, 233 ; finds 
coal at Snibston, 234 ; appointed 
joint engineer of London and Bir- 
mingham Railway, 237 ; constinic- 
tion of the works, 242 ; overcomes 
the difficulties of the Kilsby Tun- 
nel, 248; letter fo Sir Robert Pea 
on ** undulating railways,*' 293; 
his extensive employment, 302«3 ; 
the competitor of Brunei, 304; 
engineer of Newcastle and Berwick 
Railway, 306; engineer of Royal 
Border Bridge, Berwick, 311 ; en- 
gineer of High Level Bridge, New- 
castle, 312 ; engineer of Chester 
and Holyhead Railway, 320; con- 
sti'ucts the Britannia and Conwaj 
Tubular Bridges, 324 ; succeeds to 
his father's wealth, and arranges to 
retire fiom business, 357 ; designs 
tubulai* bridges for Canada and 
Egypt, 357 ; member of Pai'lia- 
ment, foreign honours, 366 ; death, 
368; character, 377. 

Stock Exchange and railway specula 
tion, 289. 

Stockton and Darlington Railway. — 
projected, promoted by Edward 

2o 2 



888 



DOMa. 



mATHMOBB. 

PaiM, 123 ; act pMsed, 125 ; re- 
rairajed by G. Stephenson, 128; 
opening of the Railway, 136 ; the 
ooal timffic, 138; the tint panenger 
ooach, 139; coaching companies, 
140 ; increaee of the traffic, 141; 
town of Middleaboroagh, 144. 

Strathmore, Earl of, 46, 105. 

Sun-dial at Killingworth, 60, 280. 

Swanwick, FVederiok, C.E., 190, 192, 
352. 

Symington, Win,, iteam-carriage, 65. 

Taptoh Hoosb, Cheaterfield, 278, 
341. 

Tram-roada, aarly, 5; Croydon and 
Merrtham,147. 

Trarelling by Railway, 160. 

Trevithi<£, Richard, C.B., hia steam- 
carriage, 67; his tram>engine, and 
anbaiitute for steam-4>la8t, 70 ; ren- 
contre with Robert Steplienaon at 
Cartagena, 200. 

Trent Valley Railway, 352. 

Trellis girder bridges, 360. 

Tring Cutting, 242. 

Tubular boilers, 209. 

Tubular bridges, 334, 339, 360. 

Tunnels, railway,— Lirerpool, 183 ; 
Primroae Hill, 244 ; Kilsby, 245 ; 
Watford, 245; Littleboroogh, 255. 

Tyne, the, at Newcastle, 3, 10, 11, 
315. 

ViAODCn,— Sankey, 185; Dutton, 
254; Berwick, 311; Newcastle, 
312. 

Victoria Bridge, Montreal, 357-66. 



YODKG. 
YignoUes, Mr., C.E., 171, 185, 204. 

Waggon-BOADS, early, 4-7, 16, G3. 

Walker, James, C.E., 159. 

Wallsend, Newcastle, 1, 33. 

Walmsky, Sir Joshua, 297, 299, 87 1 

Wandsworth and Croydon Tram-way 
69, 147. 

Watford Tunnel, 245. 

Watt, James, and the Looomotiye, 64. 

Way-leaves for waggon roads, 5. 

Wellington, Duke of, and Railways 
223, 274. 

West Moor, Killingworth, 37, 40, 91, 
108. 

Whitehayen, early Railroad at, 6. 

Wigham, John, Stephenson's teacher, 
48-9. 

Willington Quay, 28, 31-6. 

Wilton, Earl of, 172. 

Wood, Nicholas, prepares drawing ot 
safety-lamp, 94 ; is present at its 
trial, 95 ; assists at experiments oc 
fire-damp, 98; appears with Ste* 
phenson before Newcastle Institute, 
102 ; opinion of the ** Geordy** lamp, 
108; eqwrimenta with Stephenson 
on friction, 117; accident in pit, 
119; visits Edward Pease with G. 
Stephenson, 126. 

Woolf *s tubular boilers, 209. 

WyUm CoUiery and Tillage, 12-14. 

waggon-way, 74, 78. 

York and North Midland Railway, 

261. 
Toung, Arthur, description of ear)7 

waggon-roads, 5. 



THE END. 



lokdon: panrraD bt wxlliax clowxs and sons, umitbd, stamfobd araBay 

AXD CHAanra caosa. 



( 



I ) 



SELF-HELP; 

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS OF CHARACTER, CONDUCT, 
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value of character above all mere intellectual culture, the blessedness of work, the necessity 
of courage and self-control, the sense of duty as the guiding star of liCie— these are some 
of the topics discussed in ' Character,' — ^not, however, Ms abstract propositions, but with 
die help of a store of illustrations drawn from the biographies of great men. The book 




Marriage,* will be read with special 

" To ^e lovers of a pure and healthy literature, this invigorating and high-toned 
folume from the pen of the author of ' Self-He!p,' will afford reaiand p:enuine enjoyment. 
In the clear and attractive style which has rendered nis previous writings so deservedly 
popular, Mr. Smiles has here shown to what a height of mental and monid excellence our 
weak and imperfect nature may attain, and how much true nobility of character it may 

develop and sustain The last two cha{»«;2n, on Companionship in Marriage and 

the Discipline of Experience, form a fitting ooriclusion to so excellent a book, and are 
pregnant vrith interest and lessons of the highest wisdom. The breadth and soundness of 
the views enimdated in the 'former on some delicate but universally important topics are 
especially commendable, and should be read and pondered over by all who see a much- 
neglected source of happiness for the people in the elevation of their home-life, ^nd a 
more extensive cultivation of the domestic virtues."— Z.«ni!r Mercury, 

** Uniform in size with the author's very popular ' Self-Help^' this work b of the same 
lone and cast of thought. Believing that Character is a great power in die world, the 
author treats the various points in which it may be developed, or which call it forth. 
Hence, we have chapters on Home Power, Companionship, Temper, Marriage, Expe- 
rience, and abundant citations of examples, so that the work is full of interest. It is 
difficult indeed to limit the good that may arise from these honest, earnest books, full of 
right thinking ; plain, sensible, and not too full of scntimeat.^^-'PuiUsAfrt' CimUar. 

" Readers of '^ Self- Help' will need no further inducement to send them in seardi of 

the new work by the author of that charming book It would be difficult to select 

a book more admirably adapted as a present to a jroting man or young woman at the 
outset of life. The charm of the style is iireststible ; the moral conveyed altogether 
unimpeachable." — Manchester Courier, 

" The author of ' Self-Help' has produced another litde book which will soon run ova 
the face of the land, and help to inspire the rising generation with ennobling sentiments. 
In our hunger for facts, we must not overlook the value of ideas. While we are striving 
to give our young people technical information, we must not omit to teach them to bo 
truthful, high-thoughted, noble men and women. We must foster their abUides, but not 

forget Character Mr. Smiles, in this very charming volume, has brought together 

die opinions and sayings of good and wise men of all times, as to the various qtudides 

which go to form character The result is a valuable book, calculated as well to 

give delight as to do good."— i^tmU^r. 

" Mr. Smiles has been fortunate in the choice of his subject ; and, as a work of wlso 
ocMinsel and thoughtful instruction, the new book is quite as successful as any of ill 
■nthor's previous works. Nor is it any less entertaining. It literally teems with apposita 
and interesting anecdotes, and the writer's style b at onoe so lively and dignified, thitf oo 
the one haod he never becomes dry however earaestlv and seriously he discusses Ufe and 
duty : and, on the other, he never degenerate.* iato nippaacy is his most ai« n «ft ^ ^ ffi ff^. 



( 8 ) 

-■ I — ■ — I -- — ^t. 

THRIFT: 

A BOOK OF DOMESTIC COUNSEL. Post 8va 6s. 

"There is no book among the current literature of the day we would rather see in a 
young man's hand than this. Although every person in his daily experience must meet 
with many instances of the folly of unthrift, especially among the poorer classes, the 
frequency of the text, and it is to be feared the disposition of the age» render the lesson 
valueless. Domestic economy as an art and a science is an unstudied subject, and one 
few writers have deemed worthy of their thoughts. We cannot therefore feel sufficiently 
thankful that the able writer of ' Self-Help ' has turned his attention to it, and endea- 
voured, in language that has not only a literary charm about it, but bears the stamp of 
philanUiropic earnestness, to rouse the interest, and thereby die reflection, of the British 
public in so important a matter of national welfare. The dignity of labour, the necessity 
of inducing habits of saving, the wickedness of extravagant living, the dangers of pros- 
perity, and the want of sympathy between employers imd employed, are topics on which 
Mr. Smiles speaks hard, and it may be, unpleasant truths, accompanied by a fund of 
illustration. Perhaps no part of the book is so valuable as the dissipation of the super- 
stitious belief in good-luck and the chapter on the art of living. We trust the work will 
be found in every village and public library, that its principles may be disseminated 
broadcast among our youth, and we can assure all that they may enjoy in it many an 
hour's pleasant and profitable Teaidmg."—Speciaior. 

" Mr. Smiles deals with some of the leading social questions of the day, such as Co- 

Sieration and Association. He sketches the sanitary movement, unsparingly satirises 
e feminine follies of fashionable circles, and, lastly, concludes with an admurable essay 
on what may be called the aesthetics of common l^e. We all know what a book from 
Mr. Smiles is sure to be, anecdotical, practical, and abounding in good sense and every* 
day wisdom. —Academy, 



DUTY 



WITH ILLUSTRATIONS OF COURAGE, PATIENCE, AND 

ENDURANCE. Post 8vo. dr. 

"The good which these books have done to their millions of readers is quite beyond 
computation. They have always been practical, wholesome, and inspiring.— /far/^r'f 
Monthly Magazine. 

** The author has produced an excellent book, which for solid usefulness may well 
claim to be preierred to the lighter productions of the time." — Pali Mail Gazelle. 

** Dr. Smiles has achieved tha best work when, unimpeded by the conflicting claims 
of party or prejudice, he is able to pass in review those examples of bravery, self- 
devotion, and what, in the best sense of the word, may be called heroism Nor 

does he forget to stir the hearts of his readers with examples of the dutiful love and faith 
of animal , and so move them to a more thorough sense of their reciprocal duty. He 
thus inculcates broad views of duty to man and beast, that command universal approval 
and deserve unquestionable allegiance.**— Examiner. 

** The author writes as one who sympathises with the struggles and the failures of 
those who, in spite of difficulties, are trying to reach a nobler life. And it is this evident 
sympathy, associated with the manly simplicity and directness of his^ style, his sterling 
good sense, his judicious counsel, and his immense fund of wisely-manipulated anecdote, 
that makes this volume likely to be not only popular, but thoroughly useful."— CArw/«Mi 
H^orld. 

" The book is replete with all the attractions of its predecessors— «> full of anecdote 
that it will be pleasant to the young as a story-book, while its lessons of wise counsel 
will fit it eminently to giude its readers in their various paths through life."— Z^ Queeiu 



i ♦ ) 

LIVES OF THE ENGINEERS; 

WITH AM 

ArCOUNT OF THEIR PRINCIPAL WORKS, 

ntcLUDmo A, 

of Inland Commvnicatioii in Britain, and the Invention aad 
Introduction of the Steam*£ngine and Railway Locomotive. 

Vou L— Embankments and Canals— Vermutden, Myddelton, 

Perry, Brindley. 

„ IL— Harbours, LioHTUOusESy and Bridges— Smeaton and 

Rennie. 
„ III.— History of Roads— Metcalfe and Telford. 

„ IV. — ^The Steam-Engine— Boulton and Watt. 

^ v.— The Locomotive —George and Robert Stephenson. 

With Portraits and 342 Illustrations on Wood. 
5 vols, crown 8vo. 'js. 6d, each. 

%^ EacA Volunu may bi had separaUly. 



OPINIONS OF THE PRESS, drv., 

ON THE FIRST, SECOND, AND THIRD VOLUMES. 

A du^er of Engtish history which had to be written, and -which, probabty, bo obc 
oould have written so well. Mr. Smiles has obtained a mass of originsd materials. It i» 
HOC too much to say that we now have an Engineers' Pantheon, with a connected norra^ 
tire of their successive reclamations frorn^ sea, bog, and fen ; a history of the grcnrth as 
the inland communication of Ghreat Britain by means of its roads, bridges, canals, and 
railways ; and a sun'ey of the lighthouses, breakwaters, docks, and harbours constructed 
for the protection and accommodation of our commerce with the world."— TlrVw^^. 

** We cannot but refer in passing to the captivating and instructive volumes whic2i 
Mr. Smiles has devoted to the * Lives ol the Engineers,' a record not before attempted 
of Uie achievements of a race of men who have conferred the highest honour and the 
most extensive benefits on their coimtry. ' Who are the great men of the present age ?* 
said Mr. Bright in the House 6f Commons, — ' Not your wacrxMrs — not your statesmen t 
they are your Engineers.' ** — Edin^rgh Review. 

"Mr. Smiles luis profoundly studied, and has happQy delineated in his hidd an d 
instructive biographies, that remarkable succession of gifted minds which has, not b y 
lucky guesses, but by incessant labour and by lifeloi^ thought, gradually erected t hat 
noble example of dominion of man over the earth — the science c^ Engineering; and we 
are proud to know that there are men yet among us who can wield the arms of the 
invincible knights of old, and who will leave no meaner memory behind ituaai.**—QvarU riy 
Review. 

' Mr. Smfles may fairly claim tb't merit of havuig produced one of the most interati ng 
and instructive works. He ha* diaoovered almost unbroken ground, and has workcu it 



LIVES OF THE ANGINKERS. 



with so much skill and success dut his readors will recognise in Ids volumes an fflnstnh 
!ian of the truth of Lord Macaulay's sajring, that history, personal or «a»«"nfl^^ may, 
when properly written, be rendered as intetesting as any aoy^**~~L4mdoM Rtvitw, 

"In two handsome volumes, richly illustrated and luxuriously printed, Mr. Smiles 
b^ins what is in fact a History of tlie results of Engineering^ Saence in this country. 
He puts his history into the most interesting form by developing it through successive 
stones of the Lives of the Engineers. Although his subject is' one of the most curious 
and important in the whole history of civilization, and abounds in details that are known 
to delight even our boys, the ground Mr. Smiles traverses is to a remarkable degree his 
own peculiar possession."— •^jromtWr. 

" Two beautifully illustrated volumes, in which the biographical, historical, and mecha- 
nical materials are graphically adjusted, and in which we have presented to us a oom- 
Gehensive and minute record of English engineers and engineering. By his narrative 
r. Smiles has better instructed us in our obligation* to our beneCactors. Tbo 
whole theme is full of interest to all orders of mind ; and m usin^ his materials he has 
laboured to make his work as complete in every respect as possible."— ufffiTftrA QuarUrfy 
Review. 

** In tracing the history of English engineering from the beginning, Mr. Smiles really 
gives a history of English civilization. He has produced a kind of philosophical bio> 
graphy, the progress of discovery and industrial conquest having necessarily a general 
correspondence with the mental development of the great representatives of man's ex- 
trxnal action. We think Mr. Smiles has done what was well worth the doing, with skill, 
with honesty, with purpose, and with taste." — WesttnituUr Review. 

"The 'Lives of the Engineers' are written in a clear and flowing style, marked by 
good sense and enlivened by humour ; they are full of curious information, conveyed ip 
a most lucid and easy description ; uid each successive hero b drawn with an apprecia- 
tion of character, and a minute exhibition of personal traits, which sets the man almost 
visibly before us in nis distinct individuality, and lends to the history of his struggling 
genius a touch of almost dramatic interest. To produce this result, much hidden labour 
must have been employed : for it is the effect of a most careful selection and rigid con- 
densation of abundant though dry materials. Mr. Smiles has happily hit the mean 
between the barrenness of a brief epitome and the dreary wilderness of a maze of detail. 
What he gives is clear, intelligible, and interesting. But he has not trusted entirely to 
his literary excellence, great as it is ; nis volumes derive an additional charm from their 
numerous and happy illustrations. Every work of note which has to be described is 
accompanied by a map or plan ; every district, ennobled by the birth or enriched by the 
labours of an engineer, is mapped on the maigin of the page ; and bridges, harbours, 
roads, and aqueducts are turned by the skill of the artist into most effective decorations. 
The history of the engineers is not only the history of great conquests over nature, but 
also of the triumphs of industry and genius over the artificial obstacles of social rank. 
It presents the most striking instances of that Self-help which Mr. Smiles has elsewhere 
chronicled. The full merits of these two charming volumes can be leaned only from a 
perusal of them." — The Guardian. 

"There may be many here who have made themselves acquainted with a book that 
cannot be too widely brought into public notipe — I mean the recent publication of a 
popular author, Mr. Smiles, entitled 'The Lives of the Engineers.' There may be those 
here who have read the Life of Brindley, and perused the record of his discouragement in 
the tardiness of his own mind, as well as in the external circumstances with which he 
determined to do battle, and over which he achie^'ed his triumph. There may be those 
who have read the exploits of the blind Metcalfe, who made roads and bridges in England 
at a time when nobody else had learned to make them. ^ There may be those who have 
dwelt with interest on the achievements of Smeaton, Rennie, and Telfcmi. In that book we 
see of what materials Englishmen are made. These men, who have now become famous 
among us, had no mechanics' institute, no libraries, no classes, no examinations to cheer 
them on their way. In the greatest poverty, difficulties, and discouragements, their 
energies were found sufficient for their work, and they have written their names in a 
distinguished page of the history of their country."— T'/itf Right Hon. ff^. E, Giudttone 
eit Manchester. 

" I have just been reading a work of great interest, which I recommend to your 
notice — I mean Smiles's ' Lives of the Engineers.' No more interesting books have been 
publbhed of late years than those of Mr. Smiles — ^his * Lives of the Engineers,' his ' Lile 
of George Stephenson,' and his admirable little book on ' Self-Help ''^-« most valuable 
BBanoal,''— 7)ltf Right Hon. Sir SU^ord NorthcoU eU Exettr 



( <•> ; 



LIVES OF THE ENGINEERS 

OPINIONS OF THE PRESS ON VOL. IV. 

[TRS STKAM-INGINS— BOULTON AMD WATT.] 



l»»»^#^^^i^^M^^^^^^ « 



** Iffr. SmOet has done wisdy to Bak die names of Boulton and Watt together in 
dM Toluase befote us. The more we read of the correspondence between these tvo great 
aoD during the birth of the new mothre power, the more we feel convinced that the world 
•as to bemaaklul ftur their happy partnership. Boulton seemed by some happy chance to 
poiicii all dke atmHties of mmd that were wanting in Watt. . . . From the heaps ol 
dusty ledgers hi me counting-house at Soho, the author has drawn the materials for tnese 
deeply-interesting Stcs. and has so handled them as to produce a volume which worthily 
crowns hb eSbits in this most jateresting, because before untrodden, walk in literature. 



" Boulton was the complement of Watt's active intelKgence. . . . His b a memory of 
whidi the leaders of industry in Great Britain may well be proud. His virtues were the 
TWWBf^^n virtues whidi render the English character respected throughout the world, but 
in him thev were combined with admirable harmony, and were unsullied by any of diose 
vices whioi too frequently degrade the reputation of our countrymen. We cannot rc»d 
of Mr. Boulton's gruid struggle to bring the steam-engine into further use without a 
feeliag of pure admiration. . . . We lay down this volume with a feeling of pride and 
admiration that England had the honour of producing at the same time two such men, 
wflune hibo«irs will continue to benefit mankmd to the remotest generation, and with 
gxatituda to the distinguished biographist who preserves for the instruction of the times 
to coao^ pictures of them so full of lite and reahty." — Daily Newt, 



** Mr. Smiles has been rnaUed, by the examination of some hitherto unused papers, to 
dupow a new light upon much of Watt's career ; and he has shown much skill in using 
them so as not to become wearisome, and yet to give us a very full and interesting picture. 
Th«« is. in fact, a certain dramatic mterest about the early history of the great discovery, 
whidi Mr. Smiles has well brought out. . . . Boulton is a really noble character, to whom 
Mr. Smiles has done justice^ and whose combination with a man of Watt's marvellous 
alnlides, but defective practical talents, was of the greatest use to themselves sund to the 
country.**— /W/ Mall GaMtte, 

" In this Tolorae Mr. Smiles has puUished a highly interesting and judidously-con- 
deased joint bi<wraphy of the two men to whom England owes such an incalculable 
development td her wealth and power during the last century. . . . Mr. Smiles carries 




interesting account of the part taken by Boulton in the prevention <^ the frightfully 
prevalent crime of coining base money, Uirough the application of steam-power to the 
emnage of a fru* more accurately -struck currency in metal of a more intrinsic value." 
x^a/wnAry Rtview, 

** That Mr. Smiles's will be tne standard life of the great engineer b simply the 
necessity (^hb greater art as an industrial biographer. Hb skill in weaving tofEethei 
anecdote and description, representations of «»lua was known with » dbtinct spedficAtioa 



LIVES OF BOULTON AND WATT. 



of what was oontriboted I17 his hero ; his dramatic pow«r^ in thb volume espedaUy, 
exhibited in the contrast of the two partners, — the sangume, speculative character en 
Boulton ; the anxious, morbid, cautious temper of Watt,^K>ne full of hope in Uie very 
daorkest drciunstances, the other full of fear in the brightest,— give the volune a wonderful 
charm. The life of Watt is a great epic of discovery : the narrative of it by Mr. Smilrs 
b an artistic and finished poem."— ^rv^A QitarUrfy Review, 

" We •^entture to think that this, Mr. Smiles's most recent work, will adxieve even a 
higher popularity than those wldch have preceded it We are impresstad by this book 
with the fact that liitherto, however highly public speakers and writers may have lauded 
Watt and hb achievements, the general public have really known little or nothing of this 
p«at man's history, life, and character. These are admirably and graphically depicted 
m the volume before us ; in the preparation of which the author appears to have had 
access to a vast mass of authentic documents, of which he has made excellent use."— • 
Ohterver, 

" Mr. Smiles has told the tale of Boulton and Watt's common struggles and common 
triumi)hs, in his clear, manly ^style, with sufficient anecdote to illustrate and enrich the 
narrative, and sufficient tecuisictd or scientific explanation to make his readers understand 
the nature of the inventions and experiments which he records.*''— IVestmmsier Review, 

" The two men are brought before us with all the distinctness of life. As the pioneers 
of applied mechanics, Boulton and Watt commend themselves to the special gratitude 
of tnose whose pursuits lie in the path wherein they first trod. So, too, in his degree, 
does Mr. Smiles deserve to be remembered for the services he has rendered in thus, 
embalming the records of those men to whom England owes so very much of her great* 
ness." — Mechanic^ Magazine, 

" By knitting into one narrative the lives of both men, so intimately related through a 
quarter of a century that they could only be told as one story, Mr. Smiles has for the first 
tune worthily set forth the history of one of the most memorable manufacturing estab- 
lidunents in the whole circle of English commerce. It was a thing well worth domg, and 
Mr. Smiles has done it with the sound knowledge, grace of style, and excellent purpose 
of whidi all his earlier books have given ample ^xooi.**— Examiner. 

" The story of the laboiurs of these two men is equal in power to anything that 
Mr. Smiles has written ; and although there are numerous biof;Taphies of Watt, we are 
certain that there are none wliich wiU so faithfully and vividly bnng him before the eye as 
this. The ' Life of Boulton,' with which that of Watt is now Inseparably joined, is one of 
the most perfect contributions which the author has made to English literature."--(7^btfvw 
HenM. 

" The lives of these two^ men. so variously but so richly endowed — ^the work which 
they did, and the courage with which they met and overcame , enormous difficulties— are 
more exdtixg than the story of a great battle. In fact, the two lives might be called the 
story of a great battle — the contest of genius and courage with the forces of nature, in 
which the former obtained the victory. . . . The work is in every respect a worthy 
monument to the memory of the great men whose lives and worlcs it commemorates."— 
Birmittgham Daily Gaaette, 

" The author of this woric Is an enthusiast in biographer. Of all his published books, 
next to ' Self-Hetp,' this volume, lately issued, is his most interesting one. The ex»ensiv« 
collection of Soho documents to which he has had access, has enabl«i him to add so much 
that is new and valuable to the story of his hero's career, that hereafter this biograj^^ 
Diuat take the first place as a record of the great inventor." — Atlantic Montkfy, 

and subject 

•»-. ...«. w. — — .„ — -.- — -- .--r — • n niav read 

perhaps with soma sadness, but certainly with great pleasure and jfxvim,"— Illustrated 



" A noUe volume in every way — ^in binding, i>aper, prist, illustrations, a 
The ' Lives of the Engineers ' are a scries of biographies aU Englishmen mav read 

-1 •.!. - J 1..... ...i_i.. _j.L - ^1-.— ._^ I :j. II 



London A'Wim. 



( 8 ) 

LIVES OF THE ENGINEERS. 

OPINIONS OF THE PRESS ON VOL, V. 

[tux locomotive-— GEORGS AMD ROBERT STEPHENSON.] 



^^^*M^»<M»aM<*»*MW»#»»» 



* It If ft nngular fate that some of the world's greatest benefactors should pass froin 
the world with their history comparatively uxmoticed .... and we rightly rejoice whea 
the claims of any of them are vindicated — wh^n, from the hidden company of the 
Brindleys and Watts, men risen from the ranks to do world-wide service, and 
incidently to be the architects of their country's later greatness, we can obtain the 
authentic history of such a creator as Geoige Stephenson. It is not too much to say, 
that by Mr. Smdes, who has performed this office with eminent success, a considerable 
void is filled up in the page of modom history. We see the vast proportions of our 
modem achievements, and the epic story of this age of iron, more than half comprised in 
the feats of its strongest and most successful worker. The worker himself, with hit 
noble simjplicity and energy, his zeal for his kind, his native-bom gentleness, and 
indomitable tenacity, would probably have been eminent in any age or condition of 
society ; but, in virtue of his actual achievements and the obstacles he surmounted, of his 
struggles and triumphs, we may designate him a hero, and ask, in defence of this 
arbitrary title, what real conditions of heroism were there wanting? " — The Times, 

** We should like to see this biography in the hands of all our young men. One 
breathes a healthy, bracing atmosphere in reading this book. It sets before us a fine 
instance of success in life attained purely in the exercise of genuine qualities. There was 

no sham about Georp;e Stephenson He was a great nd good man, and we can 

give the ' Life ' no higher praise than to say that it is worthjr of its subject. Mr. Smiles 
IS so anxious to place the character and career of Stephenson justly before his readers, that 
he quite forgets himself. .... We do not know that there ever Uved .an individual 
to whom each separate inhabitant of Great Britain owes so much of real tangible 
advantage." — Fraut^t MagemM*. 

"Whether the remarkable character of Geoige Stephenson, or the work which he 
auxomplished, or the manner in which the story of both is here told, be considered, there 
is but one judgment to be pronounced unon this book, and that is an imqualified approval. 
There is not a srouth in the kingdom, wnether high-bom or low-bom, who would not find 
in its perusal a healthy and elevating stimulus. The demand for the larger work, from 
which this has been condensed, has been so great, that we are encouraged to believe that 
In this, its cheaper form, k will have an enormous circulation. We earnestly hope 
it may. Let no youth or youiu; man who may read these lines omit to procure it , as a 
poesession, if possible ; if not, tor perusaL" — Mtchank^ Magazme. 

" It is the fate of few men, even of those who are the most signal public benefactors, to 
bo known tmd appreciated by the generation in which they Uve. The fame of George 
Stephenson spread slowly, and, great as it has at last bocome,we cannot question that it wul 
continue to increase with time. Not only is he a surprising example of a labourer raisins 
himself to wealth and eminence without one solitary advantage except what he derivM 
from his own genius ; but the direction which that genius took has stamped his nama 

upon the most wonderful achievement of our age He died, leaving behind him 

the highest ciaracter for simplidty, kindness of heart, and absolute freedom fr(Mn all 
fiordidness of disposition. His virtues are very beautifully illustrated, and by no means 
exaggerated, in nis Life by Mr. Smiles. • .^ . • There is scarcely a sinele page of tiia 
work which is not suggestive, and on whidi it would not be profitable to institute inquiry 
Into the results of past experience as compared with present practice, The whuie ground 
b novel, and of the highest interest.''— ^iMsr^«r(|r Review, 



( ) 



THE HUGUENOTS: 

THEIR SETTLEMENTS, CHURCHES, AND INDUSTRIES IN 
ENGLAND AND IRELAND. Crown 8vo. p. 6d. 



" The cunning of Mr. 801008*8 hand never fails him. He has chosen tike prosaic side 
of Huguenot history, and has made it as fascinating as a romance. He has not es&iiyed 
to depict the religions heroism or^ the social tragedy of the Huguenot story — he has re< 
stricted himself to the economical influence of its migrations, and he has made the statistics 
and genealogies— of which his work is full — as interesting as Homer's lists of ships and 
heroes, or as Milton's array of the demi-gods of hell. The process seems very simple 
%nd easy, but it can be saved from utter dreariness only by consummate art. Mr. Smiles 
has pursued his investigations with a laborious minuteness worthy of the Statistical 
Society and of the Heralds' College ; and yet it is as impossible to skip a page, as in 
reading his Life of Stephenson."— ^r»V«]rA Quarterly. 

" Avec un rare d^ssint^ressement national et un sentiment de justice qu'oil ne saurait 
trop encourager, un ^rivain Anglais vient aujourd'hui rendre aux Strangers ce que la 
riche et laborieuse Angleterre du xix">* siecle doit aux Strangers. M. Smiles est rhistorien 




un force pour dtendre le r^gne de I'homme sur la matiire. Les conquetes 
et du commerce le prtfoccupent bien autrement que les victoires des armies Anglaises 
. . . . Par la tournure de ses id^es et I'ordre de ses Etudes, M. Smiles ^tait done 
pr€partf i trailer cet int^ressant sujet,— 'la naissance des arts utiles ches un grand peuple 
qui, k I'origine, n'avait pas d'industrie." — Reyue des Deux Mondes. 

** The work of Mr. Smiles embraces a subject which has never been adequately treated, 
at least in English literature — the history, namely, of the French and Flemish Protestant 
refugees in this country, and their descendants. 

*' Of the powerful influence exercised by this immigration on our industry, commerce 
arts, literature, even our usages and modes of thought, few are aware. The subject is 
by no means a familiar one among ourselves. The whole revolution, so to speak, took 
place so gradually, the new population amalgamated so readily and thoroughly with the 
old, that people hardly attached to the phenomena which passed under their eyes theii 
real importance. Mr. Smiles's account of it is, therefore, admirably calculated to impart, 
not only new knowledge, but really new ideas, to most of us. 

" To readers who love to dwell on heroic vicissitudes rather than on mere details of 
economical progress, Mr. Smiles's account of the persecution in France, the sufiferings ni 
the many and Uie marvellous escapes of the few, will prove the most attractive part of 
his work. 

" How this noble army of emigrant! for conscience sake — the truest aristocracy, per* 
haps, which has ever developed itself — gradually and peacefully amalgamated with that 
mass of the English people which they had done so much to enrich and to instruct, Mr. 
Smiles has fully shown. He recounts their euthanasia, if such it may be termed, as he 
does their rise. To one of the great causes of their success, and not in England only, 
he does ample justice. They were, as a body, extremely well educated ; and they 
jealously transmitted that inheritance, which they had brought from France, to their 
children. The poorest Huguenot refugee was almost always a cultivated man. Hencn 
thdr great advantage in the fair race of industry." — Pall Mall Ganttte, 

"Mr. Smiles's book on 'The Huguenots' is an improvement on tmything he has yet 
done, and it deserves a success which, by reason of its very merits, we fear it has no 
chance of attaining. The subject breaks ground that may almost be called fallow. Many 
diapters of English history, and these not the least interesting or important, are for the 
first time written, with the care and breadth they deserve, by Mr. Sinilea.''--Z.«nM^ 
Kevirm, 



( 10 ) 



INDUSTRIAL BIOGRAPHY 

IRON- WORKERS AND TOOL-MAKERS, Poet 8vo. 6t. 



m^>^>^^*^*^i^>^*^^>^i*f^l*^i^i0*0^^^k^^t^^ 



OPINIONS OF THE PRESS. 

** Ifr. Sodln has Ut upoi » rich ▼dn of ore, and works it with «reat saooen. He 
has the art of hiography, whidt is bv no means so easy of attainment as, judging from 
the nnmbcr o/ persons ^o attempt this species .of composition, one would imagiiie it to 
De. Memoirs are countless, but the number of bioerapnies'r'Mat can be acoeptra as sue- 
oeMlbl woria of art are very few indeed. Mr. Smiles is not >;:!)ly a skilful workman, be 
has chosen a new field of woric Hitherto the great biograx>ii*es have been written ol 
■oldiers and saikxs, and st a t es me n, poets and artists and philosophers. It would seem 
as if these only were the great men of the world, as if these only were the benefactors of 
Tffankiwl^ whiMe deeds are woithv of memory. The suspicion has arisen thai, after all, 
there may be other heroes than thof e of the pen, the sceptre, and the sword. There are, 
indeed, men in various walks of life whose footsteps are woittnr of being traced ; but 
suielj, considering what England is, and to what we owe most of our material greataess. 
the iiv«s of our Engineers are peculiariy worthy of being written. ' The true Epic of out 



tiase,' says lir. Cariyle, ' is not Arms and the man, but Tools and the man — an infinitely 
wider kind of Epic.' Our machinery has been the making of us : our ironworks have, in 
•pile of the p ro gre ss of other nations, still kept the balance in our hands. Smith-wonc 
In all its branches of engine-making, machine-making, tool-making, cutlery, iron ship* 
building, and iron-working generally, is our chief glorpr. Eugland is the mistress of 
numu&otures, and so the t^uecn of the world, because it is the land of Smith ; and Mr. 
Sn&cs*s biographies are a history of the great family of Smith. Many of the facts which 
be places befote us are wholly new, and are derived from the most likely sources. Thus, 
liaudslay's uartner, Mr. Joshua F>eld^ and his pupil, Mr. Nasmyth, supplied the 
materials for nis biography. Mr. John Penn suj^lied the chief material for the memoir 
of dement.*— rimMr. 

'* This is not a very large book, but it is astonishing how much individual, conscien- 
tious, and thoroughly o-iginal research has been required for its composition, and how 
much interesting matter it contains which we poss'^ss in no other form. Mr. Smiles 
rescues no name, but many histories, from oblivion. His heroes are known and 
sratefully remembered for the benefits they have conferred on mankind, but our know- 
ledge of our b nefactors has hitherto been mostly confined to our knowledge of the 
benefit. It was reserved for Mr. Smiles to discover in the workshop, heroes as true as 
ever buried their battalions across a battle-fie d, and to present us with much-enduring, 
much-endeavouring, and brave men, where hitherto we had been content with dis- 
embodied, almost meaningless names. The pres-rt work is further distinguished, 
not indeed from its predecessors, but fix>m much of the current literature, by the 
exquisitely pellucid English, the vigorous but unobtrusive style, in which the 
narratives are conveyed.**— ^^i>r^«r^A Daily Review, 

" Who has not read Mr. Smiles's ' Lives of the Engineers ' ? Pleasant volumes, 
abounding in quaint strange stories of life-struggles, of battles fought and won by mind 
over stem matter, ay, and more difiBcult task, over the oppo<-ing intellects of men, 
often envious, and alwa^ s sceptical Mr. Smiles has established a world-wide reputa- 
tion as the champion of the engineer and the inventor. What matter that he sometimes 
acts the part of knight-errant, and couches his l.mce in defence of those who have no 
claim on his services, simply because they appear to enjoy scant justice at the hands of 
others."— i//cAa»Ar'4 Magazint, 



( 11 ) 



LIFE AND LABOUR; 

CHARACTERISTICS OF MEN OF TALENT AND GENIUS, 

Post 8vo. 6j. 



**Dr. Smfles*sncw work is on the lines of *Self-HeIp/ 'Duty,* and 'Thrirt/ which 
have obtained an extraordinary popularity, not merely in the United Kingdom, but 
abroad, especially among the Latin nations. . • • . It cannot be gainsaid that works 
which meet with such a reception as this answer to a real need, and must do a large 
amount of good."— A iA^fueum, 

" As years roll on the author's store of apt illustrations becomes ampler, while in the 
case of Dr. Smiles, his skill in dealing with them shows no failure. * Life and Labour ' is 
a companion volume to ' Self-Help ' and ' Character,' and its publication at this season 
will be regarded as opportune. . . . . No more suitable volume could be found (for a 
prize book) to bear the inscriptiouj Laboris preemium." — Academy, 

" Any book from the pen of Dr. Smiles is certain to contain useful and instructive 
matter, and to be pleasant reading. This new one is not likely to remain unobserved, 
and in our opinion it should be placed in the hands of as many young people as possible. 
The industry of the author in collecting illustrative facts is as remarkable as his facility 
for arranging and displaying them. The ten chapters of which it consists are full of 
facts and examples, and though we have mentioned young people, we believe people of 
all ages and in all conditions of life may read them with pleasure and advantage."— 
Queen, 

** All Dr.'Smiles's books have relation to man's destiny— his life, his work, his duty, 
and his achievements. Each book, singular to say, while possessing a characreristic 
peculiarly its own, forms a companion volume or connecting link to the whole series of 
works he has given to the world. After the production of that incomparable book ' Self- 
Help,' one would have thought it difficult to have written another work bearing upon 
the same subject without largely entrenching upon the thought and matter of his first 
effort. But Dr. Smiles has astonished his friends and admirers by the fertility of his 
mind in the large stores of knowledge which he has drawn upon in the production of so 
many works of such surpassing worth and interest. 'Life and Labour surprises us by 
its freshness and originality. The author shows no lack of mental vigour or terseness of 
style. There is a brightness and beauty that places the volume on a par with his best 
productions. The interest of the book is sustained from firi>t to last, without the least 
indication of flagging. The subject is not only interestin?, but highly instructive to 
young men who wish to make the best of their life and their labour. Here they will find 
wise counsels, timely cautions, and manly encouragements to help them in their battle 
of VSz,**— Christian Union, 

*' Like every previous work from the Tpen of Dr. Smiles, this is what may be called a 
vital book^-a book, that is, which is destined not only to live but to influence the lives 
of its readers. It runs upon much the same lines as ' Self-Help ' and 'Character,' and 
contains many fresh instances of what can be accomplished by honest force of will and 
steady perseverance. . . . His chapter on 'The Man and the Gentleman' opens up the 
whole question of industry and idleness, and is full of stories, apologies, proverbs, and 
instances illustrating the advantages of punctuality, perseverance, method, and the 
husbanding of time generally. Nor is the necessity for leisure forgotten ; but it must be 
well-earned leisure, and leisure which fits for the renewal of worlc.**— Liverpool Mercury. 

"Perhaps the most valuable chapter in 'Life and Labour' is that on 'Over-Brain- 
work,' which should be cordially commended to the attention of all students, and yet 
more to the attention of all those who have to supervise the studies of others."— ?£>A» 
Bull, 



12 LIFE AKD LABOUR. 



" Thb is the latest of the series of useful books for the encouragement of the studious 
youth, for the compiling of which Dr. Smiles has a fecial genius. None of his later 
books ever achieved the reputation of his 'Se'f-Help, but 'Life and Labour' will rank 
quite as high as any of the subsequent volumes, 'Character/ ' 1 hrift,' or ' Duty.' Dr. 
bmiles in this, as in all his books, preaches with strenuous force the same useful sermon 
as to the possibilities that lie before those who brin^ force of will and steady perseverance 
to bear upon their life's task. And he enforces hts old lesson in the old way, by illus- 
trations from the lives of men. His latest book, like those which preceded it, is a 
marvellous compost of anecdote. It is a storehouse of facts, a very encyclopaedia of 
illustration, carelully culled from the reading of a lifetime."— Pa// MtUl Gazette. 

" Dr. Smiles has written an earnest, stimulating, healthy volume, bristling with sage 
counsels and enlightened by numerous illustrations from the lives of great workers. 
Many readers have, no doubt, been influenced for good by Dr. Smi]e'>' practical and 
inspiring volum-s, and this one is worthy of those which have preceded it, which is high 
praise. It is, indeed, a fine text-book of life, and all the better because it is readable 

and interesting Thus in life there should be labour — ue.^ occupation and industry 

^but there should also be plenty of rational recreation, and overwork should be deter- 
minedly avoided. This, it is true, is not exactly a new philosophy, but it needs repeating, 
especially when preached in such a cheery, lively, and mteresting manner, and connected 
with so many u ise maxims as to its application, as we find in Dr. Smiles' new volume. 
For it is one thing to know a principle thoroughly, but another to be able to apply it 
wisely and usefully." — Noncon/armist. 

"One of the chapters in Dr. Samuel Smiles's latest biographical fHilange is devoted 
to the ' Hobbies * of distinguished men — the modes in which they have been accustomed 
to take their pleasures after work was done. The chapter will probably be one of the 

most popular in the book The old superstition, that genius was wholly solitriry 

and self-centred, superior to the ordinary we ikne<ises of mankmd, still lingers ; and it is 
still a revelation to manv to learn that those who attain eminence, and retain it, have 
occasionally to unbend, like less important and imposing mortals." — Globe* 

"One great advantage of Dr. Smiles's books is that you can open them where you 
please, sure to light on a cluster of shrewd sayings and anecdotal illustrations, out of 
which you are at liberty to draw your own conclusions. The volume before us is 
practically a further instalment of ' Se'f-Help,' and, as such, designed to inculcate the 
virtues of thrift, industry, and temperance ; only, if the writer has met with a clever 
thought or a noticeable fact that might be perverted to contrary ends he is too much of 
a raconteur to withhold it. In the chapter on 'Over Brain- Work,' which is 'to a 
certain extent the result of personal experience,' we are glad to see yet another protest 
against t^-e system ot cramming ; as to which a genuine worker has a particular claim 
to be h'^ard. Generally Dr. Smiles's judgments may be warranted to win the assent 
of a large majority of readerst and to run violently counter to the prejudices of few." — 
St. JcuHit's Gazette. 

"' Life and Labour,' is one of the most suitable Christinas presents we know of to be 
given to any young Englishman this Christ mastide. It is written with all the felicity 
of diction and wealth of anecdoiical illustration and quotation which characterise all 
Dr. Smiles's works. There are touches of pensive thoiightfulness th^t bespeak the 
ripened experience of a writer who has done much to stimulate the self-helpfulness of 
two generations by wisely-selected snatches from the region in woich philosophy teaches 
by example.' —Northern Echo. 

'* Dr. Smiles has written nothing'T)etter than the work before tis. Dean Ramsay 
cannot tell a story better than Dr. Smiles does, who excels the witty divine in making 
his stories the delicate feathering of truths that go straight as arrows to their mark, and 
which all men are the better for having; brought freauently before them. A book like 
this is an intellectual and moral force u a young man's life of incalculable benefit."— 
SheJUld TeUgraph, 



( 13 ) 

LIFE OF THOMAS EDWARD, 

(SHOEMAKER OF BANFF,) SCOTCH NATURALIST. 
WifH Portrait and 30 Illustrations. Small 8vo. 6s. 



OPINIONS OF THE PRESS. 

" The ' Life of % Scotch Naturalbt ' is a record of success in unsnce ess of fannt 
unmingled with any sordid advantage — of work absolutely disinterested and done ' for 
nought,' as all the noblest work has been done. It b the story of a poor shoemaker 
who b a famous natural philosopher without ceasing^ to make shoes, or attaining in 
hb old age to any seat more easy than that of his familiar \)coiak,**—'Blackwoo(r$ 
Edinburgh Magazine. 

** In the evening of a life so noble, it is a comfort to all the friends and admiren 
of Thomas Edward, to think that his exertions in the cause of Natural Science have 
at last been recognized in a way that cannot fail to be grateful to the veteran 
naturalbt, who will no longer have to rely on hb 'last' as hb resource against 
starvation in his old a^e. All readers, whether friends of science or not, are bound 
to be grateful to Mr. Smiles for having in a charming and beautifully illustrated volume, 
rescued die fame and character of Thomas Edward from oblivion as a most ao- 
oom^ished natural Is t " — Times. 

** The biography of this remarkable man owes much of its charm to the manner in 
which Mr. Smiles has done his part as narrator. The unobtrusive way in which the 
story b told, and the pleasant style of the smooth and experienced pen, deserve mora 
than a passing word of approval." — Saturday Review, 

" This ' Life of a Scotch Naturalist,' regarding it as a mere narrative, b one oi the 
most enjoyable books it has ever been our good fortune to read. And it has thb furdier 
merit. It shows what even the humblest and poorest amongst us may achieve, by the 
mere force of will, in spite of all the disadvantages of poverty, superadded to the want of 
education and friends. — Land and Water, 

*• Brimful of interest from beginning to end.** — World, 

** This ' Life of a Scotch Naturalist ' strikes us as Mr. Smiles at hb best, in mood, ia 
matter, and in manner. In Thomas Edward, a naturalbt and north-country shoemaker, 
he has lighted upon a subject of a different order from the common. If ever a man was 
carried away by a subject, it has been Mr. Smiles on the present occasion, and the 
subject is furtunately quite worthy of him. The work is a credit to the head and 
heart of Mr. Smiles, and of Mr. Reid, the Aberdeenshire artist" — Observer, 

** Thb book b clear, racy, unaffected, admirable, suid certainly Mr. Reid's ' labour of 
love ' on the drawings cannot fail to draw praise for him from the highest quarters. As 
for the etched portrait by Rajon, it strikes us as a simpN ms^X.crpi^QiG.*'~-Noncon/ormitt. 

" Never has Mr. Smiles written with more of freshness and zest than in presenting to 
us the picture of this Palissy of Naturalists, of whose portrait, etched by Rajon, no 
words of praise could well be too high. Here b a man who, though shrewd and 
practical, never allowed worldly views to conflict with his ideal ; who, in all simplicity, 
without complaining, or ^noble greed of fame, followed hb star, yielding a notable 
testimony, that, though Inc^ubitions are no more. Science still has its martyrs. A noble 
lesson of unaffected humihty here goesi hand-ip-hand with the lesson of solf-hel;^ and 
el*»vates il."—S^tator. 



( 14 ) 

LIFE OF ROBERT DICK: 

(BAKER OF THURSO,) vGEOLOGIST AND BOTANIST. 
With a Portrait and 50 Illustrations. Crown 8vo. lar. 



"Robert Dick's life, from beginning to end, was a series of struggles with adTerstty. 
Late in life, when his marvellous Knowledge of local natural historv became known, h« 
enjoyed the correspoadence of many eminent naturalists and collectors ; but, among 
these corresoondents, how few knew anything about his private circumstances ; how 
few dreamed that while he was generously presenting them with fossil fish from the 
Old Red Sandstone, or with rare plants from the flora of Caithness,— he found it hard 
—in spite of extreme frugality— to earn sufficient to support hintselt and his faithful 
housekeeper. 

" On the publication of Hugh Miller's writings, Dick became deeply interested in 
geology. His indefatigable industry, cad the energy with which he always threw 
EimseTf into any new study, soon led to important discoveries. Many a new fossil was 
carefully hammered and chiselled out of the Old Red Sandstone, and duly packed off 
to Hugh Miller. . . . Another friend with whom Dick regularly corresponded was 
Mr. Charles Peach, of the Coast Guard Service. Mr. Peach is a man almost as remaric- 
able as Dick himself, and we feel indebted to Mr. Smiles for having devoted a chapter 
to a sketch of his career. Those who enjoy Mr. Peach's acquaintance will also be ^ad 
to fiml in the volume an excellent portrait of this fine old naturalbt. . . . The 
story here told is one of such absorbing interest that, from the first page to the las^ 
thfS author keeps his reader in deep sympathy with his hero. Mr. Smifes's volume will 
be a more enduring monument to the scientific baker than the obelisk which proudly 
keeps guard over nis grave in the cemeteiy at Th}xcso.**—Pri(fes$or Rudler in tkt 
Academy, 

** Robert Dick was one of those remarkable men of whom our country is justlv 
proud. Belonging by birth, means, and position to the lower orders, spending a lira 
of unceasing labour and not a little privation, earning his bread, to the las^ by the 
sweat of his brow— constantly on ' poortith's brink,' he yet, by dint of hard toil and 
indomitable perseverance, became an accomplished geologist and a profound botaobt, 
and has taken a high and permanent place amon^ the eminent scientific men of the 
age. ... Dr. Smiles has produced a deeply interesting biography of this most 
laborious, unselfish, and modest Scottish wortny. We have read it with mingled 
feelings of admiration, sorrow, and indignation." — North British Daily Mail. 

"Mr. Smiles has shown us the familiar traits of a man as faithful and self-helping 
as any who were ever rewarded with the outward success which takes the eye of the 
world ; a man who, though shrewd and practical, never allowed worldly views to con^ 
flict with his ideal ; who, in all simplicity, without complaining, or ignoble greed ol 
fame, followed out the bent of his singular f^txi\\3&.*'— Belfast Northern W^hig. 

" The story of a man quite as interesting as Thomas Edward, quite as self-helpfuI, 
and perhaps more gifted as regards thought : certainly of a more poetical, meditative 
and numorous turn. Dick is from first to last an original^ not a mere workin|^ geologist 
or botanist, but a man with a character distinctively his own alike in all his relation- 
ships ; and he never speaks, never writes the simplest letter, but he casts modesty 
unpretentious light upon the very deepest problems. . . . The portrait of Dick is 
etcned with all M. Rajon's peculiar power, giving at once the idea of^ great observatioo* 
fine thought, emotion, self-restraint, and pawky humour, as seen in the twinkle of the 
eyest that »-> distinguished the original of it. And little less can be said of die admirable 
portrait of Mr. Peach, whose life so nicely matches that of Dick. No more readable 
and attractive book of the kind have we ever had in tiaod : tei cur readers be sharers 
In our pleasure by procuruiji it." — Nonconformist* 



( 15 ) 

MEN OF INVENTION. 

Post 8vo. dr. 

Phinbas Pbtt : Beginnings of Englith Ship^ildinf, 
Francis P. Smith, Introducer of the Screw Propeller, 
John Harrison, Inventor of the Marine Chronometer, 
John Lombb, Introducer of the Silk Industry, 
William Murdock: His Life and Inventions, 
Frbdbrick Kobnig, Inventor oj the Steam-Printing Machmt» 
Thb Timbs : Invention of the Walter Press, 
William Clowbs : Booh- Printing by Steam, 
Charlbs Bianconi: Self-Help in Ireland, 
Industry in Irbland: Connaught to Belfast, 
Ship-Building in Bblpast: Autobiography of Harland, 
Astromombrs and Studbnts in Humble Life, 



•«' 



' Dr. Smiles has probably done more, by his many interesting books, to uphold th« 
dienity and power ot labour than any other writer. He is the prose laureate of Industry, 
and its captains have found in him one who b not only enthusiastic himself, but who is 
also capable of infusing others with a like enthusiasm. . . . We have no doubc that these 
latest chapters in the history of industry and scientific investigation will be quite as 
popular as their predecessors."* T'A^ Titnes, 

" Dr. Smiles has here added another to his valuable volumes on Industrial Biography, 
and one which is quite worthy of its place. In this instance, he has in many cases had 
to do with men who did not, in the worldly sen<;e, succeed ; and who had to endure 
hardness in the cause of the common good. . . . The boolc is a rich storehouse of facts, 
condensed to the utmost, and all presented with that rare and unaffected simplicity of 
style which has done so much to give Dr. Smiles the high place he holds in literature." 
^^British Quarterly Review, 

''Another volume of Industrial Biography by Dr. Samuel Smiles will meet with a 

general welcome. One of the best chapters is devoted to Astronomers and Students in 
umble life. . • • The book b throughout most readable and instructive."— C^w/nw- 
porary Review, 

' '* The new work, entitled ' Men of Invention and Industry,' contains an excellent 
account of the chequered career and hard fate of Koenig." — Nineteenth Century, 

** Stories of the heroes of Industry, such as those which Dr. Smiles delights to tell, 
are contributions of some value to the best kind of educational literature. In the 
present volume Dr. Smiles takes a wide industrial range, illustrating each trade of which 
ne treats by biography or zutohiograiphy. "'^Athenaum, 

*' Gener.iUy s;>eak'ng, a succis d'estime is all that is acr-orded to solid and improving 
books, while popular enthusiasm is aroused only by works of fiction. But Dr. Smiles 
forms an exception to this rule. His books are read as easily as novels, nor is it difficult 
to tell why. Mankind loves a story, and Dr. Smiles masks his batteries behind a series 
of well-told tales, in which the moral is never obtruded, but, as it were, held in solution, 
and swallowed unconsciously. ^ His heroes, too, have the very (qualities which win the 
esteem and excite the emtuation of Englishmen ; they are uniformly brave, honest, 
laborious, and persevering ; and the teaching of their lives is, that without these moral 
qualities, no more mental superiority avails. The author's reflections and generalisa- 
tions are few and short ; but so wise, so incontrovertible, as to strike home and bo 
remembered* Add to all this a direct, telling style, entirely free from aflfectation, and 
the triumphant success of ' Self-help,' ' Lives of the Engineers,' &c., is explained. The 
volume, entitled 'Men of Invention and Industry,' is in every way worthy of it< 
'predecesson,"'~'£conomist, 

" ' Men of Invention and Industry ' is, in our judgment, one of the best prise books o' 
lihe season. It is every whit as interesting as ' Lives of the Engineers ' and ' Industrial 
Biography,' and higher praise we cannot award it. Most of the names, Phtneas Pett, 
Francis Pettit Smith, John Lombe, William Murdock, Frederick Koenig, Charles 
Bianconi will be new to most readers. Tulit alter honores would be an appropriate 
n^ui'io for the bcK>k." — Journal of Education, 



( 16 ) 

THE STEAM HAMMER. 

AUTODIOGRAPHY OF JAMES NASMYTH. 

nics riUoos, post 8vo.» 6f; 



%• Flae Paper Ed tioo. with Portrait and III istrations, 8vo., tSt. 



*T^ wholm r ang e of ^enrr biocraphy tatkj be seaidied in rain for a more mtexest-' 
fcii; rcojni oi aa .icc* «^ a>e: j. >c>n?es:i:aU aaid happy life, than is presented by the de- 
L^ ^ ^.^ A.it. :. \r^.>iT at' J^nie^ Xxsmyth. Starting in life on the modest wage of 
t.M a vee& ,a.\^.i jt cjusc. , and w*ci:n which he itved), at the early age of torty- 
ei.'C J.A^«s N L-si ta :iaa atcco-npa^aed uaw and fortime, and retired Irom acUTt 
ba> ac:i!«w L-'iu X.I*- !ie i.e c:> enjoy the tkuit of the work of his skilful and industrious 



** W** sbou*>i act kaow where Co stop if we were to attempt to notice all that is in- 
str ccve ^:^ -tfrrssco^ :n ti.s toIuim. It will be fbond equally interesting to students 
«f' \.ni:n xj.-- r£. to e'^3^er% to astroooniecs» aiKi eren to archaeologists. Among | 

«^n^:r ji^njK ciere jre u« bcoks which oooid be put with m<He advantage into a }roung 
■i,4a'> .^o. c-^ x» af.^ri ^ an example of the qualities which conduce to legitimate j 

s: ci:e:<s ra vcHc Mr. N~a-~ y-:h has done h>s generation a great service in publishing 
ft s civi:>::»t Cut a- esc i::^ r.ctxvc ante biography. It must always be one of the mobt 
ic'eres: j^c recuris ui ii< a ^ jry of m<:>:h.&aicii engineering ; and it is not less valuable ^ 

as a ctcru^ oc' :>uine of ti« ^cu-rvie-^ aid plea-^antest *»^"BJn nature with which we have 
««ef Wc^me lo; ..uiced." — ^ *f ^'aararrtjr Mrviem. * 

** It wQc'c '.>« XI easy and agreeable task to wander tiirough the pages of this Auto- 
brovrri*'.''y. c^ 1.-1 rg here ani there illustrations of the character of the writer, 
a-.c^c .fs of :Jie oi-i r ^nat men witk wfaooi he came into contact, glimpses of the . 

P>a.':\.m1 ^*^x.~ :v * i^ci ^>>%eratd bis own conduct in Lie- The exigencies of space 
Sw.-.' c : xj v-^ ^^rc«. aavi vrif cnn o- It advise oar readtsn to procure the volume for 
tucji-<x>«s> r^cre are, r.ot«:th>ca'vi;3^, a few things which must be noticed. There 
m-. : 'r...\,\ 'C cvrti -- »«. IS o c-*^^-- ^y. ^ unconsoous egotism, and of the simplicity 
et'^nitt** »>ic"i juNd:\ tiie bcl -f that the great mechanic has been permitted, m the 
B>t..^. M :? as c«^-i s£.ry n :ii^ own wonis and way. There is one more pleasant 
h;ji;uze w> -\ *hoc!i be m^- vr e-i, and it is the tone of hearty appreciation of ezcel- 
le.'or. wh^-th^r czjcal, :n'c. ±c.^j.. or techoicil, which pers ades the volume. Nasmyth 
b«c^''.: a>^;.^ 7. cd w'.th ni^:v grr^t and ^rood men, and he speaks of their greatness 
ore t'^rir ^cv.v'r.<ss wuh un>c-n ed adnuricioa. From the first page to the last there 
is r<::her a * .ri o: persona. c«n-^re- nor a s:ain of jealousy or animosity. Close com- 
pel: i.i a^.d k.«:i rtv^ry ^e«ni to have left no traces upon his mind, and he has aa i 
ap TV>""S «,.rd for e^cry center' pororv who is mentioned at all. Such, in brief outline, ) 
e> t.".« r ^rorr ot Jar:fs Na ziytn, whocsc antobiozraphy, edi;ed by Samuel Smiles* is 
•i>w ae^ore us. — < -44 * i^K^s. 

** An autc-t^crdrHT which is quite a mode!, both in dianning simpKcity of style and 
V q:.v:.->c >c ; < ace^snt. . . . One of ine p>asantest and most interesting b<M>ks we 
kjite 2te: ?er cLm> a day.*'— <^«i«. 



** .X <^ r .'^'ly in:ere:^da£ n>Iuae : m mutt vtUrtxHi^ mmd st^ggesiivt io^**— Daily 






.\ rv<A>ant record cf an interest:n^ It'e. ... It woald be impossible to give any 
r*>t on -ere cf :b.e .::ceu<'r - ac:\::y ot i::ind which gives life to every page of this book ; 
•er vA'i tte c\en .~:nt at tne n.^mber ot charming liitle mechanical 'dodges' contrived 
lor all r anr.cr ♦Mpcpcses by Mr X.?^my;h in his odd moments. Those who take no 
il-'tcn:^t ..a s ci auittcrs-~and «e t...n£ t:ey are to be pitied— will find much ^easaat 
B>A:tvr ut Mr. Ka<xnyth*s record cf passing scenes and events; and we can congratulate 
he- en having produced a wel«-writtcn ancount of a most interestins life." — Smtunfmj 
JCnrJiwi 



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