666 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1889 



■which every section of our country has a deep and vital interest. Its direct effect 

 upon the prosperity of the uatiou, if successfully accomplished, and its beneficial 

 influence in perpetuating the happy union of these States, is perceived and appre- 

 ciated by all ; at the same time it should not be overlooked that this great work, of 

 such deep national concernment, and pregnant with such important consequences, 

 has been undertaken, and so far conducted, by individual enterprise, and is still 

 almost exclusively dependent upon private resources for its accomplishment. 



Under these considerations your memorialists take leave respectfully to ask of the 

 National Legislature for the passage of an act authorizing the Baltimore and Ohio 

 Railroad Company to import from abroad, if it should be found needful, such sup- 

 plies of iron and iron machinery as may be requisite for the construction of the pro- 

 posed road, free of duty. 



In presenting these views of au object essentially national to the representatives 

 of their country, your memorialists rely on the w r isdom and patriotism of Congress to 

 afford such relief as may be deemed proper, either by an exemption from duty or by 

 a drawback upon the material actually used iu the construction of the road; at the 

 same time they confidently believe that in granting the indulgence now asked for 

 the best interests of the nation will be substantially promoted, whilst no injury what- 

 ever will accrue either to the manufacturing, agricultural, or other important inter- 

 ests of the country. 



Signed on behalf of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company. 



P. E. Thomas. 



President. 



The half century from 1825 to 1875 may be called the experimental 

 era of the American railroad, since the experience obtained during' that 

 time has finally led to the adoption throughout the whole country of 

 an almost uniform standard of track construction, depending upon the 

 traffic. To trace the changes in form and the development of the 

 modern American rail during this period is of the greatest interest. 



THE FIRST RATL ROLLED WITH A EASE. 



From au examination of the minutes of the board of directors of the 

 Camden and Amboy Railroad, September, 1830, I find that in the in- 

 structions given to Robert L. Stevens, president and chief engineer of 

 that company, who had been ordered to visit England to inspect and 

 report upon railroad matters there, he was directed to purchase " all 

 iron rail," which the management of that company preferred to the 

 wooden rail plated with strap iron. 



Mr. Stevens sailed a few days later, and it was during this voyage 

 that he designed the first rail ever rolled with a base, whittling several 

 model sections out of wood, which he obtained from the ship's carpenter. 



He was familiar with the Birkenshaw rail, with which the best En- 

 glish roads were then being laid, but he saw that, as it required an 

 expensive chair to hold it in place, it was not adapted to our country, 

 where metal workers were scarce and iron was dear. He added the 

 base to the T rail, dispensing with the chair. He also designed the 

 "hook headed" spike, which is substantially the railroad spike of to- 

 day, and the "iron tongue," which has been developed into the fish- 



