1886.] KEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 143 



July, 1829, and made a trial trip the following 8tli of August. 

 It was found too heavy for the rails, and did not go into general 

 service. 



At the time when these experiments were taking place, Mr. 

 Horatio Allen was constructing the South Carolina itailroad of 

 136 miles, exclusively for steam power. The opening was on 

 July 15, 1831, by the locomotive "Best Friend," made at the 

 West Point Works, in New York City. The locomotive ''West 

 Point," constructed at the same place, made a trip March 5, 

 1831. 



The firm stand of Mr. Horatio Allen in favor of steam power 

 versus horses, had much to do with developing the early locomo- 

 tives. He is still living in this city, one of tlie few men whose 

 life and labors cover the entire space of the history of the rail- 

 way system. No one can question his foresight regarding the 

 locomotive, 



A well-known picture represents the appearance of the first 

 locomotive and train run in the State of New York. A Mr. 

 Brown, who was one of the passengers, cut out with scissors a 

 silhouette of the train. There were three more cars than shown 

 in the picture. The locomotive was the " De Witt Clinton," and 

 the engineer David Mathews. It has been erroneously stated 

 that the locomotive was the "John Bull," and the engineer 

 John Hampson. This train was run from the top of the in- 

 clined plane above Albany to the one near Schenectady. I call 

 particular attention to the picture of the locomotive, as through 

 the courtesy of Mr. William Buchanan, I am able to show a view 

 from the original drawing of the " De Witt Clinton," which 

 will correct some errors in its history. The Franklin Institute 

 has a drawing representing the De Witt Clinton without a dome. 

 This was the "Experiment," and the two have been confounded. 

 The "Matt. Baldwin "locomotive shows the four-wheeled truck, 

 which Avas the invention of the late Mr. John B. Jervis, the 

 eminent American civil engineer, and is the distinguishing 

 feature of American passenger locomotives. 



The preceding will be sufficient to illustrate the early strug- 

 gles of the locomotive. Crude as they now may seem, they were 

 wonderful in their day, reflecting great mechanical skill and 

 wisdom in that direction. One improvement was but the pre- 

 cursor for others to follow. 



Simple as the results now seem to us, their accomplishment 

 was only through great struggles, overcoming obstacles which 

 cannot now be appreciated. 



It has been frequently stated that, as regards speed, the loco- 

 motive has not kept pace with other railway improvements. 

 Measured simply as speed this would seem true; but, on the 



