HUADS AM) UAIIAVAYS. 4^ 



uiimistiikalik- syiiiptuiu.s of (lecliiiu, or, id best, were precarious. 

 The idea ol' a railway began to Hoat dimly befoi'e tlie iiiiuds of 

 some of tlie more tliouglitful, but was at first spoken of with 

 bated breath lest its ailvocacy might expose the bold innovators 

 to the snsjticion of insanity. By the great mass of the people 

 the project of liuilding a railway was at first regarded as utterly 

 beyond the means of the colony. Short-sighted people declared 

 it wouhl bring no returns and would speedily involve the 

 country in bankruptcy. The opponents of i)rogress and change 

 I'egarded it witli liui'ror. 



FLEMING'S PKOJECT. 



A proposal made liy Mr. Sandford Fleming, who was then 

 Engineer-in-chief of Canadian railways, hel[ied to fannliarize 

 the puljlic mind with the idea of a railway across Newfound- 

 lanil. This eminent engineer puldished a paper in whicii he 

 pointed out tliat the shortest and safest tra\-el-route ))et\veen 

 America and England was across Xewfoumlland. He suggested 

 a fast line of steamers from A\ilentia, Ireland, to St. John's, N.F., 

 carrying only j>assengers, mails and light express matter. Thence 

 he pro])Osed to Iniild a railway across the islan<l to St. George's 

 Bay, where another line of swift steamers would ply to Shippe- 

 gan, in the Bay of Chaleur, where connection with American 

 railways would be obtained. He calculated that],by this route 

 the ocean passage would not exceed four days, and that passengers 

 from London woidd reach New York in seven days. It was a 

 bold 2'1'oject, but founded on careful calculations. The NeM- 

 foumlland Legislature voted a sum of money for a preliminary 

 survey of the line, which was carried out in 1875 under Mr. 

 Fleming's direction. It was found that tliere were no serious 

 engineering difficulties in the way, and tliat the line could be 

 constructed at a modeiate cost. 



THK FIRST IIAILAVAY PKOJliCTED. 



Two years elapsed lielore any further steps ■\\ere taken. At 

 length, in 1878, Sir William ^^'hiteway, Premier of the Colony, 

 to Avlioiu belongs the high honour of not uuly introducing the 



