CHAP. XIII. TRIUMPH OF THE " ROCKET." 271 



A defect was also detected in the boiler of the " Sans- 

 pareil ;" and Mr. Hackworth was allowed some further 

 time to get it repaired. The large number of spectators 

 who had assembled to witness the contest were greatly 

 disappointed at this postponement; but, to lessen it, 

 Stephenson again brought out the " Rocket," and, 

 attaching to it a coach containing thirty persons, he ran 

 them along the line at the rate of from twenty-four toj 

 thirty miles an hour, much to their gratification an 

 amazement. Before separating, the judges ordered th 

 engine to be in readiness by eight o'clock on the follow 

 ing morning, to go through its definitive trial accordin 

 to the prescribed conditions. 



On the morning of the 8th of October, the " Eocket " 

 was again ready for the contest. The engine was taken 

 to the 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 fifty pounds 

 to the square inch. This proceeding occupied fifty- 

 seven minutes. The engine then started on its journey, 

 dragging after it about thirteen tons weight in waggons, 

 and made the first ten trips backwards and forwards 

 along the two miles of road, running the thirty-five 

 miles, including stoppages, in an hour and forty-eight 

 minutes. The second ten trips were in like manner 

 performed in two hours and three minutes. The maxi- 

 mum velocity attained during the trial trip was twenty- 

 nine 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 fifteen 

 miles an hour, or five 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 



