The Mohawk and Hudson Bail Hoad. 273 



wall. It was claimed that the construction of the road 

 was superior to any other in the world ! and that the stone 

 filling alone cost as much per mile as the whole of the Balti- 

 more road ; and that it had an important advantage over 

 other roads in heing perfectly straight, and consequently 

 less liable to lateral pressure. A force of about 2,000 persons 

 had been employed in its construction. The highest 

 ground on the line was 335 feet above the level of the Hud- 

 son river. 



The locomotive De Witt Clinton arrived by tow boat on 

 the 25th July, 1831, and was put upon the road on the 27th, 

 twelve months from the time when the ceremony of break- 

 ing ground was performed. On the 30th of July an ex- 

 periment was made with the locomotive, but owing to 

 some defect or inexperience in burning Lackawanna coal, 

 the speed did not exceed seven miles an hour, and it was 

 determined to substitute coke. Meantime the road, which 

 was completed and in use from the junction of the West- 

 ern turnpike and Lydius street, about twelve and a half 

 miles to the brow of the hill at Sehenectady, was operated 

 by horse power. Besides platform cars used in the con- 

 struction of the road, a number of stage coach bodies were 

 placed upon trueks for temporary use, affording seats for fif- 

 teen or eighteen passengers each. On the 3d of August 

 the De Witt Clinton made the trip in one hour and forty-five 

 minutes, and on the 10th they ran two trains each way 

 With coke, making a part of the trip at the rate of thirty 

 miles an hour ! 



Aug. 13, a large company assembled to take a trip on 

 the rail road. The locomotive De Witt Clinton had been 

 found defective in the capacity of the boiler, and portions 

 thereof were returned to the foundery for improvement. 

 The train was moved by horse power, consisting of five 

 cars, each containing from fifteen to eighteen persons, 

 most of whom were notabilities and interested persons, ac- 



Trans. imY.] 35 



