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Show I TODAY iN HISTORyI THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1910, Red-Letter Day In Railroad History. One of the red-letter daya In the history his-tory of railways waa the opening, on September 15, 1S30. of tho Liverpool & Manchester railroad in England. There was unusual ceremony connected with the event. A loner list of distinguished men were Invited to participate. It was the first railroad on which the powers of the steam locomotive for purposes of traction were fully established. Eight locomotives, all built by Robert StepheiiBon. on the model of the "Rocket." took part in the procession. The "Northumbrian" took the lead, drawing a splendid carriage. In which the Duke of Wellington, Sir Robert Peel,, and other distinguished visitors were seated. Each of the other locomotives drew four carriages, and the whole of the twenty-nine carriages conveyed 600 persons. per-sons. They formed eight distinct trains; the first one, with the more distinguished guests, having one line of rails to Itself, and the other seven following each other on the second line. Tho procession, which started from Liverpool about il o'clock, was un exceedingly brilliant one. wlUt th,e aid of flags, music, etc , and the sides of the rails were lined with thousands of enthusiastic spectators. The trains wont on past a number of stations sta-tions to Parkhnrst. Here It was, seventeen seven-teen miles from Liverpool, that tho trains slopped to enable the locomotives to. lake In water, and here It was that a deplorable' deplor-able' accident occurred, which threw a cloud over the brilliant scene. In order to afford the Duko of Wellington Wel-lington the opportunity of seeing the other parts of the procession. It was determined that tho seven locomotives, with their trains, should pass him; his carriage, with the "Northumbrian." being be-ing for a whlla statlonnry. Seven gentlemen gen-tlemen alighted from the carriages, while tho locomotives wero taking water. Mr. Husklsson. who was one of them, went to shako hands with the duko, and while they wero together, tho "Rocket." passed rapidly on the other line. The unfortunate gonllcmcn, who happened hap-pened to be In a weak state of health, ticenmo flurried, and ran to and fro, In doubt as to the best means of escaping danger. Tho engine-driver endeavored to stop the train In time, but without success, suc-cess, and Air. Ilusklsson, unable to escape, was knocked down by the "Rocketi" the wheels of which went over his leg and thigh. The same locomotive which had triumphed tri-umphed at tho competition now caused the death of the statesman. The directors di-rectors deemed It necessary to complete the rest, of tho Journey to Manchester, as a means of showing that the railway. Iu nil Its engineering elcmonts, was thoroughly thor-oughly successful, but It was a sad procession pro-cession for those who thought of the wounded statesman. He expired thnt samo evening. On tho Stockton & Darling line, formed a few years earlier, traction by animal power, by fixed engines, and by locomotives, locomo-tives, had all been tried, and tho experience ex-perience thereby obtained had dolcrmlned Stephenson to recommend the locomotive locomo-tive system for adoption on this new line. When the Liverpool & Manchester Man-chester road was In progress in 1S29 tho directors offered a premium of S2500 for the best form of locomotive to bo determined deter-mined by public competition, on conditions condi-tions very clearly laid down. In October Oc-tober of that year the contest took place, and Stephenson's "Rocket" carried off the prize against Mr. I-Iackworth s "Sans-parcll," "Sans-parcll," 'and Messrs. Bralthwnlte and Ericsson's "Novelty." Septcmbor 15 Is Mexico's "Fourth of July." Tho British undor Howo entered Now York City on that date, In 1776. and James Madison and Dolly Todd were married in 1791. It Is the birthday of Jenn Sylvaln Ballly. the distinguished astronomer (1730): James Fenlmore Cooper, the novelist (1789); James G. Perclval. American scientist and poet (1795); President Diaz of Mexico (1S30): Richard Olney. secretary of state under Cleveland (1S35); and Sarah Knowlcs author (1841). It Is the date of tho death of Ladv Arabella Stuart In 1(515; Richard Rich-ard Bovle, eminent Irish statesman (1613). and General Lazarus Hoche, tho French commander (1797). |