In addition to establishing the practicability of the steam railway as a means of transportation for passengers and freight, the Liverpool and Manchester Railway proved the commercial value of such thoroughfares so satisfactorily that pro jects for railway lines sprang up all over the world. In Great Britain in 1840, ten years after the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, there were 1331 miles of railway. These figures had increased to 6635 miles in 1850, to 10,410 miles in 1860, to 15,310 miles in 1870, to 17,935 miles in 1880, to 20,373 miles in 1390, and to 21,855 in 1890. Chronologically Austria-Hungary of the European countries ranks second to Great Britain in the construc tion of railways. The Austrian railway from Budweis to Lintz, 80 miles, was begun in 1325 and 40 miles were completed in 1328; it was operated by horse-power. In France the first railway, from Saint Etienne to Andrezieur, 13 miles, was also completed in 1828. The first steam railway in Germany. that between Nuremberg and Furth, 41,4 miles, was opened in 1835. To trace the development of the railway systems of these and other foreign countries in detail would ex ceed the limits of this article, and it must be sufficient to state the year in which the first im portant railway line was opened for traffic in each, as follows: Belgium, 1835; Germany, 1837; Russia, 1838: Netherlands, 1839; Italy, 1839; Switzerland, 1844; Denmark 1844; Canada, 1847; Spain. 1348; Mexico, 1850; Sweden, 1851; Pern,1851 ; Chile,1852 ; India.] 853 ; Norway,1853 ; Brazil, 1854; Portugal, 1854; Australia, 1855; Egypt. 1856; Turkey. 1860; Paraguay, 1863; Argentine Republic, 1864; Venezuela, 1866; Uru guay, 1869; Greece, 1869; Colombia, 1830. The articles relating to these countries give further details concerning the history of railway develop ment in them and the latest available statistics of mileage are presented in the accompanying Table I. It will be observed from these figures that nearly one-half the total railway mileage of the world is credited to the United States, and for that reason the history of the development of the railways of the United States has been allotted a paragraph by itself.
Common report has it that the first railway line in the United States was a short stretch of track laid by Silas Whitney on Beacon Street, in Boston, Mass., in 1307; the first line of which there is undisputable record was one three-quar ters of a mile long constructed by Thomas Deiper at his stone quarry in Delaware County, Pa., in 1809. This was followed by several tram roads of similar character, the most important of which was one from Quincy to Newport, Mass., three miles long. and one at Mauch Chunk, Pa., nine miles long, both built in 1827. These roads had a track consisting of an iron strap on wooden rails, supported by stone blocks or wooden sills, and were operated by horses. The first attempt made in the United States to use locomotive en gines, otherwise than for mere experiment, was made on the railway from Carbondale to Hones dale, Pa., 16 miles, built by the Delaware and
Hudson Canal Company. Under instructions from this company its chief engineer. Horatio Allen, had ordered the building of these locomotives in England, and one of them, called the Stourbridge Lion, was placed upon the road in August, 1829. by 5-Ir. Allen. who personally ran the engine dur ing its first trip. In 1830 construction was be gun on the South Carolina Railroad, with Mr. Allen as chief engineer, and upon his recom mendation and by his advice the road was de signed and built to be operated by steam loco motives. This was the first railway in America built with the purpo.e from the beginning of using steam locomotives, and the engine ordered from the West Point Foundry and put in opera tion in 1S30 was the first locomotive engine built and used for regular railway ser vice in the United State,. This engine was called the Best Friend. (See LocomonvE.) The second locomotive for the South Carolina Rail road was built and put in operation in 1S31. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, commenced in 1828 and completed from Baltimore to Ellicott's 31d., 15 miles, in 1S30, came next in the use of steam locomotives. Indeed, in 1830 a small engine was built by Peter Cooper and made experimental trips on this road, but the first lo comotive to be put in actual operation was in stalled in 1831. In 1831 the De Wilt Clinton, a locomotive built by the West Point Foundry, was put into service on the Hudson and Mohawk Railroad. The next railway to mark a step in the development of the railway system of the United States was the Camden and Amboy Rail road, begun in ]S31 and completed from Borden town to South Amboy, N. J., 34 miles, in 1832. The president of this road, Col. Robert L. Stevens, conceived the idea that au all-iron rail would be preferable to the iron-strapped wooden rails employed on all previous American roads. There was no rolling mill in America capable of roll ing such rails, however, and Mr. Stevens went to England to secure them. His request of the English ironmasters was for a rail having a head similar to then in use upon the prin cipal British roads, but with a wide flat base to the web, which he proposed to secure to the sup porting blocks or sills by hook-headed spikes. Considerable difficulty was experienced in getting this request fulfilled, but in May, 1831, the first 500 rails, 15 feet long and weighivg 36 pounds per yard, reached Philadelphia, and were placed in the track, thus recording the first use of the flanged Trail, which has since become universal in America and is extensively employed abroad. It is important to note here that the flanged T rail was reinvented in England in 1336 by 1-1r. Charles B. Vignoles, and that rails of this form are known abroad as Vignoles rails. Mr. Stevens also invented the fish plates and the hook-headed spike.