STEPHENSON, ste'ven-son, GEORGE ( 1781 1848). An English engineer and inventor and the 'founder of railways.' Ile was born at Wy lam, near Newcastle, where his father was fire man at a colliery. After a boyhood spent in farm work he became assistant to his father and was steadily advanced. He got some education while working as fireman and brakeman, and in addition to his regular duties undertook the cleaning and repairing of clocks. He became acquainted with William Fairbairn at this time and the two were in frequent confer ence. After serving as engineer at various col lieries and other establishments lie was made engine-wright of the Killingworth High Pit, having by this time gained a thorough practical knowledge of the operation and construction of engines and pumping machinery. Devoting his leisure to scientific pursuits, he invented a miner's safety lamp (q.v.) known as the 'Geor die' (1815), and there resulted a controversy over the priority of the invention, as a similar idea had been successfully worked out by Sir Humphry Davy (q.v.). His attention was meanwhile turned to the experiments of Black ett and Hedley with locomotives, then in prog ress at Wylam, and he induced the owners of the Killingworth Colliery to undertake the construction of a locomotive. (See LOCOMOTIVE.) In 1821 he became chief engineer of the Stockton and Darlington Railway (see RAILWAYS), and in 1824 he was appointed engineer of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. In 1825 the Stockton and Darlington road was opened, and was the first regularly operated in the world where loco motives were employed to haul freight and pas sengers. In 1829 his Rocket won in the cele
brated competitive trial of locomotives on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. and in 1830 the line was formally opened. Subsequent im provements were made in the locomotive and Ste phenson became chief or consulting engineer to nearly all of the railway projects that were soon set on foot. His success in this field made it possible for him to become interested also in the development of coal mines. Stephenson visited the Continent in 1846, where he was received with unusual honors. He was the first president of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, which he founded in 1847, hut was never a candi date for political honors. In the latter part of his life he devoted himself to farming at his country place at Tapton House. where he died. By his successful development of the locomotive and of the railway Stephenson ranks as one of the foremost mechanical emd neers of the nineteenth century. Not only was his influence felt in the purely mechanical and engineering difficulties to be overcome, but also in the conservative organization and prosecution of the railway enterprises of his time. Consult Smiles, Lives of the Engineers, vol. iii. (London, rev. ed., 1874). Read in this connection articles on LOCOMOTIVE and RAILWAYS.