The life of George Stephenson, railway engineer - Lighthouse ...

170 LIFE OF GEORGE STEPHENSON. [chap. xv.
tween St. Helen's and the Mersey ; and after about a month's
labour, when the wet weather set in, the survey was suspended
until the following spring.
In the mean time public meetings had been got up by Mr.
Sandars in several of the principal towns of the district, on the
subject of the proposed tramway. One was held in the Exchange
at Liverpool, and another in the George Hotel, Warrington,
at which Mr. Sandars, Mr. Moss, and Mr. James
appeared as the advocates of the measure, which, however, did
not as yet meet with any degree of general support. But the
subject was thus brought prominently under notice, and only
wanted time to enable it to work its way in public estimation.
About the middle of the year 1821, Mr. James, having heard
of Stephenson's engines, which were reported to him as being
more efficient than any locomotives that had yet been constructed,
determined to go down to EalHngworth to inspect them
in person. He was not so fortunate as to meet Mr. Stephenson
on that occasion ; but he- examined his locomotive at work, and
was very much struck by its power and eiSciency. He saw at
a glance the magnificent uses to which it might be applied.
" Here," said he, " is an engine that will, before long, effect a
complete revolution in society.'' Returning to Moreton-in-the-
Marsh, he wrote to Mr. Losh (Stephenson's partner in the
patent) expressing his admiration of the Killingworth engine.
" It is," said he, " the greatest wonder of the age, and the fore-
runner, as I firmly believe, of the most important changes in the
internal communications of the kingdom." Mr. Losh invited him
again to visit Killingworth, for the purpose of having an inter-
view with Mr. Stephenson on the subject of the locomotive.
Accordingly, in September of the same year, accompanied by
his two sons, he met Mr. Losh at Newcastle ; they proceeded
together to Killingworth, where Mr. Stephenson met them ;
taking them to where the locomotive was working, he invited
them to mount. The uncouth and extraordinary appearance of
the machine, as it came snorting along, was somewhat alarming
to the youths, who expressed their fears lest it should burst ; and
they were with some difiiculty induced to mount.
• The locomotive went through its usual performances, dragging
and