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

g4 LIFE OF GEORGE STEPHENSON. [chap. vin.
weiglit was, however, too great for the road, and the cast-iron
plates were constantly breaking.
Although this new locomotive was considered by Mr. Blackett
to be an improvement upon horse traction, its working was by
no means satisfactory. It crept along at a snail's pace, some-
times taking six hours to travel the five miles down to the loading-
place. It was also very apt to get off the rack-rail, and then it
stuck. On these occasions, the horses had to be sent out to
drag on the wagons as before. The engine itself, constructed
by incompetent workmen, often broke down ; its plugs, pumps,
or cranks got wrong ; and then the horses were sent out to drag
it back to the shop. Indeed, it became so cranky, that the
horses were very frequently sent out following the engine, to be
in readiness to draw it along when it gave up : and at length
the workraei) declared it to be " a perfect ^plague."
Mr. Blackett did not obtain any credit amongst his neighbours
for these expensive experiments. Many laughed at his ma-
chines, regarding them only in the light of costly crotchets,
frequently quoting the proverb of " a fool and his money."
Others regarded them as absurd innovations on the established
method of hauling coal; and pronounced that they would "never
answer." To some, indeed, they were the cause of considerable
apprehension and alarm.
A story is still current at Wylam, of a stranger who was pro-
ceeding one dark evening down the High Street Road, as the
" Black Billy " (for so the locomotive was called) was seen ad-
vancing, puffing and snorting its painful and laborious way up
from Newburn. The stranger had never heard of the new
engine, and was almost frightened out of his senses at its ap-
proach. An uncouth monster it must have looked, coming flaming
on in the dark, working its piston up and down like a huge arm
snorting out loud blasts of steam from either nostril, and throw-
ing out smoke and fire as it panted along. No wonder that the
stranger rushed terrified through the hedge, fled across the
fields, and called out to the first person he met that he hpd just
encountered a " terrible deevil on the High Street Road."
Notwithstanding the comparative failure of his locomotive
thus far, Mr, Blackett persevered with his experiments. About
—