The history of the first locomotives in America. From original ...

160 HISTORY OF THE FIEST LOCOMOTIVES IN AMEKICA.
a horizontal tubular boiler. The tubes were two. and a half inches
in diameter and about six feet long."
After tMs engine was run upon tlie road for some
time, a trial of her speed was made, wMcli is ttus de-
scribed in tte Cha/rleston Courier, August 1, 1831
" On Saturday afternoon, March 5, 1831, the locomotive 'West
Point ' underwent a trial of speed, with the barrier car and four
cars for passengers, on our railroad. There were one hundred and
seventeen passengers, of which number fifty were ladies in the four
cars and nine persons on the engine, with six bales of cotton on
the barrier car, and the trip to the Five-mile House, two and threefourths
miles, was completed in eleven minutes, where the cars were
stopped to oil the axles about two minutes. The two and one-
fourth miles to the forks of Dorchester road were completed in
eight minutes. The safety has been insured by the introduction
of the barrier-car * and the improvements in the formation of the
flange of the wheels, which we learn was made by a young me-
chanic of this city, Mr. Julius D. Petsch, in the company's service.
The new locomotive worked admirably, and the safety-valve being
out of the reach of any person but the engineer, will contribute to
the prevention of accidents in future, such as befell the 'Best
Friend,'
" :
As we before stated, Mr. Mcliolas W. Darrell was
tlie engineer who ran this machine from the time it was
put on the road. He thus describes it in a letter to the
author
" Me, Whxiam H. Beowit— •
" Chableston, S. C, September 23, 1869.
" Respected Sie : I have received your favor of the 22d of
August, and would have answered it before this time, but, being
quite indisposed in health, I have been prevented.
"It gives me pleasure to know that the information and sketch
of the ' Best Friend ' I sent in my last letter is of any service to
you. I will now give you such information of the second locomo-
* A car with bales of cotton fixed up as a rampart between the looomotiye and
passenger cars.
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