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

SECOND AMERICAN LOCOMOTIVE. 163
hwlt for tteir railroad, and run upon it, tlie first locomo-
tive bnilt in tlie United States, for tlie pi*actical use of
tlieir road, l)ut they are also entitled to the credit of
teing the pioneers in having their railroad the first, not
only in America but the first in the vrorld, constructed
from the very beginning for the use of locomotive-
power.
When the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was commenced,
nearly a year before, from the lack of experience
'and under the advice of the best English engineers, the
track was designed and constructed for horse-power,
and not until it had been built as far as EUicott's Mills,
a distance of thirteen miles, did the subject of locomo-
tives come under deliberation ; as Mr. Peter Cooper states
in his letter to the author: "The road, in the opinion
of the largest stockholders, was considered ruined for
locomotives, which at that time began to show some
signs of advancement and improvement in England,
and they refused, in many instances, to advance another
dollar toward its completion ;
" when Mr. Cooper's little
locomotive, the " Tom Thumb," demonstrated the fact
that, although the road was really built for horse-power,
locomotives could be run upon it successfully. But
with the, Charleston Railroad directors there was no
such doubt. At the first meeting of the board, the
chief engineer of the road, Horatio Allen, made his able
report on the kind of power the road should be constructed
to sustain, and this report was followed by
that memorable resolution of Mr. Bennett that it should
be built for locomotive-power ; and this resolution was
unanimously adopted and acted upon in the contract
with Mr. Miller to furnish a locomotive.
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