Mr. O. F. Adams remarks:—“A famous trial trip with a new locomotive
engine was that made on the 9th of August, 1831, on the new line from
Albany to Schenectady over the Mohawk Valley road. The train was made up
of a locomotive, the _De Witt Clinton_, its tender, and five or six
passenger coaches—which were, indeed, nothing but the bodies of stage
coaches placed upon trucks. The first two of these coaches were set
aside for distinguished visitors; the others were surmounted with seats
of plank to accommodate as many as possible of the great throng of
persons who were anxious to participate in the trip. Inside and out the
coaches were crowded; every seat was full. What followed the starting of
the train has thus been described by one who took part in the affair:—
“‘The trucks were coupled together with chains or chain-links, leaving
from two to three feet slack, and when the locomotive started it took up
the slack by jerks, with sufficient force to jerk the passengers who sat
on seats across the tops of the coaches, out from under their hats, and
in stopping they came together with such force as to send them flying
from their seats.
“They used dry pitch-pine for fuel, and, there being no smoke or
spark-catcher to the chimney or smoke stack, a volume of black smoke,
strongly impregnated with sparks, coal, and cinders, came pouring back
the whole length of the train. Each of the outside passengers who had an
umbrella raised it as a protection against the smoke and fire. They were
found to be but a momentary protection, for I think in the first mile the
last one went overboard, all having their covers burnt off from the
frames, when a general mêlée took place among the deck passengers, each
whipping his neighbour to put out the fire. They presented a very motley
appearance on arriving at the first station.” Here, “a short stop was
made, and a successful experiment tried to remedy the unpleasant jerks.
A plan was soon hit upon and put into execution. The three links in the
couplings of the cars were stretched to their utmost tension, a rail from
a fence in the neighbourhood was placed between each pair of cars and
made fast by means of the packing yarn from the cylinders. This
arrangement improved the order of things, and it was found to answer the
purpose when the signal was again given and the engine started.’”