Stephenson appointed to execute the Newcastle and Darlington Lines Robert Stephenson created a Knight of the Order of Leopold- Mrs. Stephenson's Death Opening of Newcastle and Darlington Line Public Dinner and Speeches-Continental Engagements — Leaves Haverstock Hill and moves to Cambridge Square - Fire in Cambridge Square-George Hudson and Robert Stephenson-A Contrast Page 238 First Act of Parliament authorising the Construction of a Railway — Rail- way Developement from the year 1801 to 1846 inclusive - The Railway Mania of 1825-26- The Railway Mania of 1836-37-The Railway Mania of 1845-46-Difference between the Crises of 1825-26 and 1836 -37 and of 1845-46- Report from Committees, 1837-Bubble Com- panies-Parliamentary Influence-Parliamentary Corruption-Compen- sation; Stories of-The Parliamentary Committee as a Tribunal-Robert Stephenson's Views on Parliamentary Legislation - Observations on his Project for a 'Preliminary Board of Inquiry' - Causes of Parliamentary Inconsistency-Stories of the Parliamentary Bar - Professional Wit- nesses in the House of Commons: Robert Stephenson, Brunel, Locke, Lardner, Bidder Great Britain compared with other Countries in respect of Railway Developement - Results - Proposal for Railway Remarkable Episode in the History of Railways-Correction of Nomen- clature-Objects of this Chapter-General Modes of Locomotion- Constant rivalry between Locomotive and Stationary Steam-power-Liver- pool and Manchester Railway - Walker and Rastrick's Report-Ste- phenson and Locke's Reply-Triumph of the Locomotive-Renewal of the Stationary Plan in the Atmospheric form-Early Inventors-Papin - Medhurst-Features of his Schemes -Vallance - Pinkus - Clegg Jacob and Joseph Samuda-Private Experiments-Trial of their Plan on the Thames Junction Railway-Description of the Apparatus -Pro- posal to apply it in Ireland-Smith and Barlow's Report - Application on the Kingstown and Dalkey Line-Arguments in favour of the Plan -Robert Stephenson's attention called to it in reference to the Chester and Holyhead Railway-His Report-Public Interest excited-Croydon Railway Parliamentary Committee-The Railway Mania- Appointment of a Committee of the House of Commons to enquire into the Merits of the Plan- Their Report in its favour-Culminating point of the History -Contests in Parliament-Application of the Atmospheric System in practice-Thames Junction Line-Kingstown and Dalkey Line-Croydon Line-South Devon Line - Paris and St. Germain Line-Summary of Results Mechanical Efficiency - Economy - General Applicability to Railway Traffic-Reasons for its Abandonment-Conclusion Page 292 THE LIFE OF UNIV. OF ROBERT STEPHENSON. CHAPTER I. THE STEPHENSON FAMILY. Various Stephensons of Newcastle-Old Robert Stephenson'- HE records of Newcastle show that the name of THE Stephenson has been frequent in every rank of the town for the last two hundred and fifty years. But no attempt has ever been made to establish a family connection between the subject of this memoir and the many worthy citizens of Newcastle who, in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, bore the same name. A gentleman of high attainments, residing in the neighbourhood of Newcastle, in answer to enquiries for ancestors in the male line of George Stephenson, stated that George Stephenson on a certain occasion said that his family were natives of Castleton, in Liddisdale, and that his grandfather came into England in the service of a Scotch gentleman. There is no doubt that the grandfather of the greatest engineer of the present century lived and toiled and died in humble circumstances. He worked as fireman to the engines of the various colliery pits in the neighbourhood of Wylam, till an accident deprived him of sight and rendered him dependent on others for his daily bread. Gentle beyond the wont of rude North-countrymen, and fond of spinning out long stories of adventure and romance to village children, he was known as Bob the story-teller.' He is now remembered by the few of his associates who linger on the earth as Old Robert Stephenson.' In early life he married Mabel, the daughter of George Carr, a bleacher and dyer of Ovingham, a village standing on an ascent which rises from the north bank of the Tyne, and faces the ancient ruins of Prudhoe Castle, that crown the hill on the opposite bank. The maiden name of Mabel Carr's mother was Eleanor Wilson. Eleanor was the daughter of a wealthy Northumbrian yeoman, who possessed a good estate in the parishes of Stocksfield and Bywell. Indignant at her marriage with the bleacher and dyer of Ovingham, Mr. Wilson turned his back upon her, and died without bequeathing her a penny. By his wife Mabel Old Robert Stephenson' had four sons (James, George, Robert, and John) and two daughters (Eleanor and Ann). James, the eldest son, closely resembled his father; but George, Robert, and |