The Iron Horse Reaches the Waterfront

At 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon, as the locomotive A. A. Denny arrived from Newcastle, bringing a long train of loaded coal cars behind her, Mr. John Weymouth informed Mr. T. J. Milner, the assistant superintendent of the road, that the laying of the third rail along the city front was completed as far as the foot of Columbia street. Mr. Milner at once decided to run an engine over the newly completed line, and very wisely selected the A. A. Denny as the most appropriate locomotive to wear the honor of being the pioneer along that line. Accordingly, the engine was hastily decorated with flags, and after some eight or ten invited guests, who chanced to be at the depot, had got on board, the whistle was sounded, and the Denny slowly rolled along over the new piece of road. The constant ringing of her bell as she moved along attracted a large number of people, and shortly after, when she came to a halt at the foot of Columbia street, there were several hundred people congregated there. J. C. Haines, who is something of a photographer as well as lawyer, brought his camera to bear on the crowd and locomotive, and succeeded in getting two or three very good views. The track was originally laid standard gauge, but as there is no standard gauge stock here the road was useless until the third rail was put down, so that the narrow gauge rolling stock of the Columbia and Puget Sound Railroad Company could be run over it. Mr. Colman will, in a very few days, establish a retail coal yard on his block between Columbia and Marion streets, as coal trains can now run all the way to his property.