The Express.
London, England, 1863-08-17 00:00:00

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

LYNN AND HUESTANTON.

The ordinary half-yearly meeting of this com-
paoy was on Saturday at the Lynn Hotel ; Mr. LIGHTLY
Suirnos 6oe chai
r.
The report stated that the gross traffic receipts train the
opening of the line on the 3rd (let. last to the 31st Dec.
amounted to 1,0611. Is. Ad., as stated ill the last report.
and the earnings for the half year ended the 30th June
amount to 3,04 W. Bs. 2d. After payment of 50 per cent.
to the Great Eastern Company for working expenses, and
the interest on the debenture debt to the 31st July, there
remains • balance to the credit of revenue amounting to
1,:t231. 19s. 21 Out of thia sum the directors recommend
the payment of a dividend after the rate of 3 per cent. per
amount on the share capital, which will leave a balance of
3231.19.. 2d. to be carried over to the next account. Since
the last half- yearly meeting the houses in course of coo
' situation at Hunstanton have been completed, and are now,
with one exception, sold and fully occupied. A new inn
has also been erected near to the station, and found to be
a great coaveniewth to visitors. The exclusion traffic has
been more than equal to your director.' anticipations, and
tends to confirm them in the opinion they originally formed
as to the ultimate prosperity of the undertaking. It is in
contemplation to erect a new first-class hotel, which it is
hoped the shareholders of the company will support, the
requirements of a large influx of visitors rendering further
accommodation absolutely iudiapensable. With sincere re-
gret the directors refer to a lamentable accident which
happened to an excursion train returning from Hunstanton
to Lyon on Monday night last, which resulted in the death
of six persons, and injury to several others. It is hardly
necessary to say that the Great Eastern Company are
affording every facility to the inquiries which are taking
place before the coroners under whoa. respective jurisdiction
the accident falls.

The Cnanutax, before proposing the adoption of the re-
port, wished to express the deep and heartfelt sorrow he
felt in referring to the lamentable °amnesic* familiar to
them all, and a sorrow that was shared by his colleagues.
He had been uonnected with the town of Lynn for the last
thirty years, and he felt it much, occurring, as it had,
to neighbours and friends whom they were accustomed to
meet. Though the Great Eastern Railway Company had
the duty devolving on them of keeping up the hoe, yet if
he (the chairman) had heard a complaint that the safety of
the passengers was endangered, he should have proceeded
to take steps to remove the danger on his own
responsibility. Instead of that, the only complaint he had I
ever received was from Mr. Beige. in the spring time, I
and he forwarded that complaint to his colleagues here, and
the cease of complaint was removed. He could Lot help
deeply regretting that, as chairman of this company, he
had never had one complaint other than that mentioned'
as to any danger being likely to arise either from the state
of the fences or from any other causes. He thought it
right to say that the conduct of the officials of the Great
Eastern Railway Company and of the surgeons of the
town, as well as all classes, was deserving of all praise for
the sympathy and attention which they showed on this
occasion. He might also say, in justification of the great
care of the company, that for the twelve yearn he had held
the post of chairman or deputy-chairman of the East An-
glianCompany they had never paid ss. for injury done to any
person. That was as much, and perhaps more, than coal
be said for many companies. He might say that all that
human agency can do to ensure the safety of the public will
be done by the Great Eastern Railway Company, and also
by this company if it is necessary. Passing on from this
subject he had hoped to have been able to congratulate the
shareholder, upon the complete success of the undertaking
bat for this deplorable accident. The chairman went on to
remark upon the success that had attended the excursion
trains. He found that the Cambridge traid commenced with
118 passengers, sod the earniegs of it were 231. 17s. and
grew larger till, on the 3rd of August, the number of persons
that came by the Cambridge train was 1,161. It had been
alleged that there was no population in the neighbourhood
of the line, but it was remarkable that the small town of
Downham Market contributed 461 passengers that day to
the Cambridge train. Tbrongh rates had been established
in connexion with the Midland districts with about forty
towns from Stamford to Morecambe Bay, all of which would
doubtless contribute largely to the prosperity of the line so
soon as sufficieot accommodation can be provided at Hun-
Amami. The traffic (except the day excursions) was, of
course, limited, in consequence of the west of accommoda-
tion. The day excursions are thoroughly appreciated, as
shown by the large number of the labouring population who
have availed themselves of the opportuoittes of going to
Hunstantos the company taking them from Lynn there
and back for la. Their earnings, to pay 5 per cent., must
be 11W. per week, hut he found that for the five weeks
prior to the 3rd of August the earnings had averaged 7.371.
a week. (Hear, hear.) For a tune, however, there would
be a falling off in the amount of receipts ; first, because I
there are some persons who will naturally feel a degree of
timidity about travelling for a time ; and, secondly, be-
cause for a few weeks farmers and others will be busily
engaged in their harvest operations. He had no doubt that '
when the line recovered its normal traffic the property
would be amongst the first and most productive in the
kingdom. _ _ _

--
hir. Cleetuvricz, of Manchester. seconded the adoption of
the report. He also addressed himself to the subject of the
late accident in a similar strain to the chairmen.
The report vas adopted, and a dividend of S per cent. per
annum declared.

The CHAIRMAN called on Mr. Valentine, their engineer,
to make some explanations in reference to the evidence
given by lir. K Holmes, C.E., at the borough inquest.
Mr. Vaunt/M. C.E., said he was glad the chairman
bad afforded him an opportunity of replying to some
of the statements of Mr. Edward Holm., the estuary
inspector, made a day or two before. He regretted that
though he was present at the first inquest he was unable to
present at the second, being is Loudon, and having seen
the evidence of the witness referred to in the newspapers. be
should be glad of replying to him through the press. That
gentleman stated that at Mr. Gay's crossing there was a
dangerous crossing, the gradient being 1 in 100. Now his
reply to that was, there was no such gradient on the line.
The two gradients referred to were very short, sod were
only lin IV, and were most unexceptionable gradieets. If
they were like some he could mention in the Midland dis-
tricts, I in 37, there might be something to find fault with.
There was nothing in these gradients dangerous in the
slightest degree.
Mr. W. S. suirsox, an the contractor who made the line,
corroborated this statement.

Mr. VALILIITunt, C. E, mid if Mr. Holmes had taken the
trouble to have gone over the line, he would have Wen by
the gradient poata that they were 1 in 132. He believed
that it had boon said that the gradient had been altered
from the parliamentary plan. Hu answer to that was that,
beyond Wolverton, there was an incline sanctioned by
the parliamentary plan at a gradient of 1 in 100, but they
had improved it., and made it I in 165.
Mr. Setae proposed • vote of thanks to the chairman
and the directors, specially the local directors, for the
efforts they had made to afford assistance during the acci-
dent. aa well as for their efforts in the interests of the share.
holden.

liereaolatioa wan wooded aed agreed to, sad after a few
remarks by the ONAISMAN the meetaag broke ap.

NORTH Easmax.

The nineteenth half-yearly general meeting of
the shareboklets of this «mewls wee held co Friday at the
De Grey Meows, York ; Mr. THOMPSON, LP. (ch►irman of
the beard of direst/au), presiding. The mon, which We
have already published, was takes as read.

• -
The CIU:4IIAN then moved its adoptioo, and said that,
lookieg at **woman for the half-year, the moat promi-
seat part no doubt was that there bed but. ea lacrosse in
th....1= reed*. of 111.1122. r tweepared with the earre•
Z-=ball-year of 1862 ; bat without any iocrease of
to t►e therehoklent. Clearly that waa a feature of