The Express.
London, England, 1862-02-25 00:00:00

LONDON, CHATHAM, AND DOVER RAILWAY.

The directors' report, leaned in anticipation of the
half-yearly meeting, on Thursday next, states that the
statement of revenue foe the six months eliding the
Slit of December last shows • decided improvement as
compared with that of the previous half-year, the increase
in the traffic receipts amounting to 27,3001., and that in the
working expenses to only 7,9001. This result is the more
satisfactory, inasmuch as the line was not opened to Dover
town until the clod of July, nor to the harbour until the
lit November last, nor have the company, as yet, been in
a position to commence the continental traffic. When the
goods traffic becomes developed and the arrangements are
complete for commencing the continental traffic, a my
large increase in the receipts may be antics-
. paged. The trains are now running with great
:Entrity, the difficulties from • deficiency of
stock having been surmounted. Two of the
new steamers have been completed. The reunite of several
trials have proved the veiled' to be very superior, both in
speed and accommodation, to any that have as yet been
constructed of the sales length and draught. Of the
three additional vessels in progress, two have been
launched, and are being fitted with their engines and
machinery. The company bars also secured for the con.
veyance of their peesenger and goods traffic the use of the
fleet of the contractors for the mails between Dover and
I.,nlais. The directors have further to report that the
works on the metrupolitan extensions are proceeding with
unabated vigour, and it is expectsd that the lion will
be completed and opened from the Victoria station to the
Elephant and Castle in June next. The directors re-
gret that, owing to the delays interposed by the oorpo-
ratiou of the City of Loudon, it has not been possible to
commence the bridge across the Thames at Bbackfriara
The design of the proposed bridge was long since sanc-
tioned by the Admiralty and the Thames Consmoaney
Commissioners, and the approval of the corporation is eddy
wanting to enable the contractors to commence the works ,
immediately. Early last year the design was submitted to '
the corporation, and they were requested to express
their views upon it as soon as possible ; but from that
time to the present, although repeated applications have
been made to them, nc satisfactory answer has been re.
ceivel. By means of an independent company the directors
are promoting an extension of their metropolitan line from
Herne-hill, by Denmark-hill, Peckham, Peckham-rye, and
Forest-hill, to • station opposite the main entrance of
the Crystal Palace, and on • level with the fluor of the
building. The importance of affording another and • bet-
ter station for the Crystal Palace traffic which will flow
over the company's lines both from their own districts and
from the railways north of the Thames with which they
will be connected, was fully admitted by the committee of
the House of Commons which passed the company's Metro-
politan Extension Bill, and is, indeed, generally acknow-
ledged. The proposed line will also afford improved railway
communication to a very populous district. There are several
bills before parliament affecting the company's interests, to
which the directors feel it their duty to give their most
earnest attention. The principal area line promoted by the
South-Eastern Company from Lewisham to Dartford end
by Sevenoaks to Tonbridge, a line promoted by the Mid-
Kent Company for the purchase of the Crays line, and a
line promoted by the Brighton Company, forming • Junc-
tion with the company's line at Herue.hill, and wain by
Peckham and Dulwich to a junction with the Crystal
Palace line at the west end of the Crystal Palace tunnel.
This latter line, if granted, will be especially injurious to
the company's interests, and will considerably eggravate the
dangers and difficulties which already exist at the
Palace Station. On the other heed, the Sevenciakaa=
laity are pprroommoting extensions of their line to Toubridge
and Maidstone, watch the board recommend the share-
holders to support by every means in their power.

SHOCKING AOCIDI2I7 ON THE MIDLAND RAILWAY,
—Os Saturday night • serious accident occurred cm the
Midland Railway. It appears that • middle-aged man,
named Charles Bird, an enpneman one of the ocalpita of
Messrs. Coseham and Wetbered, at Pucklecburch, left
Soundwell to walk on the line to his home at Pickle-
church. It is supposed that becoming weary he lay down
and fell asleep, and that • train came up shortly afterwards
and passed over his legs. The accident was not discovered
at the time, and the poor fellow remained, in a frightfully
mutilated state on the line till Sunday morning, when, on
being discovered, be was conveyed to the Bristol Royal
Infirmary. The medical officers of that institution ettee
him without delay. They found that each of his legs had
received • compound comminuted fracture—one of them, in
fact, being almost entirely severed from the body—and his
head and neck exhibited severely ooutused wounds. In the
course of Sunday both legs were amputated, and the other
' injuries dressed, but it is sot expected that the pm fellow
can survive. He has a wife and several small children.
MEETING OF DURHAM PITMEN.—A very numer-
ously attended meeting of the pitmen course:fed with the
collieries of the county of Durban, was held in the Town-
hall of the city of Durham on Saturday last, for the purpose
of considering the propriety of petitioning parliament I.
favour of the double-abaft system, he. Mr. Joseph Liddell
moved a resolution in favour of petitioning parliament to
appoint a number of sub-inspectors, in addition to the pre-
sent inspectors, from the class of intelligent practical pitmen,
and to render it compulsory upon all cualowners under cer-
tain regulations to work their pits with double shafts. The
motion was unanimously adopted. Messrs. George Mack-
Imlay, Robert Walton, William Robeou, and Terence
Casey afterwards spoke at considerable length In favour of
the double-shaft system, and a petition embodying the
views of the speakers was afterwards unanimously agreed to.
Resolutions were also poised in favour of the establishment
of • permanent fund of a national character for the relief of
the widows and orphans of those who were killed by acci-
dents in coal mines.--Sliejleld Indepeedeta.
tiounr Kmaaworox lifuesum.—During the week
ending Feb. 22 the visitors have been as follows r—On
Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday.
_free days, apse from'
JO a.m. to 10 p.m., 9,987 ; on Wednesday, Thursday, red I
Friday, students' days (admission to the pablic &L), open
from 10 a.m. till 4 p.m. 1. 206; total, 11,193. From the
opening of the Museum, 2,509,025.
ROYAL FREE HOSPITAL, GRAY'S-iNN-ROAD.—
The number of patients relieved at this hospital during the
week ending Feb. 22, was 3,221, of which b 64 were new
eases.
(Advertine.nenh)—HousawAv's OINTMENT AND
Hata.—Universal ?strawy/o,—Ln all solemn from general or
hod disease take heart and fellow In the wake ot thousands who
eserlia HAW restoration of health to the as. at Lees noble
menedies. Bkommatlean In tb isneeles or Wats, pats pales.
neenalitle terturea cramps, and spaemodle twitches &pert ander
W appreanWs employment of Holloware Ointment and Ms
11•4 llw, al Wads of ulcers. soma burns. wounds, pimples,
sollamtens Inimansatlons, and dripskal swellings, are best met
re="Msiergibeyncihisr.
.°Tthheirass4. MolaM7bia"
mat awl PEI lave acquired throligDolt dent
haw awn illicted person to wve them a trial before
6411111111/61 gild at ebandoffing hops.