The Express.
London, England, 1853-12-28 00:00:00

THE PANAMA RAILWAY.

The Panama Star, of Nov. 26, announces that the
bridge across the Chagres river is completed, and that on
Thursday, the 24th Nov., the first locomotive creased it. and
came as far up as the Maumee station. We (the Star) hail
this long looked (or event with the highest satisiastion.
Now we will begin to realise the fact that the railroad is
being hurried on to completion. The great obstacle is over-
come—the passage of the Chagres river—and the can have
already travelled several miles this side of Barbacou. We
are assured by Mr. Gillett that before the second next ran
of passengers, the mule road will be opened from the Obispo
river—to which point the rails are already laid—to inter-
sect the Cruces road at Doe Hermanoe, so that we can pro-
mise all travellers that after the 20th of December they,
with their baggage, can make the trip with all ease
from ocean to ocean in oae daylight, and without the
use of boats, as by that time the river naviga-
tion ;will be done away with. In six months
from this day, provided we have a favourable dry
season, we are assured that, with the exception of about
three miles at the summit, the whole road will be travelled
by cars from Panama and Aspinwall. We further learn
from Mr. Gillet, that the
.railroad company have at pre-
sent employed 2,600 men, more than 1,200 of whom are
engaged on the works at Obispo. In a few days this force
will be divided into two parties, and will proceed at onus to
open the mule road before referred to, which is to intersect
the Cruces read. Labourers both from the Uni•ed States
and Carthegena are coming in rapidly ; and not a vessel
arrives at Aspinwall from the latter place or New York that
does not bring large additions to the present number. In
a couple of months more, the railroad company will have
landed here and at Aspinwall, at least 4,000 more labourers
from Ireland and China—the latter landing here in our
harbour, while the former will be lauded at Aspinwall.
The whole of this large force will be engaged in the con-
struction of the road hence to the summit; and as it will
then be dry season, there will be no sickness to dread, or
other cause of difficulty to apprehend.

COMMENCEMENT OF THE GEELONG AND
MELBOURNE RAILWAY.

A correspondent writes :—" The 20th of Septem-
ber last was a great day in the annals of Geelong, in Aus-
tralia, that being the day on which the commencement of
the Geelong and Melbourne Railway was celebrated and
the foundation stone of the first railway terminus in Vic-
toria laid. Thousands of persons formed a procession in
Geelong, among whom were all the government, civic, and
ecclesiastical dignitaries of Victoria. The stone was laid by
his Excellency the Governor of the Province, Mr. Latrobe.
A tribe of Aborigines, dressed in new blankets, and a party
of Chinese, with banners, formed part of the procession, in
which there was also a party of Germans working a printing-
press. The Bishop of Melbourne, amidst thousands of
persons, publicly blessed the undertaking. A banquet
was given also to celebrate the event, to which a thousand I
persons were invited. There was a banner in the banqueting
hall with an aborigines motto, " Ohego maga, uri, uri,"
signifying, "nun away, quick, quick." The wheelbarrow
which the governor used in moving the first shovelful of
earth was made of polished cedar, with a carved wing on
each side. The spade was of polished steel, and the handle
wise made of Huron pine. The trowel was of pure gold,
with an ebony handle. The mallet was of ebony, inlaid
with gold. Ihe whole of these costly and beautiful tools
were presented to the governor. During; the procession the
printing press in the midst of it printed a copy of verses
which were distributed to the multitude.

RAILWAY ACCIDENT IN LANI

Sun-

day morning, between 5 and 6 o'clock, a Lancashire and
Yorkshire luggage train, approaching Manchester from
livlion, was run into, at the Clifton Junction of the East
Lancashire Company, by a luggage train of the latter com-
pany from Bury tii Manchester. The Lancashire and York-
shire train had been properly signalled by the semaphore at
the Junction, and was passing at a slow rate. The East 1
Lintaahire wa. Irving at considerable speed, and the driver I
is supposed to have been unable to check hie train in
time. The Eat Lancashire train meat through the
other, about lU carriages from the engine, and smashed
five or six waggons to pieces, and scattered the goods about.
The pointeman's box at the semaphore was also smashed,
and the pointeman had barely time to make good his escape.
1 Mc. Blackmore, goods superintendent, from Manchester,
j s rr.red on the spot in a short time, and succeeded in getting
I • the line cleared by 9 a.m. The traffic on the line being
1 light on Sundays no great inconvenience was suffered by
i the delaying of passenger trains. The East Lancashire
j train went on to Salford atter the accident, having sustained
1 little or nu ‘iamage. Fortunately no person was hurt.
GENERAL POST-OFFICE, DECEMBER, 1853.—News-
pipets addressed to the British possissiuns of Accra, on the
West Coast of Africa, will be forwarded by the contract
mail packet free of postage, provided they are posted in
I conformity with the general regulations applicable to news-
papers sent through the post to British colonies and
, • ts.uhtrir% beyond sea. Upon each Lcwspaper addresal t?.
!' Dutch Loom a rate of a must be paid in admix,