The Express.
London, England, 1867-08-21 00:00:00

PALL OP A RAILWAY VIADUCT IN INDIA.

The Times of India gives the following account
of the fall of a viaduct on the Bhore Ghaut incline on the
Great Indian Peninsula Railway :
In our last overland summary was reported the occur-
rence of a melancholy disaster on the Great Indian Penin-
sula Railway, whereby from fifty to eighty passengers lost
their lives. The precise number has never been ascer-
tained, as government allowed its order for an independent
investigation by government officers to be frustrated, and
on the one-aided investigation instituted by the railway
officials the public can place no reliance whatever. It is
felt that in this matter the local government has egre-
giously failed in its duty. Scarcely had the gap which
occasioned the accident referred to been repaired, when
another break-down occurred, happily unattended
with loss of life, but, in every other way,
perhaps the most serious calamity that could have
befallen the company. The most extensive viaduct
on the Bhore Ghent incline—the Poona and Bombay
line—hiss totally collapsed, sacrificing the labour of two
years. and half a million of money. Is the Syhadree
mountains, or Western Chants, run parallel to the line of
seacoast, they cut off Bombay and other ports from the in-
terior of the country. Across these mountains, by a series
of tunnels, viaducts, and gradients, some as steep as 1 in
37—the moat magnificent railway works in the world—
goes the South Pastern line of the G,I.P. Railway. This
More Ghaut incline is 15 miles and 68 chains in length ;
the level of its bath in 196 feet above high water mark in
Bombay, and of its summit 2,027 feet, so that the total
elevation surmounted by the incline is 1,831 feet, at an
average gradient of 1 in 48.1 The works consist of 26 tunnels
(the total length of which is 3,965 yards) and of eight
gigantic viaducts, besides numerous extensive cuttings.
The viaduct which hes collapsed is that which crossed the
Mbow-ke-Mullee Khind, between Wonee and Thakoorwada,
and was thus the most important on the Ghaut, connecting,
as it did, the upper and lower ranges of hills. It was also the
most extensive on the line, consisting of eight semi-eireu-
lar arches of 50 feet span, and 139 feet above the surface of
the ground. So far as the actual works were concerned,
however, this does not show their real height, because
it was neoeseary to excavate to a depth of 24 feet before
sufficiently solid foundation could be obtained. The via-
duct was thus 163 feet high above the footing, and it was
built on • considerable ow ee. It had been known to
be at least superficially unsound for several years, cracks
having been visible in two of the piers. Whether these
cracks had been becoming larger, or whether others had
been making their appearance elsewhere, we are unable to
say ; but, at say rate, some fears seem lately to have
been entertained regarding the stability of the fabric, for a
special examination of the viaduct in question was made
on Monday last, three days before it fell, by Captain
White, KR., deputy consulting engineer to govern-
meat lathe railway department, and the engineers of CI. I. P.
Railway. It did not seem to them that there was any
special cause for iscressed alarm, as the piers did not
appear to be more extensively or fatally cracked than they
had been for years. This is the most unsatisfactory fea-
ture of the whole, tending, as it does, to create a want of
confidence in the judgment of even the most experienced
engineers. The cause of the fall of the viaduct is Un-
doubtedly to be found in its very faulty construction.
Sound and substantial as the masonry may have seemed
outside, any attempt at inspection when the work was
proceeding must have shown the merest tyro in building
that the inside masonry was disgracefully insufficient. The
lime and mortar, too, used by the contractors, must have
been very inferior, probably owing to the terrible scarcity
of water at the time. So scanty was the supply, that
there was not even sufficient to supply the wants of the
24,000 or 25,000 men employed on the works, and who
were decimated by cholera in consequence. The mortar
and the stones being too dry, no care in building could
bled the courses of masonry together—hence the cracks
and downfall of the whole.

Though this accident was attended with no loss of life,
the escape of two passenger trains was as astonishing as it
is gratifying—one which was ascending the Ghent having
been stopped just in time to prevent ire being precipitated
into the ravine ; and another, descending the Ghent,
having been apprised of the danger at the station imme-
diately beyond it, and thus prevented from getting on the
incline, when escape would have been extremely difficult,
if not, under the circumstances, absolutely impossible.
The work of clearing away the ruins and rebuilding the
viaduct will occupy at least • twelvemonth, and meanwhile
the traffic for about six miles must revert to the old route
via Campoolee, crossing the Ghent in bullock carts. The
utter destruction of this great viaduct can only be re-
garded as • great public calamity for Bombay and the

HEEHAW AND ALLENDALE RAILWAY.—A portion
of the Hexham and Allendale Railway, from Heti= to
Langley, • distance of nine miles, hu just been opened
for goods and mineral traffic. A train of 16 waggons and
carriage', including 14 waggons principally laden with
coal and sleepers, a Brst•clase carriage, and a break van,
left Hexhem station at half•past 10 o'clock. The line
was found to be in excellent condition the whole of the
journey. The Coastley Dene embankment is now quite
firm and solid, and after the passing of the en, one of
the heaviest belonging to the North Eastern Company, it
showed no signs of shrinking. The lead from Mr. Bun-
mont's mince will be laid on the line at Langle station
until the line is further completed and opened out. Trains
will run regularly from Hexham station about ten o'clock
each morning for the conveyance of goods, minerals,
stock, sad wools, returning from Langley about 12.