The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-01 00:00:00

WEST CORK.

The half-yearly meeting of this company was held yes-
terday, at the offices, Gracechurch-street— Sir C. P. Roney
in chair.

Mr H. W. Wood, the secretary, read the report, which
congratulated the shareholders on the gratifying progress
made with the works during the past six months, notwith-
standing the unfavourable state of the money market, and
other causes over which the directors and contractors had no
control. The line from Bandon to Dunmanway,a length of
17} miles(with the exception of one:mile and a hslfnow under
progress) might be considered completed. The permanent
way was now being laid down, and in a few months the line
from its junction with the Cork and Bandon Railway at
Bandon to Dunmanway could be made ready for the engines
and carriages. The rolling stock had been ordered for deli-
very in October. On the remaining portion of the line from
Dunmanway to Skibbereen, a length of 17k miles, four miles
had been already made, and were ready to receive the per-
manent way. The works on this section being of an easy
character, and the rails and other permanent way materials
having been delivered on the ground, the line into Skib-
bereen could be completed within a short period after the
necessary arrangements had been made for carrying out the
same. The debenture borrowing powers of the company
had been legally exercised to their authorised amount. Those
debentures had, under the powers of the company's special
Act, 1860, the additional security of a land baronial gua-
rantee attached to them, equal to 41 per cent. per annum
interest for a period of 20 years from the opening of the
railway. The attention of the board was still directed with
a view to the establishment of Crookhaven as a port of call
for American steamers, now that the subsidy had been with-
drawn from the Galway route ; and the directors desired to
repeat their conviction that if the West Cork Railway were
extended to Crookhaven, and the suggested improvements
for the accommodation of large steamers carried out there,
that harbour could not fail, owing to its geographical posi-
tion, to become a transatlantic station and port of call. The
directors had much gratification in expressing their sense of
the honourable manner in which the contractors, Messrs.
Wheatley, Kirk, and Co., had carried out the works of the
railway, fulfilling with punctuality their engagements with
the company, a result which also must afford equal satisfac-
tion to the shareholders and the public. In conclusion, the
board expressed their confident opinion as to the bona fide
merits of the undertaking, and that it would be the means
of opening up an important and prosperous future for the
agricultural, commercial, and general interests of the ex-
tensive and populous districts west of Cork. The capital
account showed £200,408 had been expended, leaving a ba-
lance of £3ll.

The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the report
and statement of accounts, said it was very satisfactory to
the directors to be able to submit such a report. It was
about the middle of last year that monetary and financial
difficulties commenced, and notwithstanding the continu-
ance of financial operations, he was glad to say that for the
last six months the works on their line had not stopped for
a single working day. All the bridges, culverts, and other
works had been completed on 16 miles of the line between
Bandon and Dunmanway, and of the mile and a half re-
maining to complete the section possession of the land had
been obtained, and the works were in progress. The works
would be all completed at the Bandon end in Sept., and in
Dec. at the Skibbereen end 4/ miles would be completed
and fenced in. The materials for 7 miles of permanent way
had been deposited, and 101 miles had been laid with bal-
last 12 inches in thickness, and on the Skibbereen end 31
miles of ballasting had been laid. The permanent way
between Dunmanway and Bandon would be entirely com-
pleted in about three months. The line at the Bandon end
would be finished in about two months from the present
time, so as to insure the opening to Dunmanway before
the end of the year. He had been over the works last
week, and was perfectly satisfied with the substantial man•
ner in which they had been executed. The Board had still
under consideration the great advantages of Crookhaven
as a port of call for American steamers. When the line
was opened to Dunmanway 38 miles of railway, or half
' the distance from Cork to Crookhaven, would be com-
pleted.
Mr J. W. HOLLAND seconded the motion for the adop-
tion of the report, and said that from what he knew of the
productive agricultural district through which the line
would pass he believed the railway would be a commercial
success.

The report was then unanimously adopted.
Mr SwANTom explained the great advantages that would
arise to men of business in Skibbereen and other places on
the line when the railway was completed to that place, and
that a very large additional traffic would be derived on the
railways from Cork to Skibbereen if an extension ware
completed to Crookhaven.
The proceedings concluded with a vote of thanks to the
chairman and directors.