The Sun.
London, England, 1863-05-25 00:00:00

THE CHARING-CROSS RAILWAY.

The works upon this most important metropolitan
line are being pushed forward with vigour, and it is
expected to be ready for opening in July. At
Charing-cross the station is rapidly advancing, the
wails being up nearly 'co the height required for
carrying the iron and glass roof. The front facing
the Strand, the lower part of which is to serve as the
booking and general offices, and the upper part to be
used as a hotel, has advanced to the basement story,
and the east wing, facing Villiers-street, is progress
ing with equal rapidity. The bridge may be con-
sidered as complete so far as its actual supports and
heavy framework is concerned. Old Hungerford-
bridge has disappeared with the exception of the
lower part of the two towers, which rest upon the
brick piers, and the chains which supported the
structure are now at Clifton, where they will shortly
span the Avon. The station At Charing•cross will
be 170 feet wide, and about 450 feet long. It will
be on brick-built arches, the whole of which have
been tarred and concreted. The arches, which are
of enormous solidity, and have a span of 30 feet, and
they cover a large area available for cellarage. The
station front will be 100 feet back from the
Strand, and its frontage will be 230 feet in length
extending from Villiers-street on the east to
Brewer's-lane on the west. On the land portions
nearly the whole of the work is completed, and,
with the exception of a bridge near the Borough-
market, and another across the road leading to the
present London-bridge station, no heavy work now
remains to be done. This latter bridge will be a
most unsightly one. It will be a skew bridge, and,
being of very great span, requires to be of enormous
depth in order to obtain the requisite strength. To
Mr. Hawkshaw belongs the credit of having done
more to deface London by the unsightly bridges
which he has erected upon this Charing-cross line
than any engineer who has ever enjoyed the oppor-
tunity of constructing a railway. A commencement
has been made with the piling and staging for the
bridge to be built over the Thames for the Cannon-
street branch of the Charing-cross line, and it is to
be hoped that some control may be exercised over
the engineer in the matter of the design of
this structure. London-bridge is a graceful
and elegant work, and it would be a
great pity if within a short distance from it we
should have a monster edition of one of those hide-
ous coffin-shaped tubes which already disfigures
each of the leading thoroughfares on the Surrey
side traversed by the Charing-cross line. hen
completed, the railway from Charing-cross, con-
nected as it will be with the South-Western, and
the whole system of the South-Eastern, the London,
Chatham, and Dover, aid the Brighton railways,d
will be of immense value in relieving the eroowf
see
streets of the metropolis ; while the wants
will
be
enormous local as well as through traffic
provided
d Railway has asto-
Metropolitan or Underground
passengers
for. The success which has attended the
foutphpeyortewrsili
nbuisthegdreeavte:s
have travelled on that
thehav moste been
line,
itse:
yards of the Bank
who
assuredly be smell in comparison. with those
who will avail themselves of a railway which will
or place them in direct communication
olafnEdnigtslapnads:engers within a few
with all the railways in the south, south .east, and
south-western districts of England.

The Earl and Countess de Grey left town on Sa.
turday for the Isle of Wight, for the holidays.
Viscount and Viscountess Palmerston left town
on Saturday for Brocket Hall, Herts. The noble Premier
has issued invitations for a grand dinner party on Saturday
the 6th of June, in celebration of the Queen's .
Viscount and Viscountess Holuaes dalebirthday have gone
to their seat, Linton, Kent, for the Parliamentary holidays.
Lady Molesworth entertained at dinner on Satur-
day evening, at her residence in Eaton-place, the
Comte de Paris, the Earl and Countess of Chesterfield, the
Earl of Wilton, the Earl of Sefton, Viscount and Vis-
countess Lismore, Viscount Chelsea, Viscount and -Vis-
countess Castlerosse, Lord and Lady Cremorne, Lord andn
Lady Chelmsford, Colonel the Hon. James MacdonaldG C. Lane
Hon. Mrs. Macdonald, Mr. and Mrs. Holford, Mr.
Fox, &c.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer and Mrs,
Gladstone left town on Saturday on a visit to Lord Taun-
ton, at his seat, Overstowey, Bridgwater.