The Sun.
London, England, 1863-07-21 00:00:00

THE ALEXANDRA PARK.

After many wild and futile attempts during the
last six or seven years to establish something like
a Crystal Palace in the northern outskirts of Lon-
doy, a company has at last been formed, under the
title of the Alexandra Park Company, which pro-
mises to succeed in this enterprise. The estate, or
rather cluster of estates, which is now we suppose
to be known as Alexandra Park, is situated near
the brow of Muswell Hill, about a mile beyond
Hornsey, in a ncrthern direction. It can boast of
great natural advantages, amongst the chief of
which is an extensive view of parts of Hertford-
shire and Essex, which may be fairly compared
with the vast panorama seen from the terraces at
Sydenham. Some of the trees on the estate are
remarkable for their age and beauty, particularly
en enormous Spanish chestnut tree, whose offshoots
form a little forest. The sloping lawn which rises
from the dwelling-house on the Muswell-hill-road
to the high ground of the estate is finely planted,
and the various meadows possess all the varied fea-
tures of the richest English scenery. The means of
access to this estate (which is 480 acres in extent),
are at present somewhat limited, the Woodgreen
station of the Great Northern Railway being about
a mile distant, while omnibuses stop at least two
miles from the road entrance. The Great Eastern
Railway only touches at Tottenham, two miles
from the park.
The plan of the directors for turning this estate
into a pleasure ground is not yet fully settled.
Negotiations are pending with Messrs, Belk and
Lucas for the purchase of part of the Exhibition
building, but nothing is yet definitively arranged.
If the nave and dome should be transferred to this
spot, the building will be erected on the highest
part of the estate, on a table-land commanding th©
view of the two counties we have before alluded te.
One dome will be placed over the centre of the
building, and the other will be fixed in the grounds,
to be used as a pinery.
Though the company is hardly launched, it
seems ready to begin business, and it advertises a
couple of opening fetes, for Thnrsday and Friday
next. As a pleasant preliminary to these fetes, the
chairman and directors gave a " lawn party" yes-
terday on the estate, which In as attended by a large
and distinguished company. Amongst the visitors
were :—Mr. Ayrton, M.P., Mr. Gilpin, M.P,, Mr.
Fuller, Mr. Scott Russell, Mr. Shirley Brooks,
Mr. W. H. Russell, Mr. Wilkinson, Mr. Grant,
Mr. Lucas, and a host of ladies and children, who
were hospitably received by Lord Fermoy and the
directors. The amusements were chiefly croquet
and dancing, varied with popular performances,
and the music was supplied by an excellent mill'
tary band.

BISHOPS WALTHAM RAlLWAY.—Yesterday fin
extraordinary
meeting of the shareholders was held
at the offices of the company, 23, Parliament-street, 11r.
W. H. Stone in the chair, when after some discussion it was
resolved to cancel, with the assent of the holders thereof,
certain shares in the capital of the company, pursuant to
the Bishops Waltham Railway Act, 1863 ; to authorise the
creation and issue of additional capital and the creation an cl
issue of new shares in lieu of the shares cancelled to the
extent of £B,OOO, in such shares and with such preference
dividend attacked thereto as authorised by the before-men-
tioned act, and confirming the agreement entered into be-
tween the Bishops Waltham Railway and the London and
South Western Railway for the working of the former.
FATAL COLLIERY EXPLOSION.—Two wen,
Joseph
Edwards and Watkin Thomas, were killed by an
explosion of tire damp, at midnight on Thursday, at the
Wynnstay Colliery, Ruabon. They had gone to their.
work as usual, about 700 yards from the pit's mouth, find
before before their descent their safety lamps were carefully locked
by the man appointed. About 40 persons were at work it;
other parts of the pit. An explosion was heard, when the
managers descended and found the unfortunate victims to
their own recklessness dead, an accumulation of fire damp
having taken place, and it being manifest that they both
had broken open their lamps.
M. 'Tiers is 'said to havo wittily expressed his
opinion on the Polish question the other day at Vienna, by-
observing, " It is very difficult, and very dangerous, to 1
terfere in the affairs of a nation whose frontiers are not
known,".