The Sun.
London, England, 1839-06-11 00:00:00

YORK AND NORTH MIDLAND

RAILWAY:

On Wednesday this important and commercial un-
dertaking was opened from the terminus at York to the
junction with the Leeds and Selby Railway, near South
Milford, which forms an uninterrupted railway commu-
nication between York and Leeds, and York and Selby,
and the several intermediate places.
We shall notice a few facts connected with the
origin and progress of this important branch of public
conveyance. In 1835, great efforts were made by
wealthy and influential parties in London, Newcastle,
Darlington, Leeds, and other towns, to form a con-
necting link from north to south ; and in April of that
year the Great North of England Railway was pro-
jected, with a capital of upwards of three millions of
pounds. It was immediately found necessary to have
a connecting link at Leeds with the North Midland,
which was then forming—and many merchants and
manufacturers in this town were anxious to promote the
undertaking. A scheme was devised by which York
would have been left entirely out of the railway line
from London to Newcastle ; this caused a promptness
and determination on the part of the citizens of York
to have a direct line from that city to Methley, a dis-
tance of 24 miles.

On Tuesday, October 13, 1835, a great public meet-
ing was held at the Guildhall, in York, which was pre-
sided over by the Lord Mayor (then Mr. Alderman
Wilson) in pursuance of a requisition numerously
signed, "to adopt such measures as may be ex-
pedient for furthering the formation of a railroad
from York, to join the Leeds and Derby Line." That
meeting was addressed by the Recorder, City Counsel,
Mr. Alderman Meek, T. Price, Esq., Mr. Horner,
Mr. Cooper, T. Barstow, Esq., Dr. Wake., T. Back-
house, Esq., and other gentlemen ; and resolutions were
adopted for the immediate formation of a Company to
accomplish that object, under the title of " the York and
North Midland Railway Company."
An Act of Parliament was shortly afterwards applied
for, which, through the exertions of the City Members,
and several influential citizens, was obtained with but
trifling opposition ; the Directors were then chosen, and
the works were proceeded with as soon as the land
could be purchased, and the requisite contracts entered
into. We may here mention, as a gratifying circum-
stance, that, with three or four exceptions, the Company
have obtained the whole of the land and premise: re-
quired for carrying out their Act, by amicable arrange-
ments with the owners, without the necessity of empa-
nelling a jury. This certainly shows, in some measure,
the entire acquiescence of the public in the formation of
this railway.
It would be tedious to enter into the various parti-
culars connected with the operations of the Company,
Suffice it to say, that at the last half-yearly meeting of
the Directors, held in January, they announced their
intention of opening the line from York to the Leeds
and Selby Line in May ; and that hereafter they would
join the North Midland at Methley. The whole line
is intended to be completed by the time the North
Midland, the Leeds and Manchester, and the Great
North of England Railways (of which it will form the
connecting link) can be opened. The Fairburn and
Altofts contracts, which comprise the heaviest works
on the whole line, are let to be completed in the
spring of 1840 ; and the Directors state " there is no
doubt, from the well-known talents and experience of
the contractors (Messrs. Craven and Sons, and Mr.
John Stephenson), that they will carry on the works
with all possible energy and skill, and complete their
respective undertakings in the time stipulated by the
contracts."

Many of our readers will be aware, that a tunnel had
been formed into York through the walls and ramparts.
It appears that the Directors of the York and North
Midland Railway first determined to have their station
for passengers outside the walls. It appearing, however,
to them, as well as to the Directors of the Great North
of England Railway, very desirable that the two Com-
panies should have ajoint passengers' station, which was
considered to be impracticable, except within the walls,
a negotiation was entered into between the parties, and
satisfactorily concluded. The station will be in the
garden lately occupied by Messrs. T. and J. Backhouse,
No one can doubt but that this agreement will be of
great additional benefit to the city, and materially con-
duce to the comfort and convenience of passengers going
forward to the North.

By means of this railway, and the others now in pro-
gress, a direct communication will be opened next year
from Newcastle to London ; and from a highly influ-
ential meeting lately held in the former town, it is pro-
bable that very speedily the line will be carried through
to Edinburgh—thus forming a complete chain of rail-
way communication from the metropolis of England to
the metropolis of Scotland.
On Monday the rails being laid throughout to the
junction with the Leeds and Selby Railway, an experi-
mental trip was taken on the same afternoon, when the
York and Leeds engine took down a train of carriages
I.nra Mayor.. Sir Jahn _Smnson,
Alderman Meek, and several other of the Directors,
were of the party, in the first-class carriage ; a second
and two-third class carriages were filled with respectable
persons who happened to be on the line when the train
started.
Wednesday last was a propitious day for the open-
ing. In the morning the sun shone forth brilliantly,
and thousands of both sexes issued forth to view the
processions, &c., by which it was intended to celebrate
the important event. A breakfast was given by the
Directors in the Guildhall, which was kindly lent by
the Lord Mayor (himself the Chairman of the Direc-
tors) for the occasion, and which was decorated with
evergreens, hardy plants, &c. After the breakfast, to
which about 400 persons sat down, the company
formed into line, and marched through the city to the
depot, followed by several carriages and omnibuses, in
which were many ladies, who were treated by the
Directors with the trip. A band of music headed the
procession, and also went first in the train. On the
arrival of the company at the station, they took their
seats in the carriages, and about five minutes past one
they slowly moved off amidst the cheers of assembled
thousands, who densely occupied the banks, bridges,
and every part where it was possible to obtain a sight of
the train. After bidding the city adieu, the engine
went along at a more rapid rate, and arrived at the
place of its destination in about thirty-six minutes, and,
after staying about half an hour, returned in forty-six
minutes. Every person expressed his high gratification
with the beautiful scene, to which the fineness of the
day contributed not a little. We are happy to state
that no serious accident occurred. At four o'clock the
Directors, accompanied by the Mayors of Leeds and
Hull, George Stephenson, Esq., and other distinguished
individuals, sat down to dinner in the Guildhall. After
the removal of the cloth, several patriotic toasts were
given, and appropriately responded to by the gentle-
men present. The dinner was followed by a ball, given
by her Ladyship the Mayoress ; and we need scarcely
add, that the dance was kept up till a late hour, when
every one retired highly delighted with the day's festivi-
ties.—Leeds Mercury.

HORRIBLE CASE.—A poor shoemaker at
Edinburgh had nearly all his face eaten away by a dread-
ful bleeding cancer ; the disease had began to destroy his
right eye; in this condition be was frightful and hideous
to look at; of course not the least hopes of a cure could
be expected. But however astonishing or even miraculous
the circumstance may appear, he has been cured by the
use of Holloway's ointment. This wonderful and extra-
ordinary remedy cures nearly all external diseases, and it
may be procured at any chemist throughout the kingdom,
or at the establishment of Mr. Holloway, 13, Broad-street
Buildings, City.

THE LATE LORD LANGFORD.—OH Saturday
the mortal remains of the late Right Hon. Hercules
Langford Rowley, Baron Langford, were deposited in
the catacombs of the Harrow-road Cemetery. The
funeral, in consonance with the wishes of the deceased,
was strictly private, the only connections whom we ob-
served present were, Lord Langford, a fine youth
about fourteen years of age, the Honourable Hercules
Langford Boyle Rowley, the Hon. Richard Rowley, and
Charles Egan, Esq. The burial service was most impres-
siv:ly performed, in the chapel of the Cemetery, by the
Chaplain, the Rev. Joseph Trigger, M. A. By the demise
of the late Baron, the following, among other noble
famili,s, will be placed in mourning, the Marquis Welles-
ley, the Duke of Wellington, the Earl of Longford, and
the Marquis of Headford.

EXECUTION OF SEVEN MEN.—Yesterday
morning, the seven teen convicted of the murder of the
blacks, at Liverpool Plains, suffered the last sad penalty
of the law on the drop, in the jaq yard, Gorge-street.
Four of the men were Episcopalians, and were attended
to the scaffold by the Rev. W. Cowper and Mr. T.
Hyndes. The remainder being Roman Catholics, were
attended by the Rev. Mr. Murphy, of St. Mary's Church.
The unfortunate men, Kilmaister especially, seemed deeply
dejected. Having severally shaken hands with Mr. Keck,
the jailor, and kissed each other, they resigned themselves
to their fate, and were speedily launched into eternity.
The Colonist, Dec. 10.

The Ayr Observer gives some distressing details
of the death of a lad, who, in April last, was attacked and
sadly bitten by a bull-dog. No idea had ever occurred to
the boy, or to those around him, that the dor-, was in a
rabid state, and until Monday, the 27th May -last, he en-
joyed as good health as he had ever experienced. Having
been hired as a farm-boy by Mr. Craig, in Burton, he
went home to his service on the evening of that day. On
Friday, upon approaching the Doon, it is said, he became
violently agitated, and "felt such an extreme aversion to
the sight of it, that he requested his friend to tic a napkin
about his eyes, which was done, to prevent the possibility
of his catching even a glimpse of it. A slight shower of
rain occurring during his progress homewards, and some
of the drops happening to fall on his hands, he manifested
such a dislike to the liquid, that he thrust his hands into
the coat-pockets of his acquaintance, at the same time
suffering severely from convulsions. These paroxysms
lasted about a minute, and the interval between them
about three minutes. Whilst they continued, even the
sound of water poured out, although not in his presence,
seemed to cause him excruciating pain, and threw him
again into fits." He died about ten o'clock on the evening
of Friday—the paroxysms having so weakened him, that
he seemed to pass away without much apparent pain, and
it might be said he died without a struggle.