The Sun.
London, England, 1863-01-10 00:00:00

THE METROPOLITAN RAILWAY•

The Metropolitan Railway has at length become
a "great fact," and, we may confidently add, a
great success. Yesterday saw it opened by the
directors ; to-day it is open for public traffic. More
than ten years have now elapsed since the original
scheme was first projected. Mr. Charles Pearson,
the late City solicitor, was among the first to recog-
nise the importance of the project, but it was not
until the year 1854 that an Act was obtained for
carrying out the Metropolitan Railway: The line
as at present constructed extends from Farringdon-
street to Bishop's-road, Paddington, a distance of
three miles and three quarters. The intermediate
stations are King's-cross, Gower-street (for Euston-
square and Tottenham Court-road), Portland-road,
Baker-street, and Edgeware-road. At King's-cross
the line joins the Great Northern, and at Pad-
dington connects with the Great Western Railway.
The Farringdon-street Station is only temporary,
the company having obtained powers to extend
the line to Finsbury-circus. This extension,
which is to be proceeded with as soon as
possible, will pass under the proposed dead meat-
market in Smithfield, at which point the Great
Western Company propose to construct a large sta-
tion for goods for traffic. The London, Chatham,
and Doer Company have also obtained Parliamen-
tary powers to join the Metropolitan line near
Farringdon-street, and to run over the intended
extension to Finsbury-circus. By
means, there-
fore, of the Metropolitan Railway, the Great West-
ern, Great Northern, and London, Chatham' and
Dover Companies will be placed in direct communi-
cation, and traffic both of passengers and goods will
then be conveyed directly from all parts of the North
and West of England, to the southern ports. The
importance of such a connection cannot be too
highly estimated. The facilities thus afforded for
the direct conveyance of traffic without break of
carriage, and avoiding the cost of carriage through
London, must have a beneficial effect upon the trade
of the country in general, and especially on that be-
tween the northern counties and the Continent.
Tire main importance, however, of the undertaking
arises from the fact that it will afford a direct and
expeditious means of conveyance for the enormous
traffic between the east and west ends of London.
If the traffic of our main thoroughfares continued to
increase as it has done for the last few years loco-
motion would, without some such relief, become
impracticable, and, although the corporation of
London is endeavouring to obtain powers to regulate
the traffic of the streets by separating the heavy
goods from the lighter traffic, this would but
partially remedy the evil. The time has come when
some means were absolutely required for removing
a great part of the traffic entirely from the streets,
and that great object will, we hope, be secured by
the opening of the Metropolitan Railway.
The line has been constructed by Mr. Fowler,
and the character of the works bears the highest
testimony to his great engineering skill. Indeed
the line may be regarded as the great engineer-
ing triumph of the day. We have from time to
time described the works as they progressed. We
may only now add that among the many gentlemen
who were yesterday present at the formal inaugu-
ration of the line but one sentiment was expressed,
that, notwithstanding the extraordinary difficulties
which had to be encountered, Mr. Fowler's genius
and the energy of the contractors, Messrs. Jay,
Smith, and Knight, had triumphed over them all.

At one o'clock, between 600 and 700 ladies and
gentlemen who had been invited by the directors
assembled at the Bishop's-road station, Padding-
ton, and proceeded in two trains, after a short
interval spent at each of the intermediate stations,
to Farringdon-street. The various stations were
much admired, being alike commodious and elegant.
The ingenious contrivances for obtaining light and
ventilation were also deservedly commended. The
two trains were drawn each by two engines, so con-
structed as to emit neither smoke nor steam. The
first was conducted by Mr. Myles Fenton, the gene-
ral manager of the company ; and the second by
Mr. Tanner, the Great Western Company's super-
intendent of the line. The carriages were lighted
with gas. The smoothness of the line and the com-
fort of the carriages were beyond all praise ; while
nothing could be more satisfactory than the simple
and yet effective operation of the new railway sig-
nals, the perfecting of which had somewhat retarded
the opening of the line.
At three o'clock an elegant dejeuner was given
to the large company invited by the directors at the
Farringdon-station. For this purpose the arrival
and departure platform was enclosed, the sides and
roof being tastefully draped with scarlet and white,
ornamented with numerous flags and banners. The
upper table, at which were seated the more distin-
guished guests, was placed on a raised platform,
and at right angles there stretched three rows of
tables, where covers were laid for 630.
The chairman of the company, Mr. W. A. Wil-
kinson, presided, having on his right the Lord
Mayor, Sir Rowland Hill, Col. Sir J. Hamilton,
Mr. H. Lewis, M.P., Mr. Gilpin, M.P., Mr,
W. Wood, M.P., Mr. Scott Russell, Mr. Ayrton,
M.P., and on the left Lord Harris, the Right Hon.
Robert Lowe, M.P., Viscount Torrington, Sir M.
Peto, Mr. Malins, M.P., Sheriff Jones, Professor
Owen, M. Du Chaillu, Aldermen Wilson, Sydney,
Humphet y, Sir G. Moon, Abbis, Dakin, Carter,
Bexley, Gibbons, &c.
The entertainment was provided by the Messrs,
Staples, of the Albion, and did ample credit to that
far-famed establishment.

Mr. Harker was toastmaster, and after the cloth
had been removed, and the usual loyal toasts duly
honsoured and responded to,
ir .Pvro replied for " The House of Commons.'
The CHAIRILiII then called upon
Mr. LOWE, M.P., who, on rising to propose the
next toast, was loudly cheered. The right hon.
gentleman said,—Mr. Chairman' my Lords and
Gentlemen, you have conferred upon
dis-
tinguished honour of being allowedtompe the
rore to
this company prosperity to an undertaking t
mencement of which we are met this day to e'e inau-
gurate,
an,
gurate, The traffic of London has long been a
reproach to the most civilised nation of the world,
and the opprobrium of the age. Dr. Johnson used
to say that if you wanted to see the full tide of
human life you must go to Charing-cross; but Dr.
Johnson would have to raise his estimation of the
full tide, or rather of the doss jam of the full tide
of human life, many hundred per cent. before he
could arrive at the state which the traffic of Lon-
don has now .reached. It has always been. felt to
be absolutely necessary that some step should be
taken to reduce this growing evil. The railway
system has been of enormous advantage to the whole
country, that has received it, but for the inte-
rior of
_London it has been a positive injury in
many respects. It has added some more to that
which was already too much,- and made the traffic
of the streets, before extremely difficult, almost en-
tirely impossible. Under these circumstances eight
years ago—eight long years
to
since_parliamentt gave
onstruct a
and most
permission to the present
companytr
railway through one of the most crowded
difficult districts of London to relieve that fa o. I
have said a long time has elapsed since thea e
pany received their Parliamentary powers, buct7;
ust consider the difficulties with which that come
p spy has had to deal. They had to descend into the
underground life of London, if I may so speak. A
great town is like a forest—that is not the whole of
it 7ou see above ground. The company has had to
its way through obstacles which those only
can truly appreciate who have had to contend with
them. They had to make their way through
gas pipes and water pipes and sewers, and that
greatest of all obstacles, that modern dragon, which
Mr. Fowler, the modern St. George, has four times
vanquished—the Fleet ditch—(cheers)—indeed I
know not that he should not therefore put in his
claim for that office recently become vacant—the
Admiral of the Fleet. (Cheers and a laugh,) This
task
was one of no Ordinary difficulty, and we who
were fortunate enough to Palie over the line to-day
had the .pleasure of seeing how admirably admirably and effi-
ciently all its been difficulties have
The task has been a most vvonderfullsurmounted.
difficult one,
because this railway differs from aZ hers I ever
saw in this,—that whc reas on the other
railways
you accommodate the circumstances areundittoblige,rail way, in this case the oompanyhave been obi

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