The Sun.
London, England, 1863-06-06 00:00:00

CLIFTON SUSPENSION BRIDGE.

The first of the wire coils, I,looft. in length, and
weighing two tons, was successfully suspended
across the chasm at St. Vincent's Rocks on Wed-
nesday. Although the workmen commenced to pay
it out about 11 o'clock in the morning the end of it
was not transmitted to the South pier till 8 o'clock
in the evening, and it was not finally adjusted till
a later hour. The magnitude of the work and the
heavy character of all its details can now be fully
estimated. It has been found necessary to double
the number of workmen on the South pier. Even
now the bridge itself has not been commenced.
The huge stages on either side of the river,
together with the anchorage, have occupied
between five and six months in their erection.
The temporary bridge, of which the present
coil of wire is the first support, will occupy
about a fortnight in completion, and all this will
be only the preliminary operations necessary for the
men to work over the immense span of 700 feet.
Under the superintendence of Messrs. Cochrane and
Airey, the two and a half inch cable suspended on
Tuesday evening was securely fastened to the end
of the wire coil on Wednesday morning, and, as
already stated, the men commenced paying out the
coil at 11 o'clock. This cable was coated with oil
and tar us it was unwound from the crab, and slowly
made its way up the incline, two powerful crabs
being employed on the Somersetshire side to haul it
over. Two hundred feet having been payed out
it was necessary to make everything secure, and
then serve that portion of the coil resting on the
" saddles " at the top of the pier with an extra
coating of canvas and iron wire. Nine coils of this
kind having been suspended a strong cradle will
be attached to two of them, and swung down to the
centre, and on this the workmen will commence
bolting the planks for the platform, gradually
completing the stage as they near the inclines, the
declination of which is about lin 21. This plat-
form completed, a " traveller" will be attached to
one of the wire cables, and by this machine the
chains, &c., will be conveyed to any part of the
platform, above which the suspension bridge will
be erected. The time of its completion will neces-
sarily depend on the character of the winter
mouths, as rough and boisterous weather would
greatly interfere with the operations. Large num-
bers of spectators assembled near the Observatory
on Clifton Down, and watched the proceedings
with great interest, although the almost impercep-
tible progress made sadly taxed their patience.

THE BRIGHTON RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

The real cause of this accident is still a mystery, and will,
we suppose, continue to remain so until after the Govern-
ment inquiry has been held. This will be commenced im-
mediately after the termination of the inquest at Streatham,
which was adjourned until the 16th inst.
As a great number of absurd rumours about the affair
have passed into circulation, we think it right to give the
railway company's account of the matter. There are four
causes generally given to account for the accident—
the explosion of the boiler, defective permanent way,
excessive speed, and a faulty engine. The explosion of
the boiler was the result, and not the cause, of the over-
turning of the engine. As fas as can be known at present,
there was no detect in the permanent way, the company's
inspector having surveyed the line of rails a very short
time previously. As to the third cause, the company's
officers give a positive denial to the story of excessive
speed. The train left East Croydon at 6'B p.m., or ex-
actly four minutes behind its time, and not 20 minutes,
as has been erroneously stated. The distance between Eau
Croydon and the spot where the engine overturned is, in
round numbers, three and a half miles ; and the front guard,
who was thrown out of the break on to the engine, states
positively that on looking at his watch, the chain ot which
was broken during his fall, it was exactly a quarter past 6,
giving 30 miles an how as the velocity at which the train
was running. The engine was built in 1858 by the company
themselves, and was one of six specially destined for express
work, so there appears to be little room to doubt ot its effi-
ciency. Several of the passengers, have, however, already
stated that the train was going at an immense speed, but as
most people judge of the velocity of a train by the amount
of oscillation, their statement may possibly prove to be un-
intentionally erroneous. All parties appear to be agreed on
one point, that the amount of vibration just before the ac-
cident was excessive, but fur the present it is perfectly un-
acounted for. Singularly enough, the engine turned over
on the inner side of the curve on which it was running,
which seems to be an additional proof that it was going at a
moderate speed.

SOCIETY FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE FINE
ARTs,—Last evening, at the Society's rooms in Conduit-
street, Mr, H. W. Carr delivered an interesting lecture on
" Greek Tragedy," before a numerous audience, who ap-
peared to enter with deep interest into the subject, and
Was frequently applauded. A discussion followed.