The Sun.
London, England, 1862-06-18 00:00:00

MIDDLE

TATIONS.

LYNN, TUESDAY NIGHT.

The water on the Fens, which has for veral days
been within an inch or so of being level with the
roads (which in this part of the coital ry are gene-
rally higher than the surrounding knds, being, in
fact, banks), after I left yesterday for the purpose
of making up my parcel, in half a dozen places on
Rand's-bank, or Diggons's-road, as it is called,
rushed over from the great Marshland Mere into
tire Smeath Cross, as if it took a wild delight at the
idea cf fresh victories, and to the inhabitants fresh
disasters and losses. For about six hours the water
was trying to find its level, and was breaking on to
the land in the occupation of Mr. Sutterby, of Fil-
ney Fen End and others, about half way between
Filney Fen End and Enneth. The greatest alarm
was felt throughout the neighbourhood, and vast
numbers flocked to the spot with horses and tum-
brils, and by the most extraordinary exertions they
succeeded just before dark in checking to some ex-
tent the water in its overflow. An eye-witness has
just informed me that the lake was just like a large
basin into which it was being attempted to get more
water, and it was consequently flowing over on all
sides. It is hardly believed to be possible for many
more days to elapse before the water covers a still
larger extent of land than that submerged.
There are still many complaints reaching my ears
of the insecure state of the east bank, to make which
secure does not seem to enter the minds of the en-
gineers or their employers. The water is now rush-
ing through the culvert at a rate which almost pre-
cludes the possibility of the Magdalen engine
carrying the water away fast enough to prevent it
getting on the land. The water has forced a great
quantity of earth away, and considerable apprehen-
sion exists as to the bursting of the bank at that
particular point. It is useless to make any repre-
sentation of such insecurity, except through the
press, as otherwise no notice is taken of them.
At the first extensive hole in the cut to which
reference has been made I found to-day about 100
men and 20 or 30 lighters; and from clippings which
have been made, I am enabled to say that the re-
sults are satisfactory. Nothing is being done, how-
ever, to the hole by the Short Fen north bank.
All the -various interested parties from the aque-
duct to Lynn are prepared to petition the House of
Lords against the Middle Level Drainage and Navi-
gation Bill. These bodies number, perhaps, a dozen
courts and commissions, and though they have re-
solved upon a united opposition, they will petition
separately.
A public meeting, of landowners and occupiers is
convened for Friday, to take into consideration the
conduct of the Middle Level commissioners, and 1
am also informed to arrange for and take steps to
inaugurate a national subscription for the sufferers.
It is said that it will be attempted to drop the
panels into their places on Thursday.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

SOUTH WALES.

A Wharncliffe meeting of this company was held
yesterday .t the offices, Eastbourne-terrace, Pad-
dington ; C. R. M. Talbot, M.P., in the chair.
Mr. F. Saunders, the secretary, having read the
notice convening the meeting,
The Solicitor read the heads of a Bill for author-
izing agreements between the Briton Ferry Dock
and Railway Company, and other companies, and' a
lease of part of their wharves, and for altering rates
payable to the Neath Harbour Commissioners, and
for authorizing the Briton Ferry Dock and Railway
Company to raise further capital.
The CHAIRMAN explained that the matter in dis-
pute between the South Wales and Briton Ferry
Companies had been settled, and that the South
Wales Company would now pay up th© £5.000 due
on the shares held by them in the Briton Ferry
Company, £15,000 having been paid, making the
total amount £20,000.

A formal resolution approving the Bill was carried
unanimously.
The Solicitor read the heads of a Bill for author-
izing the Llanelly Railway and Dock Company to
make and maintain new lines of railway by way of
deviation from the authorized Swansea lines and
Carmarthen line, and other works, and to lay down
narrow gauge rails on the Carmarthen and Cardigan
Railway, and to make arrangements with other
companies, and to raise further capital. The prin-
cipal object of the Bill, so far as it affected the
South Wales Company, was to enable them to lay
down a third rail fiom the junction of the Llanelly
lines to Swansea. The powers were permissive,
and enabled them to do so if they thought it de-
sirable.

A formal resolution approving the Bill was car-
ried unanimously.
The next was a Bill to enable the Swansea Har-
bour Trustees to raise a further sum of money for
the purposes of that undertaking, and to authorize
a lease or leases of the Swansea Harbour Railway

and certain wharves in Swansea Harbour to the

Yale of Neath and Swansea and Neath Railway
• Companies, and to authorize the laying down of
additional rails for the narrow gauge on that rail-

wav,

, .
The CHAIRMAN explained that the bill gave the
South Wales Company the option of taking a cer-
tain portion of wharfage in the south dock within
12 months after the passing of the Act. They bad
also the power of using the Swansea Harbour Rail-

way on payment of id. per ton as toll.
A formal resolution approving the bill was car-
ried unanimously, and the proceedings terminated,

MADRAS.

The traffic receipts on this company's south-west
line for the months of March and April last
amounted to £20,225 on an average of 289 miles
open, against £15,789, on an average of 222 miles
open for. the same period last year, showing an in-
crease of 67 miles in the length, and £4,436 in the
receipts. Accounts have been received by the last
mail of the opening of this line for public tr file
throughout, from Madras to Beypoor, on the 14th
nit, Simultaneously with this event a revised tariff
approved by the Government, with a more remu-
nerative scale of fares for third.elass passengers,
came into operation. Rapid progress was being
made with the works on the branch railway to
Bangalore, which were now far advanced towards
completion. On the north-west line, to Cuddapah
and Bellary, it was expected that a further section
would soon be ready for opening.