The Sun.
London, England, 1853-12-17 00:00:00

EASTERN UNION.
A meeting of the holders of the common stock of this
company was held yesterday afternoon at Radley's
Hotel, Bridge-street, Blackfriars, " for the pnrpo eof
consenting to the directors converting any part Z.f the
debts owing by the company, not exceeding in the ag.
gregate, together with the debts already converted, or
authorised to be Converted, the sum of 250,0001.,
and 'respectively amounting to 501. and upwards, and
not secured by mortgage or bond, into perpetual stock
of the company of equal amount, bearing a preferential
dividend, or interest in the nature of dividend, not ex-
ceeding the rate of 41. per cent. per annum, to be cal-
culated from the Ist day of July, 1852, and to be paid
in priority to any interest or dividend upon the pre-
ference stocks Nos. 1,2, 3, and 4."
Mr. J. C. COBBOLD, the chairman of the company,
briefly addressed the meeting, remarking that it had
been rendered necessary by the act of the 15th and 16th
Victoria. At one time the common shareholders re-
fused to consent to the conversion, but they had now
agreed to the proposition. It was extremely desirable
to get out of debt before entering into relations with
other companies, which, he trusted, would place the
company in a better position than it had hitherto oc-
cupied. (Hear, hear.) He concluded by proposing a
resolution in conformity with the object above stated.
The resolution was seconded by Mr. G. SMITH, and
carried unanimously ; and the usual vote of thanks to
the Chairman and directors terminated the proceedings.

NEWALL'S RAILWAY BREAK.
Yesterday a trial of Newall's patent railway break
took place on the London and North-Western Railway,
between London and Watford. The train started from
.the London station at one o'clock, and consisted of an
engine, tender, two break vans, and six first-class car-
riages.. There were six breaks attached to the train. In
the train were several gentlemen from different railway
companies, among whom were Mr. Watkin, of the Lon-
don and North-Western ; Mr. Newall, the patentee • and
two gentlemen from the Northern of France Railway.
When the train acquired a speed of 39i miles per hour, it
was stopped on an ascending gradient of 1 in 341 by the
breaks in 33 seconds from the time the signal was given,
and in tie space of 393 yards, the length of the train
being 68 yards. The train was again started, and
after some time acquired a speed of 41 miles per hour,
swelicoenndts the
hesigntralaintothe train was given, and in 31
gradient of 1 in 600, and in the space of 324 yards. The
was brought to a stand on a -rising
stop
train then proceeded to Watford, and, having acquired
a speed of about 40 miles per hour, was stopped in 55
seconds, in order to pull up at the station. On return-
ing to London three fog signals were placed on the rails
near Harrow, and only one took effect. After the sig- -
apparatus,wiln,
a2slo2omooas
yards.
Id
nal was given by the explosion, the train, at a speed of
40 miles an hour, was stopped in 44 seconds, in a space
of about 486 yards, and on a descending gradient of 1
ts thenwpa was
It
estimatedottprsaihtiionouulli o:
could
dent
oh amnweto,
mentioned
with tni hnsegtdtohpteph aedtduring ordinaryt Ihnetlhewes
sebl ,
cart,
weather
break
of the time, which' had the effect of making the rails
very slippery, and rendering the breaks much less effec-
tive than under ordinary circumstances.
• It'appears from testimonials, that some very serious
collisions have already been prevented on the East Lan-
cashire line by Mr. Newall's break—in one case stop-
ping a fast train within 25 yards of a goods and passen-
ger.train. The cost of the apparatus, if applied to
existing carriages, would be about 8/. 14. each, but, if
adopted in the construction of new carriages, the coat is
stated to be about Si. each.

THE LARGEST VIADUCT IN THE WORLD.
The opening of the Newport, Abergavenny, and Here-
ford Railway, which took place last week, has naturally
drawn attention to the works in connexion with that
line yet to be accomplished. The line at present extends
but from Newport to Hereford ; though the continuance
of the narrow gauge from the last-named city to Shrews-
bury, W orcester, &c., on to Liverpool and the north,
renders it of more importance than might at first be •
considered. An important extension, however, yet re-
mains to be accomplished. This is, to form a loop line
at Pontypool, at a junction of the Hereford and Ponty-
pool Railway, which will extend thence to the great coal
basin of Glamorganshire, embracing also much of the
iron and coal district of that county and Monmouth.
shire. This will be termed " the loop line ; " and, at-
tention being now directed to this branch, we find that,
in connexion with its works, a viaduct, which will be
the largest in the world, is about to be constructed.
From Pontypool the loop line extends up the pic-
turesque valley of Crumlyn, which forms, in fact, the
first entrance upon the romantic scenery of Wales. This
valley extends for about five miles to the west. Upon
this piece of the line there is a tunnel now cutting, 800
feet long ; and embankments of a large character, with
here and there deep cuttings, are necessary. Just be-
yond the tunnel the railway will suddenly emerge upon
the high range of land known as the Soverydd Mountain.
The apex of this great elevation will form the resting-
place of the first abutment of the largest railway viaduct
in the world. Below is the western valley, in which the
river Ebbw flows downwards to the Severn. The rail-
way of the Monmouthshire Company runs through this
valley ; and a small village, with two or three collieries,
fills up the scene, which is peculiarly attractive.
The viaduct will cross this valley to the oppo-
site height of Trinant mountain, and then
branch off angularly to the crest of Crosspenmayne-
hill, a small valley lying between. The mean height of
the viaduct above the railway now traversing the west-
ern valley will be no less than 200 feet. When this pas-
sage is accomplished, the line will extend through a
beautiful Monmouthshire district of hill and vale, lull of
mineral wealth and works, into the Glamorganshire dis-
trict, which equally teunis with products calculated to
enrich a railway proprietary. The loop line will pro-
ceed on to Quakers's-yard, where it will unite with the
Taff Vale Railway, which proceeds down, on the one
hand, to the great shipping port of Cardiff, and, on the
other, up to the great works of the late Sir John Guest,
Mr. Crawshay, and Mr. Alderman Thompson, at Mer-
thyr, Dowlais, Penydarren, &c. Thence a line is pro-
jected to extend to shipping ports further down—Neath,
Swansea, Port Talbot, Milford Haven, &c. ; the whole
district teeming with a vast population and the largest
collieries and ironworks in the kingdom.
The Crumlyn viaduct,however,emtlrewdonisotvgshiitdpnehega
mediate object in view, to it we return. This work has
been undertaken by Mr. T. W. Kennard, of Duke-
street, Adelphi, London, the engineers being Mr. Liddell
and Professor
bite.dheTainf:thu
tioel
stalryhwkdbeeoehannl
wopi
believed
approved
rreookadTfvs
ewtthui
dhlemi
the
ble
pasylolbml entire
tonr
heensawenechh
atrceaeomi cvtmsteiiunbpobenelneil
eminent
ethswnwuee
unusually
carefully
examined ithin
ti i.
as
thtn under-
stand,
sl nt, although
statedghuarsea
eers.
ng
divided
being
ii,:nnea segtr
oylw "se6esbvo Westernee fnio
er
ee:
mountains.. Valley
stated,
aT lfleheteyne t
tetTs—hhphheeai
wee
spans.
TsfiVl
l.rirsaiantdtbrEaUtienaCact
......ttecuhe:rtotenih6l_hle6i
structure—that
totalefi
trn
iron trussedspan will be composed of four wrought
girders, the whole being surmounted
by a wooden platform, on which will be laid the
permanent way. These girders will rest on piers, en-
tirely formed of iron, and each pier will consist of a
group of 14 columns, fromed together with east-iron
girders every 17 feet, and braced vertically and horizon-
tally with wrought-iron ties. When the whole of this
istupendousnearr
carriages
structuren
gi s
acrossraised, ait
,n dt
hpeya sws nag
be
er s aat r
ae
hs ee
gt eh ad
fromtoth
atthoefltehvaelgroeaf tht
meernalweanytiinn
200 feet. the
envdaelnle,yerbelomewre equalthan
cea andfawale
ianuctrieeresting
ceremony: Lady Isabella
applauseit ‘ The
daysothTehreagdistinguishedo erectionw he when
o ft h tpeheer
Hs fistoernns. t
occoo
Captain
utpzmtpaani r
tn t
iopnoikttzhn
urice, breaking a
F
Isabella Pier," amid a sa
ed b
ot fh ea action ou nm column
and namedthe
The viaduct was designed by Mr. T. W. Kennard,
bottle of champagne agarvset
of Duke-street, Adelphi, London.

ELOPEMENT.--On Wednesday last the wife of Mr.
Stocker, proprietor of a highly respectable academy at
Boughton, near Faversham, left her home in company
with one of the ushers, named Chatterton, and has not
since been heard of. The guilty parties took with them
all the plate, and a considerable sum of money ; the
faithless woman has left three children and a husband
in a state bordering on distraction, and the worthless
scoundrel, the companion of her flight, has succeeded in
victimising several tradesmen in Boughton and Favor-
sham, to rather a large amount..--;Fouth, Eastern Gazette.
FOREIGN POULTRY FOR CHRISTMAS.—Large impor-
tations are now taking place of poultry of all kinds, from
France, Belgium, and Holland, for Christmas cheer, and
further large arrivals will take place to assist in the sup-
ply of the markets during the. ensuing week. These
unruyal exhibi-
arrivals, besides all kinds of poultry, comprise large
quantities of rabbits from Belgium, which are now re-
anliedveehiosf
cCounscteosmsiosuduistyfeounudimtepohretataiongrienatto tbheiusncotuunttbrye
Agricul-
TiuonmunEu nlwSii i lit
otyohn. SHOW.—The
thea.—y, Tsi h: el i
theoferection
SALlSBURYstockclasses
took
point
Ot
the exhibition fell far below its predecessors, .but the
many of the animals were muchwas commendable, and
Devon ox, belonging to the famed
general quality of the stock
admired. The fat
prize in class A, was certainlywhich obtained the first
being estimated at 70 score.
John Coate, of Hammoon
Mr. Ford, of Rushton, Which agriculturist, Mr.
a noble animal, its weight
the class
aNNllideit-eilien
h,iatm was exhibited was also a splendid
The Hereford ox shown by
ox, belongino. to Ai- obtained the first prize In
fine points, and
animal ;
and the extra s creaks
!ie retina k is applicable to a Here-
ford cow belonging to Mr. Stephen Mills. A short-horn
King, of Nursling, exhibited some
.elliliugwhulyheyonmtrienEd.eNdvabytertshewajsudnfueesh;
a"
dr'ire,'
1- in the sheep department, although the show
was not numerous, many splendid specimens of success-
ful breeding were exhibited ; and amongst them may be
mentioned the fat Southdown wethers belonging to Mr.
S. Mills ; the fat Southdown ewes which were shown
by the noted Wiltshire breeder, Mr. J. Futcher, of Fo-
vant ; and the fat Hampshire down wethers and ewes,
for which Mr. Pain, of Houghton, bore away the prizes.
Mr. Rawlings, of Hale, exhibited a pen of excellent me-
rinoes ; and a pen of Southdown ewes, belonging to Mr.
Moore, of Littlecot, together with a pen of Hampshire
down wethers, the property of Mr. Taunton, attracted
considerable attention for their size and symmetry. But '
perhaps the most remarkable feature in this department
was a pen of Southdown lambs, under 11 weeks old, be-
longing to Mr. Fleetwood, for which a bounty of 10s.
was awarded by the judges. In the pig department
there were several specimens which excited much adrai..,
ration.— Wiitehire Gagate.