The Sun.
London, England, 1854-08-15 00:00:00

Quebec, nil July, 1854.
TO TER DIRECTORS OF THR GRAND TRUNK RAILWAY

GENTLEMEN,— In view of the approaching COMPANY :
meeting, I .have to report for your information, and that
of the proprietary, the progress your
which has been
made in the prosecution of Works of this great under-
taking. half-yearly
In doing this, my statement must necessarily be confined
to dry details, perhaps uninteresting and uninstructive,
excepting to those few, who from their position as direc-
tors and trustees, are naturally expected to evince a more
than ordinary desire for the most full and authentic infor-
mation, connected with. the great trust 'confided to their
charge.
ani-on-this occasion more than ordinarily anxious to
fulfil this duty, as many unfounded and injurious reports
have been spread abroad, and industriously circulated,
respecting the progress made in the execution-lof the works
of this most important enterprise. I shall therefore pro-
ceed to lay before you a detailed account of what has been
done on the different divisions of the line, and the means
now employed in carrying on the work.
MONTREAL AND TORONTO SECTION'.
. It will be in the recollection of the board, that the spring
of last year advanced before we were in a position to com-
mence operntions in the preparatory field works necessary
for our guidance, these were prosecuted with vigour and
the surveys completed in convenient sections, were duly
deposited in the proper Government offices to such extent,
as enabled the contractors in August of the last year, to
proceed in acquiring the land and making the necessary
arrangements for prosecuting the works.
In the meantime further deposits of plans have succeeded
eaCh her; the whole of the surveys are now perfected
and deposited, these give a result of 333 miles, as the length
of the line between the termini at Montreal and Toronto.
I have now to report, that the land has been purchased
for 250 miles of this length, as well as for that required for
the terminal stations at Montreal and• Toronto, and all the
intermediate stations along the whole length of the section,
amounting in the aggregate to nearly 3,50 j acres. The re-
maining 83 miles, which will comprise about 1,000 acres,
may be acquired as soon as circumstances may seem to
justify. Exorbitant sums have been paid for the laud 'at
both the terminal stations, and at many of the intermediate
stations, also, in addition to being obliged in many in-
stances to purchase a far greater quantity than the require-
ments of the railway demanded. The land generally with
some few exceptions, in addition to those instances already
stated, has been obtained upon terms which have not dis-
appointed our expectations, and I do not anticipate that the
any cause for coqiplaint.
portion still remaining to be acquired will leave much, if

With the view'of completing the Eastern end ofth.l line
sfrminoal lllaleoctnitorne aolf th
the B rw°ec
Whitby, about 35 miles, by the autumn of next year, forces
.41Etvoir• Lai ee,
oadb, about
mll2 Torontom i l es
e,
oasntdw
aa lrsdo
tao
to a large amount have been from t,ie earliest commence•
rt no einot of the
trto
gm more
oastohna
o regularlyord ioZ :
ye ;xpelrotyieocol ,
forand t
haet eartaryi
olot pointo t
of this object, every means is being taken to expedite the
work.
The greatest of such points occurs, as you are aw'mre, at
the crossing of the river Ottawa, at St. Ann's and Vau-
dreuil, where the bridging extends to nearly 2,203 feet in
length, and upon the masonry and works connected there-
with ; there are now employed 949 men and 109 horses ;in
addition to this, nearly the whole of the ironworks for this
structure, which constitutes one half of the cost of the
bridge has been completed in England and is now shipped.
Without referring to any other particular work beyond
the one I have already specified, which is the largest and
most important feature of the whole section, I would beg
to draw attention to the appendix A; which clearly shows
the amount and distribution of the forces now employed,
this you will find upon the 147 miles now in active opera-
tion, gives an average of 50 men and 8 horses per mile.
Upon the middle division at Kingston, where such
works only are being proceeded as require most time to
complete, 650 men and 50 horses are employed. The com-
pletion of this division of the lino being deferred to one
year later than the sections at either end, no larger force
than that now employed is necessary.
You will observe in the appendix there are 7,600 men,
and 1,200 horses employed between Montreal and Toronto,
whose operations .re principally coutieed to about one
half of the line; and of this 630 wen anti 6,-1 horses. are
at Moutrea , ,
ts of one thousand miies of railway, eon-
future mquireinen
employed in, e:hrriychinag,-,..ondtoliseig Nnveotiikosnofathsecaslteatitoon
tibueielt,litnigies
m
verging at this centre. Having thus enumerated the
amount of forces cm ,loyed in prosecuting the works of the
sections now proceeding with, I shall briefly state the
amount of work already aocomplished ; which I shall de-
scribe by commencing with the rails.
Of 15,000 tons of rails required, there have been re-
ceived 9,452 tons, and 4,448 tons in addition have been
shipped and may shortly be expected. There are, also.
6,000 tons more provided, which await the departure of
the September fleet from England, when the whole will
have been sent off.
Of 314,00 J ties required, there are 208,000 provided.
Of 150 miles of fencing, there are 55 miles completed,
and the whole of remainder provided.
44 miles are already graded, and the remainder are being
proceeded with in full force.
The culvert and bridge masonry are advancing in due
proportion at every point where needed most, and in every
instance will, I believe, keep pace with the other works.
It ia intended to get in the foundations for the station
buildings, at Montreal throughout the season, these extend: to an aggregate length of
4.000 feet, in sundry buildings,
varying from 40 to 90 feet in width, Boise of which are two
stories in height, and con,ist principally of passenger
stations, goods warehouses, locomotive
erecting shops,
shops. stables, car erecting shops, smiths, and foundry
• It is proposed to complete the car and smiths shops this
season,so so as tad
dmit of commencing the construction of
rollin stock which is to be built 'upon the pre-
na
iTs eh:: locomotive The
remaining
r o wer isbuildings
being
being so far prepared this autumn, will be readily advanced
to completion next year.
roof
•the Canada Works, Birkenhead, PwhPearree the bridge iron-
work is also constructing, and
--- Upon these 630 artisans are
now employed.
Considering the magnitude of the 'ens in which we
thids,
inestablishment
are engaged, and the manyadverseoperati
incident
i, bceirincugmasbtlannactese
England, at
every reason for elation,congrat
to a country devoid of all and • • for
every flexible appliance
carrying out large works, I think, on the whole, we have
the first twelve months' .Aerations to render a statement
showing nearly 50 per cent, of the task. the
end nf
now n hand ac-
complished, moreover, the progre now makingl with the
forces einployel, will at the closes
advance the works of grading to of the present
leave
the
completion, and leave
little more to do in the ensuing year, th w
an t lay an finish
the superstructure of the
permanent way, for hich,d th in e
meantime, every appliace will be mply provided.
TORONTO AND SARNI, nec .
On the western section beyond l'
Toronto, will be in the
recollection of the Board, that all works West of St. Marfa,
'69 miles from Sarnia, have been in abeyance, beyond this
point nothing has been done, cue
pting the completion of
the surveys, and securing the right of way.
The works of construction between Toronto and St.
• Mary's, 99 miles, have made considerable progress, and at
present the contractor's operations are confined to the dis-
trict extending from Toronto to Stratford, 89 miles.
I find in the returns furnished to me by Mr. Walter
Shanty, my resident assistant in that district, that there
are one thousand nine hundred and thirty men employed
upon the work, th.s gives an average of
about 22 men to
the mile, and considering the amount of eitathwork yet to
do upon this section? I deem an increase of the forces em-
.ployed in that district advisable.
The masonry is as far forward as can be desired, and in
'every way satisfactory. The supply of permanent mate-
rials, such as 'tress-ties, fencing, and rails, as
yet,onl
roach 33 per cent. of the required amount. y
These, however, are but temporary drawbacks which
can be soon overcome, and by the end of the season, I have
good reason for believing, tbat the results will be iu every
ont the whole o •
Way so.ti•tactory through
.. f this section.
Every disposition
• • is evinced by the contractors to meet
our wishes in this re peat, and, I am advised that every
arrangement is made for the immediate supply of all the
rails required.