The Sun.
London, England, 1854-04-11 00:00:00

STATUE OF GEORGE STEPIIENSON.

The uncovering of Mr. Baily's magnificent semi-
colossal statue of George Stephenson, the real "Railway
King," took place yesterday at the Euston-station of the
London at North-Western Railway.
George Stephenson may justly be termed the railway
wonder of the nineteenth century. As a boy, a collier,
he served his apprenticeship in the Beddington Colliery,
on the Tyne ; and while there, his mechanical genius
began first to develop itself in mending his fellow pit-
men's watches. For a brief space lie was a driver upon
the two-and-a-half mile per hour locomotive which then
crawled along the wooden tramways by which the coals
were conveyed from the pit heaps to the staiths, and
while there invented what has been the life and soul of
the railway system, the mechanism of the blast, the
principle of which is to make the evaporation operate
upon the speed, and the speed upon the evaporation.
Upon this theory he constructed a locomotive engine at
Beddington Colliery, which, with many improvements,
almost all by him, is the locomotive in use at the present
day. This engine we ourselves saw at Beddington. It
was then in full work, and though it looked a
strange, high piled machine, was, three years ago,
and probably still is, efficient. The discovery
of the blast was the first step to George Stephen-
son's fortune. He substituted iron rails for wooden
tramways, and was appointed engineer to the first rail-
way—the Manchester and Liverpool—constructed in
England, on which be achieved what had ever been con-
sidered an impossibility, the bridging over Chat Moss,
allowed to be the chef d'auvre of railway engineering.
The next railway undertaken by this great man was the
London and Birmingham line, which cost about 58,000/.
a mile ; and while he was superintending it he con-
structed every minutim of railway management—in fact,
he was the founder and the builder of the railway system.
He has usefully spent more money than, perhaps, it
would be safe exactly to estimate ; but certainly very
many millions ; while it is as certain that he has con-
structed by far more miles of railway than any engineer
in England. You may travel from London to Edinburgh
on one uninterrupted line of railroad, all the work of
the greatest of engineers, George Stephenson. Upon
his death, which happened in 1848, it occurred to the
Society of Civil Engineers, which he himself had founded,
that it would be a proper and becoming memorial to the
departed to erect a monument on a suitable site, and
that no site could be considered more suitable than the
magnificent hall at Euston-square. The subscription
was only once advertised—the 'appeal being made to
his personal friends and to the workmen who had la-
boured under him, and who adored him. The amount
realised was 2,8081., of which the average amount sub-
scribed by 178 friends was 141. ; the average amount con-
tributed by 3,150/. workmen was 2s. The memorial—
a marble statue, about eight feet high—was fittingly en-
trusted to Mr. Baily, who has produced as noble a work as
ever we have seen of the kind. The artist and the en-
gineer had personally known, admired, and esteemed each
other, and the statue—executed partly by the help of
Mr. Lucas's portrait, but more by the recollections of the
friend—represents not only his characteristic attitude
and his burly figure, but his features at once manly and
highly intellectual, with, as was admitted by all around,
the perfect expression of the countenance of the original.
After the derobing of the statue, Mr. Geach stated,
in addition to the information about the subscription
which we have already given, that it had been oigi-
nally proposed to place the work on the main platform
of the grand staircase at the back of the hall ; but to
have erected it on the landing place of a staircase utterly
out of the line of sight from the hall, which of course
must be the only point of view, would have been an
outrage to the spirit of art and to the very harmony of
things. The statue is therefore placed about two-thirds,
Or perhaps a little more, toward the upper end of the
hall ; but as it would have been just as much an outrage
upon common propriety to have made the founder and
architect of the railway, from the blast to the whistle, ap-
pear to look down upon a trumpery refreshment booth,
which has Long been an eyesore in the hall, there was a
loud expression of approval from the members of the
committee present, when Mr. Geach announced that it
would be immediately removed, and the sweep of the
ball left clear.
Mr SCOTT RUSSELL then, in a short but gracefully
put together and appropriate speech, proposed that the
grateful thanks of the committee should be given to Mr.
Baily for the execution of the very beautiful and cha-
racteristic work before them. Doubtless Mr. Baily had
received assistance from one or twe extraneous sources,
but nothing would have enabled him to portray the ex-
pression of his friend butathat instinctive feeling of sym-
pathy which knits one man of genius to another.
Mr. BAILY returned thanks in a few graceful words,
And the committee broke up

TO MEN COOKS. WANTED, a Single
Man, as COOK, at the Scarboro' Hotel, Leeds. He must
be well acquainted with Stove•cooking and the general routine
of hotel business. One who requires teaching need not apply.
Terms and reference as to character, to be sent, by letter, to Mr.
Fleischman'', Scarboro' Hoiel, Leeds. -

THEATRE ROYAL DRURY LANE.-
mr. E. T. SMITII, Lessee, has the honour to announce that
he has placed the above named National Establishment at the ser-
vice of the FUND in AID of the FAMILIES of the EXPEDITION-
ARY ARMY. In pursuance of this desirable object, a FANCY
FAIR will be held on the 13th and 14th of April, under the follow-
ng Royal and distinguished patronage:—
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge
Her Royal Highness the Duchess ofKent
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Glocester
Her Royal Highness the Princess 3fary of Cambridge
The Right Hon. the Lady Mayoress
Her Grace the Duchess of Hamilton
Her Grace the Duchess of Beaufort
Her Grace the Duchess of Montroso •
Her Grace the Duchess of Inverness
Her Grace the Duchess of Somerset
Her Grace the Duchess of Richmond
The Most Noble the Marchioness of Londonderry
The Most Noble the Marchioness of Blandford
Tne Most Ncble the Marchioness of Aylesbury
The Right Hon. the Countess of Chesterfield
The Right Hon. the Countess of Kinnonl
The Right Hon. the Countess of Glengall
The Right Hon. the Countess of Bessborongh
The Right Hon. the Countess of Derhy
The Right Hon. the Countess of Shelburne
The Right Hon. the Countess of Wilton
The Right Eon. the Countess of.Desart
The Eight Hon. the Countess of Donoughmore
The Right lien. the Viscountess Pahnerston
The Right Hon. the Viscountess Maidstone
The Right Hon. the Viscountess Newport
Lady Sophia Des-llceux
Lady Colville
Lady Raglan
The Hon. Miss AMU
Mrs. Disraeli
Mrs. J. Stanley.
Every appointment and appearance of the Theatre will be called
Into requisition on this important and interesting occasion ; decora-
tions are preparing. The pit will be covered for promenade, and an
efficient band provided far the execution of choice and new original
music. Ladies desirous of aiding by their presence this benevolent
demonstration are respectfully reminded that they should make early
application for stalls. A 1100 K 14 now open in the lobby of the grand
entrance to receive contributions in the shape of articles intended for
sale on the occasion.

TLIEATRE MOYAL DRURY LANE.

Lessee, Mr. E. T. Smith.
Great Attraction for the
CONCERTS MiIIion.—SMITIPS PROMENADE

Passion Week.—For TWO ',TIGHTS ONLY: TO-MORROW
EVENI-NG ; Wednesday. April 12 ; and Thursday. April I3.—An
Assemblage of Vocal and Instrumental Talent Unrivalled. in a Temple
Decorated for the Occasion. The Pit will be converted into a Grand
yromenade, forming a vast Arena for the Visitors. Among a host
of Wont, the following eminent artistes will have the honour of ap-
pearing :—Vocaiists—Miss Poole, Miss Susannah Lowe, Miss Rans-
"ford, Mi-s Yeatherstorie ; Mn. Elliot tinier, Mr. Ram, ford, and Mr.
Henri Drayton. Instramennlists—Messra. Distin, the celebrated
perfofmers on the Sax Horns. Pianoforte—Herr Carl Wohlfson.
Concertints—blr ,R. Rift-grove. Flute—Mr. IL S. Pratton. Conduc-
tor of tit: Vocal Music —Mr. J. I'. Duggan. The Orcbestr4 will be
most powerful and complete, consisting of 70 pert miners. Conductor
of the Instrumental Music —Mr. G. Haward. The programme will
conopri e all the most poplar selections of the day, vocal and instrn7
mental, including the suceessthl opera of Leonle. Pit promenade
and upper boxes, 14. ; dress boxes, 2s ; private boxes, 11.
INs., and PJs. Doors will open at ha:lc-past 7, and commence at 8.

TIIEIT E ROYAL. II SYMARK ET.

Under no Inanage:nent of Mr. Ruckstone.

Tile week being Passion Wcek, the Theatre will be Closed, and
will Re-open on Easter Monday, April 17. with a Comedy. Atter
width, an entirely new and original eatrayaganza, entilPd Mr.
BUCKSTOict'S VOYAGE 'ROUND TULE GLOtal (IN LEWES-
TER•AQUARE), written by l'isocbe, Esq., Author of Mr.
llnckstone's Ascent of lloupt Parnassn,, and which will be produced
with entirely new scenery, m„hipp-ry, dress's, and appointments.
'Prlnc•pal characters by Mr. iluctatoue, Mr. W. Farrell, Mr. Clara.,
Mr. J. bfarshall, Mr- Marstmil i Mrs. Fitzwilliam, Mrs. Canlileid,
Miss E. Gtey, Miss Lydia. Thompson, Miss Laura Morris, and Miss
Featherstone, who is re-engaged at this theatre. With other En-
tert4,nments, The hex-otlice will be opened on Saturday next, the
15th Inst.