The Sun.
London, England, 1853-10-31 00:00:00

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

GREAT INDIAN PENINSULAR COMPANY.
The following is the report of the directors of this
company to be submitted to the eighth half-yearly gene-
ral meeting of shareholders, to be held this day!—.
"It was announced, by anticipation, in the tub half-
yearly report, that the first portion of this company's
railways—from Bombay to Tannah, 21 miles—would
most likely be opened in the month of April. That
was accomplished on the lith April, since which time
two trains have been running daily with the greatest
regularity. The latest despatches from India, at the
time of writing this report, reach to the beginning of
September, and as the periodical rains occupy most of
the interval between April and September, no approxi-
mate test even of the traffic has consequently xet been
made. But the directors are nevertheless satisfied, from
the number of passengers conveyed along the railway
during the monsoon, that the general result in passenger
traffic will be greatly beyond their former calculation.
Arrangements had not been completed for the carriage
of merchandise, but preparations were being made at the
date of the last advices, and goods traffic will ere long
be commenced. The native population have evinced
the greatest alacrity in availing themselves of this new
mode of locomotion, and all the risks and inconveniences
foretold of introducing the railway system into India,
are already satisfactorily proved to be groundless.
"The works on the consecutive portions of the 'ex-
perimental' railway, from Tannah to Callian, and thence
to Shawpoor, are proceeding to the satisfaction of the
chief resident engineer and the committee of directors in
Bombay. .

" With regard to the extension lines into the interior
of the country, the directors have to report that they
have received the instructions of the Government of
India to make new and more comprehensive surveys.
Two extension lines are proposed to be surveyed, bifur-
eating at Callian—the one to proceed south-east to
Poonah, and thence into the Sholapoor Cotton District,
where it may unite with the main line from Madras, and
so form a continuous railway between Bombay and
Madras ; and the other to proceed north-east into the
Kandeish and Berar cotton fields, and thence across tho
Nerbudda Valley to Allahabad or Mirzapoor, to join the
main line from Calcutta, and complete the communica-
tion between Bombay and Calcutta. The directors have
just sent out a reinforcement of surveying engineers to
hasten the completion of these extensive surveys, and no
efforts will be spared to obtain the sanction of the Go-
vernment of India to those extension lines which present
the most favourable and the best prospects of remunera-
tion.

"In the meantime, the Government of India have
authorised the construction of the initial portion of the
South-east Extension line from Callian ; and the share-
holders will receive notice when the directors think the
time has arrived for the commencement of the works on
this section of the
- •

"Resolutions will be 'submitted to this meeting for
the purpose of giving powers to the directors to complete
the agreement with the Hon. East India Company for
the extension lines, and to raise the necessary capital ;
but the shareholders may rest assured that these powers
will not be put into exercise until monetary affairs shall
give confidence that the new issue of shares will be gene-
rally acceptable.
"The creation of the second portion of experimental'
capital, already authorised by the shareholders, must
take place without delay. Circular letters will be for-
warded to all shareholders who may be upon the register
of the Company, on the 19th of November next, placing
at his or her option one new 51. share for every share
then held by each registered shareholder, on payment of
a deposit of 11. per share, payable on the 24th of Decem-
ber next. The interest guaranteed by the Hon. East
India Company, upon the payments in respect to these
shares, is at the rate of 5 per cent. per annum, same as
the existing capital of the company. Only so much of
this capital will be called up as may be necessary for the
' experimental' lines.

"-The statement of accounts, up to the termination of
the half-year ending 30th June last, will be found ap-
pended to the report. This statement, together with
the books of accounts, have been examined by the ac-
countants of the Hon. East India Company, in addition
to a minute audit by the company's auditors.
(Signed) "WM. J. HAMILTON, Dep. Chairman.
" London, Oct. 21, 1853."

OPENING- OF THE SHREWSBURY AND
HEREFORD RAILWAY.
On Saturday, the latter portion of this railway (from
Ludlow to Hereford, a distance of 23 miles) was opened
by the directors, but the line will not be opened for
traffic until some time towards the end of November.
At half-past 11 in the morning a special train, consist-
ing of from 20 to 30 first class carriages, left the Shrews-
bury station with a large invited party ; and the train
made short stoppages at Church-Stretton, Bromfield,
Ludlow, and Leominster stations, at all of which places
accessions were received to the party. The train, which
was drawn by two powerful engines, arrived at Here-
ford at 10 minutes past 2 o'clock ; several hundreds of
persons were assembled on the Widemarsh, where the
train was stopped ; but it is somewhat remarkable that,
though this is the first line of railway opened into Here-
ford, not a single cheer escaped the crowd by way of
welcome to the visitors. At half-past 2 o'clock the
excursionists and other guests sat down to an elegant
luncheon at the Music-hall, provided by Mr. Smith, of
the City Arms Hotel, at the expense of the directors.
The guests numbered about 260 gentlemen and ladies,
and comprised Mr. Wm. Ormsby Gore, M.P. (chairman
of the company), who presided ; Mr. Brassey, the con-
tractor ; Mr. H. Robertson, the engineer ; Hon. H. H.
Clive, M.P., deputy-chairman ; Sir R. Jenkins, G.C.B. ;
the Right Hon. and Rev. Canon Lord Saye and
Sele, Hon. Mr. Peters, Hon. E. G. Peters, Mr. J. King,
M.P., Major W. Ormsby Gore, Mr. G. Holyoake, Dr.
Kennedy (of London), Messrs. J. William and W. War-
dell (of Chester), the Mayors of Hereford and Ludlow,
and Mr. H. Hill (of Wolverhampton).
tbluyrybteafotrwe
h6icho'pclloaccke
itthaerritvraedinaltefst
mHienruetfeosrdpafosrt
SlOhS,rethwhoers delay having been occasioned by the extreme
caution necessary to be adopted between Hereford and
Ludlow in consequence of the late heavy rains having
disturbed the consolidation of the permanent way.

SIR JOHN FRANKLIN'S DAUGHTER.—The only daugh-
ter of Sir John Franklin is married to the Rev.
John Philip Gell, now curate of St. Mary's, Marylebone.
He was nominated at a very early age to Sir John
Franklin (when Governor of Van Diemen's Land) as
Warden of Christ's College, Hobart Town. He endea-
voured to make that institution all that Sir John Frank-
lin designed it to be as the centre of enlightenment to
the whole colony. " Since his return to England, and
his marriage" (says a correspondent of the Times), "he
has been discharging the duties of a London curate,
with how much efficiency, zeal, and ability. may be
readily ascertained by inquiry among his parishioners.
Is there no one among those who deplore Sir John
Franklin, and appreciate his services to the country,
who will testify this feeling by bestowing preferment
upon his son-in-law ?"
RAILWAY SPEED.—Last week, says the Brighton
Herald, we stated that Messrs. Bass had comtmun!catede
with their agent at Rotterdam and got a reply in the
short space of three hours and a half. This was,
see what the railway can do in the way of travelling. A
week or two ago a professional gentleman
of Brighton
left Vienna on the Monday andmorning,b
the by
Wednesday
last train of
of
course, the work of the electric telegraph. Now t
Now let us
night he was in Brighton, arriving y
the London and Brighton Railway, and finding all ready
for his reception, he having telegraphed from Dover his
coming. From Vienna to Brighton— a distance of nearly
_ one
day,
and 1,000 miles—with only the interval of
with-
out fatigue. This is "convenient
dispatch" indeed.
of the barque Princess
GUN-
POWDER.—A serious loss,
that
London to Melbourne,
Victoria, while on a voyage from
When within a few
has been reported by the Argo.h 13th of August, the
miles of her destination, on t
fire, and, having 08
Victoria was discovered to be oner
stowed: away in her
many as 400 barrels of gunpowder
seized with
d, were
DESTRUCTION OF AN AUSTRALIAN SHIP BY
hold, the crew, as
may
be
imcaegitnoeok to the boats, and
into atoms.
considerable alarm, and aotnon
d reach of danger, when the
succeeded in getting y
attracted to the spot by the in-
ship was
Fortunately, a lesion, and picked up the crew in
tense light of the
explosion,
landed at Melbourne a few days
the boats, who we
vessel is reported to be insured. The
ds The
afterwar • .sailed from the Downs on the Bth of
Victoria
Princess
explosion took place, e shivering the ship

April.
PIT.
—William
op T,E
H e EeNnl
aINrLaR of
gineer at a limestone-pit, the property of Mr. Ward, an
master of that neighbourhood,
•and situated at Por-
iron-
tobello, near Wolverhampton,gwoaals, on Wednesday last,
committed to Stafford county
t. , charged on the find-
ing of a coroner's jury, with
Thomas Collins, aged 24. _he manslaughter of one
Before proceeding to let
down into the pit seven men, 'shop neglected to apply
to the machinery of the engine,
necessary to be used, in an iron plug, which is
order to keep the carriage of
the engine in its proper position. The consequence
was, that after detshcending the pit a short distance, the
sukpiPa)
ginainwhaitehaalle workmen were riding, was drawn
fearful velocity. When the skip had
reached to the top of the
pit, it. was in danger of being
overturned, and every man dashed into the pit. Per-
ceiving the danger, the deceased leaped out, hoping to
reach the bank, but fell into the pit, a depth of 100
yards, and was killed. The plug was close at hand in
the engine-house, and its not having been used could
have been only from the most shameful carelessness.
MELANCHOLY SUICIDE OF A YOUNG WoMAN.—Last
evening an inquest was held on the body of a young
woman, named Susannah Prior, 18 years ()rage, servant
at the Old English Gentleman beer-shop, John-street,
who bad committed suicide the same morning, by throw-
ing herself from an attic window in the above house, a
height of upwards of 30 feet. The only cause assigned
was her great trouble about her sister, who died very
suddenly in London of cholera. On a table of the attic
in which she slept was found an envelope, on which she
had written the following :—" Dear Lord, re remember
me ; i gon to meat sister : forgiv." A verdict that
deceased destroyed herself whilst in a state of temporary
insanity was returned.—Brighton Herald.
THE WEST BRoniWioll MuRDER.—The inquiry before
the Staffordshire magistrates into the circumstances of
this atrocious case has resulted in the committal of four
men, for the wilful murder ;—Samuel Johnson, aged 40,
as principal ; and George Williams, George Turner, and
William Skidmore, ae accesaeriee after the fact.