The Sun.
London, England, 1849-01-15 00:00:00

FOREIGN.

Amiens and Boulogne, 17th April, from Neufchatel to
Boulogne, 8 miles.
Great Northern of France, 2d September, Calais to
Lisle, 65 miles ; 3d September, Hazebrouck to Dunkirk,
26 miles ; total, 91 miles.
Rouen and Havre, branch to Dieppe, 27 miles.
Tours and Nantes, December, first section from Tours
to Samur, 20 miles.
Italian and Austrian, February, first section from
Florence to Prato, 11 miles. Austrian, 3d December,
from Prague by Teibau to Brune, 130 miles.
Namur and Liege, Ist March, first section of Mons
and Manage, from Braquignies to Manage, and Louvre
to Bascoup, 131 miles.
Sambre and Meuse, 30th November, first section
from Charleroi to Walcourt, and branch to Morialine,
25 miles.

Tournay and Jurbise, 25th October, length 30 miles.
Barcelona and Mattaras, Bth Octob,r, length 16 miles.
From this list it appears that the aggregate length of
English lines opened in the year 1848 was 750 ;
in Scotland 2994 miles ; in Ireland 158 miles ; making
a total length of railway opened in Great Britain durint.,,
the past year of 1,207 miles. In France 146 miles were
opened ;
Italy, 11 mines ; and in Spain, 16 miles. Total length
of foreign railways, 371 miles.—Herapath's Journal.
SOUTH-EASTERN.---It is not correct, as reported in a
contemporary, that four directors are to retire, to make
room for four new directors. We understand that the
four gentlemen named as being about to retire, Mr.
Pritchard, Mr. Smale, Mr. Thomson, and Mr. Brogdeu,
remain at the board.—Railway Gazette.
GREAT SOUTHERN AND WESTERN.--The portion of
the line from Tipperary to Buttevant has been inspected,
but it is not supposed that it will be opened until the
completion of the railway to Mallow. In the meantime
judicious arrangements have been made for the trans-
mission of passengers by branch coaches.—Ruilway Re-
cord.

NORTH WALES.—A circular has been issued to the
shareholders, under date of the 30th of December, and
with the signature of Mr. Chadwick, the chairman, ap-
pointing certain days, namely, from the 10th to the 20th
instant—when at the offices of the company a return of
20s. per share may be received.
CHESTER AND lIOLYHEAD.—The high tides of last
week completely covered the platforms erected over the
Menai Straits for carrying on the great works at the
Britannia Bridge, where more than ordinary exertions
are being made to complete and open the line as early as
possible in the ensuing summer. The tides even reached
the bottom of the tubes, which are carried so high above
the water as to allow of the passing of vessels mast high.
The flood water was the highest yet remembered, but no
injury was done to the works. The Government In-
spector, Captain Simmonds, has been running trains
through the first tube, at Conway, with considerable
velocity, without any sensible increase of vibration.
Trains laden with stone and iron were drawn into the
tubes by a locomotive and with 235 tons distributed all
over the tube, but the deflection did not amount to one
inch and a half at the centre of the span. The deflection
of the two tubes is ascertained to be, curiously enough,
exactly similar, and the coincidence is looked upon by
scientific men as a strong confirmation of the homo-
geneous nature of mass of rivetted plates of iron, and
as a further assurance of the success of this new species
of engineering strue'we.
The Torquay branch of the South Devon Railway is
to be e to the bay, to give facilities tor the laud-
ing of cargoes and fish from Brixham.
PROPOSES) AMALGAMATION OP IRISH RAILWAYS.—
Meetings of shareholders in the Dublin and Drogheda,

Belfast Junction, Dundalk and Enniskillen, and Newry
and Enniskillen, are about to be held, at the requisition
or the Earl of Erne, Alderman Thompson, M.P., Mr.
G. V. Porter, and others, to consider the best means,
under the powers contained in their several Acts, of con-
stituting an amalgamation under the management of one
board.