The Sun.
London, England, 1841-06-14 00:00:00

EDINBURGH AND GLASGOW

RAILWAY.

(From the Edinburgh Courant.)
We had much pleasure in visiting, a short time ago, some
of the principal works in the line of the Edinburgh and Glas-
gow Railway, and particularly to observe the rapid progress
which was then snaking in every part towards the completion of
this great undertaking. Our visit going eastward commenced
with the great bridge near Falkirk fetr the purpose of carry-
ing the railway across the Union Canal at the Locks near
No. 16. Owinv, to the line of railway crossing the Canal

at an oblique ani:e, and to the necessity imposed upon the
Company of crossing both the Locks and the carriage-way
with a single arch, the span has been extended to no less than
130 feet, which is equal ,to that of the celebrated bridge over
the Denburn, at Aberdeen. Not being, however, qui'e so
elevated above the springing, the strain on the abutments is
greater, and the material also, though of excellent qua-
lity, being brought from the well-known quarry of Milifield,
or Kingoodie, near Dundee, is still softer than the gra-
nite, so that the work is altogether one of greater difficulty, and
requiring much caution and skill, both in the design and exe-
cution. This grsat arch, when we saw it, was just completed,
and the workmen were engaged si tcking the centre, which has
been since taken out, and everything presents the appearance
of strength and stability. Ihe arch stones are five feet deep at
the abutments, and three feet at the crown; and there are in
the arch alone about 20,000 cubic feet of stone, or upwards of
1,500 tons, the whole of which was laid in about ten days.
To all appearance, the works here will very soon be completed,
and ready for the laying of the rails. The next work of im-
portance is the Callender Tunnel, 830 yards in length, and
passing under Callender Wood, at the depth of 130 feet.
the whole of this was nearly completed; about 80 yards
only in the length of the tunnel remaining to be executed,
and upwards of 20 yards have beset since finished. At
the east end, the tunnel opens into a vast excavation
75 feet in depth,—and when the slopes are completed round and
round, it will have the appearance from the east of a great am-
phitheatre. To. the east of the tunnel, and between it and
Linlithgow, a considerable part of the permanent rails are laid
down, and this all important part of the undertaking appears to
be executed with every regard to strength, solidity, and accu-
racy. The strength of the rails is 751bs weight to each yard,
and they are supported at every four feet mostly by substantial
whin-stone blocks, two feet square, weighing five or six cwt.
On the embankments the rails are supported by strong larch
sleepers. Between the tunnel and Linlithgow a considera-
ble portion of cutting and embankment still remains to be
executed ; but, to facilitate this, we observed a beautiful loco-
motive engine, made by Eddington of Glasgow, on its way to
the rails, for conveying the stuff from the cutting forward to
the embankments, and this engine is now actively employed
in its work. Wherever the permanent rails are laid down, and
the stuff requires to be conveyid a great distance, as in the
present instance, the saving of expense, aad, still more, of time
in executing the work, is very material. as the engine is always
capable of conveying the stuff for miles in distance as fast or
faster than human laour is able to fill and empty the waggons,
and it was calculated that with activity and long hours work,
the contractors, with this engine, would be enabled to heap up
upon the embankments nearly 1,500 tons of stuff daily. The
next work of importance upon the line is the great
viaduct over the valley of the Almond, which, from the
number and regulaeity of the arches, and their beauty and
lofty appearance amid the fine scenery around, will, indeed, be
a magnificent structure. It consists of 20 arches each, 50 feet
span, and the central ones rising nearly 100 feet above
the valley below, with three small arches besides at
the eastern extremity. The work, which was executing
by Mr. Lorimer, was proceeding with great activity, much fa-
cilitated by the ingenious use of machinery of which he has
availed himself, and the regular and perfect system by w hich
the stones are brought successfully forward, and laid in their
places on the arches. The whole of the piers were built, and
twelve of the large arches on the west side thrown, besides the
three smaller arches in the eastern abutment; and as they have
been recently finishing at the rate of four arches per month,
there is no doubt that a very short time will bring the whole to
completion ; and we understand that since our visit six arches
more have been thrown. The great difficulty has been to
procure materials for such vast masses of masonry, which
require contributions from various different quarries and
every available source. To the eastward of the via-
duct the permanent railway' is nearly all laid to Linlith-
gow, where some cutting is still going on.- The views and
scenery on this part of the line are extremely interest-
ing, including the ancient Palace and the lake, which comes
slightly into view on the east of the town. The next works of

importance are the vast clay and rocky excavations in the
neighbourhood of Winchburgh, extending in one continued
of four miles in length ; in some parts fifty feet deep, and
sachet. the tunnel under W. inehburgh ridge itself, 360 yards
The tunnel has been for some time completed, and
in length.
-e far advanced ; but there still remaias much to
the cuttings
-+ of the line, for which, however, the finest
be done in this pat
owopened up. To facilitate the re-
part of the season has i
the filling up of the embankments
moval of the cuttings. ant. .
in the valley of Almond, on tn, east side as well as on the
west of the great viaduct, two loc.7"L've engines have been
employed-by the eminent and spiriteu contractors, Messrs.
Gibb and Sun, with the aid of which the ~.'ut!ings on each
side, with the filling up of the valley of the A:.'n°ll4l, were
proceeding with extraordinary rapidity. By these s!'egines
we were informed there are conveyed upwards of a irijlet
i.•_nddeposited on the embankments, at least 2,500 tons of
eart:, and rock every twenty-four hours--the work pro-
ceeding, as it has always done, night and day. To give some
idea, how:qer• of the extent of the embankments, .we may
mention that !ile,one at the west end of the viaduct requires
about 1,300 tons Of it".`aterial to advance it forward one yard.
On one of. the locomove engines
.
proceeding forward with its
eyed eastwards from the tunnel,
train of waggons, we were eThs:'
and had the pleasure of witness 4
what will be the effect of
the trains here coming from the west, the whole of the beau-
tiful valley of the Almond, with the Petit...7nd Hills in front,
opening suddenly to view; and. then, as we ts,'yance, the low
country eastwards, eastwards, as far as the City, the well•ktiths.7 and pr
minent objects of which, Arthur's Seat, the cp,,le, and
others, becoming immediately visible, the effect, :11 the
whole, is remarkably striking. We here also obtained tue
first view of tke great viaduct over the Almond, the
most remarkable work in the whole line, and which being
seen here in a very* oblique angle, with its numerous arches
greatly fore-shortened, presents a singular, but not less strik-
ing and pleasing, appearance. This work, which forms such a
striking object, as seen from the Glasgow road, about eight
Miles from Edinburgh, forms in itself a vast undertaking, con-
sisting of no fewer than thirty-six continuous arches, each fifty
feet span, and rising from sixty to eighty-five feet above the
surface of the valley, besides seven arches itrore at the turn-
pike road, separated from the others by a ridge of higher
ground, and an embankment. The great magnitude of this
work, second almost to none, even in England ; the extraor-
dinary number of the arches, and theirlightand lofty appearance
and symmetry, all combine to render this a very magnificent and
impo.ing structure, and quite an ornament to the district and
scenery around it. The work under Messrs. Gibb and Son is
proceeding with great rapidity, and with all the advantages
from the improved machinery which they have contrived for
bringing forward the materials, and laying the stones of the
different arches in their places. The piers have been all long
since carried up, as well as all the arches of the smaller via-
duct, and of the great viaduct twenty-seven arches were
thrown, and they were going on at the rate of four arches
per month, so that a very short period will be required to
bring the work to a termination. We have just vi-iled this viaduct
again, and everything confirms the above anticipation, thirty-
three out of the thirty-six arches are now thrown, and by the
middle of this month the whole of the remaining arches will
be finished, the key-stone of the last arch being proposed to
be laid on the 18th, and nothing will then remain but to brine
forward the superstructure of walls and parapets, already ad-
vanced to the 28th arch, and the work will be ready for the
laying down of the permanent rails.
Between the valley of the Almond and the city, the country
being pretty level, there are no works of any particular magni
tude to retard the completion of the railway. The contt a ts
for the line here have been taken by 11r. Evans, a highly
respectable contractor from England, and who has executed
with success extensive contracts on some of the great English
railways. He is now pushing on the different works with
great activity. The bridges across the different highways are
many of them in a very forward state. The bridge over the
Water of Leith, tha principal work of masonry, is all but corn •
pleted. The long embankment through the valley of the
Water of Leith has now assumed, as seen from the road, quite
a finished appearance, and the rest of the embankments anti
excavations are rapidly advancing, relays of men being occu-
pied day and night, aided by a locomotive engine, which may
now be seen near Corstorphine, constantly plying along the
line with its load of earth waggons.
Suah is the forward state of the works on the eastern division
of this railway, and we understand that on the west they are
advancing with equal energy, and there are only one or two
points where any particular
.difficulty or delay is likely to
occur, particularly the Croy rook coating, where a mass of
hard whin stone, fifiy or sixty feet deep, still remains to lie
excavated for a very short distance. On the whole, however,
when we consider the vast extent and magnitude of the
works which have been executed from end to end of this line,
anti the short period which has elapsed since the cons.
mencement, the progress which has been made is truly
remarkable, and there can now be very little reason to doubt
that, in the course of three months, the whole line will be
opened to the public. An hour and a half anti two hours
with then be the regular times of travelling between Edin-
burgh and Glasgow, and the expense, we believe, will not ex-
ceed from 4s. to Bs. by the different classes of carriages.
These are the results to which all the operations and works
above described are hastening ; and when we consider the
advantages which must arise to both cities, and to Scotland
generally, from such new and extraordinary facilities of inter-
course, arid all the effects which usually follow in the train of
such improvements, the opening of this railway cannot but be
viewed as an event of no ordinary interest and importance.

HAILSTORM.—The Canton of Pouliguen, in
the Loire Inferieure, was on the 31st ult. visited by a tre-
mendous storm, which covered the lands with hailstones, some
of which are said to have been as large as pullets' eggs. The
college at Guerands had 403 panes of glass broken, and the
total number destroyed in the town is estimated at 4,000.
One of the painted windows of the church, representing the
different scenes of the Pa,sion, and which was one of the finest
specimens of the middle age, was entirely destroyed. All the
country round was severely damaged. At St. Brieuc the
lightning was terrific. At Dinan the electric fluid struck
some poplars, dispersing the branches in all directions, some to
the distance of more than thirty yards. The ground at the
foot of one of the trees was trenched as if the plough had been
used, and vet a man who had taken shelter under the trees
with some hoses escaped without injury, though dreadfully
alarmed. Themtiquechurch tower of Biamontin, In the Meurthe,
which resisted all the attacks of the Swedes in the wars of the
seventh century, has alsl heat very much shattered. The
iron work, immense beams of oak, and even some of the
massive blocks of stone, were split and displaced, the roof was
entirely broken down, and other violent dantage was done to
this ancient structure.