The Sun.
London, England, 1847-04-19 00:00:00

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.
THE TRENT VALLEY RAILWAY.
TA3IWORTH, Area, 17.—Yesterday Mr. Brassey, the
principal contractor for the works on this important line
of railway, in company with a party of friends, tra-
versed the line from Rugby to Stafford. During their
progress they were loudly cheered by the. populace. as-
sembled at the various stations on the line,. and particu-
larly at Tamworth ; the rejoicing was manitest.cl by the.
waving of flags, the firing of cannon, and the. ringing. of
bells. From Tamworth the party (the traintocoLnizt.ielgd
of an engine and two carriages) proceeded
and Rugeley, and thence through the great tunnel on
Lord Lichfield's estate at Shuckborough to the neigh-
bourhood of the terminus at Staffird. At present,
how-
ever, owing to the boggy state of the land, over which is
an embankment, in the neighbourhood of that town, an
efficient junction with the London and North-Western
has not yet been effected. Notwithstanding, there is no
doubt that in the course of a short time the necessary
solidity will be obtained, as the Grand Junction lisd to
contend with the same difficulty when the line was first
put down in that vicinity.
Mr. Brassey and his friends remained at Stafford
for the night, and this morning, as previously an-
nounced, returned on their experimental trip to Tam-
worth. Here, where the sod was first turned by Sir
Robert Peel, great doings were expected, and, as the
directors had intimated their intention of taking lun-
cheon, it was not unnaturally supposed, S:r Robert
Peel being at Drayton, that he would honour the party
with his company. At the time the directors were ex-
pected to arrive a considerable concourse of people,
amongst them the most respectable inhabitants of the
district, ha.l assembled in the neighbourhood of the Tarn
worth station:—Sir R. Peel, Lady Peel, Miss Peel, and
the youngest son of the Right Hon. Baronet, were on
the platform ; but, as it subsequently appeared, Sir
Robert was not there with the view of taking any part
in the festivities which followed, but for the purpose of
starting with his family by the next train for London.
Accordingly, at half- past eleven o'clock, before the Trent
directors made their appearance, the Right Hon. Baronet
had directed his course to the metropolis, and those who
imagined that they were about to be favoured with an-
other address upon railway projects were doomed to dis-
appointment. Sir Robert was looking well, and appeared
to be much gratified with the gay and animated scene of
which he was a spectator.
The party from Stafford arrived shortly before twelve
o'clock, amidst the cheering of the populace and the
booming of cannons. Amongst the gentlemen who
alighted were Captain Huish, Mr. Bruyeres (of the Lon-
don and North-Western), Mr. Gooch, C.E., Mr. Bart-
lett, C.E., Mr. Dockeray, Mr. Field, Mr. Berkeley, Mr.
Godson, Mr. Irving, Mr. Cawley, Mr. Brassey, &c.
A. sumptuous luncheon was provided by Mr. Rhoades, of
the King's Arms, and, as might be expected, the festi-
vities passed off with great glee and good humour.
The report of the directors and engineers wbo con-
stituted the party to this experimental trip is, that the
line throughout, with the exception of the portion near
Stafford already referred to, is remarkably firm, and the
work substantially and in all respects efficiently com-
pleted. The station at Tamworth is an elegant Eliza-
bethan building of great capacity, and will be of great
ornament to the line.
The party, after leaving Tamworth, proceeded for-
ward through Atherstone and Nuneaton to Rugby,
where the" Trent line effects its southern junction with
the London and North-Western.
It is intended to open the line for the conveyance of
goods on the Ist of June, and for passengers on the Ist
of July. From that time the traffic between London
and Manchester and Liverpool will take its leave of the
present route through Birmingham,

DUBLIN AND KINGSTOWN RAILWAY COM

MANY.

The half-yearly meeting of this company was held on
Saturday, at 12 o'clock, in the board-room of the com-
pany's station-house, near Handrow, Mr. George Pim
in the chair.
The treasurer read the usual report from the directors,
from which it appeared " that there has been a decrease
in the receipts of the company for the past year, the
number of passengers booked at all the stations during
the last six months being :1,668,650, and for the pre-
vious half-vear 1,747,100, showing a decrease of 78,450,
which produced a decrease in money receipts of
1,3451. 3s. 11d.

.4. E. d.

" Gross income from all sources (ex-
clusive of Dalkey 51,691 15 2
" Income last year). 53,036 19 1

" Decrease £1,345 3 11."
The report went on to say, " that although a decrease
in the company's receipts was a matter to be regretted,
it was not at all calculated to excite surprise, owing to
the awful calamity which had fallen upon their country,
and which had not confined its effects alone to the poorer
classes, but had chiefly affected all ranks and positions
in society; a calamity that had curtailed all superfluous
expenditure, building, &c." In referring to the agree-
ment between the company and the Waterford, Wex-
ford, and Wicklow Company, the report went on to say,

" Whilst the board continue of opinion that the com-

pletion of a line of railway by Wicklow and Wexford
to Waterford, without unnecessary delay, and in pur-
suance of the agreement between the two Companies,
would be highly advantageous to your interest, they
have not been unobservant of the late proceedings of
the shareholders of the Waterford, Wexford, Wick-
low, and Dublin Company, and of the anxiety which
has been shown by very many of them to endeavour to
relieve themselves from their responsibilities. The
directors have, therefore, felt it to be their duty to soak
for such ieforrnation from the directors of the W aterford,
Wexford, Wicklow, and Dublin Company, as would
eauble them to judge of the ability of that company to
complete their undertaking in its integrity, in fore trans-
ferring to them either your powers or your property
The opinion of the board remained unehanged on this
subject, and all that had occurred since their previous
meeting only tended to confirm the board as to the pro-
priety of the course they adopted; and not only has the
information sought for been withheld and ddlicultios
thrown in the way of your obtaining it, but the directors
of the Waterford, Wexford, Wicklow, and Dublin Com-
pany have brought into Parliament a Bill for the amend-
ment of the Act, to enable them to shorten their line and
reduce their capital, which contains provisions and
clauses prejudicial to your interests, and at variance
with the agreements between the two companies. The
board, therefore, acting under the advice of eminent
counsel, have not executed the transfer of the powers for
making the Bray line on the lease of the Dublin and
Kingstown Railway, and they have forwarded a petition
to the House of Commons, under the common seal of
the company, against the Amendment Bill, &c., and are
prepared to offer an effective opposition to the Bill should
it be proceeded with. They trust the proprietors will
rely on the best exertions of the board to watch over and
protect the company's interests in this very important
matter."
A long discussion having:arisen upon the adoption of
the foregoing report, two amendments were proposed,
one to the effect that the directors should at once pro-
ceed to construct the extension from Kingstown to
Bray, and throw the onus on the Wexford and Water-
ford Company of applying for an injuction to restrain ;
and the other, which was proposed by Mr. Palmer, of
London, recommending that the Kingstown Company
should not oppose the amendment Bill ; and also that a
deputation of the directors should wait upon the
directors of the Waterford and Wicklow line, in order
to arrange differences, and modify the arrangements
already entered into, so as to make them meet the
wishes of all parties. After the discussion of those
amendments for upward of two hours and a half, they
were both withdrawn, and the matter having been
left to the discretion of the directors the report was
adopted.
Some routine business was then transacted, and the
meeting separated.

WILTS, SOMERSET, AND WEYMOUTH
RAILWAY.

At a special meeting of the proprietors, held at Bath,
Sir John Awdry in the chair, Bills were approved for
constructing a railway from Bleadon to Blandford, with
a branch to Glastonbury ; a railway from Compton to
Wilton, with a branch to Gillingham; to make certain
alterations in the main line, and to authorise certain
agreements with the Great Western Company.

ALARMING FIRES AND NARROW EscarE.--Shortl♦
before midnight on Saturday a very alarming tire, by which
a young girl nearly lost her life, broke out upon the pre-
mises, numbered 107, Great Russell-street, Bloomsbury.
It originated in the third floor, occupied by Mrs. H. So;
a milliner and dressmaker, and was occasioned thus

appears that Mrs. Soy had placed her daughter Blanche,
a child about six or seven years of age, in bed, and had left
a candle burning in the room. Some time after the girl had
been asleep she was awoke by a burning sensation in one
of her legs, and on rising found the bed she was sleep-
ing in in one complete blaze of fire, caused by a spark
from the candle lodging there. The child instantly jumped
out of bed and ran screaming down stairs, which brought
the inmates of the house to her assistance, who endea-
voured to subdue the flames, but without avail, for owing
to the firm hold they had then obtained they were pour-
ing out of the door with such fury as to threaten the en-
tire building with destruction. The residents, finding that
they were unable to extinguish the flames, sent fur the en-
gines. In a very brief space of time the Royal Society for
the Protection of Life from Fire had one of their escapes at
the scene, and the engines from Crown-street and High Hol-
born stations followed immediately after. The firemen, after
considerable trouble, succeeded in getting the flames sub-
dued, not, however, until the whole of the furniture in the
apartment was spoiled, three other rooms on the same floor
damaged, and two on the second floor, with the furniture
therein, damaged by water. Unfortunately Mr. Soy was
uninsured. The occupier of the other rooms was insured in
the Scottish Union Fire-office. Yesterday, at noon, another
fire broke out at No. 3, Cole. street, Great Dover-road,
Southwark, belonging to Mr. John Hardioge, lucifer-match
manufacturer. It was caused by the ovetteat of the drying
stove at the back of the house, which set about 300 gross o
match splints in a blaze. Several of the iiillahitaws imme-
diately went to work. and succeeded in subduin,, the fire.
but not before the stock in the drying house was 'destroyed.
Some of the parties in rendering assistance were burned over
the face. Mr. Harding was not insured.
FATAL ACClDENT.—Yesterday
wherry, containing
a young
six
persons, \Vas llp~et in the 'Thames Ofl
m woman named Anne. Jervis, residin,t
that all
:ttilitieinpaanrctr:‘z.,e
unskilled in the
pbdtr:(oa)awtt,.nialeindndgdirnsotepthapmeeidrerielitxsteiseretbuicinil)tsiintleot Llmbeth, was Brow: en It seetos
et, Out of "1"1""""it Or
he water, and in reaching after
it fell overboard. The whole of them rose with alarm,
theuanpsdetthey were saved with the boat. The accident was4,b.,
exception
oryV the
froti.enintahlee,
v,ti
hore,
body has not been recovered.
THE COBDEN NATIONAL TRIBUTE FuND.—Sin3..
the last announcement, 9781. has been contributed to this
fund, including a sum of 2001. by Mr. Janie, G. Marshall, ut
i
leadingley House, near Leeds. The total amount of the
subscriptions, so far as advertised in Manchester, is now
61,6701.