The Sun.
London, England, 1841-08-16 00:00:00

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EVENING SUN.
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This line is rapidly approaching towards completion,
and in all probability will be opened, throughout, aboutthe
Ist of October. The work is one of no ordinary desciip-
tion, and dOes great credit to the enterprising spirit of
the people of this country, and the skill of the engineer,
who had to encounter the greatest difficulties. The
long tunnels, and the vast excavations, particularly
within two or three miles of Brighton, cannot fail to excite
the astonishment even of those who have travelled on
the other great lines which now traverse the country,
and natives, as well as foreigners, are absotitely at. a
loss to find out who furnishes the sums of money re-
quired to carry into effect undertakings far more 1 set
and useful than those completed by the masters of the
world. The part of the line finished (more than two-
thirds of whole) is in excellent condition, and no--
thing can exceed the regularity of the system adopted by
the Directors. Every servant of the Company appears
to be at his post, and signals of the most minute descrip-
tion are regularly made on the arrival of a train at any
points where the slightest danger can be anticipated,
and every precaution is taken to ensure the safety of the
passengers.
A correspondent of a Morning Paper (the Past) com-
plains that on arriving at one of the stations by coach,
there was no porter to take his luggage ; that he had to
wait long before the doors were opened ; and when that
took place, a great scene of confusion ensued by the dif-
ferent passengers rushing to get seats. We have passed
up and down the line occasionally, and certainly cannot
confirm the statement ; but if there are any grounds for
it, the Directors will, no doubt, without delay, take
steps to remedy the defect. They have servants
enough on the line to attend to passengers, lug-
gage, and every thing— many of them indeed
seemed in want of employment, and as no fees are al-
lowed the Directors may be well aware that they will
require to be looked after. There is a complaint, how-
ever, of more serious importance than this, namely,
the high fares which the Directors say they are com-
pelled to adopt in consequence of the heavy charges
made by the coach proprietors from Ilayward's Reath
to Brighton. Possibly there may be some truth in
this, and we shall therefore wait patiently till the
line is opened throughout. When that takes place
there should be not only a reduction in the fares,
but a third class train to accommodate the work-
ing classes. If the fares were 55., 75., and 10s.,
the public and the Proprietors would be alike bene-
fited. The Company must compete not only with the
Brighton coaches but with every railroad from London,
and every large steam-boat on the Thames.: A man
with a family will not pay eleven shillings a head to go
to Brighton while he can go to Ramsgate, nearly twice
the distance, for half the price.
While we admire the spirit of the Proprietors who
have raised two millions sterling to complete this
single line—a sum larger than the French are ever
likely to raise for the whole of France in a similar way
—and are desirous to see this spirit meet with its proper
reward, we cannot help feeling extreme regret at the
ruinous effect it will have on the most splendid coaching
establishments in the world. In a few weeks nearly all
these will be swept from the road, hundreds of persons
will be thrown out of employment, grass will grow where
horses and carriages, justly the pride of the country,
were. wont hourly to pass, and ere long the far-famed
Brighton drivers, with their magnificent horses and
coaches, will be numbered with the things that were.
Regret, however, is vain. The movement has commenced,
and must go on till new lines of communication are
established throughout every part of the kingdom. If
we were to take the liberty of making a suggestion to
the Directors in favour of those turned outof employment
by the opening of the line, it would be that all such per-
sons who are equally fit with other applicants for situa-
tions should have the preference.

ACCIDENT AT VIRGINIA. WATER
WINDSOR, SUNDAY EVENING.—Her Majesty left the
Castle yesterday afternoon in an open carriage and four, ac-
companied by the Duchess of Bedford and the Countess of
Erroll, rather earlier than usual, ,for the purpose of pro-
ceeding to the neighbourhood of. Virginia Water, to wit-
ness the hunting along the margin of the lake of his
Royal Highness Prince Albert's Lilliputian pack of
beagles. The Hon. Miss Cavendish, with Lady Ida Hay
and the Earl of Erroll, followed in a pony phaeton and
four, and his Royal Highness Prince Albert, with Lord
Alfred Paget, the Marquis of Headfort, Colonel Wylde,
Major Keppel, and other members of the Royal House-
hold, proceeded on horseback.
Upon the Royal party arriving at that part of the lake
near the Obelisk, about a mile from Cumberland-lodge,
the carriages were drawn up close to the mound, in
order to afford her Majesty a good view of the sport.
They had not been upon this spot but a few minutes,
when, upon the beagles being brought near to the
Queen, their " tuneful voices" caused the pony in the
phaeton (containing Lord Erroll, Lady Hay, and _Miss
Cavendish) upon which the front postilion was mounted,
to show symptoms of kicking ; and upon the dogs run-
ning between the legs of the horses, it reared upon the
back of the off leader, and threw its rider, kicking him
on the head, which came into contact with the wheel as
he fell. The leaders, then under no control, darted
sharply round, and rushed down the mound towards the
lake, running over the dismounted postilion, and drag-
ing the wheels of the phaeton also over him. The Earl
of Erroll immediately jumped out from the off-side of
tlse open clarriav, over the door, and providentially res-
cued the two ladies without their sustainin arm• 10-ur
beyond some very trifling brnises. —7— , ..-' ~,- --,,i
Cannon, the other postilion, seeing the dangerous po-
sition the party were in, jumped off his horse and ran to
the heads of the leaders, followed by Prince Albert, Lord
Alfred Paget, and the other male attendants upon the
Queen, but not in sufficient time to prevent the restive
leader from darting into the lake, which at this spbet is
upwards of 14 feet deep..
By great exertions, in which the Prince greatly dis-
tinguished himself, the other three ponies, by skilfully
cutting the traces, were prevented from being dragged
into the lake, and the carriage with them ; and after
some time the restive leader, which had several times sunk
under the water, was got ashore.
His Royal Highness, during the whole of this time,
rendered great assistance, " working," as was observed
by a bystander, ." like a Briton."
Her Majesty, upon witnessing the accident, immediately
descended from her carriage, in a state of the greatest-
alarm for the safety of those who were so fortunately
rescued from their perilous situation in the phaeton.
Her Majesty's next care was to inquire most kindly as to
the state of Rann, the postilion; who had been stunned,
and was lying on the ground insensible. The Queen
then commanded one of the outriders to proceed with all
possible despatch to Windsor for Mr. Brown, the surgeon
to the Royal household, who in less than three quarters
of an hour after the accident arrived with his assistant
(Mr. Andrews) at Flying Barn, near the lake, where the
poor fellow had been taken in the mean time, accompa-
nied by the Prince and his attendants. His Royal High-
ness, before the arrival of the surgeon, assisted in undres-
sing the postilion and relieving his sufferings. He was
then bled by Mr. Brown, and in the course of the even-
ing removed in a fly to his apartment in the Royal mews
at Windsor, where he is now confined to his bed, but out
of danger.
Her Majesty and the. Prince sent to inquire after him
last night, and again this morning.
Her Majesty and the Prince were delayed returning to
the Castle last evening until a short time previous to the
hour for dinner.

Had it not been for the presenee of mind of the Earl
of Erroll and the other postilion, and the timely as-
sistance rendered by Prince Albert, and those in the
suite of her Majesty, the carriage, with the two ladies,
must have been dragged into the lake, when most pro-
bably loss of life would have been the result.