The Sun.
London, England, 1840-12-24 00:00:00

EVENING EDITION.'

gineer, we must see that a man must be more than hu-.
mut to be able always to avoid such occurrences. It
an engineer were totally regardless of the expense of
the works, he would take care in passing through such
-a hill as the Summit, to make his work of five, six, or
even tenfold thickness, so as to prevent any injury to
it ; lint it is the duty of every engineer to look at the
cost of his works, and at every five or ten yards of his
progress to limit or increase his expense, as he thinks
he. can safely do so ; and, wherever he can take off a
'course of bricks, it is his duty to do it. He must be
continually applying his experience to the nature of the
strata he has to pass through ; and, in a work of such
length as this tunnel, it is quite clear that there may be
.50 or 100 points where he must have to modify the
strength of his materials. Assuming the strata to be of
a certain quality, he makes the strength of his works
titer° to correspond. if it were possible for our en-
gineers to see into the body of a hill, they might see
.many places where, with that insight, they would add
strength ; and others, where they would be justified in re-
ducing the strength of their work ; but they are obliged
to take their impressions from the surface, and the
general nature and character of the strata. The con-
atequenee is, that in 50F1Ms cases, in these endeavours to
'save materials and expense, they may commit the mis-
take of making the work too light. In this tunnel, a
mile and three quarters in length, there were some
points which were found too weak and these have been
repaired. Where necessary, the wall was taken out,
or an invert put in ; and we have seen these points in
various parts of the tunnel. The only thing about this
esee-urence is, that it stands in the way of the opening
nod is, therefore, a difficulty as to time. The expense,
as far as can be seen to-day, will not exceed 3,0001. to
4,0401., and it must he considered as a mere bagatelle
ie a work of this kind. I think it is exceedingly satis-
factory to see that the mischief is limited to a small
extent ; that it is a cass of no unusual occurrence in
'tunnels, and that it is a matter that in is short time can
be made quite perfect. There is not the slightest
danger, or any ground for the apprehension which some
pecyle may eatertain, that the tunnel is likely to fall in.
In fact, our engineers have told us to-day, that it is
(evident there can be no such thing as the tunnel falling
in, wßhollt a long continued series of indications, the
caution that would be given by which, is quite suffi-
,ient to protect the public against any evil of to it
kind. Any weakening of the works would be shown
by the gradual movement of the brickwork ; and, as
every nrecaution and care will be taken to observe it,
there will be no chance of such mishap, and there need
he no apprehension on the part of the public that any
such evil cao occur. When we first heard of this ditii-
asulty, some of us Directors, who don't know much of
•erigineeri.og, fancied the danger to be much greater than
'c really is ; and we put our engineer no into a corner,
ta whether there was any point he was afraid of, or
;tacked at with apprehension, in the foundations of any
'of !.he works, the bridges, or piers. He said that from
r. e end of the line to the other he could not put his
finger on a spot where any danger or risk could be rea-
sonahly anticipated ; and that he believed our line was
as perfect, if not more so, than any other in the coun-
try. Mr. Stephenson has assured me to-lay, that he
inefieves our tunnel is as perfect a work as any in the
sessuntry, when this little matter is repaired. Therefore,
ssentlemen, if we fail of success, it will be from no im-
perfection in our works. As to the future, we have en-
deavoured to anticipate what the traffic will be ; but at
present no man can. But those, however, who have
looked at it in the strictest way, strongly anticipate that
t will be to such an extent as fully to bear out and jus-
tify our expenditure.—(Applause.) The Chairman
gave the toast, and said he should be glad if Mr. Ste-
phenson would express kis opinion upon the tunnel.
The toast having been drank—
Mr. G. STEPHENSON said—l can only repeat what
Mr, Houldsworth has said, having viewed the thing
!myself to-day ; and you have heard our opinion upon it.
aiit I will stake my character, my head, if that tunnel
:can ever give way to bring danger to any of the public
passing through. The fracture that has taken place
must, doubtless, he a disappointment to the Directors
in delaying the opening of the line ; but the fact is,
that the invert is covered with material, so that we
could not Sad it out till that material is taken away, so
as to make the culvert through to carry the water from
end to end ; but I believe, that, if the invert were taken
owts-/ altogether, the tunnel would stand firm. It is a
gr.estion now with me, whether we ought to put the in-
vert in again, or to strengthen the foot of the side walls.
However, it being a work of such magnitude, it is per-
haps safer to take a little more time to it, and make it
perfect.

The CHAIRMAN-Still, if I understand you right, you
think it would stand without the invert ?
Mr. G. STEPHENSON-i would stake my character
'OR It. However, to put away all doubt or apprehen-
sion as to the possibility of the tunnel giving way, per-
Imps the renewal of the invert is desirable.

Tyre CHAIRMAN—I am sure the feeling of the;Board,
ned, of course, that of the public, would be to make the
thing perfectly safe ; and the Board has but one deter-
mination—that, however long it may take, they would
make it perfectly safe, as far as human means can make
it so, before the opening of the line to the public.
__Alr..,.',.*R.-yresirable not to put in so much of the in-
vert : and I think it may be possible to shorten the
time. I don't wish to be understood as saying thit it
really will be so ; but I do think we may shorten the
time. With respect to the tunnel, taking it as a whole,
I don't think there is such another piece of work in
existence in the world. It is the greatest work that
has yet been done of this kind, and there has been less
repairing than is usual. Indeed no work of such mag-
nitude have I known with so little re-doing of the
work. It is a great work, one where an engineer is
beaten in his calculations, for he cannot beforehand
look into these little fractured parts of the earth he
may meet with. This is a dislocated part of a very high
country, where the debris has come off at a time and in
a place where we could have no chance of examining
it, except by excavation. This is the only weak
part we have met with. It runs diagonally through
the tunnel. It begins at one end of the fractured
part, and runs to its other cad. It is a part that has
chipped off from its neighbours ; and not being so
firmly fixed as the adjoining rocks on each side, when we
took off the bottom it eased it a little, and that has been
the cause of the upper part throwing a little more pres-
sure upon the invert. At Liverpool we had some dislo-
cations ; but they were in the red sandstone, which
formed in much larger masses, and with less fractures.
The last tunnel on the Liverpool line was made in the
red sandstone from end to end, and scarcely any soft
parts were ever met with.

The CHA IRMA N—But 'even there, I think, you lc
in A house.

Mr. STEVAENSON—Yes, we cracked one a little.
The cRAMMAN—What I mean is, that this letting-
in is no uncommon symptom in tunnels.
UN STEPHENSON—Oh, no.
Ur. Gooch—There is no railway made without the
oisccurcence of some such accident. There is always a
`variation in the softness and hardness of the material,
and consequently less or more pressure on the work.
The engineer is obliged to take some standard by
which to do the work. If you take a standard consi-
derably beyond what would really give way, so as to
support nearly the whole, you may still have a point or
two, which, from the extreme pressure on them, may
give way. If you take the very outside standard, you
must be expending large sums of money uselessly in
supporting earth that would nearly stand of itself.
`rho time having now arrived at which• it was neces-
nary to return to the railway station, to be in readiness
to proceed back to Hebden Bridge by the train leaving
Leeds at three o'clock, the company rose, and, at 20
minutes to four o'clock, again started, with two engines
and proceeded at a rapid rate ; the average gradients
from Normanton to Hebden Bridge ascending 1 its 120,
tee from twelve feet to thirteen feet per mile. From
Z'lebden Bridge to the Tunnel, the gradient (still as-
eending) is about one in 180, or 29 feet in the mile.
The train reached Brighouse at eleven minutes past
Sour, Sowerby Bridge at half-past four, and Hebden
-liriclge at a quarter to five o'clock ; and having left the
ordinary passengers there, proceeded to the mouth of
`the Summit Tunnel, which it reached at twenty-two
max:lutes past five. Here the party separated, some as-
vsending and pursuing their way by the hill road, to the
•other end of the tunnel, while the greater part of them
again passed through the tunnel, and emerged from its
south terminus at tour minutes past six o'clock. Hare
they found a special train in waiting, by which they
voceeded to Littleborough, which station they reached
.:at thirteen minutes past six, and again started, before
the ordinary train about to leave that station for Man-
ehestcr, reaching Rochdale at twenty-three minutes
pas
six, Mills Hill at twenty-eight minutes to seven,
rand arriving at Manchester at a quarter before seven
o'clock,all apparently much gratified with the trip.
Notwithstanding the day selected, the shortest day in
the year, might not promise favourably for the excur-
sion, the weather was remarkably fine and open, the
sky clear, the sun shone, and a finer day could not have
beea desired. •

may mention, in con_
in conc!uding this notice, we
-nection with the proposed opening of the line, that Sir
Frederick Smith, the Government Inspector of Rail-
way<, is expected to visit the line this day (on his way
to Scotland), for the purpose of examining every portion
of it, except the Swum t tunnel, which of course is
scarcely in fit state for his inspection at present, in
c!tig.s92ence of the late accident. It is probable, should
Sir Ic7lericles report of the state of the line be satis-
factory, that the D.rectors may open the whole of it,
except the Summit tunnel,—viz, those portions between
Littlthorough and the tunnel, and between the tunnel
and Hebden Bridge,—at an early day. The comple-
tion of the tunnel may probably occupy a month or five
weeks from, this time.—illanchcster Guardian.
Fitatit

M, .
~
A' ATHEW-ISAL—The Irish Papers
tett wr I,_ lt" temperance progresses" with railroad ra-
pidity amob ' 31te ci-decant whiskey and wine-bibbers
itfesc,
C msidering kloAaaasou of the year, and the old custom:
f jolly chriso*Mhe " progress" just now is very like a
miracle. It id'illting time for the temperance men, but
the pledge, likavourage, conquers everything—virtus
tfincit omnia.

COMPLETION OF THE STOCK-

PORT VIADUCT.

The ceremony of laying the stone forming the com-
pletion of this stupendous viaduct, conveying the Man-
chester and Birmingham Railway over the valley of the
Mersey at Stockport, was performed on Monday last.
Before detailing the proceedings connected with this
interesting occasion, an account and description of the
viaduct, which is probably the largest work of the kind
ever constructed in the world, will no cloubt, be inter-
esting to many of our readers. The extreme length
of the viaduct is 1,786 feet. It has 22 semi-circular
arches, each of 63 feet span, four of 20 feet span,
and two at each abutment. The height of the
viaduct (to the surface of the rails) is 111 feet above
the bed of the river, being six feet higher than the
celebrated Menai Bridge. The foundations of all the
piers, except the two in the river, are laid on the sand-
stone rock ; and the foundations of the river piers are
laid at a depth of six feet its the rock. The piers are
10 feet thick, and formed with perpendicular sides ;
most of them being thicker at the bottom than at the
top. The thickness of the river piers is 11 feet.
The viaduct is built of stone and brick, but principally
of brick ; the foundation of the piers, and to the height
of nine feet above the ground. and the parapets, being
of stone, and all the rest brick-work. The width of
the road between the parapets is 28 feet, affording
ample room for two lines of railway. One line is
already laid. It is laid on longitudinal and transverse
wooden sleepers, which have undergone a process, by
by which they have been completely saturated with
creosote, every cubic foot of the wood having been made
to absorb a gallon of that liquid. This process was
first used, we believed, on this line ; Mr. Buck, the
engineer, considering that it renders the wood much
less liable to decay than the Kyanising process. The
foundation stone of the viaduct was laid on the 10th of
March, 18:39. so that the time occupied in erecting and
completing this immense structure (notwithstanding the
hindrances caused by the floods in the Mersey, by wash-
ing the centres away two or three times at the com-
mencement of the work) has been only a year and nine
months. This is a matter of astonishment to all who
have seen the work, and will not be less so to others,
when we state that the quantity of stone used in the
erection is 400,000 cubic feet, and that the number of
• bricks is no fewer then eleven millions. The viaduct
has an appearance of great stability and firmness, and
does great credit both to the designer, Mr. G. W. Buck,
and the contractors, Messrs. Tomkinson and Holmes,
of Liverpool. The viaduct was originally intended to
be built ten feet lower than it at present is ; but finding
that, by elevating it to Its present height, a consider-
able saving might he effected in other parts of the line,
the Company obtained an Aet to empower them to el-
feet that object, whereby a saving of 50,000/. in the con-
struction of the whole line was effected. The cost of
the viaduct, we understand, is about 70,0001.
The completion of such a work was of course an era
in the formation of the railway, and it was arranged that
the last stone should be set by Thomas Ashton, Esq.,
the Chairman of the Board of Directors. A tempo-
rary platform was erected at the south end of the via-
duct, where the stone was to be set, and under the
stone which was at the south-east end, was a brass
plate, on which was engraved the following inscrip-
tion :—" This viaduct was commenced on the 10th of
March, 1839, and the last stone was set on the 21st
December, 1840, by Thomas Ashtoe, Esq., of Hyde,
Chairman of the Directors ; George W. Buck, engi-
neer ; John Tomkinson, Samuel Holme, James Holme,
builders." Several flags and union-jacks were hoisted
in honour of the occasion. At half-past twelve o'clock,
several of the Directors, and a number of other gentle-
men, proceeded from the pavilion to the platform ; and,
whilst they were on the way, they were saluted by the
firing of several guns. There were upwards of a hun-
dred gentlemen on the platform, and a number of ladies ;
and a crowd of persons had assembled outside to wit-
ness the ceremony. Amongst the gentlemen present
we observed Mr. Thomas Ashton, Chairman ; and
Messrs. George R. Chappell, J. P. Westland, R. C.
Sharp, and M. Lyon, Directors of the Company ; H.
Marsland, Esq., M.P.; Thomas Marsland, Esq. M.P.,
D. Ainsworth, Esq., boroughreeve of Manchester, the
Rev. C. K. Prescott, rector of Stockport, Mr. Cop-
pock, town-clerk of Stockport, Mr. John Kennedy, and
Mr. Thomas Walmaley. The contractors presented
Mr. Ashton with a silver trowel, to be used on the
occasion. It was manufactured by Mr. Dismore of
London and Manchester, and contained the following
inscription :—" Silver Trowel presented to Thomas
Ashton, Esq., of Hyde, on his laying the top stone of
the Stockport Viaduct, 21st Dec., 1840. By Messrs.
Tomkinson and Holmes, contractors." When the as-
sembly had congregated on the platform,
Mr. SAMUEL HOLME, one of the contractors, said
that, after considerable exertions and great anxiety,
they had almost completed this viaduct ; and the
pleasing duty now devolved upon him of presenting
the Chairman with this trowel, to enable him to put the
finishing hand to the work. After the great difficulties
they had had to experience in bringing such a mass
of materials to the spot, the difficulties of such a
foundation as the river below, and the interruptions
assisted 'to's': stone,v uvtahtl rel
'(!'t pleasure; Lial,!‘“noul
their anxiety, and enabled them to give up to the Com-

. _
pang one of the most magnificent erections of the day.

—( Hear.) Scarcely twenty-one months elapsed since
this work was commenced. The quantity of stone they
had had to get from the quarry, shape, and set, was
400,000 cubic feet ; and the number of bricks used was
11,000,000 ; but, by the aid of the talent of the en-
gineer, they had been enabled to erect this heavy, but ele-
gant, structure. At such a moment, and on such an occa-
sion, he should be excused from expressing that gratitude
which every Englishman ought to feel at the excellence of
our laws ; which, by the security they had afforded to our
labour and our property, had made England, at the pre-
sent moment, stand pre-eminent among nations. And
may she units, not only in commercial and manufacturing
greatness, but in all works which evince scientific and

intellectual superiority ; and which, when united to
moral qualifications, were so conducive to the well-
being of all! The mighty power of steam was fast
improving ; the very elements were now subservient to
the wants and wishes of man. Steam would open
fresh markets to our manufactures, and give an im-
pulse to our commerce. Our brethren in America were
now not further removed from us in point of time than
the inhabitants of Cornwall were half a century ago.
He would now glance at another subject, which ought
to claim the attention of every Englishman. It was not
only necessary to travel quick, hut safely. Their beauti-
ful and complicated machines ought not to be trusted
to the care of incompetent men. Underwriters were
careful that the men they trusted to pilot a ship into
port had served a regular apprenticeship, Tina should
have undergone an examination into their abilities,
before they were entrusted with the care of the ma-
chine which they werecailed upon to direct. He men-
tioned this subject in the hope, that he should see An
institution formed for the education of engineers, and
that no one should be employed wbo did not possess a
certificate of his ability. He should not discharge 4a 4,s
duty on this occasion if he did not render pnblie thanks
to Mr. Buck, the engineer, for the fatilities he had
afforded them in the prosecution of ttie works. Having,
during the last twenty years, Ittei to do with many en-
gineers and architects, be eould say he had never met
one who had more of suaviter in mock, with the skill
of the tradesmen, and who did his dgt,y with that
kindness and forbearance with which 'every. contractor,
desirous of doing his duty, liked to be treated. The

designs were his, and an they (the contractors)
had done was to eery them into effect. He would
also take that opportunity of testifying the kindness
they had received since they came there, especially
from those gentlemen whose property adjoined the
work. Not only had no impediment been thrown in
their way, but they had received the greatest kindness
from them. And, to the credit of the inhabitants of I
the town, he must say, that no injury had hetet Anne
to their property, and, as far as he nicer, not one
single article had been lost. He ttsen presented the
Chairman with the silver trowsel, accompanying it with
a wish that he might 10ll-6; have health and prosperity
to look with pleasure on the splendid erection which he
was now about to do them the honour to conspkto,
Thomas Ashton, Esq., then perfeeetzi the cere-
mony of setting the stone ; after rehich three times
three hearty cheers were givese, end the guns fired.
Mr. ASHTON then slid he felt very proud, that he
had had the honour of placing the last stone of this
inmense structure. It was not necessary fey
to follow Mr. Holme in his admirable speech. lie
agreed with it in every part, and especially in that
in which he recommended a school for engineers. He
believed there had been a lose of life in this work, but
:which, considering its magnitude, was very trifling,
amounting in the whole to only three lives ; a circum-
stance which he thought must tell very much its favour
of those who had had the management oftlin work. He
then called upon Mr. Buck, the engineer.
Mr. BUCK said, the pleasing task now devolved upon
him of explaining the dimensions, and the general de-
sign of the structure. It consisted of 22 substantial
arches of 63 feet span, all the foundations of which
were built on the sandstone rock. it perhaps might
he necessary that he should on this occasion give some
reasons for its magnitude and its altitude. It was
about ten feet higher than the Company were authorised
to make it by their first
Act of Parliament. They had
;node it this
,vhic,a
means
asuperiorsaving
height under a recent Act, by
o accounted ti wards
footr.
tOs, Ohoeoi / was a s
Ia :s-
-tained. These reasons
length was accounted for by the necessity,
igrinpassinm
over a town like that, to have the streets as clear as
possible. The viaduct terminated on the Cheshire side 1
immediately after passing the streets ; and on the Lan.
cashire side, just where the embankment became less
expensive than building arches. The wort; had there-
fore been constructed at the smallest possible expense.
The introduction of brick in this work had enabled
them to do it at very little additional expense to that l
of the much smeller work on the Grand Junction Rail-
way, called the Dutton Viaduct. LitLle mute remainel
to be said, that that, in works of that nature, ornament
must be out of character. In concluding this work,