The Sun.
London, England, 1847-04-30 00:00:00

GROUP LI.

GLASGOW, DUMFRIES, AND CARLISLE,

AND GLASGOW, PAISLEY, ICII.MAR-
NOCK, AND AYR (NO. I).
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)
Mr. Knight, cross-examined by Mr. Sergeant Aluurtur—
The Act of Parliament gave an unlimited power to charge
any sum not exceeding 2d. per ton. but he did not think
that that amount would be charged. He should think lid.
sufficient, and would recommend them to take that sum. He
had no doubt that there was sufficient coal n the direct line
through Ayrshire to supply them for the next fifty years.
They had ironstone and other minerals in abundance. He
did not remember the amount of minerals carried the first or
the following years, but it did not exceed that on all other
railways existing. The amount of traffic in the first year
was .5001. or 6004 while in a few years after, in 1845, the
return for the carriage of minerals was 12,000/. He had no
doubt, that if they carried a large quantity, say 100,000
tons, of coal from Canobie to Kirkcudbright, they could
afford to carry it at 3s. 4d. per ton. He did not know what
quantity would really be carried. He did think that 18,000
tons would pay for wear and tear of the carriages, but he would
not say that it would give a profit. He did not think that
it was absolutely necessary, for the safety of the public, that
traffic carriages should be provided with springs. The cost
of keeping up the way was less on the Ayr than on the
Greenock Railways, and the latter had carriages with
springs, while the former had them without.
Re-examined by Sir T. Patuars—The railway had in-
duced a considerable export trade from the ports of Ayrshire,
although the export trade of Maryport and its neighbouring
ports still continued.
Mr. Blythe, C.E.—The distance from Gretna to London by
the North-Western system of railroad was 310 miles. He
took the shortest route by the Trent Valley when he said
thi. The distance from the same point by Newcastle was
329 'Liles. There were Bills before Parliament which would
bring this down two or three miles. The gradients on the
latter lines were better, because the summit of Shapfell was
avoided. He knew the country between Hexham and
Durham.

The CHAIRMAN interposed, and said that the Committee
would not receive evidence on lines not before them.

Mr. Blythe's examination continued—The practical diffe-
rence in time between the two routes would be only some
twenty minutes. The distance from Glasgow to Carlisle by
the Caledonian Railway was 101 miles, while by the Dum-
fries Company it was 125 miles. The distance from Gretna
to Peterborough by Rugby, on the North-Western lines, was
281 miles, while by the Newcastle it was only 253 miles.
But there was a shorter distance by the Lancaster and
Carlisle to Penrith, Appleby, York, Doncaster, and Newark,
which was under the control of the London and North-
Western. The distance by this line was 234
miles. The distance from York to Belfast by Gretna,
Kirkcudbright, and Donaghadee would be 261 miles; while
the distance by the London and North-Western, to Holy-
head, Dublin, and so to Belfast, would be 318 miles, 160
miles of which would be under the absolute control of the
London and North-Western. The water carriage from Holy-
head to Dublin was 64 miles, the water carriage from
Kirkcudbright was also 64 miles; but if this line were ex-
tended to Port Patrick, the water carriage would be only 19
miles. He had, in conjunction with Mr. Miller, laid down
the line to Brampton. He had also laid out the Hawick and
Carlisle Railway, which would have been the shortest com-
munication between the Canobie-fields and Colchester. He
knew the Caledonian schemes as well as their own, and he
thought, on the whole, that the Dumfries Company's Ex-
tension to Brampton was the more preferable, as being
shorter, and having better gradients. These superior gra-
dients were obtained by taking the line 240 yards from the
town of Brampton. The Canobie branch, promoted by the
Dumfries Company, was three-quarters of a mile shorter
than the Caledonian, but the latter had a better gradient
than the former.

Mr. TOLLRMACHE asked if, in the event of the Dumfries
Company not getting their line, the North British would
take it up?
Mr. PATTEN said that they would state their case to the
Committee, and also lay before them their proposition for
supplying a communication between Hawick and Carlisle.
Mr. Blythe's examination continued—The sharpest curve
on their line was three furlongs at the point of junction with
the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway. They had also two
curves of almost two furlongs within the Canobie district.
The estimate of the works, which would include the price
of land, was amply sufficient for a double line of rails ex-
tending above 25 miles. The cost per mile was about
16,0001., and the total cost would amount to about 420,0001.
Cross-examined by Mr. Sergeant MURPHY—He did not
know that it would be likely that heavy traffic would be
sent from Belfast round to Dublin and Holyhead, and so to
Fork.—(Laughter.) He did not therefore think that the
examination on that point was preposterous. He had heard
Mr. Kennedy's evidence with respect to the mode of transit
for fat and half-fed cattle. He thought that the obvious
route would be that given by the North-Western Company,
provided that company charged such rates as would pre-
vent competition from ether companies, which were not so
favourably circumstanced. With respect to the branch to
Brampton, he acknowledged that the Dumfries Railway was
more distant by 240 yards. He declared most certainly that
the Dumfries Company had not a joint interest with the
North British Company. The only connexion that existed
between them was, that Mr. Miller was principal engineer
of both lines. Even if this branch to Brampton and Milton
I.,yacircuit
theyuit of
were granted to the Dumfries Company, and they did not do
justice to the public, the Caledonian would interpose a check,
because
eoffnleyctfeoduramjiulenc.tion with the Newcastle and
..ar
Ii sle, and could thus carry
s passengers to the same points
By Mr. RAIISILAW, on the part of the Earl of Carlisle—
The Dumfries line did not intersect one of the streets of
1,01,. 1
kre. Brampton.aJnodl John e
jointly hiller,were .
ago to survey the C "E., examined by Mr. LfDDELL—Mr.
employed some six or seven years
hem
between Glasgow and Carlisle, and ,
in 1841 the Railway Commissioners caused an investigation
to be made into therunsui
line, made considerable
to Edinburgh and
alteration with respect to the
party, in regard to
hjeTrct. The Caledonian Corn-
Glasgow. lie reported that fork
Glasgow was that proposed by the best single line to
If the Caledonian Railway wererebiNithsdale Company.
branch to Gretna, he considered that it would
zauried with the
an inconvenience on the public, because it would, in entailing
attaching a branch to a branch. A great obstruct'iperfl wouldact,be
be offered to through passengers, and that would be increased
in the case of the local passengers. He thought that it
would be for the interest of the Caledonian Railway Com-
pany to force the Kilmarnock traffic round by Glasgow,
instead of permitting it to be transmitted on the Glasgow,
Dumfries, and Carlisle Railway. He considered that, for the
purposes of fully developing the traffic on this line, it should