The Sun.
London, England, 1849-03-08 00:00:00

RAIL WA Y ACCIDENTS.
By a careful analysis of the returns made to this de-
partment, it appears that, of the 112 persons killed, and
120 injured, on all the railways open for public traffic in
Great Britain and Ireland, during the half-year ending
the 31st December, 1848, there were-3 passengers
killed, and 68 injured from causes beyond their own con-
trol; 7 passengers killed and five injured, owing to their
own misconduct or want of caution, 6 servants of com-
panies or of contractors killed, and 18 injured, from
causes beyond their own control ; 73 servants of com-
panies or of contractors killed, and 24 injured, owing to
their own misconduct or want of caution; 23 trespassers
and other persons, neither passengers nor servants,
killed, and 5 injured, by improperly crossing or standing
on the railway. Total 112 killed; 120 injured. The
number of passenger conveyed during the half-year
amounted to 31,524,641. The number of miles of rail-
way open on the 30th June, 1848, was 4,357; the
number of miles open on the 31st December, was 5,007,
increase during the six months, 650 miles.
DUNCAN APGREGOR, Registrar.
Office of Commissioners of Railways,
Whitehall, March 1, 1849.

_
EXPRESS TRAINS.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.
Sir,—lt will be your painful duty as a journalist to
record another railway accident attended with the loss of
life. The express down train from London to Newcastle
ran off the line between Darlington and Durham on
Saturday evening, without any apparent reason, causing
the death of the engine driver, the injury of the stoker,
the destruction of the engine and tender, and great
damage to all the carriages and many-yards of both lines
and rails. Most happily and providentially, the coupling
between the engine and the tender gave way, and the
passenger carriages were thrown off on the opposite side
to the engine, which flew across the other or up line of
rails, swung completely round and buried itself in the
earth. A broadside from a hundred gun ship could not
have made the havoc on the engine, carriages, and
rails, which in one minute was effected by the uncon-
trolled power of the impetuous locomotive when once it
had diverged from its proper course. No fault can be
attributed to the poor fellow, the driver, who was in-
stantaneously hurried into eternity. His assistant, too
ill to be questioned, could render no account. He was
no doubt stunned by the sudden overthrow. The pas-
sengers, including your correspondent, have great rea-
son to thank God for their merciful preservation. You
know the speed of an express train. Imagine, then, the
sudden plunge off the rails while under that great ve-
locity. The heavy iron rails and massive wooden
sleepers broken, and the dislocation into fragments of
the once noble engine, attest the mighty power which
had been at work to accomplish such havoc. It is mar-
vellous that any of the carriages should have remained
whole to afford protection to the passengers.
It was not, however, my intention to enter into a de-
tailed account of the accident, but to address a few ob-
servations to you on the present modes of travelling by
railway, in the hope that your powerful pen will be
used to advocate the adoption of a safer and more secure
one. On all the principal lines there are express, ordi-
nary, and slow trains. Now, whatever may be said
about the excellent appointments of the express train, it
is easy to prove that the hazard of an accident is in-
creased by the excess of velocity. And as the hazard
is greater, so is the danger to all the passengers
fearfully augmented. Who that standing close to
the rails has witnessed an express train passing
along in all its speed, would insure the life of a
single individual in it were any obstruction to occur?
The ordinary trains do not keep up the same uniform
degree of speed. At times, however for a short distance,
they do almost, if not quite equal, the velocity of the
express. When they do so an additional danger attends
them. Unlike the express, the ordinary trains are long
and heavy. Should, therefore, an accident happen in the
front of the train, the weight in motion behind would
press on with disastrous effect. Had any weighty
carriages been attached in the rear on Saturday,
every passenger carriage must have been crushed to
atoms. Of the slow trains I need say nothing; but
as every one cannot travel by them, it appears to me
that to insure a greater degree of safety a train should
run for passengers only, at a less speed than the express,
and without the weight of the ordinary trains. For in-
stance, let the rate be twenty miles an hour, and let
there be no trucks or vans for merchandize. If railway
companies will not adopt trains whereby reasonable ex-
pedition may be obtained without incurring the hazards
which the present system embraces, the law of the land
should compel them to afford one such safety train at
least in the day.
I inclose my name and and address, but I would rather
that you should receive this letter from
Monday, March 5. A PASSENGER.

_ -
THE LONDON WEDNESDAY CONCERTS.—Last night
was commenced an " extra season" of eight concerts, the
undertaking having proved so successful as to demand a
continuation of tE ese attractive entertainments. The
programme for last evening was, as usual, varied and at-
tractive, combining the names (among others) of Mdlle.
Nissen, Miss Lucombe, the Misses Williams, Miss Poole,
Mr. Thalberg, Mr. Sims Reeves, and Mr. Whitworth.
Among the most successful of the performances were
Bellini's duet, " Deli con to" (Norma), sung by Mdlle.
Nissen and Miss A. Williams; Beethoven's cantats,
" Ah, perfido," sung by Miss Lucombe; Crouch's
Kathleen Mavourneen," sung by Miss Poole; Bishop's
duet, " As it fell upon a day," sung by the Misses Wil-
liams; and the " Bay of Biscay," sung by Mr. Sims
Reeves. On the last song being re-demanded, the
singer substituted, " In this arm chair," which he ren-
dered very effectively. Mr. Thalberg also played two
fantasias on the pianoforte in masterly style. The hall
was crowded.

THE EMPEROR OF RUSSIA'S ASCOT RACE CUP.---
The model from which the annual cup, given by the Em-
peror of Russia to be run for at Ascot-heath Races, is
to be made, has been completed by Mr. Cotterill, and the
cup is now about to be manufactured in silver at the
establishment of the Messrs. Garrad's, in the Haymarket.
What is properly the " cup" is an elegant vase, the shape
of which has the purity of the Etruscan specimens, com-
bined with the elegance of the Venetian taste. It sur-
mounts a fragment of the rock, and is partly encircled
by the limbs of two marine monsters, which form one
of the groups of the design of the artist. This design
is a representation of the death of Hippolytus. Mr.
Cotterill has chosen the moment when the horses, terri-
fied at the sight of the monsters which threaten their
destruction from above, have overturned the chariot of
their master and broken away
from the yoke. Hippolytus
is fulling, whilst the horses, three in number, exhibit the
characteristics described by
the poet, and the result,
" Turbans distractus equis, may be predicted as the
fate of the unhappy charioteer. The figure of the un-
fortunate victim of Phaedra is admirably modelled, the
anatomical proportions being very finely developed, and
the complete of strength, both moral and
physical, o
Pijete n the falling figure, most hsppily described.
The horses are, as this artist's horses invariably are,
most accurate representations of nature, sad in this in-
stance they are sufficiently idealized to the classic, with-
out being sublimated into mere fabulous extravt:gar!ce.
The whole composition is masterly, and worthy of high
praise.
OXFORD
beANgDratiCfieTtiso
RlieDaTG: thßatA an T
race is about to take place between the gentlemen of the
O
O eight-oarA Cz.
—T
t t c uehr
e
public
Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. The event, we
are assured, is to be decided on or about Thursday, the
29th inst., over the usual course from Putney to Mort-
lake, when a great aquatic treat may be anticipated.
NORTH KENT RAILWAY.—On Thursday last an
experimental trip was made upon this lino from Graves-
end to Erith. The train consisted of an engine and
tender, followed by three carriages. At every viaduct
and difficult portion of the works upon the line the train
stopped, and the engineers and contractors tested the
iron girders and the brackets underneath them. The
carriages were driven several times, both slowly and ra-
pidly, over the bridges, timber erections, and earth
works, and the result was satisfactory.
THE CORONER FOR MIDDLESEX..--Mr. Wakley,
Aus., is, we understand, confined to his residence at
fiarefield park in consequence of severe illness. Mr.
Wakley, we learn, has been suffering from indisposition
for some weeks past. Yesterday (Monday) week his ill-
ness suddenly became much aggravated, and since that
time he has not quitted his room.
GALWAY GAOL.—On Tuesday an order was re-
ceived from the Lord. Lieutenant by the Governor of the
county gaol for the dismissal of 90 persons in custody
for petty larcenies. The names of the prisoners had
been sent up by the governor according to directions
which he had received, but before the order for their
dismissal had time to arrive ten out of the number to be
dismissed had died.—Galway Vindicator.
THE RIVER Esc.—Since fly-fishing commenced,
a great number of salmon have been caught up the
river with the fly; and on Tuesday last one, weighing
between five and six pounds, was caught near the COTO.
—Exeter Gazette.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.
LANCASHIRE AND YORKSHIRE.
• MANCHESTER, MARCH 7.—This mornivg the 25th
. half-yearly meeting of this company was held in this
I city; Henry Liouldsworth, Esq., in the chair.
• The SECRETARY read the report, which stated that
" The disposable amount of 152,556/. 10s. 6d. would
provide for the preference shares and loans, and for s
• dividend on the ordinary share capital, at the rate of 5
per cent. per annum, subject to income-tax, and would
leave a balance of 13,9931. 14s. ld. to be carried forward.
" The directors were glad to report that the favourable
• ohange in monetary affairs had enabled them latterly to
secure such sums as they required at a reduced
rate of interest ; also that the late calls had been more
promptly met than during the last two years. This
change might, therefore, supersede the necessity of any
further issue of the 6 per cent. preference stock."
The CHAIRMAN said, that in examining the accounts
in order to prepare himself for that meeting, it occurred
to him that it would be of very great importance to ap-
point auditors from amongst the shareholders, to re-
examine all the accounts after the directors had prepared
them, and he was glad to say that his fellow directors
concurred in the value of that suggestion. He had great
hopes, now that trade was improving, of a ♦ery large in-
crease in both the passenger and merchandise traffic.
The board had last year given up their allowance of
1001. per annum each, but it was now resolved to ask
the meeting for 2,8001. for that purpose for the present
year. The Chairman then moved the adoption of the
report.
The Earl of SEFTON seconded the report, and observed
that he thought it would be a great advantage to have
auditors appointed from the body of proprietors to exa-
mine the accounts.
After some conversation, the report, together with the
accounts of the directors, wa• unanimously carried.
A dividend of 2i per cent. for the half-year was then
adopted, and the retiring directors re-elected.
Mr. Atkinson, of Kirby Lonsdale, and Mr. Dunlop,
of Edinburgh, were appointed auditors, and the meeting
terminated.