The Sun.
London, England, 1840-03-05 00:00:00

THE THAMES TUNNEL.

Tuesday the annual meeting of the Proprietors of
Shares of this enterprise was held at the London Ta-
vern, for the purpose of receiving a Report from the
Directors relative to the progress of the works, and on
other matters. Mr. B. Hawes in the chair.

The CHAIRMAN adverted to the many difficulties
which had impeded the successful prosecution of the
Thames Tunnel in former years ; but the Directors,
and he felt confident the Proprietors also, having full
confidence in the ability of the engineer, Mr. Brunel,
bad expected to witness the works being brought to a
favourable conclusion. The Directors, having years
since stuck their colours to the mast, had in times of ad-
versity inclined to the hope that all the difficulties that
had impeded the works would be overcome. It was,
therefore, with great satisfaction that the Directors met
the Proprietors on the present occasion. The expendi-
ture on this gigantic undertaking had been much less
than was generally reported. The Tunnel was com-
menced nearly 13 years ago, and, including the amounts
advanced by the Government, the total sum expended
was 363,0001. When it was recollected that the cost
of Waterloo-bridge was from 1,000,0001. to 1,200,0001.,
the Proprietors would be gratified to hear that the Tun-
nel under the Thames would be completed for less than
500,0001. To the patience and liberality of the Pro-
prietors must be ascribed the completion of this na-
tional work. He now asked the attention of the meet-
ing to the Report of the Directors.

The Secretary, Mr. CIIAIILIER, read the following
Report
" Your Directors, in making their annual Report, desire
in the first instance to refer to a passage in their last state-
ment which held cut a prospect of the near termination of
the hazardous portion of this important work.
" Your Directors then stated that they had the gratifi-
cation to meet the Proprietors after many years of anxiety
and delay, with the most reasonable hope of having but
one more annual meeting between the termination of all
the peculiar hazards and difficulties of the undertaking, and
such an advance of the works as shall bring them near to
the time when their anxious trust will be discharged by the
completion of this most arduous enterprise.
" Your Directors have the satisfaction now to announce
the entire realization of the prospect then held out during
the past year. From the first week after the last annual
meeting to the present time, they have had the gratifica.
tion to observe a steady increase in the rate of progress.
" For the first fifteen weeks after this meeting the ave-
rage weekly rate was under two feet per week, whilst dur-
ing the last few weeks the average progress has been in-
creased to nine feet on an average weekly. With the in-
creased rate of advance also the average cost per foot has
been diminished, and has greatly tended to reduce the high
average cost of the work per foot whilst the excavation
was carried on under the deepest part of the river.
" Your Directors, indeed, aro of opinion that could the
plan of operation, so elaborately detailed in the two re.
ports dated the 18th of April and the 15th of August,
1858, which they referred to in detail in the last re-
port, have been carried out, both time and money would
hare been saved in the construction of the Tunnel, an opi-
nion which they have before expressed, and now repeat, in
order to guard against the exaggerated notions of the cost
of a roadway under a deep navigable river, compared with
the ordinary mode of communication.
" Their experience would now lead them to say that,
whilst the steady and solid execution of this work proves
the perfect practicability of Mr. Brunel's plan fur con-
structing roadways under, instead of over, navigable rivers,
where circumstances rendered it necessary, no adequate
judgment can be formed of the cost of such a work by that
of the Thames Tunnel, inasmuch as the engineer has been
of such a work was doubtful, that it
followtt a plan, the merit of which was solely,
iyon of the public money, and for which
riskedw constrainedhi
ist tt
hhee Iperatoosbt
apboilri
object alone it was impressed upon the engineer when the
money was advanced in aid of the undertaking.
" The total progress during the year has been 245 feet,
and the work is now within sixty feet of the wharf wall of
Wapping.
" Ycur Directors are now negotiating for the purchase of
the property on the Wapping shore, in order to commence
the footway descent. So soon as this shall be accom-
plished, your Directors propise to make arrangements to
open and appropriate one archway of the tunnel for foot
passengers, retaining the remaining one for the purpose of
carrying on the works until their final completion.
" They have the satisfaction to report, that, according to
the present plan, and provided the property could be advan-
tageously obtained, the footway descent will be placed
about fifty feet nearer the wharf than it was originally
proposed, by which arrangement this distance of tunnelling
will be saved, as well as the earlier opening of the Tunnel
obtained.

" Your Directors continue to receive from the authorities
of the Corporation of London every facility they can give
towards the completion of the work.

" Your Directors now consider the work practically ac-
complished ; the great and peculiar difficulties of the Tun-
nel are daily yielding to the progress making ; and they
desire to congratulate the Proprietors and the public in
general on the approaching termination of their labours
and the great and important work entrusted to their care.
" They believe it will long endure to do honour to the
science and skill of the engineer, and the spirit and libe-
rality of the country.
They are of opinion that the Tunnel fully deserves the
description given of it by the Duke of Wellington, who
:rom the first to the last has given it his countenance and
rapport. The Duke of Wellington encouraged the con-
tinuance of this undertaking at a time when it was deemed
impracticable, and when necessarily his authority and the
interest he took in the work were of the highest importance.
The Duke of Wellington in 1825, when the works were
suspended, then described it as a work important in a
commercial as well as in a military and a political point of
view.'

" Your Directors would add that not only do they con-
sider this a just character of the work, but that in point of
economy and durability it will be found capable of being
most favourably compared with any of the great metropo-
litan bridges.
" Statements of the receipts and expenditure of the Com-
pany for the year which ended on the 31st of December,
1839, with a general balance sheet, have beef prepared,
and are now submitted by the Directors for the information
of the Proprietors."
The CHAIRMAN observed that, to show that the pub-
lic attention continued to be drawn to the matter, he
wished to state that, in 1838, 23,000 persons visited
the Tunnel, while last year not less than 34,000 paid
for admission, being an increase of 35 per cent. The
rapidity with which the Tunnel had lately been advanced
would be apparent from the following facts :—ln 1836
there were 117 feet completed ; in 1837 only 28 feet ;
in 1838, 80 feet ; in 1839, 195 feet ; and since the Ist
of January last 76 feet had been completed, being at the
rate of 460 feet per annum. At present the Tunnel
had been completed within GO feet of the Wapping
shore.—(Hear.)
The SECRETAIT then read the financial accounts of
the Company, from which it appeared that there had
been received 40,0001. in the last year from the Exche-
quer all Loan Commissioners—that the receipts from
miters had been 1,5721., &c.
Mr. ADDAMS moved the adoption of the Report, and
congratulated the Proprietors on the near approach of
the Tunnel to this (the Middlesex) side of the water.
To the skill of the engineer must be attributed the
completion of this aireat work, conjointly with the libe-
rality of the Proprietors.
The Report was then adopted, and ordered to ho
printed.

A ballot for three Directors then took place, and Mr.
W. Allen, Mr. R. W. Silvester, and Mr. J. D. Sutton,
were re-elected. Auditors were also reelected ; after
which Mr. HANKEY eulogised the efficient management
of the Board of Directors, and proposed a vote of
thanks to the Chairman and the Directors, which was
most cordially responded to on the part of the Pro-
prietors.
The CHantiktaN returned thanks, and expressed a
hope that before the next annual meeting the Propria
tors, with the Directors, would have a walk through the
Tunnel.

During the proceedinL,s of the by it was resolved to
empower the Directors to apply to Parliament for power