The Sun.
London, England, 1848-10-18 00:00:00

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

OPENING OF THE GREAT NORTHERN.
Yesterday witnessed the opening of the Great
Northern Railway system of communication in Lin-
colnshire, so long and anxiously looked for by the
agricultural interest of the district. The entire
length of railway thus simultaneously thrown open
for puhlic purposes amounts to 150 miles—an accom-
plishment, as regards distance, unparalleled in railway
achievements. The day, though drizzly, was corn-
varatively fine for the fens—such a day as is almost
Indigenous to the climatology of the marsh. The
Dutch dormancy of the fenmen'seemed quickened by
the stimulus of steam. The men of Lincolnshire
begin to look more alive, and apparently to be more
impressed with ideas of progress. It had passed into
a proverb, that until lately they and their neighbours
of other counties were half a century behind other
districts, for want of the regenerating railway ; but
now it is expected that the steam-horse and the steam-
plough will bring their energies into full play and
positive activity, and place them on a par with other
portions of the empire. The line opened recently is
wl-tat is called the " loop line."
Two well-filled trains left Peterborough at 6 and
9 A.m.' respectively, and were hailed along the whole
length of the line by crowds who flocked to see them
pass. At 12 o'clock a train with",the passengers from
the London and North-Western and Eastern Coun-
. ties followed with a considerable number. Among
those connected with the undertaking were Mr.
James Arboin, Mr. Pym, Mr. Mowatt, Mr. Cubitt,
the engineer ; Mr. Scott Russell, Mr. Mowatt, Mr.
Bury, the locomotive superintendent ; Mr. W. Pul-
ford, his manager ; Mr. Williams, and others. The
train arrived at Boston about two, at Lincoln soon
after three, and was greeted between Boston and
Lincoln by bands of music and masses of people.
The entire line is a dead level. There are no en-
gineering obstacles, and the only difficulty that pre-
sented itself has been that of securing a firm founda-
tion in some parts of the fens. The stations are
plain and Inexpensive, and the whole line has been
constructed at about 15,000/. per mile, or a total for
the sixty-four miles, of one million, and consists of
that portion of the Great Northern Railway known
as the " loop line," from its coiling round in that form
from the main point at Peterborough, and embracing
within its circuit of 64 miles, Spalding, Boston,
Lincoln, and the adjacent districts, carrying the
traffic southward, on the one hand by means of the
London and North-Western Railway, and on the
other by means of the Eastern Counties Railway,
both of which have a terminal extension at Peter-
borough. This, however, is merely a temporary
arrangement for working the Lincolnshire traffic over
the " loop," until the main line of the Great Nor-
thern, now being constructed, is completed from
Peterborough to London. The arrangements are
such that the trains of the Great Northern, on their
arrival at Boston, will unite with those of the East
Lincolnshire Railway, now completed to the latter
point, and will be taken by that railway on to Louth
and Grimsby, and the passengers by steamers over
the Humber to Hull, the great advantage being that
passengers and goods may now be conveyed direct,
and without interruption, to and from London and
Hull, by way of Peterborough, 40 miles shorter than
by any other route, and at a saving of two hours.
Yesterday three trains ran from London to Peter-
borough, by the Eastern Counties, and four by the
London and North-Western. The distance to Peter-
borough by the London and North-Western is shorter
than by the Eastern Counties, so that the former
gain over the latter in running their trains to Peter-
borough ; but to obviate this inconvenient disparity,
or rather the scope that it presents for competition,
the trains of the North-Western out of London are
so arranged as to start half an hour later than those
of the Eastern Counties from Shoreditch. The dis-
tance from Peterborough to Boston is 32 miles, and
from Boston to Lincoln 30. The chief peculiarity in
the structure of the line is, that all the bridges are
built of timber. Yesterday the coaches discontinued
running, and the steam-boats in the navigation of the
Witham, that runs parallel with the railway between
Boston and Lincoln, may be said to have given up the
ghost. The whole line, for its entire distance, is one
of perfect table land, and has been constructed at a
rreelerate cost. There are none of what is termed
en4ineering difficulties ; it is, in fact, one of those
partitular sort of lines that, had they combined to-
gether for the purpose, the Lincolnshire • blacksmiths
Rad ditchers might themselves have constructed.
The locomotive arrangements under Mr. Bury
are very efficient. The line from Peterborough
and Boston is for 16 miles continuously straight,
besides being level, or pretty nearly so, from Boston
to Lincoln. It is provided at all the stations with
cattle pens for agricultural purposes. The steepest
gradient is 1 in 100. The contractors have been
Mr. Pete, M.P., and Mr. Betts. The line was to have
been finished in February last, having been com-
menced in March, 1847. The railway company have
bought up the Witham and Fosdyka Navigations.
They have leased the former at an annual rent of
13,6001., besides taking thirty-two miles of the land
alongside to make their line. The line both at Peter-
borough, Boston, and Lincoln commands fine:views of
their noble cathedrals. The chief town between
Petarborough and Boston is Spalding, seated on the
river Weiland, carrying on a large trade in wool,
corn, and coal, employing a population of some
11,000. There is a difference of distance between the
road and the rail between Boston and Lincoln of six
miles. The stations at Algakirk, Swineshead, and
Donnington, eleven miles from Boston, are particu-
larly neat. The river Glen-bridge and that at
Horidey Deeps are good specimens of timber-bridge
structures. The whole of the works have been
carried out and constructed by Mr. Cubitt, the
engineer, in conjunction with his son, Mr. Joseph
Cubitt. In alliance with the Manchester, Shef-
field, and Lincolnshire line, and by means of the
East Lincolnshire line, its own limb from Boston to
Louth and Great Grimsby, the Great Northern took
its passengers from London direct on to Hull, thus
connecting the market towns of Lincolnshire with
the manufacturing towns of Lancashire. By means
of powerful steamers passengers were ferried over
from the Great Grimsby line to Hull in ten or fifteen
minutes. 0 wing chiefly to this and other causes
there was a delay in all the trains throughout the day,
is some cases averaging upwards of forty minutes;
nor was the loss, of course inseparable from a newly
opened line, recovered throughout the journey. Until
lately Grimsby was an obscure port, but, owing to
its possessing great natural facilities, it has been se-
lected by the railway company for the purpose of
isasprovement. It is situated at the mouth of the Hum-
ber, and possesses a natural shelter or breakwater,
called Spurn-point. Vessels of all descriptions may
here anchor in safety, without the trouble of proceed-
ing 20 miles up the Humber to Hull, and unload their
cargoes at the shin's edge into the railway waggons.
Grimsby is looked. upon as a far more formidable rival
to Hull than ever Birkenhead will be to Liverpool.
In a few years its custom dues alone have risen from
3,0001. to 7,0001. The intention is to make it a port
for the Baltic trade, between Liverpool and London,
and at the present moment ships come to it from
Russia and Prussia. Huge masses of stone, making
it look like a modern Stonehenge, are now lying
there, preparatory to the commencement of the works
by Mr. Bendel, the engineer, and the laying of the
first stone, at an early day, by Prince Albert. By
mews of the Great Northern system of railway now
opened, Hull, and the whole of North Britain will
have unbroken access to the south. There are to be
no acres of dock accommodation for the shipping, to
which the port will be always accessible at quarter-
tide ; whereas the port of Hull is only accessible to
ships at one hour before, and one hour after high
water. There will be room for 300 sail, and upwards
of 150,0001. has already been expended on the works.
The New Holland ferry at the Humber is two miles
in width, and the train goes over a pier 1,500 feet to
meet the steamer.

The men of the marshes came out in multitudes to
see the first trains. There was a full show of that
great agricultural interest that furnishes the food at
one end of the line for the mouths at the other. By
means of the Great Northern they will have a ready
interchange of cotton, coal, and cutlery for their cattle
and corn, working on that great principle of trade,
reciprocity. The line, by means of its local accom-
modation, will raise the price of land, and from ana-

logy of what by the same method has been accom-
plished in Norfolk will greatly benefit the landowner
and farmer. Hitherto, nearly all the trade of Lin-

coin has gone to the north by water, until it got to
Wakefield, on the Lancashire and Yorkshire line, and

via Boston, Spalding, and Lynn, by sea to London.
Now it will all be accelerated direct by railway.
The dealers in fat cattle will find this greatly to their
advantage. The loss of time and produce by the old
method was very great. There is a loss equivalent to
Sibs. on every sheep driven to London, and of 281bs.
on every bullock, or from 256. to 305., besides the loss
of time, the journey taking eight days instead of one,
as it will in future. These eight days on an average
are equivalent to three or four market drys, and
during this period the chances for the market for the
farmer might be much affected, Moreover, during
the year at least double the journeys may be made,
double the number of animals may be conveyed, and
the dealers will be able to regulate the demand and
supply of the markets. Still greater advantages will
arhe from not taking the animals to market alive,
seeing that they become deteriorated by the bruising
they receive per railway ; and hence there is no doubt
that, as in Norfolk, ehbatoire will be established in

connexion with tliq r.-roat stations in Lincolnshire,

where the beasts will be slain and their carcases

brought to town. The conveyance of large droves
by rail instead of road will prevent the cattle from
taking what is called the "murrain.' The railway
facilities opened up will also enable the farmer to im-
prove his land by availing himself of the science of
soils, and bringing chemical manures to bear upon it.
In consequence of the want of proper communication
the farmer has been compelled to sell his corn at a