The Sun.
London, England, 1846-09-10 00:00:00

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

GLASGOW, PAISLEY, KILMARNOCK, AND
AYR—CUMNOCK EXTENSION.
KILMARNOCK, MONDAY.—The most exciting event
that has taken place in this district of Scotland, in con-
nexion with railway speculation, came off to-day, at
Ballochmyle, about 12 miles distant from this town, in
the laying of the foundation-stone of the large viaduct
now in the progress of construction over the river Ayr,
which is crossed at this point by the Cumnock Extension
of the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock, and Ayr Railway.
Before proceeding to describe the ceremony observed
on the occasion, it may be interesting to state the dimen-
sions and character of the work in question, unexampled,
as we believe it to be, in the history of railway construc-
tion. At Ballochmyle—the scene of some of the finest
inspirations of Burns, who for some time occupied
a farm in the neighbourhood—the river Ayr, here
a stream of considerable magnitude, runs through a
deep wooded ravine, from which the adjoining banks
recede with a considerable slope to the level of
the banks on each side of the valley traversed by the
line of railway. From bank to bank the distance is
three-quarters of a mile, which is partly occupied by
a huge embankment, and partly by the viaduct in
question. The viaduct is 614 feet in length, and is
composed of seven arches. The centre arch, the
largest of the kind we believe in the world, is 184
feet in width, and 197 feet from the bed of the river
to the parapet wall. The three arches on each side
of it are fifty feet in span. The viaduct, as a whole,
when completed, will be the greatest work of the kind
in the British empire. It is to be built of red sand-
stone, obtained from the old red sandstone geological
formation in the neighbourhood, and the facing of the
arches is composed of Dundee white freestone. Alto-
gether the undertaking will be a proud monument of the
scientific skill of the engineer of the line, Mr. Miller.
The cost of the structure will be 100,0001., and to fur-
nish an idea of the preliminary expense, we may state
that 60,000 feet of Baltic timber is employed in the
machinery and arrangements necessary for the con-
struction of the arches. It having been announced for
some time past that the foundation-stone would be laid
with masonic honours, and that the occasion would be
observed as a holiday, a very great turnout of people
from all the surrounding towns and villages took place.
The principal masonic lodges in the west of Scotland,
headed by the mother lodge of Kilwinning, were in at-
tendance. Special trains from Glasgow and Ayr brought
the directors of the company, accompanied by a large
concourse of friends, to Kilmarnock, where coaches and
omnibuses were in waiting to convey the parties to the
scene of action. The leading gentlemen, also, belonging
to the Glasgow and Edinburgh Company, were present.
On arriving at Mauckline, a short distance from Balloch-
myle, the procession was formed, which extended about
a mile, and at one o'clock the whole body proceeded in
regular order to the ground, headed by the grand lodge
and the leading gentlemen interested in the undertaking,
accompanied by several bands of music. On arriving on
the ground the ceremony usually observed on such occa-
sions was gone through, terminating with a royal salute.
Captain FULLARTON, the grand master of the lodge,
then addressed the assembly in a neat and appropriate
speech. He said it was a bright and auspicious day for
the west of Scotland, as he considered the line of which
this magnificent structure was a part, would be, in con-
junction with the Glasgow, Dumfries, and Carlisle Rail-
way, the means of connecting England and Scotland, as
well as the two important contiguous counties, in the
most advantageous manner. The line, he was persuaded,
would be the means of accommodating 100 miles of
country, rich in mineral wealth, with a productive soil
and a highly intelligent and industrious population, and
would, therefore, he was certain, prove most beneficial to
all parties. The honourable gentleman concluded by
calling attention to the character of Mr. Miller, on whom
he passed a high eulogium for the great engineering
skill he had shown, and also highly complimented Mr.
litchell, the contractor, and all the leading parties
connected with the undertaking.
Mr. M'CALL, the chairman of the company, briefly
returned thanks on behalf of the company ; expressing
himself highly pleased with the whole day's proceed-
ings, and said the large attendance was a proof of the
deep interest which the public took in the construction
of the line.
Immediately afterwards the lodges returned to Mauch-
line, in the same order of procession in which they came,
and the large assembly, amounting to at least 5,000 per-
sons, separated.
The various bodies were regaled in the evening in
their several lodge rooms, and the directors, with their
friends, dined together at the George Hotel in this town.
About 200 sat down to a dinner composed of every de-
licacy of the season. On the cloth being removed, the
usual loyal toasts were given, followed by others appro-
priate to the day's proceedings. Among these the prin-
cipal were,—" Success to the great undertaking of the
day," " The Glasgow, Dumfries, and Carlisle Railway,"
" The Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock, and Ayr Railway,"
" The engineers," " The contractors," &c., which were
respectively responded to by Mr. Leadbetter, Mr. M'Call,
Mr. Alexander, and Mr. Miller. Several excellent
speeches were delivered on the occasion, and the festi-
vities were kept up till a late hour.
ARMAGH, COLERAINE, AND PORTRUSH.
On Tuesday a meeting of the scripholders took place at
the offices of Messrs. Phillips and Son, solicitors, Laurence
Pountney-lane, for the purpose of adopting such mea-
sures as would compel the directors of the company to
return the full amount of deposits paid.
Mr. John Carter was called to the chair. A number
of gentlemen, representing about 8,000 shares, were
present.
The CHAIRMAN said that in consequence of the extra-
ordinary maner in which the parties coooectod with tho
Armagh, Coleraine, and Portrush had acted, it was es-
sential for the shareholders to take such steps as would
enable them to recover back the full amount of deposits
which they had paid on their respective shares. The
directors had acted so badly, that they had attempted to
obtain the amount of shares which was opposed to them,
and to lessen this number, Mr. Galt, the secretary, had
by their directions, offered to the immediate friends of
Mr. Phillips 20s. per share. This offer, although in-
tended to apply to a favoured few, was made verbally,
and since then had been repudiated by Mr. Galt. This
proved that no dependence could be placed in any over-
tures from the directors, and under these circumstances
he felt he could listen to no other terms than that which
promised the full amount returnable on the face of the
scrip. He begged to call the attention of the meeting
to the fact that the directors had not registered the deed.
That, supposing that deed had been registered, it em-
braced no clause authorising any amalgamation what-
ever with another company ; but they had never at-
tempted to go to Parliament to obtain a Bill, and yet
they now wanted to force the whole of the shareholders
to agree to amalgamate their line with that of the Dub-
lin, Belfast, and Coleraine Railway, the shares of which,
even at this very time, were only worth is. 3d. per share,
while those of the Armagh, Coleraine, and Portrush were
producing from 12s. 6d. to 15s per share. Looking at
the present value of the shares, he was fully prepared
to insist upon the whole of the amount of deposits which
he had paid to be returned, as the directors had in every
way broken faith with all those who had embarked their
money in the project, under the impression that every
exertion was to be made to obtain an Act of Parliament
for the carrying out the proposed line.
Mr. COHEN, who represented a large amount of shares,
said he had been offered 20s. per share for every one
which he held, which sum he refused, unless the same
offer were made to all the dissentients. From what bad
taken place with respect to the proceedings of the com-
pany, he considered it was essential for public faith and
security that some example should be made ; the expo-
sure could only be effected in one way, and that was by
law. In his opinion they were bound to avail themselves
of the protection which the law afforded. It certainly
was not pleasant to be involved in law proceedings, but
they had no alternative, as nothing short of an exposure
of the directors would produce the desired effect.
Mr. PHILLIPS then read several letters, oue referring
to the payment of 20s. per share to certain parties ; a
second, that none but the original allottees were entitled
to vote (although for the amalgamation newly purchased
scrip was called into aid) ; a third, that the parties who
intended to vote must sign a bond to pay up all demands
that might be made ; while a fourth was dated from
Scotland, signed by an eminent stockbroker, exposing a
most gross system of fraud in the mode in which the
scrip was sent into the share market at Edinburgh.
Several other gentlemen then addressed the meeting
in support of using every legal means to recover their
money without a dissentient voice, and the proceedings
terminated at five o'clock.
IRISH LINES.
CLONMEL AND THURLES.—This line has been sold,
and the sale confirmed by the shareholders, to the
Great Southern and Western.
IRLSH SOUTH-EASTERN.—An amalgamation has been
effected between the Wexford, Carlow, and Dublin
Junction, and the Great Leinster and Munster Com-
panies, under the powers contained in their respective
acts. The Amalgamation company will henceforth be
known as "The Irish South-Eastern Company." Five
shares in the arnalgamated'company will be given in ex-
change for one share in the Old Great Leinster and
Muster. A call of 1/. 10s. per share has been made on
the new shares. Holders of Wexford and Carlow Scrip
are to pay a call of 1/. per share, and thus the amount
paid up on all the shares being equalised, the Irish
South-Eastern shares will be credited with 31. paid up.
The lines embraced by the Irish South-Eastern Com-
pany are from Carlow to Enniscorthy, and from Carlow
to Kilkenny, with a power of extension to Clonmel.
The works on the line from Carlow to Kilkenny are
rapidly advancing...
DUBLIN AND BELFAST JUNCTION.—The works on
the third division of the main trunk line of this com-
pany, from Dundalk to Foughill Etra, commenced on
Thursday last, under the direction of Messrs. P. Moore
and Brothers, the contractors. This makes three divi-
sions of the line now at work, and as we believe that
the branch to Navan will also be commenced in a short
time, we look forward with gratification to the means of
employmct there will thus be provided for a large num-
ber of our poor countrymen during the approaching
winter.—lrish lkilway Gazette.
FARES ON THE SOUTH-EASTERN.--At a meeting of
the inhabitants of Canterbury on Monday, Mr. H.
Cooper, the mayor, in the chair, resolutions were passed
to the effect that the increased charge for passengers
from Canterbury to the metropolis is impolitic, uncalled
for, and unjust, inasmuch as the chairman of the South-
Eastern directors declared, at the opening of the line to
Canterbury, that although the passengers were taken a
circuitous route, the charge would only be made on a
diagonal scale; and that such increase is quite at vari-
ance with the facts and principles laid down in the
official statement of the company, published on the 27th
of December last. That the meeting trust the directors
of the South-Eastern Company will, on further conside-
ration, see the propriety of reducing the charge to the
scale promised by their chairman on opening the line;
and that, in the opinion of the meeting, a direct line from
the metropolis through Canterbury, communicating Can-