The Sun.
London, England, 1846-12-23 00:00:00

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.
LANCASTER AND CARLISLE.
Messrs. Stephenson, Brassey, and Mackenzie, the con•
tractors for this line, gave a sumptuous dinner to cele-
brate its opening from terminus to terminus. The
entertainment—which we notice for its novelty, and for
the interesting insight that it gives into the labours of
those captains of industry, who carve out and construct
our highways, of which the statistics of " work and
labour done" are formidable and truly startling—took
place in the assembly-room of the Crown and Mitre Inn
and Coffee-house. This beautiful room had been elabo-
rately embellished for the occasion, and in its verdant
and artistic decorations presented a scene such as has
never before been witnessed in that city. The stately
windows were hung with drapery of a rich crimson,
fringed with orange, and flowing curtains of white mus-
lin. At the upper end of the room, behind the presi-
dent's chair, was displayed a mantle of white silk, em-
blazoned with the royal arms, and arched over with
laurel and flowers. On each side appeared an illumina-
tion, forming together the initials "V. A ," and sur-
mounted by the order of the star and garter, within
wreaths of evergreen. Against the wall, at the lower
end of the room was displayed an elegant flag, embla-
zoned with the incorporated arms of the towns of Lancas-
ter and Carlisle, typical of the union of these two impor-
tant towns by railway. Against the wall on each side
were disposed six flags, bearing the titles of all the
railways for which Messrs. Stephenson, Mackenzie, and
Brassey- are contractors—about a dozen in number, and
constituting in the aggregate upwards of 800 miles of
railway communication. In addition to these decora-
tions appeared a number of other devices, illuminated by
royal crowns, stars, &c., wreaths of evergreen gemmed
with roses, and including loyal and other mottoes. With
the lustre of the illuminations, aided by the light of
three chandeliers, depending from the ceiling, the room
presented a most brilliant appearance. The feast was
in every way worthy of the consummation of a gigantic
and national undertaking like the Lancaster and Carlisle
Railway, and, as an eviclence of the munificent hospitality
of Messrs. Stephenson and Co., will be remembered by
every guest far a considerable number of years. The
dinner, supplied by the host and hostess of the hotel,
was of the most costly description, not only recherche in
quality, but various and abundant in quantity. To the
dinner succeeded a dessert of British and foreign fruit,
confectionery, &c., laid upon the table in the most ornate
and attractive style. The wines were, for rarity and
variety, appropriate accompaniments to the princely
feast. The chair was occupied by Mr. John Stephenson.
The number of guests was about 270, compnsing not
only the heads of the various departments engaged in
the construction of the railway, from the engineers and
contractors downwards, but a considerable number of
influential strangers interested in other lines, and many
representatives of the trade of Carlisle, Kendal, Lan-
caster, Preston, &c. As a congregation of talent, in-
fluence, enterprise, and wealth, this assembly had per-
haps no parallel in the festive annals of that city. At
the lower end of the room, an orchestra, elegantly dra-
peried and festooned, had been erected. This structure
was occupied by an instrumental band from Cobden's
establishment, Cross Hall, near Chorley, and also by a
party of glee singers.
Mr. Hoax, on toasting the contractors, observed—
Neither he nor his partners, he was sure, would feel
humbled if he ventured to make allusion to their humble
origin. They had risen from the humble ranks of life.
—(Cheers.) By the dint of their own energy they had
accomplished those enormous undertakings which were
indicated by the flags which adorned the room that
evening.—(Cheers.) First came the Lancaster and Car-
lisle Railway, 70 miles in length.—(Cheers) lie might
state without contradiction that at the time that line was
undertaken, it was the largest contract ever entered into
by one firm, and up to the present day it had never been
surpassed except by themselves —(Applause.) At the
()peeing of that line all must have been struck by the
skill which could run a line through so rugged and
mountainous a country; but, however they might admire
the skill, they must still more admire the ardour of the
bald hearts by which it has been executede--(Chbers.)
Seventy miles, he said, was the length of the line. At
the time the contract was taken the price of labour was
unusually low. Very little work was in the market, and
there was very little compensation for it. The wseit,
therefore, was necessarily taken low. The average
wages of excavators amounted to 2s. 6d. per day. Now
nearly the whole of the time the work had been in exe-
cution—certainly two thirds of the time—the amount cf
wages paid for labour was 3s. 61, or an increase of a
shilling a day above that which was contemplated when
the line was undertsken.—(llear, hoar.) The greatest
number of men employed was 10,000, tho average
number about 5,000. To this number of men the con-
tractors had to pay a shilling a day more than was cal-
culated upon. Five thousand shillings vvere 2501. Five
days in the week, which were generally calculated on,
would make the sum 1,2501. a week, or 60,0001. a year.
The year and a half occupied in the conatruction of the
line would make the sum 90,000/. more than was con-
templated, in wages alone, by the contractors.—(Hear,
hear.) Well, did these noble-hearted men quail, or
attempt to sneak out of their bargain ? The directors,
if present, would bear him out in asserting that they
never did so.—(Cheers.) No ; they had driven on the
work with as much energy as if they had been making
a shilling a day more, instead of a shilling a day less,
than what had been reckoned on.—(Cheers.) He would
not say that they had been absolutely losing a shilling
a day, but he mentioned the fact to show the dif-
ficulties they had to overcome without bringing in-
domitable energy and activity to bear upon the works.
—(Loud applause.) Had they not done so, they must
have failed.—(Hear.) He would pass to the next flags,
in proof of the extensive nature of their contracts. As
Wellington was termed the hero of a hundred fights, so
ightHessrs. John Stephenson and Co. be called the
lIJel f( hundred contracts.—(Cheers.) There was
eOswestry and Shrewsbury,3s miles; the Kendal and
indermere, 11 miles; the Great Grimsby, 50 miles;
) South Midland, 30 miles; the Trent Valley (that
sir of railways), 50 miles; the Scottish Central, 50
ih ;the Clydesdale Junction, 15 miles; the Barrhead,
Cmiles; the Caledonian, 127 miles.—(Loud cheering.)
Besides these there are several others which he had
'witted to mention—undertakings so immense that he
should fear to detail them; but there were the trophies
hanging around them.—(Cheers.) Mighty responsi-
bilities, therefore, rested upon their shoulders; yet, not-
withstanding all this, Messrs. Stephenson, Brassey, and
Mackenzie were not lifted up at all, but were as easily
approached as they were when they worked, and as hard
as any present, with their own tools.—(Loud cheers.)
It was a matter of boast, and properly so—(Cheers)--
that they had risen from the ranks, and that was the
secret of their popularity among their workmen. They
had been workmen themselves, and could treat them
with proper feeling—aye, with a degree of kindness too
seldom exhibited amongst contractors. He concluded
by proposing " The health of Messrs. John Stephenson
and Co."—(lmmense cheering.)
Mr. STEPHENSON returned thanks. He would much
rather make a railway than a speech. They had
striven to execute the work in a first-rate manner, and
to do justice to others in all their dealings, as they would
others should do to them.—(Cheers.) In forming the
Lancaster and Carlisle Railway they had had many
unforeseen difficulties to contend against. The elements
had been against them, and an unexpected rise had taken
place in the price of labour, as had been very truly stated
by Mr. Horn, so that the extra expense above that which
had been calculated at first had been very great.—(Elear,
hear.) Fortunately the contractors had efficient assist
ance from the engineers, or else they might have been in
a sorry plight indeed. Had such not been the case, the
opening might have been protracted far beyond this
time.—(Hear, hear.) But, besides the difliculties com-
prised in the bad weather and high wages, there was
another to which he must allude, and that was, that one-
sixth of the excavations had turned out to be a trap-rock.
—(Hear.) This caused a formidable expense, not at
all calculated upon. However, the line had at length
been opened, and without intending a compliment to
himself or his partners, he would say, and he said it
conscientiously, that there was not a safer line in the
kingdom, or one more highly finished.—(Loud cheers.)
AU the bugbears in respect to gradients had been satis-
factorily answered and put down by the fact, that in a
train of nine carriages and about 200 passengers, the in-
cline bad been ascended at a rats of upwards of 22 miles
an hour. Thus the prophecies of thole who said Shap
Fells could not be crossed were falsified; and who knew
but some improvement might be invented in the con- i
struction of engines which should render it practicable
to travel on a gradient of 1 in 75 at the rate of thirty
miles an hour, or even at twice that speed? —(Loud ap'
please.) It was consoling and satisfactory to mark the
progress of science, and he trusted that the time would
come, and that ere long, when passengers could travel
right through to Forfar.—(Cheers.) The communica-
tion by iron rails between England and Scotland would
be a great benefit to both countries, and as a humble
individual he felt proud to have been the means of amal-
gamating both sides of the Sark by the trunk line, part
of which had yesterday been opened.—(Cheers.) He
could only say he felt obliged for the kindness of the
company, in speaking of him and his partners as they
had done. He only regretted that he could not reply
adequately to their compliments, for he would repeat he
would rather make a railway than a speech any day.
Mr. DUNN next proposed the health of Mr. Mould,
superintendent for the contractors.
Mr. MOULD returned thanks, and expressed the gra-
tification he experienced in being instrumental, on the
part of John Stephenson and Co., in promoting the com-
pletion of so important a work as the Lancaster and Car-
lisle Railway. So long as that firm were satisfied with
the arrangements, he had no more to say. It was and
ought to be a proud day in any man's life to have been
instrumental, in some degree, in bringing so formidable,
so gigantic a work to a successful close.—(Cheers.)
How formidable that work was might be estimated from
a few facts. In the blasting of rocks no less than
4,800 barrels, or 200 tons, of gunpowder had been
used.—(Hear, hear.) The patent fuses alone, if put on
a line, would reach 400 miles. The length of drilling
in the rock would extend to 200 miles. The number
of nights during which the men worked was 152,147.
The number of horses employed was 10,500. No
15 than 400,000 yards of camel required blast-
ing,a!ld being so hard a material, could not be over-
Come by any other means than gunpowder. The number
of bridges on theliene was 219, of culverts 230, and of
yiaduca Th
, 500.
anrhatest number of men employed
was about 10,0763,000
in
number of workmen altogether
was equal to 3 one day; whilst the excava-
tions averaged 100,000 cubic yards per mile. The number
of waggons employed was
eextenpdoetrdoa3riysn
a line, would reach nearly five miles; and th
wheeling planks, placed end to end, would extendtem
miles. [The enumeration of these facts elicited loud
applause.],Mr Mould concluded an able and effective
speech by thanking the agents on the line for their ac-
and by repeating his t
tivity and energy,
Yteiltapliiniii;tilthich had been paid to him. He sat down
-emitter pratenied cheers.
Mr."DonnOroposed the health of Mr. Day, and the
agents ormlois, John Stephenson and Co., on the Lan-
(.l

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