The Sun.
London, England, 1848-09-12 00:00:00

SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE.

WALSALL, MONDAY.—To-day the half-yearly meet-
ing of the proprietors of the above railway was held at
the George Hotel. The attendance was numerous.
Shortly after half-past one o'clock C. S. Forster, Esq.,
chairman of the company, took his seat. After the ad-
vertisement calling the meeting had been read, and the
common seal of the company affixed to the register of
shareholders,
Mr. BARNETT, the secretary, read the report of the
directors, which stated, amongst other particulars, that
the early completion of the main line from Walsall to
the junction with the Midland Railway, near Alrewas,
and the consequent opening of that portion of the under-
taking in the course of the present year, were now
secured; that the portion of the line between Walsall
and Bescot, which had now been worked nearly a year,
testing the traffic of the district, has fully answered the
expectations of the directors, and that the directors had
found it necessary to guard against the hazard of delay
in the completion of the remaining works on the score
of want of funds, by making a fourth call, which
would be payable in a few days, but which they had
limited to 11. per share. This call would enable the
directors to complete the-line from the junction with the
Midland, to that with the London and North-Western
Railway.
The CHAIRMAN said before putting the resolution
adopting the report, he should he happy to afford any
proprietor any information relative to the affairs of the
company which he might require.
Mr. JOHNSON, Mayor of Lichfield, sail he felt de-
sirous of knowing the amount of the arrears on each re-
spective call.—(Hear, hear.)
The SECRETARY said, the total amount of calls made
was 291,265/. 12s. 63., and the arrears 43,7581. 10 9d.
The CHAIRMAN remarked that the whole amount of
tho arrears did not come to more than 9 per cent., and
he considered their position in that respect favourable.
The directors were enforcing the payment of all the
calls.

Mr. Wir.zrAms said, at a previous meeting the chair-
man gave them to understand that the 71. would he still
ficient to complete the line. Now, it was 81. 10s., and
he (Mr. W.) wished to know whether the 81. 10s. would
be sufLiont?

The CHLIRMkN said he had no doubt it would.

Mr. ROGERS observed, at a previous meeting their
chairman said they were at that time in an enviable po-
sition—that of a young lady waiting for a partner. He
(Air. It.) wished to kuor_whether any a3vances had been
made?

The CHAIRMAN said the question had not yet been
popped—(Laughter)--but there was no knowing when
it might be.

Mr. JOHNSON said a report had been pretty generally
circulated that their board, as constituted, was favour-
able to the narrow gauge only, and that if a broad gauge
company applied to them, and made propositions, they
would not be entertained. Now he was very anxious to
know whether the report was true?
The CHAIRMAN said that no resolution pledging the
directors to any particular gauge had been come to by
them, and there was not the slightest disinclination
to receive an acceptable offer from whatever quarter it,
came.—(Hear, hear.)
The report was adopted, and, after a vote of thanks
had been passed to the chairman, the meeting separated.

NEW DISTANCE SIGNAL ON THE SOUTH-WESTERN
RAILWAY.—This company, with its well-known anxiety
to guard against accidents on their line, and to inspire
confidence in the minds of those travelling on tho South-
Western Railway, have been for some time past using
every endeavour to find out a plan or method to signet
an approaching train, when in danger of its running into
other trains preceding, or there being any accidental ob-
struction, or if the "shunting" of a slow train at any of
their stations has not been completed, when an express
or fast train becomes due; such as at Kingston-on-
Thames, where the Guildford quarter-past five from
London has arrived; the express ditto, for Southamp
ton, following in five minutes afterwards. At this sta-
tion, the first or second class ordinary train
has to be moved, or "shunted," to let the express
train go by—so near do they sometimesarrive, that many
gentlemen and ladies going by those trains at that hour
of the day get out of the carriages until the fast
train has gone by, many expressing their fears that
some time or other a most serious accident must occur.
This induced C. Stovin, Esq., the general manager of
the traffic department, to try and find out some method
of prevention. In this effort that gentleman had been
fortunate enough to succeed, and at the present moment
a new distance signal is being fixed up by Messrs. Ste-
vens and Son, ironfounders, of Darlington-works, South-
wark-bridge-road, London. It is so constructed that a
man at the station will be enabled, by means of a crank,
easily worked, fixed to a wire, similar in thickness to
those by which the electric telegraph is now worked, to
give the danger signal instaneously at a distance of at
least 600 yards from where he is placed ; that signal to
be clearly obervable at a further distance of three-fourths
of a mile, so that a fast train approaching a sharp curve,
the driver will discover the danger, and have ample time
to stop before he reaches the obstruction or danger. As
it frequently happens such curves are near to stations,
this invention will prevent, with ordinary caution in
future, dreadful accidents similar to those so fre-
quently occurring of late. The machine or signal stands
, and when to
about twenty feet from the ground, being made secure to
the one a strong frame, firmly fixed ;on the sides are fastened
connecting rods,'
and other works ; at the top the usual
segment
bet
ehoieofnpgaegncriiernacgtl e.
mass T The
colours are painted for day, and similar colours reflected
from a lamp by night. When it will be required to stop
a coming engine, the red will be insgtea,nptlyardnihsoprlaoynegd
line,t,
pass
sn theto
w slacken
hite i
s speed
conspicuouslyn is sho
observed,wn
re-
quired being shown in the
whole is expected to be up and completed for use in a
day or two. Similar signals are now making by the
same firm to be fixed at the Weybrid
and other stations on the South-Western
h
such curves are. The men who are to be appointed to
work these signals will have additional wages paid them,
and are to be chosen from the most steady and ex-
perienced servants on the line. The worker of this
machine will be enabled instantly to discover whether
the proper light or colour is reflected by
round aperture in the centre of the reflecti.n.hgjilia,
the same colour he wishes to show reflected througha
GUILDFORD, SURREY.—FALLING IN
lamp.
to
OF PART OF A
RAILWAY TUNNEL.—On Friday afternoon last, part of
the tunnel running under St. Catherine's
Guildford, connected with the branch of the South-
Western Railway from Guildford to Godalming, gave
way, falling in with a fearful crash; fortunately the men
at work near to the place observed a, fissure opening,
which gave them timely notice of the danger they were
in; consequently, they all rushed towards the mouth of
the tunnel, and got sufficiently away befotrheetlheeast pon-
derous mass fell in; thus all were providentially saved
will occupy some
The viaduct at
to Go-
df in-
jured.raoimm ini inevitable eTvfhioti ars b lseo accident
md ee a tt hi al,
will
ioll not one
longer,
rani
Aaa nyst
ih.n_
dtfween five arches
Upholland
L chalk,daysiv i
Ene
Raeprl to.ehao,rti&e
Acg.N,
aDivw
ahi i
ri
BURY
ha y hasRAILWAY.—The
A fallenlLw
way is laid and
tunnelsLiverpoolev e r the
nr
de i
es
finished,ecomplete,
property!a withnd
all
It
Thehtbe e
\exception,bvr ai
ditg,
,bridges
ns
ab
noe
Wigan to the
junction with the Bolton and Preston
ballasted Live-
rp00l
for Wiganthat aredi s
tbuilt e
distance. From
the
near
Railway the
bridges are all built, and a portion of the permanent way
laid down, and only a few thousand yards of earthwork
have yet to be removed. The large viaducts near Bolton
arethe inex
cue
ptiforwardee,. state,the thatpla
n planking
Bolton
Thebeing finished with
masonry of the
Darcy lever viaduct is complete, and two-thirds of the
ironwork is fixed. The stone viaduct at Bury is finished.
The permanent way (double line) is laid through between
Darcy Lever and the Bury viaduct. Several of the plat-
forms and stations are built, and the signals are now
being put up ; and should the weather be favourable, the
line may be opened for passenger traffic in October next.
—Liverpool Albion.