The Sun.
London, England, 1846-01-05 00:00:00

RA►,ILWAY INTELLIGENCE,

THE NARROW GAUGE.

Yalta, Sp..Ttifto4Y.—The experiments of speed and
tractive poWet on the narrow gauge were brought to a
close yestelltiy by the running of two heavy trains—the
one weighttai with 200 toes, and the other with 400 tons.
The party accompanying the trips has gradually become
less and less, and to-day it consisted only of Mr. Bidder,
Mr. Gooch, Mr. S. Clarke, Mr. W. Harding. and Mr.
Calry. I was informed by Mr. Bidder that Professor
Airey had returned to town, but that we should have
with us " one Commissioner." Professor Barlow, how-
ever, did not make his appearance, and the train started
without him. It consisted of about twenty trucks
weighted with iron rails, and with one first-class carriage
attached. The whole weight was 200 tons. The engine
selected was the Hercules, belonging to the York and
North Midland Company. She is a very powerful engine.
The area of her fire-box is 60 feet; area of tubes, 900
feet; diameter of cylinders, 15 inches; length of stroke,
24 inches; diameter of wheels (all coupled), 4 feet 8
niche.; weight, 20 tuns. The arrangement was that
stoppages should be made at every station, in order to
show what might be practically expected as the every
day work of an engine on the narrow gauge with a long
and heavy train. These delays, however, proved so
tedious, that, after calling at six stations, the arrange-
ment was abandoned, and the remaining stations were
skipped. We left York at twenty-six minutes and
ten seconds past nine, and arrived at Darlington
(forty-three miles) at twenty-six minutes past
*melte. having been two hours, fifty-nine minutes,
and fifty seconds on the road. From this time
however, 40 minutes and 29 seconds taken up by the
stoppages, must be deducted. This reduces the time of
actual progression to 2 hours, 19 minutes, 21 secends,
being nearly 18} miles per hour. Including the stop-
pages, the rate averages something more than 14+ miles
per hour. Had stoppages been made at the remaining
stations of Northallerton, Cowton, and Croft, it is fair to
presume that something like a further delay of 12
minutes would have been the consequence ; and taking
that into consideration, a practical result is shown of an
average of nearly 13i miles an hour. The waximum
speed attained was one mile in 2 minutes 25 seconds, or
nearly 25 miles an hour. The day was calm, and well
suited to elicit the best speed. It must be added, how-
ever, that this train proceeded against the prevailing
gradients, as will be seen from the table annexed. Dar-
lington is considerably higher than York. After some
delay at Darlington, a great many other trucks were
added to the train, the length of which was extended to
290 yards. There were forty-seven vehicles, trucks and
carriages, and the train was weighted to 400 tons. This
monster train left Darlington at fifty-five minutes past
one, and ran through to York, without any stoppages, a
double tender having been added to the engine, so as to
ensure a sufficient supply of water and all the necessary
auxiliaries. The result of this trip beine, somewhat re-
markab'e, the speed exceeding that of the 200 tons train,
I annex a table of speed similar to those which I have
hitherto employed :

Min. Sec.!
Ist to 2,1 mile ... 4 0 '23d to 24th mile ... 3 1
2d to 3d mile ... 2 20 124th to 25th mile ... 2 50
3a to 4th mile ... 2 10 125th to 26th mile ... 2 50
4th to sth mile .. 3 30 26th to 27th mile ... 3 10
sth to 6th mile ... 6 20 I27th to 28th mile ... 2 50
6th to 7th mile ... 3 40 ,28th to 29th mile ... 2 30
7th to Sth mile ... 2 20 29th to 30th mile ... 2 40
Bth to 9th mile ... 2 10 30th to 31st mile 2 40
9:h to 10th mile 2 10 31st to 32d mile ... 2 33
10th to 11th mile 2 20 32d to 33d mile ... 2 35
11th to 12th mile 2 40 33d to 34th mile ... 2 50
12th to 13th mile ... 3 20 34th to 35th mile ... 4 0
13th to 14th mile ~ 3 0 '3sth to 36th mile ... 5 10
14th to 15th mile ... 3 0 ;36th to 37th mile ... 7 20
15th to 16th mile 2 40 ,37th to 38th mile ... 6 30
Nth to 17th mile ... 2 20 ,38th to 39th mile ... 3 30
17tIi to 18th mile ... 2 10 39th to 40th mile ... 3 30
18th to 19th mile .. 2 10 40th to 41st mile ... 3 0
19th to 20th mile ... 2 10 41st to 423 mile ... 3 0
20th to 21st mile 2 4 4 .13 to 43d mile ... 3 0
21st to 22d mile 2 30 433 to 44th mile ... 3 20
223 to 233 mile 3 23

Min. See

The train reached York at 10 minutes 20 seconds past
four, and the journey of 43 miles was thus performed in
2 hours 15 minutes 20 seconds, being an average speed
of something more than 19 miles an hour. The maxi-
mum speed attained was a mile in 2 minutes and 4
seconds, or upwards of 29 miles an hour, whilst a speed
of nearly 2S miles an hour was attained over and over
again. This, taking it per se, is a remarkable result ;
and the question naturally presents itself, " How is it
that the average speed with the 400 tons train was
greater than with the 200 tens train ?" This may be
accounted for by the combination of three causes. In
the first place, the very slight breeze that existed was
in favour of the 400 tons train ; secondly, as there were
no stoppages with the large train, the time lost in
slacking and getting up the steam, previous to arriving
at a station and just on leaving it, forms no element in
the time occupied by the journey ; and lastly, the de-
scending gradients.
I yesterday visited the spot where the accident oc-
curred which was so nearly proving fatal to poor Hob-
son, the fireman, and I am convinced, from the appear-
ance of the rails at that part of the line, as well as on
°thisr portions, that the oscillation of the engine (in this
case an inside cylinder one) must have been very con-
siderable. Had it not been so the chair would not have
given way at this time, though sooner or later it must
have gone. Hobson, lam happy to tell you, is now
much better, and no danger is apprehended.

These experiments having been brought to a close, it
may be well to make a few observations on the mode in
which they have been conducted by the competing par-
ties. On the Great Western the days for experiments
having been previously fixed, on those days the trains
ran, and with the trains in the order also which bad been
agreed on. Mr. Bidder, on the narrow gauge, would not
run en eighty-ton train when the wind was at all high,
or the weather in the least unfavourable, and the con-
sequence is that the narrow gauge experiments were
made under much more favourable circumstances then
the Great Western experiments, as far as weather at
least is concerned. Mr. Brunel ran all the trains
which it had been previously arranged with the sanction
of the Commissioners should be run. Mr. Biddle
only ran one train, which could be regarded as
a perfect parallel with any experiment made on the
Great Western, but ran other trains of 40, 200, and
400 toss respectively, which hal not previously b3en
agreed upon, nor run by the Great Western. On the
Great Western the train was always brought to a stand
at the firit mile post. On the York and Darlington the
trains did not stop at the first mile post, bat passed it at
speeds averaging from ten to fifteen miles per hour, so
that time being corrected from the moment of leaving
the first mile post the narrow gauge had an advantage
over the Great Western in not starting from a state of
rest.

I nqw annex a table, showing side by side the speed
att,i,ined on each line with the 80 tons trains, and in
giving this table it is only necessary to observe that the
grA:lients, in either ease very inconsiderable, are some-
what more favourable on the Great Western than on
the York and Darlington—the curves on the latter,
however. are fewer. As the distance traversed by the
tir,at Western was 52 miles, I take, in order to make
the cases as ptrallel as possible, the first 42 and then
Vd mile. In each experiment the train was work-
inn on againcit the gradients, in the one case from
P;idiligton to Dideot, in the other from York to
Darlina•ton:

Narrow Gunge.
Narrow Broad
Gauge. Guage.

Time, Time, Time, Time,
each each lost gained
mila in mile in in _ in _

Pmaed the
Ist mile-

seconds. seco-,ds. seconds. seconds.

post at 2 938
2 ••• 111 48 110 122 8 0
3 ... 213 18 go • • 11818
4 ... 214 34 76 " 0 •••
5 ... 2 15 52 68
.7. 9° ... 0 ... 14
,8104 ... 0 2
7 218 25 74 75 •." 5 0
8..219 40 ... 75 68 7 ? 1
9 ... 2 20 52 ... 72 ... 68 4 °
10 ... 229 5 ... 73 ... 74 0 ••••• 0
11 2 23 18 73 ••• 73 0
12 2 24 30 ... 72 70 12
... 225 48 ... 78 65 ••• 13 0
14 ... 227 8 ... 80 ... 65 .. 15 ... 0
15 ... 228 26 ... 78 ... 66 ... 12 .. o
I; 229 40 .•. 74 68 ... 6 0
17 2 30 54 74 ... 67 7 ...
13 ... 232 12 ... 78 ... 67 11 ... 0
19 .. 233 31 .. 89 ... 68 • . 14 ... 0
2) 235 0 ... 36 68 18 ... 0
1 ... 236 22 ... 82 ... 69 13 ... 0
... 23, 44 ... 82 ... 69 ..• 13 •••
23 2 39 0 76 69 7 0
21 2 40 18 ... 78 69 8 0
23 4
2 4O ... 82 ... 72 10 0
2il ... 43 0 ... 80 71 •
9 0
`..t7 ... 244 20 ... 80 ... 71 ... 9 . 0
... 243 34
... 74 71 3 0
21 ... 2 •46 50 76 - 0 •
.. 6 ...
... 2 48 14
... 84 ... 69 15 0
... 2 49 32 78 71
.. 7 0
... 250 50 •78 74 ,
... 2 52 8 „., 78 73
...• "; •••
ou
2 53 25 ... 77 71 6
.7 0
2 54 42 ... 77 70 7 0
256 0 ••• 78 ... 70 8257 28 ... 88 ~,, 70 •
18 0
2 59 0 ... 92 71 21
3 0 30 ... 90 71 19 0
40 ... 3 1 55 ... 85 *" ••• 15 0
41 3 3 lB •.. 83 ... 70 13 0
42 442 ... 84 ... 72 ... 12 ... 0
..• • 3
3 442 ... 84 ... 73 .. 11 .. 0
44
4 1 3 8 .. 118 ... 102 .. 16 ... 0
...
Fr,:n the above it will be seen that in the 43 miles the
11 trr.:W gau4e lost 397 seconds, and gained 36, or lost in
This is an amount scarcely
5.:1:; I:l.l:cites secow.s.
avpr.ci.bi,,, but it limit he remembered that the wea-
tikvv vva; more in favour of the narrow than the broad
tge2.

Whn.t
ths Cummission:.rs ,till gather from these ex-
p. ri-----'„,„,, s to aid them in coining to a conclusion as to
tht..ATret or the twogauges on the commercial interests
0t.t.1-:e country it is dii
be
V. t.vtrn ea„ szoo 1 . cult to imagun..,. That the Great
higi,er velocities that can . at.. ai i ;ea .3,1 the narrow
early tale•eiesoervdiedd,
ent, whilst the acct.
CT:a:lately at a time when
a'..tr, mpting to show what a e narrow gauge party were
occurred most un-
etrcould 'be attained con-
ft with perfect safetyr
either system is
present suffiment for the requirt‘t4Y
arm) comes for
through which it extends, but wheinireaB of the country
filling up that large triangle between the
and the London and Birmingham systems, gear WineB:7ll
ivii;,lo of Wales, which is at present almost vet:ltd -:
;Le
by railways, and for which competing schemes put fro --
by the contending gauges are in the field, it is evident
that some step must be taken either to ensure a unit
formity of gauge or take care that the interests of com-
merce shall not suffer from the break of it.
Annexed is a table of the gradients on the York and
Darlington lines, calculating from York:—

Length of Gradient.
1 mile 7 furlongs.
2 „ 14 „
8 „ 52 „
5 „ 36 I f
4 „ 58 „
2„ 3 „
5 „ 61 „
1 „ 31 „
1„ 6 „
2 „ 11 „

4 ~ 16

o

Descending.
Ascending.
Ditto.
• Ditto.
Ditto.
Level.
Ascending.
Descending.
Ditto.

Ditto.

Ascending.

Level.

2 ,r, 51 .„. Descending.
2 „ 65 „ Ascending.
0 „ 49 „ Ditto.
We have received from Mr. Char
tary to the Great Western, the fol
tion :

Rate of Inclination.
4.60 feet per mile.
4.48 ”
1.36 „
6.56 f 1
0.48 f 2

8.40
2.56 Of
4.18
2.16
8.80

14 00
11-52 ~
12.00 Pf
.les Saunders, secre-
Ilowina
communiea-

" London Terminus, Paddington, Jan. 3.
" Sir,—The Directors of this Company have received
from their superintendent of the locomotive department
a report on the experiments which have been recently
made on the Great North of England Railway, and con-
sidering it of the utmost importance to the public and to
the interests of this Company that the circumstances
under which the experiments have been made, and the
cause of the unfortunate accident on that line should be
correctly reported, which accident may otherwise have
a serious tendency to create apprehension of danger from
speed on the express trains on the Great Western Rail-
way, I am desirous to transmit a copy of that report,
with a request that you will be kind enough to publish
it.—l am, Sir, your very obedient servant,
" CHARLES A. SAUNDERS, Secretary."
Mr. Saunders, and those he represents, will admit that
it would be a breach of fairness to publish, in the present
crisis of the question, anything that has not the imprima-
tur of our reporter, who was sent down on this special
mission, more particularly, as from perusal we perceive
chat there is an exparte tone about the document. Irre-
spective of the coloured portions of the composition. it is
corroborative in main statements, and circumstantial de.
tails of the accounts given before and above. Our ob-
servations and tables of mean practical resalts are coin-
cident, within some seconds, of the results given m
another journal, and both combine, with the account we
have received, in their statements to show that the
oscillation was the oriao Inalorum of the matter, coupled
with a casualty beyond the control of the experimenters,
the fracture of a faulty chair. The document, without
questioning either its truth or its correctness, s written
disparagingly, and apparently with prepossessions, bear-
ing, as in eed it states, " on the interest of the Great
Western," and it would be both a breach of fairness and
bad taste to give currency, unless as an advertisement, to
any such apocryphal reports.—Chronicle.

GREAT EASTERN AND WESTERN.
WORCESTER, SATURDAY NIGHT.—This evening a
meeting of the Shareholders in this undertaking took
place at the Guildhall in this city for the purpose of re-
ceiving a reply to the memorial addressed by them to
the Acting Committee a few weeks ago, requesting them
to close the accounts in consequence of the failure of the
Company to make the requisite deposits with the Board
of Trade on the 30th of November, with the view of dis-
solving the Company. J. Lilly, Esq., one of the Pro-
visional Committee, and late Mayor of Worcester, took
the chair.
The CHAIRMAN read the following reply to the
memorial addressed to the Board, and which he said had
been resolved upon at the meeting of the Board in
London on the previous day (Friday).
"London, Jan. 2, 1846.
" The Acting Committee of the Great Eastern and
Western Railway Company received, on the 19th of
December, a memorial from Worcester, stating that in
consequence of the incomple'e state of the plans and
sections, the Proprietors considered that there was no
possibility of the Company succeeding in its application
to Parliament in the ensuing session, and that they
therefore felt themselves entitled to call upon the Com-
mittee to abstain from incurring any unnecessary ex •
penses, and to submit at once a statement of the Com-
pany's liabilities and future prospects to a general meeting
of the shareholders.
1 II" The Committee, in replying to this memorial, have
great pleasure in assuring the Proprietors that they find
that the defects existing in the plans and sections origi-
nally depc,ited were greatly exaggerated, and do not
exceed in reality those minor inaccuracies which com
panics
have generally been allowed to rectify in all en-
terprises of acknowledged public utility.
" They beg to remind the memorialists that, in the
advertisement of the 4th of December, two courses were
recommended : first, to hold Mr. Gravatt responsible for
the failure in the deposit of the plans and sections ; and,
secondly, to make provision for opposing, in standing
orders, the competing lines, in order to keep the ground
open for a scheme in which they expressed acd still re-
tain unabated confidence. •
" On the 7th of December, two days before the meet-
ing at Worcester was held, they received the opinion of
a very eminent counsel as to the course which it was
necessary for them to take in order to carry out their
two objects ; and the Board being convinced that they
could neither test Mr. Gravatt's liability, nor resist any
claim which he might bring against them, unless
damage was proved before the proper tribunal, viz., the
Committee in standing orders, gave instructions to their
solicitor for preparing the Parliamentary notices and the a
December eposits at an expense which they do not
think will exceed 4,0001. up to the time when their case
is brought before Parliament.
" All the arrangements for this were made, and a large
proportion of the outlay actually incurred, before the
Worcester memorial was transmitted to them, and with
every desire to pay the most respectful attention to its
contents, the Committee cannot regret the decision then
come to. Looking to the improvement resulting from it
in their present prospects, for the number of railways
that will come before Parliament in the ensuing session
being not likely now much to exceed that adjudicated
upon in the last, there is no reason to suppose the stand-
ing orders will be enforced more stringently, in which
case there are abundant precedents to show that an en-
terprise of a thoroughly bona fide character will not be
t:.rown out by a delay by which no one has, in fact, been
damnified, as the deposits of the Great Eastern and
Western line were in every instance effected before the
offices of the Clerks of the Peace were opened for busi-
ness on the Monday morning.
" It is clearly Mr. Gravatt's interest to prove, as the
Committee are now given to understand was the case,
that severe illness alone incapacitated him from the more
punctual discharge of his duties.
" The Committee have taken advantage of the course
recommended to them, carefully to revise their original
plans, and following the example of the Welsh Midland
Company, they have made fresh deposits, in which they
feel the fullest reliance. If the course taken in the one case
be sanctioned by the Standing Orders Committee, it must
be so in the other. The Acting Committee entertain a
very sanguine hope that both prospects will now be
heard upon merits ; they feel, therefore, they should not
be doing their duty to the shareholders, with whose in-
terests their own are identified, if they were now to
shrink from a course which they believe to be indispen-
sable. They have given, and will still continue to give,
their tnostanxious attention to the interests of the Com-
pany. They pledge themselves to enforce the most rigid
cco-somy in the management during the short period
that must elapse before the fate of their application to
Parliament is decided, and in the event of its failure
they will immediately call a meeting of the Proprietors,
and have the future policy of tho Company entirely and
absolutely to their own decision.
" 11. G. WARD, Chairman."
A long discussion followed the reading of the report,
and much dissatisfaction was expressed at the non-pro-
duction of the accounts. At length the resolution was
carried unanimously.
Mr. MILES then moved a resolution for adjourning the
meeting to Saturday, the 17th instant, for the purpose of
la-ceiling the accounts from the Acting Committee, which
was carried hem col.

THE WORCESTER RAILWAYS.
The notices required by Pssrliament have been corn-
p!eted for the following lines :
MIDLAND AND EASTERN COUNTIES 12AILWAY.—A
line proposed to connect Cambridge with Worcester.
THE GREAT EASTERN AND WESTERN.—A line from
Worcester into South Wales. This Company has made
a fresh deposit of plans with the Board of Trade.
RuaRY, WARWICK, AND WORCESTER.—A proposi•
tion for affording railway accommodation to the above
t,?wils• The competing " Worcester, Warwick, and
"ugh)," has
,it will b e remembered, failed to make the
deposits with the Board of Trade in sufficient time.
SHRoPsHIRE UNION.—.A i°
Shrewsbury, With —A line from Worcester to
Oaken Gates. and NadNi.verging line from Broseley to
this city. small branches for convenience near
WARWICK AND WoRcesTER A the " Rugby, Warwick, and
Will make an arrange-
.. competing line with
eester," but in which it
is expected the latter Cornpa‘n‘r
ment satisfactory to both sides.
cester-
WARWICKSHIRE AND LONDON.—One of three ,
pro-
posed lines to bring Warwickshire and East Wor
shire in connexion with the London and Birmingham
line at Weedon. This line commences at Weedon, and
runs direct to Worcester, having branches to Alcester
and Droitwich.

WELSH MIDLAND.—A line from Warwickshire to
Worcester, and thence via Malvern, to communicate
with South Wales. This line is proposed to intersect the
very middle of the Landromest-street, in Worcester
(Foregate-street).
WORCESTER, TENBURY, AND LUDLOW.—A direct line
6otween these towns of about thirty miles in length.
WORCESTER AND LEOMINSTER.—A line proposed to
form at Worcester a junction with some of the War-
wickshire lines, and thus to afford through traffic to
Leominster vid Bromyard. The shares in this under-
taking have not yet been allotted.
WORCESTER, HEREFORD, Ross, AND GLOUCESTER.—
A proposal for an entirely new line forming a junction
with the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton line at
Worcester, and accommodating the following towns and
districts :—Malvern, Ledbury, Rosy, Hereford, and
Gloucester.
WORCESTER AND SOUTH WALES JUNCTION. —A com-
puting line with the last named from Worcester to Ross,
where It is proposed to join the Monmouth and Hereford
Railway.
WORCESTER AND PORT DINNL_A_EN.—ATIOther line
forming a junction with the Oxford, Worcester, and
Wolverhampton line at Worcester, and proposing to
pass hence through Tenbury and Ludlow, and so on
through Shropshire,n n
hiAelo, ontgn theome Northryshi Walese,
andCaceoransatrvon-
shire, to Port royn
The s
lines, proposed to come to Worcester,
have stopped proceedings,
dpnrgoceedings, having failed to effect the ne-
cesaryfollwi
depositso with the Board of Trade, on the 30th of
November :
Canal into a railway. and
The Birmingham
nd Birmingham
Worcester Direct—a proposal
for partially converting the Worcester a
Worcester, Warwick, and Rugby -a competing line,
in connexion with the Eastern and Western, with the
"Warwick and Worcester," and " Rugby, Warwick, and
Worcester" lines,

SOUTH-EASTERN RAIL WAY. —EXPRESSES.
The lollowing are regul,:tion9 adopted by tbe
Eastern for expresses and expre,s engines :
" 1. Charges to be made for special trains for the pub-
lic press:—

" For members of the public press, 55. per mile.
" If any special engine or train is ordered to be in rea•
diness, and be afterwards countermanded, half of the
above charge will be made.

"In addition to the above, a charge for demurrage
will be made upon every engine so ordered and detained
at any station for a longer period than 24 hours, as fol-
lows:

"No charge will be made for the first 24 hours, but
at the expiration of that period the charge for demur-
rage will commence at the rate of 50s. for every day or
part of a day.
" 2. No person to travel by such engine unless he be
the known agent of one of the newspapers, or has proper
authority from the secretary of the company.
"3. No agent of the press to be allowed to interfere
in any way with the conducting of such engines.
" The driver to take his instructions froth the officers
of the Company, who shall act with the most perfect
fairness towards all parties in enforcing the rules relatis e
to special engines.
" 4. That whenever an express engine is engaged or
ordered to be kept in readiness, the engineer or driver
1
shall, on no account whatever be allowed to leave the
station until relieved by some other engineer or driver ;
and that during the time the said engineer or driver shall
be on duty, one or other of them shall remain constantly
on or by the engine, to keep the steam up, and keep the
engine ready to start without the least delay.
" 5. That when two or more expresses arrive at either
the Dover or Folkstone station at the same time, the
said expresses shall be forwarded by the same express
engine. The expense thereof to be defrayed in equal
proportions by the respective parties.
"6. That when two or more express engines are
ordered on demurrage, the first express which arrives at
the station shall be forwarded by the engine which
happens to be placed first on the line.
" 7. Much dispute having arisen owing to the vary-
ing capabilities of the engines e mployed, it is now
ordered that no special engine be allowed to follow
within a quarter of an hour of any other previously
dispatched.

a To enforce this rule a time will be specified as the
period for performing all such special expresses.
" All the Company's drivers being required to make
the run in the specified time, according to these rules.
"S. When any special engine interferes with the
order of the running of the ordinary trains of the Com-
pany, the driver of such engine to pass such regular
trains (on their going into the side lines at a station)
according to the usual signals."

LEICESTER LINES.—On Thursday last, at a meeting
of the Leiceister town council, the clerk read notices
which he had received from the following Companies :
—The Direct Birmingham and Leicester ; Direct Lon-
don and Manchester ; Midland, in relation to the Swan-
nington Extension Junction ; Western Junction ; Lei-
cester and Redford Extensions ; and the Tean and
Dove Railways. The notices were served on the coun-
cil, so as to learn whether that body assented, dissented,
or would remain neuter in regard to these schemes. The
matter was referred to the Estate Committee for their
consideration.

AYRSHIRE LlNES.—During the past week several
surveyors hare been busy at work in Ayrshire, along the
routes of several of the new lines, boring, with the object
of learning the nature of the subsoil—whether rock or
°there ise, and of what mineral character, preparatory
to sub-letting the v. orks to contractors.
THE BRIGHTON, LEWES, AND HASTINGS.—Near to
Brighton the tunnel through Rose Hill is finished, with
the exception of clearing away the rubbish left by the
bricklayers, &c. An enormous mound of chalk, carried
Prose the cutting, has been raised so as to join the
♦iaducts forming the approach to the junction of this
with the present line from London to Brighton. In the
erection of this viaduct, upwards of three millions of bricks
will be used. It consists of 27 arches, eight of which are
turned, and the work pointed ; the ninth is about being
finished, and the finishing layer was put upon the crown of
the main arch over the London-road on Saturday last.
The height of this from the ground to the base of the
sleepers upon which the rails will be laid, is 72 feet, and
the space across the road is 50 feet in width. All the
buttresses, which are of brick, are pierced so as to take
off the weight of the material, and contribute to the
general stability of the erection. The " centres" are
fixed for the formation of several other arches, and it is
now considered that the heaviest part of the work is
finished. It was intended, some time since, to remove
the elegant balustrade from the celebrated Ouse Valley
viaduct, to ornament this one, but this has been aban-
doned, and it is now determined to build a strong wall,
with a plain coping of stone on each side of the railway.
The line at this point terminates in an easy sweep, and
simultaneously with the progress of the works along the
line, there are being erected most extensive warehouses,
engine-rooms, depots for traffic, and store-houses for
merchandise, equal to any built for the purposes of
any yet constructed line in this country. From the
present prospect of the general state of the works, there
is no doubt but that the whole line will be opened to the
public by the time intended, namely, in April next.
ADVANTAGE OF JUDICIOUSLY EXTENDING THE RAIL-
WAY SYSTEM.—From a table just published, showing
the progress of the railway system for the last four
years, it appears that up to a certain period of 1842,
52,380,000/. were expended on railways, giving a profit
of 4.97 per cent. at that time; and that up to acorrespond-
ing period in 1845, 71,646,105/. were expended, and the
receipta'show a profit of 5-54 per cent. after deducting 40
per cent. for the working expenses. The great advan-
tage of extending the railway system must bo very evi-
dent from the facts stated in the above table, showing
that a further outlay of 19,266,105/. between the years
1842 and 1845 had produced a gradual and firm increase
in the profits of 4.97 to 5.54, or of 0.57 per cent.
Should the 70,000,0001. authorised by Parliament in 1844
and 1845 to be raised for railways now in course of con-
struction be equally as beneficial in producing a further
progressive increase in the traffic of the country,
of which there cannot be much doubt, the fur-
ther outlay of the 70,000,0001. may be expected to
increase the profits on the capital of the old and new
railways, when completed and in operation, as much
as two per cent. more, which, added to the 5.54 per cent.
of the present time, would make that amount 7.54 per
cent. But this calculation does not include any ad-
vantage to be derived in future from improvements in
locomotives, or any of the economical changes in the
working expenses of railways which hays taken place
since 1842 to a considerable extent upon most of the
great lines; and there can be no doubt that the increase
of traffic consequent upon an extension of the railway
system will further reduce the proportion wnich the
working expenses now bear to the total amount of the
traffic receipts. It should be remarked, that although in
the table the working expenses are assumed to be 40
per cent., there can be no doubt that they have been re-
duced 4 or 5 per cent. at least since 1842; and, there-
fore, if the profits were 4.92 per cent. in 1842, those at
the present time should be estimated at 6 per cent.
instead of 5.54, as stated in the table. The result is
also highly favourable to the security, and a proof of
the improving nature of railway property, whether we
consider it as respects the outlay of capital, or the ex-
tension of railways in length; as an instance, 1,520 miles
were in operation in 1842, and 2.040 miles in 1845
being an increase of 520 miles; at the former period
the earnings were 2,8561. per mile per annum, and at
the latter period 3,2421. per mile per annum; showing an
increase in the receipts per mile of 13.5 per cent. instead
of a decrease, as many of the enemies to the extension
of the railway system expected.—llerapath's Journal.

RAILWAY SHARE MARKETS.
BRISTOL, Jnv. 3.
SrocK Excw.ANGß.—The only sale was—Midland, New, 29.
SHEFFIELD, JAN. 3.

STOCK ExcniNGE.—The sales are—Sheffield and Man-
chester, Quarter Shares, No. 3 (scrip), B—Grunsbv, and
Sheffield, l2:!./t —Goole and Doncaster, 41—Grand tlnion
(Nottingham to Lynn), 214—London and York, 434—Man-
chester, Sheffield, and Midland Junction, 41. 1 ls.—Manehes-
ter, Midland, and Great Grimsby, 2%—Sheffield, Wortley,
Silkstone, and Wakefield, 21. 4s. 6d.—Wakefield and Har-
rogate, 21/2.
YORK, JAN'. 8.
STOCK EXCHANGE.—The sales are—Newcastle and Dar-
lington, Brandling, 55—York and North Midland, Selby,
87—Ditto, Extension, 4034—Newcastle and Berwick, 2014
—North British, New Carlisle Branch, 314—London and
York, 4%—Axholme, 234—Grand Union, 2—Leicester and
Bedford, '2l. Cs. 6d.—Leicester, Tamworth, Coventry, Bir-
mingham, and Trent Valley Junction, 21. 17,.—North Staf-
fordshire, Cl. 2s.—North Western, 3:h—Welsh Midland, 234
—York and Carlisle, 314.
HILL, JAN. 3.
The sales are—Blackburn, Darwen, &c., B—North British
(Carlisle), 31A—Buckinghamshire, 20s. p.—Derby and
Gainsboroug,h, 275. 6d.—Cambridge and Lincoln, 3—Dudley,
Madeley, , 2A—Glasgow and Dumfries, 3—Grand
Union, —Hull and Barnsley Junction, 495. 6d.—Leicester
and Bedford, 203. p.—Manchester, Buxton, &c., '2% p.—
Nottingham and Grantham, 214—Sheffield Potteries and
Crewe, 225. 6d.—Tean and Dove Valley, par—Great
Grimsby, Louth, and Horncastle, 35s.—East Lincolnshire, 3%.

RASTRICK'S MANCHESTER LINE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SlR,—Will you permit me, through the medium of
your jonrnal, to ask why the Directors of R astrick, s
Manchester Line have not returned the deposit money,
over and above the two pounds fifteen paid by Reming-
ton's subscribers ? And also, why do not the conjoint
Directors at once state the plan of amalgamation they
propose ? If they intend to reduce the fifty pound
shares to twenty-five, why not at once say so, and
allow dissentients to withdraw ? If the Directors
V7fire to pursue this honourable course, we should no
longer see this splendid and promising project at such
an unsaleable discount ? but such c-nduct would give a
tone to tho market as most assuredly to cause a healthy
reaction. Did I not think the Directors rather neglect-
ful of the great interest committed to their trust, for
they represent 10,000,000 of money, your valuable space
would not b 2 so intruded on by your very obedient
servant„

JAMES SIIEPPARD, a Rareholder.
Stonehouse, Devon.

TUB WELLS IN TRAFALGAR-SQUARE.—The mains
have been laid down from the engine-house and cisterns
in Orange-street, to Buckingham Palace, the last pipes
of which were laid down on Friday. Two fresh pumps,
of eighteen inches diameter, have arrived at the works,
to be used in consequence of the greater supply which
will now be required, and one of which will furnish
twice the present quantity. Since they have been first
opened, the water has risen in the wells to an additional
height of about five feet.
To CURE A WART.—Scrape a carrot fine, and mix
with salt, and apply a poultice five or six nights.
On Saturday, at Covent-garden market, there was
a good show of new potatoes and cucumbers, and amongst
the flowers were camellias, roses, hydrangers, azalias, pelar-
goniums, heartsease, and violet..