The Sun.
London, England, 1869-02-16 00:00:00

RAILROADS AND ROAD-RAILS.

1 A company has just been formed to carry out an effec
tive system of horse and steam tramways on commor
roads. Similar schemes have often been suggested, bui
have failed either from the mechanical imperfection of the
means employed, or from the strength of the interests
opposed to them. The new undertaking will, it is hoped.
avoid both these errors. It will provide for the easy con•
struction of tramways on lines of road not hitherto
attempted. Mr. Page, C.E., the constructor of West
minster Bridge, has an invention by which locomotive,
are enabled to ascend the steepest gradients. Mr
Haworth, of Manchester, has also a patent which has
been applied to a tramway at Salford with sigua
success for the last six years. These twe
patents, taken together, apply to every contingency, and
admit of the construction of substantial " road-rails"
at an average of less than £2,000 per mile, instead of
£35,000, the average inclusive cost on existing lines of rail-
way. Steam tramways, therefore, would work in con•
formity with railway lines, in those districts where the
traffic suffers for want of branch railways. The regular
lines are too costly to supply exclusively the increasing
wants of the country, while in all large towns, and most
especially in London, no addition to the railway system
keeps pace with the traffic demand. A cheap and sub-
stantial system of horse and steam conveyance on common
roads will consequently afford valuable supplementary
assistance both to the companies and the public. By Mr.
Howarth's roadrails, accidents are rendered impossible, so
that the uneasiness excited by the failure of Train's tram-
ways may be dissipated. The company have entered into
arrangements with Mr. Page and Mr. Howarth for the
exclusive use of both patents in Great Britain. In
America the tramways have long been in• constant use.
In Baltimore the cars in 1865 ran 1,201,920 miles, carrying
7,665,664 passengers through thoroughfares as thronged as
Cheapside, with only one accident to a pedestrian. A
comparison of the returns for six months issued by the
London General Omnibus Corn pany and by the New York
Tramways shews that each carriage in New York con-
veyed 89,831 passengers, and in London 72,260. Each
horse in New York drew 11,137 passengers, and in London
6,081. The London omnibuses passed over 13,059,000
miles of streets made and maintained by metropolitan
ratepayers, while the New York carriages passed over
10,736,000 miles of streets maintained by the railways
themselves. It is believed that under judicious manage.
ment the promoters of the tramway scheme could keep
the roads in repair at their own cost—a great boon to the
ratepayers.

THE PRINCE AND THE PRINCESS OF

WALES.

The Times devotes nearly four columns to the descrip-
On of the doings of the Prince and the Princess of Wales
In Cairo, &c. Describing the reception of their Royal
Highnesses by the Viceroy of Egypt, the correspondent
says :—" The Viceroy's latest telegram informs him that
the Prince's train is within half an hour of Cairo, and his
Highness retires to put on his uniform. In a few
minutes more than the time indicated the whistle of
the engine is heard afar, the Viceroy appears at
the garden gate in a blue frock, richly laced with
gold, wearing the Order of the Osmanli, and with a curved
sword, the hilt of which blazes with diamonds, by his side.
The Egyptian band strikes up its weird national hymn,
and the troops present arms as, turning a curve, a painted
and decorated engine appears on the rail drawing an
American ptate saloon and the carriages of the Prince's
suite. The Prince wore a general officer's uniform. He
seemed in very excellent health. Every one was delighted
to see the Princess of Wales looking so well after her sea
voyage and her winter-vexed travels through Prussia and
Austria. The meeting between the Viceroy and their
Royal Highnesses was most frank and friendly; no great
bowing and ceremonious speeches, but cordial welcome and
a hearty reception of it."

Another letter, dated February 5, describes the
" departure of the pilgrims for Mecca." In reality, we
are told this is " a procession of sheiks and holy men and
the sacred Mahmel and Kisweh, escorted by irregular
cavalry and guns, which leaves the city to go out to the
real pilgrims encamped on the plain of Akbar, outside
Cairo. Several days ago the pilgrims set out from Cairo
' and encamped on the Abbasaya. What rites and cere-
monies they may have been since performing, inside and
out, I know not ; but last night all sightseers were warned
that the curious ceremonial which has just been termi-
nated was to come off soon after nine o'clock."
The procession was observed by the Prince outside the
citadel. "It was preceded by men with sticks to keep
away the crowd, and they certainly kept their sticks
going in a way which would astonish a line of beaters in a
home covert. Then came a crowd of men and boys chant-
ing and shouting in front of the camels, one of which bore
a canopy 61t. or Bft. lf gh of cloth of gold over the holy
saddle, others sustained lofty saddle and saddle bags, deco-
rated with orange branches and short flagstaffs with banners,
ethers carried holy had jis or sheiks, and one was
honoured by a peculiar, 'if not ztrecable load—a very
sainted personage, whose great merit it was and is to keep
turning his head round on his neck; as if it was fixed on a
universal joint, all the way to Mecca. This man, very fat
and unctuous to behold, was bareheaded ; his grizzled, dark,
and dirty-looking curly hair, divided in the centre, being
his only covering from the blazing sun of Arabia.
His body was stripped down to the waist, and gave
evidence that the holy man put on flesh very success-
fully in spite of his head turnings. His eyelids- were
half closed, and his fat face had an utter want of
expression quite suitable to the head to which it belonged,
which went round and round from right to left at every
jog of the much more. intelligent-looking camel which he
bestrode straddle-legged. Year after year this holy man
has turned his empty head in pilgrimages to Mecca,
and seems none the worse—nay, all the better for it,
though thousands of his fellow-pilgrims who do not turn
their heads perish miserably. When the holy camel
of the canopy came to the dais, the young Pasha was
handed the holy cord, and kissed it, and then the chief
sheik took it and kissed it, and the procession of camels,
of singing men and shouting boys, and a turbulent
straggling guard defiled twice in a circle in front of the
dais, while the guns of the citadel thundered out a salute.
The camels and their riders and attendants then marched
away towards the city to take part in the greater pro.
cession.. Next came, dashing at full speed from the
end of the esplanade, a solitary horseman holding a
long quivering lance with a tremendous bead, which
he poised across his saddle, and now and then thrust
forward right and left. This was the leader of the
irregular horsemen, " the lord of the land," a
great chief in Egypt this day. He threw his horse
on its haunches with a cruel bit, wheeled round, dashed
here and there, wielding but not throwing his jereed, and
careless of the multitude which now broke into the enclosed
space and pressed round the dais. There is a habit of
giving money annually at this festival, and there is fright-
ful fighting and confusion on the occasion, but in con-
sideration for the Princess it was not observed now. The
results of a scramble might be guessed at from the scene
which occured when no money at all was given, for the
police and the cavalry bad to clear the way through the
"people " in a way which would have done Superinten-
dent Walker good to see.

WONDERS NEVER CEASE.—The honourable
member for Peterborough, Mr. Whalley, entertained D
priest at his country residence (Plasmadoc) last week.—
Wrexhan Advertiser.

The Moniteux contains a piece of news that a
marriage is arranged between the Marquis of Bute and
one of the daughters of the Duke and Duchess of Aber
corn. The ex-official print adds that the marriage is to be
celebrated at Cannes.

The Bishop of Lincoln Elect (Dr. Wordsworth)
has appointed as his examining chaplains the Rev. Dr.
Benson, Master of Wellington College, formerly Fellow.
of Trinity College, Cambridge ; and the Rev. Frederick
Meyrick, one of her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools, and
formerly Fellow of Trinity College, Oxford, and select
preacher before the University.

REDUCTION OF RAILWAY FARES. —The Mayor
of Brighton has received an intimation from the chairman
of the Brighton Company, Mr. Laing, informing him
that the directors have decided, in addition to reducing
third-class return fares, and running mid-day and after-
noon third-class trains between Brighton and London vut
Steyning, on making a large reduction in return fares
general:y by all classes between London and Brighton,
and between Brighton and surrounding stations. The
additional third-class trains will commence on Ist March
the change of fares on the Ist of April.
THE REPRESENTATION OF BRADFORD.—On Mon-
day night St. George's Hall, Bradford, was filled with an
immense assembly. A meeting had been called to nomi-
nate a really Liberal candidate. As a vast multitude
could not get into the hall, meetings were held in the
Mechanics' Institute and in the Temperance Hall. Mr.
Titus Salt was in the chair at the St. George's Ilall
meeting. Mr. Godwin, who has been spoken of as a
candidate, proposed, " That all hope of a peaceful
solution of the present electoral difficulties of
this borough having been frustrated, this meeting
feels that no alternative is left: but to accept the
challenge which has been thrown out by the candi-
dature of Mr. Thompson ; and, believing that.in a contest
under such circumstances no man would combine so many
votes or so much enthusiasm as Mr. Miall, pledges it
e
to the return of Mr. Miall at the ensuing election." The
second resolution ran thus :—" That considering the greatile
meeting
gl sacrifices
relieves
from
nyr. Miallalreadyapleirassnnaeffort hitn o
r made, ad
ine , this
doming election." An influential meeting has been
Appointed. Great plAnktnity prevailed at the other two