The Sun.
London, England, 1858-08-25 00:00:00

DUBLIN AND WICKLOW.

The report of the directors of this company states that the
earlier part of the half-year was still marked by the late
commercial pressure, and the consequent general depres-
sion. 'Nevertheless the accounts exhibit an increase of
traffic as compared with the corresponding half of last year.
The receipts on the Kingstown line for the year ending the
30th of June last amounted to £59,331, at.d for the year
ending 30th of June, 1857, to £56,081, showing an increase
of £2,350. The gross receipts having exceeded £55,000,
the Kingstown Company became entitled to the contin-
gent rent upon such excess, in addition to the ordinary
fixed rent. The revised fares on the Kirgst )wu line
produced £2,686 of that increase. Tne tc.til traffic receipts
fur the half-year on the Wicklow lice amounted to
£13,016, and for the corresponding half of 1837 to £13,499,
showing an increase cf £417. Tile general summary shows
that the total receipts on both lines for the past half-year
amounted to £40,587, and the wcrliing 'expanses to
£17,201, leaving £23,386, of which £17,649 has
been paid to the Kingstown Company and their
late officers, leaving £.,737. To this is added £9,269 from
the previous half-year, making £15,006. Deducting £8,642
for interest, rents, rates, and taxes during the ball-year,
and £4,772 for the February dividend, there remains a net
balance of £1,591. The interest to be paid in future
by the comrlatly on the Government lean has been reduced
front 5 per cell.*. to' 4 per cent. per annum. In the last
half-yearly report it was ehown that the debts of the com-
pany bad been reduced by £91,147 since the issae of pre-
ference shares. The debts (exclusive of the Government
loan and debentures) remaining at the close of that ha'f-year
amounted to £117,139. These were reduced at 30th June
last to £73,C92, showing 'a further reduction of £44,047.
At the same time the new terminal station has been in
active progress, and other works have been completed, all
of which have been paid for as they proceeded. Out of the
balance of £1,591, the directors propose that a dividend, at
the rate of per cent. per annum, be declared on the calls
paid on the -preference shares, nmounring to about £67
leaving a balance of £Bl6 to be carried forward. The
capital account of the Wicklow showed that £934,529 had
been received, and £932,454 expepded, leaving a balance of
£2,075. The revenue account for the half-year ending
June 39 showed that £14,165 had been received, and £8,852
expended, leaving a balance of „E 5,313, out of which £4,730
was deducted for interest, leaving a balance of £583.

NEW BRANCH OF
GRANTO THE CALEDONIAN TO
As the works on the new branch line from the Caledonian
Railway to Grantou have now made very considerable pro-
gress, a few facts in connection with the objects for which it
was projected and the course it will describe may not be un-
interesting.
Some ten or eleven years ago an application was made to
parliament for powers to construct a line almost identical
with the one now making, but these powers expired four or
five years subsequently without being acted upon,' with the
exception of the cutting of the Haymarket Branch, which
forms a connexion between the Caledonian and the Edin-
burgh and Glasgow Railways, and by which access
might be gained for the traffic on
...the former rail-
way to the Waverley-bridge Station. This line has been
completed some years, and;although perfectly workable, has
scarcely, through disputes between the companies 's
to
station accommodation, been made use of up to
The Haymarket branchtliepraesent
e diverges from the Edinburgh
and Glasgow line a little to the west of the Haymarket sta-
tion, and joins the Caledonian line about half a mile on this
side of Slateford. The -line now in progress is so far a con-
tinuation of the Haymarket branch that it commences at a
point on that branch near the Haymarket station (formerly
the only Edinburgh station on the Glasgow line), and pro-
ceeding crosses the Edinburgh and Glasgow line by a viaduct,
the highroad by a bridge between Coltbridge and Donald-
son's Hospital, and strikes off to the west of Craigleith
Quarry and Blackball. At this point the original plan has
been slightly modified. As formerly contemplated, the
branch here took a more easterly direction than it now does,
its course at present running from near Craigleith to the
western breakwater of Granton Harbour. The Duke of
Buccleuelt—who, it is perhaps necessary to mention, is per-
, sonally interested in the line—has already commenced pre-
parations on a large scale, by erec.ing cranes, &c., on the
breakwater,witb a view to facilitate the siaipment of minerals,
gas coal, ironstone, &c., for exportation, and the convey-
ance of imports, which for the most part will consist of flax
and hemp from the Baltic. The exports will be mostly from
Lanark and Ayrshire. The construction of the line is
adapted for goods traffic; but should the directors commence
the conveyance of passengers, this would not necessitate any
important alterations.
The works, now being pushed on by a staff of nearly two
hundred labourers, extend to a good distance beyond
Craigleith, though commenced only so recently as the
17th of May. The excavations in Lord Murray's lands of
Murrayfield are the deepest on the line—namely, about 35
feet; the embankments on the lands of Blinkbonny (the
property of Trinity Hospital) are being energetically or-
werded ; and navvies itro amiss busy upon the grounds of