The Sun.
London, England, 1868-09-18 00:00:00

ATMOSPHERIC RAILWAY BREAK.

The trial of Mr. Charles Kendall's break on the London,
)hatham, and Dover Railway, was not a first and there-
bre of necessity an inconclusive experiment, but it was an
elaborate and severe test of an invention which has been
n constant use for three years on the same line. The
iovelty in working the apparatus for the instruction
bnd amusement of a party of gentlemen bent
day'. trip from London to Margate and back,
vas the placing full command of the break in the
&ands of the engine-driver. It is a principle steadily
siunciated by Colonel Kennedy for the past. thirty-five
rears, that the driver is captain of the train, and should
►e entrusted with power equal to his responsibility. That
No as well as the guard should have the means of checking
'r bringing to a stop the carriages in the rear of the
engine, is a condition exactly fulfilled by the
btmospheric railway break, which simultaneously blocks
he wheels of the whole train, and which may
►e worked from either end. Among the corn.
'any who left Victoria station, and who, after dining
(Tether at the handsome and commodious Cliftonville
lotel, returned to London the same afternoon, were
"..olonel Kennedy, the distinguished Engineer officer already
tamed ; Captain Godbold, the continental manager for
he London, Chatham, and Dover Company; Mr. Smythe,
he superintendent ; Mr. Martley, the locomotive engi.
Leer ; and Mr. J. Davis, assistant engineer to Colonel
Kennedy. The first stop was between Sevenoaks
and Farningharn, on an incline of 1 in 100, the
rain being checked in a speed of 35 miles, and within
► space of 323 yards. This was considered very satis-
actory, but subsequent trials were more effective, the
[river gaining skill with each new attempt. His second
dull-up was on the level at Sole-street, when the train was
:oing 40 miles an hour, and was stopped in a space of 220
rards. The third stop was, for want of time, notmeasured,
nit was judged between 160 and 200 yards, at the utmost,
lie speed of the train being at the time 55 miles an hour.
['his was at a place known to drivers as " Stickfast.
►ank," some distance before the Strood station is reached.
Chree more stops were made before reaching Margate,
vith increased success. No doubt the mere getting into a
'ailway train implies hazard ; but such inventions as Mr.
Kendall's break, including, as it does, a plan of communi-
sation between driver and guard, accessible only to pas-
angers, will tend to reduce danger to a minimum, to make
keeidents fewer than they are, and to make the big ones
ittle.

There was another proclamation of outlawry
igalnst the Hon. Richard Bothell at the Sheriff's County
*Jourt yesterday.

A drunken woman at Liverpool has suffocated her
)aby by laying upon it in bed. The coroner's inquest re-
7rned a verdict of manslaughter.

The amount of corn destroyed by the fire at Grange
Farm, near Netley Abbey, Hants, is estimated at 1,000 qrs.
the fire is believed to have been the work of an incendiary.
&bout £3,000 worth of corn food was destroyed by fire a few
lays since at Winfreth, Dorsetshire.

Mr. Reed, one of the candidates for Hackney,
iss presided over a meeting of the Metropolitan Associa•
:ion for Promoting Cheap and Regular Train Accommoda.
;ion for the Working Classes. Resolutions were carried
n favour of an application to Parliament for a bill pro.
riding that trains should be run at a distance of ten miles
from the metropolis at a penny for each journey.
The Irish mail, whilst proceeding from Holyhead
to London, appears to have had another narrow escape.
Near the Tamworth station of the Trent Valley Line a
number of platelayers were at work, and some large
pieces of timber were lying between the metals when the
mail approached. The engine struck the timber, and
several pieces were violently driven into the front break
van. Fortunately the train did not leave the rails, and
the passengers escaped uninjured.
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- - -
DEATH OF ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF MIDDLES.
BROUGH.-Mr. John Vaughan, of the well-known iron
firm of Bolckow and Vaughan, died on Wednesday, at his
London residence, Hyde-park-gate. Mr. Vaughan, who
was 69 years of age, was one of the founders of the town
of Middlesbrough, and his firm was the first to develops
the resources of the Great Cleveland iron district.
A BULLOCK IN A BEDROOM. —An amusing
occurrence took place in Bridlesmith-gate, Nottingham,
on Wednesday morning. Three bullocks were being
iriven along the street to market, when one of them
entered the shop of Mr. Watts, staymaker, walked up the
stairs into a bedroom, and actually mounted the bed.
The beast, on regaining the floor, sent its horns through
a looking-glass, and also smashed all the crockery in the
room. A neighbour, hearing of the occurrence, went
up stairs for the purpose of clearing the room of its
occupant, but was quickly pitched to the bottom, for-
tunately without sustaining any injury. The driver and
two policemen then went up, and the animal was ulti.'
..tely got, out iuto Greet withftirktbmagi
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