The Sun.
London, England, 1850-08-05 00:00:00

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

OPENING OF THE GREAT NORTHERN.
The opening of this stupendous undertaking for public
traffic over the southern, or town division of the line,
namely, from London to Peterborough, is fixed to take
place on Wednesday next, the 7th inst.
Several trial trips have taken place during the last few
days, and on Monday last a powerful engine and a
special train were brought up to the present temporary
terminus at Maiden•lane, King's-cross, for the purpose
of conveying the Government Inspector of Railways
over the line. Captain Simmonds, the Inspector-General
of Railways, arrived at the terminus shortly before ten
o'clock, and was received by Mr. Denison, MT, the
chairman of the company; Mr. Thomas Cubitt, the en-
gineer; Mr. Louis Cubitt, the architect; Mr. Brassey,
the contractor for the line; Mr. Seymour Clarke, chief
superintendent of the line, and a large body of the di-
rectors and their friends, who immmediately took their
places in the carriages, Captain Simmonds and other
scientific gentlemen taking their stations on the engine.
The journey from London to Peterborough was per-
formed in a very short space of time, considering the
necessary stoppages, in order to allow the Government
Inspector to examine the various works of importance as
the train proceeded.
The result of the inspection has, it is understood,
proved perfectly satisfactory, and the Inspector-General
has given his certificate as to the fitness of the line to be
opened. to Peterborough on Wednesday next.
In order to enable the reader to form some notion
of the magnitude of the works going on at the London
terminus of the Great Northern Railway, it may be men-
tioned that the plot of land on which the present tempo-
rary terminus stands consists of about fifty acres, situate
about a quarter of a mile from the site of the intended
permanent terminus, the Small-pox and late London
Fever Hospitals at King's-cross, and immediately abutt-
ing on the Regent's Canal, on the northern side of the
Imperial Gas Works. On the east this piece of land, is
bounded by Maiden-lane, and on the west by Agar
Town, in the rear of St. Pancras Workhouse and the
Old St. Pancras-road, whilst on the south the Regent's
Canal intervenes, and on the north the embankments of
the Birmingham and Blackwell Junction, which crosses
the Great Northern line by means of a viaduct within a
few hundred feet of the Copenhagen Tunnel.
It is intended that this vast space should be devoted
to the goods department of the railway, and it will, with
the exception of its greater extent, bear close affinity to
the goods and locomotive department of the London and
North-Western Railway at Camden-town. The works
in course of construction on this portion of the railway
are of a most massive character. They are being carried
out under the direction of Mr. Louis Cubitt, the archi-
tect, and the Messrs. Jay, of London-wall, who are the
contractors for all the works on the London side of the
Copenhagen Tunnel, and who it is understood have
within the last few days also obtained the contract for
the construction of the permanent terminus at King's-
cross. _ . _

The present terminus of the Great Northern Railway
is entered by two large gates situate on the western side
of Maiden-lane, facing River-street, and the City of
York Tavern, within about 150 or 200 yards of the
bridge over the Regent's Canal, now being widened
at the expense of the company, and • being converted
into an elegant structure of iron, 60 or 70 feet in
width. Immediately on entering the outer gates is the
temporary range of waiting-rooms and offices leading
to the platform, which is about 200 yards in length,
with an elegant and exceedingly light iron and glass
roof, constructed, when completed, upon the same prin-
ciple as that of the North-Western terminus at Euston-
grove. To this point the main line of rails is completed,
and laid on an exceedingly solid foundation of burnt
clay, the rails themselves laid on sleepers of wood, and
apparently of a more heavy calibre than most rails
hitherto in use on any of the other narrow gauge lines.
Immediately crossing the railway to the south-west, is a
large building to be appropriated to the official depart-
meet of the line, and which will contain the directors'
board-room, &e. Further westward ate the carriage
sheds, and the sheds to be appropriated to the goods de-
partment. These buildings are of the most stupendous cha-
racter, being each of them several hundred yards in length,
and so capacious in every other respect that barges which
come up the canal from the river Thames, after being te-
ceived into a capacious dock, now in course of construc-
tion, can be brought under these sheds, into which the
dock extends, fur the purpose of either unloading
or receiving their cargoes. It is understood that on
one side of these 'docks will be the coal depat, it being
the intention of the Great Northern Company to bring
up that article of consumption direct from the coal
fields of the north, at a very reduced rate, for the Lon-
don trade. The other department will be for corn; and
so great is expected to be the demand, that large six-
story stores are about to be erected for its deposit.
Bearing further westward, towards Agar-town, is the
entrance to the goods and locomotive department, which
is reached by a turning from the St. Pancras-road, at the
end of Brewer-street, Somer's-town, to which point,
when completed, the works of the company will extend,
passing the range of gasometers of the Imperial Gas
Company in that direction. The engine• house and lo-
comotive department are situate more to the north-west-
ern extremity of the land described. The engine-house
is a capacious building, and has been supplied with an
immense tank, covering very nearly its entire roof, into
which it is stated the water for the engines will be con-
veyed by means of a powerful steam-engine from a large
artesian well.
Looking from the present temporary passengers' sta-
tion in a north-easterly direction, the first object which
the eye encounters is the very elegant and substantially
constructed fi%e•arched bridge or viaduct which crosses
the railway in continuation of Maiden-lane. To this
point from the terminus the line is on a very great curve,
and so continues till it reaches the Copenhagen Tunnel,
the mouth of which is, however, plainly visible from the
station through the arches of the Mai ten-lane viaduct.
The Copenhagen Tunnel is about half a mile in length,
commencingsid e n.
aunt e the entrance of Copenhagen-fields on
theside, and terminating in the Chalk-
road, where the line enters on a cutting gradually
rising to an embankment, and crossing the Holloway-
road by means of a very elegant and tastefully con-
structed bridge.

Returning to the works going on with a view to the
completion of the London terminus, many rumours have
been afloat as to the means by which it is intended that
the Great Northern Railway shall meet the engineering
difficulties presented by the interposition of the Regent's-
canal and the extensive works of the Imperial Gas
Company in order to arrive at the Small Pox Hospital
at King's-cross, where their permanent terminus is
to be erected. The difficulty is solved by the construc•
tion of a tunnel, the principal shaft of which is now
open, opposite Randall's tile-kilns in Maiden•lane, which
will open upon the main line on the eastern side of the
Maiden-lane viaduct, befire described, and pass under
the Regent's-canal in the same way as it was proposed
by Mr. Madigan, one of the engineers of the North-
Western, to carry the proposed railway under
London, to the terminus in Farringdon-street. This
tunnel has already been completed, although not opened
at either end, from within a few yards of the Maiden-
lane viaduct to within a short distance of the northern
side of the Regent's Canal. In order to pass under the
canal from the point of the viaduct, until after passing
the canal, the tunnel will necessarily be on a great incli-
nation to the south; but as soon as the canal is passed,
the line will enter a cutting upon an incline the reverse
way, and thus come into the permanent terminus at
King's-cross. By this means also all the works, as well
as the mains of the Imperial Gas Company, will be
cleared without any difficulty. The company have
already shown their spirit in the works which they have
carried on, irrespective of the mere railway. Workmen
have bean engaged for months past in constructing a large
tunnel sewer from the works on the northern aide of the
canal, emptying itself into the old Fleet-ditch, at King's-
cross, and which is now completed. A large number of
houses have been removed, which formed the south-
eund-street, and the western side of
portion of the Smallpox Hos-
pitalverting a narrow and dirty thorough-
fare into a splendid macadamised road of sixty feet in
walls, thus con
ems
as tiedrenn
-cloarnne:raos fwEedi rigs a
width.

ataoycons was held On Fri-
to the pro•
EASTERN UNION,
da)A, atspßeactlialely'llis
priety of authorising the directors to issue debenture
shares to pay effetoitnegl, onfiathekisfrcia.ormz
off a portion of the borrowed money; Me'.
S. Bignold in the chair.
The CEtatestas stated that the Act authorising the
measure he had to submit received the Royal assent ou
the 15th of last month. The object was to enable the
directors to create new shares to pay off a portion of the
debenture debt, and thus to place the capital in a posi-
tion to receive a dividend by removing a large amount of
the present liabilities of the company • The mortgage
debt at present amounted to 530,009/., a small portion of
which was borrowed at tour per cent., another portion at
six per cent., and the largest portion at five per cent.
It was their intention to reduce the rate ot interest
down to the lcwest amount. and the mortgage debt to
a sum not exceeding 350,0001. The traffic on the line
produced about 125,0001. per annum, and, after de-
ducting working expenses, would leave a clear sum of
between 60,0001. and 70,000/. a year. If the interest on
the mortgage debt cjuld be reduced to 4 per cent. or
per cent., it would leave a sum to divide among the
shareholders. With a clear sum of 60,000/. to meet a
liability of 20,0001., he thought it reasonable to expect
they would obtain money at a much lower rate of in-
terest than they paid at present. He moved a series of
resolutions to the effect that the borrowed money should
as soon as possible be permanently reduced to a
sum not exceeding 350,0001.; that for this purpose the
directors be authorised to create debenture shares and to
raise thereon a Rana not exceeding 265,0001.; that the
shares be of an atnount not exceeding 10/. per share
and be entitled to a rate of interest not exceeding 4i. pe;
cent. if issued in perpetuity, or 5 per cent, if redeemable

within fourteen year.; and that every holder of a mort-
gage or bond now due, or to become due on or before
January 1,1851, be offered payment of it in the propor-
tion of one-half its amount by " debenture shares," and
one-half in a now mortgage.
Mr. CAYLET seconded the motion.
In reply to questions from Mr. Baowsr, it was stated
that every shilling of the money raised. on those shares
would be paid into the Bank of England and be appro-
priated exclusively to the payment of the bondholders.
The amount raised by the issue of the 10 per cent, pre-
ference shares was 50,000/., but it was intended to re-
deem them as soon as possible. Tnis money was raised
in compliance with the request of a meeting of the
shareholders against the judgment of the directors, and
it was urged at the time by the former, that borrowing
money at 10 per cent. for a short period would be less
injurious to the company than borrowing the same sum
at 6 per cent. for a long period.
The resolutions were unanimously carried.
Mr. CAYLEY said, they were in hopes of obtaining
the money they required at a reasonable rate of inters at
in consequence of the state of the money market and
of the increase of traffic on the line.
The proceedings concluded with a vote of thanks to
the chairman and directors.