The Sun.
London, England, 1850-11-02 00:00:00

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

BIRKENHE LD, LANCASHIRE, AND CiIE6EIIRE.
OPENING OF THE EXTENSION LINE.

On Thursday, the extension line of this railway
from Chester to Walton, where it joins the London
and North-Western Railway, which continues the
traffic throughout to Manchester, was publicly opened.
A local parer gives the following description of the
new extension line :

Having had an opportunity of inspecting some
portion of this line, we are enabled to lay before our
readers an account of it. The new line from Chester
to Manchester will be about twenty miles in length.
This extension will commence at Chester, and will
run into the London and North-Western Railway
near to Warrington, from whence the trains will
be continued on to Manchester. By this arrange-
ment the present circuit through Crewe will be
avoided, and though the line will not be what is
strictly called direct, it will materially shorten the
distance, and afford the means of transit for goods to
and from Birkenhead and Manchester, as well as
connect the latter place with the whole of the princi-
pality
by railway accommodation.
The value of this line to Birkenhead will be incal-
culable, as it will afford the means of transferring the
raw material from the ship's side to the manufac-
turer, and also of returning manufactured goods to
the vessel for export. The first sod of this line was
cut by Sir Richard Brooke, of Norton Priory, some
years ago, at Norton, near Preston Brock, but being
a novice, he cut one sod only, and wheeled it to the
appointed place. In coming back, however, instead
of drawing the barrow behind him, he turned it
round and wheeled it before him. Mr. Rendell, the
engineer, remarked, when this was done, that the
line would be completed in three years, but a
navvy, who was standing by, said, in an undertone,
" Then they must fill their barrows a great deal
better than Sir Richard Brooke did." During the
last twelve months, however, there has been an im •
pulse given to the works, which has resulted in their
almost entire completion, and in a short time we
hope to be able to announce the opening of this line
for traffic.

The new line, as we have stated, commences at
Chester, and after running a short distance on the
Crewe branch, diverges to the left through a cutting.
Shortly after entering the extension, Beestou Castle
opens to view on the right, and the line proceeds on
an embankment for about a mile and three-quarters,
passing by Trafford and Plemstall. In its course
through the meadows—for here the meadows are
widely spread on both sides of the line—it crosses the
river Gowy several times, which undulates through
the land like a thread of silver, and which, to some
extent, reminds us of Horace Walpole's description of
Straw berry-hiil—
" A small Euphrates through the piece is rolled,
And shining fishes wave their wings of gold."
Here, and indeed for the whole course of the line, it
is remarkably straight, the curves being few in the
extreme. The railway here has a bridge, through
which the turnpike road from Chester to Warrington
passes. Dunham•on-the-Hill comes next in order on
the right. To this point the road has, for the main
part, been running through the Earl of Shrewsbury's
estate, which it has traversed for a distance of five
miles.

Thlsby-hill becomes the object of attraction when
we have passed the place just named. This hill is well
known from the peculiar contour of its outline, which
resembles the human face when seen from a distance,
and such visitors to Chester as have ascended the
towers of the city walls will remember that the man
who there " keeps watch and ward" offers a telescope
to the curious, through which the face of this Same
hill, if we may so speak, is to be seen, presenting some-
thing more than an approximation to the human
countenance.

We next arrive at Dunham, where is a station.
The stations on the line will he Chester, Dunham,
Frodsharn, Norton, Moore, and Warrington. It may
he observed that this branch does not puss through a
thickly populated country. Its local traffic, there-
fore, will lie chiefly in agricultural produce, and will
not be very great. The value of the line will consist
in its bearing upon Manchester, Chester, 'Wales, and
Birkenhead. And as it will bring these places into
proximity to each other, it will also have a further
advantage for Manchester by affording a route to
Dublin, by the Chester and Holyhead Railway, which
may reasonably expect to realise advantages from the
opening of the line.
What is called the Helsby-bog occurs immediately
in this neighbourhood, and here it has been necessary
to make solid earth instead of the alluvial deposit
constituting the bog. The line runs through this
bog about a mile, and it has been necessary to drive
piles for a foundation, which in some parts have
been driven to a depth of from thirty to forty feet,
and then the road has been made good by a super-
structure of stone, being filled on the foundation.
Ince village is passed shortly after leaving the
Dunham station. And here the line skirts the foot
of Helsby-hill, the road running on an embankment.
A neat iron girder bridge, of three arches, crosses the
line here, supported on ashlar stone columns. The
bridges on the line generally are of stone, mingled
with fire-brick, which has been much introduced into
the arching of them. They are all of beautiful work-
manship, being models of neatness in designs and ap-
pearance. •

- We have here also a fine view of the Mersey as it
opens into its wide basin near Runcorn, and the Lan-
cashire shore bounding the prospect in the extreme
left. The country is prettily wooded in this locality.
The line passes through several important estates, and
the planting is what we should expect in an English
landscape—not a dense forest, but clusters of trees
with opening vistas. The village of Overton and its
church are nest seen on the right, and close to the
line. Judging of the former place by its appearance
from the railway, we should call it a lovely spot. It
lies at the foot of a hill, or, perhaps it would be better
to say it is situate in the basin of a hill. It is very
quiet, very rural, and sufficiently surrounded by trees,
to be like an impersonation of modesty, something
shown, but more concealed. The church is not in
the village but a little nearer Frodsham. It is
more elevated in position. The walls are
grey under the weight of years ; and the
long footpath through the fields trodden by nume-
rous worshippers, the quiet solemnity of the edifice,
and the general aspect of the scenery, mark this
church out as one of ,tbose localities where a man
might " look through nature up to nature's God,"
and feel that the place inspired him with an irrepres-
sible spirit of veneration. On the day we passed by
this scene everything invited to pleasant thoughts—.
au unusually prolonged autumn tinged with approach-
ing winter, and, though the letter would have the ul-
timate mastery, the former had not yielded all its
glories, and, as it. let fall its leafy honours, it still
maintained the contest with a plenitude of strength.
Our next point is the town of Frodsham, through
which the railway runs. This is a place of little in-
terest in itself; but at the moment we write this (for
we write in Frodsham) it is unusually brisk, several
weddings having taken place in the town between
the workers on the line and the fair maids of Cheshire ;
and troops of navvies are singing nuptial songs under
our window to serenade the candidates for connubial
bliss, and also to give a little amusement to " Bene-
dict the married man." Of the singing itself the less
said the better.

Perhaps the most important works on the line are
at Prodsham. The line, on entering this town, runs
on a considerable embankment, and crosses the turn-
pike road by an iron girder bridge. Again it runs
under the road through a short tunnel cut through
red sandstone rock, the arch of which is of fire-bricks.
The line, on leaving this tunnel, is again carried on
an embankment over the valley of the I 4 eaver. At
this place the Weaver is a tidal river, and the line,
after an embankment, crosses the river on an iron
girder bridge, designed by Mr. Rendell, the engineer,
of the line. This bridge has two arches, each of
ninety•two feet span, and at a great elevation above
high-water mark. The bridges are covered with iron
plates, ballasted, and longitudinal beams of timber are
extended across them, to disperse the weight of the
trains over the entire structure. This bridge forms
part of a viaduct, on the Chester side of which there
are two arches, and on the Warrington side twenty-
one arches, each of forty feet span. Another em-
bankment succeeds ; and, in the same valley, the
Weston canal, which runs nearly parallel to the river,
is crossed by a cast-iron girder bridge of ninety-two
feet span. The view of this viaduct and embankment
from the main road is very fine. The piers and arches
of the viaduct, with the exception of the portions

crossing the water, are of fine wrought stone, and
the whole has a remarkably light and graceful appear-
ance.

A heavy cuttirg continues the line to the largest
tunnel, which extends for a mile and a quarter
through a red sand-stone rock. 'The entrance to the
tunnel on the Chester side is very elaborate. It runs
under the estates of Sir Arthur Acton, late ambassa-
dor at Madrid, and Sir Richard Brooke, of Norton
Priory. The Chester entrance is built into a castel-
lated arch, with turrets and embrasures, and is sur-
mounted by the arms of Sir Arthur Acton. The
Warrington entrance, though not so elaborate, is still
striking, and this is also surmounted with a coat of
arms—those of Sir R. Brooke.

Etnerging from this tunnel the line passes Preston
Brook and Moore, and after traversing a country
similar to that already described, enters the London
and North-Western Railway about half-a-mile from
Warrington.

The In;orks have been constructed by Messrs. T.
Brassey and Co.
The blnquet to celebrate the opening took place at
Lrge Hotel adjoining the Birkenhead station
shortly after three o'clock, Mr. Alderman Bancroft in
the chair, supported by Mr. Tollemache, M.P., Mr.
Brown, M.P., Mr. I) ancuft, M.P., Mr. Jackson,M. P.,
Mr. H. T. Hope, M.P., and the Mayors of Man-
chester and Chester, with several members of the
respective corporations, the directors of the com-
pany, and other gentlemen. There were also pre-
sent•the corporation of Liverpool, the :Birkenhead
Dock Commissioners, and the high Sheriff and
magistrates of the county ; comprising altogether
nearly 300 gentlemen.
The cloth having been removed, and after the usual
loyal toasts,
The CHAIRMAN, in proposing " Prosperity to the
Birkenhead, Lancashire, and Cheshire Railway," al-
luded at some length to the magnitude of the works
at Birkenhead, and to the great local and national be-
nefits their completion was calculated to confer. It
was at all times the wish and disposition of the direc-
tors to work in harmony with all the lines in alliance
with the Birkenhead, Lancashire, and Cheshire line
—(Cheers)—and to give the fullest accommodation
now that their system of railway might be said to be
completed, to the requirements of the district.—
(Cheers.) He glanced at the present and future pros-
pect of Birkenhead and its interests as identified with
the commerce of the Mersey and the near manufac-
turing districts, and pointed out in a pleasing way the
facility the newly-opened line of communication
would afford between Cheshire, Shropshire, Hereford-
shire, and Wales.
The other toasts of the evening were—" The Com-
missions of Birkenhead," " the Dock Interests of
Birkenhead," " the Railway Companies in connexion
with the Line," " the Chairman and Directors,"
" the Commerce of the Mersey," " Manchester and
the Manufacturing Districts; " the Engineer and
other Officers of the Company," and " Messrs. Bras-
sey, the Contractors."
The Liverpool band, and Messrs. Riall and other
vocalists, enlivened the entertainments ; and, shortly
before eight o'clock, a heavily-laden train, with a large
portion of the company, left Birkenhead on their re-
turn to Manchester, Chester, and other towns. The
day was observed as a general holiday at Birkenhead
and at,all the other places on the railway.

RAILWAY TRAFFIC RETURNS.
LONDON AND NOATH-WESTERN RAILWAY.—Return of
Traffic for the week ending Oct. 30 :
Passengers, parcels, &c. £25,413 0 0
➢lerchandise ... ... 18,149 5 3
Cattle ••• 1,508 16 1

Total ... ... ••• £15,071 1 4
Corresponding week last year 41,428:12 8

THE GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY.—(MiIes open, 219.)—
Amount of revenue for the week ending
Oct. 20 £7,043 14 5

NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE RAILWAY. - (Miles open, 112.)
Return of traffic for the week ending Oct. 10
Railway and canal .- ... £1,707 0 0
Corresponding week last year ... 4,395 0 0
Note.— The above is exclusive of the receipts available
under the agreement with the London and North-Western
Railway Company.

LONDON AND BLACKWALL RAILWAY.— Amount of revenue
for the week ending Oct. 27:
Passengers £770 14 9
Goods ... ... 30 0 0

Total ... :£BOO 14 9
Corresponding week last year ... 632 3 '2

MANCHESTER, BUXTON, MATLOCK, AND MIDLANDS JUNC-
TION' RAILWAY.—Return of Traffic for the week ending
Oct. 27 :

Passengers, &c. ... ... ... £6l 19 0
Merchandise ... ... ... 66 2 4

Total ... , £llB 1 4
Corresponding week last year ... 107 19 0

MIDLAND RALLw.cf.—Traffic Returns, including the Bris.
tol and Birmingham receipts, also Leeds and Bradford, Not-
tingham and Lincoln, Syston and Melton, Stamford and
Peterborough, Leicester and Swannington, Ashby Canal and
Erewash Valley, and Nottingham and Mansfield :
Week ending Oct. 27 ... ...s £21,965 12 6
Corresponding week of last year, exclu-
sive of the Nottingham and Mansfield
receipts ... ... 22,938 13 9
Aggregate :-1849, 597,712/. ss. 10(1.; 1850, 410,442/. 6s.
Ocl. Miles opened for traffic :-1850, Double line, 471 ; single,
total, 4954. 1819, Double line, 4674 ; single, 231—
total, 491.
MANCIIESTEH, SHEFFIELD, AND LINCOLNSHIRE RAILWAY.
Traffic returns for the week ending Sunday, Oct. 27, 1850,
inclusive :

Passengers, parcels, &c. £2,392 9 O
Goode, merchandise, &c. „. 3,923 12

Total £5,316 8 3i
Corresponding week in 1849 ... 4,743 5 1i
Number of miles opened, 1674. The above includes the
Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway Company's
proportion of the receipts of the Manchester South Junction
and Altrinchem Railway; also, the Grimoby Dock duties,
&c., and Chesterfield Canal receipts. Number of miles
opened corresponding week 1849, 164.

HORRIBLE MURDER IN JERSEY
A great deal of painful excitement was caused yes-
terday in the island in consequence of the discovery of
a most horrible and revolting murder which was com-
mitted in St. Saviour's-road, on the person of Mary
Carleton, a pensioner's wife. The murder was not
discovered until about eleven o'clock on Sunday
morning. It appears that the husband of the deceased
woman left his house about nine o'clock on Sunday
morning, and locked the door after him, when some
of the neighbours, finding that the house was not
room,ows
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and
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in
what we can learn up to the present time, that the
unfortunate man and his deceased wife were in the
habit of living in constant discord together, so that
even had their next door neighbours beard any noise
it would not have been noticed. It seems that the
unfortunate woman had returned from market on
Saturday evening witha they were both in a state of
intoxication, her little supplies for the Sun.
day'sxdinner,io consisting of
of a pig's head, vegetables,
ct. o t
as
and supposed
d
hquarrel ensued which terminated
in the horrible murder of the unfortunate woman.
At six o'clock on Sunday evening the coroner and
jury went to view the body of the deceased. We
were admitted into the room, on entering which a
namost painful sight presented itself, viz , the muti-
lated body of the murdered woman. She was on her
back ; the left ear cut off, and only hanging by a
small piece of flesh; almost the whole of it had been
devoured by vermin. The flesh of the right eye,
above and below, was completely scarified; and un-
der the left side of the neck a wound had been in-
flicted large enough to admit a man's four fingers. It
appears that the instrument with which the istal deed
was committed was a rusty knife without a handle,
found in the room. The unfortunate deceased has
left a family of six children behind her—two sons in
the army, two daughters in service, and two in the
island. The husband denies having had any know-
ledge of the murder. He states that he heard a noise
in the house, and upon going to see what was the
matter he found his wife lying upon the floor in the
dreadful situation described above. Up to the time
of our going to press the jury were still sitting, and
their verdict had not been given.—Jersey Sun, Oct. 28.

WHAT IS A COQUETTE ?—A young lady of more
beauty than sense, more accomplishments than learning,
more charm of person than grace of mind, more admirers
than friends, more fools than_wise,_men for attendants.—
Longfellow.
A NOTION FOR 1851.—For a genuine novelty
commend us, by all that is ingenious, to our t!ans.Atlantic
cousins. We saw an American rattrap once, in which the
first rat that was caught, in trying to make his escape, reset
the trap for the benefit of his fellow rats, and we thought the
idea a good one. But it must yield the palm to another re-
cently patented, which is thus described by the inventor, who,
we imagine, will produce something that will be a caution
to us Britishers in 1851 :—" Aly invention consists in a trap
constructed in such a manner that the rat who looks at the
bait shall see his own image reflected by a mirror in such a
position as will lead him to believe that a second rat is
ing
en-
deavouring to get before him in seizing the bait; and when
the firs rat has been caught his image will also be reflected
by a mirror, so that the next rat who shall look at the bait
shall see two rats apparently striving to seize it, thus de.
coy
him upon time turning floor, which yields to his
weight, and precipitates him into the body of the trap."_
The Artizan.

ATTACK ON A CHILD BY A FERRET.—Last week,
as a clergyman, named Hinds, was passing along the Che-
riton-road, not far from the Folkestone Laundry, he heard
continued screams from a hawker's cart left on the roadside,
and seeing no one near, he went to the vehicle from whence
the cries proceeded, and there found that a ferret had attacked
a young child, and had fast hold of its face. With great dif-
ficulty he beat the animal off; and then found the child's face
shockingly lacerated. He took the child in his arms, carried it
to Folkestone, and had the wounds dressed by Mr. W. Bate-
,man, surgeon, at the same time offering to pay for the same.
The child was ultimately restored to its parents, who had
gone out into the town to sell their wares.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
MANSION-HOUSE.

Rickard Itammet Drake (clerk in Robarts, Curtis,
and Co.'s bank), who was charged on Thursday with
having embezzled the sum of 477/. 1 ls. 31, was
brought before Alderman Gibbs for final examination.
Mr. Bush, of the firm of Bush and Mullens, solici-
tors to the Committee of Bankers for Protection from
Forgeries and Frauds, attended fur the prosecution.
Mr. Bush stated the case, and called the following
witnesses to support it :
Mr. G. R. Saunderson, clerk at Drummond's
bank at Charing-cross, said,—l have the city walk to
attend to, and I had directions from my employers to
pay a sum of money into the house of Robarts, Curtis
and Co. I produce a ticket containing the directions
which I received, and was furnished with the sum of
477/. lls. 3d., which I took to Robarts and Co.'s, in
a bank-note for 3001., a bank-note for 100/., a bank-
note for 501, and the rest of the amount in gold and
silver. I presented the money at the counter, I think
to Mr. Drake, and received a receipt, signed by the
person who handed it to me. It was in the name of
the Rev. Mr. Despard.
Mr. W. Harding, clerk at Robarts, Curtis, and
Co.'s, said—l have the particular care of the general
ledger. There arc two ledgers, the general and the
cash ledger. In the former every day are entered
all the transactions and articles of the day, including
bills and orders and credit. In the cash ledger there
are only entered the cash transactions paid and re-
ceived. That is the material distinction. I open the
general ledger. Amongst the entries in the general
ledger I see one for 477/. 11s. 3d. in the name of "J.
B. Despard." It had reference to the date in the
margin of the 30th of Saptember. I also constantly
refer to the cash ledger. I turn to the Ist of October
in that ledger, and see in the prisoner's handwriting
the following entry :—" Add 477/. 1 ls. 3d." After
making some other statements respecting the mode
in which the books of the house were kept, the witness
said, " All the items before the 4771. lls. 3d. appear
to be ticked off as correct. As regards the entry of
that sum, there is no mark at all. It is an unautho-
rised entry. The prisoner used to attend the counter,
and receive and pay money, and also perform other
duties.

Mr. Covington, a clerk in Robarts, Curtis, and
Robarts' house, produced the cash-ledger, and stated,
that the sum of 4771. 1 ls. 3d. ought to appear in that
book, but did not.

Mr. Bush said, that was the first case against the
prisoner, who upon being spoken to in the country by
one of the clerks on the subject, acknowledged his
guilt and signed a statement of the particulars of his
confession.

Alderman GIBBS then, in the usual form, asked the
prisoner whether he wished to say anything ? The
Prisoner—Nothing whatever.
Alderman Ginus—Then it is my duty to commit
you for trial for embezzling the sum of 4771. ] 18. 3d.
from your employers.
Mr. Bush said there were other cases against the
prisoner which it would be his duty to bring forward.
_ _ _ _