The Sun.
London, England, 1845-05-31 00:00:00

TUE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, MAY 31 1545,

The CHAIRMAN hoped the cross-examination in the beginning
would be confined to one counsel, for if the same was to be gone
through by each opposing counsel, it would occupy an interminable
length of time.
Mr. TALBOT said he could not answer for his Learned Friends;
but he hoped that course would not be followed. He then asked
the witness for the gradients on the branches, which were handed
in in a tabular form. The Learned Counsel then read an extract
loin a work on the importance of levels on railways, by which it
was stated that a gradient of 1 in 200 would require double the
propelling power to that on a level, and so on in proportion to the
diminution of the gradients the diminution of propelling power.
The witness said there was a good deal of truth in that.
Mr. TALBOT— I presume it is all truth, for it is from a report on
the Dublin and Drogheda Railway, made in the year 1836, by W.
Cubits, Esq.—(Laughter.) .
Witness—There were very heavy gradients on the Manchester
and Leeds line, such as 1 in 100 ; one in 200 was the steepest
gradient on the London and York line, except at King'..cross.
In conse luence of the gradient on the London and York line, and
the heavy description of traffic, much heavier engines would be
required than those on many other lines. The total number of
feet of rise on the line from London to York was 1,224 feet, and
the fall 1,1.38 feet. Witness proposed to cross the Witham Navi-
gation twice, at Boston and Saxelby. Ilas not charged in his esti.
mate the sum to be paid for the purchase of the canal. A straight
line from Lincoln to Boston was about 27 or 28 miles. Would
save three or four miles by going in that way, but could not get
that line. As to the line north of Lincoln, the Fordyke was
crossed at Swan Pool, and again near Lincoln; the latter by a
bridge, with a lift to let vessels up. That crossing was
at an inclination of 1 in 100. The pri posed bridge was
150 yards from the present bridge, which now obstructed
the navigation. Has not included the purchase of the
Fordyke navigation in his estimate. The distance of the
station from the proposed bridge was about 200 yards; the width
of the little drainage ditch where the line proposed to cross it was
130 feet. There was a swing bridge at present close to where the
proposed bridge was to be. Approaching this bridge there was a
curve of 20 chains radius. There was a cutting near Gains.
borough, extending to 153 miles. The cu:ting them extended to
554,1)00 cubic yards. The embankment over the Trent was
558,272 yards. The embankments between Lincoln and Don.
caster, over twenty feet, were as follows :

One of 19 feet, containing 84,000 yards.
One of 24 feet, containing 66,450 yards.
One of 25 feet, containing 81,718 yards.
One of 28 feet, containing 219,833 yards.
One of 20 feet, containing 48,000 yards.

This was as far as Bawtery.

The further examination was stopped upon this point, the wit-
ness agreeing to hand in a table of the whole of the cuttings and
embankments along the line, over twenty feet. The counsel then
went to another branch of the case. The witness in reply
to the next question, said he could not tell the distance
of the Archbishop of York's garden from the line. The line did
cross one of the Archbishop's walks, eleven or twelve feet above it.
Did not think the limit of deviation entered the garden, but went
within 450 yards of the house.
To Mr. LEE—The witness proceeded to fill up the blank left
by Mr. Talbot in the number and extent of the cuttings and em-
bankments along the whole line, which were immense. The uni-
form width was 33 feet, and the slope 2 to 1, and the cost of fenc-
ing 3201. per mile. The total cost of the railway between Lincoln
and Doncaster the witness could not give at present, nor of that be-
tween Doncaster and York. The cost of the first 5i miles out of
London, exclusive of the station, including everything except the
purchase of land, would be as follows :--8,065L, 6,7591., 28L,
9,825/., 9,204/., 511., 5,000/. Those make 38,0001. Then
there were other sums of 19,30001., 7,0001., 9001., 26,0001.,
4,280/., 53,7201., 2,500/., 1,8001.. 2,7501., 1,700/., 1,650!.,
1,0001., 1,9081., 6001., 2,7501„ 1,760!., and 33,0001.

The distance from London to Huntingdon would cost as follows
Fencing
Earth works 346,555
Tunnel
Bridges, &c. ••• ........ 227,185

Total £1,011,145
101,565

Contingencies ...

Total

Permanent ways
Station, exclusive of London

354,000
50,000

Total, without land ........E1,5'25,710

Land

The Counsel then went on to say he would require the cost be-
iwet n the following places :—Peterborough to Newark, Newark to
Bawtry, Bawtry to York, Peterborough to Boston, Boston to Lin-
coln.

Seijeant KINGIALE objected to this course as inconvenient and
unusual.

The witness said he could not give it until Tuesday next.
Mr. JAMES said he would require similar tables fur the South
ine on behalf of the Eastern Counties line.

Mr. SMITH said, that on behalf of the Direct Northern, he would
require the cost of the line from Lincoln to Bawtery.
Mr. WEnsTER, for the Sheffield and Lincoln line, would wish
to know the cost of the first mile out of Sheffield? The witness
said it wou.d cost about 46,0001. including everything.

Mr. Serge.nt KINGSLAKE said he heard he had been understood
to say yesterday that the London and York line was costing 3,0001.
a day expenses--what he meant to have conveyed was, that the
costs of all parties amounted to that.
Mr. WALL said that this Committee-room was costing 3,0001.
a day, and that could not be too publicly known.
The Committee then adjourned.

(YESTERDAY.)