The Sun.
London, England, 1845-09-11 00:00:00

the coast of Somerset or even on the north of Devon) will be so
safe, and sheltered from ail the prevailing winds.
At Minehead, the proposed railway will run down on a pier, which
the largest class steamers may approach, and land and embark pas-
sengers at ail states of the tide, and again proceed at once into the
Western ocean on their outward voyage. _

The public is perhaps hardly aware that, even with the present
imperfect and rude arrangements for landing passengers at Weston
Super-Mare, it is found that pass,ngers from Ireland and the impor-
tant ports of the south of Wales save several hours by landing at that
place ; whereas, by the proposed pier and railway from Minehead,
passengers would save generally twelve hours, and very often a great
deal more, on their journey to London, avoiding, besides, the dangers
of the Bristol Channel.

It is not among the least striking features of this project that it
fo•ms part of a grand scheme for shortening the communication
between Ireland and Wales with Jersey, Guernsey, Paris, and the
Continent generally, as passengers landed at Minehead will proceed
by this railway to others now in progress via Yeovil and Dorchester
to Poole, from which port the distance to Cherbourg is only sixty
mites, thus rendering the distance from Minehead to Cherbourg easily
perfortaed in eight hours and a half; and from Cherbourg a railway
is now in course of fartnation to Paris. The distance also to the
Channel Islands is reduced in the same proportion. A powerful com-
pany, fully alive to the advantages of this mode of transit in prefe-
rence to the more tedious ore via Southampton and Havre, is about
to put en a line of packets between the ports of Poole and Cherbourg
and the Channel Islands, thus shortening the route in point of time
bY about seventeen hours.

This Company, in showing to tke public the probable amount of
traffic which will flow over their line, beg leave to draw attention to
the following extracts, taken from a prospectus of a Company, formed
under the auspices of the. Chairman of the Gr -at Western Company,
and the leading bankers and merchants of Bristol, fur making a pier
at, and railway from Portbury, to Bristol, and on which no thither
comment will be made, save that whatever applies to Portbury, ap-
plies with infinitely greater force to Minehead, both in the saving of
time, dang r, delay, and expense.
"'!'h re arc at the present time engaged in the trade with South
Wales. Somersetshire, Devonshire, Cornwall, Liverpool, and Ireland,
twenty-three steam-vessels of the aggregate tonnage of upwars of
6,000 tons, making rather better than fifty voyages, or 100 arrivals
and departures FK:r week on an average throughout the year.
"The prinztipll part Of the traffic of the whole of these vessels con-
sists of passengeis, whilst of their goods traffic an important portion
consists of merchandize brought by, and intended fercarriage on, the
existing railways, from and to places on either side of Bristol. For
the coneuct of traffic, every. vessel will necessarily require to use
the pier and railway on e..ch occasion of departure and arrival, as
the most expeditious, convenient, and economical mode of conveying
such traffic to or towards its place of destination.
. _ .

" The number of passengers carried by the existing steam-boats
amounts to at least 200,000 per annum ; and when it is considered
that the facilities afforded by the pier of starting arid arriving at all
times of the tide, will enable vessels which now perform but one
voyage per diem, or every alternate day, to and from the nearer
ports in South Wales, to make such voyages three or four times in
the same day, at very trifling, if any, additional cost— that on the
voyages to Swansea, Tenby, and Ilfracombe, they will effect a saving
of one-half the time now occupied, and that similar advantages will
be derived by the trade with Cornwall and Ireland, it can neither be
doubted that the expense of conveyance between Bristol and those
places will be considerably reduced, nor that the effect of such re-
duction, combined with the advantage of greater certainty as to the
times of departure and arrival, must have the effect of causing a
great increase in the number of passengers.
"A large and most valuable portion of the merchandise carried by
the Cornish, Welsh, and Irish steam-beats consists of fish, poultry,
eggs, vegetables, and other articles of provision ; speed and certainty
In the conveyance and delivery of articles of so perishable a nature
are obviously essential, and the facilities in this respect afforded by
the pier are such as to secure this traffic to the undertaking.
" A very considerable revenue will also be derived from the. landing
and carriage of Live tock brought by the Irish steam boats, which
being imported fat and ready to kill, now suffer much injury from the
detention of the vessels in Kingroad whilst waiting for tide."
Although it is unnecessary to calculate upon the whole of this im-
portant and justly founded traffic, it is nevertheless impossible to
over-estimate the large portion of it that will came over this line,
when it is remembered that by the proposed scheme the harbour of
Waterford will, by means of powerful steamers, be brought within
twelve, and the ports of Dublin and Cork within fifteen hours of the
terminus at Minehead, by which the danger, inconvenience, and un-
pleasentness of travelling by night will be altogether avoided.
So also must the traffic derived from steam-boats, and on the line
itself, be added, which will a ise from the immense resort of persons
seeking pleasure in the beautiful vicinities of Nether Stowey, Blue
Anchor, Minehead, Porlock, Linton, Lynmouth, and the far-famed
Valley of Rocks and adjacent country, so aptly termed the Switzer-
land of England, and which only require increased facilities to be
much more than even at present resorted to ; and so great is the
existing traffic that, by the calculations already made, a large reve-
nue will be derived from this source alone.
The present number of cattle sent to Bristol from Ireland alone is
upwards of 150,000 head per annum, and it is only reasonable to ex-
pect that these will be landed at the far nearer port of Minehead,
thereby creating a considerable source of revenue.
The importance of this railway to the agricultural district of North
Somerset is incaleu able or disseminating, as manure, in every di-
rection the celebrated lime of Calmington Park, from which, a,d also
from the carrying of coal, a large revenue will arise.
Memel timber brought into the port of Poole (the harbour dues of
which are very insignificant) can be unshipped, carried across by
rail, and re-shipped at Minehead, at a cost of 7s. per ton less in
freight, than if carried round the Landsend, exclusive of the great
saving in time ; this alone will open a large trade with Wales, as
vessels will bring over coals to Minehead, and take back timber,
limestone, flour, mine, slates, and copper ore.
The blue Has lime-stone of Watcher, so admirably adapted for
aquatic building, will alto produce a considerable revenue to this
underietking.
The flour and provision trade, at present carried on between the
mining districts of South Wales and the coast of Somerset, must ne-
cessarily flow over this line, and create an important feature in its
revenue.
One of the first effects of the formation of this line will be, that
steam communication will be established between Minehead and the
following places :—Swansea, Tenby, Milford, Neath, Haverfordwest,
Pembroke, and Carmarthen, and with the whole of the South of
Ireland ; and this railway, with a suitable station and wharfs, will
also afford to Watchet al; the advantages of which it is capable as a
port.
Depote for goods will be erected at the station at Combwitch
Reach, where at present all the larger vessels trading to Br'dgwater
stop ; and it way be mentioned that 130,000 tons of coasting trade
come into this port annually, exclusively of 10,000 tons of foreign
trade.
From the estimates prepared, it is expected that only a portion of
the proposed capital will be required to carry out the objects of this
Company.
Power will be reserved to allow the shareholders 4/. per cent. on
the paid-up capital, and also to construct branches from Minehead or
Watchet to Wiveliscombe, Porlock, Bee., and the extensive iron mines
of Sir T. Buckler Lethbridge, Bart., which, with the slate quarries of
sirJelinTrearylyan, are in active working within seven miles of Mine-
head. From this source, as also from the copper mines of Andrew
Crosse, Esq., a large revenue must arise.
The landowners have been communicated with, and are most
anxious for the successful carrying out of the objects of the Com-
pany; nor is there reason to expect that any Parliamentary opposi-
tion will be offered.
The line will be twenty-five miles Ist length, and no engineering
difficulties present themselves.
Until ari Act of Parliament shall be obtained, the affairs of this
Company shall be under the control of the Managing Directors, to
whom power is gives to allot the Shares, and to apply the funds of
the Company in payment atilt the expenses incurred in its formation,
and in the preparation of the plans and sections to be submitted to
Parliament.
Power will be applied for in the Act, and In the meantime is hereby
given to the Managing Directors as above, to raise any additional capital,
to abandon any part of the line, to make branch lines, docks, piers,
wharfs, or jetties, or enter into any arrangement with any other
Company or Companies, and also to nominate the first Directors of
the Company.
Applications for Shares, plans, prospectuses, and detailed informa-
tion, may be made at the Offices of the Company, No. 3, Alderman's-
walk, City, London ; at the Offices of the Company's Solicitors,
Messrs. a Beckett, Son, and Sympson, 7, Golden-square, London
Mr. Vaughan Prance, Nether Stowey and Bridgwater. And of the
Local Agents—Mr. William Woodland, solicitor, Taunton; Mr. N.
Pearce, solicitor, Wiviliscombe ; Mr. James Parsons, solicitor, Lang-
port; Messrs. Stone and Symonds, solicitors, Dorchester; Mr.
Thomas Phippard, solicitor, Wareham; Mr. M. K. Welch, solicitor,
Poole ; .11r. Henry Poole, solicitor, Bristol. And of the following
Stock and Share Broke, s—Messrs. Fucker, Barnett, and Ellis, 11,
Birchin-lane ; and Messrs. Iluggings and Lang, London; Messrs.
Hall, Brothers, and Co., Cheltenham ; Mr. John Mnrcom, Bristol ;
Mr. Thomas Evans, Bath; Mr. Charles O'Neil, Manchester; Messrs.
H. Davies and Co., Liverpool; Messrs. Chantrell and Boys, Leeds;
Metter*. Wilkinson and Earle, Hull ; Messrs. Labertouche and Staf-
ford, Dublin; Mr. Lilly, Bridgwater; and Mr. H. Ball, Taunton.