The Sun.
London, England, 1845-05-23 00:00:00

he believed that little coal was carried on the Surrey Canal: except
that which was supplied to the South London Gas Company. There
was no other wharf until they got to Camberwell. The entrance
to the Grand Surrey Dock was 26 feet long by 26 feet wide, but
the dock itself was a confined space. There were warehouses there
for corn. A number of foreign timber ships discharged there.
This, as well as two other docks, especially the East Country
Docks, which were not far from the Croydon Railway, but not in
conjunction with it, nor in any part so near as 2,000 yards to it.
To the re-examination of Mr. GURNEY, the witness stated that
there was a charge of l id. a ton on coals taken into the Grand
Surrey Dock, but there was an impediment to taking up ships
into the canal from the ice in winter, and the usual course was to
discharge in the Pool.

Mr. James Covington, a lighterman, who bad a large number of
barges on the river, stated that his charge for lighterage from the
Pool to Nine Elms was 9d. a ton, and to Coldblow 15d. or 16d; but
there was a great objection to Deptford• creek from its bhallowness,
and there was a very considerable delay from the locks. In winter
there was also a great inconvenience from the ice ; but they had
always access to the wharf at Nine Elms, and the water was always
deep enough for unlading.
To the cross-examination of Mr. FLOOD—The witness stated
that to a customer he should charge nothing additional for going
through the dock, though he should make a difference with a
stranger.

Mr. J. Chicor, a coal merchant, was well acquainted with the
wharf of the South- Western Company at Nine Elms. He had
sent from 9,000 to to 11,000 tons of coals there in the year, the
depth of water off the wharf being about eight feet in neap tides,
and twelve feet in spring tides. The facilities at Pope's wharf,
which is half a mile from Greenwich, were not nearly so great. He
thought the charges for lighterage was as the two last witnesses had
represented them ; If anything, the charges were beyond the state-
ment of the witnesses, and certainly from his experience coals
could not be delivered either at Coldblow or at Pope's wharf, with
nearly the same facility as at Vauxhall.

The announcement being made that the Speaker was at prayers,
the Committee adjourned till Monday.

Group R.
DUBLIN AND BELFAST JUNCTION RAILWAY.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition.)
To Mr. ALEXANDER—The distance of the line from Newry
would be about three quarters of a mile. Its height there would
be 240 feet above the level of the quay. The passengers station
would be about a mile distant from the town. It was his opinion
that the goods should be brought up from the harbours to the
railway on an inclined plane. There was no power in the Bill to
that effect. lie was not aware of a petition from
Newry against the line. The viaduct over the Boyne was 400
yards. The centre arch would be in span 250 feet, and 120 feet
those on each bide. The cut he estimated at 42,0001. The trade
of Drogheda was taken under the viaduct ; but he considered
from the inert ase of traffic that would take place new quays would
be formed. The trade of the town was at present between the
two bridges—that already over the Boyne, and the viaduct pro.
posed to be erected. The rnost expensive cutting would be
through granite south of Newry, and would cost Is. 6d. per cubic
yard. The heaviest works would be between Newry and Dundalk
A viaduct was proposed to he made across a valley at Drogheda.
It would cost 10,4521. Ihe Dundalk river was also to be crossed
by a viaduct, which he estimated at 2,7351. 12s. sd. The cost of
the permanent way was 3,065/. per mile. The engines he pro-
posed to use on the line were lighter than those used in England,
sixteen tens in weight, similar to those in use in America and
Germany.

The Committee then adjourned till to.morrow at twelve o'clock,

Group E.
NORTHUMBERLAND ATMOSPHERIC RAILWAY.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition.)
By Mr. HILDYARD.—The witness referred to a passage in Mr.
Mallett's reports, where he states that in pacing a curve in the
Dalky atmospheric line, at the rate of thi; ty miles an hour, a shock
was so sensibly felt as to assure him that without the guard-rails
it was probable that the carriages belonging to the train
would have been off the rails. Taking the limited space
of deviation en a curve of ten chains, guard rails were
absolutely necessary. The danger ariving from passing curves
at the velocity proposed on the atmospheric principle would be much
greater than on the locomotive system. The greater the speed, the
greater would be the extent of the calamity.

Mr. Harrison was then cross-examined most closely by Mr.
Sergeant WRANGHAM, for the purpose of showing that he had over-
rated thetraffic, and the incapability of the atmospheric principle
to work it, in consequence of unavoidable dolays and derangement
of the trains. His testimony, however, remained unshaken.
Mr. HILDTARD having closed the case for the opponents of the
Northumberland Atmospheric Railway.
The CAAIRMAN intimated that it was the desire of the Committee
to have some further information from Mr. 'Brunel.
Mr. Brunel was then called, and in answer to questions made
by the CHAIRMAN, stated that in calculating the power necessary to
be employed, he made allowances for the friction of air in the tube
and the resistance of the atmosphere, and that the theories formed
upon that subject were erroneous. Having taken all these things
into consideration, he came to the conclusion that trains could be
worked at the rate of forty miles an hour.
Sergeant WRANGIIAM then addressed the Committee to show the
superiority of the atmospheric over the locomotive system, and
contrasted the evidence on both sides. He was followed by—
Mr. HILDYARD on the opposite side, after which the Committee
adjourned.

Group DD.
THE CALEDONIAN, AND GLASGOW, DUMFRIES, AND

CARLISLE RAILWAYS.
The examination of Mr. Geddes (continued from our After-
noon Edition)— He had visited all the coal and iron seams in the
vicinity of the railway. The princpal coal grounds were found in
Lanarkshire and Lothian. Edinburgh was supplied with coal
from Lothian, which was conveyed thither by a continuation of the
Dalkeith line. In all these coal-fields greater or less quantities of
ironstone was found, but very little black band had been obtained.
It was usually considered that black band was confined exclusively
to the mineral fields in Lanarkshire, but this was a mistaken idea,
as it could be obtained in different quantities from almost all the
coalfields of Scotland. Very extensive iron works existed in
Ayrshire, but great inconvenience for earrying away the manu.
factured iron was experienced in consequence of the present in-
complete modes of transit. He had inspected the whole route
of the Dumfries Railway for the purpose of identifying and de-
scribing the various mineral fields near which it passed. One.third
of the entire line will be carried through extensive mineral districts.
The railway would tend to open up many iron, coal, and lime fields
along its route, and would increase the population in Its neigh..
bourhood, as there would be more men required to work the dif-
ferent mines. In the valley of the Irvine, going to Kilmarnock,
the line would run for three miles through the Hurelesford dis-
trict, where was situated a most extensive coal field, and the works
were at present in operation. Considerable part of the produce
was carried in carts to the station of the Ayrshire Railway, to
supply the large iron.works at Dairy, Johnstone, and Paisley.
The cost of conveying the coal in carts from the mines
to the station was 20d. per ton. The remaining portion of the
produce was sent south to the districts travelled through by the
proposed Dumfries railway. If that line were made he was dis-
tinctly of opinion, that the quantity of Hurleford coal to be con-
sumed would be greatly increased. The proprietors of the coal
mines were very desirous to have their business increased, and the
construction of the railway would effect that object. The nature
of the Hurleford coal had been tested by experiment, and it had
been found to consist of the very finest qualities, and was highly
valuable. He had estimated the area of the field at
fivn miles by two miles and a half, and it might ultimately be found
to be more extensive. The number of veins at present being worked
is three, and the average thickness of the seams is 16 feet ; and the
estimated quantity of coals the mine Was capable of producing was
90,000,000 of tons. The coalfield was skirted by ironstone mines,
which tended greatly to enhance its value. Black band, ironstone,
clay and ironstone. and limestone were all found more or less in the
Hurlesford district. The limestone field was 11 feet thick, and
produced 2,400 tons annually. Iron mines and coalfields were
to be found all along the line, and there was no doubt
that numerous iron works and manufactories would be
erected at various different points. The Nithsdale works supplied
large quantities of lime for agricultural purposes, and it was of
very superior quality. From Mansfield the quantity obtained was
3,000 tons annually. Benstown produced 2,200 tons, and the re-
maining works produced from 5,000 to 6,000 tons. In the coal-
fields of Clorehurn he had discovered specimens of black band,
which were of a very rich quality. Gas coal was worked at
Brogue and Mansfield. The aggregate thickness of the corn-
mon coal at Mansfield was 44 feet, in which there were two seams
of gas coal, one averaging 11 feet in thickness, and the other 12 feet.
In his opinion, it would be very difficult to form an aceurate judg-
ment of themineral fields he had described. He had no doubt that
the Wilsontown Common coal conld not be brought into competi.
tion with the present supply in the Edinburgh market, and he was
not satisfied that it would bear a comparison with that produced
from the Lothian fields. Borrowstonness coal would compete with
the Wilsontown coal, and could be shipped for exportation at a
lower rate. He had no hesitation in stating it as his opinion that
the Dumfriesshire line would exactly tend to develope the mineral
resources of the distaicts through which it passed, and the general
interests of the country would be greatly benefitted by it.
Mr. Wright, mining engineer of Dalkeith, and Mr. Christie of
Muir Kirk Iron works, gave corroborative testimony to the state-
ments of the last witness as to the quantity and quality of the
various mineral fields through which the line would pass, that are
at present in operation, or which would be opened up, if the pm.
posed railway were constructed.
Mr. Nelson said, he had been engaged in gas works for
thirty years past, very extensively iu the west of Scotland.
He deposed as to the respective value of the gas coal
to be obtained from various districts through or near which the
line 'would pass. Coal obtained from Lismahago, on the average
per ton, would yield 10,500 cubic feet of gas, Sothram coal would
yield a similar quantity, Wilsontown coal would give 8,820 cubic
feet, coal obtained from the neighbourhood would yield 10,000
cubic feet of gas, and from Borrowstonness the same amount could
be obtained.

The evidence of this witness concluded thedepositions as to the
mineral traffic, for the promoters of the Glasgow, Dumfries, and
Carlisle scheme.
The Committee adjourned until Monday, at twelve o'clock.

Group W.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition.)
Mr. J. P. Leatherbow, clerk at the Normanton station of the
Manchester and Leeds Railway, examined by Messrs. ELAND and
WILKINS stated, that there was a junction at that station of the
Manchester and Leeds, York and North Midland, and Leeds and
Selby lines. The goods and passenger traffic that passed there was
very great. As many as eighty-six to ninety trains passed
in the course of the day. Of these twenty-seven
to twenty-eight were luggage trains. The direction from which
cattle and sheep came was Newcastle, Darlington, York, and
Selby, and they went to Wakefield, Rochdale, and Manchester.
Trains, consisting of as many as 100 waggons of cattle, passed
there every market day ; and there were extra trains besides these.
There were from thirty to fifty cattle in each waggon. It required
two engines for one of these monster trains. Great delays occa-
sionally took place in consequence of this immense traffic, He
saw as many as five trains delayed there at one time for several
hours, and the confusion which arose was very great.

This witness was subjected to a long cross-examination by
Messrs. Pickering and Knowles.

Captain Lawes, manager of the Manchester and Leeds Railway,
confirmed the evidence of the last witness. He had made a pro-
position to the managers of the York and North Midland line to
remedy the confusion and delay at the Normanton station, but they
had resolution refused to accede to it.

By Mr. KNowtEs—He could not speak as to the relative pro.
portions of goods and merchandise which passed between Man-
chester and the eastern counties, and Manchester and Leeds, but
he thought the passenger traffic was rather greater between Man-
chester and Leeds than between Manchester and Hull.

Mr. Seaton, of Westbridge, near Pontefract, deposed to the
quantity of coal consumed by I'ontefract, and the places on the
line of the proposed railway to the east of that town. He
calculated the quantity at 74,994 toms, and the amount which
would be saved to that district by the conveyance of these coals on
the line (calculating the carriage at id. per ton) was 7,5001.
Mr KNOWLES cross.examined this witness.

S. Cotton, auditor and accountant of the Manchester and Leeds
trafficßailwayn—pWas
posedlinesconversantof with
railway.the ascertainingmoldleieofmodewhichh
anticipatedin ascrtaining the traffic on the proposed line was by having six
different stations on the line from Wakefield to Goole, and appoint..
ing three persons at eachot these stations to relieve one another
every six hours for fourteen days. These persons were to note
down in a book every one who passed, and every description of
goods and cattle. He had made his classifications from this record,
and he found that there were 195,736 foot passengers who passed at
various distances between the extreme points of this line. Calculating
one half of these to go by the railway in third-class carriages, the
amount of income from this source would be 2,606/. The omnibus
and pest-chaise p ssengers were 20,876 and doubling this tnumber
(which was customary in such calculations with this class of pas-
sengers), the amount, at Id. par mile per passenger, was 5,5401.
55. 4d, The number of passengers by their own con- own
ccweiancee was 188,6281 and calculating one.lhird of these 44 Atit