The Sun.
London, England, 1844-06-15 00:00:00

OPENING OF THE OXFORD:

RAILWAY.

Another great attraction to our festival will be the easy
and short method of conveyance now offered to the public
by the opening of the line of railway between Oxford and
Didcot, in conjunction with the Great Western. At the
last festival, in 1839, many of the coaches were more than
eight hours performing the journey between Oxford and
London. Now the Great Western railway tables announce
two hours and twenty minutes as the necessary time for
whirling you from the university to the metropolis. On
Monday the Government inspector, General Pasley, Mr.
Saunders, Mr. Brunel, and some of the. Directors of the
Great Western, with a party of ladies, made the first trial of
the new line. The distance from Paddington to Didcot, 53i
miles, was done in the short space of one hour and eight
minutes. Mr. Brunel directing the engine. From Didcot
to Oxford they travelled slowly to give the inspector an
opportunity of making the necessary survey. On arriving
at the Appleford Bridge, the centres had not been struck,
and caused the steps of the carriages which hit against them
to be twisted nearly off. The force was such that it is sup-
posed that had the train been on a narrow gunge of line in-
stead of the broad one of the Great Western, it must have
inevitably been driven off, and the consequences might have
been fatal. The train, however, arrived safely at Oxford
about half-past two. Carriages were in waiting, and conveyed
the party to the Angel Hotel, where a champagne lunch had
been provided. 'We believe the inspector expressed his appro-
bation of the line, and the party returned again to Padding-
ton in the evening. On Wednesday the line was opened
for passengers, the first train leaving the Oxford station at
ten minutes to eight o'clock in the morning. There were
not so many passengers as might have been expected. It
arrived safely at Didcot in about 26 minutes. The line was
exceedingly smooth, and the riding pleasant and comfortable,
being a further confirmation of the superiority of the broad
gauge over the narrow one used in the north of England.
The line of rail between Oxford and the Abingdon-road sta-
tion, a distance of seven miles, commands a view of country
one of the most beautiful that can be imagined. Passing
Hincksey, it crosses the road to Abingdon about mile from
Oxford, under a brick bridge ; it passes on a short distance
from the Isis, through Kennington, by Sandford, to Nune-
ham, the seat of the Archbishop of York, where it crosses
the water, and shortly arrives at the Abingdon station, a
pretty building of brick and stone, situated about three miles
from Abingdon. Another mile and we are at Appleford sta-
tion, a temporary shed. After passing under another brick
bridge, then two miles of uninteresting country, and we are
at Didcot, a village of a most-we were going to say-rue-
ful, but we suppose it will be better to say rural aspect ;
frighted out of its propriety by the notoriety it has lately
assumed in being the place of junction with a branch line to
the Great Western. If any one is desirous of seeing a vil-
lage in its natural,rudeness, of which they may have some-
times heard, we would advise them to run down as far as
Didcot, before it is transformed by the civilisation now daily
passing through it. Its church (we speak of the exterior),
has the appearance of a barn, whitewashed on the grand oc-
casion of opening a new line of railway, with a small wooden
hayloft at the top, meant, we suppose, to supply the place
of a tower. The entrance is a red brick portico, contrasting
well with the whitewash of the main building. Should the
reader defer his visit till winter we are told he must inquire
for Mudcot instead of Didcot.
The temporary wooden station, erected or being erected,
is, we imagine, from its scantiness, intended to last only a
few days. From Didcot to Paddington is 53 miles, making
a total of 63 miles between Oxford and London. The fares
are-Ist class, 15s. ; 2d class, 10s.; 3d class (only once a
day), 6s. There will be nine trains a-day, besides the lug-
gage, or 3d class train. These
Leave London at And arrive at Oxford at
6h. Om. a.m. ... Bh. 10m. a.m.
Bh. Om. a.m. ... 10h. 30m. a.m.
9h. Om. a.m. ... 11h. 36m. a.m.
10b. 15m. a.m. ... 12h. 38m. p.m.
12h. Om. noon ... 2h. 35m. p.m.
2h. Om. p.m. ... 4h. 25m. p.m.
sh. Om. p.m. ... 7h. 25m. p.m.
7h. 30m. p.m. ... 10h. 10m. p.m.
Bh. 55m. p.m. ... 11h. 18m. p.m.
The luggage train leaves Paddington 4 30 a.m., and
arrives in Oxford at 10 30a.m. There are nine trains leave
Oxford during the day, besides the luggage train ; the first
at 750 a.m., the last at 220 a.m. We have heard some
complaint that there is not any train from Oxford to meet
the one leaving London at 6 a.m. for the West of England,
as it prevents passengers arriving from Oxford in time to
cross by the steamers the same day into Wales. We had
almost forgotten to mention that the station at Oxford is
entirely a wooden one. It is situated in the first field on
the right hand side of the road after passing overy Folly-
bridge, and commands a good view of Oxford.

GREAT NORTH OF ENGLAND RAILWAY.—The rail-
way communication between London and Edinburgh is ra-
pidly approaching completion. On Tuesday next the line of
railway already formed will be extended from Darlington to
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and on that day the Chairman of the
London and Birmingham Rail;vay (Mr. Carr Glyn), and a
party of his friends, will dine with Mr. Hudson, the Chair-
man of the Midland, York and North Midland, and New-
castle and Darlington Railways, and a party of his friends,
at the Assembly-rooms, in Newcastle. The entire distance
between London and Newcastle, upwards of 300 miles, will
be accomplished, it is calculated, in twelve hours, including
all stoppages. From Newcastle to Berwick-upon-Tweed, a
distance of 60 miles, a line of railway has been projected, and
surveys made by the east coast, and thence to Edinburgh,
little more than 50 miles, a line is already in course of forma-
tion. On leaving the station at Euston-square, the traveller
passes 83 miles along the London and Birmingham Railway
to Rugby, thence 49% miles along the Midland Counties
Railway to Derby, thence 63% miles along the North Mid-
land Railway to Normanton, thence 23 miles along the
York and North Midland Railway to the Cathedral City of
York, thence 45 miles along the Great North of England
Railway to Darlington, thence 27% miles along the Newcastle,
Darlington, and Durham Junction Railway to Workington,
thence 5% miles along the Pontop and South Shields Railway
(formerly the Stanhope and Tyne) to Brockley Whins, where
the line diverges to Sunderland and Shields, and thence 6%
miles along the Brandling Junction Railway to Newcastle,
or rather to Gateshead, on the south bank of the river Tyne,
where a magnificent station is being erected. Such is the
route from London to Newcastle, that will be available to the
public by railway on and after Tuesday next. A more direct
line to York from London has been projected through the
Eastern Counties by way of Bedford, Huntingdon, and Lin-
coln, which will shorten the distance by about 30 miles, and
pass over the most extensive plane in England, uniting the
vallies of the Trent and Ouse, by direct railway communica-
tion with the metropolis.
ACCIDENT TO MR. PEER, THE SOUTHAMPTON
COACHMAN.—Last evening an accident of a dangerous nature
happened to the above well-known coachman, on entering
London. It appears he was driving his coach past Apsley
House, about six o'clock, at a gentle rate, when two omni-
buses, which were racing against each other, endeavoured to
pass him, the wheels of one of them came in contact with
the off fore wheel of his coach, the force of which precipi-
tated Mr. Peer off the box ; he fell upon his head on the
kerb stone, and was picked up quite insensible, and bleeding
profusely from the mouth and ears. He was instantly carried
to St. George's Hospital, when it was ascertained he had
received a severe concussion of the brain, and had broken his
collar bone and two of his ribs. He now lies in a very dan-
gerous state, and little hopes are entertained of his recovery.
Mr. Peer is about fifty years of age, and has been many years
on the road.
NARROW ESCAPE.—On Tuesday last, as Mr. Par-
ratt, of Church-street, Westminster, was about getting on
board the steamer Jasmine, at London-bridge, he unfortu-
nately fell into the Thames, and immediately disappeared ;
he, however, instantly rose up again, and held up his hands,
when Mr. P. Badger, barrister-at-law, of Cambridge-street,
Hyde-park, who was standing by, at great risk of being
pulled in, immediately went on his knees and held out his
stick, which Mr. Parratt caught hold of and held till other
assistance was obtained, when he was rescued from his
perilous situation, to the great• gratification of all present.
THREE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-FIVE POUNDS IN
BANK OF ENGLAND NOTES DESTROYED BY FIRE.—On Mon-
day evening Mr. W. Skinner, a boot and shoe maker, carry-
ing on rather an extensive business in High. street, Stratford,
went with a 201. note into his cellar, for the purpose of depo-
siting it with several others (which it appears he kept in a tin
kettle) to the amount of 3801. ; when in the act of depositing
the 201. note in question some person entered his shop, and he
left the cellar for the purpose of ascertaining what was
'wanted, and on his return he found the whole of the notes,
amounting to 4001., in flames, and he only succeeded in
saving 15/. It is supposed the notes were ignited by a spark
falling from the candle. Unfortunately the numbers are not
known, therefore, there is no probability of any portion of the
money being recovered from the Bank of England.—Essex
Standard.
A slight shock of an earthquake was felt at Stam-
ford, on Wednesday evening, about seven. Many persons
were sensible of the tremulous motion of the earth for ten
or fifteen seconds. It was accompanied with a noise like
distant thunder, and was by some mistaken for that pheno-
menon; but there is no doubt that it was a convulsion of
the earth. At Tin well, Ketton, Tixover, ' Duddington,
Apethorpe, Wansford, Collyweston, Easton, &c., &c.,
the shock was distinctly felt. In some of the above-named
villages various articles were displaced ; at a gentleman's
house at Easton, the bell at the outer gate was rung in
consequence of the vibration produced by it.—Stamford
Mercury.
SHOCKING DEATH OF AN AGED FEMALE FROM
DRUNKENNESS.—Ye,sterday, Mr. Baker held an inquest at
the King and Queen, Chapel-street, St. George's-in-the-East,
en the body of Mary Brown, aged 72, the wife of an old
naval pensioner. It appeared that the parties resided in Al-
bion-place, and that they were both equally addicted to ex-
treme intemperance. On Tuesday last they passed the latter
part of the day in drinking, and returned home about nine
o'clock intoxicated. The husband of deceased was just able
to ascend the stairs to his bedroom, but as she was attempt-
ing to follow him, her strength, impaired by liquor, failed her,
and she fell down several steps, and lay senseless at the bot-
tom, where she was obliged to remain all night, as well from
the injuries she had received, as from the incapacity of her
drunken husband to aid her. When he awoke, somewhat
refreshed, next morning, he discovered her condition, and
brought down his bed, and placed her upon it. Afterwards
he called a neighbour, and the assistance of Mr. Garrett, a
surgeon, was procured ; but from the first he saw that hers
was a hopeless case. However, he and his assistant attended
her until her death, which occurred next morning. He
was of opinion that the fall ruptured one of the viscera. Ver-
dict, " Died from the effects of a fall, happening whilst in.
`,oxicated."
ACCIDENT ON BOARD THE COMET STEAMER..

Yesterday afternoon, between two and three o'clock, a fatal
accident happened on board the Star Company's steamer,
Comet, whilst moored off the Terrace Pier, Gravesend. The
steamer, it appears, had just been brought to, after a passage
from London, when the engineer, a young man, named
John Goble, set to work to clean the machinery; to enable
him to do this, he, with the stoker, imprudently got in
amongst it. Whilst thus engaged the force of the tide against
the paddles in some degree moved the shaft. The stoker
immediately, got out, and Goble exclaimed, " I shall get out
too, for I don't at all like it." He, however, continued work-
ing ; and suddenly the tide with greater force set the engines
again in motion, when the brass head of the shaft caught the
unfortunate man, and jammed him with such fearful force
against the iron framing of the engines as to cause almost
instant death.
CRICICET.—The match between the Etonians and
the Marylebone Club was played in the Shooting. fields, at
Eton College, on Thursday, and terminated in favour of the
Marylebone Club, with nine wickets to go down ; the
Etonians not being able to stand against the true and
sharp bowling of Bayley and Royston from Lord's. The
batting of the Etonians was good, particularly on the part
of Mr. Coleridge and Mr. Hoskins ; but their scoring did not
equal that of their opponents, Captain Liddell and Mr. E.
Bayley.
In consequence of the alarming illness of the
Dowager Lady Glenlyon, the Duke and Duchess of North-
umberland were precluded from the honour of attending his
Majesty the King of Saxony when his Majesty visited the
gardens at Zion on Thursday last.
We regret to hear of the serious indisposition of
the Countess of Radnor. Her Ladyship's state of health causes
the greatest alarm to her numerous friends.