The Sun.
London, England, 1845-05-17 00:00:00

RAILWAY COMMITTEES.

(YESTERDAY.)

Group F.

THE LONDON, WORCESTER, AND SOUTH STAF••

lORDSHIEE RAILWAY.

The Committee re- assembled at twelve o'clock this day,
the Right Hon. F. Shaw in the chair, and proceeded with
the inqtfry into
Mr. P. Clarke examined by Mr. HOPE—Has been in the
service of the Midland Railway Company. Was super
intendent of the general traffic on the line. The
amount of goods traffic taken on part of that line
was 20,000 tons per year. It has lately amounted
to 50,000 tons per year. This quantity passes up to Birming-
ham from the Midland line and the Grand Junction. The
change of gauge at Gloucester had greatly diminished the
traffic. The'delay has been so great that the canal took the
greatest part of the goods traffic. There is coming from
the Gloucester line 10,000 tons of salt per annum-
-7,t200 were brought by the narrow gauge. Bringing
up the broad gauge to Rugby will greatly diminish the
coal traffic on the Midland line. The traffic in goods must
be 104 to the railway on the change of guage, inasmuch as
the waggons to local parts would reach their journey's end by
the time the transhipment could take place. The tranship-
ment should take place where the break of gauge occurred
The witness was not cross-examined.
Mr. Wm. Hanson, examined by Air. HOPE—IS manager
traffic on the Eastern Counties Railway. That line proceeds
to Colchester 51 miles, and to Bishop Stortford 32 miles, and
further on, making in the whole 85 miles. There had been
a change of gauge, which cost the Company 50,0001. This
change of gauge was occasioned in consequence cf coming
in contact with other lines—the Yarmouth and Norwich and
the Northern and Peterborough—these lines being on the
narrow gauge. The Eastern Counties anticipated the great
delay which would arise, and consequently changed their line
front the broad to the narrow gauge. Some mechanical
contrivance had been suggested to remedy the inconvenience
which would arise, but the Company thought it better to
alter the gauge at once. The larger carriages for traffic
were most inconvenient for short stations, as more hands
were required to shift the goods. This transhipment
took place more especially at short stations, in conse-
quence of there being goods in the carriages destined for
other parts of the line. His objection to the large trucks
was on commercial grounds; they occasioned great delay
and considerable expense without any advantage. The
Eastern Counties line travelled thirty-two miles in a time
yam ing from thirty-seven to forty-one or forty-two minutes.
This speed commenced within the last three weeks, and it
was perfectly safe and convenient to passengers. The former
rate was twenty-five miles, in the same time. For the last
three years gentlemen going to the races were taken at the
higher speed, and they were well satisfied with the mode of
conveyance and the safety of their lives —(Great laughter.)
From this increased rate of speed the Company had no ap-
prehension of danger; in point of steadiness, the narrow
gauge was as safe as the broad gauge lines.
Cross-examined by Mr. COCKBURN—The speed just men-
tioned was the same on the North Eastern. There were

two trains running daily at that rate of speed. The two
trains were independent of the mail trains. The first left at
a quarter past nine, and the other in the evening. The time
this rate of speed actually commenced for general passenger
traffic was on the Ist of May inst. Attached to that train
are the luggage-trucks, and a horse-box, and it was intended
to run during the year. The junction with the other lines
was effected through the points, and the carriages which
stop at that place were shifted into the sidings. The traffic
was very large in hay, wool, malt, and flour. It was carried
on four-wheel waggons ; all the six-wheel waggons on the
line were about to be done away with, inasmuch as the
smaller and lighter carriages answered best.
Mr. George Hudson, chairman of the Midland Court.
ties Company, examined by Mr. AUSTIN—The Mid-
land Railway to Derby, Birmingham, Rugby, and
other places will e:tablish a communication with
the whole north of England and Scotland, now that the
Hull and Selby line is leased to the Midland Company. Was
of opinion that the identity of gauge should be kept up on the
present line, If by experience he found the broad gauge
necessai y to the advantage of the public, he would recom-
mend it ; and on the other hand, if the traders approved of
the narrow gauge, would favour its adoption. Thought
the narrow gauge would give as much convenience
to the public as the broad one. In respect of speed,
as much could be accomplished by the narrow as
the broad gauge, with as much safety and convenience to
the public ; meant on the North Midland line more parti-
cularly. On the 2d of September last, on the York line
they took 960 tons of manufactured goods on two trains,
and they had subsequently taken 95 waggons with one en-
gine, there being about four tons of goods in each
waggon, the latter being three tons each in
weight, making a total of 665 tons to one train.
Took down about thirty-four carriages with one
engine for about ten miles, at which part of the line there are
thirty trains running daily. It was done with the greatest
safety. The receipts of the North Midland last year were
600,000/., or very near that sum, and it might be set down
at that per annum. Where an additional engine was re-
quisite to get the goods train down in time no company
could be so foolish as to object to put it on, for the public
paid in return by the increased traffic.
By the CrimumAN—The cost of an additional engine was
not more than 300/. per year to any company, and it was an
item too small to prevent them adopting the extra power in
cases of necessity.
By Mr. HorH--It was to the interest of the companies
generally to supply an extra train in an emergency. On
the Midland Railway for ten miles of the line, Normanton
to Leeds, there were sent daily 5,000 tons of goods, and that
quantity could be doubled with the greatest safety. Had not
the least doubt the present traders were in favour of thenarrow
gauge, and the traffic would be greater on that than on the
broad gauge. At present they ran down from London to
York in seven hours and a half, and to Newcastle in ten hours
and a half, which is three hundred miles. The latter could
be done in nine hours with great safety. They were
the first to introduce two large engines on the line,
which would run away with twelve carriages in
no time.—(Laughter.) A transhipment of goods at any
place was a great inconvenience. With reference to Bristol
the transhipment of goods would be of less consequence there
than at Birmingham, inasmuch as there would be less goods
to tranship at Bristol.
Mr. Hudson was briefly cross-examined by Mr. CocK-
BURN, but nothing of sny interest was elicited.
Mr. James Bhuidd, of Swansea, Vice-Chairman of the
Welsh Midland Railway, gave evidence in favour of the
narrow gauge.
Mr. Muntz, M.P., examined by Mr. Ausrm—Attended
a meeting held at Birmingham in reference to a continuation
of one gauge from Bristol to Birmingham. Was largely con-
nected with merchandise at Birmingham. The merchants
at that place were greatly interested in having an unbroken
gauge, but they did not care which gauge was adopted. Com-
petition was very good at present, but not where three rail-
ways competed. It could be better managed by an Act of
Parliament.
Mr. AUSTIN informed the Committee that Mr. Stephen-
son, their engineers was under examination in another room,
and he trusted they would adjourn till Monday.
The Committee then adjourned till twelve o'clock on
Monday.

Group V.
NEWARK AND SHEFFIELD LINE.
(Continuedifrom our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)
Mr. Probart, a butcher in Newark, bought beasts in the
districts around Newark,which he chiefly sent to the Rother-
ham market. The railway would lessen his expenses at least
one-half, besides preventing the great deterioration of his
cattle consequent on the fatigues of a three days' journey.
Richard Greenall. thread manufacturer at Mansfield, said
that at present he suffered great loss from the uncertainty of
the communication with Lancashire. The railway would
remedy that evi!.
Henry Morris, land-agent and maltster in the town of
Mansfield, corroborated the last witness's evidence.
Charles Lindley, Mansfield, the owner of quarries which
supplied the stone for the New Houses of Parliament, Trafal-
gar-square and several public monuments, produced specimens
of the several qualities. The expense of carriage was at
present 16s. 6d. per ton, and the railway would carry for
4s. 4d.
A great many witnesses from Mansfield, and the other
towns in the line, were called, who each expressed his ap-
probation of the project, and stated that its formation would
be of incalculable advantage to the district.
The Committee adjourned till Monday.

Group DD.
THE CALEDONIAN, AND THE GLASGOW, DUN
FRIES, AND CARLISLE RAILWAYS.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)
Mr. TALBOT called Mr. Williamson, mining engineer, who
was cross-examined by Mr. ANDREWS—Mr. Williamson
said he had been engaged for thirty-five years in his pro-
fessional capacity by Lord Wemyss, Lord Elgin, and others,
and could corroborate in every particular all that had
been stated by the previous witness as tot he quality and
quantity of coals and minerals from various places through
which the Caledonian line would pass.
Mr. Thomas Nimmo, coalmaster, was next examined—He
deposed that the coals obtained from the Wilsontown works
was usually sold for 4s. per ton at the pit's mouth, and
the average price of it at Edinburgh, including expense
of carriage, Esc , was from 17s. to 18s. per ton. He had
a thorough knowledge of the limestone strata in the neigh-
bourhood of the railway. Lime was generally discovered
lying in beds on the surface of the coal, and was usually
raised with it. The selling price of the lime at
the different works averaged from 2s. 6d. to 3s. 6d.
per ten, and great quantities of it were disposed of
at those prices for agricultural purposes. In his
judgment, the ironstone from the locality of Wilsontown
would be used for the supply of the iron works to the west.
He believed that the interests of the mineral proprietors
in that district were considerably crippled owing to the defi-
cient means of communication at present existing, and he
had no difficulty in saying, that if the proposed line were
constructed the result wonld be generally beneficial.
Mr. N. Wood coal-master, gave evidence as to the scanty
supply of coals to the districts lying south. The calculation
for the quantity of parrot, or gas-coal, consumed in Scotland
was based on the assumption that for every ten persons one
ton would be used ; and the gas-coal was at present obtained
from the neighbourhood of the Lothian hills. This witness
corroborated generally what had fallen from the previous
witnesses.
Mr. Taylor, coal-viewer and engineer, in the county of
Northumberland, merely deposed as to the correctness of the
statements made before the Committee.
The examination of the last witness concluded the evi-
dence for the promoters, as far as the item of minerals was
concerned.
Mr. SANDFORD then called Mr. Mitchell, farmer, Lanark-
shire, who spoke as to the traffic in cattle. He said that
the principal thoroughfare for cattle from north to
south was in the line laid down by the Caledonian
Company, and that the railway would afford every
facility for their conveyance. The quantity of sheep
annually exposed for sale in the great market at Inverness
amounted to 100,000, which, when sold, were generally
taken south. The fairs were held during the months of Sep-
tember and October. The number of these sheep which pro-
ceeded along the Glasgow and Carlisle road, and for which
toll was paid, averaged about 25,000. The quantity on
which toll was paid from the Doun market was
27,000. The present expense of travelling, including
driver's wages, and making allowance for deterioration on
the road, was estimated at 181. 6s. for every 200 sheep, or at
11. 7s. 6d per score. The time occupied in the journey from
Falkirk to Glasgow was generally ten days. The Falkirk
and Doun markets chiefly supplied Glasgow with cattle, to
the extent of 54,000 annually; and the proposed railway
would afford a good means of conveyance for
them, as they were bulky animals, and were
generally shoed for their journey along the road. The
assumed expense of driving cattle to Carlisle, including tolls,
men's wages, deterioration, &c., averaged at present about
14s. 41. per head, The estimated number of mileli cattle
that would be transmitted by the railway was 10,000
heads, which quantity included the cattle sent from
Dumbarton. A large port ion of these beasts were supplied to
the Appleby market. They were usually driven by way of
Hamilton, Lismahago, and thence through Glasgow to Car-
-1 lisle. Great quantities of fat cattle were transmitted from
the upper wards of Lanarkshire and Peebles-shire, the whole
Qt' winch would most certainly bo conveyed 17 railway if that