The Sun.
London, England, 1845-06-13 00:00:00

PORTSMOUTH ATIVIOSPHERIC LINE,

The Committee on this Group resumed this morning, Mr. E B
Denison in the chair, when Mr. Alexander, on behalf of the pro.
moters, called Mr. Gibbons, engineer of the Dublin and King-
stown Railway, and also' of the Dublin and Dalkey Atmospheric
Railway, which line he had laid out. On this railway, which wasa
mile and five-eighths long, the worst gradient was 1 in 57, but
over this the engines were able to carry trains of 40 tons, at a
rate of 45 miles an hour, without any extra power. The sharpest
curve was one of a radius of 527 feet. The railway had completely
answered all the expectations of its projectors, and as he was con.
meted with the locomotive line between Kingston and Dublin,
he had fully tested the respective merits of both plans, and he
decidedly preferred the atmospheric. On that principle
there was not only no necessity for sending the
monster trains, but there were no petty annoyances either from
noise or smoke. The trains could be tent with as much frequency
as was desired without any chance of collision. The line had been
opened ever since tho autumn of 1843. The tube was a fifteen
inch one, and supplied all the convenience that was requisite. He
had seen the Direct Portsmouth line, and believed it to be a highly
satisfactory one, and one which would answer all the expectations
of the promoters. A great saving was effected in the preservation
of the permanent way; indeed, in the Dalkey line during the last
year there was no expense whatever, except the laying down several
new rails. The piston carriage altogether passed over 3,050 yards
each journey during 15 hours in the day, the trains running every
quarter of an hour, two sets of men being employed so as to enable
them to relieve each other. The trains were carried from one
end to the other by the stationary engines, and returned by the
force of gravity alone. The average number of the carriages on
the atmospheric railway was 3.75,
carrying a weight of 18 tons;
on the locomotive line there were 7i carriages, with a weight of
36 tons. The gradients on the line were-1 in 100, for 160
yards ; 1 in 104, for 215 yards; 1 in 115, for 770 yards ; 1 in
131, for 280 yards ; 1 in 166, for 610 yards ;
1 in 218, for
170 yards ; and lin 328, for 390 yards. The expenses during the
eleven months from March in last year to February in this, were—
for coals, 467/. Os. 3d. ; for engines, 352/. ss. 6d. ; for oil,
431. Os. 4d. ; for mechanics, 197/. 3s. 4d. ; and for materials,
127/. 125.; cost of engineer, 127/. 12s. The cost of coals was
from 355. to 38s. a ton, and coke 165., but these prices were the
result of a deficient market. The atmospheric railway could carry
sixty: tons with as much ease as the locomotive could carry twenty
tons. Mr. Cubitt stated on Thursday that the difference between
the gradient of 1 in 80 and 1 in 100 was as an 18-inch tube was
to a 15. inch tube. But in this he was wrong, for it really was as
2,240 divided by 80, and the same number divided by 100. The
results therefore were, that while it required a tractive power
of 281b5., that required for 1 in 100 gradient was 22%1b5.
The difference b2tween the 18-inch tube and the 15-inch
tube was as the squares of their diameters, the area of
the former being 245 cubic inches, and that of the
latter 176—50 that the respective powers of the two tubes
was as 176 is to 254. He had laid down the tube on the Croydon
line, and he was satisfied that the wear and tear on that line would
be much less than that on the Dalkey line. With respect to the
power to work a single tube line both ways he was perfectly satis-
fied that it might be done. On the Dalkey line they could hear
the first blow of the uumping.engine at the ether end.
As soon as this was heard the vacuum was evidently
beginning to be formed. On that line there was a barometer con-
nected with the tube, and as simultaneously as the eye could ob-
serve the sound of the blow of the pump and the fall in the mercury
was perceived. He thought that the safety of the atmospheric prin.
ciple was much greater than that of the locomotive, for most of the
accidents on the latter,occurredi at the stations, at which places
the atmospheric trains were quite out of the way ofeach other,and he
believed that a train might start with perfect safety every hour
from each end on the Portsmouth line. Indeed, in his opinion,
there was no need for a double line, unless the traffic were as

numerous as that of the omnibuses between the Bank and Piccadilly.
The shares of the Dalkey line had so increased in value in conse-
quence of the facilities given to the citizens of Dublin for getting into
the country and back, that those which, four years ago, were at
701., could now be quoted at 2501., and were not to be had even at
that price. In his opinion, the formation of a double atmospheric
line would be a mere waste of expense. The engineering staff for
each train was three, one of which was a breaksman. The object
of the break was to stop the wheels, by rendering that a sliding
motion which before was a rolling one. The engineering staff, in-
deed, was less than on a locomotive line, for the man at the engine-
station acted for all the trains during the day.
Mr. Brunel had looked at the, sections, and thought them good.
He had seen the estimates for the line, and thought the prices quite
sufficient. A single line would carry a very large traffic, and he
thought that it would certainly serve all the purposes of the traffic
on the line. Fifteen trains a day each way, might'pass with perfect
safety. An 18 -inch tube would convey very heavy trains, cf from
40 to 60 tons, 40 or 50 miles an hour with perfect ease, and he
saw no difficulty whatever in the gradients, for much steeper gra.
dients might be very easily worked. With a moderate traffic, the
expenses would be In favour of the atmospheric line, and the dif-
ference would be increased as the traffic increased. He was ac-
quainted with the country to Portsmouth, and he felt assured that

trains might be run as often as the public would require, and the cost of
working would be not more than 35 per cent. Certainly if the returns

were 170,0001. or 150,000/. 35 per cent, would meet all the

expenses. He gave these 15 trains to the 14 or 15 hours in the

middle of the day, but he thought that on all lines communicating

with London there must be night trains, and someof these would,

of course, be goods' trains.

To Mr. OSWALD—Mr. Brunel stated that the steepest gradient
on the South Devon line was 1 in 41 for a distance of four miles,
and I in 52 on a plane of ten miles.

To Mr. MILNES—Mr. Brunel stated that he thought the loco-
motiue principle capable of considerable improvement.
To Mr. OSWALD, Mr. Brunell replied, that they had a gradient
beyond Swansea on the South Wales line, of I in 70. They had
several gradients of I in 60 on the Great Western line, and its
branches, which were now worked. He conceived that the ap-
plication of the atmospheric principle presented nothing more
than mechanical difficulties, and would be easily overcome.
To Mr. M. MILNES Mr. Brunel stated, that though a locomotive
atmospheric engine had not yet been used, nor was it what was
termed the atmospheric principle, yet he would not say that it
would not be applied. He thought it very unsafe to say anything
could not be done, for so many things had been done which it was
said could not be done that he thought it would not be wise to

say that anything could not be done. In safety certainly the
atmospheric principle was far superior to the locomotive. He
thought:that in estimating the permanent way they ought to take
the original decartments about as equal in the first instance.
Mr. Keene, a land.agent and valuer at Godalming for the last
twenty-five years, stated that he had looked over the line from
Epsom to Portsmouth, and thought that 143,9701. 14s. was a
sufficient sum for the land. The traffic from the Peterstield side
_ _

of the country, through Godalming, was at least four times as much
as that from Midhurst and Petworth before the Gosport branch
was made. He had presided at two meetings at Godalming, as

also of another of the Town Commissioners, at which the bulk of
those present were in favour of the Portsmouth Atmospheric line.
In his opinion this line was the best, because it was the richest and
most populous. There were a great number of mills and mann.
factories in it, and it was totally unprovided with water carriage.
There were twenty.seven corn-mills and ten paper.mills ontheroad.
He was the tithe apportioner of Godalming, the parish of which
contained between 6,000 and 7,000 acres, and was not aware that
the bulk of the landowners of Godalming were opposed to the line,
though a few he believed, were so. At present he thought that
the traffic on the itlidhurst and Petworth road and the Petersfield
road were about equal.

The Committee then adjourned till Monday at twelve o'clock.

STANDING ORDERS COMMITTEE,

(THIS DAY.)
This Committee met at three o'clock to.day.
MIDDLESBOROUGH AND IZEDCAR
RAILWAY.
This was a Bill to give the Company additional powers.
Standing orders to be dispensed with, and the parties to be
allowed to proceed with their Bill.

TAFF VALE RAILWAY.
This was a Bill to give the Company additional provisions.
The Committee decided that the standing orders, ought not to
be dispensed with.
The parties therefore cannot proceed with their Bill this session

.
ASCOT RACES.
(THIS DAY-BY EXPRESS.)

(Continued from our Afternoon Edition.)
WOKINGHANI STAKES—(SECOND CLASS.)
0 1
0 2

Ratcatcher
Jet