The Sun.
London, England, 1845-05-30 00:00:00

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SUN 0 PPP CE, Seven o' Clock

RAILWAY C MII FITE ES.

(THIS DAY.)

GROUP A.

LONDON AND NORTH ICENT 3 XLWI3.II'.
The Committee met at twelve o'clock, Mt.' LAlCelics in the
chair.

The examination of Mrs Vignolts as to the comparative engineering
merits of the competing lines was resumed by Mr. Sergeant Sttc&
He stated that it was intended that the wardens of Rochester_
bridge, and the Corporation should join with the Cons
pany in building the bridge, which Would be much
more commodious to the inhabitants and more orna-
mental to the town than the present one, which was
not in a direct line with the malts streets of it:the:ter and Stroud,
as was the old bridge, and as the notts one is intended to be. The
clear way in the centre of tl bridge would be 18 feet above high-
water mark, being taatrt feet higher than the present bridge. The
houses to bG '4 down to make way fur the line are,
for the rabst part, in narrow back streets, and of little
vatalcue, The line would be carried on to Maidstone,
m",,eratively small expense. At Chatham quays a new quay
..all would be built for a distance of nearly 000 yards, leaving a
apace of 50 feet outside the railway. The Seuth_Eastero Com-
pany's plan was to cross the Medway at a lower level than he
intended, and this he considered a great oversight. With
respect to the powder-mills, he was satisfied that his line
would be too distant for them to allow the least hazard of
damage from the sparks of the engine. Besides, that
" to make security more sure," he would provide shields of corru-
gated iron above and around the engine, in the form of a tunnel,
which would prevent the lying off of a single spark, and which
could be lighted if necessary. There would be but one level
crossing in the whole line. The distances on the whole line, and in
the principal divisions of the line, as from London to
Gravesend, to Sittiogbourne, to Sheerness, &c., were all in favour of
the North Kent. There was nothing its the proposed working
of the railway which could exclude the foreign traffic. The line
would not be at all a competing line with the North-Eastern, until
they got to Canterbury. The North-Kent could not pay at all
unless they gave the utmost possible accommodation at
the lowest possible rates, and dispatched trains very
often, from six o'clock in the morning till eleven at night.
The witness having further stated in detail the engineering pecu-
liarities of the two lines, was then examined as to the traffic. He
calculated the passenger-traffic alone at 173,7501., and the cost
of purchase and construction at 1,249,680/. He had known the
country all his life, and he had no doubt in the world that, by
following up the system of cheapness and accommodation to the
public which he proposed, the Company would be as prosperous as
any other of the same extent.
Cross-examined by Mr. COCEBURN—He had not included in his
estimate the cost of the several stations, which would amount to
about 100,0001. This would be raised by loan, under the powers
given in the Act. The branches to Blackwall and Sheerness had
been given up on account of the capital not being sufficient. With
respect to Woolwich.common, it had been arranged wi'h the Board
of Ordnance that the line across the common should be arched
over. This was not done through any apprehension of danger to
the passengers from the shell-practice on the common, as the
railway would be beyond the range of the shell ; but :o
secure the safety of the crowds who might congregate to see the
trains passing. The railway would pass close to the estate of Sir
Isaac Lyon Goldsmid, who was chairman of the Company. That
was at 'Welling. The population of Welling was one thousand.
Perhaps Sir I. L. Goldsmid might be the " Knight One thousand
and one."—(A laugh.)

Mr. CocKeugN—And for the one and not the thousand the rail-
way came.—(A laugh.) In going to Welling, the populous town of
Woolwich was left half a mile to the left. But that was done, not
to benefit Welling or Sir I. L. Goldsmid, but to comply with the
wishes of the Ordnance. In the arrangement finally come to with
the wardens of Rochester Bridge, Mr. Fcaron and Mr. Nicholson,
on the part of the South-Eastern Company, conjoined with witness
and another, who represented the North Kent Company.
The cross—examination was continued to the rising of the Corn.
mitten at four o'clock, but it referred altogether to minute details
of no very interesting character.
The Committee adjourned to twelve o'clock on Monday.

GROUP DD.