The Sun.
London, England, 1845-11-18 00:00:00

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, AMERICAN STATES_ itAILWAYS
$.l AND TRAFFIC.
f The following information on the above has been addressed
by Mr. Buckerfield to Sir R. Broun, and was received by the
last mail:—

• " Westmoreland, near Amherst, N.S., Oct. 15,1845..
"I shall devote this letter principally to giving you as
much information as possible with regard to the railroads_ in
the American States; especially in that of Massachusett..,
which I have derived from the reports of each road laid be-
fore the Legislature, and which may, therefore, be relied upon
as authentic.
it

The most important is the Western Railroad, forming a
line between Boston and Albany, a total distance of about
238. miles, of which the Boston and Worcester is 44, the
Western, 156, and the Albany and Stockbridge 38; they are
all under the s.tme direction, and f mil, with branches, the
samp line of internal communication. A single track only
has been laid, with the necessary turnouts and depot tracks
at the stations.

"On these roads the T edge rail pattern has been used,
except on a few recent side branches, weighing 561,,*2 pounds
to the lineal yard, supported by wooden sleepers, principat
of Chesnut, seven feet long and seven inches through, at dis-
tances of three feet from centre to centre. The sleepers rest
on !orgitudinal sills of planks eight inches by three, with x
shoit piece of the same under the sleepers at file joints of the
bon raiis. On some parts the number of the sleepers and
their lengths are greater, so as to increase the bearing sur-
face. The greater part of the road has been graded, levelled,
and formed to a width of 20 feet in the cuts and 16 feet on the
.embankments for -a single track. The deep cuts and high
embankments generally. Lave been graded to a width of 12(1
feet in the cuts and 16 feet on the embankments for a double
track. The heaviest rock cuts are of double width; so is the
masonry, except the Connecticut river bridge and a few of the
smaller structures. A great part of the Albacy road is graded
for two tracks, from 26 to 34 feet in the cuts, and 22 to 26
feet on the embankments; the remainder 20 to 34 feet in the
cuts, and 16• to 20 feet on the embankments. The masonry
and rock cuts are all for two tracks. _
" The bridges east of Connecticut River are constructed
of truss-frames (Long's patent) for two tracks. The Con-
necticut River Bridge, and those westward, are of trnss-
frames (Howe's.patent), and for one track only. The truss-
frames of all are covered in on the sides andtop, and tho-
roughly whitewashed. The entire flooring of the Connec-
ticut River Bridge is covered with tin, painted of a dark
eeliMr. This bridge is 1,264 feet long, of seven spans ISo
feet each. The whole length of bridges is about 6,000 feet,
and they are 48 in number. On the Albany mad they are
17 in number,and in length 1,474 feet, 14 feet in width for a
single track ;. they are all on Howe's patent, and covered in
and whitewashed. There are on both roads 15 stone bridgea„,
besides culverts, and a tunnel 548 feet long, exclusive of the
rock cuts at each end, 26 feet wide and 19 high, the sides
and arches being of the natural rock ; the cost of the excava-
tion was 35,000 dols. The least width of laud taken for the
road was 5 rods, and increased, as occasion required, to 181„‘
rods. The road has had to cross the hills between the
sea and the Hudson River, and one division, of about 131,,
miles, has cost more than 70,000 dols. a mile; there was also
a very expensive embankment at RichMond, and the Con-
necticut Bridge cost 131,612 dols,_
"This road .does not appear, at the: time to whielt the
report comes, .te,liavc attained its. 4\lll trade, and m dit.i..
della:lad: then,been made. Its, total cost exceeds 7,000,000
dab. —Tfie. income of the road open was—for a fraction of
the road open in 1839; 3,288 dots. 51c,; and for 1841,
1:5110,27,5 d015.7.67c.; from theist of. Jatinam to the Ist of
Pecember, lft42, the receipts.were 512,688 dols. 30e., and
the expenditure for the same period 266.619 - dols. 30&;
In that year the,re
.werer .aent. from.,Greenbush, eastward,,
1176;615. lii•rel4' of flour, weighing 18,341 tons,. and_, or.
other .merchatitliae, 12;347---tons: llrestiiitid there passed
45,624 tons. The Directors call this year one of experi-
ment. It does not appear, that the expenSeW of trarisporta-
tion :are greater .during .the :winter titan in: the summer..
Tgere is only one item, for clearing snow, about 3,000404,
iurfPtirefe liii- a 'few' incOnliderable .charge,s for repairs of .
ploughs andikripers, The traffle is greater during July;
Augu,t, September, October, and November, including gooda.
and freight. The total number of pastongers are as fol-
lows :

Ist Class. 2cl eiafts.l Ist Class. 2d Class.
Jan...—. 11,425
Feb ..... .. 11,783 i...... 9816!Aug . 18,798.1...... 3,023
March... 13,888,
April ... 19,133
May ... 13,378 2,081 N0v.... 12,0461 2,517
June ... 14,204 2,119 ~Dec.
" The Berkshire Railway was, at that time, unfinished.
though open and in use. Its length is 21 miles 11 chanks,,
and the amount expended 205,000 dols. The width of the
road-bed in excavation is 16 feet, on embankment 14 feet.
The manner in which the rail" is supported is as follows
There are undersills of chestnut and oak 7 by 7 inches, on
which are placed cross ties 74 feet long, with notches sawed,
in to secure the rail, which is 6 by 6 inches, and secured with _
oak keys. On this rail is placed the flat iron car 24 wifki
by % of an in. thlek, weighing 22 tons per mile. the
undersills are covered with dust and gravel. Tte width
of the track is 4 feet 84 inches, Nathiny• 'is said as to
difficulties or expenses in wizter,
of passengers. and r"; account is given

"The I3ostort auti Lowell P-aliway is 26 miles
•
and its capital 1,800,000 in length,
;upon which is paid, in the year
1842,, two dividend-
of four per cent. each. The rail first
laid was 361 h to th'e yard, which has been found insufficient,
and
~e of the T pattern, of 561 b., has been substituted. No
mention is made of any interruption from winter. The
amount received was 278,310 dels. 68c. ; and the expenditure
(exclusive of relaying) 131,012 dole. 78c.
"The Boston and Maine Railroad is only partly in Massa-
chusetts; its entire length from Boston to Portland is 109
miles. It was then only partially completed, and has some
extensive earth excavations and tunnels. It will form, with
other roads, one of the most entensive lines in New England.
The amount then paid was 1,242,598 dols. 88c., and the re-
ceipts 155,881 dols. 69c.
" The Boston and Providence Railroad is 4R miles, anti
the capital 1,834,100 dols. The then. income from passen- .
ger« was 163,787 dols. 95e., and from merchandise, mails,
&c., 72,679 dols. 96c., or thereabouts; the whole expendi-
ture, including rent of another road, ferry, &c., 112,214
dols. 63e., and two dividends were made, 1842, of 3 per
cent. each.

" The Boston and Worcester Railroad is 44 miles in
length, and its capital 2,700,000 dole, The Directors state,
retelling to a part of the work, that some inconvenience
has resulted from a prosecution of a portion of this work at
an inclement seasbn of the year; but this' advantage has
been countervailed by the greater cheapness of wages at this
leason. The regular passenger trains have been run during
the year, without the loss of any trip from storms or other
cause?' The total cost was 2,764,396 dols. 4c.; gross receipts,
352,283 dols. 82 c. ; current expenses, 168,509 dots.- 51c.; and
two half-yearly dividends, one of four and the other of three
per cent., have been made.
"The Eastern Railroad from Boston to Portland (lower
road), 105 miles, is stated to have been in use during 1842,
without injury to a single passenger, or any interruption to
its regular traffic. The flat rail now in use on the Marble-
head branch being found inadequate to the constant use and
speed required for the public convenience, the Directors have
determined to replace it with the chair-rail similar to the
main track. The receipts during the then past year were
269,168 dole. 72c, ; and the number of passengers 468,703.
The expenditure was 144,039 dols. 71c. ; and a dividend of
6 per cent. was paid on a capital of 2,100,000 dols.
" The Norwich and Worcester Railroad is 103 miles in

length ; its cost 2,163,561 dols. Receipts in 1842,137,358 dols.
57c.; expenditure, 122,130 dols. 32c. There isa very trifling
charge in January, February, April, and December, for clear-
ing the road. The earnings, are greatest in September and
October, and least in January and February.
"The Nashua and Lowell Railroad returns its capital,
380,000 dols.; earnings, 131,188 dols. 91c. ; expenses. 91,577
dols. 53c. ; and two dividends of four per cent. each have
been made. The number of passengers was 92,943.
"The new Bedford Railway is 20 miles long ; its capital
400,000 dols. Gross receipts, 55,575 dols., and expenses,
23,354 dols. 27c. Two dividends of three per cent. each were
this year declared.
"The Taunton Branch Railroad is, in length, 11 miles ;
has a capital of 250,000 dols.; the total annual expenditure,
57,77 dOls. 58c. ; and the income, 77,170 &Is. 59c. ; and two
tividends of four per cent. each were declared within the
year.

"The Fitchburg Railroad was then unfinished.
"The Portland, Saco, and Portsmouth Railroad give their
number of passengers for six months, ending Nov. 30, 1844,
108,7431%; and for six months, ending May 31, 1845,
42,535%—t0ta1, 150,279. Their total income for that period,
131,404 dols. 18c.; expenditure, 51,822 dols. 26c. ; and they
make a net profit a little above 7 dols. per share. They state
the average expense of transit per mile run to be 43c. and a
fraction, and make no mention of any expense of clearing
:now, &c. I have, in fact, mentioned every instance where
any such costs, or anything that might be supposed to in-
clude it, appears in the account as a distinct item.
" I have also obtained the following account of the cost of
the motive power and receipts per mile travelled on some
other of the great roads :
Cost per mile. Receipts per mile.
Georgia...
South Carolina
Central Georgia
Western
Boston and Lowell 106 c.

" The foregoing particulars may be useful to you and to
the committee in forming your calculations. In the state of
Massachusetts land would have to be purchased at a higher
price than Boston and the towns; indeed, quite as dear as it
is in England."

* " I think the rail here mentioned is the wooden plank I refared
to in a former letter, and the car the flat iron tire."

It is said that Dir. Charles Ross, one of the Spatial
Commissioners of the Property and Income Tax, will have
IpVa
pauper
paexr nous.
belonging Otno
active porter in this
AtlitoertClooenktutissionership vacant by the death of Sir John
Tuesday last 3
establishment, saw George White,
1 rA. T
13 u
rniCHELMSFORDnxan
Great Waltham, throw a parcel over the garden fence into a
',
t he
a
field adjoining*, and, upon examination, discovered it to con-
tain a pair of sheets and a pair of stockings. Suspecting
White, who had been attending the sick in the hospital, and
who had given notice to go out the same evening, to be the
thief, Burningliam watched, when his suspicions were con-
firmed. He saw White go to the spot and take up the parcel,
when he immediately apprehended him. The follow-
ing morning White was taken before Captain Skinner, R.A.,
and committed for trial.—Chelmsford Chronicle.
POST-OFFICE, Nov. 14.—The next mails for Gib-
raltar, Malta, Greece, the lonian islands, Egypt, India, Ecc. ,
via Southampton, will be dispatched from hence on' the
morning of the 20th inst. The next mail for the Mediterra-
nean, Egypt, Ceylon, India, and China, via Marseilles, will
be dispatched from hence on the evening of the 24th inst.
Great Liverpool, for the Indian mails of the morning of the
20th inst., Madrid, for the Peninsular mails of the morning
of the 17th inst. West Indies, &c.—Teviot, for the mails of
the morning of the 17th inst. America.—Cambria, for the
mails of the evening of the 18th inst.
DETECTION OX A SWINDLER.—We regret to learn
that a young man named August Schmidt, the son of a re-
spectable merchant in Schlawe, Prussia, has been detected in
a series of forgeries in this country, one of which has been
effected on an extensive and influential mercantile firm in
Newcastle. The delinquent, it appears, came to London
about two months ago, with letters of credit and introduc-
tion which turn out to have been forged, and in consequence
of die supposed genniness of which he realised 401. from a
mercantile house in this town. He also obtained a letter of
introduction to parties in London, from the said firm, and on.
reaching the metropolis, forged a bill on the house that had
thus obliged him, adhibiting no fewer than seven false in-
dorsements of well-known merchants in London, and after-
wards discounting the forged bill with a corn-dealer there. '
D ulitet ittlangerous, 'however, to continue such irittisac- '
i tic) vtlal,delinqueot nett decamped to the continent, nar-
ro lx escaping/ in his tour, the eagle-eye of . the, celebrated ,
Eo rester,' who had b-cen dispatched after him. Testerday :
'rib di& ored bill of Sclunides, negotiated through a batik-
in • house in Marseilles, was presented- for acceptance to the
sal ~.01141,.he bad previously swindled in this tow-0); and, of , .
en rse,refused. Yorrester :has,heen, instructed io apprehend i
tit delinquent, and .we shall doubtless berg of that, being '
do eiil.a feVe'tials.— Mite MerCu4.'
1

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