The Sun.
London, England, 1829-11-03 00:00:00

LOCOMOTIVE CONTEST.

The judges in this matter (Messrs. Rastrick
and 'Wood, civil engineers, anti John Kennedy,
Esq.) having delivered in their written report on
the merits of the different locomotive carriages,
the Board of Directors resolved unanimously
that the; premium of 5001., offered for the most
Improved locomotive engine, be awarded to the
proprietors pt the Rocket steam-engirt, Mr.
Henry Booth, and the Messrs. Stephenson.—
Messrs. Braithwaite and Erickson, the proprie-
tors of the novelty, and Mr. Robert Stephen-
Both the propritor of the Rocket, are both en-
gaged in improving dna perfecting the carriages.
The former is now repairing at Mr. Fawcett's
yard, and it is said that it will be tried again on
the railroad when finished. A considerable
alteration has also been made in Mr. Robert
Stephenson's engine, which has greatly increased
its powers. It was tried again on Saturday,
wlieti it drew the enormous weight of 20 tons,
;it the rate of from 18 to 20 miles per hour !
The cutting of' the railway, at the Manchester
end of the line, is now approaching rapidly to-
wards a termination. The excavation has been
tarried by one set of men more than a hundred
yards into the land of Mr. Jones, on this side of
Cross,lane ; whilst another set, having formed a
tunnel under Oldfield-road, are cutting in an
opposite direction to meet it, and the eatth they
remove is used to form an embankment on the
lower ground, near the river Irwell. From the
operation of these two parties of workmen, and
the previous removal of brick earth from the
line by Mr. Jones, a very few weeks will suf.
ficia to complete the line. In the mean time a
great number of men arc employed on the bridge
over the Irwell. The foundation of the piers
on each side of the river are, we believe, both
laid; and notwithstanding the unfavourable sea-
son of the year, a coffer-dam is now forming in
the middle of the river for the purpose of laying
the foundation of the centre pier. The bridge
will be a very handsome stone structure of two
arches) and will rise to a very considerable
height above the surface of the water: A Com-
pany has been formed for the purpose of con-
structing a railway from Wigan, to join the Li-•
verpool and Manchester railroad at Newton.—
..Mr. Vignoles has been appointed the principal
engineer, and from his report we learn that the
distance from Wigan to the point of junction
will be 6i miles. This will make the distance
from Wigan to Liverpool 23, and to Manches-
ter 21 miles.: The distance from Liverpool is,
by the turnpike road 22, and by canal 35 miles;
to Munchester Cie distance by the turnpike road
is 19, and canal 22 miles. By a regulation of
the Duke of Bridgewater's canal there has always
been a charge of 3s. Bd. }:er ton for coal, which
has had the effect of excluding the Wigan coal
from the Manchester market. The present un-
dcrtaking will counteract the injurious influence
of' this regulation upon the trade of Wigan.—
The
expellee of forming the road is estimated at
400,0001., the whole of which .sum is already
subscribed in shares of 1001. each, chiefly in
Wig2l; and we understand that the majority of
landowners have expressed a willingness to give
their consent to the undertaking. Messrs. Bat-
teri.bvy and Banks are the solicitors for the Com-
pany of Proprietors, and the Act will be applied
for in the next Session of ParliamenL—Man-
chester Times.

DIABOLICAL ATTEMPT' TO OVERTURN

THE LOCOMOTIVE CARRIAGES.

On Tlinrsday alernoon a miscreant of the
name of M'Cann, was brought up at the New
Bailey, charged with having wantonly and
wickedly endeavoured to overturn the carriages
on the Manchester and Liverpool railroad, near
Eccles. Mr. Foulkes appeared to prefer the
charge on behalf of the company of proprietors,
from which it appeared that, on Wednesday af-
ternoon, a pedestrian, from Liverpool, who was
tomirg to Manchester, applied to the condue-
tors or the engines to allow him to ride the rest
of his journey, but was refused, on the ground
that several accidents had occurred on the road,
through indiscriminately allowing individuals to
get on the carriages, and the proprietors had
issued their orders to the contrary. &dm-
, (ineptly, this person informed one of the engi-
neers that he had perceived a man laying a num-
ber of wooden sleepers, and large stones, across
the railroad, for the purpose of upsetting the car-
riages. A person was immediately dispatched
to the spot pointed out, to learn the truth of the
statement, as the engines were expected momen-
tarily, at their utmost speed. On reaching the
spot the man found six or seven wooden sleepers,
or planks, about nine feet in length, which, with
a quantity of large stones, were lying across the
road, and the prisoner was in the act of heaping
more upon them. The case was proved against I
the prisoner by several witnesses. Mr. Foulkes
then produced the Act of Parliament granted to
the proprietors of the road, and read the clause '
which related to and provided for an offence of
the nature described ; from which he read, " that
if any person or persons did, wilfully, cause an
obstruction in the road, such person attending
in the management might take them into cus-
tody, and if convicted, a penalty, not exceeding
101. nor less than 51. should be inflicted : and in
defitult of payment of the fine, the party or parties
offending should be committed for three calendar
mouths. The surveyor of the railroad stated
that the construction of the engines was such;
that one engine propelled a great number of
carriages, and that the engines were managed by
persons behind, who were totally incapable of
seeing any obstructions, however great, upon the
road, and that, if the fellow had not been de-
tected, the managers of the engine must in-
evitably have perished ;- and in all probability,
• the engine and carriages would have been dashed
to pieces. The magistrate (Major Watkins)
inquired of the prisoner his reasons, or what
could prompt him to be guilty of so fiend-like
an act. The prisoner replied that he did not
know, he was not quite sober at the time.
The Major now said that he was not positive
whether he could adjudicate in this case, with-
out the presence of a second magistrate ; but to
obviate this difficulty he desired that the door of
the other Court should be opened, as on the
bench were several magistrates, who were at-
. tending to the proceedings of the sessions. He
then convicted the prisoner in the penalty of 5/.
The prisoner said that he' could pay the 51. in
the course of the day. -He was then taken to
the prison' until the -fine be paid. We would
suggest to.the company of proprietors of the rail-
road the expediency of making some alteration
in the loco Motive engines„with regard to the
engineer liking stationed out of sight of the road
before him, as,- according to the statement of the
surveyor, an obs4ruetion of-an apparently trivial
nature would be .sufficient to overturn the car-
riage.--Manchester .Advertiser.

PATENTS FOR. MECHANICAL AND

CHEMICAL INVENTIONS.

PATENTS SEALED IN OCTOBER, 1829.

To John Moore, Broad Wier, Bristol, gentleman, fcr
Isis new or improved machinery for propelling carriages,
also for propelling ships, vessels, or other floating bodies,
and for guiding propelled carriages; and apparatus for con-
densing the ste:m of the steam-engine, after it has pro-
pelled the steam-engine piston,-30th September; six
months.,

To William Rodger, Norfolk-street, Strand, Middlesex,
Lieutenant in the Royal Navy, for his improvements in the
construction of cat-head stoppers.-30th September; six
months.

To Thomas Banks, Patricroft within Barton-upon-
Irwell, Lancaster, civil engineer, for his improvements in
stean-enginea.-30th September; six months.
To Paul Descroizilles, Fenchurch-strect, London, chemist,
for his improvements in apparatus for removing the down
from cotton and certain other fabrics by singeing.-7th
October ; six months.
To William Church, Esq., Heywood House, near
Birmingham, Warwick, fin. his improvements in machinery
ror propelling vessels and other machines capable of being
propelled by steam, and in b:dlers applicable to the same,
and also to other purposes —lsth October ; six months.
To William Church, Esq., Heywood House, near Bir-
mingham, Warwick, for his improvements in, on, or
upon, instruments for sharpening knives and other edge-
tools, and the machinery or apparatus fur manufacturing
the same.-15th October; six months.