The Sun.
London, England, 1845-01-04 00:00:00

WEST YORKSHIRE.

Wauthorised to contradict a rumour that George
Hudson, areon,Esq.,has " backed out" of the West Yorkshire
Railway. Mr. Hudson stands in precisely the same po-
sition at the present time towards this Company as when,
as Chairman of the Leeds and Bradford Board of Di-
rectors, the guarantee of four per cent. from that Corn-
pang was given t) the West Yorkshire. And we can
further assure the Shareholders in this undertaking, that
on the meeting of Parliament the invaluable aid of Mr.
Hudson will be rendered to obtain the Bill.—Bradford
Observer.
NEWCASTLE AND CARLISLE.
Considerable alarm was felt on Saturday last by a
report reaching the town that the short tunnel on the
Newcastle and Carlisle Railway, near Corbridge,
had that morning fallen in. On the managing com-
mittee repairing to the place, they found that a
small portion had given way, which, although it will
was aot attended with any accident. The
for a few days cause a little delay in the arrival
of the trains,
promptest measures were immediately to be taken, by
placing omnibuses and carts, so as to render the incon-
venience as trifling as possible ; and it is expected that
within less than a week the passage will be opened, and
the traffic, which will be in the meantime fully provided
for, be resumed in the ordinary way. The public
are aware that, for the safety of the passen-
gers and in consequence of the great increase of
traffic, the Directors are having the whole line of rail-
way doubled, which has been done with the excep-
tion of this tunnel, now in the hands of the contractor.
The enlarging of the tunnel is a work requiring consi-
derable skill, a drift above it being to be driven, by
which the wider arch is made before the older one is re-
moved. In shifting some of the machinery by the con-
tractor's men, a hole was unluckily made through the
present roof before the new one was finished, which let
down some of the superincumbent earth and stopped the
passage.— Tyne Mercury.
NORTHUMBERLAND.

The railway by Alnwick being now found practicable,
by actual survey, Messrs. Gandell and Brunton, the
eminent engineers, are
preparing sections and plans
to lay before the Board of Trade, with the memo-
rial of the inhabitants and others interested. The
committee appointed at the meeting held in the
Town-Hall, Ainwick, on the 4th of November last,
having persevered and overcome every difficulty so
far, notwithstanding the great opposition they have met
with, there is no doubt but when the Flans are finished
and presented with the memorial, they will show the ad-
vantage of the line, not only as commanding a greater
amount of traffic, accomu existing to a much greater extent
the inhabitants of the middle parts of Northumberland,
but also saving a distance of two miles on the main mail
line, and at a little expense.—Tyne Mercury.
RAILWAY INDICATOR.—There has just been published
in Paris an account of an instrument for indicating the
speed of trains, and registering any undue excess ; this,
it is expected, will act as a wholesome monitor to engine
drivers, and lessen the risk of railway travelling, by ren-
dering it impossible to escape detection,where a dangerous
velocity has been attained. This contrivance consists in a
governor, such as is commonly used in steam-engines,and
set in motion by the customary gearing from one of the
axles of the locomotive. To the vertical sliding portion
of the governor an index is attached, which passes along
a graduated vertical scale, and, by the height to which
it reaches, shows the degree of speed attained ; any
excess of speed produces a further elevation, and brings
into play a second index, which is unconnected wi'h the
first, and which, on the fall of the governor, remains
at its maximum height—a standing testimony against
the negligence and recklessness of the engineer.
As a further precaution, it is arranged that one
of the balls of the Governor carries a hammer, which
strikes a bell, and loudly calls for the attention of the
driver. To prevent tampering with the indications of
the instrument, the second or tell-tale index is locked
up, and the key remains in the possession of some supe-
rior officer, who alone, at the termination of a journey,
can rep:ace it in its original position, ready for a new
indication. The first index, which only takes cogni-
sance of the speed within the regulated limit, is open
to the inspection of all in it 3 neighbourhood ; and if
this be neglected or concealed, the bell protests most
clamorously against the danger and the wrong.—
Scotsman.

COAL-PIT EXPLOSION.—On Friday
morning last an
explosion of fire-damp took place at Vobster Marsh
Colliery, in the parish of Malls, by which one man was
illed, and five others very much burned; but it is hoped
that these may all be restored. It is uncertain how the
cciCent occurred, but it is supposed that one of the
safety lamps was not properly secured.—Wilshire In-
d ep endent.