The Sun.
London, England, 1845-07-07 00:00:00

which was now taken, according to Mr. ALEXANDER'S suggestion.
He alluded to the various advantages expected from the proposed
line, but said that the Company did not expect any very great re-
muneration from the proposed line; at the same time that he
thought it a very important scheme. He then quoted the opinion
given on this subject by the Board of Trade.
On the conclusion of Mr. Talbot's address, Mr. MELLOR called
Mr. Rastrick, the engineer o f the line, who said he considered
it the best that could be selected in the neighbourhood. There
was no steeper gradient on the line than I in 50, which only oc-
curred in one place, at the Ore Ridges, where it continued for
only three quarters of a mile. The whole length of the proposed
line would be 29 miles 7 chains. There was no important dif-
ficulties on the line, and, except at the Ore Ridges, the
gradients were remarkably slight. The expense of the line was
estimated at 497,3581., which included the expense of purchasing
land.
The witness was then cross-examined by Mr. Bellasis, but Mr.
Alexander omitted to cross-examine him, according to agreement.
Mr. Williams, a Government engineer, and a magistrate at Hest.
ings, had examined the proposed line, and especially that part of
the line where it crosses the Rother, and thought the arrangements
the best that could possibly be made in the country through which
it passed. The only bad gradient on the line was where it crossed
the Ore Ridges, and in that place it bad the best gradient that
could be got there. The Ore Ridges formed a very great natural
obstruction, and had been dealt with in the best possible manner.
The witness having been cross-examined by Mr. HILDYARD on
the part of the Commissioners of Rye Harbour,
Mr. MELLOR said that the next witness he intended to call was
Mr. Pare, who was not now in Court, and that it would be neces•-
aary to pause for awhile in order to allow him, Mr. Mellor, to
call him.
Mr. HILDYARD proposed that his case against the line might now
be allowed to go on, and asked whether thecase as to the crossing
of the harbour at Rye was yet concluded?
Mr. MELLOR replied that it was, and that he only.wished to
examine Mr. Pare as to the traffic tables.
Mr. HILDYARD said that he had nothing to do with the tables,
and that his case only referred to the crossings of the harbour.
The committee then agreed to proceed with Mr. Hildyard's case
at once.
Mr. Henry Stocks, harbour-master, was then called by Mr.
HILDYARD, and spoke to the injury which would be done to the
navigation of the harbour and the river by any bridge crossing the
harbour, as the proposed line would. In cress-examination the
witness said that the Board of Commissioners of Navigation of Rye
Harbour were 48 members, being 40 too many.—(Laughter.)
Mr. Hicks was the clerk of the board.
Mr. Holmes, a ship-owner at Rye, spoke to the injury which I
Would be done to the Rye Harbour navigation by the bridge if made
there. Any bridge at that place ought to be at least seventy feet
above the high-water mark. The reason why the height ought to
be seventy feet was that many vessels passing that place had masts
of seventy feet. The injury to the navigation would be the
greater on account of the peculiar nature of the tide, whirls was
very rapid, and which ret in such a direction that the barges would
be driven against the piles, and most likely would sink. Barges
often became unmanageable on account of the force and rapidity of
the tide.
Mr. William Ker, a pilot at Rye Harbour, corroborated the
above evidence. As a pilut, it was his duty to go up the Channel
with vessels, as it was very difficult to navigate the river, and none
but very small vessels would venture to attempt it without a pilot.
The witness was then cross-examined by Mr. MELLOR.
Mr. HILDYARD was about to call another witness, when
The CHAIRMAN said that he thought any further evidence on
this subject was not necessary. _

Mr. HILDYARD said that he had about a dozen withesses to call
as to this point, but that he also wished to call Capt. Moorsom, an
eminent engineer, to prove that such a bridge was not necessary.
The CHAIRMAN thought the examination of further witnesses as
the injury to the navigation would be superfluous, and that Mr.
Hildyard ought therefore to call Capt. Moorsom at once.
Captain Moorsom was then called, and said that, as an engineer,
he would not, if he were laying down a line from Ashford to
Hastings, make any bridge across the Rye Harbour. It could be
avoided by a curve of a quarter of a mile radius, which was, in his
opinion, no engineering difficulty.
This evidence occupying the Committee up to four o'clock, they
adjourned till to-morrow, with the understanding that on their
meeting Mr. Hildyard would proceed to address them on the part
of the Commissioners of Rye Harbour.

GROUP X.
DIRECT NORTHERN RAILWAY.

The Committee assembled at twelve o'clock, Lord Courtenay In
the chair; Mr, Poultet Scrope, Mr. Baring Wall, and Mr. Darby,

present.
Mr. WEBSTER called Sir J. Rennie, under whose superintendence
the line is to be formed. It commenced at Burton, three miles north
of Lincoln, and presented no engineering difficulties whatever.
The only consideration was the crossing of the several drains by
which the flats of Lincolnshire are intersected. There were several
canals to be crossed : the chief of these were the Witham and
Fossdyke Canal. The Chesterfield Canal was passed at a rise of 18
feet; the Ayre Canal at a rise of 22 feet; and the Leeds and
Selby Canal at an elevation of 18 feet. The North Midland
Railway would be crossed at a rise of 18 feet ; and the Leeds
and Selby Railway at the same height. On the contrary,
the London and York line crossed some of the streets of York
on a level. A model of the several lines were placed before
the Committee, and Sir J. Rennie explained how the line approached
the city of York, the lines perforating the walls in two places.
Mr. Gravatt, civil engineer (with Sir J. Rennie), explained the several
portions of the model, in order to show the several approaches
to the city of York. On this point much discussion arose, which
it is impossible to report without much repetition, which would
only., interfere with the apprehension of our readers. .The conver-
sation concluded by Sir J. Rennie stating that the whole length of
the line from Burton to the junction with the Great North of Eng-
land Railway was 58 miles 39 chains, and to the City station 57
miles 5 chains. The deepest cutting was one near Gaineborough,
which was 35 feet 6 inches. The highest embankment ,is
near the junction of the Trent with the Humber, shortly to the
south of the former river, and that was 28 feet ; the line, in
fact, was a level, nothing more. The whole estimate for the
works was 978,3121., which was divided as follows :-121,8631.
for earthwork ; 206,0591. for bridges, culverts, and masonry ; for
fencing there would be 25,7731., those items making a total of
353,6951. Giving 10 per cent, interest on the cost, there would be a
total of 353,6951. The permanent way was estimated at 351,450/.,
being a cost of about 6,000/. a mile. For stations there was an
allowance of 110,0001., and the cost for land was 127,7971. The
whole estimate deposited, as signed by himself and Mr. Gravatt,
was 1,500,0001. In this allowance 360,0001. was allowed for the
Farringdon.street station, the remaining sum of 222,0001. being
allowed for plant and contingencies. This was allowing about 3,0001.
a mile for a distance of 58% miles, which was most amply suffi.
cient. There would then be a margin of 170,000/. left for any-
thing that might be unforeseen. The gradients were so easy that,
notwithstanding the greater length of the line, he thought
the distance would be done in the same time; and the works
might be completed in two years, that is, in two summers awl a
winter.
To the cross-examination of Mr. Sergeant WRANGIIAM, Sir John
Rennie replied that when the London and Ycrk line was an in-
tegral line, the station at Ring's. rocs had been selected by himself
as the most convenient station between the east and west, end of
the towns, but that had been set aside in favour of the station at
the
butereeo,
end of Farringdon.street. The ruling gradient was one in a
hundred, but between the distance which was equal to the distance
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be affected by those old commercial positions, and if they were to be
left out of the question, the people must migrate to other parts. In
his mind the route to York by Cambridge was by no means objec-
tionable, but it was a local traffic which was drawn in the inter-
mediate districts.
A discussion ensued between Mr. Sergeant Wrangham and Mr.
Webster as to the right to put in portions of a memorial which had
been sent to the Board of Trade in favour of the Direct Northern
line. Mr. Sergeant Wrangham at length read a portion of the
substance of the memorial. But Mr. Webster interfered; and in
eonsequence of a suggestion by Mr. Darby, the question was asked
whether Sir J. Rennie thought that the Eastern Counties Railway ,
offered a fair outlet to the north. Notwithstanding the withdrawal
of a portion of the line, he still thought there should be some route
to the north, though he did not recollect precisely whether the
Farringdon.street station had been spoken of before the withdrawal
of the intermediate portion of the line. Between Burton and York
there would be eleven stations, eight of them first class stations.
Mr. Sergeant WRANGHAM then cited the memorial sent in by
Sir J. Rennie to the Privy Council. In reply to a question from
Mr. Sergeant Wrangham, Sir John replied that he expected that
the rate of charge for travelling would be regulated by Parliament
rather than by the force of competition, but the charge on the pub.
lie would be ultimately fixed irrespective of the cost of the works,
competition being the main rule, as was shown by the experience
of the Eastern Counties Railway, though, as was sug.
gested by Mr. P. Scrope, the original cost must of
necessity form an element of calculation. He looked upon
the whole of the management being in the hands of
was convoy at a great advaatage, to 611134115