The Sun.
London, England, 1845-10-09 00:00:00

PROSPECTUS.

This undertaking is designed to supply the wants of an extcn.
sive mineral and populous distric►, the cl .ims of which to railway
accommodation have long been recognised, and various projects
brought forward to secure the lecvl traffic which is admitted to he
sufficient to support a railway ; this line will not only accomplish
that desirable object, but also possess the advantageof forming a
direct communication, by the shortest possible route (in connexion
with existing and projected railw tys), between two of the most
important divisions of the kingdom.
It is intended to commence by a jut.cti ni with the projected
railways that will centre at Uttroccer, from which tc.wn it will
proceed by Rochester to Ashbourne, Wirksworth, Cromford, Mat-
lock (where it join the Manchester, Buxton, and Matlock
Railway), and thence to or near Chesterfield, forming a junction
with the North Midland Railway, thereby giving to Arhheurne a
direct communication with London by UttoXet,r, end confer
similar advantages to Wirks,yorth and cutter trims on the line, by
means of the Manchestvr, Buxton, end Matlock Railway, via
Derby.

The liner will be about thirty-five miles long, and the most direct
communication that can be formed between Sheffield, York, Leeds,
and other populous manufacturing towns of the north and the
north-east of England (by means of the projected railways that will
diverge from Uttoxeter) with the Staffordshire Potteries, Stafford,
Shropshire, the densely-populated distric's of South Staffordshire,
Southampton, Bristol, the West of England, and South Wales.
It is quite superfluous to notice that the through traffic, both in
goods and passengers, by the various railways which will concert •
trate to a focal point at Uttoxoter for Sheffield and the north, will
be immense. The goods trattc between Sheffield and the South
Staffbrdshire ironworks is very great. The district is destitute
of water communication, with the exception of the Cromford
Canal, which the line will cross at right ang'es, and it is only
necessary to advert to a few of the prominent resources of the
country to show the magnitude of the local traffic.

The price of coals on all parts of the line is very high, being
carted a distance of 10 to 15 miles. The cost of this indispensable
article of consumption will be re•'uced nearly one half. The
northern portion of the line will be cheaply supplied front the col-
lieries which abound on the North Midland Railway, and the
town of Ashbourne and the locality (as to price) will be almost
placed in immediate contiguity with the Cheadle Coal Field, where
extensive mines of the Yard coal are worked, which produces an
Incense heat, and is highly approved of both for domestic and manu.
facturing purposes.
The line will pass several valuable quarries of Derbyshire marble
which Is extensively used in all parts of the kingdom ; and also
numerous lead-smelting works and rolling mills, producing large
quantities of pig and sheet lead. It will afford an inexhaustible
supply of lime for the highly cultivated land on the banks of the
Dove and Southward. It will open the Derbyshire mines to the
Zinc Smelting Works in the neighbourhood of Cheadle, and will
afford a direct communication with Sheffield for the articles mann-
,actured at those works, which at present are carted to Derby, a
distance of more than twenty miles.

Already a large cattle traffic exists with the north, which will
unquestionably be greatly augmented by the facilities of this rail-
way, large importations of Scotch and Yorkshire cattle will be
brought for fattening on the luxuriant pastures of the Dove, tak-
ing in return to the markets of the manufacturing towns, the corn,
cheese, wool, and other produce of the ex.etisive and fertile agri-
cultural district which surrounds the Staffordshire terminus of
this railway. It will bring the a'ready large cheese and cattle fairs
of Uttoxeter and Ashbourne into greater importance.

The iron furnaces of South Staffordshire consume annually more
than half a million tons of limestone : some estimates make the
quantity exceed a million tons. It is well known that the iron-
roasters give a decided preference to the limestone at the south of
the Peak, ever any other that has hitherto been tried; the very
great fusibility of this stone rendering it peculiarly suitable as a
flux for reducing the stubborn iron ores of South Staffordshire, and
were it not for the dilatory and eni, nsive means of transit from
Froghall, it would now be used to the total exclusion of all ether
kinds. The proximity of this railway to the iron district, the tact
of its entering the limestone range at the most southern extremity,
and the advantage of excavating the stone immediately on the line
of rails, cannot but ensure to it a very large share of this enormous
traffic, if it do not engross the whole. The cost of the atone and
expenses of delivery by the canal from Froghall to the iron district,
amount to 7s. per ton, and by this railway, after allowing a remu-
nerative toll, would be laid down at less than 45. per ton.
The visitors to the Peak are alrea,ly very numerous, Let this
romantic scenery (which may be justly termed the Switzerland
of the centre of England) be opened to the indus rious artisans
who chiefly compose the great hives of populati:n with which this
railway will communicate. Let this beautiful scenery be made
easily accessible to this class of Persons at a trifling sacrifice both
of time and money, and the revenue from this source alone
during the summer months will be found to be of no inconsider-
able amount.

The projectors feel convinced that this railway contains the ele-
ments of great prosperity, and that as an investment it offers more
than ordinary security. There can be no doubt of a profitable
return for the capital, and the nature of the country presents in.
superat le obstacles to the formation of any other line which can
materially compete with it.

Applications for shares, in the following form, accompanied by
a satisfactory reference, may t'e addres.,cd to the secretary, and
William le Grand, Esq., Shorter's.court, London.