The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-06-02 00:00:00

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCR.

GLASGOW, PAISLEY, AND GREENOCK RAILWAY

• • -- - -
This work daily becomes more interesting from the
zealous struggle making to regain the time lost during the
last wet season. The directors frequently inspect the works
with the engineer, and are using every effort to open the line
as early as possible. We . find that although so much is
'finished there are a greater number of men employed than
'ever, all the heavy points hiving double gangs, and the pick,
hammer, and shovel are never idle throughout the twenty-
four hours. Man can do much, but steam does more ; and
even here we have to honour' the memory of our townsman,
James Watt. The three thousand men employed are not
equal in " moving power" to the locomotive and fixed en-
gines, toiling day and night also. The night scene is curious.
The rattling of the locomotive through the rocky pass at
West Ferry, and the large tires blazing in every direction,
and reflecting .in, their ruddy 'light the various groups of
workmen, form a spectacle highly picturesque and gratifying
to the lover of strange sights.
The range of arches across the beach at Port-Glasgow
grow rapidly under the hands of their spirited contractor,
Mr. Mackenzie—who, if we mistake not, is turning an arch
a-week at this place. Carnegie Hill is aliie with meri.
Bishopton is one continued cannonade from the blasting of
the rock, with constant booming shots from the tunnels, and
Barrangry Hill is already nearly cut through. So rapid in-
deed, of late, has been the progress, that there seems little
to complete, except at the points we have mentioned, and
we hear that everywhere they are striving hard to have all
through by the month of July next. We sincerely wish them
a speedy and prosperous opening.—Greenock Advertiser
May 26. ,

B!RMINGIIAM AND GLOUCESTER RAILWAY.—A splendid
first and second class carriage arrived at the Gloucester and
Birmingham Railway depot near Lansdowne, on Thursday
last, and on Saturday they were attached to a locomptive
engine, and proceeded to Tewkesbury, by way of experiment.
We understand the railroad to Bromsgrove will not be com-
pleted and opened by the 15th of June, as stated by some of
our contemporaries—Cheltenham Examiner.

A railroad is contemplated between Berlin, Magdeburg,
and Hamburg ; and Mr. William Lindley, of London, has
been appointed by the King of Hanover to make the surveys
of such parts of it as are to be within his dominions.—Globe.

We present to-day the returns of traffic upon the North
Midland Railway during the first two weeks since the partial
opening of the line. We have heard considerable surprise
expressed in various quarters that the amount of business
has hitherto been so trifling as compared with that upon
some other lines, and inferences have been drawn from this
fact to the prejudice of the undertaking. Now, nothing
could be more erroneous than to take the present traffic as a
fair criterion of what will pass over the line when it is com-
pleted. The able chairman of the company, Mr. Glyn, took
occasion at the half-yearly meeting,. in March, specially to
guard the proprietors against disappointthent on this score,
observing that it was not to be expected that the traffic which
has heretofore passed by the Grand Junction line would be
diverted to the North Midland for the sake of the partial
opening.

In a little more than a month hence the line will be opened
throughout the entire distance, when there can be no doubt
the North Midland Railway will prove itself, as regards its
traffic (as it has already been admitted to be in respect of its
execution), second to few undertakings of the kind in the
kingdom.—Railway Tines.

MIDLAND COUNTIES' RAILWAY.—Amongst the many
advantages which this line will afford to Leicester and it vi-
cintity, there is a prospect of a supply of useful coal from
Derbyshire at low prices. By the courtesy of the secretary
of the railway, we have received a specimen of the supply
brought by the first train of coals that has traversed the rail-
way, and can testify as to the quality being such as to ren-
der it useful for household and other purposes. The specimen
we have received is from the colliery of Messrs. George Ste-
phenson and Co. at Clay Cross, near Chesterfield, and we
understand that it can be sold in Leicester at Ils a ton. It
is now selling in Derby at 8s 6d, and the railway carriage
from there is estimated not to exceed 2s 6d. On Thursday
the directors placed the third-class carriages on the Leices-
ter and Nottingham line, by which passengers are conveyed
the whole distance for 2s, and shorter stages in proportion.
We are glad to find that the business on this railway is stea-
dily and satisfactorily increasing ; and we look forward with
anxious anticipation to the opening of the whole line to Rug-
by in the month of June.—Leicester Journal.

WEEKLY RETURN OF TRAFFIC ON RAILWAYS
(From the Railway Illayazinej

NAME. •
Passen- P•mile P.mile Passeng.
gers. •Cash.
pr.wk. p. day. per day.
X. :E. £.
Birmingham
Grand Junction
Liverp. and Manch. 4766 154 22
Great Western — 3976 1111 16
South Western — 4668 61 1 81
Newcast. & Carlisle 1715 28! 4
Greenwich 28799 1016 267 38 4114
Birmg. & Derby... 1139 291) 41
Manchester &Leeds 11202 828 6111 84. 1600
Croydon
York &N. Midland 1866 433 224 34 267
Midland Counties 5156 620 164 24 737
Eastern Counties 5161 278 261 4 737
Ulster 6421 180 221 34 916
NORTH MIDLAND RAILWAY.—LeIIgIII of line opened, 40

NORTH MIDLAND RAILW,
miles. Return of traffic from
From the 11th to the 16th,
the 23d, £BlO 17s. 10d.

Y.-L
the 11
'O5 ss.

ngth of line opened, 40
;h to the 23d instant :
Id. From the 16th to

ATTEMPT OF THE PRISONER GOULD AND THE
CONDEMNED CONVICT BAILEY, TO ESCAPE
FROM NEWGATE.

(From the Morning Herald of Saturday.)
However extraordinary and incredible it may appear, it is
nevertheless certain that the prisoner Gould, who, it will be
remembered, was recently tried for the murder of Mr. Tern-
pleman, in Pocock's-fields, Islington, and who, but a few
days since, was again committed from Bow-street police-
office upon the charge of having burglariously entered the
house of that deceased gentleman ; together with the man
Bailey, who is ordered for execution on Monday next, for
attempted murder on the high seas have made a most des-
perate attempt (in which they nearly succeeded) to escape
from the condemned cells of Newgate.
This occurrence took place on the night of Sunday last,
but so profound a secret has it been kept by the authorities
of the prison, that it was by mere accident our informant
happened in the first place to elicit the fact, and with great
difficulty succeeded in obtaining the following circumstances
connected with it.

On Gould's recommittal to Newgate, and his arrival at the
iison, Mr. Cope, the governor, determined on placing him
in the most secure portion of the gaol—namely, in one of the
condemned cells. Before proceeding further, it is here ne-
cessary to state that since the new mode of prison discipline
has been introduced, the condemned cells have been removed
from their old position, near the debtor's door, to the fur-
ther extremity of the prison, adjacent to Newgate-street.
The inmates of these cells have, in the day time, the privilege
of access to a spacious ward on the same floor—the basement,
the windows of which, as well as the cells, look into a yard.
Prior to Gould's recommittal, the convict Bailey, who had
received sentence at the previous sessions, occupied one of
these cells, and Gould was placed in the other. It is usual
in cases where convicts condemned to death are ordered for
execution, that one of the gaolers should keep a constant
watch on them to prevent the commission of suicide; but in
the case of Bailey, who, by the sentence, stands for execution
on Monday next, no special order having been received by
the governor, that regulation had not been adopted. In the
day-time, and at their meals, Gould and Bailey had oppor-
tunities of conversing together, and no doubt exists but the
theme of their discourse was the means by which their es-
cape could be effected, their attempt having evidently been
preconcerted. On Sunday they attended divine service in
the chapel of the prison, and at the usual hour, seven o'clock,
that evening, they were locked up in their separate cells by
the turnkey who had charge of them, who saw nothing
whatever in their appearance to excite suspicion. The mo-
ment, however, he quitted the place the operations for the
escape must have been commenced on the part of Gould,
who, it will be seen, was the originator and principal actor
in the affair.
During the night of Sunday, which, from the torrents of
rain that fell, was peculiarly advantageous for such a project,
nothing particular was heard by the turnkeys of the prison.
About a quarter before six o'clock on the following morning
(Monday), the turnkey in charge of the prisoners, as was usual,
went to their respective cells, for the purpose of unlocking
them, and on entering the yard, to 'lli utter astonishment,
discovered the iron gratings of the windows of their cells re-
moved from their position, and lying on the pavement, and
the windows wide open. An alarm was instantly given
throughout the gaol, police were called in, and the roof of
the various portions of the building strictly searched ; but no
trace of the prisoners being there found, it was generally
supposed they had effected their escape. Subsequently, on
the doors of the cells being opened, both Gould and Bailey
were found in one of them, in a completely exhausted condi-
tion ; and on their recovery, and being questioned upon the
subject, they both treated it with the greatest levity and in-
difference. They were immediately secured with double
irons, and removed to separate cells, when a minute exami-
nation of the place and the means by which the escape had
been attempted was instituted, in the presence of the sheriffs,
who were with the utmost alacrity made acquainted with the
fact. They first commenced in the cell occupied by the con-
vict Bailey, but saw nothing to lead them to a conclusion as
to whether he effeeted his escape without assistance, except
by the cell windows, which had been secured by burs which
would defy the power of any person on the inside to remove,
and which could only have been so by an extraordinary power
from without. On entering Gould's cell a very different
scene presented itself. The entire of the iron grating en-
closing the cell window was forced out into the yard. By
the side of the cell door, which leads to a winding staircase
ascending to the roof, a quantity of brick work, to the extent
of nine inches in depth, had been removed, apparently by a
piece of iron, which was subsequently found in the cell, about
five inches in length ; but it was evident that Gould had re-
linquished this attempt, finding the wall of such uncommon
thickness as to resist his further efforts. He then succeeded
in removing the gratings of his window, and on getting into
the yard, assisted Bailey to do the same. On re-entering
the yard a rope was found, which had been constructed out
of the rugs and blankets of the prisoners' beds. At one end
of this a piece of iron grating was found attached, which, no
doubt, had been used with a view to throw one end of the
rope on the roof ; but the heavy rain having completely satu-
rated the blankets, it was presumed they had become so heavy
as to render the project utterly impracticable. There can be
no doubt but Gould's plan had been well matured, as, if he
had succeeded in getting' through the wall on the winding
staircase, escape would have been most easy, inasmuch as
he would have been able to have secured' his rope to a win-
dow at the top, and have lowered the end into the yard be-
low. On the roof is placed an officer during the night, and
had Gould and his companion succeeded in gaining it, there
is not much doubt but his life would have been sacrificed in
the hands of two such determined characters.
Since this extraordinary event, the gaol has been visited
by nearly the whole of the civic authorities, and a private
committee is appointed to investigate the matter at Guildhall
this day.

THE HIGH TOR, DERBYSHIRE.—This immense mass of
rock, which, like the rest of the range, is beautifully inter-
spersed, and in some places densely covered with little trees,
presents a perpendicular side of 350 feet above the bed of the
river. On looking down from the extreme point, objects
seem wonderfully reduced in size. A phaeton (then passing)
appeared like a child's carriage; the pedestrian, a mere doll;
while the few scattered houses skirting the opposite base,
tastefully ornamented with various spars and flower-entwined
verandahs, or more neatly-contrived parterres, resembled
those of sand-dashed pasteboard, so much sought for by la-
dies of a " certain age" in the bazaars at Southport, and other
places of similar resort. This was my first impression on
looking down. Objects certainly do appear larger on remain-
ing up a length of time, which is easily accounted for. The
ascent is pleasant and easy, winding up at the back by a path
which brings one suddenly to the verge of the abyss, and then
the effect is more than doubly astonishing. The top of one
of the highest points of the rock, which in fact overhangs the
awful precipice, is so flat, that, by lying down, and carefully
thrusting our heads partly over the immediate brink, we were
better enabled to appreciate the double effect of its vast alti-
tude, and our own critical situation.—Sketches in Derby-
Mire.