The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-05-05 00:00:00

ENGINEERS' REPORT.

To the directors of the Chester and Crewe Railway Company.
Gentlemen,—Since oar report to you in November last,
the contractors have been put in possession of the whole of
the land, and are now proceeding in the execution of the re-
maining works upon the line with energy and vigour, the
extent of excavation completed to this line being as follows
Waverton contract, 83 pee cent; Bunbury, 82 per cent;
Wardle, 90 per cent ; and Crewe, 72 per cent.
The amount of work executed upon the Waverton contract
in the last six months will he observed to be less than upon
the other portions of the line, and is accounted for by the
fact that the contractor his been confined in his operations
tt, (mu: mile: and a half of the whole extent, having been only
put in possesso a of the remaining two miles and a quarter
abaut three weeks ay ; but he is now making most rapid
prod ress in this part of the contract.
The tunnel under the Illesntere canal was completed early
in this month, and for some time the traffic was allowed to
pass over it. A leak, however, occurred, owing to a defect
iti e !,:41 line.. which caused a failure in a portion of the
k. anti have been made to prevent any
delay tnis occurrence.
Tne tn.(' tie contract,, as is shown above, are in a very ad-
vaneed stale of forwardness, and we have great pleasure in
noticin the unintermitting, exertions of Messrs. Jackson and
Beard in the execution of their works.
The Warlle co tract is very nearly completed ; the prin-
cipal work upon the Bunbury division is the Crimes Brook
embankment, requiring now only 48,000 cubic yards to com-
plete, and as this has to come from two ends, its finishing in
•
time may be looked to with certainty.
The arches of the Wearer viaduct are now closed, and a
very advanced rate of progress in the performance of this
work may now he calculated upon.
To complete the embankment upon the west of the viaduct,
and to convey the requisite material over the river Weaver,
a wooden bridge has been constructed, which, with very
strenuoua exertions on the part of the contractor, and pro-
bably with the assistance of side-cutting, will enable him to
execute this portion of the work in the required time.
When the unparalleled wetness of the late season is consi-
dered, which has moot materially increased the cost of con-
structing and maintaining many railways; and when it is
remembered that in forming the excavations on the Wardle
and Crewe contracts, the contractors have had to contend
with the v:'ry worst description of clay, which the late Mr.
Telford called the " Cheshire marle, :Ann which his expe-
rience on the Birmingham and Nantwich canal led him to
denounce as most unfit for heavy works, it is gratifying to
find that your contractors have not experienced any serious
loss, and that the treatment of the slopes here adopted has
been so far successful that it is not likely any slips will occur.
Presuming now upon a continuance of favourable weather,
with the avoidance of unthrseen accidents or causes of delay,
and judging from the forward state of works, we have no
doubt but the line may be ready for opening early in August
next; and we may further state, that we feel satisfied that in
consequence of the easy nature of the work upon the line,
and favourable inclinations, 30 per cent. per annum upon the
income will be sufficient to defray the current cxpences of
the line when opened.
Upon the subjects of the estimates we will only repeat
that the completion of the line with engines and carriages
ready for opening will not exceed Xl3. per mile.
We are, gentlemen,
Your most obedient Servants,
GEORGE STEPHENSON,
MURRAY GLADSTONE.

D Railway Office, Chester.
April 28, 1840.
Mr. R. L. Jones, the treasurer, read a long financial ab-
stract, which most lucidly explained the expenditure. The
general result was as follows :
Total received on calls
Ditto for interest
Ditto for land,
On loans..

.. £182,052
1,885
80

25,350

£209,367

Disbursements
Balance .......

. .£2067,147
.. 3,220

4209,367

The Rev. Mr. Lyon asked if all the money had been bor-
rowed they were entitled to raise by way of loan, and whether
there was any difficulty in borrowing ?
The Treasurer said the whole sum they were empowered
to raise by way of loan was £83,000, and they had it ten-
dered in one sum.
Mr Lyon said that showed the security was deemed good.
He then asked whether the company bad adopted Adam's
patent springs in building their carriages.
The Chairman stated that the latest imprOvements were
adopted, and the construction of the carriages were accord-
ing to the views of the Grand Junction Company. They
bad been inspected by competent judges connected with
that line, and he could confidently state, that on no line
were there better carriages in every respect. They were of
superior construction and workmanship.
Mr. Lyon then enquired whether there would be any diffi-
culty with the viaduct under the Chester and Ellesmere canal ?
The Chairman said none whatever. Precaution would be
taken against any further accident.
The report was then adopted, and ordered to be printed
and distributed amongst the proprietors.
The recommendations were also adopted.
The Chairman then drew the attention of the meeeting to
that part of the report relating to the Holyhead railway,
and said that as that project was of such great importance to
this line. and also to the Grand Junction ant) the London
and Birmingham, the energies of the directors, and the
Holy..ead Provisional Committee would be directed to
carrying out the project with as little delay as possible, and
or hoped that in 1 short time the company would be in a
n,i*tio., to go to parliament.
Witham Cross, Esq and the Rev. James Folliott, who
oevi ballotted out as directors, were then unanimouly
re citoseu.

The meeting then broke up.—C ester Chronicle.

Those who reeo lees the furious hostility with which the
11,rrang He old hitherto assailed all railway projects,
Liss p,easinAly surprised than we wre.ti perusingursday.
• eracts from its city article of lasotT
.thser.-ations of our contemporary are, on the whole ex.
ceeJitigi,- sensible and judicious, although exceptions might
be taken p trticular phrases :
continue favourable to investments in the
s . ,„ ~n,t generally speaking, not only is there an in-
cr- s • 1 d -r rail way snares, but some enquiry for shares
!.. i• ~4 sort of qieculutive investment, it may be ob-
- • , an,i coisiniendable, under such restric-
. •-•.. engihility of the property or undertaking
•.e exercise of a sound discretion will dictate. It is
•,y tit nt toss wit he risked. where a due share of caution is
oc4; ; and in contradistinction to foreign loans or
ti:erprises of any description, which may fail, as they
iti,.-11,--raily have filed, it must be noted that however
uivinuals :nay suffer by undigested speculation in domestw
undertakings, the wealth of the nation collectively, is not di-
thiniShed ; for the loss of a class of individuals, becomes-the
g+in of a greater number, and labour is more largely em-
ployed and more tienetLially requited, although to the disper-
sion of the hoards of capitalists, great and small. In respect
of foreign schemes, the reverse takes place; for what the ca-
pitalist loses is so much impoverishment to the nation in every
sense. The wealth lavished remains abroad, without profit
or return of any kind, or in any shape of interest or labour to
to the nation, or to individuals at home."—Railway Timer.

IC if)A,

The Reports on the Anglo-Hibernian Railways arc just
ready to be. placed in the hands of honourable members. The
„opinion of Sir James Gordon and Captain Beachey is in favour
of Holyhead as the station for the Dublin packets, and the
„railway commissioners have given the preference to the line
projected by Mr. Stephenson, via Chester and Bangor to
yh ea d.—Railicay Times.

Last week a preliminary trip was taken on the Great Wes-
tern Railway as far as Didcot, by the chairman and other
,directors. Only one line of rails has as yet been laid down,
but it is expected that this further opening will be made on
the first of next mouth. It is anticipated that by the begin-
ning of next year the railway will be completed as far as
Swindon, where it is joined by the Cheltenham line.—Rail-
way Times.
WEEKLY RETURN OF TRAFFIC ON RAILWAYS.
(Pronz the Railway Hayazinej

P.u2ile P.mile iits;;:i.
NAmE. P,assen-
pr.w 41).d ay. per ay-
k d
gers. Cash.
L-
X. X. X' 1
Birmingham - 14121 1251 18 4 -
rand Junction _ 8006 821 12 -
jiverp. and Manch. - 4751 mial 22 -
Great Western -. 4142 116 JO -
South Western -- 3103 131 7'
Newcast. & Carlisle - 1501 23 ;:3 --
Greenwich 29934 1033 276 39 075
:Manchester &Leeds 18223 1025 76 1i $603
Birmg. & Derby - 984 25-i 31 ----
-Croydon ......
'York &N. Midland 2296 324 221 3i 324
Midland Counties 5882 442 28i 4 840
Glasgow & Ayr 2126 - -- _ 364
14:astern Counties... 7755 371354 5 1108

DIVIDENDS FOl/. THE WEEK.
North Union Railway Co., X 5 per shore, May 4.
Hope Assurance Co.
New Jersey Railroad Co., 6 per cent.
United General Gas Light Co., May 7.
,Shaffidd C 4241 Co. 6 par coat•