The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-10-03 00:00:00

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

NEWMARKET RACES.—The first October meeting com-
menced on Tuesday, when Surplice won the Grand Duke
Michael stakes without being headed. On Wednesday
the St. Leger stakes, of 25 sous. each, were 'won in a
canter by Mr. Burne's Sotterly ; the Granby stakes, a
close race, by Mr. Payne's Farthingale. On Thursday
the Queen's plate, of 105 guineas, was won by Lord Lons-
dale's Jericho. Friday, for the handicap plate, Of
Diplomatist was first, Duplicity second. Match—Festus
beat Lady Mary. Match—Tuscan beat Miuto. Sweeps
T. Y. C. Circus 1, Arsenic Colt 2.
William Scott, the jockey, died on Tuesday morning
last, in his 51st year. In the course of a long and very
successful career, he rode nine St. Leger winners, four
Derby winners, and three Oaks winners.

RAILWAY AFFAIRS.
_4_

On Thursday the first sod-of the Lancaster branch of
the North-Western Railway was cut by Pudsey Dawson,
Esq.
CHESTER AND HOLYHEAD RAlLWAY.—Traffic for the
week ended 23rd instant :—Coaching, £1,651 2s. 11d. ;
parcels, £59 10s. 3d. ' • goods and cattle, £l6O 12s. Ild. ;
steam-boats, £232 16s. Od. ; total, £2,104 2s. Id.
Three excursion trains met near the Derby station on
their way to Scarborough ; they were joined together, and
were said to convey the enormous number of 4,000 pas-
sengers.

ABERDEEN RAILWAY.--The Aberdeen Railway Com-
pany have concluded an arrangement with the Edinburgh
and Northern Railway Company, for the completion of
the former line. The Edinburgh and Northern Company
are to advance £20,000 per month, and to receive prefer-
ence stock for the amount advanced, to carry £6 per cent.
interest for five years, and £5 per cent. in perpetuity af-
terwards. The working of the line is to be with the Edin-
burgh and Northern Company.
From official returns it appears that the amount o f
traffic for the last week, on 4,084 miles of railway, was
£222,120, thus accounted f0r:—X116,916 for the convey-
ance of passengers only, £50,310 for the carriage of goods,
and a remainder of £61,894 for passengers and goods
together, not respectively apportioned ; being an increase
of £25,128 over the corresponding week of last year, when
the mileage was 3,270. The average earnings per mile
were £56, whilst in 1847 they were £62.
Mr. Vardy, the late superintendent on the London and
North Western of the goods traffic at Liverpool, received
a present of a gold watch and chain from the workmen,
porters and others engaged in the carrying department.
In returning thanks, he adverted to the fact that he was
the person who loaded the first train of merchandize at
Liverpool, which did not carry more than 15 or 20 tons,
but after eight years had elapsed, when he left the Liver-
pool station in pursuance of his promotion, the trains car=
lied on the average 1,300 tons per diem.

FALLING OF THE ROTHER VIADUCT. A dreadful
casualty, attended with loss of life, occurred at the Rother
Viaduct, near the junction of the Manchester, Sheffield,
and Lincolnshire Railway with the Midland, at Belghton,
on Saturday morning. The viaduct was about a quarter
of a mile in length, and was to consist of 36 arches, built
on soft clayey ground. Upwards of 20 of the arches
were completed, and the rest were in progress; the late
heavy rains had, however, interfered with the work. The
river had overflowed, and the water had found its way_
•
into the foundation,. of ma a a uaie Sum&
...c.vs sinee toe commencement of the building, but
measures were taken to support them, which were unfor-
tunately unsuccessful. The 20 arches fell in, killing two
men on the spot, and so severely wounding another that
he died shortly after. Two other men were also severely
injured. The piers yet stand, but the brickwork of the
fallen arches having blocked up the channel of the river
Rother, the country around is flooded to such an extent
that the place is almost inaccessible.
ALARMING RAILWAY ACCIDENT.—A frightful accident
occurred on Friday morning upon the Brighton Railway,
about one mile before the Hayward Heath Station. Con-
sidering what happened, it was most providential that no
greater mischief to life or limb was the consequence.
The express train that leaves Brighton at Bb. 45m. does
not usually stop till it reaches Reigate. On this occasion,
ho never, a portion of the tier of a wheel of the engine
became loose which crushed the firebox of the engine,
causing the four following carriages to be thrown in disor-
der against each other, and off the rail. The four carri-
ages were much dragged, but the engine, which fortu-
nately broke loose, wonderfully escaped destruction.
The accident occurred on an embankment, and one of the
carriages was alone prevented from rolling down the steps
having become entangled with the buffer of the next
carriage, to which it hung. Amongst the passengers
were Mr. Bransby Cooper, Dr. Iliff, and Mr. Thompson,
of the Westminster Hospital, who, fortunately escaped
unhurt.

MEETING OF THE CHAIRMEN OF THE LEADING RAIL-
WAY COMPANIES.—On Wednesday another meeting took
place of the chairmen of the Great Western, the London
and South Western, and the London and North Western
Railway Companies. The three gentlemen, Mr. Charles
Russell, Mr. Chaplin, and Mr. Glyn, remained in delibe-
ration for a considerable time. The resolutions come to
have not transpired, but it is understood among the friends
of the three gentlemen that the best feeling prevailed, and
that all of them expressed their deep anxiety to act here-
after in concert in the adoption of those means by which
confidence in railway property may be restored, and its
market value improved. One of the subjects which occu-
pied the anxious attention of the meeting, was the neces-
sity of adjusting the differences wich existed between them
regarding their respective lines, and from the friendly
spirit evinced on the part of each gentleman it may be
regarded as a settled point, that there will not from this
time bo any further misunderstanding between them. It
was also agreed that fewer trains should be run on each
of the lines, that no further responsibilities of any kind
should be incurred, and that every measure which the law
allows will be adopted to raise the value of railway stock,
so as to insure better dividends for the shareholders.

BIRKENHEAD, LANCASHIRE, AND CHESTER JUNC-
TION RAILWAY.—On Friday, the adjourned half yearly
and special meeting of the proprietors of this line, took
place in the Town-hall, Birkenhead. Alderman James
Bancroft, of Manchester, in the chair. The meeting was
well attended, but on the whole, disagreeably uproarious.
The Chairman said the only matter of importance had
reference to the joint station at Chester, in which that
company, and the South and North Western, and Ches-
. ter and Holyhead, were interested. No contract had been
entered into, binding the company, but they had been
charged £6o,ooo—one-third of the cost, of the station at
Chester,—though they had a line of only 15 miles, whilst.
the London and North Western Company had the line
from London to Chester, the Chester and Holyhead, the
line from that place to Chester, and the Chester and
Shrewsbury Company had the line between those places
—a distance of about fifty miles. He had proposed to
pay down a certain sum, and to liquidate a further amount
by monthly instalments. The directors had received inti-
mation that an application would be made to the Court of
Chancery to restrain the company from paying dividends.
A notice had been received by the secretary of an injunc-
tion for that purpose. He (the chairman) had gone to
London on the business, and had seen the judge at Roe-
hampton, who had dissolved the injunction. The bill
would, however, require to be answered at the proper
time.—The word " completed" having occurred after the
mention of the list of directors, Messrs. Mallaby and
Townsend objected to it, as there were only nine di-
rectors, while the Act authorised the election of twelve,
as the complement.—The adoption of the Report was
moved and seconded, and then was carried, omitting the
word " completed." It appeared that the retiring di-
rectors were Messrs. Howard, Bellamy, and Williams.
A long and rather angry discussion as to the election of
directors ensued, adverse interests being urged against
Mr. Williams and Mr. Tootal. On the voting a scrutiny
was called for, and an uproar ensued. Speakers, both
lay and clerical, protested against being taken by surprise,
not being prepared with proxies. After some time, Mr.
Wilcox and Mr. Webster, the barrister, were appointed
scrutineers, and in the course of the cross firing which
took place Mr. Webster let it slip that Mr. Townsend
and Mr. Brown held proxies for about 2,000 votes in three
narzes. Looks of the most imploring description were
cast at Mr. Townsend, and numerous were the short
conferences which ensued between him and Mr. Webster,
but all to no purpose. Mr. Troon proposed the terms of
a compromise, which Mr. Townsend agreed to accept;
but the directors would not give in. The chairman said
the board would resign if " horses with whom they could
not work were put into harness" with them ; and he ob-
jected to Mr. Riley on account of that gentleman being
troubled with an infirmity of temper. Mr. Catterall con-
gratulated the chairman on the fact that he possessed
" temper for two ;" but ultimately it was agreed that the
board should consist of twelve,—the six new directors
being mum, Howard, Bellamy, Tootal, Catterall, Brown,

and Roper ; and Mr. J. Tyrer was appointed auditor.—
Mr. Fowler afforded considerable amusement during the
proceedings with his drolleries.—The special meeting was
then held, but nothing worthy of remark occurred.