The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-09-03 00:00:00

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

The South Devon shareholders have determined to
adopt the atmospheric principle for working their line
when it is completed. The capital of this company is to
be reduced to £1,000,000.
The Liverpool and Manchester and Grand Junction
Railways contemplate erecting a statute to perpetuate the
memory of George Stephenson. Mr. Gibson is to be the
sculptor, and the principal room in St. George's Hall is
spoken of as the most likely place for its reception.
LONDON AND BRIGHTON RAILWAY.—The Sunday
excursion tran to Brighton and back for one fare on Sun-
day conveyed 2,200 passengers, in 80 car:iages, and eight
engines—the largest number of passengers, carriages, and
engines vet conveyed by one train.
It was stated at the meeting of the Maryrort and Car-
lisle Railway, that it will be completed within six months,
and that the cost of its construction will not exceed the
estimate sum of £320,000, being at the rate of ;C11,500
per mile.

ANOTHER KENTISH RAILWAY PROJECT.—Another
proposal for a KentiSh Railway has just appeared. It is
styled " The Kentish Railway from London to the Downs,
through Woolwich, Grave-send, Rochester, Chatham, and
Canterbury." The capital is to be 43,750,000, in £25
shares.

LEEDS AND BRADFORD RAILWAY.—The first general
'Peeling of this railway was held last week. It is ex-
pected that the line will be completed by the spring of
1816. An application is to be made to parliament next
session to extend the line to Keighley, Howarth, and
Skipton.

SOUTH WALES RAILWAY.—Strong resolutions were
passed, at the meetings held at Ross and Gloucester, on
Monday and Tuesday, against the route of the Great West-
ern Railway, from Stone over the Severn, and in favour
of the line vid Gloucester, Ross, Monmouth, &c., but not
pledging the parties to any particular route.
FURTHER AMALGAMATIONS—THE GRAND JUNCTION
AND LIVERPOOL AND MANCHESTER RAILWAYS.—We
are informed that the Directors of the Grand Junction
and Liverpool and Manchester Railways have resolved
(subject, of course, to the sanction of the proprietors) to
amalgamate the two Companies. The details have not
reached us.---Railway Record.
At the half-yearly meeting of the Yarmouth and Nor-
wich Railway the report laid before the proprietors showed,
that from the Ist of May, to the 18th instant the
gross receipts had amounted to £6,265, a sum which
is considered to show very favourable results it being
recollected that the goods traffic has not yet com-
menced. No dividend was declared, the opening of the
line having been so recent.
THE LANCASTER AND CARLISLE RAILWAY.—The
greatest activity prevails on different parts of the pro-
jected line of railway between Lancaster and Carlisle; at
Shap and at Lowther Bridge the works are in rapid pro-
gress, and it is expected that in the course of a fortnight
all matters will have been completed so as to enable the
company to take possession of the land at Wreay, where
ground will also be instantly broken.
CHESTER AND HOLYHEAD RAILWAY.—We under-
stand that the directors of this project have concluded an
arrangement with the government for the carriage of the
mails, &c. It is rumoured that, to commence with, the
government pays £35,000 per annum. A meeting of the
proprietors was held on Friday. The purchase of the Bir-
kenhead and Chester line was spoken of as desirable.
Capt. Moorsom was appointed managing director at a
salary of £l,OOO per annum, and £1,500 was voted to the
directors for their services.
MORE RAILWAYS.—A special general meeting of the
proprietors of the Preston and Wyre R-iilway Company
is convened for the 13th instant, to determine on the pro-
priety of applying to parliament for powers to make
branch railways from Poulton to Blackpool, and from
Kirkham to Lytham. A prospectus has also been issued
for a line of railway from the Lancaster and Carlisle rail-
way at Kendal to the head of Lake Windermere, thus
affordin an uninterrupted railway communication from
London to the lake district. This branch line will also
give the benefit of a convenient station to the town of
Kendal which the levels of the Lancaster and Carlisle
line would not allow.

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.—On Friday morning a most
destructive fire broke out in the extensive buildings be-
longing to the Dover and Brighton railways, at theirjoint
station, New Cross. The fire originated in the centre of
a long range of shedding, principally used as store-houses
for the carriages belonging to the company's works. At
that time there were in the budding about a dozen car-
riages, of great value, besides others in an unfinished
state. The flames ran with the utmost rapidity along the
building. When the roof fell in the fire mounted terrifi-
cally, and from that moment the scene was awfully grand,
the range of building, about 200 feet long by 40 feet broad,
exhibiting one mass of flame. By half-past two the
whole range, with its valuable contents, consisting of
several carriages, was entirely consumed, nothing but the
iron wheels remaining. How the fire originated is not
known.

FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENTS.—On Friday week, Ellen
Allan, a blind woman, 61 years of age, was accidentally
killed on the York and North Midland Railway, near
York. She resided with her brother, who is a farmer, at
Copmanthorpe, and whilst she was crossing the line to
get to some of his fields, a train came up and she was
killed on the spot.—A dreadful and singular accident oc-
currd, on Wednesday last, upon the Leicester and
Swannington Railway. A train, consisting of two pas-
senger carriages with thirteen coal-waggons behind and
thirteen before, was proceeding to Leicester, when one of
the axle-trees of the coal-waggons in front broke, and was
forced into the ground, producing a total stoppage of the
whole. In consequence of this, the w ggons in the rear
were forced upon the passenger carriages, which were
crushed and raised in the air to a considerale height, by
which a fine young woman, in her 23rd year, met with
almost instantaneous death. She was completely jammed
between the coal-waggon behind and the seat of the
passenger carriage in front, which, pressing upon her
chest, produced suffocation and almost instant death.
BLACKW ALL RAILWAY.—The half-yearly meeting of
this company was held on Thursday. No dividend was
declared, the revenue account only showing an available
surplus of £1.730 5s 6d. The directors, however state
that it must be borne in mind that this was the balance
on the worst half of the year, and that there was a de-
ficiency of £2,411 4s 2d on the corresponding half of
1843, making, therefore, an actual increase of 4,141 9s Bd.
in favour of the past half-year. The number of pas-
sengers landed and embarked at the Brunswick Pier by
the Gravesend boats during the past six months has been
394,506, while during the same period of last year the
number was only 191,357, thus showing an increase in
this branch of traffic of upwards of 100 per cent. Al-
though the provects of the railway have thus increased,
the receipts of the winter months, it is stated, require a
considerable advance, but the directors appear to rely
with much confidence on the results to be expected from
the Chatham and Gravesend line, soon to be effected, by
means of which they look for a generally augmented
sraffic. The workingslor the past half-year, compared
with the same period in 1843, show an increase of nearly
30 per cent in the receipts, and of 50 per cent. in the
numbers carried.

EDINBURGH AND GLASGOW RAILWAY,—The 13th
half-yearly meeting of the proprietors was held at the
office, Queen-street, Glasgow, on Tuesday last, John
Learmonth, Esq., in the chair. From the report it ap-
peared that the gross receipts during the half-year were
£55,866 16s. ; working expenses, £20,167 Is Bd, and the
interest on loans £9,272 16s 9d, leaving a nett profit of
£26,436 17s 7d. The directors recommended that of
this £25,312 lOs should be appropriated as a dividend at
the rate of 22s 6tl per share on the original stock, and of
5s 7d per share on the new stock for the half-year, or 41
per cent. per annum, payable on Tuesday, the 17th Sep-
tember; and that the balance of £1124 7s 7d to be added
to the existing balance of £1905 14s at the company's
credit, in addition to the £5OOO placed to the credit of
the depreciation fund last year.—The chairman moved
the adoption of the report, and was seconded by Mr.
Wotherspoon, of Liverpool. Sir Andrew Agnew, seconded
by Mr. W. Campbell, of Tilliechewan, moved an amend-
ment for the discontinuance of Sunday traffic, which,
after a long discussion, was negatived by a majority of
1207 votes to 410. The original motion was then carried.
[The total number of passengers taken along the line
during the half year amounted to 331,578 of these 46,797
went in the first class, 82,684 in the second class, and
202,097 in the third class.]
RAILWAY FROM BIRKENHEAD TO MANCHESTER.—
There are three plans of Railways which may be said to
be now before the public for connecting Manchester with
Birkenhead. The Grand Junction Railway Company
with the object of effecting a communication with Holy-
head and Manchester, purpose running a line from Ches-
tar and Crewe terminus, through Altringham, going
somewhat near Stockport. The other plan, is the one in
greatest favour at Birkenhead. It is to commence, say
at Preston Brook, cross the• Weaver and Canal, and enter
the Liverpool and Manchester line six miles on this side
of the latter town ; from Preston Brook one branch will
proceed to Chester, facilitating the journey to Holy Bead,
and another will join the Birkenhead and Chester line at
Sutton, and thereby render the distance between Man-
chester and Birkenhead within thirty-six miles. Thy
advantages of this latter plan are said to be very great.
The ground is a dead level ; no cutting, very little bridg-
ing; no inconvenient gradiants, no expensive stations.
The cost is estimated not to exceed £12,000 a mile, or
total outlay £400,000. A survey has also been comp', ted
for a line of railway to extend from Preston Brook, on the
Grand Junction Railway to Chester, which, communi-
eating by the Manchester and Liverpool line with all the
northern lines, will unite by the shortest route Manches-
ter, Leeds, and the other populous towns of Yorkshire
and Lancashire, with the Chester and Holyhead railway,
and with Birkenhead.

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SELBY RAILWAY.—The general meeting
HULL AND
Manchester and Leeds company, a bill was brought into
ivosifotuthiselisrseursbaoislltu'a‘t'anioyenewsoarfselative to a union of interests with the
parliament for that purpose, but was successfully opposed
the standing orders not being complied with for want of
time, and it is therefore deferred until next session. The
arrangement with the Manchester company has to some
extent been acted upon since January last, but the ac-
counts are made out witho t reterence to that arrange-
ment. The receipts for passengers during the last half-
year have been :

13,133 First Class Passengers
18,998 Second ditto
62,958 Third ditto
Excess Fares 26 12 0

95,089 £10,566 15 1
Showing an increase of 14,540 passengers, and of £369
6s 4d in fares over the corresponding half-year of 1843.

Sept. 3, 1844.

The encouragement given to persons taking excursions
intoFerr
ht
yh
andc r
ou n ry;u'lJr, allowingan d
back, themen
three
egeo
days to H
n the
week, zi4'
week, has had a beneficial effect on the receipts. The
goods had rdso been increased, yet the entire expenses,.
were nearly the same as before, but the returned rates of
carriage prevented the benefit that would otherwise arise
from the increase of traffic. The directors recommended
a dividend of 255. per share (or 5 per cent per annum),
on the half year, payable on the 16th of September. As
the trade of the country is increasing, the directors re-
commend an application to parliament next session, for
power to purchase additional ground rear the Hull The
two also more locomotives for goods trains, &e.lue
two new docks at Hull would be another great advantage
to the line anti to that town. After alluding to the recent
act regulating railways, which had been favourably mo-
dified, the directors urge', the formation of a line of rail-
way from Hull to Beverley, Driffield, and Burlington
Quay, in connection with the present undertaking. The
traffic between these towns was now very extensive, and
i,"
there were many important villages near the line, which
as a branch could have many advantages, and the expense
of working it would be small. They propose to lay down
one line at present, but to purchase ground for two lines,
and no difficulties are anticipated from land owners, who,
from the advantages to their property will generall
assist in its formation. The directors would therefore
submit a resolution to empower them to make the sur-
veys, and apply to parliament for an act next session to
construct the line. They conclude by an assurance that
they will observe the strictest economy, and congratulate
the meeting on the present state and future prospects of
the undertaking. The report was received and approved
of. The dividend recommended was also agreed to, and
resolutions passed authorising the directors to apply to Par'
liament for powers to purchase the additional land at the
Hull terminus, and also to take the preliminary steps fee
the formation of the proposed new branch line.