The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-11-26 00:00:00

SCOTTISH 3,IIDLAND RAILWAY.

It is a singular circumstance that, upwards of 50 years
ago, the very Vine adopted for this railway was pointed
out by the celebrated engineer, Mr. Ainslie, as the best
for a canal. Little did be anticipate that the more con-
venient and expeditious mode of travelling by Railway
would be accomplished, over the very tract of country
which he suggested as so suitable for a canal.
When Mr. Ainslie made his survey, in 1791, he was so
much struck with the level between Forfar and Perth,
that he added in a note to his large map of the county of
Forfar—" There would be no difficulty in continuing a
canal by Forfar, Glammiss, Meigle, &c , to Perth, which,
if done, would be of the utmost advantage to every Pro-
prietor whose lands are adjacent to it, besides going
through a rich and populous country ; but the great
object would be the conveyance of coal, lime, and free-
stone, along the canal, which would be of great service to
the country." A survey was afterwards made by an en-
gineer, and it was found that a canal was easily prac-
ticable.
In 1827 the noblemen and gentlemen of the district
instructed Mr. Stevenson, the eminent engineer (of Edin-
burgh); to make a survey for a Railway from Perth through
Forfar, when he reported that it could be made so cheaply,
owing to the favourable nature of the country, that the
conveyance of merchandize, coal, lime, and agricultural
produce, would alone be sufficient to yield an adequate
return on the outlay.
The great Landowners have now instructed Messrs.
Locke and Errin2ton to survey the same district ; and
they have reported that, owing to the unusual facilities
alluded to, a Railway of the best construction may be
made between Perth and Forfar for about £9,400 per
mile, and responsible contractors are ready to undertake
the works at the engineers' estimate.
The formation and route of this Railway have there-
fore been maturely considered, and the expected traffic
has been investigated with equal care. Tne Tables, which
shew a return of above 7 per cent., were minutely ex-
amined by a Local Committee, who reported, " That, if
any error has ban committed. the traffic has been rather
understated than otherwise ;'' and Lord Wharncliffe,
who presided at the meeting to which this report was
made, publicly expressed his entire confidence in its ac-
curacy.

It may, therefore, be safely asserted, that there are few
Railways now before the public which have been so ettre-
fully considered, or which hold out such fair prospects of
return.

SERIOUS COLLISIONS.—About eight o'clock on Thurs-
day evening, an alarming collision, attended with fatal
consequences, occurred on the Mersey, between one of the
Birkenhead steam ferry-boats, called the James, and the
barque Royalist, which arrived from St. John's, N. 8., a
day or two ago. The James was crossing the river to
Birkenhead, with about fifty passengers ; and the Royalist
was lyino at anchor off Monk's Ferry. The tide was
coming in at the time, and both vessels met at the bows.
A boat was lying alongside the Royalist, and in the first
moments of alarm a number of passengers jumped into
her. An atten pt was made to turn the head of the
steamer to the tine; but this movement only brought her
alongside the barque, and the boat was instantly crushed
between the two. Two of the parties in the boat reached
the Royalist ; all the others either jumped or were thrown
into the river. Assistance was immediately rendered to
the unfortunate beings in the water, and several were
rescued in a much exhausted state. Two persons perished :
one a young man named Harrison, brother of Mr. Joseph
Harrison, ironmonger, St. James's-street, and a man
named Fahey.—On the following night the Birkenhead
steamer William Fawcett came in collision on the river
with the schooner Jane, of Douglas. The steamer struck
the schooner about midships, on the larboard side, and
oarried away the whole of her bulwarks, foremaintopsail.
and a quantity, of her rigging: The steamer sustained
some injury, but went on to Birkenhead. Fortunately
no limes were lost. The schooner, in her damaged con-
dition, was put hack to the George's Dock, to undergo
the necessary repairs.
Mr. Hassan, a surgeon at Stourbridge, has been com-
mitted to the assizes for ti ial, on a charge of having, by a
course of ill treatment, caused the death of his wife.