The Liverpool Standard, and General Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-08-29 00:00:00

YESTERDAY, at noon, a number of members of the
corporation, and some of the most influential merchants
in the town, attended at the office of the Liverpool Dock
Committee, to inspect an elaborately and beautifully-
wrought model of Mr. Grantham's proposed high-level
railway for the town and docks. Among those present
we observed Mr. Stewart, Mr. C. Bushell, Mr. Alderman
Bennett, Mr. Tomlinson, Mr. Beckwith, Mr. Ald. Gardner,
Mr. J. Hubback, Mr. T. Baines, &c., &c. The model,
which is on the comprehensive scale of one-sixteenth of
an inch to the foot, exhibited the advantages of the pro-
posed scheme much more clearly than any verbal or
written description could possibly convey. It will remain
for several days on private view at the Dock-office, when
it will be removed to a convenient place for public in-
spection.
At the request of Mr. C. Bushell, and in reply to ques-
tions put to him by gentlemen in the room, Mr. GRANT-
HAM, C.E., described the main features of the scheme.
He said, in the first place, the railway, as projected, was
to be as long as the working parts of the docks, whatever
they might be; at present they were four miles long, and
ere long they would be five miles. It was proposed to be
placed on the east side of the whole line of the docks, to
consist of iron frame work, supporting two platforms
the lower about 52 feet wide, and 20 fee -

nays, entirel,

present
having four lines of railway,

the two nearest the docks to be used as sidings for trucks
while loading and unloading, and the other two as up and
down lines for trucks in motion. The;two used for loading
and unloading would be so arranged as to sweep the ships
and the cranes at the same time. The upper platform
would be about 23 feet wide, would have two lines of
railway, and would be entirely for passengers. The
height to which passengers would have to ascend would
ba 35 feet, or less than the height of many existing rail-
way stations. The lower platform would be provided
with hydraulic cranes, Which would transfer goods either
from or to the vessels or the trucks, as well as work
through the hatchways in the platform to the quays. The
quays would be used as at present, the railway occupying
the position of the present sheds on the eastern quays. The
greater part of the space under the lower platform might
be enclosed, and by these means greatly increased shed space
would be gained ; and ample light being given as required,
excellent lock-up transit or deposit sheds would be avail-
able. The continuous length of docks made them peculiarly
adapted for the construction of the railway, as there was
only one curve, and that not of a serious nature, in the
whole range. At every great inlet from the town there
would be stations for the reception of passengers, the most
important one being at the bottom of Chapel-street, where
it would be found of great convenience to people coming
from 'Change and wishing to go northward. That build-
ing in the model was larger than it need be, if used merely
as a station ; but he also proposed that it should supply
the purposes of the Custom-house depot, which he proposed
to remove. Other passenger stations along the line could
be provided by projecting the space 10 feet out, and thus
making room for a platform. For the accommodation of
passengers getting on at the central station, he proposed
to throw a bridge, to be approached by a staircase from
Chapel-street to the station, in order to avoid the cart
traffic on the highway. He proposed to construct
other bridges near the Custom-house, James-street,
and one at the Canal Bank, in Ball-street, to com-
municate with Oldhall-street and other places. Covered
bridges at Chapel-street and James-street would
provide safe access to the pierheads for pedestrians. The
goods department he proposed should be entirely worked
by horses at present, as the goods had only to be removed
short distances at a time ; and he suggested that the pas-
senger trains should run every ten minutes. Before pro-
ceeding, to the mode of connecting the docks, by means of
the railway, with the private warehouses inland, he wished
to draw attention to the fact that the scheme was entirely
independent of warehouses, private or public; and he
wished to keep it so. But his object was to show by what
means such a connection could be obtained. He then
explained, and referred to the model in illustration, that
the railway could be connected, by a high-level bridge
across Bath-street, with the warehouses in Brook-street,
Launcelot's-hey, and the Gloree ; that lines of high-level
•railway could run round them, or in such places as
would be found most convenient ; that they could readily
be extended to the warehouses behind ; and that,:by means
•of bridges, the high-level railway could be connected with
our great railways, and with the private warehouses iu
the town; and that the proprietors of private coal-yards
might avail themselves of this simple mode of obtaining
easy communication with the docks. Having shown what
facilities the scheme would furnish for the use of the most
approved machinery, which could not be generally worked
under the present arrangements,he stated that the proposed
scheme would enable the Dock Committee to establish auni-
form rate of carriage for all the distance—tending to effect
that centralization of the work of the docks, so much re-
quired. It had been stated by some that the omnibusses
would be able to meet all the wants of the town; but if they
were to widen the streets considerably, and increase the
kind of accommodation they at present had, they would
never be able to comply with the wishes and demands of
the public; whereas by the adoption of this scheme, the
more they went northward, the more their dock property
was improved. He proposed to widen out Strand-street,
and to erect a station there of about 800 feet long into
which the passenger line could run, coming from north
and south; and the rails could be so placed that they
could run the carriage into a siding, and so keep the main
line clear. There was only one place where the proposed
railway would cause more than existing obstruction, and
that was at the Old Church Yard, where the space allowed
for traffic was even now allowed to be much too narrow.
Mr. Alderman BENNETT asked if Mr. Grantham could
tell them what would be the probable cost of constructing
the railway ?
Mr. GRINTTIA.3I replied that it would be almost impos-
sible to give estimates until the principle and details of
the scheme were affirmed. The present high rate of money,
and the increased cost of labour and materials, also ren-
dered any correct approximation very difficult. But
making due allowance for these, it was believed that, in
its working state, including hydraulic cranes and plat-
forms, with stationary steam-power to work them, the
cost would be under £250,000 a mile. Then it should not
be forgotten that the quays were the property of the Dock
Estate, and that, consequently, no land would have to be
purchased, and no compensation made to private owners.
It was probable, therefore, that a company could be formed
to farm the passenger traffic upon advantageous terms,
leaving the goods lines, the sidings, the cranes, and the
additional covered quay space entirely free, and under the
control of the Dock Estate. There was another important
consideration in the fact that, estimating the value of the
space gained by the platforms of the railway at the low
rate of £5 a yard, there would be a gain of about £210,000
mile, or nearly equal to the cost of the proposed scheme.
would also, by the adoption of the plan,
great part of the sum contemplated for widen-
ing the streets.

The Corporatio
be spared a

-After some further information had been elicited, in
the course of which Mr. Grantham stated that the erec-
tion of any large building or works on the route of the
proposed line would prove fatal to the scheme, and ought,
therefore, to be prevented, the visitors withdrew.

SUDDEN DEATIL—A woman, named Martha Freeman
aged about 61, while engaged in washing her floor, in

No. 3 Court, BOundary-stieet, Kirkdale, on-Saturday fore-
noon, fell down and suddenly expired. On a post mortem
examination it was found that the cause of death was
aneurism of the aorta.

SUDDEN DEA.TIL—On Sunday morning, about ten
o'clock, as a man, aged 20, named William Savage, was
assisting in removing a flat from the Queen's Basin, to go
into the river, he, while pushing with a pole, suddenly fell
backwards overboard. On being assisted up, he gave
three groans and almost instantly expired. The cause of
death has been ascertained to have been aneurism of the
aorta.
SUICIDE IN TEE RIVER YESTEEDAY.—About eleven

o'clock yesterday morning, a coal-heaver who was working
on board a flat alongside the steamer Iron Duke, moored
just off Birkenhead Ferry, deliberately threw off his
jacket and waistcoat, saying "here goes for a dive," and
jumped into the river. For some time he swain remarka-
bly well towards the shore, and then suddenly disappeared.
A small boat with two men in it was in the immediate
neighbourhood, but as they supposed the man merely
wished to escape on shore they did not proceed towards
him until too late. His body was not recovered.
• SPECIAL MEETING OF THE TOWN COIINCIL.—A
special meeting of the Council is to be held to-morrow
(Wednesday). The business fixed for consideration of the
meeting is :-1. The Report of the Special Committee
appointed on the 7th day of June last, for making arrange-
ments for the opening of St. George's Hall by the Coun-,i,
and to pass such resolutions and instructions with reference
to that subject as the Council may think proper.-2. The
Mayor's communications.
CHILDREN OVERLAIN.—On Sunday morning Mary
Beattie, wife of Joseph Beattie, residing at Gerard-street,
on awaking about six o'clock, found their infant daughter,
about four months old, dead in bed. Deceased had been
quite well when its father and mother went to bed, about
one in the morning. The mother, who keeps a stall in
the 'market, had been much fatigued, and during her sleep
she had accidentally overlain the child, which was quite
dead when the mother awoke.—On Friday morning, Mary
O'Hare, an infant, ten weeks old, residing with its mother
in No. 18 Court, Albert-street, Toxteth-park, was found in
bed dead, under nearly similar circumstances.

DANGEROUS AccinpicT.—Yesterday afternoon, about
two &clock, as a young lady, accompanied by another lady,
was bathing on the beach near New Brighton, she, from
some cause, was carried off her feet, and out of her depth.
An alarm was instantly given, assistance was promptly
rendered, and, with considerable difficulty, she was removed
from her perilous position. The young lady, whose name,
we understand, is Miss Rogerson, from Fazakerley, and
was residing with Mr. Harrison, South-hill, Torteth-park,
was, under the direction of Mr. Lyth, surgeon, Claughton,
conveyed to the Marine Hotel, where, under his care, she
was, with some difficulty, restored to consciousness.

PARKGATE.—The Cheshire magistrates have given
great umbrage to the people of Parkgate, by having
granted an additional spirit-license there, in opposition to
a memorial, signed by nearly all the resident householders
around. We hear that a public meeting is to be held on
the subject, gr.d a memorial to the Secretary of State is
talked of. There are already five or six public-houses in
that small village, which offer quite temptation enough
to the bibulous propensities of the fishing population, who
indulge in excesses very annoying to visitors, by whom
the place is chiefly supported.