Semi-weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1852-1853, 1853-02-19
From the illustrated Magazine of Art.]
ENGLISH RAILWAYS.

which our fathers would have said were only Cno
wild fances of an overheated Imagination, "nleh
we ourselves but few years since thought irnpOs-
sibilities, have before our own eyes been SO con-
stantlv and reouIarlv achieved and with their OPP
erations we have come into such habltual contact,
that they often fail to excite in US the simplest NOM
age of our admiration.
When coaches ran at six miles an hour i1clud-
ing stopares il was thought that no ordinary trl-
umph over space and time had been made; when
the mail cleared ten miles within similar period
it was regarded by all thinking prodigy :;
when it was said that twelve even fourteen miles
per hour mghtabe attained Oh railway, wise men
shook their heads with incredulity at the possblI
ity of so great boon being within the reach OF
man when express trains ran thirty miles IN sixty
minutes it was miracle and when the traveller
may now be conveyed forty, fifty, and even SIXTY
miles within ike period, and be whIrled over
some parts of the route at the rate of not less than
even seventy or seventy-fve miles an hour, the
most thoughtful become Indifferent to the full
meaning of the work accomplished and it is passed
bv because it is an everyday achievement. Even
the lower orders of the animal world, which were
at first filled with wonder and ALARM are now I'M
disturbed in their pastures by the roar of the pas
sing train-the cattle chew the cud close to the
embankment without quiver-the timld sheep
fear it no more than the wind among the trees
and even the hen-partridge, running with her brood
scarcely crouch as the iron monster rushes past
And Just SO the alarm which filed the minds OF the
multitude at such velocity of transit from place to
place has been subdued, and almost the last rem
nant of astonishment or admiration seems to have
been long ere this wrung from their being.
1t here devolves upon us, however, to request
the reader to give few moments attention to the
wonders with which he has thus become familiar,
and he will, perhaps, find that there facts and
incidents connected with this seemingly tre theme
which may have escaped his attention and may be
deserving of observation. Should this be the case,
he will discover that his next journey by the
press " will have something more OF meaning and
of interest connected with it than it has hitherto
possessed.
If the reader will pay visit to the Euston- station
in London at about nine o'clock, A. NJ, he will find
that preparations are being made for the departure
of one of the expresses this railway. The train
leaves at g. 15. and is destined for Birmingham,
Crewe, Chester, Holyhead, Liverpool, and Edin-
burgh, and the passengers, attended by the port
and other officers of the company, are collect
ing at the station. The carriages which to form
the train are standing beside the curvel platform,
which seems to be indefinitely long, while the suns
warm rays CLEAN from above through the immense
area of pate-glas which forms the roof, and light
up the web of intcraced reds, bars, and bolts, by
which the whole is supported. Porters hustle
about with luggage of all kinds and shapes on
their shoulders, trundle little mountains of bag
gage 10 the vans in the wicker-work trucks which
have been described as having the appearance of
something between a clothes basket and badly
constructed cradle.
The train is now rapidly filing, and the luggage
is deposited in or upon the carriages. Stout gen
tlemen supply themselves with the daily newspa-
pers from the " light-footed Mercuries who vend
them, the assistants of the agent at the bookstal
Other travellers, who are fused to this sort of
thing" come in just the first bell rings and Meth
er waste ii ne by having to loiter the platform
till the train starts, get out Of temper with them
selves and all the world by being too late. Mild
jokes made available to keep up the spirits of
friends about to part, about sitting with ones
back to the horses" " a feed of coke " for the
engine and the good tempered hearers smile bland
ly as if they never heard such wit before, though
according to accurate returns made by observers of
human nature at railway-stations, it is probable
that there are some scores expended before each
train leaves the platform!
There no second class carriages to this train
respect in which the London and North Western
Company is behind several of its contemporaries;
but had it been otherwise, there is one sentiment
which would be prevalent in the passengers minds
to their journeys end. 1t refers to the strong sem
sation which they experience of sitting on uncom-
monty hard seats. Indeed, the theory has been
fully discussed" says the author of g Our Iron
Roads" and is popularity regarded as in the high
est degree plausible that the directors Of railways
sent Occupations of skilled carpenters all over the
world to obtain the hardest wood which can be
found, with which to make second-class seats The
result OF their investigation have been most salts
factory to the companies; the only difficulty arising
from vague misgiving that perhaps the seconds
may flee to the thirdcass which cannot be worse"
While witnessing the operation of loading
train at a principal terminus, the thought will
scarcely fail to the mind of the observer how
various must be the feelings with which the en-
barkations is effected by the different passengers
how diverse the tone with which the words s. good
by are uttered by tongue and by heart Sir
FRANCIS Head mentions illustration in point, of
the emotions which have been awakened at the
moment of departure from this platform, to which
we may refer. He was seated in the furthest cor
ner OF carriage, when aclergyman from Brighton
suddenly observed to his next neghbor in the same
compartment, There must surely be something
very remarkable in that scene.' The incident to
which reference made was this A younp man
OF about twenty-five was standing opposite to
hrstclass carriage, just the drivers whistle shril
announced the immediate departure of the train.
On TINS signal, without any affectation of any sort
ne quietly reeled backwards on a baggage truck,
winch happened to be just behind him. Two ell
DERBY ladies who were with him instantly set to
work. hrst OF all most vigorously to rub with their
fingers the palms Of his hands; process about as
successful as if they had rubbed the soles of his
boots; then they united his neckcoth but their
aftectionate kindness was of no avail The train