The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-08-26
against any sttsck II is felt to BE- vital question
that the confederation should exhibit an imposing
activity. BmrIE.


oe0pst any aNeck. ~ - feit 10 b v1eAA queetOn
that the confederation should exhibit an imposing
activity. BmrIE.
Railroads IN England.
THE ANNUAL REPORT OF 1853.
The report Of the proceedings Of the railway de-
partment OF the Board Of Trade durisg the year
1853. BY CAPTAIN Cation, r. T., has bean issued.
The reps 1T states that the length OF new lines Of
railway sanctioned by the Legislature n the United
Kingdom during the year 1853 was $40 miles,
which amount 10 very considerably greater than
that sanctioned during any year since l847. or
this amount $50 miles were in England so miles in
Scotland, and III miles In LELAND.
Among the most important Of the new lines in
England appear to be the following, VIA line
from Strood to Canterbury, by which the commu-
Dication by railway along the south bank of the
Inimes VIII be rendered continuous a. far a. the
North Foreand; the Portsmouth Railway, by
which direct communication will be afforded be-
tween Portsmouth and the metropolis; an extern
sion OF the Midland Railway from Leicester to
Hitchin, on the Great Northern Railway, by which
9 second line Of communication will DO afforded
from the midland districts to the metropolis; and
the worcester and Hereford Railway, by waich .
more diiect route will be opened between the mid.
land counties and South Wales.
In Ireland, the most important line would appear
to be the Lop donderry and Co'eraiue Railway, by
which direct route win be afforded bet veen Bel
fast and Londonderry; and the Londonderry, Cole.
communication from Sligo to Londonderry, and to
Dublin.
The total length of railway which has been au.
tborsed BY Parliament to The end Of 1885, is 126sS
miles. OF this nu rber Of miles, z $50 have been
opened for traffic, leaving 5000 miles 10 be complet
ed; but the compulsory powers Of 1888 miles have
expired without being exercised, or the railways
beng o. ened to the end Of 1853. The length OF
tary powers exist Is 2,164 miles. The length Of
railway opened previously to December, lS43, was
2.036 miles. The length opened In tho year 1874
was 2o4 miles; in 1876 FOG miles, In ls4s, COG miles,
-. 01tn ivl o % orn
miles; In 1850, 625 miles; in 1851, 269 miles; iu
1862, 446 miles; and in 1858, $50 miles. making the
total length then opened 1855 miles; 81 which S4S
miles are In England, 900 in Scotland and s43 miles
TheleDgth Of the narrow gauge railway, inclu-
ding the Irish gauge Of ST feet il 1865 mi les II the
br ad gauge 626 miles, and of the mixed gauge 95
miles. The number of railway companies having
single lines 81 railway at the end Of 1868 was ~,
the length Of single narrow gauge lines, including
the Irish gauge, SAB miles, Of broad gauge liz
mills, and Of mixed gauge So miles-total 1,7OS
mics; Ct which ,l35 miles Of single line are In
England, l32 miles in Scotland, and AL miles in
iceland.
OF the single line opened at the end OF the year
1852, 80 miles AZ chains in Eogland, and Al miles
20 cnains in Ireland, have been made double during
Tie total length Of new line which was opened
dnI ing the year 1853 amounted to $50 miles.
OF the lines opened in England, tho principal
ones are-the Oxfcrd, Worcester, and Wolverhamp-
ton railway from W0ivercOt to Evesham, by which
the manufacturing districts near Birmingham, the
town Of Worcester, and the important agricultural
districts between Worcester and Oxford are accom-.
mcdated with direct route to London; the New.
port, AbeIgaveDny, and Hereford railway, AID the
Shrewsbury and Hereford railway, by which d.
rect route u Alto ded from Birkenhead to South
Wales; and the Thirsk and Nation, and Nation and
Dr. field railr8ys, by which rallwae c0mmurnca-
ton - afforded to an important district in Yorkshire.
In Scotland, the only line OF importance opeped
for traffic was the Dceside Railway. In Ireland, the
most important iiues are the Water ford and Kill
kenny, and Waterford snd Limerick Railways by
which Waterford has been connected with the Irish
railway system and the railway from Killarney to
the Great Southern aud Western Railway.
All these lines of railway we inspected previous
to being opened tor traffic by officers Of this depart
men', and your ordshps required the opening to be
postponed in twenty eight instances. The total
number Of inspections which were required to DO
performed by tue officers amounted to fftyeight.
OF tho railways opened during 1853, twenty five
portions Of railway, representing total length of
29S miles, consisted OF single line and 1t would up
pear that the length of single line open at the cad
Of 1865, VIZ: ,70a miles, was between one fourth
and one-iifth Of the whole amount OF railway open
IL is to be observed that the length of single line
oisn at tbe ems Of 1852 was ass Mills. and at the
end - 1851, St1 mics. rin9io liue OF railway
carrot be So1ksa with safety, except under specis
OF engines or trains moving In opposite directions
from Destisg a tie single line such acquisitions
are. hsssver, inconsistent with large amount Of
In al cases OF single lines opened during 1853,
your 10, dships required generally either thai the
trains shond be worked by means Of one engine
moving backwards and forwards over the lice, or
particular portions of It; that some partic-
Mar MAJ should he appointed to accompany the
trains moving over the portions Of siagc line.
And ia cases wte ethe Gle trio telegraph Is in use
the regulations required were that the persons en-
plcyed stsrt trains should be distinctly RESPONSE
bic for ascertaining before starting trans that
the line liz clear no a the M vt station.
TIE amount Of capital invested in railways at the
end ofls52 was f264 l65,660, Of which l6l 400 25o
consisted OF o. dhars capital f3S 7O0755 of prefer
eIce capt. al f64 O64 66S of loans The amount
OF capital raised for IA lway purposes in ls49 was
f29,574,720; in 1850, fl0522 967 in 1851, $780,
l6l, and In 1852, fl6,S9a, 903; thus increasing the
amount invested IN railways at the end of l649 rOn
f229,747,570 10 f264 ,l65 $50 at the end of 1882
The amount of money which was raised by railway
companies oniDg 1858 has not yet been returned
to FarliaBtnt; but it may be assumed not to nave
hten less than that raised during 1862, and it is
therefore probable that the whole sum raised by
railway companies to TIE end OF 1853 is not less
than E2sl 900 ,000 Of which about fi2 900 900 may
be assume d 20 have been preferential capital, and
rear f7oOo0o 600 would appear TO have beca bor-
rowsd on the security Of the ndcrtakings
The pnmber Of miles of railway in course of con
gtiuc'ion on the 30h Of june 1853, was $50 miles,
and the number Of men employed on them was
37,'64 The number Of miles open for traffic at that
date was 1912, and the number of men en- nloyed
open for traffic was els per mile in 1852 and 1917
per mile in 1853.
Tho total number Of passengers conveyed on iail.
ways in the United kingdom in the ycar 1853
amf united to l02 2s6, $50 the number in 1854 had
been S9135729 The total receipts from all sources
Of trsffc amounted in 1853 to, flsO35 $40 and in
1852 N f15,7l0554.
In England the mean length Of line omen daring
the year has been increased from 4,3555 miles In
1919 TO 1905 miles 10 1885, and the t,tal number
Ut rasser gers conveyed has ncTe ased from 40 $40 1862
in ls49 TO 81 2l2 96l in 1885, being an increase Of
from ii 400 per mile In Isl9 to IA 1896 per mile In
1858. The numbers conveyed Of each class bear
very nearly tie same relative proportion to each
Other in each year. In 1865 the number Of first
Class passengers was 1875 Per cent, the number of
5 cond Chats was 37.S Per cent, and the number OF
third ciass 4e.42 Ter cent Of the whole number car
RED.
The receipts from passengers have incre lsed from
4J,4lG,5lS IN lSi9 to G7 LOG in 1885, being an
increase Of from 81 ,255 per mile to Ell 29 per nile
Ubo amount received during 1851 having amounted