84 Internal Communication 



long pierce that chain, one being more than 1000 feet 

 above sea-level. Between Manchester and Carlisle a 

 height of 916 feet is surmounted at Shap Fell, and the 

 watershed between the Ribble and the Lune is crossed 

 at 1250 feet above the sea. In South Wales serious 

 hindrances to communication are the steep ridges lying 

 between the populous coal-mining and iron-working 

 valleys. 



George Stephenson's Engine 



In the Southern Uplands and Highlands of Scotland 

 the railways wind about to obtain the easiest routes. In 

 the former region the railways rise to altitudes of 500 feet 

 to above 1000 feet, while in the Highlands a height of 

 nearly 1500 feet is reached by the Central Railway. 



The superficial configuration of Ireland affects the 

 railway routes rather in the great windings of the lines 

 than the heights they reach. The most serious devia- 

 tions from the direct route are those due to the highland 



