1853] 



ROBERT STEPHENSON, M. P; 



vi.» 



Itobcit Stipiieiiso::, 51. P. 



The two new Engines conatriicteJ by Mr. Stephenson— the 

 " Phoenix " and the " Arrow " — had a more extended fine 

 surface than the " Rocket," and were subjected to a series of ex- 

 periments resulting in further improvements; increasing the 

 steam generating capacities of the boilers, simplifying the work- 

 ing parts of the engine, and materially increasing their power and 

 speed. The twenty miles per hour of the " Rocket" was soon in- 

 creased to fifty, and even to sixty miles per hour in some of its 

 successors; and the Stephensons' Manufactory at Newcastle" be- 

 came the largest and most celebrated in existence, sending its 

 products to the United States, and to all parts of the world where 

 Railways were introduced. 



Previous to the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester 

 Railway in 1830, Robert Stephenson undertook the survey of 

 the first line projected from London to Birmingham, This 

 survey was commenced in October of that year, but so many 

 important points i'ov consideration presented themselves to him, 

 that though the plans required by the then standing orders of 

 Parliament were prepared and deposited by the end of Novem- 

 ber, yet by his advice the Bill was not then brought forward, in 

 order that he might be afforded time for a more mature considera- 

 tion of them, lu pursuance of this determination, he devoted the 

 greater part of the ensuing year to a minute examination of the 

 country between London and Birmingham, and in the November 

 of 1S32 completed and deposited plans of the line in every im- 

 portant particular the same as it uow stands. 



In consequence, however, of the strenuous opposition made by 

 the Grand Junction Canal Company and the land owners on the 

 line, the Bill was thrown out by the Gommitto of the House of 

 Lords. In the ensuing session, however, the same plans, with 

 slight modifications, were again deposited, and after a hard Par- 

 liamentary struggle, the Bill received the Royal Assent in July, 

 1833. 



The immense cost entailed upon the Railway Companies of 

 the United Kingdom by the opposition to their charters offered 

 by ignorant and interested parties both in and out of Parliament 

 has, fortunately, no parallel in this or any other country. It is 

 painful to reflect on, as it would be humiliating to record, the 

 ignorant prejudices and cunning artifices by which the promote; s 

 and engineers of the great " Iron Ways" of Great Britain were 

 thwarted in the commencement of their enterprises; instead of 

 receiving with gratitude the great inventijn by which the public 

 has been enabled at half fares to travel at four times the speed 

 they had formerly attained, and whereby millions of tons of mer- 

 chandize have similar advantages, the engineers engaged in 

 locating the lines had every possible impediment placed in 

 the way by the community they so much benefitted. In most 

 cases these obstructions recoiled with disastrous effects on those 

 who offered them, and in many instances the opposition offered 

 by the inhabitants of country towns has prevented new life and 

 vigour being infused into their dull and stagnant population by 

 the facility afforded by Railway communication — nor is this all; 

 the immense increase of cost per mile, which these Parliamentary 

 struggles have caused, demand a corresponding increase in the 

 tariff levied on the goods and passengers carried, and hence it 

 follows that with an infinitely less amount of traffic on American 

 lines, they yield a better profit with fares at two cents per mile, 

 than English Roads with fares at double that rate. Much of this 

 result is due to the enormous law costs of the English Roads; 

 and it has been estimated that in the three years 1S45, 1S46 and 

 1847, upwards of ten millions sterling were wasted in Parliamen- 

 tary enquiries and contests, — a sum sufficient to construct a com- 

 plete system of railways in these Provinces — and it has also been 



• Continued from page t?4. 



asserted that previous to 1850, more than fifteen millions had 

 been similarly wasted; 



The proprietors having fought the bill through Parliament, the 

 Construction cf the London and Birmingham line was commenced 

 i;i June, 1834, and Mr. Stephenson having made arrangements 

 with the directors to devote his time exclusively to the execution 

 of the works on their line, lie removed from thesuperintehdence of 

 the engine manufactory at Newcastle, and resided in London, 

 where he applied himself assiduously to the accomplishment of his 

 great undertaking — a portion of wide' , from London to Boxmoor, 

 a distance of twenty four miles, was first opened ; that from Box» 

 moor to Denbigh-Hall', twenty-one miles, was opened in the 

 autumn of 1837; and from Birmingham to Rugby, twenty-one 

 miles, was opened in 1838, — finally, the whole line was opened 

 for public traffic on the 17th September in the same year. 



Among the many difficult works on this line, the most promi- 

 nent are the Blisworth cutting, the Tring cutting, and the Kilsby 

 tunnel — all between Rugby and Denbigh Hall. 



The Blisworth cutting, though not the longest on the line, was 

 from the character of the material the most expensive. The 

 Tring ' cutting contained the greatest quantity, but being of 

 chalk, less difficulty was experienced than in the Blesworth, which 

 consisted cbieflj' of hard, blue limestone, yielding at all seasons 

 of water, which it was necessary to drain by 



large quantities 

 pumping. The 



which it was necessary to dr 

 working of the rock in this cutting was rendered 

 more difficult than it would have been, by the rock being inter- 

 stratified by beds of blue shale, impervious to water, render- 

 ing every means of drawing it off except that of pumping, una- 

 vailable. The Blisworth cutting contained 1,200,000 cubic 

 yards, and averaged 50 feet in depth for a distance of two miles. 

 About 400,000 yards of the material was removed from each 

 end to form adjoining embankment , which reached the height of 

 45 feet, and the remaining 400,000 yards were raised up the 

 steep sides of the excavation, and deposited on the adjoining land 

 in spoil banks. The cost of the excavation exceeded £200,000 

 sterling. 



The Kilsby Hiil was a still more formidable work than the 

 last, for its execution was not only impeded by bad material and an 

 immense flow of water; but the means for overcoming tfiern were 

 confined within the narrow limits of a tunnel. After the trial 

 shafts had been sunk, the works were let by competition for the- 

 sum of £99,000 sterling, and we're in busy progress when it was 

 ascertained that at about 200 yards from the south end, there 

 existed a thick quicksand, which the trial shafts on each side had 

 just passed without touching. In view of this uuforeseen difficul- 

 ty, it became apparent that additional means beyond those already 

 contemplated were necessary, and the contractor was in conse- 

 quence relieved from his responsibility, the contemplation of 

 which is said to have caused his death. So great indeed was 

 the difficulty, that it became a question whether the execu- 

 tion of the Kilsby Tunnel should be abandoned or continued. 

 Mr. Robert Stephenson, however, after mature reflection, offered 

 to undertake the responsibility of continuing it, and he wss 

 authorized to do so. Extra shafts were sunk, and four pow- 

 erful pumping engines were erected, which continued to pump 

 from the quicksand for six month.?, with scarcely a day's intermis- 

 sion, at the rate of 1800 gallons of water per minute. By these 

 means the difficulty of tunnelling was reduced, but still the ope- 

 ration was one of great difficulty and danger. On one occasion, 

 those who were nearest the quicksand, in driving into the roof were 

 almost overwhelmed by a deluge of water. A gang of workmen 

 were sent to their assistance, with the requisite material on a raft 

 in-order if possible, while the utmost power of the engines were 

 exerted, t^ close up a short length of the arch ; the water rose, 



