The Proposed Belfast Central Station and Railways. 49 



extent placed himself at a disadvantage in making so much of 

 the sketch, because many engineering projects have been carried 

 through in Belfast with water and difficulties that are far 

 greater than sleetch ; I don't think he need lay much stress upon 

 this. I would not go so far with Mr. Young as to depend upon 

 the boulder clay alone ; I believe they will find not this clay so 

 much as the solid substratum of red sandstone below it. Like 

 one of the objectors who spoke, Mr. Munce, who tried to make 

 minced meat of the whole affair, I should like to have seen a 

 longitudinal section. I think you will find in the great majority 

 of cases the tunnelling will be on a solid substratum of sandstone, 

 and that there will be only occasional difficulties in the way. 

 While this tunnel is quite feasible in the hands of competent 

 engineers and supported by the people in London or elsewhere, 

 it will be important to make it perfectly watertight. 



Mr. Macassey. — It will be in the recollection of many here 

 to-night, the statement made by a very eminent visitor we have 

 had lately — I refer to Mr. Harry Furniss — that the Belfast 

 people were fit for nothing but making money. I think if he 

 came in to-night he would say that we could do mere than 

 make money. We can come and give a careful and reasonable 

 consideration to a proposal, such as Mr. Lanyon has put before 

 us, and measure its probabilities and difficulties, both from a 

 commercial point of view and that of the prosperity of our city. 

 I think, sir, it is a matter for congratulation that Mr. Lanyon 

 has moved out of the usual course, because it is not a usual 

 thing for the engineer of a scheme to put it before the public 

 in a meeting like this, with the risk of hostile criticism. It is a 

 matter of congratulation, further, that he has chosen your 

 Society, presided over by you, sir, as the medium of communi- 

 cation with the intelligent public of Belfast. Now, you will 

 all agree with me that the engineer has often to submit to 

 criticism of a hostile and severe character. The unfortunate 

 engineer has not only to submit his scheme to the public before 

 it is properly matured, but is expected to answer questions 

 before he has got his answers ready. Mr. Lanyon has taken 



