ditional confidence can be indeed given to railway transit, it is not to be attained by concealment of the causes of accidents, but by an open avowal of the defects, if any, which produced them, and by endeavouring in future to remedy them. No alarm ought to be taken even from the numerous accidents which have occurred from the locomotive system, for in general these accidents can be traced to clear and definite causes, which admit of being rectified; and this should inspire confidence that by prudence and a rigid surveillance, and improved administration of railway transit, accidents will be almost got the better of, and on lines where they do often occur the cause of them cannot well be mistaken as proceeding from want of proper discipline and management, or from defects of construction. The immense talent which has been brought to bear on railway construction by the many engineers in this country and abroad, who have turned their attention to it within the last fifteen years, evinces a fertility of invention both in science and art, unprecedented in the annals of Britain and other nations; and it would be a matter of regret that the locomotive system, after the progress it has already made, should be marred from want of management. Indeed, whether we look to the first public railway where steam power was applied, or to the great line from London to Exeter, or whether we look to the London and Birmingham, or to other lines, we observe the same mastery of science over difficulties, and every obstacle yielding to skill and perseverance, and we may well be proud of the enterprising times in which we live. Gigantic undertakings are commenced, each of which seems to outrival its predecessor in boldness of design and triumph over engineering difficulties, affording employment to the people, by the outlay of millions of capital spent in carrying out useful improvements. May I hope that the suggestions I have thrown out and the information here given will tend, however slightly, to extend the knowledge and perfect the system of inland transit? For railway extension seems likely only to be limited by the approach of the time when a line of rails will be laid round the habitable portion of the globe. THE END. LONDON: Printed by A. SPOTTISWOOde, |