The life of George Stephenson, railway engineer - Lighthouse ...

ggg LIFE OF GEOEGE STEPHENSON. [chap. xxxi.
white neckcloth, and a large bunch of seals was suspended from
his watch-ribbon. Altogether, he presented an appearance of
health, intelligence, and good humour, that rejoiced one to look
upon in that sordid, selfish, and eventually ruinous saturnalia of
railway speculation.
!
Being still the consulting engineer for several of the older
companies, he necessarily appeared before Parliament in sup-
port of their branches and extensions. In 1845, his name was
associated with that of his son as the engineer for the Southport
and Preston Junction. In the same session he gave evidence
in favour of the Syston and Peterborough branch of the Midland
Railway ; but his principal attention was confined to the promo-
tion of the line from Newcastle to Berwick, in which he had
never ceased to take the deepest interest. At the same time he
was engaged in examining and reporting upon certain foreign
lines of considerable importance.
Powers were granted by Parliament, in 1845, to construct not
less than 2883 miles of new railways in Britain, at an expenditure
of about forty-four millions sterling ! Yet the mania was
not appeased; for in the following session of 1846 applications
were made to Parliament for powers to raise 389,000,000^.
sterling for the construction of further lines ; and powers were
actually conceded for forming 4790 miles (including 60 miles
of tunnels,) at a cost of about 120,000,OOOZ. sterling!*
During this session, Mr. Stephenson appeared as engineer for
only one new line—the Buxton, Macclesfield, Congleton, and
Crewe Railway ; and for three branch lines in connection with
existing companies, for which he had long acted as engineer.
During the same session, all the leading professional men were
fully occupied, some of them appearing as consulting engineers
for upwards of thirty lines each
The course adopted by Parliament in dealing with the multi-
tude of railway bills applied for during the prevalence of the
mania, was as irrational as it proved to be unfortunate. The
* On the 17th November, 1845, Mr. Spaokman published a hst of the lines
projected (many of which were not afterwards prosecuted), from which it appeared
that there were then 620 new railway projects before the public, requir-
ing a capital of 563,203,000/.