The Press.
London, England, 1857-11-07 00:00:00

THE PRESS, NOVEMBER 7, 1857.

ATTEMPTED LAUNCH OF THE
LEVIATHAN STEAMSHIP.
ON Tuesday last thousands of spectators assembled
at Deptford and on the river opposite Millwall, where
the huge but elegant ship, the result of the genius of
Brunel and of Scot Russel, has been built, in hopes
of witnessing the launch of this, the first of those
floating towns destined to work such a change in
the political and commercial relations of this
country.
The preceding night had been one of incessant
labour, and nut till a few hours before high water was
every support and impediment cleared away except-
ing the chains winch were to control and direct her
movement, and two " cranks" which preserve her
equilibrium, and, fitting on to iron-shod " ways "
sloping down to the river, are to let her glide gently
into the water.
When thus exposed to view the beauty of the
lines—the wave lines of Scot Russel—excited
universal admiration; and the cellular structure,
planned by Brunel, proved its strength, for, sup-
ported only at two places, the enormous mass was
deflected by its weight but one inch in its entire
length—six hundred and eighty feet. The bottom
of the cradles and the top of the ways being iron the
exact friction could not be calculated front expe-
rience, as formerly wood on wood, or iron on wood,
had been used, so that means we re provided to force
her off or to hold her back as the angle—one in
twelve—proved too little or too much.
Another reason why great precautions against a
too sudden descent were necessary is that, owing to
the limited width of the river and the great length of
the ship, she must be launched sideways. It is
evident that the speed which would be proper for a
vessel entering the water stern first might cause one
entering it broadside on to capsize.
Most providential was it that Mr. Brunel bad
made ample provision in this way, having passed
round each cradle huge cables, one end of each of
which was moored in the ground and the other
wound round a windlass. The foundations of these
windlasses were embedded in the earth and abutted
against those of the ways, so that, even if they gave,
the motion of the whole affair must be uniform. Of
course powerful levers are necessary to work the
breaks of windlasses of a size proportionate to this
ship, and multiplying gear to enable manual labour
to turn them for the purpose of gathering in the
slack of the cables.
In case of the incline not being enough to let the
ship descend by its weight alone, two hydraulic
rams were provided, one capable of giving a push of
600 tons, the other of 1,000 tons; in addition to
which chain cables were passed from the ship round
sheaves in lighters moored in the river and back to
stationary steam-engines on shore. One of these
cables being fastened to the axis of the screw quite
aft, and the other to the extreme bow, power was
given to regulate the motion of the two ends, and
thus keep the ship parallel to its original position.
At half-past twelve, all being clear, the ways
blackleaded, and every precaution that science and
experience could suggest taken, Miss Hope
christened the ship The Leviathan, and Mr. Brunel
took his post to direct the launch. He distinctly
ordered the cables on the windlasses on shore—
those to retard the descent—to be hauled taut ; but
the men stationed at the after windlass turned it
the wrong way, so that when The Leviathan moved
the end unchecked naturally went faster than the
other, gained momentum, and when the strain came
on the after cable, it, in uncoiling itself from the
drum of the windlass, set the multiplying gear in
rapid motion, and five men were hurled from it with
frightful violence. Two of these, John Donovan and
Henry Stacey, had their legs broken, besides other
severe injuries, and are in a precarious state ; the
others, we trust, will do well. We need not say
what sympathy was felt by all who knew what bad
happened, and what a gloom was thrown over the
remaining proceedings. Had a steady strain been
kept on the chains, as Mr. Brunel intended, it
would never have reached such an amount ; yet,
unexpectedly great as it was, it was withstood by the
machinery when the breaks were applied, as they
were instantly on the occurrehce of the accident.
The Leviathan, after a quiver, once more stood still ;
and anxious was the ensuing examination of her
condition, and that of the cradles, ways, and chains,
by Mr. Brunei, and Captain Harrison, her coin-
mender. She was found to have advanced six feet
at the stern, and about two feet at the bows.