The Express.
London, England, 1863-12-14 00:00:00

THE EreRFSS, MONDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 14, 1863.

went to the breadth of the river itself, to a beigia
of 130 feet above the river levell We say nothing
of liability to accident. That is supp..aing an
extreme case. But the question is, how a, bridge is
to be constructed at a height in the air of 180 feet,
with a span across the river of 800 feet, and
without the possibility of constructing even a
staging in the centre of the river to facilitate
the execution of the works I

Before considering further the question of outer
circle railways dependent upon bridges over the
navigable portion of the Thames, it would be well
to know how such bridges admit of execution.

this. It would have involved an additional cost
of several thousand pounds, still more delay,
and what eras more awkward, an application to
Parliameut fur more money, with of tieteesity
a humble confession of a gross blunder. All
this was too much for My Lords, and so it happened
that we have now a first-rate, magnificent to look at,
swift, and powerful, and no iODDC fit for ocean ser-
vice, for in form she resembles the lines of the
fastest and finest of the Atlantic packets—the
Adriatic.

The Minotaur was intended to be finished by May
of this year according to contract ;this time, there-
fore, bee been: exceeded by six or seven mouths ;
but besides the delay, for which the Admiralty are
directly to blame, many other important changes
and improvements have been ordered, for which it is
satisfactory to be able to say the Admiralty are
rather to be thanked than blamed. As it turns out,
considering the large size of the Minotaur, no
ship in the fleet has ever been built in so short
a time. Of the two sister ships ordered on
the same day—the Agincourt and the Northum-
berland, the first will, it is expected, be launched
in the course of next summer, and the last
will probably be ready by this time next year.
If the slip vacated by the Warrior, in December,
1860, had been filled at once by the Minotaur, we
should have her complete and equipped by this time.
The moat important alteration was made in con-
structing an entirely double bottom to the ship
upon the cellular system, so that in case of such an
accident as befel the Africa the Minotaur would be
unhurt, or, at least, the &anew of such vital
injury are very much diminished. Another great
improvement is considered to be in the addition
of two masts to the three originally designed.
f These are, of course, made of iron, upon the plan
DOW almost universally adopted in iron ship-
building, whether for the navy or merchant ser-
vice. Although there have been these delays--
-which, no doubt, would have been most rigo-
rously punished by fine and visited with Admiral
Robinson's utmost official rebuke bad they been
attributable to the contractors—the Minotaur
floats now in the Victoria Docks, a much more
finished ship than the Warrior was at her launch.
The whole of the teak backing is fastened on to her
sides, and the greater part of the armour plates
are fixed. It is only about the bows of the ship'
that 'we observed any large portion remaining to
be put on. The whole of the strong internal works,
such as the compartments and the immensely
strong-plated bulkheads and decks, are substantially
complete. The following are the dimensions of the
new first rate :

Feet 10.
Length perpendiculars between perpendicula 400 0
Breadth
Depth io hold 4l 7

Burthes'in lan balder.' isessarement 6,814 18-81
The length of the keel for tonnage is stated to be
364 feet 5 inches. The Warrior is a ship of 6,176
tons and 1,250-horse power ; the Black Prince is
the same. The speed of the two ships, however,
differs, that of the Warrior being stated at 14.354
knots, and of the Black Prince at 14.3, and by
another trial at 13.584 knob. The Minotaur is to
have engines made by Messrs. Penn of 1,350
nominal horse power, that is, 100 higher than the
Warrior class ; and it is expected, with these
superb engines, she will have • speed of
rst least 14 knots. The form of the Mi-
notaur is very different from the Warrior ; she
is not wall-sided at any part of her lines, and when
the view is taken from her bows where she tapers
finely and gradually up to her stem and swells
again towards her bulwarks, nothing can be more
perfect than the curves of her sides, and we should
say she has the appearance of a very fast ship ii
her engines give her the power. The stem is made
to bulge out and then in again, in the line of •
swan's breast, but in form sharp as a cleaver
comparatively speaking. This projecting prow
is supported inside by • complicated system of
cellular supports and_bars, interlacing and ex-
tending Nick into theibrceder part of the ship,
so as to give immense strength to this prow, and
enable the ship to charge an enemy that was not
nimble enough to get out of her way. We believe
this structure and form is due to the invention
of Captain Ford, the able superintendent of the
Thames Company's shipbuilding. The stern of the
ship is rounded with remarkable exactness, and
thus carries the line of ports completely and sym-
metrically round the ship. These ports give the
Minotaur a most compact and handsome appear-
ance ; in place of the usual square hole they are more
like embrasures in a fort, being bevelled off inboard,
but so narrowon the side as just to allow of elevation
and depression of the gun—the training of the gun
being allowed for by the slope of the portaidea
Great additional protection is by this arrangement
obtained for the gun's crew. The armament of the
Minotaur is expected to be 60 guns of the largest
calibre, though, of course, not all 600 pounders,
otherwise her armament alone would weigh above
1,000 tons, which, added to her armour which is
1,850 tons, (and the weight of the empty hull is
nearly 6,000 tons), would leave little for engines,
rigging and masts, coal, ammunition, stores, he.
The total weight of the ship fully equipped is
estimated at 10,000 tons. To move this enormous
weight against a heavy sea will require, of course,
enormous power, but we observed that the
ordinary screw propeller is trusted to for this, with
• rudder of gigantic proportions. We presume,
however, that provision has been made in this part
of the ship for adapting either the double screw or
additional steering power, if necessary, both of
which have been found to be of the last import-
ance in making the Atlantic voyage.
The launching of this immense vessel was a
matter involving no small amount of practical
skill and cleverarrangement, yet it was aooomplished
with perfect ease, without a mishap of any kind,
so far as we heard—certainly without any blundering
whatever, and with a systematic and thoroughly
well-understood plan. There was no wild
excitement of bewildered foremen at their
wita'-end—no rushing to and fro, no noise,
except the steady hammering of the army of
men, each with his heavy hammer, who knocked
away supports and wedges gradually till it came to
the last man, a stalwart north countryman, who
felt the occasion, and bad painted his hammer
bright blue, and was standing ready fur the last
blow. At the head of the cradle on which the ship
lay was a powerful jack, and her fore foot rested
upon a small hydraulic press, not bigger than a bat,
with which the whole 6,000 tons was to be first
started. The hammering ceased, and there was a
general lull of attention, when we heard a
gentle voice say " Success to the Minotaur ;"
a lusty old English cheer echoed the wish,
and the towering form of iron started into life at
the sound, and glided away to its new home,
like some huge leviathan roused from its sleep. The
great 8-inch cables held her back as she plunged
into the water at high tide amidst the wreck of the
cradle and a crowd of venturesome little boats.
Four steamers awaited her, and at once took her
in tow towards the buoy moored below the pier at
Blackwell. It was just a quarter to three, and (to
announce the launch we suppose to the Frenchmen),
a number of most comic balloons, in the shape of
monsters, were sent off, each with a packet tied to it.
There was a large assemblage of visitors of all
nations, it would seem, to this cosmopolitan dock-
• The Duke of Somerset was present, with
/IL James Stansfeld, M P., and Mr. Romaine ;
Admiral Robinson, Controller of the Navy ;
Captain Drummond, Sir John D. Hay,
Mr. Reed, Constructor of the Navy ; Mr. Watts, the
late chief constructor, during whose time of service
the Minotaur was designed, and many other distin-
guished persons connected with the service. The
ceremony of christening was gracefully performed
by Mrs. Romaine. It only remains to say that,
according to the opinion of the builders of the
Minotaur, this formidable ship might by extra-
ordinary exertions be got ready for sea early in the
summer.

Prinic &Room Comwrsumi.—The commix-
dosses held meetings on Thursday, Friday, aad BatorJay
last. Prosiest the Earl of Davos, the Lain Lytteltea. the
Hoe. Edward Twisletoe, the Rom W. H. Thompson, and
Mr. H. Halford Vaughan.

- .
HoznimAN's Tra 14 choice sod strong, moderate
ia prism and wholesome to um. These manatees, hay* smered
r
Ws Tee • morel prokr•uost. It l• sold Is pasksis 1,210
apass.—Mtvaniessimlj

Rat. Init.lltipnct.

3IETROTOLITAN COUNTY COURTS,
Sitting days appointed for the preseat week.
Witnesiwarn, I& Mertia's.lasse.—Mowday, Dee. 14.
BLOWISIDST. Tortland-read.—Wedneeday, Deo. 10; Thursday,
17 . Friday, 15.
51Alitieuer, Minlebooaroad,—Theacti,y, Deo. 16 WOdass-
dny, 16 Thursday, 17.
Monti:wren, Old4treet.road—Tneeday, Dec. ; Thursday, 17.
Bow, Bow-road.—Monday, Dee. 14: l&
HITRCHAPEL, Great Preeoot.etreet.—Weduseday, Dec 18 •
Thursday, 17 Friday, IS.
SoUTNWAIUL, Nwanshrest..-I'saiday, Dec. 15 . Thursday, 17
Friday, 18
LAmerni, Camberwell New.road.—Tuesday, Dec.ls • Wednes-
day, 10; Thursday, 17
WANDSWORTH. South.street.—Thineday, Dee, 17.
CITY OF LONDON, Gulldhall.buildinp. —Tuesday, Dec. 16; Wed.
ne•day, 18
LOAD Itarors MONT, Guildhall.—Seterday, Dec 19.

COURT OF PROBATE AND DIVORCE.
D. 12.
(Before the Judge OR'limy.)
LIDST9II2 V. LIDSTONZ AND IDX0111:18.

Mr. M. Chambers. QC., and Dr. Spinier for the peti-
tioner; Mr. Lopez for the respondent; Mr. Huddleston,
Q.C., and Mr. Cole for the co-respondent.
Robert Lidstoue, a workman in the Devoaport Dockyard,
prayed for a divorce, on the ground of hie wife's adultery
with as attorney tamed Edmonds, one of the partners of •
firm in large practice at Plymouth. He claimed NIP, from
the co-respondent as damages. The rispoodente besides •
denial pleaded almost every possible defensive allegation.
The took place to 1850, the respondent, then
Salina Parks, Mg • girl of 17 or 18. There had been one
child. The married life of the parties was gated to have
bees the most happy conceivable, until the respondent be-
came acquainted with Edmonds. At length, in May, 184;2,
the husband quarrelled with the respondent on amount other
ittimacy with the co-respondent, and she left him. The child
was placed in the charge of her mother, who had marrieds per-
son named Cluck, but the respondent banal( disappeared.
At length she was traced to No. 15. Vietoria-place, Stoke
Demerol, where she was living as Mrs. Rood, the wife of a
commercial traveller. This Bond was identified as the co-
respondent. •
For the defence evidence was riven to show that while
the respondent was a well-educated woman, the petitioner
was • coarse, careless, and illiterate person ; that he had
lived very unhappily with her, and that there had actually
been a separation on account of his threats and violence.
The jury found • verdict fur the petitioner with :1001.
damages. Deuce nisi, with costs against the co-respondent.

increasing and becoming quite Intolerable to the respectable
tradesmen et the distrtet.

The prisoner, is defeece, laid she did not like to be
insulted by a police-constable. She bad been three years
is this country, and this wee the first time ales had hew
brought to that court.
Mr. Knox was aware that women of the pitmen clam
were the greatest nuisance in that district. As it was the
Bret case of the kind that bad porno before him he would
not go to the full extent of the law, but would reduos the
punishment from one mouth to fourteen days' imprison-
ment. His determination wee to put down the nuisance if

possible.
Shortly afterwards Mr. Edward Lewis entered the o
and said he was instructed to give both", of appal Hin
advised the appellant to submit to the penalty inflicted by
the court, but his advice had not bees acted upon, and be
wee there to tender bail. Two persons came forward, and
their bail was accepted.