The Express.
London, England, 1853-07-26 00:00:00

THE FAILURE AT PEMBROKE DOCKYARD.

At high water on Friday night and on Saturday
morning attempts were renewed to force the Ctesar into the
water. The town was ransacked for casks of every descrip-
tion, to assist in endeavouring to float her, and it was most
gratifying to axe with what willingness the inhabitants com-
plied with this solicitation. Every house yielded all it could
afford, and in some instances actually emptied the
beer and porter into tubs and vats to add to the number.
Large air tight tanks were at the same time con-
structed and placed under the stem and along the
bilgewaya, while two large dockyard lighters were
hove down at low water and fastened to her stern post.
Heavy rams were applied, and the Rhadamanthus,under sails
and steam, was attached to her, and the forces of all kinds
brought into operation at the top of the tide. Additional
men had arrived in the Avon and lent their aid, but all
these united and simultaneous efforts issued in failure.
There wu no starting the ponderous weight, and the Cesar
was again shored up for the night. On Sunday morning,
the tide appearing to rise more rapidly than hitherto, the
dockyard bell was rung at half-put six o'clock, and again at
seven ; the battalion drums were also sent through the
town beating to quarters, and, though tired and wayworn
from the exertiuns of the past days and nights, the work-
men and horses were quickly at their posts, together with
more than a hundred of the inhabitants who had volun-
teered their services. Here, however, the inconvenience of
the distant residence of the workmen became manifest, for
numbers of them could not attend in time to be of
assistance, though messengers on horseback were despatched
in all directions to summon them. This distant residence
is in direct opposition to strict orders of the Admiralty. The
efforts of Sunday morning proved as unavailing as the pre-
ceding ones, and the Cesar is once more shored up for
safety. Though an examination of every accessible part
has been made, yet there is no conjecture of the cause of
failure. She started on the instant the dog shears were
struck down, and proceeded with a speed that appeared to be
irresistible, just in fact as the Royal William, of 120 guns,
did before from the very same building slip. Nothing was
found to have given way in the launching apparatus; she
was not ribband bound as was at first supposed, there being
three inches clear between both sides, and in fact, as before
stated, there is as yet no assignable cause for the disastrous
event. The following are the dimensions of the unfortunate
vessel :—Caesar, 90 guns—Length over all, 241 feet 7 in.;
ditto between the perpendiculars, 207 feet 4 in. ; ditto of
keel for tonnage, 170 feet 6/ in.; breadth extreme, 56 fret
Ot in.; ditto for tonnage, 55 feet 21 it.. ; ditto moulded,
54 feet 41 iu.; depth in hold, 23 feet 4 in.; burthen in
tour, 2,767 40-94. Though she rests with about 40 or 50
feet over the end of the sliding planks or ways, yet so firm
and solid is the ground that the injury sustained is compa-
ratively small, and if once she can be floated may tio.n be
made all right.

Pownwounr, JULY 25.—The Terrible, 21, paddle-
wheel steam frigate, Captain M.Clorerty, sailed last night
from Spitheed for Plymouth, having supernumeraries for
the ships fitting there. In passing Osborne House, the
Terrible saluted the royal standsrd.—The Nelson, 120, was
raisin into the sea basin today to be docked, being leaky.—
The St. Vincent, 102, was taken out of the sea basin into the
harbour, and alongside the Duckyard.—There are no move-
meats among the fleet to-day.