The Express.
London, England, 1866-04-18 00:00:00

[STAMPED, 1L ADDITIONAL]

LAUNCH OF THE NORTHIJKI3I

As this heading indicates, the Northumberland
iron-clad is floating at last. She was launched

yesterday afternoon without accident, with perfect
ease, and it may be added (in words often need to
save labour and space), "with great kW." The
disappointment which must have been felt by many
hundreds on the previous day, instead of stopping

increased the excursions to Millwall, and the bright

April day must have been an additional encourage-
ment. The dockyard gates were blocked up
with people cajoling and threatening the gate-
keepeia to paas them ,• the dockyard itself was in-
conveniently occupied ; steamboats heeling over
into the water lay off at a safe distance; hundreds
of small boats skulked about as near the dock-

mouth as they dared ; and roofs, roads, yards, and
rails on the opposite side were black with spec-
tators. The interest manifested in the fate of the

ship by all classes has been something surprising.
Hundreds of persona yesterday had to be refused
admission to the dockyards, and some of
those who : were fortunate enough to be
there had to tussle and coax to get posses-
' Rion of the stand-points reserved for favoured
individuals. Seldom, piptably, have so many
naval and scientific men collected together on a

similar occasion.
The four "camels," and the six smaller pontoons
were well stationed, and the minor auxiliaries, as
before, were promptly manned. The bugles blew
a quarter of an hour before high water, and imme-
diately the response came in the battering away of
heavy supports and the removal of blocks. The
men at the hydraulic presses at the bow were look-
ing for orders to work them, when a slight cheer
overhead, from the Northumberland's deck,
drew attention to the huge hull. The un-
initiated, uncertain as to the moaning of these
jubilations, looked high and low, little thinking
that the ship was slowly moving off. But no one
could long remain in doubt of the welcome fact,
and then the cheers, intensifying in the yard,
infected the people on the river, and set in motion
the voices of the thousands on the further shore.
Slowly, and very slowly the vessel receded, but
with such power that she dragged a monster anchor
from her hold far up the yard, threatening a plat-
form, and the lives of those upon it, with
destruction. So gradual, however, was the
launch that the chain cable, held as a check,
and attached to the anchor, dropped before further
mischief was done than the snapping of a few
planks, and the scattering to flight numerous ad-
venturous spectators. The cheering was kept up
till the ship was fairly afloat, and creeping in the
most harmless manner round the mouth
of the dock, into deep safe water. There,
ten minutes before the tide was full, she
lay very tractable, while sundry small
steamers swarmed about her, and puffed and
spluttered until the people near were almost suffo-
, called. Then there was a long last cheer from all
carters ; and Admiral Sir John Hay, who, as
chairman of the company, had taken the command
on the occasion, was shaken by the hand by the
delighted personages present who understood the
I cleverness and importance of the thing done, and
also by other personages who, without such valid
reasons, thought hand-shaking was the proper
thing to do, and consequently elbowed their way
r through the crowd and added their congratulations
to the rest.
While the yard's people were shooting hither and
thither in boats, to pounce upon any fragment of
timber that might be escaping to sea, some
black little tugs took the Northumberland
into custody, and dragged her over to
her moorings, where she was soon secured,
with her bows towards Greenwich Hospital.
Her vast proportions and strange appearance were
now very striking ; but it was only when some out-
ward-bound ship in ballast passed by that her size
appeared so unusual. Beautiful she cannot be
called, whatever her usefulness may prove. From
the bow, along the side, round the circular stern,
and back to the bow again, the surface is as smooth
as glass, and unbroken by so much as a bit of
beading. Her height out of the water, even
when she is sunk to her proper depth, and the
ram-shaped bow, will render it impossible
for any enthusiastic skipper to love the Northum-
berland better than his wife, as Captain Marryat
hints was the case with some of the old-fashioned
ships. Nevertheless, she may be looked upon as
the pride of the navy, provided, of course, she
answer the high expectations formed of her.
The Millwall Ironworks Company well deserve
all the congratulations they receive. They have
built an iron-clad, the workmanship of which is an
honour to the manufacturing enterprise of the
country, and an eloquent testimonial of their own
resources and skill. But, more than that, they
have surmounted a difficulty which few could have
overcome. It will be not the least remarkable
chapter in the history of this enormous vessel, that,
half launched, she remained a month on her ways,
without receiving or doing the slightest damage.
It is only when we remember that the Northumber-
land is over 9,000 tons dead weight, and that no-
thing like this burden was ever attempted to be
launched before, that it is apparent that few but
practical shipwrights can appreciate the feat which
was yesterday achieved.
It will refresh the memories of our readers to
repeat in conclusion that the Northumberland is
400 ft. long, 591 ft. beam, 6,621 tons burden, 1,350
horse power, and will carry 760 men and 26 pro-
tected guns. She will be taken into the Victoria
Docks at high tide to-day to be fitted up, and it is
hoped she will be ready for her trial trip in about
seven months.