The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-03-22 00:00:00

GOOD FRIDAY.-THE HOLIDAYS

All the public buildings and shops in town were closed
yesterday, according to the usual custom observed on Good
Fridaj. The day was peculiarly fine and warm, and great
numbers of town-folk availed the opportunity of a walk or
jaunt to the country, or across the water—i❑deed but
few remained in town. The churches of all Christian
denominations, were open as usual, and the service appointed
for the day was observed. The Greeks have a custom
(pat ticularly sailors) of treating'an effigy of Judas Iscariot with
indignity, and this custom was observed by the sailors on
board the Greek vessels in port. To some persons who were
not aware of the ceremony (if it can be called such) the
proceeding looked strange enough. The railway trains
were regulated the same as on Sundays, and in consequence
vehicles were in good demand, for besides the solemnities
observed, thousands sought pleasure in the rural districts.
Throughout the day the landing stage was thronged with
persons endeavouring to obtain a passage in the steamboats
to Eastham, Rock Ferry, Birkenhead, Egremont and New
Brighton. The boats were each gaily deco l ated, and on
board some were bands of music, which, by their cheerful
notes:amused the company on their way ; indeed, i- is stated,
that never before, on the opening day of the season, did so
many persons visit Easthana to enjoy the pleasnre of a roam
through the beautiful gardens and woods, and the pleasure
of the visitors was much enhanced by the accommodation
and attention afforded them by the proprietor of those
While so many were thus enjoying the pleasure
of trips by rail, and excursions on the bosom of the Mersey
to places far and near —a treat which was duly appre-
ciated, was in store for those who stayed at home,
namely, a visit to the Zoological Gardens, where the spirited
proprietor, Mr. Atkins, had procured the attendance of
the Bosjesmens," or dwarf savages, from the wilds of
South Africa. From an early hour in the morning the
roads leading to these delightful gardens were crowded by
persons, anxious to obtain a view of these extraordinary

grounds.

specimens of the human race, who are described as being
remarkable, not only on account of their vernacular tongue,
but on account of their formation differing so materially
from all other members of the bnman family, yet discovered
alive. So remarkable, indeed, and without exaggeration,
that their attempts to communicate with each other is more
like the noise of machinery, or the chattering of monkeys,
than the language of men. It would be futile to attempt a
description. The imagination cannot conceive, fancy cannot
depict, nor the pen, pencil, or device, convey an adequate
idea of them. You cannot behold these strange types of
humanity, without feelings such as you never before ex-
perienced. As the Bosjesmens have previously been
exhibited in Liverpool, a further description is unnecessary ;
but those who have not yet paid them a visit, we
should strongly recommend to do so, on
Monday and Tuesday next, when, according to an
advertisement in another column, they will again be exhi-
bited ; and to those who have seen them on the previous
occasion, we should still recommend them a re-visit, for then
they will be enabled to see that none of the three have made
the least progress in learning any language—which, it is
said, it is impossible for them to do. Be sides these " won-
ders of the world," the gardens themselves have been
rendered more attractive, by having been most tastefully
laid out, and by the introduction of several specimens of
natural history, including some of the finest lions ever
exhibited. From the success which attended this, the
commencement of the season at these gardens, and by the
great preparations that are being made, including a pictorial
subject, which is in a forward station towards completion,
and from its present appearance bids fair to be most
magnificent, with the additions to the gymnasium, there can
be but little doubt but that the exertions made by Mr.
Atkins, in catering for the public, that great success will
attend the ensuing season, and that these gardens will be
the resort of the public during the summer.
Although so many of our working population made this
a day of recreation, and the many thousands that availed
themselves of the holiday thus afforded them, to take
cacti) sions sea and laud, we have not heard of a single
mishap or accident, which is mainly attributed to the care
and attention paid by thesofficials of tue several railways, and
managers of the ferries.

SOME PARTICULARS ABOUT THE NEW
LANDING STAGE FOR LARGE STEANIERS.

The great inconvenience and delays daily witnessed on our
river, through the want of better accommodation for the
landing and disembarking from channel steamers, which arrive
too early, or too late, on the ;tide to be at once admitted into
dock, cause considerable interest to be felt in the progress of
the new monster landing stage, which is intended to obviate
these difficulties. That is, to obviate them as far as they can
be overcome, i❑ a port lying on the banks of a river with
such a considerable rise and fall as occurs in the tidal waters of
That the new construction will be a vast accom-
modation to the travelling public, as well as to shippers and
proved in the case of the present

the Mersey

steam ship owners, is SIIIIF

Lding stage used by the ferry steamer

the smaller one
e Princes pier, to which only the channel steamers, in the
ion already referred to, have access, as things are. The

necessity of having to under ake this great work, in addition to the
epiendid range of docks which line the margin of the stream,
is, however, a very gratifying proof of the large prosperity and
still increasing business of the port, in connection
with the rest of the United Kingdom. The new stage is being
constructed by Messrs. Thomas Vernon and Son, the well
known iron ship builders, NN ho are sub-contractors fora London
firm. The works occupy several acres of land between Tran-
mere and Rock Ferry, and the rapid progress that is being
made is visible to all who pass along the river in that
direction.

To give an idea of the amount of work to be accomplished it
carrying out this great design, wo have collected together the
following facts. The length of the stage will be 1,000 feet,—
or three times that of the largest steamer afloat, the Persia,—
and its width eighty feet. It will be moored parallel with the
southern half of the Prince's parade, with which it will com-
municate by means of four hinged bridges similar to those of
the present stage at St. George's pier. Indeed, the principle
throughout is entirely that of the latter, but carried out on a
much larger scale, and with more regard to strength and soli-
dity. It will, therefore, consist of a massive wooden platform,
resting upon pontoons, sixty-three of which altogether are to
be used in the structure, each, with two exceptions, ten
feet wide and five feet deep. Forty-nine of these
pontoons are eighty feet in length, the exact breadth of the
stage, which they will support transversely, and in order to
insure strength and buoyancy in case of accident to any part of
the pontoon itself, each pontoon is divided into five whole and
four and a half half-width compartments. Twelve of the pon-
toons measure ninety-six feet in length, and intended to project
beyond the shore side of the stage, in order to support the ends
of the bridges, which alight otherwise unnecessarily depress
one side of the stage, and also give the deck an inconvenient
incline. These very long pontoons are each constructed with
six air and water tight compartments, in addition to five half-
bulkheads. There will be one pontoon to support either end of
the stage, eighty feet in length, by twelve broad, and five feet
depth, thus making sixty-three in all. Along the whole length of
the stage, over the pontoons, and immediately beneath the desk,
there will run five rows of hollow iron girders, or kelsons, tho
three central rows five feet and the cuter ones four feet in depth,
in order to give the deck the required convexity of form. These
girders will be firmly rivetted to the pontoons. Although
the tube principle is adopted in the iron work,
in order to combine lightness with strength, the amount
of metal used is something enormous. The kelsons will
require 1,100 tons, and the pontoons about 1,000 tons of iron.
The facts will show what a buoyant power will be required in
the new stage, to carry its own weight alone. The extremities
• of the stage will be somewhat depressed, in the form of broad
steps, for the purpose of accommodating tug steamers and small
boats, when necessary. The principle of the deck framing will
be the •same as is adopted in the present stage ; the fabric,
however, being much stronger, and the diagonal larrangements
of the planking more frequent.
As regards the progress of the work, we may state that twenty
nine of the pontoons are already completed, and placed in position.
Several others are under the sheds receiving the final touches,
and the pontoons are turned out of hand at the rate of six per
month. Very shortly, 200 men (50 of them joiners) will be
employed upon the new stage, which is to be completed next
March, twelve months hence. It is expected that the whole
structure will be launched in four pieces, and then
mad ee f mt
haey
present b e e easily
l
put together and completed. What the capabilities of the
a
besegne will be ye
tian fee rarte dGeferorgmesthpeieurseshiwthheirctheheaevee.
`'sidered the Leviathan of gtl Mersey,"
but. which will be
completely eclipsed by its monstrous
the present large stage was originally
lelompet!tor. Although
generally used only by, ferry steamers,
designedh for, and
the largest vessels in the world laid 'alongsidesvonf sietetn some
ofk
troops and horses, and moved away again as easily aosembar
gig, including the Cunard paddle steamer Arabia
then river
screw
transport ship Oneida 2,500 tons, and thegreat Himalaya,
than
than which the Persia alone is a larger steam ship afloat. The
`new stage is said to be intended for channel steamers merely,
but there is no reason why it should not be used also for the
accommodation of ocean steamers, on their arrival and
departure for either landing, or embarking mails and passen-
net's.

HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.—The rumours relative to the
opening of Her Majesty's Theatre for operatic performances
this season are without the slightest foundation. Mr.
Balfe knows nothing of his reported appointment as musicaldirector.