The Express.
London, England, 1868-09-04 00:00:00

THE LAUNCH OF THE BERMUDA DRY
DOCK.

Yesterday afternoon the hopes and fears of
both the Admiralty and her contractors were
set at rest by the successfal launching of
the Bermuda dry dock from Messrs. Camp-
bell and Johnstone's yard, at Silvertown.
As we stated in our notice yesterday, but
faint hopes were in the first instance entertained
of moving the huge mass until the next spring
tides, the interval having been employed in the
accumulation of all the propulsion power known
to mechanical science ; but, if we are informed
rightly, the lucky discovery by Mr. Ford, the fore-
man of the works, of the real cause of failure
accelerated the proceedings, and resulted in the
successful launch of yesterday afternoon.
As we have already stated, the real cause of the
huge vessel's refusal to move was the enormous
pressure upon the ways. So great was that pres-
sure that all atmospheric air was excluded from
the interstices, and as a consequence this " dock,"
and the ways upon which she was placed, became
as one solid mass. This was the conjecture of Mr.
Ford, who in more homely language held that
" the grease Lad done it all," and the problem
was to produce mobility in the grease by the ad-
mission of air. To effect this, notches were
cut at intervals in the " ribbons," or
planks which bound the " ways" on each
side ; the grease was scraped away with long
probes pushed in through the openings thus
made, and fresh oil was squirted in with syringes.
What surgeons would call " a solution of con-
tinuity" was thus effected, and all that then
remained to be done was to give the huge mass of
nearly ten thousand tons of iron its initial push.
So easy was the vessel's descent, that there was
little or no backwater. She glided almost noise-
lessly into the river, and in a few minutes after-
wards was under full weigh bound for Sheerness.
The last tidings heard of her was that she
passed Gravesend " floating like a duck," and
giving no trouble whatever to the three Admiralty
tugs which had the honour of being her escort.

THE QUEEN IN SWITZERLAND.—BERNE, AUOUfrr
31.—The following are some particulars of interest re-
specting the ascent of the Rigi by Queen Victoria. Her
Majesty, after leaving the steamer at Winkelried, started
on horseback from Weggis on the 28th inst. On arriving
at a spot called Kaltenbad, whence, by means of telescopes;
the approach of the Winkelried had been eagerly watched,
her Majesty was greeted with music, by the firing of
salutes from small mountain guns, and the hoisting of gaily
coloured flags and streamers. The Queen not intending
to stop, put down Ler parasol as she passed, seemingly
not to disappoint the many who stood waiting to catch a
view of her Majesty. A little farther on the Queen par-
took of some refreshments in the shade of a tree, and
proceeded to that part of the mountain known as The
Rigi-Culm, whence, without alighting, her Majesty rode
down again to the little town of Kuasnacht, on the bor-
ders of the lake. Here carriages were waiting to carry
her Majesty and the company back to Lucerne by way of
the road through Meggen. The Queen is said to have fro-
quently given expression to her admiration of the imposing
beauty and grandeur of the surrounding Alpine scenery.
—Reuter's Express.

THE LEIGH Herr MEHOHI.O..—The following
have consented to act on the committee for carrying out
this project Baron Sir F. Pollock, Mr. Thomas
Carlyle, Mr. Chat lee Dickens, Captain J. Bertrand Payne,
Mr. B. W. Procter, Sir Percy Shelley, Bart, Mr. Charles
Kent, Mr. E. M. Ward, R.A., Mr. Robert Chambers,
LLD., and Sir John Scarring. The bon. secretaries are
Mr. S. C. Hall and Mr. Edmund Oilier, and the hon.
treasurer is Mr. S. R. Townshend Mayer, F.R.S.L., of
26. Norfolk-dared, Strand, W.C., who will be happy to
receive subscriptions.
MILL FiscrioN Finin.—Lord F. Cavendish, 31. ;
Rev. J. Owen, 11.; Hon. E. Plunkett, 1/. ; Monica. E. R.
Buys, I/. Is. ; 8. Wightman, 2/. 25.; Wightman and Co.,
1/. is. ; A. Bmgden, 5/. ; A. C. Collins, V. 2e. ; W. Nesbitt,
1/. Is.; W. H. Deykin, 6/. Os. ; H. Pete, IL; S. IL Hodgson,
5/, ss. ; W. S. Allis, 1/. Is.. W. Dennis, H. Is. ; Cleston,
2/. Zs. ; W. Ladd, V. ; W. Oodfrey, IL la. • Hulbih,
it ; Hibbs, 10s. ; K Warren, 21. 2s. ;W. %lint, 21/. ;
Hon. Auberon Herbert, IL ; Miss A. E. Smith, 61. ; Mn.
Griffith, 11. ; Miss H. Huth, 10/. ; Miss Lindley, I/. Is. ;
Miss Travers, 1/. ; Mrs. Acworth, 1/. ' • Miss Wolsten-
holme, 10s. ; Misr, Tyson, 2/. 2a. ; Miss Ashly, 2/. ; Mn.
Reid, se. ; Mrs. 11. Browne, les. ; Two ladies, 2/. 2e.

ROYAL NATIONAL LIFEBOAT INSTITUTION.—
Yesterday a meeting of this institution was held at its
house, John-street, Adelphi, Sir Edward Parrott, Bart.,
V.P., in the chair. The minutes of the previous meeting
having been read, rewards amounting to 160/. were voted
to the mein of the lifeboats of the institution for various
services during the past month. Thu silver medal of the
institution was voted to Mr. Robert Roe, J.P., of Lyn-
mouth, North Devon, and ten guineas to some boatmen
and others in acknowledgment of their gallant exertions
in assisting to rave the lives of some of the crew of the
ship Home, of Bristol, whieb wie wrecked in I,ytimiuth
Bay 011 the 22nd ult., in a gale of wind and heavy sea.
Vulions other mward4 were also granted to the crews of
difforeut rhore boats for Paving life from reeent fhipwreek,
on our coasts.

DuKvILLE and Cu., Belfast, aro the largest
bolder. of Whisky in U.. world. Tbelr Old Lrtoh W le re.wo-
.
men:died by the =edited proloodon In preference to Brody.
truppileel fa cooks and rarer fur boos* owlo oil
i s
or orportethos. Quota.
ttatio z= to Ileraro. Duko osol t or 4
Noma; Law Ass. j