The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-04-27 00:00:00

AT PORTSMOUTH.

LAUNCH OF THE ROYAL SoVEREIGN, 131 GUNS,

On Saturday, another addition was made to the family
of the leviathan ships of war afloat, and to the Welling-
ton, the Royal Albert, and the Marlborough, is now to be
added to the latest born of Portsmouth dockyard, the Royal
Sovereign. Often as the inhabitants of Portsmouth have
witnessed the launches of men of veer of all sizes, and of
builds, the event of Saturday was still regarded as one
of intense interest. The whole of the hands in the docks,
except these actually engaged in the launch, left work at
nine o'clock in the morning; thousands of visitors arrived
from places near to Portsmouth, special trains ran
from Southampton and Brighton, large numbers of persons
arrived from London, every street and lane, furnished its
share to the crowds, who, soon after nine o'clock, went
streaming into the dockyard, until probably not less than
twenty thousand persons were assemb!ed within the
dock gates. There were hundreds of spectators .on
board the bulks moored off the yard, crowding the
steamers of the port, and seated in the smaller boats of
the herb mr. The slip in which the Royal Sovereign was
built lay between those in which the sister ships —the Prince
of Wales and Victoria —are building, and advantage was
taken of erecting commodious stages and galleries against
these hulls, to enable about 10,000 persons to witness the
launch under cover. To these galleries access was readily
obteinalle by -the public, and a small space only at
the bows of the ship was reserved for the officials of the
Admiralty, the Dockyard, and the graceful lady who per-
formed the important office of sponsor to the vessel. There is
nothing new to be said respecting -a launch. Rig the old
story over again. " The dog-shores were knocked away and
the vessel glided majestically into her native clement.'
At the first start into life and motion Miss Seymour, one
of the daughters of Vice-Admiral Sir George Seymour,
hurled tles mystic bottle at the bows of the receding
ship, christened it the Royal Sovereign, and bade it
a successful career in the world of waters, on which it was
advancing to make its future home. The band struck
up the inspiriting stanzas of "Rule Britannia," lusty
lunge shouted, ladies waved their handkechiefe the
workmen shouldered their huge hammers and walked away
to make the rest of the day a holiday ; Admiral
Superindent Marti°, Mr. Melly er, and the
master shipwright, felt that a burden of care
and anxiety was off their sh Julders, and congratulated
themselves that no such mishap had occurred as
that which had so unfortunately taken place at the launch
of the Marlborough. But although thousands had
witnessed the launch with admiration, there were vast
numbers who were doomed to crurti disappointment.
They had come from London, from Southampton, from
Dorchester, from the surrounding towns and villages, only
to learn at the dock gates that the Royal Sovereign
was lying quietly at her moorings, and that the launch
was unusually successful. The vessel was launch :d
at a *quarter past instead of half-past eleven, as
had been previously announced. A strong south-
eaAerly wind was blowing 'up the chanuel, and
favoured the tide, and it was deemed advisable to let the
ship go directly there was enough water. This was one
explanation, and the other was that eleven o'clock, and
not half past, -was the hour fixed for the launch
by the dockyard authorities, who might fairly be supposed
cempetent to calculate the exact time of high water. In
launching vessels requiring great depth it is usual
to commence to start the ship a short time before
high water, in order that in the- event of any casualty
occurring, there may still be some time for the tide to flow
before the ebb commences. Sir Charles Wood and Admiral
Seymour, were barely in time to witness the launch ; the
ship had commenced to move before they entered the
strand, and another minute and they would have been able
to have appreciated something of the disappointment of
hundreds who arrived only to hear—perhaps not for the
first time in their lives—the fatal words, " too late." The
Royal Sovereign, just launched, was originally laid down
as a first-rate sailing ship, but the successful application
of the screw to the Royal Albert and the Wellington
led the government to order her to be lengthened and
fitted up as a sister ship to the screw three'deckers.
The following are the dimensions and armament of the
ship :--

Feet Inches

2zo .. 10
24+ .. 7
211 1l
60 03
• 59 .. 23
58 .. 43
• 25 .. 4

Length from fore part of the figure head to after part
of the toffrail . . . .
Length between the ptrrendio,ulars ..
Length of keel f x tonnage ..
adth extreme....
Preadtt for onnage .
Breadth Moulded ...
Dzpth in hold .

Burden in tons, 3 765-49.91th5.
AIIMAMINT.
CLOibre. (wt. each. Ft. in. N).
Lower deck
f 32-pounders ... 58 or 53 9 6 .... 26
:Middle deck B-inch
32-pounders
32-psunders ... 42
82.ponnders . 25
Upper deck 68-pann. 'pivot 95

Mailideck

Number of guns

Due figures, however, scarcely convoy an adequate idea
of the gnorraoui power that slumbers in this colossal ship.
These 131 ,g MS will, at each d'scharge, theow 4,73 G lb. of
shot, or one broadside would peur into its foe more than a
ton weight of metal, and at half a mile distance this desir-
able discharge could be directed with certainty upon
a space not mere than twenty feet square ; at treble the
distance, or nearly 3,000 yard, every shot would tell
upon the hull of a frigate. During the late war these
floating batteries sank somewhat in public estimation,
not because their poser had proved to be less
than was expected, but because they had ne
opportunity for putting forth their strengtn. If they
stood inactive before Cronstadt or Sebastopol, it was be-
(:use ne one dared to accept their defiant challenge ; if
Napier or Dundas could not get in," certainty the Rus-
sians could not "get out," and for this bloodless victory
no small share was due to the iecrea-ed power and weight
of metal withwhich our ships were armed. Great things
are expected of the new American frigates the Merrimac
and the Niagara ; they, it is said, will dance round our
huge three-deckers and rake them with their fire
in every direction. But raking, as an old naval
officer said to us on board the Royal Sovereign,
a game that two can play at, and at lorg bowls or short
bowls we shall be ready ftr them. These screw three-
deckers, with their 800 horse-power, can move under steam
almost as fast as the Merrimac, while at any range which
would maks the large three decker a good mark for the
frig tee, it would he strange indeed if some of the 10-inch
and long 32's did not repay her with very considerable
interest, and especially as the frigates are nearly as large
as the Royal Sovereign herself. Let us hope that the
merits of our naval architecture may never be tested
in this way, but should that occasion arise, it may
be satisfactory to know that we shall shortly have
something like a dozen of these magnificent first-class
ships ready, if not to chastise, at least to blockade
and i nprison our enemies fleets, and thus mist effectually
to guard our own shores. Ac the vessel lay oat at her
temporary moorings at the south end of the building slips
she was visited by great numbers of persons, to whom
every facility was given for going on board. As she lies
in the water the Royal Sovereign presents a remarkably
fine appearance. She is somewhat longer than the
Merlboretigh and the Wellington, both of which
lie within a few cables length of her. The hull has
a finer "entrance," and her lines are more pleasing
than those of the other ships. The figure-head is a very
excellent likeness of the Queen, and displays somewhat
more of art than is usually to be found in works of this
class. Tae stern is provided with spacious galleries,
and the upper deck will afford one of the finest naval
promenades. A walk of eight times round the upper
deck will be within a few yards of a mile. Far
down below the water-line is the immense hold, where
the boiler and furnaces and mrtive power of the giant
ship are to be placed. These engines are of 809-horse power,
have been manufactured by Mesrs. Maud slay and Co,,
and they are now lying in the yard ready fir being
fitted as soon as the ship is towed into its berth. At
present, without her engines, armament, or crew, the vessel
draws about twenty feet of water. The weight of her guns,
which are yet to be placed on board, is not less than 321
tons; the weight of the shot, allowing eighty rounds to
each gua, will be 92,480 pounds for the 68'e, and 291,840
for the 32's. About one thousand tons of coal wilt be
placed in her bunkers, and her furnace, boaters, and ma-
chinery, with water, will be nearly 1,000 tons. When all
these are on board, with the complement of officers and
crew of something like 1,000 men, the Royal Sovereign
will draw about twenty-six feet of water.

Mr. Phinn, who has for some time fulfilled the duties of
assistant secretary at the admiralty, has resigned his office,
and intends to return to his practice at the bar, and per-
haps ultimately to parliament. Mi, Phinn (says the
Times), will be succeeded by Mr. Romaine, who so
greatly distinguished himself while connected with the
Crimean army.

DRATII FROM SWALLOWING A PIN. —Oa Saturday Mr.
Wakley held an inquest on the bxly of Mary Acne
Simpson, aged twelve. The deceased, a nursery maid in
the service of Mrs. Nash, Charlot`e-:orrace, Ibbngton,
had placed a pin between her teeth while dressing herself,
and accidentally swa,lowed it. She immediately felt a
peculiar pain in the throat as if the pin had lodged there,
and she went to a neighl,uring sargeun, who was unable
to extract it. She gradually sunk and died nine days after
swallowing the pi-. The post morte2)l examination
proved that she had died from an abscess in the throat
occasioned by the pin, but the pin itself could not be
discovered, so that it was supposed to have passed from
her system after occasioning the fatal injury to the throat.
Verdict, " Accidental death."