The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-04-03 00:00:00

ROCK PERCH BATTERY, LIVERPOOL.

Friday the Mayor and his suit left the Town-hall soon after one
o'clock, and, attended by a numerous company, embarking from
the Prince's Dock pler.liead of board the Ormerod steam-boat,
proceeded to the Rock Perch, for the purpose of laying the founda-
tion-stone of a battery, to be erected there. An immense con.
course of people assembled on the pier to see the embarkation.
The discharge of a pie& of artillery announced the landing of the
Mayor on the beach above the perch, where he was received by
Captain Kitson and by Captain Price, R.N., who conducted hint
to the spot prepared for the ceremonial. Several hundrid% of
people of all ranks and ages had already as/mingled on the ground,
and as soon as the whole of the company were landed orders were
given for the workmen to commence the usual preparatory sienna.
ments, and the Mayor, attended as before described, proceeded
round the line of the intended works, and then took his station in
the trench dug in the tack for the foundation, where he was pre-
sented by Captain Kitson with an elegant silver trowel made for
the occasion. The preparations being now complete, the stone was
swung into the trench, and gradually lowered to its proper pun
Lion, when it was placed by his worship with the usual formalities
of applying the square and plumb level, and striking on several
parts at its upper surface with a mallet. As soon as the stone was
laid Captain Kitson addressed the Mayor, and his worship made a
suitable reply. On the upper surface of the atone was fewened a
plate of copper, inscribed as follows :
This Foundation Su ri:
of the
BOCK PERCH BATTERY,
Projected by, and under the direction of,
John Sykes Kitson, Esq.
Captain in the Royal Engineers,
For the Defence of the Port,
Was laid on the 31st of March. 1826,
By Peter Bourne, Esq. Mayor of Liverpool,
la the 7th Year of the Reign
Of his Majesty, ,
George the Faurth.
His Grace
The Duke of Wellington,
Master-General of the Ordnance.
The completion of the ceremony was hale 1 with three times three
cheers, by the company assembled round the trends. and wi h a
double royal salute from some pieces of artillery placed on the
beach. The Mayor and his suite were then invited by Captain
Kitson into a tent pitched within the line of the works, to drink
success and stability to the Rock Perth battery, and to mated their
presence at the laying of its foundation ; after which, his worship.
with a considerable augmentation of his company, proceeded to
re-embark. At this moment no less than six steam vessels. de-
corated with flags, were at anchor off the point; tl e 'teach within
was lined with smaller boats, all of which had come f l'y freighted
with passengers from Liverpool, to be present at the ceremony ;
iu addition to those passengets, a considerable number of persons.
on horseback as well as on foot, had flocked thither with the same
object, and rarely, if ever, has that point of the strand of the rive..
Mersey been the seine of so animated and interesting an exhibition
as that which it now displayed. The pent:Ramie view from thk
point formed by the beautiful shore opposite, with the town of Li-
verpool rising in the distance, the forest of masts in its crow&
docks displaying the colours of every nation, intermingled with a
countless variety of signal and other flags of the most gorgeous c •.
lours waving under a clear and cloudless sky,—for so fire 3 day ha
not been seen for some time past,—wu altogether one of the the::
ever beheld. The re-embarkation completed, the steamers, Milan •
by time fleet of smaller boats, plyed their way up the river town:, i
Liverpool; the company on board the Ormessipataking of a eo:.1
collation, abundantly and liberally provided by the Mayor. and
their arrival at the Prince's pier head, previous to landing, they s:.
luted his Worship with three times three cheers, in acknowhe :•
ment of his kindness and attention during the excursion ; to whi t
he briefly answered by thanking them for the compliment they h
been pleased to pay him, and for the pleasure of their conipan).
The neighbourhood and town of Croydon was c0r.,.:-
derobly agitated on Wednesday night by an alarm of tire, at ..
mansion of John Moberly, Esq., 31. P., of Shirley }louse. wit .t
was, however, happily arrested by the timely arrival of the Cr.- -
don engines, aided by the engine from the depot of the Royal
Waggon Train, and erthe:special control and management of .
David Stove; to whose exertions upon this., as upon all she
occasions, too much praise cannot be given. The fire originated
the kitchen, from a beam which had immediate commurie.. I.
with the drawing-room, the floor of which being tern up, > t
gave an opportunity to bring the play of the engineers
and thereby saved the elegant and costly furniture of Ills tit y
magnificent mansion from the destruction that was threatened.
A few days since a melancholy occurrence took pl a
the house of Mr. J. H. beach, of Leeds, bookseller. Mr. ,
it appears had retired to his room, where he remained so long ,
excite the suspicion of his sister. Oho, Alien going to the up e
ment, found the door locked. She succeeded in braking it
when, to her dismay, she discoured her brother with his throat ~- t
en a itest shocking manner, and a razor lying by his side; be: u s
vital spark was not extinct. Surgical assistanee was immediate /
called, and the unhappy man is now in a fide way for recovery. lt
Is supposed that Mr. Leach's recent tailor* in business had oce..
donee a deptiesion.plr spirit., which led to the commission of this
mebutcho/7 act.