The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-15 00:00:00

A Newly-built Blockade Runner.

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On Tuesday an exciting race came off between
the Isle of Man new paddle steamer Douglas—the
latest importation on that line—and a blockade
runner, or at any rate a " secesh" vessel, called the
Colonel Lamb. We need not sing the praises of
the Douglas. She is the fastest boat which has
left the Mersey for many a long day, and her cap-
tain and owners need not be ashamed if .he has
been beaten by the Colonel Lamb, a steel-built
paddlewheel steamship— we believe the largest of
her class built in England—from the yard of
Messrs. Jones, Qaiggin, and Co. The two vessels
were moored abreast of each other at the Prince's
stage about 11 o'clock in the morning. The one
was an approved boat which had never been beaten
—the other a new boat which had never been tried
at sea—built of steel, and, according to modern
traditions, much more fragile than an iron boat,
whilst her great steam power was considered likely
to shake a few rivets. Results, however, proved that
the Colonel Lamb was a splendid sea boat ; she was
as stiff as could be desired, and there was an entire
absence of the oschlation which is frequently found
in boats of her size and power. The Colonel
Lamb was built by Messrs. Jones, Quiggin, and
Co., of the South-end. Her length is 281ift ;
beam, 36ft ; and depth of hold, 15ft 6 inches ;
tonnage, 0.111., 1,788 19 94 ths, giving a cargo
tonnage of about 1,200 tons. It is said that
the vessel will carry about 2,500 bales of
cotton on a draught of 9ft. Yesterday she drew 7ft
10in forward and Bft 2iu aft, with about 400 tons of
coals and stores aboard, and about 100 tons of water
in her boilers. She left the Prince's stage about a
quarter to 12, under command of Capt. Lockwood,
and when outside the Rock lay to until 12.38,
when the Manx steamer Douglas came up to her.
" Fall speed ahead" was the order given on board
the Colonel Lamb, and the race continued for 2
hours and 31 minutes, during which time the
blockader gained on the fastest boat on the Mersey
about four miles. Everybody on board the blockader
was satisfied that she was all right, and the order
was given to put the ship about. This was done,
and as she steamed homewards a cheer was given to
the Douglas, whose crew and passengers returned
the compliment handsomely. We should observe
that the engines of the Colonel Lamb were con-
structed by Messrs James Jack and Co., of the Vic-
toria Engine Works, Sandon Dock. They are a
pair of oscillating engines of 350 horse power, and
have the advantage of the application of surface
condensers, whilst the paddlewheels, which arc on
the feathering principle, are of 26ft diameter. The
coal used was Welsh steam coal, the pressure of
steam was 401bs, vaccum 25, and the number of re.
volutions averaged 30 per minute. By log the ship
ran 161 knots, or about 19 miles an hour.

The trial trip of the Colonel Lamb has proved a
very important matter, and will, we understand,
lead to the construction of several more ships on the
same principle. Her builders are already inundated,
as it were, with orders; and the firm which has sup-
plied the engines has several ether extensive orders
on hand, Messrs. Jones, Quiggin, and Co., we are in.
formed, have launched, since the commencement of
the year, no fewer than 11 ships. The first was a
yacht of 52 tons; then came the paddlewheel
steamers Badger and Lynx, each of 655 tons. Both
vessels were built of cast steel, and the latter one,
which was engined by Messrs. James Jack and Co.,
has proved herself hitherto the fastest and one of the
moat successful ships running between Bermuda and
the Southern ports of the North American conti..
nen t. The largest ocean-going sailing ships, built
of steel—the Altcar and the Clytemnestra—have
been launched from that yard. An iron sailing ship,
the Ueouba,of 1,264 tons, has recently been launched,
and the cast steel built paddlewheel steamers Fox,
of 432 tons, and Bat and Owl of 800 tons each,
have been added to the Liverpool squadron of
blockade runners. Messrs. Jones, Quiggin, and
Co., have also in hand nine ships of the aggregate
tonnage of 9,370 tons, besides some orders which
they have been obliged to transfer, and others which
are in course of execution, although the vessels are
are not yet placed en the stocks.

At the trial trip of the Colonel Limb, there were
on board several gentlemen distinguished for their
advocacy of the Southern cause ; some of the officers
of the late unfortunate Confederate cruiser Alabama,
and a numerous party of the general public. Beyond
"Success to the ship and her captain," no toasts
were given, and there was a studied absence of any
allusion whatever to the future mission of the vessel.
We should, however, be doing a great injustice to
the builders of the ship, and to Messrs. Jack and
Co., if we did not state that Captain Lockwood, and
some gentlemen who were supposed to be at least
indirectly connected with the Confederate Govern.
ment of the Southern States, openly declared that
the ship and her engines far exceeded their most
sanguine expectations, inasmuch as the wind was
almost dead ahead on the outward passage, and the
sea heavy. To the beat of our humble judgment,
the Colonel Lamb is the swiftest vessel that ever
went on a trial trip from the Mersey.—Liverpool
Daily Yost.