The Sun.
London, England, 1864-11-03 00:00:00

Launch of the Royal George.

Yesterday dfine iron ship named the Royal George was
most successfully launohed from the building-yard of the
London Engineering Iron Shipbuilding Company (Limited),
at the Isle of Dogs, Poplar. The Royal George is a well-
proportioned vessel of 1,500 tons, constructed upon lines
drawn by and under the superintendence of Mr J. R. Baillie,
the naval architect of the company. Her length on the load
line is 210 ft, her breadth of beam 38ft, and her depth in hold
23ft. She has been built for Maus Fernie Brothers, a
Liverpool firm, and will be employed in ordinary mercantile
trade, for which her capacious stowage and expectant
high sailing qualities render her in all respects adapted.
The yard to which the Royal George owes her birth has
won cansiderable reputation amongst the Thames ship-
building establishments, but under a somewhat different
proprietary. For some years past the firm of Westwood,
Baillie, and Company has been famous amongst the
shipbuilders of the Isle of Dogs; but recently, following
the bent of the age, the joint-stock principle has been
brought to bear upon this as upon other large manufacturing
concerns, and the private interests of Messrs Westwood
Bailie, and Company have been absorbed by a limited lia-
bility company, under the name of the London Engineering
and Iron Shipbuilding Company. Among the works the
company have taken over and completed, or are in course of
completing, may be mentioned her Majesty's ship Resist-
ance, armour-plated ship, of 3,700 tons ; the Royal Edward,
a superb iron merchantman (built likewise for Messrs Fernie
and Co.), of 1,400 tons; the Cologne, paddlewheel steamer,
of 517 tons, built for the General Steam Navigation Com-
pany ; the Merle, clipper barque, of 407 tons, built for
Scrutton, Campbell. and Co. ; several steel plated vessels
for the Council of India; the Crystal Palace conservatory,
built for the Sultan of Turkey, and some 20,000 tons of
bridge-work for the Bombay and Baroda, the East Indian,
and the Great Indian Peninsula Railway Companies. The
late principals, Messrs Baillie and Westwood, remain as
managing directors. The launch of yesterday, which, as
usual, took place at the top of the tide, was in all respects
propitious. There was a tolerably numerous attendance, in•
eluding Sir E. Belcher and several nautical and engineering
celebrities, by whom the lines and proportions of the vessel
were favourably criticised.rThe ceremony of christening was
performed by Miss Bailie, who dashed the bottle against the
bows and pronounced the name by which the ship is to be
henceforth known with becoming emphasis; and the dog
shores being knocked away at the same moment, the Royal
George glided majestically into the Thames, to use the
nautical phrase, "stiff es a church," despite the stiff easterly
breeze that blew full upon her broadside. She was imme-
diately taken in tow by a tug, and steamed into dock to be
rigged and fitted for service. Amongst the company present
were Sir Ed ward Belcher, Mr R. Russell Carew,:Mr J.
Westwood, Captain Symonds, R.N., chairman of the com-
pany ; Mr J. E. Cole, deputy chairman ; Mr W. Austin,
director of the Metropolitan Railway; Mr ex Under
Sheriff A. Crosley, &c.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

COWDENBEA.TII AND BURNTISLAND.

A meeting of the promoters and ethers interested in this
proposed line was held on Monday in the Town-hall, Burnt-
island—Provost Anderson in the chair.

The report of the deputation appointed to attend a meet-
ing of the directors of the North British Railway Company
stated that the meeting had not resulted in any proposal of
a very definite character. Mr Hodgson, the chairman, had
offered on the part of the North British Railway to pay a
third of the expense of the survey of the line between Cow-
denbEath and Burntisland, and that in case an independent
company were formed the North British Railway Company
would subscribe towards the undertaking, and give every
assistance in their power towards forwarding the objects of
the promoters, but that the North British Company would
not undertake to carry a bill through Parliament next ses-
sion as a scheme of their own, end that he thought the pro-
ject had better be deferred for a year, in which case it was
probable that his company might take a larger interest in it.

- . .
Bathe SIVERRIGIiT said his impression was that the
North British Railway Company were rather unwilling to
carry out the real objects of the promoters of the scheme.
It was essential to its success that the railw: y terminus at
Burntisland should be at a height considerably above the
level of the present North British Railway.

Mr LAUDALE thought that probably the North British
Railway Company might be induced to come into the view
of a high level line.
A long discussion ensued, in the course of which it was
decided that the proposed line must be at such a level as to
accommodate the wet docks at Burntisland. It was agreed
that no time should be lost inpreparing the necessarysurveys
and plans, and that Mr Sang, C.E., Kirkcaldy, should be
requested at once to take a trial survey and give a rough
estimate without delay, It was the unanimous opinion of
the meeting that the necessary steps should betaken to enable
the providonal committee to obtain powers in the next ses-
sion of Parliament to construct the line, and if possible with

the assistance and co-operation of the North British Rail-
way Company, but if not as an independent company.
The proceedings terminated with a vote of thanks to the
chairman.

COCKERMOUTH, KES WICK, AND PENRIT H.
This company's line was opened on Tuesday for goods and
mineral traffic. The station masters and other officials
have been appointed preparatory to opening the line for pas-
senger traffic when the requirements of the Government
inspector have been complied with,
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