The Sun.
London, England, 1848-01-12 00:00:00

LAUNCH AT PARTICK.

On Saturday afternoon a large iron steamer, named
the Trafalgar, built for the City of Dublin Steam
Navigation Company, was launched from the
building-yard of Messrs. Tod and M'Gregoe
Partick. The circumstance having been previously
made public, and the day being fine, the banks of the
river were lined with spectators, eager to witness the
interesting spectacle ; and the masts of all the vessels
in the vicinity were decorated with a profusion of
flags. The scene altogether had a very gay and ani-
mated appearance. In the building-yard there were
a number of ladies, as also Captain Sarsfield, marine
superintendent of the City of Dublin Steam Naviga-
tion Company, and other gentlemen interested in
steam navigation.
The necessary preparations having been completed,
about twenty minutes past two o'clock the signal was
given, and the ceremony of naming the vessel having
been efficiently performed by Miss Mackinlay, the
Trafalgar glided gracefully into the water, and the
firing of cannon amid the hearty acclamrtions
of all present. Ample precautions having been
taken, not the slightest accident occurred during
the launch ; and it may be mentioned, as reflect-
ing no small credit on the vigilance of the builders,
that the same thing can be said with respect to the
whole of the numerous launches which have taken
place from their:yards. The,Trafalgar has been built for
the City of Dublin Steam Navigation Company, and
is intended, we understand, to carry the mail be-
tween Liverpool and Dublin. She is 800 tons
burthen, and her engines, of 350 horse-power, are
constructed on the oscillating principle. It is
expected, from her beautiful mould, that a high
rate of speed will be attained ; while at the same
time, to fit her for making the passage in all
weathers, she has been built in the strongest possible
manner, and may be safely classed as the strongest
steamer that has yet been launched on the Clyde. She
has excellent cabin accommodation, and is intended
to be fitted up in a very superior style. We under-
stand the vessel will be immediately towed up to the
harbour, for the purpose of receiving her engines,
which are all ready, and she will, in all probability,
be finally completed and at sea in the course of two
months.

After the launch had taken place, a numerous party
adjourned for the purpose of dedicating a bumper
to the Trafalgar. Health and prosperity to klekr.
Tod and 11.1‘Gregor having also been propondsed
begged
Itl‘Gregor acknowledged the compliment,
to propose " Success to the City obfeeDnlableixnisStetenacine,
Navigation Company," which having been
years, had at length
he observed, for twenty-f
built for themselves. sentof getting
e ttthi :Fr
a vessel .
thought of coming north for°urtfieThepyurhpaodse
be also begged to propose the health of
marine superintendent, Captain Sarsfield, to inspect the
steamer, and
that gentleman. Captain Sarsfield replied, observing
that he had witnessed the proceedings of that day with
much gratification, for a finer vessel he had never
seen launched ; and he had no doubt that the company
with which he had the honour of being connected
would soon be induced to come to the same quarter
for a repetition of the dose. ,The health of Miss
Mackinlay and the other ladies present was also duly
hehoured.

We may add, that in the yard from where the
Trafalgar-was launched we observed other two iron
steamers on the stocks, one of which, belonging. to
the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Company, is )n-
-tended for China, and the other, a larger vessel than
the Trafalgar, to sail between Liverpool and Belfast.
We cannot but rejoice at the celebrity which our
Clyde shipbuilders have obtained, were it for no
other reason than the amount of employment which
it enables them to give to builders and workmen.—
North British Mail of Monday.

COMMUTATION OF SENTENCE.—The sentence
glad
_.l
Pilkington, as well as that of Speed, has, we are gea
to find, been commuted to transportation for lit
Liverpool Mercury.
CORONER'S INQUEST AT CROYDON.
DICAL NEGLECT.—The inquiry touch—legitLLEGED
Elizabeth Hopkins,: Howard, hose death was
alias vir
the neglect of
the death of
alleged to have, been occasionedmedical o
y
fficers of the Croy-
donDr. Berncastle, one of the
yesterday
at the Gun, Croy-
don. Union, was resumed
ry which did not conclude
don. After a long,
o icincitutilit;t night, the Jury returned
tuhnet fl
g twelveit verdict:—" r That Elizabeth Hopkins, alias
Elizabeth Howard, died from exhaustion, resulting upon
protracted labour, and that Dr. Berncastle has shown
the greatest inhumanity towards the deceased in leaving
her when in labour, and that we, the Jury, consider
him a very unfit person to act as a medical officer."
ORIGIN OF INFLUENZA.—Attempts have been made
to date the existence of influenza at a very remote pe-
riod. Dr. Most has extracted from the writings of Hip-
pocrates an account of a disease which he regarded as
influenza, but which differed from it in several important
particulars. Soine epidemic catarrhs which prevailed in
the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries are recorded; but
these can scarcely be regarded as influenza, of the exist-
ence of which we have no credible accounts previous to
the year 1510. Such is the opinion of Dr. Schweich,
and the instances brought forward by Dr. Gludge of the
earlier existence of this epidemic are not satisfactory.
Since the sixteenth century it has frequently occurred,
and the extent of country over which it has passed, as
well as the large number of individuals whom it has
affected, has afforded ample opportunity for local de-
scriptions of the disease, of which medical authors have
considerably availed themselves. According to Dr.
Schweich, the disease has most frequently had its origin
in the north, whence it has extended in a south-westerly
direction ,• that it has frequently passed from south fo
north, or from north east to north-west, and never from
west to east, or from north to south.—British and
reign Medical .Review.