The Sun.
London, England, 1859-07-28 00:00:00

THAMES GRAVING DOCK COMPANY.

A large comr any connected with the commercial
and scientific world assembled yesterday at the
Victoria Docks, to witness an experiment carried
out under the auspices of the Thames Graving Dock
Company for testing the efficacy of Mr. Edwin
Clark's patent process of raising ships for the pur-
pose of examination and repair by hydraulic pres-
sure. Under the old plan of graving, careening, or
repairing docks.it was necessary to excavate each
dock to a depth sufficient to float the largest ship
intended to be repaired, and to construct at the
entrance of each dock a flood gate, or pair of gates,
to keep the water out. For ships of the size now
in common use the depth of a repairing dock must,
be about 24 feet, causing a heavy expense for exca-
vation and retaining walls of masonry, indepen-
dently of the cost of the tidal gates. Au entry into
docks of this construction is effected at, or soon be-
fore, or after, high water. The gate is then closed,
and at lower water, on a tidal sea, the water is
allowed to run out until the ship is left dry for exa-
mination or repair in a sort of pit, always damp, and,
in winter, soon dark. In tideless seas a graving
dock must be emptied by the slow and expensive
process of pumping. The new process obviated
these difficulties and delays. A floating stage or
pontoon is placed in a basin or water-way, and the
vessel requiring examination or repair is floated
upon it, and by the application of hydraulic pumps
the stage, with the vessel upon it, is raised, and be-
comes a working platform, upon which the vessel,
lifted up high and dry as in a dry dock, may be
caulked or coppered or repaired as her necessities
may require. The hydraulic lift consists of two
parallel rows of 16 cast-iron columns, each 5 feet in
diameter, and GO feet in length, sunk into the ground,
under the water, about 12 feet. These columns are
20 feet apart in each row, and the clear space be-
tween the two rows is 60 feet. Each column con-
tains a hydraulic press 10 inches in diameter, and
of 25 feet stroke, the top of the press being at the
ordinary level of the water. The ram of each press
carries a small cross-head, from which are suspended,
by means of descending rods, two wrought-iron
girders 60 feet in length, which extend entirely
t
across the docktoste side. T
he corresponding
is thus
s column and
press seriesd
press on the opposite
of 32 suspended girders extending entirely across
the dock ; and when the presses are lowered, lying
at the bottom of the clock in 28 feet of water, these
form a large wrought-iron gridiron, which by means
of the presses may, with a vessel upon it, be raised
out of the water or lowered at pleasure. The vessel
to be docked is not raised directly upon the grid-
iron, but upon a wrought-iron pontoon, propor-
tioned to the size of the ship to be docked. This
pontoon is first placed on the gridiron, and sunk
with it to the bottom of the water, Then the
ship is brought between the columns and over the
pontoon, and a 50-horse engine working the
hydraulic presses, laises tho whole pontoon to-
gether. At this stage of the proceedings the
pontoon empties itself of water through valves
provided for the purpose; the valves are then
closed, and the gridiron being again lowered
to the bottom, the pontoon, with the vessel seated
upo:i it, is left afloat on the surface. The shoring
of the vessel (a work of difficulty and cost under the
old plan) is accomplished by large moveable frames
or sliding wedges, which, while under water, are
drawn into close contact with the vessel, so that
she sits on a large timber cradle without possibility
of being strained. In less than 40 minutes a ves-
sel drawing 18 or 20 feet of water is thus left
afloat on a sh,illow pontoon, drawing only 4 or 5
feet. At the Victoria Docks the lift consists of 16
columns, which give a working length of more
than 340 feet. Perfect horizontality while lifting
is secured, by arranging the presses in three inde-
pendent groups. According to the statement of
the company, the general advantages of the new
system may be summed up under the following
heads :-1. Independent of tides, and at all times,
whether by night or by day, vessels of the largest
dimensions, whether empty or loaded, may be raised
out of the water for examination. 2. The vessel
thus raised is transferred by floatation, without
rails or slip, to suitable docks for its repair, where
it lies high and dry on a convenient timber plat-
form, on the same level as the repairing shops with
which it is surrounded. In painting vessels, the
free exposure to the.air is a most important advan-
tage. 3. One single lift or apparatus for raising
is sufficient for docking an unlimited number of
vessels. 4. The method employed in raising and
transporting vessels renders it impossible to
damage them by any unequal strains. 5. The sup-
port of the vessel by cast-iron columns affords
means of constructing such docks either in open
water, in tideless seas, or in almost any locality,
independent of the character of the soil.
As confirmatory of thi-; statement the experiment
of yesterday was a perfect success. The vessel ex-
perimented upon was a fine ship regis-
ter, and some 1,200 or 1,250 .den,
Jason, an Aberdeen clipper, which ,
tons of
was 8 O
b tonsfloate, u.d
upon
tc,
lni
tc
ya t
minutes
mni ou ft
esthberloluygttuluire)
water, and pended over to the inanipu-
iot)hluter soit)fisi gt\i‘el.
a,e atiav
lative ingenuity of .some two or three score of ship-
wrights, caulkers, and coppersmiths, by whom her
defects were in a very few minutes verified, and by
this time probably—owing to the facilities which
this new species of graving dock affords--are
remedied.

Amongst the company who were present to wit-
ness the experiment, which was eminently success-
fill, were Sir J. Paxton, Sir S. M. Peto, Lord C.
Paget, Lord C. Hamilton, Messrs. R. Long, M.P.,
Hume, Crutchley, E. H. Stanley, Cooke,
Reid, G. F. Young, Crayshaw, J. Clarke. Lee
Stevens, A. Brett, Gen. Wylde, Col. Hume, P. Le
Neve Forster, &c. &e.

LATEST NEWS.

REDUCTION OF THE FRENCH
ARMY AND NAVY.

The following telegrams have been received at
Mr. Reuter's office :

PARIS, JULY 28.

The Moniteur of to-day contains the following :
—" The Emperor has decided that the army and
navy shall be restored to a peace footing with the
least possible delay. (Que armees terre et mer
seraient dans le plus bref delai remises stir le pied
pair.)"

Yesterday the Emperor presided at a united
sitting of th 3 Privy Council and the Council of
Ministers.

TURIN, JULY 27.

The official Piedmontese Gazette publishes a
Circular of the Minister of the Interior to the Go-
vernors and Intendants-General of the provinces,
of which the following is a summary :
" The change of Cabinet does not produce any
serious variations in the character of the policy of
Sardinia. The new Ministry will continue to
favour as largely as possible the development of the
great principles which are the basis of our public
right.

"The Minister goes on to ask the support of his
subordinates in the tranquillisation of discouraged
minds, in strengthening belief in the right to
liberty, and in preparing the annexed provinces
for liberal institutions.

" The circular concludes by promising reforms in
the extension of communal and provincial

liberties."

According to a telegram received from Florence
the Tuscan Minister of the Interior has published
an official report. The result of deliberations on
the question of annexation of Tuscany with Pied-
mont has been made knoWn from 141 places, in-
cluding Leghorn and Florence. This result shows
809 affirmative, against 15 negative votes, repre-
senting the wishes and interests of 1,135,863 in-
habitants. The result of the elections of members
of a special assembly is also favourable to the in-
dependence of Tuscany. When the assembly shall
have received the numbers from the other towns it
will give its vote.

MARSEILLES, JULY 27.

According to advices from Malta, Admiral Fan-
shawe left on the 18th inst. for Naples, with five
men-of-war and one frigate. Vice-Admiral Mundy
has left, with one ship and one frigate. The ship
Cressy and two gun-boats have also sailed.
Advices have been received from Constantinople
to the 20th. Official orders have been given to
suspend the departure of the merves, peace having
been concluded. The settlement of the question
respecting the double election of Prince Couza has
been deferred until the arrival of M. de. Thouvenel.

FRANCE.

PARIS, WEDNESDAY.

A project of confederation for Italy, drawn up
by Count Walewski, has, it is said, been already
communicated to all the Governments interested.
It contains a provision for a federal army, and ap-
pears to resemble the Germanic Confederation in
certain points.

It is stated that, as soon as the troops have re-
turned to France and resumed their previous quar-
ters, a great number of temporary furloughs will
be granted, which will afterwards be made defini-
tive for all those men who have only a year or
eighteen months to serve. The administration of
the marine, also, is said to have received the ne-
cesssary instructions for preparing the definitive
discharge of all sailors who, having already served
six years, have been called out to join the fleet
within the last six months.

A Paris letter in the Nord says :—" It is not
correct, as certain journals have stated, that any of
the French troops are to occupy the duchies. Those
only who are at Rome will remain, for the present,
where they are. Nowhere else will there be any
military intervention in Italy."
PARIS BOURSE, July 27.—A fall of 1, per cent. in
English Consols caused some heaviness at the com-
mencement of business, but there was afterwards
a little rally. Threes, which had been done at 67f.
80c. and 67f. 70c., recovered to 67f. 90c. Mobilier
varied from 782 f. 50c. to 792 f. 50c ; Lombardo-
Venetian, 551 f. 25c. to 560 f. ; Austrian, 555 f. to
560 f. ; Orleans, 1,335 f. to 1,342 f. 50c. ; Lyons, 852 f.
50c. to 857 f. 50c. ; Southern, 505 f. to 507 f. 50c. The
following were the last quotations :-
44: per Cents. .... 95 50 I Credit
Do. end month —Belgian 4i —
3 per Cents. 67 80 Piedmontese (5)
Do. end month.... 67 95 Roman B6
Bank Share' — Austrian —
Credit Mobilier .. 792 50 Spanish Threes
Do. Account 795 Home Debt 4l