The Sun.
London, England, 1832-07-30 00:00:00

LAUNCH OF AN IRON STEAM-VESSEL.

On Saturday was launched from the wharf of Mauds-
lAys and Co., at Pedlar's Acre, near Westtnir.ter
n iron steam-boat, intended to be employed on the rivers
n India. A large assemblage collected on the adjoining
vharfs, bridges, &c ,to witness the novel spectacle. A
steam-packet moored off the wharf was crowded with very
respectable company, including persons of rank. At three
,'clock, the signal was given, the shores were knocked
sway, and the vessel glided steadily and majestically into
the river, amidst the huzzas of those on board and on
-bore. As she was moving from the stocks, Lord Sandon
'woke a bottle of wine against the iron stern, and named
it the Lord William Bentinek. The Earl of Harrowby
assisted at the ceremony.
Seven years have elapsed since Captain James H.
Johnston, the enterprising individual who has the merit of
'laving introduced steam navigation into India, departed
from England on his voyage thither in the Enterprise. The
Abvious advantages of such a vessel in India were instantly
aerceived by the local Government ; she was pu, chased and
employed with singular good effect in the Burmese war.
The utility of steam navigation in the interior of India
'peedily presented itself to the discerning mind of the en-
ightened Nobleman now at the head of the Bengal Go-
vernment, who, en his arrival in India, employed Capt.
Johnston to report on the practicability of employing
-team-vessels on the Ganges. The report was favour-
Ll:le—experimental voyages were performed—but the
lifficulty was to accommodate the vessels to the navigation
if the river, which abounds with shoals, by reducing
heir draught; it being ascertained that, to he able to
proceed at all seasons, and at the lowest state of the river,
.he vessels should not exceed a draught of two feet. It
was further ascertained, that the speed of the vessels most
he more than six miles per hour, in orderto withstind the
current in the narrow parts. At the same time, the pur-
poses for which the vessels were required rendered it in-
dispensable that they should have extensive accommodation
And large capacity.
To combine these various propert'es taxed to the utmost
the ingenuity of professional and scientific men in India,
and at length Captain Johnston was deputed by the Su-
preme Government of India to lay the accumulated infor-
mation obtained there before the Court of Directors in
England, by whom the matter was taken up with promp-
titude and spirit. Tenders were invited for the construc-
tion of iron vessels, of fixed dimensions and substance, and
a contract was ultimately entered into with Messrs.
Nlaudslays, Sons, and Field, for four pairs of iron boats,
four tugs, and four boats for the accommodation of pas-
sengers and conveyance of cargo. The boat launched on
Saturday is one of these tugs, which are of the same di-
mensions as the others.

The vessel is 125 feet long, 22 feet beam, and, with the
exception of her decks, is entirety of iron, the plates rivetts d
together; the thickness varying from one.quatterto three-
eighths of an inch. Thereisnothing in the least unsightly
in her appearance; she resembles an ordinary steam:ves-
sel. She is to be fitted with a pair of engines, of the
united power of sixty horses, with vibrating cylinders, on
a principle for which Messrs. Altudslay have obtained a
patent, and which has been tried with complete success.
She will carry nothing besides her crew, stores, and fuel
for 19 hours' consumption, and will tow, at the rate of
seven and a half statute miles per hour, an iron accommo-
dation vessel, of the same dimensions, capable of embark-
ing a weight of 50 tons, at a draught of two feet, the limit
of both vessels. The actual draught of the vessel now
launched, with nearly 100 persons on board, was found
to he 13i- incises, without the engines.
A trial of the first pair of boats will be made on the
river, and if successful, the metal parts of the othe six
will be prepared for shipment to India.
The motive for preferring iron for the construction of
these boats was the economy of weight, but the saving of
expense is considerable; the first pair of boats, including
the engines, anchor:, and cables, will cost less than 6,000/.

It has been ascertained that coal abounds on the banks
of the Ganges, I3rahrnaputra, and other rivers ; and it is
proved, by testimony before the Parliamentary Committee,
that the mineral is plentiful in various parts of India.
The effects which will be produced by the introduction of
steam-vessels into the rivers of India, in facilitating inter-
nal intercourse, and thereby promoting the ends of Go-
vernment 8.14 well as of commerce, are incalculable.
It must be gratifying to Captain Johnston to know that
his name will be associated with the important results
which must proceed from the extension of steam-naviga-
tion in India.

ATROCIOUS MURDER BY WIIITEFEET.---
It is with feelings of horror and disgust that we find it
our painful duty to have to record another sacrifice of hu-
man life. The victim is Mr. RICHARD Mattum, of
Aherny, Queen's County, who acted as land agent to
GORGES MEALY, Esq., of Violet-hill, in the county Kil-
kenny. Mr. MARUM, besides his farm in the Queen's
County, held another, called Bornefea, in the county KOh
kenny, situate within three miles of the Royal Oak. To
this he proceeded in the course of the past week, to have
some meadows cut down ; and for that purpose he en-
,,,aged mowers from the neighbour:mod. After the first day
they demanded an increase of wages, which was acceded
to by their employer. The day after this, however, a
further rise was demanded, hut being refused, the work
was left off. On this Mr. Maaust procured mowers from
his farm in the Queen's County, and they commenced the
work ; but early on Thursday they were obli,ed to quit,
in consequence of a threatening notice; and on the same
morning, about ten o'clock, as Mr. MARUM was' stand-
ing in his carpenter's workshop, there being then pre-
sent in it an apprentice of the carpenter, three fellows,
grangers, rushed into the place, having no disguise %viva-
ever on them. They immediately exclaimed, " You
villain, we have you now—and we have been long looking
for you." A blunderbuss was then presented at him ; he
begged for mercy, but the villain who held it discharged it
it his victim, who instantly dropped dead, several slugs
having penetrated his brain. The miscreants then beat
him with the butt end of the piece ott the face, until the
features were so defaced that even his own family could
scarcely have recognised him. After this ferocious act
:hey departed, and up to the hour at which we write, no
account of their being traced has reached us. The de-
ceased was nephew to the late Mr. Joins MAnust, of
Mountstopford, who was murdered some years hack by a
party of Shanavests, on the ground of his having taken
lands out of which the former tenants had been ejected.
He was also nephew to the lute Dr. MAl:um, Catholic
Bishop of Ossory. He was in Lis 35th year, and has
left a wife with a large and young family. It is re-
markable, that on the Monday preceding his death, Mr.
MARUM was examined at the Kilkenny assizes as to the
character of a prisoner charged with a " Whitefoot"
offence, and principally owing to the excellent character
given by him on that occasion, the prisoner was ac-
quitted.—An inquest was held on Thursday last on the
body of the lamented gentleman, when the Jury returned
4 verdict of Wilful Murder against some persons unknown.
Dublin Morning Register, Saturday.

CHOLERA AND ALARMING RIOT AT
WICK, CAITHNESS•SHIRE.—Vie are sorry to state that
two cases of decided cholera occurred on Thursday week,
in the same family, at Wick. Both cases, which were of
the most malignant character, terminated fatally in a very
short time. Until the strangers arrived, the medical gen-
tleman (Dr. E. D. Awsorr, from Edinburgh), who had
charge of the hospital, &c. at Wiok, appeared to have se-
cured the confidence of all classes of the inhabitants.
This, however, was much shaken when the fishermen
arrived from Musselburgb, Fisherrow, Dunbar, &c. who
related to the inhabitants frightful stories about the num-
ber of persons, their friends and neighbours, who had been
poisoned, some of whom had been buried alive, and that
all the patients who Dr. ALLISON had attended had died ;
and foretold, that if be remained much longer, they
would find that he would play the same tricks to them
likewise, as he was sent down for no other purpose
than procuring fifty subjects every week for Edin.
burgh College. It was confidently asserted, too, that
twelve dozen of coffins were ready ; and that Dr, A. had
engaged, that if he once got a patient into the hospi-
tal, he would take good care that he would not come
out again alive. The circumstance of the first case
having terminated fatally with great rapidity, and after an
exhibition of some medicine, appeared to confirm these
grossly unfounded stories. The cases were alleged not to
have been cholera, and Dr. A. was immediately charged
with the murder of the patients—with poisoning all the
public wells, which were forsaken. Crowds, mostly com-
posed of south-country fishermen, soon collected around
the quarantine hospital, which Was getting ready to receive
the surviving infected family, and were harangued in the
most violent manner by several of their number. Dr. A.
in vain assured the raob that he was innocent of the
crimes imputed to bitn ; he was answered with the most
fearful imprecations and threatening language, horyd yells,
and cries of " Murder bite—off with the murderer, &c."
A ruffian attempted to knock him down, but the Chair-
man of the Board of Health protected him, and in doing
) thcame the object of the fury of the mob, from vvlaom
he was rescued with difficulty, whilst Dr. A. alter taking
efuge in a house, was attended to his lodgings by one of
the Magistrates. As Dr. A. found the people not only
determined to oppose him in all his measures, but threiven-
ed his life, lie immediately resigned his duties. —Edin-
burgh Evening Courant,