The Sun.
London, England, 1857-11-20 00:00:00

TIIS GREAT EASTERN.

Yesterday a second, and, for the present, we re-
gret to say, an unsuccessful attempt was made to
move this great vessel further down the launching
ways. It was not an attempt to launch her, as
there is not now a sufficient amount of water to
float her off the bottom of the ways, but it was an
effort to move her about 40 feet lower down than
the position which she at present occupies, and in
this, as we have said, the attempt was a failure.
The immediate cause which led to this ill-success
may be stated in a very few words,--namely, that
the abutment of piles against which the basis of the
hydraulic rams rested ;fielded under the pressure
which was exerted between them and the ship's
cradle, and gave way to a great extent, and at last
in some places broke entirely.
The mooring chain, belonging either to the
Government or the city corporation, bolding the
sheave, through which, by a four fold purchase on
land, the stem of the vessel was hauled to the river,
also gave way, and this tuishait, taken in connec-
tion with the other, led to all further attempts
being postponed for at least some days, and per-
haps for a longer period. These were the imme-
diate causes, but in order to understand completely
the circumstances which induced them, it is neces-
sary to refer to the time of the first attempt, on the
2d of this month. Most of our readers can easily
remember the arrangements which were then made.
That attempt, though generally considered by the
public as a failure, was in realty rather a success,
for it proved beyond a doubt that Mr. Brunel pos-
sessed a complete command over the vessel, and
could check and hold it in even when it had acquired
a very considerable downward momentum. Had
he not possessed this controlling on the olcaQion of
the first effort, and when the monster slipped some
five or six feet in a second, the launch would have
taken place in spite of him. The vessel would,
indeed, have been got into the water, but probably
at the cost of a fearful loss of life. There is no
doubt that when anythingin the uatureof aspectac'e
is going for ward, there is no risk, however fearful
its aspect or probable in its contingency, which
Londoners will not incur to gratify their curiosity,
and it is this consciousnes of always venturing into
danger which inducas such fatal panics among them
on the most groundless alarm. Thus, on the first
occasion, as the hour approached when the vessel
was to move down, the river was literally covered
with boats and steamers, all densely packed and
laden to the very water's edge with men and women.
Commands and entreaties to these craft to remove
to a safer distance were alike disregarded, and they
remained almost in the very track over which the
vessel, if launched at all, would have had to pass.
It is frightful to contemplate what the consequences
must have been if Mr. Brunel had not possessed
perfect control over her movements, or it she bad
then slipped away and dashed into the river. Not
only would she have buried all in her immediate
way, but her displacement of the water would, of
course, have raised a wave sufficient to capsize the
boats and steamers near her, and even to cross the
river, and perhaps sweep away some hundreds of
the spectators whe crowded the wharfs on the op-
posite shore, within a foot or two of high-water
mark. All these things Mr. Brunel saw at a glance
when the time for the launch arrived, and he saw
also that to the tremendous mec'.anical difficulties
of moving such a mass of iron at all was auperadded
the responsibility of undertaking to do it at a time
when the snapping of a piece of iron or the neglect
of a servant might involve the lives of hundreds.
Nevertheless the attempt was made. The Great
Eastern slid down some five or six feet when she
was instantly checked, though not till the mishap
at the windlass occurred, which made all the work-
men in the yard so timid as to unfit them for the
execution of orders which required an unusual
amount of nerve and coolness. Within an hour
afterwards the attempt was given up, and it wts
then determined that, at all hazard', the publir
should be kept in total ignorance of when the next
effort should be made. Hence the strict secrecy
with which all the subsequent operations have
been conducted, and which was so well main-
tained that even up to yesterday morning not
half-a-doz-n persons were aware of what was to be
done. From prudential motives with regard tothe
men, and, also, that above all other places no note
of preparation should be given on the river, the
purchases worked from the barges which were to
haul the vessel in that direction were allowed to be
works d from the shore. In order to do this double
sheaves were secured to the Government and City
moorings, near the dockyard on the other side of
the river, through which the chains from the ship
were passed and brought hack under her keel and
up the yard, whore they were hauled upon with a
fourfold purchase by powerful crabs, each worked
by 24 men. Four of these purchases have thus
been fitted, and their united exertion, it was esti-
mated, would apply a strain upon the midships of
the vesel towards the river equal to 250 tons.
Small stationary engines in place of the crabs
worked the same description of tackle at the stem
and stern, but with these the
weer has been so
multiplied that each can apply, if necessary, a
strain of 100 tons or more. At the same time the
launchine ways have been strengthened by the ad-
dition of several lengths of the bridge-rails inserted
between those already down at regular intervals,
and additional and more powerful hydraulic rams
were brought to bear on the ship's cradles, to push
her with force enough to start her down the ways.
These were the changes which the experience of
the first attempt showed would be advisable in
future efforts. Six hydraulic rams were yesterday
fixed against the side—namely, two seven-inch ones
at the aftermost part of each cradle, and a 10-inch
one at each forward pert. The base of each of these
rams rested against a regular series of strong piles
driven deep into the ground, and this fulcrum ap-
peared strong enough ; but, of course, they could
only be tested by the Actual !pressure of lithe
rams, and that could not possibly
be applied until
all was ready to launch the vessel.
The last preparations were complete at about
noon yesterday. Up to that time so carefully had
',he secret been kept that oven in the
_immediate

neighbourhood of the yard the intended effort was
unknown. A collier brig which was ashore on one ,
of the launching ways tended to lull whatever
suspicions might have been entertained,
and which the appearance of gangs of workmen
greasing down the launching metals was certainly
calculate.' to excite. In the yard, with the excel)•
tion of those actually concerned in the launch, there
were not more than 20 or 30 gentlemen present, and
nearly all of these were engineers or shipbuilders.
The great advantage of this arrangement over the .
very mixed crowd which filled the yard on the last
occasion was so apparent that there .is now no fear
ii
ns
signal
n; but at last, at
1
of the rule of strict privacy ever being again departed
from.
The men were all at their places at the crabs and
hydraulic gear soon after 12 o'clock. Some time
was lost while the various details were minutely in-
al was given to
the gangs working the hydraulic rams at the spoe,cclteok,
dc, parleipwaraastroerya4o,
andbe the
beginning
fore-
most cradle to commence pumping. The aftermost '
cradle having slipped on the ways about 18 inches
or so more than the one near the bows, it was
necessary to push down the latter first, in order that
they might both start on a level. As the men com-
menced their efforts the anxiety and expectation of
all iu the yard, oven down to the navvies at the
crabs, seemed wrought to the highest pitch ; not a
word was spoken, and not a person moved. All
seemed absorbed in watching the tremendous experi-
ment going forward, so that literally for a few
minutes the suspense was aimed painful. The
gangs at the pumps worked with a will, but the
handles went down more slowly, and the pressure
was evidently becoming felt. A few minutes more
and the sharp loud reports of beams of timber yield-
ing and straining undertremend ous pressure became
more and more frequent. Every one imagined
that the vessel herself was yielding, but this
was mere fancy, as, after a few moments, it be-
came evident to all near the rams that it was
the piling against which they rested that was
'giving. Nevertheless, the strain was kept on,
increasing with every stroke of the lever, arid
the huge beams, cross-beams, and supports'
groaned and strained and bent, moving visibly
about like a huge piece of wicker-work. All this
while the foremost cradle never showed a sign
of yielding, or moved even to a hair's breadth.
At last the supports of the rams gave way so much
that it became nk cessary to assist them by hauling
in the tackle which puled the vessel towards the
river, but even these gave so little relief that at last
one of the centre piles broke, and some others