The Sun.
London, England, 1857-12-11 00:00:00

THE LEVIATHAN.

Since the efforts to move this vessel were brought
to an'abrupt close by the fog of Tuesday, the whole
of the hydraulic machines employed have been
moved up close to the ship's cradles, so as to exert
their force through a very short interval and save
the loss of power occasioned by their being at a dis-
tance from the ship. Early yesterday morning they
were all set to work again, and, after a considei-
able delay and after their pressure had been exerted
to the very utmost, a short slip of 14 inches
aft and 13 inches forward was effected, but
beyond this trifling distance it was found Melva-
sible to move the ship. In the subsequent efforts
which were made the mooring tackle wbich hauls
the stern towards the river, and which (with similar
tackle at the stern) is now mainly depended on far
keeping her in motion when once the rains have
started her gave way without breaking, and the
anchors which held it began to " come home." Thia
defection of so important a part of the apparatus
was final, and after a short consultation Mr. Brunel
determined to give up further efforts until to-neer-
row (Saturday) morning, or until such time as a
firm, unyielding holdfast can be obtained for the
moorings in the river.
Since the launch was first begun these river
moorings have been an insurmountable impediment
to anything like rapid progress. At the commence-
ment they were net in great request, but now their
services are absolutely essential, and, of course,
when just most wanted their break-down becomes
most difficult to meet. The reasons which render
them of such importance now is that the Leviathan
has hitherto been moving on an incline of one foot
in ten, but from the present and untie she reaches
the water the " ways" over which she has to travel
only slope at an inclination of one in twelve. For
the future, therefore, it will require a greater force
to start her, and a greater strain to keep her in
motion for five or six feet at a time. It is only bee
hauling on the river moorings that a continuous
strain of this kind can be exerted, for the hydrau-
lic pressure, of course, ceases the instant the vessel
yields an inch. For this purpose anchors of all
sorts and sizes have been laid down right across the
river to hold the moorings from which the strain
is exerted. As each of these in turn proved ineffec-
tive, others were resorted to, until last week it
large anchor of Trotman's patent was laid down to.
secure the moorings at the stem, and anchor at the
stern. The former still holds, though in such un-
favourable ground as to make it doubtful whether
it will bear the required strain, but the ground
where the latter was cast is such a peculiar kind;
of dense concrete that a pickaxe sc trcely makes
any impression on it, and all attempts even to drive.
piles into it have failed. Into this gravelly mass,
even Trotman's anchbr has been unable to pens-'
trate more than a foot or so, and it has been at last
decided to give up either faith or hope in anchors
altogether, and drive piles--for the stem tackle in
the wharf c f Messrs. Humphrys at the other side of
the river, and for the stern in the loose gravelly soil '
on the river's bank, near the Watergate Ferry, !;
Deptford. With the strain which these piles wue
enable the tackle to put on the Leviathan it is con-
lid.ently hoped that at every start she will be kept'
in motion fee five or six feet at a time. Should this
prove so, of course this most lingering of all launches
will soon be over. We must, however, own we
are not sanguine as to such immediate results, and
much fear that now that the vessel, is on a slighter
incline its rate of progress will be even slower than
heretofore. The total distance it has alreeelYacceen-
plished is 104 feet 6 inches forward and 96 feet
inch aft. To-morrow will be the earliest date
at
which operations can be resumed.