The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1849-06-26 00:00:00

coolness with which he had directed the operation,—(l„
which, indeed, depended the successful issue. In propos-
ing that gentleman's health, he hoped he might be spared
to float off many, more monster tubes. (Cheers.)
Captain CLAXTON, in returning thanks, said--Tf the
company expected, after the kind and feeling manner in
which he had been alluded to by the chairman, he could
find words appropriately to reply, they would be much
mistaken ; he felt far too much overcome by such com-
pliments from such a man. He would only say his heart
had been in his work, and he was too proud, as he had
said on a former occasion, to have been one of the small
wires pulled by the great masters' hand.
Mr. STEPHENSON, in a highly complimentary address,
proposed the health of Mr. Clark and Mr. Wild. To
their exertions and skill the success of Wednesday was
mainly to be attributed, and he was not ashamed to con-
fess that when the tube reached its bourne, after its peri-
lous voyage, when he thought of their exertions the tears
started to his eyes. He thanked them with all his heart,
and drank their health, leading the cheers himself.
Mr. CLARK most sincerely returned thanks, in appro-
priate and feeling terms.
Captain CLAXTON begged to remind Mr. Wild that
though joined together in the toast, they were separate in
the acknowledgment. (Loud laughter.)
Mr. WILD said he had really little to say after Mr.
Clark had so properly expressed himself, but that he
should remember the compliment paid him to his dying
day ; he thanked them all most heartily.
Captain CLAXTON said, though he, Mr. Wild, had
little to say about himself, he (Captain C.) had a great
deal to say about him. He was glad of the opportunity
of acknowledging that, without his assistance, his own
professional duties could not have been so efficiently per-
forme?. He had done many things with him in the
' nicest possible way. It is not one, nor two, nor three,
nor four people endowed, with what powers they may be,
who could conduct such an operation with so vast a
' distance between its extremes—requiring eyes in twenty
places at once. and requiring temper in the discussions,
and humanity in the results. He was happy to say much
of the practical part of his duty had been helped by Mr.
Wild and Mr. Clark, and the successful issue was mainly
a result of their having kept steadily in view the object
depending upon their exertions, and of their having all
pulled well together.
Mr. STEPHENSON said they were not only indebted to
those who had aided them in the closet, but to those who
bad done their duty out of doors—the workmen. No
great object of this kind could be accomplished without
the joint efforts of many persons. The Duke of Wel-
lington had won the battle of Waterloo, but he was sup-
ported by gallant troops, many of whom perished in the
field. He felt indebted to Mr. Greaves, to all the fore
men, and to the industrious and intelligent workmen.
In the times of Smeaton and Brindley workmen were
employed as mere tools are employed now, and Smeaton
and Brindley had themselves to act as foremen. 'Their
time was not spent in generalising as was that of himself
and the other engineers of this day. They paved the way
for'us, and the workmen of this day are more intelligent
than were the foremen of that—this is one of the great re-
sults of the progress of science and the march of intellect.
If the contractors of these piers, with Mr. Graus and their
other foremen and workmen, had an Eddystone Light-
house to build, instead of being seven years, they would
not have been as many months. The men even of the
present day, who went through the mechanical work of
chiselling out the stone, understood the broad principles
for which the stone was wanted. The triumph of such a
work as this, in which he had to thank them for their
exertions, was, that their brawny sinews were not engaged
in conquering nations through spilling of blood, but to.
overcome the physical difficulties in the way of science, and
in the powerful and useful pursuits of humble life ; but he
said—let them not, any more than himself and all who
had been connected with the great work, forget, that
whatever may have been, or whatever may be, the ability,
science, intelligence, and zeal brought to bear on the
creatures' works, it is to the Creator we should offer
praise and thanksgiving ; for, without His blessing on our
works, how can we expect them to prosper. (Loud
cheers.) He fully believed that Providence had been
pleased to smile on their undet taking ; and he hoped they
all, with him, would endeavour to deserve those smiles.
(Cheers.)
Mr. GRAVES returned thanks in feeling terms.
The company then descended from the tower, and found
their way on shore in boats. All the workmen afterwards
enjoyed a holiday, and the partaking of good cheer was
kept up till a late hour, amidst the continued firing of
guns, the sound of which reverberated with remarkable
distinctness from the shores on each side the straits.
On the Tuesday evening, after the first attempt was
made to flcat the first great tube to its position, which
was then prevented by the accidental breaking of one of
the large capstans, a considerable number of parties, who
had come by rail or steam-boat long distances to witness
the interesting operation, were beard to express their
strong disappointment, and, in no measured terms, to
attribute the postponement to the Chester and Holyhead
Railway Company for interested purposes. It is but jus-
tice to state, in behalf of the directors of that company,
that in till ieir advertisements in the newspapers, and
their bills on the walls in the towns in this county, Cho-
shire, and 'Wales, they distinctly set forth that they could
not name the precise day, which would depend on the
state of the weather and the tide ; but that the floating
would, circumstances permitting, take place on some day
beginning with the 19th and ending with the 23rd. Tho
feat was accomplished on the 20th. so that they aro
amenable to no blame whatever. Rumours and even
assertions from other parties, having conveyances for
visitors, were certainly circulated, fixing Tuesday posi-
tively as the day, but the railway company had nothing to
do with this ; and the punctual manner in which they
have worked their trains, during the rush to and from the
scene of action, deserves the greatest commendation.