The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-10-29 00:00:00

Oermany, translated by William Howitt
Dr. Come'

from the 11.1.55. of

st reviewed, and it sees

to us that almost the whole essence of the book is laid before

the reader

a Santelice," a sketch from modern

history, is well written, and may serve to show how rich is
Italy in historical associations. The present number is fertile

in genuine poetry, and there is an interesting notice of the

" Memoirs of Jeremy Bentham

vigorcins, and apparently impartial

The reviews are copiou

Av oel, containing

A Letter to the Hon. and Rev. Baptist W , No,
some Remarks upon his Pamphlet entitled " .
the Poor." By Clericus. London : Hatchaed.
The reverend gentleman, whose " Plea for the Poor" bas

1 Plea for

been so industriously circulated by the Anti-Corn Law
League, here meets with an adversary worthy of him—a
clergyman like himself, and evidently, like him, a man who
has a genuine feeling for the good of his country. Clericus

seems to be a perfect master of the controversy, hence the
♦igour with which he assails Mr. Noel's propositions, and
the easy manner in which he multiplies facts to disprove
them.' We have not at present space to shew our readers,
by comparison, the mode by which Clericus answers Mr.
Noel's case, but in an early number we will do so. In the

mean time

we recommend the pamphlet to all who wish to
come to a just conclusion upon the policy of the corn-laws.

HOMICIDE AND ALLEGED HIGHWAY ROBBERY

(From the Glasgo

Mail of Wednesday)

_
A case of a very painful nature is at present under investi-
gation by the authorities of lienfrewshire. The particulars,
so far as they have been stated here, are as follow :—Two
brothers, of the name of Irvine, calico printers by trade, and
resident in Renfrew, having, it is stated, conceived that their
brother-in-law, named Thomas Hardie, stood in the way of
their becoming possessed of some property, lay in wait for
him on his way bonne, on-Saturday night last. Thomas Har-
die is employed as a carpenter at Clyde Bank, near Yoker.
There is a man of the name of Threpenny in the same work,
and as both reside at Kelvin Dock, they usually go home on
the Saturday evenings together.
.On Saturday night last,
however, Threpenny went alone, and at a later hour than
usual. When at the old waggon road leading from Dunbar-
ton road, about a mile from the village of Yoker, the two
brothers attaeked him suddenly, and, before he was aware,
one of them cut his cheek severely by a blow with a potatoe
beetle,
.and, knocked .him down. While on the ground he
was severely beaten by both assailants, and struck again on
the head with the beetle. Being a powerful man, however,
he 'managed to get to his feet, and having drawn a clasp-knife,
which- he usually carried in his pocket, he stabbed James Ir-
vine, the elder brother, in the side, near the heart, and ren-
dered him incapable of offerin,, further violence. He had
still the other brother to contend with, and in the scuffle cut
him in the arm, and inflicted other• injuries of a serious na•
ture on his person. The assailants then fled, and bounding
through a hedge and into a field cf potatoes. their progress
was stopped, James having fallen down in a dying state, and
the other suffering dreadfully from the effects of the wounds
which he had received. Threpenny had called out " murder"
when he was attacked, and his cries attracted a neighbouring
farmer of the name of Gray, and his wife, to the spot, and
the scene which was presented to them, on their arrival, was
certainly of the most painful description. James Irvine was
lying in the field dead, and his brother was evidently in a
dangerous state. Threpenny also suffered much from ex-

hauition and the effects of-the blows he received : he was
removed to Grai's house. The wounded man, and the dead
body of his ill-fated brother, were taken in a cart to Ren-

frew. The sheriff of Renfrewshite and procurator-fiscal ar-
rived at Renfrew at a late hour on Saturday night, and pro-
ceeded to make inquiry into the circumstances. Irvine re-
fused to make any statement till he found some relief from
the pain of his wounds. On the following morning Thre-
penny was brought over to Renfrew, and on Monday, we
understand, both survivors, with the body of the deceased,
were removed to Paisley. It is stated that at the outset of
the affray an attempt was made to rob Threpenny of his bun-
dle and watch, In the meantime, we cannot enter more
minutely into the circumstances.

LAUNCH OF THE "PRECURSOR" INDIAN

STEAM-SHIP

(From Me Glaigow Herald of Friday.)

In our paper of the Nth of June last, we gave a minute
description of this magnificent steam-ship, then in the course
of building by Messrs. Hedderwick and Rankine, at Kelvin-
haugh Dock, near this city, and we have now to record her
launch, which took place on Wednesday last, at four o'clock.
The day was one continued rain and storm, and from this
cause the attendance of on-lookers we, not a tithe of what it
would have been had there been sunshine instead of a deluge.
The Precursor was wedded to the waters in gallant style, and
was christened by Miss Napier, daughter of Robert Napier,
Eq., of the .Vulcan Foundry, amid the cheering of those
assembled. From the vast friction attendant on the motion
of such an immense mass she " smoked," as carpenters term
it, considerably in her run, and the sudden introduction of
the Precursor into the Clyde raised for a time the water seve-
ral feet in height along the banks, resembling the sudden
visitation of a high spring tide. She is the largest steamer
ever built out of dock and launched from ways, the British
Queen, the President, &c., having been built in dock, and
simply floated out.

The following are the dimensions, weight, and tonnage of
this magnificent steam-ship, made up from data furnished
to us by the builders :

Length over, all, allowing 17 feet of pro-
jection to.the cut-water
,Lengthof keel and forerake for tonnage
Length from stem-head to taffrail
Extreme breadth on deck
Breadth over Paddle-boxes
Breadth in midships, between paddies ....
Diameter of paddle-wheels
Depth of hold in midships
Quantity, of timber and plank used in con-
struction of hull, English and African
oak, &c., in cubic feet

Feet In

261 0
232 2
244 0
41 6
61 10
37 1
30 0
23 0

Burthen, per old. measurement
Burthen, per pew measurement
Weight of iron used in bolts, knees, and va-

rious fastenings

Weight of copper in bolts, &c.
Weight of .copper sheathing, 13,000 super-
ficial feet

Weight of machinery
Weight,of the hull ..

Diameter of cylinders,
Length of stroke.. .

83,300
Tour.

1,800
Ft. In
6 8

The. Precursor has a beautiful figure head of Lord Auck-
land, eight feet in height; anti her stern carving is in the
Oriental style7—the whole having been executed by Mr. Thos.
Kay, carver, in this city. The ship will carry 1,000 tons of
coal.

The following, which we transcribe from our former ac-
count, will give the, further necessary particulars regarding
the Precursor :—" tier keel is composed of nine large trees
of English elm, and the frame of the very best British oak
timber, perfectly square, without a particle of sap-wood, and
of large scantlings. She is built of solid floors of oak, six-
teen inches square, doubled and put together with felt be-
tween the joints, and the whole bottom is caulked outside
and inside to the height of the run of the bilges, fore and aft.
By thikmeans she was made perfectly water-tight before the
planks were put on, and these again are of uncommon thick-
ness, and all. fastened with large cooper bolts, instead of the
" tteensifs" or pins commonly in use. These bolts are
driven 'through every timber in the ship, and clenched with
copper rings on the ceiling or inside planks. The planks in-
side and out,, the beams, &c., are chiefly English oak, or
African teak, and in addition to the immense strength of her
planking. and ,bhidings, she is trussed and bound with large
iron riders, extending diagonally from the gunwale of the
main-deck to the bottom, and bolted on the top of the ceil-
ing. She, has also four iron water-tight bulkheads, by which
she is divided into five compartments, each provided with
proper pumps,
to be worked either by the engines or manual
labour. For the purpose of strengthening her back, the ship
is provided with seven kelsons, upon which the boiler and
tse are composed of immense
pieces of
k, three feet in depth. The Precursor
A. 1. and taken all in all, reflects
The engines of the Precursor
pier, of the Vulcan Foundry.

engines will rest. l't
- -

2 veArs

The progreil

AND SHEFFIELD RAILWA

made on the Manchester and Sheffield Rail

t this end of the lir

over the turnpi

ill enable the

road at Godley toll-I

eight to nine miles

at time

in the course of a feW; v

this portion of the railway is a

rectors, we ur

of froii

Ichester aoc

ment necessary to form a junction with th_
Birmingham line at Chancery lane ; over which.line, it i

u Travi

well known, they are to run as far as the static
street, and ultimately to the splendid new joint station of th
two companies in London-road.

Tile portion of the Manchester and Sheffie
to be opened traverses a district studded with populous manu-
facturing towns and villages; and amongst them we may
mention, as the most important, Gorton, Openshaw, Auden-

Railway abou

shaw, Hooley Hill, Fairfield, 'Ashton-'under-Lyne, Staly-
bridge, Dukinfield, Tintwistle, Hollinwood, Newton, and
Hyde. From its junction with the Manchester and Birming-
ham Railway at Chancery-lane, the line runs on a considera-
ble embankment for about a mile and three-quarters, where
it enters a cutting at Openshaw, and passes under the Stock-
port Canal, a little distance from Messrs. Orrell's factory,
and under Lee-street; from thence it passes, with a few ex-
ceptions of fillings hardly worth mentioning as embankments,
through cuttings or upon the surface of the ground, the whole
remainder of the distance; so that it may be presumed there
is little likelihood of any interruption after it is once opened
from slippings, settlings, or other accidents to which em-
bankments are liable. The embankment we have mentioned
at the Manchester end of the line has, with the exception of
the small portion at the junction, referred to above, been
formed a considerable time ; the permanent rails have been
laid down, and locomotive engines and heavily laden waggons
have been running on itior some time, so that it may be said
to have settled down, and its permanency, solidity, and
safety are placed beyond a doubt. The first. station on the
line is the Fairfield station, at the head of Gorton reservoir.
The station for the accommodation of Ashton is established
at Guide Bridge, about three-quarters of a mile from the new
church ; and this station will also accommodate the traffic
with Hooley Hill and neighbourhood. At Dukinfield there
is another station, situated at Dog-lane, near Dukinfield-
hall. The line passes through this township, and traverses
the extensive coal fields of Messrs. Swire and Lees, and of
the Dunkirk Coal Company. The station here will.be the
point also at which the traffic of Stalybridge and neighbour-
hood must come upon the line. The next station is Newton
Green, established for the convenience of the populous town-
ships of Newton and Hyde. The next station is at Godley,
on the Mottram and Hyde turnpike road, for the present the
terminus of the line; and here the traffic of Tintwisle, Hol-
linwood, Glossop, &c., will come upon the line, and arrange-
ments have been made by which the Sheffield coaches and
carriers will meet the trains there, for the accommodation of
the " through" traffic.

The works most worthy of notice on the line, are the three
viaducts—the Dukinfield, Harewood, and Etherow ; the
latter of which, though nearly completed, is on a portion of
the line not included in that about to be opened. The Duk-
infield or Tame Valley viaduct is a handsome brick erection
of five arches, each of considerable span, crossing the river
Tame, and exhibits the appearance of a firm, substantial
piece of masonry. The viaduct at Godley is of nine arches,
one of which crosses the Mottram and Hyde turnpike. The
Etherow viaduct is an erection of three lofty and beautiful

arches, with stone piers, crossing the river Mersey. The
centre arch is of 150 feet span, and the other two are of 120
feet each. The gradients on this line, though the railway
passes through a country offering many natural obstacles,
and where it might be imagined that considerable inclines
could not be avoided, are very favourable; the greatest incli-
nation being 1 in 100, or less than the principal one on the
Manchester and Liverpool line—(the Sutton incline being 1
in 89);—and this incline is only 64 chains in length; the other
gradients between Liverpool and Godley being respectively,
1 in 132, 1 in 330, 1 in 176, 1 in 193, 1 in 140, and 1 in
511, while some portion of the line runs on a dead level.
The carriages and locomotives, we understand, are in
course of delivery on the line, so that the working department
is almost in complete readiness. The locomotives are said
to be of a very powerful description, and well fitted for the
heavy trains which may be expected to traverse the line.
The carriages will be of three classes, evincing the disposi-
tion of the directors to afford every possible accommodation
to the working classes who may be disposed to make use of
this conveyance, and whose time is of course, at all times, a
codsideration to them ; as well as to the middle and higher
classes, who have the means of paying for the comforts of a
second class, or the luxuries of a first class carriage. The
first class carriages are of the same construction as those
used on the Grand Junction Railway ; the second are of a
description which have not yet been introduced into this part
of the country, and known only to our northern travellers
who may have traversed the Glasgow and Greenock Railway.
The third class are " stand-ups" of similar construction to
those used by the Manchester and Birmingham, and now
running between this town and Stockport.