The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-06-30 00:00:00

WRECK OF. THE ROYAL GEORGE.

The great explosion took place on the 22d. The effect was
beautiful, and the intention of firing it having been generally
known, it was witnessed by a vast number of spectators,
notwithstanding that it blew a stiff breeze, which deterred
many from going out to Spithead. The morning was very
fine, but doubts were entertained whether the high wind
'might not prevent the operation; until eight o'clock, when
the red flags were hoisted from all the Royal George flotilla—
namely, the Success frigate hulk and the two lumps usually
moored over the wreck, one of which, No. 4, was removed
about 60 yards to the westward, while the other remained
over the spot intended for the explosion, As soon as these
flags were seen, it was known that the operation would be
attempted at the afternoon slack. In the meantime, Lieu-
tenant Symonds, the executive engineer, according to a plan
preconcerted between him and Colonel Pasley, sent down Mr.
George Hall, the diver, who placed first a charge of 471 b.,
and afterwards another of 2601 b. of powder, on the spot ori-
ginally occupied by the main hatchway on the orlop deck,
which were fired successively by Professor Daniell's voltaic
battery, as soon as he came up, the second charge being placed
in the hole made by the first. The object of these charges,
which were fired at the morning slack, was to make a deep
crater or hole for the great charge proposed to be fired at the
afternoon slack. Colonel Pasley came out about one o'clock,
and at half-past one the great cylinder, loaded with 25 bar-
rels, or nearly 23001 b. of gunpowder, with the voltaic con-
ducting apparatus attached to it, was raised out of a launch
alongside by the derrick of No. 5 lump, and lowered into the
water so as to rest a little above the surface, where it re-
mained suspended by the bull-rope of the derrick. Hall was
then sent down, and made fast a down haul rope with a
single sheave block to a solid piece of timber, which he found
at the bottom of the crater produced by the morning's ex-
plosion. He came up, and handed over the end of this rope,
which was attached to the cylinder, to which a couple of pigs
of ballast were added, to make it sink more easily ; after
which it was lowered from No. 5 lump, and accompanied in
its descent by Hall, who had a line attached to it in his hand,
and who made signals to the men above, either to lower
or occasionally to raise, or to move the cylinder to the
eastward or westward, as required, until he guided it
into its proper place, where he lashed it to the timber
before-mentioned. At about a quarter past two o'clock
he came up, and reported that it was properly placed.
Whilst being lowered, the voltaic conducting apparatus at-
tached to the cylinder was veered out, and the other end of
it was taken on board N 0.4 lump, and placed near the voltaic
battery, where Lieutenant Symonds now stationed himself.
No. 5 lump was then removed to the distance of 70 or 80
yards to the southward of the spot where the cylinder had
been let dowit All being now ready, Colonel Pasley, who
reruaineu tun „,,,,1,, __
" preparative," and in about a minute afterwards " the fire.
At that moment Lieut. Symonds completed the circuit with
the voltaic battery, and an immediate explosion took place,
the shock being felt and the report heard at the same instant.
In a few seconds afterwards the surface rose three or four
feet in a circle of moderate size, from the centre of which

almost immediately afterwards, a splendid column of water
at least 50 feet high, and of a conical form, was thrown up,
beautifully sparkling in the sun, which was hailed by the
hearty cheers of all the workmen employed, as well as of the
numerous spectators, and soon after several large fragments

of wreck came floating up to the surface, which p-roved to be
the lower part of the mainmast. The form of the column of
water was not so regular as on former occasions, owing to the
strong wind which acted upon it. When it fell down again,
clear circular waves spread outwards from the same centre,
making a great commotion at the surface, and causing No. 4
lump, which was nearest to the explosion, to pitch a good
deal. Soon after this the mud from the bottom came up,
blackening the same circle of water, which spread outwards,
discolouring the surface as it extended, and at the same time

stilling the swell of the sea for a space of perhaps 200 yards
in diameter. A great number of small fish came up, dead,
as on former occasions, which were picked up by the boat-
men. More than fifty yachts or large sailing boats came out,
whose decks were covered with spectators, among whom were
a great number of ladies. The two Admirals and the General
commanding the garrison, with a great number of naval and
military officers, and most of the officers of. the dockyard,
with their families, were present, many of whom went on
board the two lumps to have a better view of the operations.
The deck of the Success frigate was also crowded with spec-
tators. The Bishop of Norwich, the Astronomer Royal, and
the Russian Consul General were present.
The cylinder used on the 22d was of wood with iron hoops,

like a mooring buoy, made by Mr. Harding, the master mita--
stan maker in Chatham Dockyard, and protected by two
coats of canvas and several coats of a waterproof composition
discovered by Serjeant-Major Jones, which, by numerous
experiments tried to compare it with other compositions, by
order of Colonel Pasley, was found to be far superior to any
in former use, as it combines absolute resistance to the
greatest pressure of water with a certain degree of elasticity
that does not allow it to crack. This skilful and zealous
officer and a party of Royal sappers and miners have been
most useful in all the operations, and since one of the three
excellent professional divers engaged was obliged to give up
on account of ill-health, Corporal Harris has supplied his
place, and made himself much more useful in that capacity
than could have been expected from so short an apprentice-
ship, for he has only worked two weeks in this department.
Besides the divers, whose services are of the most essential
importance, the dockyard riggers under Mr. Clewitt, of
Portsmouth, and James Chapman, of Chatham-yard, have
given the greatest satisfaction, as well as the naval pension-
ers, about 40 in number, most of whom were petty officers,
and who, though all middle-aged or elderly men, have been
extremely zealous and efficient. The Lively sailing lighter,
commanded by Mr. Harfield, goes backwards and forwards
continually, and the seamen belonging to her are kept in
constant employment in taking on board or landing the tim-
bers and guns recovered from the wreck, of the former of
which an immense pile has been deposited in Portsmouth
dockyard. The whole is superintended by Lieut. Symonds
with great skill and indefatigable activity, who carries on the
work at every slack tide, except when it blows a gale ap-
proaching to a hurricane, that is, always twice, and sometimes
three times a-day, according to the moon's age, and never
goes on shore but on Sundays. Col. Pasley usually goes out
to Spithead once a-day, except when his duty requires him at
Chatham, where he passes most of his time. The massy oak
timbers upon which the foremast and mizenmast were stepped,
the after-part of the keel, the whole sternpost and dead wood
over it, and an immense mass of the starboard bow, which
rested on the keel, weighing more than 30 tons, and which
was knocked down about eight months ago, by the last great
explosion of 1839, having been got up this season, together
with the heel of the mainmast having been disengaged from
its step by the great explosion which we have just described

—these circumstances ;how that the demolition and remova.

of wreck have extended nearly to the bottom of the vessel,
and also prove that the mud has no tendency to accumulate,
but is cleared away by the action of the tides, in proportion
as the upper parts of the wreck are demolished and removed.
The effect of the last explosion could not be ascertained, as
the tide ran too strong for Hall, the diver, who went down
again after it, to quit his ladder; but it is presumed that it
will have blown out the larboard side of the wreck, and that
it will have broke up timbers in all directions, probably frac-
turing the step of the mainmast, but the kelson and keel be-
low it. The starboard side opposite was shattered and thrown
down by the first great explosion of 1839. Upon the whole,
though opinions were very much divided at first, and perhaps
generally unfavourable, there seems every reason to hope
that, before the end of the season, the whole of the wreck of
the Royal George will have been sufficiently removed to en-
able vessels to anchor over the spot, without incurring the
risk of losing their anchors and cables. If so, probably the
government may be induced to remove the, wreck of the Ed-
gar also, from which Lieutenant Symonds recovered five iron
guns during Colonel I'asley's last official visit to Chatham,
the surface of which, after an immersion of 129 years, proved
to be converted into very soft carburet of iron or plumbage
to a considerable depth, on removing the mass of oysters,
&c., with which they were incrusted. These guns are re-
markable for being much thicker at the breech and thinner
at the muzzle than guns of the same calibre of more modern
construction, from which the iron guns recovered from the
Royal George differ very little.