The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-02-23 00:00:00

SHIP LAUNCH.

On Tuesday a ship of about 570 tons, new measure-
ment, was launched from the shipbuilding yard of Messrs.
Cato and Co., Brunswick Dock. The owners are Messrs.
Stringer and Mann, and the vessel is built to replace the
Duke of Lancaster, for the China trade. The vessel, as
far as we could judge, appeared to be built more for use
than beauty ; and in planking we observed plenty of
Guinea oak, and such woods as are favourites for ship-
building. All things . being in readiness, at half-past
eleven the word was given, and the vessel received her
name, "The Diana," from Miss Mann, and moved rapidly
into the water amidst the cheers of the spectators. She
will be commanded by Captain Bulky, late of the Duke
of Lancaster. Her length is one hundred and twenty-
four feet six inches from stem to stern ; beam, twenty-
nine feet eight inches ; and depth of hold, twenty feet.
There was a numerous and respectable attendance at the
launch ; after which, the invited guests adjourned to the
mould-room, where an elegant and plentiful repast was
served up. Grp re was said by the Rev. Mr. Hampton.
After dinner, the chair was taken by Mr. Cato, the builder
of the ship, and the vice-chair by Mr. Mann, one of the
owners of the vessel.
After the national toasts had been proposed by the
chairman, and loyally responded to by the company, Mr.
NORTH rose, and begged permission to propose the first
toast. He said that he was reminded that it was but a
few years ago that they met to launch the Duke of Lan-
caster. They looked forward to the future performances
of that vessel ; but when he remembered the fate of that
vessel, he said, that man proposes but God disposes. It
might serve to teach us how God works by secret means.
We are made sensible that he rides in the whirlwind and
directs the storm, and that, as in the case of the Duke of
Lancaster, he works more secretly still. They might,
however, be encouraged to hope. that the noble vessel they
had that day launched would bring credit to her builders,
and enrich her owners. The name of the vessel, though
it seemed taken from the heathen mythology, was not
so in fact. It was not chosen out of respect to Diana of
the Ephesians, but in memory of a valued relative of the
vice-chairman, of the same name. Mr. North, after pass-
ing a warm eulogium upon Mr. Mann, proceeded to say,
there was once a time when a maiden's sacrifice was
thought propitious. That day they had called upon one
only to give a name, and therefore he proposed success to
the good ship Diana and Miss Elizabeth Mann.
Mr. MANN in acknowledging the toast said there were
namely, those concerning
points in Mr. North's speech,

the loss of the late ship and the naming of the present
one, on which he could not trust his feelings to speak.
Every man had his hobby, and ships were his hobby. The
inclination of his house was to possess ships of the first
class. A lover of ships, he could not tell how any one
could see a ship leaving our port without feeling an inter-
est. This led him to speak of a tradesman whbm he had
known but for a short time, whose business qualifications
and liberality he highly eulogised. He concluded by pro-
posing the health of Mr. Cato, and every success- in his
business.

Mr. Caro said he was extremely obliged to his friend
Mr. Mann; He was glad of his good opinion, and he
hoped the vessel would deserve his future good opinion
till completed, and in her sailing. Mr. Cato then proposed
the health of- the Dock Committee, which was responded
to by Mr. MANN, who observed that the accommodation
for shipping in the port of Liverpool was much too
limited ; but he believed that when the new works at the
north end and centre of the town were brought into
operation, there would, in his opinion, be sufficient ac,
commodation for many years to come. He thought the
Dock Committee had not given due attention to ship-
building. He thought it a great point that every accom-
modation should be given to the trade, especially for the
purpose of building large steamers, which at one time
were constructed here.

Doctor B-ruru, in acknowledging a compliment paid to
him, said he hoped they would all have occasion to re-
member the proceedings of that day. He would feel
grateful to his kind friends who had invited him to that
day's festivities, wishing, as they all did, prosperity to the
noble vessel that day launched. He wished he was able
to do justice to his friend who had called him to his feast.
He lied known him for years, and it would be a blessing
of his life- to know him for years to come. He would
advert to- one part of a speech that had just been made.
Mr. Mann passed over that, but in a more masterly way
did he show his fatherly feelings. This applied to the
naming of the vessel. It was not for him to sit there and
observe unmoved the way in which Mr. North referred to
the practice of offering a maiden's life when the fleet
sailed. In the times of Greece a maiden's life was to be
sacrificed. Here they had the name• given, and the
maiden's life preserved. In the classical painting of the
sacrifice of Agamemnon's daughter they had the crowd of
people, the altar prepared for sacrifice, and the maiden
herself, unmoved by her fate. But the painter, feeling
himself, unable to depict the feelings of the father, repre-
sented Agamemnon's face as hidden in his robes. The rev.
doctor concluded by proposing the health of Mr. Mann.
Several other toasts were given, and the company sepa-
rated much delighted. A band of music enlivened the
entertainments.

CORRESPONDENCE.

WOODSIDE FERRY.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

SIR,—As your valuable journal is freely circulated
among the inhabitants of Cheshire, I have ventured to
address you in order that those who daily cross the river
from the Woodside Ferry should take warning from the
circumstance I am about to relate. On Thursday last,
whilst walking with a gentleman along the platform erected
by the Ferry Committee for the accommodation of the pub-
lic, until their improvements are completed, a man pushed
past us, bearing a small anchor across his shoulders ; and
owing to the narrow space allowed for the passing to and
fro of the pay and contracting passengers, the man in
rushing past struck the eye of my friend with the barbed
end of the anchor, and had it been the sixteenth of an inch
higher, the eye would certainly have been torn out.
It is only a matter of wonder that more fatal accidents
of the kind do not occur, and I think, as the Commis-
sioners have been at the expense of establishing police on
board their boats, and at the end of the platform above-
named, they should have taken the precautionary step of
prohibiting men taking such dangerous implements as
anchors, carpenters' tools, &c., throngh the crowd. It is
almost impossible to avoid coming in contact with them,
and on more occasions than one I have received severe
blows from similar causes. It is very improper, and
should be prevented before something more serious hap-
pens.—l am, sir, &c. A CONTRACTOR.