The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-07-25 00:00:00

FLOATING OF " THE GREAT BRITAIN"
STEAM-SHIP,

AND
VISIT OF PRINCE ALBERT TO BRISTOL.

(From our own Reporter.)

Wednesday last (the 19th) was a proud day for the in-
habitants of the ancient and interesting city of Bristol,
and a not less gratifying one to the many thousands of
strangers who had there congregated to witness the launch
of the Great Britain,—the largest ship in the world,—
the occasion being rendered doubly attractive by its being
known that his Royal Highness Prince Albert had con.
sented to become the guest of the company of proprietors
of the gigantic vessel, at a grand public banquet in com-
memoration of the event, and to which many distinguished
individuals from the metropolis and elsewhere were also
invited. Not only Somersetshire, Gloucestershire, and
Wiltshire, but all the western and many of the more dis-
tant counties, sent their hundreds to witness the specta-
cle ; and there were not a few curious strangers from the
north of England, and even from Scotland and Ireland.
Extensive arrangements were made for the occasion, and
more particularly for the loyal and becoming reception of
the Prince and his retinue, not only at Bristol, but at
Bath ; and at all the stations and places on the rail route
from London, demonstrations of welcome, though but to
be momentarily seen, were exhibited in evergreens, flags,
devices of flowers, &c. In Bristol the hands and ham-
mers of workmen were busy for some time previously
night and day. On Tuesday, every street in Bristol
through which the cortege was to pass reverberated with
the lively " note of preparation," in the erection of tri-
umphal arches, and galleries for spectators on convenient
sites, decorations of flowers, &c. The weather on that
day was on the whole unpropitious, drizzling rain having
for the most part been succeeded throughout by long,
heavy showers, accompanied by a brisk wind. For many
hours, indeed, after two o'clock, the downfal was conti-
nuous over a circuit of many miles round, including pro-
bably the whole of the west of England. Many parties
who had purposed to make their way to " the city of the
sight," were consequently deterred, especially those from
the north, for whom there was no conveyance from
Gloucester but per coach, by which places were difficult
to be obtained and prices high. Some, however, (inclu-
ding our own reporter,) were determined to " go a-head,"
and, when all the conveyances from that city were filled
to repletion, took passage by stage coach (also at a heavy
charge) via" Bath, whence they proceeded to their desti-
nation by the rails of the Great Western line. We need
scarcely say that they were all drenched nearly to the skin,
and those who were strangers amongst them had the ad-
ditional mortification of being unable, during a long and
fatiguing ride, to view the beautiful scenery of that luxu-
riant and diversified part of the country—more especially
the fine undulated and richly-wooded district on the long
descent towards Bath. That splendid aristocratic city
was also, on their arrival, shrouded in mist and rain. A
special cheap train had in the morning left Birmingham—
the passengers (some hundreds in number) to be taken
through to Bristol rid Gloucester, and from the latter by a
steamer down the Severn. The vessel, however, by some
mismanagement, added to the badness of the weather, got
stranded on a bank ; many of the party afterwards became
horridly sea-sick, and the scene on board " beggared all
description." Many of those amongst them who got to
Bristol, and saw the launch, returned by the same con-
veyance on Thursday, and had again a similar aquatic
misfortune, being regularly shipwrecked on the soft mud,
from which young and old (including ladies) had much
difficulty in gaining terra firma by wading, scrambling,
using ladders, &c. They had afterwards to walk for se-
veral long miles on a " desolate " shore, before they could
obtain rest, shelter, or repose ; but, on getting into the
return train appointed for them at Gloucester, on the
following day, they related, with the greatest good hu-
mour, their mutual disasters by " flood and field," as if
they had made a voyage to New Zealand, and, after being
cast away amongst " the natives," had again found means
of crossing the stormy ocean, and returning, on a firmer
element, to " home, sweet home." The ladies had evi-
dently suffered much from fatigue and long exposure, but
were nevertheless the merriest of the party—all of whom
purposed to set up their claims as nautieal adventurers,
and to publish their respective tomes, for which they ex-
pected a call for at least three editions. By Tuesday
night, such was the influx of strangers ihto Bristol, that
many had great difficulty in procuring beds at the inns
and taverns, and private lodgings were consequently in
great requisition. The Bristolians, however, showed
them (so far as our reporter could observe) the greatest
civility and attention ; and they were doubtless all accom-
modated comfortably, though not perhaps so separately
in some cases as they desired.
Wednesday morning, as might be expected, was ushered
in by the ringing of bells and the firing of cannon, and by
seven o'clock the numerous streets—principally narrow,
compared to those of our town, though interesting from
the fine antique or modern buildings—became animated
by bustling crowds in their best attire, viewing, and re-
marking on, the various temporary erections, devices and
flags in the principal thoroughfares. Some of the triumphal
arches, &c., were yet unfinished, and the workmen
mounted on ladders or scaffolds were busy in giving them
their final touch of decoration. The expenditure of
evergreens, roses, dahlias, and other flowers, must have
been very great, for some parts of streets, what with
arches, wreaths on walls and windows, green boughs,
&c., bore no distant resemblance to splendid parterres or
conservatories, in richness of verdure and variety of
bloom. The early part of the day was bright and fihe.

THE PRIYCE'S JOURNEY FROM LONDON.

His Royal Highness, attended by the Marquis of
Exeter, Colonel Bouverie, Lords Liverpool, Lincoln,
Wharncliffe, and C. Wellesley, Lieut.-col. Bouverie, Mr.
E. Anson, &c., left Buckingham Palace a little before
seven, for the station at Paddington, from which they
started. The train also brought down Mr. C. Russell,
chairman of the railway company, Mr. Saunders, the se-
cretary, and Mr. Smith, the inventor of the Archimedean
screw, as applicable to steam-ships, and many other
parties of eminence in the senate or in the scientific
world. Mr. Brunel, the far-famed civil engineer of the
Great Western► line, was with the engine that drew the
train, and conducted it throughout. The steam was put
on at 3 minutes past 7, and the train arrived at Reading
in 461 minutes ; at Bath at 42 minutes past 9, and, after
considerable stoppages.(of 15 minutes in all,) at Bristol at
91 minutes past 10 o'clock, thus performing the whole
journey of 119 miles in (including the stoppages,) the
amazingly short space of 2 hours 531 minutes ! The loco-
motive, the Damon, ran a distance of 4 miles between
Steventon and Wallingford-road station in 3 minutes 45
seconds ; also between Twyford and Slough, ten miles, in
eleven minutes ! One account states that " such was its
speed that many small birds were cut down!"