The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-09-24 00:00:00

THE LITTLE TRANSATLANTIC STEAMER,
"EARL OF ELGIN."

In our paper of the 9th of July last, we furnished some
particulars of the beautiful model and fine machinery of
The Earl of Elgin," a very sharp and elegant iron
schooner-egged steamer, of 115 tons burthen—the bull
built by Mr. John Laird, of Birkenhead, and the engines
(of 32-horse power) by our townsmen, Messrs. George
Forrester and Co., for slr. Thomas Lundie, Oldhull-
street, and his house in Jamaica, (Messrs. Lundie and Co.)
and intended to run from port to port in that colony, with
passengers. The length of the voyage, with so compara-
tively small a vessel, however scientifically constructed,
naturally excited considerable interest amongst nautical
men, and we partook of the anxiety they expressed; yet
aware of her excellent qualities from personal inspection,
we ventured an opinion at the time, that, (bating some
untoward accident which the largest ships cannot always
escape,) we had no doubt but she would reach her des-
tined haven in safety. It will be gratifying to all inter-
ested in the progress and achievements of steam and also
o sailing navigation to learn that our hopes have been
fully realized. She made a fine run out; steamed for 8
days only, and sailed the remainder of her passage. She
called at the island of Antigua for supplits, and after-
wards reached Kingston, from that colony, in five days.
Her appearance was hailed with the greatest enthusiasm
by all classes, and the colonial journals(before 9s) unite
in praises of her beautiful form, admirable engines, and
extraordinary speed acknowledging, ; et the same time,
the liberality and enterprise of her owners in furnishing
them with E 0 delightful a mode of conveyance round their
island, and w shins them every possible success in their
enterprise. Several of them quote the whole of our arti-
cte describing her. She had commenced running,
in lieu of another steamer, belonging to the same
parties and requiring to be repaired, between Kings.
ton, Port Henderson, and Port Royal, and had
given the utmost satisfaction. One paper states her
speed to be "eleven (and more) miles an hour," another,
that " she performed the passage from Port Royal to
Kingston,"—a distance, by the five-foot channel, of five
miles—" in twenty-three minutes ;" and another says,
" In these depressed times, when people cannot afford
the old, expensive mode of travelling, or conveying their
persons and luggage from one part of the country to the
other, the facilities afforded for locomotion by a steamer,
making a rapid circuit of the island, are gratifying in the
extreme, and will doubtless benefit many poor invalids
desirous of a cruise, or change of sir to recruit their
shattered health." We heartily congratulate the owners,
and also the builders, on this success of "The Earl of
Elgin," and with regard to her safe arrival out—as we
thought much of the voyages of "The Royal William,"
to and from New York, before we bad larger vessels on
the station—we may surely say of a craft not a fourth of
her size, " Well done litt'e one!"

DEATH FROM FIGHTING.—On Sunday morning, at
Chelsea, a man named George Benson, a labourer, was
killed in a fight which took place by appointment between
him and a man named Henry Jones.
We are anxious to call the attention of our readers to a
periodical work, which appears to us to be peculiarly cal-
culated for family reading; in fact, suited to supply a
great desideratum. in our periodical literature ;—a work
embodying truly Christian principles ; not so abstruse in
its character as to be unintelligible or repulsive to yOung
readers, yet solid and improving ; and, while quite free
from frivolousness, entertaining and attractive. All
these advantages meet in "THE CHRISTIAN MOTHER'S.
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which Mrs. Ikliiner, the author of several popular works,
is the editor. This excellent magazine needs only to be
known in order to be duly appreciated. The religious
papers which it contains bear the impress of great ability;
no less than of true Christian piety. The papers on familiar
astronomy, of which we rejoice to observe that tl.e series
is not yet completed, are beyond'all praise ; and the varions
rticles on educition have each great and peculiar merit.
In short, we are confident that we cannot do a greater
service to all classes (f the reading public than by recom-
mending to their attention this admit-Ale and attractive
magazine. No family should be withont it.