The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-09-20 00:00:00

IMPORTANCE OF THE USE OF IRON IN SHIP•

BUILDING.

(From the Mining Journal.)
The mining interest of this country is one of no ordinary
importance. The fact that the minerals which lie richly
stored beneath the soil of Great Britain, when rendered
available by the industry of our people, compose one of the
principal sources of our national strength, is now so com-
monly acknowledged as to have become almost proverbial.
Every fresh int ans by which the demand for the productions
of our mines may be increased, must be hailed as a direct
gain to the nation at large. While unemployed the ore is
perfectly valueless—it is so much of the country's capital
sunk and lost ; but when, by the efforts of man, its virtues
are drawn forth, the products are all clear gain. A small
portion of it goes into the pocket of the owner of the land,
and a very large proportion of its value consists in the amount
of wages paid to the labouring classes employed in raising
and converting it. It is needless to trace the advantages that
result from such causes, and the very important part such
operations have borne, and may, to a much greater extent
than heretofore, be made to bear, in supporting and perpe-
tuating onr country's glory. There are, however, two addi-
tional considerations that render the question one of para-
mount importance. We may first inquire—Can the metals
produced from our mines be employed as substitutes for ma-
terials from other lands, by which our capital is drained our
of the country ? And, secondly—Will the articles manufac-
tured from these metals be superior to those constructed of
manufactured from the foreign productions? To both in-
quiries we may give the most decided answer, that by em-
ploying iron as a material for ship-building, we use it as a
substitute for the timber of other countries—at the same
time, that we construct a vessel in every respect superior,
and which, in addition to its direct advantages, such as in-
creased strength, durability, stowage, &c., will enable our
own mercantile marine to cope with the ships of foreign coun-
tries in freights, and reverse the order of things at present ex-
isting—facts brought forward by the government commission-
ers employed in the inquiry, clearly showing that it is impossible
at present for our ships to maintain their ground, while foreign
vessels can work at such reduced freights. To all these, and
to many other advantages, does this subject give rise, that
we do not hesitate in pronouncing it one of the highest na-
tional consideration, and worthy of individual and legislative
iniquity. We will, however, take a few moments to show,
by figures, to what extent the substitution of iron for timber
in shipbuilding will be found to be advantageous; in doing
this, we, at the same time, contemplate that much more of
the ship will be built of iron than at present—an opinion in
which we fully agree with Mr. Grantham, and that not only
the hull, but the masts and rigging, will be of the same ma-
terial. If experience should prove that we are correct in our
opinion, all the most costly parts of a vessel will be of iron—
leaving, probably, not more than one-eighth of the whole of
any other material. Supposing, then, the average value of
a ship ready for sea to be £2O per ton, £3l 10s. will be ex-
pended in iron-work, and, taking the shipping required for
this country at 200,000 tons per annum, we show an expen-
diture of nearly £3,500,000 sterling in iron-work alone, a
very large proportion of which is caused by the wages paid
for producing and working it. This calculation allows no-
thing for the increase that may be expected in the number
of our ships when better able to compete with foreigners.
Mr. Grantham has, in different ways, urged this important
consideration, and has shown that, in consequence of the
difficulty of getting timber for our vessels, our docks are
crowded with colonial and foreign-built ships, so that a very
small portion of their cost is expended in the employment of
our own people, and a very small portion of the materials is
the production of our own soil. By this simple illustration
we hope we have shown that the question of iron ships is of
the first importance for England ; and when we contemplate
the prospect of the result of steam navigation, and nn the
navy, it assumes a character that calls loudly for inquiry.

A DRUNKEN Cow.—On Friday evening last a beer•.honse
keeper at Merthyr put two pails of wort to cool outside his
house : a cow, which was grazing close by, went and drank
about twenty quarts. It is not known where she spent the
night, but early on Saturday she was observed by many
running up and down, evidently under the influence of Sir
John ; and, in the course of the same day, the unfortunate
cow died in consequence.—Monmouthshire Merlin.

QUEER REGATTA.—Last week the inhabitants and visi-
tors of Hastings were highly amused with a regatta, not by
members of the Royal Yacht Squadron, but by eight fisher-
men in tubs, with a shovel to steer by. The distance to be
performed was from the battery, round a tub moored off
Beech Cottage, and back. The party started off amidst the
cheers and laughter of the spectators, but had not pro-
ceeded far before six out of the eight tubs were capsized,
which the men did not attempt to recover, out set off to
swim the distance. The tubs, however, proved victorious, as
they both got in before the swimmers. The first contained
Charles Brazier, who was declared the winner of the prize :
and the second, a fisherman, named Richard Hide, who
reached the Battery in his frail craft in safety. A second
match of the same description then took place between eight
boys. sons of fishermen, but their tubs met with the same
fate, as only two out of the eight reached the gaol in safety,
the boys swimming like fishes after them. The sport afforded
considerable amusement to the numerous visitors, and it was
calculated between 2,000 and 3,000 persons were present.