The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-06-10 00:00:00

La Belle Assernblee
next claims our notice; we did not receive last month's
number, therefore we cannot say anything of " continued
stories." It has a beautiful embellishment entitled " Emily,"
from a painting by Parris. It is accompanied by clever de-
scriptive lines by the late Miss Landon. The usual plates of
the ladies' fashions certainly present us with novelty ; we
have not seen anything so bizarre as some of the dresses for
a long while. Leigh Cliffe's story of `• A Gentleman without
Incumbrance" is well carried on. Miss Youatt contributes
a good article entitled " Idle Words," and Miss Sargeant a
humorous chapter on " Old Maids." Miss Florence Wil-
son, the daughter of the editress of the magazine, also en-
riches it with some graceful stanzas. This is a very superior
number, and we recommend it to the notice of our lady friends.
Amongst the stories, as above the ordinary run of such
things, we may mention " Tales at Ebb and Flow." The
compact "I, and my Pupils," " Gertrude Courtenay." We
perceive Miss Florence Wilson has a work in the press enti-
tled " Lyrics for Leisure hours."
After La Belle comes

The Sportsman,
abounding with interesting material for the lover " of the
gentle craft," and every variety of the genus how) class—
sportsmen. The contributors are Major Calder Campbell,
the Rough Rider Nimrod—Ramrod, Piscator, Leigh Cliffe,
Halifus, and Viator. The two illustrations arc "The Fox
and the Badger," and " Pepper. an active Burrow Member."
The former drawn by Armfield, and engraved by Beckwith ;
the latter drawn and engraved by Beckwith,

Iron, as a Material for Ship-building; being a Corawauni-
caiion to the Polytechnic Society of Liverpool. By John
Grantham, C. 8., President. London, Simpkin, Mar-
shall and Co. and J. 'Weale ; Lace and Addison and W.
Webb, Liverpool; Finlay, Glasgow; and Curry and Co.
Dublin.

(CONCLUDED Yitol.l GLTJ4. LAST.)
Our author next considers the question of cost ; and we
learn, from his conclussons, that an iroa sailing vessel, of
300 tons, in this point equals an English built twelve years
wooden ship ; that iron vessels above that tonnage are rather
less expensive than wooden vessels ; and that for " very
large" merchant vessels, or ships of war, iron will be found
much less expensive than wood. With regard to the draft of
water, iron vessels may be built of any registered depth, and
" when a very light draft is essential, it may be attained to a
greater extent by metal than by wood."
Some interesting particulars are furnished of the iron sail-
ing ship " John Garrow," a vessel which attracted much
notice when she arrived at this port from India, in conse-
quence bf her peculiar ugliness of form, which retarded her
sailing when in a wind, and rendered her unusually wild in
steering. Mr. Grantham and his partner have since effected
great improvements in the form of her bow and stern, which
have been re-constructed. The vessel has also been length-
ened some feet, and strengthened throughout by additional
iron ribs, &c. She is now considered a handsome, and will
doubtless be a very fast as well as a very roomy vessel. A
draft is given of her as she now appears, also half-breadth
plans of her before she was altered and as she now is. She
bears no appearance of patching, and the result shows " with
what facility iron vessels may be altered and strengthened at
pleasure, under circumstances that in wooden vessels would
render such operations almost impossible."
A full description of the "Great Britain," iron steam-ship,
now in progress of completion at Bristol, is supplied, and
will be perused with interest and curiosity, This immense
vessel is 320 feet in length from the figure-head to the taff-
rail, and her burthen (by the old measurement) is about 3500
tons 1 It i remarked of her, that " her lines are beautiful,
and adapted to attain the highest rate of speed."
The author next addresses himself to the several obstruc-
tions to the progress of iron ship-building, commencing with
the inaccuracy or variation of the compasses on board of
them—a point which he discusses at some length, showing
that Professor Airy, the eminent astronomer, who has di-
rected much attention to the subject, has discovered the true
remedy by which the magnetic currents that disturb that de-
licate instrument may be completely counteracted ; and that
it may be readily corrected, and so maintained as entirely to
obviate this at first alarming objection, and render the needle
as true in an iron as in a wooden vessel. Several interesting
facts bearing on the subject are adduced, and a valuable
letter is also appended, addressed to the author by the ta-
lented professor.
The supposed liability of iron ships to fouling is noticed ;
and it is shown that there is no difficulty in keeping them as
clear of shells and weeds as wooden vessels, by occasionally
cleaning and coating them. The author suggests a simple
but ingenious kind of scraper for cleaning vessels' bottoms,
even when afloat and sailing, and its utility end ease in
working are demonstrated by a drawing.
Under the head of "improvements retarded by prejudice,"
several instances connected with navigation are brought for-
ward to show that the public is often stubborn in matters
that affect old and Inveterate pre3wateca. Vur inataucc, tho
introduction of iron cables met with great opposition from
seamen of the old school: subsequently ships carried one
iron and one hempen cable : and now no well-found ship
has one of the latter material—and it is questionable whether
a loss would not be disputed by the underwriters by a vessel
not provided with cables of iron The same prejudice was
entertained against wire standing-rigging and chain running-
rigging, though both are now coming much into use, and are
found, particularly for steam vessels, to be superior to hemp
in strength and lightness as well as in requiring less displace-

ment.
The peculiar adaptation of iron vessels to steam naviga-
tion is strongly set forth. In wood steamers it is contended
that the machinery and fuel occupy so large a space that little
room is left for stowage. The vibration caused by the work-
ing of the engines tends gradually to unloosen the whole
frame and planking. In iron steamers, on the other hand,
the whole of the machinery and the hull being of the kindred
material, and elasticity, and capable of being so united as to
form a firm and unyielding whole, not to be attained by a
combination of timber and metal. On this important point
he states—" A wooden vessel, when she takes the ground,
and, frequently, when she encounters heavy weather, becomes
so much altered in shape that, were the engines so attached
as to form part and parcel' of the whole, they would be
in danger of being broken down, or otherwise injured. Few
wooden steamers, I may add, can be placed in the graving-
dock without first slackening the holding-down bolts of the
engines, to, allow the vessel to spread out, lest the framing
should be broken. The case is wholly different with iron
vessels—in which, if properly built, there is no fear of twist-
ing or settling. The engineer may, with perfect safety, firmly
unite the vessel and the engine."
An extract is given from the report of Mr. Holmes, on
the steam navigation with India, which appears to be decisive
on this point.
In the course of some remarks on iron, as the means of
extending steam navigation, it is remarked by our author :
" If not injured by some casualty, a strong iron vessel will
not require to be put into dock for several years, provided
opportunities are occasionally afforded for leaving her dry for
a few hours, to clean and coat her bottom. The engines be-
ing reduced in size and weight ; the speed and stowage much
increased ; the consumption of fuel lessened to one-third of
the present average,—what part of the globe may not then
have its steamers, what sources of employment does not the
prospect hold forth to this country, and what immeasurable
advantages may not thereby arise to our widely extended co-
lonies ? When we consider the results of such improvements,
we are lost in conjecture of the amazing extent to which our
resources may be applied. We have steam vessels now plying
regularly to North and South America : we have them in the
Pacific, in the Mediterranean, in the Red Sea, and in the In-
dian Ocean, as far as Calcutta, and even China ; and these
are only the main navigable highways, from which numerous
small lines may be expected to branch, filling up every inter-
mediate space, affording a continuous and profitable inter-
course with countries the most remote, and thus diffusing
amongst tribes the most barbarous and benighted, the bles-
sings of civilised life."
Mr. Grantham takes an enlarged view of iron vessels as a
" national question," and in this respect the subject pre-
sents preeminent claims to our attention. The immense cost
of one of our largest men-of-war is given on the authority
of Mr. Chatfield, of her Majesty's dock-yard, Plymouth.
" The Hindostan," seventy-eight gun-ship, cost the country
£72,000 in timber and building alone—the value of materials
being £60,000, and of labour £12,000. "It would require,"
says that gentleman, "4200 loads of timber to build a ship
of that description, and occupy 70 acres of ground for 80
years for its growth." The average durability of ships of
war actively employed is 13 years, and " The Hindostan "
took precisely that time in building. Our author calculates
from these data, and deducting one-fourth from the quantity
of timber required for the lighter scantlings of our merchant
shipi, that it would require the constant occupation of 400,000
acres of land to grow the timber for the ships annually built
in this country and in our colonies !
Our navy, it is contended, would be benefitted to perhaps
even a greater degree than our merchant service by the
adoption of iron, and more particularly in very large vessels,
as it appears that unlimited strength may be given to then;
in a ratio increasing with their size. The effect of shot on
iron vessels is touched upon, and it is shewn that iron ships
will withstand balls projected in an oblique direction with no
further injury than a mere indentation of the plates, and that
the facility of repairing the holes perforated by point blank
proximate shots is much greater than in wooden vessels,
while splintering—frequently so fatal in the latter--is alto.
gether avoided. The superiority of iron for our steam navy
is dwelt upon at some length, and we entirely concur with
the author in the following passage, in which he reprehends
the government for their apathy in leaving private individuals
to work out experiments and improvements in the employ-
ment of iron. On this point we leave him to speak for
himself :
It
of
" It is well known that, in this department, the operations
of the government for several years lagged far behind those
that have resulted from private enterprise. Until within a
iron in
recent period, they seemed to have viewed steam as an inno-
vation
had
d national feeling,
laeautmilaitayy uypeot on old established practice.
not ask whether regard the introduction of
almost shi ; and they appeared to pause, with an
from the
unaccountablee apathy, till the great national experi-
ment
ships. T tried at the expense of individuals. I need
led together all Ye
such a course was to have been expected
energies of her
government of a country where all is dependent on
would surely have done well, had they cal-
in a great measure, talent of the nation, and stimulated the
engineers.le To the want of such steps may,
property has been the ruin
the circumstance that steam
vessels, narrowed hi theui
in of tnousands. Owners of steam
random experiments of unscientific nresourees, were obliged to trust to
scientific men, who have had no
scarcely
have t o guidebeen
felt, them'
adantrtlietnsvell combined exertions of
the burthen, which would
of a government been directed
gionv!swforeibly noticed, and
lowed to fall upon her people." the subject, has been al-
The national prejudice against,iir
aajt'b' to popular con-
a hope is expressed that it will
manner
depine
the maritime glory of our countrye means
nadoefqpucarte-
rtise we
viction in favour of our "iron walls,”
petuating
Having now furnished a summary, though a
one. of the principal points touched upon m this
refer all who are interested to the work itself.
; got up
in a most reputable manner, both in the typograph
plates, and we have no doubt that, from the able