New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-09-04
FLOATING of tho Fourth and LnSt Tube Oh tho
Britannia Bridge.
From Inc London Patent Journ

From lhe London Patent Journal -,
The floating of the fourth and lasb GuOe, WHICH
NAV be said to complete this magnificent structure,
took place on Thursday morning, the 2otn uit' WIZ
success.
The interest that has throughout been associated
with these great engineering performances was
probably heightened on the present occasion, from
the fact of its being the last great launching opera
ton OF the kind likely to occur in this country and
accordingly, the concour~N of people present, from
sill parts was estimated to be not far abort OF the
thousands that thronged the straits on the occasion
Of launching the frat tube
Mr. Stephenson P. Captain Cexton, Mr.: Ed
win Clark. Mr. Bidder Mr.. G. 81. Wild, Me- Hlcar-
do Mp. Mr.. Lee Gle. Mr. Borthwick, C.E. aud
otbere took their stations on the top OF the tube,
which, amid the cheers Of the multitude, gradually,
as the tide came up rose upon Its cradle OF pom
toons The men at the mooring chains ana cap.
stanH in obedience to the various slgnahslngs ana
colored flags, piled away az their posts UNTIL at
three minutes past nine, the huge mass Wnen re-
leased from its mooriDgs, moved out into mid
stream where under the control Of the vast and IN
tricate tackle it made its way for full forty minutes
until in the space of another ten, and after yarous
nice evolutlona, il came home and WAS safely de-
posted amid artillery and cheers, on the projecting
pinths Of the towers. The tld5 taken ar starting
was 70 feet inches, and it gradually rose until it
reached maximum of II feet. The total distance
Travelled over from tie starting pon. on the Car
parvonshire coast to the base OF the towers was
upward of 300 yards. At about four minutes past
ten just az the operation was completed, the tide
turned and it was high water at 32n. past 10, The
length of the tube loated was 40 feet its weight,
$50 tuns, the number Of pontoons, g. their aggre
gate burden, 1850 tuns; the number OF men en-
gagged in the floating, 6s5' During the operation
the spectators were permitted to stand upon the
top Of the tube already in use, and which was CO.
vered with them from one end to the other. Ehe
completion Of the bridge will cause the Chester and
Holy head Company to dispense with nearly 1000
work mep, VINO, Bince the commencement OF the
works with their wives and families, hsve been in
constant occupation. Thehydraulic preaaes are on
the towers, and will commence lifting almost imme
diately The tube that has been in daily use since
the 18th Of March last has presented to the most
careful observation no change or alteration up to
this time The DETECTION found to be caused by the
passage of ordinary trains daily is twotenths OF an
inch and some extremely heavy GOAL trains have
DETECTED it az much az half an inch. The effect OF
joining the several tubes together, and lowering
the opposite end, has been to raise them four inch
es, so that the heaviest trains do not couutsract
more than one-eighth of the advantage shat wa3
gained by this process.
An early day in November next is officially an
nounced by the engineers the period for the con
sodaton and complete public opening Of the bridge.