The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-11-19
L HI E DISP ATCH.
THURsDAY MORNINa...... YoYEMnEs1RE, 10 iss1
The Attempted Launch of the Gle.
viathan

tnls country, has been noticed. The London p.st
of the 4th inst. says:
Every preliminary arrangement WAS comnIs.aa
at an early hour yesterday morning and batara IN
oelock the yard began to fill with visitors who baS
received cards OF admission. Among then, xere
several distinguished scientific individuals who
appeared to anticipate with profound interest the
great event Of the day. The members Of tba oy
royal family of France were among the earIx arri
walls. They We're received by Mr.. Yates tba sarre
tary, who explained TO them the uature of the
machinery by which the launch is to be effected =
His Excellency the Turkish Ambassad,r the Ra
varan Minister, the Spanish Charge d Af,ires .nd
several members of the corps dfpJ0Da1tjaur wara
present and the Earl of Hardwicke and other mo-
bemen were OH the ground.
Precisely at half past ii O'clock the ceremonv of
christening the ship was gracefully and .n;ri,:,Ir
performed by Miss Hope the daughter of the chair
man OF the company-the "Leviathanp being the
appropriate name selected.
AS soon as this form had been gone through
Mr.. Brunei gave the signal for knocking .way IT,
few last remaining "shores" and stays y aud
now the mighty machine stood supported SOLELY
on her cradles, awaiting the relaxation of tbs
checking cables, which up to this moment had
been kept perfectly tant.
This was q moment of intense interest 10 the
spectators IN the yard. who now numbered per-
haps couple OF thousands. The river was covered
with craft of all Sizes and on the opDosite sbora
myriads of anxious lockers on might he observed
impatieutly waiting for the moment which those
more fayorably situated perceived to be immi
nent.
1he first step necessary was to relax the cbeck.
ing cable; and this part of the process was hsvnp
shortly after midday. The operation had procseded
as far as was necessary to permit the application
OF the tractIye and motive power when aImost
before the latter had been brought To baar the
vessel suddenly acquired motion, and more ouickIv
than was expected, moved towards the water one
consequence Of this unforeseen rapidtv i'm hsr
changeof position, was a violent revolution of the
brake attached to the sternmost checking ca1la
the handles OF which suddenly fyine ronnd mn
happily struck several of the workmen nearest tn
them, causing severe fractures and other s.rious
injuries Great alarm WAS naturally caused by
this nisadyentGre, but Mr.. Brunei preserved an
admirable presence of mind, and by his examine.
encouraging the assistants, the checking machine
ry was re-appiivd, and the motion of the vessel
stayed The injured men were removed to the
Poplar Hospital, and as soon as the eyc-epsrt
had subsided, Ar Brunei again applied himself To
carry ont the Cl.ec, of the day. In his mind the
one great point OF the vessels motion had been
achieved. But the facility with which il had ia
ken place sugg, sel danger of precipitate descent
to the water aLd consequent jeopardy TO the light
ers to which the tractve tackle was attached He
immediately determined to preclude this possible
risk by removing the lighters referred to- and dis
penslng with the tractive chains communicating
with them.
The delay thus occasioned made it O'clock be
tore another signal for the relaxation of the check
ing cables could be given. No Doubt however
was entertained that the vessel woali be sfoat b,
three clock st t-n minutes after two the cables
having heenalain relaxed, the motive power of the
hydraulic pumps aud the stationary engine at the
feSsel stem were set III motion and expectancy
was again straued to its utmost pitch MIR Brunei
himself stood by the checking cable where the ac-
clent had occurred, watching aud directing ey.ly
movement, and receiving instant information Of
the proceedings at other points. che pumps were
Hept gong ri snort intervals, and the steam winch
at the stem was in almost constant NAV for nearly
half an hour, but no motion was effected: ana nov
became apparent the want Of the tractiye power
io>t by the removal ut the lighter Th,. nuu,r,.
ana tne steam winch continued to work up to a
l"arter to three O'Clock, without producing aDv
effect. when startling sound rs of the spapriu.
II metai was heard, This was found to arise IRON
tue fracture Of several teeth i'll the cog wheel OF
Ett steaih winch in connection with the enEine.-
ihls produced such Al overwhelming pressure yn
the cable az the stem Of the ship that one OF the
links gave way
This additional loss of tractive power put an end
e. The possibility of floating the ship yesterday-
ihtre was 30 time to effect the necessary repairs
In the few hours intervening between yesterday
morning and the highest flow Of the morrow 8
'lue, ana therefore Ii became inevitable to defer
the entire operation until the December spring
tiees-an announcement which MIR Brunei himself
sI'de WIN entire confidence of success at the Pc
r;el o ,itied
ihe weather was fine up to two o'clock after
which huur the rain iell heavily
The London Times, of Wednesday the 4th inst .
says that pOstpouemeGt of further efforts to the
"a OF December had been resolved upon, and that
III the meantime the ship will stand in great dan
ger of settling. owing to the immense pressure
tl2,OU0 tonsD upon the new made earth.
BALL OF THE AMERICAN NAVAL OFFICERS IN Eng
LAND-Previous to the departure Of the U. s steam
trigate Niagara, from England, Capt. Hudson and
the officers of the ship, in return for their courte
ous reception, and the ciyilites and Inequalities
which they had experienced in England gave
public ball and supper. on Thursday, at Plymouth
The London Post of the 2d inst, says:
immediately opposite the grand entrance over
the orchestra, and supported by three stars-bIue
red and white, neatly formed of swords and bayo-
net5-were the words Let there be peace between
me aud thee. between my people aud thy people
for we are brethren This fraternal expression
was Illuminated by an arch in front which bore
thirty-one gas burners each shade exhibiting the
name OF one of the States. Below were three bur
ners ornameuted with the rose. shamrock and this
tie, corresponding with three at the other end of
the room, ON which were engraved England"
SCOTLAND and ireland over the interior Of
the main entrance, tastefully enfoIded were the
flags OF England, America, France, Sardinia, Tur-
key, aud Egypt, aud above them the British and
American Jacks in concord. The flags of other
nations, harmoniously blended, adorned the side
walls. In Il conspicuous position on the right was
that Of Prussia, united with the white eusgn OF
England III compliment to the approaching nup-
tlal5 OF the Princess Royal; and opposite, the
bleHiS OF Austria and Belgium, in ailuson in the
recent matrimonial alliances between the ruyal
families of those nations. Devices of arms, skill
fully arranged. and festoons of flowers and ever
green's gracefully foraled, completed the tasteful
display. Similar decorations adorned the supper
room, the tables of which were sumptuously spread
The mayor of Plymouth, the Earl and Countess Of
Morley, the Countess of Mount Edgcumbe, Lord
Ealiefort, and others of the neighboriug nobility
and gentry, with the heads of the naval and mill
tary departments were present. and the enter ain
nent throughout was equally gratifying to the
officers aud the visitors, and fully accomplished
the desired intentions of forming u happy coucu
sion to the visit of the Niagara The consort Of
the Niagara the steam frigate SusquehaLna
Captain Sands, left Plymouth ON the 30th OF Sep
tember for SpeZzia, and is now on her way to New
York
The QUEENS OF FRASCk-The Dublin University
Magazine, commenting upon the lives of the royal
and imperial wives OF France, states there but
thirteen ont of sxty-seven on whose memory there
is no dark stain of sorrow and sin. contempt.
rary, in summing up the statement, says:
Of the others. eleven divorced; two died
by the executioner; nine died very young
seven were soon widowed three were cruelty ira
duced; three were exiled three were bad h differ
ent degrees Of evil; the prisoners and the broken
hearted made up the remainder. Twenty who
were buried at st. Denis, since the time of Charlie
imagine, were denied the rest of the grave. Their
remains we're dragged from the tomb, exposed 10
the insults of the revolutionary popnlace, aud then