New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-11-17

80. H. whole rivers bank gave way with them.
Ore of he,e drums is built opposite each cradles tho
Ia;rs II, ed between them and the cradles are the
cSs;n cables Of The great ship it elf, which are y
relies in oar e'er, about 30 lbs the link Between
Each nm and the cradle which the vessel rested
a hydraulic ram was fixed to stat her, That a,
The forward end gave pressure OF t0O tuns the one
az The steIn OO0.
The laurch was fixed 10 commence a. IL O'Clock
but things let arranged 70: the moving Of the
monster when that time came. Gangs Of mea were
employed in hauling chains, in clearing away the
sbttst obstacle upon the ways, and giving the metals
the final coating down Of black lead and oil. Mr..
BIupels position was high up in little rcstrun iIed
the inner tide of the vessel On this spot he
in line with the conspicuous marks which had been
erected each side Of the ship and facing him on ST..
Penis factory on the ether side Of the river From
this point lie TO regulate the advance Of stem aud
stern by signals, which were communicated 10 the
gargs Of woIbmen, both to pull her of and hold her
back, by means Of fags-s white flag being the signal
to haul togeber and led one y cease on all points
1t was nearly III, and the public was beginning to
yswD ana manifest In patience, when they were 80 ne
what eppeaeed by ieeitg the christening bottle OF
wne gsyly decorated with flowers, carried forward to
the ste OF the vessel Here it soon suspended,
and Miss Hope the daughter of the chairman of tns
Great Eastern Company; giving It hearty SWING,
I" The Levisthan" God speed, amid the cheers Of
thoussnds. In a few moments afterwetd the word
was passed to commence the launch AT the signals
the lighters slowly but steadily commenced to haul
thought would of Itself be sufficient TO bring the vessel
ger tiy down II appeared however, 10 have effect
beyond once or twice producing IN the vessel itself
sueD rumblDg noise like distant thunder as the crest
strain told upon her bull. II remained thus for about
Ten minutes. E1pectston wound up to the highest
pitch when the peculiar Kissing noise of the hydraulic
rams al work TO push her off was heard. We should
have mentioned that each of the drains was
wi, aliases, in order to wind up the slack
chain between the drums and the cradles otherwise If
any slack left when the hydraulic rams started the
vessel it would run it Iapely out, and Heaven only
kLows the consequences that might ensue. When the
"Isms began 10 work the order was distinctly gwen
to wind up"-meaDirg TO coil in this slack bet yeen
the drum ard the cradle. This was accordingly done
at the forward drum, but unfortunately at the stern
of the vessel the did precisely the reverse, and
uncoiled more slack chain. Among the number OF
eI gDeeTs who looking the danger Of this was
seen at glance but there was no official TO check the
men, who seemed ordinary "navves" Suddenly,
there was a'cry of Size moves. she moves t1e fore
part Of the vessel clipped and the stern rushed down
r6pdIy. IL seemed To slip some three or four feet IN
the space of a couple of seconds, In consequence
of tie slack chain from the after drum Offer
ing not the least check. In en- instant the
strain came upon the drum, which was dragged
round, and Of course, as that was connected with
The wLdlass by multiplying whees, the latter turned
some ten or fifteen times for every foot the drum
moved. The men at the windass msdly tried to hold
it but the heavy iron handle flew round Like lightning
sIBjrg them and hufing five or six high into the air
as if they had been blown up by come powerful expo'
siCp anic seemed to spread this shocking acct.
dent took place. and the stationed a. the tackle
and fall of the lever next the winolass rushed away
Fortunately, ost fortunately, for the lives OF mug
dreds of the spectators, the msD at the ever az INC
other side of the drum stood firm, and hauling on their
tackle drew thtir LAYER and applied tho brake on
the drum with such terrific force that The ship Instantly
stopped though sbe seemed to culver under the SUD,
den check as if she had received heavy bio ara
the check tackle and massive pile OF timber which
restrained the drums strained au6iby. Tae whole OF
this took place in the course OF two or three seconds
The vessel dropped, the men were buried from the
wiDdlass and with q heavy rumbng noise the ire
mendous structure was still on the ways again,
almost before the spectator had time to imagine what
had occurred. For moment there was rather panic
and disposition to from the spot, but II wa: only
momentary. -Four of the men who were injured were
carried off to the Poplar Hospital at once, and htth
who seemed to have sustained some severe loteinai
hurt, WAS afterwsrd obliged to be assisted from the
yard.
This melancholy occurrence seemed to exercise
most depressing effect especially upon the workmen,
though the tremendous strain 70 which the drun was
exposed and which even with the friction Of only on ,
brake proved sufficient to check the weasel with
treat and unexpected momentum on her, showed tina
the check tackle was all that could be desired. An
examination Of the place where the accident - &C.
showed that the toethed wheels Of the windlas
(which seemed totally insufficient In multiplying power
10 enable the men exercise any check upon the rev.
olution Of the drum were broken aod appeared so
If gear that they were almost useless. Beyond tbs
rest OF the apparatus of the drum and framewo was
az firm as ever The vessel IL was found had slipped
down the ways about three feet at the forward drum,
ar four feet three inches at the one fixed at Inc
stern had progressed Of course about SIX feet toward
tie river.
All this took place before l2i O'clock and it Was
o'clock before everything was again ready to move
her st further down the ways Before that time tas
weather which at period had been very favorable.
became still worie and the little drops of rain which
had now and then fallen ct short intervals gave place
to regular, steady drzze, 30 that tho public looked
with unusual inpstence to the launching efforts At
few minutes after o'clock the were all agsia
at their posts, and the signal was given to recon-
meLce This time every precautlon was taken 70 pre-
vent loop Of tlack in the han occurring. AN the
lighters fiom the river got their hauliog tackle in
order ard began to strain upon the vessel but with
out mskiI the least apparent impression. The ds
was then within few feet OF Its highest and It Do.
came evident ali concerned that II the vessel as
to be meved at all that day no time was TO be lost
Again from out Of the dense mass OF timber Of
the cradles came the little Kissing noise at regular
intervals which told that the enormous pressure OF the
ny dIauc found requisite to start her still,
la spite Of ALL she moved nor sho we'd the slight
Est symptom Of berg at al affected by the terrific
pressure which was applied to her After the pressure
with the rams bad been continued some time rather
loud crash heard among the timbers of the fore
most cradle, and some men ran fro 1t. what u
really did not transpre, but It was nothing OF
importance. The ststionsry engine which, as We
have mentioned, was put TO haul upoo the
chains to the bows at last gave way, aud
| the chain itself snapped in two, though no,
until some of tae teeth Of the wheels of the en-
CINE, ss we were informed had also broken before
the strain At the same time pin in the piston rod
of the foremost hydraulic ram also gave way, aud
these two accidents irreparable. The sig
nal was made to hauling and 10 a
minute or so afteIward the OFF ,ials OF the
company announced that the lsuoch VS., over
"for the day. The yard was then cleared o!
traI gers and as few were Of what had resly
caused the failure OF the attempt, the most extfava
CANT rumors soon got ahoat Among these the favor
is was tha. the lsunchng.wsys themselves had suok
under the enormous weight, and that the stem of the