The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-12-22
The Leyfathan.
Ine London Times gives the following interest
Ing particulars of the progress Of the launch Of
the greatest vessel ever built in the world.

The London Times gives the following intsrest.
ing particulars of the progress Of the launch oi
the greatest vessel ever built in the world:
In the first effort to start her. ali the screw.
jacks, Ms well as the hydraulic machines were used
ana contrary 70 The expectations OF many, who i'm
agined that, after remaining whole night upon
the ways, 1t would be very difficult 10 stir her
again. the great mass got into motion on the first
pressure and began to creep very very slowly
down the ways. Her progress at first was at the
rate OF al inch IN about two minutes, but after
awhile IL improved. and continued for soma tima
an inch per 40 seconds.
AS the vessel is now much advanced from the
place at which the hydraulic rams are fixed, each
time the pstons are driven out TO their fall pres
sure considerable delay Is occasioned Ia again t.
ting in beams of sufficient length to reach the era.
dies and push her on again In most cases the
beams are not long enough till Joined In one or
more places, which again occasions loss of time,
"a IN order to prevent their giving way latsraIly
under the tremendous pressure, iron plates have
TO be bOlted down to the ways over the ioininu
and tn addition they have sometimes also to ba
loaded with Iron ballast.
All these eXpedients are absolutely necessary and
essential to the safe progress of the ship though
tney tell much upon her rate of advance When
the o'clock bell rang for dinner the total dis
tance accomplished was 4l3 inches forward and
Az inches aft, showing that during YESTERDAY
mornings work the stern instead of being 2s inch
es behind the bows, was In advance of them Du
ring the whole morning the rate of advance was as
regular and noiseless the previous occasions the
only ehange being that the metsis, If anything,
showed still less signs of friction, and there was
an evident tendency of the vessel to move at a
much slighter rate of pressure.
The men returned from dinner and recommended
their work little before o'clock, but the hours
pause seemed to have exercised an adverse infu-
ence on the further progress of the ship. For
long time 1t WAS very difficult to move her though
the screw jacks and hydraulic machines were
pressed TO their utmost, and the men mt the double
wi ind Hluua hralr H..
dragged her bows to the stream. Suddenly in the
midst of all their efforts, the monster slipped on
the ways inches forward ard inches aft She
SUD this distance in the space of a single second
ana WITH an awful rumbling kind of noise. which
seemed at once distant and alarmingly near The
sudden motion and her tremendous vibration SIR.
prised and alarmed tis men, who all dropped their
TOOLS and stood prepared to run at the first signal
Of danger.
There was not, however, the least occasion for
alarm. and the pressure was again gradually nm
pileu 10 the cradles on every part with redoubled
vigor, but all in vain. The jerk and sudden stop.
page evidently fixed her Sith unusual firmness
and no efforts could dislodge her. though the pres-
sure from the rams was applied with such force
ihat beam IL inches square crumbled up like
reeu and bounded into the air from a strain of
about 500 tons This was soon replaced by an
other and stronger beam which wa. hopnd to
M she ways and loaded at the point with ballast
ms held out with the others for long time and
the struggle between the pressure applied and the
passive resistance of the great masses of timber at
last became one of almost terrible interest
The beam strained. cracked, and vbrated the
escape valves of the rams were loaded with weights
ana held Violently down, the men could scarcely
move the handles but still the vessel did not WELD
In the midst OF these great, united attempts, a
loud, dull explosion, followed by a rafting sound
occurred, and in minute after il was known that
one Of the 10-inch hydraulic rams had burst its
cylinder from top to bottom. The thickness of
solid iron which had thus given way under the
pressure Of few quarts of cold water, was ~
inches, and comparison of the diameter of the
piston with the force it extending on the area
OF timber showed that the cylinder had only yield
ed under the stupendous pressure of some II ,0OO
lbs. or 1900 lbs TO the square inch.
OF course no ill-effects attended its busting
This accident, which put an end to all further eff
forts for the day much to be regretted as lust
before it took place it had been decided to continue
work all night, so as to bring the Leviathan with.
in good reach of this days high water. About an
hour before the accident occurred, a message had
been sent to MeSsrs. Easton and Amos for two more
hydraulic machines, and one, if net both Of these
will be fixed as to enable work TO be resumed at
an early hour TO day. Trotman's anchors will also
be sunk in the river, and the tackle which hauls
the vessel In that direction made secure to those
powerful hodfasts.
Never yet since anchors were first made, were
any subjected TO the tests which these must uud r
co. for if all goes we'll in the course of another
day the Leviathan will be quite out of reach OF
the hydraulic machines, and must depend entirely
on the strain from the river The high tide of last
night would for the first time place about II inches
Of water under the keel of the Levathau. If an
average amount of success attends this days eff
forts, the high water at o'clock will place about
six feet under her centre, and this, though, OF
course. insufficient to feat her, will at least take
about 5000 tons off the dead weight on the ways
and facilitate her progress that it is confidently
hoped by Wednesday Thursday, at least, she will
be brought all safe 10 her moorngs in the Thames
But she was not launched on Thursday, nor Fri
day, nor ON Saturday forenoon, the 5th inst