Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1858-02-27
- From the London Ties 81 Feb. 81
LAUNCH OF HHR LEvlATfIAN.

Il - IRON the London Ties off.b,xl -
s. LAUNCH or BHR IEYfATaAN.
Yesterday aftesnoon The Hng- psotrsssed pfoce1
oElaunehing thisyessel kas happily Rkpught to
sncceepsfaf terninatenf and the ISssethan w.,
hoated of her ways and towed to her moorng IN the
river. As stated in our last impression, 1t was
resolved on Friday night that the attempt to haul
her to her mornings should be made on the following
day. and to this nda the necessary prepa atoms and
precautions were duly arranged But within COUP
e of hours after this decision had been made every
WAS frustrated and s ne plans over
Toward Saturday morning the breeze steadily m
creased, sweeping across the river full on the broad
side of the Levathan with such force as would have
driven her high and dry back again to her old position
in the yard, had she once foated even for I'VE MN
utes. With the break of day, therefore, Captain
Harrison, with whom alone rested the responsibility
of taking her to her BERTH decided against floating
her on Saturday, and Immediately all pumps and
auxiliary engines were set to work to pump back
again the water ballast Of which, to the extent OF
some 5000 tons, she had been lightened during the
night.
Saturdays weather justified all those precautions
to the fullest extent. The wind kept back the tide
so that even empty of ballast the Leviathan would
scarcely have foated; while at the same time blew
with pressure of nearly one hundred and nifty
tons upon the monsters broadside Even under the
most favorable view of the case she must have gone
ashore at once or failing this, have swept broa,isde
up the stream. tugs and all, when she would have
entirely settled the question to the supremacy OF
the river, and pat the Great Eastern Steam NaV'ga-
ton Company into the Gazette in half an hour.
Nothing of this kind, however, was to be appre-
hended yesterday. The weather was fine, clear,
and calm with scarcely any breeze, and what little
there was, all in favor of the vessel and high tide
The tide ran up with unusual swiftness, and, as the
food relieved the weight upon the launching ways,
some of the hydraulic machines were set to work
for the last tme to push the monster as far as pos
sible into the centre of the river. She moved easily,
and with such low rate of pressure that short
time gave advance Of eighty inches, which show
ed that than half the cradles were quite push
ed off the ways and rested on the river bottom.
At IL the men in the row-boats stationed along
side observed that she no longer rested on the era.
des-that she was, in fact aAoat, but OF course the
transition was gradual that few were aware Of it
until the tugs began steaming ahead, and showed
that at last she fairly under way. Then the
cheers which from the yard and from the decks
from the boats in the river and the crews of the
ships at anchor up and down the stream-spread
the great news far and wide, and thus, under the
most favorable circumstances, the Lesietsan COM
menced her first voysge.os ahs'Tn
Two powerful ting boats were at her bows, and two
were fastened astern. Other steamers we're also in
attendance and rendered their aid, but the efforts of
the four we have mentioned were mainly lnstrumen.
tai in managing her. At first the efforts OF those
ahead seemed to have little effect and when at length
some way was made on her, it was abruptly check
ed by Of the paddle wheels fouling the cradles.
1t took time to clear her of this obstacle, but
at last it was accomplished; her head was let swing
partly round with the tide, and the steamers began
moving her slowly-but very straightforward, clear
of the cradles These. as our readers are aware,
were composed If immense bulks of timber, on
which the bottom rested and which her weight alone
keptdewn The police therefore, had to take unusual
precautions yesterday to keep all boats clear of her
while the wrecks of the cradles plunged up in tre
nv no ard
movement Of the Leviathan.
1t was curious to see these huge groups of beams
emerge from the river rising rapidly from the sur
face of the water 20 80 feet with q slow, heavy
movement, and then falling over with great crash
that churned the water into foam around them
Some, broken and splintered by the violence with
which they were thrown against each other, formed
q loose tangle of timber work, and went slowly
drifting up the river in little islands, which rose some
four five feet from the water Others, long after
the great mass had oated up, came plunging to the
surface, falling about in way that showed the ne
cessty Of the precautions taken oy the police, and
the certain destruction that would have overwhelm-
ed any boa: within their reach.
Soon after the cradles cleared, and the sur.
face of the river covered with their fragments the
Leviahan fouled the barges which, moored with tire.
mendous chains, we're formerly used to pull her
downward toward the river. On this occasion, to
judge from the liberal proers of advice from all sides,
everybody deck seemed eminently skilled in deal.
ing WITH 1InpTdClICaOle OaTSeS, u wax Qulc re-
freshing to hear how the in the barge were de-
sired to undo mooring chains and cast off hawsers
which it has been the business of the last three
months to fasen and rivit firmly but at last Capt
Harrison got hearing. and under his directions ev.
cry remonstrance which sledge-hammers and axes
could urge the refractory tackle having been used
in vain it decided to scuttle the barges. The
pedient was, of course, decisive and the Levathan
was again got under way and brought slowly down
to her moorings opposite Deptford.
Here she was instantly made fast stem and stern
to the Government moorings in the centre of the
river, at part where, even at low wafer, she will
have almost double the depth to float her. By the
time she fairly moored the news of her being
anoat had spread up and down the river, and the
Thames was almost covered with small boats which
rowed aroung her, and some of which were laden to
thr waters edge with men, women and Children
Fortunately, accident took place. and the tiny
feet that followed in the wake of the Leviathan and
which made the banks re-echo their prolonged cheer
ing, quietly dispersed before night fall.
A RARE Cory THE ScRlPTUREs-An esteemed
correspondent thus describes recent discovery Of
a rare and valuable edition of the Bible:
''THE Book OF BooKs.-When that good man. Sir
Walter Scott, on his death-bed, and during the
few hours of reason vouchsafed him before he
pired, as his son-inlaw was sitting beside him, he
said to him: Read me something, john What
book shall I read, Sir WaterP' Need you ask !?