, 1880-08-18

may, p6EUdpSs u8V0 -ledTuOu VI tuo HItlO HQuUk-
lus to sail" but the builders of the Cars
floating palace have constructed it on a hull
shaped after the form of a turbot. Considering
how well-adapted all fish are for passage
through the water, there is nothing ~extrava.
CANT, though there is much that is new, In
taking a fiat fish as the model Of a vessel that
has to satisfy very exceptional requirements.
Speaking roughly, the Livadia must be ina
gined as a broad and shallow oval, half sub
merged, and carrying on its surface extensive
lofty and sumptuous saloons and other apart
ments. 1t resembles a vessel of the ordinary
kind, reposing upon a white air cushion. It's
principal dimensions are Length. 260ft.
breadth, 150ft.; depth, soft tonnage, II 500
and displa cement 1000. The advantages of the
mode of its construction are thoroughly evident.
In the first place the hull is capable of carry
ing on its back a great palace that would sink
any other vessel. In the second place, the
peculiar shape of the hull has a double merit
its enormous beam is certain to render the
ship az steady as any vessel can possibly be,
and its lower lin es insure a very considerable
rate of speed. The only question is how far
that speed will be diminished by the action of
the wind. Her engines, however, are very
powerful. The propelling power consists Of
three sets of engines, each having three cylin-
dets, the diameters Of which are, for the high
pressure, Coin and for the low pressure, 7Sin.,
with a stroke of 3ft. Sin. The propellers them
selves are of manganese bronze, thus securing
strength and lightness; and, with the view of
obtaining the greatest possible power, steel has
been largely used in the construction of the
engines and boilers, which will be the most
powerful in the world for their weight. Ths
indicated horse power is 10000, and the
-a,,ol So ovDaofo1 m pooba IA E0ofo - -
The launch of the Livadia was the one great
event at Glasgow on Wednesday, and visitors
poured 10 from every direction early in the
morning. The Grand Duke Alexis arrived by
the night mail train from London, and Prince
Lobsnof, the Russian Ambassador, reached
Blythswood, the seat of Sir A. Campbell, on
the previous day. Thousands of less distin-
guished sightseefs went to Govan in the morn
ing. and both banks of the busy CLYDE, where
ever a view of the Livadia could be obtained,
were covered by crowds of holiday folk, many
of whom took a keen professional interest in
the vessel. Before noon, tho hour fixed for the
launch, Messrs. Elders building yard was
ihrOnged by a miscellaneous crowd Of ladies
and gentlemen and workmen, all equally eager
TO see the ceremony. Several stands were
erected, to which admission was by ticket, and
tickets were very literally distributed ; but the
workpeople availed themselves of the slcping
roofs of sheds and many even more precarious
pprches. During the few minutes that remain
cd a TASTY inspection of the vessel was allowed
ana it was impossible or going on board not to
be struck by the height of the decks that tower
above the hull, till at the top of all one reach
es the reception saloon, in which, when all is
ready, a fountain will be placed, and which is
at least 40ft. above the leve! of the sci. Peep
ing over ,he ~taffrail, one could see the three
screws, one at each side and one Immediately
behind the rudder, all of them about to be
totally submerged. This is another novel fpa-
ture of the vessel, One or even two of the
screws might be disabled without rendering
the vessel manageable, and the side screws
can, of course, be used on occasion for steering
purposes. Their total submersion is an econO-
my of force, and has been attained by the
gradual inclinations of the shafts from the
engines, which in order to preserve the neces-
sary vertical position of the screws, are placed
somewhat more forward than is usual. At IL
O'Clock tho Duchess of Hamilton arrived with
the Grand Duke Alexis, Prince L%obanoff, Admit
raj Popoff, and other Russian gentlemen. On
the centre platform an altar was extempOrized, ia
front of which th rec priests ofthe Greek Church,
in green and gold vestments, chanted pray ers
and hymns, the responses being sung by a
body of ten or a dozen Russian sailors, who
had formed the Grand Dukes guard of honour
on his arrival at the railway station. At the
conclusion of the service, which lasted nearly
a quarter of an hour, one of the priests, taking
an asperge in his hand, spriDkled holy water
over the bows of the yacht, and the Duchess
of Hamilton came forward and put the finishing