Sailing Of The Columbus.
The Times, 1824-10-21T00:00:00

(From the Qutcbec Gazcve.A Tle iairge tim ber ship, the Columabus, of 3,700 tons, s.iled yester. day (the 5th inst.) about two o'clock p. m. She was towed by the !ferclses steam tow-boat, and touched the ground in corning us' from her anchorage at the falls, when nearly opposite the upper end of the island ot Orleans, and renmained there nearly one hour. The water about this place is verv shallow and of unequal depth, and the circumstarce of her grounding naturally created great alarm; fortunately the tide had still to flow, she again floated, and rounding the point of the island, went onet of sight abour five o'clock. She had been ready for sea since Mondav last, but the weatber, the difficulties attending theraising of her anchors, and the demand on the part of some ot her crew for higher wages, and their leaving the ship. had hitherto prevented hler sailing. She tdrawvs only 23 feet of %ater, and her crew consists of 80 men. 'lThe tow-boat res down with the Colomnbas as far as the Bic, about 180 miles below. Some precautions have been taketl to caLk and othensrige secure the Her- c/ces against the heavy weather she may have to encounter, and her powers as a steam-vessel, adapted for -owing ships below the pore, as wvcll as above, and even for navigating the gulf, will be tried, and once known, may, w hen circumstances admit of her being thus em- ployed, be taken advantage of. Wl'e have no doubt that she wil cuc. ce&l well. It is intended not to proceed with the Columbusat night, while in the river; nor will it, we understand, be attempted to tack while in the river. She will, however, move rgaitast a strong head wind, with the tide in her tavour, by the use ot the tow-boa; and with five or six days of ordintary weather, it is probable she will reach the gulf. Altlhough extremely clumsy in her shape, we nnderstand, sbe obeys her rudtler pretty well, and is not what is terned a very crank ship. AU on board appear copfident tl:at she will easily and safely rer?h her destination; she will, however, we should imagine, be frequently exposed in steonry weather to ship heavy seas, must strain a great deal, and in a severe gale might be in great danger of falling over on her beam ends. Mr. Charles Wood, the builder, goes home in her, and returns via the United Slatns early in the winter, to superintend the construction of another vessel of a sianilar de- scription, but of larger dimensioRs. This new vessel is already laid down, and some activity prevails at the ship-yard. Ider dimensions are about 320 feet on deck, which iA the same length as the C,sinm.- bu3s, bht sixty feet in width, that is, ten feet broader, antd about five feet deeper. or about thirty.five feet in depth. It is stated that she will be cetnpletely loaded when on the stocks, and be ready for sea very soon after being launched, wh'ich will be early next spring. The Columbus was seen this morning at one 'clock;, by the Tree Britorn, ofl the upper end of Crane Island. Ex- clusive of the Columbas, there hare this season been launched nine vessels at Quebec. and two in blontre-I besides two steam-boats at thc latter place. There are on the stocks ix Inore in Quebec, and fsout in Montreal, which, it is probable, will go to sea this fall, mak- ing, including the Columbus, 22 vessels, wvhich will have been sent 10 sea from this province at the close of the navigation. The Colurw- bSus is near 4,00 teonst; the others n)av perhaps average about 250 ions; which would give a total of 9,250 tons, and at tbe price of 71. lOs., the value of exports in this way would be 69.3751. There is every appearance that ship-building will be mnre brisk in the ensuing winter than it wvas during the last; and 16 vessels, inclutling those now bailding, it is thought, will soon be on the stocl;s at Que- bec and its neighbourhood. SAILIVG OF TIIE COLUMBUS. QUEBEC, SEPT. C.