Launch Of The Large Timbe...
The Times, 1824-09-09T00:00:00

Ik'rom the Quebec 21er!Zmry of tl:c 31st of July.) The lon'g-expected lannch of the great ship took place on wed4 neAday morning last, at the point of thc island of Orleans, in prc- sence of a large concourse of' people. The St. Lawrence, which, but a few years ago comnparatively speaking, had borne on its wave only the rudely_constnhcted canoe of the native Indian, has now floating on its waters the largest ship in existence,or of the building of which for navigable purposes we have any authentic record. This immense vessel has, with great proprieiy, been named the Coim bus. Hef dimensions are as follow:-Length 300 feet, breadth of beans 60 f'eet, and depth of hold 30 feet: her model is also as ecrraordi- nary as her dimensions, being precisehl that of a Canadian batueau, that is, perfectly flat-bottomed and "wall-sided, and the stem and stern-post nearly or altogeLher perpendicular, and both ends sharp alike. without any fulness, as is the ease in bows and sternsof ships of the staual constructipn. SD that her floor may be romparel zo a parallelogram, with an acute equicrural trianigle at either extremitr ecr tonnage by registeris 3,l0 wtns; but slle is thoughttobe capabe of carrying at ?cast 6,000 tons freight: her stowageeissomewbat em- harrassed by the rnassy beamns which connect iher bide timbers,or she wouid probably freight 7,000 tons. This ship hias becn a3 obiect of generai cu-triosity since she was first laid down; her dinmensions so far exceed:ng anv wvhich have yet been attempted in the largest 8hips of war, that even a faithful report of the Dulk was received with suspicion- and a number of vague stories were set afloat as to the intentions of the builders in framing this wonderful craft It was imagined bv many, that a solid mass of timber was to be built in something like tbe shaue of a vessel, a.nd covered with an outward sheathing of plank sufE- ciontly strong to render hler capable of traversing the eccan t a favourable season, when good weather might be expected * but as the work advanced, it beame evident, frorm the regular plan pursued and the solid imanner in which her mnassy fr-me Was connected, that something more was intended than a mete ship-shaped raft she is now a complete vessel and it is expected uill prove sutifl ciently manageable, but will not probably perform more than one voyage. Eve~ry precaution fias. however. becn taken for the safety aml comfort of those wlho are to navigate her. Hcr cabin anda sa-ety-room being prepared, that shn-ttld the vessel bv anvy means become water-lo0,ged, tbe crc;v would endure but fitlc incorve nience. Many persons entertained dloubts of the potsibilitv of launcling this %tt~ aluXoxs oabYic, and there 'were not watiting I hose whoaffirined that she would never floa:, but rermain on the | blocks where she wa- bailt, a. monumcnt of the presumptuous fblly of the projectors. The events of XVedneieday prov'ed how much the wonderers anrd doubters bad been mistaken, and showed how able the work had been conducted, and hoiv minutely and Justly the builder had talde his calculations. At half-past. or 35 nminutes past seven, this pon- dldrous t pu in motion with as tnuch facility as any smaller !veqsc'. and slid majestically into the SL Lawrence. The length of the wavs was somewhat less than t600 feet., and precisely one minute elapsed between the pniod vhen sh:e mjved and that of her reach ilg the water, her entrance into which was greeted by apVrepria.e airs from the military 1-nds ir. attendaree, and repeated salutes from the -uns of the steaim-boats, a!,d some wbich had beer planted on the share "or that purp"e. 1cr wa 's was mucI scorched b hy the tnction of her motion, and so great a smokearose, that disg tant s'pectators imacined some acc-dent to have taken place. From hier peculiar construction in the svetlge-like form-1 of her fi' and the 'rnall proportion her bre.adth bears to her length, slie erea.d but little swell. even toe smiallest boats were hardlytobsed, and no s,n_ stble motion was experienced ott crard the steamn-boats and larger res,els. Three of her four mnasts were standing; that is, the firstand second tiato mnsts, and her try-sail mast. The sheers wrere also up to- i stepping phie fore-mast. and her bowsprit was in; the whole ofthese ap'car son sndll, when compared witlh the bullk ot the bull, that they look like jury spars; lier mnain-sail ts not larger than that Ot a sTmall 74. As so-mn as sbe lost w3y, she was taken in tote by the steatnm hoats Swiftsure, 1a2de Sherbrooke. and Malsham; and conducted to the .1Sontmorenci Channel, where sle dropped her anchor, which did not appear to be laraer than we have seen ou board a first-rate ship of war. The weight is 18 ewt. 2 qrs. Amonast the eompsny in the diffetent boats we saw some strangers from the L nitLd States, and sevcral gentlemen frorn Montreal. |\'hltt greatly enhances the ple.stre atfhrd. d by this r.eemorable oe- casion is, that we have not heard of ary, even the moat tltvial, ac- cident occurring. AtACHCv g OP lftL LAPc4R IYMIun skif