DAUNCHING THE LEVIATHAN.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IX, Issue 560, 17 March 1858, Page 4

DAUNCHING THE LEVIATHAN.

"The tedious process of moving this gigantic -structure to the water was recommenced at 9 o'clock yesterday morning and was continued with the utmost success till a hitch occurred, and -an annoying and irremediable accident to one Of the'hydraulic machines stopped further progress. This time the fact that the launch was taking place was of course generally known, but the public appeared also to be aware that the whole process, after all, afforded nothing particularly well worth seeing to 'people who were outside the yard, and who could no more detect the motion of the vessel than they could discern the revolution of the -earth.

The number .of spectators, therefore, who braved the sharp cold wind and raw air of the river for the poor gratification which the sight afforded was very -small, and even with these half-an-hour's exposure and speculations as to whether the vessel was moving at all or not seemed to satisfy the most ardent.

The work commenced at a few minutes past 9 o'clock. There were then no men in ihe

yard but Mr. Brunell and Captain Harrison and their assistants, and, of course, also Mr. Yates, the Secretary, who, since the vessel made her first slip, seems never to have left the yard at all, but to have redoubled, if possible, the vigilance and care with which he has watched every step in her progress for nearly the last four years. In the first effort to start her all the screw-jacks, as well as the hydraulic machines, were used, and, contrary to the expectations of many, who imagined that after remaining the whole night upon the ways it would be very difficult to 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 aninch in about two minutes, but after a while it improved, and continued for some time at 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 pistons are driven to their full pressure, considerable delay is occasioned in again fittiug in beams of sufficient length to reach the cradles and push her on again. In most cases the beams are not long enough, till joined in one of more places, which again occasions loss of time, as in order to prevent their giving way laterally under the tremendous pressure, iron plates have to bebolted down to the ways over the joinings, and in addition they have sometimes also to be loaded with iron ballast. All these expedients are absolutely necessary and essential to the safe progress of the ship; though, nevertheless, they tell much upon her rate of advance. When the T o'clock bell rang for dinner, the total distance accomplished was 413 inches forward, and 423 inches aft, showing that, during yesterday morning's work, the stem, instead of being 25 inches behind the bows, is in advance of them. During the whole morning, the rate of advance wag as regular and noiseless as on previous occasions, the otily change being that the metals, 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 recommenced their work a little before two o'clock, but the hour's pause seemed to have exercised an adverse influence on the further progress of the ship. For a long time it was very difficult to move her, though the screw jacks and hydraulic machines were pressed to their utmost, and the double windlasses broke the great mooring chain which dragged her bows to the stream. Suddenly in the midst of all their efforts, the monster slipped on'the ways; 5 inches forward and 9 inches aft. She slid this distance in the space of a single second, and with an awful rumbling kind of noise, which at once seemed distant and alarmingly near. This sudden motion and her tremendous vibration surprised and alarmed the men, who dropped their tools and stood prepared to run at the first signal of danger. There was not, however, the least occasion Tor alarm, and the pressure was again gradually applied to the cradles on every part with redoubled vigour, but all in vain. The jerk and sudden stoppage evidently fixed her with unusual firmness, and no efforts could dislodge her, though the pressure of the. rams was applied with such for«e that a beam 17 ; inches square crumpled up like a reed and;' bounded into the air from a strain of about ■■' 800 tons. This was soon replaced by another and a stronger beam, which was bound to the ways and loaded at the point with ballast. This held out with the others for a long time, and the struggle between the pressure applied and tlie passive resistance of the great mass of timber at last "became one of almost terrible interest. The beam strained, cracked, and vibrated, the escape valves" of the rams were loaded with weights and held violently down, the men could scarcely' move the handles, but still the vessel did not yield. In the midst of these great united attempts a loud dull explosion, followed by a rattling sound, occurred, and in a minute after it 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 a few quarts of cold water was 7^ inches, and a comparison of the diameter of the piston with the force it was exerting on the area of timber showed that the cylinder bad only yielded under the stupendous pressure of some 12,0G01b or 13,0001b to the square inch. Of course, no ill effects attended its bursting. This accident, which put an end to all further efforts for the_ day, was much to be regretted, as just before it took place it had been decided to continue the work all night, so as to bring the Leviathan within good reach of this day's 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 not both of these, will be fixed so 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 holdfasts. Never yet since anchors were first made were any subjected to the tests which these must undergo, for if all goes -well, 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. It was stated in our account of yesterday that alb the dockyard moorings which have been used in these great attempts have repeatedly given way, but this was an error. We are informed it was the old city moorings which have broken down and up so often. Out of all the chain cables supplied by the dockyard only one has broken yet, and every aid which the Deptfbrd authorities could offer Mr. Brunei has been * most cheerfully placed at that gentleman's disposal. The high tide of last night would for the first time place about 12 inches of water

under the keel of the Leviathan. If an average amount of success attends this day's efforts the high water at two o'clock will place about six feet under her centre, and this, though of course insufficient to float her, will at least take about 5000 tons off the d__end weight on the ways, and so facilitate her progress, that it is confidently hoped by Wednesday or Thursday at least she will be brought all safe to her moorings in the Thames.— Times, Dec. 2. Soon after daylight yesterday-morning^ Mr. Brunei, with Captain Harrison, and his indefatigable chief assistant, Mr. Prowse, were busy at Mill wall superintending the efforts by which the Leviathan is worked down so slowly to the water, inch by inch and foot by foot. The ship has now completely quitted every part of the old foundations on which she was built, and the entire of her vast bulk and stupendous weight rest on the new launchingwwars alone. The most sinister rumours have at times been in circulation as to the disastrous results which might be anticipated when this event should happen, but as far as can be judged from the effect upon the ways at present, the firmness with which they bear the vessel up exceeds the most sanguine expectations and quite justifies the remarks which have been made by engineers that, next to the ship itself, the launching ways are the best piece of work in the yard. Their construction was contracted for by the Messrs. Treadwell, and, considering the nature of the ground they had to work upon, and the severity of the test which they have since withstood, their strength and rigidity may be considered as really astonishing. The Leviathan was first pushed upon them on Thursday afternoon, and so remained throughout the night, yet so little had the timber yielded under the tremendous pressure, that in the very first attempt to move the ship yesterday she instantly slipped seven feet. She made this great step with the same easy gliding motion as heretofore, with an almost total absence of friction on the metals, and with only the usual hollow, solemn, reverberating noise like very distant thunder. These slips, however, are scarcely productive of any great gain in tb.e day's work, for the stern being much heavier than the hows, the cradle under that portion descends much more rapidly, and so turns both cradles on the ways that an immense pressure is required again to start her. Thus, yesterday morning, after one of these slips, she displayed the most unyielding obstipaney. The tackle from the river, the screw jacks and hydi'aulic machines, were tasked to their utmost, the latter especially, to such an extent that first a 14-inch cylinder, and next a '7-inch one, gave way, and -ripped the solid iron from top to bottom under the immense pressure which was exerted in them. These mishaps, however, only occasioned a temporary delay, and a renewal of the efforts after a time, at last got another start out of the ship, and so she continued throughout the day, dropping from six to ten inches each time, till dusk when the men left off, and" the signal boards showed a progress of nearly 32 feet for the day's work. The afternoon's tide yesterday placed about four feet of water under her keel, and so lightened the ways of about 1,500 tons of her dead weight; but apparently this made not the least difference in her rate of progress. There seems now not the least reason to doubt but that by Tuesday or Wednesday next the launch will be entirely completed. It is reported that the fall of the scaffolding outside the yard, on Thursday, injured very many more people than were then conveyed to the hospital, and that the number of persons in the neighbourhood who are suffering from, contusions, internal injuries, and slight concussions of the brain, received on that occasion, is considerable. It seems surprising that the police should not have interfered to prevent a scaffolding not fit to bear twenty with safety from being crowded with at least a hundred persons.— Times, December 7.

The work at the launch of the Leviathan was resumed early on Monday morning the 7th, and with great difficulty a start of a few inches was made. Unfortunately, the pressure required after this was so great that the sup-ply-pipes of two of the hydraulic rams were broken in such a manner that considerable- delay was occasioned before they were sufficiently" repaired to be fit for use, and it was two o'clock before further efforts were made. Between that hour and half-past four o'clock, when work was discontinued, several small slips were made, the bow showing at every time a much increased tendency to descend faster than the stern. _ During Saturday, this tendency showed itself in a gain of sixteen inches on the stern, but at the close of the day's labours on Monday, the bow had descended 10 feet"7 inches, while the stem had only moved 3 feet 4 inches, and this difference in progress had so turned the stern cradle on the ways as to induce an increased amount of friction, which deducted considerably from the amount of progress. The launch on Tuesday was interrupted by the dense fog. The total distance accomplished was only 4 feet 9 inches forward, and 4 feet 4 inches aft. Nothing was done on Wednesday, preparations being made for another attempt. On Thursday the ship moved 13 inches forward and 14 aft. The ground near the moorings having given. way is being strengthened with piles.— Times, 16th December, 1857.