Starting of the Queen of Beauty Pump.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3562, 27 May 1880, Page 2

Starting of the Queen of Beauty Pump.

The ceremony of christening the Queen of Beauty Pump took place this afternoon at two o'clock. The directors of the company had issued invitations to a number of ladies and gentlemen to be present, and at the time appointed for the ceremony we DOtio'd the following:—Mesdames Ehrenfried, Ca r'an, Murray, Coney, Miss Coney, Drs Kilgour, Callau and Payne, Colonel Fraser, Major Murray, Messrs Ronald McDonald, E. McDonnell, J. E. Coney, Alex. Brodie, Thomas Eadford, G. and C. Lawlor, G. A. Buttle, J. Brown, Thorburn, J. J. O'Brien, E. W. Hollis, A. Aitken, J. E. Perry, Greenville, Fleming, Carrick, Angove, Hennelly, J. Wilson, J. E. Smith, J. M. McLaren, J. Watson, D. Miller,. E. E. McGregor, D. E. Gellion, H. E. Jones, W. Tregowoth, J. E. Banks, L. Me!hose, J. Frater, W. Frater, Pyne, Crump, Hyman, Wilkinson, Comer, and other leading citizens. Mr Brodie (County Chairman) said Mr E. McDonald, Chairman of the directors of the Queen of Beauty Company, in consequence of the bashfalness common to his countrymen, had requested him to thank the ladies and gentlemen present fo? attending the ceremony. He then called on the engineer to put the machinery in operation which was immediately done, and Mrs Eonald McDonald advancing to the revolving fly-wheel, broke a bottle of champagne on it, christening the pump after the name of the company. After the cheering which following the ceremony had subsided, Mr Brodie cal'ed for three cheers foi. 1 Her Gracious Majesty the Queen wlr.ch were heartily given. Mr Brodie then expressed the pleasure he experienced at being present on this occasion—the first time in the history of the goldfield that water had been used for pumping, and he was sure that all who had seen how smoothly and efficiently tbe machinery had worked would be gratified witu. the skill and ability shown by Mr Perry, the designer. He hoped that in future success would attend the operations of tiie Queen of Beauty Coirpony as it lad done in the past, as the produc; :on of gold benefited all directly or indirectly. After referring to the cost of the pump, the speaker alluded to the concession made by the County Council, saying that if the wateHiad been supplied at Auckland rates, the six- sluice heacs would have coat the Queen of Beauty something like £100 per day. He concluded by calling for three cheers for the Queen of Beauly Company, coupled with the names of Mr E. McDonald tad ladj. These having been given, Dr Kilgour, in a facetious speech referred to the triumphs of water as a motive power, remarking that cold water was in the ascendant now-a-days. He did not want to thk'ow cold watir on the proceed'ngs to-day. (Cheers

and laughter). He expressed pleasure at the success of the slarl.

Mr Brodie then called for three cheers for the designer, Mr J. E. Perry, which were heariily given. * Mr Perry returned thanks in a brief speech. He would not enter into details concerning the machine, but would simply say that principals of hydraulics used by the most eminent French and English engineers had not been neglected in its construction. He alluded to the great assistance he had received from the constructors, Messrs'J«idd and Co., and concluded by hoping that the pump would be a great benefit to the Queen of Beauty and to the district generally. (Cheers.) Mr £. McDonald Scott also spoke, referring to the importance of the work.

Mr Brodie then called for three cheers for the Mayor and Mayoress, which being accorded he called on Cr-Wilkinson to respond on behalf of the Mayor, who was absent.

That gentlemen conveyed the good wishes of the Borough Council to the company, and expressed gratification at hearing'that the cost of the machinery, had come out of the ground, and not from the pockets of the shareholders. Three cheers were then given for Mr Thomas, one of the oldest pioneers of the Thames, the ladies, the Press, Capt. Comer and the mine managers, the Cnunty Council aud Mr Brodie, and the men who had completed the manual portion of the work, after which refreshment i were paKaLen of. At the conclusion of the proceedings e7eryone went away satisfied.