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    No. 495. Sept. 17, 18590 THE LEADEB. 1Q ...

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    THE STRIKES. The opening of the builders...

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    NAVAL. AND MILITARY. On Wednesday, at Wo...

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    Simply A Double Or Outer Funnel For The ...

    men John Boyd and Michael Mahon , firemen , gradually sank . The first died towards morning ; the second about nine , a . m . In the case of the unfortunate fireman , Mahon , who was quite a youth , 'it may be mentioned , as a proof of how tenderness and humanity can take root in the roughest and coarsest soil , that when this poor shoveller of coals into a furnace was being tended by the surgeon , he said over and over again , " Let me be , sir ; I shall do well enough . Pray look after others that ' s worse than me . " He -was then nearly at the worst himthe exhaustio

    self . The excitement was over ; n was setting in ; and in the morning he died ; but not before a benevolent clergyman , who had passed the night upon his Master ' s business in that abode of misery , had whispered some words of consolation into the ear of the dying man . The drowsy faculties were momentarily roused ; the drifting bark was stayed for an instant ; and half by word and half by sign , this unhappy creature gave a response and an assurance that he had heard . and could understand that blessed message of Faith and Mercy .

    Mr . Rawlinson , of Hull , assistant to Mr . Gray , was in his cabin on the after lower deck when the explosion , took place . The walls of his birth " collapsed ; " he was literally buried under the ruins ; and it was nearly twenty minutes ere he could be dug out of the mass of shattered timbers . He was terribly cut and contused about the head , but is not , I believe , otherwise dangerously injured . Mr . Briscoe , formerly in the office of Mr . Brunei , is badly hurt , particularly about the hands ; and by a strange fatality he lost a thumb at the launch of the Great Eastern in 1857 ; but he is in a fair way towards recovery .

    A few gentlemen haying started a subscription for the widows and orphans , if any , of the men who have died , and for the surviving sufferers , about one hundred pounds were raised in a few minutes , while a sum of about twenty pounds was subscribed for those men among the cyew who had behaved with gallantry . Of the effects of the explosion upon the ship herself we read : — " The first glance at the grand saloon reminded one of the ruins , of Go vent Garden Theatre after the fire . The fore part was a pile of glittering rubbish , a mere cbhfused mass of boards , carpet shreds , hangings , mirrors , gilt frames , and" splinters of ornaments ; the rich gilt castings were broken and thrown down , the brass work ripped , the handsome cast iron columns round the funnel overturned

    and strewed about . In the more forward part , a state sitting-room for ladies , every single tiling was destroyed , and the wooden flooring broken and wrenched up . But the damage in this part seemed a mere bagatelle when compared with the ravages among the lower deck cabins beneath . It was difficult to go down there , for the whole place was filled with fragments of boards , chairs , beds , cabin fittings , broken steam pipes and syphon tubes , torn-out rivets , and masses of the inner and outer funnels rent to pieces like calico , and lying about like heaps of crumpled cardboard . Everything was in literal

    fragments . " " No wooden vessel that ever swam , " says one authority , " could have resisted the tremendous violence of the explosion for a second . Whether it had happened to the Royal Albert or the General-Admiral , the result would have been in each case the same ; they would have gone down , perhaps without even time enough to lower a boat . The Britannia Bridge is a structure of almost unknown strength ; engineers calculate that the Great Eastern is ten times as strong . Yet even the ablest engineers on board were astounded at the slight effect produced when the tremendous nature of the explosion was considered .

    Another accident , though of no fatal moment , occurred shortly after nightfall . The tiller ropes broke , and the steering power \ rna for a moment taken away . The ship began to roll violently and spasmodically , and to drift out of her qourse . She scorned to be making , blindly , for Beochy Head . Luckily , Captain Harrison had all along mistrusted theso ropes , against whose use , indeed , he hud protested , and had , with admirable

    foreeight , provided chains , which were indood already worked through the sheaves . The evil was soon remedied , the chains adjusted , and the ship resumed her way . Sick and wearied , I turned , about ttvo in the morning , into a vacant berth on the lower deck , aft , and slopt till six . "It was a lovely morning . We sighted the Needles , Branksoa Castle , Portland Bill , but wo wore in no mood for topographical enthusiasm . It was about ton when two anchor waa let go again in the blue water of Portland lio ' ads .

    There is not much need be said about the passage aown to Portland . The niglit closed . In cold and windy , but still a great number of passengers kept the dock , unable to divest themselves of the apprehension of another calamity . If one of the wastepipes sent forth a tiny jot of steam , or the screw was beard to give a creak , every one became alarmed ,

    and the probabilities of another explosion were forthwith discussed . With regard to the speed of the ship , the trip to Portland is said to have proved ,, that , she is capable of making with certainty twenty-four knots an hour . The inquest on the bodies of the men who lost their lives by the disastrous explosion on board the Great Eastern , was opened at the Town-hall , Weymouth , on Monday . After some preliminary evidence had been taken , the inquiry was adjourned until this day , in order that a thorough scientific examination into the cause of the accident may be made .

    No. 495. Sept. 17, 18590 The Leadeb. 1q ...

    No . 495 . Sept . 17 , 18590 THE LEADEB . 1 Q 49

    The Strikes. The Opening Of The Builders...

    THE STRIKES . The opening of the builders' shops on Monday was not attended with very striking success , except in the instance of W . Cubitt and Co ., Grays-inn-road . On Monday the Conference of the United Building Trades declared and distributed a dividend amongst the men who struck at the shop of the Messrs . TrollopejOf 12 s . for the skilled hands and 8 s . for the labourers . They also declared and distributed a dividend of 3 s . 6 d . each amongst the locked-out ( including both society and non-society men . ) The anti-strike committee declared itself dissolved on Saturday last , inasmuch , as the lock-out had ceased and all hands could go to work on Monday morning .

    On Monday about 1 , 500 men are thought to have gone iii to work at the various establishments of the master builders on the terms of the declaration , and some 800 more in shops where it has been made what is called a " shop rule . " Messrs . W . Cubitt and Co . have 480 men , Mr ; Kelk , 350 ; late T . Cubitt 300 ; Piper and Son , 130 ; Lawrence and Sons , 100 ; and Waller , 100 ; Lucas Brothers , Holland , Freake , G . Smith , Moxon , Rigby , Kirk and Parry , Bird ' s , and other eminent firms have also resumed work strictly on the declaration . Some hesitation has been shown by the workmen to return to work at Mr . Myers ' s and Mr . Jay ' s . -

    The largest builders , such" as Cubitt and Kelk , are not desirous ta take on an indefinite number of men , as the stoppage for five weeks has thrown their operations out of the usual order . The prospect of receiving a- higli rate of wages under the existing state of things has attracted a considerable number of country workmen to London . It is said that the . £ 1 , 000 voted by the Amalgamated Engineers to the Trades Conference was anticipated and absorbed by the dividend paid on Monday .

    During Thursday applications were made at the new Workmen ' s Institute , now being set on foot at 237 , Euston-road , for , in the aggregate , upwards of 300 carpenters , 170 bricklayers , 120 painters , 115 masons , and between 30 and 40 plasterers—all nonsociety men—by some of the leading masters , including Messrs . Myers , of York-road ; Mansfield , of Henry-street , Gray ' s-inn-road ; Smith , of Pimlico ; Ryder , of Unio ^ -street , Borough ; Forrest , of Bethnal-green ; Ashby and Horner , Aldgate ; Piper , Bishopsgate-street ; Waller , Kelk , Lawrence , and others . The authorities of the institute to Avhom these applications were made forwarded batches of non-sodiety men as fast as they could be collected to the quarters where their labour is in such requisition , but were unable to meet the whole of the demand . .

    From inquiries among the members of the Central Association of Master Builders , it is estimated that above 2 > 000 men have resumed work under the declaration , and some 1 , 200 more in establishments where it has been made a * hop rule . Numerous applications aro being made by nonsociety men to participate in the fund considerately set on foot by Mr ; Alderman Cubitt for the relief of that class of artisans , and for the distribution of which a committee of builders' foremen and others was apppinted a few days ago . The master builders have been requested by the committee to send in a list of men thrown out of employment by the strike whom they consider proper recipients of the fund to Mr . Dabbs , the secretary , at Lyons-inn ; and the first distribution will bo made this ( Saturday ) morning . The fund amounted on Wednesday to nearly 400 { .

    padiuam : . A conference of the deputations of the Blackburn masters' committee and of operatives took placo on Friday night at Blackburn , in relation to the Padiham strike , when it was decided , subject to the approval of the woavers' ' boards of management , that as that committee ' s list was only an exceedingly small fraction below the . standard list of prices , the operatives Bhould resume work immediately , if the Padiham masters would undertake to pay them according to the list of that committee . The operatives' deputation Is to report the decision thereon to the meeting next Wednesday .

    Naval. And Military. On Wednesday, At Wo...

    NAVAL . AND MILITARY . On Wednesday , at Woolwich , there was a perfectly successful launch of the Galatea screw corvette , 26 guns , and 800-horse power , in the presence of many thousand spectators , including Commodore Superintendent the Hon . J . R . Drummond , Viee-Admiral Sir M . Stopford , Admiral Sir James Gordon , Governor of Greenwich Hospital , Colonel Stranshani , Commandant of the Royal Marine Light Infantry , numerous officers of the Royal Artillery and Military Train Corps , and Mr . Alderman Salomons , M . P A novel feature in the present launch at this yard was the introduction of hydraulic pressure for the purpose of easing the ship on her launching ways , and thus affording a propelling power on the removal of the dog-shores . Five hydraulic rams ,

    manufactured by Messrs . Huxham and Brown , of Exeter , were used , two being placed under the cutwater , and two at the sides of the vessel . At twenty minutes to three o ' clock the work of removing the timber and dog-shores was completed under the superintendence of Mr . Turner , master shipwright , and the ceremony of christening the vessel was performed by Lady Stopford . Immediately afterwards the hydraulic machines were applied , and the splendid vessel , with her decks covered 4 with visitors , glided gracefully off the slip on which she was built into the Thames , amidst the cheers of thousands of spectators , the band perlaunch

    forming the National Anthem . After the , which was in every respect perfect , the Galatea was removed into the outer basin , where she will be fitted with her screw machinery , manufactured by Messrs . J . Penn and Sons , of Greenwich . An accident of a serious nature occurred during the proceedings , to one of the spectators , a private of the Royal Marines , who foolishly mounted the tall hydraulic crane on the wharf , and received severe injuries on his head by falling from a considerable height . He was immediately conveyed to the infirmary . The building slip from which the Galatea was launched is to be cleared forthwith tor , the purpose of laying down-a new screw frigate , ta be named the Bristol .

    The Friend of India says , that tidings have reached the New Zealand papers of her Majesty ' s brig'Sappho , which was supposed to have been lost on her voyage to Australia . She stranded off an uninhabited island some distauce from . Sydney , and became a total wreck- The portion of her crew that was saved * - formed an encampment on the island . A merchant ship , when passing , found them in a very distressed condition . . The few who had survived the exposure were living on the wild oats and seeds which they found on the island . Commander Moresby , from grief at the loss of his brig , had become insane . in

    The difficulty hitherto experienced converting the ordinary cast-iron guns into breech loaders has at length been surmounted by Mr . Warry , the inventor of the new breech-loading percussion cannon , which during some recent trials at Chatham , discharged twenty shots per minute , who has just succeeded in attaching a wrought-iron breech to a cast-iron gun , the first attempt of the kind which has , as yet , proved successful . The gun experimented upon consisted of the ordinary cast-iron barrel , weighing about 40 lb ., which having been rifled , Mr . Warry attached his breech-loading invention to it ; this gun bciug also fired by percussion , as is the case with his ordinary breech-loading cannon . During the trials made at Chatham yesterday to tost the newly finished cannon , it was ascertained that with a small / charge of gunpowder the shot could be thrown 4 , 000 yards , or upwards of

    two miles , while by slightly increasing the charge a range of 6 , 000 yards was obtained , the gun throwing a shower of balls at tho ruto of ten por minute , a rapidity of firing which the inventor is able to mamtain as long as the ammunition lasts . In order to supply tho extra troops wanted for China a correspondent suggests , that Ull troops in India taking thoir dischargo shall receive a liberal bounty on enlisting for service in China . r «» f tho engagement entered into for such service shall terminate with tho conclusion of the now Chinese war , now inevitable ; and that at tho termination of this war all troops so enlisting shall receive thoir discharge and passngo homo to England . 1 here wou d surely bo but few of our bravo follows who could resist the prospoct of un aetivo campaign under those circumstances , and thousands of oagor voluntoors would sneodlly present themselves .

    A lettor from tho Ionian Islands describes the judicious care of tho health of the British soldier which is oxercisod by tho authorities : — " 1 ho summor , which has boon unusually hot , has at last come to a close—9 p dog . in the ehade for days together . Tho British soldior woars tho same areas in these islands in 'midsummer as -ho does in his native country- —his coat , of coarse red cloth , well padded with wool and lined with flannel , blue cloth trousers , shako , stock , knapsack , & a , and in addition at night ( the nights seldom vary more than one or two degrees from the heat of the day ) his great coat , Ho is con-

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Sept. 17, 1859, page 5, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_17091859/page/5/