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Leader (1850-1860), 17th September 1859, Edition 3 of 3, Page 5, 1 NAVAL AND MILITARY, On Wednesday, at W...

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      The Trial Trip Of The Great Eastern. The...

      men—John Boyd and Michael Mahon , firemen , gra- dually sanlc . The first died towards morning ; the _second about nine , a . m . In the case of the unfor- tunate 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 him- self . The excitement was over ; the exhaustion ¦ 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 mes- sage of faith and Mercy . Mr . Rawlinson , of Hull , assistant to Mr . Gray , was in his cabin on the after lower deck when the ex- plosion took place . The walls of his birth " col- lapsed ; " 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 , ptherwise dangerously injured . Mr . Bris- coe , 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 tire Great Eastern ia 1857 ; but he is in a fair way towards A few gentlemen having 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 mea among the crew who had behaved with gallantry . Of the effects of the explosion upon the ship her- self we read : — _^' The first glance at the grand saloon reminded one of the ruins of Covent Garden Theatre . after the fire . The fore part was a pile of glittering rubbish , a . inere confused mass of boards , carpet shreds , hangings , mirrors , gilt frames , and splinters of ornaments ; the rich gilt castings were broken and thrown dawn , the brass work ripped , the hand- some cast Iron columns round the funnel overturned and strewed about . In the more forward part , a state sitting-room for ladies , every single thing was de- stroyed , and the wooden flooring broken and wrenched up . But the damage in this part seemed a mere bagatelle when compared with the ravages among toVo ° _wT _^ f Cab tw _2 hl , II w ftS s d n _? _Tw-fh 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 _cy dboard Everything was in literal . fragments . " ' < No wooden vessel that ever swam , " says one authority , " could have resisted the tre- mendous violence of the explosion for a second , _^^ _AdSi _^ 1 _SP _^^^ _? ff 1 l A 1 _? r | tOr _^ 0 General _. Admiral , the result would have been in each case the same ; they would have gone down , Tho B P r _! J _» _nia Tl ? i _?^ _i _^ _J _^ _ViJ 0 _*?*« * _* _*?* ' 1 he Britannia Badge is a structure of almost un- _& Sn _^ _f ? l _^ ?? _^^ n _^ vi _^ SS _7 h « S _^ J _Eastern _js ten tunes as strong . Yet even the ablest explosion was considered . , Another _accideat , though of no fatal moment , occurred shortly after nightfall . Tlie tiller ropes broke , and the steering power was for a moment taken away . _, The ship began to roll violently and spas moil ically , and to drift out of her course , She seomod to be making , blindly , for Beechy Head . Luclcil / , 1 Captain Harrison had all along mistrusted these ropes , against whose use , indeed , he had protested , and had , with admirable fore- _oight , provided chains , which were indeed already worked through the sheaves . The evil was soon remedied , tlie chains adjusted , and the ship resumed her way . Sick and wearied , I turned , about t « vo in the morning , into a vacant berth on the lower deck , aft , and elopb till six . It was a lovely morning . We eightoii the Needles , Brunksoa Castle , Portland Bill , but we were in no mood for topographical on- _thusiasm . It was about ten when tho anchor was n _§ ° a S _ftlnkin the blue water of Portland _Itoads . . There is not much need be said about tho passage _aown to Portland . Tho night closed in cold and wintly , but BtiU a great number of passengers kopt the dock , unable to divest themselves of the appro- _nenolon of another calamity . If one of tho waste- Pipes sent forth a tiny jot of steam , or the screw was neara to give a creak , every one became alarmed ,

      The Trial Trip Of The Great Eastern. The...

      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 hiaking with certainty twenty-four knots an hour . The _inguest 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 , Wey- mouth , on Monday . After some preliminary evi- dence 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, 18.59.] The Leader. 10...

      No 495 . Sept . 17 , 18 . 59 . ] THE LEADER . 1049

      ~ The Strikes _ . , ¦ ' ' Rhe Opening Of...

      ~ THE STRIKES _ . , ¦ ' ' rHE 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 . Trollope , of 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 " fa ? S _* w _££ at _^ thc' _varidus establishments of the master builders on the terms of the declaration arid _s _^ _oTrS S sho _^ where it has been made and Co . have 480 men , Mr . Ivelk , 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 6 n the declaration . Some hesitation has been showiv by the workmen to return to work afc Mr - Myers s and Mr . Jay s . The largest builders , such as Cubitt and Ivelk , are not desirous to 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 high 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 Amalga- mated Engineers to the Trades Conference was anticipated and absorbed by the dividend paid on Monday . _Durina-Thursday anDlications were made at the ue w _5 ? k riien ' ! _S S _SSS _S _^ _S _^ _S of 3 Oo _caroenters 170 bricklavers ] % nainters 115 _S 2 _^ SfSd 5 ti _^ n 30 and _^ i pla sfer _^ _rs-aU noi _? society ' men _ by some of the leading masters , in- c i udil ; _L Messrs Afvpr <* of York-road Mansfield of Henrv _? _street _GraJl-inn-road Smith of Pimlico ™ g , XUnion-s _?^ _nSn ' _Ashbv an 1 Horner Aldgate Piper _Btehowate ttreet Waller Kelk Lawrence Tvnd otiie _^ _J _^ ap _^ SSS _woS _iSe f _orwSded baTohS f non _ sV ( . iety men as fast as they could bo col- _jj " _«*«* _™ y _qXte 7 _swliere tholr labour is in such req « _isIxUoS " bu _" were unable to meet the whole of the demand From iniuir ' ics among the members of the _Cun- t . Association of Master Builders it is estimated whero _, t _, m _' s hQQn ma < Je ' ft _^ rulQ Numerous applications are being made by non- socioty mon to participate in the fund considerately set on foot by Mr . Alderman Cubitt' for the rolief of that class of artisans , and for the distribution of which a committee of builders ' foremen and others was appointed a few dnys ago . Tho master builders have been requested by-the committeo to send in a Hst of men thrown out of employment by tho strike whom they consider proper recipients of tho fund to Mr . Dabbs , tho secretary ! at Lyons-inn ; and the first distribution will bo maue this ( Saturdny ) morning , The fund amounted on Wednesday to nearl y 4001 umuuiiwu uu _yvwiivwu . y io noany _* vui . . TUU _i'adiham strike . A conference of the deputations of the Blackburn masters' committee and of operatives took placo on Friday night at Blackburn , in relation to iho Padi- ham strike , when it was deoidod , subject to tho ap- proval of tho weavers' board's of _managomont , that as that committee ' s list was only an exceedingly small fraction below tlie standard list of prices , tlie operatives , should resume work immediately , if tho _Padlhum masters would undertake to pay them ac- cording to tho list of that committee . The ope- ratlves' deputation is to report tho decision thereon ( to the meeting next Wednesday . *

      1 Naval And Military, On Wednesday, At W...

      1 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 . Drumraond , Vice-Admiral Sir M . Stopford , Admiral Sir James Gordon , Governor of Greenwich Hospital , Colonel Stransham , . 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 , aud thus affording a propelling power on the removal of the dog-shores . Eive 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 with visitors , glided gracefully off the slip on which she was blillt into the Thames , amidst the cheers of thousands of spectators , the band performing the National Antliem . After Uie launch , which Avas in every respect perfect , the Galatea _^ removed into the outer basin , where _^ she will befitted T _^ J _^^^ _lS _^ r _T _^ _M _^^ _I _^^^^ i . _- J > * onu and bons ' Greenwich . . An accident of a _£ _™« _S _^^ f _^ pSv _^ _^ ht _^ _oyS ' , ' , _. rf nd receive < i severe iniuries on £ _^ hea _^ by fall ng from a _cSLSe heTgh " He immediatelv eonveved to the infirmarv The _3 din _^ slinS which _^ h & Galatea wS launched _fs to l _» e Clea ? ed f orthwith for Sie _uuroose of _lavins _& _££ _* ea _^^ t %£ _^ Z be _^ _mld the _BrSo ? S The _JFr _^ _rf o _/ /« _J ta say s , 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 distance 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 n . 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 , froni grief at the loss of his brig , had become insane . The difficulty hitherto experienced in converting the ordinary cast-iron guns into breech loaders has at length be _' en surmouifted ; by Mr . Warry , the inventor of the new breech-loading percussion cannon , which during some recent trials 1 at Chatham , dis _^ charged 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 experinientcd upon consisted of the ordinary cast-iron barrel , weighing about 40 lb ., which having been rifled , Mr . \ Varr _> attached _liis breech-loading inventlon to it ; this Jan . being also fired by percussion , _™ _" case with his ordinary _broccli-loading cannon . During the trials made at Chatham yester _. day to teat the newly finished cannon , it was _ascertaincd that with a small / charge of gunpowder thp shot could be thrown 4 , 000 yards , or upwards of two milea , \ vh 1 c by slightly increasing the charge a rapidity of firing which the inventor is able , to mamtain as long as the ammunition lasts _, In order t 0 supply the extra _trooiis wanted for China a correspondent suggests , that all troops in India taking their discharge _aliali _receivo a hboral bounty on enlisting for service in China , _lliot the _qngUgcmont entered into for sucli _servicoelnUl torminato with the conclusion of tlio now Chinese war , now luovttable ; and that at the tomunation ot _tlua war all- troops so unlisting elm 1 rcceiyo their _dischurgo and passage homo to _hnglaiic . Ihorc would surely ho but few of our bravo follows who could ru 9 ist the prospect of an active campaign under _^^ circumslancos , and _thousivnda of eager voluntoers would speedily present _thonieolvcs . " A letter from tho Ionian Islands describes the judicious caro of tho health of the British soldier which is exercised by the authorities : _—• ' I ho summor , which has been unusually hot , has at last come to a close—00 dog . in the shade tor days tpgother , Tho British soldier wears tho same dross in these islands in midsummer as ho doos in his native country—h _| s coat , oi course red cloth , woll padded with wool and UnoU with flannel , blue cloth trousers , ehako , stook , knapsack , & c ., and in addition at night the nights seldom vary more than one or two degrees rom tho heat of the day ) hia groat 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/sldr_17091859/page/5/