LAUNCH OF THE IRON FLOATING DOCK AT CALLAO.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXII, Issue 2828, 18 August 1866, Page 6

LAUNCH OF T HE IRON FLOA T ING DOC K AT CALL AO.

i (FROM THB, "PANAMA STAR AIfD'HSKALD.") r i Oif the 24th April, at half-past two in the afternoon, ,thia'magnincentstructure> was with .perfect' success launohedMn Callao<Bay, and<at once towed to her> moorings. The origiu and promotioa of ' the company, its management till now, the putting together of the immense 'mass of iron, its successful launch — iorva one' *o{ 'the most triumphs that 'the' jenergy) and skill of the Anglo-Saxoir/tace -have ever' achieved on this coast. The following is, translated > from the Comerdooi Lima, of the 24th A pril: To-day,' iat 238 p,'ni. , the great iron floating dock constructed an this-,pbrt, under -the direction of the * enter-' k prising' and able < manager* of" the Pacific Steame Navigation' Gompany,- George Petcie, Esq., .i* waslaunched. The operation to which we refer was effected with a success which rarely attends such 'great works, even in places where they have every' resource 1 to secure success. 'Che company who assisted at such an important ceremony was naturally very numerous, and included his Excellency the Jefe 'Snpreiho, General Prado, the secretaries of 'War and of the Government, and a 'brilliaut suite. ! At 2.38 the signal > was given by the firiag-ofa. fcannon, and the ropes which 'held the buoys were !cut, and a few strokesrof the. hydraulic rama placed 'underneath being given, the dock began to glide j down the ways, at first slowly and grad ually increasing iin velocity tilt at last; amidst the great cheering 1 of' < the assembled multitude, the. dock' reached, the: .■ water. The christening was performed according to, 'the English custom, by breaking a bottle of-cbam-pagne which was attached 'to 'ribbons, and the ends ' were held by the •' padrinoa," who were the Jefe' I Supremo and Mrs. Petrie. ■ At the exact moment jshe be^un to move, the bottle was thrown in front of | her. It was certainly a 'moment of great anxiety ito ( see the dock i running i with such a Telocity 'on the ways so scientifically laid. The dock being "once afloat, two of the P.S.N. ' Co.'s steamers • towed her to her moorings. 1 In a word, the powerful iron floating-dock, estabi lished iv Callao without a rival in South America, I remains afloat out of all danger, and bears the name !of bit. George. All fear thic the Spaniards, who i were expected in Callao, might destroy the'dock, sa ' ir6m its position between two batteries was to be • expected, has disappeared. • When the Spaniards ' present themselves the dock will be' towed to S»n Lorenzo, out of reach of any damage. It seems that i our new dock is sufficiently strong to take in ship 3 at large as the| Nmnancia ; therefore, we hope the day : may come when &he may be towed in triumphantly by one of the Peruvian men-of-war."