ATTEMPTED LAUNCH OF THE NORTHUMBERLAND.

Grey River Argus, Issue 63, 7 June 1866, Page 3

ATTEMPTED LAUNCH OF THE NORTHUMBERLAND.

The " Timca" of March 19, gives the following account of the unsuccessful attempt to launch the. ironclad Northumberland, the peculiarity being- that this was the. first attempt ever rancle to launch such a vessel with all her armor plates already fixed :— It is with regret we have to announce that tho attempt to launch this :nn.gni£ ficent vessel on '.Saturday proved a failure, After going half way down the launching ways she slowly' came to a standstill, and in spite of every effort made yesterday, there she still remains, half ia the water and half out of it. The best authorities arc confident that the vassal is safe where she now is, but they arc by no means so certain as to the absence of ritk which may attend the efforts' to get her off. It is not necessary, after the minute details. of this.' sliips's construction which appeared in the " Times'' of Saturday, to refer again to her build. It is sufficient to say that no attempt has ever been made tolaunch any of the ironclads so completely plated with their armor as the Northumberland. Her sister ships, the Agincourt and Minotaur, were launched with the utmost ease, because the latter was sent afloat without her armor being fixed, and the former was built in a wet dock. Contrary, however, to the general practice, it was attempted to launch the Northumberland nearly finished ; in fact not more than 2dO tons of plates remain to be fastened. Never, since the .launch of the Great Eastern lias it hcen attempted to send such a heavy vessel end on into the water, and, in fact, this is the lirst attempt of the kiucl ever made, inasmuch as the great ship was, as is well known, slowly lowered broadside on into the river. ' On Saturday there was a good deal of anxiety lest tbe Northumberland, when launched, should have too much way on her, and there is no doubt that the precautions taken against such an event had a .good deaAo do with the fact of her not being able to get away at all. The managers of the Millwall Company desired to procure the services of four powerful tugs, two at each side of the stern, to assist in -pulling the Northumberland down the launching ways, after she had been started. The tug captains, however, having a not unreasonable dread of the enormous bulk of the ship, and the impetus with which she was expected to come into the watei-, ' refused- to undertake this rather hazardous task. As far as regards the mere preparations for launching, everything seems to have been provided for. . The ways were most solidly built and supported, and the best proof that can be givea of the enormous strength of the cradles is, that even- now, after coining half-way down, the launching ways, they remain- as firm and carry the ponderous sfiip as erectly as the day they were built under her. The excitement caused by the intended launch seemed to be immense. Every part. of- the road loading, to the Millwall Works was crowded. Their RoyalHighnesses the Prince of Wales and Prince Alfred were among the earliest visitors, and before the launch they went over the extensive works, all parts of which were- thronged .with a most .brilliant 'assembly.- j . The Countess '~sQi'cy, the future Duchess of Northumberland, had the . i

honor of naming the ship, All' 'the preparations were completed, within-. a few minutes of two- .o'clock,, when the garlanded bottle was dashed- against the bows, the hydraulic rams' were set to work, and in a few seconds the sliip began to move amid tremendous' cheers from all the company. For some ■40 or 50 feet or so her pace seemed rapid, and the cradle smoked and sparkled' under the tremendous friction' of some 8000 tons' weight sliding over, the timber ways. Before she had gone a hundred feet, however, her velocity was evidently diminishing, though the friction beneath the cvadles ""appeared greater than ever. Gradually she moved slower and slower, and at. length, when nearly half the hull was in the water, to the consternation of all she came to a dead standstill. It is difhculfc to describe the excitement which this untoward accident occr-s'.oued, for until an examination had I ecu made it was impossible to find out how the vessel lay, or whether she might not become a total wreck. Fortunately for the company, and we may add for the country too, the first inspection showed that the ship was firm' in her cradles, and, with tho exception of about twenty feet of her stern, still well-balanced on the ways. In an instant all hands were set to work to -snore her up with enormous timber struts on the inner side, while every precaution was taken to prevent her "moving further or unexpectedly. A luncheon was provided by the company,, to which, after the attempt at the launch, all the guests adjourned, but it need scarcely Le said that the failure of iha efforts to get off the Northumberland, cast a gloom over the company, and it was not till Sir John Hay, the chairman, announced amid cheers, that the vessel was iv a perfectly safe position that this feeling was removed. Dining the whole of Saturday night the workmen were busy fixing the mostpowerful supports under both sides of the vessel, and by yesterday morning she was completely wedged up. At the high tide a powerful attempt was made to move her. Thei'e was then nearly twenty-four fe3t of water under her stern, and, indeed, she was so much water-borne that many in the yard were positive that slie had lifted an inch or two. At this time two e'nonnoushawsers were got acro?s to the building yards at the opposite side of ' the river, and were attached to powerful capstans, each of which were manned by sixty men. 'By heaving on these the ropes were drawn almost perfectly straight out of the water, and at the same time no less than eleven tugs- attached to tho Northumberland united all their efforts to pull . her off, but in vain ; the ship remained absolutely immovable. Eyen the wedges which supported her on either side shov/ed no signs of having ■ been in the slightest degree affected by the strain upon the vessel. No further efforts will now be made till the return of the spring iides, next Saturday week. It is then intended to moor alongside her stern soma of the largest lighters which the Admiralty can spare. These will be secured by chains passing under the Northumberland's stern, and and it is hoped, and, indeed, most confidently believed, that with the rise cf tho tide their buoyancy will be sufficient to. lift the after part of /the vessel,' and- so. enable her to go-ofi- without diffi-. culty. ' It cannot be denied, however, that in case of a " slewing" round upon the ways duriug this operation her position would become one of the most imminent peril. Some of the ablest Admiralty . ship-builders and most experienced manageis of private, yards inspected her yesterday, 'and gave the most confident opinion that she was perfectly safe in her present position. Careful levels have also been taken, which show the hull to be free from strain or wrench of any kind, while the divers who have been down under her report the cradles and launching ways to be perfect..