Ordinary Meeting, December 29tli, 1857. 
Thomas Hopkins, Esq., Vice-President, in the Chair. 
A discussion again took place respecting the launch of the 
“ Leviathan.” Mr. Roberts said that in his opinion it was 
a great mistake to form the bearing surfaces of the launching 
ways of iron, and especially of railway bars, which he under- 
stood were crossed by similar bars on the under side of the 
cradles ; that as far as he could estimate, from the imperfect 
knowledge which he possessed of the dimensions of the bearing 
surface of the cradles, he believed them to contain an area of 
more than one square foot for every ton of the w^eight they 
have to bear; but the intersections of the cross grid-iron 
surfaces would not present more than tV or of the area of 
the unshod cradle, and consequently the weight per foot of 
bearing would probably be about fifteen tons, which owing to 
want of perfect accuracy would in some places be increased 
to double that weight, which when the cradles w'ere slidden 
along the ways would be sufficient to expel the grease and 
to cause the surfaces to unite as firmly as if wielded together; 
he had known steel as hard as any file to do so. He should 
have prefei’red having the surface of the ways entirely of 
wood, and that of the cradles of plate iron; but with the extent 
of surface provided, he believed no harm would have resulted 
if the cradles had been unshod. He thought that the speed 
of the vessel’s run into the water could have been regulated, 
and her parallelism maintained, by means that might have 
been provided at a comparatively light cost; namely, — by 
employing a few' pulleys and chain cables in connexion with 
steam boats, w'ithout windlasses or capstans; and that the like 
means he had no doubt would have been ample to keep her 
in motion after she had been started. 
• In reference to the laying of the telegraphic cable, Mr. 
Roberts said that in his opinion it could be done with less 
difficulty and danger of fracture if it were cast through a tube 
Proceedings No. 7. 
