The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1869-06-22 00:00:00

THE UREA L' EASTERN.

After the authoritative annonnoement in the Wey-
mouth Town Council that this_ monster construe.

lion was certain to visit our Roads on Monday,
public excitement seemed to have somewhat sub-
sided, a it was considered the matter was fully net
at rest, and the unbelievers who doubt everything bad
little or nothing to say. As the time for her arrival
approached, and especially when it was known that she
started on her voyage, the interest was re-aroused, and
all kinds of improbable and Impossible times were laid
down as those on which she would make her appear-
ann. Some confidently reckoned on her being here on
Sunday, while others were so impatient as to btate that
she could not possibly be longer on the water than till
Saturday. Several times durine Sunday It was reportea
that she had put in, and the arrival of the screw eaters
was each time magnified into the approach of the real
Simon Pure, the great ship herself. Many were the
watchful eyes that Peered from the Nothe, the Lcebout,
and Rim:leave', seeking to catch • glimpse of her six
masta. At one o'clock it was confidently reported that
she wam in sight; but doubts were soon set at rest by
Its beooming known that Captain Goan' had received a
telegram stating that she was off Ventnor about twelve
o'clock, and it was then reckoned that she would be here
about three or lislf•past. Captain Coatis, with his
usual promptitude and willingness to afford the
earliest opportunity to the public of Weymouth to again
make &equal:gone •, it wee hoped under happier auspices,
with the eigio.h wonder that had visited us in sadness
before, announced an exeuniuo at half•past two to meet
the Great Eastern, and the well-known fitness of hie
steamer for such excursions, and the extreme beauty of
the afiefooon, atiractod a goodly company on board. No
sign of the big bhip was yet visible, and we willingly
waited for the "Let man" and again the "very last,"
for a few minutes, and chi n started from the Pile Pier,
under a sunny sky, with a well-pleased party, and the
enlivening strains of Jones's bead. Cries of " Here
she is !" ainoet immediately sounded from the bow,
and • good-humoured " sell" was practised on the
unitiated, no they rushed for'ard to see a steamer bearing
down upon the Harbour. Expectation had been wrought
to such a pit• h that for • moment some were taken by
surprise; but it was only a three-masted steamer,
evidently a nian•of-war. as her bow projected outwards
122 it reached the water, giving a hint of •t- rrible
"ram" below to sink any enemy with whom she came in
Contact. Pessin‘ away from under the Nothe fort,
with it. white walls, green bazos, and still silent case-
mate,, the steamer put out towards the Albion Cliffs
Of south-east Dorset, pawing many a hidden rock, and
manila green valley, alternating with great white semi-
circles where the sea had eaten so sharply into the
chalk that the coast-line was scone of yards sheer above
the blue depth', and no landing piece for vessel or boat
amid be found. We passed cozy South-lows, high.
perched Osmington, and pleasent Ringstead, and when
arrived near opposite Durdle door, where the watere
dub through an arch of rock, the false alarm. of the
big ship being in sight were repeated. First the sense
tinned out to be a ship under nail, and then two dark
specks wen uader the bond were confidently affirmed
to be the Great Eaten and her :ender. "Why !
That le a Swanage stone boat!" "And that it a schooner
under mainsail, square topsails, and jib." But
some over-saute observer next declared be bad seen her
coming along "like • little island," and sure enough
there was something smoking away like • great furnace.
" But why is she no near the land? Surely a vessel
like the Great Eastern would take all the sea-room she
could." Another hearty laugh followed, NI this WWI
made out to be another of the numerous smaller craft
that sprinkled the horizon in every direction. At about
:01u:ere:et quarter to
fur,
everything'oweevl'sre; that bid was
beeii.°semeent.hinli
was no; large in akpearanoe, but there was something
grange almost phentondike about it. A thin, very thin
lioe of smoke, (nothing like the volumes belched folth
from that Nay steamer ia the offing), some very line
lines perpendicular to the horizon, you could not make
out how many at first, but soon you perceive there were
five or six, almost, pardon the pettiness of the com-
parison, like • few very fine need 6, erect, and es they
drew nearer, you perceive that they were crossed by
others, and than at diagonals by fainter lines, till a little
square bit of black gone stood faintly but elearly
against the sky. At once it was known almost in-
stinctively that this bit of gauze represented the masts,
yards, and rigging of the Great Eastern, and • strange
cariosity was felt as to whether she bore in her massive
balk some awful secret like thatahe bore last time in her
great balk. But she is reconnoitred her four funnels
are made out all right, and an enthusiast exclaim.
"I knew 'teas she; hers she come,, with her sails
clewed to her yards!" And many were 'lie approving
answers of "That's her I" the excitement with some
overcoming their regard for Lindley Murray. Although
die could be 'silly seen with the naked eye now, many
were the requests for the loan of telescopes, as she
slowly and gravely grew OD Our view. So slowly and 20
gradually that attention was diverted by the sight of a
little excursion steamer from the last, crowded with
pa.gengers and making for the Roads. If it bad not
been the brightest of afternoons, with a jolly company,
a lively sea that made the Premier dance as if to the
music on board, and plenty of white-winged craft all
around to add to the life and spirit of the scene, one
could not but have been impressed with a feeling of
awe, lamest of sadness, as the Great Eastern approached,
mote in her settled steadiness and gravity like one of
the steam bridges that you see at Southampton or
Portsmouth than anything riding free on the unfettered
waves. Our little steamer, with ber new set of lima,
bargee and blue Peter, and union, fluttering in
the wind, seemed to have twice as much life in
her a the slow mam that rather grew than ad-
vanced. But how she kept growing I And as a
racy little pilot boat flew up to her, and tbe great
grave hull stopped, and complied with harbour regale-
miens by taking a pilot on board-4o conduct her into
the harbour (0 no if a bullock train should stop to take
up • fly—how her immense sine became manifest by
comparison I We had doubted whether her paddles
weie moving; but now they are seen to be going
slowly, and, with the assistance of her screw, which
chorus up an immense body in her wake, she moves
along at about seven knots an hour. Other pilot. all
on her, end there is no need for the shout "Whit ship
la tent for there is but one Great Eaten. Her
groat bleak mans now looms far above us. She carries
her gnat &nether. at her bow boats all round her sides,
and from her stern a long line hangs behind attached
to the latent log, or telltale, to smarten her rate of
speed. Here is also the paying-out wheel of the great
cable, and at her bow a similar wheel, said to be for
paisitsug the cable over should it be broken and have to
be picked up. As our little steamer neared her, the
two vessels saluted each other by "dipping their
eaeldas," and our bawd played "Acid Lang Syne." As
we passed astern, there could be read the unman
words in small white letters under her bleak senator
"Great Eastern. London." Steaming round her not
eery much of beauty can be noticed in her lines,
though It must be said her yards were beautifully
squared. She Is attended by 200 r 30 gull; which have
doubtless been following her for miles, cm the look-out
for the scrape cant over-board. AN we get well into
her wake, sad are tossed about by the waves she throws
up, the bead strikes up" A Lifson the Often Waver to
the music of which the Premiergallantly gives the big
googol shale, and soon catches bier in spite of her
iiiiMoUl2 mist Before her deck, had seamed almost
deserted, lo small seemed the few men looking over her
great bulwarks, but now cheers burst forth from the
Nosier, and the coutp•ny on hoard the big ship swarm
to bar stdee,sed overpower them with • great volume
of sound. That is said to be Captain Sherard Osborne,
who has under his control the arrangements for laying
the oh* and other sotabilitior are painted out; but