The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1869-11-02 00:00:00

THE GREAT EARTFEN.

An ezeursion was got up by Messrs. Cowes on
Monday morning to go out and meet the Great Eastern,
which was expected to be in Portland Roads early in
the afternoon. The Prince took a good number of
passengers, including the Mayor, and steamed out about
half-past eleven. rho weather was fine. and the xcur-
'ion very enjoyable. There were no false alarms this
time about the discovery ,4 the big ship, for about five
minutes to Id her masts and smoke were sudden.y des-
cried off St. Alban's lieut. A haze intervened and for
several minutes she was invisible. no that some began
to doubt her being there after all. However, as the
Prince tamed Lulworth and Worbarrow the nags lifted
on I the L-viothan WA, dine, reed still "hull down." :le
era telly grow .m tho view, and awn the great hull
" loomed laz4e" in the distance. She advanoeslat front
seven to nine knots an hour, under paddles and screw,
awl soon we were alongside, and cheers were given from
the Prinee for the Great Eastern, and returned from the
big ship. Our party also cheered for Captain Halpin
sad the neluati. and mutual civilities szchanged, the
. . . .

little Prinee was soon oh amine along easily I:;aiste the
giant. The principal difference in the Great Eaatern's
appearanoe was that her bull was painted •hite. This
it in consequence of her being about to enter tropical
latitudes, end it is well known that a white surface
keeps an interior much cooler than • darker colour out•
side. The alteration, however, did bet make her look
any handsomer than before, audit was remarked that she
looked like a hospital ship, or one undergoing quaran-
tine. The ship appeared high, rout of water thsn when
last .he came to our shores, probably because the lioin•
hay and Sues cable is shorter than that for laying across
the Atlantic. lier flags were in twitch at her twist-
head% and as she enters) the Iteada, her colour. were
unfurled, being tricolour, blue enti.:ti, stars and stripe..
the flag of the Telegraph Coottruction and Maintenance
Company, with red ensign at her peak. There was little
new to notice in the eppearance of the greet ship, as she
forged her way along, and entered Portland Roads, a
little after two o'clock. She takes in 2.100 tons of
patent fuel, aupplied by Warlieh'. Patent Fui I Company,
South Wales. This is wanposed mainly of small *oil,
cemented together by pitch, in blocks ot about Itb.
each. It i• found most handy for stowage, give, a
capital heat, and does not injure the furnace bars no
much as common coal. A large number of men have
been engaged in Weytnonth and Portland to atow the
fuel, and this is far mere to the advantage of the neigh•
bourhael, arid doubtless of the company, than the plan
adopted last time she was her,,, when the men were
brought down specially from other parts.
The magnitude of the Great Pastern's requirements
may be gat wed from the following facto: Sevensmall
sailing *steads laden with patent fuel have been waiting
for several •lays in the Harbour, with an aggregate of
1500 tons of patent fuel, and thereat° also !our steamers
with 2000 tons of Welch coal ; there will he also other
vessels waiting for her on her passage. She has about
500 or 600 men on board, about 130 of whom were
l specially engaged in getting in her fuel and cable. The
steamer William Cory arrived on Tuesday night, with
700 tons of cattle, whirl was taken on board on Wed-
nesday• Messrs. Osborne and Son, of Portueg's Well,
who have been appointed her agents at Portland, put on
board 1000 pounds of Weir, and 500 pounds of mutton
the first day she was hem, and ten times as much as
that arrived from London on Tuesday. She draws 31
feet of water aft, and about 25 feet forward. She left
Sheerness at half-past twelve on Sunday, and aa she was
anchored by three o'clock on Monday afternoon, her
passage trust be considered • good one. We ate glad to
find that all are well on board of her.
After all 'the Weymouth and Portland men who
supposed they were engaged to work at the Great
Eastern have been greatly disappointed. When they
were about to go on board it was intimated that they
were not wanted, and the reason which it is said was
given was that the London men would not work with
the Weymouth nen. Whether this was so or not, it
moos certain that a large number were after all engaged
from Southampton, and our people were left to walk up
and down the quays out of work.