The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-10-03 00:00:00

TRIAL TRIP OF THE AUSTBALIAIV
,STEAMER, GOLDEN AGE'.

We copy the following from the New Park Tinzei having
no doubt but that it will interest our readerg, Os the Golden
Age will leave this port for Australia, on or about first'
of Notentber, and is expected to arrive in the Mersey fi
New York, on Saturday or Sunday next :
" The new Australian steamship Golden Age' 'Lieut. D. D.
Porter, U. S. N., Commander, went down the bay on SatuD•
day fora trial trip: The ship ran dawn to a considerable dis-
tance below the fight-ship, and made a trial of speed with
the Atlantic, w'hichtestedhe sailing powers of both."

The Golden Age IS a fine model; fitted up in a sumptuous
style, and embodying a number of essential improvements
in the accommodation of steerage passengers, and in
construction of her engine. 'Her dimensions are remark
in one point—a breadth of beam which giires S ample room
for between-deck accomn:Pdatiots, and coinhicei very greatly
to the comfort of her passengers. She is' 285 feet in length,
431 feet breadth of beam, 32 feet deep of hold, and is of the
tonage of 2,864 tons. She has a beam eng:ne of somewhat
peculiar construction—the diameter of whose cyLnder is 86
inches, with 12 feet length of stroke. The boilers cont;tute
the chief peculiarity. They are each 40 feet in length, ana
are fitted np with furnaces at each end, the smoke-funnel
ascending from the centre. By this arrangement, it is
claimed that economy in both space and fuel is gained, and
the truth of the proposition is pretty clearly proved so far
as regards space. We have never seen a vessel so thoroughly
roomy in every part. As regards the saving in fuel, it may
be mentioned that during the trip on Saturday, the furnace-
doors stood open, while the shaft made fourteen and a half
turns per minute, the vessel going at the rate of thirteen
knots. There arc eight furnace-doors at each end of the
boilers. The appointments of the fire-room are complete.
Iron floors, iron ladder's, shafts for the descent of cool air,
and the usual precautions nainst accident by fire, consti-
tute a series of very perfect arrangements. There is, perhaps, a
slight difficulty in ascending iron ladders that assume a per-
pendicular direction, but as firemen are used to it, the out-
sider has no business with the case. It is the same in all
steam.ships— only those of the Age are remarkably strong,
durable—and 'Upright.

" The hull Of the ship is from the yard of IVm.
BROWN. The lower frames are of live-oak, and the top
frames of locust and cedar. The entire vessel is double
diagonally braced with iron bars five inches wide, by three-
quarters of an inch thick, and four feet apart. She is ceiled
with eight-inch plank ; the bilge-kelsons are four, and
planked outside with six-inch plank. Fourteen kelsons run
the whole length of the ship.

" The accommodations for passengers are suggestive of
all degrees of comfort. It will be observed that we make
no qualification. The prefix dis is dropped before com-
forts.' Formerly, in the dark days, when steerage passen-
gers were not much thought of, they were packed away
very unpleasantly, and captains had no conscience. The
emigrant had a certain number of square inches allowed
him, and took that or none. On the Golden Age the era of
a golden age is appropriately inaugurated. The steerage is
fitted up with accommodation for 600 passengers. The
berths are furnished with neat mattresses and pillows ;
the latter rendered life-preserving by means of an imper-
meable cotton felting. Particular attention is devoted to
the ventilation of the ship. Twelve-inch ports open into
the cabin, preserving a complete circulation of air, and
affording eligible opportunities for the escape of fevers,
plagues, and the nuisances that do afflict emigrants
so sorely. Ascending from the steerage to the main
(leek, wa find the cal onna and dining rippurteniniecs.
The saloons are panelled in rose, satin, and zebra
woods ; upholstered in crimson and gold plush, and
rich hanging ; gilded with taste ; adorned with mirrors
and furnished with the newest appliances for the pleasures
of the table. The tables are so adjusted as to occupy little
room when not in use. The sofas that are ranged along
them are reversed, after the fashion of car-seats. Above each
table is suspended a lamp of new construction, fixed upon a
ball and socket joint so as to preserve its perpendicular at all
times. Passengers will be in no fear of darkness should the
ship make a very sudden and unexpected pitch. In the
upper saloon, the same general arrangements pre-
vail ; although in place of the satin-wood panneling, the
sides are finished in white and gold. In this saloon are the
two family-rooms'---labelled Esperance' and El Dorado.'
One is finished in gold, the other in blue. They are oppo-
site each other. The appointments are rich ; lace curtains,
fine carpet, mirrors, drawers, closets, &c. The wood-work
of each room is finished in cottage style and enamelled. The
upholsterers of the ship were Doremus and Nixon ; the
painter, Richard Squires ; the gilders, Jackson and M‘Der-
mott ; the furniture was provided by Mc Graw and Allen-
Dorph ; the patent tables by F. S. Johnson, of Philadelphia.
Accommodations are afforded for one thousand passengers,
and, at an emergency, twelve hundred persons may find
reasonable quarters on board. The idea of such provisions
for the crowds of gold-diggers will be sufficient to drive them
on board full of hope and money. A remark that reminds
us of the fact that there is a large safe on board, of the capa-
city of many barrels, intended for the storage of gold-dust
during a voyage. In the purser's room is a smaller safe for
the temporary security of small articles belonging to the pas-
sengers.

remains to be stated that her trip was successful in every
particular, not forgetting a dinner set out in handsome style,
to which the ladies first, and the gentlemen next, did full
justice. There was an abundance of jollity, but no speaking
in public. The race with the Atlantic took the place of less
substantial triumphs. After the Age had passed the li,ght
ship, she tacked and ran back to the Hook, where we waited
patiently, running about in sight of the buoy, till the At-
lantic, which left port at noon, showed herself at about half-
past one o'clock. Captain West sent his vessel gallantly
down to meet her new rival, and presently the Age fell
astern for the purpose, as it afterwards appeared, of given
the Atlantic a fair start, and having a race that was a race.
The Atlantic having passed nearly a length a-head, the or-
der was given for the Age to put on steam, which she did very
effectually, passing the Atlantic after a tight race of five or
ten minutes, and winding up with a parting salute, which
was courteously returned by her antagonist. A mutual dip-
ping of flags followed, and the Age put about for her return
trip, leaving the company well satisfied. The contest served
to develop the sailing qualities of the new vessel very hand-
somely. It was a general subject of remark that she entered
the water and left it with little agitation. The cutwator
cast up but little spray, and the ship's wake was quiet.
The Golden Age will make her first ocean trip on Wed-
nesday next. :She leaves this port direct for Liverpool,-
whence she will sail for Australia, and will form the pioneer
of the new line between the latter and our Pacific coast.
For the present, her port will be Panama • eventually Aca-
pulco and San Francisco. She is built ?or the Australian
Steam-ship Company, of this City,—S. Howard and Son,
Agents. The Company propose to construct four or five
vessels of the same class, as soon as their arrangements shall
be sufficiently perfected. So, we may look henceforth for
fresh and pleasant news of nuggets from the fields of Aus-
tralia, not by way of England and the Collins line, but by
Howard, Panama, and the Golden Age.