Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-06-24 00:00:00

THE NIAGARA. FRIGATE

Yesterday, in common with many others of our fellow
townsmen, we had the pleasure of visiting this noble
vessel, which now lies moored, in all her graceful majesty
and beauty, in the Sloyne, not far above the Rock Ferry
slip She is incomparably the finest vessel that has ever
yet graced the Mersey ; and though, in an ordinary case ,
this might he deemed sufficient praise, yet in the instance
of the Niagara frigate it falls shed of truth and justice.
From an inspection alone can her superiority be judged;
and emboldened by our own experience to indulge for
once in prophecy, we promise those who may visit her, a
courtesy and attention ou the part of her officers which
will live long in their memory.
In our impressi n of yesterday we published a few facts
in heralding the arrival of this great " Messenger of Peace,'
descriptive of her size and power. From the
Ti2nes's description it would appear that she is rigged
with " tall and somewhat heavy spars." The reverse is
the case. She is under-mated and sparred, and we have
been informed that she has never yet had wind enough to
bring her down to reef-topsails. Iu fact, her
foremast ought to be as large as her pre•
sent main-mast, and her mizen-mast as large
as her formast. Her extreme length orer all is
373 feet, and her tonnage is about 6,090 tons, being
nearly 1,500 tons greater than the Royal Sover-igu of our
navy, though her spars are smaller than those of that
magnificent vessel. She his 1,200 h-Tre-power, but 6he.
can work up to 2,000. The greatest speed which she has
yet attained under steam has been eleven and a quarter
knots with forty-seven revolutions; under sail and steam
she has attained fourteen and a-half knots, with thirty
revolutions, but her officers consider that she is capable of
making from seventeen to eighteen knots. The Times is
wrong in stating that her guns, when equipped with her
proper armament, will throw a ball of 270 lbs. a
distance of 7,000 yards : it should be 170 lbs , and a
distance of 6,000 yards. She at present carries only
4 32-pounders, bat it is but necessary to glance along her
noble deck to realise the bristling air of defiance which
she would present if completely dressed out in the arma-
ment her builder designed for her. Long may it bo before
the shrill trumpet of war calls for her to put on that
armament, and still longer may it be before her destructive
guns are turned in anger upon any vessel upon which may
float the " Union Jack !" Her entrance is beautifully
fine, but yet so gracefully does she taper that the eye can-,
not in a moment realise her stupendous proportions. It is
only by contrasting the magnificent c'dppere wi h which
our river is thronged, and tho still nobler Cunard boats with
her that her magnitude can be fully comprehended. Her
upper deck is the finest we have ever seen—flush all
through, with a slight incline fore and aft, and spacious in
the extreme. We cannot attempt to describe all her
peculiarities, but there are some points about her, or rather
in connection with her management, which are suggestive,
and deserving of imitation. We shall mention a few.
Along her bulwarks, at either side, runs a small tube,
through which the officer can convey his orders, and which
insures greater certainty and less labour, (the speaking
trumpet being altogether dispensed with) in a gale
of wind. Again, there is a small bell attached
to the foretop of each mast, and through this the
men aloft can be at once signalled. The same
with the engineers. There is a dial on deck- with
"stand-by," "slow," " fast," &c., marked on it, and there
being another corresponding dial in the engine-room, the
officer, by turning the handle, can unerringly intimate his
wishes to those below. There are many other suggestive
Peculiarities about the Niagara, which, no doubt, will no t
be lost on the builders at our royal dockyards, whore she
has but just undergone many alterations to prepare her for
the reception of the Atlantic telegraph cable. Her main-
deck has been fearfully cut up for this purpose, and so also
with her lower deck. For our part, we were particularly
struck with this sacrifice; for we cannot look upon the
mutilation, though temporary, of such a noble ship in any
other light—and we consider it one of the greatest proofs
which the American government could give of their desire to
promote the most wonderful undertaking which the world
has yet seen. Her present crew consists 02540 hands all told.
As we have already observed, we in company with
many others had the gratification :through the kind-
ness of Messrs. Hetherington of the Rock Ferry, of
inspecting her yesterday. Conscious of the genera' desire
to see so noble a specimen of American naval architecture,
they, witlia liberality which reflects the greaten credit on
them, not only invited a numerous company to the use of
their steamer Bee for the visit, but they provided their
guests with a repast, the excellence of which was proved
in the ample justice done to it. The officers of the
Niagara also gracefully accepted the invitation of the
Messrs. Hetherington, and by their social qualities rosy
still higher in the estimation of the visitors, to
whom in showing the ship, they with the most frank
and courteous manner imparted every information sought
at their hands. Among the visitors on board we notieed
air. H. Littledale, Captain Schonberg, Mr. T. C. Tetley,
Mr. C. Woodward, Captain Campbell (of the Cunard
steamers), Mr. Grinnell, jun., Mr. H. Clever Chapman,
Mr. E. Bright (secretary of the Magnetic Telegraph. C 0.,)
Mr. Harrison (one of the directors of the Atlantic C 0.,)
Mr. John Hastings, Mr. G. S. Sanderson, Mr. H. Broom,
Mr. Alderman Watkins, Manchester ; Mr. Rigby, Man-
chester; Mr. T. Walmsley, Mr, Gibbs Hansard, Notting-
hamshire, &c. After dinner, the Bee sailed up to Eastham,
and during the trip the healths of " The Qneen," the

"President of the United States," and the "Officers of
.he Niagara," were drunk with all the enthusiasm which
such toasts were calculated to evoke. Mr, Purser Eldridge,
with whom were Lieut. Cannon, Mr. J. W. Moore, assistant
engineer, and other officers, responded in appropriate.
terms to the toast of the president. The party landed.at
Eastham, and though Mr. Hilliar whs. made aware of the
nature of the visit, &c., he claimed and was paid the usual.
tollage on each person who passed through the gate. After
spending some time at Easthatn, the party re-embarked;
and then the Bee, calling on the, way at the Niage,r4,
steamed down as far as Egrem.ont, and came upon. the
other side along the line of clerics, landing her compfirly, in
the best possible spirits, at the Lnding-stage.
The Niagara will be open. to the inspection of tif .e public
for a few days, and we would advise those who take
delight in the sight of a fine ship, not to miss. her-,
We believe that steamers will be allowed to -go alongside
of her. When she has taken in the eablr3, she will, be
joined here by the American paddle. steamer 'Susquehannah,
who will accompany her on her missions and wait on her
during the operation of laying the caKe.