The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-18 00:00:00

THE GREAT EASTERN.

(From the New York Herald, August 4.)
Seven hundred feet of flush deck, never wet with spray
in any ordinary gale ; 1,200 people sprinkled about the
monster, making no more show than the ordinary comple-
ment of a common steamer for society.
The four 18-pounders peel out their parting salute to the
crowded docks at Liverpool, and notify us that we are under
way, a fact that is hardly indicated to a close observer by
any jar of the engines, or any motion of the ship,even when
she is going at speed in smooth water.
Below decks the ship looks most unostentatiously plain,
but substantial to the highest point, and with the hammer-
ing she had in the terrific gale when she lost her rudder,
and afterwards when she struck a new found rock in mid-
channel, off Montauk Point, not the slightest sign of strain
can be found upon her.
Her arrangements for passengers are the first step in
that reverse of old quarter-deck rules which steam must
sooner or later bring, in order to avoid coal smoke and
other nuisances. Her forecastle for the crew, to speak
Hibernice, comes next the taffrail ; then the quarters of the
steerage passengers on the after part of the two decks,
with air ports which can be kept open all the time. Price
of passage being about what a labouring man can earn
during the 35 days that he will save as compared with the
crowded twixt decks of a sailing ship. Forward of this
comes the intermediate steerage, where at a low rate a few
passengers get very fair quarters in rough state rooms,
which most people would prefer, for 11 days, to a cabin of
a sailing ship for 40. These arrangements for the crew and
steerage passengers take up less than a quarter of the ship's
length.

Next comes the second cabin, whose occupants share the
remaining three-quarters of the deck with the captain,
officers, and first class passengers.

Below decks they are only separated by an iron bulk-
head and a curtain door from the first cabin, and yet prac-
tically all the advantages of the first class. Good air, for
state-rooms, good, substantial food, and a fair half of the
delightful music which the band discourses at meals in the
first cabin.

We now come to the more aristocratic part of the ship,
which is generally plain as a pike staff, and owes its at-
tractions more to its ample light and perfect ventilation
than to any attempt at elegance or ornament, excepting the
grand saloon and ladies' cabin, which shines with gilt and
mirrors. Those who have smothered for a fortnight in the
little air-tight state-rooms of the little three thousand ton
steamers, flavoured with sea sick reminiscences, can but
appreciate the luxury of an open port 15 inches in diameter
in each state-room.

Here you can get quarters in rooms varying from 20 feet
square at corresponding prices, but all having the one thing
needful for health—namely, fresh air ad libitum, and some
suites of rooms with baths and water closets attached. We
have now surveyed the comforts of the ship. The luxuries
consist of a good table, attention, service, and a most ca-
pital band, of 15 pieces, which sounds the reveille in the
morning and the retreat at night, announces the meals by
bugle calls, accompanies the dinner below, and then amuses
the world above for an hour or two about sunset, giving
the steerage and other passengers a chance which they
often wait for to dance upon the broad and even deck.
But, asks a timid friend, how about safety with all this,
comfort, luxury, and grandeur, and how about sea sick-
ness ? Let us weigh our good ship's qualities in the light
of prudence and experience. _ . _

Once at sea all admit that she is the safest ship that
floats. She is built with wonderful strength and skill, and
has stood more tests than any ship now extant.

Any ordinary collision with other vessels could only re•
salt in her favour. She is nearly fire-proof, and her fire
engines have lain nightly along her decks, reducing her
danger to almost nothing. A gale of wind at sea is merely
sport to her. In case of breaking down one set of engines,
she has, besides her sails, either her screw or her paddles
left. But how can she be safe in approaching the shore
with her unwieldy bulk and great draught of water ?
Let those who saw her go into Queenstown inner harbour
before a gale of wind, and turn in her own length amid the
shipping, under the guidance of Captain Paton, as a steed
obeys his rider, say whether she is docile.
In truth, the advantages of handling her in narrow water
by turning the screw one way and the paddle the other,
makes her, under skilful hands, more manageable than ordi-
nary sea steamers.

This brings us to her one admitted fault, counterbalanced
by so many virtues—that she draws sft more water than a
steamer of 3,000 tons, and may thus pick up a new ledge of
rocks or an old sand-bar when the other would go clear.
True, she may again, as she did off Montauk, and what was
the result then ? With six holes in her bottom, one of
them 100 ft long, and one 40ft long, she resumed her voyage
into port, and delivered her passengers unfrightened, her
cargo undamaged. She has, in fact, double bottoms 3ft
apart, besides a great number of compartments, some of
which could be filled by ruptures in both her bottoms with-
out the ship sinking.
It would be a long story to tell the patience and inven-
tion which enabled Captain Paton and his officers to repair
her bottom without the help of any dock ; but the same
qualities which then got her cut of difficulty gives the
beet guarantee for her future safety while he walks " the
monarch of her peopled deck." How about sea sickness P
There is absolutely no pitch to her in any ordinary gale,
an angle of six degrees being the greatest her decks ever
attain fore and aft. Here is one half the motive cause of
sea sickness taken out. She rolls with an easier motion
than most ships, but still she rolls at times about as much
as smaller ships. On the passage we have had racks on
the table to secure the plates part of two days. Very sen-
sitive people will still sometimes be sea sick on board; but
with freedom from pitching and from bad smells, and with
the abundance of fresh air, it is difficult to imagine any
better security against nausea than she furnishes. Out of
1,200 passengers a few have been sick, but a great majority
of those who are usually sea sick are entirely free from it.
Let us now leave these dry details and revert to the scene
which enlivened the good ship on the 4th cf July, 1863.
The sky was bright, the sea was blue and smooth, and most
of her passengers were on deck.

About noon certain mysterious bundles were seen rising
to her masthead, and at a signal from Captain Paton these
unrolled and displayed the glorious Stars and Stripes upon
one mast and St. George's red cross on the other, while
our cannon thundered forth a national salute, and the full
band gave us the inspiring " Hail Columbia." The salute
ended, two standards were handed—one, the American, to
a fine .looking Englishman, and the other, English, to a
stalwart American, and the passengers, steerage and cabin,
marched three times round the ship (nearly a mile), led by
the band, playing national airs. A few speeches, good for
the shortness, if for nothing else, cheers for the flag, for
the Queen, for the ship and for Captain Paton, closed this
harmonious festivity.

At dinner the best feeling was manifested by all, and
much interchange of courtesy between the Americans and
English occurred ; but there was no formal celebration, our
energies being reserved for the evening.
At eight o'clock the band called us to the main dining
saloon, which was found cleared of its tables, decorated
with British and American flags, making a beautiful dancing
hall. And here the young and old kept up the dance until
the small hours, winding up with an old-fashioned country
dance and a light supper.
Thus ended one of the pleasantest celebrations of the
glorious Fourth which it has been our lot to witness. How
much may be done by the commander and his officers on
such occasions to make a crowd happy and to extend good
feeling between people of different nations. Since then we
have been rushing through endless fogs on the Banks, occa-
sionally hearing the fog horn of some fishermen, and once
pulling up short in the midst of a fleet of fishing vessels,
one within 20 feet of our side.

A RUMOUR is circulating to the effect that Miss
Pyne and Mr. Harrison have absolutely the intention of
in English We can hardly,
attempting 'Le Proptieto'
exclaims the Athenceum, fancy so huge a mistake possible.

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