The Sun.
London, England, 1853-12-26 00:00:00

STEAM COMMITIVICATION WITH
A,USTRALIA.

SOUTHAMPTON, FRIDAY DEC 23.
Any step undertaken by the
enterprise, of a. public
company to afford rapid and efficient steam communica-
tion with the Australian colonies is now a matter of great
public interest.' The experimental voyages to Port
Philip and Sydney, accomplished by the General Screw
Steam Shipping Company's ships Harbinger and Aixo,
have been the most successful of any efforts yet madeto
shorten the distance between Australia and the parent
country. A strange fatality has, in fact, attended the
operations of every other company up to the present
time, and the expectations indulged by various interests
who have hitherto attempted to solva the problem, have
been productive, if not of actual failure, at least of great
and serious irregularity.
The General Screw Steam Company is now about to
follow up the favourable impression first made by more
decisive efforts; and is just about to occupy the field by
the adoption of measures which promise to supply the
great object hitherto unattainable, which is no less than
a regular steam communication with Australia by means
of the employment of ships of such a class as from their
size, power, equipment, and capacity appear destined to
command a practical and enduring success.
The first of the new line of steamers of this charac-
ter made her appearance in .the Southampton Docks
last week. She is named the Crcesas, and is com-
manded by Captain J. V. Hall. This noble ship, the
largest merchant steamship which ever left the Thames,
and the finest screw steamer that has yet been exhibited
in Southampton, is of 2,500 tons burden, and was
built by Messrs. Mare and Co., of Blaekwall, who
are also preparing for sea,. to follow the Crcesus, three
other ships of similar dimensions, to be respec-
tively called the Golden Fleece, the Jason, and the
Prince. A description of this magnificent steamer may
not be uninteresting, embodying as she does every im-
provement, both of construction, equipment, and fitting
which science and skill can suggest. The Crcesus is
built of iron, in watertight compartments, the dimensions
being as follows :—Length between perpendiculars 280
feet, length over all 300 feet, breadth 43 feet, depth 31i
feet. She is full bark rigged, with an immense spread
of canvas sufficient to force the ship through the water
(irrespective of steam power) with a strong breeze at the
rate of 13 or 14 knots. The Crcesus is, of eourse, pro-
pelled by the auxiliary screw, and her engines, by
Messrs. Rennie, are of 400 horse power, on the
direct acting horizontal principle, having an immediate
connexion witlithe shaft of the screw. The screw itself
is a two-bladed one of 161 feet diameter, with a 231-
feet pitch, and weighs five tons. By an inge-
niously contrived hoisting apparatus it can be discon-
nected and lifted bodily out of the -water, so that
when the vessel is under canvas alone (which will fre-
quently be the Case) no obstruction will be offered to the
speed which may be obtained from the force of the wind
acting upon the sails. The cylinders of the engines have
a diameter of 63f inches, and the steam is generated in
four tubular boilers, which are so arranged that they
may be used singly or collectively, according as it may
be 'necessary and prudent to expend or economise fuel.
The engines perform about 52 revolutions per minute,
withl6lb. pressure of steam, and a vacuum of 27 in the
condenser.

The arrangements for the accomodation of passengers
are of the most complete kind ; 200 first and second-class
can be carried, and for their benefit the saloons, bed cabins,

bathrooms, and other conveniences are of the most com-
modious description, and comprise every necessary luxury
and oomfort that can be desired on board a steam-packet.
The sleeping-berths are ranged entirely on the main-
deck, which has a communication from stem to stern,
the officers' and servants' cabins being built upon the
upper or spar-deck, thus economising the space for pas-
senger accommodation of near 40 person. A glance
round the ship-exhibits the excellence of the general ar-
rangements, and shows that the Crcestis is intended to
be a commercial and purely self-supporting steam-ship.
Besides the great space allotted to passengers, the Crcesus
has a capacity for 1,300 or 1,400 tons of measurement
freight, will carry 1,000 tons of coals, possesses stowage
room for 300 tons baggage and stores, with 103 tons of
water in tanks, in addition to an apparatus for condens-
ing 700 gallons of water per diem. This ship and the
others of the company's fleet have been fitted out under
the entire supervision and direction of Captain John
Ford, late of the Ottoman navy, the superintendent and
manager of the General Screw Company.
The Crcesus started from Greenhithe on Monday
morning .last at 10 o'clock, having on board Captain
Shuttleworth, and one of the directors, and Captain
Ford, the superintendent 'of the company ; Mr. Lam-
bert, the engineer of the company ; Captain Halstead,
R.N., Mr. Rennie, jun., and Mr. Scott, the manager of
Messrs. Rennie's establishment. Before putting into..
Southampton, the object of the gentlemen on board was
thoroughly to test the steaming and sailing qualities of
the vessel by a trip down Channel, and this has been
accordingly done in the most satiSfactory manner, and
with the most pleasing.results. Immediately ozi getting
under way (the ship at starting having a dead weight of
1,480 tons on board with a draught of water of 181 feet)
fullsteam was put on, and rapid progress made to the Nor'°,
where the ship dropped anchor for the night. The next
morning the anchor was again hoisted, and the ship steamed
on at a great rate through the Downs, after passing which
a run down the Channel was made to a distance of 15
miles below the Start. In the three days and nights
during which the Crcesus was kept at sea before return-
ing to Southampton, several opportunities were afforded
for trying the speed under every variety of weather.
The maximum speed under canvas, with a strong breeze,
and the screw disconnected, was 13 or 14 knots. Close
hauled, with double-reefed topsails, courses, trysail, and
jib (canvas alone —no steam power applied), 101 knots.
In smooth water, with no sails, the ship steamed 101 to
11 knots, and in coming up Channel against a heavy
north-east gale, with a rough sea, all yards across, the
engines forced the.ship through the water at the rate of
41 to 51 knots; These trials of speed, under every cir-
cumstance, were therefore deemed most satisfactory—
the engines worked admirably, with no symptoms of hot
bearings, the boilers giving a full supply of water at all
times.

The Croesus is to sail on the 10th of January, and
will, we understand, go direct from Southampton to
Port Philip without touching at any intermediate port.
This feature in the voyage of a steamer to Australia will
in itself be a novel one, and the experiment will be
watched with much interest. The great stowage and
carrying capacity of the Crcesus will enable her to carry
sufficient fuel for the whole voyage out, while we are
told that, in addition to this, 600 tons of coals are to be
stowed in the hold to be used for consumption on the
homeward voyage. It is likely, therefore, that the
Crcesus will start from Southampton with sufficient
coals on board (supposing she is favoured with mo-
derate weather) to perform a voyage to Australia and
back. Without being sanguine of the entire suc-
cess of this attempt to solve the hitherto almost in-
superable difficulty of coaling the Australian steamers,
we may remark that the experiment is a most im-
portant one. Coals cannot at present be shipped' from
this country to Australia at a less freight than 4/. to
51. per ton, and adding to this 2/. per ton for the cost of
landing them at'Port Philip, the deterioration of quality
to which they are subjected, and the expense of again
placing them on board the steamer, it is not too much
to say that the saving effected by the eompany upon the
quantity (600 tons) to be taken in by the Crcesus for
the homeward trip will be from 6/. to 71. per ton. The
consumption of coals by an auxiliary screw-steamer
during a voyoge of this duration is entirely dependent
upon the weather that may be encountered. With fine
breezes and moderately fair winds, the fires may be let
out for days or weeks together ; while, in light breezes,
calms, and head winds the full power of the engines must
be exerted to save both time and distance. With the ex-
perience of the voyage of the Argo as a precedent from
which to draw conclusions, we may infer that the Crcesus
will be enabled to make therun from Southampton to Port
Phillip (by way of the Cape) with an expenditure of
about 1,000 tons of coals ; that a larger quantity will be
required on the homeward trip, and for this purpose it
will either necessary to add to her stock at the Austra-
lian ports, or to call at St. Vincent's for a
Whicheverreplenish-
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t6boa days or under, and we
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have no hesitation in pronouncing that she is the finest
and most suitable steamship which has yet departed
from this country for the great colonies of the south,
and the enterprising association to which she belongs
merits in a large degree the patronage and support of
the mercantile community for having (unaided by Go-
vernment subsidies or assistance) commenced and carried
out, with an expenditure of such an immense of capital,
so important and gigantic a line of steam-ships.

ARTIFICIAL PROPAGATION OP SALMON IN TIM TWEED.
—We understind that the Duke of Roxburgh is at
present engaged in forming a pond for the artificial pro-
pagation of fish, on the same principle as that recently
adopted at Perth. The pond is situated on Stodrig
Burn, within the Floors policy,
and
readywo forrks w will
the
consistreception o
four
rf
boxesth e ova
2 and
in
fat i
longs short
tpby time.ct
wide, divided into compartments 6 feet long and 1
inches in depth. We understand that a pond of a simi-
lar description is in course of formation, and a portion
of it is already finished, at Knapton Burn, the site for
oelr eiesd inches to
b
eeTh
which has been granted by Mr. David Milne Houle, the
proprietor. Boxes sufficient to fecundate 208,000 sal-
mon fry have been laid down at Knapton Burn. The
expense of the whole work is estimated not to exceed
601,, whi ch has been raised by private subscription,—
Kelso Mail.

great excitement has
____ .......,..
TRAGEDY IN HAVANNAII.—A
been created in Havannah, by a most brutal murder, per-
petrated by an actor attached to the Tacon Theatre, on
his wife, Matilda Domingues, prima donna of the Spa-
nish Opera, also belonging -to the same company, and
a great f.xvourite in that place. With a poniard he
inflicted 32 wounds on his victim, and then stabbed him.
rTeafhsaes h
causea el
of ha has
the
assigned sufficiently
wfficiee niftfoot lr
furnishv t
hreec murdero vehried
m
with money.
self 11 times, but without effect. In his wounded state
he was taken to prison, where he now remains, and is
a thes n
recovering. Sentence of death has been pronounced
wub be paoswni him,will
jealousy,be andana so
garrotted.