The Sun.
London, England, 1854-07-29 00:00:00

TB E GRAND STEAM SKIP.

The half-yearly meeting of the Eastern Steam Naviga-
tion Company took place yesterday afternoon, when the
report of the directors was adopted. The chairman (Mr.
11. T. Hope) stated, that the contracts for the construc-
tion of the first ship and engines having been completed,
satisfactory progress has been made in their execution.
The works and plant at Dfillwall, where the vessel is
being built, have been forwarded with vigour, and there
is every reason to anticipate that it will be launched in
10 or 12 months from the present date. The requisite
capital is now being gradually called up. Of the
158,0001. already required, 136,0001. has been paid,
leaving 22,0001. as arrears, but since the statement was
prepared this total has been further diminished. Of the
call announced for August, 7,500/. has been subscribed
in anticipation. At the close of the proceedings the
directors were urged to take active measures for compel-
itig payment of overdue calls. The following is the re-
port of Mr. Brunel, the engineer, relative to the position
of the works :

"The arrangement and execution of the extensive pre-
parations of works and plant necessary for the carrying ont
au undertaking of such unusual magnitude have necessarily
occupied a considerable portion of time. These preliminary
proceedings have been effected, and the works themselves
have been pushed on with vigour. In regard to the ship,
the first thing to be done was to construct upon the site
which had been selecte.l a large building slip capable of
supporting the weight of such a ship, and to prepare it in
such a manner as should afford the means of lowering the
vessel into the water when completed according to plans
previously arranged. To form the building slip the whole
f.yiniclations had to be piled with timber piles, many of
them driven to the depth of forty feet • and it maygivo an
idea of the extent of such foundations 'to state that nearly
twelve hundred loads of timber were consumed in these
works, which have been completed in a satisfactory manner.
While this work was in progress, the working plans of the
ship were made and all the details of construction matured.
Working models of these details of construction are also
constructed on a large scale as the different portions are
successively taken in hand. About 500 feet of the keel plates
of the ship have been laid down, and the kolson or inner
keel framed upon it. On this are now erected the transverse
and longitudinal bulkheads of the middle part of the ship,
120 feet of which is carried up nearly to the full height and
breadth. The several plates and materials of 240 feet of the
middle holy of the ship having been accurately set out and
the requisite orders given some time ago, are in course of
delivery and being put together. For the more expeditious
progress of the work, it has been arranged to roof over this
part before winter, so that it may proceed without inter-
ruption from the weather, which would otherwise frequently
prevent ont-of-door work. Of the new machinery requisite
to carry out this work, and in addition to the plant for-
merly on the premises, there have been erected additional
steam-engines, punching machinery, and rolls, a new plate
furnace, and several others are now in progress of construc-
tion. A splendid erecting-shop, has been constructed, in
which these engines, which require a clear height of up-
ward of 40 feet, can be put together, and many other ex-
tensive provisions have been required and made in the
foundry and elsewhere, to meet the peculiar demands of
the case, so that 1 have every reason to hope that all due
energy has been and will hereafter be used in pushing for-
ward the work to completion. The engines for propelling
the ship (those intended for working the paddle-wheels) are
in course of construction also, by Messrs. J. Scott Russell
and Co. These engines comprise four oscillating steam
cylinders, the largest yet constructed; they are 16 feet iu
length, intended for a 14 feet stroke, and 74 inches in
diameter, These cylinders are cast in a single piece, re-
..

quiring about 34 tins of metal to be melted and run a

once ; \-when finished they will weigh 28 tons ; two of the four
have already been cast with perfect success, and do very
great credit to the establishment, and particularly to the mas-
ter founder. Many of the minor parts of the machinery., are
in a corresponding state of forwardness. The screw engines,
consisting of four 84-inch cylinders, are being constructed
at Soho, by Messrs. Watt and Co. g not so far ad-
vanced as the paddle engines, all the details of the cylin-
ders and frames have been determined upon, after much
careful consideration. These parts are in course of con-
struction, and I expect the cylinders will shortly be cast.
There is no reason why, with due exertion, these, as well
as the other engines and the ship, should not be completed
at the periods fixed in the contracts. Before proceeding
with the construction of the boilers, I have considered it
prudent to make an experimental boiler, being a full-sized
counterpart of one section or furnace of the proposed
boilers; and in this I have tried various descriptions of
anthracite and other steam coal ; and lam happy to say
that we find, with slight modification of the position of
the fire-bars, we can burn, with highly satisfactory results
either anthractic or common steam coal under the same
boiler—a very important advantage, as securing to us the
means of freely selecting the fuel which may prove cheapest
and best."

LAYING A SUBMARINE TELEGRAPH TO
CONNECT EUROPE AND AFRICA.

LA SPEZZIA, JuLY 21.
This morning, at 9 a.m., was performed the ceremony
'of inaugurating the laying down of the cable of the sub-
marine telegraph, which is to unite Europe to Africa,
and no doubt to India. The Persian, with the cable,
110 English miles in length, weighing nearly 900 tons,
left Genoa last night, at a quarter past ten, following
the steam-frigate La Constituzione, on which had em-
barked his Royal Highness Prince Carignan, their ex-
cellenciesPleocopa, Minister of Public 'Works ; La
Ala
rmora,minister
of
War ;
the French Ambassador,
Due de Guiehe ; the English Minister, Mr. Hudson ;
and some few other public functionaries. The Pro
mier, Count Cavour, and the Minister for Foreign
Affairs, were, it seems, prevented attending the cere-
mony, as they had promised to do. The steamers Mal-
fattano and Tripoli, which had been by the government
placed at the service of the director-in-chief, Mr. John
Brett, had preceded the two above-mentioned steamers
some time before, to prepare things and to convey some
few persons that had been invited. Nothing occurred.
In the short voyage. It was a clear, lovely night, the
sea, calm and smooth, seemed to reflect the blue still-
ness of the firmament. When the feeble crescent
of the 'moon rose a little before morning, one could_

, enjoy the magnificent prospect presented by the
enchanting Gulf of La Spezzia. At half-past four
a.m., we cast anchor at about 400 yards from
the spot fixed on to receive the end of the
• cable. It is an exceedingly lovely spot at the mouth
of the river La Magra, on a recess of a small pro-
montory most picturesque called St. Croce, opposite
the mountains of Carrara, three miles distant from Levici
and 12 from Spezzia. The moment the Persian arrived
were begun the preliminary operations far sinking the
cable, at which the English Minister, General La Mar-
=lea, Minister of War, and almost all the other officers,
were present. At about half-past eight all was ready,
and a boat with about 450 yards of cable approached
the place where part of the company were already
standing, and the remainder with the Prince soon
came. Picturesque as the spot may be, it was the
most uncomfortable piece of ground in the universe.
It is a sort of small crag cut in a rock of
no more than ten or twelve square yards. The sun
which shone in full at the time was scorching, and the
place could not have been tenable an hour together..
At exactly 9 the Prince took the cable and accomplished
the ceremony of laying it down, the two war-steamers
' firing a salute of 21 guns each. That was all ; not a
word was pronounced, nor any other preparation what-
ever made. This is attributed, perhaps, to the melan-
choly fact that Count Bonelli, the director-in-chief of
the land telegraph, and the previous night met with a.
serious accident. He had gone a day before on
board the Tripoli to make the necessary arrangements.
Unfortunately in the evening be fell and sustained
serious injuries. I heard, however, last night that
his case does not inspire serious inquietude. This
accident may, perhaps, account for the want of some
few conveniences, but I cannot cease wondering that no
more than nine persons besides the official cortege were
present at the ceremony. The company followed in the
different steamers, the Persian, for about three miles,
and then all returned in the Constituzione to La Spezzia,
where was prepared a breakfast for about 60 persons.
At hatf-past three the Constituzione left La Spezzia for
Genoa, and the few persons who had gathered on shore
to see the princely cortege disappeared, and no visible
sign remained of such an event.
The direct line from the bay of Santa Croce, where
the cable is fixed, to Cape Corse, is 75 English miles.
The cable will be cut at Cape Corse, and laid down
again on the other side of the island, at the strait of
Bonifacio, to unite Corsica to Sardinia. The length
is about ten miles, and with the courses by land in
those two islands and the sea-line, from St. Croce to
Cagliari, there will be a complete line of about 600
mile,. Next month of September this line will be ex-
tended by another cable of 150 miles in length to Bona
in Algiers.
__

I may as well say that these last two days have been
spead rumours of modification in the ministry, and,
moreover, that the night before last there was a council
of ministers, at which it is reported that the French am-
bassador assisted, and spoke ofthe possibility of a French
corps d'armee crossing the Alps ; aware as the French
Government is of the treachery of Austria. However, I
will not answer for the veracity of this version. What
I may safely say is that all the Italians firmly believe
that Austria from the beginning has been united with
Russia, and they a wait with patience that she should
openly declare herself.—Daily News.