The Sun.
London, England, 1838-04-09 00:00:00

GREAT WESTERN STEAM-SHIP.

This magnificent vessel arrived in this port on Monday
evening last, ablut six o'clock, having completed her voyage
round from London, being 700 miles, in 56 hours. She, loft
nt:moorings at Brunswick Wharf on Saturday morning at six:
o'clock, in passing down the river, excited a degree of
interest in the ,;erentific world and among nautical men,
which, according to the London papers, has scarcely ever
been exceeded. As she floated majestically down the Themes,
she was saluted with repeated cheers, " 'When she as fairly
afloat in open water," says The Sun," the log line, a patens
one, was cast, and her speed ascertained to be fifteen knotsara
hour, which disproves the assertion of acme of our Morning.
Coternporaries, that she was outstripped on her trial thrt-
other day by the Sirius ; in fact, the latter vessel never passed
her at all until the two vessels were proceeding in contrary
directions, and then the Sirius had no burthen on board ; the
Great Western had 500 tons of coals. At a little after seven
she reached Gravesend, having performed the distance in the
space of 1 hour 14 minutes. Here most of the visitors
(amongst whom we recognised the venerable Mr. Brunel).
with the Custom house officer, were put in a boat and rowed
ashore."

Here we must advert to an accident, fortunately a trifling
one, but of which some greatly exaggerated accounts appeared
in some of the evening papers of Monday. The circum-
stance to which we allude was an alarm cif fire, and occurred
about half an hour she had left Gravesend. It appears that
to prevent the radiation of heat, the boilers had been coated
with felt, and the men employed in this work havhls. impro-
perly used a quantity of oil and red lead to make the iziaterial
adhere, and having also inconsiderately carried the covering
too near the funnel, it ignited. The danger, which was scon
over, served to bring into action the efficient means which were
at hand to meet the emergency, and to display the cool intrepi-
dity of the commander, and the officers and men. A powerful jet
of water was directed upon the flames by the engine pumps be-
longing to the vessel, and a portable fire-engine with which the
ship is furnished, was also put in requisition. By these means,
if there were any on board who felt anxious for the safety of
the vessel, their fears were speedily dissipated. During the
alarm the vessel was stopped and suffered to take the
ground ; but her machinery having been inspected by the
manufacturers, Messrs. Maudsley and Field who were on
board and reported all sound, the Great Western on the
return of the tide, after a delay of four hours, proceeded
on her voyage, and arrived in Kingroad, as abovo stated,
Monday evening.
The slight repairs necessary in consequence of the acci-
dent were finished on Tuesday, and having completed the
taking in of her freightage, &c., on Thursday she was thrown
open to the public, and has since been visited by thousands of
our fellow-citizens. Every steam-packet on the river, and
every boat capable of carrying passengers have been in requi-
sition, generally plying twice a day. On Thursday there
could not have been less than a thousand persons on board at
the same time.

The appearance of the vessel on tho water is noble in the
extreme. We believe, on the whole, she is the largest ever
built ; and she is pronounced by good judges of naval architec-
ture to reflect the highest credit on her builders (Messrs. Pat-
terson and Mercer), and, indeed, on all concerned. To the
multitude, however, her internal arrangements and decorations
(which we described in our paper of last week), arc tho prin-
cipal points of admiration.
The Great Western will leave Kingroad this afternoon, at
two o'clock, and proceed direct on her adventurous voyage to
New York. That is may prove a prosperous one, and realize
the fondest expectations of her spirited proprietors, is our most
ardent wish. —Bristol Mercury of Saturday.