The Sun.
London, England, 1860-07-16 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, JULY 16, 1860.

TRE VOYAGE AND ARRIVAL OF THE
' • CREAT EASTERN.

TR,ObI THE TIMES' SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.
NEW YORK, JUNE' 29.
The Great Eastern arrived in New York harbour
yesterday morning, after a beautiful, though, from
Various circumstances, not a very rapid passage of
101 days. She went, however, quick enough at
lames to show that she really possesses the power of
waking the most rapid passages that have yet been
effected. But, as it had been determined that in
the first voyage nothing like driving should be at-
tempted, the real speed of the ship was not deve-
loped, and everything was kept subordinate to her
Snaking her first trip well and easily and without
breakdown or hiteh of any kind. This result, at
least, was effected, and there has seldom, if ever,
been a passage made across the Atlantic more com-
fortably or more free from disturbing or exciting
pauses of any kind. In this respect the success was
Os complete as could be wished, and it is to be hoped
from this change in the fortunes of the vessel that
her run of ill-luck is;over, and that she may now look
forward to a long career of maritime triumph and
prosperity: A run across the Atlantic is like all other
long sea voyages—that is to say, generally speaking,
as dull as possible. Even a passage in the Great
Eastern forms no exception to this rule of ennui,
which always so forcibly recalls to mind Dr. John-
son's saying that going to sea is like being in a prison
with the chance of being drowned. The latter un-
pleasant probability was perhaps not wholly disre-
garded by some of the passengers, who now and then
eyed the gambols of the monster on which they had
embarked their fortunes with a look of something
like dismay and an evident apprehension that her
ill-luck would still adhere to her, and manifest
itself by some villanous mishap or other in the
centre of the Atlantic. The voyage commenced
when the vessel was clear of the Needles, and
when the pilot, who had so carefully brought
her through, put off in a little boat with Mr.
Brereton, and when both did their utmost to
make their parting cheers heard as the word was
passed to steam ahead easily, and the Great
Eastern at last commenced her voyage. During
the first part of the day the weather was wet and
thick, and squalls of wind and rain. Towards after-
noon, however, it cleared up bright and fine as we
steamed past the rich undulations of the coast of
Devon, and down the Channel, all covered with
little, or, perhaps, I had better say smaller, vessels.
All these latter that were at all in reasonable dis-
tance instantly altered their course and stood
towards the huge ship, their crews all shouting and
' waving their caps at beholding the Great Eastern
at last fairly started on her trial. At 11 o'clock
that night the Lizard light was passed, shedding a
pale gleam over the rocks and foam beneath it, and,
steering a very southerly course, the Great Eastern
stood well out to sea, and we saw no more of old
England. Next day, Monday, was bright and
warm,—too warm, perhaps, and, as the sun shone
down on that huge expanse of deck, passengers wore
fain to leave it and congregate on seats in front of
the paddleboxos, where a breeze faintly played. We
were in blue water already, and the waves had a
solemn beauty as they rose up so crisp and cool
looking, their deep blue sides fringed with a little
ridge of white which sparkled in the sun like
diamonds. It was a regular spring day at sea, and
seemed to gladden the hearts the porpoises
who kept rolling and plunging alongside the
ship and taking great leaps out of water, as if
they, too, wanted to have a good look at the
vessel, which was marching on so steadily and
trampling the great waves into foam and spray
beneath her. One of the passengers, having
faith in the stability of the ship, had provided
himself for his private amusement and delecta-
tion with a set of skittles. They were instantly
had out with acclamation, and the passengers at
once set pz) work to cultivate that athletic game,
with more or less success. It was probably the
first time that ever skittles was played on, board
any vessel on the Atlantic, and certainly the first
time that anybody on board had ever played them
at all,—and facts which gave great zest to the
amusement. There was not much skill in the
display, though a great deal of fun. Sides were
formed, and matches made, and of the amount of
bitter ale that was won and lost in these exciting
contests the stewards alone can tell. At noon the
longitude was taken, 8 deg. 45 min., latitude 49 deg.
27 min., and, though going at easy ,speed since
starting, it was found that the .ship had run 300
knots from the time she had passed the Needles at
10 30 the previous day. All being in beautiful
working order among the machinery, and the men
now accustomed to their stations, the revolutions of
the paddles were increased from eight to nine, and
those of the screw from 27 to 33. Soon after noon
the glass began to fall, and as the breeze aft the
beam strengthened all the fore and aft trysails were
set.
Gradually rain came on ; then fog, thenmore wind,
then wind, fog, and rain together, till it was evi-
dent that we were in for one of those short, fierce,
summer gales that seem to have a roving commis-
sion all over the Atlantic to bully and buffet what-
ever they may meet with. Towards evening it
freshened still more, and went dead astern, when,
with the square sails set and drawing fiercely, the
Great Eastern began to dash through the waves at
a tremendous pace, leaving a wake of foam behind
her so broad and white over the angry water that it
seemed as if the mark of her track would never
leave the ocean. Night fell, and there seemed
every prospect of a gale in our favour, showing
what the greatest speed of the ship would be in her
then unfavourable trim, when the wind again
changed, and going to the north-east, came so much
ahead that it was necessary to get in the square
sails again. This was not an easy matter. The storm
yelled and moaned through the rigging, drowning
every other sound, and the huge mass of canvass,
wet, heavy, and as stiff as a board, flapped and
" slatted" with a noise like thunder, and escaping
every minute from the men who swarmed upon the
yard, blew out afresh with a fierce uproar, as if bent
on doing battle with the wind. It was late at night
before this canvass was well housed in, by which
time it was blowing a hard gale, the night dark as
pitch, with a thick rain pattering on the decks, and
the wind hissing and howling through the shrouds
with a wailing hum that was mournful to hear.
On that morning we had tried by getting
the stern in a line with the horizon to seethe amount
of motion in the vessel. But the weather on Monday
night rendered such nice experiments. quite unneces-
sary, as the Great Eastern did not disdain to follow
the example of her smaller sisters under similar
circumstances, and to roll—with an easy motion, it
is true—but still to roll. Doors banged to loudly
in the cabins without apparent cause, chairs were
not exactly as you left them, the chandeliers seemed
to sidle up towards the ceiling, and every now and
then a confused tinkling sound which stopped
abruptly in the pantry announced that some over-
looked tumblers or wine glasses had taken advan-
tage of the opportunity to get adrift, and come to
grief accordingly. Stray casks and booms, with other
nautical lumber stowed away hastily on the lower
decks, also gave token of their derelict condition by
fetching away with a little rumble till brought up
by a bulkhead. Those lords of the deep—the great
waves of the Atlantic—always ready to rise on the
slightest provocation, soon showed themselves
through the darkness, rearing their huge dark bulk
above the sea, and rolling their heavy undulations
swiftly towards the ship. It was curious to watch
the easy swing with which the Great Eastern baffled
these dangerous pursuers, sidling over them one
after another with a slow gentle roll, and letting
them slip from beneath her at the other side quite
subdued, and shorn of half their might. Some how-
ever, were too quick, and struck her before she rose ;
but all in vain. You could never detect that she even
vibrated or felt the shock, and the great mass of
water recoiled from her iron sides in a shower of
foam and spray, beaten b ick and foiled as if they
had struck a mountain. As this was the first time
the ship had really been at sea in heavy weather,
Captain Hall and the chief officer, Mr. Machin, were
on deck, more or less, throughout the night; not
that there was the least anxiety felt, for the wind,
though strong, was fair, but with a new ship
and a new crew, strange to the great ves-
sel, they very properly wished to see that all
was in working order. During the whole night
both screw and paddles worked with the most per-
fect regularity and ease, the former going between
33 and 34 and the latter from 9to 10. From 2to
4 a.m. it blew very hard, and the motion on the
Ship increased, but it never at any time was what
n
sailor would call rolling, or at all equalled her
motion
en when off the Land's End during the run
qualities
Then rather unfavourable
to Southampton last November.
unfavourable opinions of her sea-going
trlit
fact that were formed by those who overlooked the
her iivjaesiti,elwas at the time three feet lighter than
and 19th The brief storm of the 18th
shes.,ivaL,ll,lhllleo.wever. that in sea-going; trim
sa.ed loaded ‘,4
o`.tili la) Cargo (of which she had not a
the steadiett an t°l7l) the Great Eastern will be
crossed. the ocean.
easiest vessel that has ever
Tuesday tie 19th teas Fine, though a ra.ther:heavy
swell was o/. A hazyl.he
blrist hung over the horizon
to wind v,-ar3, and
WaS fresh and deed
ahead. The gib:a:Tv:mien at
,ahowever. showed a
run since 12 on the previousn
ore thanaYll-296 nautical
miles, being a fracuion m
every probability
or just
withinP einoabdility
14, miles an hour.: There seemeit
that the pastilge vrould be made
even by the souVaerly track, which is at best days,
miles longer than the northern route
a-waYe taker,
by the mail steamers. But the wind kept fresh --
en-
ing ahead, the paddles could not be got to tern
quicker than nine nor the screw more than a
serious
35 re-
volutions, I",here 'was, it was admitted,

want of steam. The pressure in the boilers was
never more than 191 b. ; in the engines it was 171 b.,
and sometimes even:as low as 151 b. and 161 b. Your
readers may recollect that in the account of the trial
trip which took place a week before her fissl start
the then unaccountable want of steam power for
the engines was dwelt upon. I was not then aware
—for the matter was kept very quiet—that the
weights had been taken off the valves, and the
pressure in the boilers reduced from 251 b. to 201 b.
Of course the engineers who did this must have
had some reasons for so doing, though -what
these could have been it is hard to conjec-
ture, as the boilers of the Great Eastern
are perhaps the strongest of their kind ever
made, and it was always known that the
engines not only required all the steam
they could generate, but would easily have
found employment for some two or three pounds
more. Taking 51b. off the pressure, therefore, had
the effect of at once reducing the power of the ma-
chinery, and therefore the speed of the ship some
25 per cent., and in spite of all the care of Mr.
M'Lennan, ably assisted, as he was, by the advice
of one of the directors on board, Mr. D. Gooch, of
the Great Western Railway, it was found impossible
to drive the paddles quicker than 91 revolutions a
minute, or just 31 revolutions less than the same
engines made last year. The result of this unfortu-
nate reduction manifested itself at once in the next
day's run against the head wind, for noon, on Wed-
nesday, the 20th, showed the vessel only to have
reached long. 22.54 deg., lat. 47.40 deg. or a dis-
tance of only 276 knots, very little more than 11A
knots an hour. It was some consolation, however,
to know that duffing the morning the vessel had
been kept off her course to north-east and then
south-west for an hour and 40 minutes to ascertain
if any deviation had arisen in the compass, and this
loss of time had, of course, to be considered as so
much off the run due west. Nevertheless, and in
spite of all excuses, it was felt to be a sad falling off,
and caused general disappointment among the pas-
sengers, who, of course, as passengers, were bound
to be well-wishers of the ship, and who, to do them
justice, were all most sanguine of her success in
' point of speed. The gloom, however, did not out-
last the dinner hour, and was quite forgotten in the
games that evening, when the passengers ran races,
jumped, climbed a rope hand over hand, and per-
formed other feats of strength and skill, till the
Jangler blew "Polly, put the kettle on and we'll
have tea," a signal which always announced when
that refreshing meal was ready. On this day, as
on the previous, and, indeed, throughout the voyage,
we sighted other vessels, all of which bore down to-
wards us, dipping their ensigns over and over again
as a mute token of gladness and admiration for the
giant ship that was rushing over the water so easily,
and in comparison to them, at least, so fast.
THURSDAY. JUNE 21.
The weather was still cold, raw, and dull, and
a mist, which was neither a fog nor a shower,
though partaking largely of the attributes of both,
hung close upon us. Twelve noon gave us, long.
30.3 deg., lat. 46 16 deg., a run of 304 knots, or
nearly 13 knots an hour. This was better than the
previous day, though the want of steam was still as
keenly.felt as ever, and Mr. Gooch and Mr. M‘Len-
' nan cast about in their minds as to the best means
of remedying such a serious clog on the chance of
a quick passage. On the valves of the paddle
boilers it was found that the weights which had
been so unfortunately removed could not be re-
placed without stopping the engines. With the
screw, however, it was different, as they were there
adjusted from inside the boilers, and of course could
only be altered when the boilers were empty, and,
no matter what the consequences short of danger,
it was determined not to stop the engines for a
moment. Mr. M'Lennan had, therefore, to make
the best of the means at his disposal, and endeavour
to drive her as well as he could against the strong
north-westerly wind which blew all day. There
had evidently been a south-westerly gale blowing
in the latitude we were in this afternoon, for the
swell was strong and high in that direction, and
the wind from the north made a rough broken sea
over which the Great Eastern, as in duty bound,
not only rolled but pitched. It has always been
said that she never could or would pitch,
but the truth is that this ship does just the
same on a small scale that ordinary vessels in a sea
may do on a very large one. The motion in her is
reduced in exact proportion with her immense
height, bulk, and power, and the Great Eastern
against a head sea makes a slow majestic rise
and fall, where a steamer of 2,000 or even 3,000
tons would be labouring heavily, and perhaps
taking in green seas over her bows. On this Thurs-
day she dipped down below her hause pipes. It
was a fine sight to watch her motion from the
bows, splitting the great waves before her into two
streams of water, like double fountains, and to
look along her immense expanse of deck as she
rose and fell with a motion so easy and so regu-
lar that the duration of each movement could
be timed to the very second. Her heavy trim by
t the stern, coupled by the want of steam for the
paddle engines, was, as I have said, found to tall
most unfavourably on her speed. A quantity of
heavy stores was, therefore, got up from the after
cargo &sok, the four heavy quarter-deck guns were
run forward to the bows, and other small attempts
made to brigs' her more on a level keel. On the
principle that " every mickle makes a muckle" the
change might possibly have done some good, but
when it is recollected that the Great Eastern was
nearly five feet by the stern, that 1,000 tons only
brings her down in the water some 11 inches, and
that the whole weight shifted forward was certainly
short of 100 tons, it will easily Ise seen that no very
great results were produced by this alteration.
The Great Eastern is an awkward vessel to trim
down to a level, and it requires the trans'ference of
some 1,500 or 2,000 tons fore or aft, as the e::ise may
be, to affect her at all. Still, it was au effo.rt. to
improve her speed, and the very fact of its beeng
made shows that in the next run her proper trill:
will be more carefully adjusted before starting.
There were no skittles this evening, but in their
stead a betting mania took possession of the pas-
sengers, and sixpences and bottles of bitter ale
were bet on everything imaginable—on the run of
the ship, the sails we should see, the revolution of
the engines, the way of the wind—on all, in fact,
which could suggest itself to idle minds as affording
a chance for interest or excitement. Such amuse-
ments, with watching the paddle engines of a night,
as the enormous cylinders revolved and the pistons
shot out like giant arms, forcing round the wheels
with a silent exhibition of irresistible might, which
always seemed to charm and fascinate the loungers
on deck, got through the day pretty well. It was
not easy, however, to remain long looking into this
engine-room, for the heat in it was something
really awful, and the air kept rushing up through
the open skylights almost like the draught from a
blast furnace. The stoke-holes of the Great
Eastern are cooler than those of any other steam-
ship yet built; the screw engine-room is also, for
its depth, much better than one often finds in other
vessels ; but the heat in the paddle engine-room is
quite unbearable, and some improvement must be
made in this respect, or it will be all but impossible
to keep the men at their duty in anything like
warm latitudes. Even in the cold and rainy
weather that prevailed, and with two large wind-
sails blowing full into the engine-room, the
temperature was seldom under 105 deg., dnd
mostly stood as high as 110 or 112 deg., and even
118 deg.—a dry, parched heat, as from hot iron,
which was inexpressibly distressing to the engineers.
On this night Capt. Hall, always genial and courte-
ous, and bent on making the passengers enjoy their
trip, commenced the Great Eastern harmonic meet-
ings in the grand saloon, at which, assisted by Mr.
114•Farlane and the small band of the ship, some
very creditable amateur vocal and instrumental
perlor
passed
out performances were given. With such aids the
evening
as sedqiouitchkeetsiaoluogohnst,ilalnhdalitn-ptahset when
bloe,rths
at
lights
were
11. The lower deck watches were set, and all
turned in early,
6 and 7
to meet again
nothing naonithedecknest
morning
between but
" sh ip," the run of the night, the state of the weather,
condition of the engines, or any one of the half-dozen
worn-out topics which had already been discussed
till threadbare, but to which all still clung as even
then affording some interest to idle passengers at
sea. The weather on Friday, the 22d, was fine and
calm, but at 12 o'clock at noon showed us onky in
lat. 44 50, long, 36 22, a run of 280 knots, or less
than 12 knots an hour. The paddle engines were
not doing more than 91, in spite of constant firing,
and although their boilers had peen put in connec-
tion with those of the screw, which, as having two
more, were less in want of steam, it was evident
that something must be done to change such a, state
of affairs. Mr. Gooch, with Mr. INPLennan, there-
fore decided they would restore in the paddle boilers
as near as they could the 51b. pressure which, es it
turned out, had been so iniudicouslv removed. This
day would have been dull enough but for some
goodnatured whales, which, to the delight of every-
body, came rather close alongside, occasionally
showing their huge, unwieldy bulk high out of the
water, like capsized schooners, or dropping beneath
the waves, and spouting, in honour perhaps of the
occasion, with usirnishing energy and power.
Saturday, the 23d, was a warm. close, (lull day,
with a calm sea and torrents of tepid rain. Tne
sun did not show, so no observation was taken ; but
the dead reckoning was found pretty accurate, and
gave our lat. 42 50, the long. 42 49, showing a run
of 302 knots, or 121 knots an hour. Before noon the
Sib. was replaced on the valves of the paddle
boilers ; but with those of the screw, for the reasons
already given, nothing could be done. The con-
sumption of coals up to this time had been at the
rate or about 270 tons a day, sometimes falling as
low as 2:10, and with a head wind going up to

nearly 300, the average being on the whole 260.
This large consumption made the Great Eastern
lighter in the water, and of course gave more slip
to both screw and paddles. The mean rate of slip
throughout the run, however, never exceeded 12
per cent., as shown by the difference between the
revolutions of the engines and the result of each
day's run. All the machinery worked with the
most perfect ease and regularity. It rarely, if ever,
occurs that even the best vessels of the Cunard or
late Collins line have crossed the Atlantic without
stopping at least an hour to " key" up the machi-
nery on tighten the cylicder packing. Ou the run
of the Great Eastern, however, there was no check
or slip of any. kind ; there were no hot bearings,
nothing required tightening, and all went on as
smooth and well as the most anxious shareholder
could wish. On Saturday afternoon the weather
came on very thick and hazy, and, as we were now
getting south of the banks of Newfoundland, and
in the track where icebergs were lately known to
be much about, a careful look-out was kept, and
the temperature of the air and water tested every
hour. This was well, as in the course of an hour
or two after dark the wind became colder and
colder, while the thermometer in the water fell
from 68 to 53 degrees. Here was an unmistakable
sign of ice being somewhere near, though attempts
to keep a watch for it seemed hopeless in the ex-
treme, the weather was very thick. The engineers
stood all ready below to stop and reverse the en-
gines in case of any berg being suddenly seen or
heard ahead, and other customary precautions were
taken, but the thickness of the weather rendered
the value of them all united but slight indeed. At
last, as the atmoshere grew still colder, Captain
Hall came to the prudent determination of altering
the ship's course more to the south, though he
knew that in taking this step he was giving
up almost his last chance of making the
passage in less than 10 days. Every one was glad
that Captain Hall had exercised such ca.utien,though
all were, of course, sorry for its necessity. After
Divine service on Sunday we saw, as usual, many
vessels, English and American, homeward and out-
ward bound. One of the former signalled us, "How
many days out?" but the Great Eastern was then
at full speed, under her fore and aft sails, and the
questioner was too far off for signals ere his query
could be answered. The wind kept steady and
strong from the north, with a swell which would
have been to other vessels rather a heavy sea. The
run at 12 showed 299 knots, or 122 knots an hour,
the latitude was 41 deg. 3 min., the longitude 48
deg. 52 min. The increase of the pressure on the
boilers had evidently produced a good effect on the
resistance of the wind ahead. The paddles were
working easily at 11 and 114 revolutions, and feel-
ing their way up to 12 or 13. At night the breeze
went down, and a dead hot cairn settled upon the
ocean, and prepared us for the beautiful and almost
tropical weather of Monday, the 25th. The sea on
this day was quiet and motionless as a vast blue
mirror, and the sun rose up in a rich misty haze,
which, melting before his heat, left the sky above
like another ocean, so clear and soft in its unfathom-
able azure. Not a breath was stirring, and all the
passengers seemed to .yield to the genial quiet of
the day, as they congregated listlessly in the bows
of the Great Eastern, so contented and so idle, look-
ing dreamily over at the little rainbows made as the
prow of the huge ship divided the quiet water, or
watching the sharks skimming so quickly along,
and diving far, far down as the shadow of the Great
Eastern came over the sea. We were evidently far
south, and well in the Gulf Stream, for lumps of the
gulf weed, like broken orange peel, came slowly
drifting south. By and by. the heat and calm in-
creased, and groups of little nautili began to rise to
the surface, and, spreading their rich purple sails in
the sun, went drifting away with the stream. But,
alas for the happiness of these frail little beauties !
they seemed always somehow to steer direct for the
paddles of the Great Eastern, under which hundreds
passed, though none were ever seen to emerge on
the other side. Little coveys of flying fish, too, kept
rising from beneath the bows, now and then, and
spreading their wings and tails, went gaily flutter-
ing along the water, into which amid the stillness
that prevailed they dropped with quite a splash ;
becalmed cotton ships from New Orleans, with every
stitch of canvas spread, but still "as idle as a painted
ship upon a painted ocean," were in sight all day,
drifting with the Gulf Stream some half a knot an
hour, and apparently making it an even question
whether they would reach Liverpool this year or
next. At noon the latitude was 40 deg. 58 ram., the
longitude 56 deg. 10 min., giving a run of 325 knots,
or nearly 132 knots an hour. During this night
some anxiety was felt at the heat of one of the
screw coal bunkers, lest the 250 tons of coal which
it contained should heat. An examination was at
once made by Captain Hall, and the uneasiness
shown to be without cause, as the warmth of the
inner plates of the coal bunker was due only to their
being opposite the furnace doors. Indeed, through-
out the whole cruise the most vigilant precautions
were adopted on every deck to guard against the
possibility of any fire originating, and in this point
certainly no ship was ever more carefully watched,
or possesses better or more ample means for instantly
extinguishing a conflagration, than the Great East-
ern. Tuesday, the 26th, was o'zr ninth day out, and,
according to the rate of speed at which the vessel
had run, she ought to have entered New York har-
bour that afternoon. The long detour to the south,
however, which during Saturday and Sunday she
had been compelled to make to avoid ice, had added
at least 300 miles to her course. Mid-day showed us
to have made a run of 333 knots, or at the rate of 14
an hour, Much of this gain was attributable to the
paddle engines, which worked easily at 121 revolu-
tions a minute, the screw making 35. To do their
fair proportion of the work the screw should have
reached 40 at least ; but with the low pressure on
the valves, sufficient steam could not be gained for
this. At noon on Tuesday we were still, therefore,
470 miles from New York, and almost to the south
of it, still there seemed a chance of making a good
run, and doing the distance in 101 days, till the
light mists which had been sweeping over the sea
during the day at last settled down into a wet fog,
which,. though certainly thinner than a millstone, was
not a whit more penetrable to ordinal y visions.
The Great Eastern blew steam whistles till one's
ears ached, and still kept on her course. But, as is
not at all unfrequent during these Atlantic fogs,
the wind was strong ahead and the sea rising fast.
As night fell, therefore; the necessity of slackening
speed became apparent to Captain Hall. The Great
Eastern, as may readily be imagined, bad very little
to fear from a
.collision with a stray coaster, or
even a line-of-battle ship for that matter ; but what
would have been almost unnoticed by us, as far as
safety was concerned, would be certain death to
other s, so taking this humane view of the question,
Captain Hall, as night fell, ordered the speed of
the engines to be reduced to less than half, at which
pace the huge vessel went. slowly rolling through
the fog, which had become by that time as thick as
a blanket. The reduction of her speed was a source
of disappointment and anxiety to many of the pas-
sengers, for a grand lottery had been formed and
tickets drawn as to the time of her arrival off the
light at Sandy Hook, and the fortunate holder of
the right hour was to wir. the whole amount—
some £25. Those, therefore, who had early num-
bers and were betting high and 'freely on their
expected success looked on the fog with feelings of
the bitterest anger and dismay, and heard of the
reduction to half speed with much the same feel-
ings with which the news of the lameness of the
frivourite would be received at-Tattersall's the night
before the Derby. There was nothing for it, how-
ever; even speculation and betting were at a stand.
still tefore the thick, damp mist, and as far as per-
sonal observation went the Great Eastern might
have been in the ~middle of Hyde Park for all that
the passengers could see to the contrary. Towards
midnight Mr. Murphy', the New York pilot, wished
to try for soundings, and, for the first time since
leaving Southampton, the engines were stopped
and the ship brought to a' dead standstill. The
deep-sea line was hove, but found no bottom at'
115 fathoms. This sounding occupied nearly 40
minutes, and the engineers, under Mr. M‘Lennen,
at once took advantage of the pause to examine all
those parts of the screw and paddle-wheels which
could not be inspected while the ship was in mo-
tion. Everything in both was found in the most
perfect order—not a part showed signs of wear—
not a screw or valve required even the most trivial
adjustment, and all were reported perfect. After
this the night cleared up a little, though the speed
was still kept easy till 5 o'clock, when the ship was
again stopped and another sounding taken, which
got bottom at 65 fathoms. As the pilot had ex-
pected, we were passing over St. George's Bank,
and in what is called pilot's ground. From this time
full speed was continued, and 12 o'clock on the 27th
showed a run of 250 knots—a far higher rate than
was anticipated from her stoppages and half speed
iSathr a strong bret.ze
Sand}
Hook, and
u
through the night. We were still, however, 231
someknots
12 o
fromr
15
5w Yors
h
to the
ahead and a chance of thick weather. It was still,
therefore, an open question when we should get in,
New York,
t or
of rather
it with
and speculation in the lottery tickets revived with
redoubled ardour. The vessel, in spite of all changea,
was too much down by the stern, so duritig this
'day
about 700 tons of water wore pumped into tho for-
ward compartment, which had'some effect restor-
ing her trim ; but at the best it was but a make
run
shift, and the mischief on the sp..eed of the , had
been done long ago. About two in the morning the
weather was hot and'close, the sea as still ac. a sheet
of glass, and over the horizon loomed the land
clouds, which showed we were fast approaching our
destination. By and by a light was reported, and
could be faintly seen—a minute speck gleaming
now and then as the mist cleared up. Soundings
were taken, and we were in 21 fathoms water; SO

the speed of the vessel was slackened down to do
little more -than keep steerage way on her until
dawn. The voyage was virtually over on the night
of the 10th day, but, as it was not intended to take
the vesselup to New York till the afternoon tide,
no object was to be gained by pressing forward.
Dawn showed the coast in a dim blue line, with
the spit of Sandy Hook lying like a haze across the
sea, and the fir-clad heights at the back, already hot
and arid-looking in the morning sun. The light-
ship was passed at 7.20 a.m., and, firing two guns
as a salute, the engines of the Great Eastern were
stopped, and amid cheers and congratulations the
first voyage ended. That morning an address
drawn up and signed by all the passengers, was
presented to Captain Hall, who in return made a
kind and appropriate reply by letter. The address
and reply were as follows :
" To CAPTAIN JOHN VINE HALL.
66 Great Eastern, June 17, 1860.
" Dear Sir,—We, the undersigned passengers,
who have the honour of being the first to cross the
Atlantic in your magnificent vessel, cannot now, at,
the conclusion of our pleasant voyage, separate
without expressing our opinion of the great merits
of this triumph of engineering skill and naval ar-

chitecture.
" Our voyage, though fine, has yet (as is gene
rally the case in Atlantic passages) been sufficiently
checkered with rough weather to demonstrate that,
in point of seaworthiness, the Great Eastern has no
equal in the world. We are aware that the incredu-
lity and prejudice which oppose all great under-
takings when first attempted have been manifested
to an almost unusual extent against this noble ves-
sel. On no point has'this feeling been more strongly
shown than with regard to hr manageability at
I sea, Her conduct during the brief storm of the
18th and 19th inst. should put all such fears (if
any still exist after this voyage) at rest for ever.
" Her movements, even when the gale was
strongest, were slow and easy, and at all times so
much less than those of the best seagoing steamers
as to be quite removed from any•standard of com-
parison. Those who knew by experience what an
Atlantic passage really is will appreciate the high
praise bestowed when we express our belief that
the Great Eastern, in accommodation, safety, and
freedom from disturbing motion, is as much superior
to ordinary vessels as she surpasses them in mag-
nitude and power.
" The'supposed necessity of working her engines
at a low rate of speed for some days has prevented
her effecting that rapid passage which we are con-
vinced she can easily accomplish. Yet from 'what
we have seen, we express our firm belief that the
Great Eastern, in proper trim, is:capable of making
greater speed than has yet been attained at sea.
Such a result will be due not more to her
unequalled form than to the efficiency and power of
her engines. That the latter will always be found
equal to their duty is witnessed by the fact that
during the whole of our run from Southampton to
New York they have worked with the utmost ease
and steadiness, never requiring even a moment's
stoppage for attention or adjustment of anything.
We fully appreciate the anxious vigilance which
has been exercised by yourself and your officers in
all relating to the safety of the ship and the general
comfort of the passengers. .
"In taking leave of you we most heartily wish
every success to yourself and the noble vessel which
you have the distinguished honour to command,
and remain, &c."
Then follow the signatures of all the passengers.
The answer of Captain Hall was as follows :
" To THE CHAIRMAN OF MEETING OF PASSENGERS.
" Great Eastern, off Sandy Hook, June 28, 1860.
" Dear Sir,—l am very highly gratified with the
comprehensive and expressive address which you
have just presented to me from the passengers. I
value it the more as it so simply, yet justly, points
out the peculiar excellencies of the Great Eastern,
being at the same time free from undue panegyric,
and stating only facts, and opinions based upon
those facts. The expression of satisfaction at the
endeavour of my officers and self to promote the
comfort and safety of the ship is, and will continue
to be, highly appreciated by us. In return, we
beg to thank you, on behalf of the passengers, for
the unvarying courtesy we have received from
them, and only regret that our acquaintance should,
be so short. 'With the best wishes for the happi-
ness and prosperity of every one among the pre-
sent passengers—the select few who were the first
to have practifical faith in the great ship.—l
remain, dear sir, with much esteem, yours faith.
fully, " JOHN VINE HALL."
For the first hour after her arrival the Great
Eastern was left pretty quiet in that still, hot sea,
with the sun blazing down fiercely on her white
decks, and not a breath of wind even to move the
dull column of smoke from the funnels, which went
straight as the masts high into the sultry air.
Coasters, looking like schooner yachts, were all
over the bay, their close-fitting white cotton sails
drawn fiat as boards. But all in vain ; they only
moved to the gentle swell without advancing an
inch, and seemed to repose in their own dark
shadows.
This state of things, as regarded the weather,
continued all day, but the quiet unquestionably
lid not. It was soon known at New Yoik that we
were off the bar, and those who know our cousins
know that they are about the Most excitable people
in the world. The ferment caused by our arrival
may thus be readily anticipated. At first it only
manifested itself in the occasional advent of those
queer-looking steamers, very much in appearance
like the popular types of Noah's Ark, with the ad-
dition of paddle-engines, two or three white cotton
reef's, and some 500 or 600 people also in white
cotton. These vessels, all decorated with flags, and
swaying to and fro under their crowds of visitors,
who cheered, waved handkerchiefs, clapped hands,
and shouted till one's ears ached, went round and
round the ship, and then stopping under the stern
their delighted passengers made offers of anything
we might want—newspapers, cigars, ice, &c. The
band of the Great Eastern had hard work that day
standing up on the hot paddlebox (Mount Misery
they called it) and playing " Hail Columbia!" every
minute, in return to the harmonic compliments of
" God save the Queen," " Rule Britannia," &c.,
which came over the water from all sides. Soon
after. 11 a tug came alongside with Mr. Yates, the
secretary of the company, arid about 100 visitors
including some . of the most eminent gentlemen
of New York. These were the only visitors
allowed on board that day, as during the rather
difficult navigation to New York it was de-
sirable to keep her as little crowded as possible.
Towards noon the sea was dotted all over
with the white sails of little yachts, which spread
their huge folds of canvas in the sun, and certainly
did their best to get through the water, though
alniost in vain. There was not even wind enough
to move these exquisite little boats, from the shapes
of which our English yacht squadrons might take
valuable lessons: By 2 o'clock there were some
'do'zen ste.oners close around us, all crowded from
deck to funnel, and all cheering and shouting as
if their passengers were demented. To do them
mere justice the Americans do go ahead with what-
ever they take in hand, and when a furore in
favour of anything begins among them it goes to
greater length than with any other
people in the
world. Nor did it only manifest itself in mere
acclamation, for, before the visitors from New
York were an-hour on board, there was not a pas-
senger of note on the great ship who did not find
himself committed to the acceptance
of more invita•
tions than he could possibly have got through
between this and-Christmas. At 2 o'clock, as the
tide was then making fast over the bar, the Great
Eastern fired two guns and got under way. She
took a short turn round the bay before" offering"
at the shallow to get good way on her, so that in
case of touching she might easily push through the
sand. She drew 25 feet aft, and there was evidently
not depth of water sufficient, as her stern touched
slightly and stirred up the sand, but before one
could well perceive it she was over, and the last
danger of the Great Eastern's voyage was safely
passed. Three tremendous cheers were given for
Mr. Murphy, the pilot, .by 'all on board, and the
voyage up the harbour commenced. With it also
commenced such a scene of excitement and enthu-
siasm as outdid even the great demonstration of
that morning when the Great Eastern first left hhr
mooring in the Thames. The spit at Sandy Hook
was crowded with visitors, who stood bare-headed
in the fierce sun as they cheered and waved their
hats to the ship. The bell at the lighthouse
was clanging madly in honour of the occasion, and
signal flags of every hue and colour were drooping in
the sun, though still giving an air of festivity and
animation, even to the arid spot over which they
were expeeted to flutter. As the harbour opened
out it could hs seen covered with a fleet of yachts,
which new, favoured with a slight breeze, were
skimming across the still water from all directions
towards us, their flags waving, their crews cheering
and tillouting a weleinne till they were hoarse again
Great ferry-boats and coasting steamers, looking
fur all the world like a street of houses fl6ating out
to sea, with their three tiers of windows and re-
gular cotton roofs, carne rolling slowly down—
decks, roofs, and windows all erowdcd with eager
hmdt=,the ladies wavang handkerchiefs and clapping
hand:—the men shouting and cheering—all seeming
will with exalSelion and delight. Fast the shores
of Staten Inland and ee to the Narrows, the Great
Eastern con.tinued her stately way, every minute
increasing the ex-ailment, and adding scores to the
the numbers of yachts, pleasure• boats, and steamers
swarming rout,;,a. In •vain the band of the Great
Eastern played
of the other steamers essayed " Rule Britannia ;"
music was drowned and shouted down with cheers.
i The" t,inissersais hat" wept into the air—the " luta.
versal haedkereaf" eyes waye4s 4/44. t 4.9 4pieri-
" Hail Columbia," in vain the bands

cans, always " guessing,'" guessed for the time truly
when theysaid no such %ovation had over been paid
to any ye:46cl in the world. It was a heart-stirring
welcome, and ono which._ even now that it is past

and. done one cannot rt call without a feeling of
emotion and astonishmolit. The departure of the
vessel from the Thames, the departure of the Queen
from Cherbourg, even lcue Oxford and Cambridge
boat race (the last a won derful specimen of aquatic
excitement) give no idea, of the reception of the
Great Eastern at New Y, )rk. Every minute brought
down fresh steamers, ea ch seeming more crowded
and more enthusiastic ti um the others, and every
minute added to the thotu trnds who lined the shores
and stood bareheaded, chs 2ering under an almost tro-

pical sun. Off Fort Han iilton the high compliment
of a salute of 14 guns wr s given—the first time that
ever a merchant vessel his been saluted in America.

To this distinguished ?son our the Great Eastern re-
sponded by stopping, and dipping her ensign re-
plied gun for gun in a rep, lar and seamanlike style
A Government vessel, the c. hief revenue ship, ner

saluted and dipped her flag., and this honour was
similarly acknowledged. From this time out it was
almost one continued roar of artillery, ringing bells,
blowing steam whistles, :shouting and clapping
hands, till one was almos t dizzy with the whirl
and wild confusion of upro, it and excitement. As
she came through the Narro vas New York could be
seen dimly through the smoke and hot haze, red,
dry, and baked-looking in the summer sun, with
the shore lined with thousands and tens of thou-
sands of people, and the water so covered with
boats of every size and shape that it seemed a mys-
tery however the Great Eastern was to get through
them all. This difficulty, however, was solved by
the simplest of all methods—viz., the Great
Eeastern kept her course, and everything else took
good care to keep out of her way. As New York
loomed nearer and nearer the jangle of joy-
bells could be heard from the steeples. -What
had seemed at a distance but a dark line along the
shore grew more and more distinct, and showed at
last to be dense masses of human beings shouting
and waving hats as if they were possessed. Not
only, too, were the shores thus lined, but even the
roofs of the stores and houses far and near, the rich
green hills on the opposite bank, the very masts
and yards of all the vessels in the harbour seemed
literally black with countless swarms. Right in
the middle of the Hudson lay the Niagara at anchor
as the Great Eastern steamed up, and the former,
hitherto the largest vessel in the world, seemed
dwarfed to the dimensions of a cockboat as the
huge hull of the great ship towered high over the
waters, reaching almost half way up the mast of
the fine frigate.
It took a little time to turn and fix the Great
Eastern, but at last Mr. Murphy, the pilot, brought
her up alongide the wharf, where she now lies, and
where she was moored with hawsers as easily as one
of the Cunard packets.
The crowds had assembled at this spot in immense
numbers, and amid cheers for Capt. Hall, for the
pilot, for the directors, for Mr, Bold, for the pas-
sengers, for everything, or anything, in short, con-
nected with the noble vessel, the Great Eastern's
first voyage across the Atlantic ended.
She is not to be shown till Monday next, the 2d
of July. This afternoon, I believe, the Japanese
Princes, who leave here tomorrow in the Niagara,
will visit her. I have not time now to give any
details of this affair, except to record the naive
opinion of an American who heard of the intended
visit, and who, with some strong remarks regard-
ing his future welfare, said if the Japanese did go
to seethe big ship they would think the English
the greatest people after all. Certainly they will
think the Niagara very small in comparison.

SUMMER ASSIZES.
•
MIDLAND CIRCUIT.—NORTHAMPTON, July 12.
(Before Mr. Justice Wightman.)
Henry Cowley, a railway policeman, was charged
with the murder of a newly born illegitimate child,
at Oundles on the 17th of Match last.
Mr. Merewhether conducted the case for the pro-
secution ; the prisoner was defended by Mr. O'Brien.
The ;acts of the case, as appeared from the state-
ment of the counsel for the prosecution andthe evi-
dence of the witnesses called in support of it, were
these :—The prisoner had since May in last year
been cohabiting with a woman, Mary Ann Foulk,
who acted as his housekeeper, and in March last
was pregnant by him. On the evening of Friday,
the 16th of that month, being suddenly taken with
labour pains, she called to the prisoner, who was
down stairs with a little boy of his named William,
and on his coming up desired him to send for some
one of the neighbours to be with her. He told her
she should have no one, and taking from a drawer
a pistol which he pointed at her, threatened if she
made any alarm that he would blow her brains out.
He then left the room. The child was born soon
afterwai ds, and wrapped in flannel by the mother,
and the prisoner, at the mother's request, took it
up from the floor where it was lying and placed it
on a bed, while she lay upon the bare bedstead in
the same room. She again asked him to send for a
neighbour, but he said, with an oath, that he would
not have any one. She then .desired that William,
his son, might be sent to fetch her mother. The
prisoner replied that he could not spare William,
but he bade him sit down and write to Mary Ann
Foulk's mother, and bade her go to bed. On her
hands and knees she crawled upstairs to a bed in
the attic, across which she threw herself; he
brought the child to her, and she put it to her breast.
Mr. 'Webster, a surgeon, and the inspector of
police, came to her about etght in the same evening,
and Mr. Webster then observed that the child was
apparently healthy and r'reathed well,. but it ap-
peared that it did not take any nourishment from
the mother. Ilion their departure the prisoner .ln-
quired of Foulk whether Mr. Webster had asked
whose child it was, and, being told that he had not,
he took a pistol from his pocket and threatened to
blow her brains out if she said it belonged to him.
She desired him to spare her for the sake of the
child, and asked whose child she was to say it was.
The prisoner replied that if she said the child was
his -his children would be thrown on the Union,
and he should get "nothing from nobody," He
was, it seemed, at that time in the receipt of 4s. a
week ,from a railway club and of relief from tho
Union. The prisoner then left Foulk alone, taking
away a light which he had brought upstairs, and
there, without food, light, or companion, the poor
woman remained until 12 on the following day,
when the boy 'William came to her, and by her re-
quest brought her some gruel obtained from the
Union. About 3in the afternoon of the same day,
the prisoner Cowley came up and asked to see the
child, which Foulk showed him. He put one arm
over mid the other beneath it, as if fondling it, and
handled it very much about the cheeks and throat.
About 4 o'clock he came again, and again acted in
the same manner; the baby then lay on Foulk's
right arm, and the prisoner Cowley lay across her
as if he was going to kiss the child, and put his
hands round its neck. Foulk noticing that he had
made its cheek red told him to desist, and that that
was not the way to kiss a new-born babe. He was
on and off the bed several times. Foulk said to
him, " Don't ; if you do, you'll kill the child," and
cried, feeling that she was herself hurt about the
body. The prisoner answered, "It would be a good
thing if you and the child would both die;" but he
left her, as she told him that she wanted rest, and
she fell.asleep. On waking, she saw the prisoner
sitting on a box in the room. She stretched' out
her arm to take the child, and observed that its face
looked dark and its finger-nails purple, and she
said to the prisoner, " Look, how dark the child
looks in the face," and desired him to let William
go and ask Mr. Webster to come before bedtime.
The prisoner said that it was no use having
a doctor to a baby like that, but she again
desired that Mr. Webster might be sent for, adding
that he had told her that if anything happened to
the child she would be answerable. The prisoner
replied, "You and the child may both die." The
doctor did not, come, and she sat up in the bed with
the child in her arms and opened its eyes, and the
prisoner said he wished that he was as well as the
child ; that there would be nothing the matter with
him. He and his son then Went to bed. In a
quarter of an hour the child seemed to grow worse,
became dark in the face, and made a noise in the
throat. Foulk called out many times, and declared
that if the prisoner did not let William go for Mr.
Webster she would get up and go for him herself.
She heard the door open, and directly after saw'
prisoner come up to the child. He handled it
while it was in her arms, about the throat and top
of the chest, and she noticed two drops of blood in
its nose, and'a gargle in its throat. She cried and
said, "My child is dead," He said, "Dead ! not
it ; it would ba a good job," lle then went away.
This was about 7 p.m. In about an hour after Mr.
Webster arrived, and rapped at the door, which the
prisoner would nut open. He therefore forced it
and went upstairs, and found the child dead. Sub-
sequently a post mortem examination was made by
himself and Dr. M'Derrnot, and death was found to
have resulted from congestion of the lungs, brain,
and heart, which Mr. Webster attributed to coin-
pression of the throat ; and Dr. M'Bermot called
his attention to some marks on that part, which,
however, were so slight that until then he had not
observed them. To Mr, Webster's inquiry of Foulk
as to the cause of its death, she replied that she
supposed the child had fits. Dr. IVl'Derrnot was not
called. Mr. O'Brien, in the Course of his cross-
examination, elicited that the prisoner had been
drinking on both Friday and Saturday, and endea-
voured to elicit from Mr. Webster that death might
be attrpnte4 to other causes that' vresaarg ott. VA_