The Sun.
London, England, 1860-08-28 00:00:00

THE suN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, AUGUST 28, 1860.

ROYAL CREMORNE GARDENS
COMPANY (Limited).
Capital £lOO,OOO, in 20,000 Shares of £5 each.
(Cl ss. Deposit, and £1 ss. on Allotment.)
LiaLility Limited to the amount of each Share.
Incorporated under.the Joint-Stock Companies Act, 17 and
18 Vict.
DIRECTORS.
Lord Henry Gordon, the Palace, Hampton Court.
Sir George Duckett, Bart, Coningsby.
Theophilus Clive, Esq., Hampton.
John Simpson, Esq., the Strand, and Pinner-park.
George Lettsom Elliott, Esq., Urban Lodge, Cheltenham.
With power to add to their number from the Shareholders).
BANKERS—The London and County Bank, Lombard-street;
and its various Branches.
BROKERS—Holderness, Fowler, and Co., Change-alley, Corn-
hill.

RETURN VOYAGE OF TUE GREAT

EASTERN.

Punctual to the time advertised, the Great
Eastern left New York on Thursday, August 16
on her return trip to Milford Haven. The bad

odour which the Ship had acquired from the some-
what unfair strictures of the daily papers on the
Cape May excursion seems to have had some effect
in damping popular feeling in her favour. This,
coupled with the fact that she was now leaving the
harbour for the third time, and that therefore the
sight had ceased to be any very great novelty, ac-
counts for the little notice taken of her departure.
The operation of weighing the anchor, as usual,
offered some little difficulty ; but the redoubtable
seven-ton Trotman came to the bows much more
graciously this time than on any previous occasion.
Mr. Murphy, the pilot who came out to England
to take the ship into New York, was in charge.
Having piloted her in and out five times, he had
acquired a familiarity with the admirable steering
qualities of the ship, which emboldened him to try
the experiment of turning her at her anchorage
without the aid of a tug. She was riding with her
head up stream, and a light breeze blowing a little
abaft the starboard beam. When the anchor came
to the bows the fore staysail was hoisted, and the
ship's head canted to port. The helm was then
jammed hard aport, and the screw backed at full
speed. As soon as the wind was brought on the
port quarter the fore staysail was hauled down,
and the jigger trysail set. By this skilful mani-
pulation the sharp stem of the great ship was soon
pointed in the direction of the Narrows.
At 4 20 . p.m. the paddles performed their first
revolution, and the creamy wake left on the surface
of the Hudson soon announced that the great ship
had bid adieu to New York. Our departure was
gracefully acknowledged by the Adriatic, lying
at her pier. The English ensign was run up`at
her foremasthead, and saluted with two guns.
Being the next, largest ship in the world, we
surveyed her graceful form with much interest,
as our stern swept round, in the act of turning,
within 100 feet of her bow. The disproportion
in size of the two vessels is so enormous that the
Adriatic appeared dwarfed by the comparison, and
it was difficult to believe, as we scrutinized her
yacht-like lines, that she was a ship of between
5,000 and 6,000 tons. Salutes were fired by the
British steamer Edinburgh, from her dock, and the
Cunard screw vessel Australasian which lay out in
the stream ready to start for Liverpool. A few
people were collected on the piers and shipping,
who surveyed us with interest, but with no symp-
tom of the enthusiasm that marked our arrival. A
few minutes' steaming brolight us to the Battery,
or terminal point of the island on which the city is
built. Here a few idlers were congregated, but
the comparison between their numbers and the
dense mass of human beings which witnessed our
arrival from this eligible point of viow was re-
marked by many on board. Making a straight
course down the lovely bay, we steamed rapidly
between the fortified points of Governor's and Bed-
loe's Islands, past the rich undulations of Long
Island and the bold wooded hills and pleasant-
looking dales of Staten Island. Fifty minutes
brought us to the Narrows, where as we passed
the frowning batteries of forts Hamilton, Lafayette,
and Diamond, a national salute of 21 guns brought
down the stars and stripes from the flagstaff of Fort
t wemhalf
passedalf athe
h e a
Hamilton, in courteous acknowledgment. Sandy
navigators,es y wasae rounded
Hook, the famous point of departure for American
miletba bar. After
thpe. me eastward
,s
twana rdd running
under 15
minutes
a laterof
this formidable barrier the engines were stopped,
but the ship by her own impetus forged a head so
long that the paddles had to be backed to stop her
way, in order to allow of the pilot's leaving.
By seven p.m. we had fairly started on our
voyage. With the paddles making 11 revolutions
and the screw 30 per minute, the Great Eastern
began to cut throngh the long ground swell at the
rate of 14 knots an hour. We ran throughwhole
fleet a
fleet of outward-bound ships, which had passed the
bar before us. With every stitch of canvass set,
they were rolling heavily in the light breeze; and
left astern so rapidly that they appeared to have no
headway. The Australasian tripped her anchor as
we passed, and, being able to make a straighter
course than the big ship in the lower bay, passed
the bar about a mile astern of us ; but the superio,

rity of our speed was quickly manifest, and she was
soon lost in the distance.

The beauty of the night and the novelty of a first
voyage to sea—and , that voyage in the Great
EaStern—kept many of the passengers on deck. It
was evident that the rolling motion inspired some,
and more especially the fairer portion of them, with
considerable apprehension—not perhaps of being
drowned, for they expressed their opinion, though
in a faint voice, that she was a very safe ship, but
that a passage in her was not quite such a specific
against sea sickness as they had been led to believe.
The earnestness with which they inquired of those
who Thad come out in the ship whether " she had
ever done so before" was amusing. The assurance
that she had, but that she was not likely to do any
worse, seemed to afford little consolation, and state-
rooms were sought with, a dismal foreboding, which
in two or three casesi- we believe, was to some ex-
tent realised.

Our passenger list was not ,very full. We num-
bered 102, of whom 15 or 20 were ladies. The
rapid way in which the two fine lights on the
Highlands of Neversink belied their name, and dis-
appeared.bolow the horizon, testified to the speed
of the ship and augured well for a quick passage.
Fire Island light, flashing out at intervals over a
broad expanse of shcal water and shifting sand,
was soon left astern. By 10 p.m., after passing a
large steamer which glided by in the obscurity like
a phantom, the deck was left to the officers and
lookout men, and with light winds from the east-
ward the ship ran steakly on her course all night,
making 14 knots aTiripwaids by the log. The next
morning; August 17, broke calm aid beautiful. The
sun rose in a thick misty haze, which melted away
before the increasing 'heat, and left the sky
without a cloud. The swell was undiminished;
but not a ripple checkered the surface of the
vast expanse. Patches of gulf weed floated by,
reminding us of that mass of tepid water
which but a few miles south was sweeping along
so grandly on its beneficent mission to North-
Western Europe. We were quite out of its influ-
ence; in fact, between its northern edge and the
continent of America there flows a counter-current
of cold water to the westward, varying in velocity,
but seldom falling below one knot an hour. At
9 30 Nantucket light was seen bearing N.B. by E.
By observation at noon we were in .lat. 40 deg.
42 min. N., long. 69 deg. 2 min. W., making the
distance run in the 17 hours since starting 238
knots, or exactly 14 knots an hour.. The distance
run by log was 10 knots further. Shaping a course
well to the southward of St. George's Bank, we
passed a great many vessels, and at 7 p.m. hove to
for soundings. 'A cast of the deepsea lead gave 48
fathoms and a dark sandy bottoms-s-a result which
established our position to be 15 miles south of that
submarine plateau. Altering the course a point
and a half more to the northward, we ran all night
through the heavy south-easterly swell, against
light north-easterly winds, and by 7 a.m. of the
18th were on to the Le Have Bank. Steering a
moresnortherly course to fetch in with the land, by
9 30 a.m. the bold coast line of Nova Scotia was
seen a little to the southward of Cross Island. Dur-
ing the night the paddles increased their number
of revolutions to 12 per minute, and the crew to
40, with a favourable effect on the ship's speed. By
bearings taken between Coffin Island Light and
Sambro' Light she ran that distance (54 knots) at
the rate of 16 knots an hour. At 4 p.m. we rounded
Sambro' Light, and at 4 45 dropped anchor in the
noble harbour of Halifax, having made the run in
less than 46 hours from Sandy Hook. Although,
to avoid all risk, she made a long detour to the
southward. the passage was effected in a shorter
time than it has ever been performed in before.
During the whole distance we had a succession of
light head winds or cairns, so that we were not able
to derive any assistance from our sails.
The captain, the engineer, and Mr. D. Gooch,
C.E. (one of the directors), having taken counsel
together, decided to rig out the float-boards on the
paddlewheels two feet further, so as to give them
better hold of the water, as the ship got light from
the consumption of coals. Scarcely, therefore, were
the engines stopped before the large staff of engi-
neers were perched all over the huge wheels, ham-
mer and wrench in hand, unscrewing nuts, and
driving out bolts. It was a work of no small labour
and considerable time. All night the paddleboxes
rang with the strokes of these grimy Vulcans, and
it was not until 8 o'clock in the morning that the
operation was completed. Day broke with drizzling
rain, but this did not hinder people coming off in
shoals, and climbing on board, or rowing round her
to gratify their astonishment. At 830 a.m. a signal
gun was fired, and in 20 minutes the anchor was up
to the bows, and the big ship steaming grandly out
to sea. As soon as we were fairly under way the
colonial flag was hoisted at the main, and saluted
with four guns. Almost as many people seemed to
be posted to witness our departure as had greeted
our arrival. An hour's run brought us off Sambro'
Island, where our pilot's boat was lowered from
the davits, and he and his two men took their leave,
with hearty good wishes for a safe and speedy pas-
sage. The signal was given from the bridge, screw
and paddle recommenced their revolutions, and by
10 a.m., we were bowling along the rugged coast on
a straight course for Cape Race. The mizzling
rain of the early morning had subsided by the time
we got under way, but the sky was overcast and a
slight breeze sprang up from the eastward at 2
p.m., bringing rain and thickish weather.
The slight immersion of the paddle floats had
been found to cause a large percentage of slip.
Though the increased diameter of the wheels had
the effect of reducing the revolutions of the paddle
engines from 12 to 101, the decrease in slip more
than compensated for the difference, so that, with
the screw making 40 revolutions, 15 and 151 knots
were run off by the log. Monday, August the 20th,
commenced with true "Bank" weather. Huge
wreaths of damp fog would close around us and
drift off astern, leaving the sky obscured by dense
masses of misty vapour, creeping sluggishly.before
the wind. Towards noon the weather got somewhat
clearer, and a few breaks in the clouds allowed of
the usual observations. These showed the latitude
to be 46 N., and the longitude 55 53 W. ; distance
made 340 knots. By 2 n-m, the sky brightened,
and we began to congratulate ourselves on the
commencement of clear weather. At 4 30
we sighted Cape St, Mary, and stood on for Cape
Race, but a little before 6 p.m. the wind shifted
from S.E. to N.E., and rolled down a dense mass of
fog which effectually prevented a person at one end
of the ship knowing anything about what happened
at the other. This was most annoying, as three or
four hours' steaming would have enabled us to sight
the Cape, get late despatches from New York, and
shape a course to steer clear of some dangerous
rocks on the northern edge of the Grand Bank. The
engines were immediately put at half speed, double
look-outs stationed, steam 'whistles sounded once in
five minutes, and every precaution taken to avoid
collision. At 6 p.m. the ship was stopped for
soundings. Bottom was found at 55 fathoms—
sand and mud. This showed we were on the edge
of the bank. To make sure of avoiding the formid-
able Virgin Rocks the ship was headed more in for
Newfoundland, and at 7.40 stopped again for sound-
ings. This time the bottom was coarse sand at 70
fathoms, proving that we were running toward the
centre of the channel between the island and the
Grand Bank. Sounding again at 9 p.m. we got 90
fathoms of the fine sand and were, therefore, accord-
ing to the chart, in mid-channel. Keeping the ship
at half-speed along this centre line, soundings were
taken once more to be sure that we had not wan-
dered to the right hand nor to the left. At mid-
night the fog lifted. Knowing we were now beyond
all danger full steam was turned on, and we started
on a great circle course for Cape Clear.
A few hours steaming took us clear of the Grand
Bank to the northward ; but the neighbourhood of
this vast submarine elevation was evinced by the
cold, damp, cheerless atmosphere. The colour of
the water rapidly changed from the dirty olive-
green of soundings to the dark blue of deep water.
As day broke the wind drew far enough to the
southward of east to set the trysails, but it was too
light to be of any assistance, and soon veered again
so as to keep the sails lifting. Meridian ob-
servations gave the, latitude 48 deg. N., long. 49.60
W. Distance made 306 knots. This was satis-
factory enough, considering that we had lost an
hour by sounding, and had been at half speed for
six hours. The temperature began to be so much
more agreeable that loungers about the deck in-
creased considerably, and some fells ladies scruti-
nised the wonders of the great ship more narrowly
than they had ever done before. All the afternoon
a shoal of Finback whales gamboled sociably
around us, blowing their jets of steam-like vapour
into the,air, and rolling over like huge barrels on
the calm surface of the sea. The skittles that had
been cultivated so assiduously on the outward pas-
sage were brought to light yesterday, and a few
games played, but the hearty English element
which had preponderated coming out was now in
the minority, so the amusement languished, and a
less laborious exercise was substituted—that of
rope quoits pitched at ringbolts on the decks
In the afternoon the wind veered to th,e south,
but was too light to keep the trysails full. Acting,
however, on a northerly swell, it created fool up conv

motion on the water, amid which the huge ship
rolled along: very sedately, but with a manifest in-
crease of inflection. There was good and sufficient
reason for this. The ship's draught of water on
leaving New York was 22ft forward and 25ft aft.
The coals shipped there and at Baltimore were very
light and free burning, consequently a very large
daily consumption took place, the more so on ac-
count of the valves of all the boilers being weighted
to 251 b pressure and a full head of steam being
maintained. On the passage out the pressure had
been 201 b only, except that this had been increased
in the paddle boilers to 251 b when about half-way
across. The ship was thus being lightened at the
rate of four inches a day, and she was now out of
water far below her lightest load-water line.
Wednesday,Aug. 22, ceninnenced with thick misty
weather and with the light breeze from the south
veering to the westward; though the atmosphere
was dunp the temperature was rapidly becoming
more finial as we left the " banks' fair behind us.
Overcast and dull the sun would occasionally
during the forenoon glimmer faintly through the
watery clouds for a moment or so, and then
strand himself in impenetrable mist. Oar zea-
lous chief officer, Mr. Machin, sextant in' hand,
dodged him round mast and funnel most
perseveringly, but with little effect. Observations,
such as they were, gave lat. 50 deg. 15 min. N.,
long. 44 deg. 44 min. W. Distance made 320
knots. The breeze increasing, the foresail and
forestaysail were set ; but the ship was evidently
running away_ from the wind, for the huge area'
of flapped Inick idly. to the mast and did'
ao real service. All that night the Great Eastern
rolled along be.neath a leaden sky that threatened
but only threatened, rain. By 9 a.m. of Thursday,
August 23, the wind got round to S.W., and the
rain came on most unmistakably. The maintopsail
was set for the first time since it was bent. That
and the rest of the canvass that could be spread
soon bellied out before the rising gale, and for
the first time since leaving New York began to
do real service. By noon we were in lat. 51 05
N. long 32 51 W. Distance made 340 knots.
Milford Haven was still 1,057 knots ahead, bat
we were now spanking through the rapidly
mounting waves at a rate that would take us there
by noon on Sunday. Being steadied by the can-
vass the ship rolled much less during the day, and
there was something exhilarating in watching her
from the lofty paddlebox as she ran ahead of the
seas that came rolling alongside only to fall back
baffled and crushed to spray and foam by the huge
wheels, burying themselves alternately with a
noise like thunder, half way up. All day long the
wind wailed mournfully, while the rain pattered
fiercely on deck andskylight ; but towards evening
the wind dropped considerably, and the rain ceased,
' By 10 p.m. the stars were shining through breaks
in the dense clOuds, and the wind, though still
pretty strong, had but little effect, as we ran dead
before it. All night the ship stood en her course,
rolling in such a way as to detract considerably
from the beneficial effect of the paddles, which
were alternately either just scraping the water
with their floats er plunging half-way up to the
axis, On Friday, August 24, soon after daybreak,
nautical eyes and binocular glasses made out, in
the mists and rain and squalls ahead of us, !a.
large ship-rigged steamer, running to the eastward.
Though crowded with canvass we began steadily
to overhaul her, until she was made out to be
the Australasian, which left New York with our-
selves. A sudden shift of wind to the N.E. obliged
her to get in her studding sails and light canvass,
and the great ship to clew up her topsails and fore-
courses. Both vessels relying now more on their
steam-power, we drew rapidly ahead, and soon lost
sight of our rival amid the fog on our lee bow.
Soon afterwards a plate, carrying one of the bear-
ing of the screw shaft was found to have worked
loose. Its position precluded the necessary shoring
up and wedging without stopping the engine, so,
much to the disgust of our chief-engineer, Mr.
M'Clennan, steam had to be shut off and the screw
stopped. We lost about four hours and a half ser-
vice of the powerful steam propeller in this way.
The paddles during this period were found to be
equal to driving the ship from eight to nine knots
an hour, dragging the screw. As on the passage
out, the engines worked beautifully. No driving in
of keys and bolts or screwing up of nuts was re-
quired ; but f the mishap referred to (Is hich in ne
wise regarded the machinery), it would not have
been necessast to stop the engines for a single
minute. At noon we were in lat. 50 53. N., long.
24 25 W. Distance made, 320 knots.
Saturday, August 25, broke clear, and showed us
the Australasian far away on the weather bow.
Close hauled to the wind, with everything set,
she had been fer the last 24 hours making a splen-
did run. We, on the contrary, had kept to our
course with only a couple of trysails and the fore
staysail set; but, in spite of this, we had fetched up
the 20 knots lost through stopping the screw, and
now drew ahead until we lost sight of her to the
windward.
At a meeting held in the forenoon in the Grand
Saloon, Captain William Morris, R.N., proposed,
and Judge Hastings, of California, seconded, the
following address to Captain J. V. Hall, on the con-
clusion of the voyage, which was carried unani-
mously, and signed by the passengers.
"To CAPTAIN JOHN VINE HALL.
" Great Eastern, Aug. 25, 1860.
"Dear Sir,—We, the undersigned passengers on
the concluding trip of what may be considered the
trial voyage of the Great Eastern, desire to ex-
press our opinion of an experiment which has
deservedly excited so much interest on both sides of
the Atlantic. We are conscious that the trip has
been made under circumstances by no means fa-
vourable to developing the full powers of the noble
vessel you have the honour to command. The foul
state of the bottom and the light draught of water
are reasons why her performance at some future
time should exceed that of the present voyage. At
the same time what she has done is sufficient to
show that, practically, the idea of Brunel has been
fully realised. Her qualities as a seaboat and the
ease with which she can be handled are as
marked as they are extraordinary. This is the
more gratifying from the fact that it was on these
points that those who opposed the undertaking
founded their objection. Though the weather has
been fine, even for Atlantic passages at this time of
the year, the calms and light winds we have en-
countered have thrown the labour almost entirely
on the machinery, and have not given us the ad-
vantage which might be derived from the full use
of the sails. The machinery has proved the ex-
cellence of its construction by performing the entire
trip with remarkable smoothness and ease ; while
the power developed shows that it will always be
adequate to ensure a high rate of speed. The large
size of the ship affords such ample space for exer-
cise, for saloon and berth accommodation, and for
good ventilation, that on these grounds, as well as
on that of entire absence of all disturbing pitching
motion, she is far beyond all comparison with other
vessels as regards the comfort and convenience of
passengers. We have, therefore, no hesitation in
recommending her as the safest and most comfort-
able passenger ship afloat. We desire to express
our approbation of the watchful care which charac-
terised all arrangements, having in view the safety
of the ship and passengers ; and to you personally,
sir, to convey our sense of the courteous kindness
which has marked your demeanour, (and that of
your officers) towards us. In bidding you fare-
well we trust that your name may be identified with
that of'the Great taatern, in a long career of com-
mercial success and maritlime renown.
vefv faithfully yours."
•
[Here follows the names of ale passengers.]
To this Captain Hall wrote Pie following
reply :
" S.S. Great Eastern, at Sea, Aug. 25, its6o.
"Dear Sir,—lt is always gratifying to a com-
mander, and affords him some compensation for
his anxieties, to find his ship spoken well of by
his passengers, and the endeavours of his officers
and himself to promote their comfort and safety
appreciated by them. I therefore receive with
much pleasure the address which, in the name of
the passengers you have just presented to me. I
am equally delighted with that our trip from Ame-
rica to the shore of the old country has been so
agreeable. It is an additional satisfactton to me to
see amidst the signatures some of those of our former
passengers, headed by yourself, who front long' ex-
perience and position are so well capable of judging'
of the qualities and performance of a ship. I beg
you will convey to your fellow-passengers my
thanks for the kindly feeling which has prompted
them thus to address me at the close of the voyage,
and, with best wishes for their welfare, believe me
to remain, dear sir, with much esteem yours very
faithfully, "JOHN VINE HALL.
" Captain Wm. Morris, RN."
At noon we were in lat. 51 deg. 06 min. N., long.
16 deg. 03 min. W. ; distance made 316 knots.
St. Anne'4Head, at the entrance of Milford Haven,
was yet 414 knots distant ; but the water was
smooth, and the ship steady, so that people began
to speculate on the hour of arrival. A grand 10s.
lottery of 20-minute tickets was at once organized.
The drawer of the fortunate 20 minutes which saw