The Sun.
London, England, 1858-10-07 00:00:00

chain ana tubes are connated by wrought iron
trusses to the roadway, the longitudinal beams of
which arc braced together by transverse wrought
iron floor girders. When each span was completed,
before finally lifting it to its place, the scaffoldings
were knocked away and the whole mass tc sted with
a deadweight strain, uniformly distributed, of
1,200 tons, which, with the weight of the truss
itself, was increased to about 2,300 tons. This load
was calculated to produce a strain of rather more
than 5i tons per inch of section of the tension
chain, and not quite 5 tons per inch of section of
the tube. Under this load the whole span deflected
seven inches, recovering itself in a few hours after
the mass was removed. The greatest strain which
the bridge can undergo when covered with ballast
to the depth of a foot and loaded with a,train of
locomotive engines, will be less by half a ton per
inch upon the chains and tubes than the testing
strain we have mentioned.

When each span had been completed two iron
pontoons, each 50 feet long by 10 feet broad and
12 feet deep, were sunk under both ends, the water
let out of them at low tide, and with the return of
the flood the span was floated to the centre of the
stream. One was thus floated out about the middle
of last year, and one during last July, and it was
the unanimous opinion of all the many engineers
and nautical men who witnessed the operations
that they were about the best managed and most
successful attempts of this kind which had ever
been seen. The floating was, of course, managed in
an hour or so. Lifting themto their plLes, however,
has been and still is a long and most laborious ope-
ration. At each end of a span are two hydraulic
presses, of 22 and 11 in. diameter respectively, bat,
of course, as these in raisinghave to carry the whole
weight of the spans, they require the most massive
foundations, so much so, in fact, that only those
which are built for the bridge itself will serve their
turn. Thus the span is floated to the centre of the
river, and rested at the height of the tide upon the
first six foot joints of the two iron columns in the
middle of the stream on one side, and the beginning
of the pier of masonry at the water's edge on the
other. Twice every week the whole span is lifted
in one day three feet, when the masonry is built up
another three feet in three days, then the span gets
another lift, as before, making its total progress six
feet in a week. The iron columns placed under the
end in the stream pier are, however, in six feet
lengths, as we have said, so that only one can be
put under at one time each week.
In this manner the west-end half was raised, the
two iron columns and masonry pier in that half of
the Tamar rising as the bridge rose. Now the
eastern half is going up in precisely, the same man-
ner. When both are raised to the top the four iron
centre columns and side pieces of masonry will be
completed, though the two ends of the span will not
rest on the top of the columns, but upon a huge mass
of iron built on them, called a standard, and into
which the spans are bolted. This standard weighs
no less than 300 tons, and is built of five joints,
each joint like those in the columns, being 6 feet
high and weighing 40 tons. When the whole-bridge
takes its bearings, as they are termed, the pressure
on the centre pier foundatton will be upwards of
eight tons to the foot, or double the pressure of the
whole mass of the Victoria Tower on its basement.
Any oscillating movement is counteracted by the
transverse floor girders, and the ballasting checks
a vibratory motion. Six inches has been allowed
for expansion and contraction to each tube, but the
greatest difference yet observed between the hottest
and the coldest day has only made a difference of
two inches in the length of the bridge. The total
quantity of wrought iron in the bridge is 2,650 tons
—of cast iron about 1,200 tons, of masonry and
brickwork about 17,000 cubic yards, and of timber
about 14,000 cubic feet. Wherever the praise of
engineering works can penetrate the fame of Salt-
ash and its magnificent viaduct is likely to be still
more widely known even than the colossal work
which spans the Straits of Menai.

TOUSSOUN PAS'HA AT SOU2'IIAMPTON.

SOUTHAMPTON, WEDNESDAY.
The fine paddle-wheel steam-ship Faid Gihaad,
built some years since by the Peninsular and
Oriental Company as a yacht for the Pasha of
Egypt, has been in our docks for the last four
months undergoing a thorough refit and redecora-
tion under the company's superintendence. The
ship being now ready for sea, a state visit was paid
to her to-day by his Highness Toussoun Pasha, the
only son of his Highness Said Pasha, the present
Viceroy of Egypt. He was accompanied by Gal-
loway Bey (the Pasha's agent in England), Mrs.
Wilhams (his governess), a French medical officer,
and other gentlemen. The illustrious visitor and
his companions were conveyed in a small steamer to
the yacht, which was lying in the stream, decked
out in colours, and the yards manned by the crew,
who welcomed the young Prince with a shout in
their own language, resembling English cheers,
which, freely interpreted, was explained to mean,
" May Divine Providence grant you length of
days On embarking in. the Paid Gihaad the
captain and officers of the ship received him as a
guard of honour.
The young Prince, who is five rears of age, is a
very handsome boy, thoroughly ]nglish in appear-
ance, of fair complexion, with a little • colour, and
dark brown hair. His mother is a Circassian.
He was dressed in Turkish costume, with silver
epaulettes, band, and two stars, which, together
with the hilt of a small sword he carried, were pro-
fusely decoratedwith diamonds. He speaks French
and tnglish like a native, with very little Turkish,
and exhibited much intelligence by the observations
lie made in going over the vessel. He minutely in-
spected the ship in every part, and a State chair
was taken into the engine-room, in which he sat
for an hour, closely watching the action of the
machinery.
The yacht proceeded on a cruise down the river,
and passed Ryde, then returning to her moorings.
During the trip a sumptuous dejeuner a lafourchette
was served in the grand saloon, which was presided
over by the youthful Pasha, supported by Galloway
Bey and the French medical gentleman above
mentioned. The health of the Viceroy and his son
was drank, which the latter acknowledged, by ex-
claiming in good English, " Gentlemen, I thank
you." Other toasts followed, and the captain and
officers of the Faid Gihaad were congratulated by
the English gentlemen present on the fact that not
one case of misconduct on the part of the crew had.
been brought before the magistrates of the borough
during the four months that the vessel had been at
this port. Previously to the dejenner Capt. A. Kel-
lock (who represented the Peninsular and Oriental
Company on this interesting occasion), Mr. J. R.
Stebbing (one of the borough justices), Mr. P.
Hedger (dockmaster), and other gentlemen were
presented to the young Prince. His Highness, we
understand, remains in England another month,
and then proceeds to Egypt.
The Faid Gihaad is now fitted up in the most
superb style of Oriental magnificence. The grand
saloon, which occupies the full width of the ship, is
a truly gorgeous apartment, the great fault being
want of height to show it to proper advantage. It
is approached from the deck by a spacious staircase
of solid mahogany. The ceiling is composed entirely
of papier mache in panellings, each containing a
handsome bouquet of flowers, or bunch of fruit, re-
liesed by gold beading between each of the panels,
which are beautifully shaped like shields. The
saloon is lighted at night by five sets of candelabra
branching from columns running from the floor to
the ceiling, each candelabra having 12 candlesticks
over which are suspended bell-shaped shades, hang-
ing by chains from the ceiling, the whole in electro-
plate, including the columns. The hangings are of
the richest character, comprising cerise, rose, and
white-figured brocaded Queen silk damask curtains
for the windows which light the apartment trim-
med with rich silk gymp, and lined with plain
crimson silk, in each case surmounted by a hand-
some sweep-shape ornamented cornice, in blue and
gold, profusely decorated with the star and crescent.
There are 36 ottoman seats in elaborately carved
frames, on four handsomely shaped and carved ca-
briole legs, French polished, spring stuffed with the
best hair in canvass, and covered with rose-coloured
morocco leather. Besides these, three large-sized
easy chairs, . carved in the best Sp.anish maho-
gany, and similarly stuffed, stand in different parts
of the saloon; while a capacious divan seat, con-
structed of the like materials, runs round the entire
sweep of the stern end of the saloon. Immense
mirrors are judiciously placed at either end, and on
the moveable blinds at the port windows are painted
transparencies of British vessels at anchor, Os-
borne-house, Cowes, Southampton, Egyptian
scenery, &c. Two state cabins open out of the
saloon, decorated in the Italian style, relieved with
beautifully-painted flowers and fruit, and gold, the
effect being remarkably chaste and tasteful. The
bathroom and lobby are painted white, with gold
ornaments, Which is the Pasha's favourite style.
The papier mache ceiling has been manufactured at
Birmingham, while the. whole of the painting and
the gold cornices have been executed by Mssrs.
Buchan and Son, of Southampton, and the upholstery
department was intrusted to Messrs. Perkins and
Sons, also of this town. A portion of the wains-
coting is executed in half-grained mahogany, so
delicately done as not to be distinguished from the
real wood, except on the closest examination. The
exterior of the ship is painted a light white, the
stern, bow, and paddleboxes respectively bearing
rich massive gold ornaments, the stern especially
being covered with a large eagle surrounded by a
trophy. Her steering compasses have been cor-
rected by Mr. Stebbing, and for the first time since
her construction they are reduced to a mere nominal

amount of error. The Crew are all composed of