The Sun.
London, England, 1859-09-26 00:00:00

THE GREAT EASTERN STEAMSHIP.

The work of repairing the damage caused by the
late explosion is proceeding with rapidity. The
contract for the completion of tht3 repairs
has been made between the Great Ship Cemp:nY

and Mr. Scott Russell for the sum of k 5,000; one
of the clauses of the contract being framed so as
to guard the legal rights 'of both parties with re-
spect to any decision which may ultimately be ar-
rived at with reference to their liability for the
damage caused by the accident.
An examination has been made of the boilers of
the ship, and the result shows that the furnace
tubes and tube plates of the two boilers which were
connected with the funnel that exploded are udin-
jured. The shell of each boiler has sustained some
slight damage by the shock at the moment of ex-
plosion, and one or two of the plates are broken at
the spot immediately below the funnel stool. These
plates will be removed in a day or two, and their
place supplied by others. The testing of the boilers
by hydraulic pressure will be made before getting
up steam, and the ship will not proceed on her voy-
age until the surveying engineer of the Marine
Department of the Board of Trade has given his
certificate that she is in every respect seaworthy.
We understand that it is the intention of the
directors, at the request of many of the nobility and
gentry, to give a grand nautical vocal and instru=
mental concert on board the vessel on the morning
of Friday, the 30th inst. The efficient band of the
ship, consisting of 17 performers, will, it is said, be
conducted by Mr. Macfarlane, formerly band-mas-
ter to the Duke of Devonshire. The vocalists will
be Miss Messent and Mr. Wilbye Cooper. Mr.
Richardson will give some solo performances on the
flute. For the convenience .of visitors from a dis-
tance a limited number of tickets will be issued
entitling the holder to a bed on board.
' The "Talk on 'Change" in the Liverpool Journal
of Saturday says :—" The Great Eastern being now
managed principally by Liverpool men, that won-
der of the waters excites more than usual interest
on 'Change. The talk yesterday was that, as she
was built as a commercial speculation, the direction
of the directors should be in the line of remuneration;
that at Portland, without any consumption of coal,
the small tax on visitors would realise £6OO a-day •,
that at Holyhead the same price of admission will
produce something like £2,000 a-day; that the sight
of her gratifies the public, and that the sight-seers
pay better than passengers ; that, this being the
case, it would be absurd to sail her prematurely for
America or any other place; that her machinery is still
imperfect ; that it has to be tested ; that for this
purpose several trial trips be made ; that every trip
should terminate in a populous _ and paying port,
and that by the time she is properly ready for a
long voyage in the spring a considerable amount of
her debt would be liquidated; that a voyage next
spring would be quite in time, and that by that
time her perfect safety will be practically guaran-
tped. Tho further talk was that the directors had
a meeting yestefday to decide on this point, and
that they are too enlightened to sacrifice the future
to the present ; that it would ill accord with the
dignity associated with the enterprise to make a
show ship of the mightiest ship ever built; that
they have made the whole world their debtor, and
that they should take care not to impair the obli-
gation by endangering the regard of mankind;
that they will, therefore, no doubt sail the ship as
soon as possible, winter or summer, and that in a
pecuniary sense it is their interest to do so ; 'that if
the Great Eastern go now to the United States all
America will go to see her ; that at home curiosity
has been partially exhausted ; that at Portland and
New'York (which she can enter) the admission of
visitors would yield the sum ten times told to be
booked in this country ; that, looking beyond this
legitimate income, there is another and far greater,
to be obtained ; that, let the Great Eastern fulfil her
promise, as no doubt she will, the company will be
called on by Government to build many more, and
it is in constructicg these that the directors should
look for their substantial reward. The general
talk was that the public have nothing to do in the
matter, and that the directors may be left to the
exercise of their own judgment as to what is pro-
per and profitably to be done ; that, naturally
enough, the people of Liverpool are anxious to se(
the Great Eastern ; that they are j edges of big ships,
and that their impression of the biggest might be
of some practical value ; that, fortunately, the op-
portunity desired will be afforded within three
weeks ; that on the 12th of October she will be at
Holyhead; that on the 15th the Queen will come down
to see her ; that her Majesty will be the guest of Col.
Pennant, Penrhyn Castle, near Bangor ; that she will
stay over Sunday, the 16th, and proceed next day,
the 17th, to inspect the Great Eastern ; that
after the inspection the Queen and Royal party
will return that evening to Windsor; that the
`week following there will be great doings in Wales,
probably at the George Hotel, near the Menai-
bridge ; that the directors of the London and North
Western will entertain the directors of the Great
Eastern at a magnificent banquet, over which the
Marquis of Chandos will preside ; that Liverpool
will, of course, be empty, on this occasion. for se-
veral days ; and that he who sees these doings will
be happy 50 years hence in relating to his grand-
children all he saw and all he heard."