The Sun.
London, England, 1857-05-05 00:00:00

water-tight compartments, and if by a mental process of
Arithmetic we can tnultiply the apnareet magnitude by
. .

12, we may get a toleraide idea of the interior, but even
by comparisons an adequate notion of heris hard to form.
Figures are tie only means of ex[laining magnitude. and
to these we must have rec-ourse. She is very nearly 700
feet in extreme length, with a width of 83 feet ; the x
treme breadth across the paddle-boxes is upwards of 120
feet, and the depth of the bold 60 feet. The aggregate
tonnage is very nearly 23,000. She is built entirely of
wrought iron, and is so rivet.ted and bolted together that
sbe is like ore entire piece ; but in order to give in-
creased strength and stability, a second iron skin, as it
is called, is placed inside the first, at the distance of 2
feet 10 inches, as complete and perfect as the outside
one.

This double case extends to three feet above the

water line, and is divided transver-ely into small air-
tight compartments ; double security is thus given in
case, by any accident, the outer boll might get perfo-
rated. In the interior, as a precaution against fire and
leakage, she is divided into 12 water-tight compartments
by iron bulk-heals, half an Inch thick, all entirely Pepe
rated from each other. So carefully have the sides been
constructed that previous to their being covered with
the waierpro ,f cement nearly all the seams where the
plates are j fined were found to be water-tight. About
8,000 tons of wrought iron has been used in the 60,000
superficial feet of plates used in her hull. These are
fastened together by 3,000,000 wrought-iron rivets. The

manner in which ;he was constructed is very peculiar,
the whole of the heavy lifting work being done by a
powerful steam cradle, fitted up on purpose. Tne plates
properly punched are heated to redness in the furnaces,
and while in that condition are hoisted to their proper
places. The white hot rivets are then immediately driven
home, and the iron as it cools contracts so considerably
as to render tie seams quite water-tight. The deck
which, as before stated, is entirely of iron prate, sup-
ported on wrought- ron girders, will, when the vessel is
launched, be covered to the thickness of an inch with a
preservative cement, and afterwards Wankel She will
be fitted with both paddle and screw engines ; the for-
mer of 1,500 horse power, and the latter 1,800 horse-
power, giving a total of 3,300 horse-power, at a pres-
sure of 251 b. to the square inch. Of course she can, if
necessary, work up to 5,000 horse-power. The paddle
engines will c insist of four oscillating cylinders, 6 feet 2
inches in diameter, and 14 feet stroke, each of which
weighs more than 26 tons. Tne steam to set these in me,
tion will be generated by 4 boilers, having 40 furnaces.
These engines are constructed on the d:sconnectine prin-
ciple, by which either of toe paddle-wheels may be worked
independently of the other, if required. The diameter of
the paddle-wheele will be about 56 feet. The screw engines
wilt certainly be the pr ncipal use ins of propelling the
vessel. They cen-ist of 4 cylinder-, of 7 feet in diame-
ter and 4 feet stroke. The weight of each of these
cylinders will be 30 tons. The number of boilers will be
6, provided wi h 72 furnaces. The screw will have four
blades, each 12 feet long, and the length of the cennect-
ing shaft will be 150 feet, and its weight 60 tons. The
consumption of coals by these gigantic engineii will, of
course, be very great, but at the same time the stowage-
room wi l be quite in proportion ; she will be able to
carry nearly 12,000 tons of coal, or about sufficient to
supply her for the out and return voyage between Eng-
land and Australia. The total weight of the vessel when
ready for launching will be about 12,000 tons, and the
displacetneet of water to compensate for this weight will
be about 15 feat 6 inches ; her ordinary light draught is
20 feet, and the maximum draught, when fully laden,
will probably not exceed 30 feet. The accommodation
is to be such as has never before been known on board
ship. She will have five upper and five lower saloons ;
those on the upper deck being 70 feet long and 12 feet
in height, and 36 feet bread. The lower deck saloons
are only 60 fr et long, but are 13 feet 8 inches high, an
elevation, equal if not superior to that of most ordinary
drawing-rooms. Of course, with the vast bulk of the
ship :t is anticipated that there will not be any motion
--at least not sufficient to disturb the stomach of even
the most sensitive passengers. Under steam alone she
is expected to attain the speed of 20 miles an hour. She
is to carry six masts, three of which will be square
rigged. They are to be of hollow wrought iron, with
the exception of the mizenroast, which is to be of wood.
It has been urged as an objection that it wou'd be im-
possible to get the compasses to act correctly in the
neighbourheed of such a mass of iron. To guard aoinst
such interference the corrected compasses will be kept on
the mizentnast, at the height of 84 feet from the deck,
and consequently suffieieetly removed from surrounding
objects to be always pretty reliable. When under furl
sail she will spread some 6,500 square yards of can-
vas. The standing rigging is to be of iron-wire rope,
some portions of which will be eight inches in cir-
cumference. The Great Easter) is chiefly in-
tended for passenger traffic, and is to be fitted
to accommodate 800 of the first class, 2,000 second
class, and 1,200 third class—in all 4,000 passengers, and
if used as a troop-.hip it is said she can take nearly
11,000 men, baggage and provisions included. Ample
boat-accommodation will of course, be provided for the
whole number of her passengers. In addition to 20 lirge
boats on the deck she will carry, suspended aft her pa 4-
die-boxes, two small iron screw steamers, each about 100
feet long, and nearly 70 tons burden. They can beraised
from or lowered into the water. by small auxiliary en-
gines provided for the purpose. These steamers are in-
oi-peni,able adjuncts to a sh p of this size, AS it would he
impossible for her to cross even a moderate bar, and
there is no deck that would take her in. The snipping
and unshipping of passe gers and cargo would be a mat-
ter of great difficulty without them. She aid he one of
the first vessels tbat has been launched completely fitted,
arid wi h engines, masts, and evert thing on board, nor,
c)uld it be done in her case if the launch was to take
piece in the ordinary way, but this is not the case. She
will belowered down an inclieed plane into the river by
hydraulic presses, an operation which will occapy at
least a day or two. She is to be ready for launching in
August, and will take hg trial trip to America about
the middle of that month. The arrangements for the no-
vel m •de of launching, the ultimate success of which °pee
raii el we cannot but think problematical, we will reserve
for our nr-x, notice on this subject.
We (Bristol Advertiser) are informed that it is no
longer a matter of uncertainty from which Pert the
Great Eastern will sail Milford Haven has been se-
-1 rated as the favoured spot—no other harbour in the
kingdom being able to afford her accommodation. Our
iutormant states rhatthe moorings for this mighty levia-
than are now being laid at Neyland.