The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-04-10 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL grANDARD.

ATLANTIC STEAM NAVIGATION:

(Abridged from the Athenceum

The Great Western was designed and built, and is owned
wholly, we believe, at Bristol ; so that the somewhat sleepy but
venerable old port, which that, through Cabot,- fo-und out the
variation in the needle of the mariner's cotnpaSs, and establish-
ed the trade between this country and Russia. as Well as dis-
covered Newfoundland, and described distinctly the coast of
Florida (as many contend) the year before Coluinbus made his
voyage—litistul, waking from her Rip Van Wynkle slumbers,
has had the merit at least of rousing English enterprise to a
new maritime effort of the highest interest, cumiog very near,
too, at the least, to taking the lead, nominally as well as virtu-
ally, in that effort hetself.
At all events, the Great Western is in-itself an achievement
sufficient to renew fur that ancient city the fame of the days
when Maister Canynge's merchant-ships we:e the first on the
globe; witness the Mary and John, of 900 tous, 420 years ago.
This noble steamer has a burthen of 1,340 tons. How it coin,
pares with the class it belongs to, and with its spry little com-
petitor before mentioned, may be judged by the least seaman-
like reader we have, when we say that, as tar as we know, the
largest • steam-ship in her Majesty's navy, and that a new one,
is the. Gorgon, with a tonnage of 1150. The Gorgon is con-
structed to carry 20 days' coal, a crew of 150, and 1,000 men
besides, and stores for six months. Her engines are only of the
same power with those of the,Sitins. The largest American
steam-ship we have heard of is.the Natchez, now or lately on
the stocks at New York, and intended to ply as a packet be-
tween that city -and the southern port whose name she bears;
her tonnage is 900. The Wilberforce and the Victoria, Hull
packets, were considered to be at the head of the old order of
boats; the former a little exceeding 200 feet in length, with
paddle-wheels 24 feet in diameter, and engines second only to
those used in •the American scheme. There nray be a farther
comparison with the Bristol boat by stating, that her length is
about 2-10 feet; that each paddle shaft, after turning, weighs 6;
tons, and the intermediate shaft 4i tons, with diameters of 181
and 171 inches; that her cylinders, are 73,1 inches in diameter,
the Gorgon's being 64 inches—and, nearly rivalling the size of
.the hugest ever used in the most extensive operations of the
Cornish mines; that she has four boilers, rated to weigh; with
water in them, 180 tons—bordering on a stowage-room callable
of containing-in iron boxes nearly 900 tons of coal; and that her
two marine engines are stated to have a 225 horse-power -each.
To itna,gine, in ,a word, the appearance this vessel makes•in the
river, among theanyriad craft which encircle her, one must con-
ceive of a large man-of-war of 80 guns; with the unwieldy'pro-
tuberances we have mentioned at the sides, a steam apparatus
of the total weight.of 470 tons, a great black funnel. and volumes
of smoke in due proportion; and withal, for the plan is am-
phibious,- a complete sailing machinery—for emergencies of fair
winds or accidents to machinery—including four rather low
masts, rigged somewhat in schooner style, and able to add con-
siderably on occasion to the boat's speed. It appears that this
ship is. touch the largest, on the whole, ever built. The fore-
cabin is 46 feet long; an ample engine-room is left in the centre;
and this separates the former from a state cabin of 82 feet iu
length and 34 in ex/reine breadth, taken nit, except in the centre,
with berths (like the fore-cal-in) at the sides,eincluding, above
and below, and fore and aft, 121 sleeping-places fur one class of
passengers, . besides which there are 20 for servants. Of the
very costly and elegant fittings-up of this grand saloon we can
add nothing to the plentiful details furnished by the daily
papers : suffice it to say, that Mr. Parris has had charge of the
decorations, which ate in the style of Watteau and date of Louis
IV., and that nu pains seemed to have been spared to outdo the
Liners, and " astonish the natives" on the other side of the sea.
We should not forget that, affixed to the frame-work of the en-
gine is an index, by which the number of strokes performed by
the machinery, and the rate of their performance is shewn with
the greitest accuracy, and which, it is stated, without requiring
to be again wound up, will mark as many strokes as suffice for
the voyage to New York. Finally, she must doubtless be pro-
nounced as staunch a piece Of British naval architecture as ever
floated, as well as the most elegantly decorated of all - Her v..n
trines have been proved-=the boat has been, and will be. tho-
roughly tried throughout-200 tons of cargo will be taken, if
offered; and so the Great Western, hoisting, at length, the lion
flag, will commence her march on the mountain-wave, with the
motto, victory or death. She is expected to make- her passage
out, under average circumstances, in fifteen days. and the return
voyage in twelve. Fair luck befall her!

The cabin fare, we may mention,-is 35 guineas out, and 30
returning, which includes bedding, provisions, and wines This
is the same as the fare of the Liners out. It is the same on
hoard the Sirius, we see; hut provision is made, by that boat,
fur a -second class of passengers, in an inferior cabin, of the old
regime, at twenty guineas; andfur steerage passengers, like the
Liners, at eight: The Sirius also expects to make- her passage
in fifteen days, from Cork. Of course, we must very soon know
the result of the predictions of all parties, and the general prac-
ticability of the sheme it will test—its policy or permanency,
and especially its desirableness as a mere speculation, (which
must become its principal point of interest), is wholly another
affair, and one which admits of a leisurely discussion. More of
this when we take up, on another occasion, the Liners.

But we are not yet done with the steamers. We promised
to give a summary of all that is proposed by the various parties,
and we have not yet named the greatest of all the lions by far—
we mean the Victoria, now on the stocks, at Limebouse. This
extraordinary ship is the project and property of the British and
American Steam Navigation Company. Their plan, as first
announced, was, to build a line, composed of two British and
two American steam-ships, or great size each, as sufficient to
keep up a communication twice a month to and from New York;
the reason for uniting the two classes being of course, hat Bri-
tish ships, by treaty of commerce, are not pet witted to take
fiireign'goods to the United States—:thev must be shipped in
American bottoms; while, on the other hand, American ships
are not permitted to bring foreign goods to England except fur
exportation only. By the union of both,iall descriptions of
goods are secured. '1 hese four were expected to make as many
passages to and fro as eight sailing-packels would. More were
to be added as required. The tonnage proposed was 1,2(X), and.
the horse-power 300; and the ships .ere estimated to cost
£4O,(X/0 each. The annual expense of such a vessel was rated
at £18,480; including fuel out and home for six voyages, or for
42 000 miles. This calculation, which we think worth preserving,
is exclusive of the charges incident to freight. These, with the
profit also on freight, are contingent. Set down this at 400 tons
measnreinent goods, with certain prices, and 60, 80, and 100
passengers, of three different classes, and we have £l6OO re-
ceipts on freight. The expenses on the same being rated at
£2 520, the net freight out and home is made to amount to
£3,884, or above 50 per cent per annum on prime cost; or 30
per cent. with a net of £1,200 and £BOO out and home. We
subjoin, for reference, the following items of the annual expense
of the floating establishment: commander, £300; first mate,
£100: second mate, £80; 'third mate, £6O; surgeon, £100;
twenty-five seamen and apprentices, £600; ten firemen, at 605.,
£360; one engineer at £l5O, one at £100; and one at £&),
£330; one carpenter, £5O; oil, tallow, and tow for engines,
and other small stores, £lOOO.
The distance flan London to New York is about 3,000 nau-
tical, or 3500 English miles; and the speed of the vessels is
taken from an average of the Dundee and Perth ships, Dublin
and Liverpool .postoflice packets; Clyde and Liverpool vessels,
and Mediterranean packets; their averages giving a mean
speed of ten statute miles per hour in all weathers. At this
rate, the average passage will be from fourteen to fifteen days
to New York; and, allowing for prevailing eastward and cur-
rent winds, about eleven to twelve days home. The fuel is taken
at the rate of 9lbs per horse-power the hoot:. The quantity each
vessel is supposed to take is for twenty
,days' consumption, or
about 500 tons.

Such was the plan. On further reflection, it was so far
altered, that the company, increasing their capital froM half a
Million to a whole one, at the same time concluded to concen-
trate their efforts, at present, on one grand ship, to be bbilt in
this port—and hence the origin of the 'Victoria. This main-,
ninth craft is truly the naval curiosity of the age : her tonnage
is stated at over 1800, nearly 500 more than that of he Bristol
rival. Her length on the water-line is 230 feet, the length of
keel exceeding, we suppose, that of any existing man-of-war •
extreme length, 253; 40 feet breadth of beam, and 27 feet depth
of hold ; whole breath, including paddle-boxes, 69; displace-
ment, 2740 tons; draught when laden, 16 feet ; cylinders, 78
incites diameter; paddle wheels, 30 ditto; with two engines of
250 horse-power each. The calculation is, that this vessel may
take 500 passengers, of various classes—which is plainly relied
on for her chief business and support—together with 1000 tons
of measurement goods (which we consider a liberal scheme,
considering that we have 25 days' fuel on board.) The cost of
the Victoria is rated at £lOO,OOO. which alone indicates suffi-
ciently the power put into her. Her sailing apparatus is as
unprecedented as tier steam and her size ; but all this is no-
thing, so long as Victoria sits at the gates of Litnehouse, and
the expetitnent remains untried. Well, we must wait. This
ship will be afloat, we hear, in a few weeks, and ready for sea in
the course of the summer. Her final place of departure is
fixed at Liverpool; and this, by the way, to the best of our
knowledge, will he the only part which, at present, the port just
named is to take in the play. This, known as the character of
that place is, may be unaccountable to some persons, who are
accustomed to think of her aS the. leader of the commercial
cities. We have seen her at the head of every fresh enterprise,
at the entrance of every new field where money or honour—
marine, at least—could lie madeor won. Her citizen, Scoresby,
was not a bad specimen of her enterprise and skill in one de-'
partment. As to Bristol, in particular; the world is aware, that,
for a hundred years, she has taken. as it were, her bread out of
her mouth—cut into her West Indian business—met her it
Deland, face to face—seized on the whole of the contraband
trade with Spanish America, from 1722 to 17-10; selling yearly
sometimes according to Edwards, even then, a million and a
half of the British manuractures, newly started or encouraged
at Manchester. chiefly by her own influence and spirit. Mean-
while, unsatisfied, she managed to have a slice, we are sorry to
say, in the African trade, and to undersell both London and
Bristol with the West Indian islanders by £4 or £5 per head.
The latter port, in 1764, cleared out but thirty-two African
ships to Liverpool's seventy-four; and this city had over
half of the trade of the whole kingdom to that continent.
And thus things have gone on, till she has taken into her hands
a fourth part of our whole foreign trade, and one-sixth of our
general commerce—retaining also to thiS day, five-eighths of the
African trade of Great Britain, and three-sevenths of that of all
Europe. And look at her works at home; her docks alone speak
fur her. Look at the growth of her navigation, from 5789 tons,
or one 42d part of the 13ritish aggregate. in 1709, to 226 to 1760,
and then mark tiow, with her usual sagacity and energy; she
plunged into the American trade,,like one of her own dashing
steam-boats; now pursuit]g her old rival, Bristol—now coming
ctiming up with her-sizzliiig and then leaving lerJaeltind. The
fact is remarkable in ou'r present connexion. For 70 years
Liverpool has been bone of the hone of the United States. She
has grown up with them upon them, and like them—being still
tame now than she ever has been before, the most American
city in the Old World. The independence of the States, while
it sent an impulse of conimercial prosperity, more or less, into
all the veins of the mother country, was availed of by Liverpool
in the most extraordinary degree. It is said, persons alive can
remember when one ship did all her business to and from the
United States. By '6B, however, 188 .vessels entered the port
inward-bound from that quarter, and 141 outward. Of the many
tboUsands u hich now the list of Liverpool embraces, we presume,
over one half would appear to sail from that country alone.- The
sailing-packets merely to New York are enough to give us a no-
tion olthis business. This subject, however, must he deferred.
Stiffice it, that to Liverpool is due their establishment ; there
they have flourished beyond a precedent in the histoiv of navi-
gation ; there still, for this continent, is their grand home and
there, in a word, is the secret, after all, of the march now gained
upon her by her waked-up ancient competitor. Bristol had no-
thing to lose—she had lost all ; and Liverpool was and is en-
grossed, and to great advantage; her capital invested, reputa-
tion settled, habits formed. Everything inclined her, justly to
take the new plan coolly. Everything, including her new rail-
road to the metropolis, inclined her rival to wake "a bold
stroke"—and she has made it.

On Wednesday, a court of common council was held at the
Guildhall, Loudon, for the purpose of deciding on the propriety
of petitioning parliament, that the election of members of the
commons' house of parliament should he by ballot. The ques-
tion was moved by Mr. Heppe!, at some length; and after a
discussion, in which Mr. ,Stacey, Mr. B. Taylor, Alderman
Harmer,' and others, strongly supported the motion ; and Mr.
Deputy Stevens, Mr. Bower, Mr.' U. L. Jones, and others op-
posed it, the original proposition was negatived by a majority of
26, the numbers being 31 for it, and against it 57.