The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-07-21 00:00:00

THE SHIP.

The President, which belongs to the same company as the
British Queen, (the British and North American Steam-Ship
C 0.,) was built at Limehouse, on the Thames, by Messrs.
Curling, Young and Co., the builders of the former ship,
and it may be added that both vessels are constructed from
drafts by our talented and enterprising townsman Mr.
M`Gregor Laird. The President is of 273 feet in length over
all. Her beam is 41 feet, and her burthen or capacity is
about 2360 tons. The engines were bui!t by our townsmen
Messrs. Fawcett, Preston and Co., and are of 540 horse-
power. The diameter of the two cylinders, is each, 80
inches, and the paddle-wheels 30 feet 6 inches. The length
of the stroke is 7 feet 6 inches.

The accommodations for passengers are of the most magni-
ficent description. There is a handsome saloon, with four
tables running along it, finished in a rich style of Tudor
Gothic, in oak pannelling, with pointed arches and an em-
battled cornice. This apartment is cheerfully lighted from
the roof, as well as by four side windows of single plates of
of glass, two on each side, which form thorough lights and
thorough ventilators. There are sofas at each side, and
four fine entrances—two from the main deck, and two from
an ample corridor leading sternward, and on each side of
which are double rows of commodious bed-romns and state-
rooms, fitted up with great elegance. Below these there are
other ranges of bed-rooms, separated by another well-lighted
corridor or wide passage. The ladies' retiring cabin is on the
same level with the saloon, near the stern, from which it is
lighted. This room, as well as another cabin opposite to it,
is finished in Gothic style, with the walls decorated in imita-
tion of tapestry. There is a variety of other rooms for the
officers, the stewards, &c., and the whole are admirably ven-
tilated and full of convenience. No fewer than 120 to 130
passengers can be accommodated. The front cabins, are
scarcely inferior to those under the quarter deck. They will
accommodate from 40 to 50 persons, and a spacious separate
dining-room is constructed on the deck for their accommo-
dation. The main corridor is perhaps the most interesting
and tasteful part of the ship. It is beautifully groined in the
roof, in Gothic style, with pendant trusses and carved-
work in oak. The doors are formed as pointed arches, and
richly carved. In the panels are alternate large mirrors, and
paintings executed on canvas, in imitation of tapestry, the
whole having the appearance of a fine picture gallery. The
subjects chosen by the artist—ten in number—are illustrative
of the life, voyages, discoveries, and misfortunes of the cele-
brated Christopher Columbus. They are beautifully painted
in oil colours, and as attached to a transatlantic steam-ship
are highly appropriate and interesting. The stewards' pan-
ties—one at each corner of the saloon, forward—are exceed-
ingly well contrived, and are resplendent with plate, glass,
china, &c.
The engines constitute an object of great interest to nauti-
cal and scientific men, from their stupendous size and beauti-
ful construction.
In conclusion, it may be remarked, that the President is
frigate-built, and that the passengers enjoy a fine long and
uninterrupted walk from stem to stern on the spare deck,
and when the weather is wet and stormy they find almost
equal range and scope for exercise between decks. She is in
truth a very wooden world, or rather a floating palace. But
to notice the trial trip :