The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-08-08 00:00:00

"THE GREAT BRITAIN" STEAM SHIP.

We recently, in our account of the " floating " of
this magnificent ship gave some particulars of her di-
mensions, &c., and as she has become an object of
considerable interest in this port—the probability being
that her destination eventually, if not a priori, will be
to run hetwecu it and New York—we now furnish some
additional statistics. _ _ _

The bottom (under water when loaded) is clencher-
built and double rivetted in the longitudinal laps, and
singly, but sufficiently strongly, in the buts of the plates—
the joints being flush (to maintain the smoothness of the
streaks), with a jointing fillet. The keel plates are from
inch thick in the middle to 1 inch at the ends ; and all
the plates under water are from ath to 2 inch at the top,
except the higher plate, or streak, which is Wis. To-
wards the extremities, and quite aloft, the thickness is
reduced gradually to 7-16ths. She has no projecting
keel, as wooden ships have, under the main or middle
portion of the hull, the first lengths of plates on either
side being rivetted on the upper edges of the keel plates.
Towards the extremities, however, she has ample depth
of keel, and is withal so fine and sharp,- that she will, no
doubt, be found to have sufficient hob; of the water for
all ractical purposes, particularly as the edges of the
plats, or laps, will, as in a clencher-built boat, greatly
coduce to this purpose. The ribs are of angle iron, 6
inches by 3i. They are about 14 inches apart in the
middle, and gradually increase in distance to 18 and 21
inches at the extremities, by inch thick at the bottom of
the vessel, and 7-16ths at the top. In the part forming
the engine-room, for the purpose of giving additional
strength, 9 additional ribs are introduced, and 16 ad-
ditional reverse ribs rivetted to the original framing,
renderng them double, or backed.
The boiler platform is of plate iron, resting on ten iron
kelsons formed of iron plates placed on edge. The centre
kelsons are 3 feet 3 inches deep. The hull is divided into
five compartments by substantial water-tight bulkheads—
a plan first introduced, and still continued, by our towns-
man, Mr. J. Laird, iron shipbuilder.
The decks, of which there are four, consist of the upper
deck, two cabin decks, and a cargo deck. The first, only,
runs the full length of the ship, 308 feet ; the others being
of course cut off in the middle by the intervention of the
engine and boiler rooms. The second deck consists of
two promenade saloons, of which the after or first class
one is 1104 feet by 22 feet, and the forward or second
class one 67 feet by 21 feet 9 inches. There are sleeping
rooms on each side ;—these are well lighted and ventilated.
On the third deck are the dining saloons. The grand
saloon aft is 98i feet in length by 30, and the second class
one forward 61 feet by 21 feet 9 inches. They are both
feet 3 inches in height, and there are sleeping rooms along
the sides of each, of which there are 26 with one bed,
and 113 with two beds—making 252 berths. The fourth
deck is for cargo. The beams for the support of the
several decks are of 3 inch angle iron, with a joint bar of
5 inches by inch, rivetted on the side. They are about
21 feet apart. The deck planks are fastened to the angle
iron by screws from below, and firmly secured to the
vertical ribs. To prevent the hull from springing hori-
zontally there are diagonal tension bars between the angle
iron bars and the deck planks.
The engines were constructed under the superinten-
dence of Mr. Brunel, and are stupendous pieces of
mechanism. The main wrought-iron shaft (from the
Mersey Iron Works), the largest ever yet made, weighs
about 18 tons. The diameter of the screw will be 16 feet,
and the shaft will be turned by a chain belt passing round
two drums, by which the speed of the first motion will be
nearly quadrupled. Of the screw, Mr. Hall, the cele-
brated engineer, in an able article on the vessel, published
in the Mechanics' Magazine, remarks :
" Taking all circumstances into consideration, it does
appear that if by the use of an equal weight of fuel the
" duty " performance of the screw be nearly equal to that
of the paddle-wheel, and that the whole of the machinery
be so constructed as to be lasting, and not unpleasant to
passengers, it has the merit of being free from some
serious inconveniences of the paddle-wheel, such as great
topheaviness, opposition of the paddle-boxes to the wind,
&c., and possesses these advantages besides, namely, that
strength in the upper part of the ship is not required to
support machinery, and that the deck is clear—a great
comfort to passengers, and of great convenience in manage-
ment of sails and working the ship."
The principal promenade saloon is lighted by ten sky-
lights, and a deck or dome light. The walls are painted
in delicate tints, and along the sides are oaken chairs. A
row of pillars, supporting the deck, runs down the middle.
Besides the state rooms on each side, there are, adjoining
those to be devoted to the ladies, two neat private cabins,
or boudoirs, for their use. The dining saloon below is a
fine and very large apartment, elegantly, but not gaudily,
fitted up. There are twelve columns of white and gold
running down the centre, with ornamental capitals richly
carved in the Arabesque style. Twelve similar columns
range on each side, some distance from the walls. The
walls are ornamented by pilasters and panels, beauti-
fully painted like enamel, with oriental birds, flowers,
&c. On either side are seven doors, opening into as
many passages, each of which communicates with four
sleeping rooms. There will be three rows of dining
tables, capable of accommodating 360 persons.
The Great Britain will be rigged with iron wire shrouds,
stays, &c. which is remarked upon by the Bristol journals
as if were a novelty. It has been in use in many of the
large steam-ships of this port—the Liverpool, the Ori-
ental, &c., for some years, and is found to meet every
expectation, requiring less displacement, with greater
strength, and so maintaining its tension, that when once
well set up, it stands for years. The mainmast is 74 feet
above the deck and 34 inches in diameter. The main-
tdpmast is 55 feet high. The funnel is 24 feet in circum-
ference and 39 feet high. The boiler (in three divisions)
is 34 long by 22 feet high.
The cost of the Great Britain was last year estimated
at £79,116; but it is probable that before she is com-
pleted for sea, in every point, (which will be some months
to come,) it will be about £lOO,OOO. It is expected by
several scientific gentlemen connected with her, that her
rate of going, by means of the screw, (which has already
been successfully applied to many vessels,) will be
from 14 to 15 knots an hour. All her masts, with the
exception of the mainmast, (the second from the how,)
are made with joints on deck, similar to those of our
river flats, so that they may be lowered down during head
winds or in storms. As a whole, the Great Britain is
certainly a very noble ship, and in every respect an ho-
nour to the good people of Bristol.

FALSE WEIGHTS AND MEASTYRES.—Under this title
the Mercury of Friday week has the following paragraph
" On Friday last, a great number of tradesmen, including
bakers, grocers, publicans, and others, were fined in heavy
penalties, at the Mansion-house, Loudon, for using defec-
tive and fraudulent weights and measures. It must be
highly gratifying to the inhabitants of Liverpool to know,
that there is no such thing as a. false weight or detective
measure amongst them. We take take it for granted that
they enjoy this exemption because, wtili a regularly-ap-
pointed staff of inspectors and assistant inspectors, such
a thing as an information is seldom or never heard of."
We wish it were in our power to subscribe to the opinions
expressed by our cotemporary, (in the passages marked in
italics,) who considers himself " the best local as well as
political instructor" in the town; but in this instance
he exhibits a woeful lack of information, and jumps at a
gratuitous conclusion, unhappily unfounded on facts, with
the greatest self-complacency imaginable. We are not
quite so immaculate in " the good old town" as he
assumes in his sapient imaginings. How stands the case?
Why, no later than the Ist of June last, no fewer than
twenty-eight persons—including market-people, shop-
keepers, coal, provision, and potatoe dealers, &c., were
brought before his Worship the Mayor, at the Sessions
House, for having defective or false weights, or measures,
or scales, and for other practices by which their customers
were defrauded. Most of the delinquents belonged to the
market, and only two of them were acquitted, the whole
of the others being fined in various sums of is., 2s. 6d.,
55., 9s. 6d., 205., and £5 ! These were proceeded against
by one inspector only ; and we can add, for the informa-
tion of our cotemporary, (though the task is necessarily
a painful one) that one tenth part of those who resort to
such practises are, from circumstances, placed beyond the
reach of detection. It is a notorious fact that the poor
in particular, and small housekeepers in general, who have
to purchase in small quantities. in the markets (often when
they are crowded) and in small shops and coal yards in
their own localities, have continual cause to complain.
The butchers' meat, soap, sugar, &c., are oftener defective
in weight than otherwise ; and coals and potatoes by retail
are, if possible worse. Few persons :have weights and
scales to detect the fraud ; but that it exists no onefwho
looks into " the annals of the poor " can deny, and our
contemporary may readily satisfy himself of the truth of
this assertion. The rich do not feel the injustice done to
them so much, and rarely put their purchases to the test,
but they, too, are often wronged. We by no means deny
that they ate not many exceptions amongst shopkeepers
and others,—many who are just and true in all their deal-
ings. These also are sufferers, for low prices are submit-
ted to by their dishonest competitors in the trade, who
make up for the difference by short weight. In the public
markets, particularly on Saturday nights, the practice is
common, and many are obliged to submit for want of
time and opportunity to bring the offenders to justice com-
plaint, too, is often only met by abuse. Besides have
we not recently had numbers brought before the magis-
trate for blowing calves' heads, stuffinc, lean legs of lamb
with mutton suet, &c. ; and is not chiccory mixed with
coffee and sold at the high price of the latter ? A more
strict surveillance is certainly called for, though we are
not prepared to point out an effective plan, so nians are
the modes of evasion. But let us hear no more of the
people of Liverpool gratifying themselves that they are
not exposed to be cheated as are the Londoners. Like
our contemporary in his politics, too many of our dealers
if put in the balance would be found to be wanting.

REGISTERED PLACES OF WORSHIP FOR CELEBRA-
TION OF MARRIAGES.—By a recent parliamentary return,
we find that the number of places of worship in England
registered for the celebration of marriage, up to the 30th
June, 1842, was 1,992 ; of which 117 in Lancashire, 171
in Yorkshire, and 115 in Aliddlesex. In Cheshire there
were 38 places registered. The 187 in this county are thus
classified according to their religious denomination :
Presbyterians : 3 church of Scotland ; 3 united secession
church ; 13 English presbyterians and unitarians ; 11 pres-
byterians, not otherwise defined. Independents: 52 inde-
pendents or congregationalists. Baptists: 7 particular or
Calvinistic
new
connection,
defined.
; 1
Methodists 3 ; general Am r
primitive, iou a; n
a l i
association,
(Arminian)lci ha at
.i.pot ins,t s n
4 Wesleyan,; oi nt other-
wisedeindepen-
dent n _
dent methodists, 1. Calvinistic methodists: English and
Welsh, 0 ; Lady Huntingdon's connection, 3. Runzan,
catholics: 63. Foreign churches: 0; Miscellaneous.
New Jerusalem or Swedenborgian, 5 ; Christian Israelites,
1 ; evangelical friends, 1 ; and scribed or belonging to no
specific denomination, s.—ln England and Wales, the
places classed as presbyterian are 178; independent, 798;
baptist, 461 ; methodists (Armenian), 135 ; do. (Calvinis-
tic), 42; Roman catholics, 263 ; foreign churches, 4; and
miscellaneous, 41.