The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-08-26 00:00:00

«THE HINDOSTAN" STEAM SHIP.

This splendid vessel (which we noticed at the time of her
launching, in April, and of which we have been favoured
with a private view), is now nearly equipped and finished in
every point, and will, ere long, be withdrawn from our
shores, and proceed to the Indian seas, where she is destined
to run with the mails and with passengers and valuables, be-
tween the principal ports of our eastern empire and Suez—
thus completing a continuous steam communication, via
Egypt, between that country and Great Britain. And as
she will, even when on that distant station, continue to be an
object of deep interest to our countrymen both at home and
abrcud—is, moreover, the largest and finest steam-ship that
has yet been built and fitted up at our own celebrated port—
and will, no doubt, long remain a lasting and honourable mo-
nument of the taste and enterprise of her proprietors, and
the skill and fidelity of her constructors—we shall offer no
apology for now furnishing a somewhat detailed description,
as a record that may hereafter be available for reference, by
those interested, (as how few are not?) in the rapid progress
and improvement of ocean steam navigation.

Although we may lay claim to sonic share of nautical ex-
perience, we enter upon this task with considerable diffidence,
from a feeling of inadequacy to do full justice, within our
limited space, to a structure of such magnitude as a whole,
and of such complexity, but perfect adaptation in detail;
but we are stimulated in adventuring upon the undertaking
by the pride (blameless, we trust), that this noble vessel is
produced at Liverpool ; and that—whether as regards her
construction, her engines, or her accommodations—she may
challenge competition with "the world." In order to supply,
to our distant readers in particular, as complete an account
of her as possible, at one view, we must briefly recapitulate
some particulars of her build (with more accuracy than we
could attain in our former sketch), before noticing her in-
terior arrangements :

The Hindostan is the property of the Peninsular and
Oriental Steamship Company, whose fine mail ships, "The
Oriental," (by the same builders,) and " The Liverpool,"
are now running between Southampton and Alexandria,
lorrning the first link of the chain of communication by
steam-vessels, to and from India. She was built by Messrs.
Wilson, (North Shore,) whose fame and success in construct-
ing strong and rapid vessels, whether steamers or sailers,
has reached the remotest corners of the globe. The follow-
ing are her dimensions, &c. :
Length of keel
Length aloft, from taffrail to figure-bead
Beam of the ship, exclusive of the paddle-
houses 39 „
Depth, from the spar deck 3Ol „
Burthen, including the spar deck..
Engines ..
Diameter of cylinders
Stroke—the largest of any engine in Eng-
land—

8 feet.

THE HULL, EXTERIOR, ETC.
The best materials that could be obtained in Europe,
Asia, Africa, and America, (for all have been drawn upon,)
were employed in the building of the vessel, including British
oak of great growth, African oak, teak wood, &c., each
peculiarly adapted for particular parts of the vessel, and ap-
propriated accordingly. The flooring timbers are solid (or
close together) up to the bilges ; and dowelled and caulked
inside and out, before the planking was laid on ; so that were
a plank stripped off from end to end under her bottom, she I
would still be seaworthy and without a leak. These timbers
are 161 inches thick at the smallest part amidships, and the
number of fine trees worked up for them, to get at the
" heart of oak" of sufficient dimensions, must have been
very great. The upper and deck framings are constructed
with an equal regard to strength and durability—no vessel in
the navy, " with all effects and pliances to boot," surpassing
her in these desiderata. She is further secured by diagonals
inside the frame—iron straps 51 inches broad by -ths of an
inch thick, in one direction, countersunk into the timbers;
and, over these, strong riders, in reverse position, of English
oak ; forming together a strong lattice-work, by which the
whole body of the ship is bound together in a manner that
would seem to render it impregnable to all assaults of the
ocean wave in the wildest storms. The ceiling is also laid
on diagonally between the oak diagonals, and the whole of
these fastenings so compact the entire hull by what may be
termed tension bridge-work, that all tendency to " hog," or
droop at the extremities, where the bearings are necessarily
reduced, is effectually counteracted, while the engine and
boiler rooms in the centreareiendered proportionately secure.
The other fastenings are of corresponding strength, consist-
ing of heavy oak clamps, many strong lodging and hanging
iron knees, &c. The planking is of great thickness—six
inches at the bottom. The lower planks are of elm ;
the rest of English and African oak. The beams are also of
the latter materials, and all choice balks. The paddle-
beams, on which much depends, are of African oak, 26
inches square ! The vessel has a tine flush spar deck, afford-
ing a long, broad, and uninterrupted promenade on each side.
The model of the Hindostan is admitted by experienced
nautical men, (and we fully concur with them,) to be beau-
tiful and symmetrical, Her bow below is peculiarly fine,
though showing none of the hollow, or the plough form—
a fashion which. we think detracts from the desirable
buoyancy of a vessel, without conducing to her speed. The
run is fine ; and now that the vessel is getting down in the
water, her lines are peculiarly graceful, blending into each
other, and showing adequate bearing with that sharpness at
the extremities which promises a high speed with perfect
safety in a sea-way. She has a handsome full-length figure-
head of a Hindoo Princess, in a white flowing eastern cos-
tume, with a veil, gilded anklets, bracelets, necklace, rings,
&c. ; and beneath, on the trail boards, are corresponding
emblems of music and foliated ornaments. The stern is also
carved in a manner illustrative of the luxuries and manners
of the Easterns. A male and female Hindoo, of high caste,
are carved in alto, in a reclining position, as supporters to
the Arms of the Company, in the centre of which is a steamer.
At the feet of the female is an elephant conchant, and, at
some distance, a Hindoo cottage. Emblems of navigation,
commerce, &c., fill up the corresponding compartment on
the other side. On the quarter pieces, or stern parts of the
quarter galleries are carved, on ,one side, a figure of Bri-
tannia, with spear and shield, intermixed with foliage; and
on the other, old Neptune with his trident, and correspond-
ing ornaments. Between the windows are pendant wreaths
of foliage. In the centre of the " cove" is the rising sun,
half obscured—a veritable type of the " Orient." This
carved work was executed, from designs furnished to them,
by our townsmen Messrs. Hammond, and is not only appro-
priate, but has a chaste and pleasing effect. The vessel is '
handsomely rigged as a three-masted schooner, with fore-top-
sail, topgallantsail, &c. The standing rigging is of wire
rope (Smith's patent), which is of great strength, although
each shrowd is of but 41 inches. The fore-stay has
sufficient tenacity to resist a strain equal to the specific
gravity of 60 tons ; yet it appears to be but a small rope.
As a whole, the ship presents a very noble, rakish, and
frigate-like appearance ; and she is calculated, we learn, to
carry (with little trouble in arrangement.) very heavy metal
should she be required, at any time, while in the East, for
warlike service. She has paddle-box boats, (on Captain
Smith's plan,) the directors being anxious that everything
should be done to add to the security of life, although they
knew that in adopting them the ship would be somewhat dis-
figured in appearance. She also carries four large quarter-
boats and a stern boat. There are four entrances (or gang-
ways) to the vessel—two on each side—the after ones ex-
clusively for passengers, and those forward for the crew ; so
that the latter can never come in contact with the former
when going from, or returning to, the vessel. Some ideaof the
great bulk and capacity of the ship may be formed from the
fact, that every eighteen tons displaces only an inch of water.
It may be stated, too, as curious, that the copper sheathing
weighs 13 tons 4 cwt., and, although this was added to the
weight of the hull, the increased surface thus given to it, not
only neutralized that great weight, but raised her half-an-
inch out of the water ! As a security against lightning, each
mast is, independently of the others, rendered a conductor,
and even the bowsprit has its safety secured by copper con-
ductors. On each side of the spar-deck abaft (or quarter
deck), is a long range of seats, with arms, for the use of the
passengers in fine weather; and the space beneath these is
occupied by cisterns for water to supply the closets, &c., be-
low, and also by useful lockers. Similar ranges of cisterns,
coops, &c., are also fixed on the same deck forward. The
steering apparatus is Robson's patent. The tiller, which is
of iron, projects sternways, and a brass box or bush to which
the chains are attached works backwards and forwards on its
outer end, which is turned perfectly smooth, so that the
chains are always in a state of tension right athwart the ship.
The violent action of the rudder, when in a heavy sea, is
thus prevented, and the possibility of throwing the helmsman
over the wheel consequently avoided. Another principle of
great value in this invention is, that when the tiller is put
hard over, it is virtually elongated as a lever, so that the
helmsman has more power over it at the most critical mo-
ment. The windlass is also on an improved patent principal,
giving immense power. The anchors and cables weigh up-
wards of 40 tons.