Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1838-04-25

Island, whore the chain gangs are emPsyeo
western--The passage Of tho Atlantic In
fourteen days'
The excitement yesterday was tremendous; from
an early hour in the morning until dark, myriats of
persons crowded the Battery to have glimpse ofthe
first vessel which had crossed the Atlantic from the
British isles, and arrived at this port; indeed, tits
said that every Englshman in the city, at one time
or other during the day, gazing at the dark lock-
ing YES sci with the American coors at the FORE and
the flag of old England at the STERN This excitement
was further increased by the arrival Of the Great
Western from Brislo which lief, that port the 7th
instant making the passage in fifteen days, TINS solv-
ing the problem of possibility and wing what can
be done by enterprise, expenditure, courage and skill,
in enccuntcring the stormy weather which these two
vessels have successfully braved and surmounted.
The Sirius, however, is the pioneer, and to her the
glory OF the Argonaut is DUE
The approach Of the Great Western" to the har
bor and in front of the Battery, was most magnif-
cent. 1t was about four clock yesterday afternoon.
The sky was clear-the crowds immense. The bat
terry was filled with the human multitude, one half of
whom were females, their faces covered with smiles,
and their delicate persons with the gayest attire
Below on the broad blue water appeared this huge
thing of life, with four masts, and emitting volumes
Of smoke. She looked black and blackguard-as all
the British steamers generally are-rakish, COOL
reckless fierce and forbiddng in their sombre eoors
TO an extreme As she neared the Sirius, she slack
ened her movements, and took sweep round, FORM
ing sort of half circle. At this moment, the whole
Battery sent forth tumutuous shout Of delight at
the revelation of her magnificent proportions. After
making another turn towards Staten Island, she
made another sweep, and shot towards the East Ri
with extraordinary speed. The vast multitades
rent the air with their shouts again, waving hand
kerchiefs hats hurraing to very great degree. At
showing herself thus, she took up her station at
the foot of Market street. at slip assigned to her. and
thus let the thousands rest in quiet.
Itisa singular coincidence that both vessels should
have arrived ST. Georges day, the patron saint of
the country to which they belong. Old England will
exult in the achievement and great will be the chuck
ling among its seamen and mercantile people at this
prosperous issue of 50 great an undertaking. These
voyages. it must be remembered, only experiment
tai ones; the Sirius not constructed for the pas
sage of the broad sea- and came off on her expedition
almost ispromptu, and crossed in eighteen days on
eleven Of which foul winds prevailed; yet in the
eighteen days she ran 35l9 knots! The Great
Western was built with more preparation, and has,
therefore, accomplished her object more speedily =
bat the opinion is that the distance and will
be run in ten toeire days, when every thing ar
ranged and calculated for that purpose.
We have given below the particulars of the con
strsciion OF the Great Westerns we have previous
y done of the Siras and the Royal Victoria, (the
name of which has been altered to the British
Queen) And here we may be permitted to remark
that we were in error when stated that the Sirius
now here, was the pig ship" concerning which an
anecdote appeared in the Herald on Sunday week :
the Royal Victoria also is different vessel from the
Victoria on board Of which the accident occurred by
the bursting Of boiler mentioned yesterday NOR
ming
Captain Roberts, Of the Sirius, spoken Of in
the most complimentary terms by the ladies, his
passengers. "They should" they said "havebeen
dreadfuy alarmed by the bad weather, but they felt
quite safe when they thought they were under Capt
Roberts charge, whose celebrity steam naviga-
TOT was proverbial" The cook, who is an authority
in such matters, stated that the rolling very TIL
fling and net so heavy as in a sailing vessel. In
short nothing cosld have been more satisfactory for
all purposes than this bold expedition and trust it
will rebound to the permanent profit, as it certainly
docs 10 TIE enterprise VI al
to business commerce, manners, arts, social life and
the moral approximation Of the two hemisphere we
have on divers occasions adverted to, and shall again
when we are not so pressed with news. At present.
we must conclude with the details relative to the
Great Western, from the London literary and scien-
,ifc journals, only promising that the Sirius and
most probably the Great Western will leave this
pert for London direct. on the 3rd or 9Th May.
The Great Western was designed and built, and is
owned wholly, we believe, at Bristol; so that the
somewhat sleepy but venerable cid port which first,
through Cabot found ost the varatioa in the needle
of the mariners compass and established the trade
between this country and Russia, as well dscov.
cred Newfoundland and described distinctly the coast
Of Florida (as many contend) the yearbefose Cesm-
bus made his vogage,-Brstel, waking from her Rip
Van Wrinkle slumbers, has had the honor Of rousng
English enterprise TO a new effort Of the highest into
rest coming very near too the least TO taking the
lead nominally well virtually, in that effort her
self
At all events, the Great Western is in itself an
achievement sufficient TO renew for that ancient city
the fame of the days when Master Canynge's mer
chant ships were the first on the globes witness the
Mary and John, OF 900 tons, 400 years ago. This
noble steamer nag burthen Of $40 TONS How II
compares with the class belongs TO- and with its spry
little competitor before mentioned, may be Judged by
the least seaman like reader we have, when we say,
that, as far as we know the largest steam. ship IN
Her Majesty's navy and that a new one, is the Cor
gon with tonnage OF ll50 The Gergen s con-