Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1838-04-24
MORNING HERALD.
rr,~mun N ste ann The Sirius and the Great
western--The passage ~ the Atsantic In
fourtesn aays'

Western--Thc passage ~ tAe Assanuc N
fourteen aays'
The excitement yesterday was tremendous; from
an early hour in the morning until dark, myriacs of
persons crowded the Battery to have glimpse Of tho
first vessel which had crossed the Atlantic from the
British isles and arrived At this port; indeed, il is
said, that every Englshmun in the city, al time
or other during the day, was gazing the dark look
ing vessel with the American eolors at the FORE and
the flag old England at the stern. This excitement
was further increased by the arrival Of the Great
Western, from Bristol which left that port on the 7th
Instant making the passage in fifteen days. TINS solv-
ing the problem of possibility and showing what can
be done by enterprise, expenditure courage and skill,
In encountering 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" 10 the har-
Dor, and in front of the Battery was most magnii-
cent 1t was about four o'clock yesterday afternoon.
The sky was clear-the crowds immense. The bat
terry was filed 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 black gvard-as all
the British steamers generally are-rakish, cool,
reckless fierce and forbdding 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 tumultuous 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
yer with extraordinary speed. The vast muutudes
rent the air with their shouts again. waving hand
kerchlefs hats hurrang to very great degree. AZ
ter showing herself thus, she took up her station at
the foot Of Market street. at ship assigned 10 her and
thus let the thousands rest inquet.
ftisa Singular coincidence that both vessels shoud
have arrived on ST. Georges day. the patron saint of
the country to which they belong. Old England will
exut in the achievement and great will be the chuck
ling ameng its seamen and mercantile people at this
prosperous issue of SO 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 her expedition
almost impromptu, and crossed in eighteen days,
eleven Of which foul winds prevailed; yet in the
eighteen days she ran 3 SIG knots! The Great
Western was built with more preparation, and has,
therefore, accomplished her object more speedily 8
but the opinion is that the distance can and will
be in ten teeipe days when every thing ar
ranged and calculated for that purpose.
We have given below the particulars of the con-
siruclion of the Great Western as have previous
ly done of the Sirius and the Royal Victoria, (the
name of which has been altered TO the British
Queen.) And here may be permitted to remark
that were in error when we stated that the Sri1s
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 beard 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, shave been
dreadfully alarmed by the bad weather. but they fel,
quite safe when they thought they were under Capt.
Roberts charge, whose celebrity steam navga-
Ior was proverblal." The cook who is an authority
in such matters, stated that the rolling was very tn
fling, and not SO heavy as in a sailing vessel. In
short nothing cosd have been more satisfactory for
all purposes than this bold expedition, and il
viii rebound to the permanent profit as II certainly
does 10 the enterprise of all concerned. The results
10 business, commerce. manners, arts, social e and
the moral approximation of the two hemspheres, we
have on divers occasions adverted TO, and shall again
when we are not so pressed with news. Al present,
we must conclude with the details relative 10 the
Great Western, from the London literary and scien-
fife journals only promising that the Sirius and
most probably the Great Western will leave this
pert for London direct the Bird or 9Th May
The Great Western was designed and built, and is
owned wholly, we believe, at Bristol; SO that the
some what sleepy bu venerable old port, which first,
through Cabot, found the variation in the needle
OF the mariners compass, and established the trade
between this country and Russia well as dlscov-
cred Newfoundland and described distinctly the coast
OF Florida (as many contend) the year before Colun-
bus made his vogage,-Bnste waking from her Rip
Van Wrinkle sumbers has had the honor Of rousing
English enterprise to a new effort of the highest inte
rest coming very near too al the least 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 meT-
chant ships were the first on the globes witness the
Mary and John, of 900 tons, 420 years ago. This
noble steamer nag a burthen of $40 tons How II
compares with the class belongs to- and with its sery
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 steamship in
Her Majesty's navy, aas that one, is the Cor
gon, with tonnage of ll50. The Gorgon 10 con-
structcd To carry 20 days coal a crew Of l50 and
1000 men besides, and stores fer months. Her en-.
gines are only Of he same power with those Of the