Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1842-10-22
The Grent Britain Iron steamer, the largest

I'm the world.
The following, which we copy from the
Times is more complete description Of this
gigantic vessel than has yet appeared. The
Great Britain is built entirely of iron, with the
exception of the flooring other decks, and the
flooring and ornamental parts of her cabins.
She is 32l feet in length aloft, or upwards Of
100 feet longer than our largest battle ships
Her extreme breadth is 81 feet, and the depth
of her hold 30 feet. She is registered 5000
| TONS 50 that her bulk far exceeds that Of any
two steamers in the world. She has four decks,
the lowest of which is of iron, appropriated for
the reception of the cargo, The upper deck,
with the exception of small break in the fore
castle, is completely flush from stem to stern,
without building or elevation of any kind, so
that besides the masts and funnel, there will
be nothing above deck to offer resistance to q
head wind.
The two intermediate decks are appropria-
! ted exclusively to the use of passengers and
the equpage of the ship, aud consists of four
grand saloons, forming together a length of di-
! ming room of $50 feet, two large ladies' cabins
or family rooms, and lS0 state rooms. each
containing two spacious sleeping hcrths, So
that besides the portion appropriated to the
crew, stewards department, &C., the immense
number of 800 passengers can be accommodate
ted each wl'h separate bed without requiring
single sofa to be made up in any of the sa-
looms. The principal saloon is los feet long
/ hi, Ia o,Is : ,rk
sides the vast space appropriated to the passen-
| gers, crew, &c, and that occupied by the en-
gincs, boilers, &C., she has sufficient room for
the stowage of 1000 tons Of coal, and 1900 tons
of measurement OF goods There are three
boilers, capable of containing 200 tons of water,
which will be heated by ~ fires and she has
four engines, each of 80 horse pow cr, making
in all 1000 horse power Some idea may be
formed of her vastness, when state that 400
tons OF non have been used in her construc-
ton.
The most novel feature about the Great Brit
ain is her mode of propulsion, which is by the
newly improved screw-proprelIer, patented by
Mr.. Smith, of London. (wlth improvements
made upon lt,) and applied By that gentleman
with complete success the Archinndc~ The
Great Britain will BE- fitted with SIX ma-ta, pn
five of which a single fore and at sail only III.
be carried, the malnmast alone being r,gLea
with yards and topmaSt. ThCs" mast. w.o b.
low H. compireG with tHe = le Of the vessel. al,
though the manmaSt will be 0j feet long, 0nd
the quantity of canvass, though nconsidcrable
to what she should carry as a full rggod ship
will still be as much as would cover three quar-.
ters of an acre of ground.
1t is difficult To ascertain the precise limit,
ofthe speed which she is calculated to perform
at Sca.-Probably the expectations of the dl
rectors are greater on this point than they
choose to confess until an actual trial. bu
something considerably exceeding that of any
sea-goIng steamship at present atloat may bt
looked for. The rate at which the Orienta
steam vessels accomplish their voyages doe
not average more than eight miles an hour
the Atlantic about nine, and the most rapid SET
voyage yet accomplished has not yet exceeded
; 10 miles an hour. 1t is estimated that tn
: Great Britain will accomplish from 10 to II
miles an hour, according to the nature Of tn,
weatherand the sea, and no doubt is entertai
ned that her average will be at least IL to |;
les per hour; taking the lowest OF thes
rates, there would be an amazing increase owe
the greatest rriumphs of steam navigation hith
erto heard of,
SINGULAR CLoCK-M. SchwiIpue has re