The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-11-01
LFrom the N. Y. Commercial AdVertissrJ
Steamship Building in New York.


There appears 10 be no abatement in the activity
which has characterized in such an unusual de-
gree the operations Of the New York ship builders
for the last two years. Most of the yards on the
eastern side of the city, from CoFlear's Hook TO
Twelfth street, are occupied by the frames Of new
vessels IN various stages of progress by old ones
undergoing repairs or alterations.
At the wharf before the Novelty Works lie the
steamer Atlantic, of E. X. Collins's line, and the
franklin, now the property of a company about to
establish new line of steamers between New York
and HavTe, by the way Of Southampton. The At
lautic Is receiving her machinery and the work is
proceeding satisfactorily. The four immense boil
ers, each of them as large as moderate sized one
story house, have taken their places. The cylin-
ders and cOndensers have also been fitted upon the
bed plate. lie diameter of the former is half an
inch less than six feet, and they are supposed to
be larger by few inches than the largest ever yet
cast for a steamer in this country or in England.
The length of the Atlantic is three hundred feet,
and her breadth of beam foTty-six. But her oapa-
city Is greater than is indicated by even these di
menslons, for the fairness of her floor amidships
greatly increases her available space, and at the
same time diminishes the relative draft Of water.
II Is the opinion Of the constructor thai this steamer
Is larger than the Great Britain or the President
though the former unfortunate vessel somewhat
| longer, and was nominally rated as of higher ton
! mage. The Pacific, which is receiving her machin-
cry at the Allaire Works, is in all respects similar
| to the Atlantic, and will probably be completed at
the same time, though at present not far ad-
IN.
and half months in which to prepare these levi
athans for service, his contract does not require
hlm TO begin his voyages before June LIST, 1850
He Is TO build five steamers, and the frames Of two
In addition to those already launched are now on
the stocks, and more than half advanced toward
completion. One Of these, the ATtic is under con-
stfuetlOn IN the yard of VIM. II. Brown, and an
pears somewhat sharper in her mould than the At
lanIle, though with the same breadth of beam and
hatness Of floor and of course with the same capa-
city for freight and coal
The other steamer of this line, now commenced
Is IN the yard of Jacob Bell. She is 70 be called
the Antarctic. The most noticeable peculiarly in
the construction Of the bulls of these steamers is
that the sides are lined with iron bars SIX inches
wide and one inch thick, which cross each other
dagonally at distances of three feet, and extend
from the floor Of the ship to the main deck, being
b0lled to the mbers at each point of intersection
This eXpedien probably enables the builder to dis
pense with heavier class of timbeFs for the IN
rights than would otherwise be requisite, and it il
expected that 1t will mpart greater stiffness to the
former, so essential in large steamship as well a.
increase the strength Of the hull But it NAV be
doubted whether it is not liable TO very serious OBJ
Jectlons In the plans for these monster steamers,
adopted by the contractor, Mr. Collins, the enOr-
nous dimensions and weight of the engines and
machinery were duly considered, and in oFder to
add TO the frmness Of the ioundation on which the
engine was 10 rest, the bottom Of the vessel was
made perfectly solid, and no interstces were left
between the immense beams of the floor, as usual,
carefully constructed ships, the Ohio and Georgia.
1t might have been supposed that this pTscaution
would be sufficient to guard against ineonvsnient
jars OF vibrations OF any part OF the machinery,
but the designer and the contractor were not con-
tent and for the sake Of greater sleadiness and
stability, they added these iron braces. The great
objection to them arises from the fact that the at
mosphere of the hold of every ocean steamer, du-
ring long voyage, must become greatly elevated.
1t is said that in one of our steamers now running
the temperature is habitually 400. Will net the
continuance of any such temperature as this for a
fortnight together cause these bars, almost lining
each side of the vessel, to expand, thus loosening
the bolts, and rather contributing to than prevent-
ing the strain of the ship! And farther, is there
not danger that these numerous diagonal braces
will preclude necessary and healthful yielding Of
the timbeTs in short and heavy seaa, thus causing
that to rend which ought TO bend
The business of these reflections cannot be tested
until the ships begin their voyages. They will be
ready for launching in about four months.
The Franklin will probably be ready for sea in
four or five months. The model OF this vessel has
been greatly admired. She is estimated to be of
22OO tons burthen, and sits upon the water with
the ease and grace of a sea bird.
The Georgia, mate of the Ohio now at sea- viii
be ready TO take her place in the Atlantic and Pa
citic line of mail steamers by the middle of De-
eembeT. These two large and beautiful vessels
ought to be on the other side of the continent
The line to which they belong is to consist of four
ships, but the Reels OF the remaining two are not
yet laid; the reason whereof is not apparent
Near the Georgia lies the small ocean steamer
lsthmus, undergoing repairs and alterations The
oGvershadowing bulwarks and larger pretensions Of
her monster competitors have caused the excellent
services of this fine little steamer in the Gulf and
on the mail route to Chagres to be almost forgot
ten. Alter the renovation she is now receiving,
she will be again placed in commission.
BY the side of the franklin lies the Northener,
oil the Charleston line, receiving repairs.
Al the pier of the Allaire Works lies, beside the
Pacific, handsome little steamship, now nearly
finished, called the Gold Hunter belonging to San
Francisco, California. She is about 100 feet long,
very narrow abeam, and pTOpOFuOnally sharp for
ward. She will be employed in the navigation Of
| the Bays of San Francisco and SuisOn and the
River Sacramento Nothing gives a more vivid
impression of the progress Of California than see
| ing in these waters handsome and respectable
sized ocean steamer, registered as belonging to her
principal port