The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-03-18

ton OF her beauty as her strength; the cabin ac
comm0dstlon was OF the most splendid kind, not
excelled BY any hotel on shore, sofas, couches'
handsome mahog any tables, aud other elegant fur
niture, adorned the saloons; the decorations were
most profuse and elaborate; while large mirrors
multiplied all this splendor. the sleeping apart
ments were so ne al, clean, and 30 comfortable
that their Improvement seemed 10 be almost impos-
sible. the visiter, indeed, was more likely to
imagine himself in fairy palace described IN some
old tale, than on board steamship aoous TO proceed
CANT and luxurious cabins were Left and he stood
before the colossal machinery, wsader seemed 10
be exhausted, and all doubts oil the success OF the
enterprise fled away.
April, 1888, having on board 600 tons OF cal aud
seven adventurous passengers. Three days previ.
ousy the Sirius, smaller vessel than tae for
built TO ply between London aud Cork, had steam
ed from the latter port right the teeth of strong
westerly wind. and with New York also for her
destination. Never was there such race as this
struggle OF two steamers, which should hf5i ira
verse the entire breadth OF the wild Atlantic. the
it blew strong gale from the west, that raised q
heavy sea; but this, that would have retarded sail
ing vessels, never caused the two brave steam
pioneers to alter their course. TINS point OF
the compass would not answer; 30 the wind
"chopped round" until il had completely box
ed the compass, and tried all its powers in srong
breezes, fresh gales, and the like, but With no
other effect than is indicated In the bret record
then for some days kept veerng round the west, as
if to make last effort to impede what 1t could not
stop; but il was of no avail; the steamers went
steadily en- The Sirius that had the start by three
days, made little way comparatively during the
first week. She carried more weight III proportion
than the Great Western; but as her Goals were
consumed, she became more lively, ADD, in sport
ing phrase, made more running" Thus, during
the first week she out, her daily run was ne.
yer more than I36 miles on the second day II wa
only 50. The Great Western, oa the contrary,
made ten miles an hour during the second day, and
her svera &c daily speed during the entire voyage
was 2ll miles A. such speed she would soon
ovetake the Sirius, that had the start by 400 Mules
only But as the little vessel got lighter she went
ahead on the 18th she ran 2lS miles, as much as
the Great Western on the same day on the I'D
she only thee miles less than the large ship !;
but the latter was then in the same parallel OF la.
tude, and only about three degrees Of longitude
behind Still II a clsse chase but at last the
Sirius, by reason of her long start, was the VIM
ner She reached New York on the morning of
the 23rd, and the Great Western came in tn. same
afternoon.
The exciteme mt which prevailed IN New York re-
speeding these voyages was intense. Previous to
the arrival Of the steamers, crowds had daily col
lected on the quay, gazing wlstfuily eastward over
the wide Atlantic. Many of the watchers were
Ole enough TO remember the first voyage OF + Ill
toms Folly" little dreaming then what the future
of that Folly" was to be; and as they now de-
scrlbed that memorable voyage to their younger
brethren, they remembered how the predictions Of
the wise had been falslfed, and spoke in hope
rather than in doubt of the success OF the steamers
from the Old World. And never were hopes so
well realised when on the morning OF the 23d
April, streak of smoke, dim and underlined, was
deserted IN The horizon by the watchers on the
quay. "Could il be a steamerF' " Was il the
steamer 2" passed from mouth TO mouth. The
smoke came nearer; the hull hove up, as il were,
oat of the ocean, and q steamer was clearly de-
fined advancing rapidly. The intelligence spre adj
the city poured out ITS crowds; and cheer upon cheer
arose as the Sirius steamed into the harbor,
and cast in the Hudson that anchor which, only
eighteen days before, had been weighed at Cork.
Scarcely had the good citizens time to recover from
their first surprise, when the Great Western ap-
peared. Streaming with flags, and crowded with
people, the SIRIUS lay waiting the arrival o. her
competitor; and as the Great Western sailed round
her, three hearty cheers were given and responded
10. The battery fired a salute Of twenty six guns;
and down came the flag OF the Great Western,
while the passengers, amid the most enthusiastic
cheering, drank the health OF the President OF the
great republic As the vessel proceeded 10 the
quay, " boats crowded around U.S." says the jour
nal Of one at the passengers, in countless con-
fusion; flags were flying. guns firing. aad bells
ringing. The vast multitude sci up snout-a long
enthusiastic cheer-echoed from point TO point, ahd
from beat 10 boat, till II seemed as though they
never would have done"
Between these pass eges and the first known voy-
ages made across the Atlantic, t1ere are some
points OF comparison which are worthy OF note.
The project OF Columbus and the project OF the
Great Western Steamship Company were discussed
The divines and philosophers who met in 81 SIC
phen's Convent, at Salamanca, during the year
llol, were perhaps as capable representatives OF
the learning OF Spain al the time, as the British
AseociatIoD, at Bristol, was of the learning Of BIZ
tain in 1880 The objections urged IN each ca Sc
were characteristic OF the times and the countries:
at Salamanca, those which were not founded on
citations from the Bible and the Fathers, were sim
ply absurd-such as, If the surface OF the globe be
round, vessel might sail 10 India easily enough;
but could not return, as even the strongest wind
could not force II up the mountain OF wafer down
which It had previously sailed; but at Bristol, The
objections were both reasonable and scientific. Co
lDmous was overruled by authority; the promoters
Of oce an steam navig alton by good logic, based on
imperfect scientific data; but the assumption Of
infalible knowledge appt AIRED both at Salamanca
and al Bristol The verdict In both cases was
against the PROBE ctors, and 10 both cases the
DICT was wrong. II took Columbus five years 10
prove that divines and philosophers were in error
the men OF the nineteenth century did il la two
The two vessels Columbus took with him were
mere undecktd boats, scarcely sraworIhy; the
steamers that hrst reached New YORK. were the
largest and best ever launched. Both enterprises
were ACCOMPLISHED successfully under femIle sove-
OF CASTLE, and Victoria, OF Great
Britain but the glory OF the one shed lusue
over the declining years Of Isabella, while the
other wac the triumph Of the fret year Of Fic.orias
reign.
Acc ordirg 10 CAT Claxton, managing director
OF the Great Westrn Steamship Company, no
sooner had the Great Western performed her voy-
age, win he greatest ease, 10 New York and back,
than the directors found that steamships Of larger
dimensions would offer better chances Of remunera-
ton" " They nov determined that their second
ship should be built Of iron instead OF wood, and
propelled by he screw instead of he paddle wheel
Accordingly, the keel Of the Great Britain was
laid at Bristol in 1890, and the vessel launched
m 1913, Pllnce Albert acting sponsor on the oc-
cason The ME 'ortgnes oi this ~ fatsd ship be-
gan at the cradle Perhaps ZONE reader may
have heard Of the keeper Of the lighthouse, whose
better half throye go wei in hat useful building,
Al for ears oil exit through the narrow door was
denied to her; and, after her worthy husband died,
his successor wss obliged 10 take the stout WIDOW
'fof better, for WORSE a. one of the fixtures OF
the establishment. The Grea; Britain a. the out.
set OF her carr er, was somewhat like the heavy
lady IN the lighthouse; the addition Of her ma
chinery brought her lines OF greatest breadth 80
low, that the enirsnce Of the docs or basin ia
which she lay would not permit her exit, and the
greatest ingenuity Of the greatest engineers was
exefted for her release. She was freed at last
and proceeded TO London, Dublin, and Liverpool,
10 be inspected BY the public previous to sailing
fnr A