Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-04-12

4
500 feet long, not curved like those of many
vessels but almost straight from stem to stern her
aIe paddle boxer, distant from each other nearly sixty feet
coed wheels twentyeght feet in diameter to which were
sfcched pades ten feet long The horse power of the
eues was 450 the weight of the boilers and machinery 800
tons md the burden 340 less than three tons for each
horse power and thus considerably within the limit prescrb.
ed by the philosophers She eemeda strong and compact ship,
and not likely to be easily turned aside from her course by
either the winds the of the Atlantic But
when the vser went board, he filed with much
admiration OF her beauty Of her strength the cabin accom-
oao was OF the most splendid kind not exceed by any
hote shore. Sofas couches handsome mahogany tables
end other elegant furniture, adorned the saloons the deco
rGons most prouse and elaborate while large mirrors
moped all this splendor. The sleeping apartments were
na 90 clean, and comfortable tina, their improvements
seemed to be almost impossible The visiter indeed
orsIksy imagine hnsein sfairy palace descrbedn
Old tale, than board steamship about to proceed
long and dangerous voyage but when the elegant and uxu
rioUs cabins left and he stood before the colossal
chery wonder seemed be exhausted, and all doubts Of
success Of the enterprise fed away.
The Great Western sailed from Bristol the 9Th April,
1885, having board $50 tons Of coal and adventu
ous passenger Three days previously the Sirius, smaller
vesa than the former built TO ply between London and Cork
hNd semed from the latter port right in the tsah Of strong
Weste$ Winj and with New York also for her destination
Never here such this struggle Of two Steamers
which should 6sst traverse the entire breadth Of the wild Al
sntic The very wind seemed to be angry with the ships.
First blew strong gale from the west that raised heasy
but this that would have retarded sailing vesse
caused the two brave steam pioneers 10 alter their
This point OF the compass would the wind
chopped roun until had completely boxed the compass,
and tried all its powers in strong beeze fresh gales and the
like but with other effect than is indicated in the brief
record vessel urching deeply, but easy" The wind then
for days kept veerng round the west II TO make
last effort impede what it could not stop, but Of
avail The steamers went steadily ON. The Sirius that had
the by three days. made little way comparatively during
the first week She carried weight in proportion than
the Gat Western her Goals consumed she be-
came more lively, and sporting phrase made more
running" Thus, during the frs, week she out, her
daily rtn than 1876 miles the second day
was nly &c. The Great Western, the contrary, made
miles hour during the second day, and her average
daily speed during the entire voyage miles At such
speed she would soon oveake the Sirius that had the start
by 400 miles only But the little vessel got lighter she
ahead the 18th she 2ls miles, much the
Great Western the same day the 22d she only
three miles less than the large ship but the latter then
the parallel of latitude, and only about three degrees
of longitude behind Still it close chase but at las.
the Sirius by Of her long start the winner. She
New York the morning Of the Esd, and the Great
Wester, came in the same afternoon.
The excitement which prevailed in New York respecting
these vyages intense. Previous to the arrival Of the
steamerI, crowds had daily collected the quay, gazing
wistfuE eastward over the wide Atlantic. Many Of the
watchers old enough to remember the first voyage Of
Fuln Folly little dreaming then what the future Of that
Fol" was to be-; and as they described that
able vyage their younger bethren they remembered how
the predictions of the wise had been as6ed, and spoke in
hope he than in doubt of the Of the steamers from
the Old World. And were hopes well realized
when on the morning Of the 2sd Of April streak of smoke
dim and undefned deserted n the horizon by the wach
ers on the quay. "Could it be steamer !" "Was the
steamer " passed from mouth to mouth The smoke came
nearer the hull hove up out Of the ocean, and
steamer clearly defined advancing rapidly The intell-
gencs spreads the city poured out its crowds and cheer
upon cheer the Sirius steamed into the harbor and
the Hudson that anchor which, only eighteen days
before, had BEEN weighed at Cork Scarcely had the good
tkasrG uho
Great Western appeared Streaming with Asgs and crowd
ed with people, the Sirius lay waiting the arrival Of her
psstor and as the Great Western sailed round her, three
were sivcn md responded TO. The battery
salute OF twenty six guns and down the flag OF
hs Great Western while The passengers amid the most
husiasc cheering, drank the health of the President Of the
great republic As the vessel proceeded TO the quay,
crowded around the journal OF one of the passengers
in countless confusion flags flying, guns firing, and
bells ringing The multitude set up shout-a long
enthusiastic cheerechoed from point point and from boat
to boat till seemed asthough they would have DONE
Between these passages and the first known made
the Atlantic there points Of comparison which
are worthy of note The project Of Columbus and the pro-
ect Of the Great Western Steamship Company were discussed
by assemblies of the most learned of the day. The d.
vines and philosophers who met IN st. stephens Convent
Salamanca during The year 1857 were perhaps capable
representatives Of the learning of Spain at the time as the
British Association Bristol of the learning of Bri.
tain in 1885, The objections urged in each were char
actesc of the times and the countries Al those
which were not founded citations from the Bible and the
Fathers were simply absud-such as the surface OF the
globe be round vessel might sail to India easily enough,
but could not return the strongest wind could not
force il up the mountain Of down which it had pre-
vousy sailed but Bristol the objections were both
sonable and scientific Columbus oveuled by author
y the promoters steam navigation by good logic
based on imperfect scen c data but the assumption OF in
abe knowledge appeared both at Salamanca and at Bristol
The verdict in both against the projectors and in
both cases the verdict wrong 1t took Columbus five
wears to prove that dvnes and philosophers in
the men Of the nineteenth century did in two The two
vessels Columbus took with him were mere undecked boats
scarcey seaworthy the that first reached New York
were the largest and best launched Both enterprises
were accomplished successfully under female soveregns
Isabella of CASTLE and Victoria Of Great Britain but the
eory Of the one shed luse the declining years Of sa
bea while the other the triumph Of the first Of Vic
torias reign
Gres, Western Steamship Company, +" no sooner had the
rea, Western performed her VOYAGE with the greatest
to New York and back than the directors found that
shps Of larger dimensions would offer better chances Of
sThey determined that their second ship
shoud be built Of iron instead Of wood and propelled by the
screw instead Of the paddle Accordingly the keel
Of the Great Britain laid Bristol in 1885, and the
sci was launched in ls43 Prince Albert acting sponsor
the occasion. The misfounes Of this ated ship began
the cradle Perhaps reader may have beard of The
Keeper Of the lighthouse, whose beerha throve we'll n
that useful building, that for yees oil exit through the
row door denied to her and after her worthy husband
died. bis obliged to take the widow for
better for wsrse Of the fixtures of the establishment
The Great Ban. at the outset of her career somewhat
like the heavy la in the lighthouse; the addition Of her
machinery brought her lines Of greatest breadth low that
he Of the dock basin in which she lay would not
permit her exit and the greatest ingenuity Of the greatest
engineers exerted for her release. She freed
last, and proceeded to London, Dublin, and Liverpool,
he hv