Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1854-01-13

As the question Of large ships seem to engage no
small amount Of public attention at present, BY the
construction OF the Great Republic and the pro-
posed mammoth steamer Of the = Eastern Steam
Navigation Company in England. it may not lie
unnteresting to devote some space to more than = !
mere passing notice of the subject.
Some ships were built by the ancients which for !
mass far surpassed anything now afioat. One was
constructed for Ptolomy Philopater, which 420
feet long. Sc feet broad and y feet deep and of
AS tons burden. The g Great Republic - is 325
feet in length So feet in width and 80 feet in depth,
with registered burden of 4 $780, but it is capable
of carrying more than E, 900 OF cargo. 1t is
recorded that Archimedes-who perhaps the
greatest mechanical genius that iived-con-
structed ship for Hero, King of Syracuse, of such
large dimensions that none of the harbors in Sicily
or Greece, could receive it. Noahs ark, by those
who curious in such things has been calculated
to have contained L. 900 cubic feet and of
| / /, 905 tons burden.
AS this vessel was of antedeuvian origin, it may
be allowed to stand out giant representative of
nautical architecture belonging to the age of giant
men, but architects determined to surpass
even the great father of their calling by construct
ing !. steamship of 1892 tons burthen, and of an
external bulk of 2, 972, 593 cubic feet This is the
vessel to which have alluded it is to be built or
iron substance which would have been deemed by
the ancents better adapted for sinking than swim
ming. The largest mercantile steamships afoat at
present, those Of the Collins Line the " Arctic"
being 900 tons burden-the only exception to these
is the Great Britain, which is AS tons burden
There is one-the Hymalaya-now in the of
construction, by the Cunard Company, which is to
be of 1882 tons burden A remarkable difference
between modern and ancient times, in state and
dition. is exemnIfod in the 4" Great Republic 1t
is the property oi Iiv. tie American citizen the
wealth and resources of all Sicily called into
QUESTION to construct Hiero's levathian.
!. Two hundred years ago the largest vessels were
about 80 tons burden, and with vessel of 60 tons,
Columbus crossed the Atlantic and discovered our
continent Ten years ago the largest merchant ships
afoat of no greater tonnage than from ten to
twelve hundred tons burden, while at the present
moment the general tonnage of built ships
range double that amount. 1t would therefore seem
If the bent of the nautical mind was in favor OF
large ships There is line of demarkatiOn, how
ever in magnitude, beyond which ships cannot be
constructed either with safety profit. The latter
consideration entirely depends the length OF vOy
age the former the strength and combination of
s materials employed in the construction and the
manageableness of the ships at For long voy-
ages, large ships the most economical for short
: voyages small ones. The other consideration. safe
ty Griffith: page IA of his {" Ship Builders Man
: ual,' says, hip-buders are mistaken when they
assume large ship to be equally strong with small
one and vessels are increased in slze the lever
q age of the spars tell with more effect.
ct AS a consequence the liability to the damage of
cargoes in large vessels is greater than smaller Ones
u particularly clipper ships, because of their in
e creased length. Here is statement which affords
J., solution to the complaints from San Francisco
,
> ly constructed large clipper ships which have made
Il voyages to that place. - Some other measures =
says the work, must be adopted for strength
ening such vessels New improvements, therefore,
are demanded in the combination of materials in
the construction of large ships The ''Great BE-
public is stated b. not only the largest but the
V strongest built ship in the world and doubt the
boundary line of safety for large ships is far from
being reached yet but where that line is cannot
Y tell, do find any satisfactory information en-
l. the bject in any of the works have consulted
a Large vessels cannot be managed in rough sea so
d well small ones; they not obedient to the
helm AS Napoleon said in respect to Generals
. there only one in Europe besides himself who
could mannuvre 100000 men, SO il may be said Of
It sea captains it certainly requires greater mental
e capacity to command large than a small ship
Revolving the bject of large ships over and over
a. and taking into consideration the great advance,
which been made the size Of ships since The
,s Galleon of Columbus touched the Columbian shore
= it is opinion that shall yet much larger
ships in our harbor than any which float there
,e the Great Republic " is shadow of 9 coming
~ events. ''-Scientjfc american.