Washington sentinel., 1854-03-11

! ing necessary, though, upon lanulng, the neat
was most oppressive, the thermometer standing
at 97o in the coolest place. 1t is impossible to
give an adequate account of the enervating
effect of this sudden change on the frame.
On arriving at New York took passage
in the Baltic, for which paid Sl20, about f24,
and now proceed to give description OF that
vessel
The American steamship Baltic, belonging
to the Collins line, was built by Jacob Bell, OF
New York, at a cost of $4,000, equal in
round numbers to fl42,000. She is barque
rugged, and can spread about the same guam
tity OF canvass as an ordinary sloop-of-war.
| Her dimensions are as follows Length on
deck, nearly the same as keel, 2S3 feet; I; breadth,
40 feet; depth, 80 ; tonnage, 2,723; scathing,
203 inches in the throat 8 inches at the plank
sheer. She is fastened with diagonal iron
braces throughout, and has three decks below
the spar deck. With l,l0O tons of coal, 600
tons of freight, and full complement Of passen-
gers and baggage, she draws about 22 feet.
She can accommodate l67 first class passen-
gers, and 38 second class.
| She is fitted with two sde-lever engines, 96
| inch cylinders, and 10 feet stroke, and the en-
| tire cost of engines and boilers was S250,000,
equal to 100000.
Her average consumption of fuel is 80 tons
L
England, and lss Cd. in America and she
| daily lightens 81 inches. Diameter of her
water wheels, 35 feet length of buckets, ~
feet, width 20 inches number of buckets to
each wheel, 81; diameter of paddle.shaft in the
bearing, % inches
In smooth water the wheels average fifteen
revolutions. Her average steam for the last
year, fifteen inches; limit permitted by the
company, eighteen inches but it is seldom
reached at sea, as the cylinders consume the
steam faster than it can be produced. The
| highest speed ever made at sea is fifteen knots
per hour, and the least last winter, for twenty
four hours, one hundred and sixty-seven nauti-
cal miles. None of the vessels Of this line have
been caulked outside since they were launched,
or were ever hove-to at sea from stress of
weather. Three thousand pounds, or fifteen
thousand dollars, are expended TO supply pas
sengers and crew for one voyage to England
and back. Wines and liquors are not included
in this expenditure, and are matter Of accom-
mediation to the passengers, as no profit is
made, only sufficient advance upon prime
| cost to cover losses from breakage, &c. The
| officers of the ship are charged the same as pas.
sengers. | can answer for the cheapness and
| goodness of these articles from my own e1pe-
rience.
The usual charge for passengers is ESQ from
| England, and f24 from America-the return
| trip being thus considerably cheaper. 1t is
| usual to give the waiter that attends at table
| ten shilings, and likewise the bedroom atten-
dants the stewardess who attends ladies at
the same rate. The officers mess together; there
| are likewise separate messes for the engineers,
sailors, stokers, and coa-trimmers, so that they
do not interfere with each other The three
| latter classes have fresh meat in the morning
and at noon, and salt pork and beef for supper.
The fremen and coal trimmers, in consequence
of the severity Of the work, have supplies of
provisions set out for them all night. The
officers and men are in two watches, and care
full logs are kept both in the sailing and engine
departments.
am only doing justice to these magnificent
vessels in stating that they are, beyond any
competition, the finest the fastest, and the
best sea boats in the world. am sorry to be
obliged to say this but Us naval officer,
feel bound in candor to admit their great
superiority. Their extraordinary easiness in
sea cannot fail to excite the admiration Of q
sailor and / never beheld anything like it.
There was none of that violent plunging, that
sudden check, usually attending a large ship in
heavy head sea. The elongated bow dipped
gently in when vast, wallsided, and threat
ening swell appeared overwhelmingly to rush
uponher. The whole forelength of the vessel ap-
peared to sink gently down until almost level
with the water, and as gradually to rise again
after passing. Nest wondrous of all, no sea
ever came on board, and the foaming and
angry waters appeared to glide harmlessly past
her peak and narrow bows. The extraordi-
nary difference in this respect to the America
was most marked, rs a very ordinary head sea
would dash angrily, and with huge volumes
over her bows.
attribute these admirable qualities to two
reasons: First, the long and genty-graduated
bow; and secondly, the lightness and buoyan-
from the bowsprit. This bowsprit in the Gu
nard line, projects considerably from the bow,
and its weight is greatly aggravated by the le-
vcrage caused by its projection. l am not
aware ofits exact weight, but it must be enor-
nous, particularly at the extremity. The most
experienced sailor would be very much de-
ceived in forming a judgment of the sea-going
qualities of the Cunard and Collins steamships
from mere outside inspection; and | acknow-
ledge that, at first, could not conceive the Col
Inns line to be so safe and easy in a sea as the
Cunard line. From considerable experience
in all classes Of steam vessels besides the Gu
nard America, / advisably assert that the Bal
tic is, out and out, by long odds, the very best
and easiest steamship ever sailed in.
cannot refrain from calling the attention
of steamship builders Of England to the use
lessness, and even absurdity, of o heavy bow
spirit upon vessel that mainly depends upon
her steam. It would be considered an abso-
lutte absurdity for either Of these vessels to at
tempt to beat to windward. Before the wind
there is little doubt that the Collins would run
the Cunard out ofsight in dozenhours. The
and heavy bowsprit of the Cunard line is, there
fore, an absolute excresceice. bow punging,
speed.stopping, money.spending, and absurd
acquiescense in old-fashioned prejudices about
appearances, and what the old school attempt
to swamp all argument by contemning as not
ship-shape. Pshaw! what confounded stuff
This is the sort of feeling that prevents i'm
provements, and allows Brother Jonathan to