The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1855-07-28
WHOLE NUMBER SOS.

and steerags passengers would Be pIaesd,
without near as much crowding a. IN an or
dinary passenger or emigrant ship.
Large indeed must that steamer Be which
can provide main-deck saloon, sixty feet
in length, and forty in width, and fifteen n
hight, with second-clasS saloon only 80
feet shorter, and foot Of two less in hight.
The Leviathan has these, and they appear
but small apartments Of the huge interior.
1t would prove fortunate circumstances
for our military authorities, who are 90 much
in want of steam transports to the seat Of
war, if this monster ship were ready for
sea at the present moment. There are just
now two divisions of the Frerch army Of
ten thousand men eaeh, ready to be con-
veyed to the scenes Of their future opera
tions. The Leviathan, with just sufficient
fuel for short voyage, could take ON one Of
those divisions entire, with horses, fodder;
artillery and ammunition; It could land those
ten thousand men. with proper arrange.
ments, in the Crimea; could return and car.
ry the second of those small armies; and
could arrive back at Marsailles for sec.
ond time within one month from her frat
starting.
1t has been deemed an achiedement wor:
thy of mention to convey an entire regiment
of light cavalry from Bombay to the Cri.
niea, BY way Of the Red Sea and Egyyt. In
about two months. II the calculations in
regard to the speed of the Leviathan be
corect-which more learned heads than
ours have declared them to be--then the
iron ship could have carried at least half
dozen regiments of cavalry from Bombay to
Balaklava, by way of Cape Of Good Hope
and the Straits of Gibraltar, in two-thirds of
the time, and not much greater cost than
was required for the one regiment convey.
ed through Egypt.
The monster of which we are now speak.
ing-so' new in its various appliances Of
power, SO wonderful in its unheard of capac-
ity-is composed of plates Of IRON less
than one inch in thickness!
The secret of the great strength attained
by this comparatively small amount Of met
al is in the peculiar structure of the hull.---
1t is built throughout in distinct compart-
ments, on the principle Of the Britannia Tab
ular Bridge, and when finished will be I'M
fact huge tubular ship. The whole Of
this vessel will be divided inte ten huge
water-tight compartments, by means Of iroi4
plate bulk-heads carried up to the upper
deck, thereby extending far above the wa
ter line. In addition to this great safe
guard against accident, the whole length OF
the ship, except where she tapers of at eth
er end, is protected by double skin Of met
al plating, the outer one being distant three
feet from the interior. These double tubu-
lar sides are carried so far above the deep-
est water-mark, and inasmuch as the trans!
verse buk-heads extend to the outer Of
these skins, they are divided into many va.
ter-tight subdivisions, any one or two ot
which, though torn or fractured, and filed
with water, would not affect the buoyancy
or safety OF the ship.
Besides the great transverse divisions be-
fore alluded to, there are two enormously
strong longitudinal bulk-heads of iron run.
ming from stem to stern, each 40 feet from
the inner skin, and carried to The upper deck
adding greatly to the solidty and safety 6f
the vessel. The main compartments thus
formed by the bulk-heads, have means Of
communication by iron sliding doors near
the top, easily and effectually closed III time
of need. In this way not only are all the
most exposed portions of the ship double
skinned, but the body is cut up into great
number of very large but perfectly distinct
fire andwater proofcompartments, forming,
indeed, so many colossal iron safes. FIVE
imagine rock to penetrate the double skin.
and make its sharp way into any one Of those
compartments, it might fill with water with
out any detriment to the rest of the ship.
One of the most terrible Gala mites that
can befall vessel at sen is undoubtedly o
fire. The iron water tight bulk-heads would
seem to defy that destructive element eufi.
cienty; but in order to make assurance
doubly sure the builders are experimenting
with view to employing only prepared up-
lnfamable wood for the interior fittings.
Such is the Leviathan, She is TO be
launched, unlike any other ship, broadside
on to the water by means Of hydraulic pow
er, and early IN the neat Spring Is expected 10
make trial trim 10 the United 81 ates and back