The Trinity times., 1855-07-28
A Steamer or Twenty-Five Thousand
Tons Burden.
From Ho4schoM Words, May &c.

From Ho4scholA Words, May 26.
We are in the habit of making occasional
marine excursions to Woolwich by Water
man Number One to Six inclusive. Some
times on bright, sunny day we extend our
nouatic trips as far as Firth or Gravesend
where doubtless many Of our readers accom-
uany us. Like us, they will not fail to have
noticed an Indifferent looking, half-Oecuped
spot of lnid lutting into the river opposite
Greenwich. known MS the lie of Dogs, but
having no sort Of connection with Barking
Creek.
Scattered over this island, at irregular dis
tances. are factories, ship yards, store houses,
and timber sheds, all unmlstikahle enough
in character. There is one object, hoWevor,
which has pcrplcxed us not e little-a huge
metallic erection on which may be seen en-
ployed any day in the working week, hun>
.lrcds of busy craftsmen clustering and ham
ming aud buzznS about il l.Ae HES aroand i
sugar hugshrad.
Ii has PUZZLED good many aquatic travel
rrs besides the writer. We have heard
scores OF sncsscs made by wondering passen-
gers on board Waterman Number Two. per-
tcctlv at variance with the opinions of those
on board Waterman Number F0ur. Some
new sort dl nAsointter for supplying Lond0s
with pure gas. Others believe it 10 be a pile
'uf frepr0ol warehouses, on the Miner Safe
principle, for the better custody Of the IA
tional state papers aud crown 5ewels BY
come it is said 10 be an enormous oven for
baking bread and roasting coffee for our
troops In the Crlmca. One or two have
heard on good authority that i, is iatended
4, u
hundred wheets Others agan have the
1irnesi belief in its being an iron incarnation
'uf Lord Dundonad's mysterious plan for
destroying Cronstadt and Sevastopol.
Now, it happens that none of these opin-
ions are correct. Not one E Tie many
yuessers have evt'r dreamed Of this ohe
being the mid portion Of a ship, which %e
have since learned is rea Iy the case. a
shir. Talk Of the Great Harry or the
Great Britain. or any other great cruft Of
the middle aye Or modern period They
shrink into utter insigniicance by the side Of
our metal monster of the Isle Of Dogs.
The wooden walls of old England are fast
becoming myths of by-eone age, embalmed
in the balaG poetry Of Dbdin. They have
given place to the irOnsldes OF young Britain.
Canvas has yielded the palm to steam and
paddle wheels in ther turn are shaking tier
bearings in auxiliary fear of screws.
1t is not SO many years ago, but we re-
member it, that when a steamer of 5000
tons was ...rst placed on the North American
line one Of our then greatest scientific au-
ihorities predicted certain failure; it was
limited in friendly way to passengers pro.
ceeding by her to the United States that
they had better insure their lives and make
their wills before leaving the country. The
ship was said to be too long for a heavy sea ;
she would break her back from the excessive
weight OF machinery in her center, and would
inevitably encounter a variety Of other un-
pleasant contingencies. But people remem-
bered that similar failure was pred cted thirty
years before that time when the first steam.
ers piled between London and Calais. The
General Steam Navigation Company never
theless pr0spered. and so likewise have the
american lines prospered for one Of which
there are at the present moment iron steam
ers building on the Clyde larger than any yet
ahoat.
The huge fabric erecting at the isle Of
t3oSs as yet bears no resemblance to any
known kind of craft. At distance the eve
3s unable to detect any particular proportion,
about 1t, and II We were 10 be pressed on tho
point, We Should say thht II had no shane Al
all. A closer inspection, however. sbnws ,
line Of uprights IT each end which marx H.,
shelving proportions Of stem and stern. anq
then one can perceive that the objcc, belor,
us is really intended for a ship.
StanAing on the banks Of the river Thames
with vast space on one side and Greenwich
Hospital on the other, It is not easy to form I
Just conception Of this marine monster
which, for want Of "A better name, We cal
tue Leviaihan. 1t i being balt By Scott
Russell Il Co., from designs - Ms. Brunei
The engineer, whose conception the enir,
fabric Is When we remind our readers tha
the Royal Albert lne-of battle ship, Of on,
hundred and twenty guns, Is something IN
der four thousand tons, and about two hun
dFed and twenty feet in length and that til,
eimla and Himalaya, at present the largcs
..9amers aaJai atc ouly' tLice huadrc1 Tux