New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-03-02
THE GREAT IRON SHIP.


esii Company, lately held at London the folio wing
account Of the monster ship, in process Of con.
sruction on the Thames, was given. The dimensions
of the ship here described "a follows:
The extreme length Of the main deck will be 700
feet extreme length Of keel 675fe,t extreme breath
Of beam 70 feet depth Of bold, forming four decks,
90 fee,-drewirz 20 feet Of water light. and 30 feet
leaded: tunnsee 10 600 or by baiIder measurement,
90 eco turs stowsge for coal 10 600 tune; sto wage
for cargo 5 900 tuns; zoe fret class cabins, state
rocms with ample space for l 600 second aud third
cass passepgers besides troops, &C.; the screw and
zines will be Of toe aggregate nominal % yer
Cf 1000 hers She Will also carry an enormous
quantity of sail.
The Cham man Mr.. Hope exclaimed that although
The comIle,ion Of the FIRST vessel will be delayed
beyond the time anticipated sufficient progress has
been TO induce the Directors to place c)nddence
in the result Of the enterprise. Ii Was orginaly ex
pected that this vessel would be finished by the end
q September, but under existing circumstances, II
will not be completed before the close OF the year
rev contract hiss been made 10 carry out the neces-
,ary work with greater expedition but no additional
cot viii! be incurred. Annexed is an abstract OF the
statement presented:
1.-The work. bob Of the ship and Of the engines,
has proceeded adily and upon the whole, sat.ttc
toriy during the last six months. AL the main bulk
bescs forming the 60-feet comp ailments, and the Ion
sudiual bukbeacs, together with the 40 feet aud
partial tulkhesds constituting the framing OF the mid
de BODY or nearly 400 feet in length of the ship have
heep COMPLETED and the plating of tie inner skin of
the ship is commenced aud already forms very con-
siderable extent Of under shelter OF which the
lo ribs and the outer skn can be proceee ed
with in all we8tbers This protection has become the
more important the upper deck not having advanced
90 rapidly es expected, ard the roofing from
above not having been effected. The work sner aly
however is DOW arrived at that state 1T which. with
the arrange ments that have been in progress during
the ast month the contractor will be able to pr )ceed
very much more rapidly. OF the engines nearly all
the priL Ds, parts cast the cylinders bored, and
the wrought iron work in fair state Of progress the
boilers are also in hand. The coDsructon of the yes
eel is the portion Of our work which, without being
actually novel involved in ell its details the greatest
noun, of special consideration and coatrvance.
One of the list poiLts to be de ,ided was the
MODE of launching tie vessel, which, Of courre,
would dett rhine the position in which 1t was built,
and wish TO take Ibis opportunity OF e1pl ,ining
my rec son for adopting the mode which have done,
which, being unusual, might be supposed 70 90 un-
nscessary. Vessels are generally built above the
level of high water and then allowed to slide down
an inclined plane into thu water, which is called
launching; occasionally, as the case OF the Crest
Britain, they are built IN ady dock, into which the
water is aerward admitted nd they are hosted out.
Both psIs were we'll considered in the present case
but the sze Of the dock rec ured, The diff Guilty Of
finding proper site for such dock, the depth 70.
CURED for floating such ashlp with Der engines anu
boilers, which II was most c.slrabls to lottoducs
while building the hulk and To. depth of oh innel
required to con muDica'e between 'uch dock aud
the deep water Of the river, all combined to render
the dock plan very expensive aud, considering the
nature of the soil Ia which dock would have 10 be-
formed somewhat hazardou. proceeding. Lscncn-
ing seer ed to offer the tewest difficulties and tho
greatest certainty but the dimensions OF the vessel
required some notifications Of the usual modes OF
proceeCiD ing. LauBchiDg Is generally ELECTED by
buiois the sbes on sn inclined plane, which ex-
pereIce has determined should be az an inclination
Of about in IL 10 in Is, the keel OF the ship beng
lsd at that ge and the head consequently raised
above the stern, say, l-l5th of the whole length
Of A. AZ iat MT bIs
vcyed rssiDg tbe iorepart OF the keel, or the fore
foot about forty feet ia the air, aud the forecs-le
would have been nearly 100 feet from the ground the
whole vessel would have beer on an average % feet
higher than il built on an even heel.
"The inconvenience and cost OF building at such
great hight above ground may be easily imag med
but another difficulty presented Itself which almost
aDounts TO sn inpossibty, and which is beginning
to be felt with the larger vessels hitherto launched,
gI will probably, prevent launching longitudin al
ytssels Of great length. The angle required for the
inoIec plane to nsure the vessel moving by gravity
being, ssy l IA, or even If diminished by improved
construction in ways 10 in 20, s such that the md
frat in mersed would become water oorne, or would
require very great depth Of water before the fore
part OF the ship wouo even reach the water = e'ge.
Vessels Of $50 500 See, in length would b diclt
TO launeh in the 1haDe' unless kept q, light
az possible but oar fi'J could not BE- 40
launched. The heel If tn .terD-post being re.
quDed TO be. az / before sad, about so feet
below the level % tie fsr.-'"o', some mitigation OF
the difficulty mis- D; be obtained by different
construction of the wss-i but the great length OF
wsJs to be carried out Ito the river you'd, uoder
sny circumstances, be serious difficulty. Tnese
coDsc erhtiOps led 10 examine ist0 the pra;tca
bity Of launching or lowering the vessel side Ways;
ard und III such mode would be attended With
every adv antsge, and far as can zee, it involves
10 counter ailiDe Disadvantages. This plan &c
coidpgly determined upon, and the vessel 10 building
parallel 10 the river. and ia such position TO at-
nit Of the easy construction OF inclined plane at the
proper angle dow n TO lOs-water mark In construct
il the foundation Of the floor which this snip IS
beng built, provision is made at two points 10 insure
sufficient strength to bear the whole weight OF the
chip when completed At ihese two points when the
aunchiDg has " be effected, two cradles viii De iatro