Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1855-01-18
Mistellanp.
From Chambers Journal.
The Great Iron Steamship.

Inc dreat Iron steamship.
The many thousands who pass daily up and
down the Thames, have had their curiosity
excited for some months past by the gigantic
looking structure of iron which is gradually
rising on its left bank, about four miles below
London Bridge In the locality familiarly
known as the Isle of Dogs, where the river
suddenly takes sweep round three-fourths
of a circle, enclosing n morass of more than
mile in length and half mile in breadth, the
greater part of which is below the highwater-
mark, some of our most extensive and emf
nent iron ship-builders have erected their fac
tories. 1t is to one of these, at the southern
extremity of the peninsula, we wish to con-
duct our readers. The works are of great
extent, and cover a large arena of ground,
which here, although so well suited to he op-
erations carried on, and so close to the me
tropolis, is comparatively valueless for other
purposes. In Messrs. Scott, Russell 4 Co. s
factory. iron ships and steamers of all sizes
are being constantly constructed; and the
clank of thousands of hammers riveting red
hot bolts, aRd the heavy booming sound of
sledge and steam hammers, with the dense
clouds of smoke and bursts of flame which
meet the visitor as he approaches the works,
must remind him, if he have any military ex-
periences, of a 6erceiy-contested battlefield,
whilst it indicates to all the extent and activi-
ty of the operations carried on within. The
whole expause of the interior of the factory is
covered with sheets, and ribs, and bars of
iron; ropes and puileys, winches and shears,
railways to facilitate the conveyance of ma
terials, and portable furnaces for heating the
iron bolts, are encountered at every turn; and
iron vessels, in every stage of progress-their
sterus pointing towards the river-occupy the
numerous building slips. But our business
Is with none of these; ; and proceeding to an
inner yard, with wide frontage towards the
river. we come upon the gigantic iron steam
ship which is now being built for the Eastern
Steam Navigation Company.
The present appearance of this leviathan,
for as yet she has geceved no name, is as un-
like that of ship as can well be imagined.
-Four or five lofty walls of iron, standing some
sixty feet apart, and supported by other trans
verse walls, would lead one to believe that
here is the shell or framework of some enor-
nous iron warehouses about to be shipped off
to one of our colonies; and requires consid-
cradle stretch of the imagination TO believe
tho. thasa VI, lie forr, no-,;ons of ,b, ;n,or;o-
of the hull of merchant ship. At one ex-
tremity of the yard stands flagstaff, on
which Union-ack is hoisted, which, we are
told, will be her stern and at the other ex-
tremity another, to indicate her bows and
between these two points is a space of nearly
700 feet in length! The project of building
ship of her extraordinary dimensions when
first made public, created a good deal of dis
cussiou, and, we may add, ridicule. It was
urged that it would be impossible to construct
a ship of 675 feet in length of sufficient
strength, and that the first heavy sea she en-
countered would break her in two that no
port OIL, harbor would have depth of water suf-
fcient to float her and no amount of steam
power she could carry would propel her at an
average speed. Nevertheless, the Eastern
Steam Company put faith in the calculations
of their engineer, Mr.. Brunei; Mr. Scott
Russell undertook to build her, and she is now
more than half completed
The preparation Of the ground on which the
leviathan ship is being constructed, was in it.
self work of considerable labor and cost
An embankment of about 1000 feet in length,
and 500 feet wide, was formed along the river
side, BY driving massive piles to depth of
40 or so feet; and where the greatest weight
is to be supported, along the line of the keel,
the piles were driven in at intervals of five
feet. The cargoes of two 600 ton ships load
ed with earth were then emptied upon these
piles, and rammed firmly down, so as to form
a solid foundation. On this platform, which
blocks of timber were placed at short intervals !;
and on these blocks, which stand about four
-four feet high, the keel was laid, and is now
carried out to the full length of nearly 700
feet. The position of the ship is about 40
yards from the water and parallel t. the line
of the river, with her head down the stream,
as it would be impossible to turn vessel of
her length without great difficulty, even on
the broad bosom of the Thames. The whole
of the hull, even to the upper deck, will be
formed of iron plates of considerable thick
ness, and from her keel to about eight feet
above the water line she will he double, or
two perfect hulls one within the other, with
an interval between them of about So inches.
ohe VIII have ten water-tight compartments,
at intervals of so feet; and these will be
crossed by two longitudinal walls of iron,
running the entire length of the ship. and
again subdividing those Commandments.
While adding very materially to the strength
of the hull, these longitudinal divisions will
effect the further object of completely isoIat-
ing and separating the coal, which will be
placed in the centre. The hulls are kept in
their relative position to each other by longi
tudinal iron stringers or keekons, at intervall
of five feet and in the event of any acciden
occurring to the outer covering, the innel
hull will be strong enough to insure the per
-,fo<v Of tho oh;n l.. L...o-. = a.. r.