The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1856-06-14
THE DAILY DISPATCH.
~ nrornlss, Jusc IA, 1855.


SATURDAY, Mornlss. June IA, 1856.
$4,000
Tsse ngsuster SseAmers.P1stIand and NOT.
folk she enly Americas IIarbess ehe cs'
Eater. -. .,..s
The London Quarterly Review for hsren ~
an elaborate and minute description Of sne n,s'sy
iron steamship now building on sne p.n~. !, :.
the Thames, onesieAtk Of n'as soss' nv -. :.
greatest prodigy Of strength ssd powe', - ' ca.
dimensions, which the world has ever sss g s.e
was projected by the eminent ene'nee', MI % =
nal, the father Of transatlant'e s.eam
The old method of construction o. iron s'eamsa'p'
han ern cntlreiy departed from 10 the Great East
err. and by the system adopted she - made Amos.
:. .frone A II she were OF sosid iron ~ ngnt anu
:. ,naestructIble. comparatively speaking, ~
niece Of bamboo and so safe that 'she could not
wei, be destroyed even If broken into two or three
pieces since the fragments, like those OF divided
worm. would be able to sustain an independent
existence" Her length Is 692 feet, her height %
feet from side to side Of her hull she measures %
feet, and across her paddle boxes Is ia ieet eae
is supplied with three propeling powers the screw
the paddle and the sail The paddle Wheels % resi-
in diameter, will be propelled by four engines tne
cylinders of which are feet inches In diameter.
and the stroke IA feet. The motive power VI
these will be generated by four boilers. Enormous
AS are these engines, having nominal power OF
1000 horses, and standing nearly 80 feet high they
will be far inferior to those devoted to the screw.
These, the largest ever constructed tor marine
purposes will be supplied with steam by six boil
ers, working to a force of LOCO horses-the real
strength of the combined engines being equal to
5000 horses When the spectator looks upon the
ponderous shaft of metal, l6) feet Ia length and go
tons in weight, destined to move the screw, and
the screw itself Of "a feet in diameter, the four
fans of which, as they lie on the ground remind
him of the blade-bones of some huge animal of the
pre- Ademte world, he better comprehends the g.
ganiic nature of the labor to be done, and the
ample means taken to perform it. BY paddle and
screw the ship will be pulled and pushed in its
course like an invalid in Bath chair, and each
power will be called upon to do its best" In re-
gard to speed she is expected to average 20 miles
an hour She has seven masts and, in addition to
steam can spread, if necessary, $500 square yards
of canvass. 1t being impossible for speaking
trumpet. to communicate orders over such space
as her decks, a semaphore will, in the day time,
give the word to the helmsman, whilst at night,
and in foggy weather. he will be signalled how
to steer by a system Of colored lights. The
electric telegraph will also be employed to com.
municate orders. Her ten anchors will weigh SIS
tons; her eight hundred fathoms of chain cable 90
tons her captain and warps 100 TOMS making a to-
tai of 253 tons for the sole purpose of making fast
the ship At night she will have an electric light
at her mast head to give warning of her approach
to other vessels. Her saloons will be lighted up
with gas, manufactured on board and applied to
every part of the ship. Fancy her rushing
through the night in full career-an arrow $1,000
tons in weight propelled by bow of 1900 horse
Power" 28
In addition to the engines employed as motive
power, there will be four auxiliary engines, for
heavipg the anchors, for pumping hosting the
sails, &C. 1t has been ascertained that the Atlantic
waves average no more than twenty feet in alt
tude, and rarely exceed twenty-eight feet Their
maximum height is 500 feet, whilst in moderate
gale they only 300 and in fresh sea about 100
feet. Her great length will thus enable her to
rule the waves, and make shorter and smoother
passages. One advantage of her vast proportions
is, that in the long Australian voyages, for which
she is destined instead of employing six to eight
SHIPS of 500 tons burthen each, to carry fuel for
her half over the globe, as the steam vessels at
present running are obliged to do, she will make
her own coal bunkers the bank on which she can
draw to any extent during her progress to Austria.
liza and back. -as s-esE - ~ -
1t is in such stupendous achievements as this that
Great Britain exhibits her real greatness Her
mechanical and manufacturing enterprise has &C.
complished more for the power and wealth of Bri-
tain than her arms. Is not the example of so no
BILE and chivalrous, yet SO energetic and practi
cal a nation, worthy the imitation of Virginia.
1t is said that the harbor of Portland, Maine
and of Norfolk, Va are probably the only Amer.
lean harbors which this gigantic stranger can en-.
ter What tribute to the capacity of our noble
Virginia harbor! What shame that it should be
so silent and deserted We would here suggest
that looking to the event of the "Grcat Eastern
visiting the United States, some steps should be
taken by our State and citizens to induce her to
e inter- Hampton Roads instead of Portland, which
is not, like Norfolk, central and convenient to all
the people of the United States. Will our Norfolk
friends inform US whether vessel of the tonnage
of the Great Eastern can certainly enter their |
harbor and if So let the fact be forwarded to the
proprie,ors of the mammoth ship, SO that the |
eighth wonder of the world may come among usg |