Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-12-04

laI kSst one alOAts Tor although she IS some
fifteen or sixteen feet less than the Cunard
steamer Persia in length, yet her broader beam
and deeper hull give her a much greater tun-
mage, while in her internal arrangements she is
far beyond any rival in everything pertaining
to economy of space and msgniicence Of
I finish. In fact, from the stem, and from side
to center, she challenges and deies naval aud
artistic criticism, whether from native or for
eigner, and is an object of special admiration in
spite of national prejudice to the latter as well
as the former.
The hull of the Adriatic was modelled and
constructed by thelate lamented George Steers.
the builder of the famous yacht America, and
bis brother, James S. Steers, who were also
The builders of the o. S. steam frigate Niagara,
OF which we gave description few days
since, and which is now being finished at the
Brooklyn Navy Yard.
But the Adriatic owes much of her snperi-
GRITTY to the genius and art of WI Gibson, Esq,
the famous ornamental architect of No. 374
Broadway, who planned everything in her cab
ms and has devoted most Of his time and at
teution to her for the past year. tr
The model of the Adriatic is solitary and
alone in its originality, and its approach to per-
fiction also, we venture to say, unless we ex-
cept the vessel TO which we have already allu
ded-tbe Niagara-which is the builders other
great browning masterpiece. The length of
the Adrstic over all is 358 feet inches,
breadth of beam so feet, depth of hull 80 feet
inches, carpenters tunnage 6, 400 tuns.
But vast as these dimensions appear, her
grand harmony and beauty of arrangement,
appointment and finish, is best seen in the
interior.
Starting on the promenade deck you have
lar 1 l. I.
immense wheel-hoUse, q tier of capacous ice
houses. On the other hand, arranged upon an
entirely new plan, are her kitchens and all her
cooking apparatus. Her cooking is done by
both FIRE and steam. For baking and roasting
fire is employed; for her boiling steam is at
hand from the donkey engine on board, which,
in addition to its culinary functions is employ
ed for starting the propelling machinery, and
for warming the whole of its vast structure.
In all other ocean vessels inconvenience is ex-
perienced from the heat, smoke, and effluvia
of the kitchen. In this one nothing of the
kind can be experienced; the odors of the
kitchen all being carried away by an ingenious
continuance of the architect, and discharged
into the smoke stack.
Passing into the dining saloons, one is equal
ly struck with the admirable devices of the
artist. The main saloon is 70 feet in length
by % in width, with three rows of tables, cas
pabe of seating $50 people at a time. The
backs of the seats OF this saloon are black
walnut; and the cushions of all, as we'll as the
backs OF the seats on the sides of the vessel,
are covered with striped linen, as if to pre-
serve something more costly and ornamental
as is done with our parlor furniture. But up
on inspection, one discovers that, while eve
rything is ornamental, the great idea here, as
elsewhere throughout the ship, is utility; the
back of TIT seats and the seats themselves on
the sides of the saloon are hollow; and the
same arrangement runs through the whole
length of the vessel, for the purpose of admit
ting light from the inner side of the prone
made deck, under the seats and through glass
ceilings into the inner tier Of staterooms below,
so that the staterooms on the inside of the
cabin are quite as light as those on the outside.
which are lighted in the ordinary way by
piercing the hull.
This feature in this magnificent craft cannot
be too much admired, and in consequence of
it there is not dark room in the whole ship.
The walls of the dining room are finished with
excellent taste in carved oak pannels, with has
reliefs of fruit, game and agricultural einblems
while the brackets which support the timbers
of the deck above are all game heads-the
deer, stag, bear, bison, etc., no two of them
being alike, and the windows are ornamented
with flying birds, looking as if they were things
of life floating in the liquid ether beyond, and
producing most captivating illusion.
Further astern, on the same deck, is an am
pie smoking room, % feet by Is, for those who
like that kind of luxuriation; and forward you
enter the stewards room, with its 500, 900
worth of plate, and door opening directly
into the kitchen; and passing the steward, still
further forward, you encounter a slight bar
window, which looks as if Temperance, or mod
crate drinking, at least, must be the order of
the day between meals; and turning into a
Granny to the left you come to large sink,
with pipes leading to hot and cold water, and
steam, where boiling can be accomplished in
fifteen minutes, thus affording the most ample
facilities for doing the ships washing. But
you will never get through if you descend into
minute details.
Passing back to the stern, on the same deck,
you come to the gangway, which leads to the
saloon and first cabin, and beyond various pri-
vste apartments belonging TO the ships COM
pany. The floors of the gangwsys, bar, kitch-
en- and pantries are all laid in clustered dia-
mond tiles of various colors, intersperSed with
illuminated tiles, which gives light to the apart
ments and passages below.
Descending the stairway from the deck to
the first cabin, you encounter mirrors, setting
off the carved oak and stained glass above and
around, making here, as elsewhere throughout
the whole of the vast saloon, every step of
your way light and cheerful as a region of en-
chantment, TO which in fact you are now COM
ing. Having descended to the floor of the So.
loon, which has an elegant sea covering of
tbree-ply carpet and q shore covering OF
beautiful Brussels, you find yourself at once
standing under a ianciful dome, or rather in a
eommodious circle, and this, too, right over
the last beam in the ship, and in place ordi-
narily devoted TO nothing but bad atmosphere
and an accumulation of ''old traps" There is
not cubic foot Of space in the whole of this
vast structure but which is devoted to some
useful purpose; and everything useful is accom-
panied by the harmony of the artistic aud or
namental.
Along the sides Of the saloons the space between
the entrance 70 the staterooms is divided into
three large panels, which supported by black
walnut columns, iuaid with marble and glass, com
bnng with gilt figures ABOVE, which serve the pur-
pose of capitals TO the 3ouRns and supporting the
deck above. The middle panel is an exquisite
large glass fruit scene or pastoral painting, and on
either side are alegorical figures representing the
four elements, the tour seasons, the four quarters
OF the globe, the arts and sciences, and winding
Up with multiplicity OF classical portraitures and
NEUROLOGICAL divinties, all OF which are explained
by an inscription underneath in the old English al
lhabet OF the Fifteenth Century. Great attention
has been paid to the perspective, and prOsPsetivs
IN everything-in the arrangement Of the furniture
as well as in the mere decorations. Two sumptu-
Gus chairs occupy the space OF each Of the large
panels, thus relieving every moment Of its tedum
by an unobstructsd view OF the alegorics PAL g.
ncs and everything Of material interest on the op
poste side
Under the dome there is patent heater in the
form OF a Greek cross, aud surmounted by an eK-
Quisite inlaid non conducting table. This heater,
which Is warmed by hot steam passing through a
coil Of iron pipe, Is so arranged that one wing or
ali four can bs heated according TO the weather,