Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1857-10-02
The "Grsat Eastern. -

The London News has the following
in regard to the mammoth steamship,
Great Eastern" which it says will be
launched in October, aud be ready for
sea by the lst of February next:
Nearly 1900 men are employed on
her daily, and, though when spread
about her acres of upper and lower decks,
they seem but few, they are in reality
quite enough for the work, and under
their incessant efforts each hour records
great progress made. Already some Of
the cabins are finished and fitted to show
the style of arrangements which are in
tended to prevail throughout, and those
compared with the "cribb'd and cabin
ed" dens, SO painfully impressed upon
the minds Of all sea-goiug travellers, are
perfect saloons. Each of the small first
class cabins is IA feet by 109, and y
feet high. The largest are Is feet by
II, and = high. There. are whole
streets and squares Of such apartments
as these, opening cut into saloons, which
of themselves afford os much space as
the main deck of linc-of-battle ship Of
the present day.
Both engines arc of such ponderous
calibrc and strength, that the visitor
gazcs on them, as they lie ranged be-
meath him, with the dumb feeling of
surprise that a sight of the tremendous
rock-hewn monuments of Egypt always
occasions. They look so dark and mas
sivc beyond all other engines that il
seems difficult to imagine how they them
selves can be put in rapid motion, though
euce ct work you can readily understand
The amount Of speed at which they would
force even the Great Eastern through
the water. They arc beyond all doubt
the largest and most powerful engines
/ by some thousands of horse power, that
have ever yet been constructed, and som(
of the largest pieces Of wrought iror
that have ever been forged, and tn,
largest castings that have ever been run
into one casting, are used in their manu-
/ facturc.
The paddle and screw engines, whci
working together at their highest power
viii exert an effective force Of not les
than II, 800 horse power, or sufficient {,
drive the machinery Of all the cottol
mills in Manchester The consumption
of coal to produce this amount Of loco
motive force is estimated at about 25t
tons per day. All the other details con
nectcd with the ship are on the gam
colossal scale. For instance, she vii
have four Of Trotman's anchors, cacl
weighing I tons, and two small anchor
Of 81 tons, at the forward part Of th,
ship. At the stern there will be TIVE
anchors of 6 tons each. The chain ca
bles are likewise en- suite There viii
be two forward Of - inch diaffoter
/ (about 90 ID. the link and two Of q
inch diameter. In the aferpart there
viii be two Of 2 inch, aud each cable
will be 240 fathoms long.
The total number of the crew viii be
400, Of which ouc-third will belong t.
the engineering department, onc-thrd
/ for yictuallinc and servants, and ono.
third for the sailing department. Tho
officers will be Capt W. Harrison, ClatC
Of the Cunard liue, a chief officer, and
chief engineer, 2 other sailing officers,
lG subordinate engineers, asailing master,
a purser, and tgo or three surgeons In
addition to the two screw steamers which
will hang astern abaft the paddle boxes,
and each Of which will be 100 feet long,
16 feet beam, 10 tons burden, and 40
horse power, there will be 2l other
boats, which are now being made at
Deal. Some Of these will be large
decked boats, like little yachts, and all
will be fitted with masts aud sails com
plete. There will be six masts, two Of
them squarc-riggcd, md al Of hollow
iron except the last which viii be nearest
to the compass.