The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-06-07
be Trip Of tho Steam Frigete Niagara
to England.


e ox Beard Non u WSc>-rAe Oaicasa's Csots, me
0Gceys' Wagd'eoss and a.s Sectors Ness.
ss detailed description Of tie Niagara Las already
,on publsbed IN the H,nLD, the following account wAs
opsred with the view Of giving ts readers on ns's"'
20 the INTERVAL economy, discipline, social seat ms anu
evarious a ports Of tia. present them SOW
almost o. cry hndaman who has been on board q man
war for any considerable length OF time very hV'e M
ct, Known sbeut life board naval vessel except
hat obtained from noyeis, and that s 80 m'cf"0Veh
5Mh si no. 20 DC relied on for e' 'pere
ge no have obtained the- information eny from sach
cycs or who have NO knowledge whatever on the sus
n sct chs sketch may possess sonne ntereS-
THE srAE BECK.
I,s " the arst and principal deck on SHIP and is 80
sued rom he fact thai ell the masts and rigging are
kiblc ross- The spar dock Of the Niagara differs in
many parsars from thai Of CHER vessels Of war 10 tho
american n1vy, and presents perhaps greater extent of
and cnobsucted space than ia TO be found In any
Aher ship OF IN the weird. In nautical language Is
shat called "n flush deck" which, reduced to plain
englsh that is free from oil distractions SIS it
poesibie to make 1t a vessel Of such character.
essential object in the Of chip Ike the
Niagara, which differs in many points from steamers.
he s The largest steam gae in tho world and G, coeds
tonnage the heaviest OF the line OF battle ships in the
kAAh navy. While, however, she surpass,s them in
Ass numbers but twelve guns bu. these OF ouch
Fca caEbre and capable Of doing such terrible cxecu
In place her, j. Is Claimed perfect equality with
ny Of them, II they should not render her superior.
AeA Of these guns weighs fourteen tong, including
be carriage, and Ia capable OF throwing
Ael Of one hundred and thirty pounds dis
unce Of three miIes These terrible engines OF dcs-
ruCs:ou be fred with much accuracy rife aad
pseeess great advantage other kinds now in use,
~ merely account Of their great size, but from the
I'd that they can throw q shell distance which is be-
m sherv Of
~ navy The art Of throwing prcectiles has reached
esh state Of perfection that from the moment the she
gun the time which must eaIse before it strikes
ne object is nicely calculated that expodes imme
tsaely reaching It's destination Each Of those guns is
gGked by twenty five men, and from this number a
Aeapsan Of the gum" second captain, FIRST and second
bades nrst ard second spopeers and ohers selected
~ special duty. The shell itself is loaded with pounds
powder and the quantity required for charge thirty
pcunds. The total weight Of the twelve guns With the.
orriagss, s one hundred AMI sixty esh. TONS and If
@ be added the shells and powder required for one hun
iTed rounds 10 each viii have aggregate of abou.
svo hundred and seventy ous To support such weight
guns the spar deck, which The Niagara Ia also the
gun deck constructed Of the strongest timber and Is
strengthened by both wooden and iron s;aunoheons. As
Acee guns would only 10 cucumber the vessel and
hsriere with the work for which she has been detached
frsn the regular service they have not been taken
hsard Their place. however, Is supplied by four signal
guns Of Ices than half their size, but which twenty
thirty years ago would have been regarded gigantic
specimens Of their kind.
purpose OF securing al the Gear space possible
this deck, tho poop and fcrecaslc have been greatly
Apeed IN compared with vessels or third the
homage OF the Niagara In fact both there hardly SUM-
scn standing for forty men. Some idea, however,
q the great size Of the vessel aud area Of the spar
deck may DO formed from the fact that in walking from
Ne poop TO the forecae and from The fcrccas,c TO the
poop eight times You traverse distance Of abou. mile
| n sum
We have bad iiucc departure from Ncw YORK; with
"a 20 ca that the was n srdy ripple on To- surfa0s
ssd The long swes are scarcely felt shipa walk
upon the deck y luxury which Broadway, with an US
VARIED beauties and attractions, could not surpas Aoa
bridge OF gapgvay, which divides the deck into two
parts, the ccers' promenade or quarterdeck As the
executive authority IN The officer OF inc lecs or the
afcer watch which l. the same thing and az the rep
OF the captain he s supreme 10 his decision on
all tina, do not require the arbitration OF ne com
arder hi rsc every outward mark of respcc, Is 20 be
pad 10 him BY all present themselves this part OF
nc quarter deck In compliance with hs regulation eve
~ onccr attached 10 the ship ratios hts cap when
seppng the quarter deck in difference not merely 20
ocer 10 whose charge the vessel has been consgncd
yor The being bat Z, the government Of the United
Rates whoe representative he s and TO tc grea, peope
whose will has called that government into existence
ms ccer may be distinguished from INC rest oy MS car
pyDg Ia bis hand trumpet, by which no Ia enabled %
give his orders 10 the in the most distant parts Of the
shp. Forward Of the brjee-tha is, from the bridge TO
end including the forecastcis that portion OF the sun
assigned particularly 10 the mon although OF course they
restricted to particular rrt in the performance Of
uhcir duty but this portion s FREQ 70 those who arc
got on wach aud who at liberty to pass their
time in way that may not conflict with nc rues Here,
A. ,as,e or inclination dictates some engaged iu reading
some telling yarns IN relating the advcEture5 OF
sssr ast cruise some IN making or mendng ther eohcs
others Of less socabo industrious turn Of mind
aosng away their leisure time, Ike many Of the same dis
PORTION shore who are too sluggish or ndoont either
- think or work must not be supposed, however, hat
uher cannot be broken in upon, that hoy arc
entirely free from duty while oil watch; for property
speaking sailor always At tho command Of his supe
nor and ssriy So his services may be required
q any moment When the order u given 10 have "sll
hAnds deck )" all who on and on watch must be pre-
Jared take in sail perform any other duty that Is re-
CURED o. them. This done they are az liberty 70 ENJOY
ne rest Of their leisure time subject however 70 be can
From the spar deck part Of the engine Is visoc, and
hiking through the hatch you the machinery by
which this immense n propelled through tho water
= . speed Of rom ten 70 twelve miles hour. This
Asah situated about midshs. but on walking forward
s feet nearer The rorecase you discover two ohcr
Asi1hes by Of which the hro supplied With
yurs and light This room Is at least twenty avo feet
Below the deck and few feet ~ further down - tho
Reel Of the vessel Rising above these matches the
two smc both OF which capable Of being low
cred by telescope continuance 20 as no, 10 be
Hwbr an ten or twelve above level Of the deck
ms arrangement Is absolutely ssary, ~ they would
be . ss T 81 the OF oS sc s esFer
Which In nearly all Other steamers passes through the
acteri,es In fac 80 little danger g TO be apprehend
"a from fire. the temperature the a the top or
SAroe pipes exceeds 100 degrees, and generally
ruch lower Forward Of the nrc room matches Is the
nh large open boat about thirty feet long and capable
A holding one hundred and twenty mon In OF ship
wreck Inside Of this ia another launch somewhat small
and inside OF this again cutt,r smaller sth lncy
are ali well secured tho deck by iron chains, but
oored, or 10 less nautical term, 80 firmly secured
emergency they can be detached in less than ye
minutes and made ready In very fe~ minutes more Tor
ihc important work FOR which they mainly designed
The launch Is Also employed 10 water tho shp-that w. 70
SUPPLY her with fresh water and neoessary With proyi
ehps besides these hrco boats another called
ME dngey, which is also placed in Tho launch, and SIX
suucrs which secured 10 the davs each side OF the
vessel In all there Ia for bet xeeu four and ave
hundred mon These ample az they may appear, arc not
Nc only for saving hfc, many they would
e. themselves be entirely useless FOR he purpose without
auxiliary. In the event Of man falling over board,
for iueirncc, even eve minutes would DO TOO
mug and the best swimmer might not be
abe 10 keep himself above water I'LL boa, could
vraoh him To mcct such emergency there are two
ns buovs attached 10 the stern, and connected by
nc wires 10 two handles which within the reach Of
either OF the two stationed at this part OF the vessel
NJ pulling this handle the buoy Is Immediately detached,
and falling into the IN nuo out o. ten elective
m the saving Of e The instant The cry Of " man over.
board" heard by the watch upon this station his hand