New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-05-16
TIE GREAT EASTERN.

The London Times Of April 80, gives the following
description Of a visit to the Great Eastern steamship
On either side Of the river, in the midst of those
drealy regions known East Greenwich and Mll@au,
two gigantic schemes are IN progress, which, ii moi en-
tire elites, al least near approaches 10 II az
this generation is likely TO witness. That AT East
Greenwich is the manufacture of the great Atlantic
Submarine Teegraph at Miliwall lies Scott Russell
Ieviathan ship, the Great Eastern. Al thc former
place the visitor If not also eharehoideI can realize
the great idea. There, in a comparatively small com-
pass coil over coil till the eye IL panied ana daZZled
IN attempts to follow it, hes the moIsrous cable,
like the endless snake of the Scandinavian mythology,
which was said to encrcle the world. But with the
Great Eastern steamship the is different 1t is
difficult if not entirely impossible for the mind TO APP
preciate and realize its immense hulk at once. Inc
visitor catches no glimpse OF 1t I'll he enters Scott
Russell yard when, though the ship Is stl at con-
sdelab distance IT seems suddenly to shut him in
mountain of metal across his path-whlle all around
are scattered pOnd6rOus masses OF Orders, tunnels,
bulkheads boilers and machinery, like the debris of
some colossal iron world So vast is the bulk OF the
huge ark that from point, save at the rivers
siue, can the eye take in Its whole proportions, and
then its immensely 10 SO great IN comparison with
all the notions previously conceived OF monster ships
that il seems TO eude comprehension and weigh upon
the mind O kind of iron nightmare phenomenon,
hard and uDrealzable. 1t is useless looking at it,
you try by details TO bring the mind to approxlma-
ton Of its size, and wander about the yard III search
Of familiar objects which may restore to their equi
hbIium your disordered ideas of proportion On
the ground lies something like field of red iron
WIN KIM OF neuge oil the same matellOl all
it, and ON this you walk until yor fluid to be the
last and smallest Of the bulkhcads or water.tgh COM
partments, and which, in the course of day SO,
will be lifted bodily 100 feet into the air. aud placed in
the stern Of the ship Again disturbed in your fances
you seek refuge in the contemplation of labyrinth of
spOkes and stays semcirce of iron Ike the supports
Of = buudipg-wider across than King William street
larger than the circus at Astleys, AMI which instinct
tells you can be nothing less than part of Of
the great ships paddle BY this time half used
10 the Brubdgnagian world around, the visitor
soslly walk down two long iron tunnels which, ia
bghtness, cheerulness and general population remind
him forolbly Of the Burlington Arcade. lie knows
these two OF five of the ships chimneys, but
eDoed TO the fact and feels that the whole, they
are quite what he expected So with the row of red
buildings which at first look ike houses and seem the
iron suburbs of the vast eddce which towers above
them These the boilers though the widest ideas
to their use seems 70 pervade the mass of visitors who
peep in al the manhOles They evidently looked
upon ESPECIALLY by the ladies' a. mere iron tech
nicaties quite distinct from the ship, though uscfM
IN tome remote and unexplained geographically Us
models or as aduncts, to the captains toilette. Each
Of these boilers, however, weighs 40 tuns and is in
ended TO work al pressure Of % b. 10 the square
lreh. Some have already been tested with the
hydraulic pump with force Of upwards of GOlb. per
square inch, and proved solid and fauess in their
construction that pressure of 100 ID. might have
been applied with safety The sight Of such objects
thsse around gradually restores the visitors mind
and predlsposes hun Tor approaching bulk at least.
he somehow expects TO hnd everything large and in
heeping with the monster Of tue deep aud turns
With disappointment irSm the aspect cf :aii
factories aud large trees which are dwarled
10 things of paltry insigniicance. In this frame
Of mind if he were told Aat the stesn.cradle,
which high over all in massive framework OF oGkcn
beams lifts up the boilers and other sundries, fixed
there for the purpose Of hosting in the ships telescope
be would take the information as a matter OF course,
and be in way surprised or moved by the announce
men,. But must 90 10 the ship itself, though none
are in huny at first TO nouRt its lofty sides. Burt
near II is tall framework, or ratser wooden tower,
by means Of which, after tong up flight OF - steps
the deck is gained al last Here no matter how much
the previous sights may have prepared the ideas, the
ship viewed from the deck one great whole, or
rather as much Of the great whole can be seen FOR
all cannot is quite beyond the grasp OF Ordinary COM
srehensons to realize la fact 1t Il Ike anything but
ihe deck of ship though nothing bat the deck of ne
ship is ike it. Some Of our readers very probably
have beeu the roof Of the Crystal Palace OF Great
Exhibition while building. Let them recall either OF
those sceDes-the webs Of scalioding the groups Of