Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-10-03
The Great Eastern.

The Great Eastern.
The accounts recently received from Eng.
land of the progress of this mammoth steamer
intensely interest the American public. The
certainty of her completion, and that within
short time, Is now universally admitted, and
her proportions, character and finish are now
pelpable to the eye. Without going into de-
tail, which would be an endless task, we may
form some idea of her by abiding merely to
the generalities which belong to her design
and structure. Her upper and lower decks
may be estimated by the acre, and fifteen
hundred workmen employed about her are
out OF speaking distance, and appear as but
handful. The state cabins are as large as the
parlors of a New York house of % feet front,
and they open upon regular squares and
streets as if city built. They will be found by
numbers, lighted by a gas company on Dosrd
the ship, be indicated on a directory for the
use of passengers, and be patrolled at night by
regular police. The saloons, into when the
passengers can enter from the streets, for re-
creation or from curiosity, will be as large as
most of those found in our best hotels. being
10 fact, equal in size to the main deck Of line
of battle ship.
Her population will be 400, those resident
permanently on board; but ten thousand trav-
ellers can be accommodated at time, should
90 many desire TO make a voyage in company.
Two hundred and fifty tons of coal per day
will be the fuel required to keep her in mo-
ton, and when the whole power of the COM
bined engines is working, it is the same as if
the ship were dragged along by eleven thou
sand five hundred stout horses, or fifty-seven
thousand five hundred men.
There is on board this ship, according to this
calculation, force enough to drive all the ma
chinery in Manchester, to lift column of 200,-
900 gallons of water two hundred feet high in
a minute. We can hardly comprehend how
bar Dlano arraD0aH nv ordinary
minds or those accustomed only to the usual
details of engineering. The idea of cOmbi-
nation OF paddle engines and screws was a
bold one, Outstripping, apparently, all the ne
cessities and requirements of the case. The
paddle engines are OscillatOrs of IA inches di-
smeter and IA inches stroke, working up with
fifteen pounds Of steam, and eleven strokes per
minute, to the power of three thousand horses.
The boilers are in sets, each having about g.
600 square feet of tube surface. Small auxll-
iary high pressure engines are placed near the
large ones, like servants near their master, to
do the small work of the ship-drive the pumps,
hoist sail, and various other little matters, to
save time and the number of the men. The
screw engines, consisting of four cylinders of
"a inches diameter and feet stroke, work up,
with 10 lbs pressure, and 40 strokes per min
Ute to the power of 100 horses, but with %
lbs of steam and % strokes per minute, to the
power of $500 horses. These also have some
mechanical attendants in the shape of two aux
Hilary high engines to do the small business CT
the screw.
But the most curious thing about her is the
feet of steamers and yachts she will carry on
board, to be used in case of accidents at sea,
for the safety of the passengers. Astern her
paddle-boxes will hang two screw steamers
each Of which will be one hundred feet long,
sixteen feet beam, forty horse power, and one
hundred and tweRty tOns-slmOst equal to
And III
will be whole feet of yachts, decked, masted
and rugged complete, ready for regatta, or
cruise to save life.
her anchors, cables, m8sts, are all on the
same magnificent scale, and the very ways on
which she is to be launched are being cOnstruc-
ted as if they were to be the foundations of
fortress. Some anxiety is felt by scientific men
as to the probable action of the needle on board
suoh a mass of iron; but probably the plan of
Dr. Scoresby will be resOrted to, as we'll also
as that of the Astronomer Royal. The first is
to carry q standard compass about thirty-two
feet above the deck and the other TO place hx-
ed magnets near the compass, that they may
neutralize the action of the ship, and leave 1t
free to obey "the directive force of the earths
polarity"
1t would be a curious thing, however, if this
great steam leViAthan were afiost and ready
to sail, it should be found that her compasses
were veto be trusted, and that their varia-
ton could not be Calculated The secrets of
magnetism and electricity are only beginning
to be disclosed, but our knowledge of them is
increasing every day, and we have no doubt
that not only navigators will be able to trust
implicitly to the needle on board iron ships,
but that magnetism will indicate by its force,
intensity and variation the precise position
where the observer is at the moment. This
is an inference of our own, from facts which
have recently come within our knowledge.
The Great Eastern may be considered the
master piece of naval architecture, and her
future career is expected to decide some great
questions. II successful in all respects, she
will be initiated, and thousands will be travel
ling about together over the world, as grOupes
of families now do. Some sea ports that have
been famous will fall into a decline, deep wa
ter determining their value. Sailing vessels
will become curiosties; population will tend
TO that happy country, where life is most
agreeable and healthful aud where there is most
prosperity and freedom. The face of the civ
ilized globe viii be affected by the substitution
of these great steamers for the small craft OF
5000 tons, and the strength of nations will be
changed as well as the balance of power.
Such, at least, are the theories of some very
sensible persons.-N. Y. Mirror.