The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1857-09-05
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THE GREAT EASTERN.

the smoky regions of Mildwal has on either
side of him the two giants of 1867. destined
| to alter our position on this side of the At
lantic, to open a new era in the history of
| British North America and to tie MS still more
| closely to the land of our fathers and the
home of our infancy. On one sdo, coil after
coil, till the eye weareS of its endless convo-
| lutions, lies the Atlantic cable, soon to be
deposited in its marine bed. On the oppoS tie
is S oft Russell's monster ship, destined to
| introduce a new era in ocean steam naviga-
ton. 1T Is not easy" says the Times, Ito
convey an adequate idea of a vessel that is
$4,000 tons larger than the largest ship in
the world" Her length between perpendic.
ulars is ESQ feet. on the upper deck 692,
nearly double the length of the height of St.
Parl's and more than double of the United
States new screw frigates about which so
much has been lately said. Nearly 5000
tons Of plate iron have already been used in
her construction, and 900 tons of machi-
merry, boilers shaftins, and iron work have
still to be introduced before she will be
ready for launching. These are already on
the ground, and are rapidly dropping into
their appointed places: and during the pres
ent month the launching. or. more properly,
the lowering into the water, is expected to
take place. Her engineer, who designed the
Great Britain. has given to every part Of the
huge Fabric the stamp of deep thought and
thorough scientific investigation. Built OH
the principle of an iron beam. complete
double ship, one hull inside of the other, and
the space between complete cellular tissue
of iron plates rivetcd together, after the de-
sign of the Britannia Tubular Bridge, she is
the strongest ship in the world, would beach
without injury, and might be lifted by
chain around the centre, if such could be
procured strong enough, without straining or
injuriously DETECTING the line of the keel.
Her great length therefore is no detriment to
her strength, whilst the most violent Atlantic
storms, she would rest always upon three,
and generally on four of the longest waves.
two hundred feet long She will consc-
qnently not pitch. and will roll less than any
vessel that ever swan. The arrangements of
the partitions between the two huls are so
peculiar that whilst she would oppose the
transverse plates ON their sides to any collis-
ion or floating mass of ice she might ,ncoun-
ter, ca CHI section Of SIX feet square is under
the control Of the engineers, who can fill or
empty any of the portion between the
two hulls with water, at pleasure. By this
arrangement, the vessel can suit her water
|
and as her Goals are consumed, CAL ballast
herself with water to suit the reduction of
her weight; or if she sprung leak. could
withdraw the water from between the two
hu'lS, and tighten the vessel, by the turn of
valve Or changing the position of handle.
der safety from collision, either with any fu.
ture monster Of the deep like herself or rock,
of ice. is, indeed, as far as any human fire.
sight can divine, almost perfect; with fifty
feet torn from her side she would be COM
parativcly unScathed cut into, neither end
would necessarily sink and with two or
three of her compartments filled with water
she would be scarcely Inconvenience.
She will carry 10000 tons of coal and
8 1000 tons of merchandise. Onc great OBJ
ject in carrying so large quantity of coal is
| to avoid the enormous expense offoreign coal
ing stations, and the freight of fuel in other
vessels to Supoly steamers for the hon,cward
voyage. Some years back, the average price
| of coal for the West India steamers was G3
sterling per ton, though their home supply
was obtained for l5s., ard at the same period
(lS5l) the Oriental Company had in their en-
ploy four hundred sailing vessels transporting
English coal to their foreign depots between
Southampton and Hong Kong. many of them
having to double the cape of Good Hope. and
making the average price of their coal 42S
per ton. against l4s., the home price. The
Great Eastern avoids all this. and will save
$4,000 per voyage between Europe and Aus
tralia on her Goals alone. and by carrying suf.
ficient for the return trip. Another great ele
ment of safety and economy. is the employ
ment OF different systems of propulsion in diff
fercnt parts of the vessel, the engines being
in separate compartments, and perfectly dis
tlnct an accident occurring to one set OF en-
gines cannot therefore affect the other.
She combines all the advantages Of pad
dle-whcel steamer with screw propeller and
a beautifully modelled clipper; and whilst her
steadiness in the water will ASST the etlicien-
cy of her paddle wheels, her six masts, spread
ing whole acres of canvass and her tGur pow
erful screw engines, will be her main depen-
dence. In dimensions she is double the length
and breadth of Noah's Ark, as given in the
Book of Genesis, and four times the tonnage,
and would find room for a greater variety OF
characters or specimens Of natural history
Should an unfortunate craft ever come in con-
tact with her while in motion, the blow would
be decisive and she might prove. if taken from
the pursuits of peace and the requirements of
commerce. a powerful engine of war Her
immense capacity. $4,000 tons. her own
weight, Is 600 tons, and her probable high
rate of speed of twenty miles per hour, with
solid iron bows, nearly as sharp as knife,
would cut through the most formidable man
of-war without damage to herself. She could
not be caught, could run down any ship. and
biding her time. could demolsh fleet.
Some of the separate dimensions of this
huge mass of floating iron, and the mach.
merry by which she is propelled, strike the
mind with more majestic idea OF her pro-
portions, than the size of her hull or the
tonnage of her register. Take, for instance,
the paddle wheels and engines by which they
are made revolve. The wheels themselves
are fifty-six feet in diameter, and one hundred
and fourteen feet over all. Four engines,
with cylinders six feet two inches in dame
ter, fourteen feet stroke. and fifty feet high,
assist i'll turning these cyciopean wheels.
Each revolution causes the vessel to advance
nearly fifty yards, and with only ten revolu-
tons per minute, and usual allowance of
eleven per cent, for slip, the Great Eastern
will cross the Atlantic to New York in six
and half days. Magnificent as these pro-
portion, of paddle wheels are, they are, how
ever, far inferior in power and efficiency to
the screw propeller. Four engines, the cylin-
ders of which are seven feet in diameter, and
weighing each thirty tons. the whole of
nominal horse power, 600 horses, but ca