The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-11-26
THE FLOATING CITY.


Everything concerning the Great Eastern
has an interest for our readers, and we there
fore copy the following curious particulars
The accounts received from England of the
progress of this mammoth steamer intensely
interest the American public. The certainty
of her completion, and that within a short time,
is now universally admitted, and her proper.
tons, character, and finish, are now palpable
to the eye. Without going into detail, which
would be an endless task, we may form some
idea of her by abiding merely to the general
ties which belong to her design and structure.
Her upper and lower decks may be estimated
by the acre, and 1900 workmen employed
about her are out of speaking distance, and
appear as but handful. The state cabins
are as large as the psrlors of New York house
of twenty-five 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 board the ship, be indicated
by directory for the use of passengers, and
be patrolled at night by regular police. The
saloons into which the passengers can enter
from the streets, for recreation or from curiosi-
ty, will be as large as most Of those found in
our best hotels, being in fact equal in size to
the main deck of line of battle ship.
Her population will be 400, those resident
permanently on board but 10000 travellers
can be accommodated at a time, should so many
desire to make voyage in company $50 tons
of coal per day will be the fuel required to keep
her in notion and when the whole power of
the combined engines is working, it is the same
as if the ship were dragged along by ii, 800
stout horses, or $500 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
10000 gallons of water 200 feet high in a
minute. We can hardly comprehend how her
plans were ever arranged by ordinary common
minds, or those accustomed only to the usual
details of engineering. The idea of comb.
nation of paddle engines and screws was bold
one, outstripping, apparently, all the necessi-
ties and requirements of the case. The paddle
engines are oscillators of IA inches diameter,
and l4-inches stroke, working up with Is
pounds of steam, and Il strokes per minute, to
the power of 5000 horses.
The boilers are in sets, each having about
5000 square feet of tube surface. Small auxili.
AIRY 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 the time or the number of the men. The
screw engines, consisting of four cylinders of "a
inches diameter, and four-feet stroke, work up,
with Is pounds pressure, and As strokes per
minute, to the power of 4 400 horses, but with
Is pounds of steam and SIS strokes per minute,
to the power of G, 500 horses These also have
some mechanical attendants, in the shape of
two auxiliary high.pressure engines, to do the
small business of 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 pad
dle.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
twenty tons-almost equal to a large Albany
sloop and beside this, there will be whole feet
of yachts, decked, masted and rugged complete,
ready for a regatta or cruise to save life.
Her anchors, cables, masts, are all on the
same magnificent scale, and the very ways on
which she is to be launched are being con-
structed as if they were to be the foundation OF
fortress. Some anxiety is felt by scientific
men as to the probable action of the needle on
board such mass of iron but probably the
plan of DR.. Sooresby will be resorted to, as well
also as that of the astronomer royal. The frs,
is to carry q standard compass about thirty.twc
feet above the deck, and the other to place fixed
magnets near the compass, that they may neu