The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1858-12-18
From the London Times.
The Greaf Easfern.


The Great Eastern.
At last the problem OF what is to be the
ultimate fate and destination of the great
ship seems in 1air way to be solved sue
ceSstully. new company has arisen,
which, as an earnest of their intention to
make her pay at last, have begun matters
with most successful bargain, getting the
noble ship, as she lies at present at Dept
fort, for a sum almost nominal, when COM
! pared at what she cost-at some G3 or f4
less per tun than what sailing vessels are
now built for. EGO, 900 we believe, is all
! that has been paid for the strongest and
fastest ship afoat to say nothing of her be-
! ing, in addition to these qualifications,
larger than the united tunnage of seven of
the largest ships in the world. The cost OF
now finishing and fitting for,sea, is various
! ly estimated at from e100, 900 to 100000
| so that even allowing wide margin for
unforeseen incidental expenses, the new COM
pany, out of their capital of $3.50, 900, will
! be the fortunate possessors of the Great
Eastern when ready for sea- and with e4O,-
900 of their capital still untouched, to start
her fairly in competition with the finest
| ocean steamers now afloat The task of
getting her ready for sea will commence,
and to finish, in every respect, will require
five months from the day the work begins
In all probability, therefore, the Great East
ern win be Fitted up with Goals and
stores, and making ready for her first great
trial trips, by midsummer, and another
month from that time, as we believe, will
establish her reputation beyond all chance
of competition as the fastest vessel ever pro-
PEELED by steam. The only alteration which
has been made in her original design is in
fitting her with a poop-deck. 1t will be
between eight and nine feet high-the same
hight as the forecaStle forward-and this is
the only change of note which will be car
ried out. The six mastS are already nearly
made. There are 10 be one fore, two main,
and three mizen masts, the first five of iron,
the last of wood, in order not to influence
the compasses. The foremast and three
mizzens will bo rugged with fore and aft
sails, the malnmast only being permanently
square rugged. The first mizZen, is, how
ever, of the same size as the last mainmast,
and it is intended, that when the weather
may make it necessary, that this also shall
be square rugged All the masts, of course,
are of iron, as wooden spars of such size
and required to do such work, could scarcely
be depended on Each is built Of boiler
plate, with wroughf-iron discs, strengthened
with angle iron, and bolted inside the tube
to give additional rigidity. Constructed in
this manner, each mast costs less than half
the price of wooden ones, while, of course,
the metal has the advantage of being nearly
double the strength. By this plan, also
what would otherwise have been an almost
insuperable difficulty-viz., stepping wooden
masts into a ship OF such Nights entire
ly got rid OF. The foremost ..ig I? rfeaiI nkeeI
to truck. The first mainmast is 3 feet
inches diamater, and 2l6 feet high the
second is of the same girth, but 225 feet
high. The first mizzen is of the same size
of the first main the second is 1873 feet
high, and 2 feet inches damater
while the third and last is of wood of the
same Dimensions round as the iron, and l64
feet high. The lower yards of the square
rugged masts are likewise of iron. Each is
1875 feet long, and feet inches diamater
in the center. The upper topsal and top
gallant yards are of wood, and of proper
tiouatelv large dimensions. As the fittings
progress the ships boats--14 in number
with the two small auxiliary steamers, will
be built at the same time. The latter, as
our readers may recollect, are to be OF l20
tuns each and go nominal horse power
These VIII be in all respects decked and ht-
ted as seaboats, and will be hoisted in and
out with the aid of auxiliary engines with
which each set of engines on board the
ship itself il fitted.
The first years trips will be between this
country and Portland, in Maine, and it is,
of course, confidently anticipated that a
very few runs on this line will convince the
| world that the Great Eastern is not alone
| the largest, but the best and quickest vessel
vet bnilt Where she will eventually be
| employed is at present undecided, but it has
| been suggested by some of the best and
| ablest members of the company-and the
! idea is so feasible and so full of promise that
| it may hereafter be carried out-that she
should be employed as great trunk line OF
communication between this country and
our Eastern Empire. The imnsJ adyan-
tages Of such a plan, if well and energeti-
calIy carried out are manifest. No doubt,
one OF the greatest checks to the rapid de-
velopment of our Eastern trade has been
the difficulties and delays i'll the way OF
! speedy communication. Ordinary Steamers
perform the voyage between this country
and Calcutta in 80 days, but Green's OF
Smith sailing ships aveIage only 80. \ ct,
for this 10 days difference double ana treble
freightS are charged on merchandise. This
high lreightage would not, we believe, be
objected 10 at all if intelligence did not pre-
cede goods Fer instance, Il merchant al
Calcutta foresees that i'll certain time
there is likely 10 be a large demand foi
printed goods He has them shipped iron
England, and pay IA differential freightage fol
Il steamer coming round the Cape. The re-
suit is that each overland mail brings hin
and other merchants the news that that anc
other similar shipments 20 Calcutta have
been made aud this intelligence, Of course
operates in the Calcutta market in way
precisely similar to the arrival of the good
themselves, viz in checking the demand an'
lowering the value OF the goods themseiye
when finally landed, The genius and enter
prise of the merchant are often rendered nu8a
tory, and it is this great drawback which St
. Otter compels agents to avail themselves o
the overland route though the rates are s.
/ high as to be in !: manner almost prohlhl
tory, aud by that route, of course, no very
heavy or bulky cargoes can be sent at al
The overland route is, nevertheless, use'
J. with costly articles, and then it pays vel
AS intelligence of the shipment of the good
has no time to torestall the marke
Z before the Goods themselves STRIVE Re