The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1858-12-18

sometime f12 per ton from China, and still
their market may be forestalled, while
steamers, though charging freightage that
is equally exorbitant, only anticipate the
sailing vessels by few days, and sometimes
not even by as much 1t is such an unsatis-
factory state of things as this which the
Great Eastern is so peculiarly fitted to re-
move, if employed as a great trunk line of
communication between this country and
the East. For such a scheme Trincomalee,
as an eastern port offers unqualified advan-
tages. The harbor is one of the finest in the
world. Taking the lowest psssible estimate
of the Great Eastern's speed, and as averag-
ing only fifteen knots, she could accomplish
the voyage from England to Trincomalee in
30, or almost 80 days. The distance from
Trincomalee to Madras is two days voy-
age to Calcutta between three and four days
to Hong Kong and Shanghae.ten days, and
to Australia only twelve days. AT Trim
comalee, therefore, the Great Eastern would
be at her terminus ready to trans-ship her
cargo to steamers for India, China, Austria
liza, or even we may now say Japan, while
she in turn would receive back freight of
the produce of those regions. 1t has been
often asken what market would not the car
go of the Great Eastern swamp and what
market will afford her return freight p
But if used as q great trunk line between
this country and the East with Trincomalee
as her depot the market she would then
supply is nothing less than the European
wants of some 400, 900, 900 to soc, ,OoO, 900 of
people. AS to her return freight let it once
be seen that she can accomplish the voyage
between Trincomalee andB England in 30,
nr do nd hot cho VI
to take cargo at very little more than the
freights now charged by sailing vessels, and
not her whole available space even to her
coal bunkers, or water tanks, will suffice
to contain the half of what will be sent to
her depot. The cargo stowage of the Great
Eastern is 5000 tons; ker stowage for Goals
about $4,000 tons. Full steaming, her con-
sumption of fuel will be about 200 tons per
day, and thus, if she only realizes a speed of
] 8 knots, she can carry ample fael for the
whole run to Trincomalee and back The
least sanguine, however, anticipate a higher
rate of speed, the general opinion being that
she will average from II to lS knots an
hour. Thus, then, at Trincomalee all coal
not necessary for the return voyage could be
left, and a depot magazine gradually formed
there.
truth, that carrying Goals on freight will
not paya steamer. But the rule only ap-
plies to those ocean-going steamers with
such a small capacity for stowage that in
their case it will not, of course, remunerate
to carry Goals at e2 per ton freight, when
they can receive f8 and el0 per tun for car
ryng merchandise. The Great Eastern,
however, is vessel of $4,000 tuns; and,
thar i,,I ~
ry Goals enough for her own use and hv
ing, make such quick passages as will insure
her large cargoes at the most remunerative
freights Her immense length, too, gives
her additional facilities for loading and un-
loading, as four ships can lay alongside at
the same time. That the passenger traffic
by such great link line--a route then so
easy and so swift-would be an immense
source of remuneration none can doubt
For instance, if she had been ready when
the troops were being dispatched for India,
and taken 5000 men at only the same rates
as were charged by vessels requiring 80
days to the voyage, one such voyage, with
5000 troops, would actually have almost
paid for the vessel, But to carry out fully
such trunk scheme, will require one more
similar vessel, and perhaps two. 1t is esti-
mated that two vessels each of $4,000 or
16, 900 tons, could now be built for little
more than the Great Eastern has cost
The whole question, then, Of her success,
or whether other vessels of the same size
will ever be constructed, now rests upon
the trial of her speed. If her rate fulhlls
the present high expectation, she must be-
come an enormous source Of profit to the
new shareholders, as with her speed must
come the Government subsidies for mails,
or the Government subsidies must be done
away with altogether. Four or five months
more, however, must decide the all-impor-
tant question Of the Great Eastern's speed.
| If successful, the result will at once make
new era in commerce and ship-buildilg,
and create us extensive a change as the first
introduction of locomotives for land traffic.
Small ocean-going steamers viii, for large
cargoes and rapid voyages, be superseded,
| like the mail coaches of old, and only act as
feeders to the termini of trunk lines for
| ships like the Great Eastern. -.... ...