Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1859-07-15

men, Wlth this large increase OF strength forward the
Great Eastern, steaming full power could cut in two
the largest wooden lineobate ship that ever hoated
O the other parts of the iron work which were contract
ed for at least threequarters already finished The
woodwork is getting on with almost equal rapdity-
All these fittings made on shore by means Of power
full machinery, and come board ready to be at once
fixed to their places When we say that the deliveries
of these prepared materials prior to the 1st of June in
cluded $4,000 feet of beadngs 44O0O feet of mould
lngs 10000 feet Of prepared panking $4,000 feet of
matched battens-which, if laid on end, would extend
nearly 30 milesour readers will have fair idea of the
work now going on Everything connected with the
vessel is gigantic SCALE Thus it requires more
than six tons of paint to give coat to the interior
ronwor and nearly eight tons to give one coat to the
side from the water-line to the buwarks When COM
petey rugged she will have six mastsone foresaysa
mast of wood, three manmass square-rigged) of iron
one mizzennast of wood and jiggermast 1.-THE ast)
also of wood The three wooden masts are already
placed and almost entirely rugged the iron ones will be
so shortly. The last mast is single tree canada pine)
about 130 feet high, and proportionaey thick. finer
mast never left Mr. Fergusons yard though he enjoys
the reputation of making the best and strongest mass
in the world. The foTemast is built mast, is also
the m!zzen but all the t0pmass yards and gafs sin
gle sticks, of immense length and width, straight ar
rows and free from knots sap The cabins far
they have been yet fitted amply spacious when COM
pared with the accommodation offered by other vessels
The berths very ngenousy made to fold fiat against
the wall during the day and so give much increase of
room for any who may choose to their cabins sit
ting rooms. Both paddle and screw engines almost
completely finished, and the former have already been
turned by hand and will be turned by steam by way of
trial in the of fortnight So 1t is quite i'm
possible by mere description to give any adequate
ton OF the colossal proportions of both these sets of
gnes The paddle engines consist of four oscating CYL
nders of IA inches of diameter and Ia feet stroke each
pair of cylinders with its crank condenser and air
pump, forms in itselfa complete and separate engine
capable OF easy disconneXiOn from the other three so
that the whole is combination of four engines. ric-
on clutch connecting the two cranks Is the means by
which the engines can be connected Disconnected
All the sets of engines both screw paddle and auxiliary
provided with governors, expansion and throttle
valves The paddle engines will work up to indicated
power of 5000 horses Or 33 900 lb when working IL
strokes per minute with steam in the boiler at Is h.
the expansion valve cutting off at onehid of the stroke
All the parts however, constructed that they will
work smoothly either at eight strokes per minute at 20
h., without expansion (beyond what is unavoidaby e
teced in the slides at l6 strokes minute with the
expansion valve cutting off at quarter of the stroke
Under the latter circumstances the paddle engines alone
would give indicated power OF 5000 horses. The
boilers are immensely strong and have been tested to
double the pressure they required to BEAR Their
weight, including donkey engine, pumps tunnels, &C.,
2lO TONS and they capable of containing 156 tons
OF water Each set has about 5000 square feet of tube
surface exclusive of lue or furnace, and about 400
square feet of rebar surface Each is equal to supply
freely with moderate firing steam for indicator OF l.
800 horse power when working with Is lb but with
full firing supply freely for indicator of $500
horse power. The fire places and ashpits are fitted
as to be we'll adapted for the of anthracite COAL
The screw engines are constructed on the same i'm
proved prncp ples They have four cylinders of 81
inches diameter and feet stroke The cylinders
capable of being worked together separately. When
working 45 strokes a minute with steam at Is 10.
and cutting off at onehird of the stroke these engines
give indicated power of 4,400 horses, but at 80
strokes minute steam on at 25 h., and cutting off at
onequarter Of the stroke the power will reach to $500
horses. Thus the united efforts of both and pad
die engines will drive the immense vessel through the
water with power of no less than 10000 horses
| What feet could stand in the way of such mass,
weighing 10000 tons and driven through the wa
ter by 10000 horse power at the rate of p % miles
an hour? The engine boilers are in three distinct
sets. Their weight is 362 tons and their capacity for
water 27O tons. The probable consumption OF coal
when both engines are at full work will average 25O tons
per day. The cellular compartments at the bottom OF
the ship will be used for pumping water into instead of
ballast, and as the webs subdviding these made
perfectly watertight, any one or any number can
be filled at pleasure. The trial trip will probably
take place about the end of next September. No
destination for this trip has yet been fxed but we
would advise the directors if they wish to maintain the
great reputation the ship has already achieved with the
public not to let this matter be overlooked. mere
experimental cruise and trial of her different rates Of
speed will not give the public such explicit confidence
in the unrivaed capacity of the ship as if she ran be-
tween two given points-say from Portland to Gibral
tar and back On such trip there could be no mistake
whatever as to her rate of speed which we firmly be-
lieve will surpass the most sangune expectations
that have yet been formed The objections which have
been urged against this noble vessel precisely of the
same sort those which have been advanced against
improvements of every kind-agalnst railways, steam
machinery, iron ships, and large ships. What would
not have been said 20 years ago against building such
vessels as the Himalaya or the Persa-what, in fact
not predicted against them when they were built?
The Great Eastern is to be the Hmaaya of her Glass;
and the results which will be attained by her speed we
believe will revolutionize whole mercantile marine
Both commercial speculation and as an engineering
triumph her is now undoubted, and under the
energetic management of the company her voyages
likely to be as lucrative as they will be rapid. Ihe
day is not far distant wien the Great Eastern will only
be one of class of steamers, and Mr.. Brunei to whom
alone the great ship is DUE will in such fruits reward
which even his great skill and enterprise achieve
British Museum.
Col. Henry Fuller writes saw yesterday among
the marvellous collections of the British Museum full
files of the leading New York Journals elegantly bound
aording wonderful contrast to the little four by six
inch volumes of the first newspaper printed Sure
ly an editor should be careful of what he writes for
here preserved in everlasting remembrance his lead
ers 7too often misleaders will glare bushing poster
y in the face through all coming time. little dream
ed when penning hasty paragraphs for the Evening
Mirror in Ann street. at the last minute before gong
to press that should every word so scrupulously
preserved in the archieves of the British Museum Such
Immortality of language should make us word-weavers
pause and consider. 1t is like phantom Memory In
the future world rising to curse or to bless IN the great
Museum of Souls
The British Museum with its five hundred and sixty
thousand volumes is stunning institution The great
DOME one hundred and forty feet in diameter filled to
the very apex with richly bound books, us
like an intellectual heaven. The Kings Library,
three hundred feet in length perfect wilderness OF
magnificent works but the Autograph and Manu-
script" room is most wonderful of all. Every King,
O,,on Doaf Gtoto andA Arfic in