St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1859-09-22
The Great Eastern.

This nautical prodigy, according to
the last accounts from England, is
nearly completed and will sail for
Portland, Me-, soon after the first of
September, making her trial trip GER
tainly this fall The completion of
this magnificent vessel was formally
celebrated on board, on the Sth nit,
and the ovation was honored by the
presence of many of the members of
both houses and some of the most dis
tinguished engineers and scientific
men of the kingdom. AS the Great
Eastern is now so soon, probably, to
exhibit herself on this side Of the At
lantic, more than usual interest at
taches to the details of that enlarged
enterprise which has at last triumph
ed over all obstacles in her construc-
ton. Her length is 700 feet, breadth
s3 feet, depth of hold 81 feet, and tom
mage, exclusive of machinery, coal,
etc, 1884 tons, or capacity equal
to the transportation of 10000 per-
sons with the necessary freight for a
long voyage. For locomotion the
Great Eastern has paddle, screw and
auxiliary engines, besides six masts
and rigging The paddle and screw
engines are four in number each, and
the several engines are SO distinct
that any one or any number may be
disconnected at pleasure without af-
fecting the others The paddle en-
gines weigh 30 tons, and are capable
of being worked up to 5000 horse
power. The screw engines weigh 3G2
tons and may be made equal to $500
horse power. Both sets have thus a
capacity for nearly 10000 horse pow
or, to supply which both will require
4l6 tons of water and $50 tons Of coal
a day. At the celebration ON the Sth,
these engines were put into operation
for tie first time, the paddle wheels
working forward, while the screw
worked the ship astcrn to countcract
the motion and prevent too great n
strain upon the cables. The machine
ry worked with marvellous case and
freedom, and the result was consider
ed by all the engineers on board to be
satisfactory in the very highest de-
gree. On deck there are four small
steam engines, each Of which works n
pair of cranes on both sides of the
vessel, and by these cranes 5000 tons
of coal can be hoisted into the ship in
a day, thus obviating grave obiec-
ton on the part Of those who specu-
lated on the loss of time in coaling
The deck has been planned and
scrubbed to mau-of-war whiteness,
and not even stray ropes end breaks
the wonderful effect produced by its
immense eXpansc Her feet of small
boats Chat is to say, about the size Of
sailing cutters, hang at the davits,
ten on each side. The whole vessel
has been painted, the saloons are fin.
ished, the cabins decorated, and even
furnished. The chief saloons all save
one-have only been fitted to Ger.
tain extent in a temporary manner.
The fittings are exceedingly handsome
and substantial, but the decorations
of the huge iron walls and girdcrs
have been reserved until after her first
trip, and now are only painted of a
plain white. The absence of clabo-
rate decoration in them, however, is
amply compensated in the chief saloon,
which has been finished to show the
=, superb style in which the whole will
be decorated when the Great Eastern
begins running to the East. Whcth
cr the fine traccrics of gold and color
arc examined in detail, or whether
one chooses to judge by the tone and
effect Of the whole apartment, the de-
cision is equally favorable, and this
saloon is not only the finest and rich
est of any that has been attempted,
but is likely to remain for many years
the standard by which all other cabins
of the kind will be judged. 1t is said
that the mirrors, gliding, carpeting
and silk curtains for this apartment
alone cost $4,000 The kitchens
pantrics, and sculleries are all on the
same extensive scale, and fitted will
all the large culinary requisites OF
first class hotels. The ice house holds
upwards of l60 tons of ice, and the
lofty wine vaults-for such, in fact
| they are already contain wine enough
to form a good freight for an Oporto
trader. ....-..f .r