The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-08-24
[ From the London Times, 8th inst. ]

The Great Eastern completed and almost ready ior
Sea-Her Engine in Notion Grand Banquet on
Board, etc., etc.
The completion of the Great Eastern was formally
celebrated yesterday, at banquet on board the
ship, which was honored by the presence of many
of the members of both Houses, and some of the
most distinguished engineers and scientific men in
the kingdom Three weeks or so ago and only one
or two of the six masts were fixed, the buwarks
had not been quite completed, the hull wanted
painting, the decks were piled with indescrbabIe
lumber of all kinds, while the labyrinth of cabins
and saloons below seemed only so many dirty store
houses for unfinished joinery. Yesterday the scene
on board the reverse of all this and such pro-
gress has been made that the ship now looks as she
will look when proceeding to sea, and as she ought
to look to keep pace with her reputation as the
largest and finest specimen of naval architecture
that ever fOated.
The screw engines constructed on the same
improved principles. They have four cylinders of
81 inches diameter and feet stroke. The cylin-
ders capable of being worked together or sepa-
rately. When working As strokes minute with
steam on at Is lbs and cutting off at one-third of
the stroke, these engines give an indicated power
of 400 horses, but at 55 strokes minute steam on
at 20 lbs, and cutting off at one-uuarter of the
stroke, the power will reach to $500 horses Thus
the united efforts of both screw and paddle engines
will drive the immense vessel through the water
with power of no less than IL 900 horses. What
fleet could stand in the way of such mass weigh
ing some $4,000 tons, and driven through the water
by 900 horse power at the rate of % or 90 miles
an hour? The screw engine boilers are in three
distinct sets. Their weight is 362 tons, and their
capacity for water 270 tons. The probable con-
sumption of coal when both engines are at full
work, will average $50 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 subdividing these are made per-
4tvhf
filled at pleasure. Steam was got up in the pad
die engines at halfpast one At that time all the
visitors on board, and the engine room and
matches, In spite of the heat, were crowded with
eager lookers-on.
The first movement of the gigantic cranks and
cylinders OF the paddle engines was made precisely
at haf-past one, when the great masses slowly rose
and fell as noiselessly the engines of Greenwich
boat, but exerting, in their great revolutions,
what seemed to be an almost irresistible power
There was no nose no vibration, nor the slightes
sign of heating, and the tremendous frame of iron
work sprang at once into life and motion with as
much ease as if every rod and crank had been
worked for the last ten years. The steam in the
boilers was about 81 pounds, but, as matter of
course, the engines were turned but slowly never
exceeding six revolutions per minute. Even with
this slow motion, and the slight immersion of the
paddle floats, the effect of the enormous power
was at once visible upon the ship
The great mooring chains astern were frightened
to the utmost, and 1t seemed as if Trotmans
anchors tnemselyas would yield under the strain.
Fortunately, however, these held fast and then the
screw engines were got into motion, working the
ship astern so as to counterfeit the effect Of the
paddles. These latter engines worked with the same
marvellous and freedom; there was no noise no
sigh of hot bearings and the result was considered
by all the engineers on board to be satisfactory in
the very highest degree, and far beyond what could
have been expected. When the engines had been
tested to the utmost to which they could be tried
with vessel at her moorings, all the visitors ad-
IN sal tho
collation. had been laid out by Mr.. Quartermaine
This, in spite of the rather puugent atmosphere
which had been evoked from the Thames by the
movement OF the screw and paddles, soon received
ample justice, and at its conclusion Mr.. j. r. Camp
bell, the managing director of the company, and
who, from the time the first idea of the ship was
started, eight years ago, has worked untiringy to
carry it out to its present completion and perfec-
tion gave the usual loyal and patriotic toasts with
much force and humor. These were drunk with
the utmost enthusiasm, and duly responded to-that
of the navy by Sir Charles Napier and of the army
by Gen. Buckley.