The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-09-26

Within less than fortnight, perhaps, the arrival
ofthe Great Eastern at Portland will settle defini-
lively the long-mooted question whether the mon
ster vessel, as she has been the first, is likewise
destined to be the last of her kind. According 10
the latest accounts, she is TO leave Holyhead for
America, on Thursday next, and may accordingly
be looked for in the first week in October. Thus
far-she seems to have abundantly justified the
most sanguinc expectations of her owners and
builders. The Great Ship nobly deserves the
popular ovation which marked her progress down
the Thames, and the paudits which greeted her at
every bend in the river, from crowded piers and
house-tops, and from the swarming decks and
rigging of the vessels she encountered In spite
other enormous bulk, she proved to be as manage
able, and easily handled as a river-cutter. The
sharp angles of the river were SUCCESSFULLY turned
without a single accident-where the immense
length of the vessel seem almost to bridge the
stream from bank to bank. Her engines worked
with astonishing easeand smoothness-with scarce
ly any heat noise, or perceptible vibration-and
though never going at more than two-third speed
against strong tide, and in the worst possible
trim, she ran fifteen statute miles in ffty-eighty
minutes. To estimate the disadvantages under
which this result was attained, it is only necessary
TO state that the proper sea-going trim of the Great
Eastern four feet down by the stern-instead of
which she was down six inches by the head that
her screw was four feet out of water, and that
owing to the extreme lghtness of her draught,
her paddles were scarcely Citing the waves
At sea, she is intended to work under 25 lbs. of
steam-her paddles making IA revolutions, and
her screw SO. During her run down the More,
after the tugs had been cast off and the
vessel, left to herself was going at in
creased speed, - the highest pressure en-
ployed was II lbs, and the paddles only
reached revolutions, and the screw 27.-
Calculating from these data, the London Times
estimates her ordinary seayoing rate at from Is TO
10 miles an hour-whiIe, under more favorable
circumstances, and in proper trim, speed of
70 miles an hour, or nearly double that of the
average of ocean steamers has been confidently pre-
dicted. Assuming even the more moderate of these
calculations to be verified the success Of the Great
Eastern, and the proftabeness of the investment
will be assured saving of even one third in the
time ordinarily required to cross the Atlantic
would be enough to secure for the Great Eastern
the preference over all competitors If the VOYAGE
can be reduced from ten days to five, a complete
revolution in ocean ship-building and ocean-nayi-
cation will be effected. More such steamers will,
be built, and the Great Eastern will be only the
pioneer of line of such-herself destined, perhaps
to be eclipsed at some future time, by some mon
ster of yet huger proportions Upon the speed
that shall be attained the whole success of the ex-
pertinent will Depend for if it should be found that
the Great Eastern sails only little faster or no
faster than other steamers, she never can obtain
that preference in freight and passenger traffic
which will compensate for her increased cost.
Another question to be solved, and of which the
results already attained, though by no means con-
elusive, seem to promise a favorable solution, is
the degree of steadiness with which the Greqf
Eastern will be able to plough her way through
the sea- If in addition to a shorter trip, she can
promise the passengers exemption from sea-sick-
ness, that horror of landsmen, no apprehension
need be felt about filling her berths-even though
they rise in tiers-as New Yorker writes from on
board-''as high as Fifth Avenue houses, and as
''long as Madison Square"
mus lar, IN this respect also, indications are in
favor Of the Great Eastern proving all and accom-
plshing all that her builder predicted When
flying down the More, at fifteen knots an hour
lone might much easier have imagined one
''self writing in a Partisan saloouu-savs
the correspondent of the London Times. ethan in
''the state cabin of Great Edstern.'' So much.
then for results so far as known. at the tima tbs
arabia left Liverpool. OF the trip by which those
results were accomplished, the London paners
TEEN with accounts both glowing and picturesque
l. Al.
and Tuesday night the 9Th of September were
passed in the busy work of preparing the Great
Ship to leave her cradle by the oozy river-bank,
and start on her long-looked-for journey to her
ocean-home We are told that 'almost all trades
chad their representatives on board, and apparent
"ly every branch of manufacture was diligently
pursued at once; decks and saloons were lumber
led up with bales of bedding, piles of furniture,
land masses OF crockery; smiths were busy sclo-
Sing rivets up with clamor from which even
fthe size of the ship was protection: plate from
"ELKINGToN's was being slowed away: men wera
fsbusy hanging costly chandeliers from DEr,,rs,.
''every one seemed in hurry, and struggled and
Stumbled amid a confused mixture of shav;nos
"and FORCES, anyis, guns, anchors, cables barrels
Sand hawsers. Below, the confusion was not
esmuch less though made up of different materials.