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

and at the first glance it seemed hard to believe
sthat the chaos of sofas, dinner furniture mirrors
chandeliers and carpeting would ever be in their
'proper places by the morning, and form the fit
''tngs of rich and well-furnshed Saloons With
the first gray light of morning, however, the pre-
parations for getting under weigh were completed.
Half-a-dozen tugs, three of them, curiously enough
as The Times observes, named the Victoria. Na-
poteon and Alliance, were brought up and made
last to the huge vessel. Captain HARRISON and
the pilot took their stations in the starboard pad
de-box. Mr.. RUSSELL stood on the bridge to d.
rect the action of the engines. Captain CoMsrocK
(of the COLLINS line stood aft to direct the steer
ing. At y, Mr.. ATKINSON, the pilot, gave the
word Toilet slip the moorings." One after
another, the moorings were cast off--the huge
chains rafting through the hawse-holes, emitting
''not so much a shower of sparks as perfect blaze
''of flame, accompanied by roar, that must
''have been heard almost as far as the tollinr of
''the great Westminster belr'-and thus appropri-
ately announcing TO the world, "as with salvo
''of artillery, that the Great Eastern was free"
Then-the tugs began TO pant and move--the
ships engines were put in motion, and with 'the
-'JSS'tN
the berth for which she had shown t'more than
''sluggard's Affection and ''moved grandly down
''the river" Then the bells of ST. ALpHAGE at
Greenwich rang out joyful peal. Then-'boats
''of every kind and size, and crowded to the
''water's edge" put out from the shores.
Then-the banks began to swarm with peo-
pie, and 'there were not so much cheers. as
continuous shouting-a genuine out-burst of
Enthusiasm and delight''--in honor of the
FINEST, swiftest, strongest and handsomest shin
(which the world has yet seem" At the
Blackwell an immense concourse had collected
the sharp angle in the river at that place "being
ITO the voyage what the severest leap is to
''steeple-chase." The dangerous turn was safely
made, and carrier-pigeons were sent up from the
vessel and the shore to announce the fact. At
Woolwich-at Purfeet-at Gravesend-there were
more spectators-more hats and handkerchief
waved-more cheers from throats grown hoarse
with cheering. Bands of music played 'Rule
Britannia" and "See the conquering Hero
comes" The crew of the guard-ship, moored
in the river, manned the yards, and gave regu-
lar "three times three" ''The wan and sicklv
climates Of the Seaman's Hospital-Ship turned
"out upon the decks, and crowded the ports with
"their worn faces to give one shout or wave a cap
''to the vessel that swept so grandly by" The
soldiers on board the troop-ships, bound for India,
cheered. The crew of a frst-class American clip
per, which looked like dwarf beside her-sap-
''peared astonished at her vast proportions, and
'greeted her with hearty cheer
On Wednesday, at II o'clock, in the forenoon
the huge ship dropped anchor at Purheet-the
state of the tide rendering it imprudent, in the
Judgment of the pilot, to continue down the river
that day AT 81, the next morning Thursday,
she weighed anchor again, and at ten minutes to
8, resumed her journey towards the sea. Soon
after passing the Lower Hope, the water began 10
change its hue ''from dirty black to muddy
''green," and, at length, having reached her
natural element the tugs were cast off, and the
Great Eastern was left to shift for herself. Atl23
she dropped anchor at the More. On Friday
morning, at 8 A. NJ, she left the More, and the
subsequent stages of her progress are announced
in a few brief Geographic dispatches, whose Ian
guage seems TO indicate the almost feverish anxi-
ETY. with which the people of England were
watching the path of the great ship along the
shore:
"MARGATs, II A. M-The Great Eastern is steaminp
past at distance of eight miles from the shoreD
DEAL p. M.-The Great Eastern is proceeding slow
through the Downs There is thick scud with strong
wind and tide against her.
DOVER, 245 P. M.-The Great Eastern is Just pass.
ing" r
We can readily believe-as the London Times
informs us-that fhe reception of the great ship
has been characterized by degree of enthusiasm
and abandon which Englishmen seldom manifest
Nor will the welcome that awaits her on this side,
be less hearty and spontaneous, if we may Judge
from the preparations that making at Portland,
and the interest with which every step in her |
progress has been watched in this country, from
the day when her keel was first laid on the marshv
river-bank, at Deptford- through all the DELAYS
and perplexities attending her construction and
her launch-to the hour that witnessed her sue
cessful entry upon what, we hope, may prove, a
long and profitable career and one which shall
prove the commencement of q new era in the
science Of naval architecture and steam navica-
ton