The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-06-14

grkeu TO dispute the honor in this instance vito Mr.
hambsrd Kogdom Bruuei the architect and coostrucor
IF the Great Eastern rhs Of building huge vessel
had doubtless been thosght Of By many naval con-
etuc,or; but Is thing to conceive and another "a
execute thing 70 have grand idea and another 10
convert that idea into great living practical reality
This Mr. 6rune undertook, and this he successfully -
complicated although he did MOI live long enough 70 enjoy
the full fruits Of tue great triumph which he had
Achieved-for matter what may pc said TO the con
trsry Mss great triumph, 10 far human genius and
skill make Bar architect mad obtained high
place In the confidence OF the English public by his great
abilities and experience engineer, abilities which,
In hb case, appears have hereditary his father
having ssjoyed great reputation In the scaauoc world
% engineer. Brunei the elder wS, - almost every
ose knossn ,o&trucor Of the Thsmes tunnel-a work,
which, "a oammeroiAy failure, must DO regarded
one Of the greatest triumphs which mas ever oeeu
asved In all his works Brunei the younger reostved
cay assistance OF Engnsh capitalists, and y NOS
T. % wondered Il, therefore, tost whoa no had
developed his plans for the Great Eastern, that
oompsny should have been found with ample means 70
carry execution he construction Of the 0reas
Eastern ordered by the Eastern Steam Naviga&oa
Company, whiA Incorporated by royal charter. She
n Intended the Indian and Austr an roats By
che Cape Of Good Hope though her first voyage 70 b
nase 10 this county The company started originally
with eapnal Of millions Of delArs; but this amount
hss been considerably increased end y divided Into
shares Of ono hundred dollars saoh, The shareholders
numbering lsss than three thousand Mr. Brune was
assHssd N the gigantic undertaking BY Mr. soeu Russell
whs dessned the unes and constructed tbs iron hull OF
The ship, and by capais Harrison other officers Of
company.
Tns Great Eastern was nearly three yeXs In
k>~a
I'm 1855 and launched tbs easly part OF 1855. Tho
whole oost Is some three mil Of dollars but
a considerable portion OF this amount expended In
the launching aking the repairs which
dered necessary BY this explosion which took place her
trial trip.
ms place selected for the construction Of the monster
was tho eastern bask Of the Thames ct Mlwa, which,
although Immediately within tho limits proper Of the
City Of London, may stiIl be regarded psrtof the
greet metropolis Here the plaes were laid upon
which the grand supers,ructure was TO be raised. We
cay plates the Eastern unlike all other vessels
is without keel unsss the fiat plate Of iron about
feet vide end inch thick, which runs the entire
length from ssep 70 stern be ognned with the
II upon TINS "trip that the vas structure OF iron,
wegbus twelve thousand tons, TO b raised, plate
by plate and fastened together. rivst by vcL Slowly
the great worx vent on, the men who were employed
upon look like gnas beside the gigantic walls OF iron
which to~ering above the surrounding houses until
the whole looked like great impresnaoe citadel Plato
By plate have said, and rivet by rve and the
work progressed from hour 70 hour, from day 10 day.
from week week monh 70 month. and from year
10 year These plates three quarters Of inch thick
ana rives by which they knitted together are
each inch In dsDeter . strange sight to watch
the progress Of The huge vessel and 10 behold what ap
pearsd fret be walls Of on assume the shapey
prspora hons Of ship The sharp ring Of the hAmmers
welded BY husdreos Of workmen they closed up
red hot that shons In the black Ike starr In
the chen vault struck upoa the In oeassic din.
And NE prosresssd the great Structure exciting
the wonder Of the civilized world and hs speculative
rssxy shoss vino he character Of everything
BY tss prcas and iss account
rnE LAUNCHING OF THE BIG surP.
II has been stated that the Big snip constructed as
Muan, The esss bank OF the Thames and from this
fscs might be imagined that this widest part Of
Of tAs rves but TINS 90 the Thames Al this point
probably not more Than thousand feet ACROSS, Wills
che Great Essss~p nearly hundred feet In length
M ordinary syis Of auuchins therefore, would be
Of he question: her osss and vss decided BY Mr.
Byussn sbss should 20 into the waer sideways rhs
snsosoessst that she would DO launched on
she ID Of Hevenber, 1857, created the greatest
exesteDcns Throughout not only London, but we
nay my, throughout all England, and thousands
sad tens Of thousands collected to witness the
greet svest Tho river sded with boats OF all
oass<s and ss, ami al the house tops In and around
vail we're shroeeed win spectators Among those
|whs n the yard from which the ship
b bs ~sved Thames The various Ministers
% Tn Court er 81 Jsmes, large number OF eminent
osssnc prs, ana ~bois host Of the titled nobility Of
sslaoo TIE time appointed for the christening Of the
Ship half pass eleven A. r., and II that hour Mss
zsps, the csnsbte~ Of the Chairman OF the company,
srfcSpca the eertDooy, giving the monster what
ben coasdesed - the appropriate name Of the 'Levia
sieooeh bss been since changed that Of the
Grsas E~~seru [" The signal ~as nov given by Mr.
svssl tnro~ s-sy the shores " and .says,- which
n To- hose msss resting on her GRADES" alone ma
vws s~aHed the nns movement Of the monster In
ness breasb~ss saxcsy aud Suspense. The checking
hies BY ~Aos she held In her place we're nov
larss, prrrssaory to sppyins the power which uss 10
pa he~ h MOTION; but before hs could be brought TO
~ ne vssssa besss 70 move, and more rapidly thaa
exp<osss. towards the wsssr. rhs change pcsassoa
ssd . ssoces ssA volsas revolution Of the brake IT.
BOD 70 Ne sssrsncss oh<ckss cable, tho hasdss Of
IN sssdsss tying arossd Iuphapptly struck several
~ w~hnes sesrr~t 70 shem, causing severe frac-
~ ed sabsr iSjurea Several oaAss draw
b sousvves 70 pvevsss ne launch, and accord
Eps apesea for The time ehs had, how
despsss Of Aess, been moved between
nd Eve fr~ towards the water. Anert
nrsbw sseups we're made 70 launch her
10 fsss. SSH and ash q November. and On Ne d
so~Dssr. 1877 BIT sight progrs~, however. vss
sss sn The poser of shs vipdlassss, ~ hydrauo
sss Screen tugs. failed 10 move her further shas
- fr~. sss spos which sbe rested ssr the arss
rc~ssfui Effort TIE naaavs chains wsre strained 70
rise ~ WV drums Of ~ winda1es were crushed
sss, sso the hydraulic rsus burss fromSAs immeoss
me- o. ~ ~ Of Jaasary NE vork was renewed,
~usosfss machinery having been gos into ORDER
, ~ On ~ massive iron hsn was again moved,
sh ssoh wn rAp,sny Of motion thAa vss oescrva-
sss srs snsrs mis- use her motion towards the
vss - Ne rate Of - isch every eve minutes. Al
Hs< he ~erh progressed an TIE sla Of January,