Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1860-07-13
The Great Eastern.

io"liiA aCCouHt "a ueE auu uer Trip
The monster steamship Great Eastern ar
rived in the other bay, and anchored off the
Lightship, after a prosperous and speedy
voyage. Towards evening the mammoth
ship, having safely crossed the bar, steam
ed up to the city, amid the utmost rejoicing
from all sides, and took up her position al
the berth allotted to her at the foot of Ham,
mond street, touching the piers with as much
ease as yacht would come to her mornings
and turning her immense length in the
North river without difficulty or confusion.
She passed the bar off Sandy Hook, which
was deemed the greatest obstacle ia her wav
with perfect ease and safety, and glided IN
the river with a graceful and majestic mo,
ton that evoked comments of admiration
and hearty cheers from the thousands oil
spectators who observed her immense di,
mansions with mingled awe and wonder
One remarkable effect was evidently produced
on the minds of the beholders, and that was
that exaggeration had not unduly extolled
the grandeur OF the great work of human
genius before them. Imagination, heighten,
ed by all that descriptive power could &C,
complish in conveying an idea of size, had
hardly reached the reality of the picture
Disappointment was nowhere manifested
The Great Eastern was indeed, wonder
and a triumph.
A resume of her startling proportions
seems almost incredible. Her length on
deck is SOB feet. Eight such ships in a row
would make 256 feet over a mile long,
Breadth 03 feet, and breadth across paddle
boxes l20 feet. Depth SO feet. Total
length of saloonsyoccupying middle part of
ship 300 feet. Two stories of saloons, and
three stories of state.rooms, and with for.
ward rooms not yet completed. The passen.
ger capacity would be 800 first class, 1000
second, and 200 third class. Cargo capac.
ity 5000 tons. Weight of iron used, 10000
tons. Number of plates, 10000. Number
OF rlVets, 100000. The ship has two skins
of iron plates, 2 feet 10 inches apart, up as
far as the paddle-shaft-the plates from halt
an inch to one inch thick. The ship has
II entire cross bulkheads and partial ones,
and traverse bulkheads for $50 feet of her
length. She has masts, e of iron,) 5 chin
neys, 10 boilers, III furnaces, and 2 paddle
wheels, Sc feet in diameter, aud screw, "a
feet in diameter. The draft of water is 80
feet loaded and l8 feet light.
The first voyage of the Great Eastern has
justified the predictions made in her behalf,
INV Aeeo SSe GU AOot tuO OLuluOuS mlplYlQRS
that her enormous bulk would mitigate
against her speed and safety. The loss of
time accruing from the southerly course she
took, the grass and barnacle covered state of
her bottom, and the head winds of two DAYS,
amounted to day and half's sailing at her
average speed.
knots-and going at the rate of from 254 to
1888 miles every twentyfour hours. Her av-
erage speed was crater than on her last trial
trip, and it is remarkable that one time, while
some of her sanguine admirers predicted that
she would make twenty knots an hour, Mr.
Brunei declared that she was constructed to
make only fourteen and half, and would not
make more. She has thus verified the ex,
pectations of her great designer. She sailed
steadily, her machinery worked in admirable
style, and her whole appointments seemed to
be complete, fulfilling every anticipation as
to safety, speed and comfort; even to the
marked dimunition of that terror of all voy,
ayers, sea'sickness. -t
The first grand event in the career of the
Great Eastern is now accomplished. She has
winged her way across the ocean.
In point of speed, of safety and gallant
bearing upon the waves, the success of the
Great Eastern may be said to be established.
Her ultimate success in commercial point of
view is yet Untried. What revolutions she
shall effect in the commerce of the world !;
what distant nations she shall link together
in close bonds whether immensely of pro-
portions in marine architecture can accom-
plish all the ends nticipated-these are
questions which remain yet to be brought to
positive solution and it is not too much
to predict that the Great Eastern is destined
to solve them all in the harpiest manner.
Her arrival in our waters is as great an
event as the arrival of the first steamer which
crossed the Atlantic. The event of the Sir
Jus in 1888 little steamer of few hun.
dred tons-followed by the Great Western,
of larger proportions, marked an important
epoch in the history of maritime affairs all
over the world. The great event marks the
dawn of another revolution in ocean naviga.
ton. The craft of small dimensions, which
have hitherto been employed for all services,
will soon retire into service upon our rivers,
or to be engaged only on short coasting voy-
ages; but for oil ocean communication be,
tween continent and continent the mammoth
steamships will come into play.
rs On the 5th inst, at P. NJ, the Rev.
Mr.. Nichols, his wife and child, "a boy of
about thirteen years) accompanied by Mr..
Cleveland and his brother-inlaw and his two
daughters, aged respectively II and l3 years,
went to Lake Calhoun, near St. Paul, Mime.
sofa, for the purpose of bathing. The two
girls of Mr.. Cleveland went into the lake
first and unfortunately ventured out of their
depth. Mr.. Nichols boy went to their assis-
lance, but the girls chung to him and drew
him out of his depth, and as they all appear
ed to be perishing, Mr.. Cleveland went to
their assistance. He, too, was soon drawn
into deep water, and as he was unable to
swim, it appeared that he would soon drown
with the children. Mr.. Nichols then went
to the rescue. He ventured in as far as he
could, maintaining his footing which, how,
ever, he soon lost-called his wife to take
hold of his hand. She resolutely obeyed the
summons, clasped his hand in hers, and ter,
rible to relate, the whole party were drawn
into deep water and persisted together.
OREGON REDEEMED - The telegraph
brings the welcome news that the people of
Oregon, at the recent election in that young
State, have chosen Col. Logan, the Republi-
Congress, by $50 majority over his Demo
cratic competitor, and majority in the
in favor of electiag Republican
and Anti Lecompton Democrat to the Sem
ate of the United States, in place of Joe
Lane and Delazon Smith. This is indeed a
significant triumph-t1a signal gun for the
great contest in November, The result
must encourage every Republican to renew
ed efforts for the right, and satisfy even the
most stubborn Democrat that the hand
writing is on the wall''-Sentia,es. Er .rlt
N Gen. Joe Lane has formally accepted
the nomination for the Vice Presidency, in