The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1860-07-11
From the Wilmington Daily Herald.
THE GREAT EASTERN.
New York, June %,

New OK, June 90
Dear Misunderstanding to your request
shall attempt TO gather my bewildered
senses and endeayor 10 say word about the
great marine wonder which has just surged
her huge proportions into our bay, aud now
lies the observed OF all New York and half
the world besides. Without noticing the
intense excitement consequent upon her
arriyal-fur | verify believe there were ten
Thousand people on the docks and piers
aruund-I shall endeavor TO give you as
correct an idea oil the big ship as can gather
from the sources at hand.
This most wonderful vessel is, as you are
probably aware, 700 feet long over all. Her
breadth is IS feet from bulwark to bulwark,
aud from the outer edge OF one paddle box
TO the other is LIS feet. The height OF the
\ hull is 60 feet, while walk around her deck
is equal in length to quarter OF mile
She is, in fact. an immense floating city,
capable OF carrying ten thousand souls.
/ The hull is divided into ten compartments
Of 90 feet each. which are perfectly water
4 tight, so that every precautlon IS taken to
4 render the vessel as safe IN case OF accident
as il IS possible to make her. In addition TO
the separate compartments, which are con-
| structed SO as 10 be perfectly water tight,
she has two longitudinal walls Of iron, each
Of which is So feet apart, and trayerses
nearly $50 feet Of the length Of the ship.
/ Nothing, in fact, has been left undone that
could increase her strength. She has been
/ constructed on the cellular system through
out. There are in fact two hulls, one Of
which is placed within the other, at DIS
q q a. .nrhao ~ has
huIls are bound together by longitudinal
webs Of iron plates at intervals Of six feet,
which are again subdlylded By transverse
plates into spaces OF about six feet square.
As these webs approach the bottom the inter
walls between the plates are reduced IRON
six to three feet, 50 that # il will be found
necessary 10 ground the ship for repairs, she
will be enabled TO support her own weight
without strain or injury. This web work,
by which the two hulls are knit together, a
ii they formed one solid wall Of iron, i
strongly rIyeied TO the ribs BY means 81
angle irons. The thickness of the loves
deck will prevent any sound from the engine
rooms reaching the passengers, and the VI
biations from being at all felt BY them. On
each side 0l the engine rooms Is tunnel
through which the steam aud water pipe,
viii BE carried, aud also rails tor economic.
ing labor in lie conveyance Of coal. The
brrths Of the crew are forward, below The
foreea.tle, which j, i. intended to appropri,
ate ID the officers. Below the berths uf Ii,
.eamen are two enormous cavities for cargo
Ut winch 5 900 tOn5 can be carried, beside
coal enough for the voyage 70 Australia
making about A. many tons more.
! There are ten boilers and five tunnels, ant
, each boiler can be cut oil from It's neighbor
and used or mi, as desired. The boiler
! are placed ongitgdlnaIly along the centre b
: the ship, aud are entirely independent o
each other Every paddle boiler has lei
furnaces, and each screw boiler twelve fur
naces, thus giving 70 tie whole the largt
, number 81 oue hundred aud twelve furnaces
. The fuel IT, be used Is anthracite coal. Ill,
. tunnels ars sbUut one hundred feet 10 height
: measuring ifDm the floor Of the boilers Il
: the top Of the iunnels.
! The cylinder u the paddle engines IS 81
J feet il diameter The screw propeller il :
! feet IN diameter, aud the diameter of III,
I paddle wheels is 50 feet, with float board
!, 10 feet 10 length these paddle wheels ar
driven BY engines with four cyIinders--th
lafgest ever made on The oscilllting prinel
Z ple--haying a stroke 0l II ieetj the weigh
: "a each j. 81 tUns. The engine stand
nearly 50 feet high.
lie screw engines are driven by tie ssm
number Of cylinders. The cylinders are
feet 10 diameter, aud weigh each 30 ton.
I, having a stroke of feet. They are III
largest ever made Tor marine purposes lh
: screw propeller has lnur fans or ysnes.
|. Is feet III diameter, has a shaft 100 fee
long. and weighs $50 tons.
!. Fhe paddle engines are .OO0bo power
aud the screw engines Of 900 horse power
gi,iug total 81 7,6O1 horse power a.
. pressure ~ IS lbs thnlgh, IL course, !
1. necessary thsy can work TO a force Of up
/ wards Of 10000 horse.