The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-06-29

lively than the original design Of the company bad
been carried out The steamers then running 10 India
and Australia required 10 coal three four times during
the voyage. Besides the delays occasoned by having
heightened detours reach the coal depos and
time spent getting the fuel board the great expense
Of sending out the coal from England and storing il
brought the cost somewhat above $40 ton The prin
cpe that greater speed (wh less fuel preparatory
could be obtained In large ship than small had
been fully established both sides Of the Atlantic by
the results Of years experience. II thus obvious
that vessel built large enough to take all the coal
required for round voyage from England to India, she
could be supplied before starting at cost Of % 80 tom
against $40 when the coal sent out for her 10
depots, and be prevented from going out Of her
direct course. The largest single item Of expense
in working small steamer would be thus reduced
at once seventy-nve per cent, while the charges
ships ooupany and other things not increasing in the
same ratio the Of the vessel the total annual cost
became materially lishtened The advantage in respect
10 capacity for freight thus stated-H steamer Of
1000 tons required to steam distance a 900 miles,
Goals, leaving only 100 for cargo and provisions IT. how
ever, vessel Of 5000 went the same disance, she
would require only Of her space taken mp
with Goals, leaving 400 fee for cargo and prov
sions besides attaining much higher rate d speed Such
statements a these, coming from men occupying the
highest position in the engineering world, induced shArs
holders to forward 70 carry out the scheme Of the
company on its new basis. q
BUILDING OF THE GREAT SHIP.
In August, 1858, the design and proportions OF the
Great Eastern were decided on by Mr. Brunei who had
been appointed engineer To the company. II was
nonced report the shareholders that provisional
asrang had been concluded for the Construction Of
an iron vessel ESQ feet length between perpendicular
So feet in breadth and So feet depth with and
engines Of . combined power Of 2,eoo horses.
The vessel was 70 carry, besides coal for the
round voyage to India or Australia and back,
5000 tons Of merchandise and 70 have 500
cabins for st class passengers besides ample space for
troops and lower class passengers Her designers calcu
lated that great length Of the ship would enable her to
pass through the velocity from fourteen 10 az
teen knots an hour with smaller power proportion
10 her tonnage than ordinary vessels required to make
only ten knots. With this speed, stCppagcs would
take place TO coal they confidently relied being able
make the voyage from England to India, via the Cape
of Good Hope, in thirty V thrty-three days,
and from England to Port Phillip, in Australia
in thirty three TO thirtysix days. The whole of
the ships bottom and up as far as six feet above the
water line was doubled and OF cellular construc
tion 20 that external injury would effect her safety
The upper deck was TO be strengthened On the sans
principle, 80 to make the ships hull similar in
strucon 70 the Britannia bridge. The calculations Of
Brunei had convinced him that steamer for the purpose
proposed should have pretty nearly capacity for
every mile she had 10 travel As the journey 10 and
from Australia nearly ~ 900 miles, IL Of
necessary that vessel Of this tonnage should be
built. mrrf. sf+ -r 81 rf.-sv n
The idea Of combining the and the paddle a.
means Of propulsion, vel the application Of tubu
lar principle TO construction OF the great ship orsna
ted with tbs eminent engineer A. applied 70 the Great
Eastern, this principle involves building two ships, one
within the other at distance Of two feet ten inches
apart The inner ship, skin, extends upwards 70 the
lower deck distance Of thirty -four feet six inches from
tho bottom. Longitudinal partitions, running the whole
length Of the ship bctweea TIE inner and SKINS and
r,vetsd TO BOTH divide The space between into several
perfectly xatertght compartments, 50 that II an In
jury should occur to the outer skin, tho only
part which could be nlled with water would
be tho space between two Of these Longitude.
nal compartments webs. Below Ne lower dss, the
ship disiAsd into twelve wasrtght compartments by
bulkhcs and above the lower deck into nine
such comparmsnts t. therefore, from any ooatlnsency
both inner and outer skins pierced, only com
parsment would an with water. IL believed that two
such compartment might be ned without the slightest
danger to the stability safcy Of the ship. Running $50
feet fore and AFT, and extending from the bottom Of
70
iron, dividing this part Of the vessel into
three longitudinal compartments 10 connect these with
The sunwalc and act transverse braces tu-
bular iron Platforms running from stem 10 stern hese
are brdsed st distances Of sixty feet BY smaller
iron Platforms feet In width The bow is strongly
plated and braced so 10 provide against such acct
dent as cncounering iceberg. Every deck is plated
beneath the planng for distance Of sixty feet In the
stern additional stages and perpendculas strengthen
ing webs have been provided offer sufficient
sistance 70 the dlocatng effects Of the vibrations OF the
screw shaft. This prevents any sensation Of movement
while the vessel under way, and thus cuts or great
source Of annoyance TO passengers in the ordinary
propelled vessels. tN' tn Z.
Te peculiar principle adopted In the construction OF
this vessel has been found, from long and carefully
Quoted experiments, 70 give the maximum Of strength
with the minimum Of weight Of material The iron plates
forming the hull average about feet length by
feet nipe inches 10 w'dsh ana weigh 800 10 600 pounds
For the ssrn post and keel several large plates
CURED two Of which twenty feet In length
by three feet three inches n2wdth, weighing two tons
each Others feet by four feet and and
quarter inches thick, weighing two tons and quarter
each The thickness OF the keel plates Is inch, and
M d ns pht forming the and outer skins three
quarters OF a inch. rs7 'iIi l1a -r.. r..tff It.
I .f SCREW AND PADDLE ENGINES. rorf q
II was wscly decided by Mr. Brunei 70 guard against
delay on long voyage from machinery becoming de-
ranged that the big ship should be supplied with thrcc
distinct means Of propusionthe paddle, tho screw and
sails Should Of The engines l, the other, in con-
junction with The sas win enable the Great EAstcrn 70
make iolcrably rapid progress her course The pad
die engines, which designed and built by Mr. Scott
Russell are oscllatng, Of 900 nominal horse power,
with four cylinders "a inches In diameter length Of stroke
IA feet They calculated 70 work 70 necs rcvou
lions per minute Each cyiindcr, with Its accompanying
air pump condenser and crank forms separate engine,
and any one may bo Immediately disconnected from the
other three Combined these our engines win work up
20 1000 horses power when making II strokes pr mi
nutc with pressure Of steam Of Is lbs V the square
Inch and cutting or nj onc-third the length Of the
s,rotc with o. lbs a steam without expansion, and