The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1860-07-25
From the Scientific American
The Great Eastern

This "levialhan" steamship arrived at
this port on the 2Slh of June, and her
! appearance in our waters has created a
mucn greater national excitement tLan
the poW poW got up :or the recent recep'
iion OF John Japan" aud his boy Tom
N.Y.. 10 tins steamer we NAV well ap'
! ply the old SAYING, Long looked for has
come at last, for assuredIv no enterprise,
excepting, II may 10. the laying Of the
J Atlantic cable, has up heaved the public
mind on both sides OF The Atlantic with
80 mauy hopes and fears during the past
four years. But after many dsappoint-
/ ments, the Great Eastern has n: last safe.
/ iy and slowly breasted the billows Of the
/ Atlantic and Is now moo-ed in Manhattan
waters. We will therefore give succinct
history Of her construction, previous ad
ventures and late voyage.
Tkere are three leading features con.
nected with the Great Eastern which
naturally exrile attention. These are,
frSi, her great maguitude-she being G92
feet III ex'reme length, SO feet beam, aud
and Of 27 900 tuns actual capacity sec.
ond, her peculiarly Of construction-be.
| ing of IRON, aud double cased TO about
thee feet above the water line, and built
on the cellular principle; thir'l, she is
propelled by the combination OF paddle
wheels at the sides and screw ut the
Stern. With regard 20 her magnitude,
some contend that this exceeds Noah's
AK but be that AS it NAV, we know
that the clipper ship Great Republic The
trgate Niagara, anu the steamer IAiriot
&c ali fully loaded would make ,bou,
a ta'r cargo If taken within her capacIous
sides She can carry 4.800 passengers.
with gond and full accommodations or
an army Of 10 600 men, in a superior
manner to any troop ship.
Tins great ship was planned by the
late distinguished engineer, Mr.. | *. Bru
aeI, upon the most rational grounds Of
sncceSs In the great and increasing
trade between Eng and and Australia, it
was found that common steamships were
incapable Of carry ing cargo or competing
with sailing vesse $, owing TO the great
amount Of coal required for such long
VOYAGE. Brunei calculated that krge
sh'p could be built, % carry sufficient coal
fer the entire round nip and ~, The same
time make gu OK Passages, take u great
number OF Passengers, and good pay
'"s cargo he"iI"s. II. therefore design
cd the Great Eastern (atout 1857 with
t"ese "'Jrctss'n view and company
O. wealthy merchants ia London was
formed To furnish the capital to complete
the pr' jet. TO J Set Russell WAS giv
en- be contract TO complete the hull it,
1888. the first pate MAS laid 1T his
works IN MIIwail London and in No
,emHer, 1857, she Was ready to be Iaun
ched. Great modification was experien
ced on No. ., whrn- crowd OF
princeS, pcteatstes, Sdrdns, and great
array Of wealth and fashion that had as
s"mbIed to witness the mighty event of
the "Ievlathan" ship rushing like mcun.
tam from It's tastenings into the ohedieut |
waters OF the Thames-,he iron man
moth. like a baulky horse, refused 10 obey |
the reins of the driver; and il cost no
less than 100000, and constant labor
from that day ull Jan. 3lst in the sub |
s~qTent year, before she va, floaled in |
Ii.e river. When launched, her entire |
Cost Was Sc 1871 $50, which exceeded the |
original estimate by Sl.5OOO.OOO, and |
We, she WAS then total, unfit for sea.
The Great Eastern is now fitted with |
e'ght engines for propulsion, namely, four
Tor the paddle wheels, At d the same
number for The screw. Their united nomi
nal power is about 1000 horses The
cylinders OF the paddle engines are each
At inches in diameter, and the stroke is
IA feet. These wee illustrated on page
264, Vol. XII (old serles) }. Of the ScIEN
TIFIC AMERICAN. The screw engines have
cy'mders of "a inches bore and feet
stoke. The former were bui,t by J. Scott
Russell the latter bv J. Watt & Co, Of
soho. The workmanship is excellent, but
Ihey are not up TO the latest improve
ments. 1t takes about $50 tuns Of coal
per diem 10 supply them, aud II this
great ship were 10 be bui|t over again,
tally different engines AID boilers would |
he put in. With al her machinery, her
weight is ~ 900 tuns- 5000 being the
Weight of he go" ,lstes Of iron ard
nvets in the hull.
On August s, 1850, the Great Eas
tern WAS pronounced completed for her
trai trip, and on that day a grand ban
quel WAS given on board by The direc
rrS OF the company. She did not. how
ever, finally depart until the 7th OF Sep
lember last, when she made yery sue
cessful corsting trip Of two days, but she
met with the unfortunate accident of
having her water feep jacket burst,
whereby five tiremen were killed and sew
eraI Others severely wounded. This event
WAS the result OF laundering carelessness,
and caused considerable damage TO the
boilers and main saloon, besides the
deaths Of The workman. Just about this
period her grea, designer, Brunei. WAS
also breathing his last in London, aud
dependency seemed to settle down upon
the public mind. Disagreements now
arose among the directors and Scott
Russell was charged with improper work
manship in fulfilling his contract. The