Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-06-29
ARRIVAL OF THE
STEAMSHIP GREAT EASTERN
AT NEW YORK.
DETAILS OF THE VOYAGE
Her sea-Gsins Qualities Demonstrated.

PER TELEGRAPH. M
NV YORK June 2S.-The mammoth steam
ship Great Eastern, from Southampton on the
evening Of the 10th, arrived of the light ship
below Sandy Hook at an early hour this morn
Ing, having made the TIP In about II y days
strated her superiority as Sea going vessel, and
the reliability and excellence of her machinery.
In making this her first ocean voyage, her en-
gfneer did not feel authorized to put her speed TO
the test. and effort was made to reach New
York in any given space Of time.
The distance steamed from Southampton TO
New York is usually about 3, 100 miles, but the
Great Eastern went far south Of the usual track
to avoid danger from floating icebergs, thus con-
siderably increasing that distance.
The highest speed she attained on the trip was
Ia Il knots, but her bottom was very foul, and two
knots per hour should be allowed for this defect
The Great Eastern left the Needles at 10 a. m
of the 18th, and reached the Lghtship at 7:3O
this morning. The weather was fine with the ex-
cepton of two days.
She brings az passengers.
The engines were not stopped after she left the
Needles till she arrived off Georges shoals for
soundings. She was saluted at the light-ship by
the colors being dipped, and all the vessels In
sight displayed their bunting. She will the
bar at O'Clock this afternoon.
The Great Eastern draws twenty-seven feet an,
but will be trimmed to an even keel before cross
ing. Her log shows the distance made each day
during the voyage-17th, 2S5 miles; 18th, 296;
18th and 2Oth, $780, 2lst, 3Oi; 22d, $50; 23d 3O2;;
24th, 299; 25th 325; Goth, 333; 9th, 254.
DETAILS BY MAIL.
The New York Post of yesterday evening saws
Messrs. GTinnell, Minturn & CO., to whom the
Great Eastern is consigned, receipt of the first
news sent a Steamship to meet her on her passage
up the bay. At 10Y O'Clock another steamer was
sent down: A number of the members Of the
press, agents of the ship and friends Of the Great
Eastern's consignees, were invited on beard.
The Great Eastern, as we have just said, is the
largest vessel that ever crossed the sailed
upon the sea, her length being six hundred and
eighty feet while her height is sixty feet and her
burden twenty three thousand tons.
But no idea Of her size can be got from mere
statement Of her measurement in figures. IL our
city readers, however, will conceive that il she
were set down in the Park she would reach from
the bell tower, behind the City Hail. to the Astor
| House-that the Custom-house and Merchants
Exchange, placed together on her deck mi o ht
cover II in width, but not in leng th-that if Trim
| ity Church could be got into her hold only the
ridge Of the roof and the spire would be visible
| outside-they will get some idea Of her enormous
proportions Our ordinary sea steamers look like
| shallops by her side aud the common river craft
| like so many minnows in the wake of a great
whale.
| She is furnished with ten steam boilers. heated
by one hundred furnaces. She unites the pecu-
liarities both of the sde-wheel steamer and pro-
peller, her screw propeller being twenty -four feet
| In diameter, and the diameter Of each of her
paddles ffty-sx feet. She Is also provided with
| six masts, and can carry over six thousand Yards
| Of canvass.
| Nothing more beautiful than her interior ar
4 Engagements mas ever Deen achieved naval
architecture. She has ten saloons altogether-fve
| on the upper and five on the lower deck-the
| length varying from sixty TO seventy feet These
saloons have more the appearance Of grand pub
| lie hall than Of the cabin of a vessel They are
finished with all the elegance of the most sumptu-
Gus hotel, and want no appliances for bodily conf
| Tort The vessel, however, has been so often and
SO fully described that we do not care to repeat
| the particulars of her construction
| The Great Eastern was first launched I'm the
| river Thames on Sunday, the 3lst Of January
| 1858, after month spent in effectual attempts
Her builder, Mr. Brunei with number of Others
| connected with the vessel and invited guests
| were on board at the time, and immense crowds
| witnessed the launch, loudly cheering its sue
cess. Till the summer Of 1859 the Great Eastern
lay in the stream, all this time being REQUIRED to
provide the vessel with the necessary accommo-
dations for sailing, to put in the machinery. fur
niture, DC. At last, on the Sth of August Of the
la'ter wear her hnai completion was celebrated
/ on board by grand banquet in which number
OF distinguished guests participated For the
| two years previous the Great Eastern had been
| one of the wonder Of London sightseeing, but
now IT was decided that others should be allowed
| TO view. trial trip was therefore decided
upon, from London around by the southern coast
| OF England to southampton, and probably fur
| ther.
On the seventh of September the steame, n,o-
| ceeded on her trip, and passed down the Thames
| in safety, the shores being lined with multitudes
who greeted her appearance with loud acclama-
| lions. Everything proceeded favorably until the
| steamer came abreast of Hastings. The passen-
gers had just left the dinner table when fearful
| explosion was heard, and the walls of the dining
| room, tne furniture and decorations were shat
| tered, great column Of steam rising upward In
| dense cloud. The CONSERVATION on board was
| Intense, and was soon changed to deem sym natbv
| and sorrow when IL was found that a water feed.
pipe had burst, killing six fremen and woundino
| others, while one man jumped overheard from
| fright and was drowned The vessel was then
taken to Southampton for repairs and she has
remained at that port until she left for New Work
Il
| just previous TO her departure f
This trial trip has been already described I'm the
/ papers: 1t was only Of short duration, merely
| extending to run Of twelve hours out al sea and
| twelve hours back, and was undertaken more 10
ascertain the working completeness of the various
changes that have been made in the mac btnerv
1 T win any view OF testing the vessels speed
| The speed, however, was tested and showed as
every one anticipated, from the very foul state Of
tue vessels bottom, most considerable diminu
non In tue rate attained during the trips of last
everything went pretty we'll and easily and in
| this important respect the trial was REGARDED nv
all the engineers and professional and scientisc
men on board satisfactory
She left Southampton Saturday. June o with
| large company of noblemen and gentlemen On
| board. Rounding Calshott Castle the vessel was
| Kept close In shore, and turned with such mar
Vicious ease and rapidity to excite to the utmost
| the establishment and admiration of Mr. Nurnhy
the New York pilot, who was on board. and
VINO, on seeing how much she was sin hand - al
L ohCc cApfesscu LIE Delle1 that the Great Eastern
| could 90 anywhere where there was water From
| Caishott she wound her way slowly past Cowrs
| and Ryde, through Spithesd and round ths
south coast of the Isle Of Wight. The condition
or trim OF the ship was not considered favorable
To her speed, inasmuch she was i've feet lowe,
by the stern than the bows and her best Trim for
sailing is on level keel Her draugbt of water
| was 81 feet inches forward, and Is feet inch
alta greater depth by nearly feet than she has
ever yet been to sea with. The immersion of the
wheels was twenty inches m re than ever before
ana the screw was well down that ALI hnt
about two inches Of the topmost fan was com
petely under water
Leaving the Isle Of Wight on the starboard
quarter, and keeping out about thirty miles from
land, the Great Eastern steamed slowly down the
coast for the Start Light. The orders were given
70 keep bot, both screw and paddles going easily
got into regular working order Then the Dad
dies started when clear of the land at about
revolutions and the screw at twenty -four-a rate
OF speed which was only gradually Increased
during the night, when the former engines rose
to little over eight and the screw to twenty.
seven. At this rate all went very easily and wei
the vessel going at nine or nine and a half knots
NI