The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-06-30
&ittmunn 4ispattt.
SATURoAY MORNING. JUNE 30 1860.
THB GREAT EASTERN IN NEW YORK.
The Speed Of the Passage..Ffme Weather.,
smooth Sailing .Games ON Board..De
scription Of the Vessel, &C., kc.

The Speed Of the Passage..Fine Weather.
Smooth Sailing. .Games ON Board..De-
scriptien Of the Vessel, &C., &c.
The steamship Great Eastern, with about
forty passengers. among them six British
Captains and three ladies. arrived at the light
ship, of Sandy Hook, about 7 O'Clock, Thurs
day morning. The Tribune says:
The Great Eastern steamship left her moor.
tngs In Southampton waters precisely at 8
O'Clock on the morning Of Sunday the 18th
on the morning of the 2Sth. The reason of her
not leaving on Saturday was because a very
heavy thunder storm 80 completely darkened
the horizon at O'Clock (when che was to have
sailed) that she did not think 1t safe to pro.
ceed, and darkness set in before the storm
went off.
She passed the Needles at 10x O'Clock, and
has had most beautiful voyage, although on
the night of the 18th there was severe storm.
1t was short, however, and although the sea
continued quite heavy during the next day,
the noble ship did not care enough about the
storm on the sea to make her passengers either
lose q. good nights rest or be sea-sick. She
took things very moderate as regards speed,
and did not put her engines fairly to work
until the voyage was more than half accom-
plished; and their greatest speed-SuEday,
Monday and Thursday Of this Week-did not
exceed l2A revolutions for the paddles per
minute, and 36x for the screw. All her ma
chinery has worked admirably-even better
than the most sanguine dared To expect; not q
bad journal has been discovered. {.
She run far to the south to avoid the ice, and
was in the Gulf stream more than two days.
Tuesday night last she was enveloped in q
dense fog, with engines going at half speed aud
whistle blowing, that no :, 900 ton ship should
be run over ana sunk unnoticed. Had it not
been for this fog she would undo btedly have
been in on yesterday.
The passage has been a most delightful one,
hsc
no passenger has been sea- sick. She has an
easy, slow roll. which is considerable when
the swell is at her beams, but it is SO slow and
comfortable as to be agreeable rather than
otherwise. She will not jump or pitch for any
sea, storm, or wind; and when she takes no.
ton to roll q bit, she will have her ROLL even
ii the sea is smooth. But the amount of this
roll can we'll be judged when we say that the
game of skettles was played on every day Of
the voyage save one, except Sunday, upon he
deck of the G Great Eastern, and that when
other large vessels were seen pitching heavily.
Her number OF passengers is 43, comprising
but three ladies, and are all first class. The
last few days of the voyage it has been mag
nificent weather. with the exception of the
fog.
She is more than twice as long as our own
noble Niagara-being 500 feet from stem to
stern, and IN bulk is over four times as large
Her capacity is 9,975 tons, or by builders
measurement, upon which estimates. are gen.
orally based, 22, 500 TONS Her width is e5 feet,
She has six masts, which carry not less than
six thousand five hundred yards Of canvas
almost enough to drive half q dozen of the Or
binary packetships, which once were the chief
mode of conveyance between the Old and New
Worlds. In case OF accident. there are numer.
Gus life boats ready for immediate use. and
two steam screw prOpelleIs which could be
made available at few moments notice. Her
construction required $4,000 iron plates,
weighing in the aggregate 1000 tons and to
fasten these together not less than 30OO,OOO of
bolts were required. The aggregate weight OF
these bolts is about q, ,UO0, 900 of pounds.
One hundred and twelve furnaces each of
good size, are used to heat ten boilers, and
these in turn furnish steam for eight engines,
four screw and four paddle. Each boiler is
entirely independent of the rest, and the poW-
er they exert uponrhe engines is, at 25 pounds
pressure, 1900 horses, the screw engines pos
sessmg 600 horse power at that pressure
But with an increase of pressure, the power
OF these wonderful engines could be raised to
10000. Add to this the power of the two aux
lli1ry high pressure engines, to be used ON the
screw in case of necessity, and the total horse
power which could be exerted, will not fail
much, if any, short Of IL 500. The cylinders
of the paddle engines are each six feet in di-
ameter, and each weighs twenty-six TONS
The length Of stroke is IA feet, and the diame-
ter of the paddle wheels is SO feet. Four boil
ers and forty furnaces are required to supply
the necessary power to work these engines
The cylinders Of the screw engines are each
seven feet in diameter, and each weighs thirty
tons. The length of stroke is four feet, and ~
furnaces are required to heat the four boilers,
which supply the motive power. The screw.
which is by all odds the largest ever con-
structed. is "a feet in diameter, has four blades
and weighs 13O tons. The shaft, connecting it
with the engines, weighs over 50 tons, and is
100 feet long The boilers, which with the en-.
kines occupy much room, are run longitude
nally along the ships centre, and the paddle
engines, (made on the oscillating principie,)
stand but little short of So feet in height.
The height of the Great Eastern's hull is 60
feet and it is divided into ten compartments,
each perfectly warer-tight, SO that in case OF
accident to one or even more, the remainder
would act as preservers OF the noble vessel
The hull is constructed on the cellular system,
which, it is believed, will almost double the
strength of this important portion OF the ves-
sci, aAd preserve the ship, in case OF ground
ing from any damage by the strain OF the i'm
mense weight upon the lower portions. So
far as strength goes, there is no reason to ap-
prehend any danger. She is divided into four
decks the lower one being used chiefly for the
boilers and engines. But these decks have been
constructed SO solidly, that the passengers in
their cabins will be unable to hear the least
sound Of the working of the engines, or the la
sleep forward, just below the fOrecastle, which
has been appropriated for the officers. Below
the seamen's berths, two mOnstrOus places are
provided for the cargo, of which the vessel can
carry, it is estimated, five thousand tons, not
speaking of the coal necessary for a voyage TO
Australia, whittier she is destined to run by
those who own her. Besides the ten compart.
ments into which the ship is divided, she is
also divided into three great parts by solid
walls OF iron. The middle one is used for
the boilers, engines and saloons; the lateral
ones contain the coal bunkers, which are
underneath the berths and side cabins
As regards the passenger accommodations,
they are unrivallad, and prove that the con-
structor had as fine an eye for comfort and
luxury, as for strength aud durability. There
are ten saloons, of which five are on the upper
deck and FIVE the lower and all have hx,ou
furnished in style of luxury and elegance
that must be positively refreshing TO the pas
senger, who on deck is signing for "h0me,
sweet home;' for upon entering these noble
saloons, the last thought likely to strike one
would be that he was off of terra .frma. The
length Of the saloons on the upper deck is 70
feet, their height bel & IL feet. Those on the
lower deck are 60 feet in length and nearly IA
feet in height The main saloon is sixty.twO
feet long, and thirty-six feet wide, twenty
feet OF it at one end being set apart tor the use
Of ladies. II is luxuriousiy and yet tastefully
furnished. The carpet is simple in pattern,
maroon color predominating, and the sofas are
covered with Utrecht velvet. The Bullets ure
OF walnut, carved in the richest style of art,
and are topped with green marble. On the
sides Of this gorgeOusly arrayed saloons there
are dozens Of mirrors with rich gilt frames
and numerous arabasques, representing the
various arts and sciences employed in con-
ducting the vessel. The doors OF the state
rooms are furnished with curtains OF the fin-
est crimson silk, and all around there is every
evidence of good taste and regard for the COM
fort of those who may be on board. The
first impression likely to strike a visitor. ia
passing through the SALOONS, is, that he is In
some fashionable hotel. The idea that he is
on board OF ship would not strike him, were
he unaware of the fact. A noticeable feature
of the main saloon is, that two OF the great
tunnels pass through, but SO neatly has 1t been
decorated, that it serves more as an ornament
than an inconvenience.
There is room for a comfortable disposition
Of 4,UOO passengers, divided as follows:
First CI4ss. s.--.-. ~