Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1862-11-12
Letters of a Traveller
To the Democrat s. Sentinel
No. l..

The great Eastern navigation company
OF England came to the conclusion that
they could obviate the difficulties that
stood in the way of steam navigation be
tween England, the East Indies, China
and Australia, by constructing a steamer
sufficiently large to carry her own fuel
ample in quantity for these extended vow
ages, On this resolution Mr.. Scott Rus
sci undertook TO build this vessel which
accounts for her name Her length Is
692 feet; or nearly a quarter of mile
around her. Breadth across paddle boxes
l2S feet depth from deck 10 keel IS feet
inches, tonnage 800 tons Weight
OF ship with engines twelve thousand tons.
She Is worked by the screw the paddle
and the sail. The Engines of the paddle
wheels are oscillating engines of the follow
ing dimensions, nominal horse power one
thousand, number OF cylinders (. Diane
ter OF cylinders II inches. length of
stroke II feet, strokes per minute II
The screw engines are horizontal direct
engines, nominal horse power 500,
number of cylenders 4 diameter of each
81 inches, length of each stroke / feet.
number of revolutions per minute 30.
There are four boilers for the paddle en-
gIncs each weighing about 80 tons. and
containing about 40 tons of water The
boilers fthe screw engines are similar to
those of the paddle engines, but something
larger and heavier and more of them. Ii
Is estimated that the paddle and Screw
engines when working together exert a
e I
this the usual amount carried by a craft
of that size and then imagine the force
that can be used for propclIing her She
carries 20 large boats, some of which
resemble small Yachts, and most of them
fitted with masts and sails complete
Her crew consists of over four hundred
men. One third belong to the engineer
ing department, an other to the stewards
department, and the remaining third con-
sists of sailors. Her chief officers consist
of captain, a chief steward Il chief engi-
neer, sailing master, a purser and three
surgeons. She is fitted to carry four thou
sand passengers, 500 first class , thou
sand second class, and twelve hundred
third class. The vessel Is divided into
ten different apartments. The ground
saloon about GO feet long is georgeouSiv
furnished. So also is the ladies cabin.
The second is not so we'll furnished. and
the third still a little worse but every thing
is clean and tidy. The officers are ecner-
ally men of merit and experience. The
sailors are good intelligent class of that
type, but the subordinate stewards COM
pared with those of other large steamers
that L have seen are no better than they
should be, they often mistake other mems
goods for their OWN and appropriate them
accordingly. This vessel has an outer
skin or hull, all plated over with iron
plates, and an inner hull perfectly ironed
and water tight, so that if the outer one
was damaged the inner one would be per-
tectly secure | must pass over the
butchers shop, bakers shop, apothecarv-s
shop and liquor saloons. without anv de
scription, as it would infringe teo much
on the space | have marked out for NV
self 1t was TO us great curiosity ON
board to see the anchor raised by steam
power and the music of the band instead
of the sailors singing TO the revolutions OF
the capStan. The anchor being raised.
the ship swung around beautifully with
the tide from her mooring. She
fired her signl guns and every officer and
man was at his post, she steamed it ma
.jestically past Fort Lafayette and Fort
Hamilton g.. to Sandy Hook | viewed
with sadness these forts, because at this
time there were men dungeOned there.
suspected OF treason against the govern
ment who some months before were con-
sldered good and patriotic men, and they
were there without any trial by Judge or
Jury, / feared that our government like our