New Orleans daily crescent., 1866-09-15

Gll,l
builder of the engines Mr. ErastGs w. Smith |
controlling constructive engineer; and Mr. Thomas
Main his assistant, with Capt. James Comstock |
lataof the Baltic, Collins line in command of the
Dnnderbeggj which was manned by thirty sea1nen
and run by two hundred and ten fremen assistant |
angineeFsf etc, the full compliment, directed by
Mr. John Gailahan, the active engineer.
The party was limited to those enumerated as |
the TuTpuse of the trip was purely scientilic and
the inability Of accommodating all the friends of
tho builders Wonld have proved as complete as |
aile selection Of favored few would have been in
yidious 50 8nly The parties directly concerned
were allowed ID SO.
sTK4MING OUT FROM THE DOCK
Early as was the hour, the spacious dock at fheA
foot VI Sixth street was xhekly sprinkied With
spectators mostly shipwrights and as the stentorI
fiaB voice Of Captain Gomstock gaze the order
Let all 90, = motion was hrst impaired to the i'm
nlense mass that has known no other except the
tidesway, for many months, and the Dunderberg
steamed out into the waters over which she is
hold martial empire, straight as a DART steady as
ever shlp that foated, and big as Colossus. Her
egEess was greeted with mighty cheers whose
echoes hoated over the stately iron craft, were
takensa sap by the voyagers and sent back with vocal
usHry shoreward, until the air rang and lungs
could hurfah no longer.
Ihe appearance Of the Thunder-M ountain is mot
the defiant rakish, saucy look that is fetfered
from keel To truck on every clipper. but lying
low ia the waters, slle spreads ont into massivity
and proceeds with almost conscious and easily
visible majesty Of motion, bearing right On herI
undertaking course, breathing grim defiance and
warning from her short but immensely wide
sMoke-Sthek, and advancing with tiat yiek ram
prov that extends fifty feet over and under the
surface, able to split and sink all the wooden
walls man has launched since Father Noahcs
foatlng nellageEie v ent into dry doeg on ATarat
LEI oehre-red hue Of gTimiy prolonged outline
contrasts with the black baptism OF smoke that
halos her powerful nns ing pro gress and when.
the mighty ordinance pouf immense sable Inns
through the gaping PORTFOLIOS, the effect will be-
stiil Yaster and more imposing, All were de.
lighted with the beautiful Obedience and working
OF the ram.
AS only to reduce the friction of the engines
was the purpose Of the trip, and to famarize the
men with their nanag gement but the moderate
pressure of sixteen pounds of steam was allowed
Ihis secured forty revolutions Of the enormous
screw wheels per minute, and shot the syminetrf.
cal mass along ft an hourly rate of ten knots Sol
devoid sof the least tendency TO roIIo or even toll
uEdalate, was she vessel that but for the breath
ing OF the gigantic steam lungs and the recession
Of outside obJects the motion would have been
barely percepfble. Every one on board VA nap
meatef with enthusiasm from the cabin l5oT Ia |
commodore, e0agra atulatiOn and eonntinoery in |
terpassed between all, and a proposition 10 rIln |
into and pulSeTize Governors Isl8nlfaiIed IN opIt
u one vote, as DID also motion toFam off Sandy |
Ltook from msaIlnJerseE, and assure quarantine
10 the Empire States tE#
DIARY OF THE ExFEDITIoN
Embarked from Sixth street dock at 5:45 A. M.
Steamed directly for Brooklyn Navy Yard, whergJ
were taken on hoard the following officers of the
government oTdeTed to- supeFntend the working
Of the ram: Post Captain Ringold and Ransom
and engineers Dainty and Purse, of the United
states navy Rear admiral Gregory was detained
BY sickness. After stearniag at viii around thel
harbor IS far as Christopher end lanai Streets
the ram was headed for the NarreYst Inv the wag
ct Buttermil llanael first passing and saluting
the Persia of her dock at Jersey CITY. The Mar.
rows WGre reached at S.45 an and Forts IJafaJ-i
cite and Richmond dipped ensigns to the Dnnder-
berg, the recognition being returned amid the
SrsIenaGas eheeEs ot crew and garrison the latter
peilg 10 line for lnsp eetieH.
A AAf . O'clock all sat down to hearty breakfast
s1ln az Nhetted by saline air and e&lliia
FAllon, barely had the Joint merits of the repast
ana me vessel been well discussed before the
3lIghtshi ip was reached and open ocean gained
Here at 9;A5 the whole party came on deck to- /
witness the test syolutions of the ram (which was
repeatedly, forty one! times in all, in
epaes barely more than hale her length $50 feetl ]
inches, each complete revolution being made III
an aye rage iine Of three minutes and thirty Sec.
enass bE oiE Reporters watch, and not the least
dipping o. lateral lurchiug being noticeable to the
aenbest observation. AS prophecy and exhibit.
flon Of she rapiditY and facility with which in
oase of coniiictt the nautical annihilator could
her base, either to vary the direction OIL
her discharges OF to bisect her opponent this ex.
eeutlon was pronounced unapproachabIs on til
part % anything else that now carries cannon by
the u1a niiaOps verdict of the officials on board
During headaY the DundeFberg was stsauginp
around the Lower Bay, and thrice up the North
river as iar as Canal street. The news of her de-
partnre had spread throughout the citv and tbe
doek was black with excited thousands Who'll
oheered Justify her every appearance. The men.
0fsYar ships and merchantmen of all nations in {
flle harh er were crowded, what with their crews
and the I'D dFenturons many that had boarded their +
decks for observation, from the two cities and
sron4the mosquito marshes OF the State Of Cam.
den M ana AInboy. Glasses innnmerable were lev. !
eHed, hosts of dags fitlttered welcome deem.
thrpated hnzzas every where riIbhoned gtbe afr
Ihe progress of the Dunderberg was as eon11Iefe
% ovation as it was q vindcation Of tile immense
expenditure, labor, and design bestowed upon her
structure. 5s5 IA is55iI iiti15 II IA a -
OF the collation. the speeches the songs, toasts
aad gTalld edible and social good time generally
AT halt past . o'clock the Dunderbere steamed
back without accident 10 her dock taking afIyan4
.ageof the then prevailing high water to ACCOM-
neaate her large draft Of tWenty-ene feet andI
he party disembarked. One two other 3siIoiiaf
short trips are projected before the decisive trial.
Flp ~ extend i've days, Is to occur. During this
s1eaTsion the Dunderherg developed exactly one
iaH her poWsrAof stean pressure, and onehalf
~ I'M lesE w M @ assured possible naximum geEolu
Inc amount of pressure Of steam was sixteen :.
1ontas 10 flle square inch, the number of regolu.
lens " as i0ry to the minute the apeed ten knots
u hour. The doubles of these rates ohyio4sig
ipher themselves and the degree of power tbeyI &
1pIess would exceed eredibility, did not science
na Is ~ ufes aslnonssfate them beyond eagil. To
MS irreslsl1hty add lnrRlnerability and imprer-
anillbY, and the Dnnderherg as a fact and a nos. f
ibility may be conprehended. IN. 7. World
e,------------- Il a
Our EAMBoATaEN.- is not a citizen Of
4. Louis who, since Saturday, does not feel q :
ew pride in our ateamboatmen. The honor Of 4
reeminenee in q civic and popular pageant
thieh itself, was preemfnent and notable for its
earfllless and yastness, Is eheerfnly conceded toll
hem by all ) and no one refers to the events of
aturday without speaking gratefully Of the
taamboatment.
The central feature of the presidential lreoep-
on was the river display Without this the re-
option would have been deprived Of all novelty Il
p other body Of men of equal numbers, in the
iOrid, could or would have done what the steam.
III
ours preparation, they Transformed the twenty
dies seeti0n8of the Mississippi between st. Louis
ID Alton into magnificent panorama
Twenty miles 0 broad and mighty river