The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-03-27
WASHINGTON, Mar. 10, 1874.

WASHINGTON, Mar. 10, 1874.
Editor Of the Press:
The Pacific Mail Steamship Co.'S steamer
'sCity of Peking" was yesterday launched
from ~tKe yard of -.Jtnn Roach and Son at
Chester, Pa, a few miles below Philadelphia
on the Delaware river. A large number of
invitations Were extended to Officials and 9TH
ers, including members of the press n-
special train consisting of siz Pullman Palace,
and several Of the ordinary coaches left this
city at 8 A. M. bound for the launch. The
excursion was under the auspices of the
Steamship Company; and neither pains nor
expense were spared to render the trip . sue
cess. There were Oh board some sixty sena-
tors and members of Congress, who, with
large number of gentlemen of the quill added
much to the entertainment of the guests who,
in addition to an inexhautible fund of anec-
dote enjoyed many of the other good things
of life, including the solids and fluids, of
which the supply was bountiul. The excur-
sionists arrived at Chester att P. M. just in
season to hear the busy click of the work
mems hammers as they ''set her up'' on the
ways. On approaching heyesssl she stood
nearly sixty feet above the water, the sharp,
clean cut of her bow looming up against the
sky, displaying as beautiful model as ever
sprang from the brain Of an American me-
chanic. At q given signal from her builder,
amid the music of bands and booming of can
non the monster ship glided smoothly and
grandly into her destined element and disap-
peared in the mists Of the Delaware. As she
settled into the water, Miss Roach of New
York broke bottle Of water upon her deck
and christened her .sCity of Peking."
The '.City Of Peking'' is the latest addition
to the Pacific Mail feet of thirty five steam
ers, to be supplemented In few weeks by
her companion. the ''Cito of Yeddo, "she also
to be followed as rapidly as practicable by 9TH
ers OF the same capacity and model. She had
not, at date of launching, been measured for
register, but her gross burden will scarcely
fall short of 5000 tons. Her length of hull is
423 feet by 4S feet breadth of beam, and she
is 38 feet inches deep between the top of the
keel and the spar-deck. She has four decks
and six water tight compartments. She has
accommodations for $50 cabin, and 1900 steer
age passengers; and her coal bunkers will
carry 1900 tons.
Her hull is entirely of iron. The whole
bottom of the ship is covered with Whites
waterproof cement which fills up all spaces
solid to the timber holes.
She is furnished with steam steerage ap-
paratus supplied with friction brake to hold
%6 tbs bonEgf edasr 6 indicate eHe9 II exe
degree the rudder is at any moment. She is
furnished with distilling apparatus which
provides 1000 gallons of water per day for
passenger consumption. The total amount
of iron used in her construction Is 5, 100000
pounds, quantity sufficient to load train
Of $50 freight ears.
The engines of the s'City OF Peking'', two
in number, are 5000 horse power and are sup
piled with steam by ten cylindrical boilers 13
long, with heating surface of 1900 square
feet. These engines are warranted to drive
the steamer 154 knots-more than lS3 stat
utes miles miles per hour.
1t will be seen by the foregoing facts that
the "City of Peking" is, with the exception
of the "Great Eastern" the largest ship
afloat. She is the largest trading ship that
ever bore the American flag; and the
largest vessel, available for commercial pur-
poses, that ever carried the flag OF any coun-
try.
1t has been question with American
shipbuilders since the late war, whether iron
ships could be built in this country in the
face of what was considered our discriminat
ing tariff. England boasted-and it must be
confessed that she has continued to accom-
pany her assertion with q most plausible
demonstration of her ability to perform what
she undertakes-that she would in future
carry her gold and our productions in En-
glish bottoms. So faithfully has she fulfilled
her promise in this respect that were it not
for the enterprise of a few shipbuilders on
the Delaware not single merchant steam
ship would to-day float upon the Atlantic
carrying the flag Of the United States. The
problem has at length been solved by a little
Scotchman in Pennsylvania by the name of
John Roach.
Three years ago Mr.. Roach, who was an
extensive builder engaged in executing
exciting large government contracts fol
machinery conceived the project Of
building, iron vessels in connection with
his other gigantic operations. After study.
ing the subject for year and obtaining the
views Of such gentlemen as Mr.. Wood. Chel
ofthe Bureau Of steam Engineering, United
States Navy, as well as others whose opin-
ions are valuable, Mr.. Roach decided, Two
years ago, to locate his great yard at Cnec sssct
where he has now erected the mos. P1b ;n he
establishment of its kind to be founa ...,,rrad ~
country. Within that period he mas -