The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-07-14
A FLOATING CITY,
ADAPTED FROM JULES VERNE

kLOAI1NG tAlI.
ADAPTED FROM JULES VERNE
The Great Eastern, the steamship
brought so prominently into public notice
at the successful laying of the Atlantic
cable,is the subject of the present sketch.
1t is more than ship; it is a floating
city, or as has been said, bit of coun.
ty torn from English soil, and going to
weld itself to the American Continent
1t is microcosm, and carries world
with it.
This steamship was advertised to sail
from Liverpool for New York on the
Goth of March, 1867. In the evening
the last preparations were finished, and
on the morning OF the Goth, the flags Of
England, France, and America displayed
on the mast.heads gave notice that the
ship vas ready to sail.
Capt. Sir James Anderson had chosen
the time for starting when the tide was
coming in, as he was no more certain to
handle his ship with safety in the midst
of the vessels which crowded the river,
whose narrowness did not allow the Great
Eastern to turn AS tho tide was com.
ing iD strong, it was very difficult mat
ter to get the anchors up.
At quarter past one all was finally
ready. The Captain aud pilot mounted
the bridge. One mate stood by the sig
nal apparatus of the screws, another by
that of the paddles. Between them was
the steersman. at the wheel Of the steam.
steering apparatus As matter of
precautioD,in case Of failure OF the steam,
four sailors stood by the ordinary steer.
ing apparatus in the stern,
The great ship started and threaded
its way among the numerous vessels and
steamboats, which covered the Mersey,
obedlent to the slightest movement Of the
pilots hand, Ships Of seven hundred
tons appeared by her side like toy boats,
aud the Cunard emigrant steamer, Tri-
poll, seemed like an ordinary barque.
Soon the shouts and cheers which greet.
ed the vessel became more and more rare,
the country trenched upon brick walls,
villas appeared, and at the lighthouse on
the lett bank Of the Mersey. the final
cheers saluted the passing ship. Al four
O'Clock the ship stopped, took on the Sec
ond doctor from u tug, and sent back the
pilot A strong southeast wind blew the
flags out without a wrinkle, hut in spite
of the head wind the Great Eastern neith.
er rolled nor pitched Darkness came on,
and Iloly.hoad point was finally lost il
the night.
On board the ship, to my great sur
prise; | met my old friend, Fabien Nc
Eiwin, II Captain in the British army,
travelling on a furongh of year, and
fresh from tiger hunting in Indian jun
giles. lie introduced me to his friend and
fellow traveller, Captain Archibald Cor
sicau, likewise Of the Indian army, tall
fellow Of six feet, with blonde beard and
long mustache, head erect, and shoulders
well thrown back "a thorough soldier.
These two told that they had planned to
sail in the China. OF the Cunard line, but
that when McElwin saw my name on the
Great Eastern's list. they changed their
plans, in order to have me for compan.
ion on the voyage across the Atlantic.
Two days had passed without special
events, and I found Capt. MELVIN
whom | had noticed to be preternatural.
ly sober and melancholy, watching the
waves astcrn of the ship churned iutc
foam by the screw and paddles. Said
he:
The wake is truly splendid. can
see letters in the waves. Look. there
are Is and e's Am deceived ? No
they are really letters; look ! always the
same
McElwin's excited imagination saw in
the ships wake all that he wished to see
But what could the letters mean? What
memory did they call up in MELVIN,
breast
All Of a sudden he exclaimed. as nc
watched the water closely Come, come
thy abyss Of waters is calling me-
What's the matter with you. my
friend p said |, taking his hand in mine
"A grief here replied be. laying hi'
hand upon his heart, that will kill me.
With no cure possible, and no hope I?
said /.
No hope, replied he, turning on hi
heel ard going below.
All of sudden towards eight O'Clock
We felt tremendous shock. A frightfu
wave had struck the ship on her larboart
side.
There, said Capt. Corsican, that i
not love pat. That's a knock dow
blow in the chest
10 fact, might, to carry out his Ggur
of speech, say that we had been half mur
dered. Fragments of wreck sirewe,
the waves. | could see that part of ou
larboard bulwork had been carried away
Still the Great Eastern continued he
course with imperturbable audacity. 1
order to clear away the debris we ough
to have run before the wind. But th
Captains temper was up, aud he woul
not yield An officer and some sailor
were sent forward 10 cear the deck.
Look out, said the captain tho wor'
ia to come
As he spoke a wave more tremendou
than the FIRST struck the ship. knocke
down tho men. and made clean swee
This matter Of steering by steam Is a grsi
modern triumph. Instead of six OF eight me
tugging. sometimes almost in vain, at the stee
ing wheels, one man. standing on the ship
bridge, with his eye on the needle of the "tel
tale" which shows him the position of the ru,
der every instant, guides the ships course b
turning wheel foot in diameter, and whiC
| obeyes the toueh Of one Of his hands