The Republican journal., 1881-09-29
The Longevity of Iron Ships.

What term OF years may be calculated
rs the lifetime of a substantially con
structed iron ship? Experts, we believe,
are still undecided on that head, but
Judging from what is reported about the
Great Britain, vessel of this sort, is
quite as long lived as a man, accidents
apart That once famous steamship left
the stocks at Bristol nearly forty years ago,
and when she was put up at auction at
Liverpool the other day she was found to
be almost as strong as ever. \ very not
able career hers has been, since the world
marveled at Mr.. Brudel's audacity in de-
signing such mOnstrous craft. Gigantic,
indeed, she seemed in those days, but we
have moved on so quickly since then
that the Great Britain has come to be
quite Il moderate sized vessel for ocean
voyages, her dimensions being only 1875
tons register, or 327O burden. During
her early lifetime she met with series of
mistOrtunes, the first being of a rather
comical sort. Before she could reach the
River Avon from the yard where she was
built, the glory of Bristol had to pass
through the lock gates Of Cumberland
Basin. Nor was it until she lad nearly
got Wedged in the exit that Der proprie-
tors discovered her to be some feet 100
broad to pass through. After that she
lay for a whole winter tasV aground in
Dundrum Bay, with nothing to protect
her against the fury of the waves but the
floating breakwater of brushwood and
tagg0ts which Capt ClaXton thought of in
a moment Of inspiration. The Great Brit
ain subsequently suffered many other
vcisstudes, and the public will there
fore be glad to hear that the old ship is
in such good health. London Globe.
NEWSPAPER NoTEs The Mount Desert Herald
will be issued on Saturdays only until next June
The Herald is an excellent paper and merits sub
stantal patronage The Lincoln County News
has a Veterans Department, devoted to the inter
csts Of the veterans Of The 10Th Maine Infantry
Charles Dudley Warner, journalist, and au thor OF
that pleasant book "My Summer in a Garden SAYS
that mo private person contributes so much to
charity, IN proportion toabillty as the newspaper
IA welcome addition to our agricultural ex
changes is the Southern Farmers Monthly, a hand
somey printed and illustrated journal published
by J. H. Estill, Savannah, Georgia. Though de
SlSucu SOUTHERN tHlS luOntHly Is one
of general interest The best and most prosper
ous newspaper in Washington, the Evening Star,
is edited by Maine man, Mr.. Crosby S. Noycs.
The weekly edition Of the Star is in all respects
model paper. Gov. Plaised's Bangor organ, The
freehoder, has turned its toes up to the daisies.
The Phillips Phonograph, heretofore ndepend
ent is now straight out Republican paper and
ought to meet with Moore success than before -
The Savannah Morning News issued double
sheet Saturday Sept 3D. containing annual
view of the commercial year, with reliable stats
ties of the trade of Savannah during the year and
other matter of interest. The exhibit is highly
satisfactory and justtes the claim that Savannah
IS the first cotton port on the South Atlantic coast,
The Morning News, we may add, is an enterprising
journal and an important motor in Savannahs
commercial and industrial progress The Daily
Register Of Sept lst contains the annual review of
the trade and commerce of Mobile 1t is an eX
hibit which ought to be satisfactory to the citizens
OF that place, as it shows that Mobile is sharer
in the general prosperity Of the country. The cot
ton receipts for the year ending Aug 3lst were
larger than during the preceding year the lumber
and timber trade was larger than in any previous
year and is already advancing; and in other direc-
tions there unmistakable evidences of healthy
and decided business progress.