Norwich bulletin., 1921-03-19
ODD INCIDENTS IN AMERICAS HISTORY
WHEN THE GREAT EASTERN
 REACHED AMERIoCA.

@NA~N~NAA@-AN The day of unusual interest in the big ocean liners has passed. through the mar lvelous advancement in the shipbuildins craft. and the enormous water palaces which daily arrive and leave the Ameri- |
 can ports for Europe and the Orient | When the Great Eastern was built and
 went into service in 1860. it was consid- :
 cred most wonderful achievement and ! attracted unusual attention on both con-
 tinents, Up to this time there was no.h- | ing in any way to compare with this ocean greyhound" and from the start of her maiden voyage, early in June Of I 1880, until her arrival in New York. on June 2S, she was awaited with unusual interest
 t The Great Eastern passed the light Ihouse at the entrance to New York har- ;' Dor about . o'clock in the morning She was compelled to weigh anchor for a time but at o'clock in the afternoon, at high ; water, she crossed the bar and proceeded Ito the city, where she arrived at o. ! clock.
 ! Tho event created the greatest enthu- } aiasm throughout the city. Business was ! generally suspended and multitudes of people thronged the wharves and roofs . to get glimpse of the great monster. kl When the vessel was passing F,'-t La- l fayette a salute was frei. which was ], promptly responded to from the four guns T of the Great Eastern, and 9-oEa this t ine 8 onward until her arrival in the North f River it was one continual ovation to the ,. Idisttnguished stranger. Cannons boomed h steam whistles shrieked, people hur- y rahed, handkerchiefs waved, swift feet O ing yachts dashed along in the hugC Ii shadow under a cloud of canvas. as il 1T lowing in acknowledgement of the super !. for towering above them, and demon D, stFations of kindly nature came frun h all quarters
 10 Indeed, as far as the eye could see tn Ih tops of houses in New York and it's su D. burbs were thronged with people excitei d to the highest degree of curiosity am d. enthusiasm. As the vessel approached i. d dock hundreds of little craft shot out iT! ,n to the stream and fell in the wake of tn of Great Eastern. When nearly off the Bat T. tery the chimes of Trinity church wer he heard across the water, playing Rul' ge Britannia. Salutes also were fired froT a all the steamers in port, not excepting e- of course, the Cunarders at Jersey Cit, SC which. on this occasion, did extra honor is Before landing the Great Eastern pro at ceeded up the North River as far as l5l ar street. Here, after some difficulty, sf
 Twas turned and headed down stream fc m her dock. Strange to say, only SSrt! eR three passengers could be found h u all year 1860 to venture on the first vo. lis age of the most splendid ship that ev ell fioated in the ocean, but this was owin its of course, to the novelty and vastness st. the experiment and to the serious doub
 which had been so freely expressed fro ng the very first conception of the enterpri ter as to the .manageableness of such ve red sel in a storm at sea.
 ad- For many weeks the Great Easte Jn- was visited by tens of thousands Of nc the sons, who gladly paid the admission I ley charged to inspect the majestic structu ist They saw in the Great Eastern a sl nst twice as long as the United States frisa act Niagara and nearly five times the tonna no of that giant of the American navy. ak walking four times up and down her dc use the distance covered was a mile. is The weight of this huge ship bel and twelve thousand tons, and coal and caI
 about eighteen thousand tops more, /. motive power to propel he must - course, be proportionate. and 1t was (
 be feature in the majestic ship. not less th rom her immense size, which astcuished al- visitor.
 , of During her entire stay at the New Y to dock this grandest of nautical strucfu
 do was the chief object of attraction in
 United States, and was pronounced by 2. the most superb conception-the m
 wonderful achievement-of human m
 and skill. Large excursion parties CT
 from all the large cities of the Union
 view her lofty walls of iron. her stdp
 dous machinery and her marvellous ini
 nal arrangements, and in due time opr of tunity was afforded those who wished i'm" witness her sailing qualities to be cari seek by the noble ship on pleasure eXcursi be to Cape May and elGewheTe-a privil not which thousands availed themselves bout including many persons eminent in na