Year: 1861

Just now be obtained from them, period of disuse
having somewhat impaired their perfect working But
at the time the experience Of this trip seems to
forbid the hope of the extraordinary speed which many
persons have anticipated from her, quite as positively
as it has proved her almost absolute safety and the
paraleled comforts she affords


The Great Eastern left Milford Haven on the even
ing of Wednesday, May the first. The number of her
passengers small in consequence OF the long uncer-
tainty as to her departure. As late as the previous
Saturday, il was unknown whether the seizure by
Messrs. Scott Russell e. Co. would not prevent her
leaving England at ALL and many travellers who would
gladly have crossed in her, unwilling TO risk the
chances Of detention Her departure excited very little
public interest. A number Of the directors and Mr.
Scott Russell came down from London to see her safely
away, and some Of the passengers of the first voyage
put in brief appearance, for little while their
acquaintance with the spendos of the Great Ship, but
otherwise she received farewell attention She start.
ed at 81 o'clock in the evening and was very soon
seaming down the harbor at full speed, but with 80
gentle motion that the majority of the passengers,
who were at supper, were unaware of any movement.
On Thursday morning she was well at sea. During
four days the weather clear, and the sea, if not
always perfectly quiet was sufficiently heavy to





was the same freedom from unpleasant motion that you
would find on North River boat and the Long Island
Sound steamers are frequently more unquiet. There
were no guards placed upon the dlnngtabes ana YET
the usual quadres of dishes and glasses were not
opened. The shipss doctor is supposed to have led
life of luxurious dleness and the stewards enjoyed re-


lief from their customary inconvenience, for the most
susceptible showed signs Of sea-sckness The ship
was lively a watering-pace hotel in the middle
of a season, and far comfortable. Amusements
were pursued; games were prac;ised on deck and IN
the saloons and the panoforte played its part regu
arly in the entertainment. 1t perfectly plain that
this desirable condition of things could not have exist
ed so long on board any other vessel for on Sunday
several large ships that passed tossed and pitched
about with considerable violence by the sea, which
had risen good deal, but which produced no effect
whatever upon the Great Eastern. The motion was
hardly greater than at the moment of leaving Milford
Haven. AT this time the hope was very confidently
cherished that the entire voyage would pass without
any interruption Of tranquility On Sunday night half
the Atlantic had been crossed without roll


On Monday however, some things did suffer sea
change. At o'clock in the morning. a strong South
ery gale spang up, which increased in severity until
O'Clock, when it became almost hurricane. The
variations of the wind rated in the ships log by
fgures-l representing the mildes breeze and lO the
strongest tempests. This gale was set down at9
great deal Of rain fell, and the uncommonly
high. The ship now began to TO in a manner which
none of the officers had anticipated. So confident
had everybody been regarded her steadiness under
any circumstances that the ordinary precautions of Sc
curing furniture and other moveables had not been
taken. The large tables in the saloons, which had not
been screwed down, were all overturned, and piled
together with chairs and lounges, in broken heap
Some OF the sofas started with their occupants, on
little sliding voyages about the cabins, and pas
senger careless Of his balance, was thrown some dis
lance, with such violence to break away part Of the
bannser of staircase against which he fell. Several
breakfasts and lunches were wrecked in the ordinary
course of things, but the tableguards prevented any
general devastation in this respect On the whole the
passengers did not suffer much discomfort for with all
the rolling the motion gradual, and free from
sudden shocks that no person found difficulty in accom-
modating himself to it.


Early in the afternoon one of the heavy chain.
vangs which held the gaff of the foremast in its place,
broke in two, leaving the huge spar almost wholly
unsupported ON one side. This chain, like Others
which afterward parted, was supposed to have been





to render it unequal to the great strain now imposed
upon it. The gai, timber of some eighteen hundred
weight, began to sway back and forth with each urch
Of the ship and presently flew through the air at full
swing, long iron chain which hung from its end like


whipash, swapping through the rigging at the same
time and causing considerable damage. 1t not only
cut in and out remorsessy among the ropes, but also
endangered one of the tall smoke-funnes,
against which it was flung with immense force
each minute. Several Of the skylights OF the
grand saloon were broken in by the fragments OF
the rigging which fell upon them. 1t was thought
necessary to ask all ladies to withdraw from the saloon,
lee they should suffer inconvenience in case of the
ke funnel (which passes throught III being torn
away. In the of hour the gait secured,
and low red the furniture below having, meanwhile,
been Bel to rights, and properly fastened down. To
prevent, ii possible, any further msadventures with
the masts it was decided to lower the five remaining
gas. In order to accomplish this the more readily
the vessel was turned from her course and brought
head to wind The cessation of motion was nsanta-
neOus and the quiet of the four preceding days was at
once restored But before much had been done toward
getting down the spars, it attempted to resume
the direct course at half speed. The result
was unlucky The ship was met and struck by heavy
sea- the shock of which knocked one Of the main gais
completely ofits jaw, socket, and left it dangling
precariousy by chains This, with rather more diff
Guilty than the other in turn secured and the ship
was again put of its course with the same success as
before. But the accidents of the day were not ended


just as of the remaining gas began to be lowered
broke loose and fell from its place to the deck, spn
tering companon-way and breaking glass OF three
or four dining saloon skyghts, to the particular con-