Year: 1860

The excursion trip of the Great Eastern from New York
to Cape Msy, Monday afternoon to have been
considered with its accompaniment surprising any
water-dsplay exhibited the noble and beautiful
bay of New York The the departure of the great
ship set at three o'clock, but it halfpast four
before she had swung around from her position in the mid


river with her head up stream. This she did very gra-
dualy using her propeller and side wheels either in
junction sgy the case demanded The river around
the monster vessel alive with steamboats, all sizes
appearances and descriptions 1t was sight never to be
forgotten by the behoder. These boats in number
more than and they were in most instances laden
to the waters edge with passengers and continually dip
ped from side to side deep into the water The mighty
Hendrix Hudson counted her passengers by thousands
and 1t is perhaps low estimate to say that twenty five
thousand people embarked on the water cheering
and hurrahng under the exhration ustabe because
unavoidable state of excitement As the Great Eastern
made her propeller beat the like the tail of the
mightest whale, and sent her padde-wheels steadily
round she left wake hundred yards wide, rattng
and kissing its spray subsided again the bosom of
the Deep But if the gay and active steamboats, freghed
with their tens of thousands of souls gave idea of the
pOpuOusness of the great city of New York. how that
idea enlarged by gancng to the left and right at the
of thousands spread along the New York and New
Jersey shores From mile above the Wehawken Ferry,
down to the Battery the people lined the edge, and
in places seemed to be able to be counted only by the
All alsng the Hoboken and Jersey City shores the
population of those places augmented by great numbers
from the counry and the opposite city arranged in
endless lines, partaking of the general excitement


As the glorious water eortege passed down the Bay the
Great Eastern her prde the observed of all Observers


she fred pieces of ordnance which responded to
from both Shores from the ships of the British steamers
at Jersey City, from the Harriet Lane and the Battery
the whistles of the escortng untedy lend
ing their loudest voices to the general hurrah. When
about abreast of Governors Island accident happened
board the Great Eastern which occasioned her slip
her anchor This caused her to stop her headwsy until
she had recovered that indispensable appendage After
this arranged she resumed the of her paddles and
propeller and went gorousy through the Narrows carry


her and 2057 passengers upon the She
was accompanied to Cape May by the steamboat Delaware
On arriving at Cape May she landed her passengers who
continued on shore eight hours Many of these
pressed loud with the fare and sleeping


modations board the Great Eastern and not few sold
their tickets for the return to New York for almost any


thing they could get and took the Delaware for Phade


pha and then home Careessness or accident caused


the spelling of the great part of the provisions the Great
Eastern by water and though several hours had been
sumed In taking mattresses board full oneouth of the
passengers unprovded The accident which short
ened the provisions also diminished the supply of drinking
water which was accordingly sold board at the price of
wne 1t Is to be hoped that the experience obtained by
these mshaps may render the intended trip of the Great
Eastern to the waters of the Chesapeake Bay one to be


membered with pleasure instead of being chagrn and dis
appointment TO the parties engaged in it,