24 ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. 



to accomplish. The estimated consumption of coal per day of twenty-four 

 hours is about one hundred and eighty tons. Therefore, some five thousand 

 tons would be consumed in the outward voyage. 



The Masts, Rigging, etc. A writer observes that, "We all know, even on 

 a calm day, what a wind meets the face looking out of a railway train going 

 at that pace; and, consequently, it can be understood that sails, except ou 

 extraordinary occasions, would act rather as an impediment than as an as- 

 sistance to the ship's progress. It is not probable, therefore, that they will 

 be much resorted to, except for the purpose of steadying or of helping to 

 steer her." In case, however, of a strong wind arising, going more than 

 twenty-five miles an hour in the direction of her course, she will be pro- 

 vided with six masts, five of them iron, the after-mast wood. The first, 

 fifth, and sixth, are two feet nine inches in diameter; the second, third, and 

 fourth, are three feet six inches The second and third carry square sails, 

 and all carry fore-and-aft sails. The standing rigging is seven and a half 

 iiu-h wire rope, except for the sixth mast, which is hemp rope. There is 

 not to be a particle of iron about this mast, for it is intended to carry a com- 

 pass on it. The quantity of canvas that can be set is about six thousand 

 five hundred square yards. 



The Great Eastern is to carry no bowsprit, and no sprit-sail. The writer 

 quoted above suggests that " the reason for this departure from the ordinary 

 rig is to avoid her ploughing too deeply in the sea. Her bow is also without 

 a figure-head; and this peculiarity, together with her simple rig, gives her 

 the appearance of a child's toy boat. If beauty is nothing more than fit- 

 ness, this form of bow is undoubtedly the most beautiful." 



The ship is fitted with Brown's patent capstans, and they are so arranged 

 that they can be worked either by hand or steam. There are three forward 

 and two aft. The bower chains are two inches and seven-eighths in diam- 

 eter; each link weighs seventy-two pounds, and each cable will be one hun- 

 dred and twenty fathoms long. The four large bower anchors are seven 

 tons' weight each, Trotman's patent. In addition to these, there are two 

 smaller anchors at the bows, each weighing five and a half tons, and two 

 at the stern, each weighing six tons. The bower anchors of the largest 

 nian-of-war weigh five tons. There are six hawse-holes forward, and four aft. 



The anchors, with their accessories, would alone form the cargo of a good- 

 sized ship. These, together with their stocks, weigh upwards of fifty tons. 

 If we add to this, ninety-eight tons for her eight hundred fathoms of chain 

 cable, and one hundred tons for her capstans and warps, we shall have a 

 total weight of something like two hundred and fifty tons of material dedi- 

 cated to the sole purpose of making fast the ship. 



The rudder-post and frame, which were forged in one piece by the Lance- 

 field Company, are of the following weights and dimensions: The post is 

 eighteen inches diameter at journal, and the weight is twelve and a half 

 tons; the upper part of the post is five tons additional, and the rudder-band 

 and cover are four and a half tons ; the total length of the rudder is sixty- 

 two feet, and the total weight is twenty-two tons. 



Accommodations for Passengers, Cargo, etc. The Great Eastern is de- 

 signed to carry eight hundred first-class, two thousand second-class, and 

 one thousand two hundred third-class passengers, independently of the 

 ship's complement, making a total of four thousand guests. For the ac- 

 commodation of these, whole streets and squares of apartments have been 

 constructed. The first thing that arrests the attention, on descending into 



