52 Book of Steamships 



his hands full between the two big under- 

 takings. 



The dimensions of the Great Western 

 were as follows: Length 236ft., beam 

 35 ft., depth of hold 23 ft., gross measure- 

 ment 1,340. Her engines had two cylin- 

 ders with a diameter of 73 J ins. and a 

 stroke of 7 ft. These gave the engines a 

 nominal horse-power of 750. The paddle- 

 wheels were huge affairs, 28 ft. in 

 diameter, with blades 10 ft. across. Her 

 saloon provoked the Pressmen of that 

 day to similar language to that used in 

 describing the wonders of the Leviathan 

 to-day. Its dimensions were 75 ft. by 

 21 ft., and a height of 9 ft. 



The Great Western started from Bristol 

 three days after the Sirius had got away 

 from Cork. Although it might be 

 thought that the long start of the latter 

 prohibited this contest being anything in 

 the nature of a race, it actually resolved 

 itself into such an affair. In the first 

 place the Sirius was very much over- 



