130 THE SEA. 



steam-ship of extraordinary dimensions to trade with India. Having made calculations that 

 the big ship intended could maintain a speed of fifteen knots an hour, there was, in their 

 judgment, no doubt that they would attract a proportion of the traffic so handsome as to 

 afford full cargoes both outward and homeward. Many of the original shareholders withdrew, 

 but a large number held firm. Brunei argued that there need be no limit to the size of a ship, 

 except what quality of material imposed. He further urged from scientific theory and 

 actual experience, that upon the " tubular principle/' which provided the greatest amount of 

 strength of construction with any given material, it was possible to construct a ship of six 

 times the capacity of the largest vessel then afloat,* and one, too, that would steam at a speed 

 hitherto unattainable by smaller vessels. Mr. Scott Russell, the eminent ship-builder, shared 

 these views. The idea of having two sets of engines and two propellers paddle-wheels and 

 screw was solely due to Mr. Brunei, as was also the adoption of the cellular construction, like 

 that at the top and bottom of the Britannia Bridge. Her model in general construction was 

 like that of the ships built by Scott Russell, on the principle of the " wave line," which he 

 had carried out during the previous twenty years. In spite of much virulent criticism, the 

 construction of a 25,000 ton vessel was commenced on May 1st, 1854, in Scott Russell's 

 yard, at Millwall, on the north side of the Thames. 



Novel as was the construction of the ship, the mode devised for her launch was no less 

 novel. As her immense length would render it impossible to launch her in the usual 

 manner and by the force of her own gravity, she was built lengthwise to the river on 

 cradles, which carried her upright and dispensed with "shores." These cradles were made 

 to travel on a double series of " ways," each 120 feet in breadth, which were carried to 

 low- water mark. The ways were 300 feet in length, with an incline of one in twelve. 

 At the stem and stern were placed a powerful hydraulic ram to give the first start, 

 and when she was once in motion her progress was to be kept up in the following 

 manner. On the river-side four large lighters were moored in the tideway, and were to work 

 with crabs and sheaves or pulleys upon chains, fastened to the vessel amidships. Two lighters 

 were also moored at the stem and two at the stern of the vessel. The chains passing 

 from the ship to these latter were returned again on shore, so as to be worked with a 

 double purchase. Small stationary engines on land were to be used to haul on these, 

 making a force available to pull the vessel off the shore. The calculations, as the event 

 proved, were made on a false notion of the amount of friction to be overcome, and the 

 attention of the engineer had been chiefly directed to prevent her dashing into the water 

 with too great a speed. For this purpose two powerful drums had been constructed, 

 to which the cradles were attached by enormous sheaves of cast iron, expressly cast 

 for this purpose, and weighing five tons each. One sheave was fastened to each cradle, 

 and wrought-iron chain cables f the largest size connected these with two other sheaves, 

 each of which was screwed to the drum which was to pay out the chain and, in fact, 

 regulate the whole operation. The axle of the drum was set in a frame of iron, while 



* See Lindsay's " History of Merchant Shipping," Timbs' " Year Book of Facts in Science and Art," and 

 Irving's " Annals of Our Times." She is still nearly five times the size of any merchant vessel afloat ; as we 

 have seen, the Inman steamer, City of Berlin (5,500 tons), comes next to her. There are ironclads nearly half 

 her tonnage. 



