A MAMMOTH OF THE SEA

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 117, 13 November 1929, Page 16

A MAMMOTH OF THE SEA

THE GREAT EASTERN

GLORY AND ECLIPSE

Ships, like humans, have their ups and downs. A "star" to-day, a derelict to-morrow, has been the lot of many, writes Fred Payler in the "Daily Telegraph." Seventy years ago an iron mammoth lay in Deptford Greek awaiting her trial trip. Up to that time nothing like hor had been seen. She was "bigger than the Ark," the "eighth wonder of the world," twice the length of the biggest iron cargo and passenger ship that had ever been built. She had five funnels and six masts, and slit embodied so many engineering novelties that that master of fiction, Jules Verne, made her the title of a novel, '' A Floating City." Aptly she was baptised "Leviathan," but soon this gave place to "Great Eastern." As might be excused a giantess, she was obstinate at first. She clung tenaciously to her cradle, and for two and a half months refused to leave the slipway. She would condescend to move six inches,,and then insist on six hours' rest before moving again. Eventually she ha" to be pushed ignobly almost sideways into the river. But, once emancipated, Ac seems to have behaved like a lady. RIVER GALA DAYS. No ship ever made a more glorious debut. England was thrilled. The day of departure was marked by gala from Millwall to the Nore. Thousands of people crowded the river, and "every balcony was filled with beauty." Craft of every kind danced like flies on the water. And when Blue Peter went up to the masthead and the monster began to move the air was rent with cheers and "Eule Britannia." Joy bells joined in the tumult and cannon boomed their thunder.

Some little trouble occurred to keep the channel at Blaekwall bend, Barking "shelf," and Erith "rund," and a provoking barque bound up-river did her best to cause difficulty, but the mighty ship kept on, and at Long Eeach dropped anchor for the night. Here a sad event occurred. The man whose genius designed the ship, Isambard Kingdom Brunei, and who was on board, showed symptoms of paralysis. He was hurried ashore, put to bed, and died ten days later, before the trial trip actually began.

"Grandly" the vessel steamed past Margate the next day, eight miles from shore. At Dover she met a gale, but treated this- so disdainfully that cricket could be played on board, and the passengers could gloat over smaller craft flung about like corks. So the voyage continued to Portland, where the trial was to begin, with Portland, U.S.A., as the destination, via Holyhead. BEACHED ON THE MERSEY. Portland was- crowded with visitors, who boarded the ship and marvelled at her glories, and the welcome at Holyhead was even more remarkable, despite the fact that the Great Eastern had not achieved 20 knots an hour, but a maximum of about 15. Men-of-war and merchantmen, steam tugs and packets, yachts and smacks, and every kind of craft were dressed in , gay-coloured bunting, and every medium of acclamation was in full blast. In short, "there was great excitment throughout the Principality."

The Prince Consort and Prince Napoleon went on board, and Mr. Gladstone made a speech, in which he recalled seeing the largest ship that had sailed out of Liverpool on a long sea voyage, and she was only one-fortieth the size of the Great Eastern.

And the end? This glorious vessel, though she was neither a success nor a failure—she was successfully used in laying the Atlantic cable —which had cost half a mililon, was sold fot £25,000, one-third of her value as old material, then beached in the estuary of the Mersey. Here she became a show place filled with all kinds of cheap amusements. In her hold were three great shallow circular tanks in which the cable had been stowed —some 600 miles length in each—and if memory is not at fault one of these tanks was used' as a circus ring.

Iron ships and marine engines were both in early stages of development in the 'fifties of last century. Larger experience at sea has proved that progression by mixed paddle and screw—the method adopted—was a mistake, and now we know that the vessel was considerably under-powered for her vast bulk, hence her slowness. But the Great Eastern was a proud ship—great in more than mere size.