THE NEVADA.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2568, 11 May 1871, Page 2

THE NEVADA.

Having had the opportunity of inspecting the Nevada yesterday, wc are in a position to confirm the correctness of the description given below—nor could wc improve upon it. (From the Alta California, April 8.)

The steamship Nevada, the first vessel of the Webb Lino to New Zealand and Australia, leaves to-day, April Sth. She will call at several ports in New Zealand, and will connect with a steamer for Sydney, &c. It is understood that the Nebraska will be the following vessel, and that she will proceed to Sydney direct, via Honolulu and Auckland. The Nevada will be commanded on her first trip by Captain J, H. Blethen, a commander who is so generally known and respected on this coast that anything we can now say will hardly to bis reputation. Capt. Blethen has been twenty yea-s on the Pacific coast; he brought out a steamship in 1851, and ever since has been a steamship commander. He made over 300 trips on the Nicaragua and Panama routes, and was, at some time or other, on nearly every steamship of the Nicaraguan line, having previously made seventy-six t ips across the Atlantic, when a captain on the London and Liverpool line of packets. Jiis long experience makes him a particularly valuable man for the new position he has assumed, and, without doubt, will become as great a favorite with the passengers by the new lino, as bo always was on the Nicaragua route. The fares by the new line have been fixed at the following moderate rates First Second Third Cabin. Cabin. Cabin. To Honolulu ... SoO §SO §3O To N.Z. ports ... 175 135 90 to 100 To Sydney, N.S.W. 200 150 100 To Melbourne, Vic. 220 105 110 The Nevada is now lying at Mis-ion street Wharf, and has just be..n thoroughly overhauled. She is, as so many of our readers know, in all resp.;cts a first-class vessel as is also her twin sister the Nebraska. The

Nevada is A 1 at Lloyds for seven years, and is of 3000 tons burden. She was built in New York in 1867, and is constructed of live oak, heavily planked. She is 268 feet long, 41 feet beam, 26 feet depth of hold, and has four decks. The height of the berth deck is from 7.Jj to 8 feet. She has two masts and is brig-rigged. She has vertical beam engines. The cylinder is 85 inches diameter, with 12-foot stroke of piston. The Nevada can male 15 knots, and will probably average 260 or 270 miles a day. Working up to full power she can do much better than that, and is regarded as the fastest vessel on the coast.

On deck arc twenty beautiful state-room •, each having a close and a Venetian door opening on the deck, with windows thirtytwo inch"s square. These staterooms arc all double, with doors on either side, and patent ventilators in the top. Forward of these cabins are the captain’s, purser’s, and doctor’s rooms. Bight aft is the ladies’ sitting room, well fitted up, private and ventilated, with several doors and windows. The gentlemen’s smoking-room aft is 16 by IS feet, and is fitted up with a degree of comfort seldom ever aboard of ships. On the main deck is the grand saloon, 90 feet long by 28 feet broad, 8 feet under the beams. On cither side of the saloon is a row of staterooms, opening on the dock, accommodating eighty passengers, ventilated, and in every respect the same as the rooms upon the upper deck, with two bridal chambers iu the former part of the saloon. The main enhance is spacious and airy, 40 by 23 fee’ with large folding doors and staircase, 1 car 1 1 ing up to the hurricane deck. Forward of the main saloon, as usual, arc the pantry, kitchen, officers’ mess, and engine room’ bath rooms, barber’s shop, cow. and ice house and bear.

The berth deck, ,13 far aft as the second cabin, is occupied by third-class passengers and will altogether accommodate about 620. Abaft this, there are some forty well ventilated State rooms for second cabin passengers with plenty of light and properly fitted up. The sleeping and other accommodati m, such as wash-rooms, bath-rooms, etc., are of the highest class. Further aft, are six lar<*e first-class state rooms, 12 ft by 10, fitted up with every degree of comfort and modern luxury, with bath-rooms, etc.

Tne means for extinguishing fire are perfect. An iron pipe, loading the entire length of the ship, on the borth deck, with 3 7me ten or fifteen valves, with hose always attached, and in the hold steam can be used with more effect than water.

The means for saving life are most effective—life buoys in every room, and boats that will contain 830 passengers. We are pe fectly certain that our New Zealand and Australian frieu Is will be delighted with the pioneer vessel of the new line, and will accord to the new route, via San Francisco, their thorough support. The passage over the calm Pacific, seven days travel through the Unittd States, and the passage of the Atlantic by first-class steamships, will altogether constitute a much more pleasant trip than that by the P. & 0. steamers. Our route has also some advantage in point of economy.