CUNARD LINE OF STEAMERS. (From the Glasgow Examiner)

New Zealander, Volume 4, Issue 228, 5 August 1848, Page 2

CUNARD LINE OF STEAMERS. (From the Glasgow Examiner )

This entcrpiising company has four vessels of cnor« inous power in coik.su ot precaution. Tli y are being bu ilt l>y diir^rci't piii ties, some of whom belong to our neighbourhood, and they me being; fined v,) and furniMicd with engines by our talented townsmon tlie Messrs. Napier, of the Vulcan and LanchMd loundries. The names of (he four steamers ate the Kuiopa, the Canada, the Niagara, and the America. Tlie latter of these has already readied filas^o'v, and lies in the Clyde, adjoining the Lanccficld loundiy. To give an idea to those who have never scon these monsters of the dpep is ntteily impossible. The America, which is Bimilar to the otliern, is lliiity feet wide inside, and 250 long. She is I.BUO tons tegistcr, and is being fitted up with engines of 700 horse power.Thiough the kindneas of Jamra Nap'.er, l£feq., we weio favoiel with a tiiorough inspcciiou both of the vessel and of her engines, winch are, along with tlie engines of the oilier time, in couise of piepaiation in the foundrie<i mentioned. The Amcrini is unquestionably a nugnififirnt ve^el, both as regards size and atiungllt. She is built of different layeis of plunks, which amount to a foot in thickness, and the lowi'r part after tho fahhion ot whalers, h»8 an ailditionul outbido lining of planka übout three inches thick. With a lull com) leinr nt of pussuigeis, for whom splendid uccoimnodili >n is being prepaied, along with her crew, she may carry about eight hundred person*. She is theiefoio a vast float11115 village. The fitting un is in a ttyle of magnificence neser before seci in the (Jlydi. The beitln aic roomy and elegant, the ffi'oon gorgeous, urd the vanoiiH dcpartmonts all commodious and elegant. The finishing is being beiuLifu'ly done. The wood is of tlte best qual.ty, and the workimnghip is unexceptionable. Tlie design of the whole inteiior us sucl> as to fcecuro comfoit and convenience to ji,i sengtrs Mid crew. Uut, if it n possible to (jive some ulea of the vessel, tho cnL'iiKM b.ifJlii d«fic< iption. Ih< ir magnitude and splendour u si t all our former kJims of tngiiifeiin^ gietvtticss, and throw the engines wliich we have loiijj admired completely in' the bliadt 1 . Each of these four vessels is to have four boilers, and each of these boilers is about sixteen feet long, twe've feet bio.id, and twelve f jet high. They me built of the best 11 on, and the workmanship la most nvisterly, Tho framing of the engines is most powerful and comnlet 1 . The huge beims of malleable iion, of bix'een or twenty feet lung, and f om ti^ht to twelve inches thick, are placed in the lathe and turned with the eatc with which our grandm>th<rs turned the rock and .spindle. The cylinders ol' about nine feet in diameter, and ten iv depth, are being tcooped out with machinery, with such ease as if they were lead, and the entire machinery is being- made wl h the exactest mathematical precision, and finished iv the moit exquisite nmnmr. The design of the engines at once, shows the perfection to which the enterpiizmg company have cirued their bmin«6B. The huge beams are fitted into each o'her, so as to defy the keenest eye to detect the joint. Even in the inoflt difficult curves, where brayb o«s. 111^3 arc fitted in, the joining is perfect. Tne paits finished are polished in the highest style, and the engines when completed, may challenge the woild fo competition. To give some idea of the magnitude of the mnchinery, we may state thut the double engine— for each of the vessels is to huve a double engiim — and bo.leis, vthcii fittel up, will amount to neniJy GOO tons. The other vebte.'s have not been brought to tfia woik , but they aie all launched, and tho engines nre in a forward state. We congratulate the company on having placed its vessels m so n> le hands. We have n1)n 1 ) doubt but, when on ihe line, they will prove themelves bupenor to any afbd". for elfgance and co.ivenince, m well at> for lafciyand speed.

RAnnACK CANTEKNs.—Colonel Lindsny, in tlie House <il (Joinmaus, on ihi Bth February, asked thu Secretary <>l VVur, if it was in contemplution to restucft lha sale of tpinU in barrack c nleens, and to propose an ulLcr.ttixtt in tlie existing system of ktiing them ; 01 any plan which m»y be culmluted lo place those establishments on a looting tnoie benclkial to the service. Mr. F. Miu'e, in reply to the rjnesUrm o( the henouible mill j'ullant mi nibcr, smil lie would u-munl t!.e house lll.it ilu' suhjc r Inl lien brought bdurc »he li iioo by iiiin (Co! Lind ,ay,) m (lie iouis^ ol 1 ist \m<-. .'linco th.v lim.i the wtiolc of (he circurnslfiuce-j lud been can i'illy considered by government, ami hi' was prepared to state, that tln>u 'h the could not aaoj>t the plan f.»r do ngaw.iy witli euiitoeiiH in banaclc, prop sed by the bonouiable and gallant membi'i, they thought it right, when the Ic.iscb ol caulucns gencmlly should expiie, lo delcrmine that Irom such pi nod .s^'ntuousliijiioja should no longer be sold in euiilfcn . iti bai racks.