ting in their
revolutions what seemed to be an almost irresistible power. There was
no noise, no vibration, nor the slightest sign of heating. The
tremendous frame of ironwork sprang at once into life and motion, with
as much ease as if every rod and crank had been worked for the last ten
years.

The _trial trip_ of the _Great Eastern_ was an event that excited
intense interest all over the kingdom. For the first time, she cast off
her moorings on Wednesday morning, (the 7th September), and reached the
Nore on Thursday, where she anchored for the night before proceeding to
sea. On Friday morning, at ten minutes past nine, she started on her
first salt-water voyage. A conviction of the extreme steadiness of the
vessel must speedily have seized everyone on board. There was no
perceptible motion of any kind. The giant ship was speedily surrounded
by yachts, tugs, fishing-smacks, and, indeed, by a representative of
almost every kind of vessel which is prevalent at the Nore. These
accompanied her as far on her way as their limited sailing powers would
permit. Although there were sharp squalls and a chopping sea nearly all
through the trip, not the slightest inconvenience was felt by any of the
visitors, not even among the fairer portion of the passengers. The
morning, which was rather fine at starting, suddenly became clouded, and
the shifting squalls increased in violence. Though the squally state of
the weather damped the pleasure of all on board, yet it afforded an
opportunity of trying the properties of the ship, now under paddle as
well as screw; and it was the wish of Mr Scott Russell and all on board
to meet a good gale of wind. At a moderate computation, the distance
from the deck to the water could not be much less than forty feet, while
the vessel is nearly seven hundred feet long. This area would, of
course, present an enormous surface to the force of the wind, and formed
the subject of considerable discussion as to the effect it would have on
her sea-going qualities. The ship was as stiff and steady as though she
still remained on her cradles in the Isle of Dogs, and her course was as
calm and true as though she were on a lake without a capful of wind.

It is said that at one portion of the voyage she steamed nineteen miles
an hour.

The _explosion_.--All went well till the ship had passed Folkestone.
About half-past five o'clock, while the majority of the passengers were
on deck, and a few gentl