TIEE STEAMSHIP RAcr
{"character_count": 5672, "word_count": 1007, "ccnet_language_score": [0.9706000089645386], "ccnet_perplexity": [2192.300048828125], "fasttext_language": ["en"]}
ton, and the British steamship Great Western, which resulted, 1t will be seen, in the com plete triumph of the American vessel

 The rumor that the new trigate Princeton would go to sea yesterday in company with the Great Western, drew an immense con course of people to the Battery.

 During the whole morning the Princeton had been moving about the harbor instead of coming to an anchor-tor the reason, as we understand, that if she anchored, she would necessarily come under the command of the officer i'll command of the station. The wind was blowing lHle gaic from the northwest; and Il was Il very curious spectacle to see a large ship with her sails all furled, moving about in the very teeth of the wind and tide, without sail set, or the appearance of pad dle-wheels, steam-pipes, and the other usual evidences ofbeng propelled by steam power

 She Is propelled, as our readers are aware, i by fricsson's propeller, fixed in her stern and far below the surface of the water; while her engine is placed upon her keel near the stern, and the top oft ten feet below her waterlne !

 She IS, oi course, an experiment.; and con structed under the immediate superntendence of Captain Stockton, to test the practicability of moving steam vessels of war by means of this new application of motive power. If sue eessinl, all the objections to the employment oi steam in naval warfare are obviated at once; and, of course, great anxiety has been !e.t by al! familiar with the subject, in the re- suit of this experiment.

 Those who were admitted into the secrets of her performances from the Capes of the Delaware 10 this port, confidently predicted that she would make with ease twelve knots an hour; and while this was very naturally I doubted, ,zall who felt an interest in the sub Ject ol steam navigation most anXiouslY de- sired that she might realize the most sanguine expectations of those immediately interested in the result

 At about 1 to 3 o'clock, the Great Western came down the East river; and, when about south of the Battery, to the astonisnent ol every spectator, all her sails were set, at the same time that she was blowing off steam at a rate we never witnessed before in any steamer. The truth is, she had used extra materials for creating steam for this occasion. and made double the quantity she could work When we discovered this, and saw all her loWersai Is set to run before a smart breeze from the northwest, we despared of the Princeton accomplishing much in the way of a race, without also setting her sails But those Ill charge of her knew too well her power and speed to resort to any such means of obtaining the victory; and when the Great Western had got about quarter of mile the start, the Princeton made after her at fuii speed. Shepassed the Battery at race-horse pace, moving as if by magic; and three cheers showed that the spectators had now but little doubt of the result of the chase. Both ships headed direct for Quarantine-the Princeton passing to windMard, and evidently overhaul ing the chase, hand over hand. The Vest ern added sail after sail aloit, as she ran be- fore the wind; but it was evidently hopeless matter; and when the two ships headed fer the Narrows, the Western appeared to be half mile to the souhward. and the Prince ton far to the westward of her.

 Up to this time, both ships had been run ming directly from the spectators, and 1t was difficult, except to a practised eye, to judge of their relative positions. Now, however they were running with their broadsides suf. ficiently to the battery to perceive the rela. tive speed of each; and, to the astonishmen and delight of all, the Princeton gained ra- pidly upon, overhauled, and passed the Grea i Western, without showing an inch of canvass and then commenced setting sail, and, as neal as we could judge, locking through u glass literally walked away from her!

 ln one word, the applicability of the pro- peler to steamers of every class is no longer an experiment.; and we should here add, that the anxiety and delight manifested by the .f .l,. had nothing national or local in it, but has its origin solely in the desire to witness tn, triumph of what is justly considered the mos important experiment in steam navigation that has been attempted since the days O Fulton.

 The New York Commercial Advertiser 0 Friday afternoon, adds:

 It is but justice to state that, so lar as th' Great Western is concerned, there could b. no concerted race between the two vessels It is contrary to the express orders of tht company by whom the vessel is owned; ant the agents here positively deny that any pre- paration was made by Captain IIoskcn to tes the sailing qualities of the vessel which ht commanded with those of the Princeton.

 Since the above was written, we have been lutHlSIiSu NlLl illc lOlOWfil3 CCpH Ol u lcttcl written by Captain Hosken, and received by the pilot who safely conducted the Grea Western to sea:

 My DEAR SIR: have very great pleasure in stating to you the fact of the Great Westerl being fairly passed by the Princeton, at iron r a half to three quarters oi mile per hour the Great Western going near nine knots ant f half It is true that the Great Western i deep in the water-ratller more so than usual still it convinces me, and will, think, the pub lie also, that our iron ship, the Great Britain will, to moral certainty, surpass every steam ship that has gene before her.

 In great haste, yours, respectfully,

 JAMES HOSKEN.

 p. m. 18th October, Isf3.

 Horrid .Murder-The lIagerstown (Md. Herald of Freedom, of Thursday, has the fol lowing account of horrid murder commit ted near Frederick, on Saturday last Tn