The prospects of the 'Bessemer' as a Channel steamer do
not seem to be mending. The swinging saloon, which swings easily on land in response to any change in the vessel's level, does not seem to act properly at sea, and even on very moderately breezy days the vessel appears to roll, and the saloon with it. Moreover, the ship is so big that it does not seem to obey its helm quite well enough to enable it to enter very small harbours like that at Calais without danger to the pier ; so that for the present, those first-class pas- sengers who hoped to be exempt from sea-sickness themselves, while able to observe all the miseries it inflicts on those, whose tickets do not admit them to the magic saloon, are but too likely to have their amiable hopes for a time disappointed. Mr. Besse- mer, however, still thinks that he can remedy the defect which renders the self-adjusting hydraulic apparatus of the saloon at present useless.
Previous page
