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THE 


HISTORY   OF   STEAM   NAVIGATION. 


L 


THE 


HISTORY 


OF 


STEAM   NAVIGATION 


BY 


JOHN    KENNEDY. 


WITH    NUMEROUS    ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PUBLISHED  BY 
CHARLES     B1RCHALL,     LIMITED, 

7  &  9,  VICTORIA  STREET,  LIVERPOOL. 

1903. 


yn- 


('.    T1NL1NG    AND    CO., 

PRINTERS, 
VICTORIA  .'STREET,    LIVKltl'OOL. 


PREFACE. 


THE  historical  information  contained  in  this  volume  has  been 
in  a  large  measure  collected  from  the  Press  of  the  period,  and 
chiefly  from  the  Times,  Liverpool  Mercwry,  Glasgow  Herald, 
and  Chambers  Journal.  Lindsay's  "Merchant  Hhipjiiiig,"  a 
most  admirable  work,  has  also  been  consulted,  as  well  as  other- 
works  of  a  similar  nature.  The  name  of  the  authority  quoted 
has  been  given  in  most  cases,  but,  where  I  have  been  unable  to 
do  so,  I  trust  this  general  acknowledgment  will  suffice. 

Some  of  the  chapters  in  Part  II.  were  contributed  in  1901 
to  the  Journal  of  Commerce,  as  part  of  a  series  of  articles  on 
"  Historical  Steamship  Companies."  Chapter  XXII.  in  Part  I. 
was  published  in  the  May  number  (1903)  of  the  Wide  World 
Magazine,  under  the  title  of  "  The  Strange  Case  of  the 
FERRET." 

I  take  this  opportunity  of  thanking  the  Directors,  Managers, 
Agents,  and  other  officials  of  the  various  Steamship  Companies 
referred  to,  by  all  of  whom,  and  at  all  times,  I  have  been 
treated  with  the  utmost  courtesy.  I  desire  also  to  express  my 
appreciation  of  the  uniform  kindness  and  assistance  received 
from  the  Librarians  of  the  Bootle,  Glasgow,  and  Liverpool 
Libraries  in  placing  at  my  disposal  publications,  some  of 
which  were  printed  nearly  a  hundred  years  ago. 

JOHN     KENNEDY. 
LIVERPOOL,  2Qth  November,  1903. 


CONTENTS. 


PART  I. 

PAGE 

CHAPTER  I.— Inventors  and  Alleged  Inventors  prior  to  1807.— De  Garay 
(1543)— Papin  (1690)— Savory,  Neweomen  (1705)— Hulls  (1736)— Abbe 
Arnal  and  the  Marquis  de  Jouffroy  (1781)— Fitch  (1783)— Miller  and 
Taylor  (1788)— Symington  (1801)— The  CHARLOTTE  DUNDAS  (1803)— 
Bell  (1803)  1 

CHAPTER  II.— Fulton  (1607)— The  CLERMONT  {1607),  the  first  passen- 
ger steamboat  in  the  world — Narrative  of  her  first  voyage — Steam 
Navigation  in  Canadian  waters— First  steamers  on  the  St. 
Lawrence— The  ACCOMMODATION  (1809)— SWIFTSURE,  CAR  OF  COM- 
MERCE (1813) — QUEBEC  (1817)  7 

CHAPTER  III.— 1812  to  1815— Steamboats  on  the  Clyde— The  COMET, 
INDUSTRY  and  ARGYLE— First  Irish  Steamer,  CITY  OF  CORK  (1815) 
— Ireland's  honourable  position  in  the  annals  of  steam  navigation 
— First  London  Steampackets,  MARJORY,  DEFIANCE  and  THAMES  ...  11 

CHAPTER  IV.— The  year  1815 — Arrival  of  the  first  steampacket  on  the 
Mersey — Narrative  of  the  voyage  of  the  THAMES  from  Glasgow  to 
London  15 

CHAPTER  V.— 1816  to  1818— London  packets,  the  DEFIANCE,  MAJESTIC, 
REGENV — Loss  of  the  REGENT  (1817) — Liverpool  and  Eastham 
Packet,  PRINCESS  CHARLOTTE  (1816) — Liverpool  and  Tranmere 
Packets  REGULATOR,  ETNA  (1817) — Parkgate  and  Bagillt  Packet, 
ANCIENT  BRITON  (1817) — Loss  of  the  RHGULATOR  (1818) — First  Spanish 
Steamer,  ROYAL  FERDINAND  (1817) — Siberian  Steamboats  (1817) — 
David  Napier— The  ROB  ROY,  HIBERNIA  (1816)  23 

CHAPTER  VI.— Early  Clyde  Steampackets— The  first  steamer  to  cross 
the  English  Channel,  CALEDONIA — First  steamer  on  the  Rhine 
(1816) — Season  contract  tickets  issued  (1816) — Stranding  of  the 
ROTHESAY  CASTLE  (1816) — Steainship  passengers'  fares  on  the  Clyde 
in  1818 — DUMBARTON  CASTLE  steams  round  North  of  Scotland  (1819)  27 


xjj  CONTENTS, 

PACK 

CHAPTEE  VII. — 1819  to  1821 — The  first  steamer  to  cross  the  Atlantic, 
the  SAVANNAH — Arrival  at  Liverpool  of  the  first  cross-channel 
steamer,  WATERLOO — The  EGBERT  BRUCE — Curious  accident  to  the 
MORNING  STAR — The  TRITON — CONDE  DE  PATMELLA — SNAKE— 
Cattle  ventilators  suggested — The  TOURIST — London  and  Leith 
steamers  3% 

CHAPTEE  VIII.— The  St.  George  Steanlpacket  Co. — Steam  Yacht  HERO 
— Liverpool  steampackets  highly  commended  in  Parliamentary 
Eeport — AARON  MANBY,  first  iron  steamer — First  steamer  Hull 
to  Continent — City  of  Dublin  Steampacket  Co. — Dublin  and  Liver- 
pool Steam  Navigation  Co. — H.M.S.  LIGHTNING — General  Steam 
Navigation  Co. — Belfast  Steampacket  Co. — Keen  competition  on 
the  Glasgow  and  Belfast  station — Advertising  extraordinary — 
Messrs.  G.  &  J.  Burns  commence  business  1825 — Messrs. 
MacBrayue's  Highland  Service — Competition  in  the  Liverpool  and 
Dublin  trade — First  steamer  London  to  Hamburg — First  steamer 
England  to  India ;  rapid  increase  of  steampackets — Hostile  meeting 
at  Swansea — The  ERIN — Admiralty  Mail  Steampacket  Service 
between  Liverpool  and  Kingstown  established — City  of  Dublin 
Steampacket  Co.  establish  a  service  between  the  United  Kingdom 
and  Bordeaux  .  ...  ...  37 

CHAPTEE  IX.— Eoutes  to  India  and  the  East — The  ENTERPRIZE— Lieut. 
Johnston,  E.N. — Lieut.  Waghorn,  E.I.N. — East  India  Co.'s  Bombay 
and  Suez  Service — The  Peninsular  Steam  Navigation  Co.  (1834) 
altered  to  Peninsular  and  Oriental  Steam  Navigation  Co.  (1837) — 
Sketch  of  the  Company's  career — Suez  Canal  opened  (1869) — 
Calcutta  and  Burmah  Steam  Navigation  Co.  (1855) — Title  changed 
to  British  India  Steam  Navigation  Co.,  Limited  (1862) — Bibby 
Line  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  45 

CHAPTEE  X.— Steam  on  the  Pacific— The  TELICA  (1825)— Mr.  Wheel- 
wright— The  Pacific  Steam  Navigation  Co.  incorporated  (1840) — 
Pioneer  steamers  CHILI  and  PERU — Sketch  of  the  Company's  history  58 

CHAPTEE  XL— French  expedition  to  Algiers  (1830) — Civil  war  in 
Portugal — Loss  of  the  EIVAL  (1832) — Mutiny  on  board  the  LORD 
BLANEY  (1831)— Loss  of  the  LORD  BLANEY  (1833)— Arrival  of  the 
BIRMINGHAM  with  news  of  the  total  defeat  of  Don  Miguel  (1833) — 
The  MARGARET,  first  screw  steamer  trading  from  Hull;  lost  1845...  63 

CHAPTEE  XII. — Pioneers  of  Transatlantic  Steam  Navigation — Valentia 
Transatlantic  Steam  Navigation  Co.,  incorporated  1828 — Scheme 
revived  1835 — Dr.  Lardner's  famous  speech — His  disclaimer,  1851 — 
The  EOYAL  WILLIAM  (of  Canada),  1833 — Dr.  Julius  Smith— British 


.  x. 

PAGE 

Queen  Steam  Navigation  Co.,  1836 — BRITISH  QUEEN  (1838) — SIRIUS 
(1838)— ROYAL  WILLIAM  (City  of  Dublin  Co.,  1838)— LIVERPOOL 
(1838) — British  and  American  Steam  Navigation  Co.'s  steamer 
PRESIDENT,  launched  1839— Lost  1841 66 

CHAPTER  XIII. — British  Government  and  the  Atlantic  Mail  Service — 
Mr.  Samuel  Cunard — Formation  of  the  Cunard  Line — The  GREAT 
BRITAIN,  launched  1843 — Leaves  Bristol  for  London— Inspected  by 
H.M.  Queen  Victoria — Leaves  London  for  Liverpool — First  voyage 
to  New  York  (1845)^Stranded  Dundrum  Bay  (1846)— Re-floated 
(1847)— Sails  to  New  York  (1852) 84 

CHAPTER  XIV. — Steam  communication  with  the  West  Indies — The 
Royal  Mail  Steampacket  Co.  (1841),  commences  with  a  fleet  of 
fourteen  steamers — Generous  concessions  from  Government — Rapid 
increase  of  trade — The  "  TRENT  affair  " — First  screw  steamers  for 
Company — The  Imperial  Direct  West  India  Mail  Service,  Limited, 
established  1901  84 

CHAPTER  XV.— Early  American  Transatlantic  Steamships — MASSA- 
CHUSETTS (1845) — 'WASHINGTON  (1847) — The  Collins  Line — General 
description  of  steamers — Arrival  at  Liverpool  of  pioneer  steamer 
ATLANTIC — Description  of — Accident  to  ATLANTIC — Loss  of  steamers 
ARCTIC  and  PACIFIC  and  collapse  of  the  company  91 

CHAPTER  XVI.— The  loss  of  the  Collins  Liner  ARCTIC 101 

CHAPTER  XVII. — ^Steamship  companies  of  the  past  (defunct  or 
absorbed) — The  Inman  Line,  1850— Galway  Line,  1859— National 
Line,  1863 — Guiou  Line,  1866 — Royal  Atlantic  Steam  Navigation 
Co 106 

CHAPTER  XVIII. — Liverpool  and  Glasgow  Steamers— The  ORION 
wrecked  off  Portpatrick,  1850 — The  steamer  NEPTUNE — A  second 
Grace  Darling  115 

CHAPTER  XIX.— The  Eastern  Steam  Navigation  Co.— Proposal  to  build 
a  line  c°  Leviathan  steamers — GREAT  EASTERN — Contracted  for — 
Attempts  to  launch — Finally  successful — Description  of — Enormous 
loss  to  shareholders— Sails  for  New  York— Carries  troops  to  Canada 
— Lays  Atlantic  Cable — Is  ultimately  bought  by  "  Lewis "  for 
exhibition  purposes,  and  finally  broken  up* 119 

CHAPTER  XX.— Steam  to  Australia— SOPHIA  JANE— GREAT  BRITAIN- 
GOLDEN  AGE=— ROYAL  CHARTER  lost,  1859  ...  ..129 

CHAPTER    XXI.— Steamships    in    Chinese    waters — SCOTLAND    (I860)— 

ROBERT  LOWE  f  (18G3)— Alfred  Holt  Line,  1865 134 

ERRATA.—*  On  page  127  read  188(5  instead  of  189(5. 

•!•  On  page  134  this  vessel  is  called  the  ROBERT  BRTTCK  in  error. 


xiv>  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

CHAPTEK  XXII. — Remarkable  History  of  the  Glasgow  Steamer  FERRET  137 

CHAPTER  XXIII. — Anglo-Canadian  Steamship  Companies — McKean, 
McLarty  and  Lamont — Allan  Bros.  &  Co. — Canadian  Pacific 
Railway  Co. — Dominion  Line  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  147 

CHAPTER  XXIV. — Railway  Companies  as  steamship  owners—South 
Eastern  and  Chatham  Railway — London  Brighton  and  South  Coast 
Railway — London  and  South  Western  Railway — Great  Western 
Railway — London  and  North  Western  Railway — Lancashire  and 
Yorkshire  Railway — Stranraer  and  Larne  Service — Caledonian 
Railway — Glasgow  and  South  Western  Railway — North  British 
Railway — Great  Central  Railway — Great  Eastern  Railway 152 

CHAPTER  XXV.— Turbine  Steamers— TURBINIA— KING  EDWARD- 
QUEEN  ALEXANDRA — QUEEN — EMERALD — Allan  Liners  157 


PART    II. 

PAGE 

CHAPTER     I.— Elder,  Dempster  &   Co. 161 

M  II.— African  Steamship  Co.,  Limited 166 

,,         III. — -British  and  African  Steam  Navigation  Co.,  Limited  ...  171 
,,.         IV. — Imperial  Direct  West  India  Service,  Limited  ...         ...  174 

,,  V. — City  of  Dublin  Steampacket  Co.,  Limited  178 

,,          VI. — British  and  Irish  Steampacket  Co.,  Limited       195 

VII.— Bibby  Line          203 

,,      VIII.— Cork  Steamship  Co.,  Limited  207 

,,          IX. — Cunard  Steamship  Co.,  Limited     221 

X.— Houston,  R.  P.,  &   Co 237 

XL— Houlder  Bros.  &  Co 244 

XII.— Laird,  Alex.  A.,  &  Co 251 

,,      XIII.— Langlands,  M.,  &  Sons  261 

,,       XIV.— Little,  Jas.,  &  Co.        ...         268 

XV.— MacBrayne,  David        274 

,,       XVI.— Maclver,  David,  &  Co 282 

,,     XVII. — Maclver 's  Liverpool  and  Glasgow  Steamers...          287 

,,  XVIII.— Sligo  Steam  Navigation  Co.,  Limited       290 

,,       XIX.— Waterford  Steamship  Co.,  Limited  293 

XX.— White  Star  Line  300 

,,  XXI. — Adelaide  Steamship  Company,  Limited — John  Bacon, 
Limited — R.  Burton  &  Sons,  Limited — Fletcher, 
Woodhill  &  Co.  — T.  &  J.  Harrison  — W.  S. 
Kennaugh  &  Co.— Lamport  &  Holt— H.  &  W. 
Nelson— R.  &  J.  H.  Rea— John  S.  Sellers— 
Henrv  Tvrer  &  Co,  ..  315 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PART    I. 

PAGE 

Liverpool  in  1837     Frontispiece. 

Ferry  Steamer  on  the  St.  Lawrence      10 

Early  type  of  African  Coasting  Steamer           28 

INVERARY  CASTLE  p.s 38 

COLOMBO  s.s.               46 

P.  &  O.  Liner  (Early  type)           47 

P.  &  O.  Liner  (Modern  Steamer)           47 

SICILIAN   s.s.               57 

PERU  P.S 59 

ORELLANA  s.s.            61 

SIRIUS  s.  at  New  York       66 

BOYAL  WILLIAM  s.  in  Mid- Atlantic        74 

GREAT  BRITAIN  s.                80 

CLYDE  R.M.S.               86 

NILE  R.M.S 87 

PORT  ANTONIO  R.M.S.          89 

BRITANNIA  R.M.S 93 

ASIA  R.M.S 97 

GREAT  EASTERN        120 

The   FERRET  s.s 140 

Arrest  of  Conspirators        143 

TUNISIAN  R.M.S 148 

ARUNDEL  s 153 

GLENSANNOX  P.S ...  154 

LUCY  ASHTON  P.S.                                         ..  155 


PART    II. 


Sir  Alfred  L.  Jones  ... 
W.  J.  Davey,  Esq.   ... 
JEBBA  R.M.S. 
TARQUAH  R.M.S, 


PAGE 

Frontispiece. 

166 

..  170 


xyj.  LIST     OF    ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAGE 

POUT  EOYAL  R.M.S  174 

ULSTEK  E.M.S.  178 

EOYAL  WILLIAM  P.S.  ..."        185 

Holyhead  Mail  Steamer      187 

Win.  Watson,  Esq 192 

LADY  EGBERTS  s.s.  196 

LADY  WOLSELEY  s.s.  ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...  201 

Bibby  Liner     ..          ...         204 

Ebenezer  Pike,  Esq.  210 

SIRIUS  P.S 212 

EISSA  s.s.        ...         218 

Joseph  Pike,  Esq ...         220 

Liverpool  Landing  Stage  ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...  222 

ETJBOPA  and  AMERICA  R.M.S.         : 224 

SCOTIA  K.M.S 226 

EUSSIA  R.M.S.  228 

ETRURIA   R.M.S.         232 

Luc ANIA  R.M.S.  234 

HYDASPES  s.s.  238 

OSWESTRY  GRANGE  s.s t        244 

BEACON  GRANGE  s.s.  246 

HORNBY  GRANGE  s.s.  248 

EOSE  s.s 250 

Alex.  A.  Laird,  Esq 254 

OLIVE  s.s 258 

PRINCESS  MAUD  s.s.  262 

PRINCESS  EOYAL  P.S.  264 

CLAYMORE   R.M.S 274 

COLUMBA  R.M.S.         280 

CLODAGH  s.s.  294 

T.   H.   Ismay,   Esq.  300 

OCEANIC  (first)         " 305 

TEUTONIC  R.M.S.          307 

OCEANIC  (second) ...  311 

CELTIC  R.M.S ...  312 

CYMRIC  R.M.S ....         313 

HIGHLAND  BRIGADE  s,s,  ...  318 


THE 


History  of  Steam  Navigation. 


Part  I. 

ITS  ORIGIN   AND   EXPANSION. 


CHAPTER    I. 
Inventors  and  alleged  Inventors  prior  to  1807. 

THERE  is  not  a  more  fascinating  page  in  history  than  that  which 
tells  of  the  growth  of  the  Mercantile  Steam  Navies  of  the  World. 
It  is  a  record  of  the  triumphs  of  Science  and  Art  in  Marine 
Architecture ;  of  bold  enterprises — not  always  carried  to  a 
successful  financial  issue  ;  of  deeds  of  "  derring  do  "  as  romantic 
as  the  older  stories  of  the  Vikings.  It  is  a  page  brightened  by 
stories  of  true  heroism,  where  men  have  bravely  faced  death, 
not  in  the  lust  of  battle,  but  in  calm  devotion  to  duty,  or  in 
unflinching  determination  to  save  the  lives  of  those  weaker 
than  themselves. 

It  is  not  possible,  nor  would  it  answer  any  useful  purpose, 
to  discuss  fully  the  various  claims  which  have  been  put  forward 
for  the  honour  of  having  invented  the  first  Marine  Steam 
Engine.  It  will  be  sufficient  to  refer  briefly  to  the  inventors, 
or  alleged  inventors,  prior  to  the  year  180T. 

In  the  Appendix  to  Senor  Navarette's  "  History  of  the  Four 
Voyages  of  Columbus,"  are  copies  of  certain  documents  which 
the  historian  vouches  to  be  authentic  extracts  from  the  series 
of  Spanish  Records  preserved  at  Simancas.  These  documents 
narrate  "  that  in  the  month  of  May  or  Tune,  1543,  Blasco  de 
A 


2  THE    HISTOKY    OF    STEAM   NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

"  Garay,  a  naval  captain  in  the  service  of  the  Emperor 
"  Charles  V.,  conducted  at  Barcelona,  a  series  of  experiments 
"  upon  the  applicability  to  ships  of  a  certain  propulsive 
"  force,  which  he  alleges  he  had  himself  discovered." 
De  Garay  describes  the  mechanism  he  employed  as  consisting 
of  two  wheels,  one  attached  to  either  extremity  of  a  movable 
axis  which  traversed  the  vessel's  waist,  and  was  connected  with 
a  large  caldron  of  boiling  water.  The  experiments,  it  is 
alleged,  were  conducted  in  the  presence  of  several  persons  of 
high  birth,  deputed  by  the  Emperor  to  witness  them,  and 
amongst  whom  were  many  naval  commanders.  It  is  further 
alleged  that  De  Garay  succeeded  in  taking  to  sea  a  vessel  of 
two  hundred  tons  burthen,  without  the  aid  of  sail  or  oar,  and 
that  her  speed  was  about  one  league  per  hour.* 

Rear- Admiral  Geo.  Preble,  U.S.N.,  author  of  a  "  History  of 
Steam  Navigation,"  gives  the  names  of  several  persons  who 
have  searched  the  documents  referred  to,  none  of  whom  have 
been  able  to  trace  any  mention  of  steam  -T  he,  therefore,  con- 
cludes that  the  account  of  De  Garay's  invention  is  a  Spanish 
legend. 

t  Papin,  who  was  driven  from  France  by  the  revocation  of 
the  Edict  of  Nantes,  and  was  elected  F.R.S.  in  1681,  describes, 
in  1690,  a  steam  cylinder  in  which  a  piston  descends  by 
atmospheric  pressure,  and,  as  one  of  its  uses,  he  mentions  the 
propulsion  of  ships  by  paddle  wheels.  Towards  the  close  of 
the  17th  century,  or  the  beginning  of  the  18th,  Papin  made 
the  acquaintance  of  Thomas  Savory,  one  of  the  most  ingenious 
men  of  his  times,  and  of  Thomas  jNTewcomen,  a  working  black- 
smith, of  Devon.  Savory  designed  a  marine  engine,  which 
was  greatly  improved  by  Newcomen  in  1705,  and  was  used  by 
Papin  to  propel  a  steamboat  on  the  Fulda. 

Thirty  years  later  (1736),  Jonathan  Hulls,  of  Berwick-oii- 
Tweed,  received  a  patent  for  the  first  steamboat  of  which  there 
is  any  authentic  record  from  George  II.,  which  recited  as 
follows :  — 

*  "  Chambers'  Journal." 

t  Hy.  Fry,  ex  Pres.  Dominion  B/T.  Canada  and  Lloyd's  Agent  at  Quebec, 
author  of  a  "  History  of  North  Atlantic  Steam  Navigation."     1896. 


CHAP.   I.]  ITS  ORIGIN  AND  EXPANSION.  3 

"  Whereas  our  trusty  and  well-beloved  Jonathan  Hulls 
"  hath  by  his  petition  humbly  represented  unto  our  most 
"  dearly  beloved  Consort,  the  Queen,  that  he  hath,  with 
4k  much  labour  and  with  great  expense,  invented  and 
"  formed  a  machine  for  towing  ships  and  vessels  out  of,  or 
"  into  any  harbour  or  river,  against  wind  or  tide,  or  in  a 
ki  calm,  which  the  petitioner  apprehends  may  be  of  great 
"  service  to  our  Royal  Party  and  merchant  ships,  and  to 
"  boats  and  other  vessels,  of  which  the  petitioner  hath 
u  made  oath  that  he  is  the  sole  inventor,  as  by  affidavit  to 
"  his  said  petition  annexed. 

"  Know  ye,  therefore,  that  we,  of  our  special  grace,  hath 
"  given  and  granted  to  the  said  Jonathan  Hulls  our 
"  special  license,  full  power,  sole  privilege  and  authority 
"  during  the  term  of  fourteen  years,  and  he  shall  lawfully 
"  make  use  of  the  same  for  carrying  ships  and  other 
"  vessels  out  to  sea,  or  into  any  harbour  or  river. 

"  In  witness  whereof  we  have  caused  these  our  letters  to 
"  be  made  patent. 

"  (Witness)  CAROLINE, 

"  Queen  of  Great  Britain,  &c. 

"  Given  by  right  of  Privy  Seal  at  Westminster,  this 
"  21st  day  of  December,  1736." 

In  the  description  of  his  invention,  Hulls  states  that,  in  his 
opinion,  it  would  not  be  practicable  to  place  his  machine  011 
anything  but  a  tow-boat,  as  it  would  take  up  too  much  room 
for  other  goods  to  be  carried  011  the  same  vessel  with  it,  and  it 
could  not  "  bo  used  in  a  storm,  or  when  the  waves  are  very 
raging."  Hulls'  vessel  is  stated  to  have  been  a  stern-wheeler, 
a  type  of  steamboat  which  is  now  extensively  used  for 
navigating  shallow  rivers  in  the  Southern  States  of  America 
and  in  India.  The  steam  tow-boat  brought  its  inventor 
nothing  but  ridicule,  and  he  died  in  London  in  almost  destitute 
circumstances. 

Next  in  chronological  sequence  come  the  Abbe  Arnal  and 
the  Marquis  de  Jouit'roy,  of  France,  who,  in  1781,  made 

*  "  Chambers'  Journal." 


4  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

experiments  to  show  the  practicability  of  applying  steam 
power  to  vessels. 

Two  years  later  (1783),  a  Mr.  Fitch  tried  a  species  of  steam 
boiler  on  board  a  small  nine-ton  vessel  on  the  Delaware  River 
in  America,  propelling  the  vessel  by  paddles.  *  "  In  1787  he 
44  built  another  boat,  45ft.  by  12ft.,  and  fitted  her  with  a  12iii. 
"  cylinder.  With  this  vessel  he  is  reported  to  have  made  the 
44  trip  from  Philadelphia  to  Burlington  at  an  average  rate  of 
"  seven  miles  per  hour.  In  1790  he  completed  another  and  a 
44  larger  boat."  But  all  his  plans  failed,  and,  like  Hulls,  his 
contemporaries  deemed  him  to  be  crazy.  He  died  in  1798. 

t  About  this  period  (1780  to  1788)  there  resided  in  Edin- 
burgh a  banker,  of  aristocratic  birth  and  connection.  Patrick 
Miller,  the  banker  referred  to,  was  a  man  of  an  active  and 
ingenious  mind,  and,  having  realised  a  large  fortune  by 
banking,  he  used  it  as  a  means  of  enabling  him  to  work  out 
schemes  for  the  benefit  of  the  public.  Having  purchased  an 
estate  in  the  beautiful  valley  of  the  Nith,  from  which  he 
derived  the  title  of  Laird  of  Dalswinton,  he  retired  thither  to 
solve  the  problem  of  navigating  a  vessel  by  some  more  certain 
means  than  oars  and  sails.  He  had  (prior  to  this)  I  "  exhibited 
44  a  triple  vessel  at  Leith,  having  rotatory  paddles  in  the  two 
"  interspaces,  driven  by  a  crank  and  wrought  by  four  men.  He 
u  determined  one  day  to  try  its  powers  against  a  fast  sailing 
"  Customs  Wherry,  between  Iiich-colm  and  the  harbour  of 
4'  Leith,  a  distance  of  six  or  seven  miles.  He  beat  his 
"  opponent  by  several  minutes,  and  was  very  well  satisfied 
44  with  the  result.  His  boys'  tutor,  a  Mr.  Taylor,  who  had 
44  taken  his  turn  at  the  crank,  and  realised  how  violent  was  the 
44  necessary  exertion,  was  convinced  that  without  a  more 
4'  staying  power  than  manual  labour  the  invention  would  prove 
i(  practically  useless.  He  stated  his  objections  to  Mr.  Miller, 
"  and  they  had  frequent  discussions  on  the  subject.  At  length, 
"  one  day,  Taylor  said  *  Mr.  Miller,  I  can  suggest  no  power 
44  equal  to  the  steam  engine,  or  so  applicable  to  your  purpose.' 
'4  The  result  of  this  suggestion  was  that  Mr.  Miller  decided  to 

*  Hy.  Fry. 
t  "  Chambers'  Journal."  J  "  Chambers'  Journal,"  1857. 


CHAP.   I.]  ITS  ORIGIN  AND  EXPANSION.  5 

"  fit  up  a  new  double  boat,  which  he  had  recently  placed  on 
"  the  lake  at  Dalswinton  for  the  amusement  of  his  family. 
"  Taylor  made  the  necessary  arrangements  under  the  direction 
"  of  an  ingenious  mechanic  named  William  Symington.  The 
"  engine  was  a  very  small  one,  having  four-inch  brass 
"  cylinders,  made  by  George  Watt,  brassfounder,  Edinburgh. 
"  On  the  14th  October,  1788,  several  hundreds  of  people 
"  assembled  on  the  banks  of  Dalswinton  Loch  to  witness  the 
"  trial  trip  of  the  twin  steamboat,  which  was  entirely 
"  successful.  Mr.  Miller  was  so  pleased  with  the  success  of 
"  the  experiment  that  he  resolved  to  repeat  it  on  a  larger  scale. 
"  The  following  year  he  fitted  a  twin  vessel  00  feet  long, 
"  belonging  to  himself,  with  an  engine  of  18in.  cylinders. 
''  This  vessel  steamed  at  the  rate  of  seven  miles  an  hour  on  the 
"  Forth  and  Clyde  Canal,  in  the  presence  of  a  vast  multitude 
"  of  spectators.  It  had  been  Mr.  Miller's  wish  to  try  a  third 
"  experiment  with  a  third  vessel,  in  which  he  should  venture 
"  out  on  to  the  ocean,  and  attempt  a  passage  from  Leith  to 
"  London.  Unfortunately,  he  became  dissatisfied  with 
"  Symington,  and,  being  vexed  at  the  cost  of  fitting  up  the 
"  second  vessel,  which  was  much  greater  than  he  anticipated. 
"  as  well  as  by  a  miscalculation,  through  which  the  machinery 
"  was  made  too  heavy  for  the  hulls,  he  hesitated  to  make 
"  further  trial. 

"•  Taylor  being  poor,  and  a  scholar,  not  a  mechanician,  could 
"  do  nothing  without  Mr.  Miller's  assistance.  Symington  was 
"the  only  one  of  the  three  who  persevered.  He  deserves 
"  credit  for  having  done  so,  but  not  for  the  manner  in  which 
"  he  did  it,  for  without  any  communication  with  Messrs. 
"  Miller  and  Taylor,  the  true  inventors,  he  took  out  a  patent 
"  for  the  construction  of  steamboats  in  1801.  Through  the 
"  interest  of  Lord  Duiidas,  he  was  able,  in  1803,  to  fit  up  a  new 
"  steamboat  for  the  Forth  and  Clyde  Canal  Co.,  and  this  vessel, 
"  called  the  CHARLOTTE  DUNDAS,  was  tried  in  towing  a  couple 
"  of  barges  upon  the  canal  with  entire  success,  except  in  one 
"  respect,  which  was  that  the  agitation  of  the  water  by  the 
"  paddles  was  found  to  wash  down  the  banks  in  an  alarming 
"  manner.  For  this  reason  the  Canal  Co.  resolved  to  give  up 


6  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART   I. 

"  the  project,  and  the  vessel  was,  therefore,  laid  aside.  It  lay 
"  on  the  bank  at  Lock  16  for  many  years,  generally  looked  on, 
"  of  course,  as  a  monument  of  misdirected  ingenuity,  but,  as 
ki  we  shall  presently  see,  it  did  not  lie  there  altogether  in  vain. 
*'  Meantime  Symington  had  been  in  communication  with  the 
"  Duke  of  Bridgewater,  with  the  object  of  introducing  steam 
"  towage  on  the  Bridgewater  Canal,  and  had  actually  received 
"  a  trial  order,  when,  unfortunately,  the  Duke  died,  and  the 
"  project  was  closed.  Here  Symington  vanishes  likewise  from 
"  the  active  part  of  this  history.  Miller  died  in  1815,  a  com- 
"  paratively  poor  man,  having  exhausted  his  fortune  bv 
"  improvements  and  experiments.  It  has  been  stated  by  his 
"  son  that  he  spent  fully  £30,000  in  projects  of  a  purely  public 
"  nature.  Taylor  died  in  1824,  in  straitened  circumstances, 
"  leaving  a  widow  and  daughters,  to  -vhorn  the  Government 
"  granted  a  pension  of  £50  a  year. 

"  The  experiments  at  Carron,  in  1789,  had  been  witnessed 
''  by  a  young  man  named  Henry  Bell,  a  working  mason  origin- 
"  ally,  as  it  appears,  afterwards  a  humble  kind  of  engineer  in 
11  Grlasgo\v,  and  later  an  hotel  proprietor  at  Helensburgh.  Bell 
"  never  lost  sight  of  the  idea,  and  when  Symington  ceased  ex- 
"  perimeiiting  in  1803  he  took  up  the  project.  At  the  same 
"'  time  an  ingenious  American,  named  Fulton,  comes  into  the 
"  field.  He,  in  company  with  Bell,  visited  the  CHARLOTTE 
"  DUNDAS  in  1803,  and  Bell  gave  to  Fulton  drawings  of  the 
u  machinery  which  he  (Bell)  had  obtained,  partly  from  Mr. 
''  Miller  and  partly  from  Symington." 


CHAP.   II.]  ITS  ORIGIN  AND   EXPANSION. 


CHAPTER  II. 

Fulton   (1807). — The   CLERMONT,    the    first    Passenger    Steam-boat    in  the 

world. — Narrative    of  her    first   Voyage. — Steam  Navigation   in   Canadian 

Waters. — The  first  Steamers  on  the   St.   Lawrence. — The   ACCOMMODATION 

(1809). — SWIFTSURE  and  CAR  OP  COMMERCE  (1813),  and  the  QUEBEC  (1817). 

THE  United  States  of  America  has  the  honour  of  having 
built  the  first  passenger  steam-boat  in  the  world,  and  she 
held  the  monopoly  of  the  steamship  passenger  traffic  for  a 
period  of  about  two  years.  She  owes  this  honourable  position 
in  the  commercial  world  to  the  energy  and  perseverance  of 
Robert  Fulton,  who  in  spite  of  ridicule  and  active  opposition, 
and  want  of  capital,  succeeded  in  building,  in  1807,  a  paddle 
steam-packet,  which  he  named  the  CLERMONT.  Shortly  after 
her  trial  trip,  she  was  advertised  to  run  from  New  York  to 
Albany,  and,  as  soon  as  she  could  be  got  ready,  the  CLERMONT 
sailed  on  her  first  voyage  up  the  Hudson. 

The  following  extract  from  a  letter,  written  by  an  eye- 
witness 011  that  occasion,  tells  how  the  people  along  the  river 
were  excited  by  the  passage  of  the  steam-boat  on  her  voyage 
from  New  York  to  Albany  :  — 

"  It  was  in  the  early  autumn  of  the  year  1807  that  a 
u  knot  of  villagers  was  gathered  011  a  high  bluff,  just 
"  opposite  Poughkeepsie,  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Hudson, 
44  attracted  by  the  appearance  of  a  strange-looking  craft, 
"  which  was  slowly  making  its  way  up  the  river.  Some 
"  imagined  it  to  be  a  sea-monster,  whilst  others  did  not 
"  hesitate  to  express  their  belief  that  it  was  a  sign  of  the 
"  approaching  judgment.  What  seemed  strange  in  the 
"  vessel  was  the  substitution  of  a  loftv  and  strange  black 
"  smoke-pipe  rising  from  the  deck,  instead  of  the  grace- 
"  fully  tapered  masts  that  commonly  stood  on  the  vessels 


fl  THE    HISTORY    OP    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

"  navigating  the  stream,  and,  in  place  of  the  spars  and 
"  rigging,  the  curious  play  of  the  working  beam  and 
"  piston,  and  the  slow  turning  and  splashing  of  the  huge 
"  and  naked  paddle-wheels,  met  his  astonished  gaze.  The 
"  dense  clouds  of  smoke,  as  they  rose  wave  upon  wave, 
"  added  still  more  to  the  wonder  of  the  rustics. 

"  This  strange-looking  craft  was  the  CLERMONT  on  her 
"  trial  trip  to  Albany ;  and,  of  the  little  knot  of  villagers 
"  above  mentioned,  the  writer,  then  a  boy  in  his  eighth 
"  year,  with  his  parents,  formed  a  part ;  and  I  well 
"  remember  the  scene,  one  so  well-fitted  to  impress  a 
"  lasting  picture  upon  the  mind  of  a  child  accustomed  to 
"  watch  the  vessels  that  passed  up  and  down  the  river. 

"  On  her  return  trip,  the  curiosity  she  excited  was 
"  scarcely  less  intense — the  whole  country  talked  of 
"  nothing  but  the  sea-monster,  belching  forth  fire  and 
"  smoke.  The  fishermen  became  terrified  and  rowed 
"  homeward,  and  they  saw  nothing  but  destruction  de- 
"  vastating  their  fishing  grounds ;  whilst  the  wreaths  of 
"  black  vapours,  and  rushing  noise  of  the  paddle-wheels, 
"  foaming  with  the  stirred  up  waters,  produced  great 
"  excitement  amongst  the  boatmen,  until  it  was  more 
"  intelligent  than  before ;  for  the  character  of  that  curious 
"  boat,  and  the  nature  of  the  enterprise  she  was  pioneering 
"  had  been  ascertained." 

Several  accidents  occurred  to  the  machinery  of  the 
CLERMONT  during  her  first  season,  but  none  of  them  caused 
any  loss  of  life.  There  were,  however,  so  many  of  these  mis- 
haps that  the  incredulous  were  encouraged  in  the  belief  that 
she  was  a  failure.  But  the  misfortunes  of  the  boat  were  not 
limited  to  accidents  to  machinery  and  other  legitimate  mis- 
haps. They  included  wilful  attempts  at  her  destruction  on 
the  part  of  those  who  felt  that  their  business  was  about  to  be 
injured  by  this  new  system  of  navigation.  Vessels  ran  foul  of 
her  intentionally,  and  so  determined  were  the  sloop  owners  and 
others  to  rid  themselves  of  this  dangerous  competitor,  that  it 
became  necessary  for  the  Legislature  to  interfere.  But  in 
spite  of  all  opposition,  Fulton  forced  his  way  onward  and 


CHAP.   II.]  ITS  ORIGIN  AND  EXPANSION.  () 

upwards.  He  replaced  his  first  steamer  by  a  second  and  larger 
one,  also  named  the  CLKRMONT,  and,  as  the  passenger  trade 
developed,  other  steamers  were  added  to  the  line. 

American  capitalists  in  different  parts  of  the  United  States 
followed  his  example.  Steamers  were  built  so  rapidly  to  ply 
on  the  American  Atlantic  Seaboard,  and  on  the  Mississippi 
and  other  rivers,  that  in  1823  (that  is  sixteen  years  after  the 
first  passenger  steamer  in  the  world  was  built)  there  were  300 
steamers  plying  on  American  waters. 

The  St.  Lawrence  is  the  chief  dividing  line  between  the 
United  States  and  Canada.  It  forms  the  great  summer  high- 
way for  the  traffic  of  British  Xorth  America.  By  it  the  com- 
merce of  Europe  is  brought  into  the  country,  and  on  its  bosom 
is  borne  outwards  the  wealth  of  the  forests  and  the  surplus 
agricultural  produce  of  the  Dominion. 

On  the  Canadian  side  of  this  great  river  are  situated  the  two 
important  cities  of  Quebec  and  Montreal.  Two  years  (1809) 
after  the  building  of  Fulton's  CLERMONT,  and  three  years 
before  the  first  European  steamer  began  to  ply  on  the 
Itiver  Clyde,  the  steamboat  ACCOMMODATION  ran  on  the 
St.  Lawrence,  maintaining  a  passenger  service  between  Quebec 
and  Montreal. 

The  following  account  of  this  vessel,  and  of  her  first  voyage, 
appeared  in  the  "  Quebec  Mercury  "  of  that  date :  — 

"  On  Saturday  morning  at  eight  o'clock  arrived  here 
44  from  Montreal,  being  her  first  trip,  the  steamboat 
44  ACCOMMODATION,  with  ten  passengers.  This  is  the  first 
'•  vessel  of  the  kind  that  ever  appeared  in  this  harbour. 
"  She  is  continually  crowded  with  visitants.  She  left 
"  Montreal  on  Wednesday,  at  two  o'clock,  so  that  her 
44  passage  was  sixty-six  hours,  thirty  of  which  she  was  at 
"  anchor.  She  arrived  at  Three  liivers  in  twenty-four 
"  hours.  She  has  at  present  berths  for  twenty  passengers, 
"  which  next  year  will  be  considerably  augmented.  No 
44  wind  or  tide  can  stop  her.  She  has  75  feet  keel,  and  85 
44  on  deck.  The  price  for  a  passage  up  is  nine  dollars,  and 
4'  eight  down — the  vessel  supplying  provisions.  The  great 
"  advantage  attending  a  vessel  so  constructed  is,  that  a 


10  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM   NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

"  passage  may  be  calculated  on  to  a  degree  of  certainty, 
"  in  point  of  time,  which  cannot  be  the  case  with  any  vessel 
"  propelled  by  sails  only.  The  steamboat  receives  her 
"  impulse  from  an  open  double-spoked,  perpendicular 
"  wheel,  on  each  side,  without  any  circular  band  or  rim. 
"  To  the  end  of  each  double  spoke  is  fixed  a  square  board, 
"  which  enters  the  water,  and  by  the  rotary  motion  of  the 
''  wheel,  acts  like  a  paddle.  The  wheels  are  put  and  kept 
"  in  motion  by  steam,  operating  within  the  vessel.  A 
"  mast  is  to  be  fixed  in  her  for  the  purpose  of  using  a  sail 
"  when  the  wind  is  favourable,  which  will  occasionally 
"  accelerate  her  headway." 

In  1813  two  new  steamers  were  placed  011  the  St.  Lawrence, 
called  respectively  the  SWIFTSUBE  and  the  CAB,  OF  COMMERCE, 
and,  after  a  further  interval  of  four  years,  a  fourth  steamer, 
the  QUEBEC,  began  to  ply  between  Quebec  and  Montreal. 

The  first  of  these  steamers,  the  SWIFTSUBE,  was  140  feet  over 
all,  with  a  beam  of  24  feet.  On  her  maiden  voyage  she  made 
the  passage  from  Montreal  to  Quebec  in  twenty-two  and  a  half 
hours,  in  the  face  of  a  strong  easterly  wind  all  the  way. 
Notwithstanding  that  she  "  beat  the  most  famous  of  the  sailing- 
"  packets  011  the  line  (fourteen  hours  in  a  race  of  thirty-six 
"  hours),  her  owners  do  not  seem  to  have  been  very  confident 
"  of  her  movements  under  all  circumstances,  or  of  the  number 
"  of  passengers  who  would  patronise  her,  for  she  was  adver- 
"  tised  to  sail  '  as  the  wind  and  passengers  may  suit.'  "  + 

|  Lindsay's  "  Merchant  Shipping,"  folio  59. 


CHAP.   III.]  ITS  ORIGIN   AND   EXPANSION. 


CHAPTER  III. 

Steamboats  on  the  Eiver  Clyde,  the  COMET,  INDUSTRY,   ARGYLE. — On  the 

Thames,    the   MARGERY   and   the   THAMES.— The   first   Irish   Steamer,  the 

CITY  OF  CORK. 

WITHOUT,  in  the  slightest  degree,  detracting  from  the  credit 
due  to  the  inventors  referred  to  in  the  earlier  pages  of  this 
history,  it  is  indisputable  that  the  River  Clyde  is  the  birthplace 
of  European  Steam  Navigation. 

For  many  years  the  CHARLOTTE  DUNDAS  (a  success  from  an 
engineering  point  of  view,  but  a  failure  commercially),  lay  idle 
and  corroding  at  Lock  16  on  the  Forth  and  Clyde  Canal.  She 
was  regarded  by  the  majority  of  those  who  saw  her  there,  as  a 
monument  of  Symington's  folly — the  embodiment  of  a  "  fad." 

Bell,  however,  throughout  these  years,  retained  his  faith  in 
the  ultimate  success  of  the  Marine  Steam  Engine.  There  seemed 
to  be  no  probability  of  steam  being  utilized  as  a  motive  power 
for  vessels  in  British  waters,  but  the  Americans  were  more 
enterprising,  and  Fulton,  who  accompanied  Bell  to  inspect  the 
CHARLOTTE  DUNDAS  in  180^3,  gave  the  latter  to  understand  that 
he  had  influential  friends  in  America,  whom  he  could  induce 
to  build  steamers.  Bell  had  good  reason  to  consider  himself 
badly  treated  by  Fulton  in  this  matter,  yet,  undoubtedly, 
indirectly  Bell  was  benefited  by  Fulton's  success.  It  is  more 
than  probable  that  during  the  five  years  that  succeeded  the 
building  of  the  CLERMONT,  frequent  reports  regarding  both 
this  vessel  and  her  successors  in  the  United  States  and  Canada, 
reached  Scotland.  And  as  a  consequence  of  the  success  of 
these  boats,  Bell  succeeded  in  getting  a  small  steamer  built  to 
trade  on  the  River  Clyde.  The  following  is  a  copy  of  Mr. 
Bell's  advertisement  of  the  sailing  of  his  steamer:  — 

"  The  COMET,  between  Glasgow,  Greeiiock  and  Helens- 


1%  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

"  burgh,  for  passengers  only.  The  subscriber  having  at 
"  much  expense,  fitted  up  a  handsome  vessel  to  ply  upon 
"  the  River  Clyde,  between  Glasgow  and  Greenock,  to  sail 
"  by  the  power  of  wind,  air,  and  steam,  he  intends  that  the 
"  vessel  shall  leave  the  Bromielaw  on  Tuesdays,  Thursdays, 
"  and  Saturdays,  about  mid-day  or  such  hour  thereafter  as 
"  may  answer  from  the  state  of  the  tide ;  and  to  leave 
"  Greenock  on  Mondays,  Wednesdays,  and  Fridays,  in  the 
"  morning  to  suit  the  tide.  The  terms  are  fixed  for  the 
"  present  at  4s.  for  the  best  cabin,  and  3s.  for  the  second ; 
"  but  beyond  these  rates  nothing  is  to  be  allowed  to  servants 
"  or  any  other  person  employed  about  the  vessel." 
The  COMET  was  a  steamer  of  25  tons  burden,  40  feet  long, 
and  10  feet  6  inches  broad,  and  she  steamed  about  5  miles  per 
hour. 

A  correspondent  of  the  "  Steamship  "  (1st  January,  1883), 
relates  regarding  one  Dougal  Jamsoii,  a  Clyde  skipper,  of  the 
time  of  the  COMET,  that  whenever  the  steamboat  passed  his  slow 
going  sloop,  he  invariably  piped  all  hands — a  man  and  a  boy — 
and  bade  them  u  Kneel  down  and  thank  God,  that  ye  sail  wi' 
the  Almichty's  aiii  win',  an'  no'  wi'  the  deevil's  sunfire  an' 
brimstane,  like  that  spluttery  thing  there." 

The  following  year  there  were  three  additional  steamers  con- 
stantly plying  011  the  Clyde  between  Glasgow  and  Greenock. 
One  of  these  was  probably  the  steamer  (whose  name  has  not 
been  recorded),  which  came  from  the  Clyde  to  Liverpool  in 
1815.  The  second  of  this  trio  was  the  INDUSTRY,  whose 
remains  were  to  be  seen  more  than  half  a  century  later  at 
Bowling.  And  the  third  was  the  steamer  ARGYLE,  afterwards 
re-named  the  THAMES. 

All  these  boats  were  faster  than  the  COMET,  and  were 
twice  as  large,  being  75  feet  long  and  14  feet  broad.  Against 
such  competitors  the  COMET  could  not  compete  successfully. 
In  his  later  years  Bell  received  a  small  annuity  from  the  Clyde 
Trustees,  who,  after  his  decease,  erected  an  obelisk  to  his 
memory,  which  may  still  be  seen  standing  on  a  rock  a  little 
below  Bowling. 

For  two  or  three  summers  Glasgow  was  the  only  City  in 


CHAP.   III.]  ITS  ORIGIN   AND   EXPANSION.  13 

Great  Britain  or  Ireland  whose  citizens  enjoyed  the  advantages 
of  steam  packet  communication  with  the  coast.  But,  in  the 
summer  of  the  year  1815,  the  citizens  of  London  and  of  Cork 
were  given  equal  facilities. 

Ireland  has  always  occupied  a  most  honourable  position  in 
the  Annals  of  Steam  Navigation.  Cork  had  a  steamship 
service  certainly  as  early  as  Liverpool ;  the  pioneer  of  the 
Liverpool  coasting  steamship  trade  was  a  Belfast  steamer;  from 
Cork,  sailed  the  first  steamer  with  passengers  from  Europe  to 
America ;  the  first  Trans- Atlantic  Liner  from  Liverpool  was 
a  Dublin  steamer ;  and  in  this  year  of  grace  1908,  the  steamers 
built  in  Belfast,  which  carry  the  White  Star  flag  across  the 
Atlantic  and  Pacific  Oceans,  have  a  reputation  unsurpassed  by 
any  steamships  afloat.  But  Cork  anticipated  Belfast  in  ship- 
building and  ship-owning.  Messrs.  Michael  O'Brien  and 
Christopher  Owens,  of  Cork,  were  the  first  to  introduce  steamers 
to  the  merchants  and  travelling  public  of  the  South  of  Ireland. 
They  built,  in  1815,  the  river  steamer  CITY  OF  CORK.  She 
was  a  wooden  paddle  steamer  of  50  tons  register;  and  of 
slightly  larger  dimensions  than  the  Clyde-built  steamers 
referred  to,  being  86  feet  long,  13  feet  broad,  and  9  feet  deep. 

The  steam  fleet  of  the  Thames  consisted  at  this  date  of  the 
three  steam-packets  MARJORY,  DEFIANCE  and  THAMES,  which 
steamers  plied  between  London  and  Margate.  The  DEFIANCE, 
probably  a  locally  built  vessel,  was  commanded  by  "William 
Robins,  and  sailed  from  near  Summer  Quay,  Billingsgate, 
every  Sunday  and  Wednesday  morning,  at  7  o'clock,  returning 
from  Margate  every  Tuesday  and  Friday  morning. 

"  The  THAMES,  steam  yacht,  "  (says  the  London  "  Times,"  of 
the  8th  July,  1815),  "'  from  London  to  Margate,  starts  from 
Wool  Quay,  near  the  Custom  House,  Thames  Street,  every 
Tuesday  and  Saturday  at  8  o'clock  a.m.,  precisely,  and  leaves 
Margate  on  her  return  to  London  every  Monday  and  Thursday 
at  the  same  hour.  This  rapid,  capacious  and  splendid  vessel 
lately  accomplished  a  voyage  of  1,500  miles,  has  twice  crossed 
St.  George's  Channel,  and  came  round  the  Land's  End  with  a 
rapidity  unknown  before  in  naval  history,  and  is  the  first  steam 
vessel  that  ever  traversed  those  seas.  She  has  the  peculiar 


14  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

advantage  of  proceeding"  either  by  sails  or  steam,  separated  or 
united,  by  which  means  the  public  have  the  pleasing  certainty 
of  never  being  detained  on  the  water  after  dark,  much  less  one 
or  two  nights,  which  has  frequently  occurred  with  the  old 
packets.  Against  the  wind,  the  tide,  or  in  the  most  perfect 
calm,  the  passage  is  alike  certain,  and  has  always  been  achieved 
in  one  day.  Her  cabins  are  spacious,  and  are  fitted  up  with  all 
that  elegance  could  suggest,  or  personal  comfort  require ;  pre- 
senting a  choice  library,  backgammon  boards,  draught  tables, 
and  other  means  of  amusement.  For  the  express  purpose  of 
combining  delicacy  with  comfort  a  female  servant  attends  upon 
the  ladies.  The  fares  (which  include  Pier  Duty)  are  in  the 
Chief  Cabin  15s.,  and  in  the  Fore  Cabin  11s.,  children  half 
price.  No  articles  or  goods  will  be  taken,  except  the  luggage 
accompanying  passengers ;  and  the  proprietors  will  not  be 
answerable  for  any  of  the  above,  unless  delivered  into  the  care 
of  the  Steward,  nor  to  the  amount  of  more  than  £5  value, 
except  entered  and  paid  for  as  such." 

A  narrative  of  the  remarkable  voyage  of  this  steamer  from 
the  Clyde  to  the  Thames,  referred  to  in  the  above  quotation 
from  the  "  Times,"  will  be  found  in  the  following  chapter. 


CHAP.   IV.]  ITS   ORIGIN   AND   EXPANSION.  15 


CHAPTER  IV. 

"The  Year  1815." 

To  the  student  of  British  history,  the  year  1815  is  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  of  the  nineteenth  century.  In  June  of  that 
year  was  fought  the  Battle  of  Waterloo — a  victory  for  the 
British  which  effectually  destroyed  the  power  of  the  first 
Napoleon,  and  delivered  Europe  from  the  terror  of  a  military 
despotism.  The  merchants  of  the  "  good  old  town  "  of  Liver- 
pool were  determined  that  the  famous  victory  should  never  be 
forgotten  by  their  descendants,  and  so  they  perpetuated  the 
name  in  the  "  Waterloo  Road,"  the  "  Waterloo  Dock,"  and 
their  latest  seaside  suburb  "  Waterloo."  Another  event 
occurred  in  that  same  eventful  month  of  June,  1815,  an  event 
unheralded  at  the  time,  but  whose  results  have  been  more 
widely  spread  and  more  beneficent  than  those  which  resulted 
from  the  Battle  of  Waterloo.  This  was  the  arrival  from  the 
Clyde  of  the  first  steamer  ever  seen  on  the  river  Mersey.  The 
following  brief  and  unsatisfactory  paragraph  appeared  in  the 
"  Liverpool  Mercury  "  of  the  '30th  June  :  — 

"  Liverpool  Steamboat. — On  Wednesday  last,  about 
"  110011,  the  public  curiosity  was  considerably  excited  by 
"  the  arrival  of  the  first  steamboat  ever  seen  in  our  river. 
"  She  came  from  the  Clyde,  and  in  her  passage  called  at 
"  llamsay,  in  the  Isle  of  Man,  which  place  she  left  early 
"  on  the  same  morning.  We  believe  she  is  intended  to 
"  ply  between  this  port  and  Euncorn,  or  even  occasionally 
"  as  far  as  Warringtoii.  Her  cabin  will  contain  about 
"  one  hundred  passengers." 

This  is  one  of  the  most  tantalising  paragraphs  ever  printed. 
If  "  the  public  curiosity  was  considerably  excited,"  the  reporter 
certainly  took  no  pains  to  gratify  it.  The  name  of  the  vessel  is 


16  THE    HISTOBY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PAET  I. 

not  giiven,  nor  any  particulars  of  'her  dimensions,  or  of  her 
power  and  speed.  The  daring  mariners  who  navigated  her  are 
nameless,  and  the  incidents  of  this  pioneer  voyage  are  left 

unrecorded. 

"  The  evil  that  men  do  lives  after  them, 
The  good  is  oft  interred  with  their  bones." 

Fortunately  we  are  able,  from  other  sources,  to  gather  some  idea 
of  the  size  and  appearance  of  the  vessel,  and  of  the  impression 
she  made  on  the  minds  of  the  spectators.  She  was  presumably 
one  of  the  three  steamers  built  on  the  Clyde  in  1813,  as  com- 
petitors against  the  COMET,  for  passengers  between  Glasgow 
and  Greenock ;  the  other  two  were  the  ARGYLE  and  the 
INDUSTRY.  There  was  only  a  difference  of  five  feet  between 
the  smallest  and  the  largest  of  these  three  steamers,  so  that  a 
description  of  the  ARGYLE  will  answer  for  the  others  as  well. 
The  ARGYLE  was  a  packet  steamer  of  70  tons  register,  measuring 
in  her  keel  79  feet,  with  16  feet  beam,  paddle  wheels  9  feet  in 
diameter,  and  engines  14  h.p.  Her  smoke  was  carried  off  by  a 
funnel,  which  also  did  duty  as  a  mast,  being  rigged  with  a  large 
square  sail.  A  gallery,  upon  which  the  cabin  windows  opened, 
projected  so  as  to  form  a  continuous  deck,  interrupted  only  by 
the  paddle  boxes,  an  arrangement  which  had  the  further  effect 
of  making  the  vessel  appear  larger  than  she  really  was.  On  the 
outside  of  the  gallery  eighteen  large  port  holes  were  painted, 
which,  with  the  two  she  displayed  upon  her  stern,  made  the 
ARGYLE  look  so  formidable  to  those  to  whom  a  steamer  was  a 
novelty,  that  it  was  stated  in  a  Committee  of  the  House  of 
Commons,  by  several  naval  officers,  that  if  they  had  met  her  at 
sea  they  would  have  endeavoured  to  reconnoitre  before 
attempting  to  bring  her  to.  After  plying  for  twelve  months 
between  Glasgow  and  Greenock,  the  ARGYLE  was  sold  to  a 
London  firm,  who  changed  her  name  to  the  THAMES.  In  conse- 
quence of  this  change  of  ownership,  this  vessel  made  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  voyages  ever  accomplished  by  any  steamer. 
An  interesting  narrative  of  the  voyage,  from  which  these  par- 
ticulars are  taken,  was  published  in  "  Chambers'  Journal  "  011 
the  25th  April,  1857. 

The  task  of  bringing  the  little   steam-packet  round  by  sea 


CHAP.   IV.]  ITS   ORIGIN   AND   EXPANSION. 


17 


from  the  Clyde  to  the  Thames,  was  intrusted  to  an  ex-naval 
officer  named  Dodd,  a  man  of  considerable  and  diverse  abilities. 
He  projected  the  Thames  tunnel,  proposing  to  carry  it  across 
from  Gravesend  to  Tilbury,  at  an  estimated  cost  of  under 
£16,000.  According  to  an  account  of  the  voyage  which  Dodd 
himself  published  in  the  "  Morning  Chronicle  "  of  the  15th 
June,  1815,  and  afterwards  embodied  in  his  evidence  before  a 
Committee  of  the  House  of  Commons,  Dodd  sailed  from 
Glasgow  about  the  middle  of  May  with  a  crew  of  eight  persons 
— a  mate,  an  engineer,  a  stoker,  four  seamen,  and  a  cabin-boy. 
His  voyage  at  first  was  far  from  auspicious.  The  weather  was 
stormy,  the  sea  ran  high  in  the  strait  which  separates  Scotland 
from  Ireland,  and  either  through  ignorance  or  negligence,  the 
pilot  during  the  night  altered  the  course  of  the  vessel,  so  that 
it  ran  a  great  risk  of  being  wrecked.  Dodd  had  given  orders 
that  the  steamer  s'hould  be  steered  so  as  to  gain  the  Irish  coast 
by  the  morning ;  but  at  break  of  day  a  heavy  gale  was  blowing, 
and  it  was  discovered  that,  instead  of  being  off  the  coast  of 
Ireland,  they  were  within  half-a-league  off  a  lee  shore,  rock 
bound,  about  two  miles  to  the  north  of  Port  Patrick.  Belying 
entirely  upon  the  efficiency  of  his  engine,  Dodd  at  once  laid  the 
vessel's  head  directly  to  windward,  and  ordered  the  log  to  be 
kept  constantly  going.  The  plan  succeeded.  The  THAMES 
began  slowly  to  clear  the  shore,  going  direct  in  the  wind's  eye 
at  the  rate  of  something  more  than  three  knots  an  hour.  On 
the  24th  of  May  the  voyagers  arrived  safelv  at  Dublin,  where 
they  were  joined  by  a  Mr.  Weld  and  his  wife.  Mrs.  Weld  has 
the  proud  distinction  of  having  been  the  first  lady  passenger  to 
cross  the  St.  George's  Channel  on  a  steamboat.  Mr.  Weld  kept 
a  journal,  from  which  the  following  is  an  extract:  — 

*  "  On  the  25th  May,  1815,  I  heard  by  accident  that  a 
"  steam-vessel  had  arrived  at  Dublin.  I  immediately 
"  went  to  see  her,  and  found  her  on  the  point  of  starting 
"  with  a  number  of  curious  visitors  upon  an  experimental 
"  trip  in  the  bay.  I  was  so  much  pleased  with  all  that  I 
"  saw  and  heard  concerning  her,  that,  having  previously 
"  intended  to  proceed  to  London,  I  determined  to  request 

*  »  Chambers'  Journal,"  25th  April,  1857, 


18  THE   HISTOEY   OF   STEAM   NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

"  Captain  Dodd  to  receive  me  as  a  passenger,  and  to  be 
"  permitted  to  accompany  him  throughout  the  voyage. 
"  He  at  once  consented,  and  my  wife  having  resolved  on 
"  sharing  the  dangers  of  the  voyage  with  me,  we  pro- 
"  ceeded  to  make  the  necessary  arrangements  for  our 
"  departure.  On  the  28th  of  May,  being  Sunday,  we  left 
"  the  Liffey  at  noon.  Many  persons  embarked  with  us 
"  from  curiosity,  but  only  to  cross  the  bay  as  far  as 
"  Dunleary  (now  Kingstown),  where  they  landed. 
"  Unfortunately,  the  sea  was  very  rough,  which 
"  occasioned  the  most  violent  sea-sickness  amongst  the 
"  passengers.  Several  naval  officers  were  on  board,  who 
"  were  unanimous  in  declaring  it  to  be  their  firm  opinion 
"  that  the  vessel  could  not  live  long  in  heavy  seas,  and 
"  that  there  would  be  much  danger  in  venturing  far 
"  from  shore.  I  deemed  it  right  to  inform  my  wife  of  this 
"  opinion,  but,  although  she  suffered  greatly  from  sea- 
"  sickness,  she  persisted  in  her  intention  of  accompanying 
"  me,  and  that  evening,  after  having  passed  some  hours 
"on  laud  at  the  house  of  a  friend,  the  vessel  put  to  sea, 
"  we  being  the  only  passengers.  The  shore  was  covered 
"  with  several  thousands  of  spectators,  who  cheered  and 
"  wished  us  a  prosperous  voyage. 

"  The  sea  was  comparatively  calm  as  the  vessel  steamed 
"  into  the  Bay  of  Dalkey,  and  the  passengers  calculated 
"on  a  pleasant  voyage  during  the  night,  but,  when 
"  beyond  the  shelter  of  the  coast,  they  found  it  to  be  as 
"  rough  as  ever.  The  THAMES  again  proved  her  admir- 
u  able  sea-going  qualities,  bounding  so  lightly  over  the 
"  waves  that  her  passengers  were  not  once  wetted,  even  by 
"  the  spray." 

She  soon  left  behind  her  all  the  vessels  which  had  sailed  from 
Dublin  with  the  same  tide,  and  about  nine  o'clock  next  morning 
arrived  off  Wexford.  The  dense  smoke  which  issued  from  its 
mast  chimney  being  observed  from  the  heights  above  the  town, 
it  was  concluded  that  the  vessel  was  on  fire.  All  the  pilots 
immediately  put  off  to  its  assistance ;  and  nothing  could  exceed 
their  surprise,  mingled  with  disappointment,  when  they  saw 
that  the  ship  was  in  no  danger  whatever,  and  that  their  hopes 
of  salvage  were  at  an  end. 


CHAP.  IV.]  ITS   OEIGIN  AND   EXPANSION.  19 

The  weather  had  now  become  so  stormy,  that  Captain  Dodd 
determined  to  put  into  port,  his  great  object  being  to  navigate 
the  vessel  safely  to  London,  rather  than,  by  using  great 
dispatch,  to  expose  her  to  unnecessary  risk. 

At  two  o'clock  on  Tuesday  morning,  'iOtli  May,  Dodd  left 
"VVexford  and  sailed  for  St.  ])avid's  Head,  the  most  westerly 
point  of  Wales.  During  the  passage  across  St.  George's 
Channel  one  of  the  blades  of  the  starboard  paddle  wheel  got 
out  of  order.  The  engine  was  stopped  and  the  blade  cut  away. 
Some  hours  after  a  similar  accident  befell  the  port  wheel,  which 
was  remedied  in  the  same  manner.  The  loss  of  one  blade  in 
each  wheel  made  no  apparent  difference  in  the  speed  of  the 
vessel.  Fortunately  when  the  accidents  occurred  the  sea  was 
very  calm.  After  a  voyage  of  twelve  hours  duration,  the 
steamer  arrived  at  the  Pass  of  Ramsay,  between  the  island  of 
that  name  and  St.  David's  Head.  There  the  adventurers 
remained  for  three  hours  to  oil  the  engine,  and  to  give  the 
stoker,  who  had  not  quitted  his  post  for  an  instant  since  leaving 
Wexford,  a  little  rest.  There,  too,  as  at  Wexford,  boats  put 
out  from  different  parts  of  the  coast  to  the  assistance  of  the 
vessel,  which  they  believed  to  be  on  fire.  Leaving  Ramsay,  the 
THAMES  steamed  through  the  straits  and  across  St.  Bride's  Bay. 
The  weather  had  again  become  unfavourable,  and  a  heavy  sea 
had  arisen  in  the  bay.  So  high  indeed  were  the  waves,  that, 
when  ingulphed  between  them,  the  coast,  though  lofty,  could 
not  be  seen  ;  but  the  little  craft  held  her  way  most  gallantly 
over  all. 

On  the  south  side  of  St.  Bride's  Bay,  between  Skomar  Island 
and  the  mainland,  there  is  a  dangerous  passage  called  Tack 
Sound.  The  pilot  warned  the  captain  against  attempting  this 
passage,  except  under  favourable  conditions  as  to  wind  and 
water,  but  Dodd,  who  knew  the  power  of  his  engine,  insisted 
on  going  through  the  sound,  in  order  to  save  five  hours,  and  to 
avoid  another  night  at  sea.  The  dangerous  sound  was  safely 
navigated,  and  the  voyagers  reached  Milford  TIaven.  As  they 
were  steaming  up  the  harbour,  they  met  the  Government  mail 
packet  proceeding  from  Milford  to  Waterford,  with  all  her  sails 
spread.  They  had  passed  her  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  when 


20  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM   NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

Captain  Dodd  determined  to  send  some  letters  by  her  to  Ire- 
land. The  THAMES  was  immediately  put  about,  and  in  a  few 
minutes  she  was  alongside  the  packet  ship,  and  sailed  round 
her,  although  the  latter  continued  under  way.  The  captain  and 
passengers  wrote  a  few  letters,  put  them  on  board  the  packet, 
sailed  round  her  once  more,  and  then  continued  their  course  to 
Milford. 

The  two  following  days  were  spent  in  satisfying)  the  curiosity 
of  numerous  naval  officers  who  were  anxious  to  see  the  THAMES, 
and  to  examine  her  engine,  as  well  as  to  test  her  sailing  powers. 
It  became  necessary  also  to  clean  out  the  boiler,  which  had  not 
been  done  since  leaving  Glasgow.  Late  on  the  evening  of  the 
81st  May,  she  sailed  in  company  with  the  MYRTLE,  sloop-of-war, 
whose  captain  (Bingham)  and  a  company  of  ladies  were  aboard 
the  steamer,  anxious  to  see  how  she  would  behave  in  a  rough 
sea.  The  MYRTLE  was  obliged  to  hoist  royals  and  studding 
sails  to  keep  up  with  the  THAMES,  and  at  last  by  crowding  all 
sail,  she  got  a  little  ahead.  But  the  great  superiority  of  steam 
was  yet  to  be  shown.  Dodd  gallantly  determined  to  carry  the 
ladies  back  to  Milford,  instead  of  transferring  them  to  the 
MYRTLE  in  an  open  boat.  Accordingly  he  steamed  back  to 
Milford,  leaving  'the  sloop  of  war  far  'behind,  and  when  he  was 
again  outward  bound,  he  found  the  sloop  had  anchored,  being 
unable  owing  to  the  failure  of  the  wind  to  regain  her  former 
station.  Next  morning  (Friday)  the  voyagers  found  them- 
selves mid-way  across  the  Bristol  Channel,  with  110  land 
visible  on  either  side,  but  towards  evening  the  Cornish  coast 
was  sighted.  The  weather,  however,  had  again  become 
threatening,  and  the  pilot  did  not  consider  it  would  be  prudent 
to  attempt  to  round  the  Land's  End  that  night,  and  Dodd 
accordingly  decided  to  put  into  St.  Ives.  As  the  THAMES 
approached  the  shore,  a  fleet  of  small  craft  was  seen  making 
towards  her,  with  all  possible  speed  'by  means  of  sails  and  oars, 
in  the  belief  (as  at  Wexford)  that  the  THAMES  was  a  ship  on 
fire  making  for  the  port.  When  they  discovered  their  mistake 
they  tacked  about  and  endeavoured  to  out-sail  each  other.  All 
the  rocks  from  which  a  view  of  St.  Ives  could  be  obtained  were 
crowded  with  spectators,  to  whom  the  appearance  of  the  THAMES 


CHAP.   IV.]  ITS   ORIGIN    AND    EXPANSION.  >21 

created  as  much  surprise  as  the  ships  of  Captain  Cook  produced 
amongst  the  islanders  of  the  South  Sea.  The  harbour  of  St. 
Ives  affording  no  shelter  from  gales  from  the  North  East,  Dodd 
took  his  vessel  to  the  sheltered  port  of  Hayle,  four  miles  distant, 
where  she  lay  in  perfect  safety.  It  had  been  represented  to 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Weld  that  rounding  the  Land's  End  was  the  most 
difficult  and  dangerous  part  of  the  voyage,  and  they  had  in 
consequence  crossed  the  neck  of  land  to  the  South  coast  with 
the  intention  of  remaining  there  until  the  steamer  arrived. 
On  further  consideration,  however,  they  resolved,  instead  of 
waiting  for  the  THAMES,  to  return  to  Hayle,  and  to  brave  with 
the  steamer's  crew  the  dangers  of  doubling  the  Land's  End. 
The  weather  having  moderated  they  re-embarked  at  4  o'clock 
on  Monday  afternoon,  5th  Tune,  and  the  steamer  at  once 
proceeded  on  her  voyage. 

As  the  little  vessel  rounded  Cornwall  Head,  the  more 
northerly  of  the  two  great  promontories  which  terminate 
England  on  the  west,  a  tremendous  swell  from  the  Atlantic  met 
her,  whilst  the  tide,  which  ran  strongly  down  St.  George's 
Channel,  combining  with  the  swell,  raised  the  waves  to  such  a 
height  as  to  render  her  position  in  the  highest  degree  alarming. 
Dodd  would  not  put  back,  and  after  a  night  of  severe  struggle, 
the  adventurers  succeeded  in  rounding  the  Land's  End,  and 
found  themselves  in  a  comparatively  tranquil  sea.  Next  day 
the  sun  shone  with  great  brilliance,  and  revealed  the  beauties 
of  the  South  Coast  as  they  steamed  along  it  towards  Plymouth, 
which  they  reached  at  eleven  o'clock  in  the  morning.  As  the 
THAMES  passed  the  various  ships  at  anchor,  the  sailors  on  board 
ran  in  crowds  to  the  sides  of  their  vessels  or  climbed  the  rigging 
for  a  better  view.  The  harbour-master,  who  had  never  seen  a 
steam  vessel  before,  was  as  much  excited  when  he  boarded  the 
THAMES  as  a  child  is  in  getting  possession  of  a  new  plaything. 

The  whole  of  the  following  day  (Wednesday)  was  occupied 
in  showing  the  capabilities  of  the  steamer  to  the  Port- Admiral 
and  to  the  naval  officers  who  went  on  board. 

The  THAMES  left  Plymouth  at  noon  on  Thursday  for  Ports- 
mouth, where  she  arrived  at  11  o'clock  on  Friday  morning, 
having  steamed  155  miles  in  twenty-three  hours.  At  Ports- 


22  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

mouth  she  created  a  greater  sensation  than  at  any  of  the  ports 
she  had  visited.  Tens  of  thousands  of  spectators  assembled 
to  gaze  at  her ;  and  the  number  of  vessels  that  crowded  around 
her  was  'so  great,  that  it  became  necessary  to  request  the  Port- 
Admiral  to  assign  the  voyagers  a  guard,  in  order  to  preserve 
some  degree  of  order.  The  THAMES  steamed  into  the  harbour 
in  the  most  brilliant  style,  travelling  with  the  aid  of  wind  and 
tide  at  the  rate  of  between  twelve  and  fourteen  knots  an  hour. 
A  court-martial  was  sitting  at  the  time  on  board  the  (JLADIATOK. 
frigate,  but  the  novelty  of  the  steam-boat  presented  an  irresist- 
ible attraction,  and  the  whole  court  went  oft'  to  her  (except  the 
president).  At  an  early  hour  next  morning  (Saturday),  the 
Port-Admiral,  Sir  Edward  Thornborough,  sent  his  band  and  a 
guard  of  marines  on  board,  and  soon  afterwards  followed  in 
person,  accompanied  by  three  admirals,  eighteen  post-captains, 
and  a  large  number  of  ladies.  The  morning  was  spent  very 
pleasantly  in  steaming  amongst  the  fleet,  and  running  over  to 
the  Isle  of  Wight.  The  Admiral,  and  all  the  naval  officers, 
expressed  themselves  delighted  with  the  THAMES. 

From  Portsmouth  the  steamer  proceeded  to  Margate,  which 
was  reached  on  Sunday  morning.  She  remained  at  Margate 
until  the  following  day,  when  she  started  on  the  final  portion 
of  her  voyage  at  half-past  eight  in  the  morning,  and  reached 
her  destination  (Limehouse),  about  six  o'clock  the  same  evening, 
having  accomplished  the  ninety  miles  run  from  Margate  in 
about  nine  hours.  The  THAMES  carried  fifteen  tons  of  coal, 
her  consumption  being,  on  the  average,  a  ton  for  every  hundred 
miles.  So  ended  this  memorable  voyage,  practically  the  first 
ever  attempted  by  a  steamboat  on  the  open  sea. 

Dodd's  after  career  was  a  most  melancholy  one.  Talented, 
enterprising  and  courageous  though  he  undoubtedly  was,  yet 
he  never  succeeded  in  his  enterprises.  And  in  his  later  years, 
instead  of  seeking  that  divine  help  which  would  have  enabled 
him  to  meet  his  disappointments  with  fortitude,  he  sought  to 
forget  them  in  intemperance,  and  almost  literally  died  a  beggar 
in  the  streets. 


CHAP.  V.]  ITS  ORIGIN  AND  EXPANSION.  23 


CHAPTER  Y. 

1816  to  1818. — Rivals  to  the  THAMES,  the  DEFIANCE  (1815),  MAJESTIC  and 
REGENT  (1816). — Loss  of  the  REGENT  (1817). — Liverpool  Steam-boats:  the 
RUNCOEN  PACKET,  the  PRINCESS  CHARLOTTE,  Liverpool  to  Eastham  (1816). 
REGULATOR  and  ETNA,  Liverpool  to  Tranmere  (1817).— Parkgate  to  Bagillt, 
N.W.,  the  ANCIENT  BRITON  (1817). — First  Spanish  Steamer,  ROYAL 
FERDINAND  (1817).— Siberian  Steam-boats  (1817).— Loss  of  the  REGULATOR 
(1818).— David  Napier.— Greenock  and  Belfast  Steamer,  ROB  ROY.— First 
Steamer  between  England  and  Ireland,  the  HIBERNIA  (1816). 

THE  successful  voyage  from  the  Clyde  to  the  Thames  achieved 
by  Captain  l)odd,  and  the  less-known  one  by  the  Runcorn 
Packet  from  the  Clyde  to  the  Mersey,  gave  a  great  impetus 
to  steam-packet  building,  and  created  active  opposition, 
especially  011  the  London  and  Margate  service.  The  THAMES, 
after  being  refitted,  opened  the  service  in  July,  1815.  She  had 
a  monopoly  of  the  station  for  about  three  months,  when  the 
DEFIANCE  was  put  on  in  opposition.  The  following  year  saw 
the  MAJESTIC  placed  on  the  liiver  Thames,  and  this  vessel  was 
probably  the  first  steamer  employed  in  towing  ships.  She 
towed,  on  Wednesday,  28th  August,  1810',  the  large  Indiaman, 
the  HOPE,  from  Deptford  to  Woolwich  at  the  rate  of  three 
miles  per  hour  against  the  wind. 

On  the  29th  Tune  of  the  same  year,  a  new  steamboat,  named 
the  KEGENT,  was  tried  on  the  Thames.  She  was  built  under 
the  supervision  of  the  eminent  engineer  Brunei,  by  Maudsley 
(founder  of  the  famous  engineering!  firm  of  Maudsley  and 
Field).  Her  burden  was  112  tons,  and  she  was  propelled  by 
engines  of  24  horse  power.  On  her  trial  trip  she  steamed  from 
Blackfriars  Bridge  to  Battersea  Bridge  in  30  minutes,  and 
back  through  London  Bridge  in  52  minutes.  Her  machinery 
was  remarkably  light.  Her  engines,  paddle-wheels,  and  all 


>24  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

connections  necessary  to  give  and  convey  the  motive  power, 
weighing  only  five  tons.  The  REGENT  had  a  very  short 
existence.  On  the  2nd  July,  1817,  she  left  London  for  Mar- 
gate, with  between  40  and  50  passengers  on  board.  Although 
it  was  blowing  a  gale,  all  went  well  until  the  vessel  arrived  off 
Whitstable,  about  18  miles  from  Margate.  The  REGENT  was 
keeping  well  out  in  mid-channel,  and  was  about  three  miles 
from  land,  when  she  was  discovered  to  be  011  fire  amidships. 
The  force  of  the  wind  had  carried  away  the  funnel,  and  the 
wood- work  at  the  bottom  of  the  funnel  (nearly  breast  high  from 
the  deck  for  the  protection  of  the  passengers),  caught  fire.  The 
vessel's  life-saving  equipment  consisted  of  one  small  boat, 
barely  sufficient  to  accommodate  her  crew ;  and  the  only 
available  means  of  extinguishing  the  fire  was  by  hand  buckets, 
clipped  overside.  To  add  to  the  alarm  of  the  passengers,  the 
buckets  one  after  the  other  were  either  broken  against  the  side 
of  the  steamer,  or  carried  away  'by  the  turbulent  waves.  The 
passengers  bore  themselves  bravely,  as  Britons  should  in  the 
face  of  danger,  and  did  not  give  way  to  panic.  Perfect  dis- 
cipline appears  to  have  been  maintained  amongst  the  crew. 
Seeing  that  he  had  110  means  of  keeping  the  fire  under,  the 
Captain  collected  all  the  passengers  forward  and  headed  the 
REGENT  for  the  nearest  shore  with  the  intention  of  beaching 
her.  This  he  succeeded  in  doing  without  the  loss  of  a  single 
life,  but  the  vessel  herself  was  almost  totally  destroyed. 

On  the  Mersey,  also,  progress  had  been  made  since  the  arrival 
of  the  first  steamer,  the  PACKET,  to  and  from  Runcorii. 

In  July,  1816,  the  steam-packet  PRINCESS  CHARLOTTE  com- 
menced the  Liverpool  and  Eastham  service,  and  continued  to 
sail  twice  each  way  daily.  The  fare  charged  to  Eastham  and 
back  was  Is.  At  Eastham  the  steamer  connected  with  coaches 
to  and  from  Chester,  Shrewsbury,  Holyhead,  and  many  other 
places. 

The  Liverpool  and  Traiimere  Steam  Ferry  was  opened  by  the 
steam-packet  "  Etna "  sailing  from  the  West-side  Queen's 
Dock.  She  was  shortly  afterwards  opposed  by  the  steam- 
packet  REGULATOR,  running  in  connection  with  coaches  from 
Tranmere  to  Parkgate,  thence  by  steam-packet  ANCIENT  BRITON 


INTERNATIONAL    CODE    FLAGS. 


Answering  Pennant. 


Cholera,  Yellow  Fever, 
or  Plagne  Flag. 


Blue  Peter.— About  to 
proceed  to  Sea. 


Quarantine  Flag. 


AFRICAN  S.  S.  Co. 


AJULAN  BROS.  <fe  Co. 


AMERICAN  LINE. 


ANCHOR  LINE. 


ADELAIDE  S.  S.  Co. 


JOHN  BACON. 


BATES  &  Sox. 


BELFAST  S.  S.  Co. 


BOOTH  S.  S.  Co. 


BIBBY  LINE. 


CHAP.   V.]  ITS  ORIGIN   AND   EXPANSION.  >25 

to  Bagillt,  North  Wales.  During  a  gale  on  Monday,  12th 
January,  1818,  the  REGULATOR  was  sunk  near  the  Liverpool 
Pierhead,  but  all  on  board  were  rescued. 

Meantime  other  continental  nations  were  a  waken  ing  to  tin- 
advantages  of  steam  navigation. 

On  the  30th  May,  1817,  there  was  launched  at  Seville  the 
ROYAL  FERDINAND,  the  first  steamer  built  in  Spain.  And. 
about  the  same  date,  Mr.  Wesewelodsky,  a  man  of  great  wealth, 
and  owner  of  several  rich  mines  in  Siberia,  built  two  steamers 
for  navigating  the  River  Kama.  These  vessels  were  51  feet 
and  100  feet  long,  respectively.  Mr.  Wesewelodsky  travelled 
with  his  steamers  from  his  mines  to  Casan,  a  distance  of  1,000 
versts,  and  accomplished  the  voyage  in  105  hours. 

"  England  owes  to  David  Napier  the  establishment  of 
"  deep-sea  communication  by  steam-vessels,  and  of  Post  Office 
"steam-packets.  As  a  first  step,  he  endeavoured  to  ascertain 
"  the  difficulties  to  be  encountered.  For  this  purpose  he  took 
"passage  at  a  stormy  period  of  the  year  on  a  sailing  packet, 
"  which  formed  one  of  a  line,  and  the  only  means  of  inter- 
"  course  between  Glasgow  and  Belfast;  a  passage  which  often 
"  required  seven  days  to  accomplish  what  is  now  done  by  steam 
"  in  as  many  hours.  The  captain  of  the  packet  found  a  young 
"  man,  whom  he  afterwards  knew  as  Mr.  Napier,  during  one  of 
"  his  winter  passages  to  Belfast,  constantly  perched  on  the  bow 
"  of  the  vessel,  fixing  an  intent  gaze  on  the  sea  when  it  broke 
"  on  the  side  of  the  ship,  quite  heedless  of  the  waves  and  spray 
"  that  washed  over  him.  He  only  ceased  from  this  occupation 
"  at  intervals,  as  the  breeze  freshened,  to  ask  the  captain 
"  whether  the  sea  was  such  that  it  might  be  considered  a  rough 
"  one,  and,  when  told  that  it  was  by  no  means  unusually  rough, 
"  he  returned  to  the  bow  of  the  vessel  and  resumed  his  study 
"  of  the  waves  breaking  at  her  stem.  When  the  breeze  began 
"  to  freshen  into  a  gale,  and  the  sea  to  rise  considerably,  he 
"  again  enquired  of  the  captain  whether  the  sea  might  now  be 
"  considered  a  rough  one,  and  was  told  that  as  yet  it  could  not 
"  be  called  very  rough.  Disappointed,  he  returned  again  to 
"  his  station  at  the  bow,  and  resumed  his  employment.  At 
*  "  History  of  Steam  Navigation,"  Adm.  Prebble,  U.S.N. 


26  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

"  last  he  was  favoured  with  a  storm  to  his  contentment,  and 
44  when  the  seas,  breaking  over  the  vessel,  swept  her  from  stem 
"  to  stern,  he  found  his  way  back  to  the  captain  and  repeated 
"  his  enquiry,  '  Do  you  call  it  rough  now  Y  '  The  captain 
kk  replied  he  could  not  remember  having  faced  a  worse  night 
"  in  the  whole  of  his  experience,  a  reply  which  delighted 
"  young  Napier,  who  muttering,  as  he  turned  away,  '  I  think 
"  I  can  manage  if  that  is  all/  went  down  to  his  cabin.  Xapier 
u  saw  then  the  end  of  his  difficulties,  and  soon  satisfied  himself 
"  as  to  the  means  of  overcoming  them.  His  next  enquiry  was 
"as  to  the  means  of  getting  through  the  water  with  least 
"  resistance.  To  determine  this,  he  commenced  a  series  of 
"  experiments  with  models  of  vessels  in  a  small  tank  of  water, 
"  and  soon  found  that  the  round  full  bluff  bow  adopted  for 
"  sailing  vessels  was  quite  unsuited  for  speed  with  mechanical 
"  propulsion  of  a  different  nature.  This  led  him  to  adopt  the 
"  fine  wedge-like  bows  by  which  the  vessels  built  under  his 
"  superintendence  were  afterwards  so  distinguished." 

Napier  established  regular  steam-packet  communication 
between  Greenock  and  Belfast  by  means  of  the  HOB  HOY,  a 
vessel  of  90  tons  burden  and  80  horse  power.  After  plying 
for  two  years  between  these  ports  with  great  regularity  and 
success,  the  HOJJ  HOY  was  transferred  to  the  English  Channel 
as  a  packet  between  Dover  and  Calais.  Cross-channel  steam- 
boats between  England  and  Ireland  were  first  introduced  in 
1810,  when  the  steam-packet  HIBERXIA  was  built  by  a  company 
to  carry  passengers  between  Holyhead  and  llowth.  The 
HiBERKiA  was  112  tons  burden,  77  feet  keel  measurement,  and 
9  feet  draft.  She  was  lugger  rigged,  and  capable  of  making 
the  passage  by  sails  only.  Her  average  passage,  Holyhead  to 
llowth,  was  about  seven  hours,  and  her  passengers  frequently 
had  the  satisfaction  of  arriving  in  Dublin  considerably  in 
advance  of  the  Mail  packets. 


CHAP.   VI.]  ITS  ORIGIN  AND   EXPANSION.  27 


CHAPTER  TI. 

Early  Clyde  Steam-packets.— Season  Tickets  issued,  1816.— First  steamer  to 

cross  the  English  Channel.— DUMBARTON   CASTLE   steams  round  North  of 

Scotland,  1819. — First  serious  Accident  to  a  Steam-packet. — Clyde  Passenger 

Fares-:,  1818. 


MANY  circumstances  combined  to  make  the  Clyde  the  birlh- 
place  and  the  home  of  the  Marine  Steam  Engine.  Coal  and 
iron  mines  were  in  close  proximity,  and  skilled  labour  for  the 
construction  of  engines  and  of  ships  was  abundant.  The 
beautiful  Firth,  with  its  numerous  lochs  and  islands,  constituted 
an  ideal  locality  for  the  employment  of  steamboats  while  yet 
the  art  of  steamship  building  was  in  its  infancy.  And  on  the 
shores  of  the  liiver,  or  within  easy  distance  of  it,  dwelt  a  large 
industrial  population,  eager  to  take  advantage  of  the  facilities 
for  travel  which  steamboats  afforded. 

Under  these  circumstances  it  is  not  surprising  that  steam- 
packets  on  the  Clyde  increased  with  marvellous  rapidity.  In 
1812  the  COMET  first  began  to  ply  between  Glasgow,  Greonork 
and  lleleiisburgh,  and  she  was,  in  fact,  the  only  steamboat  then ' 
sailing  on  British  waters.  Three  years  later  (in  1815)  a  flee  I 
of  seven  steamers,  vix.,  the  GLASGOW,  BRITANNIA,  DUMBARTON 
CASTLE,  CALEDONIA,  AUGYLE,  PRINCE  OF  ORANGE,  and  PRINCESS 
CHARLOTTE,  sailed  regularly  from  Glasgow  to  Largs,  Ardrossan, 
Trooii  and  Ayr,  southwards ;  and  Itothesay,  Tarbert,  Lochgilp- 
head  and  Inverary,  westwards.  Xo  agents'  names  are  given  in 
any  of  the  press  advertisements  of  this  or  previous  years,  but 


28 


THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 


CHAP.   VI.]  ITS   ORIGIN   AND   EXPANSION.  >2<) 

the  sailings  were  advertised  on  boards  placed  outside  the 
agent's  counting  houses,  and  exhibited  in  taverns  and  other 
places  of  public  resort.  In  1816  and  subsequent  years  the 
owners'  or  agents'  names  are  appended  to  the  press  notices  of 
the  various  steam-packets. 

In  May  of  the  year  named,  the  steamboats  BRITANNIA  and 
(new)  WATERLOO  were  advertised  to  sail  between  Glasgow  and 
all  the  watering  places  on  both  sides  of  the  Clyde. 

"  Families  wishing  to  agree  for  the  season  may  know 
"  particulars  by  applying  to  Mr.  Lewis  MacLellan,  Gallow- 
"  gate,  Mr.  Wm.  Smith,  Bromielaw,  and  the  Masters  on 
"  board." 

These  small  steamers  were  the  pioneers  of  the  magnificent 
fleet  of  Channel  steamships,  sailing  from  Glasgow,  and  known 
as  the  "  Laird  Line."  A  grandson  of  the  Mr.  Lewis  MacLellan 
here  referred  to,  and  a  nephew,  are  still  (1903)  connected  with 
the  Company  as  directors.  The  steamer  ALBION  was  advertised  in 
the  same  paper  in  similar  terms,  and  on  the  9th  July  following 
the  agents  of  nine  steam-packets  sailing  from  Glasgow,  gave 
notice  that  the  issue  of  season  tickets  was  discontinued  for  the 
remainder  of  the  season. 

Hence  it  appears  that  the  issue  of  season  contract  tickets, 
popularly  supposed  to  be  a  modern  institution  of  the  railway 
companies,  is  found  to  be  a  common  practice  amongst  the 
steamship  owners  of  Glasgow  more  than  three-quarters  of  a 
century  ago. 

Mr.  W.  S.  Lindsay,  in  his  admirable  book  "  The  History  of 
Merchant  Shipping  from  1816  to  1874,"  quotes  Mr.  Muirhead's 
"Life  of  "Watt,"  as  stating  that  "  In  April,  1817,  Mr.  James 
Watt,  Jun.,  purchased  the  CALEDONIA,  and  having  re-fitted  her, 
took  her  in  October  to  Holland  and  up  the  Rhine  to  Cobleutz ; 
having  thus  been  the  first  to  cross  the  English  Channel  in  a 
steamboat.  The  average  speed  he  obtained  was  seven  and  a 
half  knots  an  hour." 

Either  Mr.  Muirhead  was  in  error  in  the  dates  given,  or  he 
was  wrong  in  assuming  that  the  CALEDONIA  was  the  first 
steamer  to  cross  the  English  Channel.  A  correspondent  of  the 
"  Glasgow  Chronicle,"  in  a  letter  to  that  Journal,  dated  Cologne, 


30  THE   HISTOKY   OF   STEAM   NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

16th  June,  1816  (i.e.,  sixteen  months  prior  to  the  date  mentioned 
by  Mr.  Muirhead  as  the  date  on  which  the  CALEDONIA  crossed 
the  Channel),  says:  — 

"  To-day,  about  noon,  we  enjoyed  a  sight  equally  novel 
"  and  entertaining,  a  pretty  large  vessel  without  a  mast 
"  ascending  the  Rhine,  and  proceeding  with  astonishing 
"  rapidity,  arrive  before  this  city.  All  the  vessels 
"  stationed  on  the  Rhine  in  this  neighbourhood  were  in 
''  a  moment  covered  with  spectators,  to  see  the  arrival  of 
"  this  vessel,  wThich  is  a  steamboat  coming  from  London, 
"  and  bound  for  Frankfort.  Everybody  was  eager  to  view 
"  the  progress,  the  motion,  the  organisation  of  this  master- 
u  piece  of  art.  The  vessel  left  Rotterdam  on  the  6th 
"  inst.  The  passengers  affirm  that  it  can  go  25  leagues  in 
"  a  day." 

The  DUMBARTON  CASTLE  (Captain  Thomson)  was  advertised 
to  take  passengers  for  a  trip  from  Glasgow  round  Ailsa  Craig 
on  the  7th  August,  1816.  She  was  the  first  British  steam- 
boat (the  THAMES  excepted)  to  take  passengers  on  a  deep  sea 
trip,  and  she  was  also  the  first  steamer  to  sail  round  the  ]^orth 
of  Scotland,  which  she  did  in  1819,  in  consequence  of  being 
sold  for  employment  between  Leith  and  Grangemouth. 

The  first  serious  accident  to  a  Clyde  steamboat  of  which 
there  is  any  record,  occurred  in  the  early  part  of  the  year  1816. 
The  new  steam-packet  ROTHESAY  CASTLE,  while  entering  the 
harbour  of  Tarbert  on  her  return  voyage  from  Inverary,  struck 
on  a  reef  of  sunken  rocks.  All  her  passengers  were  rescued  by 
fishing  boats,  which  also  landed  the  luggage.  One  of  the 
fishing  boats  was  also  despatched  to  request  the  Master  of  the 
ARGYLE  (which  was  to  leave  Inverary  four  hours  later  than 
the  ROTHESAY  CASTLE)  to  call  at  Tarbert.  This  was  accord- 
ingly done  and  -the  shipwrecked  passengers  were  taken  on  to 
Rothesay  and  Greeiiock  the  same  evening.  The  steamer  was 
subsequently  got  oft'  the  rocks  and  taken  to  Port  Glasgow  for 
repairs. 

It  may  interest  citizens  of  Glasgow  and  dwellers  on  the 
coast  to  compare,  by  means  of  the  following  table,  the  steam- 
ship Passenger  Fares  of  1818  with  those  of  the  present  day. 


CHAP.  VI.] 


ITS   ORIGIN  AND  EXPANSION. 


31 


To  Renfrew.        Dunglass. 

Port 
Glasgow  or 
Greenock. 

Gourock. 

La 

s 

3 

Steerage  ? 

Millport. 

From. 

1 

I  ;  1 

02  j  O 

1 

1 
CO 

3 

Steerage 

U 

s.  a. 

4    0 
1    0 
3    0 
5    6 

I 

'—>              X 

s.  a.  s.  a. 

H    <;    t;    o 

l    (i     :s    r> 
1010 
1     G      1    0 

Glasgow    

s.  a. 

1  0 
3  0 
G  6 
9  0 

s.  a.  s.  a. 

10(20 
2020 
40  5  G 
66^80 

s.  a. 

1    G 
1    G 
3    G 
G    0 

s.  a. 

4    0 

3    G 
G    0 

s.  a. 

2    6 

2    fi 
5    0 

8.  a. 

3  0 
0  G 
2  0 
4  G 

s.  a. 

7    G 
3    G 

2    6 

s.  a. 

5    0 
2    6 

2    0 

Greenock  
Largs     

Rothesay  

To      Rothesay. 

Ardrossan., 

Troon. 

Ayr. 

Helensburg. 

Campbelton 
or 
Inverary. 

From. 

1          1 

O             02 

1 

a 

1 

1 

Cabin 

| 

1 

Steerage 

i 

02 

a 

1 

9 

3 

02 

Glasgow    
Greenock  
Lai  -gs     
Ardrossan    
Rothesay  

s  a 

s  a 

s.  a. 

s.  a. 

s.  a. 

s.  a. 

s.  a. 

s.  a. 

s.  a. 

s.  a 

s  a 

s    d 

7    G 
3    6 
1    6 

5  0 
2  6 
1  0 

10    0 
G    0 
2    G 

7  6 
5  0 
2  0 

11    0 
7    0 
8    6 
1    6 

8    0 
6    0 
2    6 
1    0 

12    0 
8    0 
4    6 
2    6 

9    6 
6    G 
8    G 
2    0 

4    6 

1    0 

3    0 
1     0 

12    0 
9    0 

7    6 

8    6 
G    6 

5    0 

Young  persons  8  to  14  years  of  age— half-price.     Below  eight  years  of  age  at 
the  discretion  of  the  Master. 


These  rates  were  fixed  by  a  Conference  consisting  of  the 
proprietors  of  the  following  steamboats :  — ALBION,  ARGYLE, 
BRITANNIA,  CLYDE,  DEFIANCE,  DUKE  OF  WELLINGTON,  DUM- 
BARTON CASTLE,  GLASGOW,  MARGARET,  MARQUIS  OF  BUTE, 
XEPTUNE,  PRINCE  OF  ORANGE,  ROTHESAY  CASTLE,  and 
WATERLOO,  who  agreed  that  the  Fares  taken  from  passengers 
travelling  by  any  of  the  boats  named  should  be  according  to 
the  above  table,  and  that  no  engagements  should  be  entered 
into  with  families  or  individuals  at  rates  below  these  faivs. 
Passengers  were  allowed  28  Ibs.  of  luggage  free,  excess  luggage 
was  charged  at  the  rate  of  lOd.  per  cwt.  from  Glasgow  to 
Greenock,  and  proportionately  for  any  further  distance. 


32  THE    HISTOEY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART   I. 


CHAPTER  YII. 

1819  to  1821.— The  SAVANNAH  the  first  steamer  to  cross  the  Atlantic.— Arrival 
at  Liverpool  of  the  WATERLOO,  the  first  Irish  Channel  steamer. — Sailing  of 
the  ROBERT  BRUCE,  the  first  steamer  trading  between  Liverpool  and  the 
Clyde. — Curious  Accident  to  the  steamer  MORNING  STAR. — The  TRITON. — 
The  CONDE  DE  PATMELLA,  first  European  steamer  to  cross  the  Atlantic. — 
Cattle  Ventilators  suggested. — The  TOURIST. — Steamers  between  London 

and  Leith. 


PRIOR  to  the  introduction  of  marine  steam  engines,  the  United 
States  of  America  had  no  inconsiderable  share  of  the  world's 
ocean  traffic.  No  swifter  ships  raced  with  cargoes  of  tea 
from  China  to  the  Thames  than  the  famous  Baltimore  clippers. 
No  finer  vessels  crossed  the  Atlantic  than  the  celebrated  New 
York  Packet  Liners.  It  cannot  be  supposed  that  a  people  so 
enterprising  as  the  Americans  would  make  no  attempt  at 
ocean  steam  navigation.  On  the  contrary,  as  they  were  the 
first  to  build  a  coasting  passenger  steamer,  so  were  they  the 
first  to  build  a  steamer  to  cross  the  Atlantic. 

During  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1818,  and  the  beginning 
of  1819,  there  was,  in  process  of  building  at  New  York,  a 
beautiful  little  ship  of  about  320  tons  burden.  Whilst  on  the 
stocks  it  was  suggested  to  convert  her  into  a  steamer,  which 
was  accordingly  done.  After  she  was  launched,  the  SAVANNAH, 
that  being  the  name  given  to  her,  sailed  from  New  York  to 
Savannah,  and  thence,  about  the  25th  May,  1819,  she  sailed 
to  Liverpool,  en  route  to  St.  Petersburg.  It  was  reported  at 
the  time  that  she  was  a  present  from  the  Americans  to  the 
Emperor  of  Russia.  Although  she  did  not  steam  the  whole  of 
the  voyage  from  Savannah  to  Liverpool,  which  occupied  twenty- 
six  days,  she  was  the  first  steamer  that  ever  attempted  to  cross 
the  Atlantic.  British  and  Canadian  authors  have  contended 
that  she  was  not  entitled  to  this  honour,  as  her  steam  power 


CHAP.  VII.]  ITS  OEIGIN  AND  EXPANSION.  33 

was  merely  auxiliary,  but  the  contention  is  somewhat  un- 
generous, and,  if  allowed,  would  debar  later  vessels,  notably 
the  SARAH  SANDS  and  the  GREAT  BRITAIN,  from  claiming  the 
title  of  steamships.  The  SAVANNAH  reached  Liverpool  on 
Sunday,  20th  Tune,  1819,  after  a  voyage  of  twenty-six  days 
duration.  Shortly  after  leaving  Savannah  it  began  to  blow 
hard,  and  the  following  entry  appears  in  the  Captain's  log 
book  : 

"  Stopped  the  engines,  and  brought  the  paddle-wheels 
"  in-board  in  thirty  minutes." 

When  off  the  Irish  coast,  the  coastguard,  seeing  a  huge 
volume  of  smoke  proceeding  from  a  ship  at  sea,  reported  it  to 
be  a  vessel  on  fire.  A  Government  cutter  from  Cork  put  out 
to  render  assistance,  and  were  much  surprised  on  boarding  her 
to  learn  that  she  required  no  assistance,  except  a  Channel  pilot, 
and  that  she  had  come  from  America.  Her  arrival  at  Liver- 
pool was  witnessed  by  great  crowds  of  people,  who  had 
assembled  to  watch  her  entering  the  Mersey.  After  her  visit 
to  St.  Petersburg  she  re-crossed  the  Atlantic,  her  engines  were 
taken  out  of  her,  and,  as  a  sailing  packet,  she  traded  between 
Xew  York  and  Savannah,  until  she  was  wrecked  oft'  Long 
Island. 

A  month  later,  or  to  be  exact,  on  the  22nd  -July,  1819,  the 
first  cross-channel  steamer  that  ever  entered  the  port,  arrived 
at  Liverpool  from  Belfast,  after  a  passage  of  twenty-four  hours. 
This  steamer  was  the  WATERLOO,  owned  by  Messrs.  Langtry, 
of  Belfast,  who  were  also  the  owners  of  a  fleet  of  smacks  which 
traded  regularly  between  the  two  ports.  The  WATERLOO  was 
a  schooner-rigged  paddle-steamer  of  201  tons  burthen,  pro- 
pelled by  a  pair  of  low-pressure  engines  of  80  h.p.  each.  ITer 
length  was  98  feet,  and  her  breadth  on  deck  was  87  feet.  She 
had  a  dining  room  capable  of  accommodating  all  the  cabin 
passengers  at  one  sitting,  a  separate  and  neatly  decorated  cabin 
for  ladies,  and  two  state-rooms  for  families.  She  carried 
sleeping  accommodation  for  22  cabin  passengers,  in  addition 
to  steerage  passengers.  The  fares  charged  for  a  single  passage 
between  Liverpool  and  Belfast  were,  cabin  £1  11s.  fid.,  steerage 
10s.  fid.  The  WATERLOO  made  two  round  voyages  per  wook 


34  THE    HISTOEY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

during  the  season,  sailing  from  Liverpool  every  Monday  and 
Friday.  She  was  intended  to  carry  passengers  only  (the  cargo 
trade  being  maintained  by  the  smacks),  and  cost  her  owners 
nearly  £10,000. 

On  the  29th  July  of  the  same  year,  the  first  steamer  that 
traded  between  Liverpool  and  Glasgow  was  advertised  in  the 
following  terms  :  — 

"  Safe  and  Expeditious  Travelling  between  Liverpool 

"  and  Glasgow. 
"  The  elegant  new  Steam-Packet  Boat, 

"  ROBERT  BRUCE, 
"  Captain  John  Patterson, 

"  will  sail  for  Glasgow  on  Monday,  2nd  August,  at  Seven 
"  o'clock  in  the  morning,  from  George's  Dock,  Pierhead. 
"  The  accommodations  for  passengers  are  most  excellent, 
"  and  she  is  expected  to  perform  the  passage  within  30 
"  hours. 

"  The  Fares  in  the  Cabin,  40s. ;  Steerage,  21s.  Pas- 
"  sengers  will  be  accommodated  with  Provisions  on 
"  moderate  terms.  For  passage  apply  to  Captain 
"  Patterson,  or  to 

"  John  Richardson." 

From  this  date  (1819)  the  expansion  of  the  British  steam 
coasting  trade  was  most  rapid.  Within  a  very  short  time 
regular  services  were  advertised  between  Liverpool  and  Isle 
of  Man,  Whitehaven,  Dumfries,  the  Clyde  Ports,  Belfast  and 
Dublin.  Nor  were  these  pioneers  of  the  steam  trade  per- 
mitted to  be  monopolists  of  their  respective  stations.  Fre- 
quently two,  and  in  some  cases  three  companies  advertised 
steamers  sailing  for  the  same  ports,  of  which  some  account  will 
be  found  in  the  succeeding  chapters  of  this  volume. 

An  extraordinary  accident  is  reported  by  the  "  Berwick 
Advertiser  "  (September,  1819),  as  having  occurred  to  one  of 
the  local  steam-packets.  The  MORNING  STAR,  while  on  her 
usual  passage  from  Alloa  to  Leith,  suddenly  stopped.  On 
investigation  it  was  discovered  that  a  salmon  had  entered  and 
completely  obstructed  the  condensing  water  pipes,  and  thus 
stopped  the  machinery. 


CHAP.   VII.]  ITS  ORIGIN  AND   EXPANSION.  :J- 

In  the  fall  of  the  following  year  (1820)  steam  communication 
between  the  Ports  of  London  and  Hull  was  projected. 

Across  the  Channel  the  steam-packet  TRITON,  built  at 
Bordeaux,  maintained  a  passenger  service,  three  times  each 
way  per  week,  between  Havre  and  Rouen.  The  passage 
occupied  about  nine  hours,  and  the  fares  charged  were  8s.  first 
class,  and  4s.  second  class. 

On  the  5th  October,  1820,  the  steamer  CONDE  DE  PATMELLA, 
Captain  Silva,  sailed  from  Liverpool  for  the  Brazils.  She 
made  a  remarkably  rapid  passage  to  Lisbon,  arriving  there  in 
four  days.  This  is  probably  the  first  steamer  that  ever  crossed 
the  Atlantic  Ocean  from  Europe. 

Perhaps  one  of  the  most  remarkable  steamers  ever  launched 
was  a  small  steamboat,  named  the  SNAKE,  built  at  Bombay, 
and  launched  in  1820.  She  was  the  first  steamer  011  the  Indus 
or  on  any  river  in  India.  Her  engines  were  designed  and  built 
by  a  Parsee,  and  were  the  first  ever  manufactured  in  India. 
How  well  they  were  constructed  is  evidenced  by  their  lasting 
power.  After  a  notable  career  of  60  years,  she  was  broken  up 
in  1880. 

Above  the  initials  "  W.  P.,"  a  correspondent  of  the  kk  Liver- 
pool Mercury,"  in  a  letter  dated  25th  October,  1820,  suggests 
the  use  of  iron  ventilators,  to  supply  fresh  air  to  the  holds  of 
steamers  carrying  cattle  across  the  Channel,  for,  of  course,  at 
that  date,  steamers  to  carry  cattle  across  the  ocean  were 
unthought  of.  He  describes  the  ventilators  suggested  as 
"  iron  funnels  with  movable  vane  tops,  which  could  be  con- 
structed by  any  mechanic  at  a  cost  of  about  £3  10s.  each." 

In  the  spring  of  1821,  a  new  steamboat,  named  the  TOURIST, 
was  launched  at  Perth.  When  launched  she  was  the  largest 
steamer  in  the  United  Kingdom,  being  128  feet  long  by  40  feet 
broad.  She  was  rigged  as  a  three-masted  schooner,  with  a 
clipper  bow  and  bowsprit,  and  was  propelled  by  two  engines  of 
40  h.p.  each.  She  was  intended  (as  her  name  implies)  for  the 
passenger  trade  between  Leith  and  the  Northern  Ports  of 
Scotland,  and  her  owners  claimed  that  communication  between 
the  ports  named  "  will  thus  be  effected  in  one-third  less  time, 
and  for  one-sixth  of  the  expense  incurred  by  the  present  mode 


36  THE   HISTOEY   OF   STEAM   NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

of  travelling."  After  running  for  a  short  time  in  the  Leith 
and  North  of  Scotland  trade,  she  was  placed  on  the  station 
between  Newhaveii  and  London,  on  behalf  of  the  London  and 
Edinburgh  Steampacket  Co. 

In  May  of  the  same  year  two  steam  vessels  of  upwards  of  400 
tons  burden  each,  were  built  for  the  Leith  arid  London  pas- 
senger service.  These  steamers  were  not  intended  to  carry 
cargo,  but  they  had  sleeping  accommodation  for  one  hundred 
passengers.  They  were  propelled  by  engines  of  100  h.p.,  and 
were  expected  to  make  the  passage  in  about  sixty  hours. 


n$tl$$&i8B&£.         . 


CHAP.   VIII.]  ITS   OKIGIN   AND   EXPANSION.  37 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

St.  George  Steam-Packet  Co.  incorporated,  1822. — Swift  passage  of  the 
HERO,  steam  yacht. — Liverpool  owned  steamers  highly  commended  in 
Parliamentary  Report,  1822. — AARON  MANBY,  iron  steamer. — First  steamer 
between  Hull  and  the  Continent,  1823.— City  of  Dublin  Steam-Packet  Co. 
founded,  1823.— H. M.S.  LIGHTNING.— General  Steam-Packet  Co.  and  the 
Belfast  Steam-Packet  Co.  established,  1824. — Keen  competition,  Glasgow  and 
Belfast  service,  1825. — Advertising  extraordinary. — G.  &  J.  Burns  commence 
business,  1825,  as  steamship  owners. — Competition  on  the  Liverpool  and 
Dublin  station. — First  steamer  from  the  Thames  to  Hamburg. — The 
ENTERPRIZE  sails  for  Calcutta. — Kapid  growth  of  Steam  Navigation. — Sailing 
ship  owners  petition  Parliament,  1826.  —  The  ERIN.  —  Liverpool  and 
Kingstown  Royal  Mail  Service. — City  of  Dublin  Steam  Packet  Co.  establish  a 
Passenger  Service  between  England,  Ireland  and  France,  1827. 

THE  year  1822,  witnessed  the  first  operations  of  what  was 
destined  to  become  one  of  the  most  famous  of  the  early  Steam- 
Packet  Companies.  Projected  the  previous  year,  the  St. 
George  Steam-Packet  Company  immediately  contracted  with 
Mr.  Thomas  Wilson,  of  Liverpool,  for  two  large  and  powerful 
steamers,  the  ST.  PATRICK  and  the  ST.  GEORGE.  The  former 
was  intended  to  trade  between  Dublin  and  Liverpool,  and 
Dublin  and  the  Bristol  Channel ;  and  the  latter  between  Liver- 
pool, the  Isle  of  Man,  and  the  River  Clyde,  Mr.  Alex.  A.  Laird, 
the  founder  of  the  well-known  firm  of  Alex.  A.  Laird  &  Co., 
being  the  agent  at  Greenock.  The  ST.  PATRICK  was  launched 
at  10-80  a.m.  011  the  21st  April,  1822.  This  event  excited 
great  interest  in  the  town  of  Liverpool,  as  she  was,  if  not  the 
first  steamer  ever  built  in  the  port,  certainly  the  finest  specimen 
of  the  ship-building  craft  produced  there  up  to  that  date. 
Her  sister  ship,  the  ST.  GEORGE,  launched  the  following  day, 
rapidly  won  for  herself  a  reputation  for  comfort  and  speed. 
After  running  about  six  months  she  made  a  voyage  from 
Dublin  to  Liverpool  in  11|  hours,  the  shortest  time  on  record. 
Eighteen  months  later  she  made  a  passage  from  Liverpool  to 
Dublin  in  10  hours  40  minutes,  beating  her  previous  record  by 
50  minutes.  The  third  steamer  was  the  PRINCE  LLEWELLYN, 
to  ply  between  Liverpool,  Beaumaris,  Bangor,  and  Carnarvon. 


THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [I>AHT   L 


CHAP.  VIII.]  ITS  OEIGIN  AND  EXPANSION.  39 

The  St.  George  Steam-Packet  Co.  continued  until  1844,  when 
it  was  re-constructed,  the  Cork  Steamship  Co.  taking  over  its 
various  services  and  seven  of  its  steamers. 

The  steam-yacht  HERO  is  credited  with  a  phenomenal  speedy 
voyage  011  the  26th  July,  1822.  She  is  reported  to  have 
steamed  from  London  to  Margate  in  6^  hours,  being  at  the 
rate  of  14  miles  an  hour. 

A  report  relative  to  steam  navigation  was  laid  before  the 
House  of  Commons  (August,  1822).  All  the  steam-packets 
belonging  to  Liverpool  were  named  in  a  manner  highly 
honourable  to  their  owners,  commanders  and  constructors. 

44  On  Thursday,  9th  May,  1822,  a  large  party  of 
"  distinguished  naval  officers,  engineers,  &c.,  embarked  at 
"  Parliament  Stairs,  London,  on  board  the  AARON  MANBY, 
"  iron  steamboat,  which  immediately  got  under  weigh  and 
"proceeded  to  Battersea  Bridge;  she  then  descended  to 
"  Blackfriars,  and  manoeuvred  for  several  hours  between 
"  the  two  bridges  in  a  very  superior  style.  This  steamboat 
"  was  built  at  the  Horsley  Iron  Works,  near  Birmingham, 
"  by  Mr.  Manby,  and  put  together  at  Rotherhithe.  She  is 
"  the  most  complete  specimen  of  workmanship  in  the  iron 
u  way  that  has  ever  been  witnessed,  and  draws  one  foot  less 
"  water  than  any  steamboat  that  has  ever  been  built.  She 
"  is  106  feet  long  and  17  feet  broad,  and  is  propelled  by  a 
"  30  h.p.  engine  and  Oldham's  revolving  bars.  This  boat 
"  will  leave  London  in  a  few  days  for  Paris,  the  first 
"  instance  of  a  direct  communication  between  the  capitals 
"  of  France  and  England.  Amongst  the  gentlemen 
"  preseni  were  Admirals  Sir  William  Hope,  Sir  Pulteny 
"  Malcomb  and  Sir  James  Wood  Gage ;  Captains  Dundas 
"  and  Napier ;  Mr.  Manby,  the  inventor ;  Mr.  Williams, 
"  the  patentee  of  the  revolving  bars,  &c."-  u  London 
Courier,"  15th  May,  1822. 

On  or  about  the  24th  March,  1823,  the  steam-packet 
YORKSHIREMAN  arrived  at  Hull  from  Antwerp,  and  was  only 
31  hours  011  the  passage.  This  vessel  is  noteworthy  as  being 
the  first  steam  vessel  to  sail  from  Hull  to  the  Continent. 

In  the  month  of  February  of  this  year  (1823)  Mr.  C.  W. 


40  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

Williams,  of  Dublin,  placed  an  order  with  Mr.  Wilson,  of 
Liverpool,  for  the  pioneer  steamer  of  the  future  famous  City  of 
Dublin  Steam-Packet  Company,  the  CITY  OF  DUBLIN,  a  vessel 
of  180  h.p.  It  was  an  express  stipulation  with  the  builder,  that 
this  steamer  should  'be  constructed  of  such  materials,  and  in  such 
a  manner,  as  to  withstand  the  'severity  of  the  winter  navigation. 
The  CITY  OF  DUBLIN  differed  from  her  competitors  in  two 
respects,  (1)  in  carrying  general  cargo  111  addition  to  live  stock 
and  passengers,  and  (2)  in  maintaining  the  service  uninter- 
ruptedly throughout  the  twelve  months. 

A  month  later,  Mr.  Wilson  was  again  applied  to,  to  build  a 
second  vessel  for  the  company,  but  in  consequence  of  his 
having  that  very  morning  (5th  March,  1828)  contracted  to  build 
the  steam-packet  HENRY  BELL  for  the  Liverpool  and  Glasgow- 
trade,  it  was  not  till  some  days  later  the  contract  wras  signed 
for  building  the  TOWN  OF  LIVERPOOL,  to  be  commenced  as  soon 
as  the  HENRY  BELL  was  launched. 

The  CITY  OF  DUBLIN  sailed  from  Dublin  011  her  maiden 
voyage  to  Liverpool  on  Saturday,  the  20th  March,  1824.  She 
anticipated,  by  about  six  months,  the  operations  of  the  Dublin 
and  Liverpool  Steam  Navigation  Co.,  whose  first  steamer,  the 
LIFFEY,  805  tons  burthen,  and  110  h.p.,  did  not  sail  until  the 
18th  September  following.  In  December  of  the  same  year 
(1824)  the  MERSEY  joined  the  LIFFEY,  and  in  the  July  following 
the  COMMERCE  was  added  to  the  Navigation  Co.'s  fleet.  The 
COMMERCE  was  considerably  larger  than  either  of  her  pre- 
decessors, and  was  launched  from  the  yard  of  Messrs.  Grayson 
and  Leadley,  Treutham  Street,  Liverpool. 

Her  (late)  Majesty's  steamship  LIGHTNING  sailed  from 
Algiers  for  home  on  the  27th  July,  1824,  calling  at  Gibraltar 
and  Lisbon.  She  remained  at  Lisbon  two  days  taking  in  coal, 
and  finally  arrived  at  Plymouth  nineteen  days  after  leaving 
Algiers.  The  LIGHTNING  was  one  of  the  first  vessels  in  the 
British  Navy  to  be  supplied  with  steam  power. 

Two  still  existing  and  influential  Steamship  Companies  were 
established  this  year.  The  General  Steam  Navigation  Co.,  of 
London,  and  the  Belfast  Steam-Packet  Co.,  afterwards  merged 
into  the  Belfast  Steamship  Co.,  Limited,  of  Belfast. 


CHAP.   VIII.]  ITS   ORIGIN   AND   EXPANSION.  41 

The  competition  between  the  Steam-Packet  Companies  en- 
gaged in  the  Scotch  and  North  of  Ireland  passenger  hade  had 
become  so  keen,  that  in  the  summer  of  1825  UK-  steamers  from 
Belfast  to  Glasgow  lowered  their  fares  to  2s.  for  1st  cabin,  (id. 
for  2nd  cabin,  and  carried  deck  passengers  for  nothing. 

On  the  Dublin  and  Liverpool  station  competition  was  nearly 
as  severe,  one  steamer  sailing  in  the  autumn  of  1825  with 
upwards  of  TOO  passengers  carried  at  Gd.  each. 

Under  these  adverse  circumstances,  the  proprietors  of  the 
Dublin  and  Liverpool  Steam  Navigation  Co.  deemed  it  prudent 
to  make  terms  with  their  more  powerful  competitor,  the  City 
of  Dublin  Steam-Packet  Co.  The  managers  of  the  latter 
company,  early  in  the  following  year  (1st  February,  182G), 
purchased  the  Navigation  Co.'s  steamers,  and  increased  the 
capital  of  their  own  company  to  £250,000,  in  shares  of  £100 
each. 

The  Press  communications  exchanged  between  the  owners  of 
the  rival  steam-packets  must  have  been  extremely  entertaining 
to  the  citizens  of  Glasgow  of  that  period.  The  following 
extraordinary  literary  effusion,  from  the  owners  of  the  steam- 
boat SWIFT,  was  published  in  the  "  Glasgow  Herald,"  of  the 
30th  June,  1825:- 

"  The  great  superiority  of  the  SWIFT  over  the  Cock  Moat. 

"  that  is  puffed  off  as  sailing  direct  from  the  Broniielaw 

u  is  now  so  well  known  at  Glasgow  and  Belfast  as  scarcely 

"  to  require  to  be  noticed  in  this  advertisement,  but  for 

"  the  sake  of  strangers  coming  from  a  distance  it  may  be 

"  proper  to  state  that  her  power  and  size  are  double,  and 

"  her  speed  so  much  greater,  that  when  the  two  vessels 

kt  start  together  the  SWIFT  runs  the  other  out  of  sight  in 

k>  five  or  six  hours.       Her  hours  of  sailing  are  so  adapted 

"  to  the  tide,  as  to  ensure  the  shortest  possible  passage,  by 

"  arriving  at  Greenock  and  Glasgow  about  high  water,  and 

"  at  Belfast  as  soon  as  there  is  water  up  to  the  quay." 

The  following  crushing  reply  of  the  owners  of  the  steamer 

referred  to  as  "  the  Cock  Boat,"  appeared  in  the  next  issue  of 

the  same  newspaper. 

"  The  fine  new  Steam-Packet  GEORGE  CANNING  continues 


42  rHE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

"  to  sail  for  Belfast  every  Tuesday  and  Friday.  She  is 
"  the  only  Steam-Packet  that  sails  direct  from  Glasgow, 
''  therefore,  her  passengers  are  not  subjected  to  the  delay, 
"  inconvenience  and  risk,  attending  change  of  vessel  and 
"  transhipment  of  luggage. 

"  The  GEORGE  CANNING  has  crossed  the  Channel  up- 
"  wards  of  60  times,  and  has  in  every  instance  accomplished 
"  her  passage  without  putting  into  any  intermediate  ports. 
"  If  the  writer  of  a  contemptible  article  in  the  SWIFT'S 
"  advertisement  of  Friday  last,  means  the  GEORGE 
"  CANNING,  he  has  the  merit  of  stating  a  gross  falsehood, 
''knowing  it  to  be  such;  and,  therefore,  written  for  the 
"  express  purpose  of  deceiving  the  public  !  !  ! 

''  The  author  of  the  paragraph  alluded  to  is  challenged 
"  to  produce  a  single  instance  of  the  SWIFT  having  ever 
"  accomplished  her  passage  from  Belfast  in  so  short  a 
"  period  as  the  GEORGE  CANNING. 

'  The  public  will  be  surprised  to  learn,  after  reading  the 
"  SWIFT'S  advertisement,  particularly  '  strangers  coming 
"  from  a  distance,'  that  the  SWIFT  and  the  CANNING  have 
"  never  yet  sailed  together  either  from  Belfast  or  Glasgow ; 
"  therefore,  the  author  of  the  SWIFT'S  advertisement  is 
"  left  to  state  when  and  where  the  SWIFT  ran  the  vessel 
"  alluded  to  out  of  sight." 

The  rivalry  between  these  two  steamers  terminated  the 
following  year,  when  the  SWTIFT  was  sold  to  the  London,  Leith 
and  Edinburgh  Shipping  Company,  and  sailed  for  Leith,  via 
Oban,  Fort  William  and  Inverness,  011  the  27th  June,  1820. 
The  GEORGE  CANNING  was  offered  for  sale  by  auction  in  Tune, 
1831,  but  w^as  evidently  withdrawn.  She  appears  to  have  been 
sold  subsequently  by  private  treaty,  and  sailed,  after  repairs, 
for  St.  Malo,  Brittany,  in  Tune,  1833. 

The  well-known  firm,  G.  &  T.  Burns,  of  Glasgow,  commenced 
business  as  steamship  owners  in  1825.  The  style  of  the  firm 
at  that  time  was  Tames  and  George  Burns,  and  their  offices 
were  at  45,  Miller  Street,  but  in  February,  1842,  they  changed 
the  style  of  the  firm  to  G.  &  T.  Burns. 

The  first  steamer  employed  by  this  firm  was  the  new  steam- 


CHAP.   VIII.]  ITS   ORIGIN   AND   EXPANSION.  43 

packet  AYR,  of  76  tons,  built  by  John  Wood  &  Co.,  of  Port 
Glasgow,  and  having  two  engines  of  30  h.p.  each,  by  John 
Nelson,  Glasgow.  The  AYR  was  employed  in  the  Glasgow  ami 
Ayrshire  and  Galloway  trade.  On  the  20th  March  following 
(1826)  Messrs.  Burns  despatched  their  first  steamer  from 
Glasgow  to  Belfast.  She  was  a  new  steamboat  named  FINGAL. 
Her  length  was  116  feet,  her  beam  21  feet  6  inches,  and  her 
depth  12  feet  4  inches.  She  had  two  engines  of  50  h.p.  each. 
She  could  accommodate  thirty  passengers  with  sleeping  berths, 
had  several  horse  boxes  on  deck,  and  carried  180  tons  of  cargo. 
The  rates  for  passage  were,  in  the  cabin,  20s.,  and  on  deck,  3s. ; 
and  the  days  of  sailing  from  Glasgow,  Tuesdays  and  Fridays. 

Three  years  later  (March,  1829)  Messrs.  Burns  began  their 
Liverpool  and  Glasgow  service.  The  pioneer  steamer  of  this 
service  was  the  GLASGOW,  a  small  steamer,  120  tons  deadweight, 
and  fitted  with  two  engines  of  30  h.p.  each.  The  Messrs. 
Burns  have  ceased  for  many  years  to  have  any  connection  with 
the  Glasgow,  Ayr  and  Galloway  trade,  but  on  the  other  two 
stations,  Belfast  and  Liverpool,  they  have  maintained 
continuous  services  for  nearly  eighty  years.  They  were  also 
largely  interested  in  the  Glasgow  and  West  Highland  Passenger 
Services,  but  sold  their  interests  in  1851  to  Messrs.  David 
Hutcheson  &  Co.  These  services  are  now  conducted  by  the 
fleet  of  splendid  steamships  owned  by  the  Messrs.  MacBrayne  of 
Glasgow.* 

On  Saturday,  the  30th  June,  1825,  a  steam-packet  sailed  from 
the  Thames  for  Hamburg,  the  first  that  had  ever  made  that  voyage. 

The  following  month  (16th  August)  the  first  steamer  sailed 
from  England  (Falmouth)  to  Calcutta,  via  the  Cape.  This 
was  the  wooden  paddle-steamer  ENTERPRIZE,  470  tons  burthen, 
120  h.p.  Further  particulars  of  this  vessel  are  given  in 
Chapter  IX.  (Steamship  Eoutes  to  India  and  the  East). 

Some  idea  of  the  marvellously  rapid  growth  of  steam  navi- 
gation may  be  gathered  from  the  fact  that  in  the  year  1825, 
just  ten  years  after  the  arrival  of  the  first  steamers  on  the 
Thames  and  Mersey,  there  were  44  steam  vessels  on  the  stocks 
at  Liverpool  of  from  250  to  500  tons  each ;  while  in  London  no 
*  For  a  special  account  of  this  Firm,  see  Part  II.  of  this  Volume. 


44  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

less  than  45  companies  had  been  formed  to  establish  steam- 
packets  in  every  quarter  of  the  globe.  Owners  of  sailing  ships 
became  alarmed  for  their  future,  and  at  a  meeting  held  in 
Swansea,  on  the  14th  December,  1826,  a  resolution  was  passed 
to  send  a  petition  to  the  House  of  Commons,  praying  for  the 
intervention  of  Parliament  to  protect  sailing  vessels  against  the 
further  increase  of  steamers. 

Amongst  those  steamers  referred  to  as  building  at  Liverpool 
was  the  ERIN,  the  largest  steamer  (up  to  date  of  launching)  ever 
built  in  Liverpool.  Her  principal  dimensions  were,  length 
1G1  feet,  breadth  44  feet.  Her  tonnage  was  500  tons  gross, 
and  she  was  propelled  by  engines  of  180  h.p.,  by  Fawcett  and 
Co.  She  was  launched  from  Mr.  llathboiie's  yard  in  February, 
1826,  and  was  intended  to  trade  regularly  between  London  and 
Belfast,  calling  at  Southampton,  Plymouth  and  Falmouth. 
Her  owners  were  the  Belfast  Steam  Navigation  Co.,  and  she 
cost  £20,000. 

Her  (late)  Majesty's  Steam-Packets,  for  the  conveyance  of 
mails  and  passengers  between  Liverpool  and  Kingstown,  com- 
menced sailing  on  the  29th  August,  1826.  Captain  John 
Emerson,  R.N.  (late  Commander  of  the  ST.  GTEORGE  steam- 
packet),  was  appointed  Captain  of  one  of  these  Royal  Mail 
Steamers,  of  which  there  were  four,  all  built  at  Liverpool,  and 
each  of  300  tons  burthen. 

The  City  of  Dublin  Steam-Packet  Company  commenced  a 
regular  steamship  passenger  service  between  England,  Ireland 
and  France  in  June,  1827.  The  route  was  from  Belfast  to 
Dublin,  thence  to  Bordeaux.  Passengers  from  the  North  of 
England  were  carried  by  the  Company's  steamers  between 
Liverpool  and  Dublin,  connecting  at  the  latter  port  with  the 
steamer  to  France.  The  pioneer  steamer  of  the  service  was 
the  LEEDS,  which  sailed  on  her  first  voyage  from  Belfast  on 
Sunday,  17th  June,  and  from  Dublin  on  the  following  Wed- 
nesday, continuing  to  sail  at  fortnightly  intervals  during  the 
season.  The  venture  was  so  successful  that  the  Directors  of 
the  Company,  the  following  April,  added  the  steamers 
SHEFFIELD  and  NOTTINGHAM  to  the  service,  and  increased  the 
sailings  to  the  1st,  10th  and  20th  of  each  month. 


CHAP.  IX.]  ITS  ORIGIN  AND  EXPANSION. 


CHAPTER   IX. 

Steamship  Routes  to  India  and  the  East.—  Lieut.  Johnston.—  ENTERPRISE 
purchased  by  Indian  Government.—  Renders  important  service  during 
Burmese  War.—  Thomas  Waghorn.—  Regular  steamship  service  established 
between  Bombay  and  Suez.—  Peninsular  Steam  Navigation  Co.  (1834).— 
Altered  to  Peninsular  and  Oriental  S.  N.  Co.  (1837).—  First  P.  and  O. 
steamer  to  India,  1842.—  Services  extended  to  Ceylon,  Penang,  Singapore, 
and  Hong  Kong,  1844.—  And  to  Australia,  1852.—  P.  and  O.  steamships 
engaged  as  troopships  during  Crimean  War.—  S.S.  MOOLTAN  (1861)  and  other 
later  steamers  fitted  with  compound  engines.  —  Suez  Canal  opened,  1869.  _ 
Mails  transferred  to  Canal  route,  1888.—  Calcutta  and  Burmah  S.  N.  Co. 
(1855).—  Steamers  engaged  as  transports  during  Indian  Mutiny.—  Title 
changed  to  British  India  Steam  Navigation  Co.,  Ltd.  (1862).  —  Bibby  Line. 


after  steam  navigation  began  to  attract  attention  in 
Great  Britain,  a  public  meeting  was  held  in  London  (1822), 
for  the  purpose  of  forming  a  steamship  company  to  trade 
between  England  and  India.  It  was  the  intention  of  the 
promoters  of  the  meeting  that  the  packets  should  proceed  to 
India  by  way  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  the  route  by  which 
the  bulk  of  the  trade  of  Europe  with  the  East  had  been 
carried  since  the  time  of  Yasco  da  Gama.  At  this  meeting  it 
was  decided  that  Lieut,  (afterwards  Captain)  Johnston  should 
proceed  to  Calcutta,  with  a  view  to  interesting  the  East  India 
merchants  in  the  proposed  undertaking. 

Lieut.  Johnston  proceeded  to  India  via  Egypt,  and  although 
he  was  commissioned  to  advocate  the  Cape  route,  he  was  con- 
vinced on  this  journey  of  the  greater  advantages  of  the  route 
by  Suez,  and  afterwards  became  one  of  its  most  anlonl 
supporters.  Several  meetings  were  held  in  Calcutta  after  his 
arrival  there,  at  one  of  which,  held  on  the  17th  December, 
1828,  it  was  announced  that  the  Governor,  Lord  Amherst, 
cordially  approved  of  the  proposal  to  establish  steamship 
communication  between  England  and  India,  and  that  he  was 


46 


THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 


prepared  to  recommend  his  Council  to  grant  as  a  premium 
*"  a  gift  of  20,000  rupees  to  whoever,  whether  individuals  or 
"  a  company,  being  British  subjects,  should  permanently, 
"  before  the  end  of  1826,  establish  a  steam  communication 
"  between  England  and  India,  either  by  the  Cape  of  Good 
"  Hope  or  the  Bed  Sea,  and  make  two  voyages  out  and  two 
"  voyages  home,  occupying  not  more  than  seventy  days  011 
"  each  passage." 

An  additional  80,000  rupees  were  raised  in  India  for  this 
object,    of    which    amount    the    Rajah    of    Oude    subscribed 


COLOMBO  carrying  Xmas  gifts  to  the  troops  in  the  Crimea. 

12,000.  On  receipt  of  this  gratifying  news  in  London, 
another  meeting  of  those  interested  was  held,  at  which 
sufficient  capital  was  underwritten  to  justify  the  promoters  in 
ordering,  as  an  experiment,  the  ENTERPRIZE,  the  first  steamer 
destined  to  double  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope. 

Johnston,  having  accomplished  his  assigned  task,  embarked 
011  board  the  Iiidiaman  ELIZA  for  England.  On  his  arrival 
in  London  he  found  the  ENTERPRIZE  two-thirds  completed, 
and  on  completion  he  was  appointed  captain. 

*  Lindsay's  History  of  Commerce,  page  339. 


CHAP.   IX.] 


ITS   OKIGIN  AND   EXPANSION. 


47 


The  ENTERPBJZE  was  a  paddle-steamer,  built  of  wood,  by 
Messrs.  Gordon  &  Co.,  Deptford,  at  a  cost  of  £43,000.  Her 
length  of  keel  was  122  feet,  beam  27  feet,  and  she  registered 
479  tons.  She  had  a  copper  boiler  in  one  piece,  which 
weighed  32  tons,  and  cost  £7,000.  Her  engines  were  120 


P.  &  0.  Liner.      Date  about  1850  A.D. 

horse  power,  capable  of  propelling  her  in  calm  weather  at  the 
rate  of  8  knots  per  hour.  She  sailed  with  17  passengers  from 
London  for  Calcutta  011  the  16th  August,  1825,  and  arrived 
at  the  latter  port  on  the  7th  December  following.  She 
occupied  113  days  on  the  passage,  partly  under  steam  and 
partly  under  sail,  and  inclusive  of  ten  days  stoppages  for  the 


P.  &  0.  Liner.      Date  1900  A.D. 

purpose  of  obtaining  fresh  supplies  of  fuel.  She  did  not 
return  to  England,  but  was  purchased  by  the  Indian  Govern- 
ment for  £40,000,  the  East  India  Company  being  at  that  time 
engaged  in  the  first  Burmese  War.  She  was  employed 
carrying  despatches  between  Calcutta  and  Rangoon,  and  on 
the  occasion  of  the  Treaty  of  Malwa,  she  saved  the  Govern- 


48  THE   HISTOEY   OF   STEAM   NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

meiit  six  lacs  of  rupees  by  reaching  Calcutta  in  time  to  pre- 
vent the  march  of  troops  from  the  upper  provinces. 

When  the  ENTERPRIZE  arrived  at  Calcutta  from  England 
she  was  piloted  by  a  young  man,  a  mate  in  the  Bengal  Pilot 
Service,  named  Thomas  Waghorn. 

Mr.  Waghorn  was  born  at  Chatham  in  1800,  and  was,  con- 
sequently, in  his  twenty-sixth  year  when  he  acted  as  pilot  for 
the  ENTERPRIZE.  He  had  served  four  years  in  the  Royal 
Navy,  and  was  afterwards  for  twelve  years  in  the  service  of 
the  East  India  Company  as  pilot,  subsequently  rejoining  the 
Royal  Navy,  in  which  he  remained  until  he  obtained  his 
commission  as  Lieutenant.  He  was  selected  in  1827,  by  the 
Indian  Government  (Calcutta  Steam  Committee),  for  the 
purpose  of  establishing  steam  navigation  between  England 
and  India.  He  visited  London,  Liverpool,  and  Manchester, 
but  could  not  obtain  sufficient  financial  support  for  a  regular 
service  of  steamers  via  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  Hearing  that 
it  was  the  intention  of  the  East  India  Company  to  despatch 
the  ENTERPRIZE  to  Suez,  he  offered  his  services  as  Courier  to 
the  East  to  Mr.  Lock  (Chairman  of  the  East  India  Company), 
and  to  Lord  Ellenborough  (President  of  the  Board  of  Control). 
His  offer  of  service  was  accepted,  and  he  left  London  on  the 
28th  October,  1829,  taking  the  overland  route,  via  Trieste,  to 
Alexandria,  where  he  arrived  on  the  27th  November.  His 
instructions  were  to  proceed  with  his  despatches  for  the 
Governor  of  Bombay  (Sir  John  Malcolm),  by  the  steam- 
packet  ENTERPRIZE  from  Suez,  but  owing  to  a  breakdown  of 
her  machinery,  the  steampacket  was  not  at  Suez  to  meet  him. 
There  being  no  steamer  to  take  him  on  to  his  destination, 
Mr.  Waghorn  embarked  on  an  open  native  boat,  and  sailed 
down  the  Red  Sea,  being  subsequently  picked  up  by  the 
East  India  Company's  sloop  THETIS,  which  had  been  sent  to 
meet  him,  and  which  brought  him  to  Bombay.  The  day  pre- 
vious to  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Waghorn  at  Bombay,  the  East 
India  Company  had  despatched  the  steamer  HUGH  LINDSAY 
to  Suez  to  take  up  the  sailing  of  the  disabled  ENTERPRI/K. 
The  HUGH  LINDSAY  continued  to  make  one  round  voyage 
between  Bombay  and  Suez  annually  until  18.'>(i,  during  the 
t» 


CHAP.   IX.]  ITS   ORIGIN   AND   EXPANSION.  49 

north-east  monsoons,  not  being  sufficiently  powerful  to  make 
the  passage  during  the  south-west  monsoons.  In  1836  the 
Court  of  Directors  of  the  East  India  Company  decided  to 
place  on  the  station  two  new  and  more  powerful  steamers. 
These  were  the  ATALANTA,  of  616  tons  burthen  and  210  horse 
power,  built  in  1835  at  a  cost  of  £36,652 ;  and  the  BERENICE, 
of  664  tons  and  230  horse  power,  built  the  same  year  at  a  cost 
of  £40,124. 

While  a  regular  steamship  service  was  thus  being  estab- 
lished between  the  Isthmus  of  Suez  and  Bombay,  the  British 
Government  had  established  a  service  of  Admiralty  packets 
between  Falmouth  and  Cadiz,  Gibraltar,  Malta,  and  Corfu. 
From  Malta  the  mails  were  conveyed  to  Alexandria  by  other 
of  H.M.  ships.  Prior  to  1830  the  Admiralty  packets  were  all 
sailing  brigs,  but  on  the  5th  February  of  that  year  the 
METEOR,  the  first  of  the  steampackets,  sailed  from  Falmouth 
to  the  Mediterranean.  She  was  followed  by  the  steampackets 
AFRICAN,  CARRON,  COLUMBIA,  CONFRANCE,  ECHO,  FIREBRAND, 
HERMES  and  MESSENGER. 

About  1834  Messrs.  Bourne,  of  Dublin,  the  principal  owners 
of  the  Dublin  and  London  Steampacket  Company,  were 
induced  by  the  Spanish  Minister  in  London  to  start  a  line  of 
steamers  between  London  and  the  Peninsula.  They  placed 
the  management  of  the  steamers  in  the  hands  of  Messrs. 
Willcox  and  Anderson,  a  London  firm  with  whom  they  had 
had  some  previous  transactions.  Messrs.  Willcox  and 
Anderson  were  well  acquainted  with  the  trade  to  the 
Peninsula,  having  been  engaged  in  it,  at  first  with  sailing 
vessels,  and  afterwards  with  chartered  steamers.  The  new 
line  was  called  the  Peninsular  Steam  Navigation  Company, 
and  Mr.  Tames  Allan,  then  a  clerk  in  the  Dublin  Office  of  the 
Dublin  and  London  Steampacket  Company,  was  sent  to 
London  to  assist  Messrs.  Willcox  and  Anderson  in  the 
management. 

The  first  steamer  of  the  service  was  probably  the  ROYAL 
TAR,  belonging  to  the  Dublin  and  London  Steampacket  Com- 
pany, which  had  been  chartered  in  1834  to  Don  Pedro,  and 
subsequently  to  the  Queen  Regent  of  Spain,  Messrs.  Willcox 
and  Anderson  being  the  chartering  brokers.  The  "  Graphic  " 


50  THE   HISTOEY   OF   STEAM   NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

Xmas  Number  for  1901  states  the  WM.  FAWCETT  was  the 
first  P.  &  0.  steamer,  and  the  "  P.  &  0.  Pocket  Book  "  (1900 
edition)  heads  the  list  of  the  past  and  present  fleet  of  the  com- 
pany with  the  name  of  the  same  vessel,  built  in  1829.  It  is 
only  necessary  to  say  here  that  neither  the  Peninsular  Steam 
Navigation  Company  nor  the  P.  &  0.  Steam  Navigation 
Company  were  in  existence  at  that  date.  The  WM.  FAWCETT 
was  certainly  built  that  year  by  Caleb  Smith,  and  engined 
by  Fawcett  and  Preston,  both  Liverpool  firms.  For  some 
time  she  was  engaged  as  a  ferry  boat  on  the  Mersey,  and  in 
the  early  thirties  she  was  employed  as  a  regular  trader 
between  London  and  Dublin.  She  probably  was  chartered 
for  a  short  time  to  the  Peninsular  Steam  Navigation  Company 
in  1885  or  188(1,  as  she  does  not  appear  in  the  company's 
advertised  sailing  list  for  1888. 

In  the  latter  year  the  fleet  consisted  of  the  following 
vessels,  from  London  to  Vigo,  Lisbon,  Cadiz  and  Gibraltar:  — 
TAGUS,  800  tons  gross,  800  h.  p. ;  ROYAL  TAR,  650  tons  gross, 
264  h.  p. ;  BRAGANZA,  650  tons  gross,  264  h.p. ;  IBERIA,  690 
tons  gross,  200  h.  p. ;  LIVERPOOL,*  500  tons  gross,  160  h.  p. ; 
CITY  OF  LONDONDERRY,*  500  tons  gross,  160  h.  p.  Branch 
steamers,  PENINSULA,  GUADALQUIVER,  ESTRELLA  and  SOL. 

In  1837  the  Government  advertised  for  tenders  from  steam- 
ship owners  for  the  conveyance  of  the  mails  between 
Falmouth  and  the  Peninsula,  which  up  to  that  time  were 
conveyed  by  sailing  brigs  which  left  Falmouth  for  Lisbon 
every  week,  "  wind  and  weather  permitting."  In  response  to 
this  advertisement  two  companies,  the  British  and  Foreign 
Steam  Navigation  Company,  and  the  Peninsular  Steam  Navi- 
gation Company,  sent  in  tenders.  The  former  company 
having  failed  to  show  that  it  had  adequate  means  for  the 
efficient  performance  of  the  Postal  service,  the  Government 
concluded  a  contract,  011  the  29th  August,  1887,  with  the 
Peninsular  Steam  Navigation  Company,  by  which  that  com- 
pany agreed  to  convey  monthly  the  whole  of  the  Peninsular 
mails  for  an  annual  subsidy  of  £29,600,  afterwards  reduced 
to  £20,500.  The  first  steamer  to  be  despatched  under  this 
contract  was  the  IBERIA,  in  September,  1887,  calling  at  Vigo, 

*  Chartered  Steamers  belonging  to  the  City  of  Dublin  Co, 


CHAP.  IX.]  ITS  ORIGIN  AND   EXPANSION. 


51 


Oporto,    Lisbon   and     Cadiz,    on     its    passage    to    and    from 
Gibraltar. 

The  British  Government  in  1839  entered  into  an  arrange- 
ment with  the  French  Government  to  send  letters  to  and  from 
India  through  France  by  way  of  Marseilles.  The  mails  were 
conveyed  between  Marseilles  and  Malta  by  an  Admiralty 
packet,  and  between  Malta  and  Alexandria  by  another 
Admiralty  packet.  This  arrangement  did  not  work  satis- 
factorily,  and  the  Government  advertised  for  lenders  for  a 
line  of  steamers,  to  run  direct  from  England  to  Alexandria 
and  rice  verm,  touching  only  at  Gibraltar  and  Malta.  The 
steamers  were  to  be  of  sufficient  power  to  perform  the  voyage 
in  not  more  than  three  days  beyond  the  time  then  occupied  in 
the  conveyance  of  the  mails  via  France,  and  the  cost  was  not 
to  exceed  the  amount  required  for  the  maintenance  of  the 
small  and  inefficient  Admiralty  packets  then  employed. 

Four  competitors  tendered  for  the  contract,  but  that  of  the 
Peninsular  Company  was  accepted,  it  being  the  lowest 
(£34,200),  and  containing  also  an  offer  to  convey  at  a  reduced 
rate  all  officers  travelling  on  the  public  service,  and  bon«  fide 
Admiralty  packages  gratuitously. 

At  this  time  much  pressure  was  brought  to  bear  on  the 
Government  to  induce  it  to  subsidize  a  proposed  line  of 
steamers  between  Falmouth  and  Calcutta  via  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope.  These  steamers,  according  to  the  "  Times  "  of 
the  llth  November,  1838,  were  to  make  the  passage  in  thirty 
days. 

The  GREAT  LIVERPOOL,  of  1,540  tons  and  464  horse  power, 
built  by  Sr-  John  Tobin,  of  Liverpool,  and  intended  for  the 
Liverpool  and  Ne\v  York  trade;  and  the  ORIENTAL,  of  1,000 
tons  and  450  horse  power,  were  the  steamers  offered  by  Messrs. 
Willcox  and  Anderson,  and  approved  by  the  Admiralty, 
to  convey  mails  between  England  and  Alexandria,  calling 
at  Gibraltar,  and  combining  the  two  mail  services  of 
the  Peninsular  and  the  Oriental,  thus  constituting  the 
Peninsular  and  Oriental  Steam  Navigation  Company. 
Subsequently,  the  company  was  requested  to  provide 
two  steamers,  one  to  be  not  less  than  250  horse  power, 
and  the  other  to  be  140  horse  t>ower,  for  the  Malta  and  Corfu 


52  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

branch  of  the  mail  service,  which  was  done  at  a  cost  to  the 
country  of  £10,112  per  annum,  less  than  the  cost  of  main- 
taining the  Admiralty  packets  previously  employed. 

In  September,  1842,  the  P.  &  0.  Company  obtained  a 
contract  for  carrying  the  mails  between  Calcutta  and  Suez. 
The  contract  was  granted  very  reluctantly  by  the  East  India 
Company,  and  only  after  much  pressure  had  been  brought  to 
bear  on  it  by  the  Home  Government. 

On  the  24th  September,  1842,  the  P.  &  0.  Company 
despatched  its  first  steamer  to  India  via  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope.  She  was  the  paddle-steamer  HINDOSTAN,  of  2,017  tons 
gross  and  of  520  horse  power.  On  her  arrival  at  Calcutta  she 
was  placed  on  the  service  between  Calcutta,  Madras,  Ceylon 
and  Suez.  Other  steamers  were  despatched  speedily  from 
England,  and  in  1844  the  company  was  in  a  position  to  enter 
into  another  contract  with  the  Government  for  a  monthly 
service  from  Ceylon,  to  Penang,  Singapore,  and  Hong  Kong. 
For  the  premier  service  (Suez-Calcutta)  the  company  received 
£115,000  per  annum,  or  at  the  rate  of  20s.  per  mile,  and  for 
the  Ceylon-Hongkong  service  ^£45,000,  or  at  the  rate  of 
about  12s.  per  mile. 

In  connection  with  the  Eastern  services,  coaling  stations, 
docks,  store  establishments,  and  in  such  places  as  Suez  and 
Aden,  even  fresh- water  supplies  had  to  be,  and  were,  provided 
and  organised. 

At  this  period,  and  until  the  completion  of  the  Railway 
from  Alexandria  to  Suez,  the  passengers  and  cargo  carried  bv 
the  P.  &  0.  steamers  were  conveyed  across  Egypt  in  a  some- 
what primitive  manner.  The  Mahmoudieh  Canal  enabled 
the  company  to  transport  its  passengers  and  cargo  from 
Alexandria  to  the  Nile,  whence  they  proceeded  by  steamer  to 
Cairo,  and  thence  through  the  desert  on  the  backs  of  camels, 
a  distance  of  less  than  100  miles,  to  Suez. 

As  it  was  notorious  that  the  mail  service  between  Suez  and 
Bombay  was  conducted  by  the  East  India  Company  at  a  cost 
of  upwards  of  30s.  per  mile  by  steamers  vastly  inferior  in 
speed  and  accommodation  to  the  P.  &  0.  steamers,  which 
maintained  the  mail  services  to  India  and  the  principal  ports 
o^  China  at  an  average  rate  of  about  17s..  per  mile,  the  public 


CHAP.   IX.]  ITS   ORIGIN   AND   EXPANSION.  .-,;.{ 

naturally  demanded  that  the  Suez-Bombay  service  should  be 
taken  out  of  the  control  of  the  East  India  Company,  and 
placed  in  the  hands  of  those  competent  to  work  it  more 
efficiently  and  with  greater  economy.  The  demands  of  the 
public,  although  confirmed  by  the  Parliamentary  Committee 
of  1851,  were  successfully  resisted  by  the  Court  of  Directors 
until  1854,  and  it  is  questionable  if  even  then,  they  would 
have  given  up  the  service  if  (in  consequence  of  the  East  India 
Company  having  no  steamer  ready  for  them  at  Suez)  the 
Bombay  mails  had  not  been  lost  in  a  native  sailing  craft  into 
which  they  had  been  transferred  at  Aden. 

The  P.  &  O.  Company  were  applied  to  by  the  Government, 
and  undertook  this  service  for  the  sum  of  £24,700  per  annum, 
or  at  the  rate  of  6s.  2d.  per  mile,  resulting  in  a  decreased 
expenditure  of  about  £80,000  per  annum,  as  compared  with 
the  expense  incurred  by  the  far  less  efficient  East  Indian 
Navy. 

In  1852,  the  P.  &  0.  Company  extended  its  operations  to 
Australia,  by  means  of  a  branch  line  of  steamers  from  Singa- 
pore. The  following  year  saw  an  addition  of  no  less  than 
eleven  steamships  to  the  company's  fleet.  Amongst  these  was 
the  celebrated  troopship  HIMALAYA,  which  continued  in  active 
service  until  near  the  end  of  the  century.  At  the  time  of  her 
launch  she  was  the  largest  steamship  afloat,  and  of 
extraordinary  speed.  She  cost  £132,000  when  fully  equipped 
and  ready  for  sea.  Her  length  was  340  feet,  beam  44  feet 
6  inches;  her  gross  tonnage  was  3,438  tons,  and  her  engines 
indicated  2,050  horse  power. 

Another  famous  steamer  built  for  the  P.  &  O.  in  1853  was 
the  COLOMBO  (steamship),  which  was  engaged  as  a  Govern- 
ment transport  during  the  Crimean  War.  Even  Santa  Claus 
himself  could  not  have  been  more  eagerly  welcomed  than  was 
the  COLOMBO  when  she  arrived  off  Sebastopol  011  Christmas 
Eve  1854,  with  provisions  for  the  wounded  soldiers  and 
sailors.  She  was  originally  a  vessel  of  1,864  tons  gross,  but 
in  1859  she  was  lengthened  amidships,  and  her  tonnage 
increased  to  2,127  tons.  The  HIMALAYA  and  the  COLOMBO 
were  two,  out  of  eleven,  P.  &  0.  steamships  chartered  to  the 
Government  as  transports  during  the  Crimean  War,  and  these 


54  THE    HISTOEY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

vessels  conveyed  during  the  continuation   of  hostilities  1,800 
officers,  60,000  men  and  15,000  horses. 

The  first  steamer  of  the  P.  &  0.  Company  fitted  with  corn- 
pound  engines  was  the  MOOLTAN  (steamship),  of  2,257  tons, 
built  in  1860-1.  Several  succeeding  steamers  were  fitted  with 
the  same  type  of  engines,  but  although  the  consumption  of 
fuel  was  decidedly  less,  the  engines  themselves  proved  so 
unreliable  that  they  were  taken  out  of  all  the  ships  and 
replaced  by  the  old  style  of  engines.  "  It  was  not  until  1869  " 
(says  Sir  Thomas  Sutherland,  in  the  "  P.  &  O.  Pocket  Book," 
1900)  u  that  the  company  succeeded  in  building  a  steamer 
with  high  and  low  pressure  machinery  which  could  be  con- 
sidered thoroughly  successful." 

On  the  17th  November,  1869,  the  Suez  Canal,  the  greatest 
engineering  work  of  the  19th  century,  was  formally  opened 
by  the  Empress  Eugenie,  in  the  presence  of  numerous  dis- 
tinguished men  from  all  countries.  While  the  benefits 
conferred  upon  the  world  of  commerce  by  the  opening  of  this 
canal  can  hardly  be  over-estimated,  its  influence  upon  the 
fortunes  of  the  P.  &  0.  Company  was  at  first  almost  fatal. 
The  whole  of  the  company's  business  had  to  be  re-organised, 
and  as  speedily  as  possible  a  new  fleet  obtained  adapted  to  the 
changed  requirements  of  the  company's  services.  This 
transitory  state  continued  for  a  period  of  five  years,  from  1870 
to  1875,  by  which  date  the  company's  re-organization  was 
sufficiently  accomplished  to  enable  them  to  transfer  their 
services  from  the  Overland  to  the  Suez  Canal  route.  The 
accelerated  mails  sent  via  Briiidisi  were  still  carried  by  the 
Egyptian  Railway  between  Alexandria  and  Suez,  and  con- 
tinued to  be  so  carried  until  1888,  when  they  also  were 
transferred  to  the  Canal  route. 

It  is  interesting  to  compare  the  earlier  vessels  of  the  com- 
pany's fleet  with  the  later.  The  INDIA,  built  in  18-J9,  was  a 
vessel  of  871  tons,  and  with  engines  of  ->00  horse  power.  I  Lei- 
namesake,  built  in  1896,  is  a  steamer  of  7,911  tons,  with 
engines  of  11,000  horse  power.  The  PERSIA,  built  in  1900, 
has  a  slightly  larger  register  (8,000  tons),  with  engines  of  the 
same  power.  In  1901  four  twin-screw  steamers  were  added  to 
the  fleet,  the  SYRIA,  SOUDAN,  SOMALI  and  SICILIA,  each  of  6,600 


CHAI-.   IX.]  ITS   ORIGIN   AND   EXPANSION.  55 

tons  gross,  with  engines  of  4,500  horse  power,  while  190:5-4 
witnesses  the  addition  to  the  Company's  list  of  the  MARMORA 
and  MACEDONIA,  10,500  tons  and  15,000  horse  power,  and  the 
MOLDAVIA  and  MONGOLIA,  10,000  tons  and  14,000  horse  power, 
as  well  as  several  cargo  steamers  of  immense  tonnage. 

During  the  war  in  the  Transvaal,  as  at  the  time  of  the 
Crimean  War,  many  of  the  steamers  of  the  P.  &  ( ).  Company 
were  engaged  by  the  Government  as  transports. 

The  following  figures  indicate  the  extensive  operations  ot 
the  company: — In  1899  the  mileage  traversed  by  the 
steamers  of  the  fleet  during  the  year  was  about  o, 000,000 
miles.  The  consumption  of  coal  during  that  period  was 
625,000  tons.  The  dues  paid  to  the  Suez  Canal  Company 
exceeded  £272,000,  while  the  sum  expended  in  wages  to 
officers  and  crews  amounted  to  £-362,000. 

In  lcS55  the  Directors  of  the  East  India  Company  advertised 
for  steamers  to  carry  the  mails  between  Calcutta  and  Burmah, 
a  service  inaugurated  by  the  ENTERPRIZE  (see  ante)  in  1826, 
and  afterwards  conducted  by  various  vessels  of  the  East  Indian 
Navy.  Messrs.  McKinnon  &  Co.,  of  Glasgow,  tendered  in 
response  to  this  advertisement,  and  their  tender  having  been 
accepted,  they  despatched  the  two  steamers  BALTIC  and  CAPE 
OF  GOOD  HOPE  to  fulfil  their  contract.  These  vessels  were 
small  and  unsuitable  for  the  intended  service,  and  the  result 
would  have  been  a  serious  financial  loss  to  their  owners,  had 
they  not,  soon  after  their  arrival  in  India,  been  engaged  for 
transports  on  the  outbreak  of  the  Indian  Mutiny. 

The  new  company  traded  under  the  title  of  the  Calcutta  and 
Burmah  Steam  Navigation  Co.,  its  first  operations  being  con- 
fined to  the  ports  of  Calcutta,  Akyab,  Eangoon  and  Moulmein. 
One  of  the  two  pioneer  steamers,  the  CAPE  OF  GOOD  HOPE, 
collided  with  a  P.  and  0.  steamer  and  sunk  in  the  Hooghly. 
Another,  the  CALCUTTA,  of  900  tons,  was  totally  lost  off  the 
coast  of  Wicklow,  when  on  her  first  voyage  from  the  Clyde  to 
Calcutta.  A  fresh  contract  was  entered  into  in  1862  with  the 
Indian  Government,  and  in  the  same  year  the  title  of  the 
Company  was  changed  to  the  British  India  Steam  Navigation 
Co.,  Limited.  The  terms  of  the  new  contract  included  the 
transport  of  troops  and  stores  at  a  mileage  rate ;  a  mail  service 


56  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART   I. 

every  fortnight  between  Calcutta,  Akyab,  Kangoon  and  Moul- 
mein ;  also  a  monthly  service  via  the  two  latter  ports  to 
Singapore ;  a  similar  service  to  Chittagong,  and  one  to  the 
Andaman  Islands ;  as  well  as  one  between  Madras  and 
Rangoon  ;  a  fortnightly  service  between  Bombay  and  Karachi ; 
and  a  service,  once  every  six  weeks,  to  various  ports  in  the 
Persian  Grulf.  New  vessels  were  built  and  despatched  for  these 
various  services,  and  the  traffic  of  the  Company  developed  with 
great  rapidity. 

The  career  of  the  Company  was,  however,  not  an  unc'hequered 
one.  In  addition  to  the  two  steamers  referred  to  as  lost  during 
the  first  year  of  the  Company's  existence,  must  be  added  the 
wreck  of  the  BURMAH  on  the  Madras  coast,  the  loss  of  the 
BUSSORAH  on  her  voyage  to  India,  and  the  foundering  of  the 
PERSIA  on  her  voyage  from  Kangoon  to  Calcutta,  during  one  of 
those  fearful  cyclones  which  periodically  sweep  the  Indian  Ocean. 

The  opening  of  the  Suez  Canal  in  1869,  which  for  a  time 
adversely  affected  the  fortunes  of  the  P.  and  0.  Co.,  proved 
beneficial  to  the  British  India  Steam  Navigation  Co.  The 
directors  of  the  latter  Company  at  once  took  advantage  of  the 
facilities  which  it  offered,  and  their  steamer  INDIA,  requiring 
new  boilers,  was  despatched  to  England,  and  was  the  first 
steamer  to  arrive  in  London  with  a  cargo  of  Indian  produce  via 
the  Suez  Canal.  Since  that  date  the  Company  has  added 
steamer  to  steamer  until  at  the  present  date  (1903)  its  fleet 
(inclusive  of  the  British  India  Association  steamers)  numbers 
upwards  of  120  vessels. 

In  July,  1891,  Messrs.  Bibby  Brothers,  of  Liverpool  (a  firm 
which  was  founded  in  1807"),  established  a  direct  service  of 
first-class  and  swift  steamers  between  the  United  Kingdom  and 
Burmese  ports.  For  half  a  century  prior  to  1901  Messrs.  Bibby 
had  maintained  steamship  communication  between  Liverpool 
and  all  the  principal  ports  of  the  Mediterranean.  Prior  to  the 
construction  of  the  Suez  Canal,  cargo  from  the  East  was  carried 
by  the  P.  and  0.  to  Suez,  thence  by  rail  to  Alexandria,  where 
it  was  transhipped  to  the  Bibby  steamers,  which  loaded  in 
Alexandria  for  Liverpool.* 

*  A  sketch  of  the  history  of  this  important  Firm  will  be  found  in  Part  IT. 
of  this  Volume. 


(HAP.   IX.]  ITS  ORIGIN  AND   EXPANSION. 


58  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 


CHAPTER  X. 

Steamers  on  the  Pacific.— The  TELICA  (1825).— P.  S.  N.  Co.,  1840.— Com- 
pound Engines  adopted,  1856. — Service  extended  from  West  Coast,  South 
America,  to  the  River  Plate  (1865),  and  to  Liverpool,  1868.— The  P.  S.  N.  Co. 
and  Messrs.  Anderson  Anderson  &  Co.,  1878. — Gulf  Line  of  Steamers 
between  Great  Britain  and  West  Coast,  South  America. 

THE  first  steamer  to  trade  along  tlie  Pacific  Coast  of  South 
America  was  a  small  steamer,  named  the  TELICA,  in  1825. 
She  was  owned  and  commanded  by  a  Spaniard  bearing  a 
Russian  name,  Mitrovitch.  The  venture  proved  a  failure, 
chiefly  owing  to  the  scarcity  of  fuel,  and  the  unfortunate  man, 
in  a  fit  of  despair,  fired  his  pistol  into  a  barrel  of  gunpowder, 
and  blew  up  his  vessel  in  the  harbour  of  Guayaquil,  destroying 
himself  and  all  on  board,  except  one  man. 

The  next  person  to  attempt  to  establish  steamship  communi- 
cation along  the  Pacific  'Coast  was  an  American  citizen,  Mr. 
William  Wheelwright,  born  in  Newburyport,  Mass.,  U.S.A., 
in  1798,  and  appointed  United  States  Consul  at  Guayaquil  in 
18124.  Mr.  Wheelwright,  notwithstanding  the  tragic  fate  of 
the  TELICA  and  her  owner,  was  convinced  of  the  importance 
of  steam  communication  to  the  development  of  the  rich 
resources  of  the  western  side  of  the  South  American 
Continent,  spent  six  years  in  arranging  plans  for  steam  com- 
munication between  the  different  Republics,  and  at  last 
obtained  from  the  Peruvian,  Bolivian,  and  Chilian  Govern- 
ments the  privilege  of  establishing  and  maintaining  a  steam- 
ship service  along  their  respective  coasts  for  a  period  of  ten 
years.  In  pursuance  of  this  object  he  came  to  England,  and 
secured  the  co-operation  of  several  wealthy  merchants,  and 
011  the  17th  February,  1840,  a  charter  was  obtained  for  the 
establishment  of  the  undertaking  known  as  the  Pacific  Steam 


CHAP.   X.] 


ITS   OEIGIN   AND   EXPANSION. 


Til) 


Navigation  Company,  together  with  a  small  subsidy  for  tin- 
conveyance  of  the  mails.  It  was  not  the  intention  of  the  founders 
of  the  company  to  trade  elsewhere  than  along  the  Pacific 
Coast,  and  for  this  purpose  a  capital  of  a  quarter  of  a  million 
pounds  was  thought  to  be  sufficient.  The  capital  consisted  of 
5,000  shares,  £50  each.  Only  the  amount  required  to  build 
two  small  steamers  was  called  up.  These  steamers  were  UK- 
CHILI  and  PERU,  each  of  about  700  tons  gross  register,  with 
engines  of  about  150  horse-power  nominal.  They  were  brig- 


PEBU.      Pacific  Steam  Navigation  Co.,  Ltd. 

rigged  paddle  steamers,  built  of  wood,  by  Charles  Young  and 
Co.,  Limehouse,  London,  and  engined  by  Miller  &  Kavenhall. 

Owing  in  great  measure  to  the  scarcity  of  fuel  on  the 
coast,  the  company,  during  the  first  five  years  of  its  existence, 
sustained  a  loss  of  four-fifths  of  its  paid-up  capital,  but  the 
shareholders  courageously  resolved  to  persevere  with  their 
undertaking.  The  seat  of  management  of  the  company  was, 
however,  transferred  from  London  to  Liverpool  (1846),  and  the 


gQ  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART   I. 

late  -Mr.  William  Just  appointed  Managing  Director.  The 
following  year  (1847),  the  Directors  were  for  the  first  time  able 
to  declare  a  dividend,  a  modest  two-and-a-half  per  cent. 

In  1850,  having  obtained  an  extension  of  the  Government 
Postal  contract,  the  Directors  ordered  four  steamers,  at  a  total 
cost  of  £140,000.  These  steamers  were  named  the  LIMA, 
SANTIAGO,  QUITO  and  BOGOTA,  and  were  each  of  about  1,000 
tons  gross  and  800  horse-power  nominal. 

In  1850  the  company's  service  was  re-organised  by  Mr.  Just, 
who  visited  the  West  Coast  specially  for  that  purpose. 
During  the  same  year  the  compound  type  of  engines  was 
adopted  in  the  company's  steamers,  the  Pacific  Steam  Naviga- 
tion Company  being  thus  one  of  the  earliest  ocean  steamship 
companies  to  use  this  type  of  engine. 

A  supplemental  charter  was  obtained  in  1865,  extending 
the  operations  of  the  company,  and  authorising  steamship 
communication  between  the  West  Coast  of  South  America, 
and  the  Eiver  Plate  on  the  East  Coast. 

As  the  profits  of  the  company  had  been  steadily  increasing 
for  a  number  of  years  prior  to  1867,  it  was  resolved  at  a 
meeting  of  shareholders,  held  in  December  of  that  year,  to 
establish  a  monthly  line  of  steamers  from  Liverpool  to  the 
West  Coast  of  South  America,  via  the  Straits  of  Magellan,  and 
to  increase  the  capital  of  the  company  to  £2,000,000. 

The  first  new  steamer  of  the  new  service  was  the  PACIFIC, 
1,630  tons  gross  register,  1,174  tons  net,  with  engines  of  450 
horse-power.  Her  principal  dimensions  were,  length  267  feet, 
beam  40  feet,  depth  17  feet.  She  was  built  011  the  Clyde  in 
1864,  by  Randolph  Elder  &  Co.,  and  cost  £61,855.  After 
trading  for  about  three  years  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  she  sailed 
from  Valparaiso  for  Liverpool  in  May,  1868,  as  the  pioneer 
steamer  of  the  new  mail  service.  During  this  year  five 
steamers  of  about  3,000  tons  each,  specially  built  for  the 
maintenance  of  this  service,  were  added  to  the  company's 
fleet.  These  were  the  JOHN  ELDER,  MAGELLAN,  PATAGONIA, 
ARAUCANIA  and  CORDILLERA. 

So  profitable  was  the  Liverpool  trade  to  the  West  Coast,  the 
Directors  determined  in  1870  to  make  the  sailings  fortnightly, 


CHAP.   X.] 


ITS  ORIGIN  AND  EXPANSION. 


and  in  that  year  they  added  the  steamers  CHIMKORAXO,  (Y/rn, 
GARONNE,  LUSITANIA  and  ACONCAGUA  to  the  fleet. 

In  December,  1871  they  recommended  a  further  increase 
of  the  company's  capital  to  £3, 000, 000,  with  a  view  of  making 
the  service  from  Liverpool  a  weekly  one.  During  the  year 
they  had  greatly  increased  the  number  of  the  company's  ocean 
steamers,  having  built  in  1871  seven  steamers,  each  of  about 
4,000  tons  gross,  viz.,  the  SORATA,  ILLIMANI,  COTOPAXI, 

GrALICIA,    CORCOVABO,    PrNO   and   POTOSI. 

In  July,  1872,  the  capital  of  the  company  was  raised  to 
£4,000,000,  and  the  steamers  VALPARAISO  and  BRITANNIA  were 
added  to  its  fleet,  and  in  the  following  year  the  IBERIA  and 
LIGURIA. 


ORELLANA.      Pacific  Steam  Navigation  Co.,  Ltd. 


Ill  addition  to  the  above  steamers,  which  were  all  built  for 
the  Liverpool  to  West  Coast  service,  the  Pacific  Steam 
Navigation  Company  built  during  the  years  1869  to  1878 
inclusive,  eighteen  steamers  for  its  Pacific  Coast  service. 

The  IBERIA  and  LIGURIA  were  the  last  of  the  barque-rigged, 
clipper-bow  type  of  steamer  built  for  the  Pacific  Steam 
Navigation  Company.  The  succeeding  vessels  of  the  fleet 
have  as  a  rule  four  pole  masts  and  a  straight  stem. 

Although  the  trade  between  Liverpool  and  the  West  Coast 
of  South  America  had  increased  with  marvellous  rapidity,  the 


62  THE   HISTOEY   OF   STEAM   NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

increase  in  the  company's  tonnage  had  more  than  kept  pace 
with  it.  It  was  found  that  the  combined  passenger  and  cargo 
trade  would  not  support  a  sailing  each  week,  and  the  sailings 
were  reduced  to  two  each  month.  As  a  consequence  of  the 
reduced  number  of  sailings,  as  many  as  nine  of  the  company's 
steamers  were  at  one  time  laid  up  for  want  of  employment. 
In  1878  the  Directors  were  fortunately  able  to  charter  four  of 
their  vessels,  the  CHIMBORAZO,  LUSITANIA,  Cuzco  and  GAUONNE, 
to  Messrs.  Anderson,  Anderson  &  Co.,  who  in  that  year  founded 
the  Orient  Line  of  steamers  from  London  to  Australia.  In 
1882,  when  the  latter  company  decided  to  double  its  sailings, 
the  Pacific  Steam  Navigation  Company  made  arrangements 
to  employ  several  additional  steamers  in  the  Australian 
service.  Although  the  Pacific  Company  was  the  first  to 
establish  steamship  communication  between  Great  Britain  and 
the  West  Coast  of  South  America,  it  has  had  to  share  the 
traffic  in  later  years  with  the  Gulf  Line  of  steamers  belonging 
to  the  Greenock  Shipping  Company,  and  with  the  steamers 
belonging  to  Messrs.  Lamport  &  Holt. 


CHAP,  XI.]  ITS  ORIGIN  AND  EXPANSION.  (53 


CHAPTER  XI. 

French-Algerian  Expedition,  1830.— Civil  War  in  Portugal.— Loss   of    the 

steamer  RIVAL. — Mutiny  on  a  Transport. — Loss  of  the  Lonn  BLANEY. — The 

MARGARET,  first  screw  passenger  steamer  trading  from  Hull. 

EARLY  in  the  year  1880,  the  French  Government,  fitted  out  an 
expedition  against  the  Dey  of  Algiers,  and  an  agent  of  the 
former  was  instructed  to  contract  with  the  City  of  Dublin  and 
the  St.  George  Steam-Packet  Companies  for  the  employment 
of  some  of  their  first-class  boats  as  transports  in  the  expedition. 
The  vessels  chartered  were  ordered  to  proceed  immediately  to 
Toulon  to  embark  French  troops  for  service  in  North  Africa. 
This  was  the  first  instance  of  steam  vessels  being  extensively 
engaged  in  warlike  expeditions.  At  this  date,  Portugal  was 
engaged  in  a  prolonged  and  sanguinary  civil  war,  in  the  course 
of  which  vessels  belonging  to  both  of  the  famous  Liverpool 
steamship  companies  were  again  employed. 

Don  Miguel  (surnamed  the  Usurper)  had  about  the  year 
1826  assumed  the  government  of  Portugal.  It  is  calculated 
that  in  the  short  space  of  five  years  he  imprisoned  26,270  of  his 
beloved  subjects  ;  16,000  were  transported  to  various  places ; 
18,000  were  forced  to  ny  from  his  paternal  government ;  1-'>,700 
perished  on  the  scaffold ;  and  5,000  were  either  in  concealment 
or  wanderingi  about  the  kingdom  to  avoid  a  similar  fate. 
Finally,  Dom  Pedro,  Emperor  of  Brazil,  on  behalf  of  his 
daughter  Donna  Maria  of  Portugal,  took  active  measures  to 
recover  the  throne.  A  number  of  British  steamers  were 
engaged  as  transports  or  privateers  in  the  civil  war  that  ensued. 
Amongst  other  vessels  was  the  "  ill-fated  steamer ""  RIVAL, 

*  There  is  some  doubt  as  to  whether  this  vessel  was  a  steamer  or  a  sailing 
brig.  The  "Liverpool  Mercury"  speaks  of  her  as  the  "ill-fated  steamer, 
RIVAL  "  ;  but  the  "  Glasgow  Herald  "  only  refers  to  her  as  the  "  brig  RIVAL." 


64  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.        '    [PAET  I. 

which  sailed  from  Greenock  on  the  22nd  December,  1832, 
bound  for  Oporto,  with  about  400  volunteers  for  Bom  Pedro, 
and  foundered  in  Cralw^ay  Bay,  with  the  loss  of  nearly  500  lives. 
Some  spars,  bedding,  and  ship's  papers  were  washed  ashore, 
but  as  not  one  of  the  passengers  or  crew  escaped,  no  particulars 
can  ever  be  known  of  the  circumstances  attending  the  fatal 
disaster. 

The  LORD  BLANEY  was  one  of  several  of  the  St.  George 
Steam-Packet  Company's  vessels  chartered  for  the  same  service. 
It  appears  from  a  record  of  magisterial  proceedings  (August, 
1831)  before  Mr.  H.  Leach,  of  Milford,  that  the  agents  employed 
by  Dom  Pedro  hired  200  seamen  at  Liverpool,  and  induced 
them  to  ship  on  board  the  LORD  BLANEY,  under  a  pretext  that 
they  were  merely  wanted  to  navigate  British  transports  across 
the  Atlantic,  to  convey  some  regiments  of  Portuguese  from 
Eio  de  Janeiro  to  Europe  ;  but  no  sooner  had  the  LORD  BLANEY 
got  fairly  into  the  Irish  Channel  than  the  officers  threw  off  the 
mask,  and  acknowledged  their  destination  to  be  Belle  Isle,  for 
the  purpose  of  manning  Dom  Pedro's  fleet.  Finding  them- 
selves thus  entrapped,  the  seamen  exhibited  signs  of  mutiny, 
and  a  violent  gale  of  wind  having  forced  the  steamer  into 
Milford  Haven  for  shelter,  the  whole  body  of  tars  went  ashore 
with  bed  and  baggage,  declaring  their  intention  not  to  fight 
under  any  flag  but  that  of  England.  After  completing  her 
engagement  with  Dom  Pedro,  the  LORD  BLANEY  was  placed  on 
the  Liverpool  and  Newry  service,  and  on  the  18th  December, 
1833,  she  was  lost  with  all  hands  (45)  whilst  on  a  voyage  from 
Newry  to  Liverpool.  A  subscription  list  was  opened  for  the 
benefit  of  the  families  and  relatives  of  the  crew  and  passengers. 
The  City  of  Dublin  Steam-Packet  Co.,  although  in  active  oppo- 
sition to  the  St.  Greorge  Steam-Packet  Co.,  headed  the  list  with 
the  handsome  donation  of  £100.  Two,  at  least,  of  the  City  of 
Dublin  Steam-Packet  Co.'s  vessels  took  part  in  the  Portuguese 
war,  the  LEEDS  and  the  BIRMINGHAM.  The  latter  steamer, 
under  the  command  of  Captain  Beazley,  arrived  at  Falmouth 
about  the  15th  July,  1833.  She  brought  despatches  from  Lagos 
which  contained  intelligence  of  the  most  important  and  decisive 
nature,  nothing  less  than  the  complete  defeat  and  capture  of 


CHAP.   XI.] 


ITS   OKIGIN   AND   EXPANSION. 


the  fleet  of  the  Usurper.       The  news  was  received  with   the 
utmost  satisfaction  in  England  as  well  as  Portugal. 

The  MARGARET  steamship  sailed  from  Hamburg  to  Hull  on 
Friday,  19th  October,  1845,  with  a  number  of  passengers  and  a 
full  general  cargo.  Shortly  after  leaving  the  Elbe  she  encoun- 
tered a  north-west  gale,,  and  after  beating  against  it  for  two 
days,  she  was  driven  on  to  a  dangerous  bank  called  the 
Memmett,  near  Juist,  at  the  entrance  to  the  river  Memm. 
The  moment  she  took  the  shoal,  the  sea,  which  was  running 
very  high,  swept  several  overboard.  The  long  boat  was 
launched  and  an  attempt  made  to  reach  the  shore,  but  owing 
to  it  being  crowded  it  capsized,  and  every  soul  in  it  perished. 
From  advices  received,  it  appears  that  altogether  sixteen  of  the 
passengers  and  three  of  the  crew  were  lost.  Those  who 
remained  on  board  the  vessel,  after  severe  privations,  were 
rescued.  The  MARGARET  was  owned  by  Mr.  Pimm,  of  Hull; 
was  several  years  old ;  was  about  250  tons  burthen,  and  was 
rigged  as  a  three-masted  schooner.  She  was  worked  by  a 
screw  propeller,  and  was  the  first  vessel  of  that  description 
engaged  in  the  passenger  trade  from  the  port  of  Hull. 


THE   HISTORY   OF   STEAM   NAVIGATION.          [PART  I. 


CHAP.  XII.]  ITS  ORIGIN  AND  EXPANSION.  67 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Pioneers  of  Transatlantic  steam  navigation. — Valentia  Transatlantic  S.  N.  Co. 
incorporated,  1828. — Dr.  Lardner's  famous  speech  on  Steam  Navigation. — 
The  ROYAL  WILLIAM,  first  steamer  from  Canada  to  England,  1833 ;  sold  to 
Spanish  Government  and  re-named  YSABEL  SEGUNDA. — The  British  Queen 
S.  N.  Co. — Launch  of  the  BEITISH  QUEEN,  1838. — SIEIUS,  first  passenger 
steamer  from  Europe  to  America,  1838. — GREAT  WESTERN,  1838. — Arrival  of 
both  steamers  at  New  York  on  same  day. — The  ROYAL  WILLIAM,  first 
Atlantic  liner  from  Liverpool  to  New  York,  1838. — The  LIVERPOOL. — The 
PRESIDENT  launched,  1839;  lost,  1841. 

A  QUARTER  of  a  century  'had  elapsed  since  the  launch  of  Bell's 
COMET  on  the  Clyde.  In  the  interval,  all  the  chief  ports  of 
Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  and  several  of  the  continental  ports, 
had  been  connected  by  steampacket  services.  So  early  as  1828 
it  had  been  proposed  to  establish  steam  communication  between 
the  West  of  Ireland  and  America,  and  an  Act  of  Parliament 
for  incorporating  the  Valentia  Transatlantic  Steam  Navigation 
Company  was  obtained.  The  proposed  capital  was  £24,000,  in 
shares  of  £50  each.  The  first  steamer  was  estimated  to  cost 
£21,000.  She  was  to  be  a  vessel  of  about  800  tons  burthen, 
driven  by  engines  of  200  h.p.,  and  was  expected  to  make  six 
round  voyages  per  annum.  She  was  to  accommodate  50  cabin 
and  50  steerage  passengers,  and  to  carry  200  tons  cargo,  exclu- 
sive of  bunkers.  It  appears  from  the  following  extract  from 
the  "  Liverpool  Albion"  of  the  14th  December,  1835,  that 
although  the  projectors  of  the  Valentia  Company  advertised  in 
1828  that  the  company  was  "  to  commence  immediate  opera- 
tions," its  first  sailing  had  not  taken  place  seven  years  later. 
The  scheme  fell  through  for  want  of  support,  but  in  1835  it  was 
started  afresh  in  conjunction  with  the  railway  from  London, 
the  Post  Office  Packets,  and  the  Valentia  Railway.  The  extract 


68  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

is  valuable  also  as  containing  Dr.  Lardner's  famous  dictum 
concerning  the  possibility  of  direct  steam  navigation  between 
Liverpool  and  New  York :  — 

"  Steam  Communication  with  America. 

"  Dr.  Lardner  then  proceeded  to  observe  that  one  of  the 
"  grandest  projects  which  had  ever  occupied  the  human 
"  mind  was  at  present  in  the  process  of  actual  accomplish- 
"  ment.  He  meant  that  of  constructing  a  great  highway 
"for  steam  intercourse  between  New  York  and  London — 
"  between  the  capital  of  the  New  World  and  that  of  the 
"  Old.  Part  of  the  highway  was  in  process  of  formation. 
"  It  consisted  of  several  stages — that  of  the  railroad  from 
"  London  to  Birmingham ;  that  from  Birmingham  to 
"  Liverpool,  and  the  steam  intercourse  with  Dublin ;  but 
"  there  was  another  stage — that  from  Dublin  to  Yalentia, 
"  which  had  as  yet  hardly  been  thought  of.  Ireland  was 
"  a  country  which,  with  all  her  political  disadvantages,  was 
"  blest  by  nature  with  a  vast  number  of  physical  advan- 
"  tages,  and  amongst  the  rest  he  might  reckon  a  vast 
"  number  of  excellent  harbours.  No  country  in  the  world 
"  could  boast  of  so  many  fine  and  spacious  ports,  bays  and 
"  roadsteads.  She  had  many  'harbours  on  her  west  coast 
"  which  would  serve  admirably  as  stations  for  steam  con- 
"  veyance  across  the  Atlantic ;  but  Yalentia  had  been 
"  selected  as  the  extreme  westerly  point  suitable  for  that 
"  purpose.  It  was  a  fine  anchoring  ground  by  an  island 
"  of  that  name  on  the  coast  of  Minister.  The  distance 
"  from  Dublin  to  this  point  was  under  200  miles,  which 
"  might  be  traversed  in  about  8  hours.  The  nearest  point 
"  on  the  continent  of  North  America  to  this  point  of 
"  Ireland  was  St.  John's  in  Newfoundland.  The  distance 
"  between  the  two  was  about  1,900  miles ;  thence  to 
"  Halifax,  in  Nova  Scotia,  there  would  be  another  run  of 
"  550  miles,  and  from  that  to  New  York  would  not  exceed 
"  the  admissible  range ;  but  touching  at  Halifax  would  be 
"  desirable  for  the  sake  of  passengers.  The  only  difficulty 
"  would  be  as  to  the  run  from  Yalentia  to  St.  John's ;  and 
"  the  voyage  from  Dublin  to  Bordeaux  and  back,  a  distance 


CHAP.   XII.]  ITS  ORIGIN  AND  EXPANSION.  H9 

"  of  between  1,000  and  1,700  miles,  with  the  same  stock  of 
"  coals,  came  very  near  this  distance.  It  must  be  observed 
"  that  westerly  gales  blew  almost  all  the  year  round  across 
"  the  Atlantic.  They  were  produced  by  the  trade  winds 
"  being  the  compensating  cause  that  restored  the  balance 
"  which  these  served  to  destroy,  according  to  that  beautiful 
"  principle  in  nature  which  always  provides  a  remedy  for 
"  any  derangement  in  the  deranging  cause  itself.  As  a 
"  last  resource,  however,  should  the  distance  between 
"  Yalentia  and  St.  John's  prove  too  great,  they  might  make 
"  the  Azores  a  stagie  between,  so  that  there  remained  no 
"  doubt  of  the  practicability  of  establishing  a  steam  inter- 
"  course  with  the  United  States.  As  to  the  project,  how- 
"  ever,  which  was  announced  in  the  newspapers,  of  making 
"  the  voyage  directly  from  New  York  to  Liverpool,  it  was, 
"  he  had  no  hesitation  in  saying,  perfectly  chimerical,  and 
"  they  might  as  well  talk  of  making  a  voyage  from  New 
"  York  or  Liverpool  to  the  moon.  The  vessels  which 
"  would  ultimately  be  found  the  best  adapted  for  the 
"  voyage  between  this  country  and  the  United  States 
"  would  be  those  of  800  tons,  which  would  carry  machines 
"  of  200  horse-power,  and  would  be  able  to  stow  400  tons 
"  of  coal.  To  supply  a  10  horse-power  daily  required  an 
"  expenditure  of  a  ton  of  coals,  and,  consequently,  200 
"  horse-power  would  require  20  tons  of  coal  daily ;  but  if 
"  the  vessel  carried  400  tons  of  coal  only,  it  would  not  be 
"  practicable  to  undertake  a  voyage  which  would  require 
"  the  whole  of  the  quantity.  They  must  make  an  allow- 
"  ance  of  .100  tons  for  contingencies.  Thus,  in  reckoning 
"  the  average  length  of  the  voyage  which  might  be  under- 
"  taken  by  such  a  vessel,  we  might  safely  calculate  upon 
"  300  tons  of  coal,  which  would  be  sufficient  for  15  days, 
"  and  it  might  fairly  be  concluded  that  any  project  which 
"  calculated  upon  making  longier  voyages  than  15  days 
"  without  taking  in  a  fresh  supply  of  coals,  in  the  present 
"  state  of  the  steamboat,  must  be  considered  chimerical. 
k'  Now,  the  average  rate  of  speed  of  the  Mediterranean 
"  packets  was  170  miles  per  day,  and  the  utmost  limit  of  a 


70  THE   HISTOEY   OF   STEAM   NAVIGATION.  [PAET  I. 

"  steam  voyage  might  be  taken  at  2,550  miles  ;  but  even 
"  that  could  not  be  reckoned  upon." 

In  justice  to  the  memory  of  Dr.  Lardner,  it  is  only  fair  to 
state  that,  in  the  eighth  edition  of  'his  "  Steam  Engine,  &c.," 
1851,  pp.  294-309,  he  denies  that  he  ever  stated  that  "  a  steam 
voyage  across  the  Atlantic  was  a  physical  impossibility." 

During  the  winter  of  1832-3,  the  Quebec  and  Halifax  Steam 
Navigation  Co.  built  at  Quebec  a  steamer,  which  they  named 
the  BOYAL  WILLIAM.  She  was  a  vessel  of  1,370  tons  B.M. ; 
length  over  all,  176  feet ;  breadth,  outside  paddle-boxes,  43  feet 
10  inches ;  inside,  27  feet ;  depth  of  hold,  17  feet  9  inches ; 
draught  laden,  13  feet.  Her  engines  of  180  h.p.,  constructed 
in  Birmingham  by  Boulton  &  Watt,  were  forwarded  to  Canada, 
and  fitted  on  board  the  ROYAL  WILLIAM  at  Montreal,  whither 
she  had  been  towed  by  the  steamboat  BRITISH  AMERICA.  After 
trading  for  several  months  between  Quebec  and  Pictou,  Nova 
Scotia,  the  station  for  which  'her  owners  had  built  her,  she  was 
advertised  to  sail  for  London.  In  accordance  with  this 
announcement  she  was  despatched  from  Quebec  on  the  5th 
August,  1833,  and  after  calling  at  Pictou,  N.S.,  where  she  took 
on  board  a  further  supply  of  coal  at  15s.  per  chaldron,  she 
proceeded  direct  to  Cowes,  Isle  of  Wight,  accomplishing  the 
voyage  of  about  2,500  miles  in  seventeen  days.  This  voyage 
is  remarkable  as  beingi  the  first  instance  of  a  vessel  crossing 
the  Atlantic  from  America  by  the  use  of  steam  only. 

After  the  completion  of  'her  trans-Atlantic  voyage,  the  ROYAL 
WILLIAM  was  sold  to  the  Spanish  Government,  who  changed 
her  name  to  the  YSABEL  SECUNDA,  and  fitted  her  up  as  a  man- 
of-war  carrying  six  guns.  She  took  part  in  the  first  Carlist 
war  and,  finally,  was  totally  wrecked  on  the  rocks  off  the  harbour 
of  Santander,  Spain. 

After  strenuous  and  prolonged  efforts,  Dr.  Julius  Smith 
succeeded  in  organising  (1836)  a  Transatlantic  Steamship 
Company,  bearing  the  title  of  the  British  Queen  Steam 
Navigation  Co.  The  capital  of  the  Company  was  fixed  at 
£1,000,000  sterling,  and  its  secretary  was  the  celebrated  Mr. 
MacGrregor  Laird.  The  shares  were  promptly  subscribed  for, 
and  the  Directors  placed  a  contract  with  Messrs.  Curling  and 


CHAP.  XII.]  ITS  ORIGIN  AND  EXPANSION.  71 

Young,  Blackwall,  London,  to  build  their  pioneer  steamship, 
the  BRITISH  QUEEN.  The  order  for  the  engines  was  placed 
with  a  Glasgow  firm,  Messrs.  Claude  Girdwood  &  Co.  This 
firm,  however,  before  they  had  finished  the  work  entrusted  to 
them,  became  bankrupt,  and  a  new  contract  was  made  with 
Mr.  Robert  Napier,  the  famous  Clyde  engineer,  to  supply  the 
engines.  It  was  at  first  the  intention  of  the  Directors  (as 
stated  in  their  prospectus)  to  build  a  vessel  of  1,862  tons 
burthen,  but  before  the  completion  of  the  ship  they  decided  to 
increase  her  size  to  2,400  tons.  Although  contracted  for  in  the 
summer  of  1836,  it  was  not  until  24th  May,  1838,  that  the 
BRITISH  QUEEN  was  launched.  This  unfortunate  delay,  caused 
by  the  bankruptcy  of  Messrs.  Girdwood  &  Co.,  enabled  a  rival 
company  at  Bristol  to  build  and  equip  their  steamer,  the 
GREAT  WESTERN,  before  the  BRITISH  QUEEN  could  be  giot  ready 
for  her  service.  In  order  to  save  the  prestige  of  their  Company 
the  Directors  of  the  BRITISH  QUEEN  chartered  from  the  St. 
George  Steam-Packet  Co.  the  steamer  SIRIUS,  and  advertised 
that  she  "  would  leave  London  for  New  York  on  Wednesday, 
the  28th  of  March,  1838,  calling  at  Cork  Harbour;  and  would 
start  from  thence  on  the  2nd  April,  returning  from  New  York 
on  the  1st  of  May."*  The  sailing  from  Cork  Harbour  was, 
however,  delayed,  waiting  the  arrival  of  the  steampacket  OCEAN 
from  Liverpool  with  the  mails  and  passengers,  until  the 
morning  of  the  4th  of  April.  She  started  on  this  memorable 
voyage  at  9  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  date  named,  having 
on  board  94  cabin  passengers.  Three  days  later  (7th  April, 
1838)t  she  was  followed  across  the  Atlantic  by  the  GREAT 
WESTERN,  from  Bristol  for  New  York,  with  goods  and  passen- 
gers. As  the  dates  of  the  intended  sailings  of  both  steamers 
had  been  conveyed  to  New  York,  their  arrival  at  that  port  was 
eagerly  looked  for.  They  both  arrived  on  the  same  day,  the 
SIRIUS  early  in  the  morning  of  Monday,  the  23rd  April,  and 

*The  "  Annals  of  Liverpool  "  section  in  "  Gore's  Directory"  erroneously 
states:  "1838.  The  steamship  SIEIUS  sailed  from  London  to  Cork, 
27th  March,  and  from  Cork  to  New  York,  2nd  April." 

f  This  date  is  incorrectly  quoted  in  "  Gore's  Liverpool  Directory  "  as  the 
8th  April. 


72  THE   HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I; 

the  GREAT  WESTERN  in  the  afternoon.  The  excitement  which 
prevailed  on  the  arrival  of  these  steamers  was  described  as 
follows  by  the  New  York  Press :  — 

"  At  3  o'clock  p.m.  on  Sunday,  the  22nd  of  April,  the 

"  SIRIUS   first   descried    the    land,    and    early    on    Monday 

"  morning,  the  23rd,  anchored  in  the  North  Eiver  immedi- 

"  ately  off  the  Battery.     Nothing  could  exceed  the  excite- 

"  ment.      The  river  was  covered  during  the  whole  day  with 

"  row-boats,    skiffs,    and    yawls,    carrying    the    wondering 

"  people  out  to  get  a  close  view  of  this  extraordinary  vessel. 

"  While   people   were   yet  wondering  how   the    SIRIUS   so 

"  successfully  made  out  to  cross  the  rude  Atlantic,  it  was 

"  announced  about  11  a.m.  on  Monday,  from  the  telegraph, 

"  that  a  huge  steamship  was  in  the  offing.     '  The  GREAT 

"  WESTERN  ! — the  GREAT  WESTERN  !  '  was  on  everybody's 

"  tongue.        About  2    o'clock   p.m.    the   first   curl    of   her 

"  ascending  smoke  fell   on  the   eyes   of  the   thousands   of 

"  anxious  spectators,  and  a  shout  of  enthusiasm  rose   on 

"  the  air     .....     Thus  the  grand   experiment  has 

"  been  fairly  and  fully  tested,  and  has  been   completely 

"  successful.     The  only  question  now  in  the  case  is  that  of 

"  expense.     Can  steampackets  be  made  to  pay?" 

During  the  early  part  of  her  voyage  westwards,  the  SIRIUS 

experienced  strong  head  winds,  during  which  she  only  steamed 

4  to  5  knots  per  hour.     During  the  latter  portion,  the  weather 

was  favourable,   and   she   made   good   progress,    averaging   9^ 

knots.     She  sailed  from  New  York  as  advertised  on  the  1st  of 

May,  and  reached  England  on  the  18th  idem  after  a  voyage  of 

sixteen  days.     The  GREAT  WESTERN  left  New  York  on  the  Tth 

of  May  and  arrived  at  Bristol  on  the  22nd,  being  fourteen  days 

on  the  passage.       There  was  a  remarkable   difference   in  her 

consumption  of  coal  on  the  two  voyages,  accounted  for,  probably, 

first  by  the  stormy  weather  referred  to  as  experienced  by  the 

SIRIUS  on  her  outward  voyage,  and  secondly  by  the  prevailing 

westerly  winds  on  the  homeward  run.     On  the  voyage  Bristol 

to  New  York,  the  GREAT  WESTERN  averaged  per  day  203  knots, 

or  8*2  knots  per  hour,  with  a  total  consumption  of  G55  tons  of 

coal.     On  her  homeward   voyage  she  averaged  213  knots  per 


BRITISH  &  AFRICAN  S.  N.  Co. 


BRITISH  &  IRISH  STEAMPACKET  Co. 


BRITISH  INDIA  S.  N.  Co. 


T.  &  J.  BROCKLEBANK. 


G.  &  J.  BURNS. 


R.  BURTON  &  SON. 


CANADIAN  PACIFIC  RAILWAY. 


CAYZER,  IRVINE  &  Co. 


CITY  OF  DUBLIN  STEAMPACKET  Co. 


CORK  STEAMSHIP  Co. 


CUNARD  LINE. 


DONALD  CURHIE  &  Co. 


ELDER,  DEMPSTER  &  Co. 


J.  R.  ELLERMAN. 


FLETCHER,  WOODHILL  &  Co. 


GREENOCK  SHIPPING  Co. 


T.  &  J.  HARRISON. 


ALFRED  HOLT. 


SAMUEL  HOUOH. 


HOULDER  BROS. 


CHAP.   XII.]  ITS   ORIGIN   AND   EXPANSION. 


73 


day,  or  nearly  9  knots  per  hour,  with  a  total  consumption  of 
only  392  tons  of  coal.  Fuller  details  of  the  SIRIUS  will  be 
found  in  the  History  of  the  Cork  Steamship  Co.  in  Part  II.  of 
this  work.  It  is  but  fair  to  state  that  she  was  only  half  the  size, 
and  had  only  half  the  power  of  her  famous  rival.  The  princi- 
pal dimensions  of  the  two  vessels  were  as  follows:  — 

Gross 
Length.          Breadth.  Depth.        Tonnage.      Engines. 

GEEAT  WESTERN    ...  236ft.  ...  35-4  ft.  ...  23-3  ft.  ...  1340  ...  750  h.p. 
SiRius  178ft.  ...  25-6  ft.   ...  18ft.      ...     703  ...  320  h.p. 

They  were  both  paddle-steamers,  built  of  wood,  the  former 
designed  by  Brunei,  and  engined  by  Maudsley,  Sons  &  Field, 
and  the  latter  built  by  Menzies,  of  Leith,  and  engined  by 
Wingate  &  Co.,  of  Glasgow.  For  upwards  of  eight  years  the 
GREAT  WESTERN  continued  to  sail  regularly  between  Bristol  and 
New  York,  on  which  station  she  was  very  popular  with  passen- 
gers. She  was  sold  in  1847  to  the  Royal  Mail  Steampacket 
Co.,  in  which  service  she  was  also  a  favourite  for  several  years. 
In  1857  it  was  the  opinion  of  the  Directors  that  she  could  not 
compete  profitably  with  modern  boats,  and  she  was  therefore 
broken  up  at  Vauxhall. 

About  the  date  of  the  despatch  of  the  SIRIUS  from  Cork,  the 
Directors  of  the  City  of  Dublin  Steam  Packet  Co.  had  under 
consideration  the  formation  of  a  Transatlantic  Steam-Packet 
Co.,  with  sailings  to  and  from  Liverpool.  The  steamers  of  this 
Company  were  amongst  the  largest  and  most  famous  afloat.  A 
meeting  of  Directors  was  held  in  the  Committee  Room,  Water 
Street,  Liverpool,  at  which  it  was  decided  to  open  up  the  new 
service  by  the  despatch  of  the  P.S.  ROYAL  WILLIAM  as  soon  as 
she  could  be  got  ready  for  the  voyage.  The  ROYAL  WILLIAM 
was  practically  a  new  steamer,  having  been  built  in  1836,  being 
one  of  four  steamers  built  to  compete  with  the  Admiralty 
steamers  for  the  mail  service  between  Liverpool  and  Kings- 
town. She  proved  herself  to  be  faster  than  any  of  the  Govern- 
ment mail  steamers,  and  when  placed  on  the  Dublin  and 
London  station,  made  a  passage  from  Falmouth  to  Kingstown, 
260  miles,  in  23  hours.  She  was  built  by  Wilson,  of  Liverpool, 
and  engined  by  Fawcett  &  Preston,  of  the  same  city.  Her 
length  was  175  feet  (being  3  feet  less  than  the  SIRIUS),  beam 


74 


THE   HISTOEY   OF    STEAM   NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 


CHAP.   XII.]  ITS   ORIGIN  AND   EXPANSION.  75 

27  feet,  depth  of  hold  17  feet  6  inches.  Her  capacity  was  817 
tons  burden,  and  she  was  propelled  by  engines  of  276  h.p. 
Her  coal  consumption  was  about  17  tons  per  24  hours,  and  in 
fairly  smooth  water  her  speed  was  11|  knots  per  hour.  She 
had  cabin  accommodation  for  eighty  passengers.  She  sailed 
from  the  Prince's  Pier  on  Thursday  evening,  5th  July,  1838, 
having  on  board  thirty-two  passengers.  Sixty-four  years 
afterwards  the  present  author  had  several  interviews  with  Mr. 
Brownrigg,  the  City  of  Dublin  Co.'s  Customs  Clerk,  who  took 
out  the  Customs  clearance  for  the  ROYAL  WILLIAM,  and  who  in 
spite  of  his  great  age  remembered  clearly  the  appearance  of  the 
vessel  as  she  steamed  down  the  River  Mersey  on  that  mid- 
summer evening  so  long  ago.  Although  she  carried  no  cargo 
on  that  voyage,  she  was  so  deeply  laden  with  coal  for  fuel- 
coal  that  filled  her  bunkers,  her  holds,  and  even  her  well-deck 
— that  her  paddles  were  buried  six  feet,  her  sponsons  were 
submerged,  and  it  was  possible  by  leaning  over  the  bulwarks 
to  wash  one's  hands  in  the  water  that  surged  at  the  vessel's 
sides.  Naturally  it  was  an  event  in  which  the  townspeople  of 
Liverpooi  and  the  residents  on  the  Cheshire  side  of  the  river 
took  the  deepest  interest.  As  she  began  to  move  she  was 
greeted  with  enthusiastic  cheers  from  thousands  of  spectators 
who  crowded  the  piers  and  lined  the  river  side,  whilst  cannon 
were  fired  from  AYoodside,  Monks  Ferry,  Rock  Ferry,  and  from 
the  steamboats  on  the  river.  The  ROYAL  WILLIAM  completed 
the  passage  from  Liverpool  to  New  York  in  nineteen  days,  and 
the  homeward  passage  in  fourteen  and  a  half  days. 

Amongst  those  who  were  present  at  the  meeting  held  in  the 
Water  Street  Committee  Room  was  Sir  John  Tobin,  who  had  a 
large  steamer  nearing  completion  on  the  stocks.  It  was  agreed 
that  this  vessel  should  sail  alternately  with  the  ROYAL  WILLIAM 
between  Liverpool  and  New  York.  At  her  launch,  Sir  John 
Tobin's  steamer  was  named  the  LIVERPOOL.  She  was  a  vessel 
of  1,150  tons,  with  engines  of  404  h.p.  She  started  on  her  first 
voyage  on  the  20th  October,  1838,  but  experienced  such  bad 
weather  that  she  put  back  to  Cork  on  the  26th,  after  having 
accomplished  about  one-third  of  her  voyage.  She  remained  at 
Cork  for  ten  days,  and  again  proceeded  to  se-a  on  the  6th 


76 


THE   HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 


November,  arriving  at  New  York  on  the  23rd,  after  a  passage 
of  sixteen  and  a  half  days.  It  was  on  board  this  steamer  that 
Mr.  Samuel  Cunard  crossed  the  Atlantic,  for  the  purpose  of 
inducing  British  capitalists  to  take  up  his  scheme  of  mail 
steamers  between  Liverpool,  Halifax  and  Boston. 

After  making  a  few  voyages  to  and  from  Liverpool  and  New 
York,  the  LIVERPOOL  was  lengthened,  her  capacity  being 
increased  by  393  tons,  and  at  the  same  time  her  name  was 
changed  to  the  GREAT  LIVERPOOL.  Her  new  owners,  the 
P.  and  0.  Co.,  employed  her  in  their  mail  service  between 
Southampton  and  Alexandria.  Her  career  as  a  Royal  Mail 
steamer  was  a  short  one,  as  she  was  lost  off  Cape  Finisterre  on 
the  4th  February,  1846. 

The  first  great  disaster  in  the  Transatlantic  steamship  trade 
occurred  in  the  spring  of  1841.  On  the  12th  March  of  that 
year,  the  steamship  PRESIDENT  sailed  from  New  York,  bound 
for  Liverpool,  with  a  full  list  of  passengers.  She  was  a  new 
steamer,  having  been  launched  fifteen  months  previously  (7th 
December,  1839)  by  Messrs.  Curling  &  Young  for  account  of 
the  British  and  American  Steam  Navigation  Co.,  of  Bristol. 
The  PRESIDENT  was  one  of  the  largest  and  most  powerful  steam- 
ships of  her  day,  her  register  tonnage  being  2,366  tons,  and 
her  engines  indicated  540  horse-power.  On  her  first  voyage, 
she  sailed  from  Liverpool  for  New  York  at  2  p.m.  on  the  1st 
August,  1840,  arrived  at  New  York  2  p.m.  on  the  17th  idem ; 
sailed  from  New  York  2  p.m.  on  the  1st  September,  and  arrived 
at  Liverpool  2  p.m.  on  the  17th  of  the  same  month,  being 
exactly  sixteen  days  on  both  her  westward  and  her  eastward 
passage.  She  apparently  lay  up  for  the  winter,  and  resumed 
her  sailings  in  the  spring  of  the  following  year.  She  left  New 
York  for  Liverpool  on  her  third  homeward  voyage  on  the  12th 
March,  1841,  having  on  board  136  passengers.  After  leaving 
New  York  she  disappeared,  with  all  her  living  freight,  from 
human  ken.  As  day  after  day  passed,  the  utmost  anxiety 
arose,  both  in  the  mercantile  world  and  amongst  the  relatives 
of  the  passengers  and  seamen,  as  to  the  cause  of  her  detention. 
Other  steamers  and  ships  reported  very  heavy  weather  in  the 
Atlantic,  and  the  presence  of  unusual  quantities  of  ice  in  very 


CHAP.   XII.] 


ITS  OKIGIN  AND  EXPANSION. 


77 


low  latitudes.  The  newspapers  of  the  period  were  filled  with 
references  to  the  illfated  vessel,  with  suggestions  that  her 
engines  had  broken  down,  and  that  she  had  drifted  out  of  the 
track  of  homeward  bound  steamers.  Multitudinous  and  con- 
flicting rumours  passed  into  circulation  of  her  wreck  having 
been  seen  in  various  places,  and  a  thousand  speculations  as  to 
the  cause  and  certainty  of  a  catastrophe,  and  the  subsequent 
fate  of  those  on  board,  kept  alive  the  agony  of  those  interested 
in  her.  Her  fate  remains  one  of  the  sad  mysteries  of  the  ocean, 
as  no  trace  of  her  wreck  was  ever  discovered,  nor  a  single 
survivor  from  the  tragedy. 


78 


THE   HISTORY   OF   STEAM   NAVIGATION.    I       [PART  I. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

Mr.  Canard's  tender  for  the  carriage  of  the  British  and  North  American 
Mails  accepted,  1839.— GREAT  BRITAIN  launched,  1843.— Sails  from  Bristol 
for  London,  23rd  January,  1845.— Visited  by  H.M.  Queen  Victoria.— Sails 
for  Liverpool,  June,  1845.— For  New  York,  July,  1845.— Stranded  Dundrum 
Bay,  September,  1846.— Floated  off,  August,  1847.— Sails  to  New  York,  1852. 

IN  October,  1838,  the  British  Government,  being  convinced  of 
the  superiority  of  steamships  over  sailing  brigs,  advertised  for 
tenders  for  the  conveyance  of  the  North  American  Mails  by 
steamers. 

Amongst  the  tenders  sent  in,  that  of  Mr.  Samuel  Cunard,  of 
Halifax,  was  accepted  as  being  the  lowest,  and  in  many  other 
respects  the  most  favourable  for  the  public. 

With  a  view  of  carrying  out  his  scheme  for  establishing  a 
mail  steamship  service  between  England  and  North  America, 
Mr.  Cunard  came  to  London  and  called  upon  Mr.  Melville, 
Secretary  to  the  East  India  Company,  to  whom  he  was  person- 
ally known.  From  Mr.  Melville  he  received  a  letter  of  intro- 
duction to  Mr.  Eobert  Napier,  the  celebrated  Clyde  engineer 
and  shipbuilder,  by  whom  he  was  introduced  to  Mr.  George 
Burns,  of  Glasgow,  and  Mr.  David  Maclver,  of  Liverpool.  Both 
these  gentlemen  favourably  regarded  the  proposals  of  Mr. 
Cuuard,  and  interested  themselves  so  energetically  in  the  matter 
that  in  a  very  short  time  the  whole  of  the  requisite  capital  for 
the  formation  of  the  Trans-Atlantic  Mail  Steamship  Company 
was  subscribed.  A  sketch  of  the  history  of  this  famous 
Company  (afterwards  known  as  the  Cunard  Company)  will  be 
found  in  the  second  part  of  this  volume. 

Although  the  BRITISH  QUEEN  had  proved  an  entire  success, 
and  was  a  great  favourite  with  transatlantic  travellers,  her 
owners  resolved  to  build  a  second  ship,  which  would  not  only 
exceed  her  in  size,  but  which  should  also  include  all  the  latest 


CHAP.   XIII.]  ITS  OEIGIN  AND  EXPANSION.  79 

improvements  the  art  of  naval  construction  could  then  com- 
mand. This  was  the  famous  GREAT  BRITAIN.  She  was  the 
first  Western  Ocean  steamship  constructed  of  iron,  and  the 
first  and  only  one  for  several  years  that  was  propelled  by  a 
screw  propeller  instead  of  paddle-wheels.  She  was  considered 
a  colossal  steamer  in  her  time,  and  excited  quite  as  much 
public  interest  as  did  the  GREAT  EASTERN  at  a  later  period. 
Her  principal  dimensions  were,  length  of  keel  289  feet,  between 
perpendiculars  296  feet,  over  all  322  feet,  her  breadth  was  51 
feet,  depth  of  hold  32  feet  6  inches,  her  measurement  2,984  tons, 
and  her  engines  1,000  h.p.  She  originally  carried  six  masts, 
two  of  which  were  forward  and  four  aft  of  the  funnel.  She 
was  built  at  Bristol,  from  plans  furnished  by  Mr.  Patterson  of 
that  City,  who  also  had  designed  the  GREAT  WESTERN.  Her 
engines  and  boilers  were  constructed  in,  and  fitted  on  board  the 
vessel  at,  the  Company's  own  works,  as  no  outside  engineers 
would  undertake  the  contract.  But,  owing  to  an  extraordinary 
oversight  on  the  part  of  the  consulting  Engineer,  it  was  then 
found  that  she  was  imprisoned  in  the  dock,  being  so  deeply 
immersed  by  the  weight  of  her  machinery  as  to  be  unable-  to 
pass  out.  Although  she  was  launched  on  the  19th  July,  1843, 
owing  to  the  above  unfortunate  mistake,  she  was  not  ready  for 
sea  until  December  of  the  following  year.  On  her  passage 
from  Bristol  to  London  she  encountered  a  severe  storm  which 
thoroughly  tested  her  seagoing  qualities,  and  through  which 
she  passed  triumphantly.  Her  arrival  in  the  Thames  was 
awaited  with  great  interest  by  the  public,  whose  curiosity  had 
been  excited  by  the  numerous  references  to  the  vessel  published 
in  the  daily  and  illustrated  papers.  A  long  and  interesting 
account  of  this  trial  voyage,  from  which  the  following  par- 
ticulars are  taken,  was  published  in  the  "  Illustrated  London 
News,"  under  date  of  the  1st  February,  1845.  From  this 
article  it  appears  that  the  GREAT  BRITAIN  left  Bristol  for 
London  at  7  p.m.  on  Thursday,  23rd  January,  1845.  At  the 
time  the  ship  got  under  weigh,  it  was  blowing  a  fresh  breeze 
from  the  S.S.W.,  which  at  3  a.m.  on  Friday  had  veered  to  the 
N.W.  and  increased  to  a  gale,  and  there  was  a  counter  swell 
from  the  Irish  Channel,  causing  a  disagreeable  and  heavy  cross 


80 


THE   HISTOKY   OF   STEAM   NAVIGATION.  [PABT  I. 


CHAP.   XIII.]  ITS  ORIGIN  AND  EXPANSION.  81 

sea.  The  gale  continued  to  increase,  and  was  for  a  considerable 
time  on  her  starboard  bow;  yet,  notwithstanding  this,  in  the 
face  of  the  gale,  and  a  heavy  head  sea  with  a  strong  ebb  tide, 
she  made  five  and  a  half  knots  per  hour.  At  twenty  minutes 
past  twelve,  when  about  fifteen  miles  to  the  westward  of  Lundy, 
she  was  struck  on  the  starboard  bow  by  a  tremendous  sea, 
which  must  have  contained  two  or  three  thousand  tons  of 
water.  The  shock  for  a  moment  seemed  to  paralyse  the  vessel 
and  to  bring  her  to  a  standstill ;  this,  however,  was  but  for  one 
moment ;  the  vessel  recovered  the  shock  instanter,  and  con- 
tinued to  brave  the  gale  as  though  nothing  had  happened  to 
check  her  progress.  Some  idea  of  the  force  of  the  concussion 
may  be  formed  from  the  damage  done  to  the  vessel.  Three 
of  her  starboard  bulls  eyes  were  stove  in,  together  with  their 
frames,  the  diagonal  bends  of  her  forecastle  deck  were  bent,  the 
woodwork  started  two  inches  upwards,  a  portion  of  the  carved 
figurehead  carried  away,  also  the  wooden  fittings  of  her  bulk- 
head, the  iron  sheathing  of  both  bows  split  above  deck  in  two 
places.  Thej  gale  continued  until  5-30  p.m.,  when  it  became 
more  moderate.  At  8-45  p.m.  the  GREAT  BRITAIN  rounded 
the  Land's  End,  and  at  10-40  was  off  the  Lizard  proceeding 
up  the  Channel  at  the  rate  of  10^  knots  per  hour.  The 
Captain  (Lieut.  Hoskins,  B.N.),  was  of  opinion  that  neither 
the  GREAT  WESTERN,  nor  any  other  Royal  Mail  (Paddle) 
Steamer,  could  have  made  such  headway  under  the  same 
circumstances  by  at  least  from  one  to  one  and  a  half  knots 
per  hour. 

On  Saturday,  25th  January,  at  12-10  a.m.,  she  was  abreast 
of  Falmouth,  and  proceeded  up  channel,  with  light  winds  from 
the  S.W.  at  an  average  speed  of  12  knots  per  hour.  At  12-45 
p.m.  she  entered  the  Xeedles  passage,  and  when  off  Cowes,  at 
2-15,  the  engines  were  stopped  to  land  despatches.  At  2-18 
again  proceeded  on  her  course.  Upon  arriving  at  Spithead, 
Captain  Hoskin  took  his  vessel  under  the  stern  of  H.M.S. 
APOLLO,  fired  a  gun,  and  gave  her  three  cheers,  which  were 
returned  by  the  crew  and  troops  on  board.  At  1-40  a.m.  on 
Sunday  (26th),  the  GREAT  BRITAIN  came  to  an  anchor  in  the 
Downs,  having  ran  from  the  time  she  rounded  the  Land's  End, 


82  THE   HISTOEY   OF   STEAM   NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

three  hundred  and  fifty  miles  at  an  average  speed  of  twelve 
knots  per  hour. 

At  7-45  a.m.  the  vessel  was  got  under  weigh  again  from  the 
Downs,  and  upon  rounding  the  North  Foreland,  and  steering 
through  the  Queen's  Channel,  encountered  a  stiff  gale  from  the 
W.N.W.  The  GREAT  BRITAIN,  however,  met  it  in  gallant 
style,  and  made  nine  and  a  half  knots  against  it.  As  she 
steamed  up  the  river,  the  crews  of  every  vessel  she  passed  ran 
on  deck  to  obtain  a  view  of  her,  her  great  length,  and  her 
singular  appearance  with  six  masts,  rendering  her  an  object  of 
considerable  attraction.  She  arrived  at  Woolwich  at  3-30  p.m., 
and  at  Blackwall  a  few  minutes  later.  At  both  these  places 
there  was  an  immense  concourse  of  people  assembled  to  witness 
her  arrival. 

She  remained  at  her  anchorage  at  Blackwall  nearly  five 
months,  during  which  period  she  was  inspected  by  many 
thousands  of  the  public.  On  the  22iid  April  H.M.  Queen 
Victoria,  accompanied  by  Prince  Albert  and  suite,  paid  her  a 
visit. 

The  GREAT  BRITAIN  left  Blackwall  on  Thursday  afternoon, 
12th  June,  1845.  On  passing  Woolwich  it  seemed  as  if  the 
whole  population  had  turned  out  to  behold  her.  The  Dock- 
yard was  lined  with  the  Naval  and  Military  officers  connected 
with  that  depot,  whose  cheers  were  loud  and  continued.  She 
had  on  board  about  eighty  passengers,  who  had  embarked  for 
a  trip  round  the  coast.  After  calling  at  several  ports  she 
arrived  in  the  Mersey  about  9  o'clock  on  the  evening  of 
Thursday,  3rd  July,  on  which  occasion  she  was  anxiously  looked 
for  by  thousands,  the  pierheads  and  every  available  point  on 
the  river  being  densely  crowded.  The  GREAT  BRITAIN  sailed  on 
her  first  voyage  from  Liverpool  to  New  York  on  Saturday,  26th 
July,  at  3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  taking  forty-five  passengers, 
and  arrived  out  on  the  10th  August,  at  noon.  On  her  return 
voyage  she  left  New  York  on  the  30th  August,  having  on  board 
fifty-seven  passengers  and  600  tons  general  cargo,  and  arrived 
at  Liverpool  on  the  15th  September,  at  8  a.m.  She  continued 
to  trade  regularly  between  the  two  ports,  her  passenger  list 
steadily  increasing,  until  the  22nd  September,  1840,  when  she 


CHAP.   XIII.]  ITS  OEIGIN  AND  EXPANSION.  $3 

stranded  in  Dundrum  Bay,  Ireland.  She  was,  at  the  time  of 
the  stranding,  on  a  voyage  from  Liverpool  to  New  York  with 
185  passengers.  Fortunately  the  mishap  was  accompanied  by 
110  loss  of  life.  The  cause  of  the  disaster  is  explained  by  the 
following  resolution  passed  by  the  Directors  of  the  Company  :-• 
"  With  respect  to  the  occurrences  which  preceded  the  stranding 
"  of  the  unfortunate  ship,  as  explained  now  by  Captain  Hoskin, 
"  and  by  the  Report  of  Captain  Claxton  to  the  Secretary,  the 
"Directors  are  of  opinion  that  the  ship  was  stranded  in  con- 
"  sequence  of  an  error  in  judgment,  into  which  it  appears  the 
"  Captain  was  betrayed  through  the  omission  of  a  notice  of  St. 
"  John's  light  in  the  chart  of  this  year,  by  which  he  was 
"  navigating,  and  of  the  want  of  knowledge  on  his  part  of  such 
"  a  light  having  been  established,  it  being  to  the  Directors 
"  obvious  that  had  the  light  been  laid,  Captain  Hoskiii  would 
"  have  known  that  the  judgment  which  led  him  at  8  o'clock  to 
"  put  his  ship  in  the  proper  course  for  the  North  Channel, 
"  ought  to  have  been  persevered  in." 

The  GREAT  BRITAIN  remained  stranded  for  over  eleven 
months,  but  on  the  25th  August,  1847,  she  was  floated  off  and 
towed  to  Liverpool  for  repairs.  After  the  completion  of  the 
repairs  she  lay  in  the  Liverpool  Dock  for  about  five  years,  and 
then  made  one  trip  to  New  York,  sailing  from  Liverpool  011  the 
1st  May,  1852.  She  sailed  from  New  York  on  the  5th  June, 
and  after  a  rapid  passage  of  10  days  23  hours  arrived  in  Liver- 
pool on  the  16th  of  that  month.  From  that  date  she  ceased  to 
be  connected  with  the  Transatlantic  Trade,  and  her  subsequent 
history  is  sketched  in  the  chapter  devoted  to  the  account  of 
steam  communication  with  Australia. 


84  THE   HISTOEY    OF    STEAM   NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Steam  communication  with  the  West  Indies.  —  Eoyal  Mail  Steampacket  Co. 
incorporated  1841.  —  Commences  with  a  fleet  of  fourteen  steamers.—  Heavy 
loss  of  first  year's  working.  —  Generous  concession  from  Government.  —  Rapid 
increase  of  trade.  —  The  "  TBENT  affair."  —  First  screw  steamers  for  Company, 
the  TAGUS  and  MOZELLE.  —  The  TASMANIAN.  —  Gross  tonnage  of  present 
neet.  —  The  Imperial  Direct  West  India  Mail  Service,  Ltd.,  established  1901. 


months  after  the  despatch  of  the  first  Cunarder  from  Liver- 
pool to  Halifax,  the  Admiralty  accepted  a  contract  from  a  newly- 
formed  steampacket  company,  to  convey  the  mails  between 
England,  the  We'st  Indies,  and  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  This 
company,  which  bore  the  title  of  The  Royal  Mail  Steam  Packet 
Co.,  had  an  authorised  capital  of  £1,500,000,  in  fifteen  thousand 
shares  of  £100  each.  It  commenced  operations  on  an  excep- 
tionally large  scale,  no  less  than  fourteen  large  and  powerful 
steamers  being  at  once  ordered  to  be  built  for  the  service. 
The  steamers  were  to  be  each  of  400  horse-power,  and  to  be 
capable  of  carrying  guns  of  the  largest  calibre  then  in  use  on 
H.M.  war  steamers.  Like  all  other  ocean  steamers  of  the 
period,  they  were  constructed  of  wood,  and  were  propelled  by 
paddle-wheels.  Upon  the  complete  delivery  of  these  vessels  to 
the  Company,  the  contract  required  one  of  them  to  sail  twice 
in  each  calendar  month  from  England  via  Corunna  and 
Madeira  to  the  various  islands  in  the  West  Indies,  specified 
in  the  contract,  and  back  "  to  such  port  in  the  British  Channel 
as  the  said  Commissioners  of  the  Admiralty  shall  direct."  The 
scheme  also  embraced  other  places  in  the  West  Indies,  the 
Spanish  Main,  and  the  United  States,  for  which  mails  were  to 
be  carried.  For  the  performance  of  these  services,  the  Com- 
pany was  to  receive  a  subsidy  at  the  rate  of  £240,000  per 
annum  in  quarterly  payments,  the  contract  to  commence  on 
the  1st  December,  1841,  or  if  possible  earlier,  and  to  continue 


CHAP.   XIV.]  ITS   ORIGIN   AND   EXPANSION.  S5 

in  force  for  ten  years,  subject  to  twelve  months'  notice  from 
either  party  for  its  termination.  Notwithstanding  this  large 
su'bsidy,  the  operations  of  the  Company  during  the  first  year 
resulted  in  a  heavy  loss,  the  Directors'  balance-sheet,  pre- 
sented at  the  first  meeting)  of  the  shareholders,  showing  a 
deficit  of  £79,790  10s.  8d.  Before  this  meeting  was  held,  one- 
half  of  the  capital  had  been  paid  up,  and  another  call  of  £10 
per  share  was  sanctioned  at  the  meeting ;  but  as  it  was  found 
that  even  this  was  insufficient  for  the  requirements  of  the 
Company,  the  Directors  appealed  to  Government  for  further 
assistance.  In  response  to  this  appeal  the  Government 
generously  consented  to  reduce  the  annual  mileage  to  be 
traversed  by  the  Company's  ships,  which  by  the  original  con- 
tract was  684,816  miles,  to  392,976  miles,  without  any  reduc- 
tion of  the  annual  subsidy  of  £240,000.  This  liberal  conces- 
sion was  estimated  by  the  Directors  to  effect  a  saving  to  the 
Company  of  £125,000  per  annum.  Unfortunately  during  the 
second  year  of  its  existence,  the  Company  lost  two  valuable 
steamers,  which  more  than  counterbalanced  the  bonus  it  had 
obtained  from  Grovernment.  Trade,  however,  increased  so 
rapidly  and  profitably,  that  in  the  following  year  (1843)  the 
Company  had  recouped  its  losses,  and  had  a  surplus  of  receipts 
over  expenditure  amounting  to  £94,210,  and  in  1844  to 
£147,749. 

In  1850  the  Government  made  a  fresh  contract  with  the 
Royal  Mail  Steam  Packet  Co.  for  a  further  term  of  ten  years 
from  the  1st  January,  1852,  the  subsidy  being  raised  to 
£270,000  per  annum,  but  the  Company  were  required  to  under- 
take the  additional  expense  of  a  monthly  service  to  the  Brazils, 
which  increased  the  mileage  to  be  performed  annually  from 
389,448  to  547,296  miles,  and  at  the  same  time  reduced  the 
mileage  from  12s.  3d.  to  9s.  lOd.  per  mile.  The  Company  was 
also  required  to  increase  the  speed  of  its  steamers  on  the  West 
Indian  line  from  8  knots  to  10  knots  per  hour,  and  to  add  five 
new  steamers  to  its  fleet,  each  of  2,250  tons  burden  and  800 
horse  power.  This  second  contract  was  altered  in  1857,  and  its 
period  of  currency  extended  two  years,  one  condition  intro- 
duced being  of  an  extraordinary  nature.  It  had  reference  to 


86  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  L1>ART  L 

an  amalgamation  with  the  European  and  Australian  Mail 
Company,  for  the  conveyance  of  the  mails  via  Egypt,  to  and 
from  Australia.  This  arrangement  proved  a  great  failure, 
owing  to  the  complete  collapse  of  the  latter  Company.  A 
second  condition  required  the  acceleration  of  the  mails  between 
England  and  Rio  de  Janeiro.  The  Company  was  also  required 
to  provide  three  new  steamers  of  8,000  tons  burden  and  800 
horse-power  for  the  Atlantic  West  India  service,  and  a  fourth 
of  smaller  dimensions  to  ply  between  Rio  and  the  River  Plate. 
In  1804  the  second  contract  expired,  and  fresh  arrangements 
were  made,  reducing  the  annual  subsidy  to  £172,914.  At  the 


CLYDE.    Eoyal  Mail  Steampacket  Co, 

same  time  it  was  stipulated  that  the  speed  of  the  steamers  in 
the  West  India  Transatlantic  service  should  be  increased  to 
101  knots  per  hour. 

The  postal  contract  was  again  renewed  in  1874;  but  in 
consequence  of  adverse  articles  and  letters  which  had  appeared 
in  the  public  press,  and  because  several  members  of  Parliament 
had  insisted  that  the  service  should  be  thrown  open  to  public 
competition,  the  Directors  of  the  Royal  Mail  Steam-Packet 
Co.  found  themselves  compelled  either  to  abandon  the  service 
altogether,  or  to  accept  a  much  smaller  subsidy  than  they  had 


CHAP.   XIV.]  ITS   ORIGIN   AND   EXPANSION. 


87 


I 


gg  THE    HISTORV    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

hitherto  received  for  carrying  the  mails.  They  adopted  the 
latter  alternative,  and  undertook  the  conveyance  of  the  West 
India  mails  for  an  annual  payment  of  £84,750 — 'being  about 
one-third  of  the  amount  of  the  first  subsidy.  The  company  in 
addition  received  the  sum  of  £2,000  per  annum  to  cover  the 
cost  of  the  steamers  calling  at  Plymouth  to  land  the  mails 
instead  of  carrying  them  on  to  Southampton,  the  final  port  of 
destination. 

On  and  from  the  1st  of  January,  1875,  the  mails  were  carried  on 
an  entirely  fresh  basis.  The  contract  with  the  Government 
was  for  a  service  twice  a  month  from  Southampton  :  payment 
to  be  according  to  the  weight  of  postal  matter  conveyed  by  the 
steamers,  and  the  contract  was  terminable  by  six  months'  notice 
given  by  either  party  to  the  contract. 

Although  on  the  North  Atlantic  screw  steamers  had  been 
employed  in  rapidly  increasing  numbers  since  1850,  it  was  not 
until  twenty  years  later  that  the  Directors  of  the  Royal  Mail 
Steam  Packet  Co.  substituted  screw  steamers  for  paddle-wheel 
steam  packets  in  their  service. 

The  first  fleet  of  the  Company  consisted  of  vessels  built  of 
wood,  but  so  indeed  were  the  pioneer  steamers  of  the  Cunard, 
P.  &  0.,  and  other  historical  steamship  companies.  The  course 
taken  by  the  Company's  vessels  was  free  from  the  dangers  from 
ice  and  fogs,  such  as  are  encountered  by  steamers  engaged  in 
the  North  Atlantic  trades,  yet  during  the  first  eight  years  of 
the  Company's  operations  it  lost  no  fewer  than  six  of  its 
steamers.  The  Isis  struck  on  a  reef  off  the  coast  of  Bermuda 
and  sank  on  the  8th  October,  1842.  The  SOLWAY  was  lost  20 
miles  west  of  Corunna  on  the  15th  April,  1843.  The  MEDINA 
was  wrecked  on  a  coral  reef  near  Turk's  Island  on  the  12th 
May,  1844.  The  TWEED  was  totally  lost  on  the  12th  February, 
1847 ;  and  in  1849,  the  FORTH  was  wrecked  on  the  same  reefs 
that  had  caused  the  destruction  of  the  TWEED.  The  ACTION 
was  lost  in  1850  on  a  shoal  near  Carthagena ;  and  in  1852  there 
was  lost  by  fire  the  AMAZON. 

An  event  occurred  on  the  8th  November,  1861,  which 
occasioned  considerable  public  excitement,  both  in  Great 
Britain  and  in  the  U.S.A.  It  was  during  the  struggle  between 


CHAP.   XIV.]  ITS   ORIGIN   AND   EXPANSION. 


89 


IP    I 

9&*-~  •"    ifF 


()0  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM   NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

the  Northern  and  Southern  States,  and  two  of  the  Commis- 
sioners of  the  Confederate  States  were  forcibly  removed  from 
the  lloyal  Mail  steamer  TRENT,  while  on  their  way  to  Europe, 
by  the  officers  and  crew  of  the  Federal  man-of-war  SAN 
JACINTO.  This  high-handed  action,  w^hich  was  not  repudiated 
by  the  Federal  Government,  was  inexcusable,  and  the  tone 
adopted  by  a  great  portion  of  the  press  of  the  Northern  States 
was  ludicrous,  and  unworthy  of  a  great  people. 

In  1871  there  was  launched  from  the  yard  of  Messrs.  John 
Elder  &  Co.  two  splendid  screw  steamers  to  the  order  of  the 
Royal  Mail  Co.  These  steamers  were  the  TAGUS  and  the 
MOZELLE,  both  steamers  being  8,252  tons  gross  register  and 
000  nominal  horse-power.  On  her  official  trial  trip  the  TAGUS 
attained  an  average  mean  speed  of  14*878  knots  per  hour,  a 
result  which  was  sliglitly  surpassed  by  her  sister  ship  the 
MOZELLE,  the  average  mean  speed  of  the  latter  on  her  trial  trip 
being  14'929  knots  per  hour. 

At  the  same  time  Messrs.  Elder  &  Co.  effected  an  extra- 
ordinary improvement  in  the  TASMANIAIV,  an  iron  screw 
steamer  the  Royal  Mail  Co.  had  purchased  from  the  unfor- 
tunate European  and  Australian  Steam  Navigation  Co.  This 
vessel  was  fitted  with  compound  engines,  and  on  her  first 
voyage  afterwards  from  Southampton  to  St.  Thomas,  occupying 
14  days  2  hours,  she  consumed  400  tons  of  coal,  against  her 
former  consumption  of  1,088  tons  on  a  voyage  occupying  14 
days  13  hours. 

Since  that  date  all  the  additions  to  the  Company's  fleet  have 
been  screw  steamers,  and  it  now  (1903)  consists  of  22  ocean 
steamers,  with  a  gross  tonnage  of  87,855  tons,  in  addition  to 
9  coast  steamers  employed  as  feeders  to  the  mail  services. 

In  the  first  year  of  the  present  century,  Messrs.  Elder, 
Dempster  &  Co.  established  a  service  of  mail  steamers  between 
Bristol  and  Jamaica.  A  detailed  account  of  this  service,  which 
is  known  as  the  Imperial  Direct  West  India  Mail  Service, 
Limited,  will  be  found  in  the  second  part  of  this  volume. 


CHAP.   XV.]  ITS   ORIGIN  AND   EXPANSION. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

International    rivalry   in    the    Transatlantic.  —  The   Collins  Line    and    the 

Cunard  Co. 


FOR  upwards  of  nine  years  Great  Britain  had  held  a  monopoly 
of  the-  transatlantic  steamship  business.  America  could  and 
did  build  sailing  vessels  that  were  unsurpassed  by  those 
belonging  to  any  other  nation ;  her  Baltimore  clippers,  Boston 
packets,  and  New  York  liners  were  all  of  them  vessels  of  the 
highest  class  and  reputation.  But  apparently  Americans  could 
neither  build,  nor  own  ocean  steamers  that  wTere  capable  of 
successfully  competing  with  British  owned  steamships.  At 
least,  it  is  a  matter  of  history  that  from  1888  to  1847  all  the 
steamships  that  crossed  the  North  Atlantic  sailed  under  the 
British  flag,  with  one  exception. 

On  the  15th  September,  1845,  Messrs.  Forbes  &  Co. 
despatched  from  New  York  their  auxiliary  steamship  MASSA- 
CHUSETTS. She  was  practically  a  full-rigged  ship,  751  tons 
O.M.,  fitted  with  an  engine  of  170  horse-power.  This  engine 
had  two  cylinders  each  3  feet  stroke  and  20  inches  diameter. 
Steam  was  generated  in  two  kk  waggon  boilers,"  each  14  feet 
long,  7  feet  wide  and  9  feet  high.  Her  propeller  was  made  of 
composition  metal,  and  could  be  raised  out  of  the  water  when 
not  required.  Her  engine  room,  boilers,  bunkers,  &c.,  were 
situated  in  the  lower  after  hold,  and  occupied  a  space  equal  to 
one-tenth  of  the  cubic  capacity  of  the  ship.  Her  engines  were 
capable  of  driving  her  in  smooth  water  at  the  rate  of  about  S 
knots  per  hour,  on  a  consumption  of  9  tons  anthracite  coal  per 
24  hours.  The  length  of  the  MASSACHUSETTS  was  101  feet,  her 
beam  31  feet  9  inches,  and  her  depth  of  hold  20  feet.  She  had 
a  full  poop,  extending  to  the  mainmast  (and  consequently 
forward  of  the  funnel),  in  which  there  was  accommodation  for 
35  first-class  passengers.  Her  entire  cost  with  machinery  com- 


92  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

plete  in  all  respects  was  £16,000.  She  made  two  round 
voyages  between  New  York  and  Liverpool,  and  in  June,  1846, 
was  chartered  to  the  U.S.  Government  to  carry  troops  to  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico.  The  Government  were  so  well  pleased  with 
her  that  they  afterwards  purchased  her,  and  she  took  part  in 
the  siege  of  Yera  Cruz.  Subsequently  her  name  was  changed 
to  the  FARRALONES,  and  she  continued  in  the  U.S.  Navy  until 
about  1870,  when  she  was  again  sold.  Her  new  owners 
removed  her  machinery  and  renamed  her  the  ALASKA. 

Obviously  the  MASSACHUSETTS  was  not  intended  to  compete 
against  full-powered  ocean  steamships,  and  it  was  not  until 
1847  that  the  first  American  line  of  steamers  to  Europe  was 
established.  This  was  a  line  of  steamships  to  run  between  New 
York  and  Bremen,  calling  at  Southampton.  The  pioneer 
steamer  of  the  line,  the  WASHINGTON,  sailed  on  her  first  voyage 
from  New  York  for  Southampton  on  the  same  day  (June, 
1847)  that  the  BRITANNIA,  belonging  to  the  Cunard  Company, 
sailed  for  Liverpool.  This  was  the  first  ocean  race  between 
American  and  British  steamships.  Theoretically  the  American 
steamer  was  incomparably  superior  to  the  other.  She  was 
much  larger  and  had  double  the  power;  she  was  new,  while 
her  rival  had  been  buffeted  by  the  Atlantic  billows  for  seven 
years.  Quoth  the  editor  of  the  «  New  York  Herald  "  :  "  We 
have  to  say  that  if  the  BRITANNIA  beats  the  WASHINGTON  over 
(and  they  both,  we  understand,  start  the  same  day),  she  will 
have  to  run  by  the  deep  mines,  and  put  in  more  coal."  The 
BRITANNIA  did  not  4<  run  by  the  deep  mines  and  put  in  more 
coal,"  but  she  won  the  race  by  two  full  days. 

Great  pressure  was  subsequently  brought  to  bear  on  Congress 
in  order  to  obtain  a  subsidy  for  an  American  mail  service  to 
Great  Britain.  Those  in  favour  of  the  subsidy  argued  that  it 
was  humiliating)  to  their  pride  as  a  great  maritime  people,  that 
foreigners  and  commercial  rivals  should  wrest  from  them  the 
virtual  monopoly  of  ocean  steam  conveyance,  especially 
between  the  United  States  and  Europe,  and  they  complained 
that  the  ocean  mails  along  their  southern  coasts  had  been 
placed  in  the  hands  of  foreign  carriers,  sustained  and  protected 
by  the  British  Government  under  the  forms  of  contract  to 


CHAP.   XV.] 


ITS   ORIGIN  AND   EXPANSION. 


94  THE   HISTOEY   OF   STEAM   NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

carry  the  British  mails;  while  the  Cunard  Line,  between 
Liverpool  and  Boston,  via  Halifax,  constituted  the  only 
medium  of  regular  steam  navigation  between  the  United 
States  and  Europe. 

It  may  be  appropriate  to  state  here,  that  in  addition  to 
carrying  the  British  mails  from  Liverpool  to  North  America, 
the  Cunard  Company,  early  in  1850,  obtained  a  contract  from 
the  British  Government  for  the  conveyance  of  the  mails 
between  Halifax,  New  York  and  Bermuda.  The  steam  packets 
employed  in  this  service  were  the  ALPHA,  BETA  and  DELTA, 
small  vessels  each  of  850  tons  and  80  horse-power,  and  fitted 
with  a  proper  space  for  mounting  an  18-pounder  pivot  gun. 
The  arrangements  for  carrying  on  the  service  were  as  follows  : 
—Twenty-four  hours  after  the  arrival  of  the  packet  from 
Liverpool,  one  of  these  vessels  left  Halifax  for  Bermuda ;  at 
the  same  time  another  left  for  St.  John's,  while  the  third  con- 
veyed the  mails  monthly  between  Bermuda  and  New  York. 
The  payment  for  these  services  amounted  to  £10,600  per 
annum,  equal  to  8s.  per  mile,  while  on  the  main  line  it  was 
11s.  4d.  per  mile.  The  following  year  the  British  Government 
made  another  contract  with  the  Cunard  Company  for  a  monthly 
conveyance  each  way  of  the  mails  between  Bermuda  and  St. 
Thomas,  upon  such  days  as  might  be  fixed  by  the  Admiralty, 
the  one  vessel  engaged  in  it  being  in  all  respects  similar  to 
those  engaged  in  the  Halifax  and  Bermuda  service.  The 
amount  of  subsidy  was  £4,100  per  annum,  or  equal  to  4s.  per 
mile.  This  service  connected  the  West  Indies  with  the  United 
States  and  the  North  American  provinces. 

Following  the  example  of  the  British  Government,  the 
United  States  Congress  resolved  to  subsidise  a  line  of  American 
steamships  between  New  York  and  Liverpool.  The  steamers 
were  to  be  of  the  highest  class,  possessing  great  speed  and 
superior  passenger  accommodation,  and  capable,  besides,  of 
being  converted  at  a  small  expense  into  war  steamers.  The 
responsible  task  of  establishing  the  line  was  undertaken  by 
Mr.  E.  K.  Collins,  of  New  York,  after  whom  the  line  was 
named.  Mr.  Collins  had  had  considerable  experience  as  a 
shipowner,  being  well-known  as  the  head  of  the  Collins  Line  of 


CHAP.   XV.]  ITS  ORIGIN  AND   EXPANSION. 


95 


sailing  packets  between  Liverpool  and  New  York.     Associated 
with  Mr.  Collins  in  his  later  enterprise  were  many  influential 
American  citizens,  and  their  proposals  were  favourably  received 
by  the  American  Government,   and  ultimately  an  agreement 
was   entered    into,   by   which    Mr.    Collins   and   his   colleagues 
undertook  to  provide  five  first-class  steam  vessels  and  to  main- 
tain a  weekly  mail  service  between  New  York  and  Liverpool, 
each   vessel   performing   twenty   voyages   annually,   for   which 
service  they  were  to  receive  $19,250  per  voyage.     It  is  evident 
that  the  United  States  Government  were  prepared  to  pay  most 
liberally  for  the  performance  of  the  ocean  mail  service.     At 
par  the  subsidy  represented  £4,010  8s.  4d.  per  voyage.  Assured 
of  this  substantial  income,  Mr.  Collins  sought  the  assistance  of 
the  most  competent  shipbuilders  and  engineers  of  the  United 
States,  and   on  the   completion  of  the   contract,   arrangements 
were  entered  into  for  the  construction   of  four  vessels,  to  be 
named  the  ARCTIC,  BALTIC,  ATLANTIC  and  PACIFIC,  each  to  be 
about  3,000  tons  register  and  of  800  horse-power.     The  prin- 
cipal dimensions  of  these  celebrated  steamers  were — Length  on 
main  deck,  282  feet ;  depth  from  the  main  deck,  24  feet ;  depth 
under  the  spar  deck,  32  feet ;  breadth  of  beam,  45  feet.     They 
had   rounded   sterns,    three   masts   with    suitable    spars ;     four 
decks,  viz.,  lower,  main,  spar,  and  orlop  deck,  extending  from 
the  engine  room  forward  and  aft.     They  were  built  chiefly  of 
live    oak,    planked    with    pitchpine,    and    were    equal,    if    not 
superior,    in   strength   to   any  wooden   steamers   afloat.        The 
tim'bers,    which   were    solid    and   bolted    to    each    other,    were 
further  strengthened  by  a  lattice  work  of  iron  bands.     All  the 
four  steamers  were  beautiful  models,   and  the  ARCTIC,   which 
was  esteemed  the  finest  of  the  fleet,  was  familiarly  known  as 
the  "  clipper  of  the  seas."     She  was  built  by  Mr.  W.  H.  Brown, 
of  New  York,  under  the  superintendence  of  Mr.  George  Steers, 
who  modelled  the  famous  yacht  America.     Her  equipment  was 
complete,  and  of  the  highest  order,  while  her  cabin  accommo- 
dation surpassed  in  comfort  and  elegance  any  merchant  steamer 
Great  Britain  then  possessed.     The  engines  of  the  ARCTIC  and 
her  sister  ships   were   of  the   "  side-lever "   type,   the   cylinder 
having  a  diameter  of  95  inches,  with  a  9  feet  stroke.        The 


96  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

boilers  of  the  ARCTIC  and  BALTIC  were  peculiar  to  the  Collins 
Line,  and  were  designed  by  Messrs.  Sewell  and  Faron,  chief 
engineers  of  the  United  States  Navy.  The  latter  of  these  two 
gentlemen  acted  as  chief  engineer  of  the  Company.  The 
boilers  were  arranged  with  double  furnaces,  and  lower  water 
spaces  connected  by  a  row  of  vertical  tubes,  around  which  the 
heated  gases  circulated,  with  a  hanging  bridge  or  plate,  which 
checked  their  otherwise  rapid  flow  to  the  funnel,  and  rendered 
the  combustion  more  perfect.  The  average  consumption  per 
24  hours  by  the  ARCTIC  was  83  tons  anthracite  coal,  attaining 
an  average  speed  of  316*4  knots  per  day.  Her  maximum  con- 
sumption was  87  tons,  with  a  speed  of  320  knots  in  24  hours. 

These  vessels  were  constructed  so  utterly  regardless  of 
expense  that  to  complete  them  it  was  found  the  cost  would  be 
very  greatly  in  excess  of  the  estimates.  The  Government  was 
therefore  appealed  to  for  assistance.  The  appeal  was  generously 
responded  to.  The  United  States  Government  not  only  made 
an  advance  to  the  Company  while  the  ships  were  being  built, 
but  also  released  it  from  its  obligation  to  build  a  fifth  vessel  as 
originally  contemplated,  and  increased  the  subsidy  from 
$19,250  to  $33,000  per  voyage.  But  for  these  benefits  increased 
speed  was  demanded.  "  We  must  have  speed,"  declared  Mr. 
Bayard,  during  the  debate  in  Congress,  "  extraordinary  speed — 
a  speed  with  which  they  (the  Collins  steamships)  can  overtake 
any  vessel  which  they  pursue,  and  escape  from  any  vessel  they 
wish  to  avoid  ;  they  must  be  fit  for  the  purpose  of  a  cruiser, 
with  armaments  to  attack  your  enemy  (if  that  enemy  were 
Great  Britain)  in  her  most  vital  part,  her  commerce."  Happily 
the  contest  was  a  commercial  and  not  a  national  one,  and  the 
Collins  steamers  were  never  required  for  the  purposes  of  Mr. 
Bayard's  hypothesis.  They  did,  however,  engage  (and  for  a  time 
with  apparent  success)  in  a  great  contest  with  the  Cunard 
Company  for  the  commercial  maritime  supremacy  of  the 
Atlantic. 

The  ATLANTIC,  the  first  of  the  Collins  Line  of  steamers  to 
cross  the  ocean,  arrived  at  Liverpool  on  the  10th  May,  1850. 
The  breadth  of  beam  of  this  vessel  and  her  sister  ships  was  so 
great  that  they  were  unalble  to  enter  any  existing  docks  at 


CHAP.   XV.]  ITS   ORIGIN   AND   EXPANSION. 


98  THE   HISTOEY   OF   STEAM   NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

Liverpool,  and  a  dock  at  the  north  end  of  the  port  was  con- 
structed specially  for  their  accommodation.  The  arrival  of  the 
ATLANTIC  excited  very  great  interest,  which  was  increased 
rather  than  lessened  by  the  presence  at  Liverpool  of  the  ASIA 
E.M.S.,  just  built  for  the  Cunard  Line,  and  which  left  for  New 
York  on  the  following  Saturday  week. 

The  following  description*  of  the  interior  decorations  of  the 
ATLANTIC  may  be  taken  as  a  general  description  of  the  whole  of 
the  Collins  steamers,  and  will  be  read  with  interest:  — 

Her  saloon  is  67  feet  long  by  20  feet  wide.  Her  interior 
fittings  are  truly  elegant,  the  woodwork  being  of  white  holly, 
satinwood,  rosewood,  &c.,  so  combined  and  diversified  as  to 
present  an  exceedingly  rich  and  costly  appearance.  In  the 
drawing  room  the  ornaments  consist  of  costly  mirrors,  bronze- 
work,  stained  glass,  paintings,  &c.  Between  the  panels  con- 
necting the  staterooms  are  the  arms  of  the  different  states  of 
the  confederacy  painted  in  the  highest  style  of  art,  and  framed 
with  bronze-work.  The  pillars  between  are  inlaid  with 
mirrors,  framed  with  rosewood,  and  at  the  top  and  bottom  are 
bronzed  sea-shells  of  costly  workmanship.  In  the  centre  of 
each  are  allegorical  figures  representing  the  ocean  mythology 
of  the  ancients,  in  bronze  and  burnished  gold.  The  ceiling  is 
elaborately  wrought,  carved  and  gilded.  The  cabin  windows 
in  the  stern  are  of  painted  glass,  having  representations  of  New 
York,  Boston  and  Philadelphia  painted  on  each.  There  is  in 
addition  another  apartment  equally  beautifully  arranged  and 
ornamented,  for  the  exclusive  use  of  ladies.  Both  apartments 
are  heated  by  steam,  an  improvement  now  for  the  first  time 
introduced  in  steamships.  The  dining  room  (60  feet  long)  is 
furnished  in  an  equally  elegant  style  with  the  drawing  room. 
The  staterooms,  which  are  light  and  airy,  are  beautifully  fur- 
nished and  ornamented,  and  combine  every  convenience  that 
practical  science  and  experience  could  suggest.  It  would 
occupy  more  space  than  can  be  spared  to  detail  the  magnifi- 
cence of  the  furniture  of  the  ATLANTIC  ;  the  carpets  are  of  the 
richest  description;  the  table-slabs  are  of  Brocatelli  marble. 

*  "  Illustrated  London  News,"  18th  May,  1850, 


CHAP.  XV.]  ITS  OEIGIN  AND  EXPANSION.  <j(j 

Each  stateroom  has  an  elegant  sofa;  the  berths  are  of  satin- 
wood,  and  the  curtains  of  rich  damask. 

The  ATLANTIC  left  New  York  on  the  27th  April,  1850,  with 
nearly  a  hundred  passengers,  and  a  valuable  cargo,  under  the 
command  of  Captain  West.  Shortly  after  leaving  Sandy  Hook 
she  got  entangled  amongst  some  drift  ice,  which  did  consider- 
able damage  to  her  floats.  This  mishap  was  a  serious  draw- 
back to  her,  inasmuch  as  the  engines  had  to  be  worked  at  a 
reduced  rate  to  prevent  the  floats  from  being  torn  from  the 
wheels  altogether,  and  the  weather  was  too  boisterous  to  admit 
of  them  being  repaired.  During  the  five  succeeding  days,  the 
noble  vessel  continued  to  prosecute  her  voyage  to  the  satisfac- 
tion of  her  captain  and  all  on  board.  On  the  3rd  May,  how- 
ever, an  accident  of  a  more  formidable  nature  occurred,  one  of 
her  condensers  giving  way.  After  a  fruitless  attempt  to  adjust 
the  machinery,  the  vessel  having  been  hove  to  forty  hours, 
Captain  West  decided  to  pursue  his  course,  the  steam  being 
kept  at  a  low  point  in  consequence,  which  considerably  retarded 
the  vessel's  progress  during  the  remainder  of  her  passage. 

The  American  steamers  were  swifter  than  their  British 
rivals,  and  for  a  few  years  were  the  favourites  with  the 
travelling  public.  According  to  a  return  published  in  the 
"  New  York  Herald  "  on  the  1st  January,  1853,  the  number  of 
passengers  carried  during  the  eleven  months  January  to 
November  (inclusive),  1852,  were:  — 

By  Collins  Line,  New  York  to  Liverpool 2,420 

,,  Cunard  Line          do.  do.  1,783 

,,  Collins  Line,  Liverpool  to  New  York 1,880 

,,  Cunard  Line          do.  do.  1,186 

It  will  be  noticed  that  the  majority  of  passengers  carried 
were  from  New  York  to  Liverpool,  the  explanation  of  this 
unusual  'circumstance  being  that  it  was  at  the  time  of  the  great 
rush  to  the  Australian  goldfields,  when  it  was  no  uncommon 
thing  for  a  Melbourne  packet  to  sail  from  the  Mersey  with 
from  five  to  six  'hundred  passengers.  Nor  were  the  receipts 
from  passage  money  the  only  source  of  revenue  available  for 
the  Collins  steamers.  They  were  loyally  supported  by  Ameri- 
can shippers  and  importers,  and  the  receipts  from  freight  were 


100 


THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 


large,  although  the  rate  on  fine  goods  had  been  lowered  from 
£7  10s.  to  <£4  per  ton. 

Notwithstanding  the  large  income  derived  from  these 
sources,  the  service  was  only  maintained  for  a  period  of  about 
ten  years.  The  heavy  disbursements  and  the  numerous  casual- 
ties which  befell  the  steamers,  especially  the  loss  of  the  ARCTIC 
(as  narrated  in  the  following  chapter)  and  of  the  PACIFIC,  with 
all  on  board,  led  to  the  collapse  of  the  company. 


CHAP.   XVI.]  ITS   ORIGIN   AND   EXPANSION. 


101 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

The  Loss  of  the  Collins  Liner  ABCTIC. 

ON  Wednesday,  27th  September,  1854,  about  noon — Cape 
Race  bearing  S.W.  by  W.,  65  miles  distant — the  steamship 
ARCTIC,  on  her  passage  from  Liverpool  to  Xew  York,  while 
running  through  a  very  thick  fog,  was  struck  on  the  starboard 
bow  about  60  feet  abaft  the  cutwater  by  an  iron  steamer. 
The  force  of  the  impact  made  three  large  holes  in  the  ARCTIC 
—two  below  the  watermark,  one  of  which  was  about  5^  feet  in 
length  and  about  1^  feet  broad.  The  fog  was  so  dense  that 
neither  vessel  saw  the  other  a  minute  before  they  collided. 

The  passengers  on  the  ARCTIC  were  at  lunch  when  their 
vessel  was  struck,  and  they  immediately  rushed  011  deck. 
Through  the  dense  fogi  could  be  seen  very  indistinctly  on  the 
starboard  bow  a  screw  steamer,  which  was  afterwards  found 
to  be  the  French  merchant  steamer  VESTA.  No  apprehension 
of  danger  was  felt  by  those  on  board  the  ARCTIC,  and  a  boat  in 
charge  of  the  chief  officer  was  sent  off  to  the  rescue  of  the 
passengers  and  crew  of  the  other  steamer.  On  board  of  the 
VESTA  no  hope  was  entertained  of  her  ultimate  safety,  the 
crew  and  passengers  relying  upon  being  taken  oft'  by  the  crew 
of  the  ARCTIC.  When  the  collision  occurred  there  were 
several  men  on  the  bow  of  the  VESTA,  presumably  011  the  look- 
out, one  of  whom  was  killed  and  the  others  severely  wounded. 
As  it  was  feared  that  the  steamer  was  sinking,  a  rush  was 
made  for  the  boats,  and  two  were  launched.  The  first  boat 
was  swamped,  but  the  second  boat  floated,  and  was  at  once 
boarded  by  several  of  the  passengers  and  two  of  the  crew,  who, 
ignoring  the  captain's  orders  to  return  on  board,  cut  them- 
selves adrift,  and  abandoned  their  shipmates.  While  these 
occurrences  were  taking  place  on  the  deck  of  the  VESTA  the 
ARCTIC  had  disappeared  in  the  fog,  those  011  the  VESTA  still 
hoping,  however,  that  she  had  not  deserted  them.  Meantime, 


102  THE    HISTORY    OP    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PAET  1. 

the  officers  on  board  the  ARCTIC  had  discovered  that  there  was 
little  hope  of  saving  their  vessel.  Mrs.  Collins,  the  wife  of 
the  managing  owner,  with  their  daughter  and  son,  were 
passengers,  and  the  captain's  first  thought  was  for  their 
safety.  They  and  several  ladies  were  placed  in  a  lifeboat,  but 
while  it  was  being  lowered  one  of  its  tackles  gave  way,  and 
all,  with  the  exception  of  one  lady  who  clung  to  a  sailor 
holding  fast  to  the  boat,  were  cast  into  the  sea  and  drowned. 
A  second  boat  was  lowered  successfully,  and  stored  with 
provisions.  It  was  soon  filled  with  passengers — ladies  and 
gentlemen — but  by  a  strange  oversight  011  the  part  of  the 
officer  in  charge  none  of  the  crew  accompanied  them. 

The  difficulty  and  danger  of  lowering  the  boats  was  greatly 
increased  in  consequence  of  the  impossibility  of  stopping  the 
ship  for  that  purpose,  the  pumps  having  been  attached  to  the 
main  engines  in  the  attempt  to  keep  the  vessel  clear  of  water, 
which  was  pouring  into  her  through  the  breaches  in  her  side. 
Cape  llace  being  within  about  four  hours  steaming  distance, 
she  was  headed  in  that  direction,  but  after  running  about 
fifteen  miles  the  water  had  risen  so  high  in  the  stoke-hole  as 
to  extinguish  the  fires,  and,  in  consequence,  the  engines 
ceased  to  work.  Almost  immediately  after  the  ship  stopped, 
the  remaining  lifeboats  left  the  ship.  There  was  one  large 
boat  on  deck,  which  was  capable  of  carrying  fifty  persons,  but 
there  were  not  sufficient  seamen  left  on  board  to  launch  her, 
and  it  is  supposed  that  she  was  filled  with  passengers  in  the 
hope  that  she  might  float  off  when  the  steamer  sank. 

In  the  Annual  Register  for  1854,  it  is  stated  that  Captain 
Luce  and  most  of  his  officers  exerted  themselves  with  firmness 
and  energy  while  a  hope  remained,  and  the  former  probably 
owed  his  life  to  his  remaining  at  his  post.  When  his  steamer 
sank  he  clung  first  to  some  floating  wood,  and  afterwards  got 
on  a  floating  paddlebox,  on  which  eleven  others  had  taken 
refuge,  of  whom  nine  were  swept  away  by  the  sea,  the  three 
survivors  being  rescued  by  the  CAMBRIA,  of  Glasgow.  The 
captain's  son  was  killed  in  his  father's  arms  by  a  piece  of 
wreck. 

The  conduct  of  Captain  Duchesne,  of  the  YESTA,  was  most 
praiseworthy.  Finding  that  the  ARCTIC  had  disappeared  in 


CHAP.  XVI.]  ITS  ORIGIN  AND  EXPANSION. 


108 


the  fog,  and  that  his  own  vessel  had  not  sunk  under  him,  he, 
with  the  utmost  promptitude,  took  measures  for  saving  his 
ship  and  passengers.  He  noticed  that,  although  the  steamer's 
bows  were  completely  shattered,  the  forecastle  bulkhead  had 
not  given  way,  and  this  afforded  some  hope  of  safety.  He  at 
once  gave  orders  to  lighten  the  vessel  by  the  head,  by 
throwing  overboard  all  the  fish,  cargo,  passengers'  luggage, 
&c.,  which  was  in  the  forepart  of  the  ship,  all  of  which  orders 
were  promptly  obeyed,  and  by  means  of  which  the  vessel's 
bows  were  raised  considerably.  Her  head  was  raised  still 
more  by  cutting  away  the  foremast,  which  had  been  damaged 
by  the  collision.  The  captain  next  ordered  about  150 
mattresses,  palliasses  and  other  effects  belonging  to  the  crew 
and  passengers  to  be  placed  abaft  the  forecastle  bulkhead, 
over  which  were  thrown  sails,  backed  by  boards  and  planks, 
the  whole  being  secured  by  cables  firmly  wrapped  round  all. 

These  operations  occupied  two  days,  after  which  Captain 
Duchesne  proceeded  under  easy  steam  for  the  nearest  port 
(St.  John's),  which  was  entered  on  the  30th  September.  Most 
providentially,  considering  the  disabled  condition  of  the 
VESTA,  she  entered  the  harbour  of  St.  John's  before  the  rising 
of  a  severe  gale,  which  sprang  up  on  the  same  day.  The 
energy,  unwavering  perseverance,  and  superior  seamanship 
exhibited  by  Captain  Duchesne  in  bringing  his  vessel  into 
port,  elicited  the  admiration  and  praise  of  all  who  visited  the 
ship. 

The  American  Consul  at  St.  John's  made  every  exertion  to 
procure  vessels  to  go  at  once  in  search  of  the  ARCTIC  or  her 
boats.  He  succeeded  in  obtaining  the  brigantine  ANN  ELIZA, 
whose  owners  (Messrs.  Warren  Bros.)  generously  gave  her 
without  charge.  She  sailed  from  St.  John's  on  the  2nd 
October,  with  instructions  to  cruise  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
catastrophe  for  three  days. 

The  Right  Rev.  Dr.  Field  also  promptly  placed  at  the  dis- 
posal of  the  American  Consul  his  yacht,  the  HAWK,  for  the 
same  purpose. 

The  last  moments  of  the  ARCTIC  are  thus  graphically 
described*  by  Mr.  Baahlam,  the  second  officer  of  the 

steamer :  — 

*  "  Illustrated  London  News,"  21st  October,  1854. 


104  THE    HISTORY    OF    »TEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART   I. 

"  111  about  thirty  minutes  all  the  lower  fires  were  out, 
"  and,  at  the  least,  there  were  six  feet  of  water  in  the 
"  ship  fore  and  aft.  By  this  time  the  confusion  amongst 
"  the  passengers  was  very  great,  but  thev  used  all  efforts 
"  to  assist  the  crew  to  keep  the  pumps  going,  and  in 
"  lightening  the  ship  forward  for  the  purpose  of  getting 
"  at  the  leak  from  the  inside,  which  we  found  to  be  use- 
"  less,  and  numbers  of  them  got  into  the  boats,  which 
"  were  still  hanging  to  the  davits.  In  forty-five  minutes 
"  after  the  collision  I  came  up  from  the  forehold,  and 
"  informed  the  captain  that  the  water  was  on  a  level  with 
"  the  lower  deck  beams,  and  that  it  was  impossible  to  get 
"  at  the  leak.  I  then  asked  him  what  he  thought  would 
"  be  the  probable  fate  of  the  ship,  when  he  stated  his 
"  belief  to  me  that  there  was  110  hope  of  saving  her.  He 
"  then  told  me  to  see  to  my  boats.  On  going  to  those  on 
"  the  port  side  I  found  them  completely  filled  with  men 
"  and  women,  and  no  possibility  of  getting  near  them. 
"  I  immediately  went  to  the  starboard  side  and  ordered 
"  two  of  the  crew  to  lower  the  guard  boat,  and  asked  the 
"  captain  what  his  intentions  were,  who  replied  that  the 
"  ship's  fate  would  be  his.  I  then  asked  him  if  he  would 
"  not  allow  his  son  to  go  with  me,  as  I  intended  to  take  a 
"  boat,  but  he  returned  me  the  answer  that  he  should 
"  share  his  fate.  I  then  jumped  into  the  boat,  and  was 
"  ordered  by  the  captain  to  cut  away  the  tackle  falls,  and 
"drop  under  the  stern.  I  did  so;  at  which  time  about 
"  twenty  persons,  as  I  suppose,  jumped  overboard,  of 
"  whom  seventeen  or  eighteen  were  picked  up.  I  fell  in 
"  with  another  boat  which  had  been  lowered  from  the 
"  other  side,  and  lightened  her  of  part  of  her  complement, 
"  leaving  nineteen  in  her,  and  twenty-six  in  my  own  boat. 
"  The  last  sight  we  had  of  the  ship  her  guards  were  level 
"  with  the  water,  and  the  surface  of  the  sea  strewed  with 
"  human  beings,  who  had  jumped  or  fallen  overboard— 
"  to  whom,  however,  it  was  impossible  for  us  to  render 
"  any  assistance ;  and  we  soon  lost  sight  of  all,  as  the  fog 
"  continued  very  dense.  I  then  asked  the  boat's  crew 
"  whether  they  were  willing  to  be  governed  by  me,  which 


CHAP.   XVI.] 


ITS   ORIGIN   AND   EXPANSION. 


105 


41  was  unanimously  approved,  and  I  was  put  in  complete 
"  command  of  both  boats. 

"  We  were  then  about  sixty  miles  S.E.  of  Cape  Race. 
"  Deeming  it  my  duty,  for  the  safety  of  all,  I  took  the 
"  nearest  course  for  the  land,  and,  after  pulling  forty-two 
"  hours,  with  nothing  to  guide  us  but  the  run  of  the  sea, 
"  which  I  took  to  be  heaving  from  the  southward,  and  in 
"  a  thick  fog  which  lasted  all  the  time,  we  reached  Broad 
"  Cove,  some  twelve  miles  North  of  Cape  Race." 
The   ARCTIC,   when   she   sailed   from   Liverpool   on   this   ill- 
fated  voyage,  had  365  souls  on  board,  of  whom  only  87  were 
saved.     The  hull,   machinery,   and   equipment   of  this  steam- 
ship were  insured  for  £115,000,  as  follows:  —  Underwritten  in 
the    United    States,    £55,000;    in    London,    £40,000;    and    in 
Glasgow,  £20,000. 

The  VESTA,  which  sailed  from  St.  Peter's  the  day  previous 
to  the  collision,  had  197  persons  011  board,  viz.,  a  crew  of  50 
men  and  147  pasengers ;  of  these  13  were  reported  missing 
when  she  arrived  at  St.  John's. 


100  THE    HISTORY   OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

Steamship  Companies  of  the  past. — Inmaii  Line. — National  Line. — Guion 
Line. — Royal  Atlantic  Steam  Navigation  Co. 

IN  the  early  spring  of  1850  Messrs.  Tod  and  MacGregor,  iron 
shipbuilders  and  engineers,  Glasgow,  launched  the  iron  screw 
steamer  CITY  OF  GLASGOW,  a  vessel  of  1,600  tons  and  350  horse- 
power. During  the  spring  and  summer  of  that  year  she  made 
several  voyages  between  Glasgow  and  New  York,  but  in  the 
latter  part  of  the  year  she  was  purchased  by  the  Liverpool,  New 
York  and  Philadelphia  Steamship  Company,  and  sailed  from 
Liverpool  to  Philadelphia  on  the  17th  December,  1850.  This 
vessel  was  the  pioneer  of  what  is  better  known  as  the  "  Inman  " 
Line.  This  ill-fated  vessel  left  port  on  1st  March,  1854,  with 
four  hundred  and  eighty  persons  011  board,  and  was  never  again 
heard  of.  In  1851  the  Inman  Company  purchased  the  steam- 
ship CITY  OF  MANCHESTER,  built  also  by  Tod  &  MacGregor. 
Her  registered  tonnage  was  2,125  tons ;  her  length  274  feet, 
and  her  breadth  38  feet.  She  had  a  clipper  bow  and  bowsprit, 
four  masts  square  rigged  on  the  fore  and  main  masts,  with  her 
funnel  between  the  main  and  mizzen  masts.  Other  iron  screw 
steamers,  all  having  the  beautiful  clipper  bow  for  which  this 
line  was  noted,  were  quickly  added  to  the  fleet,  comprising  the 
KANGAROO,  CITY  OF  BALTIMORE,  CITY  OF  WASHINGTON,  CITY  OF 
BOSTON,  CITY  OF  BRISTOL,  CITY  OF  LIMERICK,  CITY  OF  LINCOLN, 
CITY  OF  LONDON,  CITY  OF  DURHAM,  CITY  OF  NEW  YORK,  CITY 
OF  PARIS,  CITY  OF  ANTWERP,  CITY  OF  BROOKLYN,  CITY  OF 
BRUSSELS,  CITY  OF  MONTREAL,  CITY  OF  CHESTER,  CITY  OF 
CHICAGO,  CITY  OF  RICHMOND  and  CITY  OF  BERLIN. 

During  the  first  five  years  of  its  existence,  the  Inman  Com- 
pany maintained  a  fortnightly  service  between  Liverpool  and 
Philadelphia,  but  in  1857  it  enlarged  the  area  of  its  operations 
by  making  New  York  one  of  its  ports  of  arrival  and  by  estab- 


CHAP.   XVII.]  ITS  ORIGIN  AND  EXPANSION.  JQ? 

listing  a  fortnightly  line  thither.  On  the  collapse  of  the 
Collins  Line,  Mr.  Inman  at  once  assumed  their  dates  of  sailing, 
and  increased  the  service  to  once  a  week,  and  was  appointed 
to  carry  the  United  States  mails  between  England  and 
America.  Nor  were  the  Inman  steamers,  though  screws,  less 
swift  than  their  predecessors.  Their  later  steamers  far  sur- 
passed the  swiftest  steamers  of  the  Collins  Line,  and  one  of 
these,  the  CITY  OF  PARIS,  in  1869  conveyed  H.E.H.  Prince 
Arthur  to  America  in  six  days  twenty-one  hours,  the  quickest 
passage  (up  to  that  date)  ever  made  to  any  port  of  the  New 
World  from  Cork. 

Mr.  Inman  specially  directed  his  attention  to  the  conveyance 
of  emigrant  passengers  across  the  Atlantic,  and  he  and  Mrs. 
Inman,  greatly  to  their  credit,  made  a  voyage  in  one  of  their 
earliest  emigrant  steamers,  expressly  for  the  purpose  of 
ameliorating  the  discomforts  and  evils  hitherto  but  too  common 
in  emigrant  ships.  The  following  table  shows  how  successful 
he  was  in  catering  for  the  emigrant  passenger  trade:  — 


PASSENGERS  LANDED  AT  NEW  YORK  FROM 

THE  UNITED  KINGDOM 

IN  1870:— 

Line. 
Innicin  

Trips. 
68 

Cabin 
Passengers. 

...       3,635       ... 

...       2,442       ... 
1,115 
...       1,637       ... 
7,638 

Steerage. 
40,465 
33,494 
27,054 
23,404 
16,871 

Total. 
...       44,100 
...       35,736 
...       28,569 
...       25,041 
24.509 

National  

56 

Guion 

55 

Anchor  
Cunarcl... 

74 

70 

Of  the  vessels  named  in  the  preceding  page  the  CITY  OF 
WASHINGTON  and  CITY  OF  BOSTON  met  with  the  sad  fate  that 
overtook  the  PRESIDENT  and  the  PACIFIC.  They  sailed,  but 
never  reached  the  desired  haven,  and  in  course  of  time  were 
posted  "  missing,"  Two  of  them,  the  CITY  OF  LONDON  and  the 
CITY  OF  LIMERICK,  were  sold  to  Messrs.  W.  H.  Eoss  &  Co.,  and 
sailed  for  some  time  between  London  and  New  York.  The 
CITY  OF  ANTWERP  was  purchased  by  Messrs.  William  Johnston 
and  Co.,  who  changed  her  name  to  THANEMORE  and  employed 
her  for  several  years  in  their  Liverpool  and  Baltimore  trade. 
By  a  strange  fatality,  each  of  the  three  steamers  last  named, 
sailed  from  its  respective  port  and  was  never  afterwards  heard 


10H  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I, 

of.  The  first  two  disappeared  in  1881,  and  the  third  in  1890. 
The  CITY  OF  RICHMOND  was  sold  to  a  firm  who  were  the  first  to 
employ  ocean  liners  for  ocean  pleasure  cruising,  and  for  two  or 
three  summers  she  sailed  from  Newcastle  to  the  Norwegian 
fjords. 

Upon  the  death  of  Mr.  William  Inman,  which  occurred  in 
1881,  the  management  of  the  line  was  taken  over  by  Messrs. 
Richardson,  Spence  &  Co.  Since  then  it  has  undergone 
several  changes.  Its  title  of  Inman  Line  was  discontinued, 
and  that  of  "  American  "  Line  adopted,  and  its  British  head- 
quarters transferred  from  Liverpool  to  Southampton.  It  is 
now  (1903)  one  of  the  group  of  Atlantic  steamship  companies 
included  in  the  "  Morgan  "  combine. 

In  1863,  a  number  of  Liverpool  merchants  and  shipowners, 
anticipating  a  large  trade  would  arise  between  this  country  and 
the  Confederate  States  of  North  America  on  the  termination 
of  the  civil  war  then  raging,  formed  themselves  into  a  com- 
pany under  the  title  of  the  National  Steam  Navigation  Co., 
with  a  capital  of  £700,000.  It  was  the  intention  of  the  pro- 
moters of  the  company  to  establish  a  regular  service  of  first- 
class  steamships  between  Liverpool  and  the  Southern  States. 
The  requisite  capital  was  quickly  subscribed,  and  three  steam- 
ships were  promptly  acquired  ;  but,  alas  !  the  hoped-for  peace 
did  not  arrive  as  soon  as  the  promoters  anticipated.  Under 
these  circumstances  the  Directors  decided  to  enter  into  compe- 
tition with  the  Cunard  and  Inman  Companies  for  a  share  of 
the  passenger  and  goods  trade  to  and  from  the  Northern  States. 
The  pioneer  vessel  of  the  new  company  was  the  LOUISIANA, 
which  vessel  sailed  on  her  maiden  voyage  from  Liver- 
pool to  New  York  in  the  year  1863.  She  was  followed 
by  the  VIRGINIA  and  the  PENNSYLVANIA,  each  of  these  vessels 
being  between  3,000  and  3,500  gross  tonnage,  and  consequently 
they  were  the  largest  cargo  carriers  afloat  at  that  time. 
During  the  following  year  (1864)  three  new  steamers  of  still 
larger  tonnage  were  added  to  the  fleet.  These  were  named 
respectively  THE  QUEEN,  ERIN  and  HELVETIA.  So  successful 
were  these  vessels  that  twelve  months  later  (1865)  two  more 
steamers  were  built  for  the  Company,  viz.,  the  ENGLAND  and 


CHAP.   XVII.]  ITS  ORIGIN  AND  EXPANSION. 


109 


DENMARK,  both  of  3,723  tons  gross,  and  these  were  followed  in 
1866  by  the  FRANCE,  a  vessel  of  about  the  same  tonnage. 

A  great  advance  in  the  size  of  the  Company's  steamers  was 
made  in  1868,  when  the  ITALY,  a  steamer  of  4,300  tons,  was 
placed  on  the  line.  Not  only  was  the  ITALY  the  largest  trans- 
atlantic liner  at  that  date,  but  she  was  also  the  first  in  which 
compound  engines  were  fitted.  A  somewhat  smaller  steam- 
ship, the  HOLLAND,  of  3,847  tons  gross,  was  built  in  1869. 
The  following  year  two  very  large  and  powerful  vessels  were 
added  to  the  fleet.  These  were  the  EGYPT,  of  4,669  tons  gross, 
and  the  SPAIN,  of  4,512  tons ;  both  steamers  were  built  on  the 
Mersey,  the  former  by  the  Liverpool  Shipbuilding  Co.,  and 
the  latter  by  Messrs.  Laird,  of  Birkenhead. 

The  Company  now  possessed  a  sufficiently  large  fleet  to 
maintain  a  regular  weekly  service  between  Liverpool  and  New 
York,  sailing  from  Liverpool  every  Wednesday,  and  from  New 
York  every  Saturday ;  and  a  fortnightly  service  from  London 
to  New  York,  via  Havre. 

The  steamships  of  this  line  were  good,  roomy,  comfortable 
boats,  with  lofty  'tween  decks.  They  carried  immense  cargoes 
of  cotton,  grain,  provisions,  and  other  American  produce  from 
the  LTnited  States  to  Great  Britain,  and  though  they  could  not 
compare  with  the  Cunard  or  Inman  liners  in  the  elegance  of 
the  accommodation  provided  for  saloon  passengers,  yet  they 
were  well  adapted  for  the  conveyance  of  emigrants,  of  whom 
they  carried  large  numbers.  As  they  did  not  specially  cater 
for  saloon  passengers,  and  carried  no  mails,  they  were  not 
driven  at  the  high  raite  of  speed  maintained  by  the  premier 
transatlantic  steamship  companies.  It  is  true  that  for  a  time 
the  National  Line  held  the  "  Blue  Ribbon  "  of  the  Atlantic, 
but  this  honourable  position  was  held  for  a  very  short  time 
only,  and  the  vessel  by  which  it  was  gained  was  sold  to  the 
Italian  Government.  The  steamer  referred  to  was  the 
AMERICA,  built  and  engined  by  Messrs.  J.  &  G.  Thomson, 
Glasgow,  in  1883.  Her  gross  tonnage  was  5,528  tons,  with 
compound  engines  of  1,064  horse-power  nominal.  Her  length 
was  441  feet  8  inches ;  breadth,  51  feet  2  inches ;  and  her 
depth  36  feet. 


HO  THE   HISTOEY    OF    STEAM   NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

In  le§s  than  twelve  months  from  the  date  of  her  launch,  she 
was  purchased  by  the  Italian  Government,  by  whom  she  was 
equipped  as  an  armed  cruiser,  and  renamed  ITALIA.  Prior  to 
the  construction  of  the  AMERICA,  the  Company  had  increased 
its  fleet  by  -the  'addition  of  the  steamers  GREECE  and  CANADA. 
On  the  31st  December,  1889,  the  ERIN  sailed  with  seventy-two 
persons  on  board,  and  disappeared  without  leaving  a  trace. 

After  trading  successfully  for  a  number  of  years,  the  National 
Steamship  Company  got  into  financial  difficulties.  Its  vessels 
were  dispersed ;  the  Liverpool  service  to  New  York  was 
abandoned,  and  only  that  from  London  retained.  When  the 
nineteenth  century  closed  the  only  steamers  sailing  under  its 
flag  were  the  AMERICA,  EUROPE  and  MANHATTAN.  These  three 
steamers  are  built  of  steel,  and  each  carries  four  masts.  They 
are  all  driven  by  triple-expansion  engines,  and  the  last-named 
vessel  is  a  twin-screw  steamer.  The  respective  measurements 
are  as  follows  :  — 

AMERICA,  5,158  tons  gross,  built  and  engined  by  Gourlay 
Brothers  &  Co.,  Dundee,  in  1891,  is  435  feet  long,  46  feet 
3  inches  broad,  and  25  feet  2  inches  deep,  with  engines  of 
516  nominal  horse-power. 

EUROPE,  5,302  tons  gross,  built  and  engined  by  Palmers, 
Limited,  Newcastle,  in  1891,  is  435  feet  long,  46  feet  4  inches 
broad,  and  25  feet  2  inches  deep,  with  engines  of  545  nominal 
horse-power. 

MANHATTAN,  8,004  tons  gross,  built  and  engined  by  Harland 
and  Wolff,  Belfast,  in  1898,  is  490  feet  5  inches  long,  56  feet 
3  inches  broad,  and  25  feet  deep,  with  engines  of  478  nominal 
horse-power. 

The  National  Line,  like  the  Inman  Line,  has  now  been 
absorbed  by  the  American  combine. 

For  several  years  prior  to  1863,  Mr.  Stephen  B.  Guion,  of 
New  York,  had  established  a  line  of  clipper  ships  between  that 
port  and  Liverpool.  Finding  it  impossible  to  contend  against 
screw  steamers  in  the  ocean  trade,  he  entered  (in  the  year 
named)  into  an  arrangement  to  supply,  through  his  old  connec- 
tions and  agents  in  America,  the  Cunard  and  National  Com- 
panies with  steerage  passengers  and  cargo  for  their  steamers. 


CHAP.   XVII.]  ITS  OEIGIN  AND  EXPANSION.  m 

This  arrangement  held  good  until  1866,  when  Mr.  Guibn,  in 
co-partnery  with  others,  formed  a  steamship  company  whose 
official  title  was  "  The  Liverpool  and  Great  Western  Steamship 
Co.,"  but  which  was  popularly  known  as  the  Guion  Line.  The 
first  steamer  of  the  new  line  was  the  iron  screw  steamer 
MANHATTAN,  which  sailed  from  Liverpool  to  New  York  in 
August,  1866.  This  steamer  was  still  afloat  in  1903,  being 
then  the  property  of  Messrs.  W.  H.  Eoss  &  Co.,  by  whom  she 
was  renamed  the  CITY  OF  LINCOLN.  The  fleet  of  the  Guion 
Line  was  speedily  sufficiently  numerous  to  maintain  a  regular 
weekly  service  from  Liverpool  to  New  York,  and  within  six 
years  of  the  formation  of  the  Company  it  possessed  eight  first- 
class  iron  screw  steamships,  each  of  about  3,000  tons  burthen. 
They  were  named  after  the  Western  States  of  America,  viz., 
MANHATTAN,  NEBRASKA,  MINNESOTA,  COLORADO,  IDAHO, 
NEVADA,  WISCONSIN,  and  WYOMING.  In  1874  the  MONTANA,  of 
3,500  tons,  was  added  to  the  fleet,  which  was  further  increased 
in  1875  by  the  addition  of  the  DAKOTA. 

None  of  the  vessels  named  had  distinguished  themselves  by 
their  extraordinary  speed  ;  but  in  1879  there  was  built  for  the 
Guion  Line,  by  the  Fairfield  Shipbuilding  Company,  the 
steamer  ARIZONA.  She  was  an  entirely  new  type  of  vessel. 
The  older  ships,  though  differing  in  their  models,  might  be 
described  generally  as  brig  rigged  screw  steamers  carrying  a 
single  funnel  amidships,  and  having  their  saloons  aft.  The 
ARIZONA  carried  four  masts,  of  which  the  fore  and  main  were 
square  rigged,  and  two  funnels  between  the  main  and  mizzen 
masts.  The  saloon  was  situated  amidships,  and  was  superbly 
furnished.  The  length  of  the  ARIZONA  was  450  feet,  her 
breadth  45  feet,  and  her  depth  35  feet.  She  sailed  on  her  first 
voyage  from  Liverpool  to  New  York  on  the  31st  May,  1879, 
and  is  at  the  present  date  (1903)  employed  as  a  troopship  by 
the  U.S.  Government,  her  name  having  been  changed  to  the 
HANCOCK. 

A  sister  vessel  to  the  ARIZONA  was  built  by  the  same  builders 
in  1881.  She  was  larger  and  more  powerful  than  the  A  HI/ON  A, 
and  increased  the  reputation  for  speed  which  that  steamer  had 
created.  The  ALASKA  left  Liverpool  on  her  maiden  voyage  on 


112  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART   I. 

the  29th  October,  1881.  On  the  12th  September,  1882,  she 
sailed  from  New  York,  and  completed  her  voyage  to  Queens- 
town  in  6  days  18  hours  and  38  minutes.  This  rapid  passagie 
was,  however,  excelled  by  the  same  Company's  steamer 
OREGON,  which  sailed  from  Liverpool  to  New  York  on  the  6t'h 
October,  1883,  and  made  the  passage  from  Queenstown  to 
Sandy  Hook  in  6  days  10  hours  and  9  minutes.  The  OREGON 
was  also  built  and  engined  by  the  Fairfield  Shipbuilding  Co. 
She  was  501  feet  long,  54  feet  2  inches  broad,  and  38  feet  deep. 
Her  gross  tonnage  was  7,375  tons  ;  and  her  engines  developed 
13,500  horse-power,  giving  a  speed  of  18  knots  per  hour.  Her 
career  was  a  brief  but  brilliant  one.  Built  in  1883,  she  sank 
after  a  collision  with  an  American  schooner  on  the  llth  March, 
in  1886. 

These  three  celebrated  steamers,  the  ALASKA,  ARIZONA  and 
OREGON  were  popularly  known  as  the  "  Greyhounds  of  the 
Atlantic."  As  has  been  stated,  the  OREGON  was  lost  after 
collision,  the  ARIZONA  is  still  afloat,  and  the  ALASKA  was  sold 
in  1902  for  the  purpose  of  brea'king  up.  After  the  decease  of 
^fr.  S.  B.  Guion,  which  occurred  on  the  19th  December,  1885, 
the  steamers  of  the  fleet  were  gradually  disposed  of  to  various 
purchasers.  The  firm,  however,  of  Guion  &  Co.  is  still  in 
existence,  as  passenger  agents,  the  business  being  carried  on  by 
Mr.  Frank  Eamsden  and  Mr.  I.  0.  Roberts. 

The  Royal  Atlantic  Steam  Navigation  Company,  better 
known  as  the  kk  Galway  Line,"  was  established  by  a  number  of 
English  and  Irish  gentlemen,  who  in  January,  1859,  proposed 
to  the  British  Government  to  carry  H.M.  mails  from  Galway 
to  Portland,  Boston,  or  New  York,  via  St.  John's,  Newfound- 
land, or  otherwise,  for  the  sum  of  £3,000  on  the  round  voyage. 
They  further  offered  "  to  convey  telegraphic  messages  from  the 
United  Kingdom  to  British  North  America  and  the  United 
States  in  six  days,  casualties  excepted."  As  the  Atlantic  cable 
was  not  then  in  existence,  the  Government  was  favourably 
disposed  to  the  scheme,  and  on  the  21st  April,  1859,  a  contract 
was  entered  into  with  the  said  company,  based  on  the  terms  of 
the  proposals  made  to  the  Government. 

On  the  10th  June  following,  the  Royal  Atlantic  Steam  Navi- 


CHAP.   XVII.]  ITS  OKIGIN   A.ND  EXPANSION.  113 

gation  Company  contracted  with  Messrs.  Palmer,  of  Newcastle, 
for  the  construction  of  two  steamships,  the  cost  of  each  to  be 
£95,000;  and  five  days  later  (15th  June)  they  concluded  a 
similar  contract  with  Messrs.  Samuelson,  of  Hull,  for  two 
steamships,  to  cost  £97,000  each.  As  the  date  of  the  commence- 
ment of  the  postal  service,  according  to  the  Government  con- 
tract, was  fixed  for  June,  I860,  the  contract  with  the  builders 
stipulated  for  delivery  of  the  vessels  within  eleven  months  from 
the  date  of  the  agreement.  It  was  also  a  condition  of  the 
contracts,  that  the  ships  were  to  be  built  according  to  lines, 
plans,  and  specifications  approved  by  the  Admiralty.  The  four 
steamships  referred  to  were  almost  uniform  in  model,  measure- 
ment and  equipment.  Each  measured  about  2,800  tons,  with 
engines  of  about  850  nominal  horse-power.  Their  principal 
dimensions  were — Length  360  feet,  beam  40  feet,  and  depth  of 
hold  32  feet.  Those  built  by  Messrs.  Palmer  were  named 
CONNAUGHT  and  HIBERNIA,  and  those  by  Messrs.  Samuelson, 
COLUMBIA  and  ANGLIA.  A  clause  in  the  Company's  contract 
with  the  builders  specified  "  that  each  of  the  said  vessels 
when  completed  was,  on  a  fair  and  proper  trial  thereof,  to 
accomplish  a  speed  at  the  rate  of  20  statute  miles  per  hour  in 
smooth  water,  and  to  consume  not  more  than  8,800  pounds  of 
fuel  per  hour."  In  the  case  of  the  CONNAUGHT  this  condition 
was  not  complied  with,  for  on  her  trial  trip  the  Government 
Inspector  reported  that  the  speed  of  this  "  vessel  was  about 
thirteen  knots." 

From  its  commencement  the  Company  was  in  difficulties. 
The  second  steamer,  the  HIBERNIA,  on  being  surveyed  by  the 
Government  Inspectors,  was  found  to  be  leaky.  None  of  the 
vessels  were  delivered  within  the  time  agreed  upon,  and  in 
order  to  keep  faith  with  the  Government  the  Company  was 
compelled  to  charter  a  steamer  to  inaugurate  the  service. 
They  accordingly  hired  from  the  Messrs.  Malcomsons,  of 
Waterford,  one  of  their  Liverpool  and  River  Plate  steamers, 
the  PARANA,  which  sailed  from  Galway  on  the  27th  June,  1860, 
and  arrived  at  St.  John's  in  seven  days  thirteen  and  a  half 
hours,  or  one  day  thirteen  and  a  half  hours  beyond  the  stipu- 
lated time  for  delivering  the  telegraph  messages  at  St.  John's, 


114  THE   HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

The  second  steamer  to  sail  from  Galway  was  the  CONNAUGHT, 
which  sailed  for  Boston  direct  011  the  llth  July,  and  was 
twenty-two  and  a  half  hours  over  contract  time  in  arriving  at 
that  port.  This  steamer  was  totally  lost  on  her  second 
voyage  in  October  of  the  same  year. 

The  third  steamer  of  the  Company  sailed  from  Galway  on 
the  9th  April,  1861,  and  returned  in  May  following  in  a  dis- 
abled condition,  having  met  with  ice  on  the  passage.  She  made 
the  slowest  passage  outwards  of  any  of  the  fleet,  having  taken 
ten  days  seven  and  a  half  hours  to  reach  St.  John's,  and 
seventeen  days  twenty  and  three  quarter  hours  to  reach  Boston. 

As  two  of  their  own  steamers  were  unavailable,  the  one  being 
lost  and  the  other  disabled,  the  Directors  found  it  necessary  to 
take  up  outside  steamers.  They  therefore  chartered  the 
PRINCE  ALBERT,  and  purchased  the  ADRIATIC,  one  of  the  latest 
and  most  famous  of  the  Collins  Line.  She  appears  to  have 
been  the  only  vessel  belonging  to  the  Company  capable  of 
carrying  out  the  terms  of  the  Government  Contract.  She 
completed  the  run  from  Gralway  to  St.  John's  in  the  specified 
time,  six  days,  and  to  New  York  in  one  day  fifteen  hours  and 
fifteen  minutes  less  than  contract  time.  On  her  return  she 
made  the  passage  from  St.  John's  to  Galway  in  five  days 
nineteen  hours  and  three  quarters,  the  shortest  passage  on 
record  from  port  to  port  across  the  Atlantic.  It  is  impossible 
to  state  what  would  have  been  the  result  had  the  steamers 
built  for  the  Company  been  equal  to  the  ADRIATIC,  but  she  was 
secured  too  late  to  retrieve  the  fortunes  of  the  Company. 
Unable  under  such  adverse  circumstances  to  raise  fresh  capital, 
the  managers  of  the  Company  had  110  course  left  but  to 
abandon  their  undertaking,  and  they  terminated  their  contract 
in  May,  1861.  This  unfortunate  enterprise  entailed  a  loss  to 
the  Government  of  about  £15,000,  while  it  is  probable  that  the 
loss  incurred  by  the  shareholders  of  the  Company  was  not  less 
than  £150,000  during  the  short  period  of  its  existence. 


CHAP.  XVIII.]  ITS  ORIGIN  AND  EXPANSION. 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

The    ORION    wrecked    off    Portpatrick,    1850.— The     steamer    NEPTUNE. — 
A  second  "  Grace  Darling,"  1852. 

ONE  of  the  most  convincing  proofs  of  the  splendid  manage- 
ment of  the  several  steamship  companies  which  trade  between 
Liverpool  and  Glasgow,  of  the  skill  and  honest  workmanship 
put  into  the  vessels,  and  of  the  great  care  exercised  by  the 
officers  who  navigate  these  ships,  is  the  fact  that  for  upwards 
of  eighty  years  there  has  been  but  one  disaster  accompanied 
by  loss  of  life  011  this  station. 

The  disaster  referred  to  was  described  at  the  time  as  "  a 
disaster  occasioned  by  the  most  culpable  carelessness."  It 
was,  unfortunately,  attended  with  frightful  loss  of  life.  The 
ORION,  a  splendidly  fitted  and  powerful  steamer,  sailed 
from  Liverpool  for  Glasgow,  011  Monday  afternoon,  18th 
June,  1850,  with  about  170  passengers  in  addition  to  a  crew  of 
40  all  told.  It  was  an  ideal  summer  trip ;  the  night  was  fine 
and  clear,  and  the  sea  perfectly  smooth.  All  went  well  with 
the  steamer  and  those  on  board  until,  about  a  quarter  past  one 
on  the  Tuesday  morning,  the  sleeping  passengers  were  rudely 
awakened  by  the  concussion,  as  the  ship  struck  violently  on  the 
rocks,  close  to  the  Lighthouse  at  the  entrance  to  Portpatrick 
Harbour.  The  vessel,  which  was  steaming  at  full  speed  at 
the  time,  filled  instantly,  and  sank  in  a  few  minutes.  The 
night  was  so  tranquil  that  many  of  the  passengers  had  slept 
on  deck,  but  the  majority  were  asleep  in  the  cabins  below 
when  the  catastrophe)  occurred.  The  scene  of  horror  and 
dismay  which  followed  can  be  but  faintly  conceived.  A  wild 
rush  of  crew  and  passengers  was  made  to  the  boats.  The  first 
boat  lowered  to  the  water  was  so  crowded  instantly  with  panic- 
stricken  passengers,  that  she  capsized,  and  all  who  wer.e  in  her 


HQ  THE   HISTORY    OF   STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

were  drowned.  A  second  boat  was  launched,  in  which  some 
ladies  were  placed,  a,nd  these  reached  the  harbour  safely.  One 
redeeming  feature  in  this  tragic  narrative  is  the  splendid 
heroism  displayed  by  many  of  the  gentlemen  passengers.  The 
second  boat  when  launched  was  in  the  first  instance  filled  by 
men,  but  when  the  officers  of  the  ship  suggested  to  them  that 
their  first  duty  was  to  save  the  women  and  children,  most  of 
the  men  instantly  left  the  boat,  and  assisted  females  to  occupy 
the  places  they  had  surrendered,  who  were  thus  happily 
preserved. 

Shortly  after  this  boat  got  away  the  ill-fated  ORION  sank, 
and  all  on  board  either  went  down  with  her,  or  were  left 
floating  on  the  surface  of  the  water,  or  clinging  to  floating 
portions  of  the  wreck. 

The  Ardrossan  and  Fleetwood  steamship  FENELLA  passed  the 
scene  immediately  after  the  disaster  occurred,  and  the  Captain 
at  once  stopped  his  ship,  lowered  his  boats,  and  rendered 
valuable  assistance  in  saving  lives.  The  Lighthouse  keepers 
and  Coastguards  had  also  observed  the  vessel  coming  too  close 
in  shore,  and,  anticipating  a  catastrophe,  had  awakened  the 
local  boatmen.  Owing  to  this,  numerous  boats  had  instantly 
put  off,  and  these  picked  up  a  large  number  of  those  floating. 
By  the  continued  efforts  of  the  FENELLA'S  crew,  and  the  Port- 
patrick  boatmen,  about  150  persons  were  rescued.  This 
dreadful  catastrophe  carried  mourning  into  many  of  the  most 
respectable  families  in  Liverpool  and  Glasgow.  Amongst 
those  who  perished  were  Captain  McNeil  (brother  of  the  Lord 
Advocate),  his  wife  and  two  daughters;  Dr.  Burns,  one  of  the 
most  popular  men  in  Glasgow,  professor  of  Surgery  at  the 
University,  and  brother  to  the  Managing  owners  in  Glasgow ; 
Miss  Morris,  his  niece ;  and  Master  Martin,  a  son  of  one  of  the 
Liverpool  owners.  The  trial  of  the  Captain,  and  first  and 
second  mates  of  the  ORION,  for  the  "  culpable  bereavement  of 
the  lives  of  the  passengers  "  who  were  lost  by  the  wreck  of 
that  steamer,  as  before  narrated,  took  place  at  Edinburgh, 
before  the  High  Court  of  Justice,  on  the  29th  August,  1850. 
It  was  proved  that  during  the  second  mate's  watch,  the  vessel 
approached  closer  to  the  shore  more  than  was  usual  by  upwards 


CHAP.   XVIII.]  ITS  ORIGIN  AND  EXPANSION.  Hf 

of  a  mile,  and  that  this  course  was  maintained  notwithstanding 
the  warning  exclamations  of  the  experienced  seamen  who  were 
on  the  look  out. 

It  was  further  proved  that  the  Captain  had  come  on  deck 
several  times  during  the  second  mate's  watch,  and  each  time 
had  observed  both  the  compass,  and  the  ship's  proximity  to  the 
shore,  which  could  be  clearly  seen,  and  yet  did  not  countermand 
the  second  mate's  instructions. 

The  charge  against  the  first  mate  was  withdrawn,  but  at  the 
end  of  the  trial,  which  lasted  two  days,  the  Court  sentenced 
the  Captain  to  be  imprisoned  for  eighteen  months,  and  the 
second  mate  to  be  transported  for  seven  years. 

It  is  a  relief  to  turn  from  this  sad  story  to  an  incident  con- 
nected with  the  steamer  NEPTUNE,*  of  which  the  heroine  was 
a  young  Norwegian  girl,  who  has  been  appropriately  termed 
"  A  second  Grace  Darling."  During  the  25th,  26th  and  27th 
November,  1852,  a  strong  gale  prevailed  in  the  North  Sea. 
About  midnight  on  the  last  date  the  NEPTUNE  arrived  off  the 
Lighthouse  at  the  entrance  to  Flekke  Fjord,  Norway.  She 
was  bound  from  London  to  St.  Petersburg,  and  had  the  pilot 
flag  flying  at  her  masthead.  Just  at  daybreak  the  steamer 
was  observed  by  a  young  girl,  who  immediately  called  up  two 
of  the  boatmen,  who,  however,  were  not  apparently  inclined  to 
respond  to  the  call. 

The  girl,  however,  realizing  the  urgency  of  the  appeal  for  a 
pilot,  reproached  the  men  with  being  afraid  of  the  weather,  and 
under  the  pressure  of  her  taunts  they  got  their  boat  out  to  go 
to  the  assistance  of  the  NEPTUNE,  the  girl  accompanying  them. 
When  they  got  near  the  ship  they  found  that,  owing  to  the 
heavy  surge,  it  was  impossible  to  get  close  to  the  ship's  side. 
A  rope  was  thrown  to  them,  and  caught  by  the  girl,  who  twisted 
it  round  her  waist  and  arm,  then  jumped  into  the  sea  and  was 
hauled  on  board  the  steamer ;  the  two  men  thereupon  followed 
her  example.  This  help  was  most  welcome,  and  the  Captain 
was  the  more*  pleased  to  receive  it  owing  to  his  cargo  having 
shifted.  With  the  assistance  of  the.  Norwegians  the  rest  of 

*  For  further  particulars  respecting  this  steamer,  see  the  History  of  the 
Waterford  Steamship  Co.  in  Part  II. 


118 


THE   HISTOKY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 


the  voyage  was  safely  accomplished.  There  were  eight  lady 
passengers  on  board  the  NEPTUNE,  who  made  much  of  the 
Norse  "  Grace  Darling,"  provided  her  with  dry  clothing,  and 
gave  her  a  handsome  donation  in  cash.  The  seamen  and 
firemen  also  contributed  three  pounds  (£3)  for  the  same  pur- 
pose, and  on  the  return  voyage  she  was  put  ashore  at  the  place 
where  she  embarked,  most  fortunately  with  a  considerable 
amount  of  cash  in  her  possession,  as  her  master  refused  to 
permit  her  to  return  to  his  service. 


CHAP.   XIX.]  ITS  OKIGIN  AND  EXPANSION.  119 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

The   Eastern   Steam  Navigation   Co.,    Ltd.,    and   the   GREAT   EASTERN, 
steamship. 

IN  the  year  1851  a  steamship  company  was  promoted  in 
London,  under  the  title  of  the  Eastern  Steam  Navigation 
Company,  Limited,  for  the  purpose  of  establishing  a  direct 
line  of  leviathan  steamers  between  England  and  India,  via 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope. 

The  services  of  the  most  distinguished  engineers  of  the 
period  were  secured,  Mr.  J.  K.  Brunei  being  appointed  the 
consulting  engineer  of  the  company.  An  order  was  placed 
with  Messrs.  Scott  Russell  &  Co.  for  the  pioneer  steamer, 
which  it  was  at  first  the  intention  of  the  company  to  call  the 
LEVIATHAN,  but  that  name  was  subsequently  abandoned  in 
favour  of  GREAT  EASTERN.  She  was  to  be  propelled  by  paddle 
wheels  and  a  propeller.  Mr.  Scott  Russell  designed  the  lines, 
and  constructed  the  hull  of  the  vessel,  as  well  as  the  engines 
of  1,000  h.p.  nom.  to  drive  the  paddle  wheels.  Messrs.  James 
Watt  &  Co.,  of  Soho,  designed  and  constructed  the  engines,  of 
1,500  h.  p.  nom.,  to  drive  the  screw  propeller.  As  a  matter  of 
course,  some  considerable  time  was  occupied  in  preparing  the 
plans  for  so  gigantic  a  ship — one  which  was  not  only  the 
largest  ever  built  up  to  that  date,  but  which  remained  the 
largest  steamer  built  to  the  end  of  the  19th  century.  The 
necessary  plans,  specifications  and  yard  preparations  were 
completed  during  the  spring  of  1854,  and  on  the  1st  of  May 
of  that  year,  the  construction  of  the  GREAT  EASTERN  was  com- 
menced by  Mr.  Scott  Russell  in  his  shipbuilding  yard  at 
Millwall,  on  the  north  side  of  the  Thames.  She  was  built 
with  a  double  hull  from  the  keel  to  the  water  line,  the  inner 
and  the  outer  skin  being  of  equal  thickness  of  iron,  with  a 


120 


THE    HISTOEY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION. 


TPART    I. 


CHAP.   XIX.]  ITS  OEIGIN  AND  EXPANSION.  12l 

space  between  of  34  inches.  If  required  for  ballasting 
purposes,  this  space  could  be  filled  with  2,500  tons  of  water. 
The  length  of  the  GREAT  EASTERN  was  675  feet,  her  breadth 
83  feet,  and  her  depth  60  feet.  She  was  divided  into  60  water- 
tight compartments,  each  60  feet  long.  She  carried  six 
masts — the  mizzen  mast  of  wood,  and  the  remaining  five  of 
hollow  wrought  iron.  Three  of  these  masts  carried  square 
sails,  the  other  three  were  fore  and  aft  rigged.  She  had  five 
funnels,  two  of  which  were  placed  forward  of  the  paddle 
boxes  and  three  aft.  Her  hull  was  constructed  of  30,000 
plates  of  iron,  weighing  10,000  tons,  and  joined  together  by 
3,000,000  rivets.  "Her  cylinders,  the  four  largest  in  the 
world  .  .  .  (each)  18  feet  long,  6  feet  in  diameter,  and  28 
tons  weight,  were  successfully  cast  at  the  Engineering  Works 
of  Messrs.  Scott  Eussell  &  Co.,  Millwall."  * 

In  her  equipment  were  included  twenty  large  lifeboats,  and 
it  was  intended  that  she  should  carry  in  addition  two  small 
steamers,  each  100  feet  long,  to  be  used  for  landing  and 
embarking  passengers  or  luggage. 

She  was  designed  to  carry  10,000  troops  or  4,000  passengers, 
viz.,  800  first-class,  2,000  second-class,  and  800  third-class,  in 
addition  to  a  crew  of  about  400,  and  she  was  capable  of 
stowing  12,000  tons  of  coal. 

Although,  nominally,  the  engines  which  drove  the  paddle 
wheels  were  of  1,000  h.  p.,  they  were  capable  of  working  up 
to  5,000  h.  p.,  while  the  screw  engines  worked  up  to  6,000 
h.  p.,  or  with  combined  paddle  and  screw  her  engines  could 
develop  11,000  h.  p.,  which  it  was  estimated  would  enable  her 
to  maintain  at  sea  a  speed  of  20  knots  per  hour,  and  to  accom- 
plish the  voyage  between  England  and  Australia  in  30  days. 

"  It  is  a  question  of  much  interest  to  determine  what 
"  amount  of  speed  this  power  will  impart  to  the  vessel. 
"  Messrs.  James  Watt  &  Co.'s  anticipation  is  that  the 
"  speed  of  the  vessel  will  be  about  seventeen  miles  per 
"  hour,  and  from  that  to  eighteen  miles  seems  to  be  about 
"  the  limit  engineers  have  hitherto  predicted.  But  we 
"  believe  that  these  anticipations  fall  very  short  of  what 

*  "  Illustrated  London  News." 


122  THE    HISTOEY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

"  the  real  speed  will  be,  and  which  we  do  not  hesitate  to 
u  predict,  will  turn  out  to  be  between  twenty-four  and 
"  twenty-five  miles  per  hour."  ("  Illustrated  London 
News,"  23rd  May,  1857). 

On  Tuesday,  3rd  November,  1857,  the  first  attempt  was 
made  to  launch  the  GREAT  EASTERN.  The  hour  named  for 
commencing  the  launching  operations  was  11  o'clock,  and  was 
kept  fairly  punctually.  The  chief  machinery  for  moving  the 
hull  was  boxed  off,  and  nearly  altogether  out  of  sight.  The 
vessel's  name,  LEVIATHAN,  was  given  by  Miss  Hope  (who 
afterwards  became  the  Duchess  of  Newcastle),  the  daughter  of 
the  Chairman  of  the  Great  Eastern  Steam  Navigation 
Company,  and  the  name  displayed  upon  a  board ;  the  change 
of  name  from  GREAT  EASTERN  to  LEVIATHAN  occasioning  a 
good  deal  of  surprise.  After  the  customary  bottle  of  wine  was 
smashed  against  the  vessel's  bow,  a  "  fortissimo  obligato  "  of 
sledge  hammers  resounded  above  and  around — then  ceased. 
The  great  ship  moved  for  a  few  feet,  then  stopped.  The 
congregated  thousands  waited  in  suspense,  when  suddenly  a 
terrific  report  was  heard.  One  of  the  powerful  drums  used  in 
the  launch  had  cracked.  An  order  had  been  misunderstood ; 
the  after-winch  handles  were  turned  the  wrong  way;  the 
heavy  iron  handles  revolved  wildly,  striking  down  the  men, 
fracturing  their  arms  and  legs,  and  with  a  fatal  result  in  one 
instance. 

A  second  attempt  was  made  to  launch  the  LEVIATHAN  on 
Thursday,  19th  November,  1857,  but  the  efforts  were  even  less 
successful  than  on  the  first  occcasioii,  for  despite  all  the 
mechanical  power  brought  to  bear  on  her  she  would  not  move 
an  inch. 

On  Monday,  llth  January,  1858,  launching  operations 
were  resumed  at  Millwall,  and  the  monster  ship  was  moved 
riverwards  to  the  extent  of  20  feet.  On  Tuesday  a  further 
advance  was  made  until  a  little  after  3  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon, when,  having  moved  16  feet  10  inches  aft,  and  15  feet 
1  inch  forward,  it  was  thought  desirable  to  suspend  operations. 
At  high  water  on  the  latter  day  the  ship  was  water  borne  to 
the  height  of  7^  feet,  which  had  the  effect  of  diminishing  the 


CHAP.   XIX.]  ITS  ORIGIN  AND  EXPANSION.  123 

resistance  to  the  extent  of  4,000  tons.  The  yard  and  river 
banks  were  crowded  with  spectators  on  the  following  day 
(Wednesday),  in  the  expectation  that  the  ship  would  float,  but 
she  was  only  moved  another  2|  inches.  On  Thursday  the 
LEVIATHAN  was  pushed  down  the  full  extent  of  the  ways,  and 
there  left  for  the  next  spring  tides. 

The  completion  of  the  launch  of  this  stupendous  and 
beautiful  vessel  took  place  on  Sunday,  31st  January,  1858, 
under  the  most  favourable  circumstances,  and  unattended 
with  a  single  accident,  the  high  tide  lifting  the  vessel  clear  oft' 
the  ways. 

It  is  incomprehensible  how  so  eminent  an  engineer  as 
Brunei  should  have  made  such  a  mistake  as  to  attempt  to  force 
so  huge  a  fabric  broadside  on  into  the  river.  The  costly 
experiment  added  £120,000  to  the  cost  of  the  ship,  and 
practically  ruined  the  company. 

From  the  commencement  of  the  company's  operations,  the 
directors  were  hampered  by  the  failure  of  many  of  the  share- 
holders to  meet  the  calls  upon  their  shares  when  due.  To 
add  to  these  difficulties,  Messrs.  Scott  Russell  &  Co.  (the 
builders  of  the  ship),  in  1855,  found  themselves  unable  to 
meet  their  obligations,  and  to  complete  the  construction  of  the 
GREAT  EASTERN. 

At  the  half-yearly  meeting  of  the  company,  held  on  the 
15th  February,  1856,  the  chairman  reported  that  the  failure 
of  Mr.  Scott  Russell  would  be  a  cause  of  some  delay, 
and  of  some  increased  cost  in  the  completion  of  their  vessel, 
which  would  be  undertaken  by  the  company's  engineer,  Mr. 
J.  K.  Brunei.  Twelve  months  later  it  was  announced  that 
calls  to  date  amounted  to  £606,000,  of  which  nearly 
£200,000  remained  unpaid,  owing  to  a  number  of  other  share- 
holders, in  addition  to  Mr.  Scott  Russell,  having  become  insolvent. 

The  opening  months  of  1858  saw  the  GREAT  EASTERN 
successfully  launched,  but  the  Great  Eastern  Steam  Naviga- 
tion Company  had  not  the  funds  necessary  for  her  equipment. 
During  the  year  the  company  was  wound  up  by  the  sale  and 
transfer  of  the  ship  to  a  new  company  for  the  sum  of 
£160,000— 


124  THE    HISTOKY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

"  All  the  capital  had  been  expended,  the  public  refused 
"  to  advance  any  more  money,  and  if  the  directors  wished 
"  their   ship   to   be   anything   but    a   helpless,    unfinished 
"  carcase  on  the  waters  £300,000  more  must  be  found  to 
"  make    her    ready    for    sea.     To    the    exertions    of    Mr. 
"  Campbell  (the  present  chairman  of  the  Board),  and  to 
"  Mr.    William    Jackson    (the    eminent    and    well-known 
"  contractor  of  Birkenhead),  we  believe  is  greatly  owing 
"  the    pleasant    result    of    our    being    at    length    able    to 
"  announce   that   the   GREAT   EASTERN   is   ready   for   sea. 
"  But  one  still  more  remarkable  aid  was  forthcoming,  and 
"  which  we  could  hardly  believe,  only  that  we  have  it  on 
"  the  best  authority — it  was  a  subscription  of  no  less  than 
"  £50,000  of  the  supplementary  capital,  in  sums  of  £1  to 
"  £5,  by  persons  in  the  humblest  ranks  of  life  (domestic 
"  servants,   costermoiigers,   greengrocers   and  labourers) — 
"  who     tendered     their     money     avowedly     without     any 
"  expectation  of  profit,  but  solely  that  they  might  hear  of 
"  the  great  ship,  which  they  looked  upon  as  the  pride  of 
"  England,  being  fairly  afloat  on  the  deep  waters.     Such 
"  a  fact  at  once  took  the  vessel  out  of  the  category  of  mere 
"  commercial  undertakings,  and  more  than  anything  else 
"  stimulated  the  brave  men   who  were  her  projectors  to 
"  renewed      exertions     for     her      ultimate      completion." 
("  Illustrated  London  News,"  13th  August,  1859). 
The  sum  of  £300,000  having  been  subscribed  for  the  new 
undertaking,  the  directors  had,  after  paying  for  the  vessel,  a 
surplus  of  £140,000  to  complete  her  equipment  and  make  her 
ready  for  sea.     Her  new  owners  took  possession  of  her  early  in 
1859,  but  it  was  not  until  September  of  that  year  that  she  was 
sufficiently  complete  to  make  her  first  trial  trip.     While  on 
this  trip,  and  when  off  Hastings,  a  shocking  accident  occurred, 
through  the  explosion  of  one  of  the  funnel  casings,   causing 
the  death  of  six  men,  injuring  several  others,  and  virtually 
wrecking  the  grand  saloon.     As  110  further  damage  was  done 
to  the  hull  or  machinery,  she  proceeded  to  Portland,  and  the 
necessary    repairs    having    been    completed    at    an    outlay    of 
£5,000,    she    resumed    her    voyage    to    Holyhead    on    the    8th 


CHAP.   XIX.]  ITS  ORIGIN  AND  EXPANSION. 


125 


October.  She  started  011  her  return  trial  trip  from  Holyhead 
to  Southampton  on  the  2nd  November,  1859,  where  she 
remained  until  the  17th  June,  1860. 

The  GREAT  EASTERN  was  advertised  to  leave  Southampton 
011  her  first  voyage  to  New  York  on  Saturday,  16th  June, 
1860,  but,  in  consequence  of  bad  weather  on  that  date,  the 
sailing  was  postponed  until  the  following  morning.  She 
carried  only  36  passengers,  including  several  ladies,  on  this 
trip.  The  voyage  across  the  Atlantic  occupied  eleven  days. 
The  greatest  speed  attained  was  14J  knots  per  hour,  and  the 
greatest  distance  run  by  her  in  any  one  day  was  333  miles. 
Immense  crowds  assembled  to  witness  her  arrival  in  New 
York  Harbour,  and  she  was  welcomed  with  great  enthusiasm. 
She  passed  the  battery  at  4-30  p.m.  on  the  28th  June,  1860. 

The  promoters  of  the  Great  Eastern  Steam  Navigation 
Company  were  very  sanguine  that  the  Government  would 
frequently  employ  their  vessel  for  the  conveyance  of  troops,  of 
which  they  estimated  she  could  carry  ten  thousand.  The 
Government  very  wisely  never  risked  so  great  a  body  of  men 
in  one  vessel. 

The  only  occasion  on  which  the  GREAT  EASTERN  was  made 
use  of  as  a  troopship  was  during  the  threatened  rupture 
between  England  and  the  Federal  Government  of  America,  in 
connection  with  the  ir  Trent  Affair."  She  made  her  first 
entry  into  the  port  of  Liverpool  011  the  4th  June,  having  made 
the  passage  from  New  York  in  9  days  11  hours.  She  had  on 
board  212  passengers  and  a  large  cargo.  On  Thursday,  27th 
June,  1861,  she  sailed  out  of  the  Mersey  on  a  voyage  to 
Quebec,  with  troops  to  reinforce  the  Canadian  garrisons.  The 
day  was  cloudless,  there  was  brilliant  sunshine,  and  the  piers 
and  dock  walls  for  five  miles,  as  well  as  the  landing-stages, 
were  lined  with  spectators,  who,  as  the  great  ship  passed  them, 
responded  most  heartily  to  the  cheers  raised  by  the  soldiers 
who  thronged  the  upper  deck  and  the  lower  portions  of  the 
rigging. 

As  she  passed  the  landing-stages  she  fired  salutes,  and  also 
011  passing  the  Rock  Battery.  There  were  011  board  the 
GREAT  EASTERN,  not  10,000  troops  as  her  promoters 


126  THE   HISTOEY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

anticipated,  but  2,125  men  of  all  ranks,  accompanied  by  159 
wives  and  244  children  of  the  soldiers.  There  were  also  about 
40  civilian  passengers  in  the  saloon. 

She  left  Quebec  on  her  return  voyage  on  the  6th  August, 
arriving  in  Liverpool  on  the  15th  idem,  and  resumed  her 
sailings  to  New  York. 

She  sailed  from  Liverpool  for  New  York  011  the  10th 
September,  under  the  command  of  Captain  Walker,  having  on 
board  175  cabin  and  193  steerage  passengers.  On  the 
following  Thursday  she  encountered  a  heavy  gale,  during 
which,  when  about  280  miles  westward  of  Cape  Clear,  her 
steering  apparatus  became  deranged  and  broken,  and  five  of 
her  lifeboats  were  carried  away.  For  two  days  and  nights  she 
lay  helpless,  exposed  to  a  terrific  sea.  Her  internal  fittings 
were  in  consequence  seriously  damaged,  and  her  passengers 
greatly  alarmed  for  their  safety.  The  Captain  decided  to 
abandon  the  voyage  and  put  back  to  Queeiistown,  arriving  in 
the  harbour  on  the  Tuesday  following.  The  passengers,  when 
once  more  on  terra  firma,  relieved  their  feelings  by  publishing 
some  very  angry  letters  in  the  Press,  in  which  they  reflected 
very  severely  on  the  managers  of  the  company,  but  gave 
unqualified  praise  to  Captain  Walker  for  the  manner  in  which 
he  had  handled  the  great  ship  in  her  disabled  state. 

The  laying  of  submarine  cables,  commenced  in  1865,  offered 
employment  for  which  the  GREAT  EASTERN  was  specially  suit- 
able, and  in  which  she  was  constantly  engaged  for  a  period  of 
ten  years. 

Shortly  after  noon  on  the  30th  -June,  1866,  the  GREAT 
EASTERN  left  the  Medway,  having  011  board  the  second 
Atlantic  cable.  She  was  convoyed  by  H.M.S.  ADDER  as  far  as 
the  Nore.  As  she  steamed  past  Garrison  Point  she  was  loudly 
cheered  by  a  vast  concourse  of  people  who  had  gathered  there. 
She  proceeded  direct  to  Berehaven,  in  the  extreme  South- 
West  of  Ireland,  which  was  to  be  her  starting  point  for  laying 
the  submarine  cable.  Four  weeks  later,  or  to  be  exact,  about 
5  o'clock  (English  time)  on  the  27th  July,  this  great  task  was 
successfully  accomplished.  One  of  the  earliest  messages 
transmitted  by  the  cable  was  the  following  from  H.M. 


CHAP.   XIX.]  ITS  OKIGIN  AND  EXPANSION.  127 

Queen    Victoria    to    the    President    of    the   United    States   of 
America  :— 

:<  The  Queen  congratulates  the  President  on  the 
"  successful  completion  of  an  undertaking  which  she 
"  hopes  may  serve  as  an  additional  bond  of  union  between 
"  the  United  States  and  England." 

President  Johnson  suitably  acknowledged  the  Royal 
despatch,  and  reciprocated  the  good  wishes  contained  in  it. 
[A  most  interesting  diary  of  the  Atlantic  Telegraph 
Expedition  is  published  in  the  Annual  Register  for  1866.] 

In  1867  her  cable-laying  services  were  interrupted  by  a 
charter  to  a  French  company,  who  employed  her  between 
Brest  and  New  York,  carrying  passengers  to  and  from  the 
great  French  Exhibition.  For  this  service  she  was  fitted  with 
new  boilers  for  the  screw  engines,  and  her  saloons  were  altered 
and  redecorated. 

After  the  completion  of  her  charter  with  the  French  com- 
pany, she  was  taken  up  by  the  Telegraphic  Construction  and 
Maintenance  Company,  in  whose  service  she  remained  for 
seven  years.  During  this  period  she  succeeded  in  laying  the 
cable  between  Brest  and  Duckburgh,  near  Boston,  Mass.,  in 
1868 ;  between  Aden  and  Bombay  in  1870 ;  between  Yalentia 
and  Heart's  Content,  in  1873  and  1874;  completing  her 
charter  to  the  Telegraphic  Construction  Company  in  -July, 
1875.  The  amount  received  for  charter  was  at  the  rate  of 
£20,000  per  annum,  iiett  form. 

The  last  years  of  this  noble  vessel  were  ignominious.  She 
was  chartered  in  1896  by  "  Lewis's,"  who  used  her  for  a 
couple  01  years  as  a  huge  floating  advertisement  on  the 
Mersey.  She  afterwards  went  to  several  Ports  as  a  "  show  " 
ship,  and  finally  returned  to  the  Mersey  to  be  broken  up  on 
the  20th  November,  1888.  Her  owners  at  this  time  were 
probably  the  only  persons  who  ever  realized  a  handsome  profit 
out  of  her  during  her  varied  career.  The  following  is  a  list  of 
the  prices  obtained  at  the  sale  of  the  various  parts  of  the  hull 
and  equipment:  — 

Eleven-ton  Trotman's  anchor,  33  guineas,  in  addition  to  a 
number  of  other  anchors,  which  realized  £3  to  £7  15s.  per 


128 


THE   HISTOEY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 


ton ;  oak  lifeboat,  2  guineas ;  cutter,  30s. ;  iron  masts,  £9  to 
£17  10s.  each ;  copper  steam  piping,  £2,960 ;  gun  metal, 
£6,400;  scrap  yellow  brass,  £1,760;  sheet  lead,  £367  10s.; 
lead  piping,  £367  10s. ;  iron  plates  forming  the  hull,  £12,600 ; 
iron  beams,  £2  13s.  per  ton ;  scrap  rivets,  £2  6s.  per  ton ; 
boiler  tubes,  £49  7s.  6d.  * 

So  ended  the  career  of  the  most  celebrated  ship  of  the  19th 
century. 


';:The  above  figures  are  obtained  from  "Donaldson's  Engineers'  Annual," 
1900,  by  permission . 


CHAP.   XX.]  ITS  ORIGIN  AND  EXPANSION. 


CHAPTER    XX. 

Steam   to   Australia.— SOPHIA  JANE,   first  steamer  from  Great  Britain  to 

Australia,  1831.— The  steamship  GEEAT  BBITAIN  sails  for  Melbourne,  1852.— 

Sketch  of  her  after  career. — The  GOLDEN  AGE. — The  auxiliary  screw  steamer 

ROYAL  CHABTEK. — Sails  on  her  maiden  voyage,  1856. — Totally  lost,  1859. 

THE  first  voyage  by  a  steamer  ever  made  between  Great 
Britain  and  Australia  was  in  1831  by  the  SOPHIA  JANE,  a 
small  vessel  of  256  tons  burthen  and  50  h.p.  (see  reference  to 
this  vessel  in  the  History  of  the  Cork  Steamship  Co.,  Limited). 
Twenty-one  years  later  the  owners  of  the  GREAT  BRITAIN, 
the  Liverpool  and  Australian  Steam  Navigation  Co.  (Messrs. 
Gibbs,  Bright  &  Co.,  Managers),  induced  by  the  great  rush  of 
emigrants  to  the  newly  discovered  Australian  goldfields, 
decided  to  supplement  their  "  Eagle  "  Line  of  Packets  by  the 
addition  of  screw  steamers  and  issued  an  advertisement  as 
follows  :  — 

"  Steam  from  Liverpool  to  Australia,  forming  part  of  the 
"  '  Eagle  '  Line  of  Packets. 

"  The  GREAT  BRITAIN,  S.S.,  3,500  tons  and  500  h.p.,  B. 
"  R.  Matthews,  K.N.,  Commander,  will  be  despatched  for 
"  Melbourne  and  Sydney,  N.S.W.,  calling  at  the  Cape 
"  of  Good  Hope  for  coals,  water  and  fresh  provisions,  on 
"  Saturday,  21st  August,  1852,  at  1  p.m.  This  mag- 
"  nificent  ship,  fitted  up  with  every  possible  convenience, 
"  has  just  performed  her  trial  voyage  to  New  York  in  the 
"  most  satisfactory  manner. 

"Fares: — After  Saloon,  to  Melbourne,  70  guineas  and 
"  upwards.       Five  guineas  extra  to  Sydney,  N.S.W. 
"  To  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  50  guineas. 
"  Loading  Berth,  Wellington  Dock. 
"  Apply  to  Gibbs,  Bright  &  Co.,  Liverpool." 
The  result  must  have  been  exceedingly  gratifying  to   the 
owners,  as  the  GREAT  BRITAIN  sailed  011  this  her  first  voyage  to 
the  Antipodes   with   upwards  of   600  passengers.       Ten   days 


130  THE   HISTOEY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

later  t'iie  ship  ALBATROSS  arrived  with  the  first  importation  into 
Liverpool  of  gold  from  Australia,  being  20,000  ozs.  consigned 
to  Messrs.  Gibbs,  Bright  &  Co.  On  the  2ord  November 
following,  her  sister  ship,  the  EAGLE,  arrived  in  the  Thames 
with  150,000  ounces  of  gold  valued  at  £600,000.  The  ship 
DIDO  was  expected  to  arrive  in  a  few  days,  having  on  board  ten 
and  a  half  tons  of  the  precious  metal,  of  the  enormous  value 
of  £1,120,000. 

The  GREAT  BRITAIN  arrived  at  Melbourne  on  the  10th 
November,  1852,  after  a  splendid  run  from  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope  of  24  days,  her  average  speed  having  been  284  miles 
per  day.  Her  engines  behaved  splendidly,  and  there  was  no 
occasion  to  stop  them  during  the  whole  of  the  time.  One 
death  occurred  on  board,  that  of  a  Chinaman  who  embarked 
at  St.  Helena. 

Owing  to  the  difficulty  of  obtaining  labour  to  discharge  and 
load  the  ship  at  Melbourne,  she  was  detained  at  that  port  for 
three  months,  and  sailed  on  her  return  voyage  about  the  end 
of  January,  1853.  On  her  arrival  at  Cape  Town  she  re-filled 
her  bunkers  from  the  KEBECCA,  a  ship  which  had  been  sent 
from  Liverpool  with  a  cargo  of  coal  for  that  purpose,  and 
resumed  her  voyage  northwards  on  the  20th  February. 

She  continued  to  trade  with  varying  success  between  Liver- 
pool and  Australia  as  an  auxiliary  steamer  for  40  years,  and 
in  1882  was  sold  to  Messrs.  Anthony  Gibbs,  Sons  &  Co.,  who 
took  out  her  engines  and  converted  her  into  a  sailing  ship. 
Originally  she  carried  six  masts,  two  of  which  had  been  taken 
out  of  her  when  she  was  placed  on  the  Anglo- Australian 
station,  and  when  Messrs.  Anthony  Gibbs,  Sous  &  Co.  purchased 
her  they  took  out  a  third  mast  and  rigged  her  as  a  full-rigged 
sailing  ship.  In  order  to  strengthen  her  hull,  they  also,  at  a 
very  great  expense,  completely  sheathed  her  frame  with  wood, 
in  October,  1882.  She  sailed  on  her  last  voyage  from  Liver- 
pool in  1886,  and  put  into  the  Falkland  Islands  so  battered 
with  her  battle  with  wind  and  waves  that  she  was  abandoned 
to  the  Underwriters  as  a  constructive  total  loss.  She  was  sold 
by  the  latter  to  the  Falkland  Islands  Co.,  who  used  her  as  a 
coal  hulk. 


CHAP.   XX.]  ITS  ORIGIN  AND  EXPANSION.  131 

One  of  her  earliest  competitors  was  an  American  steamer 
named  the  GOLDEN  AGE.  She  was  the  property  of  the  .\c\\ 
Tork  and  Australian  Steam  Navigation  Co.,  and  was  intended 
to  ply  between  Australia  and  Panama,  and  eventually  to 
extend  the  service  to  San  Francisco.  This  splendid  vessel 
excited  great  interest  in  Liverpool,  at  which  port  she  lay  for 
about  two  months  prior  to  sailing  for  Melbourne. 

She  was  very  similar  in  outward  appearance  to  the  Collins 
steamships,  being  barque  rigged  with  a  straight  stem,  and 
having  her  paddle  boxes  situated  very  far  aft.  Her  dimen- 
sions were  as  follows :  length  285  feet,  beam  43  feet  6  inches, 
and  depth  32  feet ;  2864  tons  register.  She  had  a  beam  engine 
of  somewhat  peculiar  construction,  with  a  cylinder  of  85  inches 
diameter,  and  12  feet  stroke.  The  boilers  constituted  the 
chief  peculiarity ;  they  were  each  40  feet  long,  and  fitted  with 
furnaces  at  each  end,  the  smoke  funnel  ascending  from  the 
centre.  By  this  arrangement  it  was  claimed  that  economy 
both  in  space  and  fuel  was  gained.  The  hull  of  the  ship  was 
built  by  Mr.  W.  H.  Brown,  New  York.  The  lower  frames 
were  of  live  oak,  and  the  top  frames  of  locust  and  cedar.  The 
entire  hull  was  double  diagonally  braced  with  iron  bars,  five 
inches  wide,  by  three  quarters  of  an  inch  thick  and  four  feet 
apart. 

The  GOLDEN  AGE  had  accommodation  for  1200  passengers 
of  all  classes,  the  steerage  being  fitted  up  for  600.  There  were 
three  saloons,  one  above  the  other,  two  of  which  were  panelled 
in  rose,  satin,  and  zebra  woods ;  with  crimson  and  gold  plush 
and  rich  hangings,  and  adorned  with  mirrors.  In  the  upper 
saloon  the  same  general  arrangement  prevailed,  except  that 
instead  of  satiiiwood  panelling,  the  sides  were  finished  in  white 
and  gold.  In  this  saloon  were  two  "  family  rooms,"  one 
finished  in  gold,  the  other  in  blue.  A  brief  reference  to  this 
steamer  is  made  in  the  "  Annals  of  Liverpool  "  (Gore's  Direc- 
tory), in  which  it  is  stated :  "  The  GOLDEN  AGE-(S.)  sailed  from 
Liverpool,  5th  December,  1853,  and  arrived  at  Melbourne  in 
47  days  steaming  time." 

On  the  31st  July,  1855,  there  was  launched  at  Sandycroft, 
on  the  River  Dee,  a  large  clipper  ship  fitted  with  auxiliary 


132  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

steam  power.  She  was  built  to  the  order  of  the  Liverpool  and 
Australian  Steam  Navigation  Co.,  the  owners  of  the  celebrated 
GREAT  BRITAIN.  Her  owners  were  of  opinion  that  steamers 
relying  entirely  upon  their  engines,  could  not  be  worked  so 
economically  as  vessels  with  auxiliary  steam  power,  and  sailing 
vessels  trusting  only  to  their  sails  could  not  be  relied  upon  to 
make  their  passages  with  regularity  and  despatch,  con- 
sequently they  determined  to  combine  the  two  motive  powers 
and  give  their  vessel  the  benefit  of  both. 

The  ROYAL  CHARTER,  the  name  given  to  the  new  ship,  was 
designed  and  built  by  Mr.  Paterson,  the  builder  of  the  GREAT 
BRITAIN.  She  was  235  feet  in  length  over  all,  41  feet  6  inches 
beam,  and  26  feet  6  inches  depth  of  hold ;  2720  tons  burden ; 
could  spread  15,000  square  feet  of  canvas ;  and  had  a  pair  of 
direct  acting  trunk  engines  of  200  h.p.  nominal,  constructed  by 
Messrs.  Penn,  of  Greenwich,  for  working  an  auxiliary  screw, 
so  arranged  that  when  not  wanted  it  could  be  completely 
lifted  out  of  the  water,  and  even  (if  necessary)  placed  on  deck. 
She  had  excellent  accommodation  for  passengers.  Her  chief 
saloon  was  100  feet  long  and  beautifully  fitted  up ;  and  the 
ladies'  cabin,  with  its  large  poop  windows,  and  elegant  furniture, 
was  admirably  adapted  for  its  purpose.  There  were  two  large 
bath  rooms  for  the  use  of  the  after  saloon  passengers,  and  one 
three  times  as  large  as  either  of  these  two  for  the  use  of  the 
'tween  deck  passengers.  She  had  seven  watertight  compart- 
ments and  tanks  capable  of  holding  64,000  gallons  of  water. 

The  ROYAL  CHARTER,  independently  of  her  steam  power,  was 
a  full-rigged  ship,  and  was  the  first  English  vessel  to  adopt  the 
American  plan  of  double  topsails  on  each  mast.  On  her  trial 
trips  she  averaged  a  speed  of  nine  knots  per  hour  with  her 
propeller;  and  under  canvas  only,  with  a  light  N.N.E.  wind, 
made  fourteen  knots  per  hour. 

She  was  well  armed,  carrying  eight  guns — four  18  pounders 
and  four  24  pounders ;  besides  a  large  swivel  gun  on  the 
forecastle,  and  a  good  number  of  Minie  rifles  for  the  saloon. 

She  left  Liverpool  on  her  maiden  voyage  to  Melbourne  on 
the  16th  April,  1856,  and  accomplished  the  passage  in  59  days. 
She  had  but  a  short  career,  for  on  the  26th  October,  1859,  this 


CHAP.   XX.]  ITS  ORIGIN  AND  EXPANSION.  ij}8 

noble  ship  was  totally  wrecked  on  the  coast  of  Anglesea.  She 
had  almost  reached  her  home  port,  inward  bound  from 
Australia  under  the  command  of  Captain  Taylor,  and  ha vi no- 
on board  about  500  persons  including  passengers  and  crc\v, 
and  a  valuable  cargo,  including  gold  to  the  amount  of  £400,000. 
She  had  called  at  Queenstown,  where  thirteen  of  her  passen- 
gers disembarked.  On  her  passage  up  channel  she  was  caught 
in  a  terrific  northerly  gale,  which,  driving  the  current  in  the 
large  bay  between  the  Ormes  Head  and  Point  Lynas,  swept 
the  vessel  from  her  course  and  drove  her  upon  the  rock-bound 
coast  off  Moelfra  Head,  Red  Wharf  Bay.  She  struck  during 
the  night  when  no  assistance  from  the  shore  could  be  obtained. 
From  30  to  35  persons  only  were  saved  out  of  the  500  on  board, 
and  these  mainly  through  the  heroic  efforts  of  Joseph  llodgers, 
who  swam  ashore  with  a  line  round  his  body.  In  recognition 
of  his  devoted  courage,  this  intrepid  seaman  was  presented 
with  a  gold  medal  and  £5  by  the  Eoyal  National  Lifeboat 
Institution  at  a  meeting  held  at  the  Sailors'  Home,  Liverpool, 
on  the  16th  November,  1859,  011  which  occasion  the  Board  of 
Trade  also  presented  him  with  a  silver  medal  and  £10. 


134  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

China    and    Steam    Navigation. — Opening   of    the   Treaty   Ports,    1860. — 

Auxiliary  Steamers  first  employed.— The  SCOTLAND. — The  EGBERT  BRUCE. — 

The  Holt  Line. 

THE  treaty  ports  of  the  Yang-tse  were  for  the  first  time 
opened  to  the  ships  of  the  "  barbarian  nations  of  the  West  " 
in  February,  1860. 

The  first  foreign  merchant  vessel  to  load  a  cargo  at 
Shanghai  for  Hankow  was  the  auxiliary  screw  steamer 
SCOTLAND,  belonging  to  the  late  W.  S.  Lindsay,  the  well- 
known  author  of  the  "  History  of  Merchant  Shipping."  She 
was  a  vessel  of  about  1,100  tons  gross  register,  and  was  com- 
manded by  Captain  A.  D.  Dundas,  B.N.  She  sailed  from 
Shanghai  with  a  full  cargo  in  June,  1860,  her  draft  being  17 
feet.  She  was  subsequently  sold  to  the  Prince  of  Satsuma, 
the  same  purchaser  having  previously,  in  1861,  purchased  her 
sister  ship,  the  ENGLAND,  from  Messrs.  W.  S.  Lindsay  &  Co. 

It  was  not  until  1863  that  any  English  steamer  loaded  a 
cargo  direct  from  Hankow  for  Great  Britain.  The  third 
vessel  to  sail  was  the  auxiliary  screw  steamship  ROBERT 
LOWE,  also  belonging  to  Messrs.  Lindsay.  She  was  a  vessel  of 
1,250  tons  gross,  with  engines  of  only  80  nominal  horse  power. 
Her  average  speed  between  Shanghai  and  Hankow,  a  distance 
of  608  miles,  was  60  miles  per  day,  but  one  day  was  lost  in 
changing  her  propeller,  and  she  anchored  every  night.  She 
sailed  from  Shanghai  on  the  8th  May,  1863,  and  came  to  an 
anchor  off  Hankow  on  the  18th  idem.  On  the  10th  June  her 
cargo  arrived  alongside,  and  011  the  23rd  June  she  sailed  for 
Shanghai  and  London.  She  traversed  the  distance  between 
Hankow  and  Shanghai  in  57  hours,  the  current  being  with 
her.  Her  cargo  for  London  consisted  of  9,568  chests,  234 
half-chests,  and  2,064  boxes  of  tea ;  535  bales  of  cotton  and 
192  packages  of  sundries.  Her  freight  amounted  to  the 
respectable  sum  of  £10,315,  in  addition  to  which  she  earned 
£480  passage  money. 

In  1866  Mr.  Alfred  Holt,  of  Liverpool,  started  a  line  of 
steamers  to  trade  between  England  and  China,  via  the  Cape 


CHAP.   XXI.]  ITS  ORIGIN  AND  EXPANSION.  135 

of  Good  Hope.  Mr.  Holt  was  a  practical  engineer.  Having 
served  his  apprenticeship,  he  was  appointed  inspecting 
engineer  to  several  steamship  companies,  and  about  1850  com- 
menced as  steamship  owner  with  a  small  coasting  steamer,  the 
ALPHA.  This  steamer  was  succeeded  by  the  CLEATOR  and 
DUMBARTON  YOUTH,  sailing  between  Liverpool,  Cumberland 
Ports,  and  the  Bristol  Channel. 

Upon  the  outbreak  of  the  Crimean  War,  Mr.  Holt  secured 
several  remunerative  charters  from  the  Government,  and  in 
1855  he  inaugurated  the  first  line  of  steamers  between  Liver- 
pool and  the  West  Indies.  His  first  steamer  in  this  trade  was 
only  535  tons  burden,  but  she  was  so  well  supported  that  in  a 
short  time  a  monthly  line  of  steamers  of  larger  capacity  and 
greater  power  was  established. 

In  1863  Messrs.  Leech,  Harrison  and  Forwood,  and  Messrs. 
Imrie  and  Tomlinson,  entered  into  the  same  trade,  and  it  was 
considered  desirable  to  form  a  public  company  to  amalgamate 
these  three  undertakings.  A  company,  under  the  title  of  the 
West  India  and  Pacific  Steam  Navigation  Company,  Limited, 
was  consequently  formed  for  this  purpose,  with  a  capital  of 
£1,250,000,  which  was  at  once  subscribed. 

Mr.  Holt  now  directed  his  energies  to  the  Far  East,  and  in 
1865  despatched  his  first  vessels  in  the  China  service,  the 
AGAMEMNON,  AJAX  and  ACHILLES.  These  were  the  first 
steamers  to  apply  the  principle  of  compound  engines  to  long 
over-sea  voyages.  These  engines  were  in  use  in  the  ships  of 
the  Pacific  Steam  Navigation  Company  prior  to  this,  but  only 
in  those  steamers  employed  on  the  Pacific  coast.  The  perfor- 
mances of  the  Holt  steamers  had  been  hitherto  considered 
impossible,  and  even  now  in  the  twentieth  century  would  be 
considered  remarkable  with  boats  of  a  similar  size.  Starting 
from  Liverpool,  they  steamed  down  the  South  Atlantic, 
rounded  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  so  on  to  Mauritius,  a 
distance  of  8,500  miles  without  stopping.  From  thence  they 
proceeded  to  Penang,  Singapore,  Hong  Kong  and  Shanghai. 

These  three  pioneers  of  the  Anglo-China  trade  were  each 
of  2,270  tons  gross  and  1,550  tons  net  register,  with  engines 
of  300  nominal  horse  power,  and  their  principal  dimensions 


!;.}(}  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

were — length,  309  feet ;  beam,  38^  feet ;  depth  of  hold  to  spar 
deck,  28J  feet.  On  July  16th,  1869,  one  of  them  (the 
ACHILLES)  sailed  from  Foochow  for  London  via  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope,  and  arrived  011  the  16th  September,  having  been 
under  steam  58  days  9  hours,  during  which  time  she  travelled 
13,552  miles,  maintaining  an  average  speed  of  nearly  9J  knots 
throughout  the  whole  voyage.  This  was  one  of  the  last 
voyages  made  by  the  Holt  steamers  round  the  Cape,  as  two 
months  after  the  arrival  of  the  ACHILLES  at  London  the  Suez 
Canal  was  formally  opened  for  the  merchant  steamers  of  all 
countries,  and  from  that  date  all  the  steamers  of  this  company 
have  passed  through  that  waterway  on  their  voyages  to  and 
from  China. 

The  earlier  steamers  of  the  fleet  were  square-rigged  on  the 
fore  and  main  masts,  a  good  rig  when  it  was  desired  to  take 
advantage  of  the  favourable  trade  winds  and  monsoons,  which 
can  always  be  depended  upon  for  a  voyage  round  the  Cape, 
but  found  to  be  unsuitable  when  the  route  was  altered  to  the 
Suez  Canal.  The  square  sails  of  the  three  steamers  named 
were,  therefore,  removed,  and  the  subsequent  steamers  have 
been  constructed  with  pole  masts  only. 

Although  the  fleet  is  styled  the  Ocean  Steamship  Company, 
it  is  popularly  known  as  the  Holt,  or  "  Blue  Funnel  "  Line,  and 
has  only  recently  been  formed  into  a  limited  company. 

The  Holt  Line  steamers  do  not  carry  passengers  between 
Great  Britain  and  China,  but  they  are  great  favourites  with 
the  Moslem  pilgrims,  of  whom  they  carry  large  numbers  on 
their  journeys  to  and  from  Mecca. 

About  1891  the  Ocean  Steamship  Company  established  a 
monthly  service  of  mail  and  passenger  steamers  between 
Singapore  and  West  Australian  Ports,  and  in  1901  a  direct 
service  of  steamers  from  Glasgow  to  Australian  Ports  was 
opened  by  the  despatch  of  the  steamer  ORESTES. 

A  controlling  interest  in  the  China  Mutual  Steam  Naviga- 
tion Company,  Limited,  was  purchased  by,  and  the  fleet  of 
that  company  transferred  to,  the  Holt  Company  on  the  1st 
July,  1902,  with  which  addition  to  the  "  Blue  Funnel  "  fleet 
extended  operations  were  undertaken. 


B.  P.  HOUSTON  &  Co. 


RICHARD  HUGHES  &  Co. 


ISLE  OF  MAN  STEAMPACKET  Co. 


WM.  JOHNSTON  &  Co. 


W.  S.  KENNAUGH  &  Co. 


ALEX.  A.  LAIRD  &  Co. 


LAMPORT  &  HOLT. 


M.  LANGLANDS  &  SONS. 


JAMKS  LITTLE  &  Co. 


LIVERPOOL  &  NORTH  WALES  STEAMPACKET  Co. 


DAVID  MACBRAYNE. 


C.  MAC!VER  &  Co. 


DAVID  MAC!VER  &  Co. 


JAMES  Moss  &  Co. 


H.  &  W.  NELSON. 


J,  J.  MACK  &  SONS. 


PACIFIC  S.  N.  Co. 


P.  &  O.  S.  N.  Co 


F.  H.  POWELL  &  Co. 


R.  &  J.  H.  REA. 


CHAP.   XXII.]  ITS  ORIGIN  AND  EXPANSION. 


187 


CHAPTER    XXII. 
REMARKABLE    HISTORY    OF    A    GLASGOW    STEAMER. 


The    FERRET    s.s. 
chartered  by  Hender- 
son &  Co. — Sails   for 
the        Mediterranean 
and    disappears. — 
BEXTON  s.s.  sails  with 
a  cargo  of  coffee  from 
Santos,  and  also  dis- 
appears.— Seizure    of 
INDIA   s.s.   at  Melbourne. — 
Proved  to  be  missing  steamer 
FERRET,  alias  BEXTON. 


DECIDEDLY  the  most  dramatic  incident  ever  recorded  in  the 
annals  of  steam  navigation  was  the  theft  of  the  steamer  FERRET 
and  the  piratical  seizure  and  sale  of  her  cargo  of  coffee. 

The  FERRET  was  a  screw  steamer  measuring  170  feet  9  inches 
in  length,  23  feet  2  inches  beam,  and  12  feet  7  inches  depth  ; 
builders'  measurement  439  tons,  with  a  probable  carrying 
capacity  of  400  tons  dead-weight  cargo,  in  addition  to  coal  in 
bunkers.  She  had  compound  engines  of  90  h.p.  nominal,  and 
her  reputed  speed  was  12  knots  per  hour.  She  was  built  on  the 
Clyde  in  1871,  by  the  well-known  firm  of  J.  &  Gr.  Thomson,  for 
Messrs.  Gr.  &  T.  Burns,  of  Glasgow,  from  whom  the  Highland 


138  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

Railway  Co.  purchased  her  for  their  mail  and  passenger  service, 
and  she  held  a  Board  of  Trade  certificate  for  200  passengers. 

The  conspirators  who  succeeded  in  stealing  this  vessel,  laid 
their  plans  with  great  care  and  attention  to  details,  and  carried 
them  out  with  marvellous  audacity.  One  of  them  took  an  office 
in  Gracechurch  Street,  London,  and  obtained  a  supply  of 
printed  stationery,  describing  himself  as  kt  Henderson  &  Co., 
Ship  Brokers,  &c."  He  also  opened  an  account  with  the  .  . 
Bank,  in  the  name  of  "  Smith,"  taking  care  until  his  plans  were 
perfected  to  keep  a  respectable  balance  to  his  credit. 

Early  in  October,  1880,  the  plot  had  ripened,  and  one  of  the 
gang,  representing  himself  to  be  "  Mr.  Walker,  purser  of  the 
FERRET  s.s.,"  called  at  the  office  of  Douglas  &  Co.,  Union  Street, 
a  leading  ship-chandler's  firm  in  Glasgow,  and  ordered  a  large 
quantity  of  expensive  ship-stores.  The  stores  were  for  the 
account  of  Mr.  Smith,  who  was  referred  to  as  a  relative  of  Mr. 
W.  H.  Smith,  late  First  Lord  of  the  Admiralty. 

Naturally  references  were  required  and  were  freely  given. 
Mr.  Smith  had  chartered  from  the  Highland  Railway  Co.  the 
steamer  FERRET  for  a  six  months'  cruise  in  the  Mediterranean, 
his  wife  having  been  ordered  by  her  doctor  to  take  a  long  sea 
voyage.  The  FERRET  was  then  in  J.  &  G.  Thomson's  yard, 
being  overhauled  preparatory  to  the  cruise.  Both  of  these 
firms  could  be  referred  to,  as  well  as  Mr.  Smith's  bankers,  and 
Messrs.  Henderson  &  Co.,  Ship  Brokers,  Gracechurch  Street, 
London.  The  bankers  were  written  to,  and  replied  that  Mr. 
Smith  had  an  account  with  their  bank.  Henderson  &  Co.  were 
also  applied  to,  and  of  course  gave  a  very  favourable  account 
of  Smith. 

The  merchants  being  satisfied  wTit'h  the  result  of  their 
enquiries,  supplied  the  stores,  which  included  an  excellent 
selection  of  first-class  wines  specially  brought  from  London. 
The  account,  which  amounted  to  £1,490,  was  presented  to 
Walker,  who  gave  a  bill  at  three  months  endorsed  by  Smith.  It 
is  to  be  presumed  that  the  first-half  month's  charter  was  paid  as 
customary  in  cash  in  advance,  because  the  conspirators  having 
got  possession  of  the  FERRET  were  in  no  violent  hurry  to  get 
her  out  of  British  waters. 


CHAP.   XXII.]  ITS  OEIGIN  AND  EXPANSION.  139 

About  the  20th  October,  William  Griffin  joined  the  steamer 
at  Greenock  as  chief  engineer.  Although  Griffin  was  not 
placed  on  trial,  yet  it  is  to  be  noted  that  he  had  a  prior 
acquaintance  with  Walker,  who  had  introduced  him  to  Smith. 
It  is  also  undeniable  that  without  the  assistance  of  Griffin  and 
the  ship's  carpenter,  the  alterations  which  were  made  in  the 
steamer  could  not  have  been  effected. 

From  Greenock,  the  FERRET  sailed  in  charge  of  a  crew  of 
"  runners  "  to  Cardiff,  Robert  Wright,  alias  Carlyon  (a  confede- 
rate) being  master,  and  Walker,  alias  Wallace,  acting  as  purser. 
The  steamer  arrived  at  Cardiff  on  the  22nd  October  and 
remained  there  for  three  days,  taking  in  a  cargo  of  coals  for 
ship's  use.  The  coals,  of  course,  being  paid  for  by  valueless 
bills  on  London.  At  Cardiff  the  "  runners  "  were  discharged 
and  a  fresh  crew,  strangers  to  the  FERRET,  were  shipped.  Smith 
(otherwise  Henderson)  also  embarked  at  Cardiff,  accompanied 
by  "  Mrs.  Smith." 

The  FERRET  sailed  from  Cardiff  on  the  25th  October  and  put 
into  Milford  Haven,  probably  from  stress  of  weather,  where  she 
remained  for  about  a  week.  She  left  Milford  on  the  1st 
November,  ostensibly  for  Marseilles.  In  pursuance  of  this 
report,  she  passed  through  the  Straits  of  Gibraltar  on  the 
morning  of  the  llth  of  the  same  month,  and  showing  her 
number,  requested  to  be  reported. 

Having  steamed  out  of  sight  of  the  signalling  station,  the 
crew  were  set  to  work  to  change  the  colour  of  the  funnel  from 
white  to  black,  and  of  the  boats  (with  the  exception  of  two) 
from  blue  to  white,  and  at  nigilit,  with  her  lights  screened,  the 
FERRET  returned  westwards  through  the  straits.  While  passing 
through,  the  two  boats  that  had  not  been  altered,  some  empty 
casks,  several  life-belts,  and  other  articles,  all  having  the 
steamer's  name  painted  on  them,  were  thrown  overboard,  for 
the  purpose  of  making  it  appear  that  the  vessel  had  foundered. 
So  evident  did  this  seem  that  as  a  matter  of  fact  the  under- 
writers paid  the  Highland  Eailway  Co.  their  claim  for  the  total 
loss  of  the  steamer. 

That  same  night  all  the  crew  were  sent  aft  to  the  saloon, 
where  Smith  made  a  speech  to  them,  in  which  he  stated  that  he 


140 


THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 


was  a  political  refugee  from  the  United  States  ;  that  he  had 
purchased  the  FERRET  to  use  partly  as  a  yacht,  and  partly  for 
trading ;  that  after  he  had  traded  for  some  time  he  would  sell 
the  boat,  and  make  it  worth  their  while  to  keep  his  secret ;  but 
on  the  other  hand,  if  any  of  them  disclosed  anything  they  saw 
or  heard  on  board,  he  would  blow  their  brains  out.  The  crew, 
when  arrested,  alleged  that  it  was  the  fear  of  this  threat  which 
prevented  them  giving  information,  when  in  port,  of  what  they 
knew  to  be  suspicious  actions. 

Avoiding  the  Canary  Islands,  presumably  as  being  too  much 
frequented  by  British  shipping,  the  conspirators  kept  away  to 
the  southward  until  they  reached  St.  Vincent,  C.V.  Entering 


FERRET  s.s. 

the  harbour,  they  anchored  there  for  several  days,  during  which 
they  took  in  fresh  water,  and  a  supply  of  pigis,  poultry,  fruit 
and  vegetables,  paying  for  them  in  their  usual  manner  by 
means  of  worthless  bills. 

The  "  Times  "  (23rd  June,  1881)  Sydney  correspondent  states 
that  after  leaving  St.  Vincent  the  vessel's  name  was  altered  to 
the  BENTON.  But  this  seems  most  improbable,  #s  it  would  be 
apparent  that  the  FERRET  did  not  founder  in  the  Mediter- 
ranean, and  further  it  would  have  left  a  clue  by  which  she 
could  easily  have  been  traced.  The  truth  probably  is,  that  the 
alteration  was  made  immediately  she  got  clear  of  the  Straits  of 


CHAP.   XXII.]  ITS  ORIGIN  AND  EXPANSION.  141 

Gibraltar.  Be  this  as  it  may,  the  BENTON  s.  arrived  at  Santos 
on  the  26th  December. 

At  Santos,  Smith  went  on  shore  and  lost  no  time  in  opening 
negotiations  with  the  local  shipping  agents,  to  whom  he  stated 
that  the  BENTON  was  from  Cape  Town  in  ballast,  bound  for 
England.  The  negotiations  resulted  in  the  shipment  of  3,992 
bags  of  coffee,  consigned  to  various  consignees  at  Marseilles. 
Having  obtained  this  cargo,  the  BENTON  sailed  from  Santos  on 
the  llth  January,  1881,  but  instead  of  proceeding  to  Marseilles 
she  steamed  direct  to  Cape  Town. 

While  the  BENTON  was  steaming  across  the  South  Atlantic, 
the  Glasgow  holders  of  the  bill  for  £1,490  received  some  infor- 
mation Which  made  them  uneasy,  and  on  presentation  of  the 
bill  when  due,  it  was  dishonoured.  The  account  was  closed, 
the  balance  had  been  withdrawn,  and  the  acceptor's  where- 
abouts were  unknown.  The  holders  then  applied  to  Henderson 
and  Co.,  but  the  letter  was  returned — addressees  "  gone,  no 
address."  They  then  wrote  to  the  Highland  Railway  Co.,  and 
received  a  reply  from  the  Secretary  to  the  effect  that  the  High- 
land Railway  Co.  had  already  done  all  in  their  power  to  trace 
the  FERRET,  in  their  own  interests,  having  received  no  charter 
money  from  the  charterers  since  the  vessel  sailed  from  the 
Clyde.  They  had  been  in  communication  with  Lloyd's  and  the 
Board  of  Trade,  and  through  British  Consuls  and  Lloyd's 
agents,  enquiries  had  been  made  all  over  the  world.  About  ten 
days  before  the  receipt  of  the  merchants'  letter  the  Highland 
Railway  Co.  had  heard  that  the  FERRET  had  arrived  at  Malta, 
but  on  cabling  there  had  received  a  reply  denying  the  report. 
They  had  cabled  a  second  time,  ordering  the  vessel  to  be  seized 
at  Malta  in  the  event  of  her  putting  in  there. 

Meanwhile  the  BENTON  was  nearing  Cape  Town,  laden  with 
coffee  shipped  at  Santos.  During  the  voyage  further  changes 
had  been  effected  in  the  appearance  of  the  vessel,  and  the  name 
INDIA  was  substituted  for  BENTON.  The  original  name 
(FERRET)  had  previously  been  filed  off  the  ship's  bell,  and  now, 
as  a  further  precaution  the  ship's  number  on  the  main  hatch 
combings  was  altered  to  77,942.  The  INDIA  put  into  Cape  Town 
on  the  29th  January,  and  at  once  began  to  discharge  her  cargo. 


142  THE   HISTORY    OF    STEAM   NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

The  conspirators  had  provided  themselves  with  a  printing 
press,  and  had  all  necessaries  on  board,  as  well  as  Revenue 
Stamps  of  various  nations,  by  which  they  were  able  to  manu- 
facture the  vouchers  and  documents  necessary  to  the  success  of 
their  frauds.  At  Cape  Town,  Smith  produced  an  invoice  with 
a  printed  heading,  purporting  to  be  an  invoice  for  3,992  bags 
coffee  sold  by  coffee  planters  at  La  Guayra  (a  small  port  in 
Venezuela)  to  C.  S.  Henderson  &  Co.,  and  with  it  a  receipt  for 
the  amount  duly  stamped.  He  succeeded  in  selling  the  cargo, 
and  realised  by  the  sale  of  it  about  £11,000.  He  had  to  accept 
in  part  payment  bills  to  the  extent  of  £8,000,  drawn  on  the 
Standard  Bank,  Clement's  Lane,  London,  payable  nine  months 
after  date.  It  is  satisfactory  to  know  that  the  frauds  were 
discovered  before  the  bills  matured,  and  payment  of  them  was 
stopped.  After  the  discharge  of  the  cargo,  Smith  tried  to  sell 
the  steamer,  but  not  succeeding  in  his  attempt,  he  shipped  a 
quantity  of  coal,  and  sailed  on  the  14th  February  for  the 
Mauritius.  The  conspirators  arrived  at  Mauritius  on  the  1st 
March,  but  did  not  succeed  in  getting  any  plunder  there,  and 
so  they  "  cleared  out  for  Gruam." 

The  next  port  they  entered  was  Port  Albany  in  Western 
Australia,  from  whence  they  steamed  direct  to  Melbourne. 
Here  Wright  and  Walker  offered  the  steamer  for  sale,  but 
received  no  offers.  While  in  Melbourne,  several  circumstances 
made  the  Customs  officers  and  the  Harbour  Police  suspect  that 
there  was  something  wrong  about  the  vessel.  It  wras  observed 
that  the  fires  were  always  banked  so  that  steam  could  be  got  up 
at  the  shortest  notice.  Captain  Wright  never  left  the  steamer, 
and  none  of  the  crew  (except  Walker,  the  purser)  were  ever 
allowed  "  shore  leave."  The  Customs  authorities  instructed 
one  of  their  officers  to  make  a  special  investigation  of  the 
matter,  and  he  reported  that  there  was  no  steamer  of  the 
tonnage  given  registered  at  Lloyd's  in  the  name  of  INDIA,  but 
that  the  particulars  of  tonnage  and  dimensions  corresponded 
with  the  register  of  the  missing  steamer  FERRET. 

Noting  all  these  suspicious  circumstances  the  Customs 
authorities  determined  on  prompt  action.  Requisitioning  two 
crews  of  the  Water  Police,  as  it  was  feared  there  might  be 


CHAP.   XXII.]  ITS  ORIGIN  AND  EXPANSION.  143 

violent  opposition  on  the  part  of  the  steamer's  crew,  the  Com- 
missioner of  Customs,  on  the  27th  April,  seized  the  vessel. 
Fortunately  their  anticipations  as  to  resistance  were  not 
realised,  the  crew  surrendering  without  opposition.  Although 
the  authorities  had  been  extremely  cautious  in  their  enquiries, 
it  is  evident  that  the  conspirators  became  aware  of  what  was 


y 


The    Arrest. 

being  done,  for  when  the  steamer  was  seized,  Smith,  "  Mrs. 
Smith,"  and  Captain  Wright  had  fled.  The  previous  day  Smith 
and  Mrs.  Smith  removed  from  their  cabin  a  number  of  articles, 
and  amongst  them  two  heavy  iron-bound  boxes  which  were 
never  traced.  Smith  succeeded  in  getting  away  from  Mel- 


144  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

bourne  to  a  distant  township,  but  was  arrested.  Mrs.  Smith, 
who  had  disappeared  for  a  time,  when  she  heard  of  his  arrest 
reappeared  and  visited  him  in  prison.  The  object  of  her  visit 
may  be  surmised  from  the  fact  that  shortly  after  her  visit 
Smith  tried  to  escape  by  filing  through  one  of  the  bars  of  his 
prison  window. 

Captain  Wright  had  found  a  retreat  in  a  Melbourne  sailors' 
lodging-house,  but  having  got  drunk  and  quarrelled  with  his 
landlady,  he  was  thrown  out,  and  arrested  for  being  drunk  and 
disorderly.  When  the  charge  was  being  booked  at  the  police 
station,  he  was  recognised  as  the  missing  master  of  the  steamer, 
for  whom  the  police  were  searching. 

Confirmation  of  the  suspicions  which  induced  the  Commis- 
sioner of  Customs  to  seize  the  steamer  was  speedily  obtained. 
Traces  of  fraud  were  quickly  discovered  on  the  ship's  hull  and 
appointments,  and  in  the  ship's  books  and  papers — some  of  the 
latter  being  found  in  very  unusual  places  of  deposit.  Between 
the  leaves  of  the  log-book  a  seaman's  "  advance  note  "  was 
found  with  the  name  of  the  FERRET  on  it.  There  was  also 
found  a  MSS.  cypher  code,  by  means  of  which  communication 
might  be  made  between  those  in  the  vessel  and  others  on  shore. 
It  also  serves  to  show  the  unscrupulous  character  of  the 
criminals  and  the  extreme  length  to  which  they  were  prepared 
to  go.  One  or  two  quotations  will  illustrate  the  truth  of  this 
assertion  :  — 

"  Accept  charter  referred  to  and  lose  vessel  before  you  arrive 
in  port.  Don't  fail." 

"  Get  out  of  port  the  best  way  you  can,  but  sink  the  ship, 
before  you  allow  them  to  stop  her." 

"  Destroy  all  papers,  &c.,  and  sink  ship  if  possible,  or  burn 
her,  and  get  away.  Make  best  of  your  way  over  here." 

"  Things  going  wrong.  Mate  not  to  be  trusted  ;  shall  get 
rid  of  him." 

"  Things  going  wrong  with  some  of  the  crew ;  must  get  rid 
of  them." 

"  Things  going  wrong  with  the  whole  of  the  crew ;  must  get 
rid  of  them." 

"  Lost  vessel ;  landed  here  to  day  ;  all  hands  forward  lost." 


CHAP.  XXII.]  ITS  ORIGIN  AND  EXPANSION.  145 

"  Game  is  all  up  ;  all  discovered  ;  destroy  or  'hide  everything, 
and  make  yourself  scarce  ;  communicate  with  me  through  the 
arranged  channel." 

Among  the  papers  seized  was  a  card  of  a  13r.  Bonefin.  Now 
a  swindler  of  this  name — not  a  common  one — shortly  before  the 
arrival  of  the  FERRET,  was  convicted  for  obtaining  goods  under 
false  pretences  from  a  number  of  Melbourne  jewellers,  and  was 
sentenced  to  a  term  of  imprisonment  in  Pentridge  Gaol.  In 
the  cypher  code  referred  to  Melbourne  figures  as  51,  so  that  it 
is  extremely  probable  that  Bonefin  was  one  of  the  conspirators 
on  shore. 

A  Cabinet  Meeting  of  the  Victorian  Government  was  held 
on  the  9th  May,  and  on  the  following  morning  the  opinion  of 
the  Attorney-General  was  published  as  follows:  — 

"  The  Government  of  Victoria  seized  the  FERRET,  which 
"  entered  this  port  (Melbourne)  as  the  INDIA,  in  the 
"  interests  of  the  rightful  owners,  domiciled  apparently  in 
"  Great  Britain.  At  the  present  time  no  one  in  Victoria 
44  is  in  a  position  to  show  this  Government  such  a  title  to 
"  the  FERRET  as  would  clear  the  Government  from  possible 
"  liability.  It  appears  to  me  that  the  Hon.  the  Commis- 
"  sioiier  of  Trade  and  Customs  should  hold  the  FERRET 
"  till  proper  papers  are  produced  in  Melbourne  by  a  legally 
"  authorised  agent  of  the"  actual  owners,  whose  title  should 
"be  clearly  proved  by  the  needful  papers  from  England. 
44  This  being  done,  and  delivery  charges  paid,  the  ship 
"  should  be  delivered.  If  it  is  deemed  desirable  to 
"  expedite  delivery  of  the  ship,  this  Government  is  entitled 
44  to  require  that  the  Board  of  Trade  of  London  should 
"  give  a  certificate  as  to  the  owners.  Such  certificate, 
"  along  with  an  indemnity  to  pay  all  costs,  and  an 
44  indemnity  by  the  owners,  should  be  deposited  with  the 
"Agent-General  for  Victoria,  London,  who  should  tele- 
"  graph  any  instructions  the  owners  may  wish  to  give  as  to 
"  the  way  they  desire  the  ship  to  be  dealt  with,  and  this 
44  Government  should  then  act  accordingly.  At  the  same 
"time  it  would  be  well  to  learn  whether  the  Imperial 
"  Government  wished  to  take  proceedings  against  any  of 


146  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

"  the  offenders,  and  if  so,  what  course  it  intended  to  take. 
"  All  necessary  documents  and  evidence  should  be 
"  transmitted  without  delay.  The  master,  also  the  person 
"  who  represents  himself  as  the  owner,  and  another  person 
"  are  charged  here  with  forging  the  register  of  the  ship, 
"  that  offence  having  been  committed  with  a  view  to  a 
"  fraudulent  sale." 

Eventually  the  three  criminals  arrested,  viz.: — Smith  (alias 
Henderson,  alias  Benard),  Wright  (alias  Carlyon)  and  Walker 
(alias  Wallace),  were  indicted  on  three  counts:  — 

1st.  Conspiracy  to  defraud  the  owners  of  the  FERRET,  the 
Highland  Railway  Co. 

2nd.  Conspiracy  to  defraud  intending  purchasers  of  the 
FERRET  in  Melbourne  ;  and 

3rd.  Conspiracy  to  deceive  the  Commissioner  of  Trade  and 
Customs,  by  entering  the  vessel  in  a  false  name,  and  to  obtain 
a  certificate  of  sale  under  which  the  vessel  could  have  been  sold 
in  that  port. 

They  were  all  acquitted  on  the  first  count,  but  convicted  on 
the  second  and  third.  Smith  and  Walker  were  each  sentenced 
to  seven  years'  penal  servitude,  and  Wright  to  three  and  a  half 
years.  This  result  is  most  remarkable.  No  mention  is  made 
of  the  frauds  perpetrated  at  Glasgow,  Cardiff  and  St.  Vincent, 
C.Y. ;  nor  of  the  steps  taken  (if  any)  to  secure  the  confederates 
on  shore. 

As  for  the  unfortunate  crew,  who  had  received  no  wages,  they 
obtained  a  temporary  refuge  in  the  Melbourne  Sailors'  Home. 
The  after  history  of  the  FERRET  is  briefly  told.  She  was  pur- 
chased in  1885  by  the  Adelaide  Steamship  Company,  Currie 
Street,  Adelaide,  South  Australia,  and  is  at  the  present  date 
employed  by  that  company  in  the  Australian  coasting  service. 


CHAP.   XXIII.]  ITS  ORIGIN  AND  EXPANSION.  147 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Anglo-Canadian     Steamship     Companies. — Allan    Line. — Canadian    Pacific 
Railway  Co. — Dominion  Line. 

FOLLOWING  the  example  of  the  Imperial  Government  the 
Government  of  Canada  advertised  in.  June,  1852,  for  tenders 
for  the  conveyance  of  mails  between  the  United  Kingdom  and 
Quebec  and  Montreal  in  summer,  and  between  the  United  King- 
dom and  Portland,  Maine,  in  winter.  The  contract  was  secured 
by  Messrs.  McKean,  McLarty  and  Lamont,  of  Liverpool,  who 
formed  a  company,  and  despatched  their  first  steamer,  the 
GENOVA,  a  small  vessel  of  500  tons  register,  in  the  spring  of 
1853.  The  sailings  were  continued,  but  with  no  great 
regularity,  for  about  eighteen  months.  In  addition  to  the 
steamer  named,  the  CLEOPATRA,  of  1467  tons,  the  OTTAWA, 
and  two  chartered  steamers,  one  the  CHARITY,  built  for  the 
African  Steamship  Co.,  and  the  other  the  CANADIAN,  chartered 
from  Messrs.  Allan  Brothers,  were  engaged  in  the  service. 
On  the  outbreak  of  the  Crimean  War  the  OTTAWA  and  CHARITY 
were  taken  off  the  Canadian  service  for  the  conveyance  of 
troops  to  the  Crimea,  and  in  1855  the  CLEOPATRA  was  despatched 
from  London  to  Melbourne. 

The  Anglo-Canadian  Mail  Service  proving  unprofitable — 
a  natural  result  from  the  way  in  which  it  was  conducted — it 
was  transferred  to  the  Messrs.  Allan,  who  undertook  to  build 
a  fleet  specially  for  this  trade,  and  to  maintain  a  fortnightly 
service  to  Quebec  in  summer,  and  a  monthly  service  to 
Portland,  Maine,  in  winter,  for  the  annual  subsidy  of  £24,000. 
The  Allan  mail  service  to  Canada  commenced  in  April,  1856. 
A  weekly  service  was  instituted  in  1859,  and  has  been  continued 
until  the  present  day.  The  first  four  steamers  of  the  line 
were  built  by  Messrs.  Denny,  Dumbarton,  and  one  of  them, 
the  ANGLO-SAXON,  made  a  passage  in  nine  days  five  hours — 
which  was  considered  a  record  in  those  days.  The  HIBERNIAN, 


148 


THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 


CHAP.   XXIII.]  ITS  ORIGIN  AND  EXPANSION.  14<j 

built  in  1861,  was  the  first  steamer  in  the  Atlantic  trade  to 
have  a  spar  deck,  covering  the  main  de«k  from  stem  to  stern, 
affording  shelter  for  the  passengers  in  heavy  weather,  and 
found  to  be  so  advantageous  that  it  has  been  adopted  by  all 
the  other  first-class  Atlantic  companies. 

The  time  011  passage  was  further  reduced  by  the  POIANKMA.X 
in  1872.  On  her  first  voyage  this  steamer  made  the  passage 
between  Quebec  and  Londonderry  in  seven  days  eighteen  hours 
and  fifty-five  minutes. 

In  1877  the  BUENOS  AYREAN  made  her  appearance.  This 
vessel  is  remarkable  as  being  the  first  Atlantic  liner  con- 
structed of  steel,  the  material  of  which  all  ocean-going  steamers 
are  now  built. 

In  1881  the  PARISIAN  was  launched,  a  steamer  which  has 
always  been  a  favourite  on  the  route.  She  has  accommodation 
for  200  first,  100  second,  and  500  third-class  passengers,  and  is 
popularly  known  as  the  "  ladies'  ship,"  a  title  bestowed  upon 
her  because  she  is  credited  with  having  carried  a  larger  pro- 
portion of  lady  passengers  than  any  other  line.  The  three 
crack  boats  of  the  present  fleet  are  the  twin-screw  steamers 
BAVARIAN,  TUNISIAN,  and  IONIAN.  The  first  of  these  sailed 
on  her  maiden  voyage  to  Canada  in  August,  1899,  and  she  was 
followed  by  the  TUNISIAN  in  April,  1900.  The  IONIAN,  the 
latest  addition  to  the  passenger  fleet,  is  a  twin-screw  steamer 
of  9,000  tons.  So  far  as  outward  appearance  and  internal 
arrangements  go  these  are  sister  ships,  though  the  TUNISIAN  is 
10,576  tons,  against  the  9,000  tons  of  the  IONIAN. 

The  dimensions  of  these  magnificent  steamships  are  as 
follows :  -  length  520  feet,  beam  60  feet,  and  depth  43  feet. 

All  the  passenger  vessels  of  the  Allan  fleet  are  lighted  by 
electricity,  and  they  are  being  fitted  with  the  Marconi  system 
of  wireless  telegraphy. 

The  new  ship  (to  be  named  the  VICTORIAN),  now  being  built 
for  the  line  in  Belfast  is  to  be  supplied  with  Turbine  Engines. 
She  will  be  the  first  transatlantic  liner  to  be  fitted  with  marine 
engines  of  this  type. 

By  its  recent  purchase  (1903)  from  Messrs.  Elder,  Dempster 
and  Co.,  of  fifteen  large  and  full-powered  ocean  steamships, 


150  THK    HISTORY*    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART   I. 

the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway  Co.  has  placed  itself  in  the 
front  rank  of  steamship  owners.  Prior  to  this  deal,  it  owned 
the  steamers  ALBERTA,  ATHABASKA,  MANITOBA,  MICHIGAN,  and 
ONTARIO,  all  of  which  plied  on  the  great  inland  lakes  of  Canada 
as  adjuncts  to  its  train  services.  These  steamers  ranged  from 
498  tons  net  register  to  2,768  tons. 

In  1891,  the  Naval  Construction  and  Armaments  Co.,  at 
Barrow,  built  three  magnificent  mail  and  passenger  steamers 
for  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway.  These  steamers,  the 
EMPRESS  OF  CHINA,  EMPRESS  OF  INDIA,  and  EMPRESS  OF  JAPAN, 
are  almost  identical  in  measurement,  capacity  and  speed. 
They  are  each  455  feet  6  inches  in  length ;  51  feet  2  inches 
beam  ;  and  33  feet  1  inch  depth  of  hold.  They  are  propelled 
by  twin  screws  driven  by  a  pair  of  triple  expansion  engines  of 
1,167  horse  power.  These  three  steamers  have  maintained 
since  1891,  a  regular  mail  service  between  Vancouver,  B.C., 
the  Pacific  terminus  of  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway,  and 
eTapaii  and  China. 

The  steamers  TARTAR  and  ATHENIAN,  two  smaller  and  less 
powerful  boats  are  despatched,  as  intermediate  steamers,  at 
regular  intervals. 

From  Liverpool  to  Hong  Kong — over  sea  and  over  land — the 
Canadian  Pacific  Railway  Co.  stretches  a  long  unbroken  line 
nearly  12,000  miles  in  length. 

In  1870  Messrs.  Flinn,  Main  &  Montgomery  despatched  the 
ST.  Louis  from  Liverpool  to  New  Orleans.  She  was  the  pioneer 
steamer  of  a  Company  promoted  by  the  firm  named  for  the 
purpose  of  trading  between  Liverpool  and  New  Orleans,  and 
called  the  Liverpool  and  Mississippi  Steamship  Co.  The  views 
of  the  promoters  becoming  enlarged,  they  changed  the  name  of 
the  Company  in  1872  to  the  Mississippi  and  Dominion  Steam- 
ship Co.,  and  entered  into  the  Canadian  trade.  For  many  years 
the  steamers  of  the  Line  sailed  only  between  Liverpool  and 
Quebec  and  Montreal,  but  about  1891  a  second  service  was 
established,  with  sailings  to  and  from  Bristol  and  the  ports  on 
the  St.  Lawrence. 

In  1894  Messrs.  Flinn,  Main  &  Montgomery  retired,  and  the 
two  ^sections  of  the  business  were  taken  over — the  Liverpool 


CHAP.    XXIII.] 


ITS  ORIGIN  AND  EXPANSION. 


LSI 


service  by  Messrs.  Richards,  Mills  &  Co.,  and  the  Bristol  service 
by  Messrs.  Elder,  Dempster  &  Co. ;  the  former  continued  to  be 
known  as  the  "  Dominion  Line,"  but  the  latter  service  was 
merged  into  the  Beaver  Line,  and  as  such  formed  part  of  the 
fleet  purchased  by  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway  Co.,  referred  to 
in  a  preceding  paragraph. 

In  1902  the  Dominion  Line  was  acquired  by  the  American 
Shipping  Combine,  and  in  October,  1903,  a  further  change  was 
made  by  the  transference  of  the  latest  and  best  steamers  of  the 
fleet  to  the  White  Star  flag. 


152  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART   I. 


CHAPTER  XXIY. 

Kailway  Companies  as  Steamship  Owners.— South  Eastern  and  Chatham.— 
London,  Brighton  and  South  Coast.— London  and  South  Western.— Great 
Western. — London  and  North  Western. — Lancashire  and  Yorkshire. — 
Stranraer  and  Larne. — Caledonian. — Glasgow  and  South  Western. — North 
British.— Great  Central.— Great  Eastern. 

THERE  are  in  Great  Britain,  as  well  as  in  the  United  States 
of  America,  many  steamship  lines  which  are  either  owned  or 
controlled  by  railway  corporations.  On  the  south  coast  of 
England,  from  Harwich  to  Falmouth  inclusive,  almost  the 
whole  of  the  Anglo-continental  passenger  traffic  is  held  by 
the  great  railway  companies,  who  have  made  the  various  ports 
along  that  stretch  of  coast  their  termini.  In  the  North 
Country,  both  on  the  east  and  west  coasts,  with  a  few  important 
exceptions,  the  cross-channel  and  over-sea  traffic  is  operated 
by  steamship  companies,  which,  while  running  in  connection 
with  the  railway  systems  of  their  respective  ports,  are  entirely 
separate  and  independent  undertakings. 

The  South  Eastern  and  Chatham  Railway  Co.  has  now 
running  between  Dover  and  Calais,  the  new  turbine  steamer 
THE  QUEEN,  and  the  fast  and  large  paddle  steamers  EMPRESS, 
VICTORIA,  DOVER,  CALAIS,  LORD  WARDEN,  LE  NORD,  and  LE 
PAS  DE  CALAIS. 

In  connection  with  the  same  Company's  service  via  Folke- 
stone and  Boulogne,  the  fast  and  powerful  steamers  MABEL 
(TRACE,  PRINCESS  OF  WALES,  and  DUCHESS  OF  YORK  are 
employed. 

The  London,  Brighton  and  South  Coast  Railway  Co.  has  also 
added  this  year  (1903)  a  turbine  steamer  to  its  fleet  of  fast 
steamers  plying  between  Newhaven  and  Dieppe.  In  addition 
to  the  turbine  steamer  referred  to,  the  fleet  at  present  includes 
the  following  powerful  21 -knot  vessels  : — ARUNDEL,  CALVADOS, 
PARIS,  ROUEN,  and  TROUVILLE. 

The  London  and  South  Western  Railway  Co.  has  a  large 
fleet  of  about  twenty  powerful  steamers,  with  which  it  main- 


ROYAL  MAIL  S.  S.  Co. 


T   B   ROYDJKN. 


ALFRED  ROWLANDS  &  Co. 


J.  S.  SELLERS. 


SLIGO  S.  N.  Co.,  LTD. 


HENRY  TYRER  &  Co. 


WATERFORD  S.  S.  Co.,  LTD. 


WHITE  STAR  LINE. 


THOS.  WILSON,  SONS  &  Co.,  LTD. 


YEOWARD  BROS. 


STOTT  &  Co. 


J.  &   P.  HUTCHINSON. 


LEYLAND  LINE. 


ORIENT-PACIFIC  LINE. 


PALGRAVE,  MURPHY  &  Co. 


P.  HENDERSON  &  Co. 


N.  B.  RY.  Co. 


TURBINE  STEAMERS  LTD. 


J.  H.  WKLSFORD  &  Co. 


CHAP.    XXIV. 1 


ITS  ORIGIN   AND  EXPANSION. 


tains  daily  services  between  Southampton  and  Havre  and 
tri-weekly  services  between  Southampton  and  Cherbourg,  ;m<l 
Southampton  and  the  Channel  Islands. 

The  Great  Western  Railway  Co.  from  its  southern  terminus, 
Weymouth,  runs  the  Mail  Steamers  ANTELOPK,  (TA/KI.LK,  IBKX, 
LYNX,  REINDEER,  and  ROEBUCK,  to  the  Channel  Islands  and 
Brittany;  and  from  its  western  terminus,  Milford,  the  Mail 
Steamers  GREAT  WESTERN,  LIMERICK,  and  WATERFORD,  to 
Waterford. 

From  Holyhead  the  London  and  North  Western  Railway 
Co.  maintain  passenger  services  to  Dublin  and  Greenore.  It 


ARUNDEL.     London,  Brighton  and  South  Coast  By.  Co. 

is  also  interested  with  the  Lancashire  and  Yorkshire  Railway 
Co.  in  the  Mail  Steamers  sailing  nightly  between  Fleetwood 
and  Belfast. 

In  1902  the  Lancashire  and  Yorkshire  Railway  Co.  pur- 
chased from  the  Drogheda  Steampacket  Company,  for  the  sum 
of  £80,000,  the  entire  fleet  of  the  latter  Company,  consisting  of 
five  paddle  steamers  engaged  in  the  Liverpool  and  Drogheda 
Service.  The  Drogheda  Steampacket  Company  was  one  of 
the  oldest  Irish  Steampacket  companies,  having  maintained  a 
Steampacket  service  between  Liverpool  and  Drogheda  for 


154 


THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PAKT  I. 


upwards  of  sixty  years.  The  Lancashire  and  Yorkshire  Rail- 
way Co.  is  also  a  partner  in  the  Fleetwood  and  Belfast  Mail 
Service,  and  has  recently  extended  the  sailings  of  the  Fleet- 
wood  steamers  to  Londonderry. 

A  Joint  Committee  representing  several  railway  companies 
operate  a  Mail  Service  between  Stranraer  and  Larne.  The 
paddle  steamer  PRINCESS  VICTORIA  or  PRINCESS  MAY  sails  twice 
daily  during  the  summer  months,  and  once  daily  during  the 
winter  months  to  and  from  Stranraer  and  Larne,  making  the 
passage  each  way  in  about  two  hours. 


GLEN  SANNOX.     Glasgow  and  South-Western  Ry.  Co. 

On  the  Firth  of  Clyde  the  Caledonian  Railway  Co.  are 
interested  in  the  handsome  steamers  of  the  Caledonian  Steam 
Packet  Co.  These  vessels  carry  a  cream  coloured  funnel,  and 
sail  from  Ardrossan  to  Gourock  and  Wemyss  Bay.  All  the 
watering  places  on  the  Firth  are  served  by  the  respective  fleets 
of  the  various  railway  companies. 

The  Glasgow  and  South  Western  Railway  Company  owns, 


CHAP.   XXIV.] 


ITS  ORIGIN   AND   EXPANSION. 


155 


and  works  from  Prince's  Pier,  Gourock,  a  fleet  of  swift  steamers 
distinguished  by  their  slate  coloured  hulls,  with  red  funnels 
and  black  tops.  The  fleet  includes  the  GLEN  ROSA,  GLEN 
SANNOX,  JUNO,  JUPITER,  MARS,  MERCURY,  MINERVA,  XKITI  NK, 
and  others. 

The  North  British  Railway  Company  is  the  premier  Railway 
Company  of  Scotland ;  its  mileage  amounts  to  l,tt(M  miles.  In 
conjunction  with  the  Great  Northern  and  North  Eastern 
Railway  Companies  it  forms  the  "  East  Coast  Route  "  from 
England  to  Scotland,  and  the  fastest  booked  "  Railway  run  " 
in  the  Kingdom  is  on  this  route.  As  an  important  adjunct 
to  its  railway  system,  the  North  British  Railway  Co.  employ  on 
the  Firth  of  Clyde  (making  Craigeiidoran  the  headquarters), 


LUCY  ASHTON.     North  British  Ry.  Co. 

the  well-known  paddle  passenger  steamers  LADY  CLARE,  LADY 
ROWENA,  LUCY  ASHTON,  RED  GAUNTLET,  TALISMAN,  WAVERLEY, 
and  others ;  and  between  Silloth  and  Liverpool  the  screw  cargo 
steamers  ALBATROSS  and  KITTIWAKE. 

No  Railway-owned  steamers  ply  on  the  east  coast  of  Scotland, 
but  from  Grimsby  the  Great  Central  Railway  Co.  have  a  large 
fleet  of  passenger  and  cargo  steamers  sailing  regularly  to 
various  continental  ports.  In  July,  1865,  this  Company  (then 
known  as  the  Manchester,  Sheffield  and  Lincolnshire  Railway 
Co.)  purchased  the  Anglo-French  Steamship  Co.'s  fleet  of 
boats,  and  started  running  steamers  from  Grimsby  to  Hamburg. 
The  following  April  the  Railway  Company  commenced  a 
service  of  steamers  between  Grimsby  and  Rotterdam,  and  in 


15(>  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART   I. 

August,  1867,  the  service  was  extended  to  Antwerp.  At  the 
present  time  the  Great  Central  Railway  Co.  possesses  a  fleet 
of  fourteen  powerful  steamers  trading  regularly  between 
Grimsby  and  the  continental  ports  named. 

The  railway  company  remaining  to  be  mentioned  as  a 
steamship  owning  company  is  the  Great  Eastern  Railway 
Company — the  Royal  British  Mail  Route  to  Holland. 

The  steamers  of  this  Company  have  been  especially  built  for 
the  Continental  service.  The  Royal  Mail  steamers  AMSTERDAM, 
BERLIN,  CHELMSFORD,  DRESDEN,  and  the  VIENNA,  run  on  the 
Harwich-Hook  of  Holland  route.  They  are  powerful  twin-screw 
ocean-going  ships  of  5,000  indicated  horse-power,  capable  of 
steaming  18  knots  an  hour,  each  with  two  distinct  sets  of 
engines,  so  that  in  case  of  accident  to  one  set  the  vessel  can 
proceed  with  the  other. 

The  passenger  accommodation  is  similar  to  that  on  the  latest 
Atlantic  Liners,  a  special  feature  being  the  large  number  of 
private  cabins  for  two  passengers.  The  ships  are  fitted  with 
electric  light,  and  all  latest  passenger  comforts,  including  dining, 
smoking,  and  ladies'  saloons,  and  separate  sleeping  berths. 

The  vessels  running  on  the  Harwich-Antwerp  route  are 
similar  to  those  on  the  Hook  of  Holland  service. 

In  common  with  all  Railway  Companies'  steamers,  the 
Company's  vessels  sail  under  the  British  flag,  and  are  subject  to 
the  British  Board  of  Trade  stringent  regulations  as  to  safety  and 
life-saving  appliances. 


CHAP.   XXV.]  ITS   ORIGIN   AND   EXPANSION.  157 


CHAPTER     XXV. 

Turbine    Steamers. — TUBBINIA. — KING     EDWARD. — QUEEN    ALEXANDRA. — 
The  QUEEN.— The  EMERALD. 

THE  latest  development  of  the  marine  engine  is  the  Marine 
Steam  Turbine,  the  invention  of  the  Hon.  C.  A.  Parsons,  F.R.S., 
brother  of  the  present  Earl  of  Rosse,  and  a  son  of  the  builder 
of  the  famous  "  Birr  "  telescope,  the  largest  reflecting  telescope 
ever  built. 

The  first  vessel  ever  fitted  with  the  new  type  of  engine  was 
appropriately  named  the  TURBINIA.  This  vessel  is  only  100 
feet  long  by  9  feet  beam  and  of  a  total  displacement  of  44^ 
tons,  but  she  is  some  ten  knots  faster  than  any  boat  afloat  of  the 
same  dimensions.  Although  the  weight  of  her  main  engines 
is  only  about  4  tons,  and  the  total  weight  of  machinery,  screws, 
and  shafting,  tanks,  etc.,  is  only  22  tons,  she  developes  the 
enormous  power  of  2,100  I.H.T.,  being  almost  100  H.P.  per 
ton  of  machinery. 

Prof.  Ewing,  in  April,  1895,  made  some  trials  of  the  TURBINIA 
on  the  Tyne,  the  highest  speed  then  recorded  being  32'75  knots, 
but  in  June  of  the  same  year  a  speed  of  34^  knots  was  obtained 
at  Cowes. 

Three  turbines  are  used  for  driving  the  vessel — high  pressure, 
intermediate  and  low  pressure.  Each  turbine  driving  direct 
on  to  a  separate  propeller  shaft.  Reversing  is  obtained  by 
means  of  one  or  more  separate  turbines  connected  to  the  same 
shafts  as  the  propelling  turbines  and  working  in  a  vacuum 
when  the  boat  is  going  ahead. 

Several  torpedo  destroyers  and  three  yachts  have  been  fitted 
with  Parsons'  turbine  engines.  The  first  mercantile  vessel  to 
be  so  fitted  was  the  KING  EDWARD,  built  by  Messrs.  Denny 
Brothers,  Dumbarton,  in  1901. 

On  her  trial  trip  she  attained  a  speed  of  20J  knots,  and 
during  her  first  season  on  the  Firth  of  Clyde  (1901)  she  sailed 


158  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.  [PART  I. 

12,116  knots  in  79  days  on  a  coal  consumption  of  1,429  tons, 
at  an  average  speed  of  18|  knots  per  hour.  So  satisfied  were 
her  owners  with  her,  that  they  gave  an  order  to  the  same 
builders  and  engineers  for  a  somewhat  larger  vessel  for  the 
following  season. 

The  new  (1902)  turbine  steamer  is  the  QUEEN  ALEXANDRA, 
a  three-deck  passenger  steamer  intended  also  for  the  Firth  of 
Clyde  passenger  service.  She  is  270  feet  long,  by  32  feet  beam, 
and  depth  11  feet  6  inches.  She  has  two  funnels,  but  only 
one  pole  mast.  Her  main  deck  is  completely  covered  in  from 
the  bow  to  aft  of  the  engine  room,  and  above  the  spar  deck  she 
carries  a  shade  deck  100  feet  in  length,  to  which  passengers 
have  access,  and  iiiider  which  shelter  is  provided  in  wet 
weather. 

Like  her  sister  vessel,  the  KING  EDWARD,  the  main  engines 
of  the  QUEEN  ALEXANDRA  consist  of  three  separate  turbines, 
each  driving  its  own  shaft,  the  centre  turbine  being  high- 
pressure,  and  the  two  side  turbines  low-pressure.  The  velocity 
of  the  centre  shaft  is  about  700,  and  of  each  of  the  side  shafts 
1,000  revolutions  per  minute.  On  account  of  the  high  velocity 
at  which  the  shafts  revolve  it  is  necessary  to  increase  the 
number  of  propellers  driven,  and  the  turbine  steamers,  there- 
fore, have  five  small  propellers  each,  one  011  the  centre  shaft, 
and  two  each  on  the  outside  shafts.  On  the  builders'  trials 
the  QUEEN  ALEXANDRA  exceeded  the  speed  of  the  KING 
EDWARD  by  a  knot  and  a  quarter.  Her  actual  speed  was  21'63 
knots,  equal  to  about  25  miles  per  hour. 

Two  Channel  steamers  designed  to  carry  passengers  and 
mails,  and  to  be  fitted  with  Parsons'  marine  steam  turbine 
engines,  are  now  (1903)  being  built  on  the  Clyde  by  Messrs. 
Wm.  Denny  and  Brothers. 

Of  these,  one,  the  QUEEN,  is  to  the  order  of  the  South 
Eastern  and  Chatham  Railway  Co.  She  will  be  310  feet  long 
and  40  feet  broad ;  and  she  is  to  maintain  a  speed  of  at  least 
21  knots.  The  average  time  occupied  at  present  on  the 
passage  between  Dover  and  Calais  is  f>5  minutes,  but  the  new 
vessel  is  expected  to  reduce  the  time  to  50  or  even  45  minutes. 
The  mode  of  propulsion  is  practically  the  same  as  that  on 


CHAP.   XXV.]  ITS   ORIGIN   AND   EXPANSION.  15!) 

the  QUEEN  ALEXANDRA,  namely,  three  shall s  carrying  five 
propellers. 

The  other  Channel  steamer  referred  to  as  being  built  is 
intended  for  the  London,  Brighton  and  South  Coast  Railway 
Co.'s  service  between  Newhaven  and  Dieppe.  Her  dimensions 
are,  length  280  feet,  beam  34  feet,  draft  22  feet;  with  a  gross 
tonnage  of  1,100  tons. 

The  EMERALD,  one  of  the  three  yachts  referred  to  at  the 
beginning  of  this  chapter,  is  the  first  vessel  fitted  with  turbine 
machinery  that  ever  crossed  the  Atlantic.  She  arrived  at 
New  York,  after  encountering  tempestuous  weather  on  the 
passage,  on  the  6th  May,  1903.  Her  qualities  as  a  sea-boat 
were  severely  tested  during  the  voyage,  with  entirely  satis- 
factory results.  She  was  built  for  Sir  Christopher  Furness, 
M.P.,  by  Messrs.  Alerx.  Stephen  &  Sons,  Limited,  of  Linthouse, 
and  fitted  with  machinery  by  the  Parsons  Marine  Steam 
Turbine  Co.,  Limited,  of  Wallsend-on-Tyne,  and  it  was  found 
that  when  the  yacht  was  steaming  at  the  rate  of  15  knots  per 
hour,  the  machinery  ran  with  an  absence  of  vibration  and 
noise. 

The  EMERALD  is  a  vessel  of  756  tons,  yacht  measurement,  and 
was  chartered  by  Mr.  Geo.  Gould,  of  New  York,  for  six 
months  from  the  15th  April,  1903.  Mr.  Gould  sent  over  to 
this  country  Captain  Tod  to  navigate  her  across  the  Atlantic, 
with  instructions  to  further  experiment  on  her  steaming 
capabilities  at  sea,  and  to  carefully  observe  her  behaviour 
compared  with  the  other  large  steam  yachts  of  which  he  has  had 
charge.  On  the  termination  of  the  voyage,  Captain  Tod 
reported  -.hat  the  yacht  behaved  splendidly;  that  then1  was 
no  racing  of  propellers,  and  no  vibration;  and  that  the  coal 
consumption  was  moderate,  considering  the  weather. 

There  have  been  several  rumours  to  the  effect  that  the  new 
steamers  for  the  Cunard  Mail  Service  are  to  be  fitted  with 
turbine  engines,  but  these  rumours  have  not  been  officially 
confirmed.  In  any  case  these  steamers  could  not  be  completed 
in  time  to  take  from  the  Allan  Line  the  distinction  of  being 
the  first  Company  to  own  a  Transatlantic  Mail  Turbine 
Steamship. 


UJ 


THE 


History  of  Steam  Navigation. 


Part   II. 

HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES. 


CHAPTER  I. 
MESSRS.    ELDER,    DEMPSTER    &    CO. 

The  firm  of  Elder,  Dempster  &  Co.  was  founded  in  the  year 
1868  by  Messrs.  Alexander  Elder  and  John  Dempster,  two 
gentlemen  intimately  acquainted  with  the  working  of  the 
African  Steamship  trade.  For  11  years  they  were  the  sole 
partners,  but  in  1879  they  admitted  Mr.  (now  Sir  Alfred) 
Jones  into  the  firm,  and  Mr.  W.  J.  Davey  was  also  taken  into 
partnership.  The  original  partners,  Messrs.  Elder  and 
Dempster,  retired  from  the  firm  in  1884.  Mr.  Alexander 
Sinclair,  who  became  a  partner  in  1891,  having  retired  in 
1901,  the  sole  partners  at  the  present  date  are  Sir  Alfred  L. 
Jones,  K.C.M.G.,  and  Mr.  W.  J.  Davey. 

The  firm  is  one  of  the  largest  commercial  houses  in  the 
world,  and  in  all  the  various  branches  of  commerce  in  which 
it  is  interested  it  takes  a  foremost  position.  As  steamship 
owners  it  controls  the  largest  fleet  of  steamers  in  Great 
Britain.  The  business  of  the  firm  extends  so  rapidly,  and  new 
steamers  to  meet  the  necessities  of  the  several  trades  are  so 
frequently  being  added  to  the  fleet,  that  it  is  impossible  to 
give  a  list  of  the  vessels  owned,  or  under  the  management  of 
the  firm,  which  will  not  in  a  short  time  be  obsolete,  but 
according  to  the  official  sailing  list  issued  28th  March.  1903, 


162 


THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PABT  II. 


the  following  steamers  were  sailing  under  the  triple  flags  of 
Messrs.  Elder,  Dempster  &  Co.:  — 


LAKE  MEGANTIC. 
LAKE  MICHIGAN. 
LAKE  ONTARIO. 
LAKE  SIMCOE. 

LEON- Y-CASTILLIO . 

LOANDA. 

LOANGO. 

LYCIA. 

LLANDULAS. 

MADEIRA. 

MANDINGO. 

MAYDMBA. 

MELVILLE. 

MEMNON. 

MILWAUKEE. 

MONMOUTH. 

MONROVIA. 

MONTAUK. 

MONTE  AGLE. 

MONTE  ZUMA. 

MONTREAL. 

MONTROSE. 

MONARCH. 

MONTCALM. 


ABEOKUTA.  CAMEROON. 

ACCRA.  COOMASSIE. 

AD  ANSI.  CONGO. 

AKABA.  DAHOMEY. 

AKASSA.  DEGAMA. 

ALBERTVILLE.  DELTA. 

ANCOBRA.  DODO. 

ANDONI.  EGGA. 

ANVERSVILLE.  EGWANGA. 

ANGOLA.  EKO. 

ASABA.  EKURO. 

ASHANTI.  ELMINA. 

AXIM.  ETHIOPIA. 

BAKANA.  ETOLTA. 

BANANA.  FANTEE. 

BATHURST.  FORCADOS. 

BATANGA.  HAUSSA. 

BENGUELA.  IDDO. 

BENIN.  ILARO. 

BIAFRA.  ILORIN. 

BIDA.  JEBBA. 

BOMA.  KANO. 

BONNY.  KWARRA. 

BORNU.  LAGOON. 

BOULAMA.  LAKE  CHAMPLAIN.  MONTENEGRO. 

BURUTU.  LAKE  ERIE.  MONTEREY. 

CABENDA.  LAKE  MANITOBA.    MONTFORT. 

As  proving  the  difficulty  of  stating  the  number  of  steamships 
under  the  control  of  this  firm,  and  at  the  same  time  illustrating 
the  gigantic  nature  of  its  commercial  operations,  it  may  be 
stated  that  while  this  volume  was  in  preparation  for  the  Press, 
it  sold  to  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway  Co.  an  entire  fleet, 
consisting  of  fifteen  large  ocean  liners.  The  despatch  of  the 
last  Elder-Dempster  liner  under  the  Beaver  flag,  on 
Wednesday,  March  31st,  1903,  was  quite  an  historic  event. 
She  carried  with  her  the  first  portion  of  the  Rev.  J.  M.  Barr's 
colony,  numbering  about  2,000  souls.  Thousands  of  spectators 
lined  the  stage,  and  as  the  liner  sheered  away  cheer  after  cheer 
rent  the  air.  Sir  Alfred  Jones,  Mr.  W.  J.  Davey,  Mr.  David 
Tones,  the  Revs.  Canon  Russell  (Manchester),  R.  0.  Greep,  Dr. 
Lightwood,  S.  Gasking  and  H.  M,  JJraithwaite,  as  well  as  many 


MOUNT  EOYAL. 

MOUNT  TEMPLE. 

NIGERIA. 

NYANGA. 

OLENDA. 

ORON. 

PEREZ  GALDOS. 

PHILLIPEVILLE. 

PORT  ANTONIO. 

PORT  MARIA. 

PORT  MORANT. 

PORT  ROYAL. 

PRAH. 

ROQUELLE. 

S ANGARA. 

SANSU. 

SEKONDI. 

SHERBRO. 

SOBO. 

TARQUAH. 

TENERIFFE. 

VlERA-Y-CLAVIJO . 
VOLTA. 

WARRI. 
YOLA. 

YORUBA. 


CHAP.   I.]  HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES.  IfiJJ 

well-known  personages  in  shipping  and  commerce,  were 
present.  The  band  of  the  1st  Liverpool  Volunteers  played 
inspiring  music,  including  tunes  reminiscent  of  home  and 
friendly  associations,  first  on  the  stage  and  afterwards  on  the 
ship. 

Sir  Alfred  Jones  expressed  his  regret,  as  he  witnessed  the 
multitude  on  board  the  Lake  Manitoba,  that  he  had  consented 
to  sell  his  Canadian  fleet  to  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway. 
He  said  his  firm  had  worked  hard  to  develop  Canadian 
colonisation,  and  the  full  fruit  of  their  efforts  was  only 
becoming  visible  now  when  they  had  left  the  business.  He 
commended  the  object  of  the  expedition,  and  hoped  for  its 
success.  A  completely  equipped  colony  of  2,000,  with 
thousands  more  to  follow  in  due  course,  was,  he  considered,  a 
novelty. 

Reference  has  been  made  to  the  three  flags  borne  by  the 
Elder-Dempster  steamers.  The  Beaver  flag  no  longer  exists. 
The  other  two  are  (1)  the  white  swallow-tail  flag  with  a  red 
St.  George's  cross  (gold  crown  in  centre)  of  the  African 
Steamship  Co. ;  and  the  blue  swallow-tail  flag,  with  a  white  St. 
George's  cross,  of  the  British  and  African  Steam  Navigation 
Co.  A  brief  sketch  of  the  history  of  both  of  these  important 
companies,  as  well  as  of  the  Imperial  Direct  West  India  Mail 
Service  Limited,  will  be  found  in  the  succeeding  pages  of  this 
volume. 

The  management  of  any  one  of  these  fleets  would  be 
considered  ample  employment  for  most  mercantile  firms,  but 
they  are  only  units  in  the  business  conducted  at  that  large 
hive  of  commerce,  African  House,  Water  Street,  Liverpool, 
which  is,  by  the  way,  shortly  to  be  transferred  to  Colonial 
Chambers,  now  in  course  of  being  erected.  In  addition  to  the 
services  mentioned,  Messrs.  Elder,  Dempster  &  Co.  maintain  a 
service  of  Mail  Steamers  between  Antwerp  and  the  River 
Congo,  under  the  title  of  the  Compagnie  Beige  Maritime  du 
Congo,  an  inter-insular  Mail  Service  at  the  Canary  Islands, 
and  a  Coastal  Service  at  Jamaica.  They  do  also  a  large  Ocean 
Tramp  business,  being  prepared  to  carry  cargo,  when  sufficient 
inducement  offers,  to  and  from  any  port  in  the  world. 


164  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM   NAVIGATION.        [PART  II. 

It  is  the  existence  of  such  splendidly  managed  mercantile 
fleets,  such  as  the  Elder-Dempster  Line,  that  enabled  Great 
Britain  to  astonish  the  world  by  the  rapid  and  safe  transport  of 
troops  and  munitions  of  war  during  the  progress  of  the  late  War 
in  South  Africa.  Many  years  of  experience  in  the  management 
of  steamships  have  enabled  the  company  to  design  and  con- 
struct a  magnificent  fleet  of  fast  cargo  liners,  having  lofty 
'tween  decks,  and  fitted  with  anti-rolling  keels,  electric  light 
and  every  modern  improvement.  Several  of  these  were 
chartered  at  an  early  stage  of  the  war  by  the  British 
Admiralty,  and  retained  for  voyage  after  voyage  as  transports. 
Nine  steamers,  of  an  aggregate  gross  tonnage  of  52,000  tons, 
were  requisitioned  in  this  way.  In  addition  to  these,  the  firm's 
steamers  carried  with  remarkable  success  some  26,000  horses 
and  21,000  mules  from  New  Orleans  to  the  Cape,  and  some 
5,000  horses  and  3,000  mules  from  Canada,  Hungary,  the  River 
Plate,  &c.  It  may  also  be  mentioned  in  this  connection  that 
the  Elder-Dempster  Liner  MONTEREY  conveyed  "  Strathcona's 
Horse,"  the  MILWAUKEE  the  "  Royal  Canadians,"  and  the 
MONTFORT  the  Canadian  contingent  of  Baden-Powell's  Police 
from  Halifax,  N.S.,  to  the  Cape.  The  MILWAUKEE  was  the 
transport  selected  to  convey  General  Cronje,  his  family,  and 
over  500  Boer  prisoners  to  St.  Helena.  The  Elder-Dempster 
transports  had  the  good  fortune  on  several  occasions  to  be  able 
to  render  material  assistance  to  other  transports  which  had  met 
with  mishaps.  Thus  they  came  to  the  assistance  of  the 
CARINTHIA  a  few  days  after  she  stranded  at  Aux  Cayes,  and, 
taking  off  her  cargo  of  mules,  carried  them  011  to  their 
destination.  The  MONTROSE  turned  up  just  in  the  nick  of 
time  to  save  the  crew  when  the  ill-fated  MEXICAN  foundered 
off  the  Cape,  and  when  the  SUFFOLK  stranded  it  was  again 
an  Elder-Dempster  liner,  the  LAKE  ERIE,  that  came  to  her 
assistance,  and  did  all  that  was  possible  to  rescue  the  crew. 

In  the  summer  of  1902  Messrs.  Elder,  Dempster  &  Co. 
commenced  running  the  luxuriously  appointed  ocean  liner 
LAKE  SIMCOE  on  pleasure  cruises  to  the  Norwegian  Fjords. 
Those  persons  who  have  had  the  pleasure  of  travelling  by  this 
vessel  are  most  enthusiastic  in  their  praise  of  the  ship,  her 


CHAP.   I.] 


HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COM  I'AM  Ks. 


L65 


officers  and  her  equipment,  and  of  all  who  are  responsible  for 
the  comfort  and  enjoyment  of  the  passengers.  The  LAKK 
SIMCOE  is  probably  one  of  the  largest  pleasure  steamers  trading 
to  the  Norwegian  Coast,  but  her  rates  of  passage  money  are  by 
no  means  commensurate  with  her  size.  It  is  an  opportunity 
of  visiting  the  Land  of  the*  Midnight  Sun  in  comfort  and  even 
luxury  which  ought  not  to  be  missed.  The  fact  that  a  large 
proportion  of  the  commanders,  officers,  engineers,  seamen  and 
firemen  serving  under  the  firm  are  Royal  Naval  Reservists 
renders  the  Elder-Dempster  fleet  additionally  valuable  to  the 
nation. 


166 


THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART   II. 


CHAP.   II.]          HISTORICAL   STEAMSHIP   COMPANIES.  167 


CHAPTER  II. 
THE    AFRICAN    STEAMSHIP    COMPANY. 

Two  years  (1852)  prior  to  the  outbreak  of  the  Crimean  War, 
the  African  Steamship  Company  was  incorporated  by  Royal 
Charter  with  limited  liability.  The  initial  capital  was 
£250,000  in  12,500  shares  of  £20  each.  The  first  directors  of 
the  Company  were — Sir  John  Campbell,  K.C.H.  (Chairman), 
James  Hartley,  Esq.  (Director  of  the  P.  and  0.  Co.),  John 
Black,  Esq.,  Henry  William  Schneider,  Esq.,  Macgregor 
Laird,  Esq.,  Henry  William  Currie,  Esq.,  William  Law 
Ogilby,  Esq.,  and  Charles  William  Gregory,  Esq.  Bankers, 
Messrs.  Currie  &  Co.,  Cornhill. 

The  prospectus  of  the  company,  as  published  in  the  "  Times," 
13th  July,  1852,  was  as  follows:  — 

"  This  Company  is  formed  to  carry  out  a  contract  with  H.M. 
"  Government  for  the  monthly  conveyance  of  the  mails  to 
"  Madeira,,  Teiieriffe,  and  the  principal  ports  and  places  on  the 
"  West  Coast  of  Africa,  viz.,  Goree,  Bathurst,  Sierra  Leone, 
"  Liberia,  Cape  Coast  Castle,  Accra,  Whydah,  Badagny,  Lagos, 
"  Bonny,  Old  Calabar,  Cameroons  and  Fernando  Po ;  and  to 
"  establish  a  line  of  steam  communication  between  Sierra 
"  Leone  aiul  the  British  West  Indies  as  soon  as  satisfactory 
"  arrangements  are  made  with  the  Government. 

"  The  contract  for  the  mails  was  taken  by  Mr.  Macgregor 
"  Laird  in  December  last,  and  is  for  a  term  of  ten  years  from 
"  the  1st  September  next.  The  annual  payment  by  the 
"  Government  commences  at  £23,250,  and  diminishes  at  the 
"  rate  of  £500  yearly  during  the  continuance  of  the  contract, 
"  making  an  average  payment  of  £21,500  per  annum. 

"  Five  iron  screw  steamships  for  this  service  are  in  the 
"  course  of  construction  by  Mr.  John  Laird,  of  Birkenhead, 


168  THE    HISTOEY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 

"  with  engines  by  Messrs.  George  Forrester  &  Co.,  and 
"  Fawcett,  Preston  &  Co.,  of  Liverpool. 

"  The  first  of  these  vessels  is  to  be  launched  on  the  3rd  July, 
"  and  will  be  ready  to  commence  the  mail  service  in  accordance 
"  with  the  terms  of  the  contract  on  the  1st  September.  Two 
"  of  them  have  capacity  for  TOO,  two  of  them  for  1,000,  and 
"  one  for  250  tons  cargo,  with  excellent  accommodation  for 
"  first-class  passengers.  The  company  are  also  to  have  Mr. 
"  Laird's  services  as  Managing  Director.  A  negotiation  is 
"  going  on  with  the  Portuguese  Government  for  an  extension 
"  of  the  line  from  Fernando,  the  valuable  African  possession. 

"  Plymouth  will  be  the  first  port  of  arrival,  and  the  last 
"  port  of  departure  for  the  company's  vessels,  but  the  voyage 
"  will  terminate  at  and  commence  from  London." 

The  steamers  referred  to  were  the  FORERUNNER,  FAITH, 
HOPE,  CHARITY,  and  NORTHERN  LIGHTS. 

The  trading  operations  between  London  and  Africa  not 
being  profitable,  the  Board  of  Directors  (about  1860)  proposed 
to  wind  up  the  company. 

On  the  solicitations  of  Messrs.  Fletcher  &  Parr,  of  Liverpool, 
they  were  induced  to  try  the  trade  from  Liverpool  to  the  West 
Coast  of  Africa.  The  result  of  the  trial  was  extremely  satis- 
factory, and  Liverpool  became  the  home-port  of  the  fleet. 
The  business  of  the  company  increased  rapidly,  and  the 
shareholders  received  their  dividends  for  some  time  with 
gratifying  regularity,  but  unfortunately  about  ten  years  after 
the  change  from  London  to  Liverpool,  the  relations  between 
the  Board  of  Directors  at  the  former  port  and  the  managing 
agents  at  Liverpool  became  somewhat  strained. 

In  spite  of  a  great  financial  loss,  caused  by  the  defalcations 
of  the  Secretary ;  of  a  small  and  inefficient  fleet ;  and  a  policy 
011  the  part  of  the  Directors  which  was  decidedly  peculiar,  the 
company  maintained  a  struggling  existence  until  1891,  when 
it  passed  into  the  management  of  the  firm  of  "  Elder,  Dempster 
and  Co."  Under  the  vigorous  and  successful  management  of 
this  firm,  the  African  Steamship  Company  started  on  a  new 
and  prosperous  career.  Instead  of,  as  in  1875,  possessing  a 
fleet  of  seven  ocean  steamers  and  two  coast  vessels,  the 


CHAP.   II.]          HISTORICAL   STEAMSHIP   COMPANIKS. 

company  now  owns  thirty-three  modern,  large  and  powerful 
ocean  steamers,  ranging  from  1,000  to  5,200  tons  cadi,  ami 
six  branch  steamers,  four  of  which  are  1,000  Ions  cadi. 

An  Express  Service  to  the  Coast  has  been  established  by 
means  of  a  fleet  of  fast  steamers  of  the  JEBBA  type,  which  n-adi 
Sekondi,  the  centre  of  the  new  gold  mining  industry,  in  15  days. 
They  have  been  specially  constructed  for  the  trade  in  which  they 
are  engaged,  and  no  skill  has  been  wanting  nor  expense  spared 
to  make  them  the  most  perfect  of  their  kind.  The  passenger 
accommodation  has  received  special  attention.  The  saloons 
are  spacious,  the  staterooms  lofty  and  well  ventilated,  while 
extensive  promenade  and  bridge  decks  enable  passengers  to 
enjoy  the  invigorating  sea  breezes  secure  alike  from  sun  and 
rain. 

The  company  grants  special  facilities  for  visiting  the 
beautiful  islands  of  Madeira,  Tenerifie  and  Grand  Canary, 
issuing  special  holiday  tickets,  which  include  first-class  passage 
out  and  home,  and  a  fortnight's  board  and  accommodation  at 
the  Hotel  Metropole,  Las  Palmas,  for  £15.  Passengers  have 
also  the  option  of  returning  via  Barcelona  or  Genoa,  by  the 
steamers  of  "  La  Veloce  Navigazione  Italiana  a  Vapore  "  (The 
Italian  Express  Steam  Navigation  Co.). 

The  Royal  Mail  Steamers  of  the  African  Steamship  Co., 
conjointly  with  the  steamers  of  the  British  and  African  Steam 
Navigation  Co.,  sail  from  Liverpool  thrice  a  week  for  the 
Canary  Islands  and  the  West  Coast,  from  Hamburg  and 
Amsterdam  weekly,  and  from  Antwerp  (Cie  Beige  Maritime 
du  Congo)  for  Teneriffe,  Sierra  Leone  and  Congo  Ports  every 
third  wee!:. 


170 


THE    HISTOEY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 


CHAP.   III.]        HISTORICAL   STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES.  17 


CHAPTER   III. 

THE    BRITISH    &   AFRICAN    STEAM    NAVIGATION 
COMPANY,    LIMITED     (1900). 

THIS  Company  was  projected  in  1868  by  a  number  of  gentle- 
men practically  acquainted  with  the  trade  of  the  West  Coast 
of  Africa.  Amongst  these  were  Mr.  Alexander  Elder  and  Mr. 
John  Dempster  who  in  that  year  founded  the  firm  of  Elder, 
Dempster  &  Co.,  a  firm  whose  ramifications  during  these  later 
years,  under  the  guidance  of  Sir  Alfred  L.  Jones,  K.C.M.G., 
and  Mr.  Davey,  may  be  said  to  extend  throughout  the 
civilized  world. 

Three  steamers  of  about  1,300  tons  gross  each,  were  specially 
built  to  the  order  of  the  new  company,  by  Messrs.  Randolph 
Elder  &  Co.,  of  Glasgow,  for  the  West  African  trade,  and  were 
named  the  BONNY,  EOQUELLE,  and  CONGO. 

The  Pioneer  steamer,  the  BONNY,  sailed  from  Liverpool  in 
January,  1869,  and  thereafter  a  monthly  service  was  main- 
tained between  Glasgow,  Liverpool  and  the  West  Coast  of 
Africa.  After  several  years'  employment  in  this  trade,  the 
ROQUELLE  was  sold  to  Messrs.  P.  M.  Tintore  &  Co.,  Barcelona, 
and  is  still  sailing  from  the  Mersey  under  the  Spanish  Hag. 

So  successful  were  these  steamers  that  in  1869  it  was  decided 
to  add  three  more  to  the  fieet. 

The  new  steamers  were  the  LIBERIA,  LOANDA  and  VOLTA, 
also  specially  built  for  the  trade  by  the  late  Mr.  John  Elder, 
the  distinguished  brother  of  Mr.  Alexander  Elder,  whose  early 
death  towards  the  end  of  1869  was  so  much  deplored  by  the 
ship-building  and  engineering  world.  The  gross  tonnage  of 
these  three  vessels  was  increased  to  about  1,500  tons  each. 

It  was  considered  desirable  during  the  same  year  to  register 


172  THE    HISTOKY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 

the  Company. as  an  Incorporated  Company.  The  Eegistered 
Office  of  the  Company  was  in  Glasgow,  but  Mr.  Alexander 
Elder  and  Mr.  John  Dempster  conducted  its  operations  in 
Liverpool. 

With  the  six  steamers  the  Company  now  possessed  the 
sailings  were  increased  to  fortnightly. 

In  1874  the  sailings  from  Glasgow  were  abandoned,  cargo  to 
and  from  that  port  being  transhipped  at  Liverpool. 

As  the  trade  expanded,  additions  were  regularly  made  to  the 
fleet,  and  in  1879  sailings  between  Hamburg  and  the  West 
Coast  of  Africa  were  commenced.  In  1883  the  Company  was 
registered  as  a  limited  company,  at  which  time  its  fleet  had 
increased  to  20  steamers  and  2  hulks  with  a  gross  registered 
tonnage  of  30,753  tons. 

The  following  year  (1884)  Mr.  Elder  and  Mr.  Dempster 
retired  from  the  firm  of  Elder,  Dempster  &  Co.,  which  since 
1879  had  consisted  of  these  gentlemen  and  Mr.  (now  Sir  A.  L.) 
Jones,  and  Mr.  W.  J.  Davey.  Messrs.  Elder  and  Dempster, 
however,  remained  Managing  Directors  of  the  Company  until 
1900,  Mr.  Elder  having  for  some  years  previous  to  this  date 
occupied  the  position  of  Chairman. 

In  1900  Messrs.  Elder,  Dempster  &  Co.,  purchased  the  entire 
business  and  assets  of  the  British  and  African  Steam  Naviga- 
tion Co.,  Limited,  and  with  the  addition  of  9  large  steamers, 
suitable  for  outside  trades,  formed  a  new  company  with  a 
share  capital  of  £1,000,000,  and  Debenture  Stock  of  £800,000. 
The  new  company  has  a  fleet  of  35  steamers  with  a  total  gross 
registered  tonnage  of  107,000  tons. 

While  the  bulk  of  its  operations  continue  to  be  in  connection 
with  the  West  Coast  of  Africa,  several  of  its  steamers  are 
employed  in  the  North  Atlantic  and  other  trades. 

The  contrast  between  the  first  steamer,  the  BONNY,  and  the 
latest,  the  BURUTU,  built  in  1902,  will  be  seen  by  the  following 
comparison  of  their  respective  dimensions :  — 

BONNY,  length  261*0  feet,  beam  30'2  feet,  depth  23  feet. 
Gross  1,326  tons. 

BURUTU,  length  360'0  feet,  beam  44'2  feet,  depth  26  feet. 
Gross  5,200  tons. 


CHAP.   III.]        HISTORICAL   STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES.  173 

In  the  later  steamers  of  the  fleet,  the  vessels  of  the  BURUTU 
type,  traders  and  other  travellers  reach  Sekondi,  the  centre  of 
the  new  gold  mining  industry,  in  about  1'i  days  from  Liverpool. 
No  skill  has  heen  wanting  nor  expense  spared  to  make  these 
vessels  the  most  perfect  of  their  kind,  and  exactly  suitable  for 
tropical  trade. 

A  special  feature  of  the  steamers  is  the  system  of  overhead 
trunk  ventilation,  by  which  an  imperceptible  current  of  fresh 
air  is  kept  continually  circulating  through  the  lofty  and  well 
lighted  state  rooms,  making  them  cool  and  agreeable  in  the 
hottest  weather. 

Passengers  by  the  Royal  Mail  Steamers  belonging  to  the 
British  and  African  Company,  are  granted  special  facilities  for 
visiting  the  beautiful  islands  of  Madeira,  Teneriffe  and  Grand 
Canary.  The  Company  issues  a  special  holiday  ticket  for  £15, 
which  includes  Saloon  passage  out  and  home,  and  a  fortnight's 
board  and  accommodation  at  the  Hotel  Metropole,  Las  Palmas. 
Passengers  by  these  steamers  who  may  wish  to  visit  the  Medi- 
terranean, have  also  the  option  of  returning  from  the  islands  via 
Barcelona  or  Genoa,  by  the  steamers  of  the  Italian  Express 
Steam  Navigation  Co. 

The  Royal  Mail  Steamers  of  the  British  and  African  Steam 
Navigation  Co.,  conjointly  with  the  steamers  of  the  African 
Steam  Ship  Co.,  sail  from  Liverpool  three  times  a  week  for  the 
Canary  Islands  and  the  West  Coast  of  Africa,  and  from 
Hamburg  and  Rotterdam  weekly. 


174 


THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 


CHAP.   TV.]        HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP   COMPANIES.  175 


CHAPTER   IY. 

IMPERIAL    DIRECT    WEST     INDIA     MAIL 
SERVICE,    LIMITED. 

FOR  years  the  Island  of  Jamaica,  the  Pearl  of  the  Antilles,  had 
been  decadent,  its  planters  cast  down  and  despairing  because 
it  was  impossible,  owing  to  the  heavily  subsidized  continental 
beet  sugar,  to  grow  cane  sugar  at  a  profit.  And,  although 
physicians  in  the  United  States  were  sending  their  patients  to 
seek  renewed  health  and  energy  "  from  the  balmy  breezes 
laden  with  health  giving  ozone  which  blow  over  the  island," 
British  Life  Insurance  offices  placed  a  black  mark  against 
Jamaica,  and  demanded  an  additional  premium  from  their 
policy  holders  for  permission  to  visit  its  shores.  But  the  dark 
commercial  cloud  is  passing,  and  the  island  has  entered  upon 
an  era  of  prosperity  which  bids  fair  to  be  greater  and  more 
permanent  than  even  the  golden  days  of  the  sugar  planter. 
It  is  an  open  secret  that  for  this  the  Jamaicans  are  indebted  in 
great  measure  to  the  enterprise  of  Messrs.  Elder,  Dempster 
and  Co.,  who  have  practically  created  the  demand  in  Great 
Britain  for  Jamaica  grown  fruits,  and  who  have  established 
a  service  of  swift  steamers,  specially  built  for  the  trade.  This 
Line  of  steamers,  which  is  known  as  the  Imperial  Direct  West 
India  Mail  Service  although  only  established  in  the  first  year 
of  the  present  centuiy,  has  already  achieved  a  remarkable 
success.  In  addition  to  bringing  to  England  over  50,000 
bunches  of  bananas  per  month,  as  well  as  other  West  Indian 
fruits,  tobacco,  coffee,  sugar,  rum,  and  other  varieties  of 
tropical  produce,  the  steamers  carry  a  large  and  increasing 
number  of  passengers  each  voyage  between  Great  Britain  and 
the  colony. 


176 


THE    HISTOEY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 


The  home  port  of  the  steamers  is  Avonmouth,  near  Bristol, 
from  which  a  fortnightly  sailing  is  maintained  throughout  the 
year  to  Kingston  (Jamaica),  but  it  is  probable  that  the  service 
will  soon  be  increased  to  a  weekly  one.  In  recognition  of  the 
invaluable  services  rendered  by  these  steamers  both  to  the 
Empire  and  to  the  colony,  their  Royal  Highnesses  the  Prince 
and  Princess  of  Wales  paid  a  visit  of  inspection  to  the  II. M.S. 
POET  ROYAL,  at  Avonmouth,  on  the  5th  March,  1902. 

The  vessels  at  present  engaged  in  the  direct  Mail  Service 
were  all  built  in  1901,  and  are  named,  the  PORT  ROYAL,  PORT 
ANTONIO,  PORT  MORANT,  and  PORT  MARIA.  The  first  two 
steamers  named  are  sister  ships  and  are  identical  in  measure- 
ment, viz.,  length  382  feet,  beam  4G  feet  6  inches,  and  depth 
32  feet.  Each  is  propelled  by  twin  screws,  and  fitted  with 
triple  expansion  engines  capable  of  maintaining  a  speed  of  14 
knots  per  hour,  and  carries  about  5,000  tons  cargo.  They  can 
each  accommodate  100  first-class  passengers  and  50  second- 
class  passengers.  The  saloons  and  staterooms  are  handsomely 
decorated,  and  are  fitted  so  as  to  secure  a  maximum  of  comfort 
for  the  passengers.  The  cuisine  and  the  appointments  gener- 
ally being  those  appertaining  to  a  first-class  mail  and 
passenger  steamer. 

A  new  mail  steamer  of  considerably  larger  dimensions  than 
any  of  the  preceding  steamers  of  the  fleet,  is  now  in  course  of 
construction  and  is  expected  to  make  her  first  voyage  early  in 
1904.  It  is  proposed  to  call  her  the  PORT  KINGSTON. 

These  steamers  sail  from  Avonmouth  Dock,  Bristol,  every 
alternate  Saturday,  and  make  the  voyage  as  a  rule  in  from  12 
to  14  days.  The  rates  for  passengers  are: — Saloon  (single) 
£18  to  £25  pounds;  (return)  £32  to  £40,  according  to  the 
position  of  the  state-room,  and  number  of  persons  occupying 
same.  In  the  second  saloon  the  charge  is  £14  for  the  single 
passage,  and  £25  for  the  return. 

The  DELTA,  belonging  to  the  same  Company,  makes  a  trip 
round  Jamaica  every  week ;  she  has  first-class  accommodation 
for  passengers,  and  affords  a  splendid  opportunity  of  seeing 
the  coast  and  towns  around  the  Island.  The  charge  for  first- 
class  passengers  is  £3  for  the  round  trip. 


CHAP.   IV.]        HISTORICAL   STEAMSHIP   COMPANIES.  177 

Arrangements  have  been  made  with  the  Hamburg- American 
Line,  running  between  Kingston  (Jamaica)  and  Central  Ameri- 
can Ports,  to  carry  passengers  booked  by  Imperial  Direct  West 
India  Line  of  Steamers  to  the  following  Central  American  Ports, 
viz.,  Savanilla,  Cartagena,  Port  Limon,  and  Greytown,  at  an 
inclusive  first-class  fare  between  Kingston  and  any  of  the 
above  Ports  of  £6  3s.  per  adult.  Passengers  travelling  on 
these  tickets  will  be  accommodated  on  special  terms  at  the 
Myrtle  Bank  Hotel  (Kingston),  during  the  time  between  the 
arrival  of  the  Mail  Steamers  and  the  departure  of  the  Steamer 
of  the  Hamburg-American  Line.  There  is  also  a  good  service 
from  Kingston  to  Cuba.  The  Cuba  steamer  leaves  Kingston 
the  day  after  the  arrival  of  the  mail  steamer  from  England. 

Passengers  can  also  be  booked  through,  via  the  Colon  and 
Panama  Railway,  to  the  principal  ports  on  the  Chilian  Coast. 
The  steamers  of  the  Pacific  Mail  Co.  and  Campania  Sud- 
Americana  Co.  leave  Panama  weekly  for  the  South,  reaching 
Callao  in  about  nine  days  and  arriving  at  Valparaiso  in  about 
21  days.  Seeing  that  for  years  past  the  climate  of  Jamaica 
has  been  libelled  as  unhealthy,  it  cannot  be  too  strongly 
affirmed,  that  from  a  medical  point  of  view,  the  wonderful  air 
of  the  hilly  districts  is  unrivalled ;  it  being  in  every  way  equal 
to  that  of  the  better  known  European  winter  resorts,  to  which  it 
bids  fair  to  become  a  serious  rival. 


178  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.        [PART  II. 


R.M.S.  ULSTER.      City  of  Dublin  Steampacket  Co. 


CHAP.   V.J          HISTOEICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES,  179 


CHAPTER    V. 

THE    CITY    OF    DUBLIN    STEAMPACKET 
COMPANY. 

IN  the  summer  of  the  year  1822  Mr.  C.  W.  Williams,  of 
Dublin,  crossed  over  to  Liverpool  with  the  object  of  inducing 
the  merchants  to  take  shares  in  a  line  of  steampackets  he 
proposed  building  for  the  Liverpool  and  Dublin  trade.  Except 
to  the  most  sanguine,  the  time  did  not  appear  to  be  favourable 
for  such  a  scheme.  A  large  fleet  of  sailing  smacks  maintained 
daily  communication  (subject  to  the  weather)  between  the 
two  ports,  carrying  all  kinds  of  goods,  and  even  cattle.  The 
steampackets  WATERLOO  and  BELFAST  sailed  with  passengers 
only  every  alternate  day  from  each  side.  Both  these  vessels 
had  already  won  for  themselves  a  reputation,  the  former  being 
the  first  steampacket  to  ply  regularly  between  England  and 
Ireland,  and  the  latter  having  made  a  passage  in  the  then 
remarkably  short  time  of  12^  hours.  Besides  this,  "  The 
Original  Steampacket  Company,"  a  new  company  (with 
powerful  Government  influence),  including  amongst  its  share- 
holders Lord  Blaney,  Major-General  Preeth,  Sir  John  Tobin, 
&c.,  and  trading  under  the  title  of  the  St.  George  Steampacket 
Companv,  had  in  April  preceding  launched  two  of  the  largest 
and  most  powerful  steampackets  that  had  yet  been  built,  viz., 
the  ST.  PATRICK  and  the  ST.  GEORGE.  This  latter  vessel  011 
the  13th  September  made  a  passage  from  Dublin  in  11|  hours, 
thus  making  a  record  which  she  herself  broke  on  the  23rd 
April,  1824,  by  making  a  passage  from  Liverpool  to  Dublin 
in  10  hours  40  minutes.  In  addition  to  the  already  established 
steam  and  sailing  lines,  a  third  local  steampacket  company, 
supported  by  the  traders,  the  "  Dublin  and  Liverpool  Steam 
Navigation  Company,"  was  in  course  of  formation.  It  is  not, 


180  THE    HISTOEY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 

therefore,  surprising  under  these  circumstances  that  Mr. 
Williams,  a  stranger  in  Liverpool,  failed  to  obtain  the 
financial  support  to  his  scheme  which  he  desired.  It  is  the 
more  to  his  credit  that,  though  disappointed  in  Liverpool,  he 
persevered  with  his  project  in  Dublin  with  so  much  success 
that  he  was  enabled  to  return  to  Liverpool  in  February  of  the 
following  year  (1823)  and  place  an  order  with  "  Frigate " 
Wilson  for  the  pioneer  steamer  of  the  future  famous  City  of 
Dublin  Steampacket  Company,  the  CITY  OF  DUBLIN,  a  vessel 
of  130  h.p.  It  was  an  express  stipulation  with  the  builder 
that  this  steamer  should  be  constructed  of  such  materials  and 
in  such  a  manner  as  to  withstand  the  severity  of  the  winter 
navigation.  The  CITY  OF  DUBLIN  differed  from  her  com- 
petitors in  two  respects — (1)  in  carrying  general  cargo  in 
addition  to  live  stock  and  passengers,  and  (2)  in  maintaining 
the  service  uninterruptedly  throughout  the  twelve  months. 

A  month  later  Mr.  Wilson  was  again  applied  to  to  build  a 
second  vessel  for  the  company,  but  in  consequence  of  his 
having  that  very  morning  (5th  March)  contracted  to  build  the 
HY.  BELL  for  the  Glasgow  trade,  it  was  not  till  some  days 
later  the  contract  was  made  for  the  building  of  the  TOWN  OF 
LIVERPOOL,  to  be  commenced  as  soon  as  the  HY.  BELL  was 
launched. 

The  CITY  OF  DUBLIN  made  her  maiden  voyage  on  Saturday, 
the  20th  March,  1824,  and  Mr.  Samuel  Perry,  of  16,  Water 
Street,  was  appointed  agent  to  the  company.  She  anticipated 
by  about  six  months  the  operations  of  the  traders'  company 
(the  Dublin  and  Liverpool  Steam  Navigation),  whose  first 
steamer,  the  LIFFEY,  305  tons  burden,  and  110  h.p.,  did  not 
sail  until  the  13th  September  following.  From  the  outset  the 
managers  of  the  City  of  Dublin  Company  seemingly  did  not 
regard  the  Original  Steampacket  Company  as  formidable 
opponents,  but  they  determined  either  to  vanquish  or  acquire 
the  other  two  companies,  the  greater  of  which  was  the  St. 
George  Steampacket  Company.  The  second  company  was  well 
supported  by  the  Liverpool  merchants,  and  kept  its  sailings 
(with  goods  and  passengers)  throughout  the  year.  In  December 
of  the  same  year  (1824)  the  MERSEY  joined  the  LIFFEY,  and  in 


CHAP.  V.]          HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES.  181 

the  July  following  the  COMMERCE,  one  of  the  largest  steam- 
packets  (up  to  that  date)  built  in  this  port,  was  added  to  the 
fleet.  This  company's  packets  proceeded  direct  to  Dublin,  and 
discharged  at  Custom  House  Quay.  On  Saturday,  5th 
February,  1825,  the  third  vessel  belonging  to  the  City  of 
Dublin  Steampacket  Company  was  launched  from  the  yard  of 
Dawson  and  Pearson,  South  Shore,  and  on  the  22nd  April 
succeeding  the  managers  issued  the  following  public  notice :  — 

"  The  City  of  Dublin  Steampacket  Company  announce  to  the 
"  public  that  in  consequence  of  the  many  complaints  hitherto 
"  made  of  want  of  storage  room  in  Dublin  for 
"  goods  going  and  coming  by  their  steam  vessels,  they 
"  have  taken  the  lot  of  ground  immediately  opposite  the 
"  Packet  Station  on  the  North  Wall,  and  are  about  to  erect  a 
"  convenient  and  commodious  store  on  the  same  for  the  accom- 
"  modation  of  the  merchants  and  traders  of  Dublin.  The 
"  Company  have  increased  their  capital  to  £100,000,  and  are 
"  proceeding  with  every  possible  expedition  in  completing 
"  their  number  of  vessels,  by  which  means  they  will  shortly  be 
"  able  to  despatch  one  daily  from  Dublin  and  another  from 
"  Liverpool.  The  trustees  have  reserved  the  remainder  of  the 
"  shares  now  unappropriated  exclusively  for  the  accommoda- 
"  tion  of  shippers  and  importers.  Their  vessels,  the  CITY  OF 
"  DUBLIN  and  TOWN  OF  LIVERPOOL,  continue  to  ply  as  usual. 
"  Their  third  and  fourth  vessels,  the  HIBERNIA  and  BRITANNIA, 
"  are  nearly  complete,  and  the  fifth  and  sixth  will  be  ready  by 
"  the  end  of  the  year." 

During  the  summer  of  1825  the  City  of  Dublin  Company 
despatched  their  new  steamer  HIBERNIA  on  the  same  day  and 
at  the  same  hour  as  the  ST.  GEORGE.  They  were  careful  to 
inform  those  interested  that  this  was  done  "  not  with  a  view 
u  of  opposition,  but  for  the  purpose  of  establishing  her  (the 
"  HIBERNIA'S)  character  for  speed  and  seaworthiness."  They 
were  equally  careful  to  point  out  that  "  the  HIBERNIA  has 
"  already  made  six  voyages  in  company  with  the  ST.  GEORGE, 
"  and  has  on  all  occasions  proved  herself  an  extremely  safe 
"  and  fleet  vessel,  and  not  inferior  to  that  well-known 
"  Steampacket."  They  also  mentioned  the  inconvenience, 


182 


THE    HISTOKY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 


delay  and  expense  of  landing  by  boats  at  Kingstown,  all  of 
which  might  be  avoided  by  taking  their  magnificent  steam  - 
packets  direct  to  North  Wall. 

The  St.  George  Company  replied  to  this  courteous  announce- 
ment by  also  informing  the  public  that  the  companionship  of 
the  HIBERNIA  was  unsought  for  and  undesired  by  them.  It 
was  not  to  be  expected  that  the  Liverpool  companies  would 
permit  a  strange  company  to  take  a  lion's  share  of  the  trade, 
and  not  make  a  practical  protest.  Consequently,  in  the 
autumn  of  1825,  the  fares  from  Liverpool  to  Dublin  were 
reduced  to  5s.  cabin  and  6d.  steerage,  and  on  Monday, 
September  5th,  one  of  the  steamers  sailed  with  upwards  of  700 
passengers  at  6d.  each.  Early  the  following  year  (1st 
February,  1826)  the  managers  of  the  City  of  Dublin  Steam- 
packet  Company  purchased  the  Dublin  and  Liverpool  Steam 
Navigation  Company,  and  increased  the  capital  of  the  company 
to  £250,000,  in  shares  of  £100  each.  Shareholders,  in  addition 
to  their  share  of  the  profits  of  the  undertaking,  were  offered 
the  following  advantages :  — 

(1)  Free  passage  by  all  the  company's  vessels. 

(2)  Free  storage  for  a  limited  time  in  the  company's  stores. 

(3)  Special  accommodation  in  the  payment  of  freights  and 
charges. 

The  company  having  grown  with  a  rapidity  probably 
without  a  parallel,  decided  to  extend  its  sailings  to  Belfast  and 
Waterford,  and,  if  desirable,  to  other  ports.  It  had  now  a 
fleet  (afloat  or  building)  of  fourteen  new  and  powerful 
steamers,  viz.,  CITY  OF  DUBLIN,  TOWN  or  LIVERPOOL,  HIBERNIA, 
BRITANNIA,  LIFFEY,  MERSEY,  COMMERCE,  MONA,  LEEDS,  GIPSEY, 
MANCHESTER,  BIRMINGHAM,  SHEFFIELD  and  NOTTINGHAM.  On 
the  29th  August,  1826,  the  Government  established  a  mail 
service  between  Liverpool  and  Kingstown,  with  most  injurious 
results  to  the  existing  steampacket  companies.  The  managers 
of  the  City  of  Dublin  Company  interviewed  the  Secretary  to 
the  General  Post  Office  in  order  to  obtain  some  modification 
of  the  opposition,  but  without  being  able  to  do  so.  They 
thereupon  published  the  result  of  their  negotiations,  and 
appealed  to  the  public  for  support  against  the  unjustifiable 


CHAP.   V.]  HISTORICAL   STEAMSHIP   COMPANIES.  IH:$ 

action  shown  by  the  Government.  "  The  Post  Office  having 
"  now  established  packets  on  the  station,  have,  with  a  view  of 
"  covering  the  heavy  expenses  incident  to  the  same, 
"  endeavoured  to  engross  the  trade  in  passengers,  carriages, 
"  horses,  &c.,  to  the  great  injury  of  this  and  other  companies  : 
"  while  at  the  same  time  they  are  exempt  from  the  payment 
"  of  port  dues  and  other  charges  ....  which  are  already  a 
"  tax  on  this  company  to  the  amount  of  £10,000  per  annum. 
"  Under  terms  so  unequal  and  disadvantageous,  it  is  evident 
"  this  opposition  has  none  of  the  ingredients  of  fair  opposition, 
"  were  such  even  justifiable,  where  Government  on  the  one 
"  hand,  and  private  shipowners  on  the  other,  are  the 
"  competitors." 

At  this  period  (1827)  there  was  considerable  friction  between 
the  Mersey  Dock  Board  and  the  company,  the  managers  of  the 
latter  considering  greater  facilities  ought  to  be  given  for  the 
working  of  their  traffic  in  view  of  the  fact  that  they  annually 
spent  in  Liverpool  £100,000  in  outfits  and  repairs.  To  meet 
the  Government  opposition  the  company  purchased  the  sailing 
brig  TYNE,  which  they  loaded  fortnightly  with  rough  goods, 
and  towed  to  sea  by  their  own  tug  MARS.  In  1828,  in  addition 
to  their  daily  service  to  Dublin,  the  company  had  a  twice- 
weekly  service  to  Belfast,  and  once  a  week  to  Drogheda.  A 
fortnightly  service  between  Dublin  and  Bordeaux  was  com- 
menced on  the  20th  June,  1827.  The  BALLINASLOE,  built  in 
1829,  was  furnished  with  a  powerful  blast  cylinder  to  ventilate 
the  holds,  being  the  first  steamer  to  be  so  fitted.  The  same 
year  the  MANCHESTER  and  the  BRITANNIA  were  both  wrecked, 
but  fortunately  without  loss  of  life. 

The  steampacket  CITY  OE  LONDONDERRY,  built  in  1827'  for  a 
local  company,  was  sold  by  auction  on  the  8th  October,  1829, 
and  purchased  by  the  City  of  Dublin  Company.  Her  new 
owners  took  up  the  station  vac-ated  by  the  Derry  Company,  and 
maintained  a  weekly  service  between  Liverpool  and  London- 
derry for  a  number  of  years.  The  Clarence  Dock  having  been 
opened  in  September,  1830,  the  City  of  Dublin  Company  were 
allotted  loading  and  discharging  berths  in  it  on  the  25th 
March,  1831,  which  berths  they  have  used  continuously  to  the 


184  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 

present  date  (1903),  a  period  of  over  seventy  years,  when  they 
were  transferred  to  the  Nelson  Dock. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  in  the  early  history  of  the 
company  their  most  powerful  trade  competitors  were  the 
St.  George  Steampacket  Company.  One  of  the  steamers  of 
the  latter  company  (the  LORD  BLANEY),  while  on  a  voyage 
from  Liverpool  to  Newry,  was  lost  with  all  hands.  With  a 
chivalry  unusual  in  commerce  (ignoring  the  fact  that  the 
vessel  belonged  to  a  rival  company)  the  City  of  Dublin 
Company  headed  a  list  for  the  benefit  of  the  relatives  of  the 
drowned  seamen  and  others  with  a  subscription  of  one  hundred 
pounds.  Civil  war  had  been  raging  in  Portugal  for  a  number 
of  years,  the  leaders  being  Don  Miguel  (the  usurper)  and  Dom 
Pedro,  on  behalf  of  his  daughter,  Donna  Maria  (Legitimist). 
Two  at  least  of  the  company's  steamers,  the  LEEDS  and 
BIRMINGHAM,  were  chartered  as  transports  to  Dom  Pedro ;  and 
it  was  the  latter  vessel,  under  the  command  of  Captain 
Beazley,  which,  on  the  16th  July,  1833,  brought  to  England 
the  news  of  the  complete  defeat  and  capture  of  the  fleet  of 
Don  Miguel.  On  the  6th  November,  1834,  the  LEEDS  struck 
on  Furlong  Rock.  No  lives  were  lost,  the  crew  and  passengers 
being  taken  off  by  the  company's  steamer  COMMERCE.  The 
LEEDS  having  got  off  the  rock,  sank  inside  the  jetty  at 
Holyhead,  but  was  subsequently  raised. 

In  1836  the  company  built  four  steamers  to  compete  against 
the  Government  mail  steamers.  They  were  the  QUEEN 
VICTORIA,  DUCHESS  OF  KENT,  ROYAL  ADELAIDE,  and  the  famous 
ROYAL  WILLIAM.  In  June  of  this  year  (1836)  a  bill  in  Parlia- 
ment for  increasing  the  capital  of  the  company  was  read  three 
times  and  passed. 

About  this  time  the  directors  of  the  company  had  under 
consideration  the  establishing  of  steam  communication  between 
Liverpool  and  New  York.  A  meeting  was  held  in  the 
company's  office  in  Water  Street,  there  being  present,  amongst 
others,  Sir  John  Tobin.  Sir  John  had  on  the  stocks  a  large 
steamer,  and  it  was  decided  that  the  Transatlantic  service 
should  be  established,  the  pioneer  vessel  to  be  the  ROYAL 
WILLIAM,  to  be  followed  by  the  LIVERPOOL  (Sir  John  Tobin's 


CHAP.   V.]          HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES. 


185 


186  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 

new  steamer)  as  soon  as  she  was  ready  for  the  service.  In 
accordance  with  these  arrangements,  the  ROYAL  WILLIAM 
sailed  from  the  George's  Pierhead  011  July  5th,  1838,  for  New 
York,  and  the  LIVERPOOL  followed  her  011  September  20th. 
These  steamers  have  the  honour  of  being  the  first  passenger 
liners  between  Liverpool  and  New  York.  The  ROYAL  WILLIAM 
proved  to  be  too  small  for  the  Transatlantic  trade,  and  in  1889 
she  resumed  her  sailings  on  the  Liverpool  and  Kingstown 
station. 

On  and  from  the  20th  June,  18t39,  the  Government  deter- 
mined that  a  mail  steamer  should  be  despatched  every  morning 
and  evening  from  Liverpool  to  Dublin,  via  Kingstown,  011  the 
arrival  of  the  respective  mail  trains  from  London.  The 
Government  steam  packets  were  appointed  to  sail  with  the 
morning  mails,  and  the  City  of  Dublin  steam  packets  with  the 
evening  mails.  The  directors  of  the  City  of  Dublin  Company 
were  determined  that  their  steamers  should  surpass  the 
Government  boats,  and  in  December,  1840,  they  contracted  for 
two  new  steamers  for  the  mail  service  to  be  superior  to  any 
seagoing  steamers  afloat,  and  to  do  the  passage  from  Liverpool 
to  Kingstown  in  nine  hours.  Three  years  later  (15th  April, 
1843)  the  company  commenced  their  Liverpool  and  North 
Wales  service  with  the  new  iron  steamer  ERIN-GO-BRAGH. 
The  steamer  AYRSHIRE  LASSIE  was  placed  on  the  station  the 
next  season  (May,  1844),  followed  in  1845  by  the  PRINCE  OE 
WALES,  and  later  by  the  PRINCE  ARTHUR,  which  two 
steamers  maintained  a  daily  service  throughout  the  summer 
season  for  many  years,  and  until  the  station  was  transferred 
to  the  present  North  Wales  Steampacket  Company. 

In  conjunction  with  the  North  Lancashire  Railways,  the  City 
of  Dublin  Company  instituted,  in  1844,  a  steamship  service 
between  Dublin  and  Fleetwood,  the  first  steamer  employed 
being  the  HIBERNIA.  The  Company's  trade  between  England 
.and  Ireland  had  increased  so  rapidly  that  in  1845  the  directors 
placed  orders  to  build  eight  vessels,  viz.,  five  paddle  steamers 
and  three  auxiliary  screw  schooners. 

The  long  contest  between  the  Admiralty  and  the  company 
for  the  carriage  of  the  English  and  Irish  mails  came  to  an 


CHAP.   V.]    J      HISTORICAL   STEAMSHIP   COMPANIES. 


187 


188  THE    HISTOEY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 

end  in  1850,  when  the  Lords  of  the  Admiralty  determined  to 
withdraw  their  steamers  from  the  Irish  mail  service.  The 
City  of  Dublin  Co.  had  now  a  new  competitor  in  the  Chester 
and  Holyhead  Railway  Company,  who  had  steamers  in  con- 
nection with  their  railway  service.  The  former  company,  who 
recognised  the  great  importance  of  placing  vessels  011  the  Holy- 
head  station,  put  in  a  tender  in  response  to  the  Admiralty's 
invitation,  which  tender  was  actually  accepted.  No  tender 
was  put  in  by  the  Chester  and  Holyhead  Railway  Company, 
who,  it  was  believed,  did  not  suppose  anyone  would  compete 
with  them  and  that  they  could  obtain  their  own  terms.  Before 
the  Admiralty's  acceptance  of  the  City  of  Dublin  Company's 
tender  was  confirmed  by  the  Government  the  railway  company 
got  notice  of  what  was  being  arranged,  and  pressure  was 
brought  to  bear  upon  the  Government  to  prevent  the  City  of 
Dublin  Company's  contract  from  being  ratified.  The  move 
was  successful,  with  the  result  that  tenders  were  again  asked 
for.  The  City  of  Dublin  Company  were  most  unfairly  treated, 
for  the  figure  at  which  they  had  tendered  was  made  public, 
and  consequently  the  railway  company  were  able  to  under-cut 
it.  In  anticipation  of  this  course  being  adopted  the  managing 
director  of  the  City  of  Dublin  Company  recommended  a  tender 
to  be  put  in  at  a  very  diminished  figure,  the  great  importance 
of  securing  a  footing  on  the  Holyhead  station  being  fully 
perceived  by  him.  The  City  of  Dublin  tendered  at  £25,000 
per  annum,  which  was  £5,000  a  year  less  than  the  Chester  and 
Holyhead  Railway  Company's  offer,  and  the  result  was  that 
the  City  of  Dublin  Company  obtained  the  contract.  They 
purchased  from  the  Admiralty  two  of  the  mail  boats,  the  ST. 
COLUMBA  and  the  LLEWELLYN,  and  in  May,  1850,  took  over  the 
mail  service,  running  the  steamers  at  the  same  hours  as  they 
were  run  by  the  Admiralty.  A  strong  effort  was  made  by  the 
opponents  of  the  company  to  deprive  them  of  their  contract,  and 
a  select  Parliamentary  Committee  was  appointed,  which 
reported  in  favour  of  what  had  been  arranged.  This  report 
made  it  clear  that  the  company's  first  offer  was  a  reasonable 
one,  and  subsequent  events  proved  the  wisdom  of  the  company's 
directors  determining  to  hold  the  contract  at  all  hazards.  The 


CHAP.   V.]  HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES.  189 

contest,  it  will  be  seen,  was  between  the  City  of  Dublin  Com- 
pany and  the  Chester  and  llolyhead  Railway  Company  rather 
than  with  the  Lords  of  the  Admiralty— indeed,  so  strong  was 
the  feeling  some  time  afterwards  that  the  railway  company 
refused  to  book  passengers  by  the  mail  steamers,  or  advertise 
their  sailings  in  the  railway  time  tables,  which  only  showed 
the  sailings  of  the  railway  company's  steamers. 

But  if  the  City  of  Dublin  Company  was  thus  happily  relieved 
from  rivalry  on  the  Holyhead  mail  station,  it  speedily  found 
itself  involved  in  the  most  serious  struggle  which  probably  ever 
occurred  in  the  steamship  coasting  trade.  Yielding  to  the 
solicitations  of  the  Waterford  and  Kilkenny  Railway  Company, 
the  directors  of  the  City  of  Dublin  Company  agreed  to  place  a 
steamer  on  the  Liverpool  and  Waterford  station.  The  Water- 
ford  Company  and  the  Cork  Company  immediately  began  a 
daily  service  to  and  from  Liverpool  and  Dublin,  and  despatched 
a  steamer  twice  a  week  to  Belfast.  Entering  into  an  alliance 
with  the  British  and  Irish  Steampacket  Co.,  the  City  of  Dublin 
Company  and  its  ally  responded  by  opposing  the  Cork  Company 
on  the  Liverpool  and  Cork  station,  sailing  the  DUCHESS  OF 
KENT,  EMERALD,  ROSE,  &c.,  every  Tuesday  and  Friday  from 
Liverpool  and  from  Cork.  After  a  keen  contest,  lasting  over 
twelve  months,  a  conference  took  place  between  Mr.  Malcom- 
son,  representing  the  Waterford  and  Cork  Steamship  Com- 
panies, and  one  of  the  directors  of  the  City  of  Dublin  Company. 
No  reference  was  made  at  this  conference  as  to  the  cause  of  the 
contest,  nor  to  the  conduct  of  any  of  the  parties  during  its 
continuance,  the  sole  object  being  to  suggest  the  most  speedy 
mode  of  restoring  peace,  and  the  following  arrangement  was 
finally  decided  upon :  — The  City  of  Dublin  Steampacket  Com- 
pany agreed  to  sell  their  claims  on  the  London  line  to  the 
British  and  Irish  Steampacket  Company,  this  line  to  be  worked 
by  the  vessels  of  the  latter  company  and  of  Messrs.  Malcom- 
son ;  the  City  of  Dublin  to  transfer  their  Liverpool  and  Belfast 
service  to  the  Cork  Steamship  Company ;  the  entire  sea  traffic 
between  Holyhead  and  Dublin  to  be  assigned  to  the  City  of 
Dublin  Company.  This  agreement  has  been  honourably 
adhered  to  by  all  the  companies  concerned,  amongst  whom  a 


190  THE    HISTOEY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PABT  II. 

most  friendly  feeling  exists,  but  time  has  wrought  its  changes 
on  the  various  lines.  Malcomson's  steamers  have  long  since 
ceased  to  run  between  Dublin  and  London,  the  Cork  Company's 
steamers  were  withdrawn  in  1854  from  the  Liverpool  and 
Belfast  service,  and  the  London  and  North  Western  Eailway 
Company  have  a  large  fleet  of  passenger  and  cargo  steamers 
plying  daily  between  Dublin  and  Holyhead. 

At  the  close  of  the  year  1854  a  better  feeling  prevailed,  and 
the  Chester  and  Holyhead  Railway  Company,  together  with  the 
London  and  North  Western  Railway  Company,  entered  into 
negotiations  with  the1  City  of  Dublin  Company,  and,  with  the 
approval  of  the  Government,  an  Act  of  Parliament  was 
obtained  in  order  to  bring  about  an  improved  passenger  and 
mail  service  between  London  and  Dublin,  via  Holyhead  and 
Kingstown.  Considerable  delay  took  place1  in  the  subsequent 
negotiations.  However,  at  the  end  of  1858  matters  were 
settled,  and  in  January  of  the  following  year  the  Postmaster- 
General  entered  into  a  contract  with  the  two  railway  companies 
and  the  City  of  Dublin  Steampacket  Company,  who  jointly 
undertook  the  sea  service,  and  with  the  two  railway  com- 
panies, who  undertook  the  land  transit.  By  private  agree- 
ment, however,  with  the  railway  companies,  the  City  of  Dublin 
Company  became  solely  responsible  for  the  sea  service,  and 
provided  the  four  steamers.  This  service  gave  the  greatest 
satisfaction  to  the  travelling  public ;  the  contract  was  for 
fourteen  years  certain,  and  then  from  year  to  year,  terminable 
by  twelve  months'  notice,  the  subsidy  being  £85,900  per  annum 
for  the  sea  service,  and  £50,000  per  annum  for  the  land. 

Twelve  years  after  this  service  had  been  commenced,  the 
London  and  North  Western  Railway  Company,  who  had  by 
that  time  absorbed  the  Chester  and  Holyhead  Railway,  com- 
menced a  rail  connection  between  the  harbour  of  Dublin  and 
three  of  the  principal  Irish  railway  companies,  which  connec- 
tion was  completed  in  1876,  and  the  London  and  North 
Western  Company  began  to  run  a  service  of  steamers  in  direct 
opposition  to  the  mail  route.  Under  the  terms  of  their  agree- 
ment with  the  City  of  Dublin  Company,  the  railway  company 
had  the  power  of  fixing  the  fares  by  the  mail  route',  which  it 


CHAP.   V.]  HISTORICAL   STEAMSHIP   COMPANIES.  191 

exercised  by  maintaining  the  high  fares  by  the  mail  and 
charging  low  fares  by  the  railway  steamers.  The  competition 
increased  in  intensity  every  year,  with  the  result  of  largely 
diverting  the  passenger  traffic  from  the  mail  route,  the  ultimate 
object  of  the  railway  being  to  bring  about  the  abandonment  of 
the  Kingstown  service,  and  to  secure  all  the  traffic  for  the 
railway  boats  to  Dublin.  In  1881  the  City  of  Dublin  Company 
brought  the  London  and  North  Western  Railway  Company 
before  the  Railway  Commissioners,  who  ordered  a  reduction  of 
the  mail  fares.  Immediately  after  this  order  was  made,  the 
Post  Office  authorities  intimated  their  intention  of  terminating 
the  existing  mail  contract,  and  of  asking  for  fresh  tenders  for 
the  service  between  Holyhead  and  Kingstown.  In  1882  the 
City  of  Dublin  Company  put  in  a  tender.  Months  were 
allowed  to  pass,  and  in  January,  1883,  it  was  announced  that 
the  Government  had  accepted  a  tender  of  the  London  and 
North  Western  Railway  Company.  It  then  transpired  that 
the  railway  company,  as  well  as  the  City  of  Dublin  Company, 
had  tendered  for  the  Holyhead  and  Kingstown  service,  and 
that  the  latteT  company's  tender  was  the  lower  of  the  two,  but 
the  Government,  instead  of  accepting  it,  had  negotiated  a 
contract  for  the  throughout  service  with  the  railway  company, 
which  would  have  enabled  them  to  convey  the  mails  and  pas- 
sengers in  the  railway  steamers  to  Dublin  instead  of  to 
Kingstown. 

It  can  well  be  understood  that  the  public,  who  were  well 
pleased  to  have  the  two  lines  of  steamers,  had  no  intention  of 
being  deprived  of  the  Kingstown  route,  and  a  storm  of  indig- 
nation arose  over  the  country.  The  Government  professed 
that  in  making  the  new  arrangement  they  were  acting  with 
economy,  but  this  was  shown  to  be  a  mere  subterfuge,  for  they 
had  agreed  to  pay  the  railway  company  £100,000  a  year— only 
a  trifling  amount  less  than  they  would  have  paid  if  the  steam- 
packet  company's  offer  had  been  accepted  and  the  railway 
payment  continued  as  before.  To  quote  the  words  of  a  pro- 
minent member  of  Parliament :  "  The  Government  were  giving 
an  opulent  railway  company  not  only  a  monopoly  of  the  pas- 
senger traffic,  but  a  large  subsidy  besides,  for  merely  carrying 


192  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 

the  mail  bags  on  their  established  line  of  passenger  steamers." 
So  powerful  was  the  agitation  that  arose,  that  the  Government 
discovered  they  would  not  be  able  to  get  the  contract  confirmed 
by  the  House  of  Commons,  the  Irish  members  to  a  man  being 
determined  to  vote  against  it.  The  result  was  the  contract  was  not 
brought  forward  for  confirmation,  and  new  tenders  were  asked 
for  the  Holyhead  and  Kingstown  s^a  service,  special  provision 


WILLIAM  WATSON,  Esq.  (late  Chairman  City  of  Dublin  Steampacket  Co.). 

being  made  for  the  passenger  traffic,  which  the  Government 
had  ignored  on  the  previous  occasion.  Greater  speed  being 
desired,  the  City  of  Dublin  Company  tendered  for  improved 
steamers;  but  the  railway  company,  who  had  110  intention  of 
going  to  Kingstown,  did  not  compete,  and  the  City  of  Dublin 
Company  were  successful  in  obtaining  a  contract  for  twelve 
years  certain,  the  subsidy  being  £84,000  per  annum.  The  four 


('HAP.   V.]  HISTORICAL   STKAMSH  1 1>   COMPANIES.  1»W 

mail  packets — the  ULSTER,  LEIXSTER,  MIXSTKK,  and  COX- 
NAUGHT — were  provided  with  new  boilers  and  improved 
machinery,  and  their  passenger  accommodation  was  re- 
modelled and  greatly  enlarged. 

The  new  service  began  on  the  1st  October,  1885,  with  this 
most  remarkable  result,  that  vessels  after  twenty-five  years' 
service  had  their  speed  increased  by  an  average  of  2|  knots  per 
hour.  A  new  steamer  was  added  to  the  fleet —  the  IRELAND, 
a  vessel  capable  of  steaming  20  knots  an  hour,  being  the  fastest 
paddle  steamer  ever  built  for  cross-Channel  service.  The  new 
service  gave  much  satisfaction  to  the  public,  and  the  passenger 
receipts  steadily  increased.  In  189^  the  company  decided  to 
build  a  new  type  of  passenger  and  cargo  vessel,  and  in  the 
following  year  the  LOUTH,  a  screw  steamer  of  large  tonnage  and 
great  power,  was  put  on  the  station ;  she  was  found  so  satis- 
factory, her  performance  being  so  regular,  and  her  sea-worthy 
qualities  so  good,  that  she  dispelled  the  great  prejudice  which 
up  to  that  time  had  existed  against  screw  steamers  for  cross- 
Channel  trade  (especially  the  cattle  trade),  and  the  company 
decided  to  replace  their  fleet  with  steamers  of  this  class.  While 
this  re-construction  was  going  011  an  attempt  was  made  to 
deprive  the  company  of  their  position  on  the  llolyhead  station. 
Owing  largely  to  the  efforts  of  the  company,  Kingstown  had 
been  put  in  direct  communication  with  all  the  Irish  railway 
companies,  and  the  one  blot  on  the  Kingstown  service  removed. 
It  was  stated,  however,  that  the  boats  were  not  fast  enough,  and 
the  Government  were  urged  to  terminate  the  mail  contract  and 
seek  for  new  tenders. 

Most  extravagant  ideas  seemed  to  prevail  as  to  what  could 
be  done;  accelerations  were  suggested  by  land  and  sea  which 
could  not  have  been  accomplished  except  at  very  great  expense. 
However,  the  City  of  Dublin  Company  were  not  behindhand, 
and  they  put  in  a  variety  of  tenders,  and  offered  to  build  boats 
of  the  very  largest  class.  No  other  company  tendered  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  advertisement.  The  Post  Office,  however, 
did  not  accept  any  of  the  tenders,  and  subsequently  entered 
into  negotiations  with  the  company,  and  settled  the  existing 
contract.  The  company  undertook  to  build  four  twin-screw 

N 


194  THE    HISTOEY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 

steamers,  which,  although  not  so  large  as  those  originally 
proposed,  are  superior  to  anything  up  to  the  present  time 
attempted  for  cross-Channel  purposes,  and  being  twin-screws, 
their  accommodation  is  far  greater  than  had  they  been  paddle 
steamers  of  the  same  size.  They  all  realised  a  speed  of  24 
knots  on  their  trial  trips,  which  up  to  the  present  time  has  not 
been  surpassed  by  any  passenger  steamer. 

The  new  service  commenced  on  the  1st  April,  1897,  and 
passengers  are  conveyed  between  all  parts  of  England  and 
Ireland  at  a  very  high  rate  of  speed,  and  perform  the  journey 
with  a  degree  of  comfort  that  would  have  been  thought  in- 
credible a  few  years  since. 

The  fleet  of  the  company  now  consists  of  the  following!  high- 
class  powerful  screw  steamers,  replete  with  everything  neces- 
sary for  the  comfort  of  passengers,  as  well  as  being  equipped 
with  the  most  modern  appliances  for  the  safe  carriage  of 
cattle  and  the  rapid  handling  of  cargo :  — The  ULSTER, 
MUNSTER,  LEINSTER,  and  CONNAUGHT,  sailing  twice  each  day 
from  Holyhead  and  from  Kingstown  with  the  mails  and  pas- 
sengers. The  CARLOW,  KERRY,  WICKLOW,  LOTJTH,  and  CORK, 
sailing  every  evening  to  and  from  Liverpool  and  Dublin,  with 
goods  and  passengers,  as  well  as  a  morning  service  from  both 
ports,  with  passengers  and  fast  traffic.  In  the  present  year 
(1903)  the  Company  has  placed  the  KILKENNY  on  the  station,  a 
vessel  of  an  entirely  new  design,  one  of  the  finest  passenger  and 
cargo  steamers  which  has  ever  been  built  for  the  Irish  cross- 
Channel  trade.  A  service  is  also  maintained  three  times  a 
week  between  Dublin  and  Belfast  by  the  company's  steamers. 

For  upwards  of  three-quarters  of  a  century  this  grand  old 
company  has  faithfully  served  the  public,  with  an  immunity 
from  loss  of  life  as  remarkable  as  it  is  gratifying  to  those 
chiefly  concerned. 


CHAP.    VI.]         HISTORICAL   STEAMSHIP   COMPAMKS. 


CHAPTER   VI. 

THE    BRITISH     AND    IRISH     STEAM     PACKET 
COMPANY,    LIMITED. 

THE  oldest  deep-sea  steamship  passenger  trade  in  Europe  is  that 
between  Dublin  and  London.  The  distinction  of  having  been 
the  first  persons  (other  than  the  crew)  to  cross  the  Irish  Sea  by 
steam  vessel  is  shared  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  C.  R.  Weld.  Mr.  Weld, 
who  was  the  Secretary — or  brother  to  the  Secretary — of  the 
Royal  Society  of  Dublin,  embarked  with,,  his  wife  on  board  the 
steampacket  THAMES,  Captain  Dodd,  which  vessel  sailed  from 
Dublin  at  noon  on  the  28th  May,  1815,  bound  for  London. 

The  sailing  of  this,  the  first,  steamer  between  Dublin  and 
London,  was  an  event  of  the  greatest  interest  to  the  citizens  of 
the  former  city,  who  assembled  in  thousands  to  witness  her 
departure.  It  was  not  intended  that  the  THAMES  should  ply 
between  the  two  ports,  and,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  it  was  not  until 
after  an  interval  of  eleven  years  (1826)  that  a  regular  steam- 
packet  service  was  established  between  the  Metropolis  of 
Englan'd  and  that  of  Ireland.  In  the  latter  year,  two  of  the 
City  of  Dublin  Steam  Packet  Co.'s  steamers,  the  THAMES  (not 
the  THAMES  of  1815)  and  the  SHANNON  commenced  to  trade 
regularly  between  Dublin  and  London. 

Amongst  other  famous  steamers,  employed  on  this  station, 
may  be  mentioned  the  WILLIAM  FAWCETT,  which  traded 
between  London  and  Dublin  during  the  summer  of  1829.  This 
steamer  afterwards  became  the  property  of  the  Peninsular  SI  cam 
Navigation  Co.,  and  is  stated  in  Whitaker's  Almanac  (and  else- 
where) to  have  been  the  pioneer  steamer  of  the  "  P.  &  0.  Co." 
In  August,  1830,  the  steampacket  CITY  OF  LONDONDERRY, 
built  in  1827  for  the  Liverpool  and  Londonderry  trade,  and 
purchased  in  October,  1829,  by  the  City  of  Dublin  Co.,  was 


THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II, 


CHAP.   VI.]         HISTORICAL   STKAMSHII'    COMPANIES.  1<)7 

placed  by  her  new  owners  on  the  London  station.  These  three 
steamers,  the  THAMES,  SHANNON  and  CITY  OF  LO.MM.MH -HIM  . 
were  described  in  the  Company's  advertisement  of  tin- 
period  as  being  amongst  the  largest  steamers  afloat,  and  all  of 
the  same  capacity  and  power,  viz.,  513  tons  burthen,  and  K>0 
h.p.  each.  These  steamers  maintained  a  regular  weekly  service 
(one  of  them  sailing  from  London  every  Sunday,  calling  at 
Plymouth),  and  were  due  at  Dublin  in  ordinary  weather,  in  80 
hours  after  leaving  London. 

Travelling  at  that  period  was  expensive,  as  shown  by  the 
rates  charged  by  these  small  wooden  steamers,  compared  with 
those  now  charged  by  the  magnificent  modern  steamships  of 
the  B.  and  I.  Co.  of  1,400  to  1,500  tons  each. 

Cabin.  Steerage. 

THAMES,  SHANNON,  &c 2  16     0         1  14     0 

LADY  EGBERTS,  LADY  WOLSELEY,  &c....  1  5  0  0  11  0 
The  present  British  and  Irish  Steampacket  Company  was 
established  in  1836.  The  list  of  the  earliest  Directors  contained 
the  names  of  several  of  the  best  known  citizens  of  Dublin,  the 
following  being  the  names  of  the  Directors  for  the  year  1S3S, 
vix. : — -Messrs.  James  Ferrier,  John  MacDonnell,  William 
Williams,  Francis  Carleton,  Joseph  Boyce,  John  Jameson,  and 
John  Ennis.  The  Company's  first  fleet  consisted  of  three 
wooden  paddle  steamers,  named  respectively,  CITY  OF  LIMERICK, 
DEVONSHIRE,  and  SHANNON. 

A  very  ingenious  robbery  from  the  Company  took  place  at  the 
St.  Katherine's  Docks.  Two  boxes  of  gold  dust,  of  a  gross 
value  of  £5,245,  were  landed  at  Falmouth,  ex  H.M.  Packet 
SEAGULL,  from  the  Brazils.  From  Falmouth  they  were  shipped 
per  B.  and  I.  steamer  CITY  OF  LIMERICK  to  the  Company's 
Wharf,  London,  consigned  to  the  Brazilian  Mining  Co.  At 
110011  on  Monday,  29th  April,  1839,  a  person  claimed  the  two 
boxes,  and  presented  an  order  for  them,  apparently  in  the  same 
handwriting  as  the  letter  of  advice  received  with  the  two  boxes 
from  Falmouth.  The  advice  stated  that  the  boxes  were  only  to 
be  delivered  to  a  gentleman  who  would  call  on  Monday  with  a 
letter  in  the  same  handwriting.  The  4l  gentleman  "  accurately 
described  the  marks,  and  took  away  the  boxes ;  but  two  hours 


198  THE    HISTOEY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 

afterwards,  another  person,  connected  with  the  Brazilian 
Mining  Co.,  came  for  the  boxes,  and  the  fraud  was  then  dis- 
covered, for  the  genuine  documents  and  letter  addressed  to  the 
Company  by  the  Falmouth  Agent  were  produced. 

Two  months  later,  the  whole  of  the  criminals  concerned  were 
in  custody,  and  charged  with  their  offence  at  the  Central 
Criminal  Court.  Two  of  them,  Moss  and  Solomons,  turned 
Queen's  evidence.  Lewin  Caspar  (who  had  been  for  eighteen 
months  in  the  service  of  the  B.  and  I.  Co.  as  General  Superin- 
tendent), was  detained  in  custody  until  sentence  was  pro- 
nounced, 3rd  February,  1840,  and  was  then  acquitted,  owing  to 
a  flaw  in  the  indictment.  His  father,  Ellis  Caspar,  and 
Emmanuel  Moses,  were  each  sentenced  to  be  transported  for 
14  years,  and  sailed  for  Sydney  on  the  20th  October,  1840,  on 
the  convict  transport,  LORD  LYNEDOCH.  Alice  Abrahams 
(daughter  of  Emmanuel  Moses)  was  also  convicted  of  being  an 
accomplice,  and  was  sentenced  to  four  months'  imprisonment. 
Mr.  James  Hartley  (founder  of  the  firm  of  James  Hartley  &  Co., 
London)  rendered  very  valuable  service  to  the  proprietors  by  his 
energy  and  skill  in  tracing  and  successfully  prosecuting  the 
thieves.  Mr.  James  Hartley  was  elected  a  Director  in  1838, 
and  for  his  services  in  connection  with  the  prosecution  of  the 
gold  dust  thieves,  he  was  presented  with  a  valuable  piece  of 
plate. 

In  1842,  the  steamship  DUKE  OF  CORNWALL  was  built, 
and  added  to  the  fleet  in  order  to  meet  the  increased  demands 
of  the  trade.  Like  her  sister  ships,  she  was  a  wooden  paddle 
steamer,  and  the  last  of  this  type  of  craft  employed  in  the 
service. 

The  British  and  Irish  Steam  Packet  Co.  were  amongst  the 
first  steamship  owners  to  recognise  the  advantage  (now  univer- 
sally admitted)  of  the  screw  propeller  over  the  paddle  wheel  as 
a  means  for  propelling  steamships,  and  in  1845  they  introduced 
into  the  London  and  Dublin  trade  two  schooner-rigged 
auxiliary  screw  steamers,  one  of  which  was  called  the  EOSE, 
and  the  other  the  SHAMROCK.  Three  years  later  the  B.  and 
I.  Co.  had  to  encounter  a  fierce  and  powerful  opposition, 
engineered  by  the  Messrs.  Malcomson,  of  Waterford,  but  which 


CHAP.   VI.]         HISTORICAL   STEAMSHIP    COMPAMKS.  j<,«, 

involved  nearly  all  the  leading  Steamship  Companies  on  the 
East  Coast  of  Ireland  ;  the  B.  and  I. ;  Belfast  (Langtry's) ;  City 
of  Dublin;  Cork;  and  Waterford  Steamship  Companies  all 
taking)  part  in  the  contest.  The  Waterford  Steamship  Com- 
pany placed  steamers  on  the  London  and  Dublin  station,  and 
the  Directors  of  the  British  and  Irish  Steam  Packet  Company 
retaliated  by  placing  steamers  on  the  Waterford  and  London, 
Waterford  and  Liverpool,  and  London  and  St.  Petersburg  lines. 
The  opposition  lasted  until  April,  1851,  when  an  arrangement 
was  come  to,  whereby  the  Dublin  and  London  traffic  was  divided 
between  Messrs.  Malcomson  (Waterford  Co.)  and  the  B.  and  I., 
and  at  the  same  time  the  City  of  Dublin  Co.  withdrew  from 
their  official  connection  with  the  latter  Company.  In  the 
meantime,  several  steamers  had  been  built  of  iron  (notably  the 
GREAT  BRITAIN),  and  had  proved  by  the  severest  tests  the 
great  merits  of  that  metal  as  a  material  for  shipbuilding.  So 
convinced  were  the  Directors  of  the  B.  and  I.  of  the  advantages 
to  be  gained  by  the  substitution  of  iron  for  wood,  that  they  pur- 
chased in  1850  the  first  iron  paddle  steamer  of  the  fleet.  This 
steamer  was  named  the  FOYLE,  and  was  one  of  the  finest  vessels 
afloat  in  her  time. 

The  following  year  witnessed  an  extension  of  the  Company's 
operations,  a  regular  service  being  established  between  Liver- 
pool, South  of  England  ports,  and  London ;  and  also  between 
Limerick  and  London.  The  latter  was  maintained  by  the 
auxiliary  screw  steamer  ROSE,  and  when  this  vessel  was  sold 
in  1852,  the  service  was  discontinued. 

To  meet  the  increased  requirements  of  the  trade,  two  large 
screw  steamers,  the  LADY  EOLINTON  and  the  NILE,  were  added 
to  the  fleet  in  1852. 

On  the  outbreak  of  the  Qrimean  War  in  1854,  two  of  the 
B.  and  I.  steamers,  one  of  which  was  the  new  steamer  LADY 
EGLINTON,  and  the  other  the  FOYLE,  were  chartered  by  the 
Government  for  the  conveyance  of  troops  and  stores.  In 
consequence  of  the  withdrawal  of  these  two  steamers  from  the 
Company's  service,  and  of  the  loss  of  the  NILE  off  the  Cornish 
Coast,  the  Liverpool  to  London  sailings  were  abandoned. 

In  addition  to  her  Government  service  in  the  Black  Sea,  the 


200  THE    HISTOEY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 

LADY  EGLINTON,  in  1858,  was  employed  for  a  short  time  as 
a  Trans-Atlantic  liner,  making,  in  this  capacity,  two  trips  from 
Gralway  to  Quebec  and  Montreal.  In  1865,  this  famous  steamer 
was  placed  in  the  hands  of  Messrs.  Walpole,  Webb  &  Bewley, 
shipbuilders,  Dublin,  by  whom  she  was  lengthened  thirty  feet. 

Prior  to  the  declaration  of  War  between  the  Northern  and 
Southern  States  of  America,  in  1861,  the  B.  and  I.  Co.  had 
maintained  a  regular  service  between  Dublin  and  Wexford. 
The  vessel  employed  in  this  service  was  a  small  paddle  steamer 
named  the  MARS.  In  1863  the  MARS  was  sold,  crossed  the 
Atlantic,  and  began  the  exciting  career  of  a  blockade  runner. 

Two  years  later  (1865)  the  LADY  WODEHOUSE  was  built 
in  Dublin,  for  the  Company,  by  Messrs.  Walpole,  Webb  and 
Bewley,  and  in  1869  the  same  builders  launched  another  B.  and 
I.  liner,  the  COUNTESS  OF  DUBLIN.  The  year  1870  saw  an 
important  and  advantageous  change  in  the  fortunes  of  the 
Company,  who  purchased  the  interest  and  steamers  of  Messrs. 
Malcomson's  London-Dublin  line,  since  which  time  the  sea 
trade  between  Dublin  and  London  has  been  entirely  in  the 
hands  of  the  British  and  Irish  Company.  The  vessels  purchased 
from  Messrs.  Malcomson  were  the  AVOCA  and  CYMBA.  In 
1879,  the  B.  and  I.  Company  was  registered  as  a  Limited 
Company,  and  a  new  steamer,  the  LADY  OLIVE,  1,096  tons, 
was  added  to  the  fleet.  The  LADY  OLIVE  was  the  last  iron 
vessel  built  for  the  Company,  and  the  last  of  the  compound 
engine  type  of  steamer.  All  her  successors — the  present 
vessels  of  the  fleet — are  built  of  steel,  and  fitted  with  triple- 
expansion  engines.  The  first  ship  of  the  new  type  was  the 
LADY  MARTIN,  of  1,356  tons  gross  register,  built  in  1887 
by  Messrs.  Workman  &  Clark,  of  Belfast.  Her  carrying 
capacity  is  much  greater  than  that  of  any  of  her  predecessors, 
and  further  increase  of  tonnage  has  marked  all  the  vessels 
added  to  the  fleet  since.  Her  principal  dimensions  are — 
Length  269  feet  6  inches,  beam  34  feet  2  inches,  and  depth  of 
hold  16  feet  4  inches. 

She  was  followed  in  quick  succession  by  the  LADY  HUDSON- 
KINAHAN,  built  by  the  Ailsa  Shipbuilding  Company,  Trooii,  in 
1891 ;  the  LADY  WOLSELEY,  built  by  the  Naval  Construction 


CHAP.   VI.]        HISTORICAL   STEAMSHIP   COMPANIES. 


•201 


and  Armaments  Company,  Barrow,  in  1894 ;  and  the  LADY 
ROBERTS,  built  by  the  Ailsa  Shipbuilding  Company,  Troon. 
in  1897.  The  last-named  four  steamers  now  carry  on  the  ti;i<I<- 
between  the  two  capitals,  the  LADY  OLIVE  acting  as  stand-by 
ship.  In  their  main  features,  all  the  vessels  are  very  similar, 
and  vary  only  slightly  in  size  and  power,  from  the  LADY 
MARTIN,  of  1,305  tons,  to  the  LADY  ROBERTS,  of  1,402 
tons.  It  will  be  seen  from  the  particulars  given,  that  the 
steamers  of  the  B.  and  I.  Co.  are  amongst  the  largest  coasting 
vessels  in  the  United  Kingdom.  The  average  berthing  accom- 


S.S.  LADY  WOLSELEY  leaving  Falmouth. 

modation  of  each  vessel  is — 120  saloon  and  50  second  cabin,  in 
addition  to  steerage  passengers.  Each  vessel  is  fitted  up  on  the 
most  approved  plan,  and  electrically  lighted  throughout.  Deck 
cabins  and  state  rooms  can  be  secured  at  a  small  extra  charge. 
Smoking  rooms  are  also  provided,  as  well  as  bathrooms.  In 
the  summer  season  pianos  are  put  on  board,  and  a  full  comple- 
ment of  stewards  and  stewardesses  is  carried.  Under  ordinary 
circumstances  the  vessels  average  13  knots  per  hour,  which  is 
quite  fast  enough  for  the  requirements  of  the  trade  ;  and  it  may 


202 


THE    HISTOEY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 


be  mentioned  that  they  are  well  able  to  hold  their  own  with  the 
majority  of  channel  steamers.  Any  person  travelling  by  these 
steamers  will  find  that  very  few  vessels  will  pass  them,  and 
those  which  do  are  probably  some  crack  mail  packets  running 
short  passages. 

The  ships  of  the  British  and  Irish  Steam  Packet  Company 
are  as  well-known  at  Falmouth,  Plymouth,  Southampton,  and 
Portsmouth  as  they  are  at  the  terminal  ports  of  London  and 
Dublin.  Being  so  well-found,  roomy,  comfortable,  and  up-to- 
date,  and  calling  in  at  all  the  principal  southern  ports,  it  is  but 
natural  that  they  should  be  favourites  with  the  holiday-making 
and  touring  public.  So  favourably  are  they  held  in  this  respect 
that  during  the  "  fine  weather  "  months  they  seldom  leave  port 
without  having  a  full  complement  of  passengers,  of  whom  (as 
has  been  stated)  they  are  designed  to  carry  a  large  number. 


CHAP.   VII.]        HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COM  I'A  \  1  1> 

CHAPTER  VII. 
THE     BIBBY     LINE. 


REFERENCE  has  been  made,  in  a  previous  chapter  of  this  work, 
to  this  old-established  firm.  It  was  engaged  in  shipping  in 
1807,  five  years  before  the  first  British  steamboat  was  launched. 
At  that  early  date  the  fleet  consisted  of  small  sailing  vessels, 
but  in  1821  a  regular  line  of  ships  to  the  East  Indies  was 
established.  Of  the  old  Liverpool  shipowning  firms  which 
had  their  flag  signal  posts  011  Bidston  Hill,  only  three  now 
remain,  viz.,  Messrs.  Bibby,  Brocklebank,  and  Sandbach 
Tiniie. 

In  1851  the  firm,  then  under  the  guidance  of  the  late  Mr. 
James  J.  Bibby,  went  into  the  steam  trade,  their  first  boats, 
the  TIBER  and  ARNO,  being  built  on  the  Clyde  by  John  Reid 
and  Co. 

Mr.  Bibby,  in  1859,  commenced  entrusting  the  building  of 
the  steamers  of  the  line  to  Messrs.  Harland  and  Wolff,  and 
from  that  date  every  succeeding  vessel  has  been  constructed 
by  the  same  firm.  It  may  be  interesting  to  recall  that  the 
late  Sir  Edward  Harland,  who  was  the  son  of  a  personal  friend 
of  Mr.  Bibby,  commenced  operations  at  Belfast  with  the  order 
for  the  SICILIAN,  VENETIAN  and  SYRIAN. 

Mr.  Bibby  adopted  the  system  of  building  his  boats  on 
commission,  a  system  which  ensures  the  greatest  co-operation 
between  builder  and  owner,  and  by  which  he  secured  the 
greatest  advantage  wherever  his  interests  were  concerned. 

The  three  boats  last  named  were  followed  by  the  EGYPTIAN 
in  1861.  All  of  these  vessels  carried  clipper  bows  with  figure 
heads  and  bowsprits,  but  the  succeeding  ships  were  built  with 
straight  stems,  an  innovation,  the  credit  of  which  (and  of 
many  other  improvements  now  generally  adopted)  is  due  to  Mr. 
Bibby.  The  IBERIAN,  ILLYRIAN  and  LSTRIAN,  all  built  in 
1867,  were  the  first  of  the  fleet  to  carry  the  new  type  of  bow, 


204 


THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART   II. 


CHAP.   VII.]        HISTORICAL  STKAMSHIP  COM  PA  XI  MS.  »205 

and  they  were  followed  by  a  long  succession  of  well-known 
names,  leading  up  to  the  present  steamers  on  the  Colombo  and 
Rangoon  and  Southern  Indian  route. 

This  service,  which  was  established  in  1891,  quickly  became 
prominent  among  the  fast  passenger  services,  and,  as  such, 
was  early  recognised  by  the  Government  and  placed  on 
the  list  of  the  special  lines  available  for  officers,  etc.,  returning 
at  the  expiration  of  their  leave. 

The  pioneer  vessel  of  the  new  service  was  the  YORKSHIRE, 
and  her  sister  ship  the  LANCASHIRE  (though  both  somewhat 
smaller  than  the  later  boats),  still  holds  the  blue  ribbon  of  the 
route,  having  steamed  from  Liverpool  to  Rangoon  in  the  fastest 
time  yet  on  record.  The  CHESHIRE  and  SHROPSHIRE;,  which 
were  the  next  steamers  added  to  the  fleet  were  each  about 
1,500  tons  larger  than  their  immediate  predecessors.  They 
were  provided  with  two  entirely  distinct  and  separate  sets  of 
engines  and  propellers,  a  fact  which  at  once  arrested  attention 
in  the  East,  and  greatly  added  to  the  popularity  which  their 
other  arrangements  justified.  Intending  passengers  will  be 
interested  to  know  that  with  only  one  propeller  in  use,  they 
are  capable  of  making  as  good  progress  as  an  ordinary  trading 
steamer. 

After  an  interval  of  two  years  (1893)  the  twin-screw  stca HUM- 
STAFFORDSHIRE  was  built,  and  in  her  was  embodied  every 
improvement  which  experience  and  money  could  provide. 
She  was  at  once  generally  acknowledged  to  be  the  most  com- 
fortable and  the  best  ventilated  type  of  steamer  placed  on  the 
Eastern  route. 

In  October,  1897,  the  twin-screw  steamer  DERBYSHIRE  was 
added  to  the  fleet.  She  is  designed  on  the  same  lines  as  the 
STAFFORDSHIRE  but  being  7  feet  longer  and  3  feet  broader,  her 
staterooms  are  somewhat  larger.  An  important  addition  was 
made  to  the  fleet  in  1902,  when  the  twin-screw  steamer  WAR- 
WICKSHIRE was  built.  Her  advent  on  the  line  was  looked 
forward  to  with  much  interest,  and  she  has  amply  fulfilled  all 
anticipations,  and  has  secured  a  preference  over  any  other 
steamer  for  first-class  passengers  between  Ceylon  and  Europe. 
Her  large  size  admits  of  200  berths  being  fitted,  and  the  Main 


»2Q6  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 

Saloon,  Drawing  room,  Smoke  room,  Bath  room,  etc.,  are  all 
increased  in  their  proportions. 

By  an  ingenious  arrangement  (which  is  quite  novel)  every 
stateroom  has  a  port  opening  to  the  outside  of  the  ship,  and  all 
the  rooms  are  equally  light  and  airy,  while  many  of  the  rooms 
provided  are  fitted  up  for  the  accommodation  of  one  or  two 
passengers  only.  The  WARWICKSHIRE  has  marked  a  new  era 
in  the  equipment  of  large  passenger  steamers,  and  the  above 
mentioned  Bibby  Patent  Stateroom  is  now  being  adopted  by 
the  principal  Mail  Lines  in  the  construction  of  new  boats.  A 
twin-screw  steamer,  to  be  named  the  WORCESTERSHIRE,  is  now 
under  construction  at  Belfast.  She  is  designed  closely  on  the 
lines  of  the  WARWICKSHIRE,  and  is  expected  to  be  completed 
in  good  time  to  enable  her  to  take  her  place  in  the  Autumn 
sailings  of  1904. 

The  steamers  of  the  Bibby  Line  sail  on  alternate  Thursdays 
from  Liverpool,  calling  at  Marseilles  to  embark  the  overland 
passengers  on  the  following  Thursday.  Circular  tickets  in 
connection  with  these  sailings  are  issued  for  £15,  which  are 
available  for  a  passage  both  ways  by  any  steamer  of  the  fleet, 
or  if  passengers  prefer  it,  they  will  receive,  free  of  additional 
cost,  a  first-class  Railway  ticket,  via  Paris,  for  the  journey 
one  way  overland  to  or  from  London. 

Travellers  to  and  from  Egypt,  Palestine,  etc.,  whether 
journeying  round  Spain  or  using  the  Marseilles  route  will 
find  these  steamers  a  convenient  and  luxurious  means  of 
conveyance. 

The  public  will  be  glad  to  know  that  passages  can  be  secured 
for  £3  3s.  for  the  fortnightly  runs  round  from  London  to 
Liverpool.  The  steamers  usually  leave  Tilbury  011  Friday, 
and  arrive  in  Liverpool  011  the  following  Monday  morning,  thus 
affording  a  very  pleasant  week  end  trip. 

The  present  fleet  consists  of  the  following  modern  fast  Mail 
Steamships  :  — 

LANCASHIRE         ...  4244  Tons.     STAFFORDSHIRE       6005  Tons. 

YORKSHIRE          ...  4261     ,,        DERBYSHIRE  6636      ,, 

CHESHIRE 5775     ,,         WARWICKSHIRE       7966      ,, 

SHROPSHIRE         ...  5785     ,,  WORCESTERSHIRE  (Building)  7966      ,, 


CHAP.   VIII.]       HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPA NIKS.  207 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
THE    CORK    STEAMSHIP    COMPANY,    LIMITED. 

THE  Cork  Steamship  Company,  as  successors  to  the  St.  George 
Steam  Packet  Co.,  may  justly  be  considered  to  be  one  of  the 
oldest  existing  steamship  companies  in  the  world.  The  original 
company  (the  St.  George),  was  formed  in  the  Autumn  of  the 
year  1821,  its  head-quurters  being  in  Liverpool.  An  announce- 
ment concerning  it  appeared  in  the  Liverpool  "  Mercury,"  of 
the  12th  October,  1821,  stating:- 

"  A    company    has    been    formed    here    (Liverpool)    for 

"  establishing  steam  packets  ....       Two  vessels  of  large 

"  dimensions    are    already    contracted    for,    and    are    now 

"  building  by  two  experienced  ship-builders  in  this  town, 

"  the  machinery  for  both  to  be  fitted  by  an  engineer  of 

"  eminence;   and  the  proprietors,  we  learn,  are  determined 

"  to  spare  no  expense  in  the  equipment  of  the  vessels  to 

"  contribute  to  the  safety  and  comfort  of  the  passengers." 

In   accordance  with  this  announcement  the  pioneer  steam 

packet  of  the  Company,  the  ST.  PATRICK,  was  launched  from 

the   yard   of   Mr.    Thomas   Wilson,    Liverpool,    at   10-^iO   a.m. 

on  the  21st  April  following. 

This  even4;  created  quite  a  sensation  in  the  town,  as  she  was, 
if  not  the  first  steamer  ever  built  in  the  port,  certainly  the 
finest  specimen  of  ship-building  craft  up  to  that  date  con- 
structed there.  So  great  was  the  interest  displayed  that  every 
wall  and  pier  from  which  a  view  of  the  launch  could  be 
obtained  was  crowded  with  spectators.  This  steamer  ran  for 
about  two  years  between  various  ports  in  England  and  Ireland, 
and  having  in  that  time  established  a  reputation  for  speed  and 
seaworthiness,  she  was  purchased  by  a  London  Company  to 
trade  between  London  and  Lisbon.  She  was  replaced  by  a 


208  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PAET  IT. 

second  ST.  PATRICK,  a  vessel  of  300  tons  burthen  and  120 
h.p.,  built  by  Clarke  and  Nickson,  Liverpool,  and  launched 
from  their  yard  on  the  19th  August,  1825.  In  the  interim 
between  the  dates  of  the  launch  of  the  first  and  second 
ST.  PATRICK,  the  Company  had  built  or  purchased  quite  a 
number  of  steamers.  They  had  also  established  themselves 
in  Cork,  and  had  built  the  premises  situated  on  Penrose  Quay, 
where  to-day  is  carried  on  the  business  of  the  City  of  Cork 
Steam  Packet  Co.,  Limited. 

The  first  three  steamers  employed  by  the  St.  George  Co.  in 
trading  to  and  from  Cork,  were  the  LEE  and  SEVERN,  both 
built  in  Liverpool  in  1825  (the  former  for  the  Liverpool  trade 
and  the  latter  for  the  Bristol  trade),  and  the  SUPERB,  built  by 
Mr.  William  Evans,  London. 

The  St.  George  Co.  extended  its  operations  with  marvellous 
rapidity,  until  its  steamers  were  to  be  found  in  almost  every 
port  in  the  United  Kingdom,  and  in  the  chief  ports  of  Holland, 
Denmark,  and  Eussia.  It  owned  several  famous  steamers,  one 
of  which,  on  the  authority  of  Jeffry  in  "  A  Century  of  our  Sea 
Story,"  made  the  first  steam  voyage  between  Great  Britain  and 
Australia.  This  was  the  SOPHIA  JANE,  a  vessel  of  256  tons 
and  50  h.p.,  built  by  William  Evans,  London,  and  first  em- 
ployed between  London  Bridge  and  Gravesend.  When  first 
placed  on  this  station,  her  owners  were  involved  in  an  action 
at  law  to  prove  their  right  to  navigate  the  river.  Thev  won 
their  action  from  the  Watermen's  Company,  and  soon  the  first 
Gravesend  Steam  Ferry  was  started.  The  SOPHIA  JANE  plied 
on  the  Thames  until  1828,  when  she  began  to  make  longer 
voyages,  running  for  some  months  between  Portsmouth  and 
Plymouth,  afterwards  under  the  St.  George  flag,  between 
Liverpool  and  Douglas  (Isle  of  Man),  later  between  London 
and  Calais,  and  finally  made  her  great  voyage  from  England 
to  Australia.  She  arrived  at  Port  Jackson  Heads  in 
May,  1831,  three  months  after  leaving  the  Thames,  thus 
making  the  first  steam  voyage  between  Great  Britain  and 
Australia,  and  the  longest  voyage  under  steam  down  almost  to 
the  fifties. 

Unfortunately  the  management  of  the  St.  George  Co.  was  not 


CHAP.  VIII.]      HISTOEICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES.  2Q9 

all  that  could  be  desired,  and  the  late  Mr.  Ebenezer  Pike,  of 
Bessborough,  Blackrock,  County  Cork,  convened  a  meeting  of 
the  shareholders  which  was  held  at  Cork  on  the  17th  February, 
1843.  Prior  to  the  meeting,  Mr.  Pike  had  forwarded  to  each 
shareholder  a  copy  of  a  circular  in  which  he  proposed  (a)  to 
form  a  Company  with  a  capital  of  £50,000  in  1,000  shares  of 
£50  each ;  and  (6)  to  build  a  new  steamer  of  500  to  600  tons 
burthen  and  300  h.p. 

The  circular  was  discussed  at  the  meeting,  but  no  definite 
decision  was  arrived  at.  Mr.  Pike,  however,  did  not  allow  the 
matter  to  rest.  In  October  following,  so  far  as  Cork  was  con- 
cerned, the  title  "  St.  George  "  was  dropped,  and  the  title  "  City 
of  Cork  Steamship  Co."  (afterwards  shortened  to  "  Cork  Steam- 
ship Co.")  was  adopted  in  its  stead.  Mr.  William  Wilson,  the 
founder  of  the  firm  of  Wilson,  Son  &  Co.,  was  the  first  general 
manager  at  Cork,  and  Mr.  McTear  the  Liverpool  agent.  Nor 
did  Mr.  Pike  abandon  the  idea  of  the  new  steamer,  for  on  the 
26th  September,  1843,  Messrs.  Thomas  Yernon  &  'Son  built  to 
his  order  the  steamship  NIMROD. 

The  following  year  the  Company  was  virtually  re-con- 
structed, and  the  Cork  Steamship  Co.  was  formed  with  a 
capital  of  £170,000,  in  1,700  shares  of  £100  each.  The  first 
Directors  were,  Messrs.  Ebenezer  Pike,  John  Gould,  James 
Connell,  Joseph  Hayes,  and  William  Lane,  all  merchants 
belonging  to  Cork. 

At  the  date  of  the  re-construction  of  the  Company,  the  St. 
George  Steam  Packet  Co.  owned  about  20  steamers.  Most  of 
them  were  disposed  of  to  various  buyers,  the  new  management 
retaining  siveii,  viz,,  the  LEE,  SEVERN,  TIGER,  JUPITER, 
YICTORY,  OCEAN,  and  SIRIUS. 

The  LEE  and  SEVERN  have  already  been  referred  to. 
The  TIGER  was  a  steamer  of  389  tons,  built  at  Hull  in  1838. 
She  was  156  feet  long,  by  26  feet  beam,  and  18  feet  deep.  She 
was  rigged  as  a  two-masted  schooner  and  had  a  tiger  figure- 
head. Originally  she  was  intended  for  the  St.  George  Hull 
and  Hamburg  service ;  was  taken  over  by  the  Cork  Steamship 
Co.  in  1844,  and  sold  by  them  in  1851  to  London  buyers. 

The  JUPITER  was  a  vessel  of  360  tons,  built  at  Greenock  in 


210 


THE    HISTOKY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.        [PART  II. 


1835.      Transferred  to  the  Cork  Steamship  Co.  in  1844,  and  sold 
by  them  to  London  buyers  in  1847. 

The  VICTORY  was  a  Liverpool  built  steamer  of  256  tons, 
built  in  1832.  The  Cork  Steamship  Co.  did  not  retain 
possession  of  her  long,  but  sold  her  in  1846  to  the  Malcomsons 
of  Waterford,  who  employed  her  in  their  Limerick  and 
London  service. 


Mr.  EBENEZEK  PIKE,  J.P.  (late  Chairman  Cork  Steamship  Co.). 
The  OCEAN  was  a  steamer  of  300  tons,  her  principal 
dimensions  being  154  by  22  by  15.  She  was  built  on  the 
Mersey  in  1836,  and  in  1838  made  a  record  passage  from  Liver- 
pool to  Cork  in  23  hours.  She  was  intended  for  the  general 
Coasting  Service  of  the  St.  Greorge  Co.,  and  had  the  honour  of 
acting  as  tender  to  her  more  famous  sister-ship  the  SIRITJS,  on 
the  occasion  of  the  latter's  historic  voyage  to  New  York.  Six 
years  later  when  she  had  become  the  property  of  the  Cork 
Steamship  Co.,  she  rendered  valuable  service  to  the  Steam- 
packet  VANGUARD,  belonging  to  the  Dublin  and  Glasgow 


CHAP.  VIII.]      HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES.  211 

Steam  Packet  Co.  During  a  gale  on  the  14th  December,  1844, 
the  VANGUARD,  inward  bound  with  a  valuable  cargo  and  a 
number  of  passengers,  was  forced  on  to  the  rocks  about  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  inside  of  Eoche's  Point  Lighthouse.  This 
occurred  about  4  a.m.,  and  soon  afterwards  the  OCEAN,  inwards 
from  Bristol  to  Cork,  passed  the  spot.  The  VANGUARD'S 
signals  of  distress  were  noticed,  and  the  Captain  of  the  OCEAN 
(Caldbeck),  in  spite  of  the  heavy  sea  that  was  running,  at 
once  launched  his  boats,  and  succeeded  in  rescuing  the 
VANGUARD'S  passengers.  The  steamer  was  afterwards  towed 
off  the  rocks  and  taken  to  Passage  for  repairs.  The  OCEAN 
continued  in  the  service  of  the  Cork  Steamship  Co.  until  1853, 
when  she  was  purchased  by  the  Chester  and  Holyhead  Railway 
Co.  The  remaining  steamer  transferred  from  the  St.  George 
Co.,  was  the  famous  SIRIUS.  The  SIRIUS  was  built  in  1837 
by  Menzies  &  Co.,  Perth,  and  engined  by  J.  Wingate  &  Co., 
Glasgow ;  and  cost  £27,000.  Her  length  was  208  feet,  her 
breadth  25  feet,  and  her  depth  18  feet.  She  had  two  masts 
and  one  funnel,  and  a  dog  figure-head,  holding  between  the 
fore-paws  a  star,  representing  the  dog-star  Sirius,  after  which 
the  vessel  was  named.  On  the  occasion  of  her  memorable 
voyage  to  New  York,  she  sailed  from  London  on  the  28th 
March,  1838,  under  the  command  of  Lieut.  Richard  Boberts, 
R.N.,  and  called  at  Cork  Harbour  to  coal  and  to  embark  the 
mails  and  passengers.  The  OCEAN  arrived  from  Liverpool 
on  the  3rd  April  with  mails  and  passengers  to  be  transferred  to 
the  SIRIUS.  Next  morning  at  10  o'clock  -the  SIRIUS  got 
under  way,  being  accompanied  as  far  as  the  entrance  to  the 
harbour  by  the  OCEAN.  There,  a  brief  stoppage  was  made 
while  the  OCEAN  went  alongside  the  SIRIUS  to  bring  off  a 
number  of  ladies  and  gentlemen  who  had  been  permitted  to 
accompany  their  friends  thus  far,  the  steamers  exchanged 
salutes,  and  then  the  SIRIUS  continued  her  course,  being 
watched  with  keen  interest  until  she  disappeared  beneath  the 
horizon.  She  arrived  at  New  York  at  10  p.m.  on  the  22nd 
April,  and  thus  brought  to  a  successful  termination  the  first 
voyage  ever  made  by  a  passenger  steamer  from  Europe  to 
America.  She  made  two  Trans-Atlantic  voyages,  and  after- 


212 


THE   HISTOBY   OF   STEAM  NAVIGATION.       [PART  II, 


CHAP.   VIII.]       HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES.  218 

wards  returned  to  the  Home  and  Continental  Sri  vices.  When 
she  became  the  property  of  the  Cork  Steamship  Co.  she  was 
employed  in  the  Glasgow,  Dublin  and  Cork  Service,  in  which 
she  continued  until  1847.  On.  the  evening  of  the  loth  -lunc 
of  that  year,  she  sailed  from  Dublin  to  Cork  with  a  general 
cargo,  and  forty  passengers.  All  went  well  until  4  a.m.  on 
the  16th,  when  she  encountered  a  dense  fog,  and  went  on  tin- 
rocks  in  Ballycottoii  Bay.  Twelve  passengers  and  two  seamen 
were  unfortunately  drowned  by  the  capsizing  of  a  boat  which 
had  been  launched,  but  the  rest  of  the  passengers  and  crew  were 
saved  by  means  of  a  rope  which  was  passed  from  the  ship 
to  the  shore.  The  vessel  itself  went  to  pieces  on  the  22nd 
June. 

Nearly  all  the  steamers  retained  by  the  new  management 
were  sold  to  various  owners  within  a  few  years  from  the  re- 
construction of  the  Company,  and  new  and  more  powerful 
vessels  substituted  for  them.  The  first  of  these,  the  NIMROD, 
was  the  first  iron  steamship  owned  in  Cork.  She  was  built 
by  Thomas  Vernon  &  Son,  Liverpool,  to  Mr.  Pike's  order  in 
1843,  and  was  177  feet  long,  25  feet  beam,  and  16  feet  deep. 
Her  tonnage  was  583  tons,  and  she  had  two  masts,  a  clipper 
bow,  and  a  huntsman  (Nimrod)  figurehead. 

The  AJAX,  a  vessel  of  about  600  tons,  was  added  in  1845, 
and  the  PRETISSICHER  ABLER,  of  563  tons,  also  built  in 
1845,  was  purchased  by  the  Company.  The  latter  steamer 
was  designed  as  an  armed  yacht  for  the  late  King  of  Prussia. 
She  wras  built  at  Liverpool,  and  cost  £32,000.  She  was  a 
broad-beamed  paddle-boat,  having  a  beam  of  28  feet,  her  length 
being  185  i'eet,  and  her  depth  17  feet.  She  was  rigged  as  a 
two  masted  schooner,  with  a  cutwater,  an  eagle  figurehead. 
The  Company,  after  purchase,  added  to  her  length,  and  for  this 
purpose  placed  her  in  the  Rushbrook  Dry  Dock,  Cork, 
belonging  to  the  Channel  Dry  Docks  and  Engineering  Co. ;  the 
PREUSSICHER  ABLER  being  the  first  steamer  to  enter  this 
dock.  As  originally  designed  her  paddle-boxes  were  so  con- 
structed as  to  be  capable  of  being  turned  down  over  her  sides, 
in  order  that  two  large  swivel  guns  which  she  carried  on  deck, 
might  have  a  free  range  all  round. 


214  THE    HISTOEY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 

She  remained  in  the  service  of  the  Company  until  1884,  when 
she  was  broken  up  in  London. 

In  1846  Messrs.  R.  and  J.  Lecky,  of  Cork,  built  a  small 
screw  steamer  to  the  order  of  the  Cork  Steamship  Co.  She  was 
named  the  BLARNEY,  and  was  only  118  feet  long,  19  feet 
broad,  and  11  feet  deep.  Notwithstanding  her  diminutive 
size,  she  ran  for  a  number  of  years  between  Liverpool  and 
Havre,  and  was  eventually  sold  to  a  Liverpool  firm  in  1854. 
It  is  noteworthy  that  the  BLARNEY  was  the  first  -cross- 
channel  steamer  built  in  Cork  by  R.  &  J.  Lecky,  and  was  the 
first  screw  steamer  built  for  the  Cork  Steamship  Co. 

The  year  1850  saw  the  Cork  Steamship  Co.  involved  in  the 
most  serious  struggle  which  probably  ever  occurred  in  the 
coasting  steamship  trade.  It  began  by  the  City  of  Dublin  Co., 
at  the  solicitation  of  the  Waterford  and  Kilkenny  Railway  Co., 
running  opposition  steamers  to  Waterford.  The  City  of 
Dublin  Co.,  in  addition  to  their  Liverpool  and  Dublin  Service, 
had  maintained  for  many  years  a  regular  service  of  steamers 
between  Liverpool  and  Belfast.  Mr.  Joseph  Malcomson 

(Waterford  Steamship  Co.)  was  a  Director  of  the  Cork  Steam- 
ship Co.,  and  his  firm  had  a  large  financial  interest  in  that 
Company.  It  was,  therefore,  to  be  expected  that  these  two 
Companies  would  form  staunch  allies  in  any  struggle,  the  more 
so,  when  the  City  of  Dublin  Co.,  in  conjunction  with  the 
British  and  Irish  Steampacket  Co.,  extended  the  opposition  to 
Cork.  The  Cork  and  Waterford  Steamship  Companies  carried  the 
war  into  their  opponents'  territory.  They  put  a  steamer  on  the 
station  between  London  and  the  South  and  East  of  Ireland 
once  a  week,  between  Liverpool  and  Belfast  twice  a  week,  and 
between  Liverpool  and  Dublin,  daily.  The  City  of  Dublin  Co. 
offered  to  make  contracts  with  merchants  in  Cork  and  Water- 
ford,  undertaking  to  carry  their  traffic  freight  free  for  three 
months,  in  response  to  which  the  Waterford  Co.  threatened  to 
place  two  steamers  on  the  Holyhead  and  Dublin  station  in 
conjunction  with  the  Chester  and  Holyhead  Railway  Co. 

The  struggle  between  the  various  companies  was  fiercely 
maintained  for  over  twelve  months,  until  in  April,  1851,  upon 
the  suggestion  of  Mr.  Malcomson,  an  interview  took  place 


CHAP.  VIII.]      HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES.  215 

between  a  Director  of  the  City  of  Dublin  Steam  Packet  Co.  and 
himself  (as  representing  the  Cork  and  Waterford  Companies), 
at  which  meeting  the  companies  concerned  arrived  at  an 
amicable  basis  of  settlement. 

In  this  settlement  the  City  of  Dublin  Co.  agreed  to  transfer 
their  Liverpool  and  Belfast  service  to  the  Cork  Steamship  Co. 
This  arrangement  held  good  until  1854.  On  the  14th  January 
of  the  year  named  a  deputation  from  the  Cork  and  Belfast 
Companies  met  in  Dublin.  There  were  present,  Mr.  Pike 
(Managing  Director)  and  Mr.  Glover  (Secretary),  of  the  Cork 
Steamship  Co. ;  Mr.  W.  E.  S.  Lepper  (Chairman)  and  Mr. 
Valentine,  of  the  Belfast  Co.  The  meeting  was  conducted  in  a 
most  friendly  manner,  and  it  was  arranged  that  the  TELE- 
GRAPH (Belfast  Co.'s  steamer)  should  be  at  once  withdrawn 
from  the  Liverpool  and  Cork  service,  and  the  MINERVA  (Cork 
Co.'s  steamer)  from  the  Liverpool  and  Belfast  service.  The 
year  1854  witnessed  a  great  stream  of  emigrants  from  Cork. 
According  to  a  paragraph  in  the  "  Cork  Constitution  "  of  that 
date :  — 

"  On  Saturday,  1st  April,  the  MINERVA  left  with  467  adult 
emigrants,  79  children,  and  8  infants,  besides  other  passengers. 
The  vessel  was  so  crowded  she  had  to  leave  200  passengers 
behind.  The  NIMROD  leaves  every  Wednesday,  and  is 
freighted  with  emigrants  to  a  similar  extent.  This  continual 
stream  of  emigrants  has  been  going  on  for  a  considerable  time." 

While  the  war  cloud  was  gathering  over  Europe,  which  in 
bursting  produced  the  Crimean  War,  the  Cork  Steamship  Co. 
had  on  the  stocks  a  steamer,  afterwards  named  the  CORMO- 
RANT. Ir  the  equipment  of  this  steamer  a  novel  feature  had 
been  introduced,  viz.,  iron  masts.  These  masts,  of  which  she 
carried  three,  were  exceptionally  tall  and  graceful,  and  so  well 
buckled  that  not  a  joint  was  visible.  The  whole  appearance  of 
the  vessel  was  so  smart  that  s'he  excited  general  admiration,  and 
was  selected  by  the  Government  as  a  transport.  While  she  was 
lying  at  Portsmouth,  after  the  embarkation  of  the  13th  Lancers 
for  the  seat  of  war,  Her  (late)  Majesty  Queen  Victoria,  accom- 
panied by  the  Prince  Consort,  came  on  board  to  inspect  her 
before  sailing.  After  inspecting  the  troopers'  quarters,  and 


216  THE    HISTOEY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 

admiring  some  of  their  horses,  Her  Majesty  discovered  that  the 
ship's  masts  were  not  wood  but  iron.  She  was  so  impressed 
with  their  graceful  appearance  that  she  gave  instructions  for 
fall  particulars  of  them  to  be  taken  by  the  Dockyard  officials 

Two  other  steamers  of  the  Company — the  DODO  (nicknamed 
the  rolling  Dodo)  and  the  ALBATROSS — were  also  engaged 
by  the  Government  as  transports.  At  the  Crimea,  as  well  as  at 
home,  the  CORMORANT'S  masts  excited  great  interest.  One 
day  a  Turkish  Admiral  came  on  board,  and  a  quartermaster  was 
told  off  to  show  the  distinguished  visitor  round  the  ship.  The 
Admiral  came  to  the  mainmast,  examined  it,  tapped  it,  and 
turning  to  his  attendant,  said :  — 

"I-ronP" 

"  Yes,  your  Excellency." 

"  S6-lid  ?" 

"  No,  you  blithering  fool;  it's  hollow,"  was  the  reply,  except 
that  the  adjective  used  was  more  forcible  than  the  one  we  have 
given. 

Amongst  the  vessels  which  were  at  the  Crimea  at  this  time 
was  an  American  schooner,  the  captain  of  which  was  very 
proud  of  his  craft,  and  was  continually  boasting  of  her  beauty 
and  of  the  lofty  masts  she  carried.  He  "  challenged  creation  to 
find  her  ditto."  One  day  when  he  was  boasting  in  his  usual 
strain,  Captain  Byrne,  who  was  present,  said  quietly,  "  What 
might  the  height  of  your  masts  be,  captain?"  "  Every  inch  of 
90  feet,  I  guess,"  replied  the  American.  "  Well,"  said 
Captain  Byrne,  "  I  can  show  you  a  ship  with  taller  masts  than 
that."  "Where?"  "In  this  harbour,  on  my  ship." 

To  settle  the  dispute  the  two  captains  proceeded  to  the 
CORMORANT.  Now  it  must  be  confessed  that  the  CORMO- 
RANT'S masts  had  hot  been  scraped  for  some  time,  and  were 
so  streaked  with  paint  and  grease  that  they  might  easily  be 
mistaken  for  pine.  The  American  captain  came  to  the  foot  of 
the  mainmast  and  looked  up.  "  Great  Caesar !  What  height 
do  you  call  that  ?" 

"  120  feet,"  replied  Captain  Byrne. 

"  Is  it  all  one  piece  ?"  asked  the  other. 

"  There's  not  a  splice  in  it  from  heel  to  truck,"  was  the  reply. 


CHAP.   VIIL]       HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES.  217 

"  I  calculate  that  timber  was  raised  in  Oregon,"  said  the 
American. 

"  No,  it  was  not." 

"  Well,  do  tell,  where  did  it  grow  ?" 

"  That,  sir,"  quoth  Captain  Byrne,  "was  raised   in  Cork." 

A  collision  occurred  on  the  10th  July,  I860,  resulting 
in  the  total  loss  of  H.M.S.  AMA/O.N  and  <!»<•  Cork  sl<>iuns|ii|> 
OSPREY,  with  a  number  of  passengers,  chiefly  ladies.  The 
OSPREY  was  outward  bound  from  Liverpool  to  Antwerp,  with 
a  general  cargo.  She  was  under  the  command  of  the  late 
Captain  Bertridge,  and  carried  a  crew  of  14  hands.  When  off 
Portland,  at  1  o'clock  in  the  morning,  the  look-out  reported  a 
steamer  approaching,  which  proved  to  be  H.M.S.  AMAZON. 
By  a  fatal  error  of  judgment  (for  which  he  was  dismissed  the 
service)  on  the  part  of  the  officer  in  command,  the  AMAZON 
crashed  into  the  OSPREY.  While  the  vessels  were  locked 
together  the  crew  of  the  Cork  steamer  scrambled  over  the  bows 
of  the  man-of-war,  leaving  to  Captain  Bertridge  the  task  of 
saving  his  family  (who  were  on  board)  and  passengers.  These 
he  placed  in  one  of  the  boats  belonging  to  the  OSPREY,  cut 
the  lashings,  and  had  barely  done  so  when  his  steamer  sank, 
dragging  the  boat  into  the  whirlpool  as  it  sank,  and  drowning 
all  in  it,  except  the  captain  and  one  passenger.  The  captain's 
wife  had  previously  jumped  into  the  sea  from  the  boat,  and  was 
rescued  and  taken  on  board  the  AMAZON.  The  latter  vessel  was  so 
injured  by  the  collision  that  she  also  sank  about  four  hours  later, 
but  all  on  board  took  to  the  boats  and  were  landed  at  Torquay. 

About  this  period  the  question  of  the  Company's  house-flag 
began  to  be  agitated.  The  CORMORANT,  under  Captain  Croft, 
was  lying  at  Peiirose  Quay,  with  her  house-flag  floating 
from  the  masthead.  A  section  of  the  Channel  Fleet  happened 
to  be  in  port  at  the  time,  and  Captain  Croft  was  surprised  to 
receive  a  message  from  the  Admiral  commanding,  asking  why 
the  CORMORANT  was  flying  his  (the  Admiral's)  flag.  Captain 
Croft  replied  that  the  flag  he  carried  had  been  his  Company's 
house-flag  for  the  last  twenty  years,  and  of  his  Company's 
predecessor  for  over  twenty  years  before  that.  To  this  the 
Admiral  very  courteously  replied  that  he  personally  would  not 


218 


THE    HISTOEY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 


CHAP.   VIII.]       HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  CO  M  1 ' A  \  I  Ks  o  j « , 

interfere  with  the  use  of  the  flag,  but  that  as  the  Government 
had  adopted  it  as  an  Admiral's  flag,  it  was  possible  that  some 
difficulties  might  arise  later. 

The  question  of  the  flag  was  next  raised  at  Bussorah,  in  the 
Persian  Gulf,  on  the  7th  November,  1882.  The  DOTTI.HI.I. 
had  finished  loading,  and  was  getting  ready  for  sea,  when  a 
message  came  from  H.M.S.  DRYAD,  which  was  in  the  road- 
stead, asking  why  the  DOTTEREL  dared  to  carry  the  Admiral's 
flag,  and  stating  it  must  be  pulled  down  at  once. 

"Tell  your  commander,"  said  Captain  Dobson,  "  that  that 
flag  is  my  Company's  house-flag,  and  that  I  will  not  lower  it 
without  instructions  from  my  owners." 

The  boat  went  back  with  this  message,  and  Captain  Dobson 
immediately  sent  a  man  aloft  to  grease  the  backstays  and  the 
masthead,  having  first  nailed  the  flagi  to  it. 

In  a  short  time  the  boat  returned  with  a  petty  officer,  whose 
instructions  were,  if  the  master  of  the  DOTTEREL  did  not 
lower  the  flag,  he  was  to  send  one  of  his  men  aloft  to  do  so. 
"  All  right,"  said  Captain  Dobson.  "  I  shan't  pull  my  flag 
down  ;  you  can  do  what  you  please."  The  officer  turned  to  his 
men  and  gave  his  orders.  One  tar  after  another  tried  to  shin 
up  the  mast  without  success,  and  after  several  attempts  the 
officer  had  to  return  and  report  the  failure  of  his  mission,  and 
the  DOTTEREL  proceeded  to  sea.* 

The  commander  of  the  man-of-war  having  reported  to  the 
Admiralty,  a  correspondence  ensued  between  that  Department 
of  the  Government  and  the  Cork  Steamship  Co.,  resulting  in 
the  Company  placing  a  blue  star  in  the  centre  of  the  St. 
George's  Cross  on  a  white  ensign,  which  now  constitutes  the 
distinguishing  house-flag  of  that  Company. 

In  1871  the  business  of  the  Cork  Steamship  Co.  had  increased 
to  such  an  extent,  it  was  considered  desirable  to  separate  the 
coasting  from  the  foreign  services,  and  to  form  two  distinct 
companies.  This  was  accordingly  done,  the  former  being  regis- 
tered under  the  title  of  the  City  of  Cork  Steam  Packet  Co.,  Ltd., 

*  Another  account  which  bears  the  stamp  of  authority  states  that  Captain 
Dobson  did  not  carry  off  his  flag  in  the  manner  stated.  He  lowered  it  under 
protest,  and  it  was  carried  on  board  the  man-of-war,  but  afterwards  returned  to 
the  Company,  and  is  now  retained  at  the  Head  Office,  Cork. 


220 


THE    HISTOKY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 


and  the  latter  under  the  style  of  the  Cork  Steamship  Co.,  Ltd. 
Mr.  Ebenezer  Pike  died  in  the  year  1883,  and  was  succeeded  by 
his  son,  Mr.  Joseph  Pike,  of  Dunsland,  co.  Cork,  as  Chairman 
and  Managing  Director  of  the  Company. 

When  the  Manchester  Ship  Canal  was  opened  in  1894,  one 
of  the  first  foreign  trading  steamers  to  pass  through  the  canal 
was  the  IBIS,  belonging  to  the  Cork  Steamship  Co.  The  Cork 
Steamship  Co.'s  steamer  LESTKIS  was  the  first  steamer  to 
enter  Flushing  Docks  011  the  8th  September,  1873,  being 
locked  in  with  the  King  of  Holland's  yacht. 


Mr.  JOSEPH  PIKE,  J.P.,  D.L.,  Chairman  Cork  Steamship  Co. 

The  later  years  of  the  Company  have  been  unproductive  of 
historical  incidents,  perhaps  not  altogether  to  the  regret  of  the 
shareholders.  The  older  steamers  have  been  disposed  of  from 
time  to  time,  and  replaced  by  modern  steamers  of  larger 
tonnage  and  greater  power.  Instead  of  steamers  of  500  to  600 
tons,  the  fleet  at  the  present  time  (1903)  consists  of  16  powerful 
vessels,  varying  from  1,000  to  2,400  tons. 


CHAP.  IX.]        HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES.  221 


CHAVTKI:    IX. 

THE     CUNARD    STEAMSHIP    COMPANY, 
LIMITED. 

IT  seems  incredible  that  less  than  three-quarters  of  a  century 
ago  steamers  were  unknown  on  the  Atlantic.  The  mail-boats 
of  that  date  were  wretched  old  Government  10-gun  "  coffin 
brigs,"  slow  and  uncertain  in  their  passages.  But  there  were 
men,  even  in  those  days,  who  dreamed  of  a  time  to  come  when 
steamers  should  cross  the  ocean  with  the  regularity,  though 
not  with  the  speed,  of  railway  trains.  Amongst  these 
enthusiasts  was  Mr.  Samuel  Cunard,  a  shipowner  of  Halifax, 
Nova  Scotia.  For  years  he  had  striven  to  realise  his  idea,  but 
not  having  sufficient  capital  of  his  own,  and  not  being  able  to 
induce  his  friends  to  invest  in  his  enterprise,  he  had  to  wait  his 
opportunity.  At  last  the  long-waited-for  opportunity  came, 
and  he  seized  it.  The  British  Admiralty  issued  a  circular 
stating  that  the  mails  would  be  transferred  to  a  steam  packet 
service,  if  a  satisfactory  tender  were  sent  in.  When  this 
circular  came  into  the  hands  of  Mr.  Cunard  he  again  appealed 
to  the  merchants  of  Halifax  and  others  for  assistance  ;  and 
being  unsuccessful  in  his  application  he  came  to  Britain 
and  fortunately  became  acquainted  with  Mr.  E.  Napier.  Mr. 
Napier  introduced  him  to  Mr.  George  Burns  who,  in  his  turn, 
introduced  him  to  Mr.  David  Maclver,  of  Liverpool.  In  the 
course  of  a  few  days,  chiefly  through  the  influence  of  Mr.  Burns, 
the  requisite  capital,  £270,000,  was  obtained,  and  soon  after- 
wards a  contract  for  seven  years  between  the  Government  and 
Samuel  Cunard,  George  Burns  and  David  Maclver  was  signed, 
and  the  Cunard  Steamship  Co.  was  launched.  Before  their 
arrangements  were  finally  adjusted,  the  Admiralty  re-modelled 
the  agreement,  requiring  that  the  service  should  be  performed 
by  four  suitable  steamers  (instead  of  three,  as  originally  stated), 


222 


THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.        [PAET  II. 


CHAP.   IX.]         HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES.  228 

and  that  fixed  dates  of  sailing  should  be  adhered  to,  but  in 
consideration  of  the  increased  services  the  subsidy  was  raised 
from  £60,000  to  £81,000. 

The  official  title  of  the  Company  was  "  The  British  and  North 
American  Eoyal  Mail  Steam  Packet  Co.,"  but  this  unwieldy 
title  soon  gave  place  to  one  of  world-wide  reputation,  "  The 
Cunard  Line." 

The  first  steamer  despatched  by  the  co-partnery  was  one  of 
Messrs.  Burns'  Liverpool  and  Glasgow  steamers,  the  UNICORN. 
She  sailed  from  Liverpool  for  Halifax  and  Boston,  under  the 
command  of  Captain  Douglas,  on  Saturday  morning,  Kith  May, 
1840.  She  carried  the  mails  and  a  limited  number  of  saloon 
passengers,  the  passage  rates  being — to  Halifax  £30,  to  Boston 
£33  each.  The  BRITANNIA,  .the  pioneer  steamer  of  the 
British  and  North  American  Steam  Packet  Co.,  was 
despatched  on  the  4th  July,  1840,  being  the  first  of 
four  wooden  paddle-wheel  steamships,  the  others  being  the 
ACADIA,  CALEDONIA  and  COLUMBIA.  These  vessels  were  uniform 
in  size  and  power,  being  207  feet  long,  34  feet  4  inches  broad, 
and  22  feet  6  inches  deep.  Their  gross  tonnage  was  1,154  tons, 
and  their  engines  of  740  I.H.P.  drove  them  at  an  average  speed 
of  S|-  knots  per  'hour.  The  reception  given  to  the  BRITANNIA 
on  the  termination  of  her  maiden  voyage  by  the  citizens  of 
Boston  was  most  enthusiastic.  Nor  was  the  goodwill  of  the 
merchants  confined  to  banquets  and  complimentary  speeches 
for,  when  the  BRITANNIA  was  ice-bound  in  Boston  Harbour,  in 
February,  1844,  they  liberated  her  by  cutting  a  canal  through 
the  ice,  seven  miles  long  and  100  feet  wide. 

In  1843  the  Company  added  to  their  fleet  the  HIBERNIA,  and  in 
1845  the  CAMBRIA,  each  of  1,040  I.H.P.  and  of  1,422  tons  gross, 
with  an  average  speed  of  9J  knots.  On  the  expiration  of  the 
Postal  Contract  the  Government  stipulated  that  the  existing 
mail  service  should  be  doubled,  that  the  steamers  of  the  Company 
should  be  capable  of  carrying  guns  of  the  largest  calibre,  and 
that  a  steamer  should  leave  Liverpool  every  Saturday  (calling 
at  Holyhead  if  required)  for  New  York  and  Boston  alternately ; 
the  Boston  steamer  to  call  at  Halifax,  and  the  New  York 
steamer  to  do  so  also,  if  required  by  the  Lords  Commissioners  of 


224 


THE   HISTORY   QF   STEAM  NAVIGATION.        [PAET  II. 


CHAP.   IX.]         HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES.  225 

the  Admiralty.  In  consideration  of  these  augmented  services 
the  annual  subsidy  was  increased  to  £173,340,  at  which  figure 
it  remained  for  twenty  years  (1847  to  1867).  To  meet  the  new 
requirements,  the  AMERICA,  NIAGARA,  CANADA  and  EUROPA,  of 
1,825  tons,  and  2,000  I.H.P.,  with  an  average  speed  of  ten  and 
a  quarter  knots,  were  built  and  added  to  the  fleet.  A  few  years 
later  the  Collins  Line,  heavily  subsidised,  was  started  with  the 
avowed  object  of  "  sweeping  the  Cunarders  off  the  Atlantic." 
This  opposition  lasted  until  1858,  when,  having  lost  two  ships, 
and  being  refused  any  further  subsidy  by  the  United  States 
Government,  the  Collins  Company  collapsed,  and  the  remaining 
ships  were  withdrawn.  During  the  continuance  of  this  opposi- 
tion the  Cunard  Company  added  steadily  to  their  fleet  larger 
and  more  powerful  steamers.  The  ASIA  and  AFRICA  were  built 
in  1850,  and  were  each  266  feet  by  40  feet  by  27'2  feet,  of 
2,226  tons  gross,  with  engines  of  2,400  I.H.P.,  and  of  an  average 
speed  of  12'5  knots.  These  were  followed  in  1852  by  the 
ARABIA,  the  last  of  the  wooden  paddle  steamers.  She  was  285 
feet  long,  40  feet  8  inches  broad,  and  29  feet  deep.  Her 
engines  indicated  3,250  H.P.,  and  her  average  speed  was  13 
knots  per  hour.  Three  years  later,  1855,  the  first  iron  mail 
steamship  was  built  for  the  Cunard  Company.  She  was  named 
the  PERSIA,  and  was  nearly  one  hundred  feet  longer  than  the 
largest  of  her  predecessors.  Her  principal  dimensions  were — 
Length  376  feet,  breadth  45  feet  3  inches,  depth  31  feet  6  inches. 
Her  gross  tonnage  was  4,000  tons,  and  her  engines  indicated 
4,000  H.P.,  giving  a  speed  of  13'8  knots  per  hour.  In  1853  the 
Company  established  (primarily  as  auxiliaries  to  their  Atlantic 
service)  branch  lines  between  Liverpool  and  Havre,  and  Liver- 
pool and  the  principal  ports  in  the  Mediterranean,  Adriatic, 
Levant,  Bosphorus,  and  Black  Sea.  For  these  branch  lines  the 
screw  steamers  SYDNEY,  AUSTRALIAN,  ANDES  and  ALPS  were 
built  in  1852,  followed  by  the  JURA  in  1854  and  the  ETNA  in 
1855.  War  having  been  declared  against  Russia  the  four  last- 
named  steamers,  in  addition  to  the  CAMBRIA,  NIAGARA,  EUROPA 
and  ARABIA,  were  engaged  by  the  Government  as  troopships. 
The  Cunard  Company  had  in  1854  purchased  the  steamer  EMEU, 
and  she  was  immediately  chartered  to  the  Government.  The 
p 


THE    HISTOKY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART   II. 


CHAP.   IX.]         HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIKS.  227 

EMEU  was  the  first  troopship  to  arrive  out  at  the  commencement 
of  the  Crimean  War,  and  in  the  seventeen  months  following  she 
conveyed  upwards  of  17,000  troops  to  the  Crimea.  A  few  years 
later  (1862)  the  famous  SCOTIA  (the  last  of  the  paddle-wheel 
steamers)  was  built.  In  1878  she  was  sold  to  the  Telegraph 
Construction  Company,  who  converted  her  into  a  screw  steamer. 
The  same  year  (1862)  the  Cunard  Company  ordered  their  first 
screw  steamer  for  the  Atlantic  trade.  This  was  the  CHINA 
S.S.,  now  converted  into  a  four-masted  barque  and  named  the 
THEODOR.  She  was  followed  in  1864  by  the  CUBA,  in  1865  by 
the  JAVA,  and  in  1867  by  the  RUSSIA,  of  2,960  tons  giross  and 
3,100  I.H.P.  After  sailing  for  many  years  under  the  Cunard 
Flag,  the  RUSSIA  was  sold  to  the  "  American  Line."  Her  new 
owners  lengthened  her,  gave  her  a  fourth  mast,  and  altered  her 
name  to  the  WAESLAND.  She  finally  sank  off  Holyhead,  after 
colliding  with  the  S.S.  HARMONIDES,  on  the  5th  March,  1902. 

The  Company's  Postal  Contract  having  expired  on  the  31st 
December,  1867,  a  new  contract  was  entered  into  with  the 
Postmaster-General  for  one  year,  whereby  the  Cunard  Company 
undertook  to  despatch  a  steamer  from  Liverpool  to  Xew 
York,  calling  at  Queenstown,  returning  from  new  York 
every  Wednesday,  also  calling  at  Queenstown.  The  payment 
for  this  service  was  £80,000,  which  sum  was  further  reduced  the 
following  year  to  £70,000  per  annum  for  several  years.  Under 
the  last  contract,  which  was  for  the  period  named,  the  Company 
guaranteed  to  sail  a  steamer  from  Liverpool  (calling  at  Queens- 
town)  to  Boston  every  Tuesday,  in  addition  to  the  mail  service 
from  Liverpool  to  New  York  every  Saturday.  The  last- 
mentioned  contract  expired  on  the  31st  December,  1876,  on 
which  date  a  new  system  of  postal  remuneration  came  into 
operation  based  on  the  amount  of  correspondence  earned  per 
voyage,  under  which  system  the  Cunard  Company  has  carried 
the  mails  to  the  present  time.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the 
continuity  of  their  mail  service  has  continued  unbroken  for 
upwards  of  sixty  years.  The  invention  of  compound  engines 
was  the  latest  evolution  of  marine  engineering  engaging  atten- 
tion in  1869-70.  The  Directors  of  the  Cunard  Company  quickly 
realised  that  the  saving  effected  by  the  use  of  compound  engines 


228  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.        [PART  II. 


CHAP.   IX.]         HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES.  229 

was  so  considerable,  without  reduction  of  speed,  that  their 
adoption  was  an  imperative  necessity.  This  decision  was 
arrived  at  too  late  to  furnish  with  the  new  style  of  engines  t IK- 
ABYSSINIA  and  ALGERIA,  each  of  about  3,300  tons  and  2,480 
I.H.P.,  just  completed  by  Messrs.  J.  &  GK  Thomson,  and 
placed  on  the  New  York  station ;  but  the  BATAVIA,  then  on 
the  stocks  to  the  order  of  another  company,  was  purchased  and 
supplied  with  machinery  on  the  new  principle  ;  and  an  order 
was  given  to  the  same  builders  (Messrs.  Denny,  Dumbarton)  for 
a  similar  vessel  of  rather  larger  tonnage  to  be  named  the 
PARTHIA.  A  further  extension  of  the  Company's  business  took 
place  in  1872,  by  the  establishment  of  a  direct  line  of  steamers 
between  the  Clyde  and  the  West  Indies.  The  TRINIDAD  and 
the  DEMERARA,  two  sister  ships  of  about  2,000  tons  each,  were 
built  that  year,  and  placed  on  the  station,  but  after  about  twelve 
months'  trading  they  were  withdrawn,  and  sent  to  supplement 
the  Company's  service  in  the  Mediterranean.  During  the 
succeeding  six  years  the  fleet  was  increased  by  the  addition  of 
seven  large  steamers,  all  fitted  with  compound  engines,  the  last 
and  largest  of  which  was  the  G-ALLIA,  of  4,809  tons  and  5,300 

I.H.P. 

In  1878  it  was  considered  expedient  to  consolidate  the 
interests  of  the  partners  by  registering  the  Company  under  the 
Limited  Liability  Acts,  and  a  Joint  Stock  Company  was  formed 
with  a  capital  of  £2,000,000,  of  which  £1,200,000  was  issued 
and  taken  up  by  the  families  of  Cunard,  Burns  and  Maclver. 
No  shares  were  offered  to  the  public  until  1880,  when  a  pros- 
pectus was  issued  intimating  that  "  it  was  now  proposed  to  issue 
the  balance  of  the  capital."  The  available  shares  were  rapidly 
subscribed  for,  the  representatives  of  the  three  founders  retain- 
ing a  large  financial  interest  in  the  Company.  About  this 
period  steel  was  engaging  the  attention  of  shipbuilders  as  a 
substitute  for  iron.  The  Cunard  Directors  were  so  convinced 
of  the  superiority  of  the  former,  especially  where  speed  was  a 
desideratum,  that  they  ordered  a  steel  steamship  from  Messrs. 
J.  &  Gl.  Thomson,  to  be  larger  and  more  powerful  than  any 
steamer  previously  built,  the  (TREAT  EASTERN  alone  excepted. 
This  monster  vessel,  which  was  named  the  SERVIA,  was  com- 


280  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART   II. 

pleted  in  1881.  Her  dimensions  were — Length  515  feet, 
breadth  52  ^  feet,  depth  37  feet.  Her  gross  tonnage  was  7,392. 
Her  engines  were  compound — with  seven  steel  boilers — and 
developed  10,000  I.H.P.,  producing  a  speed  of  17  knots  per 
hour.  She  was  fitted  in  the  most  substantial  and  beautiful 
manner  for  the  accommodation  of  480  cabin  and  750  steerage 
passengers,  and  embodied  all  the  most  modern  appliances 
conducive  to  comfort  and  safety.  She  was  the  first  of  the 
Cunard  Fleet  to  be  equipped  with  incandescent  electric  lamps. 
The  same  year,  the  CATALONIA,  4,841  tons  and  3,200  I.H.P.,  was 
built  for  the  Boston  service,  and  two  more  for  the  same  service 
in  the  following  year.  These  were  the  PAVONIA,  of  5,587  tons 
and  4,000  I.H.P.,  built  by  Messrs.  J.  &  G.  Thomson ;  and  the 
CEPHALONIA,  5,517  tons  and  4,000  I.H.P.,  by  Messrs.  Laird 
Brothers,  Birkenhead. 

A  second  steel  steamship  was  built  in  1883  for  the  New  York 
Mail  Service.  This  was  the  AURANIA,  built  by  Messrs.  J.  &  G. 
Thomson,  and  her  dimensions  are  470  feet  by  57  T%  feet  by 
37  T2<y  feet.  Her  tonnage  is  7,269,  and  she  is  fitted  with  com- 
pound engines  of  9,500  I.H.P.,  and  attaining  a  speed  of  17J 
knots  per  hour.  She  was  taken  up  by  the  Government  as  a 
transport  in  October,  1899,  and  so  valuable  did  she  prove  for 
this  service  that  she  was  retained  until  the  early  part  of  1903. 
In  1884  the  Directors  purchased  the  celebrated  iron  steamship 
OREGON,  built  by  Messrs.  John  Elder  &  Co.  She  was  501  feet 
by  54  £s  feet  by  38  feet,  and  of  7,375  tons  and  13,500  I.H.P. ; 
speed  18  knots  per  hour.  On  her  first  and  second  voyage  she 
did  not  distinguish  herself,  but  on  her  third  voyage  she  made 
the  passage  from  Queenstown  to  New  York  in  6  days  10  hours 
9  minutes,  thereby  excelling  all  previous  records,  and  earning 
for  herself  the  title  of  "The  Greyhound  of  the  Atlantic." 
Towards  the  close  of  1884  the  UMBRIA — the  first  of  two  steel 
steamships  ordered  from  Messrs.  Elder — -was  delivered,  and  she 
was  followed  early  in  1885  by  her  sister  ship  the  ETRURIA.  The 
following  description  of  the  ETRURIA  applies  also  to  the 
UMBRIA  :  Length  501  ^  feet  by  57  T2o  feet  by  38  T2^  feet ; 
gross  tonnage  7,718  tons.  The  promenade  deck,  which  extends 
over  the  full  breadth  of  the  ship  for  nearly  300  feet  amidships, 


CHAP.   IX.]         HISTOEICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPAM I  -  281 

is  reserved  for  the  sole  use  of  the  first-class  passengers.  The 
vessel  easily  accommodates  550  first-class  passengers  and  800 
third-class.  The  state  rooms  are  replete  with  all  the  fittings 
usual  in  first-class  vessels  of  the  most  modern  type,  and  a 
number  of  them  are  arranged  en  suite  for  family  use.  The  hull 
is  divided  into  ten  watertight  compartments,  and  most  of  the 
bulkheads  are  carried  to  the  upper  deck,  while  they  are  fitted 
with  waterproof  and  fireproof  doors,  which  afford  access  to  all 
parts  of  the  ship.  The  engines  indicate  14,500  H.P.,  and  are 
compound,  having  three  inverted  cylinders — one  high-pressure 
71in.  in  diameter  and  two  low-pressure,  each  105in.  in  diameter. 
The  average  speed  of  both  steamers  may  be  set  down  at  18^ 
knots  per  hour.  The  fastest  passagie  of  the  ETRURIA  was  when 
she  established  a  new  record  by  making  the  passage  from 
Queenstown  to  New  York  in  5  days  20  hours  55  minutes,  the 
UMBRIA'S  best  record  being  5  days  22  hours  7  minutes.  The 
next  important  addition  to  the  fleet  was  the  CAMPANIA,  launched 
from  the  yard  of  the  Fairfield  Shipbuilding  Co.,  Grovan,  on  the 
8th  September,  1892.  Five  months  later— February,  1893— 
there  was  launched  from  the  same  yard  her  sister  ship  the 
LUCANIA.  From  the  official  description  of  the  CAMPANIA,  it 
appears  that  her  length  over  all  is  620  feet,  extreme  breadth 
65  feet  3  inches,  depth  from  upper  deck  43  feet,  gross  tonnage 
12,950  tons.  The  bulkheads  are  sixteen  in  number,  and  they 
will  enable  the  vessel  to  float  with  any  two,  or  in  some  cases 
three,  of  the  compartments  open  to  the  sea.  Although  fitted 
with  twin  screws,  there  is  an  aperture  in  the  stern  frame  similar 
to  that  in  a  single  screw  steamer.  This  is  provided  that  the 
propellers  may  work  freely,  though  they  are  fitted  close  to  the 
centre  line  of  the  ship,  in  order  to  prevent  damage  to  or  from 
the  quay  walls.  In  the  accommodation  for  passengers  all  the 
latest  improvements  are  to  be  found,  and  everything  calculated 
to  render  ocean  travelling  more  comfortable  and  enjoyable 
is  introduced.  The  grand  saloon,  drawing  room,  library  and 
smoking  rooms  are  noble  in  their  proportions,  and  suggest  the 
stately  chambers  of  a  palace  rather  than  accommodation  within 
the  steel  walls  of  a  ship.  It  is  worthy  of  special  notice  that 
comfort  has  been  studied  in  every  detail,  and  perhaps  nothing 


THK    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 


CHAP.   IX.]          HISTORICAL   STEAMSHIP  COMPANIKS  288 

exemplifies  this  more  than  the  fact  that  in  all  the  principal 
rooms  there  are  coal  fire-grates,  the  first  that  have  ever  been 
used  on  board  ship.  There  are  four  sets  of  generating  plant, 
capable  of  supplying  throughout  the  ship  1,850  16-candle  power 
incandescent  electric  light,  and  in  addition  a  powerful  search- 
light, for  facilitating  the  navigation  into  port,  &c.  Wire  to  the 
length  of  40  miles  runs  through  the  ship.  The  grand  saloon  is 
a  magnificent  hall  in  the  modified  Italian  style,  100  feet  long 
by  63  feet  broad,  with  seats  at  table  for  430  passengers.  In  the 
centre,  a  great  crystal  dome  rises  through  the  two  decks  above 
to  a  height  of  33  feet. 

Three  classes  of  passengers  are  carried  by  the  CAMPANIA,  viz., 
first,  second  and  third  class;  and  roughly  speaking  there  is 
accommodation  for  about  1,400  passengers  and  400  crew. 
While  the  hulls  of  both  vessels  are  almost  unrivalled  in  size 
and  in  the  accommodation  they  afford,  the  machinery  by  which 
they  are  propelled  is  almost  unique  in  magnitude  and  skill  in 
construction.  The  two  sets  of  triple-expansion  engines  in  each 
ship  develop  the  enormous  amount  of  30,000  I.H.P.  The 
funnels  of  the  CAMPANIA  and  LUCANIA  from  their  lowest  section 
are  120  feet  high,  or  about  the  height  of  the  Eddystone  Ligiht- 
house,  and  their  diameter  20  feet. 

The  CAMPANIA  has  maintained  an  average  speed  for  twelve 
months,  on  her  eastward  runs,  of  21'88  knots  per  hour,  while 
the  LUCANIA  for  the  same  period  shows  an  average  speed  of 
22'01  knots.  The  Mediterranean  service  has  within  the  last 
few  years  been  greatly  improved  by  the  addition  of  four  new 
steel  steamships,  each  of  about  3,000  tons  burthen.  These  are 
the  PAVIA  (1897),  TYRIA  (1897),  CYPRIA  (1898)  and  VERIA 
(1899).  The  Boston  service  also  comprises  the  following 
modern  steel  twin-screw  steamships: — IVERNIA  and  SAXOMA. 
built  in  1900,  the  ULTONIA  in  1898,  and  the  SYLVANIA  in  1895. 
The  IVERNIA  and  SAXONIA  are  practically  alike,  and  call  for 
some  special  notice.  They  are  the  largest  ships  carrying 
passengers  and  cargio  to  Boston.  The  principal  dimensions  of 
the  ships  are — Length  GOO  feet,  beam  G4  feet  3  inches  and  depth 
41  feet  6  inches.  The  gross  tonnage  is  14,027  tons,  measure- 
ment capacity  20,000  tons,  while  the  displacement  is  no  less 


234 


THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 


CHAP.   IX.]          HISTORICAL   STKAMSHI1'   COM  1'A NIKS.  •>:{;", 

than  25,000  tons.  In  their  ordinary  work  across  the  Atlantic 
they  carry  200  first,  220  second,  and  about  1,900  third-class 
passengers.  If  engaged  in  trooping,  each  ship  could  carry  200 
officers  and  3,500  men,  together  with  10,000  tons  of  stores. 
The  features  of  the  ships,  next  to  their  huge  size,  are  the 
spaciousness  and  comfort  of  their  passenger  accommodation  and 
their  steadiness,  which  is  most  remarkable,  and  which  makes 
sea  sickness  almost  impossible.  Aerial  telegraphy  is  in  regular 
operation  on  board  these  two  vessels.  The  Cunard  was  the  first 
steamship  company  to  systematically  adopt  this  latest  develop- 
ment of  electrical  science.  It  was  in  the  LUCANIA  that  Mr. 
Marconi's  system  was  first  set  up,  and  so  pleased  were  the 
Directors  with  the  results  that  they  at  once  decided  to  adopt  the 
invention  in  their  other  steamers,  the  CAMPANIA,  LUCANIA, 
ETRURIA,  UMBRIA,  CARPATHIA,  AURANIA,  IVERNIA  and 
SAXONIA  all  being  now  thus  equipped. 

In  October,  1908,  the  LUCANIA  was  the  medium  selected  by 
the  inventor  for  further  experiments  in  wireless  telegraphy, 
and  on  the  voyage  from  Xew  York  to  Liverpool  completed  on 
October  10th,  Siguor  Marconi  successfully  accomplished  a 
wonderful  feat,  and  a  newspaper  with  real  news  fresh  from 
the  Marconi  stations  at  Cape  Breton,  Nova  Scotia,  and  Poldhu, 
Cornwall,  was  published  every  day.  Messages  were  trans- 
mitted over  a  distance  of  2,000  miles  as  accurately  as  over  the 
same  number  of  feet  or  yards,  so  that  passengers  on  board  the 
LUCANIA  had  their  printed  newspaper,  the  "  Cunard  Bulletin," 
every  day  of  the  voyage,  containing  the  most  interesting  events 
on  both  continents.  Just  before  arrival  in  Liverpool  a  larger 
edition  of  the  "  Cunard  Bulletin,"  a  weekly  issue,  was  printed 
giving  an  epitome  of  the  news  recorded  in  the  six  daily 
publications  during  the  voyage,  and  marking  a  fresh  era  in 
oceanic  journalism. 

The  CARPATHIA,  the  latest  addition  to  the  Cunard  fleet, 
represents  a  new  departure  in  Atlantic  trade,  being  designed 
exclusively  for  second  and  third-class  passengers,  all  of  whom 
are  accommodated  in  rooms  containing  two  and  four  berths. 
The  dimensions  of  the  CARPATHIA  are— Length  560  feet, 
breadth  64  feet  3  inches,  depth  40  feet  6  inches,  and  the  gross 


236  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART   II. 

tonnage  is  13,555  tons.  She  started  on  her  maiden  voyage 
May  5th,  1903,  and  being  built  on  similar  lines  to  the  IVERNIA 
and  SAXONI^  shares  their  reputation  for  remarkable  steadiness 
at  sea  even  in  the  stormiest  weather. 

A  recent  item  of  interest  in  connection  with  this  famous 
company  is  the  agreement  made  in  August,  1903,  with  the 
British  Government,  by  which  the  Cunard  Company  are  to 
build  two  new  steamers  of  an  average  speed  of  not  less  than 
24J  knots,  which,  along  with  all  other  Cuiiard  ships,  are  to 
be  at  the  disposal  of  the  Admiralty  for  hire  or  purchase  when- 
ever they  may  be  required.  To  help  them  in  this  undertaking, 
such  fast  ships  being  unprofitable  for  commercial  purposes,  the 
Government  lend  the  Company  £2,600,000  to  build  the  ships, 
and  grant  them  a  subsidy  of  £150,000  a  year. 

In  October,  1903,  the  Cunard  Company  started  a  new  Winter 
Passenger  Service  from  New  York  to  the  Mediterranean  ports, 
calling  at  Gibraltar,  Algiers,  Naples,  Palermo,  Venice,  Trieste 
and  Fiume.  The  AURANIA  and  CARPATHIA,  carrying  only  two 
classes  of  passengers,  were  chosen  for  this  new  service,  which 
opens  up  a  round  of  most  interesting  travel  to  the  great 
travelling  public  of  moderate  mean's.  Passengers  by  these 
steamers  may  land  at  any  of  the  ports  named  and  visit  at 
leisure  places  of  interest  in  Spain,  France,  Italy,  Germany, 
Sicily,  Austria  or  Hungary,  continuing  their  journey  overland 
to  England  to  return  to  New  York  by  Cunard  steamer  from 
Liverpool ;  or,  if  they  prefer  to  do  so,  they  may  remain  in  the 
ship  all  the  time  and  return  in  her  to  New  York ;  or,  as  a  third 
course,  they  may  make  a  stay  in  any  of  the  countries  named 
and  rejoin  a  subsequent  Cunard  Mediterranean  ship  at  any  of 
her  calling  ports. 


CHAP.  X.]  HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES. 


287 


CHAPTER   X. 
HOUSTON     LINE. 


THIS  well-known  line  of  steamers  was  established  about  a 
quarter  of  a  century  ago  by  the  present  senior  partner  of  the 
firm,  Mr.  E.  P.  Houston,  Member  of  Parliament  for  the 
Toxteth  Division  of  Liverpool.  Like  many  other  under- 
takings which  have  grown  to  gigantic  dimensions  from  small 
beginnings,  this  firm  started  in  a  modest  manner  with  one 
small  steamer.  This  was  the  steamer  ATHLETE,  followed 
in  the  year  1881  by  a  larger  steamer,  the  HERCULES,  built 
by  the  Whitehaveii  Ship  Building  Co.,  and  engined  by  Messrs. 
J.  Jones  &  Sons,  of  Liverpool.  She  was  a  vessel  of  742  tons 
net  register,  and  1,155  tons  gross  register,  her  principal 
dimensions  being,  length  212  feet,  beam  34  feet  and  depth 
16  feet  6  inches.  Her  engines,  which  were  of  150  nominal 
horse-power,  were  compound.  These  two  vessels  were  not 
engaged  in  any  regular  trade,  but  ran  wherever  profitable 
freights  couM  be  obtained,  and  chiefly  to  Java  and  Eastern 
ports.  Becoming  too  small  for  Messrs.  Houston's  require- 
ments, they  were  sold.  All  the  succeeding  vessels  of  the  fleet, 
of  which  there  have  been  a  great  many,  have  been  named  after 
Greek  mythological  deities  or  Roman  celebrities,  each  name 
beginning  with  the  letter  "  H." 

Although  already  very  busily  engaged  with  large  contracts 
for  the  conveyance  of  material  to  the  Panama  Canal  Co.,  and 
the  West  African  Co.,  Mr.  Houston,  believing  there  was  ample 
room  for  a  new  line  of  steamers  to  the  River  Plate  from 


'238 


THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 


CHAP.   X.]  HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COM  PA  NIKS. 


28!) 


Liverpool,  decided  to  enter  upon  that  trade  in  the  year  1884. 
New  steamers  were  designed  and  built  specially  for  this  trade, 
and  so  energetically  and  successfully  was  the  trade  worked 
that,  although  severe  opposition  was  encountered  at  first  from 
the  existing  lines,  in  a  short  time  not  only  were  Messrs. 
Houston's  steamers  fully  occupied,  but  many  steamers  had  to 
be  chartered  to  meet  the  rapidly  increasing  traffic,  since  which 
time  the  Houston  Line  has  assumed  very  large  proportions. 

The  first  steamer  engaged  in  this  trade  was  the  HERMES, 
built  011  the  Clyde  in  1882,  and  engined  by  Messrs.  J.  Jones 
and  Son,  Liverpool.  She  was  a  much  larger  vessel  than  the 
HERCULES,  her  gross  register  being  '2,175  tons,  and  her 
principal  dimensions  290  feet  in  length  by  40  feet  beam  and 
22  feet  depth. 

After  a  short  interval  more  steamers,  each  of  about  2,000 
tons  gross,  were  added  to  the  fleet  in  1884.  These  were  the 
HELLENES,  built  by  Richardson,  Duck  &  Co.,  and  engined 
by  G.  Clark,  of  Sunderlaiid — length  270  feet,  beam  40  feet, 
and  depth  18  feet  7  inches ;  and  the  HESPERIDES,  built  by 
R.  &  J.  Evans  &  'Co.,  and  engined  by  George  Forrester  &  Co., 
Liverpool — length  286  feet,  beam  88  feet,  and  depth  24  feet. 
The  following  year  (1885)  a  larger  boat  than  any  yet  built  for 
the  firm  was  added  to  the  fleet.  This  was  the  HELIADES, 
built  by  Richardson,  Duck  &  Co.,  Stockton.  She  was  320  feet 
long,  and  of  proportionate  beam  and  depth.  Her  gross 
register  was  about  3,000  tons,  and  she  was  fitted  with  triple- 
expansion  engines  by  T.  Richardson  &  Co.,  of  West  Hartlepool, 
with  which  class  of  engines  all  the  succeeding  steamers  have 
been  fitted.  4  sister  ship,  but  having  more  powerful  engines,  the 
HERACLIDES  was  launched  for  the  firm  in  July,  188(i.  She 
was  followed  in  1889  by  the  HIPPOMENES,  built  at  Belfast 
by  Workman,  Clark  &  Co.,  and  the  HYDARNES  and  the 
HELLOPES,  built  at  Port  Glasgow  by  J.  Reid  &  Co.  These 
steamers,  like  their  immediate  predecessors,  were  each  of  about 
3,000  tons  gross  register,  and  were  all  practically  of  the  same 
dimensions.  The  whole  of  these  four  steamers  are  fitted  with 
refrigerators  for  the  carriage  of  frozen  meat  from  the  River 
Plate. 


240  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 

Mr.  Alfred  S.  Collard,  a  gentleman  with  a  large  and  varied 
experience  in  the  River  Plate  trade,  and  one  thoroughly  con- 
versant with  the  working  and  requirements  of  an  important 
steamship  line,  joined  Mr.  Houston  as  partner  in  1893. 

During  the  closing  years  of  the  last  and  beginning  of  the 
present  century  the  quantity  of  railway  rolling  stock  and  plant 
for  shipment  to  the  River  Plate  was  so  great  that  it  was  not 
an  uncommon  event  for  the  Brunswick  Station  of  the  Cheshire 
Lines  Railway  to  be  almost  entirely  blocked  with  wagons  of 
railway  material  consigned  for  shipment  by  the  Houston  Line. 
So  large  were  some  of  these  packages,  they  could  only  be 
brought  through  from  the  manufacturers  on  Sunday,  it  being 
impossible  to  convey  them  on  the  railway  while  the  ordinary 
traffic  was  being  carried  on.  In  1898  Messrs.  Russell  &  Co., 
of  Port  Glasgow,  built  two  sister  ships  of  over  3,500  tons  gross 
register  for  Messrs.  Houston.  These  were  the  HERMINIUS  and 
the  HORATIUS. 

The  year  1899  was  an  important  one  in  the  firm's  history. 
In  that  year  the  trade  between  New  York  and  the  River  Plate 
was  entered,  and  since  that  time  a  regular  service  has  been 
maintained,  the  pioneer  steamer  being  the  HERMES  (the 
second  of  that  name).  She  was  a  steel  built  steamer  of  3,400 
tons  gross,  driven  by  triple  expansion  engines  of  about  2,500 
horse-power  effective.  She  was  launched  at  Sunderland  in 
January,  1899,  and  is  of  the  following  dimensions: — Length 
350  feet  2  inches,  beam  47  feet,  depth  17  feet.  She  was  the 
first  of  a  fleet  of  seven  similar  vessels  which  were  launched  to 
the  order  of  the  firm  during  the  course  of  that  year,  the  others 
being  the  HONORIUS,  HORTENSIUS,  HYADES,  HYDASPES,  HYLAS, 
and  the  HYANTHES. 

The  following  year,  the  last  of  the  19th  century,  saw  one 
more  steamer,  the  HOSTILIUS,  added  to  the  Line. 

Frequent  as  were  the  additions  to  the  Houston  Fleet,  they 
were  not  sufficient  to  keep  pace  with  the  expanding  trade, 
which  increased  so  rapidly  that  many  outside  steamers  had 
to  be  chartered.  When  ex-President  Kruger  sent  his  fateful 
ultimatum  to  the  British  Government,  which  resulted  in  the 
South  African  War,  Messrs.  Houston  &:  Co.  were  amongst  the 


CHAP.  X.]  HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES.  241 

first  to  offer  their  steamers  to  the  Admiralty  for  the  con- 
veyance of  troops,  horses,  mules,  fodder,  &c.  It  was  of  the 
greatest  importance  that  ships  should  be  fitted  up  for  the 
transit  of  troops  and  animals  for  transport  purposes  as  quickly 
as  possible,  and  this  was  carried  out  by  the  Houston  Line 
with  eminent  satisfaction  to  H.M.  Government.  The 
principals  and  the  staff  worked  night  and  day,  and  spared 
no  efforts  in  despatching  quickly  the  men,  horses  and  stores 
so  urgently  required  at  the  seat  of  war.  Large  numbers  of 
horses,  mules  and  stores  were  carried  by  the  Houston  steamers 
from  the  United  Kingdom,  the  Continent  and  the  United 
States  to  the  various  South  African  ports  with  a  gratifying 
immunity  from  loss. 

It  may  be  stated  here  that  the  senior  partner  of  the  firm  is 
an  expert  engineer,  and  that  all  the  steamers  built  for  his 
firm,  and  which  have  been  so  remarkably  successful,  have  been 
built  from  specifications  and  designs  drawn  up  by  him. 

As  has  been  stated,  many  of  the  steamers  are  fitted  with 
refrigerating  machinery  for  the  conveyance  of  frozen  meat, 
and  are  regularly  employed  in  this  trade.  These  steamers 
are  favourably  known  for  the  excellent  condition  in  which 
they  deliver  their  cargoes,  and  in  order  that  the  live  stock 
should  be  landed  in  the  very  best  possible  condition,  the 
steamers  were  fitted  up  with  permanent  cattle  fittings,  and 
made  in  every  way  suitable  for  successfully  carrying  live  stock. 

The  Houston  Line  River  Plate  steamers  take  cargo  from 
Glasgow,  Liverpool  and  New  York  for  Monte  Yideo,  Buenos 
Ayres,  Eosario,  &c.,  without  transhipment,  which  is  a  very 
important  matter  in  the  opinion  of  shippers. 

It  is  a  matter  of  common  knowledge  that  a  very  serious  fight 
is  being  waged  (1903)  in  the  South  African  shipping  trade, 
owing  to  the  entrance  therein  of  the  Houston  Line.  In  July, 
1902,  sailings  from  Glasgow,  Middlesbrough,  Bristol,  Liver- 
pool and  London  (as  well  as  from  New  York)  to  Cape  Town, 
Algoa  Bay,  East  London,  Durban  and  Delagoa  Bay  were 
announced  by  the  Messrs.  Houston.  The  Steamship  Lines 
then  engaged  in  the  trade  had  formed  a  Conference  or  "  ring." 
The  members  of  this  "  ring  "  are  the  Union-Castle  Line,  the 
Q 


242  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.        [PART  II. 

Clan  Line,  the  Buckiiall  Line,  the  Harrison -Ellerman  Line, 
J.  T.  Rennie  &  Co.,  and  Bullard,  King  &  Co.,  forming  the 
strongest  shipping  ring  ever  known.  It  is  this  shipping 
'"  ring  "  that  the  Houston  Line  is  opposing. 

Great  public  interest  in  the  struggle  has  been  excited  by 
the  many  angry  and  strongly  worded  letters  from  shippers 
which  have  been  published  from  time  to  time  in  the  current 
Press  regarding  the  modus  operandi  of  the  "  ring."  Tactics 
of  such  a  character  have  been  adopted  by  the  "  ring  "  as  will, 
we  understand,  form  a  subject  of  an  action  in  the  Courts  of 
Law,  as  they  have  already  provoked  discussion  and  protest  in 
various  Chambers  of  Commerce,  and  have  even  been  discussed 
in  the  House  of  Commons. 

From  present  appearances  the  Houston  Line  is  growing 
steadily  in  favour  of  shippers  to  the  Cape  ports,  and  having 
now  been  in  the  trade  for  over  twelve  months  it  must  have 
secured  a  firm  foothold.  Certainly  shippers  and  merchants 
generally  welcome  and  support  this  "  Line "  as  having  a 
beneficial  influence  upon  the  trade  between  this  country  and 
our  South  African  Colonies. 

The  latest  built  and  largest  steamers  of  the  fleet  are 
engaged  in  the  Cape  service.  Amongst  them  are 
HYACINTHUS,  HALIZONES,  HYDASPES  and  HYPATIA,  with  an 
average  dead  weight  carrying  capacity  of  about  9,000  tons 
each. 

We  understand  several  large  carrying  steamers  are  in  course 
of  construction  for  the  firm. 

As  showing  the  great  increase  in  the  size  of  the  firm's 
vessels,  it  may  be  interesting  to  compare  the  dimensions  of 
one  of  the  earliest  and  of  one  of  the  latest  built  ships. 

The  HERCULES  was  212  feet  long,  34  feet  broad  and  16  feet 
6  inches  deep. 

The  HYPATIA  is  452  feet  long,  52  feet  2  inches  broad,  and 
28  feet  3  inches  deep. 

The  gross  registered  tonnage  of  the  former  was  1,155  tons, 
while  that  of  the  latter  is  over  5,600  tons. 

The  growth  of  the  Houston  Line  has  been  a  remarkably 
rapid  one,  and  shows  what  ability  and  energy  combined  can  do. 


CHAP.  X.] 


HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES. 


248 


The  fleet  now  consists  of  25  steamers  of  a  gross  registered 
tonnage  of  over  90,000  tons,  and  with  a  dead  weight  carrying 
capacity  of  over  130,000  tons. 

HOUSTON  LINE  STEAMERS. 


HALIZONES. 

HERACLIDES. 

HlPPOMENES. 

HYADES. 

HARMODIUS. 

HERMINIUS. 

HONORIUS. 

HYANTHES. 

HARMONIDES. 

HERMIONE. 

HORATIUS. 

HYDASPES. 

HELIADES. 

HESIONE. 

HORTENSIUS. 

HYLAS. 

HELIOS.        > 

HESPERIDES. 

HOSTILIUS. 

HYPATIA,. 

HELLENES. 

HILARIUS. 

HYACINTHUS. 

HYPERIA. 

HELLOPES. 

244 


THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 


II 


CHAP.   XI.]         HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES.  345 


CHAPTER  XI. 
MOULDER    LINE. 

THE  Company  was  founded  by  the  late  Mr.  Edwin  Savory 
Houlder  in  London  in  1849,  and  he  was  subsequently  joined 
by  his  brothers  Messrs.  Alfred  and  Augustus  Houlder.  At 
first  the  business  was  confined  to  sailing-ships,  a  fleet  of 
Clipper  Packets  sailing  under  the  firm's  nag  between  the  home 
ports  and  Australia  being  established.  As  the  business 
increased,  the  firm  became  in  turn  interested  in  the  South 
African  and  South  American  Trades,  the  development  of  their 
steam  fleet  receiving  a  large  amount  of  attention,  until,  at  the 
present  time,  it  includes  some  of  the  largest  and  most  successful 
frozen  meat  carriers  afloat. 

The  principal  services  now  maintained  are  between  the 
United  Kingdom  and  South  America,  between  South  America 
and  the  Cape  ports,  between  Australia  and  New  Zealand  and 
the  Cape  ports,  and  from  New  York  to  Australia  and  Xew 
Zealand,  although  many  other  trades  of  the  world  claim  the 
Company's  attention  and  for  these  trades  a  large  amount  of 
tonnage  is  chartered  annually. 

The  Headquarters  are  in  London,  with  Branches  at  Liverpool, 
Glasgow,  Sydney,  N.S.W.,  Cape  Town  and  Buenos  Aires;  also 
sub-offices  at  Rosario  and  La  Plata. 

With  one  exception,  the  steamers  of  the  Fleet  are  dis- 
tinguished by  the  affix  GRANGE.  The  first  were  the  HORNBY 
GRANGE  (3,750  tons  burthen)  and  OVINGDEAN  GRANGE  (3,520 
tons  burthen),  launched  in  the  opening  months  of  1890,  both 
vessels  being  insulated  throughout  for  carrying  frozen  meat, 
as  are  all  the  other  steamers  of  the  Line.  They  were  followed 
in  1894  by  the  URMSTON  GRANGE,  designed  to  carry  5,420  tons. 


246 


THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.        [PART  II. 


w 


CHAP.   XI.]         HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES  247 

In  1896  two  important  additions  were  made  in  the  shape  of 
the  steamers  LANGTON  GRANGE  and  DK.NTO.N  (TKANGK,  each 
having  a  deadweight  capacity  of  9,200  tons,  and  like  the  earlier 
steamers  insulated  in  the  most  efficient  manner  for  carrying 
frozen  meat.  In  the  meantime  two  more  steamers  were 
acquired,  the  ELSTREE  GRANGE  and  the  SOUTHERN  CROSS,  the 
latter  being  placed  in  the  Australian  trade  in  company  with 
the  LANGTON  GRANGE  and  DENTON  GRANGE,  whilst  the  former 
was  taken  into  the  River  Plate  service  which  had  grown  to 
such  an  extent  as  to  justify  the  addition  of  two  further  vessels, 
larger  and  faster  than  any  of  the  earlier  ships  in  the  trade. 
These  were  the  ROYSTON  GRANGE  and  BEACON  GRANGE,  each 
6,400  tons  burthen,  and  capable  of  making  the  passage  between 
England  and  the  River  Plate  in  twenty-two  or  twenty-three 
days. 

For  the  Australian  trade  the  RIPPINGHAM  GRANGE,  a  sister 
ship  to  the  LANGTON  GRANGE,  was  added  in  1898. 

At  this  juncture,  the  various  steamers  comprising  the  fleet 
were  amalgamated  into  one  Company  under  the  name  of  the 
Houlder  Line,  Limited,  this  step  being  taken  in  order  to  con- 
solidate the  business  generally,  and  to  ensure  more  systematic 
and  economical  working. 

Previous  to  this,  however,  the  firm  of  Houlder  Bros.  &  Co. 
was  converted  into  a  Limited  Company,  the  partners  in  the  old 
firm  becoming  Managing  Directors  of  the  new  Company,  Mr. 
Edwin  Savory  Houlder  acting  as  Chairman  until  his  death  in 
1901. 

To  return  to  our  description  of  the  fleet.  To  replace  the 
DENTON  GEANGE  (unfortunately  lost  at  Las  Palmas)  the  Com- 
pany contracted  for  the  DRAYTON  GRANGE,  a  fine  four-masted, 
twin-screw  steamer  of  10,000  tons  burthen,  launched  in 
December,  1901,  and  also  for  a  sister  ship,  the  OSWESTRY 
GRANGE,  launched  a  few  months  later.  Both  of  these  steamers, 
and,  in  fact,  the  other  large  vessels  of  the  fleet,  did  excellent 
service  during  the  South  African  War. 

The  fleet,  at  the  present  time,  consists  of  fourteen  steamers, 
three  boats  having  been  added  since  the  launch  of  the 
OSWESTRY  GRANGE,  as  the  following  list  will  show :  — 


248 


THE    HISTOKY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 


CHAP.  XI.]         HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES. 


•21 '.I 


HORNBY  GRANGE 
OVINGDEAN  GRANGE 
URMSTON  GRANGE 
LANGTON  GRANGE 
*DRAYTON  GRANGE 
ELSTREE  GRANGE 
ROYSTON  GRANGE 


TONS  BURTHEN. 

...  3,750 

...  3,520 

...  5,420 

...  9,200 

...  10,000 

...  6,000 

...  6,400 


BEACON  GRANGE 
RIPPINGHAM  GRANGE 

*OSWESTRY  GRANGE 
THORPE  GRANGE 
HAVERSHAM  GRANGE 

*EVERTON  GRANGE 
SOUTHERN  CROSS 


TONS  BURTHEN  . 
...     6,400 
9,200 
10,000 
6,350 
11,200 
11,000 
7,300 


*  Twin  screw. 


giving  a  total  of  105,740  tons. 

It  is  interesting  to  compare  the  smallest  vessel,  the 
OVINGDEAN  GRANGE,  with  the  largest  and  most  recent,  the 
EVERTON  GRANGE,  the  difference  being  not  only  in  the  increased 
size  but  also  in  the  great  improvements  in  the  propelling 
machinery,  refrigerating  machinery,  passenger  accommoda- 
tion, appliances  for  handling  cargo  and  other  points  too 
numerous  to  mention  in  detail :  — 

LENGTH.  BEAM.  DEPTH.  TONS. 

OVINGDEAN  GRANGE...     309  ft.     ...     40  ft.     ...     21  ft.  4  in.     ...     3,520 
EVERTON  GRANGE     ...     490  ft.     ...     56  ft.     ...     35  ft.  6  in.     ...  11,000 

Special  provision  has  been  made  for  the  Company's  pas- 
senger service,  the  boats  being  provided  with  every  requisite  to 
make  a  long  sea  voyage  as  comfortable  as  possible. 


250 


THE    HISTOKY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 


CHAP.  XII.]        HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES.  251 

CHAPTER   XII. 
LAIRD     LINE. 

THE    GLASGOW,    DUBLIN,    AND    LONDONDERRY 
STEAM    PACKET    CO.,   LTD. 

THIS  important  company,  which  claims  (on  very  strong 
evidence)  to  be  the  oldest  steamship  company  in  the  world, 
was  originated  in  1814 — two  years  after  the  launch  of  Bell's 
COMET — by  Mr.  Lewis  MacLellaii  and  others.  Its  history  is 
a  most  varied  one,  the  several  firms  of  Alex.  A.  Laird  &  Sons, 
Thos.  Cameron  &  Co.,  and  MacConnell  &  Laird,  having  become 
unified  during  its  existence  of  nearly  a  century  into  the  one 
large  concern  known  throughout  the  kingdom  as  the  "  Laird 
Line." 

It  has  been  the  great  pioneer  of  the  steamship  trade  of  the 
Clyde,  not  merely  by  reason  of  its  long  standing,  but  also 
because  of  the  varied  and  extensive  sphere  of  its  operations. 

The  first  steamer  owned  by  the  founder  of  the  company  was 
the  BRITANNIA,  a  small  paddle-wheel  steampacket,  built,  like 
all  the  vessels  of  her  time,  of  wood. 

The  second  steampacket  was  the  WATERLOO,  built  in  181(j. 
A  reference  is  made  to  both  these  steamers  in  the  sixth  chapter 
of  the  first  part  of  this  volume.  They  plied  between  the 
Bromielaw  (Glasgow)  and  Greenock,  Gourock,  llothesay, 
Tarbert,  Lochgilphead,  and  Iiiverary.  Even  in  these  early 
days  of  steam  navigation,  it  was  the  avowed  policy  of  the 
manager  of  these  steampackets  to  make  all  things  subordinate 
to  safety,  and,  in  accordance  with  this  policy,  the  masters  of 
the  steamers  were  instructed  "  not  to  contend  with  other  boats 
so  as  to  endanger  the  vessels,  or  alarm  the  passengers."  This 
sound  policy,  which  has  been  continued  by  Mr.  MacLellan's 
successors  to  the  present  day,  has,  in  large  measure,  con- 
tributed to  the  popularity  and  success  of  the  firm. 


252  THE    HISTOKY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.        [PART  II. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  over  eighty  years  ago  passenger 
season  tickets  were  in  force  on  the  steampackets  of  this 
company.  Those  who  are  desirous  of  verifying  this  state- 
ment can  do  so  by  referring  to  the  "  Glasgow  Chronicle  "  of 
the  23rd  May,  1816,  in  which  they  will  find  the  following 
advertisement :  — 

"  The  steampackets,  BRITANNIA  and  WATERLOO,  sail 
"  regularly  from  the  Bromielaw  to  all  the  watering-places 
"  on  both  sides  of  the  Clyde.  Families  wishing  to  agree 
"  for  the  season  will  learn  the  terms  by  applying  to  the 
"  masters  on  board,  or  to  Mr.  Lewis  MacLellan, 
"  Gallowgate." 

The  BRITANNIA,  in  the  year  referred  to,  opened  up  for  the 
first  time,  steam  communication  between  Glasgow  and 
Campbeltown,  and  in  the  early  summer  of  1820,  she  made  her 
first  trip  from  Glasgow  to  the  Giant's  Causeway. 

She  was  commanded  011  that  voyage  by  Captain  Wyse,  whose 
death  in  1851  was  the  occasion  of  the  following  paragraph, 
which  appeared  in  the  "  Glasgow  Chronicle  "  :  — 

"  Captain  Wyse  (whose  decease  we  announce)  was  the 
"  first  to  carry  his  steamer,  the  BRITANNIA,  on  a  pleasure 
"  trip  from  the  Clyde  to  the  Giant's  Causeway,  with  an 
"  illustrious  and  distinguished  party.  The  astonished 
"  inhabitants  in  thousands  crowded  the  hills  and  promon- 
"  tories,  all  along  the  shores  of  Antrim,  to  see  a  ship  with 
"  a  smoking  funnel,  and  a  band  of  music  on  board,  sailing 
"  against  wind  and  tide.  Out  of  this  pleasure  trip  sprung 
"  up  the  present  lucrative  trade  between  the  ports  of  the 
"  Clyde  and  the  North  of  Ireland,  from  which  great  advan- 
"  tages  have  unquestionably  arisen  to  the  inhabitants  of 
"  both  kingdoms." 

As  time  advanced,  the  river  traffic  was  discontinued  by  the 
Company,  and  the  cross-channel  trade  developed.  After 
running  excursions  to  the  Giant's  Causeway  for  two  seasons,  the 
BRITANNIA  was  placed  on  the  Glasgow  and  Londonderry  station, 
sailing  from  each  port  once  a  week. 

Mr.  Alex.  A.  Laird  (after  whom  the  line  is  named)  was  a 
well-known  shipbroker  in  Greenock  at  the  beginning  of  the  last 


CHAP.   XII.]        HISTOEICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES.  258 

century,  and  when  the  famous  St.  George  Steam  Packet  Com- 
pany commenced  operations  in  1822,  the  first  steamship  service 
it  established  was  between  Liverpool  and  Greenock,  and  Mr. 
Laird  was  appointed  agent  for  the  Company  at  the  latter  port. 

The  St.  George  Company  did  not  continue  for  any  length  of 
time  its  direct  service  between  the  Clyde  and  the  Mersey,  but 
in  the  following  year  (1823)  a  new  steam  packet  company  was 
formed,  to  trade  only  between  Liverpool,  Greenock  and 
Glasgow,  calling  at  Douglas  (Isle  of  Man)  and  Portpatrick. 
Mr.  Laird  was  the  manager  of  the  new  company,  and  opened  a 
branch  office  at  25,  York  Street,  Glasgow,  under  the  style  of 
Alex.  Laird  &  Co. 

The  pioneer  -steamer  of  the  new  service  was  the  HENRY  BELL, 
built  by  Mr.  Thomas  Wilson,  a  celebrated  Liverpool  ship- 
builder, in  1823.  She  was  considered  a  very  smart  craft  in 
those  days,  was  fitted  with  two  engines  of  30  horse  power  each, 
and  carried  about  120  tons  all  told,  on  a  draft  of  about  8  feet. 
She  continued  011  the  Glasgow  and  Liverpool  station  until 
1831,  when  she  was  purchased  by  Messrs.  James  Little  &  Co., 
for  their  Glasgow  and  Newry  trade. 

The  original  intention  of  the  proprietors  was  that  the 
HENRY  BELL  should  sail  to  and  from  Glasgow,  but  it  was 
found  there  was  not  sufficient  water  in  the  Clyde  to  enable 
this  to  be  done  with  regularity,  and  Greenock  was,  con- 
sequently, made  the  port  of  arrival  and  departure.  The  deck 
fare  by  this  steamer  was  6s.  per  passenger,  the  steerage  fare 
by  the  mail  packets  (MAJESTIC  and  CITY  OF  GLASGOW)  being 
21s. 

The  late  Mr.  Alex.  A.  Laird  commenced  his  apprenticeship 
under  his  father  in  1824,  and  the  same  year  a  second  vessel, 
the  JAMES  WATT,  was  placed  on  the  Glasgow  and  Liverpool 
station.  She  was  slightly  larger,  and  had  engines  of  greater 
power  than  the  HENRY  BELL. 

The  following  year  Messrs.  Laird  established  a  fortnightly 
service  between  Glasgow  and  Inverness;  the  steampacket 
employed  was  the  STIRLING,  which  made  her  first  voyage  on 
the  llth  May,  1825,  and  continued  to  sail  thereafter  on  alter- 
nate Wednesdays  from  Glasgow  and  Inverness.  Fortnightly 


254 


THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 


sailings  proving  insufficient  for  the  traffic,  the  sailings  were 
increased  to  weekly  on  and  from  the  20th  September,  1826. 

During  this  year  the  WILLIAM  HUSKISSON  was  added  to  the 
Liverpool  and  Glasgow  service,  and  sailings  were  maintained 
three  times  per  week  from  each  port. 

The  WILLIAM  HUSKISSON  was  a  very  much  larger  vessel 
than  either  of  her  predecessors,  her  deadweight  capacity  being 
350  tons,  and  her  engines  120  horse  power. 


The  late  Mr.  ALEX.  A.  LAIRD. 

For  the  Campbeltown  and  Londonderry  trade  the  steam- 
packets  CLYDESDALE  and  LONDONDERRY  were  built,  and  were 
advertised  to  sail  from  Glasgow  to  both  ports,  with  goods  and 
passengers,  every  Tuesday,  Thursday  and  Saturday.  In 
addition  to  these  sailings,  the  MAID  OF  ISLAY  was  despatched 
every  Tuesday  morning  from  the  Bromielaw  to  Straiiraer  and 


CHAP.  XII.]        HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES.  255 

Islay.  Messrs.  Laird's  connection  with  Dublin  dates  also  from 
this  year,  the  pioneer  steamer  being  the  TOWN  OF  DuOGHBDA, 
which  sailed  on  her  first  voyage  from  Greenock  to  Dublin  on 
Monday,  7th  -June,  1826.  The  new  steampacket  SOLWAY  was 
added  to  the  Liverpool  and  Greenock  fleet  in  1828,  and  the 
sailings  increased  to  four  per  week  from  each  port.  The 
steampacket  CLARENCE  acted  as  tender,  and  sailed  from  the 
Bromielaw  at  110011  011  the  sailing  dates  of  the  Liverpool  steam- 
packets  from  Greenock. 

In  1834  the  firm  extended  its  operations  to  Newry,  the 
steamers  employed  being  the  ERIN  and  ST.  DAVID.  Mr.  James 
Bruce  was  admitted  a  partner  in  the  Glasgow  house  this  year, 
and  the  office  was  removed  to  69,  Oswald  Street,  where  the 
business  was  conducted  under  the  style  of  Laird  &  Bruce. 
This  partnership  was  dissolved  on  the  14th  February,  1835; 
Mr.  Bruce  retaining  the  Stranraer  trade.  The  title  of  Mr. 
Laird's  firm  was  changed  to  Alex.  Laird  &  Sons,  and  the 
Glasgow  office  removed  to  Ewing  Place,  corner  of  York  Street. 

One  of  the  steamers,  for  which  Mr.  Laird  was  agent,  was 
named  the  CUMBERLAND.  This  vessel  took  an  active  part  in 
the  Spanish  Expedition  of  1835,  as  a  transport,  making  three 
voyages  to  Spain  during  this  year,  with  recruits  from  the  West 
of  Scotland  for  the  service  of  Donna  Isabella.  Some  of  these 
recruits  enlisted  in  the  course  of  drunken  frolics,  or  after 
quarrels  with  their  friends  or  masters,  and  their  military 
ardour  speedily  cooled.  The  period  during  which  they  had  to 
wait  on  the  receiving  ship  at  Greenock  until  the  transport 
was  ready  to  receive  them  afforded  frequent  opportunities  of 
deserting,  of  which  they  did  not  fail  to  avail  themselves. 
Scarcely  a  day  passed  but  some  of  them  succeeded  in  escaping 
by  means  of  the  boats  which  visited  the  receiving  ships  in  the 
evenings.  One  youth  from  Glasgow,  failing  to  get  away  in 
this  manner,  determined  to  drop  into  the  sea  and  swim  ashore, 
a  distance  of  about  two  miles,  to  a  spit  where  female  friends 
would  be  waiting  to  assist  him.  He  had  nearly  reached  the 
shore  when  he  was  discovered,  and  pursued  by  the  guard  boat. 
Making  a  final  effort,  he  succeeded  in  landing,  and,  though 
fatigued  with  his  long  swim,  continued  his  flight. 


256  THE    HISTORY   OF    STEAM   NAVIGATION.        [PART  II. 

When  the  guard  boat's  crew  landed,  the  women  got  round 
them,  and  so  hampered  them  in  their  movements  that  the 
fugitive  got  out  of  sight,  when,  of  course,  it  was  useless  to 
attempt  to  follow  him. 

The  CUMBERLAND,  after  performing  the  three  voyages 
referred  to,  returned  to  her  station  between  Glasgow  and 
Dublin. 

In  1844  Messrs.  Laird  &  Sons  (then  at  101,  Union  Street) 
were  appointed  agents  at  Glasgow  for  the  Dundalk  Steam 
Packet  Co.,  the  first  steamer  from  Glasgow,  the  FINN  MACCOTJL, 
sailing  on  the  30th  November,  1844. 

For  a  period  of  forty  years,  from  1827  to  1867,  Messrs.  T. 
Cameron  &  Co.  had  maintained  steamship  services  between 
Glasgow  and  Greenock,  and  ports  on  the  North  and  West  coasts 
of  Ireland,  and  from  1843  until  1867  a  weekly  service  between 
Liverpool  and  Sligio.  In  1867  the  Glasgow  services  were  con- 
ducted by  the  joint  firms  of  Messrs.  T.  Cameron  &  Co.  and  Alex. 
A.  Laird  &  Ci>.,  but  the  following  year,  owing  to  the  decease  of 
Mr.  Cameron,  the  business  was  entirely  taken  over  by  Messrs. 
Laird. 

Messrs.  Cameron's  steamers  were  named  after  flowers  and 
plants  (with  two  exceptions,  referred  to  later),  the  first  steamer 
of  this  class  being  the  SHAMROCK,  built  in  1847,  followed  by  the 
THISTLE  in  1848,  HOSE  in  1851,  MYRTLE  in  1854,  and  the 
GARLAND  in  1857. 

At  the  time  of  the  change  of  firm,  Messrs.  Cameron  &  Co.  had 
been  opposed  on  the  Glasgow  and  Sligo  and  Liverpool  and  Sligo 
stations,  for  ten  years,  by  a  local  company,  the  Sligo  Steam 
Navigation  Co.  This  was  subsequently  settled  amicably, 
Messrs.  Alex.  A.  Laird  &  Co.  retired  from  the  Liverpool  and 
Sligo  trade,  and  the  Sligo  Steam  Navigation  Co.  withdrew  from 
the  Glasgow  trade,  and  having  purchased  the  opposition  steamer 
GARLAND,  renamed  her  the  GLASGOW. 

The  two  exceptions  in  class  of  name,  to  which  reference  has 
been  made,  were  the  NORTHMAN  and  IRISHMAN,  trading  as  the 
Glasgow  and  Dublin  Screw  Steam  Packet  Co.  They  were 
amongst  the  earliest  iron  screw  steamers  built,  the  former 
having  been  launched  in  1847  and  the  latter  in  1854.  These 


CHAP.   XII.]        HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES.  •  >-; 

two  steamers  retained  the  colour  of  the  old  St.  George  (V  on 
the  funnel,  viz.,  a  white  funnel  with  a  black  top.  The  IIMMI- 
MAN  was  the  last  steamer  so  distinguished,  all  succeed in<r 
steamers  carrying  what  is  now  the  recognised  "  Laird  "  funnel- 
white  and  red  in  equal  proportions,  with  a  black  top. 

In  1869,  to  meet  the  requirements  of  the  West  Coast  of 
Ireland  trade,  the  Company  purchased  the  steamer  SCOTIA,  and 
renamed  her  the  LAUREL.  Two  steamers  were  added  to  the 
fleet  in  1878.  These  were  the  steamships  AZALEA  and  CEDAR. 
These  ships  are  identical  in  measurement  and  capacity,  cadi 
being  217  feet  long,  30  feet  broad,  and  15  feet  deep,  with  a 
gross  register  of  750  tons,  and  with  excellent  saloon  accommoda- 
tion for  seventy  passengers. 

An  important  addition  was  made  to  the  fleet  in  1879,  when 
the  magnificent  and  fast  steamship  SHAMROCK  was  built.  S'he 
was  considerably  in  advance  in  point  of  capacity,  speed,  and 
accommodation  of  any  steamer  previously  built  for  the  firm. 
She  measures  231  feet  2  inches  in  length,  31  feet  3  inches  in 
breadth,  and  15  feet  5  inches  in  depth ;  and  her  gross  register 
is  864  tons.  She  is  certified  to  carry  eighty  saloon  passengers, 
and  is  equipped  with  every  modern  convenience  for  their  comfort. 

After  an  interval  of  three  years  (1882)  the  BRIER  was  built, 
a  somewhat  similar  vessel,  but  slightly  smaller  than  the  pre- 
ceding steamer,  her  dimensions  being  209  feet  by  30  feet  by 
15  feet.  Her  gross  register  is  728  tons,  and  she  has  berthing 
and  saloon  accommodation  for  sixty  passengers.  She  was 
quickly  followed  by  the  THISTLE  and  ELM,  both  built  in  1884, 
and  the  GARDENIA  in  1885.  They  are  all  beautiful  specimens  of 
marine  architecture,  the  first  a  large  steamer  of  822  tons  o •re- 
register, and  the  latter  considerably  smaller. 

In  1893  a  further  advance  was  made  in  the  size  of  the  Com- 
pany's ships  by  the  construction  of  the  splendid  screw  steamer 
OLIVE,  1,141  tons  gross  register,  one  of  the  fastest  and  finest 
steamers  crossing  the  channel.  She  is  260  feet  long,  with  a 
beam  of  33  feet  1  inch,  and  a  depth  of  15  feet  8  inches.  She 
has  always  been  a  particular  favourite  with  passengers,  of  whom 
she  carries  a  large  number,  being  certified  to  carry  one  hundred 
saloon  passengers,  in  addition  to  1,000  steerage, 
ft 


258 


THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.        [PART  II. 


CHAP.  XII.]        HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES.  259 

The  DAISY  and  the  LILY  were  the  next  steamers  built,  the 
former  in  1895,  and  the  latter  in  1896 ;  and  in  the  closing  year 
of  the  nineteenth  century  the  FERN  (second  of  the  name)  was 
launched. 

The  latest  addition  to  the  fleet  is  a  magnificent  vessel  con- 
structed after  the  most  modern  type  of  passenger  steamships. 
She  is  named  the  BOSE,  was  launched  in  June,  1902,  is  built  of 
steel,  and  is  250  feet  long,  36  feet  2  inches  broad,  and  15  feet 
deep.  She  is  fitted  with  electric  light  in  the  saloon,  staterooms 
and  holds.  Her  saloon,  which  is  a  handsomely  furnished  and 
spacious  apartment,  is  situated  amidships  forward  of  the  engine 
room.  The  great  breadth  of  the  vessel  makes  her  a  remarkably 
steady  sea  boat,  while  her  engines,  which  are  triple-expansion 
and  of  great  power,  are  capable  of  propelling  her  at  the  rate  of 
15 J  knots  per  hour.  She  is  nearly  1,400  tons  gross,  and 
carries  140  saloon  passengers,  in  addition  to  those  in  the 
steerage. 

In  1885  it  was  considered  desirable  to  consolidate  the  several 
interests  concerned,  by  forming  this  old-established  business 
into  a  limited  company,  the  title  of  the  Company  being  The 
Glasgow,  Dublin  and  Londonderry  Steam  Packet  Co.,  Limited ; 
but  it  is  much  better  known  by  the  short  name  of  the  "  Laird 
Line."  Mr.  William  MacConnell,  son  of  the  late  Mr. 
MacConnell,  of  the  firm  of  Thomson  &  MacConnell,  is  the 
Managing  Director. 

The  company's  steamship  services  are  not  confined  to  those 
to  and  from  Glasgow,  although  we  have  shown  that  they  have 
a  very  large  share  of  the  Clyde  traffic,  maintaining  regular 
and  frequent  sailings  between  Glasgow  and  Greenock  and 
Dublin,  Londonderry,  Coleraine,  Sligo,  Ballina  and  Westport ; 
also  during  the  tourist  season  a  daily  daylight  service  between 
Ardrossan  and  Portrush. 

In  connection  with  the  Midland  Railway  Company  of 
England  a  service  of  powerful  steamers  is  maintained  between 
Morecambe  and  Dublin,  the  steamers  sailing  from  the  respec- 
tive ports  on  alternate  days,  and  making  the  passage  in  about 
10  hours. 

Early  next  year,  it  is  proposed  to  transfer  the  service  from 


260 


THE    HISTOEY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 


Morecambe  to  Heysham,  and  to  maintain  daily  sailings  to  and 
from  the  latter  port  and  Dublin. 

The  "  Laird  "  steamers  also  sail  in  connection  with  the  same 
railway  company  from  Morecambe  to  Londonderry  every 
Tuesday  and  Saturday,  returning  from  Londonderry  every 
Monday  and  Thursday. 

From  Fleetwood,  in  connection  with  the  Lancashire  and 
Yorkshire,  and  London  and  North- Western  Railway  Com- 
panies, a  weekly  service  had  been  maintained  for  many  years 
by  the  company's  steamers  between  Fleetwood  and  London- 
derry, but  in  September,  1903,  Messrs.  Laird  &  Co.  retired 
from  this  service. 

From  Liverpool  also,  steam  communication  is  maintained 
with  Larne,  Coleraine  and  Westport.  The  fixed  sailings  are 
once  a  week  from  each  port,  but  extra  steamers  are 
despatched  according  to  the  requirements  of  the  trade. 

The  company's  fleet  at  the  present  date  (1903)  consists  of  12 
first-class  powerful  steamships,  having  an  aggregate  gross 
tonnage  of  9,164  tons,  and  named  as  follows  :  — 

Gross  Tonnage.  Gross  Tonnage.  Gross  Tonnage. 

AZALEA 748  ELM 521  OLIVE 1141 

BBIER 728  FERN 503  EOSE 1363 

CEDAR 750          GARDENIA 491  SHAMROCK 804 

DAISY 5G5          LILY...  .     668          THISTLE 822 


CHAP.   XIII.]      HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES.  -2()1 


CHAPTER    XIII. 
LANGLANDS'    LINE. 

GLASGOW  AND  LIVERPOOL  ROYAL   STEAMPACKET  COMPANY. 

PRIOR  to  the  year  1839  all  the  steampackets  plying  between 
Liverpool  and  Glasgow  were  built  of  wood,  and  these  wooden 
steamers  had  established  for  themselves  a  reputation  for 
speed  and  luxurious  travelling  not  surpassed  nearly  three- 
quarters  of  a  century  later.  It  was,  therefore,  a  bold  thing 
to  do  on  the  part  of  the  proprietors  of  the  Glasgow  and  Liver- 
pool Royal  Steampacket  Company  to  enter  into  competition 
with  these  famous  and  tried  vessels,  and  to  introduce  into  the 
trade  steamers  constructed  not  of  wood  but  of  iron.  The 
pioneer  steamer  of  this  company,  the  ROYAL  SOVERKH..N, 
sailed  on  her  maiden  voyage  from  Liverpool  on  Monday,  18th 
March,  1839.  The  company  despatched  their  steamer  twice 
a  week  from  each  port,  and  continued  to  do  so  until  the  end 
of  August  of  the  same  year,  when  the  second  steamer,  the 
ROYAL  GEORGE,  was  placed  on  the  station,  and  the  sailings 
were  increased  to  four  times  per  week  each  way.  The  estab- 
lished lines  were  naturally  indisposed  to  share  the  trade  with 
an  outsider,  and  to  discourage  the  new  enterprise  they 
reduced  the  rates  of  freight  on  fine  goods  to  Id.  per  foot,  and 
on  steerage  passengers  to  Is.  each.  The  Royal  Steampacket 
Company  maintained,  in  spite  of  this  endeavour  to  drive 
them  out  of  the  trade,  their  advertised  sailings,  and  grew  in 
popularity  with  the  travelling  public.  They  decided  in  1841 
to  increase  their  fleet  by  the  addition  of  a  third  steamer,  and 
it  being  evident  that  they  had  come  to  stay,  their  com- 
petitors, Messrs.  Maclver  and  Messrs.  Burns,  entered  into  a 


262 


THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.        [PART  II. 


CHAP.   XIII.]      HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPAMKS.  268 

friendly  and  honourable  alliance  with  them,  and  uniform 
rates  were  adopted  by  the  three  lines  to  Glasgow. 

A  tradition  exists  in  the  Royal  Company  thai  whe:i  their 
third  steamer  was  on  the  stocks  the  first  birth  in  her  laic- 
Majesty's  family  was  anticipated,  and  the  proprietors  proposed 
to  call  their  new  steamer  the  PRINCE  OF  WALES.  The  event, 
however,  proved  the  name  to  be  inappropriate,  and  I'KI.M  i->x 
ROYAL  was  substituted,  a  name  which  has  been  perpetuated 
by  different  steamships  to  the  present  day.  The  following 
paragraph  respecting  this  steamer,  which  appeared  in  the 
"Glasgow  Chronicle"  of  the  1st  June,  1842,  will  be  read 
with  interest: — "The  PRINCESS  ROYAL.  We  feel  much 
indebted  to  the  agent  (Mr.  M.  Langlands)  of  this  splendid 
steamer  for  putting  us  in  possession  of  the  '  Morning 
Chronicle '  of  yesterday  morning  three  hours  before  the 
arrival  of  the  *  London  Mail '  containing  the  details  of  the 
attempted  assassination  of  Her  Majesty.  Copies  of  the 
'  Chronicle,'  '  Times,'  and  other  London  journals  were,  the 
moment  the  train  arrived  from  Greeiiock,  forwarded  to  the 
different  public  reading  rooms  in  town,  and  altogether  the 
public  are  much  indebted  to  the  proprietors  and  agents  of 
the  vessel  at  Liverpool  and  Glasgow  for  their  public  spirit 
and  enterprise.  The  passage  from  Liverpool  to  Greenock 
was  made  in  the* astonishing  space  of  1GJ  hours." 

The  PRINCESS  ROYAL  referred  to  was  built  by  the  eminent 
firm  of  Tod  and  M'Gregor,  who  in  1849  projected  a  line  of 
steamers  to  run  between  Glasgow  and  New  York.  Accord- 
ingly they  built  and  equipped  the  barque-rigged  screw 
steamer  CITY  OF  GLASGOW,  and  appointed  Mr.  M.  Langlands 
agent.  She  was  a  vessel  of  1,087  tons  register,  with  engines 
of  350  horse-power,  and  was  manned  by  about  70  of  a  crew. 
In  the  Art  Palace  at  Kelvingrove,  Glasgow,  there  is  a  water- 
colour  drawing  (No.  2,018,  by  S.  Bough)  representing  the 
departure  of  this  the  first  steamship  for  New  York  from 
Glasgow  harbour,  in  April,  1850.  After  making  several  very 
successful  voyages,  Tod  and  M'Gregor  sold  her  to  Richardson 
Bros.,  of  Belfast,  who  ran  her  in  the  Liverpool  and 
Philadelphia  trade,  and  this  vessel  and  the  steamship  CITY  OF 


264 


THE    HISTOEY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.        [PART  II. 


CHAP.  XIII.]     HISTOKtCAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES.  or,;, 

MANCHESTER  were  the  nucleus  of  what  became  afterwards  the 
well-known  Inman  line. 

In  view  of  the  high  reputation  the  PRINCESS  ROYAL  had 
earned,  it  is  not  surprising  that  she  was  selected  for  experi- 
mental purposes  by  a  Committee  of  the  House  of  Common- 
(appointed  in  1842)  for  the  purpose  of  inquiring  into  the  con- 
veyance of  the  mails  between  England  and  Ireland.  From 
the  "  Liverpool  Mercury  "  of  that  date  we  learn  that  "  The 
fine  new  iron  steamboat  called  PRINCESS  UOYAL,  at  present 
on  the  station  between  this  port  and  Glasgow,  started  from 
Clarence  Dock  011  Sunday  morning  last  (19th  June)  for 
Dublin.  She  arrived  there  in  9  hours  5  minutes,  beating 
H.M.  mail  steampacket  MEDUSA  by  1  hour  45  minutes.  On 
Monday  morning  she  left  Dublin  for  llolyhead,  and  arrived 
there  in  4  hours  45  minutes,  returning  to  Dublin  the  sun  it- 
day  in  4  hours  28  minutes.  In  the  evening  she  started  for 
Liverpool,  which  she  reached  in  9  hours  35  minutes.  The 
vessel  had  a  head  wind  nearly  all  the  way." 

The  PRINCESS  had  now  established  beyond  dispute  her 
claim  to  be  one  of  the  fastest  Channel  steamers  leaving  the 
port.  The  ensuing  winter  she  proved  herself  to  be  also  one 
of  the  best  sea-boats.  The  terrible  gale  of  January  20th  to 
22nd,  1843,  was  one  of  the  most  severe  that  ever  visited  these 
coasts.  The  MONA'S  ISLE,  from  Liverpool  to  Douglas,  was  24 
hours  on  the  passage.  At  Cork  the  posts  on  the  quays  were 
carried  away.  The  PRINCESS  was  at  sea  during  this  storm, 
and  fully  proved  her  excellent  qualities  as  a  sea-boat.  She 
left  Greenock  at  11-30  p.m.  on  Friday,  and  arrived  at  Liver- 
pool at  5  p.m.  on  Saturday  without  the  slightest  damage. 
This  celebrated  steamer  was  replaced  in  1850  by  a  second 
PRINCESS  EOYAL,  also  a  paddle  steamer.  After  running  in 
the  Liverpool  and  Glasgow  service  for  about  four  years, 
PRINCESS  No.  2  was  sold  to  the  General  Steam  Navigati 
Company,  of  London. 

The  third  PRINCESS  ROYAL,  built  in  1861,  was  a  screw 
steamer,  the  first  screw  owned  by  the  Glasgow  and  Liverpool 
Royal  Steampacket  Company.  In  1861,  civil  war  broke  out 
in  the  United  States.  The  Federals  (Northerners)  established 


266  THE   filSTORY    OF    STfiAM    NAVIGATION.        [PART  II. 

a  strict  blockade  of  all  the  Southern  ports  011  the  Atlantic 
seaboard.  A  cotton  famine  ensued,  and  fast  steamers  were 
in  great  demand  for  blockade  running.  Amongst  other 
Liverpool  steamers  purchased  for  this  purpose  was  the  new 
PRINCESS.  She  was  sold  in  1862,  and  her  new  owners 
changed  her  name.  We  are  informed  that  she  was  captured 
on  her  first  trip  as  a  Confederate  blockade  runner,  and  con- 
verted by  her  captors  into  a  Federal  cruiser.  Her  immediate 
successor,  the  fourth  PRINCESS  ROYAL,  after  running  for  a 
number  of  years  between  Liverpool  and  Glasgow,  was  sold  to 
a  firm  to  trade  in  the  West  Indies.  For  the  present  the 
Eoyal  Steampacket  Company  is  without  a  PRINCESS  ROYAL, 
the  fifth  steamer  of  that  name  having  been  sold  in  1901  to 
foreign  buyers.  The  service  is  meantime  maintained  by  the 
PRINCESS  LOUISE,  or  other  steamer  of  the  fleet. 

About  the  year  1870,  the  Royal  Company  opened  up  a  new 
steamship  service  from  Liverpool  to  the  West  Highlands, 
North  of  Scotland,  and  east  coast  ports.  Owing,  in  large 
measure,  to  the  natural  attractions  of  the  route,  and  the 
excellence  of  the  accommodation  and  cuisine  provided  on  the 
steamers,  this  is  every  year  becoming  a  more  popular  and 
favourite  trip.  The  first  steamer  employed  on  the  West 
Highland  and  east  coast  route  was  a  small  cargo  steamer,  but 
in  a  very  short  time  it  was  found  necessary  to  place  the 
PRINCESS  ALICE,  a  much  larger  steamer,  carrying  passengers 
as  well  as  cargo,  on  the  route.  The  earlier  vessels  011  this 
service  were  steamers  of  300  to  400  tons,  with  limited  accom- 
modation for  about  20  passengers,  but  now  the  steamers 
employed  have  accommodation  for  100  to  140  saloon  passengers, 
and  an  average  cargo-carrying  capacity  of  nearly  1,000  tons  each. 
Some  idea  may  be  gained  of  the  growth  of  the  passenger  and 
cargo  traffic,  by  comparing  the  earlier  vessels  with  the  new 
PRINCESS  MAUD,  built  in  1901.  This  steamer  is  of  steel,  and 
her  dimensions  are: — Length,  256  feet  6  inches;  breadth, 
36  feet  6  inches;  depth,  17  feet  1|  inches.  Gross  tonnage, 
1,450  tons.  The  vessel  is  handsomely  fitted  up  for 
passengers,  the  large  dining  saloon  being  furnished  in  solid 
oak,  artistically  carved.  One  hundred  first-class  passengers 


CHAP.   XIII.]      HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COM  PA  Ml  :<.  267 

can  dine  at  one  sitting,  and  there  is  sleeping  accommodation 
in  deck  rooms  and  state  cabins  for  140  passengers.  The 
steamer  is  fitted  throughout  with  electric  light,  patent  berth-, 
sea- water  baths,  ample  lavatories,  and  every  modern  con- 
venience that  can  contribute  to  the  comfort  of  passengers. 
The  PRINCESS  MAUD  was  placed  on  the  service  early  in  1!)0!>, 
and  will  no  doubt  enhance  the  reputation  in  which  this  Min- 
is held  by  tourists.  In  addition  to  the  bi-weekly  service 
between  Liverpool  and  Aberdeen,  Leith,  and  Dundee,  the 
Eoyal  Steampacket  Company  run  a  regular  service  of 
steamers  between  Aberdeen,  Newcastle,  Hull,  and  other  east 
coast  ports,  and  Bristol,  Cardiff,  and  Swansea,  calling  also  at 
Southampton  and  Plymouth.  During  the  summer  months 
this  service  embraces  a  fortnightly  trip  round  the  United 
Kingdom  with  one  of  the  larger  passenger  steamers,  and  this 
has  now  become  a  favourite  cruise  for  summer  holiday 
seekers,  occupying  as  it  does  about  twelve  days. 

When  the  Manchester  Ship  Canal  was  opened  in  1894,  the 
lloyal  Company  began  at  once  to  despatch  their  steamers 
from  Manchester  to  Glasgow,  as  well  as  to  the  west,  north, 
and  east  coasts  of  Scotland.  In  addition  to  having  the 
management  of  the  various  services  mentioned,  Messrs. 
Laiiglaiids  have,  for  a  great  many  years,  been  the  agents  of 
Messrs.  Alex.  A.  Laird  and  Co.  as  regards  the  steamers 
trading  between  Liverpool,  Larne,  and  Westport. 

The  agency  of  the  company's  steamers  at  Glasgow,  Liver- 
pool, Manchester,  Leith,  Dundee  and  Hull,  is  in  the  hands  of 
Messrs.  M.  Langlands  and  Sons,  who  have  been  closely  identi- 
fied with  the  development  of  the  company's  business,  and  are 
largely  interested  in  its  success. 


268  THE    HISTOEY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.        [PART  II. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 
MESSRS.    JAMES    LITTLE    &    CO. 

TOWARDS  the  end  of  July,  1819,  Messrs.  James  Little  &  Co., 
who  had  commenced  business  seven  years  previously,  des- 
patched from  Greeiiock,  on  her  maiden  voyage  to  Liverpool, 
the  first  passenger  steamer  that  ever  sailed  from  the  Clyde  to 
the  Mersey.  Her  name  was  the  EGBERT  BRUCE,  and  she 
was  described  in  her  advertisements  as  baing  "  an  elegant  new 
Steam  Packet,  having  most  excellent  accommodation  for 
passengers."  As  a  matter  of  fact,  she  was  a  small  wooden 
paddle  steamer,  98  feet  long,  or  about  twelve  feet  longer  than 
the  Cluthas  that  ply  up  and  down  Glasgow  Harbour,  but  with 
twice  their  beam.  She  called  at  Portpatrick  and  Douglas 
(I.  of  M.)  011  her  voyages  to  and  from  the  Clyde,  and  occupied 
about  thirty  hours  011  the  run  from  Greeiiock  to  Liverpool. 
The  following  letter  from  the  Captain  (Patterson)  to  Messrs. 
Little,  written  on  the  1st  September,  1819,  indicates  how 
different  are  the  conditions  under  which  passengers  travel  by 
steamers  at  the  present  date  and  those  which  existed  in  the 
early  stages  of  steam  navigation.  Captain  Patterson  dated  his 
letter  from  Troon,  and  stated  :  — 

"  I  have  to  inform  you  that  we  were  taken  with  a  heavy 
"  gale  of  wind  from  the  N.W.  yesterday  about  two  o'clock,  just 
"  as  we  had  got  outside  the  Cumbraes,  with  a  heavy  sea ;  about 
"  six  o'clock  the  sea  came  more  to  the  westward,  and,  from  the 
"  very  heavy  sea  on  our  beam,  we  made  so  much  lee- way  that 
"  we  could  not  stand  out-channel  nor  fetch  Lamlash.  I,  there- 
"  fore,  thought  it  best  to  bear  up  for  this  port,  and  got  in  safe 
"  last  night  with  the  loss  of  our  bowsprit,  but  110  other  damage. 
"  Our  engines  worked  very  well,  only  the  wheels  had  little 


CHAP.  XIV.]       HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES.  •>,;,, 

"  effect  owing  to  the  heavy  sea.  It  has  continued  to  blow  a 
"gale  all  night,  and  still  looks  very  bad.  The  ship  NKIM -.  S 
"got  here  an  hour  before  us,  dismasted.  I  will  gp<  another 
"bowsprit  as  soon  as  possible,  and  will  proceed  when  it 
"  moderates.  The  passengers  were  all  sick,  but  are  now  well. 

"  I  am,  &c., 

"JOHN   PATTERSON. 

"  P.S. — The  ROBERT  BRUCE  behaved  under  her  sails, 
"  double  reefed,  as  well  as  any  ship  I  was  ever  in." 

The  rates  of  passage  money  were: — Cabin,  40s.;  steerage, 
21s.  A  second  steamer,  the  SUPERB,  was  placed  on  the 
station  during  the  same  season,  and  in  1820  a  larger  steamer, 
the  MAJESTIC,  was  added  to  the  service. 

An  interesting  and  valuable  painting  of  the  latter  steamer 
in  1820  is  in  the  possession  of  Messrs.  Little  &  Co.,  at  their 
office,  46,  Leadeiihall  Street,  London. 

A  curious  intimation  appears  in  the  Glasgow  papers  of  the 
19th  July,  1822,  with  reference  to  the  same  vessel.  It  appears 
that  011  a  recent  trip  the  Duke  of  Athol  and  suite  had 
embarked  on  board  the  MAJESTIC  at  Greenock,  for  convey- 
ance to  Douglas  (I.  of  M.),  where  his  Grace  had  a  seat  (Mona 
Castle).  As  well  as  being  accompanied  by  the  members  of  his 
suite,  His  Grace  had  with  him  several  carriages  and  a  quantity 
of  luggage,  all  of  which  took  some  time  to  land.  Some  of  the 
Liverpool  passengers  complained  of  the  detention  of  the  steam- 
packet  for  this  purpose,  and,  011  the  complaint  being  submitted 
to  the  managers  of  the  steamer,  they  not  only  expressed  their 
regret  for  die  delay,  but  they  also  donated  the  amount  of 
freight  they  received  from  the  Duke  of  Athol  to  the  fund  for 
the  relief  of  the  starving  Irish. 

A  fourth  steamer,  the  CITY  OF  GLASGOW,  was  added  to 
the  fleet  011  the  21st  June,  1822.  The  ROBERT  ]*iu  i  i 
having  become  too  small  for  the  Greenock  and  Liverpool 
service  was  transferred  to  the  Liverpool  and  Douglas  station, 
and  the  three  larger  steamers  were  appointed  to  carry  II.M. 
mails  to  and  from  Greenock  and  Liverpool.  The  wrelehed 
condition  of  the  destitute  poor  in  Ireland  was  not  the  only 


270  THE    HISTOEY    OF    STEAM   NAVIGATION.        [PART  II. 

charity  that  appealed  to  the  managers  of  these  steamers. 
Finding  that  the  Committee  of  the  Greeiiock  Hospital  and 
Infirmary  were  in  urgent  need  of  funds,  they  placed  the 
R.M.S.  CITY  OF  GLASGOW  at  the  Committee's  disposal  for 
one  day,  for  the  benefit  of  the  Institution  named.  The  Com- 
mittee of  Management  of  the  Hospital  accordingly  arranged  a 
cruise  per  that  steamer  around  Ailsa  Craig,  on  Saturday,  19th 
July,  1823,  tickets  for  which  were  7s.  6d.  each.  The  CITY 
OF  GLASGOW  continued  to  trade  between  Greenock  and 
Liverpool  until  1831,  when  she  was  purchased  by  the  late 
David  Maclver,  who  was  then  forming  the  City  of  Glasgow 
Steam  Packet  Co.  Although  Messrs.  Little's  connection  with 
Belfast  is  not  of  such  long  standing  as  with  Liverpool,  yet  it 
is  approaching  three-quarters  of  a  century.  In  January, 
1828,  the  new  steamer  FROLIC  began  to  trade  between 
Glasgow,  Greenock  and  Belfast.  She  differed  from  the 
steamers  of  the  Liverpool  route  in  carrying  cargo  as  well  as 
passengers.  The  previous  year,  Messrs.  Little  had  obtained 
the  agency  in  Greenock  of  the  Glasgow  and  Dublin  Shipping 
Company.  The  pioneer  steamer  of  this  line  was  the  ERIN, 
which  sailed  from  the  Clyde  on  her  first  voyage  in  March, 
L827.  A  second  steamer,  the  SCOTIA,  a  vessel  of  300  tons 
burden,  was  added  to  the  service  in  January,  1828.  The 
steamer  WATER  WITCH,  built  for  this  trade  by  Messrs. 
James  Little  &  Co.,  and  contracted  for  with  Messrs.  Denny  & 
Co.,  of  Dumbarton,  was  the  first  screw  steamer  built  on  the 
Clyde. 

In  addition  to  their  several  channel  steamers,  Messrs. 
Little  owned,  in  1850,  the  steamers  DUNOON  and  HELENS- 
HFRGH.  These  two  steamers  plied  with  passengers  between 
Greenock  and  coast  towns,  connecting  with  the  Glasgow  and 
Greenock  Eailway  (now  the  Caledonian  Railway),  and  they 
were  the  first  steamers  on  the  Clyde  to  run  in  connection  with 
a  Railway  Company. 

In  1872  this  firm  purchased  from  the  owners  of  the  Anchor 
Line  steamers  the  steamer  DOM  PEDRO,  a  screw  steamer 
engaged  in  the  Glasgow  and  Peninsular  service.  The  DOM 
PEDRO  was  the  first  screw  steamer  with  compound  engines, 


CHAP.  XIV.]       HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES.  271 

built  by  the  famous  Clyde  shipbuilding  firm,  Randolph  and 
Elder,  now  known  as  the  Fairfield  Shipbuilding  Co.  Subse- 
quently, Messrs.  James  Little  &  Co.  owned  a  fleet  of  steamers 
bearing  Greek  classical  names,  e.g.,  APOLLO,  ACHILLES, 
&c.,  and  to  be  in  accordance  with  these  the  name  of  the  DOM 
PEDRO  was  changed  to  the  ARIADNE  in  the  year  1875.  She 
has  now  for  a  number  of  years  been  running  on  the  Barrow 
and  Liverpool  station.  In  the  year  1866,  Messrs.  Little  ran 
the  paddle  steamer  HERALD  between  Glasgow  and  Campbel- 
town.  The  HERALD  proved  herself  when  on  the  Campbel- 
town  route  to  be  one  of  the  fastest,  if  not  the  fastest,  steamer 
on  the  Clyde.  She  was  withdrawn  the  following  summer 
(1867)  from  the  Glasgow  and  Campbeltown  station,  to  opon 
the  Barrow  and  Isle  of  Man  trade.  The  latter  traffic  is  now 
maintained  during  the  summer  months  by  the  magnificent 
steamers,  MANX  QUEEN,  DUCHESS  or  DEVONSHIRE,  or  DUCHESS 
OF  BUCCLEUCH.  The  MANX  QUEEN  is  a  large  steel  paddle 
steamer,  with  a  gross  register  tonnage  of  about  1,000 
tons,  built  and  engined  011  the  Clyde  by  Messrs.  J.  and  G. 
Thompson.  Her  principal  dimensions  are — length,  278  feet 
9  inches;  beam,  29  feet  7  inches;  depth,  14  feet,  and  her 
speed  is  about  16  knots  per  hour. 

The  DUCHESS  OF  DEVONSHIRE  is  a  steel  twin-screw  steamer, 
built  and  engined  in  1897  by  the  Naval  Construction 
and  Armaments  Co.,  Barrow.  Her  gross  register  tonnage  is 
1,265  tons;  her  length  is  300  feet;  beam,  35  feet  1  inch;  and 
depth,  15  feet  7  inches.  Her  engines  are  capable  of  driving 
her  considerably  over  18  knots  per  hour,  and  she  is,  therefore, 
one  of  the  fastest  steamers  in  the  cross-channel  trade. 

The  DUCHESS  OF  BUCCLEUCH  is  a  steel  paddle  steamer, 
with  a  gross  register  tonnage  of  804  tons,  built  and 
engined  in  1888  by  the  Fairneld  Shipbuilding  and  Engineer- 
ing Co.,  Ltd.,  Glasgow.  Her  length  is  256  feet  1  inch ;  beam, 
29  feet  1  inch ;  and  depth  14  feet,  and  her  speed  is  about  18 
knots  per  hour. 

The   route   via   Barrow   to   Douglas   gives   the   shortest   sea 
passage  from  England  to  the  Isle  of  Man,  the  average  passage 
about  three  hours.     In  consequence  of  this,  and  of  the 


272  THE    HISTOEY    OF   STEAM    NAVIGATION.        [PART  II. 

first-class  accommodation  provided  in  these  splendid  steamers, 
the  Barrow  route  is  a  favourite  one  to  the  Island,  and  each 
year  sees  an  increase  in  the  number  of  passengers  carried. 

Messrs.  James  Little  &  Co.,  in  conjunction  with  the  Midland 
and  Furness  Railways,  established,  in  1867,  a  service  of 
mail,  passengers  and  cargo  steamers  between  Barrow  and 
Belfast. 

For  the  conduct  of  the  business  connected  with  this  service, 
Messrs.  Little  opened  a  branch  office  in  Belfast,  and,  as  they 
had  also  started  the  Barrow  to  Douglas  trade  that  same  year, 
they  opened  an  office  in  Barrow.  The  first  steamers  employed 
on  the  Barrow  and  Belfast  station  were  the  paddle-steamers 
ROE,  TALBOT,  and  SHELBURNE.  In  1870  a  larger  and  faster 
paddle-steamer,  the  ANTRIM,  was  added  to  the  fleet. 

The  service  is  now  maintained  by  the  cwift  and  powerful 
Royal  Mail  Steamships  CITY  OF  BELFAST,  DUCHESS  OF 
DEVONSHIRE,  MANX  QUEEN  or  LONDONDERRY.  The  DUCHESS  or 
DEVONSHIRE  has  already  been  briefly  described.  Her  sister 
vessel  in  the  service,  the  CITY  OF  BELFAST,  is  slightly  smaller. 
Her  gross  register  tonnage  is  1,055  tons. 

These  powerful  steamers  leave  Belfast  every  evening  at  8-30, 
Irish  time,  and  arrive  in  Barrow  about  6  o'clock  on  the 
following  morning,  in  time  to  connect  with  the  early  morning 
Midland  trains  to  all  parts  of  England  and  Scotland.  The 
steamers  leave  Barrow  daily  (Sundays  excepted)  on  arrival  of 
the  through  trains  from  London,  Bristol,  Leeds,  &c.,  that  is 
about  8-30  p.m.,  and  arrive  in  Belfast  about  5-30  the  following 
morning  (Irish  time). 

In  1873  Messrs.  Little  opened  a  branch  office  in  Glasgow, 
and  in  1883  one  in  Liverpool.  In  addition  to  the  mail  and 
other  steamship  services  on  the  West  Coast  of  Britain,  Messrs. 
James  Little  &  Co.  have  a  regular  service  of  steamers  from 
London  to  Terneuzen,  in  Holland,  and  for  the  efficient  working 
of  this  service  they,  in  conjunction  with  Mr.  J.  W.  Johnston, 
opened  an  office  in  London  in  1886,  the  name  and  address  of 
the  London  firm  being  Little  &  Johnston,  46,  Leadenhall 
Street,  \vho  also  have  a  sub-office  in  Terneuzen. 

They  have  also  several    ocean    steamers,  not  built  for  any 


CHAP.  XIV.]       HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES.  278 

special    trade,    but    of    large    carrying    capacity,    under    the 
management  of  their  Glasgow  house. 

The  fleet  of  this  firm  at  the  present  date  (190*i)  consists  of 
fourteen  full-powered  steamships,  having  a  gross  registered 
tonnage  of  25,279  tons,  and  named  as  follows : — 

ANN  WEBSTER 792  tons 

ARIADNE            292          , 

BORDERER         2983 

BORDER  KNIGHT          3730 

CITY  OF  BELFAST        1055 

DUCHESS  OF  DEVONSHIRE    ...         ...         ...  1265          , 

DUCHESS  OF  BUCCLEUCH      804          , 

HALLING            ...         777 

HERMISTON       4383          , 

INDIANAPOLIS 2464          , 

LONDONDERRY 736          . 

MANX  QUEEN 989 

RIVERDALE        4206 

RIVER  LAGAN 803 


25,279 


i  DUCHESS  OF  BUCCLEUCH.      James  Little  A   Co. 


274 


THE   HISTORY   OF   STEAM   NAVIGATION,        [PART  II, 


CHAP.  XV.]        HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES.  275 


CHAPTER  XV. 

MR.    DAVID    MACBRAYNE'S    WEST    HIGHLAND 
STEAMERS. 

IN  the  early  part  of  last  century  Messrs.  Thomson  and 
MacConnell,  of  Glasgow,  held  a  large  financial  interest  in 
several  of  the  steampackets  then  plying  on  the  River  and  Firth 
of  Clyde.  One  of  the  earliest  of  these  steamers  in  which  they 
were  interested  was  the  BRITANNIA,  built  about  two  years  after 
Bell's  COMET.  The  citizens  of  Glasgow  were  quick  to  avail 
themselves  of  the  advantages  of  steam  navigation :  thus,  while 
in  1812  the  limit  of  steam  navigation  was  Dunoon,  in  1815  it 
was  extended  to  Inverary,  and  in  1822  Fortwilliam,  Tobermory 
and  Skye  were  included  in  the  ports  of  call  of  the  steampacket 
HIGHLANDER. 

Passengers  were  also  carried  by  the  same  steamer  to  the 
Island  of  Staifa,  the  fare  for  the  return  passage  being  £3  3s. 

Steam  communication  between  Glasgow  and  Inverness  via 
the  Crinan  and  Caledonian  Canals  was  established  in  the 
spring  of  1824,  the  pioneer  vessel  being  a  small  steamer  named 
the  BEN  NEVIS. 

About  1830  Messrs.  J.  Martin  and  J.  &  G.  Burns  advertised 
the  steamers  INVERNESS,  ROB  ROY  and  HELEN  MCGREGOR  to 
sail  regularly  between  the  Clyde  and  Inverness,  Skye  and 
Stornoway.  The  HELEN  MCGREGOR  was  described  as  having 
"  a  splendid  cabin,  panelled  with  landscapes  descriptive  of  the 
scenery  through  which  she  passes."  She  had  upwards  <>l  •'!<) 
sleeping  berths  for  cabin  passengers,  and  an  excellent  steerage. 

In  1841  the  SHANDON,  described  as  "  an  elegant  vessel,"  was 
placed,  by  the  same  firm,  on  the  route  now  taken  by  the 
R.M.S.  COLTJMBA.  Her  passengers  were  carried  through  tin* 
Orinan  Canal  on  track  boats  drawn  by  horses  ridden  by 
postillions  in  brilliant  scarlet  uniforms,  and- at  Crinan  were 


270  THE    HISTOEY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.        [PART  II. 

transferred  to  the  steampacket  BRENDA,  which  conveyed  them 
to  Oban.  The  latter  steamer  belonged  to  Messrs.  Thomson  and 
MacConnell,  as  did  also  the  TOWARD  CASTLE,  MORVEN  and 
STAFFA,  and  later  (1846)  the  EDINBURGH  CASTLE  and  MAID  OF 
ISLAY.  The  two  firms  had  been  engaged  in  friendly  competi- 
tion both  on  the  Glasgow  and  Liverpool  trade  and  the  Glasgow 
and  West  Highland  service  from  the  year  1831,  but  in  1841 
an  arrangement  was  arrived  at,  by  which  the  West  Highland 
traffic  was  managed  conjointly. 

Her  late  Majesty  Queen  Victoria  visited  the  Highlands  in 
1847,  and  in  "  Leaves  from  the  Journal  of  Our  Life  in  the 
Highlands,"  Her  Majesty  wrote:  — 

"  The  light  on  the  hills  was  beautiful  as  we   steamed 

"  down  Loch  Fyne.     At  five  we  reached  Lochgilp,  and  all 

"  landed    at    Lochgilphead    (Ardrishaig).       We    and    our 

"  people  drove  through  the  village  to  the  Crinaii  Canal, 

"  where  we  entered  a  most  magnificently  decorated  barge, 

"  drawn  by  three  horses  ridden  by  postillions  in  scarlet. 

"  We  glided  along  very  smoothly,  and  the  views  of  the 

"  hills — the  rangie  of  Cruachan — were  very  fine  indeed." 

To  meet  the  requirements  of  an  ever-increasing  traffic,  the 

elegant  saloon  steamer  LINNET  was  built,  which  is  capable  of 

comfortably  accommodating  double  the  number  of  passengers 

that  the  old  track  boat  could. 

The  Messrs.  Burns,  who  prior  to  that  date  had  controlled  a 
large  portion  of  the  River  Clyde  and  West  Highland  traffic,  in 
1851  decided  to  confine  their  energies  to  "  deep  sea  "  steamers, 
and  accordingly  sold  off  their  smaller  craft,  and  Messrs. 
Thomson  and  MacConnell  parted  with  their  steamers  of  the 
same  type.  These  vessels  were  acquired,  and  the  West  High- 
land trade  taken  over,  by  Messrs.  David  Hutcheson  &  Co.  (the 
company  including  Mr.  David  MacBrayne,  the  head  of  the 
present  firm),  whose  address  at  that  date  was  14,  Jamaica 
Street,  Glasgow. 

Messrs.  Hutcheson  had,  previous  to  the  purchase  of  the 
steamers  referred  to,  five  steampackets  named  CYGNET, 
LAPWING,  DUNTROON  CASTLE,  PIONEER  and  DOLPHIN,  so  that  in 
1851  they  controlled  a  fleet  of  about  a  dozen  steamers.  These 


CHAP.   XV.]         HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES.  ^77 

steamers  maintained  a  bi-weekly  service  (in  addition  to  other 
sailings)  between  Glasgow  and  Inverness,  sailing  from  Glasgow 
every  Monday  and  Thursday,  a  service  which  has  been  main- 
tained uninterruptedly  for  upwards  of  half  a  century.  'I' IK- 
CYGNET  and  LAPWING  were  built  with  their  paddle  boxes  flush 
with  their  hulls,  to  enable  them  to  pass  through  the  Crinan  Canal. 
Two  new  steamers,  the  CHEVALIER  and  MOUNTAINEER,  were 
added  to  the  fleet  in  1854.  The  following  year  (1855)  the 
CLANSMAN  was  built  for  the  firm.  The  same  year  the  IONA  (the 
first  of  the  name)  was  built,  and  maintained  her  reputation  as 
a  "  crack  "  Clyde  steamer  until  186-J,  when  she  was  purchased 
by  an  agent  of  the  Confederate  States,  to  run  the  blockade 
during)  the  American  War.  She,  however,  never  crossed  the 
Atlantic,  being  sunk,  as  the  result  of  a  collision,  before  she  got 
clear  of  the  upper  firth. 

She  was  promptly  replaced  by  IONA  (second  of  the  name), 
launched  the  same  year,  which,  after  running  for  one  season 
only,  was  also  sold  to  run  the  blockade,  but  is  supposed  to  have 
been  lost  with  all  hands  off  Lundy  Island.  The  second  IONA 
differed  from  her  predecessors  in  having  a  saloon  on  deck. 

Prior  to  her  starting  on  her  Atlantic  voyage,  this  saloon  was 
removed  and  placed  on  IONA  the  third.  This  steamer  for  many 
years  bore  the  reputation  of  being  the  swiftest,  as  well  as  the 
most  luxuriously  appointed,  steamer  on  the  Firth  of  Clyde. 
The  engines,  which  work  with  almost  incredible  smoothness, 
are  of  1,625  horse-power,  and  are  capable  of  propelling  her  at 
the  rate  of  18  knots  per  hour. 

In  connection  with  this  vessel,  the  writer  remembers  a  very 
amusing  incident.  Many  years  ago  he  was  travelling  by 
steamer  from  Liverpool  to  Glasgow,  and  in  conversation  a 
fellow-passenger  stated  that  he  had  in  the  early  part  of  the  same 
summer  sailed  in  the  famous  IONA  from  Glasgow  to  Anlrishaig. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  the  Kyles  of  Bute?"  I  asked. 

"  The  Kyles  of  Bute,"  he  replied;   "I  never  saw  them." 

The  subject  was  dropped,  until  a  little  later  he  again  spoke 
of  his  trip  to  Ardrishaig. 

"  And  what  do  you  think  of  the  Kyles  of  Bute?  "  I  again 

queried. 


278  THE    HISTOEY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 

"  The  Kyles  of  Bute ;  you  asked  me  that  before.  I  never 
saw  them." 

"  But  you  say  you  sailed  to  Ardrishaig  in  the  IONA?" 

"  Yes." 

"  Then  you  must  have  seen  the  Kyles — you  could  not 
possibly  have  gone  to  Ardrishaig  without  seeing  them." 

He  seemed  astonished,  but  after  a  moment's  thought  a  bright 
idea  struck  him,  and  he  exclaimed — 

"  Ah !  yes,  I  remember  now,  I  saw  a  red  board  with  gilt 
letters  '  Kyles  of  Bute  '  on  it ;  but  I  didn't  go  ashore — I  never 
saw  them." 

Fortunately  all  men  are  not  so  unobservant ;  and  so  we  find 
tourists  from  Great  Britain  and  Ireland ;  from  Canada  and  the 
United  States ;  from  South  Africa  and  'the  Antipodes, 
journeying  to  ""enjoy  not  alone  the  beauties  of  the  Kyles  of 
Bute,  but  also  the  grand  and  beautiful  scenery  of  the  Western 
Highlands,  now  so  easy  of  access  by  the  splendid  steamers  of 
the  MacBrayne  fleet. 

In  1862  was  built  the  first  of  the  trio  of  handsome  screw 
steamers  which  sail  regularly  round  the  Mull  of  Cantyre  to 
Stornoway  and  the  far  North.  She  is  named  the  CLYDESDALE. 
A  larger  steamer,  the  CLANSMAN  (second  of  the  name),  was 
built  in  1870,  and  one  still  larger,  the  CLAYMORE,  in  1881. 

Mr.  David  Hutcheson  retired  in  1876,  leaving  his  partner, 
Mr.  David  MacBrayne,  sole  control  of  the  business,  which  has 
since  grown  steadily,  necessitating  from  time  to  time  the 
addition  of  new  steamers. 

In  1878  the  Royal  Mail  steamer  COLUMBA  was  built  by 
Messrs.  J.  &  G.  Thomson  (now  John  Brown  &  Co.),  of  Clyde- 
bank,  who  were  also  the  builders  of  the  IONA.  She  is  the 
largest  passenger  steamer  on  the  Firth  of  Clyde,  and  few,  if 
any,  cross-channel  steamers  exceed  her  in  length.  According 
to  the  official  description  of  her,  she  is  316  feet  in  length, 
50  feet  in  breadth  (inclusive  of  paddle  boxes),  and  9  feet  in 
depth.  She  is  built  entirely  of  steel,  and  is  fitted  with  two 
oscillating  engines  of  220  nominal  horse-power,  but  capable  of 
working  up  to  3,000  indicated  horse-power. 

Two    years    previously    the     K.M.S.    COLUMBA    was    refitted 


CHAP.   XV.]         HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES. 

by  Messrs.  Hutson  &  Sons,  Limited,  with  two  large  tubulotll 
boilers  of  the  haystack  type,  made  entirely  of  steel,  and  with 
twelve  furnaces.  When  working  at  full  pressure,  sho  attains 
a  speed  of  22  miles  per  hour,  and  she  is  certified  to  carry  over 
2,000  passengers.  The  COLUMBA  is  steered  by  a  steam 
steering  engine,  has  the  novelty  of  a  set  of  steam  bits  at  bow 
and  stern  by  which  the  vessel  is  warped  into  piers,  and  has  all 
the  modern  improvements  introduced  on  board. 

The  upper  saloon  is  very  luxuriously  fitted  up,  and  in  the 
interior  are  reading  table,  writing  desk  and  lounges.  The 
large  square  windows  are  carried  round  the  sides  and  stern, 
affording  a  fine  view  of  the  scenery  through  which  the  steamer 


The  breakfast  and  dining  saloon,  which  is  8  feet  high  and 
well  ventilated,  has  a  series  of  separate  circular  tables,  and 
meals  are  served  at  any  time.  The  dining  saloon  (forward)  for 
steerage  or  fore-cabin  passengers  is  light  and  airy. 

The  ladies'  and  gentlemen's  cabins  are  elegantly  fitted  up 
with  the  usual  hand-basins  and  other  conveniences. 

There  is  a  shampooing  and  hairdressing  establishment,  with 
a  supply  of  every  toilet  requisite ;  a  splendid  bathroom,  afford- 
ing passengers  who  have  travelled  during  the  night  the  luxury 
of  a  salt-water  bath,  and  a  cloak  room  where  they  can  leave 
hand-bags  and  other  small  articles.  There  are  in  addition  a 
book  stall  and  a  fruit  stall  for  cabin  passengers,  and  for  steerage 
passengers,  a  ladies'  cabin  forward  and  several  stalls  (fruit 
stalls,  &c.)  are  provided. 

The  only  floating  post  office  in  the  kingdom  is  to  be  i 
on  board  the  COLUMBA,  and  in  it  is  transacted  a  lareer  amount 
of  business  than  is  transacted  in  many  a  provincial  town, 
it  letters,  telegrams  and  parcels  are  received,  stamped,  sorte 
and  distributed  at  every  calling  place,  for  transmission  to  all 
parts,  and  it  is  of  immense  convenience  to  tourists  and   the 
inhabitants  along  the  route.     Upwards  of  100,000  letters  pass 
through  this  office  in  a  month,  of  which  a  large  proportion  are 
local  letters  passing  between  the  coast  towns  and  villages  at 
which  the  steamer  calls.     Over  450  telegrams  were  handed  m, 
and  upward  of  £70  received  for  postage  and  telegraph  stamps 


280 


THE    HISTOKY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PABT  II. 


CHAP.   XV.]         HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPAN IKS.  oH| 

in  one  month.  The  most  sanguine  expectations  of  the  Post 
Office  Department  being  more  than  realised,  has  induced  the 
Postmaster-General  to  add  to  the  staff.  Three  post  office 
officials  travel  with  the  COLUMBA.  Postal  orders  can  he  pur- 
chased, and  those  issued  at  other  offices  in  the  kingdom  ca-hrd 
on  board  this  steamer. 

In  1902  Mr.  David  MacBrayne  assumed  as  partners  his  two 
sons,  Mr.  David  Hope,  and  Mr.  Laurence  MacHrayuc,  the 
name  of  the  firm  remaining  unchanged. 

Messrs.  MacBrayne's  steamers  navigate  eveiy  sound  and  loch 
between  Port  Ellen  in  the  Island  of  Islay,  off  the  South-west 
coast  of  Scotland,  and  Thurso  in  the  extreme  North,  and  visit 
almost  every  island  between  those  two  points. 

The  new  steamer  LAPWING,  built  in  the  early  part  of  the 
year  1903,  proved  very  successful,  and  the  firm  have  in  course 
of  construction  another  fine  steamer,  which  is  expected  to  be 
ready  for  the  service  early  next  year  (1904).  The  fleet  at 
present  consists  of  thirty-one  screw  and  paddle  steamships, 
named  as  follows  :  — 

Horse      Speed.                                                              Horse  Speed. 

Power.    Knots.                                                         1'ower.  Knots. 

...     1450  15 

...      1-250  14 

...     1000  13 

...     1200  1-2 

...     1200  18 

...     1400  15 

850  1'2 

...       250  11 

...       875  11 

...       325  11 

...       410  1'2 

45  H) 

85  10 

...       -250  .10 

95  8 

500  12 


COLUMBA 

...     3000 

19 

CLAYMORE 

IONA      

...     1625 

18 

CLANSMAN 

FUSILIER 

...       900 

15 

CLYDESDALE 

GRENADIER 

...     1050 

16 

CAVALIER 

CHEVALIER 

...     1200 

16 

FLOWERDALE 
GLENDALE 

GONDOLIER 

...       GOO 

12 

STAFF  A  ... 

CARABINIER     ... 

...       400 

12 

HAN  DA  ... 

MOUNTAINEER... 

...       500 

15 

ETHEL  ... 

GAEL     

...     1500 

16 

FINGAL... 

GLENGARRY 

...       350 

12 

LOCHIEL 

GLENCOE 

...       700 

12   . 

LINNET... 

GAIRLOCHY 

...       500 

12 

MABEL  .  .  . 

LOVEDALE 

...     1200 

14 

TEXA     ... 

LOCHAWE 

95 

12 

COUNTESS 

LOCHNESS 

...       420 

12 

LAPWING 

282  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 


CHAPTER   XVI. 
MESSRS.    DAVID    MAC    IVER    &    CO. 


THE  firm  of  Messrs.  David  Maclver  &  Co.  was  originally 
founded  by  the  late  Mr.  David  Maclver  and  his  brother  Charles, 
in  1835.  Mr.  David  Maclver  had  some  four  years  prior  to 
this  date  formed  a  steamship  company  to  trade  between  Liver- 
pool and  Glasgow,  which  he  called  the  City  of  Glasgow  Steam- 
packet  Co.  The  pioneer  steamer  was  named  the  CITY  OF 
GLASGOW,  and  sailed  on  her  first  voyage  from  Liverpool  on 
the  25th  April,  1831.  Three  other  steamers  were  quickly  added 
to  the  fleet,  viz.,  the  SOLWAY,  VULCAN  and  JOHN  WOOD, 
the  latter  steamer  being  named  after  a  celebrated  shipbuilder 
of  Port  Glasgow.  In  1835  the  CITY  OF  GLASGOW  (second) 
was  added  to  the  fleet,  and  the  same  year  Mr.  Charles  Maclver 
joined  his  brother,  and  the  style  of  the'  firm  was  altered  to 
Messrs.  David  Maclver  &  Co.,  from  that  of  the  City  of  Glasgow 
Steampacket  Co.  On  the  1st  of  June,  1837,  the  celebrated 
steamer  COMMODORE  was  launched  by  Mr.  John  Wood,  and 
made  her  first  voyage,  sailing  from  the  Prince's  Pierhead, 
Liverpool,  on  the  6th  March,  1838.  The  COMMODORE  was 
at  that  time  considered  to  be  the  most  powerful,  most  comfort- 
able, and  fastest  sea-going  steamer  afloat.  The  sister  ship  of 
this  splendid  steamer,  the  ADMIRAL,  was  launched  in  the 
beginning  of  the  year  1840,  and  proved  a  faster  vessel  than  her 
consort.  On  her  trial  trip  on  the  2nd  April,  1840,  with  a  full 
deadweight  cargo,  she  ran  16  miles  in  56^  minutes,  being  five 
minutes  less  time  than  it  was  ever  done  by  any  other  steamer. 

In  1840  a  Mail  Steamship  Service  between  Liverpool, 
Canada  and  the  United  States  was  established,  the  respective 
agents  being  Mr.  Samuel  Cunard,  Halifax;  Messrs.  J.  &  G. 
Burns,  Glasgow ;  and  Messrs.  David  and  Charles  Maclver, 
Liverpool,  the  latter  being  the  practical  managers  of  the 


CHAP.  XVI.]      HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES. 

company.  This  service,  which  afterwards  acquired  a  world- 
wide reputation  as  the  "  Cunard  Line,"  was  modestly 
inaugurated  by  the  despatch  of  the  Liverpool  and  Glasgow 
steamer  UNICORN  (Captain  Douglas),  which  sailed  from 
Liverpool  for  Halifax  and  Boston  on  Saturday  morning,  Itttli 
May,  1840.  After  she  completed  her  outward  voyage,  she 
continued  to  ply  between  Pictou  and  Quebec,  in  connection 
with  the  British  and  North  American  Royal  Mail  Steamers. 

In  1850  was  instituted  the  steamship  service  between 
Liverpool  and  Havre,  the  pioneer  steamer  being  the  COMMO- 
DORE, the  well-known  and  favourite  Liverpool  and  Glasgow 
steampacket.  The  coasting  services  were  then  carried  on  in 
the  name  of  Charles  Maclver  &  Co.  About  the  same  date, 
steamship  services  to  the  Mediterranean  were  begun.  The 
Havre  and  the  Mediterranean  business  was  conducted  in  the 
name  of  Burns  and  Maclver. 

The  elder  of  the  two  brothers  (the  founders  of  the  "  Maclver  " 
steamship  business),  Mr.  David  Maclver,  died  unmarried  in 
1845.  His  brother,  the  late  Mr.  Charles  Maclver,  of  Calder- 
stones,  then  became  the  head  of  the  firm,  which  position  he  held 
until  his  decease  in  1885.  In  1863  Mr.  Charles  Maclver 
admitted  his  eldest  son,  Mr.  David  Maclver,  the  present  M.P. 
for  the  Kirkdale  Division  of  Liverpool,  into  partnership.  Mr. 
David  Maclver  remained  a  partner  in  the  firms  of  D.  &  C. 
Maclver,  Charles  Maclver  &  Co.  and  Burns  &  Maclver  for 
eleven  years,  when  he  retired  from  all  three  firms,  and 
established  an  entirely  separate  steamship  business,  resusci- 
tating the  old  title  of  David  Maclver  &  Co.  The  first  steamer 
built  under  the  new  regime  was  the  TUSCANY.  She  was 
built  in  18T6  by  Messrs.  J.  &  G.  Thomson,  Glasgow,  and 
engined  by  the  same  eminent  firm.  After  running  in  Messrs. 
David  Maclver  &  Co.'s  service  for  a  number  of  years,  she  was 
purchased  by  Portuguese  owners,  and  she  is  believed  to  have 
again  changed  owners  and  to  be  now  sailing  under  the  Spanish 
flag  as  the  MARGARITA. 

The  SICILY,  the  second  steamer  of  the  fleet,  was  built  and 
engined  by  Messrs.  Laird,  Birkenhead,  in  1876,  and  was  sold  to 
the  Cullum  Steam  Shipping  Co.,  of  London. 


284  THE    HISTOKY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART   II. 

The  following  year  (1877)  the  THESSALY  and  BARBARY 
were  built  for  the  firm  by  the  builders  of  the  SICILY.  The 
latter  steamer  was  sold,  first  to  Messrs.  Booth  &  Co.,  who 
changed  her  name  to  the  CLEMENT,  and  subsequently  to  the 
Cia  de  Cabotagem  do  Grao  Para,  by  whom  she  was  named  the 
MARAJO,  and  placed  under  the  Brazilian  flag. 

After  an  interval  of  five  years,  the  ALBANY  was  contracted 
for,  also  with  the  Messrs.  Laird,  of  Birkenhead.  Mr.  David 
Maclver's  connection  with  Birkenhead  is  one  of  very  long 
standing,  and  he  has  always  laboured  to  promote  its  welfare  and 
prosperity.  In  recognition  of  his  services,  he  was  the  elected 
representative  of  the  Borough  from  1874  to  1885.  The 
ALBANY  was  considerably  larger  than  any  of  her  predecessors, 
her  principal  dimensions  being— Length  300  feet  7  inches, 
breadth  39  feet  2  inches,  and  depth  26  feet  4  inches  ;  with  a 
deadweight  capacity  of  about  3,500  tons.  She  was  purchased 
by  Messrs.  T.  W.  Lunn  &  Co.,  of  Newcastle-on-Tyne,  by  whom 
she  was  re-named  the  WILLOWDENE. 

A  reference  to  the  list  of  steamers  built  for  Messrs.  David 
Maclver  &  Co.  will  show  the  distinguishing  characteristic  of  the 
names  to  be  the  terminal  letter  Y.  An  amusing  incident 
occurred  in  this  connection  during  the  building  of  the  steamer 
ALBANY.  A  firm  of  north  country  shipowners,  whose 
steamers  were  named  after  British  dukes  (omitting  the  prefix 
"  Duke  of  "),  had  selected  "  ALBANY  "  for  a  vessel  then  under 
construction,  and  they  made  the  cool  request  to  Messrs.  David 
Maclver  &  Co.  to  change  the  name  of  their  steamer.  It  is 
needless  to  say  they  were  unable  to  comply  with  this  request. 

For  the  first  few  years,  the  steamers  named  were  not 
employed  in  any  regular  trade,  though  originally  designed 
for  the  Mediterranean — hence  the  names  TUSCANY,  SICILY, 
BARBARY,  THESSALY,  &c. — but  traded,  as  inducement  offered,  to 
the  Mediterranean,  the  Danube,  the  Black  Sea,  and  elsewhere. 
They  have  formed  part  of  the  Anchor  Line  to  Bombay,  and  of 
the  Hall  Line  to  the  same  port ;  and  they  have  operated  in  the 
North  Atlantic  in  the  service  of  Messrs.  Richardson,  Spence 
and  Co.,  between  Liverpool  and  Philadelphia. 

In  1883  Messrs.  David  Maclver  &  Co.  despatched  their  first 


CHAP.  XVI.]      HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES. 

steamer  to  the  River  Plate,  and  two  years  later  they  established 
a  regular  service  between  Liverpool  and  Buenos  Ayres,  Monte- 
video and  Rosario. 

In  1893,  Mr.  Charles  Livingston,  who  had  been  associated 
with  Mr.  Maclver  for  two  years  previously,  became  a  partner  in 
the  firm.  Mr.  Livingston  takes  a  very  active  part  in  the 
management  of  the  steamers,  and  he  has  devoted  himself  with 
great  energy  and  success  to  the  development  of  the  River  Plate 
trade  with  Great  Britain.  The  five  steamers  named  having 
become  too  small  for  the  requirements  of  the  service  in  which 
they  were  engaged,  were  disposed  of,  as  stated,  to  various  buyers 
and  replaced  by  modern  steamers  of  greater  capacity  and  higher 
speed.  These  later  steamers  have  all  been  designed  specially 
for  the  River  Plate  trade,  and  althougih  large  carriers,  are  of 
remarkably  light  draught,  thus  enabling  them  to  ascend  to 
Rosario,  without  putting  consignees  and  shippers  to  the  risk 
and  expense  of  transhipping  cargo. 

In  1894  contracts  were  placed  with  Sir  Raylton  Dixon  &  Co., 
Middlesbrough,  for  three  steamers  of  exactly  similar  dimen- 
sions and  engine  power.  The  first  of  these  was  the  SAXONY, 
launched  December,  1894.  She  is  a  steel  screw  steamer  of 
3,500  tons  deadweight,  and  fitted  with  triple-expansion  engines 
(constructed  by  Blair  &  Co.,  Ltd.,  Stockton)  working  up  to 
about  1,500  horse-power  effective.  The  following  month 
(January,  1895)  her  sister  ship,  the  NORMANDY,  was  delivered, 
and  February  of  the  same  year  witnessed  the  completion  of  the 
third  vessel,  the  LOMBARDY. 

The  steamer  which  succeeded  these  was  1,000  tons  larger. 
She  is  named  the  BRITTANY,  and  was  built  in  1898  by 
Messrs.  Richardson,  Duck  &  Co.,  Stockton.  She  is  a  steel 
screw  steamer,  330  feet  long,  by  43  feet  beam  and  Hi  feel 
6  inches  depth,  with  a  deadweight  carrying  capacity  of  4.r>(MI 
tons.  She  is,  like  all  her  sister  ships,  propelled  by  triple- 
expansion  engines  constructed  by  Blair  &  Co.,  Ltd.,  Stockton. 

The  opening  of  the  20th  century  was  marked  by  a  furtli.M- 
and  an  important  advance  in  the  carrying  capacity  of  the  firm's 
steamers.  Contracts  were  placed  with  Messrs.  Richardson, 
Duck  &  Co.  for  three  steamers,  two  of  which  are  each  of  about 


286  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.        [PART  II. 

6,500  tons,  and  the  third  of  about  5,500  tons  deadweight.  The 
first  of  the  trio,  the  BARBARY  (second  of  that  name)  was 
delivered  in  May,  1901,  and  the  TARTARY  in  July  following. 
Both  these  vessels  are  practically  identical  as  regards  size  and 
power.  They  are  each  370  feet  long,  with  a  beam  of  48  feet 
1  inch,  and  a  depth  of  19  feet  and  a  half.  Their  engines  (triple- 
expansion)  develop  3,000  horse-power.  In  November  of  the 
same  year  the  BURGUNDY,  a  vessel  of  somewhat  smaller  dimen- 
sions, was  completed. 

The  fleet  of  Messrs.  David  Maclver  &  Co.'s  line  to  the  River 
Plate  at  present  consists  of  seven  full-powered  steamers,  but 
before  the  close  of  the  present  year  an  eighth  steamer,  the  ARABY, 
now  in  course  of  construction,  and  of  about  the  same  dimensions 
as  the  BURGUNDY,  will  be  placed  on  the  service.  Formerly  the 
steamers  were  each  registered  as  a  single  ship  company,  but 
in  1900  they  were  all  incorporated  in  David  Maclver,  Sons 
and  Co.,  Ltd. 

The  Directors  of  the  Limited  Company  are  David  Maclver, 
Esq.,  M.P.,  his  son  Charles  Maclver,  Esq.,  and  Charles 
Livingston,  Esq.  The  steamers  of  Messrs.  David  Maclver  and 
Co.'s  line  are  deservedly  popular  with  shippers  and  consignees 
in  the  Eiver  Plate  trade,  who  are  able  to  depend  upon  them  for 
regularity  of  service  and  careful  handling  of  their  goods,  and 
with  underwriters  for  their  freedom  from  serious  accidents. 
All  the  steamers  are  comparatively  new,  and  are  fitted  with  the 
most  modern  and  perfect  appliances  for  the  rapid  and  effective 
loading  and  discharging  of  general  cargo. 

Special  attention  has  been  given  by  the  Company  to  the 
transit  of  cattle  to  and  from  the  River  Plate,  and  each  of  the 
steamers  is  fitted  with  permanent  fittings  for  the  conveyance  of 
live  stock.  The  headquarters  of  Messrs.  David  Maclver  and 
Co.'s  line  are,  and  have  always  been  situated  in  Liverpool,  from 
which  port  it  maintains  a  regular  fortnightly  service  to  and 
from  Buenos  Ayres,  Montevideo  and  Rosario,  throughout  the 
year. 


CHAP,  XVII.]    HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES.  287 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

MACIVER'S    LIVERPOOL    AND    GLASGOW 
STEAMERS. 

IN  the  autumn  of  1826  the  New  Clyde  Shipping  Company 
advertised  that  their  steampacket  ENTERPRISE  (Captain 
M'Farlane)  would  sail  weekly  between  Liverpool  and 
Glasgow.  She  was  a  very  small  steamer,  being  only  210  Ions 
burthen,  and  the  owners  announced  that,  in  consequence  of 
her  light  draft,  she  would  proceed  direct  to  Glasgow,  and  not 
transfer  her  passengers  to  river  steamers  at  Greenock,  as  the 
larger  steamers  had  to  do.  The  first  agents  of  the  company 
were  Messrs.  M'Nair  and  Brebner,  33,  Water  Street,  but  in 
January,  1829,  the  agency  was  transferred  to  Mr.  David 
Maclver,  18,  Water  Street.  A  few  months  later  the  Glasgow 
and  Liverpool  Shipping  Company  was  formed,  and  in  1831 
that  company  acquired  the  Mersey  and  Clyde  Steam  Navi- 
gation Company's  steampackets  HENRY  BELL,  JAMES  WATT, 
and  WM.  HUSKISSON,  as  well  as  the  ENTERPRISE.  The  New 
Clyde  Shipping  Company  having  ceased  operations,  Mr. 
Maclver  formed  a  new  steamship  line  of  his  own,  which  he 
called  the  City  of  Glasgow  Steampacket  Company.  The 
pioneer  steamer  was  named  the  CITY  OF  GLASGOW  and  sailed 
on  her  first  voyage  from  Liverpool  on  the  25th  April,  IS-il. 
Three  other  steamers  were  quickly  added  to  the  fleet,  vis., 
the  SOLWAY,  VULCAN,  and  JOHN  WOOD,  the  latter  stcamr. 
being  named  after  a  celebrated  shipbuilder  at  Port  Glasgow. 
In  1835  the  CITY  OF  GLASGOW  (second)  was  put  on  the 
station,  and  the  sailings  were  increased  to  three  per  wee* 
from  each  port.  Mr.  Charles  Maclver  joined  his  brother 
this  year,  and  the  style  of  the  firm  was  changec 
D.  Maclver  &  Co. 


288  THE    HISTOEY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.        [PART  II. 

In  1837  the  celebrated  steamship  COMMODORE  was  built, 
followed  in  1840  by  her  equally  famous  sister  ship,  ADMIRAL. 

All  the  steamers  engaged  in  the  Liverpool  and  Glasgow 
trade  prior  to  1839  were  built  of  wood,  but  in  that  year  a  new 
steamship  company  entered  into  competition  with  the 
existing  companies,  and  placed  the  ROYAL  SOVEREIGN,  an 
iron  steamer,  on  the  station.  The  immediate  result  was  a 
heavy  drop  in  passenger  and  freight  rates.  Steerage  passen- 
gers were  carried  for  Is.  each,  and  boxes  and  bale  goods  for 
Id.  per  foot  measurement.  The  following  year  (1840)  a  mail 
steamship  service  between  Liverpool,  Canada,  and  U.S.A. 
was  established,  the  respective  agents  of  the  company  being 
D.  and  C.  Maclver,  Liverpool;  J.  and  G.  Burns,  Glasgow;  and 
Samuel  Cunard,  Halifax.  This  service,  which  afterwards  acquired 
a  world-wide  reputation  as  the  "  Cunard  line,"  was  modestly 
inaugurated  by  the  despatch  of  the  Liverpool  and  Glasgow 
steampacket  UNICORN  (Captain  Douglas).  This  vessel  (the 
real  pioneer  of  the  Cunard  line)  sailed  from  Liverpool  for 
Halifax  and  Boston  on  Saturday  morning,  16th  May,  1840. 
After  she  completed  her  outward  voyage,  she  continued  to 
ply  between  Pictou  and  Quebec  in  connection  between  the 
British  and  N.A.  Royal  mail  steamers.  Although  there  were 
three  perfectly  distinct  steamship  companies  trading  between 
Liverpool  and  Glasgow,  yet  so  friendly  were  the  respective 
owners  towards  each  other  that  in  1846  they  issued  a  joint 
sailing  bill,  which  included  the  whole  of  the  sailings  for 
all  the  companies.  This  arrangement  continued  unchanged 
for  seven  years  (1853),  at  the  end  of  which  period  the 
PRINCESS  ROYAL  was  advertised  separately.  At  this  date 
the  quickest,  cheapest  (although  the  fares  were  double  what 
they  now  are),  and  most  comfortable  mode  of  travelling 
between  Liverpool  and  Glasgow  was  by  steamer.  The 
steamers  were  large,  swift,  and  luxuriously  furnished,  and  so 
numerous  were  the  passengers  that  the  joint  companies  main- 
tained a  daily  service.  From  the  year  1853  the  two  services, 
the  Maclver  and  the  Burns,  were  amalgamated,  the  joint  line 
being  represented  in  Liverpool  by  Chas.  Maclver  &  Co.,  and 
in  Glasgow  by  G.  and  J.  Burns.  In  1850  Messrs.  Chas. 


CHAP.   XVII.]    HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES.  289 

Maclver  &  Co.  instituted  the  steamship  service  between 
Liverpool  and  Havre,  the  pioneer  steamer  being  the 
COMMODORE,  the  well-known  Liverpool  and  Glasgow  steam- 
packet.  About  the  same  date  the  steamship  services  to  the 
Mediterranean  were  begun  by  Messrs.  Maclver,  under  the  style 
of  Messrs.  Burns  and  Maclver.  Until  the-  year  1853  no  dis- 
tinctive class  of  name  had  been  adopted  for  the  coasting  steamers 
of  the  Maclver  line,  but  in  that  year  the  ELK  and  STAG  were 
built,  followed  by  the  LYNX  and  STORK.  These  were  the  last 
of  the  paddle-steamers  built  to  run  between  Liverpool  and 
Glasgow.  In  1855  the  owners  decided  to  place  screw- 
steamers  011  this  station,  and  accordingly  built  the  screw- 
steamers  OTTER,  BEAVER,  and  ZEBRA.  The  ZEBRA  was  a 
large  and  powerful  vessel,  and  was  amongst  the  earliest  of 
the  steamers  taken  up  by  Government  for  transport  duty 
during  the  Crimean  war.  All  the  succeeding  steamers  have 
been  of  the  same  type,  and  have  been  named  after  animals 
or  birds.  The  joint  service  remained  in  force  for  nearly  half 
a  century,  until  (in  1895)  Messrs.  G.  and  J.  Burns  opened  an 
office  in  Liverpool,  and  placed  the  steamers  MASTIFF, 
POINTER  and  SPANIEL  on  the  station.  The  elder  of  the 
two  brothers  (the  founders  of  the  "Maclver"  steamship 
business),  Mr.  David  Maclver,  died  unmarried  in  1845.  His 
brother,  the  late  Mr.  Charles  Maclver,  of  Calderstone,  then 
became  the  head  of  the  firm,  which  position  he  held  until  his 
death  in  1885.  The  long  connection  of  the  "  Maclvers  "  with 
the  Cunard  Company  was  terminated  in  1883,  and  they 
retired  from  the  management.  Messrs.  Charles  and  Henry 
Maclver  (the  younger  sons  of  the  late  Mr.  Charles  Maclver) 
retain  the  old  styles  of  I),  and  C.  Maclver  (for  their  foreign 
trades)  and  Chas.  Maclver  &  Co.  for  the  steamers  trading 
between  Liverpool  and  Glasgow. 


290  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 
SLIGO    STEAM    NAVIGATION     CO.,    LTD. 

DURING  the  first  half  of  the  last  century  Messrs.  Middleton 
and  Pollexfen,  of  Sligo,  owned  a  large  fleet  of  sailing  vessels. 
Some  of  these  vessels  were  barques  which  traded  to  foreign 
ports,  but  others  were  swift,  staunch  schooners  which  traded 
regularly  between  Sligo  and  Liverpool,  and  Sligo  and  Bristol 
Channel  and  Glasgow.  But  the  schooners  laboured  under  one 
serious  disadvantage-  the  uncertainty  of  the  duration  of  the 
passage.  With  favourable  weather  it  might  be  accomplished 
in.  a  few  days,  but  with  adverse  gales  or  fogs  it  might  occupy 
as  many  weeks.  It  is  self-evident  that,  in  competition  with 
steamers,  schooners  have  no  chance  of  success,  so  in  1850 
Messrs.  Middleton  and  Pollexfen  decided  to  employ  steam  in 
their  Sligo  and  Liverpool  trade,  and  for  this  purpose  built  a 
small  steamer,  which  they  named  the  SLIGO.  The  following 
year  (1857)  they  put  the  SLIGO  on  the  Sligo  and  Glasgow 
station  in  opposition  to  Messrs.  Cameron  and  Co.  Five  years 
later  (1862)  a  company  was  formed  with  the  title  of  the  Sligo 
Steam  Navigation  Company,  Limited,  which  took  over  the 
steamship  business  of  Messrs.  Middleton  and  Pollexfen,  and 
which  has  continued  to  flourish,  financially  and  otherwise. 
The  company  in  1865  built  a  larger  steamer  than  the  SLIGO, 
and  named  her  LIVERPOOL.  The  opposition  in  the  Sligo 
services  began  under  the  regime  of  Messrs.  Middleton  and 
Pollexfen,  continued  for  some  years  after  the  formation  of  the 
Sligo  Steam  Navigation  Company,  but  was  finally  settled 
amicably.  Messrs.  Alexander  A.  Laird  and  Co.  (successors  to 


CHAP.   XVIII.]  HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIKs.  .„,, 

Messrs.  Cameron  and  Co.)  retired  from  the  Sligo  and  Liverpool 
trade,  and  the  Sligo  Company  withdrew  from  the  (ilasgow 
trade,  purchasing  the  GARLAND,  which  they  renamed  the 
GLASGOW.  Having  disposed  of  the  SLKJO,  the  company 
purchased  a  swift  Clyde-built  cargo  and  passenger  steamer, 
to  which  they  transferred  the  name.  The  LIVKRI-OOI.  was  sold 
in  1892  to  Preston  buyers,  but  has  been  for  several  years,  and 
is  now,  employed  by  the  Cunard  Company  to  maintain  their 
Liverpool  and  Havre  service.  The  same  year  ilie  largest 
steamer  yet  built  by  the  company  was  placed  on  the  Liverpool 
and  Sligo  station.  The  new  vessel  (the  LIVERPOOL)  was  con- 
structed by  Messrs.  John  Jones  and  Sons,  of  Liverpool,  and 
was  built  to  the  specifications  and  under  the  supervision  of 
Mr.  II.  II.  West,  the  naval  architect  for  the  Sligo  Steam 
Navigation  Company.  She  is  a  smart-looking  boat  of  the 
following  dimensions: — Length  between  perpendiculars,  200 
feet ;  breadth,  moulded,  29  feet ;  and  depth,  15  feet  3  *  inches. 
Her  gross  register  is  700  tons,  and  net  332  tons.  The 
carriage  of  cattle  being  a  very  important  feature  of  the  trade, 
careful  consideration  has  been  given  to  the  cattle  fittings. 
Being  a  larger  vessel  than  any  of  her  predecessors,  increased 
accommodation  is  also  provided  for  saloon  and  deck 
passengers,  as  the  trade  is  increasing  in  this  direction  verv 
considerably.  The  saloon  and  cabins  are  fitted  up  in  a 
substantial  and  comfortable  manner.  The  engines  (triple 
expansion),  also  constructed  by  Messrs.  Jones  and  Sons,  are 
of  1,000  indicated  h.p.  On  her  trial  trip  the  LIVI.IM-OOI. 
attained  a  speed  of  13  knots,  being  a  knot  in  excess  of  contract 
speed.  The  ship  is  lighted  throughout  by  electricity.  The 
loading  berth  for  the  company's  steamers  was,  originally,  in 
the  Trafalgar  Dock,  but  is  now  on  the  east  side  of  the  Clarence 
Basin,  a  berth  they  have  occupied  since  about  18(>7.  The 
company  despatches  the  LIVERPOOL  or  Suc.o  once  a  week 
between  the  two  ports,  sailing  from  Liverpool  every  Tuesday. 
and  from  Sligo  every  Saturday.  In  addition  to  this,  its  main 
service,  the  company  has  a  Government  contract,  on  which 
the  steamer  TARTAR  is  employed.  This  steamer  sails  twice  a 
week  in  winter,  and  three  times  per  week  in  summer,  from 


292 


THE    HISTOEY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 


Sligo  to  Belmullet,  calling  at  Bosses  Point,  Ballycastle,  and 
Belderrig,  to  land  and  embark  passengers.  It  is  a  favourite 
tourist  route  in  summer,  affording  a  splendid  view  of  the  wild 
coast  scenery  of  the  West  of  Ireland.  The  distance  run  is 
about  70  miles,  and  the  time  occupied  about  six  hours.  The 
steamers  of  the  Sligo  Steam  Navigation  Company,  sailing 
between  Liverpool  and  Sligo,  are  exposed  to  all  the  force  and 
fury  of  the  Atlantic  gales,  as  they  steam  along  the  north  and 
north-west  coasts  of  Ireland.  It  is,  therefore,  an  eloquent 
testimonial  to  the  strength  of  their  construction,  as  well  as  to 
the  ability  with  which  they  are  managed,  and  navigated,  that 
they  sail  with  unfailing  regularity  in  winter  as  in  summer, 
and  with  a  most  gratifying  freedom  from  accidents. 


CHAP.  XIX.]       HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES. 


298 


CHAPTER  XIX. 
WATERFORD    STEAMSHIP    COMPANY. 

EARLY  in  the  year  1836  several  Waterford  merchants 
determined  to  run  steamers  between  Waterford  and  Liverpool 
in  opposition  to  the  steamers  owned  by  the  Messrs.  Pope,  of 
the  former  port.  Accordingly,  on  the  llth  January,  1837, 
there  was  launched  from  Mr.  John  Laird's  yard,  Birkenhead, 
the  DUNCANNON,  a  small  iron  paddle-steamer  of  200  tons 
burthen,  to  the  order  of  the  Waterford  Commercial  Steam 
Navigation  Company,  represented  111  Liverpool  by  Archer, 
Daly  &  Co.,  of  2,  Cook  Street.  Three  years  later  (1840)  a 
second  steamer,  the  WM.  PENN,  was  added  to  the  service. 
The  new  company  was  so  successful  in  its  venture  that  in  a 
short  time  the  Messrs.  Pope  either  abandoned  the  trade,  or 
were  absorbed  by  their  rivals,  who  thereupon  appear  to  have 
adopted  the  title  of  the  Waterford  Steamship  Companv. 
There  had  been  for  years  keen  rivalry  between  the  St.  George 
Steampacket  Company  and  the  City  of  Dublin  Steampacket 
Company,  and  when  the  business  of  the  former  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  Cork  Steamship  Company,  the  directors  of  the 
City  of  Dublin  Company  were  by  110  mean^  favourably  dis- 
posed to  the  new  management.  This  unfriendly  feeling  was 
extended  to  the  Waterford  Steamship  Company,  because  M  r. 
Joseph  Malcomsoii  (chairman  of  the  latter  company)  was 
offered,  and  accepted,  a  seat  011  the  board  of  the  Cork  Steam- 
ship Company,  and  his  firm  (Messrs.  Malcomson  Brothers) 
invested  largely  in  the  Cork  Company's  shares.  The  following 
year  the  Waterford  and  Kilkenny  Railway  was  opened  from 
Waterford  to  Thomastown.  The  directors  asked  the  Watci- 
ford  Steamship  Company  to  change  their  loading  berth  from 
the  south  side  of  the  Eiver  Suir  to  the  north  side,  adjacent 
to  the  railway  company's  terminus.  This  the  steamship 
company  refused  to  do.  In  consequence  of  this  refusal,  the 
Waterford  and  Kilkenny  Railway  Company  induced  the  City 
of  Dublin  Company  to  put  on  steamers  between  Waterford 
and  Liverpool.  But,  as  the  City  of  Dublin  Company  had  no 


294 


HISTOftY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 


mm 


CHAP.   XIX.]       HISTORICAL  STKAMSHI  1»  CO  MI 'A  NIKS. 


steamers  of  their  own  available,  they  chartered  stcum.-i  >  hum 
the  British  and  Irish  Steampacket  Company,  which  they 
placed  oil  the  Liverpool  and  Watert'ord  station.  Meant  imc. 
the  Waterford  Steamship  Company  had  not  been  idle.  The 
late  Liverpool  agent  of  the  company  (Mr.  George  K.  Paynr 
was  detailed  to  organise  an  opposition  to  the  railway  company. 
with  emphatic  instructions  not  to  permit  a  single  passenger 
to  be  carried  by  the  railway  company  betwen  Waterford  and 
Thomastowii,  or  vice  versa.  The  distance  was  only  twelve 
miles,  and  ail  efficient  car  service  was  at  once  established 
between  the  two  towns.  Not  only  was  the  service  an  efficient 
one,  but,  rather  than  permit  passengers  to  travel  by  the 
railway  company,  the  drivers  of  the  cars  would  take  them  for 
nothing.  Of  course,  there  were  not  wanting  those  who 
prophesied  that  the  Waterford  Company  and  the  Me— i- 
Malconison  (who  had  acquired  the  whole  of  the  steamship 
company's  shares)  would  be  ruined  by  the  Opposition. 
Malconison  Brothers,  however,  referred  inquirers  as  to  their 
stability  to  Messrs.  Overend,  Chirney  &  Co.,  then  at  the  zenith 
of  their  power,  whose  reply  was: — "  We  guarantee  Messrs. 
Malconison  Brothers  to  the  extent  of  two  million  pounds 
sterling." 

Equally  fierce  was  the  opposition  in  the  cross-channel 
service.  Passengers  were  frequently  carried  without  charge 
between  Liverpool  and  Waterford,  as  well  as  between  Liver- 
pool and  Dublin.  A  story  is  told  of  a  passenger  going  into 
the  Dublin  Company's  office  in  Waterford,  and  asking  what 
the  cabin  fare  was  to  Liverpool.  He  was  told  he  would  be 
taken  for  nothing,  to  which  he  replied,  "  Thai  is  not  good 
enough;  you  must  feed  me  as  well."  A  similar  tradition 
exists  with  regard  to  the  Liverpool  and  Dublin  service. 
namely,  that  when  one  of  the  rival  companies  advertised  its 
willingness  to  carry  passengers  for  nothing,  and  to  give  them 
a  loaf  of  bread,  the  other  company  capped  the  oft'er  by  the 
addition  of  a  bottle  of  Guinness'  stout.  Not  content  with 
carrying  the  war  into  the  enemy's  country  by  running  horse- 
cars  between  Waterford  and  Thomastown,  the  Waterford 
Steamship  Company  placed  their  steamer  LION  on  the  Liver- 


296  THE    HISTOEY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 

pool  and  Dublin  station,  and  chartered  a  steamer  from  the 
Cork  Steamship  Company  to  run  in  opposition  to  the  British 
and  Irish  Company  between  Dublin  and  London.  Thereupon, 
the  British  and  Irish  Company  chartered  a  steamer  from 
Langtry's  Belfast  Steamship  Company  to  run  between  Liver- 
pool and  Cork,  and  the  Cork  Company,  as  a  counter  move, 
placed  their  steamer  MINERVA  011  the  Liverpool  and  Belfast 
station.  The  opposition  was  maintained  with  unabated 
fierceness  for  about  three  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  the 
City  of  Dublin  Company  and  the  Waterford  Company 
arrived  at  an  amicable  settlement,  each  company  agreeing  to 
cease  opposing  the  other.  The  Belfast  Steamship  Companv 
and  the  British  and  Irish  Company  having  now  to  bear  the 
brunt  of  the  opposition,  without  the  support  of  the  City  of 
Dublin  Company,  deemed  it  wise  to  make  the  best  terms  they 
could  with  their  opponents.  Accordingly,  the  Belfast  Com- 
pany divided  the  Liverpool  and  Belfast  trade  with  the  Cork 
Company,  and  the  British  and  Irish  Steampacket  Company 
shared  their  London  and  Dublin  trade  with  the  Waterford 
Steamship  Company.  The  Cork  Company  continued  to  run 
steamers  between  Liverpool  and  Belfast  for  several  years,  but 
were  eventually  bought  off  by  the  Belfast  Steamship 
Company.  The  Waterford  Company  ran  two  steamers 
regularly  between  London  and  Dublin  until  the  year  1870, 
when  they  also  were  bought  off  by  the  British  and  Irish 
Steampacket  Company.  Prior  to  the  City  of  Dublin  Com- 
pany's opposition,  the  Bristol  Steam  Navigation  Company 
and  the  Waterford  Steamship  Company  had  maintained  a 
joint  service  between  Waterford  and  Bristol.  The  Bristol 
Company's  boat  left  Waterford  on  Tuesday  to  catch  the 
Bristol  cattle  market,  and  the  Waterford  Company's  boat  left 
Waterford  on  Friday.  As  a  consequence  of  the  low  rates 
which  were  in  force  during  the  opposition,  a  great  deal  of 
traffic  was  diverted  from  the  Bristol  route  to  the  Liverpool 
route,  and  the  Bristol  Company  suspended  their  sailings  to 
and  from  Waterford.  The  Waterford  Company  thereupon 
took  up  the  Tuesday  sailings  to  Bristol.  When  the  Liverpool 
opposition  ceased,  the  Bristol  Company  wished  to  resume 


CHAP.  XIX.]       HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES.  297 

their    Tuesday    sailings    from    Waterford.      The    Watortoni 
Company,     however,     refused     to     withdraw     their     Tuesday 
steamer,    but   agreed    to   let   the    Bristol    Company   have   the 
Friday    sailing.     The   close   and   friendly    relationship    which 
had   formerly   existed   between   these   two   companies   becam.- 
somewhat  strained,  and  ultimately  ended  in  so  wide  a  breach 
that  the  Waterford  Company  purchased  the  paddle  steamer 
VICTORY  from  the  Cork  Steamship  Company,  and  placed  her 
on  the  station  between  Bristol  and  Dublin,   in   opposition  to 
the  Bristol  Steam  Navigation  Company.     This  opposition  was 
withdrawn  upon  the  Bristol  Company  undertaking  to  pay  the 
Waterford   Company  an  annual  sum  of  £1,000,   which  sum 
they  continued  to  pay  for  a  great  many  years.     About  the 
year  1847,  Malcomson  Brothers  (the  owners  of  the  Waterford 
Steamship    Company)    purchased    the    steamer    Driu.i.x,    for 
employment   in   one   of   their   London   trades.      She   was   the 
first  screw  steamer  owned  by  any  Irish  company  or  firm,  and 
she  proved  so   successful  that  her  new  owners  had  all   their 
subsequent  steamers  fitted  with  screws,  except  one  boat  for  a 
special    trade.      Being  shareholders    in    the    Peninsular    and 
Oriental    Steam    Navigation    Company,    Malcomson    Brothers 
induced    the    directors    of   that    company   to    introduce    screw 
steamers  into  their  fleet.     It  was  also  by  the  advice  of  Messrs. 
Malcomson    that    Richardson    Brothers,    the    promoters    and 
first  managers  of  the  Inman  line,  built  screw  steamers  for  the 
Atlantic.     The  Messrs.  Malcomson  were  no  mere  theorists  in 
steamship   construction;    they  decided  to  build  the   steamers 
they  owned.     For  this  reason  they  established   (in   1847)   an 
iron  shipbaildiiig  and  engineering  works  at  Waterford,  under 
the  style  of  the  Neptune    Iron  Works.     They  were  fortunate 
in  securing  for  their  manager  a  talented  shipbuilder,  the  late 
Mr.  John  Horn,  who  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Mr.  Andrew 
Horn,  an  engineer  of  very  exceptional  abilities,  and  who  is 
the  present  superintendent  engineer  of  the  company.     About 
40   steamers   were  built  at  the   Neptune   Iron  Works   before 
they  were  closed,  several  of  which  became  famous,  and  all  of 
which  were  noted  for  their  strength  of  hull  and  engines. 
In    1849    the   W**«rford    Steamship   Company    (Malcomson 


298  THi<:    HISTORY    Otf    STtAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  It. 

Brothers)  built  at  their  Neptune  Iron  Works,  Waterford,  the 
steamer  MAKS.  Her  original  plans,  which  were  for  a  paddle- 
boat,  were  altered  while  she  was  on  the  stocks,  and  she  was 
launched  a  screw  steamer.  She  was  the  first  screw  steamer 
placed  011  the  Liverpool  and  Waterford  station,  and  at  first 
the  cattle  shippers  did  not  like  the  idea  of  shipping  by  her, 
especially  as  on  one  of  her  early  voyages  she  heeled  over  on 
leaving  Waterford  Quay,  and  killed  a  large  number  of  cattle ; 
but  the  late  Captain  Burns  was  put  in  command,  and  she 
proved  herself  to  be  a  safe  carrier,  and  speedily  became  a 
favourite  boat  in.  the  trade.  Two  years  prior  to  this  date 
(1847)  Malcomson  Brothers  built  at  the  same  yard  the  steamer 
N EFT UNE  this  was  the  first  steamer  built  at  the  Neptune 
Iron  Works,  and  she  was  also  the  first  steamer  to  run  to 
St.  Petersburg.  It  happened  in  this  way.  The  liussian 
Government  were  very  anxious  to  get  a  line  of  steamers 
established  between  England  and  St.  Petersburg,  and  made 
overtures  on  the  subject  to  Malcomson  Brothers.  As  a  result, 
the  latter  agreed  to  start  a  line  from  London,  of  which  the 
pioneer  steamer  was  wrecked  in  the  Baltic  on  her  first  out- 
ward voyage.  The  NEPTUNE  was  then  despatched.  When 
she  arrived  at  Cronstadt  the  Mayor  of  St.  Petersburg  came 
on  board  in  state,  and  as  she  steamed  up  the  Neva,  11. 1. M. 
the  Czar  Nicholas  met  her  in  his  state  barge;  the  forts  and 
warships  fired  salutes  of  honour,  and  all  the  merchant  ships 
were  covered  with  nags.  To  commemorate  this  important 
event,  his  Majesty  the  Cxar  commanded  that  whenever  the 
NEPTUNE  came  to  St.  Petersburg  she  was  to  be  free  of  port 
and  pilotage  dues. 

At  the  time  of  which  I  write,  it  was  impossible  to  over- 
estimate the  influence  of  Malcomson  Brothers  in  the  com- 
mercial steamship  world.  We  have  seen  how  they  were 
consulted  by  the  directors  of  the  P.  and  0.,  and  by  the  pro- 
moters of  the  Inman  line.  In  addition  to  their  coasting 
Meets  they  had  steamers  in  the  Eastern  trade,  one  of  which — 
the  UNA — was  one  of  the  first  steamers  to  pass  through  the 
Suez  Canal.  They  were  also  the  pioneers  of  the  Liverpool 
and  River  Plate  trade,  and  were,  I  believe,  the  predecessors 


CHAP.   XIX.]       HISTORICAL  STK.  \\1S1 1 1 1'  ( o\1  l'.\N  |  Ks.  .j.,., 

of  Lamport  and  Holt.  Amongst  the  large  fleet  of  strainers 
built  for  the  Waterford  Steamship  Company  at  their  own 
shipbuilding  and  engineering  works  was  a  screw  steamer,  the 
WILLIAM  PENN.  This  steamer  was  sold  by  the  Waterford 
Steamship  Company,  and  her  new  owners,  having  lengthened 
her  and  given  her  a  fourth  mast,  renamed  her  the  IMKOI-KAN. 
As  the  EUROPEAN  she  ran  for  a  number  of  years  in  II.  N. 
Hughes  and  Nephew's  line  between  Liverpool  and  Bombay. 
She  afterwards  was  transferred  to,  or  chartered  by, 
Geo.  Warren  and  Co.,  and  while  in  their  Boston  and  Liver- 
pool service,  in  the  early  seventies,  she  .had  the  proud  distinc- 
tion of  being  the  first  steamer  to  bring  to  Liverpool  an 
importation  of  American  live  cattle,  consigned  to  Geo. 
Itoddick  and  Co.,  Chapel  .Walks.  Since  the  withdrawal  of 
the  Malcomsons  from  the  active  control  of  the  company,  the 
management  of  the  Waterford  Steamship  Company  has  been 
vested  in  Mr.  C.  Morley,  under  whose  able  management  the 
steamers  have  been  maintained  in  a  state  of  thorough 
efficiency  and  up-to-dateness.  The  fleet  of  the  company  a  I 
the  present  date  consists  of  the  following  powerful*  steamers, 
which  make  their  passages  to  and  from  Liverpool  and  Water- 
ford  with  unfailing  regularity  in  about  18  hours,  summer  and 
winter,  viz,  : — LARA,  COMERAUH,  I{K«II\AU>,  l)i  NHKODV  and 
MEN  An  A. 

The  DUKBRODY  has  a  complete  installation  of  electric  light, 
including  the  holds,  and  her  lower  holds  for  the  entire  length 
form  a  refrigerator.  A  further  and  larger  addition,  the  CLODAGIJ, 
now  building,  will  shortly  be  added  to  the  fleet,  embracing  all  the 
above  improvements,  with  an  increased  speed,  and  increased 
first-class  passenger  accommodation. 

The  Waterford  Steamship  Company  were  amongst  the  first 
steamship  owners  to  discard  the  bowsprit  and  figure-head, 
and  to  adopt  the  straight  stem.  They  were  also  amongst  the 
first  owners  to  build  steamers  with  saloons  amidships,  and  it 
is  their  proud  boast  that  in  the  Liverpool  and  Watertunl 
service,  extending  over  sixty  years,  they  never  lost  a  ship  or 
a  human  life. 


300 


THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 


The  late  T.  H.  ISMAY,  Esq. 


CHAP.   XX.]        HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES. 


801 


CHAPTER   XX. 
WHITE    STAR    LINE. 

THE  White  Star  Line  was  founded  about  the  middle  of  the  last 
century  by  the  owners  of  a  line  of  smart  clippers  sailing  between 
England  and  Australia.  The  great  rush  of  adventurers  to 
the  Australian  gold  diggings  in  the  "fifties"  gave  a  great 
impetus  to  the  trade  between  Great  Britain  and  the  Colonies. 
In  the  course  of  seven  years  the  White  Star,  Black  Ball  and 
other  lines  carried  about  half  a  million  passengers  to  the 
Antipodes.  The  "  White  Star "  boats,  even  in  those  days, 
were  the  largest  of  their  class,  and  amongst  them  were  the 
famous  wooden  clippers  GOLDEN  ERA,  CHAMPION  OF  THE  SEAS, 
BLUE  JACKET,  and  WHITE  STAR,  vessels  of  from  3,000  to  4,500 
tons  gross.  An  important  change  took  place  in  the  destinies 
of  the  line  in  1867,  when  the  managing  owner  retired,  and  the 
late  Thomas  Henry  Ismay  took  over  the  flag.  Two  years  later 
came  the  great  event  in  the  history  of  the  White  Star  Line, 
when  Mr.  Ismay  induced  some  friends  to  join  him  in  the 
formation  of  the  Oceanic  Steam  Navigation  Company.  It  was 
an  enterprise  boldly  conceived,  and  carried  out  with  great 
judgment.  Boldly  conceived,  for  there  were  already  four 
companies  each  maintaining  a  regular  weekly  service  between 
Liverpool  and  New  York.  Nor  were  these  small  companies,  or 
of  indifferent  reputation.  There  was  the  Cunard  Company, 
established  about  thirty  years  previously;  the  Inman  Line, 
wit1!  a  fine  fleet  of  clipper  passenger  steamers;  the  Guion 
Line,  with  its  large  American  connections;  and  the  National 
Line,  with  its  fleet  of  huge  cargo  carriers.  In  spite  of  this, 
Mr.  Ismay  was  confident  that  there  was  room  for  a  high-class 
Trans-Atlantic  passenger  service,  and  the  shares  in  the  new 
company  (£1,000  each  fully  paid)  were  at  once  privately  taken 
up  by  the  firm  of  T.  H.  Ismay  &  Co.  and  their  friends, 


302  THE    HISTOKY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 

amongst  whom  were  some  of  the  most  substantial  names  in 
England.  The  following  year  Mr.  Imrie  (of  the  late  firm  of 
Imrie,  Tomlinsoii  &  Co.)  joined  Mr.  Ismay,  and  the  style  of 
the  firm  was  altered  to  Ismay,  Imrie  &  Co. 

The  first  step  taken  by  the  managers  of  the  Oceanic  Steam 
Navigation  Company  was  to  arrange  with  the  celebrated  ship- 
builders, Messrs.  Harland  and  Wolff,  Belfast,  for  the  con- 
struction of  a  fleet  of  high-class  steamships,  expressly  for  the 
American  passenger  trade.  The  pioneer  vessel  of  the  line 
(the  OCEANIC)  was  launched  011  the  27th  August,  1870,  and 
started  011  her  maiden  voyage  under  the  White  Star  flag  on  the 
2nd  March,  1871.  After  running  for  several  years  between 
Liverpool  and  New  York,  this  steamer  (OCEANIC,  the  first), 
along  with  her  sister  ships,  GAELIC  and  BELGIC,  were  chartered 
to  the  Occidental  and  Oriental  Steamship  Company,  of  San 
Francisco,  to  maintain  a  mail  service  between  that  port  and 
the  Orient.  The  OCEANIC  was  quickly  followed  on  the 
Liverpool-New  York  service  by  the  BALTIC,  REPUBLIC, 
ADRIATIC  and  CELTIC,  and  weekly  sailings  from  both  ports 
were  instituted.  These  steamers  were  all  of  the  one  type, 
straight  stems,  four  masts,  single  funnel,  and  saloon  amid- 
ships. They  proved  themselves  to  be  equal  in  speed  and 
superior  in  accommodation  to  any  ships  then  afloat.  Four 
more  steamers  were  added  to  the  fleet  in  1873,  viz.,  the 
ASIATIC,  TROPIC,  GAELIC  and  BELGIC.  A  great  advance  011  the 
earlier  steamships  was  made  in  1874,  when  the  BRITANNIC  was 
launched,  followed  by  her  sister  ship,  the  GERMANIC,  in  1875. 
Prior  to  the  formation  of  the  White  Star  Atlantic  Fleet,  the 
passage  between  Liverpool  and  New  York  had  averaged  9| 
or  10  days,  the  OCEANIC  and  her  consorts  reduced  it  to  about 
8J  days,  whilst  the  BRITANNIC  and  GERMANIC  brought  the  time 
down  to  about  7J  days. 

These  vessels,  with  the  exception  of  the  two  last  named  which 
were  larger  and  faster,  were  almost  uniform  in  size  and  speed. 
These,  and  the  later  vessels  of  the  fleet,  were  designed  and 
built  to  attain  the  three-fold  purpose  of  safety,  speed  and 
comfort,  and  their  performances  have  certainly  realised  the 
expectations  of  their  owners.  Speed  has  been  an  important, 


CHAP.   XX.]        HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES.  ;\()]\ 

but  a  secondary,  consideration,  as  is  shewn  by  the  following 
extract  from  the  "Book  of  Regulations"  of  the  White  Shu- 
Line  of  steamers:  — 

"The  commanders  must  distinctly  understand  thai   I!M- 
"issue  of  the  following  instructions  does  not,  in  any  way, 
"  relieve  them  from  entire  responsibility  for  the  safe  and 
"  efficient  navigation  of  their  respective  vessels;   and  they 
"are   also    enjoined   to   remember   that,    whilst    they    an- 
"  expected    to    use    every    diligence    to    secure    a    speedy 
"voyage,   they   must   run   no   risk   which  might   by   any 
"  possibility  result  in  accident  to  their  ships.     It  is  to  be 
"  hoped  that  they  will  ever  bear  in  mind  that  the  safely  of 
"  the  lives   and   property   entrusted   to   their   care    is   the 
"  ruling  principle  that  should  govern  them  in  the  naviga- 
"  tion  of  their  ships,  and  no  supposed  gain  in  expedition 
"  or  saving  of  time  on  the  voyage  is  to  be  purchased  at  the 
"  risk  of  accident.     The  company  desires  to  establish  and 
"  maintain  for  its  vessels  a  reputation  for  safety,  and  only 
"  looks  for  such  speed  on  the  various  voyages  as  is  con- 
"  sisteiit  with  safe  and  prudent  navigation." 
Not     content     with    giving    this    general     regulation,     the 
managers   have   issued   to   the   commanders   of  the   respective 
ships   of  the  fleet   a   special  autograph  letter,   laying  special 
emphasis     on     the     supreme     importance     of     extreme     and 
unvarying  caution  and  prudence  in  the  navigation  of  the  com- 
pany's vessels.     The  concluding  paragraph  of  this  letter  is  as 
follows :  — 

"  Under  all  these  circumstances  of  paramount  and 
"engrossing  interest  to  the  company,  whose  property  is 
"  under  your  charge,  we  invite  you  to  dismiss  from  your 
"  mind  all  idea  of  competitive  passages  with  other  vessels, 
"the  advantage  of  success  in  which  is  merely  transient, 
"concentrating  your  whole  attention  upon  a  cautious, 
"prudent,  and  ever-watchful  system  of  navigation 
"  which  shall  lose  time,  or  suffer  any  other  temporal) 
"  inconvenience,  rather  than  run  the  slightest  risk  which 
"  can  be  avoided." 
The  BRITANNIC  when  she  first  came  out  was  fitted  with  a 


304  THE    HISTOKY    OF   STEAM   NAVIGATION.        [PART  II. 

novelty  in  the  shape  of  a  "  lifting  propeller."  This  propeller 
was  a  patent  of  the  late  Sir  Edward  Harland,  senior  partner  of 
the  firm  by  whom  the  BRITANNIC  was  built.  In  long  ships  the 
pitching  in  a  heavy  sea,  and  the  vertical  motion  of  the  waves, 
tend  to  expose  the  upper  portion  of  the  propeller,  the  evil 
effects  arising  from  this  being  the  "  racing  "  of  the  engines 
and  its  attendant  dangers,  together  with  a  diminished  speed. 
Sir  Edward  Harland  believed  that  a  propeller  which  could  be 
worked  at  any  depth,  and  which  did  not  require  the  stoppage  of 
the  vessel  whilst  it  was  being  raised  or  lowered,  would  reduce 
these  risks  to  a  minimum,  if  it  did  not  entirely  remove  them. 
In  actual  practice,  however,  it  was  found  that  the  advantages  of 
the  new  principle  did  not  compensate  for  its  disadvantages, 
and,  after  a  fair  trial  had  been  given  to  it,  it  was  abandoned 
in  favour  of  the  old  style  of  screw.  In  a  letter,  dated  3rd 
December,  1874,  addressed  to  the  late  Mr.  W.  S.  Lindsay, 
Messrs.  Ismay,  Imrie  &  Co.  state : — "  The  average  speed  of  the 
"  BRITANNIC  is  fifteen  knots  per  hour  on  a  consumption  of  75 
"  to  80  tons  of  coal  per  day,  and  her  approximate  cost,  built 
"  without  contract,  is  £200,000 ." 

From  1873  until  1884  the  White  Star  Line  maintained  its 
position  as  the  fastest  fleet  on  the  Atlantic,  a  result  to  which 
the  BRITANNIC  and  GERMANIC  contributed  in  no  small  degree. 
In  September,  1890,  the  BRITANNIC  eclipsed  her  own  previous 
record  of  7  days  9J  hours,  by  crossing  from  New  York  to 
Queenstown  in  7.  days  6  hours  55  minutes,  at  an  average  speed 
of  16*80  knots.  The  following  year  (September,  1891)  she 
surpassed  even  this  rapid  passage,  by  making  the  run  from 
New  York  to  Queenstown  in  7  days  6  hours  52  minutes. 
While  employed  by  H.M.S.  Government  to  convey  troops 
during  the  late  war  in  South  Africa,  she  made  the  run  from 
Queenstown  to  the  Cape  in  19  days,  a  speed  surpassed  by  few 
of  the  transports  engaged.  In  August,  1891,  the  GERMANIC 
following  in  the  track  of  her  sister  ship,  travelled  from  New 
York  to  Queenstown  in  7  days  7  hours  37  minutes,  at  an 
average  speed  of  16' 10  knots  per  hour.  When  it  is 
remembered  that  this  high  speed  (nearly  nineteen  statute 
miles  per  hour)  was  attained  by  vessels  over  20  years  old,  with 


CHAP.   XX.]        HISTOKICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES. 


their  original  compound  engines  and  boilers,  it  will  be 
acknowledged  that,  having  regard  to  their  small  coal  con- 
sumption and  large  carrying  capacity,  the  BRITANNIC  and 
GERMANIC  have  given  results  unattainable  with  the  fastest 
ships  of  the  present  day. 

The  GERMANIC  in  1895  received  new  engines  and  boilers, 
and  had  her  passenger  quarters  entirely  remodelled  on  the 
plan  of  the  MAJESTIC  and  TEUTONIC.  In  July  of  that  year  she 
crossed  from  Queenstown  to  New  York  in  6  days  23  hours  45 
minutes,  and  in  August  of  the  year  following  in  G  days  21 
hours  and  38  minutes,  thus  showing  a  substantial  increase  of 


After  the  launch  of  these  two  famous  steamers,  there  was  an 
interval  of  six  years  during  which  no  new  vessels  were  added 


OCEANIC  (1870).       White  Star  Line. 

to  the  fleet.  The  next  additions  were  the  ARABIC  and  COPTIC, 
for  the  Trans-Pacific  trade,  in  1881.  In  the  same  year  Mr. 
W.  S.  Graves,  son  of  a  well-known  former  M.P.  for  Liverpool, 
became  a  partner. 

In  1883  the  IONIC  and  DORIC  were  built  for  the  New 
Zealand  trade — the  Shaw,  Savill  and  Albion  Line  from 
London.  In  1885  the  GAELIC  and  BELGIC — replacing  the  two 
older  ships  of  the  same  names — were  built  for  the  Traus- 
Pacific  trade.  A  new  type  of  steamer  for  the  cargo  and  cattle 
trade  between  Liverpool  and  New  York  was  introduced  in 
1888,  the  two  first  steamers  of  the  new  type  being  the  (Yvic 
and  RUNIC.  These  vessels  were  the  last  single  screw  ships 


306  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 

ordered  for  the  White  Star  Line,  all  the  succeeding  vessels 
being  of  the  twin-screw  type.  The  Curie  and  RUNIC  proved 
successful  enough  to  warrant  the  company  in  forming  a  com- 
plete service  of  cargo  and  cattle  steamers.  After  doing  very 
efficient  service  as  cattle  carriers,  the  Curie  was  sold  to  a 
Liverpool  firm,  who  changed  her  name  to  the  MANXMAN,  and 
the  EUNIC,  also  sold  to  a  Liverpool  firm,  is  engaged  in  the 
West  Indian  trade  under  the  name  of  the  TAMPICAN. 

In  January,  1889,  was  launched  the  TEUTONIC,  the  first  of 
the  celebrated  pair  of  twin-screw  mercantile  armed  cruisers 
(TEUTONIC  and  MAJESTIC),  each  10,000  tons,  which  have  since 
made  for  themselves  a  great  reputation  in  the  New  York 
mail  and  passenger  service.  The  keel  of  the  TEUTONIC  was 
laid  in  March,  1887.  The  vessel  was  launched  22  months 
later,  and  she  left  Liverpool  on  her  maiden  voyage  to  New 
York  on  the  7th  August,  1889.  Prior  to  going  on  to  her 
regular  station,  she  was  present,  armed  with  eight  quick-firing 
guns,  at  the  naval  inspection  by  the  German  Emperor  at 
Spithead  in  the  beginning  of  August,  1889.  On  that  occasion 
she  astonished  nautical  critics  with  her  splendid  proportions, 
and  was  honoured  by  a  special  visit  from  H.I.M.  the  Kaiser, 
and  H.R.H.  the  Prince  of  Wales  (now  H.M.  King  Edward 
VII.).  She  was  again  present  with  a  large  party  of  guests  at 
the  Diamond  Jubilee  Naval  Review  in  June,  1897,  when  she 
carried  an  armament  of  16  guns.  Her  sister  ship,  the 
MAJESTIC,  was  launched  on  the  29th  June,  1889,  but  did  not 
start  on  her  first  voyage  until  the  2nd  April,  1890. 

The  length  of  time  occupied  in  the  building  of  these  great 
ships  is  sufficient  evidence,  if  any  were  needed,  of  the  great 
care  bestowed  on  their  construction,  and  the  builders,  Messrs. 
Harland  &  Wolff,  have  their  reward  in  witnessing  the 
successful  work  which  is  being  performed  by  two  of  the  finest 
vessels  the  world  has  ever  seen.  These  two  beautiful  vessels 
quickly  lowered  the  record  on  the  Atlantic.  In  July,  1891, 
the  MAJESTIC  steamed  from  Queenstown  to  New  York  in  5  days 
18  hours  and  8  minutes,  the  fastest  passage  then  on  record, 
but  even  this  was  eclipsed  by  the  TEUTONIC  the  succeeding 
month  by  a  passage  of  5  days  161  hours  duration. 


CHAP.   XX.]        HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIKS. 


807 


308  THK    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 

On  January  1st,  1891,  Mr.  Ismay's  two  elder  sons,  Mr.  J. 
Bruce  Ismay  (previously  the  company's  agent  in  New  York) 
and  Mr.  James  H.  Ismay,  were  admitted  members  of  the  firm. 
After  40  years'  business  life  Mr.  T.  H.  Ismay,  on  the  31st 
December,  1891,  retired  from  the  firm  of  Ismay,  Imrie  &  Co., 
but  he  continued  to  fill  the  position  of  chairman  of  the  White 
Star  Line  until  his  decease  in  November,  1899. 

A  large  and  handsome  twin-screw  passenger  and  mail 
steamer,  the  GOTHIC,  of  7,755  tons,  was  added  to  the  company's 
New  Zealand  fieet  in  1893,  and  four  years  later  (1897)  the 
DELPHIC,  8,273  tons,  a  twin-screw  cargo  steamer,  with  accom- 
modation for  one  class  of  passengers  only,  was  placed  in  the 
New  Zealand  service. 

Recognising  that  very  considerable  numbers  of  passengers  are 
willing  to  sacrifice  speed  to  comfort  and  safety,  the  managers  of 
the  White  Star  Line  determined  to  make  an  innovation  by 
building  a  twin-screw  cargo  steamer  of  exceptional  size  and 
power,  fitted  with  accommodation  for  a  limited  number  of 
saloon  and  third-class  passengers.  The  new  steamer  which 
was  called  the  CYMRIC,  commenced  work  in  the  Liverpool  and 
New  York  trade  in  1898.  Her  tonnage  is  13,096  tons  gross. 
Her  passenger  accommodation  in  both  classes  is  excellent,  and 
she  has  proved  a  very  attractive  ship. 

The  autumn  of  1899  was  the  most  eventful  period  in  the 
history  of  the  White  Star  Line.  The  Company,  having  sold 
all  its  sailing  ships  formerly  employed  between  England  and 
Australia,  determined  upon  replacing  them  by  a  line  of  high- 
class  steamships,  and  the  first  steamer  of  the  new  line — the 
MEDIC,  11,984  tons — sailed  from  Liverpool  for  Australian  ports 
on  the  3rd  August.  She  was  followed  by  the  AFEJC,  PERSIC, 
RUNIC  and  SUEVIC.  All  these  five  vessels  are  approximately  of 
the  same  size,  propelled  by  twin  screws,  and  maintain  a  regular 
monthly  service  between  Liverpool  and  Australia,  via  the  Cape. 
The  first  return  voyage  of  the  MEDIC  was  taken  advantage  of 
by  the  Australian  Government  for  the  conveyance  of  the  first 
contingent  of  Colonial  troops  and  horses  to  the  Cape.  Intense 
public  interest  was  excited  by  the  arrival  in  the  Mersey  from 
Belfast  of  the  OCEANIC,  the  second,  on  Saturday,  27th  August, 


CHAP.   XX.]        HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPAMl.s.  .{(J«, 

1899,  but  almost  at  the  moment  of  their  greatest  triumph  tin- 
White  Star  Line  guttered  the  irreparable  loss  of  the  torn,,!,.,  <.i 
the  Company.  Mr.  T.  II.  Ismay  passed  away,  after  a  severe 
illness  lasting  three  months,  on  the  23rd  November,  1899.  The 
extent  of  the  loss  caused  by  his  death  to  the  i-mum  unity  at 
large,  was  very  feelingly  expressed  by  the  "  Times,"  in  its 
issue  of  the  following  day. 

The  second  OCEANIC  sailed  on  hex  maiden  voyage  from  Liver- 
pool to  New  York  on  the  6th  September,  1899.  The  following 
description  of  her  appeared  in  the  "  Liverpool  Daily  Post  "of 
31st  August,  1899:- 

"  Big  as  she  is,  the  OCEANIC  appeared  nothing  remark- 
"  able  as  she  lay  yesterday  in  the  Canada  Dock, 
"  while  coal  was  being  poured  into  her  bunkers  from  eight 
"  grimy  barges  lying  alongside.  This  was  because  the 
"  Liverpool  docks  are  themselves  gigantic.  It  was  only 
"  wheai,  from  the  bridge  of  the  OCEANIC,  66  feet  above  the 
"  water-line,  onei  looked  down  upon  the  whole  length  of 
"  the  vessel  and  upon  the  expanse  of  docks  and  sheds,  that 
"  her  size  was  realised.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  dock 
"  was  the  CYMRIC,  from  the  depths  of  which  a  horde  of 
"  labourers  were  discharging  cargo.  Now  the  CYMRIC  is 
"  the  largest  cargo  steamer  in  the  world,  2,500  tons  larger 
"  than  either  the  MAJESTIC  or  TEUTONIC.  But  from  the 
"  OCEAN ic's  bridge  she  looked  positively  like  a  coaster. 
"  One  looked  down  upon  her  busy  decks  as  one  might  look 
"  from  the  roof  of  a  house  into  a  street.  Why  the  bulk 
"  of  the  OCEANIC  is  not  the  first  thing  that  strikes  the 
"  attention,  is  because  her  lines  are  graceful.  She  is  huge, 
"  but  she  is  not  elephantine.  Her  masts,  even  at  the  point 
"  where  they  enter  the  top  mast  or  spar  deck,  are  nearly 
"  three  feet  in  diameter,  that  is,  they  are  as  high  and  as 
"  thick  as  patriarchal  oak ;  but  from  a  near  distance  they 
"  look  slim  and  tapering.  The  same  may  be  said  of  the 
"  ship's  boats  which  are  as  big  as  barges.  The  fact  is, 
"  that  everything  about  this  latest  creation  of  shipping 
"  enterprise  is  proportioned  so  beautifully  that  the  mere 
"  hugeness  of  it  all  is  only  apprehended  by  remembering 


310  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PAET  II. 

u  such  facts  as,  that  her  rudder  and  stern  frame  weigh  150 
"  tons ;  that  100  tons  of  cable-  lie  coiled  on  her  foc'sle  deck ; 
"  that  she  is  composed  of  17,000  steel  plates,  many 
"  weighing  from  two  to  three  and  a  quarter  tons ;  that  her 
"  promenade  deck  is  400  feet  long ;  and  that  her  monster 
"  engines  can  move  with  the  power  of  28,000  horses.  To 
"  look  down  into  the  engine  room  from  the  big  sky-light 
"  on  the  top  deck  is  to  have  a  glimpse  into  a  world  that 
"  to  people  not  used  to  shipping  is  one  of  strange  activity ; 
"  a  world  where  diminutive  human  ants  are  moving  in  a 
"  tropical  atmosphere  across  narrow  bridges,  busy  pre- 
"  paring  this  Brobdignagian  apparatus  for  its  first 
"  struggle  with  the  forces  of  the  wide  Atlantic,  which  the 
"  OCEANIC  is  to  cross  with  the  speed  and  certainty  of  an 
"  express  train— the  conquest  of  the  mighty  force  of 

"  matter  by  the  mighty  force  of  mind 

"  But  much  has  been  written  already  of  the  ship  as  a 
"triumph  of  science;  the  more  immediate  purpose  here 
"is  to  speak  of  her  as  a  triumph  of  art,  as  the  last  thing, 
"  so  far,  in  the  way  of  floating  hotels  ....  State  rooms 
"  in  scores  to  the  right  and  to  the  left ;  now  mahogany, 
"  now  oak;  now  satinwood;  now  a  mixture  of  any  two  or 
"  three  of  them,  until  the  lavishness  of  everything  became 
"  surfeiting,  notwithstanding  that  the  Louis  Quiiize  style 
"  succeeded  the  Queen  Anne,  and  the  Queen  Anne  gave 
"  place  to  something  '  too  utter '  in  decadent  sumptuous- 
"  ness.  Three  decks  of  these  apartments,  with  lavatories 
"  of  costly  marble,  suites  of  baths,  and  every  other 
"  appurtenance  of  physical  comfort  placed  conveniently 
"  here  and  there.  It  is  the  literal  truth  to  say  that  the 
"  OCEANIC  is  a  Hotel  Cecil  afloat." 

It  would  serve  no  purpose  to  weary  the  reader  with  a 
decorator's  specification,  but  the  following  are  the  dimensions 
of  the  OCEANIC,  and  of  the  principal  apartments  011 
board : — 

The  library,  on  the  promenade  deck,  has  a  length  of  53  feet 
and  a  width  of  40  feet. 

The  saloon  is  80  feet  by  64  feet.     The  central  glass  dome  is 


CHAP.   XX.]        HISTORIC \L  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES. 


312 


THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 


21  feet  square,  and  is  divided  up  by  golden  ribs  and  filled  in 
with  white  ground  glass  of  a  pearly  appearance. 

The  length  of  the  ship  over  all  is  705^  feet;  the  length 
between  perpendiculars,  685  feet ;  breadth,  68  feet ;  depth, 
44  feet ;  gross  tonnage,  17,274  tons ;  load  displacement,  28,000 
tons ;  engines,  28,000  I.H.P. 

Mr.  Harold  Arthur  Sanderson,  who  had  occupied  the 
position  of  general  manager  to  Ismay,  Imrie  &  Co.  for  five 
years,  was  admitted  a  partner  on  the  1st  January,  1900. 


R.M.S.  CELTIC.       White  Star  Line. 

The  CELTIC,  a  monster  steamer  of  20,904  tons  gross,  was 
added  to  the  fleet  in  1901.  A  sister  ship  to  the  CELTIC  was 
launched  at  Belfast  on  the  21st  August,  1902.  The  new  vessel 
is  named  the  CEDRIC,  and  has  the  distinction  of  exceeding  in 
size  anything  afloat,  British  or  foreign.  Like  the  CELTIC,  she 
is  classed  as  an  intermediate  ship,  not  so  fast  as  the  OCEANIC, 
but  yet  speedy.  Her  length  is  700  feet  and  her  beam  75  feet, 
with  a  gross  tonnage  of  21,000  tons.  She  sailed  on  her  first 
voyage  from  Liverpool  on  the  llth  February,  1903. 


CHAP.  XX.]        HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COM  1'A  Ml.-. 


81H 


| 


314  THE   HISTORY   OF   STEAM   NAVIGATION.        [PABT  II. 

In  1902  Mr.  J.  P.  Morgan  succeeded  in  welding  into  one 
huge  commercial  undertaking,  with  a  capital  of  £32,000,000, 
several  of  the  principal  Transatlantic  steamship  companies, 
including  the  famous  White  Star  Line.  The  purchase  money 
for  the  latter  alone  exceeded  ten  millions  sterling,  three 
millions  of  which  was  payable  in  cash  on  the  31st  December, 
1902,  and,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  was  actually  paid  at  the  offices 
of  Messrs.  J.  P.  Morgan  &  Co.,  in  London,  011  the  1st 
December,  1902. 

It  was  a  sincere  satisfaction  to  the  British  public  when  it 
was  officially  intimated  that  the  White  Star  flag  was  still  to  be 
retained,  and  that  Mr.  J.  Bruce  Ismay  and  Mr.  Pirrie  (the 
senior  partner  of  the  celebrated  Belfast  shipbuilding  firm) 
were  to  be  on  the  directorate. 

The  latest  addition  to  the  New  York  service  of  the  White 
Star  Line  is  the  ARABIC,  15,800  tons  gross  register,  which 
sailed  on  her  maiden  voyage,  June  26th,  1903,  and  in 
the  autumn  of  1903  the  four  latest  steamers  built  for  the 
Dominion  Line,  the  COLUMBUS,  COMMONWEALTH,  NEW 
ENGLAND  and  MAYFLOWER,  were  transferred  to  the  White  Star 
flag,  and  renamed  the  EEPUBLIC,  CANOPIC,  ROMANIC  and 
CRETIC.  With  the  addition  of  these  vessels,  a  new  service  has 
been  announced  of  sailings  between  Boston  and  the  principal 
ports  in  the  Mediterranean,  and,  in  conjunction  with  the  other 
steamships,  the  CYMRIC  is  intended  to  maintain  a  Liverpool- 
Boston  service. 

A  monster  steamer  of  no  less  than  24,000  tons  (an  increase  of 
3,000  tons  upon  the  'CEDRic's  tonnage)  is  approaching  comple- 
tion at  the  yard  of  Harland  &  Wolff.  She  is  to  be  named  the 
BALTIC,  and  will  probably  be  ready  early  in  the  summer  of 
1904. 


CHAP.   XXI.]      HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  <  o\!P  \\  il  -. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 


Adelaide  Steamship  Co.,  Limited.— John  Bacon,  Limited.— R.  Burton  <fe  Sons, 

Limited.— Fletcher,  Woodhill  &  Co.— T.  &  J.  Harrison.— W.  S.  Kennaugh  &  Co. 

—Lamport  &  Holt.— H.  &  W.  Nelson.— R.  &  J.  H.  Rea.— J.  S.  Sellers.— 

Henry  Tyrer  &  Co. 


The  following  firms  hold  a  prominent  position  in  their 
respective  trades — Foreign  and  Coastwise — and  most  of  them 
have  been  established  for  many  years :  — 

The  Adelaide  Steamship  Co.,  Lira.,  was  established  in 
October,  1875,  its  nominal  capital  being  £100,000.  In  Novem- 
ber, 1882,  the  capital  of  the  Company  was  increased  to 
£300,000,  and  in  December,  1900,  a  further  reconstruction  of 
the  Company  occurred,  the  capital  being  increased  to  £750,000. 
The  first  two  steamers  built  for  the  Company  were  the  SOUTH 
AUSTRALIAN  and  the  VICTORIAN.  Each  was  slightly  over  400 
tons  register,  making  a  total  of  900  tons;  whereas  the  present 
capacity  of  the  Company's  fleet  (consisting  of  25  steamers)  is 
about  50,000  tons.  The  steamers,  on  their  various  routes,  trade 
to  and  from  nearly  every  port  on  the  Australian  seaboard. 
Amongst  the  vessels  owned  by  the  Adelaide  Steamship  Co.  is 
the  FERRET,  whose  romantic  story  is  told  in  the  first  part  of 
this  volume.  (See  ante,  page  137). 

John  Bacon,  Lim.  This  firm  was  established  about  the 
middle  of  the  last  century  by  the  late  Mr.  John  Bacon.  Mr. 
Bacon  died  in  1886,  and  three  years  later  the  business  was 
formed  into  a  Limited  Company.  The  fleet  of  the  Company  at 
the  present  date  consists  of  the  steamers  EDEX  VALE,  EDITH, 
HEPTARCHY,  PRESTONIAN,  STUART,  SUNLIGHT,  TALBOT,  TUDOR, 


316  THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 

VIGILANT,  and  WEXFORD.  These  steamers  maintain  regular 
sailings  between  Liverpool  and  Wexford,  Liverpool  and  the 
Bristol  Channel  Ports,  &c. 

R.  Burton  &  Sons. — The  firm  of  R.  Burton  &  Sons  was 
founded  by  the  late  Mr.  E.  Burton,  of  Newport,  Mon.,  over  one 
hundred  years  ago,  and  since  1840  has  been  carried  on  by  his 
three  sons.  In  1898  the  business  was  transferred  to  a  Limited 
Company,  with  a  capital  of  £100,000,  the  major  portion  of  the 
shares  being  retained  by  the  Messrs.  Burton.  The  Company 
maintains  regular  services  between  Liverpool  and  various  ports 
in  the  Bristol  Channel,  a  daily  service  between  Bristol  and 
Cardiff,  and  a  daily  service  between  Bristol  and  Newport,  Mon. 

Fletcher,  Woodhill  &  Co. — This  firm  was  established  at  Man- 
chester, in  1893,  by  Mr.  H.  A.  Fletcher  (of  Liverpool)  and 
Captain  T.  J.  Woodhill  (of  Sunderland).  Since  the  opening  of 
the  Ship  Canal  Messrs.  Fletcher,  Woodhill  &  Co.  have  taken 
an  active  part  in  the  steamship  business  of  the  port  of  Man- 
chester. Their  present  services  are  between  Manchester  and 
France;  Manchester,  Portugal  and  Spain;  and  Manchester 
and  Italy. 

T.  &  J.  Harrison. —  This  important  Steamship  Company 
maintains  regular  sailings  from  Liverpool  to  Calcutta,  New 
Orleans,  Galveston,  Brazil  and  West  Indies,  and  South  of 
France ;  also  joint  sailings  of  Ellerman-Harrison  Line  from 
Glasgow  and  Liverpool  to  South  and  East  Africa.  The  fleet  at 
the  present  date  (1904)  consists  of  36  full-powered  steamships, 
exclusive  of  two  steamers  building,  with  an  aggregate  gross 
tonnage  of  179,166  tons :  — ACTOR,  BARRISTER,  CAPELLA, 
CHANCELLOR,  CIVILIAN,  COGNAC,  COLLEGIAN,  COLONIAL, 
COMEDIAN,  COUNSELLOR,  CRAFTSMAN,  CUSTODIAN,  DICTATOR, 
DIRECTOR,  ELECTRICIAN,  EXPLORER,  HISTORIAN,  INVENTOR, 
JARNAC,  LOGICIAN,  MAGICIAN,  MECHANICIAN,  MIRA,  MUSICIAN, 
NAVIGATOR,  ORION,  PATRICIAN,  POLITICIAN,  SENATOR,  STATES- 
MAN, TACTICIAN,  TRAVELLER,  WANDERER,  WAYFARER,  WORK- 
MAN, YEOMAN. 


CHAP.  XXI.]      HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES.  317 

W.  S.  Kennaugh  &  Co.  commenced  business  of  steamship 
owners  at  a  time  when  sailing1  vessels  were  being  displaced  in 
the  general  coasting  trade  by  steamers.  The  first  boat  built  for 
the  firm  was  the  SCALE  FORCE,  famous  in  her  day  for  her  large 
carrying  powers  on  a  low  net  register.  She  was  designed  by  a 
brother  of  the  senior  partner  of  the  firm,  by  whom  all  the 
succeeding  steamers  have  been  designed.  The  names  of  the 
steamers  at  the  present  date  owned  by  this  firm  are  the  AIRA 
FORCE,  BIRKER  FORCE,  HOLME  FORCE,  and  STANLEY  FORCE. 

Lamport  &  Holt  Line.— The  Liverpool,  Brazil  and  River 
Plate  Steam  Navigation  Co.,  Limited,  better  known  as  the 
"  Lamport  &  Holt "  Line,  was  formed  in  1865,  the  first 
Managers  of  the  Line  being  the  late  Mr.  William  James 
Lamport,  and  Mr.  George  Holt.  This  Company  is  one  of  the 
largest  of  the  Steamship  Companies  of  Liverpool,  at  which  Port 
its  _  headquarters  are  situated.  It  owns  ..a  fleet  of  thirty-nine 
full-powered  modern  cargo  steamers,  ranging  from  1,671  tons 
to  6,508  tons,  the  average  per  steamer  being  3,375  tons  and  the 
aggregate  tonnage  131,654  tons  gross  register,  representing  a 
total  dead  weight  carrying  capacity  of  about  200,000  tons. 

The  Company  has  given  special  attention  to  the  transit  of 
cattle  to  and  from  the  River  Plate,  in  which  trade  it  has  nine 
steamers,  specially  built  for  this  service,  having  permanent 
fittings  for  the  conveyance  of  live-stock. 

These  vessels  have  a  most  satisfactory  record  for  the  carriage 
of  the  cattle  shipped  by  them.  Live  stock  are  also  carried 
between  New  York  and  Manchester  by  boats  specially  adapted 
to  the  requirements  of  the  North  Atlantic  Trade. 

All  the  steamers  of  the  Lamport  and  Holt  fleet  are  fitted  with 
the  most  modern  appliances  for  the  rapid  and  effective  handling 
of  general  cargo.  The  operations  of  the  Company  are  varied 
and  extensive  and  comprise  the  following  regular  services:  — 
From  Glasgow,  Manchester  and  Liverpool  to  Bahia,  Rio  de 
Janeiro  and  Santos,  fortnightly.  From  London  and  Antwerp 
to  Rio  de  Janeiro  and  Santos,  every  ten  days.  From  Nrw 
York  (carrying  first  and  third-class  passengers)  to  Pernanibuco, 
Bahia,  Rio  de  Janeiro  and  Santos,  fortnightly.  Also  to  the 


318 


THE    HISTORY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 


River  Plate  from  Liverpool,  fortnightly;  from  Glasgow, 
monthly;  from  London  and  Antwerp,  fortnightly;  and  from 
New  York  at  frequent  intervals.  A  regular  monthly  service 
is  also  maintained  between  Liverpool,  Glasgow,  and  West  Coast 
ports  in  Chili,  Peru,  and  Ecuador. 

The  steamers  of  this  Line  have  always  been  very  popular  with 
shippers,  who  are  able  to  depend  upon  regularity  of  service, 
and  careful  handling  of  their  goods. 

H.  &  W.  Nelson,  Limited. — This  remarkably  successful 
Company  was  founded  in  1889,  by  Messrs.  Hugh  and  William 
Nelson. 

The  pioneer  steamer  of  the  fleet  was  the  steamer  SPINDRIFT, 
now  the  HIGHLAND  SCOT,  which  sailed  from  Liverpool  on  her 
maiden  voyage  on  the  12th  December,  1889. 


HIGHLAND  BRIGADE  s.s.     H.  &  W.  Nelson,  Limited. 

A  few  months  later  (May,  1890)  the  second  steamer  of  the 
line,  the  HIGHLAND  CHIEF,  was  launched,  and  the  following 
year  three  additional  steamers  were  built  for  the  Company,  and 
named  respectively  the  HIGHLAND  GLEN,  HIGHLAND  LASSIE  and 
HIGHLAND  MARY. 


CHAP.   XXI.]       HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPA Nil. v 

Since  that  date,  nine  vessels  (including  three  now  building) 
have  been  added  to  the  fleet,  which  consists  of  fourteen 
powerful  modern  steamships  of  large  carrying  capacity.  These 
steamers  are  all  very  similar  in  design  (though  several  are 
much  larger)  to  the  HIGHLAND  ENTERPRISE,  of  which  particu- 
lars are  given  below. 

The  HIGHLAND  ENTERPRISE  was  launched  in  January  of  the 
present  year  (1903).  She  is  385  feet  long,  between  perpendicu- 
lars ;  with  45  feet  beam,  and  draft  laden  23  feet  0  inches.  She 
has  a  carrying  capacity  of  0,500  tons.  Like  her  sister  ships, 
she  is  insulated  throughout  for  carrying  frozen  meat,  and  fitted 
with  the  latest  type  of  refrigerating  machinery,  as  well  as  the 
most  up-to  date  appliances  for  the  effective  handling  of  general 
cargo.  Accommodation  has  been  provided  amidships  for  about 
a  dozen  passengers.  Her  engines,  which  are  of  the  triple- 
expansion  type,  propelled  her  on  her  trial  trip  at  a  speed  equal 
to  13J  knots  per  hour. 

In  addition  to  a  regular  fortnightly  service  between  Liver- 
pool and  Monte  Video,  Buenos  Ayres  and  Rosario,  the  steamers 
of  the  Nelson  Line  sail  at  regular  monthly  intervals  from 
London  and  Newport  (Mon.)  to  the  River  Plato. 

FLEET. 

TONS  REG.  TONS  Hi.«.. 

HIGHLAND  BRIGADE        ...  5,640  HIGHLAND  HEATHER      ...  5,500 

HIGHLAND  CHIEF '2,640  HIGHLAND  HOPE 4,500 

HIGHLAND  COERIE          ...  4,050  HIGHLAND  LAIRD 4.1H; 

HIGHLAND  ENTERPRISE  ...  4,500  HIGHLAND  LASSIK  ...  2,488 

HIGHLAND  GHILLIE         ...  3,935  HIGHLAND  MARY '2,974 

HIGHLAND  GLEN '2,974  HIGHLAND  SCOT 3,060 

HIGHLAND  HARRIS          ...  5,500  HIGHLAND  WATCH  ...  5,500 

TOTAL         57,377  TONS. 

R.  &  J.  H.  Rea — In  1872  Mr.  Russell  Rea  (the  present  M.P. 

for  the  City  of  Gloucester),  commenced  business  as  a  coal 
merchant  in  Liverpool.  After  a  lapse  of  seven  years  (18?!)), 
he  admitted  his  brother,  Mr.  James  Rea,  into  partnership, 
and  the  style  of  the  firm  was  altered  to  R.  &  J.  H.  Rea. 
The  firm  own  a  fleet  of  five  powerful  modern  coasting  steamers, 
each  having  a  capacity  of  about  2,500  tons  dead  weight,  ami 


320 


THE    HISTOKY    OF    STEAM    NAVIGATION.         [PART  II. 


named  respectively  the  BANGARTH,  CALGARTH,  DALEGARTH, 
GATESGARTH,  and  THROSTLEGARTH.  In  addition  to  these 
vessels,  the  firm  possesses  five  steam  tugs  and  about  200 
lighters.  Messrs.  E.  &  J.  H.  Rea  have  offices  at  London, 
Liverpool,  Southampton,  Bristol  and  Cardiff. 

John  S.  Sellers, — Mr.  Sellers  commenced  business  as  a  steam- 
ship owner  at  Liverpool  in  the  early  nineties,  the  first  steamer 
acquired  by  him  being  the  TIMBO.  Although  for  a  short  time 
employed  as  a  "  tramp "  she  was  soon  placed  in  a  regular 
general  cargo  trade,  and  during  the  past  ten  years  she  has 
maintained,  with  every  satisfaction  to  shippers  and  consignees, 
the  service  between  Liverpool  and  Preston.  Mr.  Sellers  has 
also  established  a  regular  trade  between  Harlingen  (Holland) 
and  Liverpool,  and  since'  early  in  1900  he  has  built  up  a  regular 
weekly  service  between  Glasgow  and  Preston,  which  is  well 
served  by  the  THURSBY  and  other  steamers. 

Henry  Tyrer  &  Co. — Mr.  Henry  Tyrer,  the  sole  partner  in 
this  firm,  commenced  business  in  1878,  in  Liverpool,  and  in 
1892  opened  a  branch  office  at  Preston.  The  Albert  Edward 
Dock  at  Preston,  was  opened  by  the  late  Duke  of  Edinburgh 
in  June  of  that  year,  and  immediately  after  the  opening 
ceremony,  the  steamer  LADY  LOUISA,  chartered  by  Messrs. 
Henry  Tyrer  &  Co.,  commenced  discharging,  being  thus  the 
first  steamer  to  unload  in  Preston  Dock.  This  firm  has 
continued  from  that  date  to  be  closely  associated  with  the  steam 
trade  of  Preston.  In  1899  Messrs.  Henry  Tyrer  &  Co.  built  the 
steamer  PRESTONIAN,  the  first  steamer  to  bear  that  name, 
shortly  afterwards  disposing  of  her  to  Messrs.  John  Bacon, 
Limited,  in  whose  service  she  is  still  employed.  The  following 
year  (1900)  Messrs.  Henry  Tyrer  &  Co.  purchased  the  steamship 
HERMANN,  of  about  1,300  tons  deadweight,  which  is  regularly 
employed  in  the  firm's  wood  pulp  trade  from  Baltic  ports.  The 
small  steamer  PRINCESS  was  purchased  the  same  year  for 
employment  in  the  firm's  regular  London  and  Preston  general 
cargo  trade.  In  1901  the  steamer  PRESTONIAN,  the  first,  was 
replaced  by  a  new  steamer  of  1,600  tons  deadweight,  also 


CHAP.   XXI.]       HISTORICAL  STEAMSHIP  COM  I'  \  \  1 1  >. 


321 


named    the    PRESTONIAN,    and    which,    like    tin-    HI:KM\\\,    i> 
regularly  engaged  in  the  firm's  wood  pulp  trade. 

During  the  present  year  (1903)  the  firm  bought  the  steamer 
MINTERNE,  and  re-named  her  the  XAXCY  LEE.  She  is  a  larp«» 
steamer  of  about  4,750  tons  deadweight,  and  has  proved  herself 
to  be  an  excellent  sea  boat.  A  remarkable  incident  in  con- 
nection with  this  ship  is,  that  she  has  been  chartered  for  six 
years,  to  run  consecutive  voyages  between  the  Saguenay  Kiver 
(Canada)  and  the  U.  K.,  at  a  fixed  rate  of  freight  covering  the 
whole  period.  In  addition  to  their  offices  at  Liverpool  and 
Preston,  Messrs.  Henry  Tyrer  &  Co.  have  also  branch  offices  at 
London  and  Manchester,  in  connection  with  their  extensive  and 
largely  developing  wood  pulp  trade. 


I.N  D  E  X  . 


PAGE 

AARON  MANBY  (1822),  first  iron  steamboat 39 

Abbe  Arnal  and  Marquis  de  Jouffroy  (1781)      8 

ACCOMMODATION,  first  Canadian  steamboat      9 

ACHILLES  (Holt  Line),  Remarkable  steaming  powers  of     ...  .         ...  136 

Adelaide  Steamship  Co.,  Limited :{l.r> 

ADRIATIC  (Collins  Line)      ...        ...     ^  .....      ...        ... 114 

African  Steamship  Co 167 

ALASKA  (Guion  Line)          11] 

ALASKA  (ex  FARRALONES,  ex  MASSACHUSETTS) ...         92 

ALBION  (1816),  Clyde  Steampacket         29 

Allan,  James  (Messrs.  Wilcox  &  Anderson) 49 

Allan  Line      . ..  147 

AMERICA  (National  Line)  109 

ANCIENT  BRITON  (1816)       .'..        .     24 

ARCTIC  (Collins  Line)          95 

ARCTIC  (Collins  Line),  Loss  of      101 

ARGYLE  (1813),  re-named  THAMES 12 

ARIZONA  (Guion  Line)         ...         112 

ASIA  {Cunard  Line)  98 

ATALANTA  (1836)        49 

ATLANTIC  (Collins  Line)      ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...          95,  96 

Bacon  (John),  Limited          :il.r, 

BALTIC  (Calcutta  and  Burmah  Steam  Navigation  Co.)       55 

BALTIC  (Collins  Line)         95 

Belfast,  First  steamer  to  and  from  Greenock  and  ... ...     26 

Belfast,  First  steamer  to  and  from  Liverpool  and 33 

Belfast  Steampacket  Co.,  established 40 

Bell,  Henry,  present  at  Mr.  Miller's  experiments  in  1789 6 

—  gives  Fulton  the  plans  of  the  CHARLOTTE  DUNDAS,  1803     ...         ...       6 

—  employs  the  steamer  COMET  on  the  Clyde,  1812         ...         ...         ...     11 

—  Clyde  Trustees  grant  Annuity  to  12 

—  Er.jct  Obelisk  in  memory  of  ...         ...         ...         ...         ...     12 

BERENICE   (1836)        49 

Bibby  Bros.  &  Co.,  founded  1807  56 

Bibby  Line      203 

BIRMINGHAM  (City  of  Dublin  Co.)  brings  news  of  defeat  of  Don  Miguel...     64 
Bourne,  Messrs.,  establish  steamship  service  to  the  Peninsula  ...         ...     49 

BRITANNIA,  pioneer  Cunard  Liner         92 

BRITANNIA  (1815),  Clyde  Steampacket  v.;_      ...         ...         27 

BRITANNIA  (1815),  Season  tickets  issued  for  ...         ...;-       29 

British  and  African  Steam  Navigation  Co.,  Limited  170 

British  and  Irish  Steampacket  Co.,  Limited  ...         /., 195 

British  India  Steam  Navigation   Co 55 


324  INDEX. 

PAGE 

British  Queen  Steam  Navigation  Co 70 

BRITISH  QUEEN  (steamship)          ...         71 

BURMAH  (British   India   Co.) 56 

Burns,  G.  and  J.,  commence  business  as  steamship  owners          42 

first  steamer  AYR,  1825         43 

—  despatch  steamer  FINGAL,  Glasgow  to  Belfast,  1826  ... 43 

—  enter  the  Liverpool  and  Glasgow  trade,  1829 43 

-  sell  their  West  Highland  steamers,  1851           43 

-  joint  founders  of  the  Cunard  Line,  1840 78 

Burton,  E.  and  Sons,  Limited         316 

BUSSORAH  (British  India  Co.)     56 

CALCUTTA,  Loss  of 55 

Calcutta  and  Burmah  Steam  Navigation  Co 55 

CALEDONIA,   Clyde  Steampacket ...         27 

CALEDONIA,  Clyde  Steampacket  (Quotation  from  "  Life  of  Watt  ")       ...  29 

Caledonian    Eailway    Co.    ...         ...         154 

Canadian  Pacific  Railway  Co.      ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...  150 

CAPE  OP  GOOD  HOPE,  Loss  of 55 

CAR  or  COMMERCE  (1813) 10 

Cattle  ventilators  on  steamers  suggested,  1820         35 

CHARLOTTE  DUNDAS  (1803)             5 

CITY  OF  CORK,  first  Irish  steamboat     13 

CITY  OF  DUBLIN  (1823),  pioneer  steamer  of  the  City  of  Dublin  Co.        ...  40 

City  of  Dublin  Steampacket  Co.,  established  1823  ...         .  40 

—  establish   regular  Steampacket   service   between   England,   Ireland 

and  France,  1827 44 

-  History  of         179 

CITY  OF  GLASGOW  (Inman  Line) 106 

CLERMONT,  first  passenger  steamer  in  the  world 7 

-  Eye  witness's  account  of  first  passage  of 7 

-  Wilful  attempts  to  destroy           ...         8 

Collins  Line     ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...                     ..."  94 

COLOMBO  (P.  &  O.  Liner) ...         ...         ...  53 

COMET,  first  European  passenger  steamer       11 

-  Advertised  by  Henry  Bell 12 

-  Dimensions  of              12 

-  Amusing  anecdote  relating  to        ......         12 

CONDE  DE  PATMELLA,  probably  the  first  steamer  to  cross  the  Atlantic 

from   Europe  .35 

Cork  Steamship  Co.,  Limited     2O7 

Cunard,  Samuel,  crosses  the  Atlantic  in  the  LIVERPOOL      78 

—  tenders  for  British  and  North  American  Mail  Service           78 

-  conjointly  with  Messrs.  Burns  &  Maclver,  founds  the  Cunard  Line  78 
Cunard  Line  founded  in  1840       78 

—  obtains  Mail  Contract,  Halifax,  New  York  and  Bermuda 94 

History  of         221 

DEFIANCE  (1815),  Thames  Steampacket  13,  23 


INDEX.  HO.- 

PAOW 

DE  GARAY  (1543),  Alleged  invention  by          2 

Dodd,  Captain  17 

Dominion  Line          150 

Dublin  and  Liverpool  Steam  Navigation  Co.,  established  1824 40 

purchased  by  City  of  Dublin  Co 41 

DUMBARTON  CASTLE,  Clyde  Steampacket         27 

sails  round  Ailsa  Craig,  1816         30 

sails  round  North  of  Scotland,  1819       30 

Eastern  Steam  Navigation  Co 119 

Elder,  Dempster  &  Co 90,  151,  161 

EMERALD  (Turbine  S.Y.) 158 

ENTERPRISE,  first  steamer  from  England  to  Calcutta        43,  47,  48 

ERIN  (1826)      44 

ETNA,  first  steam  ferry  boat  between  Liverpool  and  Tranmere 24 

FARRALONES,  ex  MASSACHUSETTS,  re-named  ALASKA 92 

FENELLA  (Ardrossan  and  Fleet  wood  Steamer) 116 

FERRET,  Remarkable  history  of  steamer , 137 

Fitch,  Mr.  (1783),  uses  steam  boilers  on  American  Rivers  4 

Fletcher,  Woodhill  &  Co 31« 

Flinn,  Main  and  Montgomery      150 

Franco- Algerian  Expedition,  Steamers  chartered  for         ...         ...         ...     63 

GEORGE  CANNING  (1825),  and  tue  Rival  Steampacket         42 

Glasgow  Steampackets  in  1815 27 

-  in  1818                -..:.    ...         ....       31 

Glasgow  Steampacket  passenger  fares,  1818 31 

Glasgow  and  South  Western  Railway  Co 154 

GOLDEN  AGE  (steamship) 131 

GREAT  BRITAIN  (steamship),  in  the  Atlantic  trade 81 

in  the  Australian  trade       129 

Great  Central  Railway  Co.                                                                                  ..  155 

Great  Eastern  Steam  Navigation  Co 119 

GREAT  EASTERN  (steamship)        119 

Great  Eastern  Railway  Co 156 

GREAT  LIVERPOOL,    ex  LIVERPOOL          51 

Great  Western  Steamship  Co 71 

GREAT  WESTERN  (steamship)       

Great  Western  Railway  Co.  -.  153 

Guion  Line      

Harrison,  T.  and  J 316 

HERO  (steam  yacht)  

HIBERNIA  (1816),  first  steamer  between  England  (Holyhead)  and  Ireland 

(Howth)        26 

HIMALAYA  (P.  &  O.  Liner) 
HINDOSTAN  (P.  &  0.  Liner) 

Holt  Line        

Houlder  Line  

Houston  Line  '''.'..       -;*v        237 


326  INDEX. 

PAGE 

HUGH  LINDSAY  (East  India  Co.'s  steamer)       48 

Hulls,  Jonathan  (1736),  first  patentee  of  a  steamboat ...       2 

Hutcheson,  David,  &  Co 43 

Imperial  Direct  West  India  Service,  Limited 90 

-  History  of         175 

INDIA,  first  steamer  with  Indian  produce  via  Suez  Canal 56 

INDUSTBY  (1813),  Clyde  Steampacket 12,  16 

Inman  Line     ...         ...         ...         •••         •••         •*&*      •••         •••         •••         •••  106 

Inman,  William ;  >.-.  •  107 

Irish   steamers  ...         ...         ...         •••         •••         •••         •••         •••         •••     13 

Johnston,  Lieut.  (1822)      ...         45 

Kennaugh,  W   S.  and  Co 317 

KING  EDWARD  (Turbine  Steamer)  ...         ...  157 

Laird,  Alex.  A ...         ...         ...         ...         ST 

Laird  Line      ' ...29,37,251 

Lamport  and  Holt       ...         ...         ...          ...          •••          •••         •••          •••          •••  317 

Lancashire  and  Yorkshire  Eailway  Co.  153 

Langlands  Line          ...         261 

Lardner,  Dr.,  on  steam  communication  with  America        68 

LEEDS,  pioneer  steamer  between  Belfast,  Dublin  and  Bordeaux  ...         ...     44 

LEVIATHAN  (see  GREAT  EASTERN)  — 

LIGHTNING  (one  of  the  first  steamships  in  the  British  Navy)       40 

Lindsay,  W.  S.,  author  and  shipowner          ...     >   „„   '     ...     134 

Little,  James,  &  Co.  '..         ... 268 

LIVERPOOL  (see  also  GREAT  LIVERPOOL)  ...         ...         ...         ...         ...     76 

LIVERPOOL  (first  steamer  ever  seen  on  the  Mersey)  ...         ...         ...         ...     15 

Liverpool  steamers  highly  commended  in  Parliamentary  Report,  1822...     39 

Liverpool  and  Kingstown  Mail  Service  established 44 

London,  Brighton  and  South  Coast  Kail  way  Co.     ...         152 

London  and  North  Western  Railway  Co.        ... 153 

London  and  South  Western  Railway  Co.      • 153 

LORD  BLANEY,  Mutiny  on  board,  Loss  of       64 

MacBrayne,  Mr.  David,  partner  in  David  Hutcheson  &  Co 43 

MacBrayne's  West  Highland  Steamers 275 

Maclver,  David,  &  Co 282 

Maclver's  Liverpool  and  Glasgow  Steamers ...-        ...  287 

McKean,  McLarty  and  Lamont -. 147 

McKinnon,  Frew  &  Co ...         55 

MAJESTIC  (1816),  Thames  Steampacket  ...     23 

Malcomson  Bros 113 

MARGARET  (first  screw  steamer  belonging  to  Hull),  Loss  of         65 

MARJORY  (Iol5),  Thames  Steampacket .-..         ...     13 

MASSACHUSETTS   (Auxiliary   steamer)     -... ...     91 

Miller,  Patrick  (Banker),  1780  to  1788 ..;        .:.         ...       4 

—  builds  a  triple  vessel  propelled  by  manual  labour       4 

—  launches  (1788)  a  twin  steamboat  on  Dalswinton  JLoch         .'..         ...       5 
-  places  (1789)  a  larger  steamboat  on  the  Forth  and  Clyde  Canal     ...       5 


INDEX.  327 

PAGE 

Miller  dies  (1815)  having  exhausted  his  fortune  1>\  ••xprriim-n's          C> 

MOOLTAN  (P.  &  O.  Liner)  54 

MORNING  STAR  (1819),  Extraordinary  accident  to     34 

Napier,  David  25 

—  establishes  steampacket  service  between  Greenock  and  Belfast  ...     26 

National  Line          .A***.      ...  108 

Nelson,  H.  and  W.,  Limited 818 

NEPTUNE  (steamship)       ...  ....        .*.         117 

Newcomen,  Thomas  (1705)  2 

North  British  Railway  Co.  155 

Norwegian  Grace  Darling,  A 117 

OREGON  (Guion  Line) 112 

ORIENTAL  (P.  &  0.  Liner)  51 

ORION,  Loss  of  steamer  ,.fi        115 

PACIFIC  (Collins  Line),  Loss  of     ...     " 100 

PACIFIC,  first  Mail  Steamer  between  Liverpool  and  Valparaiso 60 

Pacific  Steam  Navigation  Co 58 

PAPIN   (1681) .   .„      .....  .      2 

PARANA  (Malcomson   Bros.   Line) 113 

Peninsular  Steam  Navigation  Co.,  established  1834 49 

—  title  changed  to  P.  &  O.  Steam  Navigation  Co.,  1838 51 

—  history  of  Company  ^ 49 

Peninsular  and  Oriental  Steam  Navigation  Co.   (see  Peninsular  Steam 

Navigation  Co.)      49 

PERU,  pioneer  steamer  of  the  Pacific  Steam  Navigation  Co 59 

PRESIDENT,  Loss  of  Steamship 76 

Portugal,  Civil  war  in       ... 63 

QUEBEC  (early  Canadian  steamboat)     10 

QUEEN  (Turbine  steamer)  158 

QUEEN  ALEXANDRA  (Turbine  steamer)  ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...  158 

Rea,  H.  and  J.  H 319 

REGFNT  (1816),  Description  of     ...    i    ...         .„        ...  \ 23 

—  destroyed  by  fire        ...        -.:.         ...     . 24 

REGULATOR  (1818),  early  Liverpool  and  Tranmere  Ferry  steamer  ...     25 

ROBERT  BRUCE  (1819),  first  Liverpool  and  Glasgow  steamer        ...         ...     34 

ROBERT  LOWE  (Auxiliary  screw  steamer)        ,-,.         ...         ...          ..         ...  134 

ROB  ROY,  first  steamer  between  Greenock  and  Belfast     ...         ...         ...     26 

ROTHESAY  CASTLE  (1816),  Clyde  Steampacket  30 

Royal  Atlantic  Steam  Navigation  Co.  (Galway  Line)          112 

ROYAL  CHARTER  (Auxiliary  Steamship)  132 

ROYAL  FERDINAND  (1817),  first  steamer  built  in  Spain      25 

Royal  Mail  Steam  Packet  Co 84 

ROYAL  TAR,  pioneer  steamer  of  the  Peninsular  Steam  Navigation  Co.  ...     49 
ROYAL  WILLIAM  (City  of  Dublin  Co.),  first  Liverpool   and  New   York 

Liner  ...        ..,,      -f  *.'...,         ...         73 

ROYAL  WILLIAM  (of  Quebec),  first  vessel  to  cross  the  Atlantic  by  steam 

power  only  ».T        < 70 


328  INDEX. 

PAGE 

SAVANNAH  ( Auxiliary  steamship) 32 

Savory,  Thomas        2 

SCOTLAND,  first  foreign  vessel  to  load  at  Shanghai 134 

Season  Contract  Tickets  (1816),  issued  per  steamers           ...  29 

Sellers,  John  S -320 

SIBIUS,  first  passenger  steamer  from  Europe  to  America 71 

Siberian  Steamers,  The  first  two           25 

Sligo   Steam   Navigation   Co 290 

SNAKE  (1820),  first  Indian  steamer        35 

SOPHIA  JANE,  first  steamer  from  England  to  Australia     ...  129 

South  Eastern  and  Chatham  Kailway  Co 152 

ST.  GEORGE  (Steampacket) 37 

St.  George  Steam  Packet  Co.,  established       ...      • 37 

St.  George  Stdam  Packet  Co.,  re-constructed  1844 39 

ST.  PATRICK  (Steampacket)          37 

Suez  Canal  opened  by  Empress  Eugenie,  1869           54 

SWIFT  (1825),  Extraordinary  advertisement  by  owners  of  ...         41 

SWIFTSURE  (1183),  Canadian  Steampacket       ...         ...         ...  10 

Symington,  William            ...         ...         5 

Taylor  (1780  to  1788)  suggests  steam  power  to  Mr.  Miller          4 

TELICA,  first  steamer  on  the  Pacific       ; .58 

THAMES,  ex  ARGTLE  (1813)           12 

London  "  Times,"  Notice  of ...  13 

Description  of              16 

narrative  of  voyage  from  Glasgow  to  London            ...  17 

Tod  and  MacGregor  (shipbuilders) 106 

TOURIST  (1821)           35 

TRENT  R.M.S.,  Arrest  of  confederate  Commissioner  on  board  of 90 

TRITON  (1820),  Havre  and  Kouen  Steamer      ...         ...         ...  35 

TURBINIA,  first  Turbine  Steamer 157 

Tyrer,  Henry  and  Co 320 

Valentia  Transatlantic  Steam  Navigation  Co.           67 

VESTA  collides  with  Collins  Liner  ARCTIC       ... 101 

VICTORIAN,  first  Transatlantic  Turbine  Steamship 149 

Waghorn,  Lieut .48 

Waterford  Steamship  Co.,  Limited       293 

WATERLOO  (1819),  first  Liverpool  Cross-Channel  Steamer  ... 33 

Wesewelodsky,  Mr.  (1817)  builds  two  steamers  in  Siberia 25 

White  Star  Line       300 

Wilcox  and  Anderson         .49 

WM.  FAWCETT  (1829),  Steampacket       ...  50 

Wm.  Wheelwright,  promoter  of  steam  navigation  in.  the  Pacific 58 

YORKSHIREMAN  (1823),  first  steamer  from  Hull  to  the  Continent  . .  39 


C.  TINLINO    AND   CO..    PRINTERS,    VICTORIA    STREET,    LIVERPOOL. 


ADVERTISEMENTS. 


ADVERTISEMENTS. 


THE  LARGEST  FIRE  OFFICE  IN  THE  WORLD. 


FIRE. 


ROYAL  INSURANCE 
BUILDINGS, 


ROYAL 


1 ,  NORTH  JOHN  STREET,  \|  N  SUR ANCE, 

LIVERPOOL.  \COMPANY 


LIFE. 

ROYAL   INSURANCE 
BUILDINGS, 

28,  LOMBARD  STREET, 

LONDON. 


Total  Funds  over  £l2,OOO,OOO. 


FIRE    DEPARTMENT. 

Insurances  of  every  description  effected  at  moderate  rates  of  premium.  Claims 
promptly  and  equitably  settled.  Risks  inspected  and  rates  quoted  free  of  charge,  and 
every  assistance  rendered  in  arranging  and  revising  insurances. 


LIFE    DEPARTMENT. 

Large  participation  in  profits.  Independent  valuations  by  the  most  stringent 
tables.  Pi-ofits  divided  every  five  years.  Last  Reversionary  Bonus  declared,  £7  10s.  per 
cent.  Large  intermediate  bonuses  and  liberal  surrender  values.  New  non-forfeiture 
conditions.  Low  ratio  of  expenditure.  Special  facilities  for  meeting  Death 
Duties;  immediate  payment  to  the  Crown  without  probate. 


ABSOLUTE    SECURITY.       MODERATE    RATES    OF    PREMIUM 
LIBERAL    POLICY   CONDITIONS. 


Proposal  forms   and  evi-ry  information   may    be    obtained    of   the    Head    Offices, 
Brandies,  and  numerous  Ager.civs  of  the  Company. 


Manager     CHARLES     ALCOCK, 
Hub-Manner     GEO.  CHAPPELL.      Asst.  Secretaries— WM.  ROPER;   J.  J.  ATKINSON. 

Secretary  in  London— JOHN  H.  CROFT. 


ADVERTISEMENTS. 


ALLIANCE  ASSURANCE  COMPANY,  LIMITED, 

WITH    Ulliril     IS    IM  DKI'DltATKI) 

THE  IMPERIAL  INSURANCE  COMPANY,  LIMITED. 

ESTABLISHED     1824. 

Head   Office -.—BARTHOLOMEW    LANE,   LONDON,   B.C. 

Authorized  Capital—  Invested  Funds  exceed 

£5,250,000  Sterling:.  JCio,OOO,ooo  Sterling. 

DIRECTORS 

Chairman— The  Right  Hon.  Lord  Km  ns<  mi.n,  (l.C.V.o. 


CHARLES  EDWARD  BAKNETT,  Esq. 

Right  Hon.  .Lord  BATTEHSEA. 

FREDERICK  CAVENDISH  BENTINCK,  Esq. 

FRANCIS  A.  BEVAN,  Esq. 

PERCIVAT,  BOSANQUET,  Esq. 

Hon.  KENELM  PLEYDELL  BOUVERIE. 

T.  H.  BURROUGHES,  Esq. 

FRANCIS  WILLIAM  BUXTOX,  Esq. 

JOHN  CATOR,  ESQ. 

VICTOR  C.  W.  CAVENDISH,  Esq.,  M.P. 

Colonel  the  Hon.  EVERARD  C.  DIGBY. 

Major-Gen.  Sir  ARTHUR  ELLIS,  G.C.V.O.,  C.S.I. 


.1  \.MI.S   l-'i.i  K  in.i;.   Ktiq. 

.JllllN     H  \.MIT,,N     II  M.I   ,    KSW. 

AI.KX.  LAWKIK,  K-M|. 

FltAM   IS    Al.lKl.l)    l.ri    \v.     l-;-,|.,    M.I'. 
KllWAKII    H  MIllllKli    I.I   SHI--. 

Hem.   HI:XKY  Hi:i:hi  i.i  \    I'mtrMAX. 

Mi  in.    I,  HIM  i.   NY  M  ii  i:    I:<>IH-M  iiu.o.  M.|>. 

MII.H  CHI.IN  SMITK.  KSIJ. 

Ki^ht  Hon.  I,or<l  ST\I.IUIIH«.I  . 

Lieut. -Cul.  F.  AxDKiiSdN  SII.HIIIM.. 

Hi«:lit  Hon.  The  E.u:i.  m--  Yi.ni  I.\M. 

Sir  CHAUI.KS  Km  us  WJXMOV,  «..<   M  «..  «  .1'.. 


ROBERT  LEWIS,  General 


Liverpool  Branch  :-30,  EXCHANGE  STREET  EAST. 

LIVERPOOL  BOARD- 
FREDERIC   NORTH,  Esq.,  Chain,,,,,!, 
MORRIS  P.  JONES,  Esq.,  J.P.,  Depittu-ChainiKiii. 

ALFRED  TYRER,   Esq.  I        R.  ALFRED  HAMPSON,  K-i- 

FREDK.   W.   FRODSHAM,   Esq.  WM.   BAHTLKTT.    Ks<,. 

R.   L.  GREENSHIELDS,  Esq.  FRANCIS  J.  WELD,  Esq. 

GEORGE   DAVISON,   Esq. 
H.   T.   OWEN   LEGGATT,  Secretary.  W.   E.   C.  HUTTOX,  fi'<v 


Branch  Establishments  also  at  Birmingham,  Bristol,  Bury  St.  Edmunds,  Ipswich, 
Leeds,  Leicester,  Liverpool,  Manchester,  Newcastle-on-Tyne,  Nottingham,  Sheffield. 
Shrewsbury,  Wrexham,  Edinburgh,  Glasgow,  Dublin  and  Belfast. 

LIFE     DEPARTMENT. 

Moderate  Bates  of  Premium. 

Large  Bonuses,  including  Interim  Bonuses. 

Unclaimed  Surrender  Values  applied  in  keeping  Assunmi-o  in   force. 

Claims  paid  immediately  after  proof  of  death,  age,  and  title. 

Except  in  special  cases,  New  Policies  are  Whole-World  and    Indisputable. 

DEATH  DUTIES.  —  In  order  to  enable  the  owners  of  Property  to  provide  for 
the  payment  of  the  ESTATE  DUTY,  Special  forms  of  Policies  have  been  prepared 
under  which  the  Policy  moneys  (or  such  portion  thereof  as  may  IK-  required  f.-r  tin- 
purpose)  will  he  paid  direct  to  the  Inland  Revenue  OHice  without  waiting  for  tin- 
production  of  Probate  A  Prospectus  containing  full  part  inilars  will  bo  for\\arded 
explication 


Fire   Insurances   Granted   at    Current   Kate 


LEASEHOLD    AND    SINKING    FUND    POLICIES. 

are  granted  (on  terms  which  may  be  ascertained  on  application),  enabling  Leaseholder-, 
cou     their  exenditure  b     a  small  Annual   Premium,  «  1. 


to  recoup  their  expenditure  by 
advance. 


The  Directors  are  open  to  entertain  applications  for  Agencies  from  parties 
who  are  in  a  position  to  introduce  business  of  a  high  class. 

Full  Prospectuses  and  Statements  of  Accounts  may  be  bad  on  apphcatlO 
Head  Office  of  the  Company,  or  to  Liverpool  Branch,  :•}().   Exchange  Btreel 


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Telegrams-"  LIGHTERAGE."  Telephones:     Liverpool    1 

BootlO     333. 
Garston  -143. 

LIVERPOOL  LIGHTERAGE  Co., 

LIMITED, 

Drury  Buildings,  Water  Street, 

LIVERPOOL, 


Every  Description  of  Lighterage  **  -^  •** 

.  .  .   UNDERTAKEN   BETWEEN  .  .  . 
HIGH    LEVEL    LIVERPOOL    DOCKS,    BIRKENHEAD    TIPS,    GARSTON, 

WIDNES,  ST.  HELENS,  WESTON  POINT, 

SALTPORT,    ELLESMERE    PORT,    NORTHWICH, 

MANCHESTER. 


Steam  and  Sailing  Flats  to  all  usual  Coastwise  Ports. 


HENRY  BLOOR, 

Manager  and  Secretary. 


.  A  D  VER  TltiEMENTS. 


WATSON  PRICK  ARD, 

f Combining  the  business  of  J.  H.  KNIGHT  &  CO.j , 

SHIRT  TAILOR, 

G-ENTLEMEN'S    COMPLETE    OUTFITTER, 
16,  NORTH  JOHN  STREET, 

^-^-  LIVERPOOL 

Telephone— 58O8.  Telegrams — "  Burnaby." 

BURNABY  &  CHANTRELL, 

ESTABLISHED    1875. 

LIVERPOOL. 

||       Importers  and  Manufacturers  of  ... 

v<|   Lubricating   Oils   and    Greases. 

CYLINDER.  LOOM.  MOTOR.  GREASES. 

ENGINE.      .  GAS  ENGINE.          LAMP.  COTTON  WASTE. 

SPINDLE.  DYNAMO.  SOLIDIFIED  OILS.         PACKING,  ETC. 


Price  Lists  and  Samples  on  Application. 

JOHNSON    &    SILVER 

DUKE'S     DOCK,     LIVERPOOL. 

Best  prices  given   for  Californian  Lining  Boards. 

Dunnage  Wood  supplied  at  fair  rates. 

Telephone  5833. 

COCHRAINE   &   SONS, 

SHIPBUILDERS    AND    ENGINEERS, 

^   ^   5ELBY,   YOKKS. 

BUILDERS  OF  STEAM  AND  SAILING  PASSENGER  AND  CARGO  VESSELS, 

STEAM  TRAWLERS  (A  SPECIALITY),  STEAM   HERRING  DRIFTERS, 

•  STEAM    TUGS»    BARGES,    &c.,    &c. 


PLEASE  DO  NOT  REMOVE 
CARDS  OR  SLIPS  FROM  THIS  POCKET 

UNIVERSITY  OF  TORONTO  LIBRARY 


Kennedy,  John 

The  history  of  steam 
navigation 


1 


m 


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