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A  CHRONOLOGICAL  HISTORY 


OF  THK 


ORIGIN  AND  DEVELOPMENT 


OF  THE 


'        ^E$% 
STEAM  NAVIGATION 


BY 


GEO.  HENRY  PREBLE 
n 

REAR-ADMIRAL,  U.  S.  N. 


1543-1882 


PHILADELPHIA : 

L.  R.  HAMERSLY  &  CO. 
188S. 


Copyright,  1883,  b7  L.  R.  Hamersly  &  Co. 


TO 
MY  VENERABLE  FRIEND 

ROBERT  BEXXET  FORBES,  ESQ., " 

OF  MILTON,  MASS., 
A  PIONEER  IN  SEVERAL  STEAMSHIP  ENTERPRISES  RECORDED  IN  IT, 

I  DEDICATE  THIS  VOLUME, 

AS   AN   EXPRESSION   OF   MY   PERSONAL   REGARD  AND  ESTEEM  FOR  ONE  WHO   HAS 
DEVOTED  HIS  LONG  AND  USEFUL  LIFE  TO  THE  WELFARE  OF  SEAMEN. 

THE 

IMPROVEMENT  OF  SHIPPING 

AND 

IN  DEVISING  SAFEGUARDS  TO  NAVIGATION,  AND  LIFE-SAVING  EXPEDIENTS 
FOR  CASES  OF  SHIPWRECK. 


iii. 


PREFACE. 


This  volume  is  the  outgrowth  of  a  newspaper  article  on  the  origin,  etc. 
of  steam  navigation,  published  in  the  Boston  Commercial  Bulletin  in  1856 
or  1857.  My  interest  having  been  attracted  to  the  subject,  I  have  con- 
tinued for  twenty-five  years  to  collect  Notes  for  a  History  of  Steam  Nav- 
igation, most  of  which  have  been  printed  in  The  United  Service  during  the 
last  eighteen  months. 

Those  Notes,  revised  and  chronologically  arranged,  with  many  addi- 
tions, are  the  substance  of  this  volume,  which  is  believed  to  contain 
more  facts  relating  to  the  progress  of  steam  navigation  over  the  world 
than  have  ever  been  gathered  together  in  one  book.  The  large  share 
which  is  shown  that  Americans  have  had  in  the  invention  of  the  steam- 
boat will  be  gratifying  to  my  countrymen. 

To  record  all  the  improvements  in  the  marine  steam  engine  from  its 
inception  to  the  present  time  would  require  many  volumes.  The  abridg- 
ments or  index  of  the  specifications  of  patents  in  the  English  Patent 
Office,  relating  to  marine  propulsion  exclusive  of  sails,  1618  to  1866,  fill 
two  closely-printed  12mo  volumes  of  333  and  440  pages.  The  United 
States  Patent  Office  has  published  no  such  compendium. 


Brookline,  Mass.,  February  1,  '1883. 


CONTENTS. 


INTRODUCTORY, xi.-xix. 

CHAPTER  I.    1543-1800. 
PAGE  1-32. 

SARLY  EXPERIMENTERS.— Blasco  de  Garray,  1543.— David  Ramseye,  1630.— Salomon  de  Carrs, 
1641.— Marquis  of  Worcester,  1663.— Denis  Papin,  1690-95.— Thos.  Savary,  1698.— M.  Dugnet,  1699.— 
Jonathan  Hulls,  1736.— Gautoir,  1752.— David  Bournoulli,  1753.— Euler,  1753 .— Mathon  de  la  Cour, 
1753.— M.  Guatier,  1756.— M.  Genevois,  1759.— Comte  de  Auxiron,  1774.— Perrier,  1775.— M.  Ducrest, 
1777.— Guyon  de  la  Plombiere,  1776.— Andrew  Ellicott,  1775.— M  arquis  de  Jouffroy,  1778  and  1783. 
—Thomas  Paftie,  1778.— Matthew  Washbrough,  1779.— Abbe  Darical,  1782.— James  Rumsey,  1784 
and  1788.— William  Bushnell,  inventor  of  the  Screw,  1784.— Joseph  Bramah,  1785— John  Fitch, 
1785-91.— Oliver  Evan,  1788.— Nathan  Re  ad,  1788.— Patrick  Millar,  James  Taylor,  William  Sym- 
ington, 1788.— William  Longstreet,  1790  .—John  C.  Stevens,  1791.— Baron  Seguier,  1792.— Earl 
Stanhope,  1792-94.— Elijah  Ormsbee,  1792-94.— Will  iam  Littleton,  1794.— Samuel  Morey,  1794-97.— 
Edward  Thomson,  1796.— Livingston,  Stevens  and  Roosevelt,  180  0.— Hunter  and  Dickinson,  1800. 
—Edward  Shorter,  1800.— Samuel  Brown,  1800. 

CHAPTER  II.— 1800-1819. 
PAGE  32-97. 

Win.  Symington's  steam-tug,  1802.— Robert  Fulton's  French  Experiments,  1802-4.— Oliver  Evans, 
1802-4.-Stevens,  1804.— The  Clermont,  Fulton's  first  successful  steamboat,  1807  .-Robert  L.  Stevens, 
1808— Jonathan  Nichols,  1807-9.— Inland  Steam  Navigation,  U.  S.,  1809.— John  Cox  Stevens' sea 
voyage,  1809.— Robert  Fulton's  patent,  1811.— Rapid  Traveling  in  Steamboats,  1811.— First  Steam- 
boat on  the  Western  waters  of  the  U.  S.,  1811'— Fulton's  Steamboats,  1812.— Steamboat  on  the 
Delaware,  1812.— Steamboats  betw  een  Philadelphia  and  New  York,  1818.-^-Hezekiah  Bliss,  1810 
-19.— The  Comet,  and  Henry  Bell,  1812.— The  Elizabeth,  1813— The  Clyde,  and  Glasgow,  each  1813. 
—First-  Steamboat  on  the  St.  Lawrence,  1813.— Robert  Fulton's  patent,  1813.— First  Steamboat 
in  India,  1810,  1819,  1821— Early  English  Steamboats.  1813-15.— First  use  of  Steamers  in  war, 
1812-14— The  Margery  et  als,  1814— The  Demologos  or  Fulton  the  First,  the  1st  war  steamship, 
1814.— Steamers  in  England  in  1814.— The  Argyle  or  Thames,  1815.— Steam  Navigation  adopted  in 
Russia,  1815-16.— Trevatheniet's  patents  on  Screw  Propeller  in  England,  1815.— Roosevelt  claims 
the  invention  of  paddle-wheels,  1814-16.— Liverpool  Steam  Ferry-boat,  1816.— The  Majestic  first 
to  cross  the  English  Channel,  1816.— First  Line  of  Steamboats  New  York  to  New  London,  1816.— 
Jona  Morgan's  Steamboat  in  Maine,  1816.— First  Steamboat  commanded  by  Cor.  Vanderbilt,  1817. 

'  —First  Steam  Tow  Boat,  1816.— The  Fire-fly,  1817.— First  Steamboat  on  the  Rhine,  1817.— The 
Manifest  of  first  Steamboat  to  Boston,  1817.— Frst  Steamboat  on  Lake  Erie,  1818.— Baltimore  and 
Philadelphia  Steamboat,  1813-15.— The  First  English  Steam  Tug,  1818.— Steamers  between  the 
Mersey  and  Clyde,  1819.— First  steamer,  Liverpool  andlreland,  1819. 

CHAPTER  III.— 1819-1838. 
PAGE  97-160. 

The  Savannah,  the  First  Ocean  Steamship,  1819.— David  Napier's  Enterprise,  1819-22— First  Steam- 
boats on  the  Missouri,  1819. — The  Robert  Fulton  Steamship  between  New  Orleans  and  New  York, 
1819.—"  Walk-in-the-Water,"  First  Steamboat  on  Lake  Erie,  1819.— First  Steamboat  on  Lake 
Michigan.  1827.— First  Ramsgate  Steamboat,  1820.— First  Steam  Vessels  in  the  Royal  Navy,  1820- 
23.— French  Officers  Sent  to  United  States  to  Enquire  about  Steam  Vessels,  etc.,  1820.— First  Steam- 
boat on  the  Indus,  1820.— First  Sea-going  Steamboat  for  Hull,  England,  1821.— First  Steamboat 
Excursion  from  New  York  to  Providence,  1821. — First  Steamboat  Line  between  Providence  and 
New  York,  1822.— David  Gordon's  Patent  for  Boxing  Paddle- Wheels,  1822.— Table  of  Comparative 
Voyages  of  Sailing  and  Steam  Vessels,  1822.— Number  of  Steamboats  on  American  Waters,  1823.— 
•Capt.  de  Lisle  Proposes  Screws  to  be  Applied  to  French  Ships  of  the  Line,  1823.— Delangue  of 

vii. 


Vlll.  CONTENTS. 

Paris  Patents  a  Screw,  1824.— Steamer  Enterprise  Goes  from  London  to  Calcutta,  1825.— Jacob 
Perkins'  Propeller,  1825.— Samuel  Brown's  Canal  Towing  Co.  Propeller,  1825.— Steamboat  Speed 
on  the  Hudson,  1826.— Woodcroft's  Screw,  1826.— Winter  Steamboats  between  Philadelphia  and 
New  York,  1827.— The  Atlas  Launched  at  Rotterdam,  1828.— The  Swift,  First  Steamer  in  Turkey, 
1828.— The  Curacoa,  1828.— The  Steam  Brig  New  York,  1826.— Patten's  Screw ;  Copley's  Screw ; 
Pettier's  Screw,  1830.— First  Steamboats  on  the  Danube,  1830.— Temperance  Resolutions  of  the 
Livingston  Steam  Packet  Co.,  1829.— The  Meteor,  the  First  Ship  of  the  Royal  Navy  to  Carry  the 
Mails,  1830.— The  Hugh  Lindsay,  First  Steamer  to  Navigate  the  Red  Sea,  1830.— GiFard's  Screw, 
1831.— First  Steamer  to  Arrive  at  Chicago,  1831.— Woodcroft's  Screw,  1822.— First  Wrought-Iron 
Steamboat,  1832.— The  Firebrand's  Long  Voyage,  1833.— First  Vessel  of  Royal  Navy  to  West 
Indies,  1832.— Junius  Smith,  the  Originator  of  Ocean  Steam  Navigation,  1832-8.— The  Second 
Steamship  to  Cross  the  Atlantic,  1832.— First  Steamer  on  the  Merrimac  River,  1834.— Smith's 
Screw,  1835.— Fitzpatrick's,  1835.— French  Steamboats,  1836.— First  Steamer  to  China,  1832.— An 
American  Iron-Clad,  1836.— Commodore  Barren's  Ram,  1836.— Steam  Tow-Boats  introduced  on 
the  Delaware,  1836.— Steam  Vessels  of  Great  Britain,  1836-7.— The  Francis  B.  Ogden,  Ericsson's 
First  Practical  Screw  Steamer,  1836— The  Enterprise,  1839.— The  Robt.  F.  Stockton  Screw,  1838-9. 
—Crossing  the  Atlantic  Under  Sail.— The  Princeton,  First  Screw  War  Steamer.— Smith's  Screw 
Steamer  Archimedes,  1836-1838.— The  Rattler,  First  English  Screw  War  Steamer,  1843.— Austrian  - 
Russian,  and  Hungarian  Steamers,  1837. — Dr.  Lardner  on  Steam  Navigation  of  the  Atlantic,  1837. 
Steam  Vessels  of  the  United  States,  1838.— The  Germs  of  the  United  States  Navy,  J.837. 

CHAPTER  IV.— 1838-1858. 
PAGE  160-205. 

THE  INAUGURATION  OF  REGULAR  TRANSATLANTIC  STEAM  NAVIGATION— Arrival  of  the  City  of  Kingston 
at  New  York  from  Cork,  April  2, 1838— Arrival  of  the  Sirius  from  Cork  and  the  Great  Western 
from  Bristol  at  New  York,  April  23, 1838— The  President,  1839— The  British  Queen  1839— Dimen-  • 
sions  of  the  Earliest  and  Largest  Transatlantic  Steamships,  1840— Miscellaneous  Notes— The 
Cyclop,  Steam  Frigate,  1840— The  Nemesis,  1840— The  Screw  Steamer  Archimedes,  1840— The 
Argyle,  Chili  and  Peru,  1839— The  Cunard  Line  Inaugurated,  1840— The  Bangor,  1842— The  French_ 
SteamNayy,  1840— Screw  Steamers  in  Great  Britain,  1842— Steam  Navigation  on  the  Indus,  Est;:i>- 
""lTshed'184'2— The  Driver,  the  first  Steamship  to  Circumnavigate  the  Globe,  1842— United  States 
Steamship  Princeton,  the  First  Screw  Steam  Wrar-vessel,  1843— H.  M.  Ship  Rattler,  the  Second 
Screw  Steam  War-Vessel,  1843— The  Great  Britain,  1843— First  English  Steam  Collier,  1844— The 
Midias  and  Edith,  the  first  Steam  Screw  Vessels  to  China,  1844-45— The  Witch,  1845— American 
Mail  Steamships  to  Havre  and  Bremen,  1845-50— The  .Propeller  Massachusetts,  1845— Thames 
Steamboats,  1845— The  North  River  Steamer  Oregon,  1846— The  First  French  Atlantic  Steamer, 
1847— First  American  Steamer  to  the  Pacific,  1848— The  Gemeni  Iron  Twin  Steamer,  1850— Screw 
Steamship  Himalaya,  1851— The  Francis  Skiddy,  1852— The  Australian,  1852— The  Argo,  the 
Second  Steamship  and  First  Screw  to  Circumnavigate  the  Globe,  1854— The  Golden  Age,  1854— 
The  Cunard  Steamer  Persia,  1855— Steam  Vessels  of  the  Royal  Navy,  1856. 

CHAPTER  V— 1858-1882. 
PAGE  206-286. 

THE  GREAT  EASTERN,  1858 ;  Description  of  the  Vessel,  &c.;  Her  First  Voyage  to  New  York  and  Arrival 
Described— The  Emperor,  a  Steam  Yacht,  Presented  to  the  Japanese,  1859— The  Scotland  and 
England  Purchased  by  the  Prince  of  Satsuma,  1861.— The  MONITOR,  First  Turreted  Steam  War 
Vessel,  1861— The  Paid  Rabani  Yacht  of  the  Khedive,  1863— The  Dundenburg  or  Rochambeau, 
1865.— The  Double-turreted  Monitors  Modapnock  and  Miantonomah,  and  their  Ocean  Voyages 
1866.— Number  of  British  Inventions  Patented  in  the  Ten  Years  Preceding  1866— Steamers  on  Lake* 
Memphremagog,  1867— The  Kate  Corser,  the  First  Steamer  on  the  Great  Salt  Lake.  1869— An  Ex- 
traordinary Inland  Voyage,  1969.— Mercantile  Steamers  of  the  World,  1870-4— Coal-Saving  Discov- 
ery, 1872-The  Cable  Steamer  Faraday,  1873— A  Chinese  Steamboat  Enterprise,  1874— The  Bessimer 
Anti-Sea-Sick  Steamboat,  1875— The  Double-Hulled  Castalia,  1875— The  lona,  1876.— Steamboats 
in  Corea,  1878— The  Solano,  1879— The  Remarkable  Voyage  of  a  Wrecked  Steamer,  1880— The 
Comet  on  Lake  Bigler,  1880— A  Mountain  Steamer  on  Twin  Lakes,  1880— The  Three  Brothers 
Transferred  to  the  British  Flag,  1880— A  Canal  Boat  Propelled  by  Air,  1880— The  Hochung,  the 
First  Chinese  Steamer  to  cross  the  Pacific,  1880— The  Chinese  Steamer  Meefoo  Arrives  at  London 
with  a  Cargo  of  Tea,  1881— Taggart's  Screws,  1880— The  Anthracite,  the  Smallest  Steamer  that  ha* 
Crossed  the  Atlantic,  1880— The  Harriet  Lane,  1881— First  Freight  Steamei  from  England  to  Cali- 
fornia, 1881.— Cost  of  Ocean  Steamships  in  England,  1881.— Largest  Torpepo  Boat,  1881.— The  De- 


CONTENTS.  IX. 

stroyer,  1881— The  Dessoug,  1881— A  Hydraulic  Ship,  1881— A  Novel  Steam  Yacht,  1881— The  Kit- 
tatinny,  1881— Steamboat  Disaster,  1881-  -The  Fall  River  Line,  1882— The  Colossus,  1882— Duncan 
and  Campertown  Ironclads,  1882.— RECENT  NOVEL  INVENTIONS  AND  EXPERIMENTS— Morse's  Un- 
sinkable  Ship— Lundborg's  Twin-Screws—Root's  Side-Screw  Steamship— Coppin's  Tripple  Steam- 
ship— Fryer's  Buoyant  Propeller — Rosse's  Catamaran  Steam  Tugs,  etc. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

PAGE  286-396. 

THE  GREAT  OCEAN  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES,— GENERAL  REMARKS,  OCEAN  TRAMPS,  ETC.— The  Cunard, 
1840.— The  Peninsular  and  Oriental,- 1840.— Pacific  Steam  Navigation,  1840.— Royal  West  India 
Mail,  1841.— Collins'  Line,  1817.— Pacific  Mail  Steamship  Company,  1848.— Warren  Line,  1850.— In- 
man  Line,  1850.— The  Messageries  Maritimes,  1851.— Hamburg  American  Packet  Company,  1855.— 
Anchor  Line,  1856.— North  German  Lloyds,  1857.— Leyland  Line,  I860.— Company  Generale  Trans- 
atlantique,  1862.— National  Steamship  Company,  1863.— Williams  &  Guion  Line,  1866.— Old  Do- 
minion Line,  18G7.— White  Star  Line,  1870.— American  or  Keystone  Line,  1871.— City  Line— State 
Line,  1872.— Red  Star  Line,  1873.— The  Monarch  Line,  1874.— Harrison  Line.— Ocean  Steamship 
Company  of  Savannah.— The  Mitsu  Bishi  Steam  Navigation  Company,  1875.— The  Atlas  Steam- 
ship Company.— Roach's  United  States  and  Brazil  Steamship  Line,  1875.— The  Mallory  Line.— The 
Red  "  D  "  Line,  1879.— New  York,  Havana  and  Mexican  Mail  Line.— Boston  and  Savannah  Steam- 
ship Companny,  1882.—  Thingvalla  Line;  1882.— West  India  Steamship  "  Enterprise."— The  Castle 
Line.— Allan  Line,  1854, 

NOTES. 

PAGES  397—421. 

filler's  Experiments,  1788-89.— Fulton's  Submarine  Boat  at  Brest,  1801.— Early  Steamboats  on  the 
Hudson,  1810.— The  "  Comet"  in  1812.— Steamboats  between  Providence  and  New  York,  1826.— 
Iron  Steamboat  "  Caledonia,"  1818.— Transatlantic  Steamship  Company  in  1825— Junius  Smith's 
Company  for  Transatlantic  Navigation,  1832.— Anthracite  Coal  first  used .  on  Steamers.— Cable 
Steamer  "  Minia."— First  race  between  English  and  American  Transatlantic  Steamships,  1847.— 
Fast  Steamer  in  California,  1849.— Bibliography. 

APPENDIX, 423 


INTRODUCTORY, 


THE  first  rude  attempt  of  man  at  navigation  was  doubtless  to  bestride  a 
log  or  the  trunk  of  a  tree  and  float  down  the  stream,  as  some  of  the  lower 
animals  in  their  migrations,  the  squirrel,  for  instance,  are  still  known  to  do. 
His  next  infant  step  was  with  pole  or  paddle  to  push  or  propel  his  log 
against  the  stream.  His  third,  to  hollow  out  his  log  and  properly  sharpen 
its  ends,  so  that  it  would  carry  him  and  his  mate,  it  may  be,  and  his  effects 
across  and  up  the  streams  dry  shod,  the  sharpened  ends  of  his  "  dug-out" 
causing  it  to  be  easier  pushed  or  propelled  through  the  water. 

From  these  rude  first  steps  and  the  invention  of  the  modern  ocean  steam- 
ships engaged  in  peaceful  commerce,  or  the  huge  ironclads  of  the  world 
devised  for  the  destruction  of  that  commerce,  how  great  the  stride! 

I  do  not  propdse  in  this  work  to  follow  all  the  inventions  and  improve- 
ments in  ships  and  navigation  that  have  intervened,  but  to  take  up  that 
chapter  which  begins  with  the  first  practical  use  of  steam  ao  a  motive-power 
for  vessels  at  the  commencement  of  the  present  century,  and  show  the  pro- 
gressive advancement  of  steam  navigation  to  the  present  time.  Now  that 
inventors  are  searching  for  some  less  expensive  and  less  cumbersome  motor 
than  steam  to  be  applied  to  the  machinery  for  propelling  vessels,  and  there 
are  signs  that  steam  as  a  moving  power  is  doomed  to  be  succeeded  by  one 
more  compact  and  economical,  it  seems  a  good  time  to  recall  the  brief 
and  brilliant  history  of  the  origin  and  development  of  steam  navigation, 
which,  commencing  with  the  humble  experiments  of  Fitch,  Rumsey,  Sym- 
ington, Fulton,  and  others,  at  the  close  of  the  last  century  and  the  begin- 
ning of  the  present,  has,  in  less  than  three-quarters  of  a  century,  circled 
the  globe,  and  covered  the  surface  of  its  streams,  rivers,  lakes,  and  oceans 
with  a  network  of  steam-vessels  until  there  is  scarcely  a  place  where  water 
flows  which  does  not  bear  on  its  surface  a  vessel,  small  or  large  as  required, 
propelled  by  the  power  of  steam.  Even  while  I  write  these  lines  I  find  in 
a  paper*  some  evidence  that  the  days  of  its  power  are  numbered.  A  little 
vessel  has  been  launched  upon  the  Thames  whose  motive-power  is  elec- 
tricity, and  whose  success  is  far  in  advance  of  any  of  the  early  experimental 
steamboats. 

"  Professor  Sylvanus  P.  Thompson  sends  to  the  London  Times  an  account 
of  atrip  on  the  Thames  in  a  launch  propelled  by  electricity.  He  says: 
'  The  little  craft,  which  is  appropriately  named  "  Electricity,"  is  about  26 

*  Boston  Evening  Transcript,  October  13,  1882. 

%  xi. 


Xll.  INTRODUCTORY. 

feet  in  length  and  about  5  feet  in  the  beam,  drawing  about  2  feet  of  water, 
and  fitted  with  a  22-inch  propeller  screw.  On  board  were  stowed  away 
under  the  flooring  and  seats,  fore  and  aft,  45  electric  accumulators  of  the 
latest  type,  as  devised  by  Messrs.  Sellon-Volckmar.  Fully  charged  with 
electricity  by  wires  leading  from  the  dynamos  or  generators  in  the  works, 
they  were  calculated  to  supply  power  for  six  hours  at  the  rate  of  four 
horse-power.  These  storage  cells  were  placed  in  electrical  connection  with 
two  Siemens  dynamos  of  the  size  known  as  D  3,  furnished  with  proper 
reversing  gear  and  regulators,  to  serve  as  engines  to  drive  the  screw  pro- 
peller. Either  or  both  of  these  motors  could  be  "  switched  "  into  circuit  at 
will.  After  a  few  minutes'  run  down  the  river  and  a  trial  of  the  powers  of 
the  boat  to  go  forward,  slacken  or  go  astern  at  will,  her  head  was  turned 
citywards,  and  we  sped  silently  along  the  southern  shore,  running  about 
eight  knots  an  hour  against  the  tide.  For  the  benefit  of  electricians  I  may 
add  that  the  total  electro-motive  force  of  the  accumulators  was  ninety-six 
volts,  and  that  during  the  whole  of  the  long  run  the  current  through  each 
machine  was  steadily  maintained  at  twenty-four  amperes.  Calculations  show 
that  this  corresponds  to  an  expenditure  of  electric  energy  at  the  rate  of 
3  1-11  horse-power."'* 

Before  commencing  the  "History  of  Steam  Navigation"  I  will  sketch  in 
brief  a  few  of  the  earlier  attempts  of  man  to  propel  his  boat  by  mechanical 
appliances. 

The  date  of  maritime,  enterprises  commenced  with  the  Phoenicians  be- 
tween the  years  1700  and  1100  B.C.  The  far-famed  city  of  Sidon  was  the 
centre  from  which  their  expeditious  were  sent  forth.  It  appears  they  traded 
with  Cyprus  and  Rhodes ;  then  with  Greece,  Gaul,  and  the  coast  of  Spain 
upon  the  Mediterranean.  About  1250  B.C.  their  ships  ventured  cautiously 
beyond  the  Straits  of  Gibraltar.  An  Egyptian  monunjent  2800 — 2000  B.C. 
—represents  a  vessel  pulling  forty  oars.  It  had  a  double  mast  made  of  two 
spars  and  a  large  square  sail  bent  to  a  yard,  and  managed  by  sheets  and 
braces.  About  280  B.C.  Hero,  of  Alexandria,  formed  a  toy  which  exhibited 
some  of  the  powers  of  steam,  and  was  moved  by  its  power.  Some  writers 
state  that  this  toy  was  invented  by  a  Greek  during  the  reign  of  Ptolemy 
Philadelphus,  130  B.C. 

Archimides  was  probably  the  first  who  made  practical  use  of  the  powerful 
agent  of  steam,  and  it  was  by  steam  Syracuse  was  defended  against  the 
Romans  during  the  reign  of  Hiero  II.,  220  B.C.  Antheminus,  an  architect, 
A.D.  540,  arranged  several  caldrons  of  water,  each  covered  with  the  wide 
bottom  of  a  leathern  tube,  which  rose  to  a  narrow  top,  with  pipes  extended 
to  the  rafters  of  the  adjoining  building.  A  fire  was  kindled  beneath  the 
caldron,  and  the  house  was  shaken  with  the  effect  of  the  steam  ascending 
the  tubes.  This  is  the  first  recorded  notice  of  the  power  of  steam. 

*  See  page  280  for  further  account  of  this  vessel. 


INTRODUCTORY.  xiiL 

It  need  not  excite  surprise  that  DeGarey,  A.  D.  1543,  used  paddle-wheels  for 
propelling  his  vessel,  as  they  were  well  known  before  his  time.  Roman  gal- 
leys were  occasionally  moved  by  them,  and  they  have  never  been  wholly 
laid  aside  in  Europe  since  the  fall  of  that  empire.  Stuart,  in  his  "Anecdotes 
of  the  Steam  Engine,"  observes  that  the  substitution  of  them  for  oars  is  men- 
tioned in  several  old  military  treatises.  In  some  very  ancient  manuscripts 
in  the  National  Library  of  France  it  is  siated  that  the  boats  in  which  the 
Roman  army  under  Claudius  Caudex  was  transported  into  Sicily  were  pro- 
pelled by  paddle-wheels,  which  received  their  motion  from  a  capstan  pushed 
by  oxen. 

The  Chinese  in  ancient  times  used  paddle-wheels.  In  the  University 
Library,  London,  there  is  a  Chinese  book  with  a  wood-cut  representing  pad- 
dle-wheels on  the  side. 

In  1578  W.  Bourne,  an  Englishman,  says  :  "  You  may  make  a  boate  ta 
goe  without  oares  or  sayle  by  placing  of  certain  wheeles  on  the  outside  of 
the  boate,  in  that  sort  that  the  armes  of  the  wheeles  may  goe  into  the  water, 
and  so  turning  the  wheeles  by  some  provision,  and  so  the  wheeles  shall  make 
the  boate  goe."* 

In  1588  A.  Ramelli  describes  a  ferry-boat  which  he  calls  a  pontoon  or 
locomotive  bridge.  He  says  :  "  This  bridge  is  made,  as  shown  in  the  design, 
tight  and  well-covered  like  a  boat,  so  that  the  water  cannot  penetrate  ;  but 
it  has  its  bottom  flat,  in  order  to  float  lighter  on  the  water;  moreover,  it  has 
behind,  like  vessels,  a  rudder,  with  which  they  steer  it,  and  on  each  side  is 
a  wheel,  which  serve  for  oars,  being  turned  by  one  man  with  a  winch  handle. 

Paiicirollus,  professor  of  Padua,  in  a  book  published  in  1589,  says:  "I 
have  seen  a  certain  representation  of  ships  they  call  'Liburnse/  which  have 
three  external  wheels  on  each  side  touching  the  water,  each  of  them  fur- 
nished with  eight  boards^  projecting  a  palm  breadth  from  the  wheel.  Six 
oxen  inside,  by  working  a  machine,  turned  the  wheels,  and  the  spokes  strik- 
ing the  water  backwards  moved  the  '  Liburnse'  with  such  force  on  its  course 
that  no  tri-remo  galley  could  resist  it." 

An  ancient  bas-relief  has  been  found  representing  a  galley  with  three 
wheels  on  each  side,  the  whole  being  moved  by  three  pair  of  oxen.  Robertus 
Valturius,  in  his  "  De  Re  Militari  Verona,"  1472,  gives  the  'figure  of  two 
galleys  with  five  paddle-wheels  on  each  side,  connected  by  an  axle  with  a 
crank  in  the  middle.  The  drawing  shows  one  side  of  a  double-prowed  boat 
with  five  pairs  of  paddle-wheels,  turned  by  cranks  connected  by  a  rod  or 
cord.  To  these  may  be  added  another  from  the  Nuremburg  Chronicle,  1497 
(a  copy  of  which  is  in  the  library  of  the  American  Antiquarian  Society),  at 
folio  xcviii,  where  a  vessel  is  figured  with  two  wheels  on  the  side  represented. 
An  old  English  writer,  in  1578,  mentions  the  u«^  "*'  wheels  on  boats,  and  a 
horse  tow-boat  with  paddle-wheels  was  at  Chatham,  England,  in  1682. 

*  Invention  or  devices  hv  Win.  Bourne,  London,  1578. 


XIV.  INTRODUCTORY. 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  paddle-wheels  were  no  novelty  as  a  means  of  propelling 
vessels,  and  it  only  needed  the  advent  of  the  power  of  steam  to  make  them 
go  faster. 

Mathesius  invented  the  whirling  eolipile,  a  sphere  made  to  revolve  by 
steam,  A.D.  1563,  and  de  Caus,  in  his  "  Raison  De  Force,"  describes  a 
spherical  vessel  acted  on  by  the  power  of  steam.  M.  Arago  has  claimed  for 
de  Caus  the  invention  of  the  steam-engine.  The  English,  he  observes  in 
his  memoir  of  James  Watt,  have  ascribed  the  honor  to  the  marquis  of  Wor- 
cester, 1663,  "  but  on  this  side  of  the  channel  we  maintain  that  it  belongs 
to  an  humble  engineer,  almost  forgotten  by  our  biographers,  in  Solomon  de 
Caus,"  and  he  asserts  that  "  the  idea  of  raising  water  by  the  elastic  force  of 
steam"  belongs  to  him.  The  elevation  of  water  by  the  elastic  force  of  steam 
was,  however,  known  before  the  time  of  de  Caus.  Nature  had  presented 
striking  proofs  of  it  in  boiling  springs,  as  in  the  geysers  of  Iceland. 

In  the  following  pages  due  honor  has  been  given  to  both  of  these  inventors 
or  discoverers.  The  controversies  as  to  who  is  the  inventor  of  the  steam- 
engine,  between  Millington,  Stuart,  Arago,  and  others,  are  ingenious  and 
amusing. 

In  1618  David  Rumsey  and  Thomas  Wildgoose  patented  in  England  an 
engine  "  To  make  boates  for  the  carryage  of  burthens  and  passengers  upon 
the  water  as  swifte  in  calms  and  more  saft  in  stormes  than  boates  full  sayled 
in  greater  wynes." 

In  1630  David  Rumseye  (probably  the  same)  obtained  a  patent  "  To  raise 
water  from  a  low  pit  by  fire,  and  also  to  make  boates,  shippes,  and  barges  to 
goe  against  wind  and  tide,"  and  a  pamphlet  published  in  London  in  1651 
is  entitled  "  Invention  of  Engines  of  Motion  Lately  Brought  to  Perfection," 
among  which  is  "an  engine  to  drawer  hale  ships,  boats,  etc.,  up  rivers 
against  stream." 

In  August,  1662,  James  Hays  and  Thomas  Togood  patented  "  Several 
new  inventions  by  them  found  out  for  the  making  of  shipps  to  saile  without 
the  assistance  of  winde  or  tyde." 

From  the  marquis  of  Worcester's  description  of  his  invention  in  1663,  it 
seems  to  have  been  a  boat  with  paddle-wheels  on  an  axis  across  it,  which 
axis  is  turned  as  by  the  action  of  the  stream  on  the  paddles,  and  thus  winds 
up  a  rope  and  draws  the  boat  onward  to  the  other  side  of  the  rope  fixed  by 
an  anchor. 

In  1683  Sir  Samuel  Moreland  endeavored  to  obtain  a  patent  for  the  in- 
vention of  a  steam-engine,  and  gives  a  long  account  of  his  experiments  on 
the  expansion  of  steam. 

Prof.  Denis  Papin,  a  native  of  Blois,  the  French  claim  with  national 
pride  to  be  the  inventor  of  the  steam-engine.  There  is  no  doubt  he  was  the 
first  to  introduce  the  safety-valve,  on  which  there  has  also  been  an  amusing 
controversy.  In  1688  he  proposed  gunpowder  to  create  a  vacuum  under  a 
piston  in  a  cylinder,  and  in  1690  he  described  his  steam  cylinder,  in  which 


INTRODUCTORY.  XV. 

the  piston  descends  by  atmospheric  pressure  when  the  steam  below  is  con- 
densed. Among  the  uses  to  which  this  may  be  applied  he  mentions  the 
"propulsion  of  ships  by  l remi-rotatiles,'  or  paddle-wheels,  such  as  he  saw 
made  in  London,  by  order  of  Prince  Rupert,  to  be  turned  by  horses.  Some 
account  of  his  experimental  steamboats  on  the  Fulda  may  be  found  in  the 
following  chapter. 

In  January,  1696,  Thomas  Savary  asked  for  a  patent  for  an  invention 
which  consisted  in  moving  a  paddle-wheel  on  each  side  of  the  ship  by  men 
turning  round  the  capstan,  and  thereby  giving  motion  through  wheels  to  the 
axis  of  the  paddles.  In  1698  he  published  an  account  of  another  engine 
for  rowing  a  ship  by  paddle-wheels  at  the  vessel's  side.  The  discovery  of  a 
method  of  producing  a  vacuum  by  the  condensation  of  steam  it  seems  was 
made  by  Papin  about  1695,  but  it  was  independently  discovered  by  Captain 
Thomas  Savary  in  1698,  who  states  that  his  discovery  of  the  condensing 
principle  arose  from  the  following  circumstance : 

Having  drunk  a  flask  of  Florence  at  a  tavern  and  flung  the  empty  flask 
on  the  fire,  he  called  for  a  basin  of  water  to  wash  his  hands ;  a  small  quantity 
which  remained  in  the  flask  began  to  boil,  and  steam  issued  from  its  mouth. 
It  occurred  to  him  to  try  what  effect  would  be  produced  by  inverting  the 
flask  and  pjunging  its  mouth  in  the  cold  water.  Putting  on  a  thick  glove 
to  defend  his  hand  from  the  heat,  he  seized  the  flask,  and  the  moment  he 
plunged  its  mouth  in  the  water,  the  liquid  immediately  rushed  up  into  the 
flask  and  filled  it.  This  immediately  suggested  to  him  the  possibility  of 
giving  effect  to  the  atmospheric  pressure  by  creating  a  vacuum  in  this 
manner. 

Jonathan  Hulls,  who  in  1736  obtained  a  patent  for  propelling  a  boat  by 
steam,  which,  however,  was  never  put  to  practical  experiment,  is  beyond 
doubt  the  first  Englishman  who  proposed  to  apply  that  power  to  naval 
purposes. 

The  Royal  Academy  of  Sciences  at  Paris  offered  a  prize  in  1753  for  the 
most  advantageous  manner  of  supplying  the  action  of  wind  on  large  ships. 
M.  Daniel  Bernoulli,  then  Professor  of  Philosophy  at  Basle,  produced  the 
successful  essay,  having  proceeded  on  the  plan  advanced  by  M.  Bouguer. 
Euler  and  M.  Mathon  de  la  Cour  wrote  on  the  same  subject,  and  each  pro. 
posed  the  use  of  floats  (paddle-wheels)  attached  to  a  shaft,  which  was  to 
revolve  by  means  of  mechanical  arrangements  within  the  ship.  In  Euler's 
plan  the  shaft  supported  four  floats,  placed  at  right  angles,  and  the  inboard 
mechanism  for  working  this  four-armed  paddle-wheel  was  a  vertical  shaft 
with  toothed  wheel  and  pinion. 

M.  Mathon  de  la  Cour  proposed  the  use  of  six  floats  on  each  axle  and  the 
intervention  of  an  endless  cord  passing  over  a  drum  at  the  end  of  the  axle, 
which  was  fastened  to  the  ship's  side  and  over  a  corresponding  drum 
annexed  to  the  frame,  to  be  constructed  on  the  deck  for  working  these 
paddle-wheels.  The  physical  power  of  man  was  the  only  means  looked  to 


XVI.  INTRODUCTORY. 

for  turning  these  wheels.  M.  Mathon  de  la  Cour  says  :  "  One  can  hardly 
think  of  having  other  moving  power  than  that  of  men ;  horses  require  for 
their  subsistence  too  great  a  quantity  of  water,  hay,  and  corn  ;  they  would 
be  unable  to  endure  the  labor  joined  to  the  hardship  of  the  voyage,  and 
they  can  be  employed  only  with  machines  too  complicated  and  taking  up 
too  much  room.  Let  us  then  endeavor  to  draw  the  greatest  amount  that 
we  can  from  the  strength  of  man."* 

James  Watt,  of  Glasgow,  and  afterwards  of  Birmingham,  and  whose 
engines  did  more  to  make  navigation  by  steam  a  practical  success  than  any 
inventor  who  preceded  him,  obtained  his  first  patent  for  a  steam-engine  in 
1769.  He  invented  the  condenser,  enclosed  the  cylinder,  and  adopted  the 
use  of  oil  and  tallow  in  moving  a  piston  by  steam  against  a  vacuum,  etc. 
In  1782  he  took  out  his  second  patent  for  his  expansion  engine,  for  six  modes 
of  regulating  motion,  for  a  double  action  engine,  double  cylinders,  steam 
wheels,  etc.  In  1784  he  Obtained  a  third  patent  for  parallel  motion,  loco- 
motive engine,  hand  gear,  and  valves.  In  1785  he  obtained  a  fourth  patent 
for  furnace  for  the  consumption  of  smoke  and  lessening  the  consumption  of 
fuel. ' 

The  general  idea  of  propelling  vessels  by  a  submerged  helix  or  screw  is 
very  ancient,  and  its  modern  application  to  vessels  propelled  by  steam  power 
is  claimed  by  nearly  every  great  nation — French,  English,  German,  Ameri- 
can, Swedes.  In  1729  Duguet,  whose  apparatus  was  approved  by  the 
French  Academy  of  Sciences,  used  the  screw  as  the  moving  power  for  towing 
boats  against  the  currents  of  rivers.  Mr.  MacGregor,  in  a  paper "  read 
before  the  Society  of  Arts  in  1858,  stated,  "The  use  of  the  screw  propeller 
may  be  of  indefinite  antiquity,"  and  added,  "  A  model  of  one  was  brought 
from  China  in  1680,  which  had  two  sets  of  blades  turning  in  opposite  direc- 
tions. In  1745  Masson  describes  an  apparatus  for  working  an  oar  at  the 
stern  of  a  vessel  so  as  to  give  it  a  "sculling"  motion.  In  1746  Bougner 
mentions  that  "working  arms,  like  the  arms  of  a  windmill,"  were  tried  for 
the  propulsion  of  vessels;  and  in  1770  James  Watt  speaks  of  using  a  screw 
propeller  to  be  turned  by  a  steam  engine. 

The  invention  of  the  screw  and  its  application  to  the  propulsion  of  vessels 
is  not  the  sole  property  of  one  man.  Experiments  to  discover  the  means 
of  applying  it  as  the  motive  power  to  ships  were  at  different  periods  spon- 
taneously and  independently  made  in  various  places,  by  persons  perfect 
strangers  to  each  other  and  to  each  other's  discoveries  or  appliances.  In 
1768  Paucton,  in  a  work  entitled  "Theory  of  the  Archimedean  Screw,  Paris,. 
1768,"  suggested  its  use  for  giving  vessels  a  direct  impulsive  force,  having 
for  the  motive  power  the  ship's  crew.  The  apparatus  was  called  by  him 
"The  Pterophore,"  and  was  to  be  placed  either  in  the  forward  part  or  on  each 

*  Fincham's  "  History  of  Naval  Architecture,"  which  has  an  engraving  of  both  these 
devices. 


INTRODUCTORY.  Xvii. 

side  of  the  vessel,  projecting  from  the  inside  through  a  box  of  timber  work. 
He  hinted  that  his  apparatus  011  a  small  scale  might  be  adapted  to  rneasur*- 
ing  the  track  of  a  ship,  an  anticipation  of  the  log  of  M.  Laignel,  better  known 
to  English-speaking  people  as  "  Massey's  Log." 

There  were  many  subsequent  experiments  in  screw  propulsion,  but  none, 
says  the  London  Mechanics'  Magazine,  in  1865,  seem  to  have  been  carried 
into  practical  effect."  "  A  vessel  built  by  Captain  Ericcson,"  it  continues, 
"was  probably  the  first  practical  screw  prope^er  the  world  ever  saw,  and  in 
fine  the  undivided  honors  of  having  built  the  first  practical  screw-steamer, 
the  first  screw  war-ship,  and  the  first  cupola  (monitor)  war-vessel  belongs  to 
Captain  John  Ericsson,"  who,  we  may  add,  still  lives  in  a  green  old  age  to 
plan  new  inventions  and  enjoy  his  honors. 

The  application  of  steam  as  a  naval  motor  in  fighting  ships  was  very 
limited  until  the  advent  of  the  screw  propeller.  The  reason  is  easily  stated. 
In  the  first  place,  the  interference  of  the  clumsy  paddle-wheel  with  the  sailing 
power  and  the  ship's  battery  prevented  the  latter  from  full  and  free  exercise. 
In  the  second  place,  the  necessary  exposure  of  the  paddle  machinery  to 
hostile  shot  would  ha\*e  precluded  the  general  use  of  steam  in  naval  -war- 
fare, because  a  single  well-directed  shot  would  have  destroyed  the  motive 
power  and  left  the  ship  an  easy  prey.  The  introduction  of  the  screw  has  so 
transformed  the  whole  aspect  of  the  steam  marine,  that  from  it  should  really 
be  dated  the  adoption  of  steam  as  a  motor  in  naval  warfare. 

It  is  not  the  province  or  within  the  scope  of  this  work  to  narrate  and  de- 
scribe the  improvement  in  steam  vessels  of  war  and  the  ironclad  navies  of 
the  world.  The  reader  for  information  on  that  subject  is  referred  to  the 
recent  works  of  Lieutenant  Very,  U.  S.  N.,  Chief  Engineer  King,  U.  S.  N., 
and  Sir  Thomas  Brasseys.  The  British  Navy,  vol.  i ;  "  Ship  Building  for 
the  Purposes  of  War." 

The  successful  application  of  steam  to  the  purposes  of  ocean  navigation 
has  brought  with  it  an  era  of  rapid  improvement  in  naval  architecture  and 
all  other  matters  relating  to  nautical  affairs  which  was  never  dreamed  of  by 
the  ancient  mariners  of  fifty  years  ago,  and  an  impetus  has  been  given  to  all 
sciences  in  connection  with  ocean  voyages. 

"Among  the  various  ways,"  says  Doctor  Lardner  in  his  Treatise  on  the 
Steam  Engine*  "  in  which  the  steam-engine  has  ministered  to  the  social  prog- 
ress of  our  race  none  is  more  important  and  interesting  than  the  aid  it  has 
afforded  to  navigation.  Before  it  lent  its  giant  powers  to  that  art  locomo- 
tion over  the  deep  was  attended  with  a  degree  of  danger  and  uncertainty, 
which  seemed  so  necessary  and  so  inevitable  that,  as  a  common  proverb,  it 
became  the  type  and  representative  of  everything  else  which  was  precarious 

*  The  Steam-engine  Familiarly  Explained  and  Illustrated,  etc. ;  its  Application  to  Navi- 
gation and  Railways.  By  Rev.  Dionysius  Lardner,  LL.D.,  with  additions  and  notes  by 
James  Renwick,  LL.D.  Third  answer  from  fifth  London  edition.  Philadelphia:  E.  L. 
•Carey  and  A.  Hart,  1838. 


XV111.  INTRODUCTORY. 

and  perilous.  The  application,  however,  of  steam  to  navigation  has  rescued 
the  mariner  from  much  of  the  peril  of  the  winds  and  waves ;  and  even  in 
its  actual  state,  apart  from  the  improvements  which  it  is  still  likely  to 
receive,  it  has  rendered  all  voyages  of  moderate  length  as  safe  and  regular 
as  journeys  over  land. 

"  We  are  even  now  upon  the  brink  of  such  improvements  as  will  probably 
so  extend  the  powers  of  the  steam  engine  as  to  render  it  available  as  the 
means  of  connecting  the  most*  distant  points  of  the  earth."  It  should  be 
recollected  that  this  prophecy  was  written  before  the  passage  of  the  first 
transatlantic  steamship  under  steam  alone,  and  which  it  is  the  popular  im- 
pression that  he  had  declared  an  impossibility. 

It  is  shown  elsewhere  that  he  only  doubted  in  the  then  state  of  steam 
navigation  such  a  voyage  could  be  made  profitable,  or  in  other  words,  a 
commercial  success.  The  result  has  proved  his  judgment  correct,  and  that  the 
subsidies  received  in  the  first  instance  was,  and  the  improvements  subse- 
quently made  were  the  ultimate  cause  of  the  success  of  transatlantic 
navigation. 

The  original  type  of  nearly  all  the  engines  used  in  steam  navigation  was 
the  engine  constructed  at  Soho  by  Watt  and  Bolton  for  Fulton,  and  first 
used  by  him  upon  the  Hudson  River.  This  had  the  beam  below  the  piston- 
rod,  as  in  the  English  boat  engines,  but  the  cylinder  above  deck,  as  in  the 
American.  From  this  primitive  form  the  two  nations  diverged  in  opposite 
directions,— the  Americans  navigating  rivers,  with  speed  the  principal  object, 
kept  the  cylinder  upon  deck  and  lengthened  the  stroke  of  the  piston ;  the 
English,  on  the  other  hand,  having  the  deep  navigation  of  stormy  seas  as 
their  more  important  object,  shortened  the  cylinder  in  order  that  the  piston- 
rod  might  work  entirely  under  deck,  while  Fulton's  working  (walking)  beam 
was  retained. 

The  most  formidable  difficulty  encountered  in  applying  the  steam-engines 
to  the  navigation  of  the  ocean  arose  from  the  necessity  of  supplying  the 
boiler  with  sea  instead  of  fresh  water.  This  difficulty  was  soon  overcome. 

E.  J.  Reed,  C.  B.,  the  distinguished  English  naval  constructor,  writing  in 
"  Naval  Science"  about  an  attempt,  in  1874,  to  propel  a  small  yacht  by  the 
power  of  electro  magnetism,  say«s:  "Although  not  approving  of  the  particu- 
lar manner  in  which  the  principle  has  been  worked  out  in  this  instance, 
we  cannot  help  thinking  that  a  step  has  been  taken  in  the  right  direction  ; 
and  the  day  is  not  far  distant  when,  having  traveled  through  the  inter- 
mediate improvements  in*  the  steam-engine  itself,  we  shall  cast  it  aside  as 
altogether  too  cumbrous  and  complicated,  and  find  ourselves  ploughing 
the  ocean  in  vessels  propelled  by  a  motive-power  which,  while  occupying  a 
comparatively  insignificant  portion  of  the  vessel,  will  yet  be  strong  enough 
to  drive  her  at  a  speed  hitherto  unattempted.  Any  attempt  at  guaging  the 
future,  even  the  future  of  but  very  few  years,  must  necessarily  be  sketchy 
and  incomplete.  It  is  true  of  the  mechanical  world  as  of  the  world  outside, 


INTRODUCTORY.  XIX. 

that  'coming  events  cast  their  shadows  before;'  but,  like  the  mirage  of  the 
desert,  shadows  are  sometimes  cast  without  the  ultimate  presence  of  the  sub- 
stance; and  many,  promising  discoveries,  which  at  first  appear  destined  to 
revolutionize  the  entire  profession  of  the  mechanic,  have  finally  sunk  into 
oblivion,  which  is  the  natural  end  of  inventors  lacking  the  stamp  of  prac- 
ticability and  commercial  economy.  On  the  other  hand,  when  the  boundary 
line  of  perfection  seems  nearly  drawn,  and  there  appears  little  to  do  but  to 
gaze  retrospectively  upon  the  triumphs  of  the  past,  some  great  intellect  arises, 
and  with  the  aid  of  some  well-timed  discovery  shows  the  world  of  science 
that  the  spirit  of  progress  still  lives.  Such  a  mind  was  that  of  James  Watt, 
and  such  an  influence  did  he  exert ;  and  who  can  tell  at  what  moment  a  dis- 
covery like  his  master-piece  of  separate  condensation  may  be  made." 


THE 

IRSITY! 


ORIGIN  AND  DEVELOPMENTS 


OF 


STEAM  NAVIGATION. 


CHAPTER  I.     1543-1800. 

A   HISTORY   OF   STEAM   NAVIGATION. 

EARLY  EXPERIMENTERS.— Blasco  de  Garray,  15i3— David  Ramseye,  1630.— Salomon  de  Carrs, 
16-41— Marquis  of  Worcester,  1663.— Denis  Papin,  1690-95.— Thos.  Savary,  1698.— M.  Dugnet,  1699.— 
Jonathan  Hulls,  1736.— Gautoir,  1752— David  Bournoulli,  1753.— Euler,  1753.— Mathon  de  la  Cour, 
1753.— M.  Guatier,  1756.— M.  Genevois,  1759.— Comte  de  Auxiron,  1774.— Perrier,  1775.— M.  Ducrest, 
1777.— Guyon  de  la  Plombiere,  1776.— Andrew  Ellicott,  1775.— Marquis  de  Jouffroy,  1778  and  1783. 
—Thomas  Paine,  1778.— Matthew  Washbrough,  1779.— Abbe  Darical,  1782.— James  Rumsey,  1784 
and  1788.— William  Bushnell,  inventor  of  the  Screw,  1784.— Joseph  Bramah,  178*.— John  Fitch,' 
1785-91.— Oliver  Evan,  1788.— Nathan  Read,  1788.— Patrick  Millar,  James  Taylor,  William  Sym- 
ington, 1788.— William  Longstreet,  1790.— John  C.  Stevens,  1791.— Baron  Seguier,  1792.— Earl. 
Stanhope,  1792-94.— Elijah  Ormsbee,  1792-94.— William  Littleton,  1794.— Samuel  Morey,  1794-97.— 
Edward  Thomson,  1796.— Livingston,  Stevens  and  Roosevelt,  1800.— Hunter  and  Dickinson,  1800. 
—Edward  Shorter,  1800.— Samuel  Brown,  1800. 

1543. — It  has  been  asserted  that  Blasco  de  Garray,  a  native  of  Biscay,  June 
17,  1543,  tried  a  vessel  of  two  hundred  and  nine  tons,  called  the  "Trinity," 
with  tolerable  success,  at  Barcelona,  in  Spain,  the  motive  power  of 'which 
consisted  of  a  caldron  of  boiling  water  and  a  movable  wheel  suspended  on 
each  side  of  the  vessel. 

The  story  or  legend  of  de  Garray  is  this  : 

In  1543  a  native  mechanic  of  Marina,  named  Blasco  de  Garray,  or  ac- 
cording to  other  accounts,  a  captain  in  the  navy,  the  probability  being  he 
was  made  one  for  his  invention,  offered  to  exhibit  in  the  presence  of  the 
Emperor  Charles  V.  a  machine  by  means  of  which  a  vessel  might  be  impelled 
without  the  assistance  of  sails  or  oars.  The  proposition  appeared  ridiculous, 
but  de  Garray  was  so  convinced  that  the  power  of  his  machine  Would  be 
adequate  to  the  production  of  the  effect  announced,  that  he  renewed  his 
representations  to  the  government,  supplicating  his  majesty  to  command  the 
execution  of  the  project.  The  Emperor,  in  consequence,  appointed  a  com- 
mission to  proceed  to  Barcelona  to  witness  the  experiment  and  to  report 
upon  the  result.  De  Garray,  secure  now  of  making  a  proof  of  his  invention 
prepared  a  merchant  ship  called  "  La  Trinidad,"  of  two  hundred  tons, 

1 


2  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

burthen,  which  came  from  Coubre  to  discharge  a  cargo  of  corn  at  Barcelona, 
'of  which  Peter  de  Scary  was  captain,  (thus  states  the  record,)  and  the  com- 
missioners, Don  Henry  de  Toledo,  the  Governor  Don  Pedro  de  Cordova,  the 
Treasurer  Ravage,  and  the  Vice-Chancellor,  having  arrived,  the  experiment 
was  made  on  the  17th  of  June,  1543.  Immediately  upon  a  given  signal 
the  vessel  was  put  in  motion ;  proceeding  forward,  it  turned  from  one  side 
to  the  other,  according  to  the  will  of  the  steersman,  and  finally  returned  to 
the  place  whence  it  started,  without  the  assistance  of  sails,  oars,  or  any 
visible  machinery,  except  an  immense  caldron  of  boiling  water,  a  compli- 
cated number  of  wheels  within,  and  paddles  gyrating  without.  The  multi- 
tude assembled  on  the  seashore  were  filled  with  admiration  at  the  sight  of 
this  prodigy,  the  port  of  Barcelona  resounded  with  applause,  and  the 
commissioners,  who  witnessed  the  performance  with  the  greatest  enthusiasm, 
related  to  the  emperor  that  de  Garray  .had  accomplished  with  his  machine 
all  he  had  undertaken  to  do.  But  the  head  of  the  commission,  Ravage,  who 
was  the  chief  treasurer  of  the  kingdom,  through  ignorance  or  some  other  of 
those  unknown  causes  which  influence  the  conduct  of  statesmen,  showed 
himself  little  favorable  either  to  the  inventor  or  the  machine.  Confessing 
the  success  of  the  experiment,  and  expressing  his  approbation  of  the  inge- 
nuity of  Garray,  he  endeavored  to  persuade  the  Emperor  that  the  invention 
would  be  of  little  or  no  utility ;  that  its  complicated  construction  would 
require  constant  repairs,  attended  with  immense  expense ;  that  the  vessel 
would  not  proceed  at  the  rate  of  much  more  than  a  league  an  hour,  and 
more  slowly  when  freighted  ;  and  finally,  that  the  boiler,  unable  to  resist 
the  force  of  the  steam  for  any  extended  period,  would  frequently  burst  and 
be  productive  of  the  most  dreadful  accidents.  Such  was  the  substance  of 
the  opinion  given  by  this  covetous  or  invidious  minister.  Though  Charles 
V.  was  influenced  by  the  representations  of  his  treasurer,  he  was  not  insen- 
sible to  the  merits  of  the  inventor,  whom  he  promoted  one  grade  to  the  rank 
of  an  officer,  and  in  addition  to  paying  him  the  expenses  of  the  experiment, 
presented  him  with  a  reward  of  two  hundred  thousand  maravedis  from  the 
royal  treasury,  equivalent  to  sixty-six  thousand  reales  de  vellon,  a  very  con- 
siderable sum  at  that  period,  the  munificence  of  which  proves  that  the 
invention  of  Garray  equalled,  if  it  did  not  surpass,  the  most  extraordinary 
productions  of  that  era. 

This  statement  was  first  published  in  1825,  by  Thomas  Gonzales,  who  cer- 
tified :  "This  account  is  derived  from  the  documents  and  original  registers 
kept  in  the  royal  archives  of  Simancas,  among  the  commercial  papers  of 
Catalonia,  and  from  those  of  the  military  and  naval  departments  for  the  said 
year  1543." 

Mr.  VVoodroft,  after  a  careful  search  among  those  papers,  failed  to 
discover  the  documents  in  question  or  any  trace  of  Garray's  invention.  . 

John  MacGragor,  Esq.,  in  a  paper  read  before  the  Society  of  Arts,  April 
14,  1858,  stated : 


j 


HISTOR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  3 

"On  the  23d  of  September  last  (1857)  I  visited  the  town  of  Simancas, 
near  Valladolid,  in  Spain,  with  Captain  John  Ussher,  to  inspect  some  letters 
of  Blasco  de  Garray,  which  are  there  preserved  among  the  national  archives. 

"  Having  obtained  the  requisite  royal  permission  I  was  allowed,  after 
much  difficulty,  to  read  (but  not  to  copy)  two  letters  signed  by  Blasco  de 
Garray,  written  clearly  in  Spanish  and  well  preserved.  One  of  these  was 
addressed  from  Malaga,  the  other  from  Barcelona ;  and  both  were  dated 
A.  D.  1543.  They  described  two  separate  experiments  with  different  vessels, 
both  of  them  moved  by  paddle-wheels  turned  by  men. 

"  One  vessel  was  stated  to  be  of  two  hundred  Spanish  tons  burthen,  pro- 
pelled by  a  paddle-wheel  on  each  side,  worked  by  twenty-five  men.  The 
other  vessel  was  moved  in  a  similar  manner  by  forty  men.  The  speed 
attained  is  mentioned  in  the  texts,  and  is  stated  in  a  side  note  (written  in 
a  different  hand,)  to  have  been  one  league,  or  about  three  and  a  half  English 
miles,  per  hour.  Various  calculations  as  to  the  tonnage,  the  motive  power, 
the  cost  and  other  matters,  are  contained  in  the  letters,  and  it  is  said  the 
vessels  thus  moved  were  found  to  steer  well,  but  could  be  propelled  more 
easily  for  a  long  time  by  oars.  Also  that,  like  other  inventions,  this  would 
probably  be  improved  by  the  experience  of  further  trials.  We  read  the 
letters  carefully  through,  and  neither  of  them  contained  any  mention  whatever 
of  the  use  of  steam,  or  any  expression  to  indicate  that  this  was  contemplated." 

There  were  no  other  letters  of  de  Garray,  or  documents  relating  to  his 
experiment,  in  the  archives,  and  no  traces  of  the  relics  of  the  machinery 
could  be  found  at  the  school  of  artillery.  Since  Mr.  MacGragor's  visit  M. 
Bergenroth  has  been  allowed  to  copy  the  documents  relating  to  de  Garray. 

1.  A  notograph  from  him  to  the  Emperor  dated  Malaga,  September  10, 
1540,  containing  his  report  on  the  trial  of  one  of  his  paddle-wheel  ships. 

2.  The  report  of  Captain  Des  Ugasura  on^he  same  trial  trip.     3.  The  report 
of  the  Proveedores  of  Malaga  concerning  the  same  trip,  dated  July  24, 1540. 
4.  The  report  of  Blasco  de  Garray  to  the  Emperor,  dated  July  6,  1543,  con- 
cerning the  trial  trip  of  another  of  his  paddle-wheel  ships,  made  at  Barce- 
lona in  June,  1543.     5.  A  letter  of  Blasco  de  Garray  to  Carrs,  dated  June 
20,  1543.     In  none  of  these  is  any  reference  to  steam  power  to  be  found. 

Blasco  de  Garray's  connection  with  the  invention  of  boats  moved  by  steam, 
notwithstanding  the  prominence  and  general  belief  it  has  attained,  may 
hereafter  be  dropped  as  having  no  foundation  in  fact. 

1630. — In  Sanderson's  edition  of  Rymer's  "  Fsedera,"  vol.  xix.,  there  is  a 
copy  of  a  patent  granted  by  Charles  I.  to  David  Ramseye,  a  groom  of  the 
privy  chamber,  dated  January  21,  1630.  Among  its  specifications  is  one 
"  to  raise  water  from  low  pits  by  fire,"  and  another  "  to  make  boats,  shippes, 
and  barges  to  go  against  strong  wind  and  tide." 

1641. — The  following  letter  written  by  Marion  Delorme,  dated  at  Paris, 
February,  1641,  suggested  to  Dumas  one  of  the  best  scenes  in  one  of  his 
wonderful  romances : 


4  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

PARIS,  February,  1.641. 

"  MY  DEAR  EFFIAT. — While  you  were  forgetting  me  at  Narbonue,  and 
giving  yourself  up  to  the  pleasures  of  the  court  and  the  delight  of  thwarting 
M.  le  Cardinal  de  Richelieu,  I,  according  to  your  express  desire,  am  doing 
the  honors  of  Paris  to  your  English  lord,  the  Marquis  of  Worcester;  and  I 
carry  him  about,  or  rather  he  carries  me,  from  curiosity  to  curiosity,  choosing 
always  the  most  grave  and  serious,  speaking  very  little,  listening  with  great 
attention,  and  fixing  on  those  whom  he  interrogates  two  large  blue  eyes,  which 
seem  to  pierce  to  the  very  centre  of  their  thoughts.  He  is  remarkable  for 
never  being  satisfied  with  any  explanations  which  are  given  him  ;  and  never 
sees  things  in  the  light  in  which  they  are  shown  to  him.  You  may  judge  of 
this  by  a  visit  we  made  together  to  Bicetre,  where  he  imagined  he  had  dis- 
covered a  genius  in  a  madman. 

"  If  this  madman  had  not  been  actually  raving  I  verily  believe  your 
Marquis  would  actually  have  entreated  his  liberty,  and  have  carried  him  off 
to  London,  in  order  to  hear  his  extravagances  from  morning  to  night  at 
his  ease. 

"  We  were  crossing  the  court  of  the  mad-house,  and  I,  more  dead  than 
alive  with  fright,  kept  close  to  my  companion's  side,  when  a  frightful 
face  appeared  behind  some  immense  bars,  and  a  hoarse  voice  exclaimed,  *  / 
am  not  mad  !  I  am  not  mad!  I  have  made  a  discovery  which  would  enrich  the 
country  that  adopted  it !'  *  What  has  he  discovered  ?'  I  asked  the  guide.  '  On,' 
he  answered,  shrugging  his  shoulders,  'something  trifling  enough, — you  would 
never  guess  it:  IT  is  THE  USE  OF  THE  STEAM  OF  BOILING  WATER.'  I  began 
to  laugh.  '  This  man,'  continued  the  speaker,  *  is  named  SALOMON  DE  CARRS  ; 
he  came  from  Normandy  four  years  ago,  to  present  to  the  king  a  statement 
of  the  wonderful  effects  that  might  be  produced  from  this  invention.  To 
listen  to  him  you  would  imagine  •that  with  steam  you  COULD  NAVIGATE 
SHIPS,  move  carriages, — in  fact,  there  is  no  end  to  the  miracles  which,  he 
insists  upon  it,  could  be  performed.  The  cardinal  sent  the  madman  away 
without  listening  to  him.  SALOMON  DE  CARRS,  far  from  being  discouraged, 
followed  the  cardinal  wherever  he  went,  with  the  most  determined  persever- 
ance, who,  tired  of  finding  him  forever  in  his  path,  and  annoyed  to  death 
with  his  folly,  ordered  him  to  be  shut  up  in  the  Bicetre,  where  he  has  now 
been  for  three  years  and  a  half,  and  where,  as  you  hear,  he  calls  out  to  every 
visitor  that  he  is  not  mad,  but  that  he  has  made  a  valuable  discovery.  He  has 
even  written  a  book  upon  the  subject,  which  I  have  here.' 

"  Lord  Worcester,  who  had  listened  to  this  account  with  much  interest, 
after  reflecting  a  time,  asked  for  the  book,  of  which,  after  reading  several 
pages,  he  said,  '  This  man  is  not  mad.  In  my  country,  instead  of  shutting  him 
up,  he  would  have  been  rewarded.  Take  me  to  him,  for  I  should  like  to  ask 
him  some  questions.' 

"  He  was  accordingly  conducted  to  his  cell,  but  after  a  time  he  came 
back  sad  and  thoughtful.  '  He  is  indeed  mad  now,'  said  he ;  '  misfortune 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  5 

and  captivity  have  alienated  his  reason,  but  it  is  you  who  have  to  answer 
for  his  madness.  When  you  cast  him  in  that  cell  you  confined  THE  GREAT- 
EST GENIUS  OF  THE  AGE  !'  After  this  we  went  away,  and  since  that  time  he 
has  done  nothing  but  talk  of  SALOMON  DE  CARRS.  Adieu  !  my  dear  and 
faithful  Henry.  Make  haste  and  come  back,  and  pray  do  not  be  so  happy 
where  you  are  as  not  to  keep  a  little  love  for  me. 

"MARION  DELORME." 

1651.— An  anonymous  pamphlet  was  published  in  London  in  1651,  entitled 
"  Inventions  of  Engines  of  Motion  lately  brought  to  Perfection,"  etc.  The 
author  claims  "to  have  erected  one  little  engine  or  great  model  at  Lambeth," 
which  among  its  capabilities  was  intended  "  to  draw  or  haul  ships,  boates,  etc., 
up  river  against  the  stream."  Steam  is  not  indicated  in  the  pamphlet,  but 
it  is  difficult  to  conceive  any  other  agent,  unless  some  explosive  compound 
by  which  the  pressure  of  the  atmosphere  was  exerted. 

1663. — The  Marquis  of  Worcester  published  a  little  book  in  1663,  which  he 
called  "  A  Century  of  the  Names  and  Scantlings  of  Inventions."  In  it  he  evi- 
dently describes  an  engine  capable  of  raising  water  by  the  repellant  power  of 
steam.  In  this  book  one  hundred  inventions  are  enumerated,  but  the  account 
of  each  is  so  short  as  often  to  be  very  obscure.  Among  his  other  boasts  he 
says,  "  I  can  make  a  vessel,  of  as  great  a  burthen  as  the  river  can  bear,  to  go 
against  the  stream,  which  the  more  rapid  it  is  the  faster  it  shall  advance, 
and  the  movable  part  that  works  it  may  be  by  one  man  still  guided  to  take 
advantage  of  the  stream,  and  yet  steer  the  boat  to  any  point ;  and  this  engine 
is  applicable  to  any  vessel  or  boat  whatsoever,  without  therefore  being  made 
on  purpose  ;  and  it  worketh  these  effects, — it  moveth,  it  draweth,  it  driveth 
(if  need  be)  to  pass  London  Bridge  against  the  stream  at  low  water  ;  and  a 
boat  lying  at  anchor,  the  engine  may  be  used  for  loading  and  unloading." 
A  recent  investigation  of  his  patent  shows,  as  it  is  expressly  so  stated,  that 
he  had  no  idea  of  using  steam,  but  "the  force  of  the  wind  or  stream  caused 
its  motion." 

1690. — Denis  Papin,  a  French  engineer,  who  was  forced,  after  the  Kevoca- 
tion  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes,  to  quit  his  country,  took  refuge  at  the  court  of 
the  landgrave  of  Hesse,  and  was  a  professor  of  mathematics  at  the  University 
of  Marburg  during  several  years.  In  1690  he  published  a  methodical  and 
clear  description  of  the  fire-engine,  now  known  as  the  atmospherical  engine, 
and  suggested  the  practicability  of  applying  the  power  of  steam  to  the  navi- 
gation of  rivers. 

1695. — Papin,  in  another  work  dated  1695,  says,  "  It  would  be  too  long  to 
describe  here  in  what  manner  this  invention  (the  atmospherical  engine) 
could  be  applied  to  drain  rivers,  throw  bombs,  and  row  against  wind.  I  can- 
not abstain  from  remarking  how  much  this  power  would  be  preferable  to 
that  of  galley-slaves  to  navigate  with  rapidity  to  sea."  Papin  next  criticises 
the  use  of  men  as  agents,  who,  he  says,  occupy  a  larger  space,  and  consume 


6  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

a  great  deal,  even  when  they  do  no  work,  and  observes  that  his  tubes  or 
pumps  would  be  less  cumbersome  ;  "  but,"  he  adds,  "  as  they  cannot  be  con- 
veniently adapted  to  ply  common  oars,  it  would  be  necessary  to  apply  to 
them  rotatory  oars."  He  mentions  having  seen  oars  of  that  description  fixed 
to  an  axle-tree  in  a  boat  belonging  to  Prince  Robert  of  Hesse,  which  were 
turned  by  horses.  He  thought,  however,  that  they  might  be  put  in  motion 
by  the  aid  of  a  steam-engine.  To  Denis  Papin  is  attributed  the  invention  of 
the  safety-valve. 

The  "  Encyclopaedia  Britannica"  appears  to  think  that  Papin's  sugges- 
tions for  the  application  of  steam  to  navigation  must  be  considered  as 
theory  alone,  never  carried  out.  But  his  correspondence  with  Leibnitz, 
which  has  recently  been  brought  to  light,  fully  proves  that  Tie  actually  con- 
structed a  steamboat  which  he  navigated  upon  the  river  Fulda  in  1707,  which 
boat  may  serve  as  a  warning  to  men  not  to  be  too  clever  for  their  age.  M. 
Fournier  relates  that  Papin  labored  at  his  construction  for  some  years  at 
Hanau,  and  that  at  Cassel  the  boat  was  launched  in  presence  of  the 
landgrave.  The  experiment  succeeded,  but  he  derived  from  it  only  scorn, 
ridicule,  and  abuse.  He  was  treated  as  a  charlatan  and  a  fool.  Disgusted 
with  the  conduct  of  the  Hessians,  Papin  attempted  to  go  to  London  in  his 
steam  vessel.  He  descended  the  Fulda  as  far  as  Miinden,  and  was  entering 
the  Weser,  formed  by  the  union  of  the  Fulda  and  Werra,  when  the  boat- 
men of  Miinden,  envious  or  suspicious  of  what  might  arise  from  the  inven- 
tion, laid  violent  hands  upon  him  and  his  boat.  He  escaped  with  difficulty, 
but  his  boat  was  destroyed.  He  tried  in  vain  to  obtain  redress ;  and  then 
came  to  reside  in  London,  where  he  died  three  years  afterwards  (1710)  with- 
out having  built  a  new  boat. 

1698. — July  25,  1698,  Captain  Thomas  Savary,  an  Englishman,  took  out 
a  patent  for  raising  water  by  the  impellant  force  of  fire.  The  same  year  he 
recommended  the  use  of  paddle-wheels  similar  to  those  now  employed  on 
steam-vessels,  though  without  in  the  remotest  degree  alluding  to  his  engine 
as  a  prime  mover.  It  is  probable  he  intended  to  employ  the  force  of  men 
or  animals  working  a  winch.  In  1696  he  obtained  a  patent  for  rowing  ships 
with  greater  ease  and  expedition  than  had  hitherto  been  done  by  any  other. 
In  1698  "  he  believed  steam  might  be  made  useful  to  ships,"  but  not  daring  to 
meddle  with  the  matter,  left  it  to  the  judgment  of  those  who  were  better 
judges  of  maritime  affairs. 

1699. — M.  Duguet  appears  to  have  tried  revolving  oars ;  aud  experiments 
were  made  with  them  on  a  large  scale,  both  at  Havre  and  Marseilles.  This 
mode  was  soon  given  up  as  impracticable. 

1736. — John  Barrow,  under-secretary  of  the  Admiralty,  in  his  auto- 
biography says: — "Neither  Lord  Stanhope,  nor  Fulton,  nor  the  American 
Livingston,  nor  Patrick  Millar,  nor  his  assistant  Symington,  have  the  least 
claims  of  priority  to  the  application  of  steam  and  wheels  for  propelling 
vessels.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  Jonathan  Hulls  was  the  real  inventor 
of  the  steamboat." 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  1 

Jonathan  Hulls  was  a  man  of  no  ordinary  capacity,  but  we  cannot  admit  > 
that  "  he  was  the  inventor  of  the  steamboat ;"  that  must  be  conceded  to 
Papin,  who  actually  moved  a  boat  by  the  power  of  steam  on  the  Fulda  in 
1707.  He,  undoubtedly,  in  a  rough  way,  was  the  first  Englishman  to  point 
out  how  steam  might  be  employed  in  the  propulsion  of  vessels.  His  scheme 
was  clever,  but  speculative.  It  did  not  obtain  any  practical  trial,  and  like 
many  other  efforts  of  genius,  came  to  nothing.  John  Scott  Kussell,  in  the 
"  Encyclopedia  Britannica,"  however,  asserts  that  Hulls  not  only  made 
a  model  of  his  invention,  but  that  a  boat  was  actually  constructed  and  use- 
fully employed. 

According  to  the  tradition  of  the  neighborhood  in  which  Hulls  was  born, 
he  was  the  son  of  a  mechanic  of  Hanging- Aston,  near  Campden,  Glouces- 
tershire; his  name  being  entered  in  the  baptismal  register  December  17, 
1699.  Thomas  Hull,  or  Hulls,  the  father,  having  removed  from  Aston  to 
Campden,  the  boy  was  educated  at  the  ancient  grammar  school  there.  With 
a  natural  turn  for  mechanics,  Jonathan  Hulls  was  brought  up  as  a  clock- 
maker,  or  rather  cltck-mender, — one  of  an  humble  class  of  artisans  whose 
business  it  is  to  make  a  circuit  through  a  district,  cleaning  and  repairing 
cottage  and  farm-house  clocks,  and  the  clocks  of  churches.  He  married 
early,  and  settled  in  the  hamlet  of  Broad  Campden  about  1729. 

During  the  earlier  years  of  manhood  Hulls  bore  the  reputation  of  being 
a  thoughtful  and  studious  man,  and  his  neighbors  regarded  his  superior 
mental  powers  with  no  small  degree  of  respect.  It  is  asserted  that  the  idea 
which  has  given  him  claim  to  posthumous  honor  occurred  to  him  while  he 
was  yet  young,  and  was  matured  in  his  mind  long  before  any  channel  was 
opened  through  which  he  could  make  it  known  to  the  world  ;  for  Hulls  had 
a  family  to  support,  and  no  means  beyond  his  precarious  handicraft.  A 
patron  at  last  appeared  in  Mr.  Freeman,  of  Batsford  Park,  whose  seat  (now 
that  of  Lord  Redesdale)  is  about  a  mile  from  Aston,  the  native  place  of  the 
inventor.  With  the  funds  provided  by  this  gentleman  Hulls  was  enabled 
to  go  to  London  to  procure  a  patent  and  to  publish  the  pamphlet  in  which 
his  invention  is  described. 

Hulls'  patent  is  dated  December  21,  1736,  when  he  was  thirty-seven 
years  old,  and  bears  the  sign-manual  of  Queen  Caroline  as  a  witness.  In 
this  instrument  the  invention  is  described  as  a  "  machine  for  carrying  ships 
and  vessels  out  of  or  into  any  harbor  or  river  against  wind  and  tide;"  and 
further,  it  sets  forth  that  as  the  inventor  could  not  at  that  time  "  safely  dis- 
cover the  nature  of  his  invention,"  he  might  afterwards  enroll  a  description 
of  the  same  in  the  High  Court  of  Chancery. 

The  little  pamphlet  in  which  Hulls  made  his  scheme  known  to  the  world  was 
printed  in  London  in  1737.  It  is  entitled  "  A  Description  and  Draught  of  a 
new-invented  Machine  for  carrying  Vessels  or  Ships  out  of  or  into  any  Har- 
bour, Port,  or  River  against  Wind  and  Tide  or  in  a  Calm."  In  his  preface 
he  says  :  "  There  is  one  great  hardship  lies  too  commonly  upon  those  who  pro- 


8  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

pose  to  advance  some  new  though  useful  scheme  for  the  public  benefit.  The 
world  abounding  more  in  rash  censure  than  in  a  candid  and  unprejudiced 
estimation  of  things,  if  a  person  does  not  answer  their  expectations  in  every 
point,  instead  of  friendly  treatment  for  his  good  intentions,  he  too  often 
meets  with  ridicule  and  contempt.  But  I  hope  this  will  not  be  my  case,  but 
that  they  will  form  a  judgment  of  my  present  undertaking  only  from  trial. 
If  it  should  be  said  that  I  have  filled  this  tract  with  things  that  are  foreign 
to  the  matter  proposed,  I  answer :  There  is  nothing  in  it  but  what  is  neces- 
sary to  be  understood  by  those  who  desire  to  know  the  nature  of  that  machine 
which  I  now  offer  to  the  world,  and  I  hope  that,  through  the  blessing  of 
God,  it  may  prove  serviceable  to  my  country." 

Mr.  Hulls  proposed  to  put  his  engine  into  a  tow-boat,  and  in  discussing  its 
advantages  says :  "  If  this  machine  is  put  in  a  separate  vessel,  this  vessel 
may  lie  in  any  port,  etc.,  to  be  ready  on  all  occasions.  A  vessel  of  small 
"burthen  will  be  sufficient  to  carry  the  machine  to  take  out  a  large  one.  A 
vessel  will  serve  for  this  purpose  for  many  years  after  she  is  not  safe  to  be 
taken  abroad."  Alluding  to  the  wheel  being  at  the  ste*rn,  "  When  the  wind 
•comes  ahead  of  the  tow-boat  the  fans  will  be  protected  by  it ;  and  when  the 
"wind  comes  sideways  the  wind  will  come  edgeways  of  the  fans,  and  therefore 
strike  them  with  less  force."  Again  he  says :  "  The  work  to  be  done  by 
this  machine  will  be  upon  particular  occasions,  when  all  other  means  yet 
found  out  are  wholly  insufficient.  How  often  does  a  merchant  wish  that  his 
ship  were  on  the  ocean,  when  if  she  were  there  the  wind  would  serve  toler- 
ably well  to  carry  him  on  his  intended  voyage,  but  does  not  serve  at  the 
same  time  to  carry  him  out  of  the  river,  etc.,  he  happens  to  be  in,  which  a 
few  hours'  work  of  this  machine  would  do." 

Hulls  gives  a  full  description  of  all  the  mechanism  of  this  steamboat,  and 
shows  how  steam  is  applied,  and  the  comparative  advantages  of  having  the 
steam  machinery  in  the  ship  itself,  or  in  a  separate  tow-boat.  He  seems  to 
have  studied  the  matter  very  fully,  even  to  the  consideration  of  the  relative 
expense,  and  there  seems  to  be  no  doubt  of  his  having  been  the  first  inventor 
of  an  ingenious  and  practicable  mechanism  for  propelling  vessels  by  a  con- 
densing steam-engine  and  by  paddle-wheels. 

This  pamphlet  seems  to  have  attracted  no  attention,,  and  Freeman, 
unwilling  to  risk  further  outlay,  abandoned  Hulls  and  his  project.  It  is 
evident  that  the  invention  did  not  receive  a  practical  trial,  and  whatever 
hopes  the  projector  based  upon  its  success  were  disappointed.  Commercially, 
like  all  the  ventures  of  Jonathan  Hulls,  it  proved  a  complete  failure.  In- 
curring some  derison  from  his  want  of  success  he  quitted  the  place  where  he 
was  best  known  and  hid  himself  among  the  crowds  of  London  with  what 
might  be  called  a  broken  heart,  and  died  in  extreme  poverty,  the  date  of 
his  decease  being  unknown. 

The  following  doggerel  is  still  the  burden  of  a  common  street-ditty  among 
the  boys  of  Campden  in  Gloucestershire,  Hulls'  native  place  : 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

\\         "Jonathan  Hulls,  '/ 

With  his  patent  skulls, 
Invented  a  machine 
To  go  against  wind  and  stream ; 
But  he,  being  an  a$&, 
Couldn't  bring  it  to  pass, 
And  so  was  ashamed  to  be  seen."* 


^vvJu 


1752. — Gautoir,  a  regular  canoo,  and  professor  of  mathematics,  presented 
to  the  Royal  Society  of  Nancy  a  memoir,  in  which,  having  shown  the  in- 
conveniences of  navigation  by  means  of  sails,  he  proposed  to  employ  a  fire- 
engine  (machine  feu}  of  his  invention  for  navigating  purposes. 

In  1851  there  was  discovered  in  the  archives  of  Venice  a  treatise 
on  "  Navigation  by  Fire,"  by  M.  Gautoir,  member  of  the  Royal  Society  of 
Paris,  which  shows  that  the  professor's  plans  for  steam  navigation  were  ex- 
hibited by  him  to  the  Venetian  republic  in  1756. 

1753 — Daniel  Bournoulli  wrote  a  memoir  mathematically  proving  that  a 
steam-engine  might  be  advantageously  used  in  vessels,  which  obtained  a  prize 
from  the  French  Academy  of  Sciences. 

His  proposition  was  to  propel  vessels  by  wheels,  with  vanes  set  at-"  an 
angle  of  sixty  degrees  both  with  the  arbor  and  keel  of  the  vessel,  to  which 
the  arbor  is  placed  parallel.  To  sustain  this  arbor  and  the  wheels  two 
strong  bars  of  iron,  of  between  two  and  three  inches  thick,  proceed  from  the 
sides  of  the  vessel,  at  right  angles  to  it,  about  two  feet  and  a  half  below  the 
surface  of  the  water."  The  propellers  for  the  stern  he  describes  to  be  of 
similar  construction,  but  shorter,  and  for  driving  them  he  says  they  "  can  be 
moved  by  men  aboard  the  vessels,  t>r  by  steam-engines,  or  on  rivers  by  horses 
placed  in  the  barges." 

Bournoulli's  plan  is  described,  and  several  modifications  proposed,  in 
Annales  des  Arts  et  Manufactures,"  tome  20,  p.  329  (A.D.  1803).  These 
represent,  by  drawings,  shafts  annexed  at  the  sides,  bow,  and  stern  of  the 
vessel.  Each  shaft  carries  eight  wheels,  each  wheel  having  eight  spokes, 
with  inclined  broad  vanes  at  the  ends.  It  is  suggested  that  a  shaft  might 
go  out  at  the  stern,  under  water,  through  a  stuffing-box,  and  means  are  de- 
scribed for  raising  the  shaft  which  is  under  water.  The  steam-engine  is 
proposed  to  be  used  to  turn  the  shaft  by  having  a  T  cross-head  on  the  pis- 
ton-rod, working  vertically,  with  a  crank  or  connecting-rod  at  each  end, 
turning  wheels,  one  of  which  works  the  shaft. 

In  1.753  Euler  proposed  to  use  a  shaft  with  four  floats  at  right  angles. 
This  was  worked  by  a  vertical  shaft  with  a  toothed  wheel  and  pinion.  Fin- 
cham's  "  History  of  Naval  Architecture  "  has  a  drawing  of  this  device. 

The  same  year  "  Mathon  de  la  Cour  proposed  floats  on  each  axle,  and 
the  intervention  of  an  endless  cord  passing  over  a  drum  at  the  end  of  the 

*  "  Notes  and  Queries,"  vol.  iii.,  1st  series. 


10  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

axle,  which  was  fastened  to  the  side  of  the  ship,  and  over  a  corresponding 
drum  annexed  to  the  frame."* 

1759. — M.  Gene vois,  a  Swiss  clergyman  of  the  Canton  of  Berne,  published 
at  Geneva  a  book  containing  what  he  called  the  discovery  of  the  "  Great 
Principle."  This  was  to  concentrate  power  by  whatever  means  obtained 
into  a  series  of  springs,  which  might  be  applied  to  a  variety  of  purposes, 
among  which  he  suggested  the  application  of  the  "  Great  Principle  "  to  pro- 
pel a  vessel  by  oars,  and  also  proposed  the  application  of  an  atmospheric 
steam-engine  to  bend  or  empower  the  springs  by  which  the  oars  were  to  be 
worked ;  but  his  favorite  project  appears  to  have  been  to  accomplish  that 
object  by  the  expansive  force  of  gunpowder.  M.  Genevois  visited  England 
in  1760,  and  submitted  his  plan  to  the  Board  of  Admiralty,  without  receiv- 
ing any  encouragement.  His  apparatus  resembled  in  principle  the  feet  of 
aquatic  birds,  opening  when  moving  through  the  water  in  one  direction,  and 
closing  on  its  return. 

1774. — The  Comte  de  Auxiron  made  an  experiment,  but  his  boat  moved 
so  slowly  and  irregularly  that  those  who  had  been  at  the  expense  of  the 
trial  at  once  abandoned  all  hopes  of  success. 

1775. — The  elder  Perrier,  for  whom  M.  Arago  claimed  the  honor  of  hav- 
ing constructed  the  first  steamboat,  and  who  was  afterwards  celebrated  as  the 
introducer  of  the  manufacture  of  steam-engines  into  France,  constructed 
in  1775  a  vessel  impelled  by  a  steam-engine ;  but  the  power  of  the  engine 
was  so  small — being  scarcely  that  of  one  horse — that  it  could  not  impart 
sufficient  velocity  to  the  vessel  to  ascend  the  river  Seine  to  advantage.  Not 
discouraged,  and  ascribing  his  failure  to  the  use  of  paddle-wheels,  he  applied 
himself  for  several  years  to  the  search  for  other  substitutes  for  oars.  It  does 
not,  however,  appear  that  he  made  any  valuable  discovery.  M.  Ducrest 
published  a  work  in  1777,  which  contains  an  account  of  various  experiments 
made  by  Perrier  in  his  presence. 

In  1776  Guyon  de  la  Piombiere  suggested  the  use  of  the  steam-engine  for 
propelling  a  vessel.f 

Mr.  Andrew  Ellicott,  an  American,  in  1775,  states  that  he  had  a  conver- 
sation on  the  subject  of  steam  with  Mr,  William  Henry,  of  Lancaster,  who 
suggested  the  possibility  of  applying  steam  to  vessels,  as  did  also  Mr. 
Thomas  Paine/the  author  of"  Common  Sense,"  in  1778. 

1778. — The  Marquis  de  Jouffroy  made  his  first  experiments,  in  1778,  at 
Baumes  les  Dames,  and  in  1781  he  built  upon  the  Saon  a  steam-vessel  one 
hundred  and  forty  feet  long  by  twenty  feet  wide.  In  1783,  his  experiments 
became  the  subject  of  a  favorable  report  made  to  the  French  Academy  of 
Sciences  by  Borda  and  Perrier.  M.  de  Jouffroy  demanded  a  patent,  but  be- 
fore it  was  granted  the  Revolution  compelled  him  to  emigrate.  On  his  re- 

*  Fincham's  History  of  Naval  Architecture.     London,  1851,  p.  280,  for  drawing. 
f  Encyclopedic  Moderr.e.     Paris,  1855.     Article  '«  Vapeur,"  171. 


HISTOR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  11 

turn  to  France,  in  1796,  he  learned  that  M.  de  Blanc,  an  artist  of  Trevoux, 
had  obtained  a  patent  for  the  construction  of  a  steamboat. 

1779,  March  10, — Matthew  Washbrough  took  out  a  patent  for  machinery 
to  be  attached  to  a  steam  engine,  one  use  of  which  he  mentions  as  follows : 
"  Lastly,  I  intend  to  apply  my  engine,  as  described  above,  for  the  purpose 
of  moving  ships,  boats,  and  lighters,  or  any  vessel  in  water." 

1782. — The  Abbe  Darical  proposed  several  plans,  which  were  not  supe- 
rior to  Perrier's,  and  were  speedily  laid  aside.  In  1782,  Desblancs  sent  a 
model  to  the  Conservatoire  des  Arts  et  Metiers  of  a  steamboat  moved  by  a 
chain  of  floats  carried  by  wheels  at  its  side  turned  by  a  horizontal  cylinder. 

1783. — IQ  the  great  Patent  Office  Library,  England,  there  is  a  French 
print  by  Jamont,  dated  A.  *D.  1816,  entitled,  "  Plan  et  profil  du  Bateau  a 
Vapeur  execute  par  M.  L.  Marquis  de  Jouffroy  a  Lyon,  en  1783."  It  rep- 
resents a  steamboat  one  hundred  and  forty  feet  long,  with  paddle-wheels  on 
a  shaft  turned  by  a  single  horizontal  steam  cylinder  and  piston,  with  a 
double  rack  work  and  pauls  on  the  piston-rod. 

"An  experiment  was  tried  in  the  river  Thames  on  a  coal  barge  to  work 
against  the  tide  by  means  of  an  apparatus  fixed  to  the  sides ;  so  contrived 
that  when  put  in  motion,  which  was  done  by  a  fire  engine,  it  rowed 
three  pair  of  oars,  and  required  only  the  assistance  of  one  man  to  steer.  It 
seems  rather  too  complex  a  business  in  its  present  state,  but  the  plan  ap- 
pears practicable,  and  should  it  succeed  by  some  judicious  constructing,  it 
must  prove  of  immense  advantage  to  the  (coal?)  trade."* 

1784.— Moses  Hunter,  May  19,  1788,  certifies  that  November,  1784,  being 
at  Richmond,  Virginia,  attending  the  Assembly  as  a  representative  from 
Berkeley  county,  Mr.  James  Rumsey,  a  workLogJmth-tender,  informed  him 
in  confidence  that  "  he  intended  to  construct  a  boat  which  was  to  be  wrought 
altogether  by  steam ;  that  he  had  tried  the  principles,  some  of  which  he 
mentioned."  From  the  tenor  of  the  conversation,  he  understood  Rumsey 
that  his  principal  dependence  for  the  operation  of  his  boat  was  upon 
steam.  A  rude  model  was  exhibited  to  a  company  of  visitors  at  Berkeley 
Springs  in  the  year  1784.  George  Washington  was  one  of  the  favored 
few  who  witnessed  the  successful  launch  of  the  little  boat  and  testified 
to  the  value  of  the  discovery.  Fearful  of  his  invention  being  stolen, 
Rumsey  appears  to  have  sworn  all  who  witnessed  the  experiment  to  secrecy, 
for  the  certificate  given  him  by  General  Washington,  and  meant  for  publi- 
cation, is  so  carefully  worded  as  to  avoid  using  the  word  steam.  It  reads  : 

"I  have  seen  the  model  of  Mr.  Rumsey's  boat,  constructed  to  work  against 
the  stream  :  examined  the  powers  upon  which  it  acts  ;  been  eye-witness  to  an 
actual  experiment  in  running  waters  of  some  rapidity ;  and  give  it  as  my 
opinion  (although  I  had  little  faith  before)  that  he  has  discovered  the  art  of 
working  boats  by  mechanism  and  small  manual  assistance  against  rapid 

*  "  British  Magazine  and  Review,"  October  26th,  1783. 


12  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

currents ;  that  the  discovery  is  of  vast  importance,  may  be  of  the  greatest 
usefulness  in  our  inland  navigation ;  and  if  it  succeeds,  of  which  I  have  no 
doubt,  the  value  of  it  is  greatly  enhanced  by  the  simplicity  of  the  work, 
which,  when  explained,  may  be  executed  by  the  most  common  mechanic. 

"  Given  under  my  hand  and  sea),  in  the  town  of  Bath,  county  of  Berkeley, 
in  the  State  of  Virginia,  this  7th  day  of  September,  1784. 

"  GEORGE  WASHINGTON." 

In  1785  Rumsey  gave  a  public  exhibition  on  the  Potomac,  above  Shep- 
herdstown,  Virginia,  of  his  discovery  that  a  boat  could  be  propelled  by 
steam  up  stream  against  the  current.  The  boiler  and  machinery  for  Rum- 
sey's  steamboat  were  made  at  the  Catoctin  Iron  Furnace,  in  Frederick  county, 
owned  by  Johnson  and  brothers.  Afterwards,  encouraged  by  his  success,  he 
sailed  for  England,  but  first  destroyed  his  precious  model.  He  hoped  in 
that  older  and  richer  country  to  perfect  his  work  and  realize  fame  and  for- 
tune. Doomed  to  disappointment,  after  a  long  and  harassing  struggle,  he 
died  before  completing  and  satisfactorily  demonstrating'the  principles  of 
anew  model.  Rumsey  accused  Fitch  of  "coming  pottering  around"  his 
Virginia  work-bench  and  carrying  off  his  ideas,  to  be  afterwards  developed 
in  Philadelphia.  Rumsey  died  in  England  of  apoplexy  at  a  public  lecture 
where  he  was  explaining  his  inventions. 

A  gentleman  not  many  years  ago  had  in  his  possession  letters  written  by 
Rumsey  in  London,  which  mentioned  his  receiving  frequent  visits  there 
from  a  young  American  studying  engineering,  who  showed  a  sympathetic 
and  intelligent  interest  in  Rurnsey's  labors.  This  young  man  was  Robert 
Fulton,  who,  nineteen  years  after  Rumsey's  death,  gave  the  world  a  success- 
fpl  steamboat. 

1785. — Thomas  Jefferson,  writing  from  Paris  in  1785,  describes  a  vessel 
recently  invented,  which  he  examined  while  in  operation.  He  says  the  in- 
ventor did  not  know  the  principle  of  his  own  invention.  "  It  is  a  screw  with 
a  very  broad  or  thin  worm,  or  rather  it  is  a  thin  plate,  with  its  edge  applied 
spirally  round  an  axis.  This  being  turned  operates  on  the  air  as  a  screw 
does,  and  may  be  literally  said  to  screw  the  vessel  along.  .  .  .  The 
screw,  I  think,  would  be  more  effectual  if  placed  below  the  surface  of 
the  water."  Mr.  Jefferson  adds  that  he  thinks  Mr.  Bushnell,  of 
Connecticut,  has  a  prior  claim  to  the  invention  of  the  screw  as  a  motive- 
power  for  vessels.  During  our  Revolutionary  war  he  invented  a  submarine 
torpedo- vessel,  to  be  driven  by  screws.  This  torpedo  was  the  original  of 
Fulton's,  and  may  have  been  the  first  instrument  of  its  kind  ;  but  the  screw 
had  been  suggested  as  a  motive-power  for  vessels  long  before.  Brande's 
Dictionary  says  that  "the screw-propeller  is  probably  as  old  as  the  windmill, 
and  a  windmill  of  the  construction  now  usually  employed  is  represented  in 
the  seventy -seventh  proposition  of  Hero's  'Spiritalia,'  a  work  written  one 
hundred  and  thirty  years  before  the  Christian  era," 


HISTOR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  13 

For  a  century  and  a  half  efforts  were  made  to  introduce  the  screw  as  a  pro- 
peller of  vessels  before,  Ericsson  and  Smith  successfully  demonstrated  the 
utility  of  the  screw,  and  its  advantages  over  paddle-wheels. 

The  first  attempt  to  connect  a  steam-engine  with  a  screw-propeller  was 
by  Joseph  Bramah,  of  Piccadilly,  engine-maker,  who  on  the  9th  of  May, 
1785,  took  out  a  patent  for  improvements  in  machinery,  including  two  new 
methods  of  propelling  vessels  through  the  water.  The  first  of  these  contriv- 
ances was  the  application  of  a  paddle-wheel  to  the  stern  of  the  vessel,  driven 
by  a  steam-engine,  the  rudder  being  placed  in  the  bow,  in  order  to  facilitate 
this  contrivance. 

His  other  invention  was  the  application  to  the  stern  of  the  vessel  of  "  a 
wheel  with  inclined  fans  or  wings,  similar  to  the  fly  of  the  smoke-jack  or  the 
vertical  sails  of  a  windmill."  This  wheel  was  to  be  fixed  on  the  spindle  of 
the  rotatory  engine  without  intermediate  gearing,  and  wholly  under  water, 
where,  by  being  turned  either  way,  it  would  force  the  ship  backward  or  for- 
ward, as  the  inclination  of  the  fans  or  wings  would  act  as  oars  with  equal 
force  both  ways,  and  their  power  be  in  proportion  to  the  size  and  velocity  of 
the  wheel,  allowing  the  fans  to  have  a  proper  inclination.  Where  the  en- 
gine-shaft passed  through  the  vessel  it  was  to  be  made  tight  with  a  stuffing- 
box. 

This  is  considered  to  be  the  first  attempt  at  coupling  together  a  submerged 
screw-propeller  and  the  steam-engine  for  the  propulsion  of  vessels,  but  there 
is  no  evidence  that  Bramah  ever  made  or  tried  a  propeller,  and  his 
rotary  engine  by  which  it  was  to  be  driven  turned  out  a  failure. 

At  a  special  meeting  of  the  American  Philosophical  Society  of  Philadel- 
phia, held  on  the  27th  of  September,  1785,  John  Fitch  laid  before  it  a  draw- 
ing and  description  of  a  machine  for  working  a  boat  against  a  stream  by 
means  of  a  steam-engine,  and  on  the  2d  of  December  following  presented  a 
copy  of  the  model  and  drawing  to  the  society,  as  appears  by  the  minutes  of 
Samuel  Magan,  one  of  the  secretaries. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  year  Fitch  set  out  from  Philadelphia  with  a  view 
of  visiting  Kentucky,  but  he  turned  aside  from  his  purpose  at  Richmond, 
and  petitioned  the  Legislature  of  Virginia  for  assistance  for  his  steamboat. 
No  formal  report  was  made,  but  believing  that  the  experiment  would  not  be 
costly,  he  executed  a  bond  to  Patrick  Henry,  governor  of  Virginia,  condi- 
tioned that  if  he  should  sell  one  thousand  copies  of  his  map  of  the  Western 
country  in  that  State  at  6s.  Sd.  each,  he  would,  in  nine  months  thereafter, 
exhibit  a  steamboat  in  the  waters  of  Virginia  or  forfeit  the  penalty  of  three 
hundred  and  fifty  pounds. 

In  November  of  the  samp  year  he  received  from  Patrick  Henry,  the  gov- 
ernor of  Virginia,  the  following  certificate.* 

"  I  certify  that  John  Fitch,  has  left  in  my  hands  a  bond,  payable  to  the 

*  U.  S.  Patent  Reports,  1849-50. 


14  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

Governor  for  the  time  being,  for  £350,  conditioned  for  exhibiting  his  steam- 
boat when  he  receives  subscriptions  for  one  thousand  of  his  maps,  6s.  Sd. 

each. 

(Signed)  P.  HENRY. 

"  November  16, 


This  provision  was  never  put  in  operation,  because  the  sales  of  the  maps 
were  very  small.  On  his  return  to  Pennsylvania  to  print  the  maps  he 
stopped  at  Philadelphia,  and  presented  a  petition  for  assistance  to  the  Legis- 
lature of  Pennsylvania,  and  immediately  afterwards  went  to  Annapolis  and 
made  a  similar  application  to  the  Legislature  of  Maryland.  These  attempts 
were  unsuccessful,  and  an  effort  to  induce  the  State  of  New  Jersey  to  appro- 
priate one  thousand  pounds  of  loan  certificates  for  the  purpose  of  building 
a  steamboat  also  failed.  Shortly  afterwards  the  Legislature  of  the  latter 
State  enacted  a  law  giving  to  John  Fitch  the  exclusive  right  for  fourteen 
years  of  making  and  using  all  and  every  species  of  boats  and  water-crafts 
which  might  be  urged  or  propelled  by  fire  or  steam  in  the  waters  of  the 
State.  He  then  returned  to  Philadelphia,  and  succeeded  in  forming  a  com- 
pany. The  stock  was  divided  into  forty  shares.  The  original  subscribers 
were  Samuel  Vaughn,  Richard  Wells,  Benjamin  W.  Morris,  John  Morris, 
Joseph  Budd,  John  and  Chamless  Hart,  Thomas  Say,  Magnus  Miller, 
Gideon  Hill  Wells,  Thomas  Palmer,  Thomas  Hutchins,  Richard  Wells,  Jr., 
John  Strother,  Israel  Israel,  William  Reubel,  and  Edward  Brooks,  Jr.,  each 
of  whom  had  one  share;  Richard  Stockton,  of  Princeton,  three  shares; 
Benjamin  Say,  two  shares.  Stacy  Potts,  of  Trenton,  was  an  early  member 
of  the  company,  but  soon  withdrew  from  it.  In  the  beginning  it  was  agreed 
that  Fitch  should  have  twenty  shares  for  his  interest  and  services  in  the  ex- 
periment. The  first  difficulty  of  the  company  was  about  the  making  of  a 
steam-engine.  The  assistance  of  Henry  Voight,  an  ingenious  clock  and 
watchmaker  of  Philadelphia,  whom  Fitch  looked  upon  as  a  .practical  man 
of  sound  sense  and  experience,  was  obtained,  and  shares  were  gradually 
made  over  for  his  services,  until  in  1787  he  held  five. 

1786.  —  The  subscribers  generally  paid  in  twenty  dollars  each  on  their  shares, 
and  with  this  small  sum  the  experiments  were  commenced.  A  model  steam- 
engine,  with  a  cylinder  of  one  inch  diameter,  was  made,  but  although  it 
worked,  it  was  too  small  to  demonstrate  anything.  A  new  model,  with  a 
three-inch  cylinder,  was  then  made  and  applied  to  a  small  skiff.  With  this 
machinery  trials  were  made  on  the  Delaware,  about  the  20th  of  July,  1786, 
with  "a  screw  of  paddles,"  a  screw-propeller,  the  endless  chain,  and  the  side 
wheels,  without  much  success.  The  next  night,  while  in  bed,  Fitch  thought 
of  a  plan  of  rowing  the  boat  by  oars  or  paddles  on  the  sides,  to  be  moved  by 
cranks  worked  by  machinery.  He  immediately  rose  and  drew  a  plan,  and 
the  next  morning  showed  it  to  Voight,  who  approved  of  it  with  some  modi- 
fications. This  was  afterwards  tried  on  the  skiff  with  the  steam-engine,  and 
the  first  boat  successfully  propelled  by  steam  in  America  was  moved  in  the 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  15 

Delaware  on  the  27th  of  July,  1786,  with  flattering  promises  of  the  future 
usefulness  of  the  invention. 

The  members  of  the  company  were  so  much  pleased  with  its  success  that 
they  determined  to  build  a  steamboat  for  practical  use,  as  a  passage  and 
freight  boat.  But  the  original  subscriptions  were  now  exhausted,  and  the 
shareholders  were  tardy  in  the  payment  of  new  installments.  Fitch  induced 
a  committee  of  the  Assembly  of  Pennsylvania  to  report,  in  September,  in 
favor  of  loaning  him  one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds;  but  the  House  rejected 
the  report  by  a  vote  of  twenty-eight  yeas  to  thirty-two  nays.  Application 
was  made  to  General  Mifflin  without  success.  Matters  then  languished  for 
a  while,  during  which  a  law  was  passed  by  the  State  of  Delaware  securing 
(1787)  Fitch's  right  to  the  invention.  A  new  deed  was  signed  by  the  share 
holders  in  February,  1787,  and  fresh  advances  were  made.  The  engine  was  to 
be  of  twelve-inch  cylinder,  and  the  boat  twelve  feet  beam  and  forty-five  feet 
long.  The  engine  was  finished  in  May,  1787,  but  "the  wooden  caps"  to  the 
cylinder  admitted  air,  and  the  piston  was  leaky.  The  works  were  all  taken  , 
out  to  the  foundation  and  set  up  again,  when  the  condensation  was  found  to 
be  imperfect.  New  condensers  and  other  machinery  were  made,  and  the 
boat  moved  at  times  as  fast  as  three  or  four  miles  an  hour.  But  something 
was  continually  going  wrong.  The  work  was  very  imperfect,  the  details  of 
such  machinery  being  unknown  in  America,  and  the  work'men  common 
blacksmiths.  By  entreaty  the  company  was  induced  to  persevere.  On  the 
22d  of  August,  1787,  this  boat  was  propelled  on  the  Delaware  in  the  presence 
of  nearly  all  the  members  of  the  convention  to  frame  the  Federal  Constitu- 
tion ;  but  the  rate  of  progress  was  too  slow  to  satisfy  the  projector.  Never- 
theless, certificates  of  the  perfect  success  of  this  attempt  were  given  by 
Governor  Randolph,  of  Virginia,  Dr.  Johnson  of  the  same  State,  David 
Rittenhouse,  the  astronomer,  Andrew  Ellicott,  professor  in  the  Episcopal 
Academy,  and  Dr.  John  Ewing,  of  the  University. 

The  following  is  the  Certificate  of  David  Rittenhouse : 

"  This  may  certify  that  the  subscriber  has  frequently  seen  Mr.  Fitch's 
(John  Fitch)  steamboat,  which  with  great  labor  and  perseverance  he  has  at 
length  completed  ;  and  has  likewise  been  on  board  when  the  boat  was  worked 
against  both  wind  and  tide,  with  considerable  velocity,  by  the  force  of  steam 
only.  Mr.  Fitch's  merits  in  constructing  a  good  steam  engine,  and  apply- 
ing it  to  so  useful  a  purpose,  will  no  doubt  meet  with  the  encouragement  he 
so  richly  deserves  from  the  generosity  of  his  countrymen,  especially  those, 
who  wish  to  promote  every  improvement  of  the  useful  arts  in  America." 
(Signed)  DAVID  RITTENHOUSE. 

Philadelphia,  December  12,  1787. 

1786. — Fitch  a  year   earlier  communicated  to  the   Columbian  Magazine 
this  description  of  his  steamboat : 


16  HISTOR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

PHILADELPHIA,  December  &,  1786. 
"  To  THE  EDITOR  OF  THE  COLUMBIAN  MAGAZINE. 

"  SIR  : — The  reason  of  my  so  long  deferring  to  give  you  a  description  of 
the  steamboat  has  been  in  some  measure  owing  to  the  complication  of  the 
•works,  and  an  apprehension  that  a  number  of  drafts  would  be  necessary  in 
order  to  show  the  powers  of  the  machine  as  clearly  as  you  would  wish.  But 
as  I  have  not  been  able  to  hand  you  herewith  such  drafts,  I  can  only  give 
you  the  general  principles.  It  is  in  several  parts  similar  to  the  late  im- 
proved steam-.engines  in  Europe,  though  there  are  some  alterations.  Our 
cylinder  is  to  be  horizontal,  and  the  steam  to  work  with  equal  force  at  each 
end.  The  mode  by  which  we  obtain  what  I  take  the  liberty  of  terming  a 
vacuum  is,  we  believe,  entirely  new,  as  is  also  the  method  of  letting  the 
water  into  it,  and  throwing  it  off  against  the  atmosphere  without  any  fric- 
tion. It  is  expected  that  the  engine,  which  is  a  twelve-inch  cylinder,  will 
move  with  a  clear  force  of  eleven  or  twelve  hundred  weight  after  the  fric- 
tions are  deducted  ;  this  force  is  to  act  against  a  wheel  of  eighteen  inches 
diameter.  The  piston  is  to  move  about  three  feet,  and  each  vibration  of  the 
piston  gives  the  axis  about  forty  evolutions.  Each  evolution  of  the  axis 
moves  twelve  oars  or  paddles,  five  and  a  half  feet,  which  work  perpendicu- 
larly, and  are  represented  'by  the  stroke  of  the  paddle  of  a  canoe.  As  six 
of  the  paddles  are  raised  from  the  water  six  more  are  entered,  and  the  two 
sets  of  paddles  make  their  strokes  about  eleven  feet  in  each  evolution.  The 
cranks  of  the  axis  act  upon  the  paddles  about  one-third  of  their  length  from 
the  lever  end,  on  which  part  of  the  oar  the  whole  force  of  the  axis  is  applied. 
Our  engine  is  placed  in  the  boat  about  one-third  from  the  stern,  and  both 
the  action  and  reaction  turn  the  wheel  the  same  way. 

"  With  the  most  perfect  respect,  sir,  I  beg  leave  to  subscribe  myself, 

"  Your  very  humble  servant, 

"  JOHN  FITCH." 

Oliver  Evans,  in  1814,  affirmed  before  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  Washing- 
ton, D.  C.,  that  when  Fitch  and  his  company  were  constructing  their  steam- 
boat in  Philadelphia,  he  suggested  the  propelling  of  her  by  paddle-wheels 
at  the  sides.  One  of  the  company,  Dr.  Wm.  Thornton  had  also  urged  the 
use  of  wheels  at  the  sides,  but  Fitch  objected  to  their  use.  He  also  affirmed 
that  Fitch  declared  his  intention  to  establish  steamboats  on  Western  waters, 
of  the  advantages  of  which  he  appeared  to  have  formed  the  greatest 
expectations ;  further  about  the  year  1786-1787  or  1788  Fitch  informed 
him  that  he  contemplated  employing  his  steamboat  on  the  lakes,  and  meant 
to  construct  it  with  two  keels  to  answer  as  runners,  and  when  the  lakes 
should  freeze  over,  he  would  raise  his  boat  on  the  ice,  and  by  a  wheel  on 
each  side,  with  spikes  in  the  rims  to  take  hold  of  the  ice,  he  calculated  it 
would  be  possible  to  run  thirty  miles  an  hour ;  also,  that  he  meant  to  tow 
boats  and  other  floats  by  steamboats. 


HISTOE  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  17 

1787.— Mr.  Patrick  Millar  in  1787  published  in  English  and  French  an 
account  of  his  naval  experiments,  illustrated  with  plates,  copies  of  which  were 
presented  to  every  sovereign  in  Europe,  to  the  American  States,  and  to  the 
Royal  Societies  in  London  and  Edinburgh.  In  this  work,  speaking  of  the 
use  of  wheels  as  the  moving  power  of  vessels,  he  says,  "  I  have  reason  to  be- 
lieve that  the  power  of  the  steam-engine  may  be  applied  to  work  the  ivheels  so  as 
to  give  them  a  quicker  motion,  and  consequently  to  increase  that  of  the  ship. 
In  the  course  of  the  summer  I  intend  to  make  the  experiment,"  etc. 

The  same  year  Millar  took  out  a  patent  for  propelling  boats  by  means  of 
paddle-wheels  turned. by  men.  His  vessel  had  a  double  deck,  was  sixty-feet 
long,  and  had  two  wheels  turned  by  two  men  each. 

During  the  summer  Mr.  James  Taylor  proposed  to  Millar  the  application 
of  a  steam-engine  to  the  wheels  of  his  boat  in  place  of  the  men,  who  were 
soon  fatigued  by  the  labor  necessary  to  force  the  boat  to  any  speed  through 
the  water.  Dr.  Brewster,  speaking  of  the  invention,  says,  "  That  this  gen- 
tleman was  the  inventor  of  the  steamboat  in  the  strictest  sense  of  the  word 
I  will  not  venture  to  affirm,  but  I  have  no  hesitation  in  stating  it  as  my 
decided  opinion  that  he  is  more  entitled  to  this  distinction  than  any  other 
individual  who  has  been  named."  Dr.  Brewster  was  not  aware  of  the  suc- 
cessful experiment  of  Fitch  a  year  earlier. 

1787. — The  next  and  third  boat  propelled  by  steam  within  the  waters  of  the 
United  States  was  built  this  year,  by  James  Rumsey,  of  Virginia,  who  had 
a  long  controversy  with  Fitch  as  to  the  priority  of  the  application  of  steam 
as  a  moving  power  for  vessels.  Rumsey  tried  his  boat  at  Shepherdstown, 
Virginia,  on  the  3d  of  December,  1787,  and  the  success  of  his  experiment  is 
certified  to  by  Major-General  Horatio  Gates,  Rev.  Robert  Stubbs,  and 
others.  This  boat  was  propelled  by  sucking  in  water  at  the  bow  and  eject- 
ing it  at  the  stern.  It  moved  at  the  rate  of  four  miles  an  hour,  but  made 
only  one  trip,  and  probably  did  not  go  half  a  mile  in  distance. 

1788. — As  early  as  1788,  Nathan  Read,  a  graduate  of  Harvard  and  a  resi- 
dent of  Salem,  Mass.,  devoted  himself  to  the  purpose  of  applying  steam-power 
to  navigation.  Having  learned  of  the  unsuccessful  experiments  of  Rumsey  on 
the  Potomac,  and  Fitch  upon  the  Delaware  the  year  previous,  and  believing 
their  failure  was  owing  to  their  ill-constructed  machinery  and  modes  of  propul- 
sion, he  sought  to  overcome  the  difficulty  by  the  invention  and  combination 
of  machinery  of  a  different  and  more  perfect  kind.  He  believed  this  could 
be  done  by  a  modification  of  "  Watt's"  improved  engine,  also  that  the  modes 
of  propulsion  used  by  Rumsey  and  Fitch — setting  poles,  oars,  paddles,  or 
the  ejection  of  water  from  the  stern  of  the  boat — were  awkward  and  un- 
suitable. He  succeeded  in  inventing  a  new  boiler.  This  boiler  was  con. 
structed  of  seventy-eight  vertical  tubes  placed  within  it,  and  he  called  it  the 
Multi-tubular  boiler. 

1791. — In  1791  he  obtained  a  U.  S.  patent  for  this  boiler,  and  for 
the  improvement  of  the  steam  cylinder,  and  for  "a  practical  mode  of 


18  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

driving  or  impelling  boats  or  vessels  of  any  kind  in  the  water  or 
against  the  current,  by  means  of  the  chain-wheel,  a  rowing  machine,  con- 
structed and  operating  upon  the  general  principles  of  the  chain  pump,  and 
moved  by  the  force  of  steam  or  any  other  power,  in  the  same  manner  as  the 
chain  pump  is  moved." 

1789. — Read  constructed  in  1789  a  boat  to  which  he  attached  paddle-wheels 
to  an  axis  extending  across  the  gunwales  of  the  boat,  turned  by  a  crank,  and 
designed  to  be  moved  by  his  high  pressure  engine,  with  the  continuous  rota- 
tive principle  of  Watt.  By  means  of  the  crank  worked  by  hand,  Read  pro- 
pelled himself  with  great  rapidity  .across  an  arm  of  the  sea  (called  Porter's 
River)  in  Dauvers.  Satisfied  from  his  experiment  that  paddle-wheels  would 
drive  a  boat  with  great  ease  and  speed  when  turned  by  the  power  of  a  steam- 
engine  and  controlled  by  its  steady  rotative  principle,  he  determined  to  use 
paddle-wheels,  and  constructed  a  model  of  his  steamboat  accordingly,  with  a 
view  to  a  patent.  January,  1790,  a  committee  of  the  American  Academy  of 
Arts  and  Sciences,  and  eleven  of  the  most  prominent  citizens  of  Salem,  cer- 
tified to  the  importance  of  his  improvements  to  the  steam-engine. 

1790. — He  petitioned  Congress  February  8, 1790  to  grant  him  a  patent  for 
his  inventions,  specifying  he  had  "discovered  an  improved  method  of  apply- 
ing the  power  of  steam  to  the  purposes  of  navigation,"  and  "  The  machinery 
for  communicating  motion  to  boats,  vessels,  etc.,  is  very  simple  and  takes  up 
but  little  room."  No  patent  laws  or  regulations  had  been  established  or  pat- 
ents granted  by  the  general  government,  but  soon  after  his  petition  to  Con- 
gress the  "  Act  to  promote  the  progress  of  the  useful  arts"  was  passed, 
constituting  the  Secretaries  of  State  and  War  and  the  Attorney  General  a 
board  of  commissioners,  to  whom  all  matters  of  this  character  were  to  be  re- 
ferred, and  his  application  came  before  the  new  board.  He  first  asked  for  a 
patent  for  a  boat  consisting  of  paddle-wheels,  his  newly  invented  boiler  and  im- 
proved cylinder,  but  in  looking  over  some  of  the  old  volumes  of  "The  Transac- 
tions of  the  Royal  Society,"  he  chanced  to  notice  an  article  relating  to  an  ex- 
periment a  long  time  previous  in  France,  which  related  that  paddle-wheels 
and  oars  had  both  been  tried  to  control  a  ship  of  war  in  a  calm.  Erroneously 
supposing  such  an  experiment  interfered  with  his  right  to  a  patent  for 
a  boat  with  paddle-wheels,  he  withdrew  so  much  of  his  petition  as  related  to 
them,  and,  January  1,  1791,  presented  a  new  petition  and  substituted  a  new 
propelling  agent,  whch  he  denominated  a  rowing  machine,  to  revolve  like  a 
chain  pump,  which  he  believed  would  answer  the  next  best  purpose  to  pad- 
dle-wheels, which  he  still  considered  preferable.  As  Fulton  obtained  his 
patent  for  paddle-wheels  in  1811,  Read  was  surely  entitled  to  a  patent  for 
similar  wheels  in  1791.  The  paddle-wheel  had  been  rejected  by  Fitch  and 
Perrier  principally  on  account  of  the  oblique  resistance  the  paddles  met  with 
as  they  entered  and  emerged  from  the  water,  and  which  was  greatly  increased 
as  the  boat  was  laden. 

To  obviate  this  Read  constructed  his  wheels  to  be  raised  or  lowered  as  oc- 
casion might  require. 


HISTOR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  19 

The  first  patents  issued  under  the  authority  of  the  United  States  were  to 
Kead,  Fitch,  Rumsey,  and  Stevens,  under  date  August  26,  1791.  Read's 
was  for  his  portable-furnace  tubular  boiler;  Fitch's,  for  applying  steam  to 
draw  water  in  at  the  bow  and  force  it  out  of  the  stern  of  a  vessel ;  Rumsey's, 
for  propelling  boats  by  means  of  the  reaction  of  a  stream  of  water  forced 
by  the  agency  of  steam  through  a  cylinder  parallel  to  the  keel,  out  of  the 
stern.  Stevens'  was  for  propelling  his  boat  in  a  like  way.  The  patents  of 
Rumsey,  Fitch  and  Stevens  clashed  in  several  particulars,  but  neither  in- 
terfered with  the  patent  of  Read.* 

1788. — In  1788  Rumsey  carried  his  invention  to  England  and  procured 
a  patent  f  ;r  it.  He  then  succeeded  in  inducing  a  wealthy  American  mer- 
chant to  join  him,  and  began  building  a  steamboat.  It  was  all  but  com- 
pleted when  Rumsey  suddenly  died.  His  partners  got  the  vessel  afloat  in 
February,  1793,  and.  sailed  her  many  times  on  the  Thames,  against  wind 
and  tide,  with  a  speed  of  four  knots  an  hour. 

The  thought  of  drawing  water  in  at  the  bow  and  pushing  it  out  at  the 
stern  was  not  new,  and  it  has  been  said  to  have  originated  with  Dr. 
Franklin,  or  to  have  come  originally  from  France.  Mr.  Arthur  Donaldson 
proposed  it,  also,  to  the  Assembly  of  Pennsylvania  in  1776. 
•  Rumsey  pubfished  in  1788  a  pamphlet  entitled  "A  Short  Treatise  on 
the  Application  of  Steam ;  whereby  is  clearly  shown  from  actual  experiments 
that  steam  may  be  applied  to  propel  boats  or  vessels  of  any  burthen,  against 
rapid  currents,  with  velocity,  etc.  By  James  Rumsey,  of  Berkeley  County, 
Virginia.  Philadelphia,  printed  by  Joseph  James,  Chestnut  Strest,  1788." 

The  Newport  Herald,  dated  March  6th,  1788,  contains  the  following  item  : 
"  Mr.  Rumsey's  steamboat,  with  more  than  half  her  loading  (upwards  of 
three  tons)  and  a  number  of  people  on  board,  made  a  progress  of  four  miles 
in  an  hour  against  the  current  of  Potomac  River  by  the  force  of  steam, .  without 
any  external  application  whatever,  impelled  by  a  machine  that  will  not  cost 
more  than  twenty  guineas  for  a  ten-ton  boat,  and  that  will  not  consume 
more  than  four  bushels  of  coal  in  twelve  hours." 

1788.— The  fourth  steamboat  in  the  United  States  was  built  in  1788,  by 
John  Fitch,  and  proved  eminently  successful.  This  boat  was  sixty  feet  long, 
and  had  eight  feet  beam.  The  oars  or  paddles  were  placed  at  the  stern,  and 
pushed  against  the  water.  The  engine  had  a  twelve-inch  cylinder.  About 
the  end  of  July,  1788,  she  was  propelled  by  steam  from  Philadelphia  to 
Burlington,  some  twenty  miles,  being  the  longest  trip  ever  made  by  any  boat 
under  steam  up  to  that  time.  On  the  12th  of  October  this  boat  took  thirty 
passengers  from  Philadelphia  to  Burlington  in  'three  hours  and  ten  minutes, 
a  fact  well  authenticated  by  reliable  certificates.  Several  other  trips  were 
made  in  1788  and  1789. 

*Nathan  Read  was  born  in  1759,  and  died  in  Belfast,  ^laine,  Jan.  20,  1849,  in  his  nine- 
tieth year-So  he  lived  full  ten  years  after  the  successful  inauguration  of  ocean  steam  navigation- 
See  Nathan  Read,  etc.,  by  his  friend  and  nephew,  David  Read,  New  York,  Hurd  £  Hough- 
ton,  1870,  12  mo.,  pp.  XV  and  20. 


20  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

Dr.  Franklin  writes  to  Dr.  Ingenhauz,  Philadelphia,  October  24th,  1788  : 
""We  have  no  philosophical  news'  here  at  present,  except  that  a  boat  moved 
by  a  steam-engine  rows  itself  against  tide  in  our  river,  and  it  is  apprehended 
the  construction  may  be  so  simplified  and  improved  as  to  become  generally 
useful." 

1788. — About  the  middle  of  October,  1788,  a  boat,  the  joint  production  of 
Patrick  Millar,  James  Taylor,  and  William  Symington,  propelled  by  steam, 
was  put  in  motion  on  the  Lake  of  Dalswinton,  in  Scotland.  A  successful  and 
beautiful  experiment.  The  vessel  moved  delightfully,  and,  notwithstanding 
the  cylinders  were  only  four  inches  in  diameter,  went  at  the  rate  of  five  miles 
an  hour.  The  engine,  in  a  strong  oak  frame,  was  placed  in  a  pleasure-boat, 
the  boiler  being  parallel  to  it  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  vessel,  and  the' 
paddles  in  the  centre  of  the  boat.  The  vessel  continued  to  ply  for  some  days 
for  the  amusement  of  the  projector,  and  to  the  astonishment  of  the  country 
people,  who  assembled  from  all  quarters  to  see  a  boat  driven  by  reik 
(smoke).  After  these  experiments  the  engine  was  removed  into  the  library 
of  Dalswinton  House,  where  it  stood  for  a  long  time  as  an  ornamental  model. 
In  1870  it  was  on  exhibition  in  London,  and  an  engraving  of  it  was  pub- 
lished in  the  London  Illustrated  News. 

Satisfactory  as  was  the  result  of  this  experiment,  it  did  not  fulfil  all  the 
designs  of  the  inventors.  A  model  vessel  even  as  large  as  theirs  might 
succeed  and  still  leave  it  doubtful  whether  a  larger  scale  might  not  impair 
the  efficiency  of  the  contrivance.  Their  success  determined  them  to  make 
an  expensive  trial  on-a  large  scale.  From  this  determination  resulted  their 
second  steamboat,  constructed  in  1789. 

1789. — The  date  of  commencing  this  vessel  is  fixed  by  the  following  letter, 
the  original  of  which  is  preserved  in  the  Millar  family : 

"  DUMFERLINE,  6th  of  June,  1789. 

"  GENTLEMEN  :  The  bearer,  Mr.  William  Symington,  is  employed  by  me 
to  erect  a  steam-engine  for  a  double  vessel,  which  he  proposes  to  have  made 
at  Carron.  I  have  therefore  to  beg  that  you  will  order  the  engine  to  be 
made  according  to  his  directions.  As  it  is  of  importance  that  the  experi- 
ment should  be  made  soon,  I  beg  also,  that  you  will  assist  him,  by  your 
orders  to  the  proper  workmen,  in  having  it  done  expeditiously.  I  am  ever, 
with  great  regard,  gentlemen,  your  most  obedient  humble  servant, 

"PATRICK  MILLAR. 

"  To  THE  CARRON  COMPANY,  CARRON." 
• 

It  was  proposed  to  make  the  second  experiment  on  the  Forth  or  Clyde 
Canal.  For  this  purpose  Mr.  Millar's  large  twin  or  double  pleasure-boat, 
the  same  he  had  previously  used  with  paddle-wheels,  driven  by  men,  was 
sent  up  from  Leith  to  the  Ftoth  and  Clyde  Canal,  at  Grangemouth,  on  the 
Frith  of  Forth,  to  receive  the  new  steam-engine. 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  21 

This  double  or  twin  vessel  was  sixty  feet  in  length,  and  had  cylinders  to 
her  engines  of  eighteen  inches  diameter.  Her  engine  was  in  all  respects  a 
larger  machine  than  the  first,  but  identical  in  construction,  and  of  about 
twelve  horse-power.  At  the  first  trial  the  boards  of  the  paddle-wheels  were 
broken  by  the  concussion  of  the  engine,  which  rendered  the  experiment  in- 
complete, but  on  the  26th  of  December,  1789,  the  experiment  was  repeated, 
and  the  vessel  propelled  at  the  rate  of  seven  knots  an  hour.  The  next  day 
the  voyage  was  repeated  with  the  same  success.  The  vessel  being  a  light 
skiff  with  plank  less  than  an  inch  thick,  as  soon  as  the  experiments  were 
over  was  replaced  on  her  original  station  as  a  pleasure-boat,  and  the  engine 
deposited  at  the  Carron  Works. 

The  following  account  of  this  experiment,  drawn  up  by  Lord  Cullen,  was 
published  in  three  of  the  Edinburgh  newspapers:  "It  is  with  great  pleasure 
I  inform  you  that  the  experiment  which  some  time  ago  was  made  upon  the 
Great  Canal  here  by  Mr.  Millar,  of  Dalswinton,  for  ascertaining  the  power 
of  the  steam-engine  when  applied  to  sailing,  has  lately  been  repeated  with 
great  success.  Although  these  experiments  have  been  conducted  under  a 
variety  of  disadvantages,  as  having  been  made  with  a  vessel  built  for  a  dif. 
ferent  purpose,  yet  the  velocity  acquired  was  no  less  than  six  and  a  half  to 
seven  miles  an  hour. 

"  This  sufficiently  shows  that  with  vessels  properly  constructed  a  velocity  of 
eight  or  nine,  or  even  ten,  miles  an  hour  may  be  easily  accomplished,  and 
the  advantages  of  so  great  a  velocity  in  rivers,  straits,  etc.,  and  in  cases  of 
emergency,  will  be  sufficiently  evident,  as  there  can  be  few  winds,  tides,  or 
currents  which  can  easily  impede  or  resist  it,  and  it  will  be  evident  that  even 
with  slower  motion  the  utmost  advantage  must  result  to  inland  navigation.'' 

1790.— John  Fitch,  June  22,  1790,  petitioned  the  Secretaries  of  State  and 
War,  and  the  Attorney-General  of  the  United  States,  that  in  the  year  1785  he 
conceived  the  idea  of  applying  steam  to  propel  vessels  through  the  water; 
that  the  impossibility  of  procuring  experienced  workmen  and  his  total  igno- 
rance of  the  construction  of  a  steam  engine,  etc.,  etc.,  caused  him  to  expend 
about  $8,000  in  experiments  ;  that  having  at  length  fully  succeeded,  he  comes 
forward  as  a  man  who,  contrary  to  popular  expectation,  has  really  accomp- 
lished a  design  which  will  evince  the  many  important  advantages  which 
must  result  to  the  United  States. 

He  adds  to  his  petition  : 

"  The  introduction  of  a  complete  steam  engine  formed  upon  the  newest  and 
best  principles,  into  a  country  like  America,  where  labor  is  high,  would 
entitle  him  to  public  countenance  by  encouragement  independent  of  its 
use  in  navigation  ;  the  great  time  and  money  he  has  expended  in  bringing 
his  scheme  to  perfection  have  been  occasioned  by  his  ignorance  of  the  im- 
proved state  of  the  steam  engine,  for  not  a  person  could  be  found  who  was 
acquainted  with  the  minutia  of  Bolton  &  Watt's  new  engine. 

"And  whether  your  petitioner's  engine  is  similar  or  not  to  those  in  England 


22  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TIOX. 

he  is  this  moment  totally  ignorant;  but  is  happy  to  say,  that  he  is  now  able 
to  make  a  complete  steam  engine  which  in  its  effects,  he  believes,  is 
equal  to  the  best  in  Europe;  the  construction  of  which  he  has  never  kept 
secret. 

"On  his  first  undertaking  the  scheme  he  knew  there  were  a  great  number 
of  ways  of  applying  the  power  of  steatn  to  the  propelling  of  vessels  through 
the  water,  perhaps,  all  equally  effective,  but  this  formed  no  part  of  his  con- 
sideration, knowing  that  if  he  could  briug  his  steam  engine  to  work  in  a 
boat,  he  would  be  under  no  difficulty  in  applying  its  force ;  therefore  he 
trusts  no  interference  with  him  in  propelling  boats  by  steam,  under  any 
pretence  of  a  different  mode  of  application  will  be  permitted ;  for  should 
that  be  the  case,  the  employment  of  his  time  and  the  amazing  expense 
attending  the  perfecting  of  his  scheme,  would,  while  they  gave  the  world  a 
valuable  discovery,  and  to  America  peculiar  and  important  advantages, 
"eventuate  in  the  ruin  of  your  petitioner ;  for  a  thousand  different  modes 
may  be  applied  by  subsequent  navigators,"  all  benefitted  by  the  expense  and 
persevering  labor  of  your  petitioner,  and  then,  sharing  with  him  those  profits 
which  they  never  earned." 

1789-90. — The  fourth  steamboat  built  in  the  United  States  not  being  con- 
sidered fast  enough,  the  steamboat  company  which  had  acquired  an  interest 
in  John  Fitch's  invention  built  a  fifth,  which  was  first  tried  December,  1789, 
about  the  time  Millar  was  making  his  second  successful  experiment  in  Scot- 
land. Her  speed  not  proving  satisfactory,  various  alterations  were  made  in  her 
machinery,  until  April,  1790,  when  the  most  complete  success  was  attained. 
In  May,  General  Mifflin  and  the  whole  Supreme  Executive  Council  of 
Pennsylvania  were  passengers  in  her.  The  following  account  of  this  experi- 
ment is  given  by  William  Thornton,  Esq.,  who  was  one  of  the  company 
interested,  and  a  passenger  on  board  : 

"The  day  was  appointed,  and  the  experiment  made  in  the  following  man- 
ner. A  mile  was  measured  in  Front  Street. (or  Water  Street)  Philadelphia, 
and  the  bound  projected  at  right  angles  as  exact  as  could  be  to  the  wharves, 
where  a  flag  was  placed  at  each  end,  and  also  a  stop-watch.  The  boat  was 
ordered  under  way  at  dead-water,  or  when  the  tide  was  found  to  be  without 
movement;  as  the  boat  passed  one  flag  it  was  struck,  and  at  the  same  instant 
the  watches  were  set  off;  as  the  boat  reached  the  other  flag  it  was  also  struck? 
and  the  watches  instantly  stopped.  Every  precaution  was  taken  before 
witnesses,  the  time  was  shown  to  all,  the  experiment  declared  to  be  fairly 
made,  and  the  boat  was  found  to  go  at  the  rate  of  eight  miles  an  hour,  or 
one  mile  within  the  eighth  of  an  hour.  The  Governor  and  Council  of  Penn- 
sylvania were  so  highly  gratified  that,  without  their  intentions  being  previ- 
ously known,  GDvernor  Mifflin,  attended  by  the  Council  in  procession, 
presented  to  the  Company,  and  placed  in  the  boat,  a  superb  silk  flag,  prepared 
expressly,  which  Mr.  Fitch  afterwards  took  to  France  and  presented  to  the 
National  Convention." 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  23 

They  were  thus  particular  in  ascertaining  the  exact  speed  of  the  boat,  as 
on  her  going  at  the  rate  of  eight  miles  an  hour  depended  the  assignment  of 
her  in  shares  to  a  company.  It  seems  to  be  a  little  uncertain  whether  the 
silk  flag  presented  contained  the  arms  of  Pennsylvania  or  was  simply  the 
flag  of  the  United  States. 

The  boat  afterwards  ran  eighty  miles  in  a  day.  She  was  placed  upon  the 
Delaware  in  the  summer,  and  ran  regularly  as  a  packet,  passenger,  and 
freight  boat  for  three  or  four  months.  Advertisements  of  her  trips  were 
published  in  the  Philadelphia  newspapers.  Of  these  notices  twenty-three 
have  been  found,  giving  advice  of  thirty-one  trips  to  Trenton,  Burlington, 
Chester,  Wilmington,  and  Gray's  Ferry.  One  of  these  advertisements,  taken 
from  The  Federal  Gazette  and  Philadelphia  Daily  Advertiser  of  Monday, 
July  26,  1790,  is  as  follows.  It  will  be  seen  it  was  thought  sufficiently  dis- 
tinctive to  call  her  the  steamboat,  since  there  was  none  other  in  the  world  at 

that  time: 

"  THE 

STEAMBOAT 

Sets  out  to  morrow  morning  at  ten  o'clock,  from  Arch  Street  Ferry,  in  order  to  take   passen 
gers  for  Burlington,  Bristol,  Bordentown,  and  Trenton,  and  return  next  day. 
PHILADELPHIA,  July  26th,  1790." 

It  is  estimated  that  during  the  summer  this  steamboat  passed  over  between 
two  and  three  thousand  miles.  In  the  autumn  she  was  laid  up  and  never 
used  afterwards,  there  not  being  sufficient  travel  and  transportation  to  pay 
the  expense  of  running  her. 

Before  this  conclusion  was  arrived  at  the  company  had  projected  and 
commenced  building  another,  intended  for  the  navigation  of  the  Mississippi, 
and  called  the  "  Perseverance."  She  was  of  twenty-five  tons  burden,  and 
rigged  schooner  fashion.  The  boat  was  completed,  and  her  engines  nearty 
so,  when  she  broke  adrift  from  her  fastenings  at  the  wharf,  in  a  storm,  and 
was  blown  on  shore  at  Petty's  Island,  in  the  Delaware.  Before  she  could  be 
gotten  off,  the  company  in  their  attempts  to  simplify  the  machine  had  ruined 
it,  and  moreover,  had  got  into  debt,  which  obliged  them  to  sacrifice  both 
boats  and  all  the  machinery.  • 

1790. — William  Longstreet,  an  American  inventor,  born  in  New  Jersey, 
and  who  died  in  1814,  removed  to  Georgia.  In  1790  he  wrote  a  letter  to 
Thomas  Tolfairs,  of  Savannah,  asking  him  to  assist  him  in  raising  means  to 
construct  a  boat  to  be  propelled  by  steam.  This  letter  was  published  in  the 
Savannah  and  Augusta,  Georgia,  newspapers,  but  the  funds  were  not  imme- 
diately obtained.  He  subsequently  obtained  the  necessary  means  for 
experiment,  and*constructed  a  small  model  boat  upon  a  plan  very  different 
from  Fulton's,  which  went  on  the  Savannah  river  against  the  stream  five 
miles  an  hour.* 


*  Appleton's  American  Cyclopedia. 


24  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

1790.— rEarl  Stanhope,  May  7, 1790,  patented  a  Ja/ms-shaped  vessel,  which 
he  styled  an  "  Ambi-navigator,"  with  a  propeller  in  the  form  of  a  duck's  foot, 
worked  by  a  twelve-horse  cross-head  engine,  with  double  connecting-rods. 
At  the  conclusion  of  the  experiment  it  was  laid  up  in  Deptford  Dock- 
Yard.  This  engine,  at  least  such  portion  of  it  as  could  be  made  available, 
was  in  1802  applied  to  the  first  steam-dredge,  built  for  the  Admiralty. 
The  "Ambi-navigator"  had  a  novel  description  of  rudder,  styled  by  the 
inventor  an  "  equipollant  rudder." 

1791.— On  the  26th  of  August,  1791,  John  Fitch  obtained  a  IT.  S.  Patent 
for  his  invention  which  is  signed  by  George  Washington,  President,  Thomas 
Jefferson,  Secretary  of  State,  who  also  certifies  that  the  patent  was  delivered 
to  him  August  30th.  The  patent  recites  "  he  having  invented  the  following 
useful  devices  not  before  known  or  used,  viz. :  for  applying  the  force  of 
steam  to  a  trunk  or  trunks  for  drawing  water  in  at  the  bow  of  a  boat  or 
vessel,  and  forcing  the  same  out  at  the  stern,  in  order  to  propel  the  boat  or 
vessel  through  the  water,  for  forcing  a  column  of  air  through  a  trunk  or 
trunks  filled  with  water  by  the  force  of  steam,  and  for  applying  the  force  of 
steam  to  cranks,  paddles,  for  propelling  a  boat  or  vessel  through  the  water. 
The  said  John  Fitch,  his  heirs,  etc.,  were  granted  for  the  time  of  fourteen  years, 
the  sole  and  exclusive  right  and  liberty  of  making,  using  and  vending  to 
others  the  said  inventions. 

At  the  request  of  Aaron  Vail,  Esq.,  the  U.  S.  consul  at  L'Orient,  John 
Fitch  was  sent  in  1791  by  the  company  to  France  for  the  purpose  of  building 
steamboats.  A  brevet  of  invention  was  granted  him  on  the  29th  of  Novem- 
ber, 1791,  for  his  invention,  but  in  the  "  Description  des  Machines  et  Pro- 
cedes  specific  dans  les  Brevets  d'Inventions  expires  Paris,  1811,"  it  is  stated 
that  Des  Blancs  had  previously  proposed  a  similar  scheme,  and  that  a  model 
of  his  plan  had  been  deposited  in  the  "  Conservatoire  des  Arts  et  Meteirs." 

<Mr.  Vail,  unable  to  obtain  workmen  to  build  the  boats,  paid  the  expenses 
of  Mr.  Fitch,  who  returned  to  the  United  States.  Mr.  Vail  afterwards  sub- 
jected to  the  examination  of  Mr.  Fulton,  when  in  France,  the  papers  and 
designs  of  the  steamboat  appertaining  to  the  company. 

Under  date  "Philadelphia,  29  June,  1792,"  Fitch  wrote  to  David  Kitten- 
house  :  "  I  conceive  that  navigation  by  steam  will  be  the  second  mode  of 
navigation,  but  can  never  take  the  preference  of  a  fair  wind,  as  air  is  much 
cheaper  than  steam.  It  may  also  be  boldly  asserted  that  it  would  be  much 
easier  to  carry  a  first-rate  man-of-war  by  steam  at  an  equal  rate  than  a  small 
boat;  for  in  such  a  case  we  should  not  be  so  cramped  for  room,  nor  should 
we  so  sensibly  feel  a  few  pounds  weight  of  machinery. 

"  This  sir,  whether  I  bring  it  to  perfection  or  not,  will  be  the  mode  of 
crossing  the  Atlantic  in  time,  for  packets  and  armed  vessels." 

In  his  autobiography,  Fitch  uses  this  touching  and  prophetic  language : 
"  The  day  will  come  when  some  more  powerful  man  will  get  fame  and  riches 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  25 

from  MY  invention  ;  but  nobody  will  believe  that  poor  John  Fitch  can  do 
anything  worthy  of  attention."* 

1791. — Colonel  John  C.  Stevens,  of  Hoboken,  New  Jersey,  commenced 
his  experiments  in  steam  navigation  in  1791,  and  by  careful  study  succeeded 
in  mastering  the  theory  and  practice  of  the  steam-engine.  With  this  knowl- 
edge as  a  basis,  he  made  further  investigations,  which  resulted  in  inven- 
tions, the  first  practical  tests  of  which  proved  so  satisfactory  that  he 
at  once  set  about  developing  his  ideas  in  order  to  devote  them  to  the 
public  good.  His  first  attempts  were  made  with  a  rotatory  engine,  for 
which  he  substituted  one  of  Watt's.  His  first  engineer  proved  an  incor- 
rigible sot.  His  second  became  consumptive,  and  died  before  his  experiment 
was  completed.  He  then  resolved  to  depend  upon  his  own  resources,  and 
built  a  workshop  on  his  own  estate,  where  he  employed  workmen  under  his 
own  superintendence.  It  has  been  claimed  that  he  invented  the  first  tubu- 
lar boiler  about  1804,  but  Nathan  Reed  took  out  a  patent  for  one  iii  1790. 
With  various  forms  of  vessels  and  different  modifications  of  propelling  appa- 
ratus, he  impelled  boats  at  the  rate  of  five  or  six  miles  per  hour.  They  were 
in  truth  more  perfect  than  any  of  his  predecessors,  but  did  not  satisfy  his 
own  hopes  and  sanguine  expectations. 

1792. — Baron  Seguier  experimented  with  a  submerged  propeller. 

1792.— The  Historical  Chronicle  of  the  Bee,  page  23,  says,  "Earl  Stan- 


*  JOHN  FITCH. — The  remains  of  John  Fitch  were  interred  in  the  village  graveyard  of 
Bardstown,  Nelson  County,  Kentucky,  in  the  rear  of  the  court-house  and  county  jail,  in 
1798.  Not  a  pebble  of  all  the  fine  stone  in  the  land  marks  his  last  resting  place.  But  his 
last  will  and  testament  is  on  record,  as  copied  by  a  correspondent  of  the  Philadelphia 
Evening  Telegraph,  viz. : 

"  I  John  Fitch  of  the  County  of  Nelson  do  make  this  my  last  will  and  testament.  To 
William  Rowan  Esq.,  my  trusty  friend  my  beaver  hat  shoe  knee  and  stock  buckles 
walking  stick,  and  spectacles.  To  Doctor  William  Thornton  of  the  City  of  Washington  in 
District  of  Columbia.  To  Eliza  Vail,  daughter  of  Aaron  Vail  Consul  of  the  United  States 
at  L'Orient.  To  John  Rowan  Esq.  of  Beards  Town  son  of  said  William  and  to  James 
Nourse  of  said  town  I  bequeath  all  the  rest  of  my  estate  real  and  personal  to  be  divided 
amongst  them  share  and  share  alike  and  I  appoint  the  said  John  Rowan  Esq.  and  James 
Nourse  Esq  :  my  executors  and  the  legacies  hereby  bequeathed  to  them  my.  said  Executors 
is  in  consideration  of  their  accepting  the  Executorship  and  bringing  to  a  final  close  all  suits 
at  law  and  attending  to  the  business  of  the  estate  hereby  bequeathed.  Hereby  declaring 
this  to  be  my  last  will  and  testament  this  the  2oth  day  of  June  One  Thousand  Seven  Hun- 
dred and  ninety-eight — Witness  my  hand  and  seal, 

"JOHN  FITCH. 
"  Acknowledge,  signed  and  sealed  in  presence  of 

"  JAMES  NOURSE 
"  MICHAEL  RENCH 

Her 
"  SUSANNAH  X  McCow.v 

mark 

"  On  the  io:h  of  July  following  the  will  was  proved  by  the  executors,  and  ordered  to  be 
recorded." 


26  HISTOR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

hope's  experiments  for  navigating  vessels  by  the  steam-engine,  without  masts 
or  sails,  have  succeeded  so  much  to  his  satisfaction  on  a  small  scale,  that  a 
vessel  of  two  hundred  tons  burden  on  this  principle  is  now  building  under 
his  direction.  The  expense  of  this  vessel  is  to  be  paid  by  the  Navy  Board 
in  the  first  instance,  on  condition  that  if  she  do  not  answer  after  the  first 
trial,  she  shall  be  returned  to  Earl  Stanhope,  and  all  the  expense  made  good 
by  him." 

A  similar  account  of  the  earl's  steam-vessel  appeared  in  the  Gentlemen's 
Magazine  for  October,  1792  (page  956),  where  it  is  stated  that  it  was  then 
being  built  under  his  direction  by  Mr.  Stalkart,  the  author  of  a  very  valua- 
ble work  on  naval  architecture.  About  this  time  Robert  Fulton,  then  living 
at  Torbay,  in  Devonshire,  held  some  correspondence  with  Earl  Stanhope  on 
the  subject  of  moving  ships  by  a  steam-engine. 

1793. — The  Earl  of  Stanhope,  in  1793,  revived  the  project  of  Genevois, 
and  this  machine,  in  1795,  was  placed  in  a  boat  furnished  with  a  powerful 
engine,  and  tried  by  him  in  Greenland  Dock.  In  this  experiment  the  pad- 
dles were  two  gigantic  duck's  feet,  suspended  from  either  side  of  the  vessel, 
and  opening  and  shutting  like  huge  umbrellas.  He  was  unable  to  obtain 
for  his  boat  a  greater  velocity  than  three  miles  an  hour.  While  engaged  in 
this  experiment  he  received  a  letter  from  Robert  Fulton,  who  proposed  the 
use  of  paddle-wheels ;  and  it  is  probable  his  neglect  to  listen  to  this  sugges- 
tion caused  a  delay  in  the  introduction  of  the  steamboat  of  at  least  twelve 
years,  for  it  cannot  be  doubted  that  the  ingenuity  of  Fulton,  backed  by  the 
wrealth  and  influence  of  Lord  Stanhope,  would  have  been  as  successful  then 
as  it  was  years  later. 

It  is  not  known  at  what  date  Fulton's  intention  was  first  directed  to  the 
application  of  steam  to  navigation,  but  among  the  papers  of  Mr.  Fulton, 
after  his  death,  was  found  a  letter  from  the  Earl  of  Stanhope,  dated  at  Holds- 
worth,  Devon,  October  7,  1793,  in  which  he  says, — 

"  SIR, — I  have  received  yours  of  the  30th  of  September,  in  which  you  pro- 
pose to  communicate  to  me  the  principles  of  an  invention  which  you  say 
you  have  discovered  respecting  the  moving  of  ships  by  the  means  of  steam. 
It  is  a  subject  on  which  I  have  made  important  discoveries.  I  shall  be  glad 
to  receive  the  communication  which  you  intend,  as  I  have  made  the  princi- 
ples of  mechanics  my  particular  study,"  etc. 

In  1792  or  1794,  Elijah  Ormsbee,  a  carpenter  by  trade  and  inventor  by 
birth,  and  a  native  of  Connecticut,  is  said  to  have  moved  a  boat  successfully 
by  steam.  He  had  noted  the  difficulties  of  navigation  on  the  Hudson  river, 
and  when  afterwards  he  saw  steam  used  as  a  power  for  pumping  water  from 
mines,  saw  how  those  difficulties  could  be  overcome.  One  day  David  Wil- 
kinson, of  Pawtucket,  another  inventor,  stopped  at  Cranston,  Rhode  Island, 
where  Ormsbee  was  at  work,  when  Ormsbee  said  he  had  been  thinking  about 
a  steamboat,  and  added  if  Mr.  Wilkinson  would  make  the  castings  he  would 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VI GA  TION.  27 

make  the  boat;  to  which  Mr.  Wilkinson  agreed,  and  went  home  and  cast 
and  bored  a  cylinder,  and  made  the  necessary  wrought-iron  connections. 
Two  kinds  of  paddles  were  proposed,  one  called  a  flutter-wheel  (a  side-wheel) 
the  other  termed  a  goose-foot,  which  they  decided  to  try,  as  the  power  could 
be  applied  more  cheaply.  Mr.  Ormsbee  obtained  from  Messrs.  Clark  & 
Nightengale  the  loan  of  a  long  boat  belonging  to  the  ship  "Abigail"  for  the 
experiment,  and  also  borrowed  from  Captain  Ephraim  Bowen  a  copper  still 
of  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  gallons  capacity,  and  retreated  to  a  place 
called  Windsor  Cave,  where  all  of  the  wood,  and  much  of  the  iron-work  was 
done  by  himself.  At  last  one  pleasant  afternoon  or  evening  in  the  autumn 
of  1792,  he  got  int  >  his  boat,  pulled  the  throttle-valve,  and  the  boat  glided 
out  into  the  bay.  He  was  yet  fearful  that  his  new-found  power  might  fail 
him,  and  so  sat  silent  and  eager,  watching  the  piston  rise  and  fall  and  the 
paddles  go  to  and  fro.  But  it  did  not  fail ;  the  boat  went  steadily  through 
the  water,  and  arrived  at  Long  Wharf  in  Providence.  The  next  .day  Mr. 
Ormsbee  left  in  the  boat  for  Pawtucket  to  show  Mr.  Wilkinson  the  success 
which  had  attended  his  enterprise.  After  a  day  or  two  the  boat  came  back 
to  Providence,  where  it  was  received  with  astonishment.  For  several  weeks 
the  boat  went  up  and  down  the  river ;  Captain  John  H.  Ormsbee,  then  a  lad 
of  twelve,  going  in  her  as  steersman.  •* 

The  steam  was  not  applied  to  elevate  and  depress  the  piston  as  was  done 
by  Watt,  but  applied  to  raise  the  piston,  and  then  being  condensed  by  cold 
water,  the  piston  was  turned  by  atmospheric  pressure.  In  this  way  the 
goose-foot  paddles  of  the  boat  were  moved  forward  and  aft.  When  they 
moved  forward  they  closed,  and  when  moved  aft  they  expanded  to  a  width 
of  from  eighteen  to  twenty-four  inches.  The  progress  of  the  boat  was  from 
three  to  four  miles  an  hour,  which  would  probably  have  been  increased  to 
five  or  six  if  wheels  had  been  substituted  for  paddles.  But  Ormsbee  had  no 
Livingston  with  open  purse  to  assist  him,  and  so,  after  having  demonstrated 
the  possibility  of  steam  navigation,  his  golden  dreams  faded,  and  he  sorrow- 
fully returned  the  still  to  the  distillery  and  the  boat  to  its  owner. 

When,  in  1817,  the  "Firefly"  arrived  in  Pawtucket,  people  remembered 
the  steam  long-boat,  and  said,  "We  have  seen  a  boat  go  by  steam  before;" 
and  Colonel  John  S.  Eddy  a  few  years  since  related  that  when  fourteen  years 
old  he  went  with  his  father  to  Kettle  Point  and  "saw  Mr.  Ormsbee  in  a 
canoe  with  a  kettle  in  it  raising  steam  to  propell  a  boat."  This  was  in  1794. 
He  did  not  build  it  on  Kettle  Point,  but  went  down  there  to  get  out  of  sight 
of  people.  He  worked  first  on  a  canoe  dug  out  of  a  log,  and  afterwards 
applied  steam  to  a  long  boat.  He  used  to  talk  a  great  deal  when  steam- 
boats first  came  into  use  about  J^lijah  Ormsbee's  getting  up  such  a  thing  a 
great  while  before.  Mr.  Henry  PI.  Ormsbee,  of  Providence,  has  a  state- 
ment in  the  handwriting  of  his  father,  Captain  John  H.  Ormsbee,  in  accor- 
dance with  this  statement,  and  there  is  corroborative  evidence  on  record  in 
the  files  of  the  Transactions  of  the  Society  for  the  Encouragement  of  Do- 


28  HISTOR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VI GA  TION. 

mestic  industry.  It  was  said  by  Mr.  Wilkinson,  who  took  the  works  after 
the  boat  was  abandoned,  that  he  exhibited  and  explained  them  to  one  Daniel 
French,  who  in  turn  made  Robert  Fulton  acquainted  with  them.* 

1793.— John  Smith,  in  June,  1793,  used  a  steamboat  with  paddle  wheels 
on  the  Duke  of  Bridgewater  Canal,  from  Runcorn  to  Manchester.  The 
vessel  had  on  her  an  engine  on  the  old  atmospheric  principle,  was  worked 
with  a  beam,  connecting-rod,  double  cranks,  in  a  horizontal  line,  with  seven 
paddles  on  each  side,  which  propelled  her  after  the  rates  of  two  miles  an 
hour.f 

1794. — In  1794,  Lord  Stanhope  addressed  a  letter  to  Wilberforce  on  the 
question  of  peace  or  war,  likely,  he  thought  to  be  brought  under  discussion 
on  the  meeting  of  Parliament.  In  his  letter  he  speculates  on  the  possible  re- 
sources of  France,  and  hints  that  England  is  not  invulnerable.  He  says  : 

"This  country,  Great  Britain,  is  vulnerable  in  so  many  ways,  the  picture 
'is  horrid.  By  my  letter  I  will  say  nothing  on  that  subject.  One  instance  I 
will,  however,  state,  because  it  is  information  you  cannot,  as  yet,  receive  from 
any  other  quarter ;  though  in  two  or  three  months  from  the  date  of  this  let- 
ter the  fact  will  be  fully  established,  and  you  may  then  hear  it  from  others. 
The  thing  I  allude  to  is  of  peculiar  importance.  The  fact  is  this.  I  know 
(and  in  a  few  weeks  shall  prove)  that  ships  of  any  size,  and  for  certain  rea- 
sons the  larger  the  better,  may  be  navigated  in  any  narrower  other  sea  with- 
out sails  (though  occasionally  with),  but  so  as  to  go  without  wind,  and  even 
directly  against  both  wind  and  waves.  The  consequences  I  draw  are  as  fol- 
lows :  First,  that  all  the  principal  reasons  against  the  French  having  the 
ports  of  Ostend,  etc.,  cease,  inasmuch  as  a  French  fleet  composed  of  ships 
of  the  above-mentioned  description,  would  come  out  at  all  times  from 
Cherbourg,  Dunkirk,  etc.,  as  well  as  from  Ostend,  etc.,  and  appear  in  the 
same  seas.  The  water,  even  at  Dunkirk,  will  be  amply  deep  enough  for  the 
purpose  of  having  them  there.  The  French  having  Ostend,  ought  not,  there- 
fore, under  this  new  revolution  in  naval  affairs — for  it  would  be  a  complete 
revolution — to  be  a  bar  to  peace.  Under  the  old  nautical  system,  naval  men 
might  have  reasoned  differently  upon  that  subject.  But  the  most  impor- 
tant consequence  which  I  draw  from  this  stupendous  fact  mentioned  at  the 
top  of  this  page  is  this,  namely,  that  it  will  shortly  render  all  the  existing  navies 
of  the  ivorld  (I  mean  military  navies)  no  better  than  lumber.  For  what  can 
ships  do  that  are  dependent  upon  the  wind  and  weather  against  fleets  wholly 
independent  of  either?  Therefore  the  boasted  superiority  of  the  English 
navy  is  no  more !  We  must  have  a  new  one.  The  French  and  other  nations 
will,  for  the  same  reasons,  have  their  new  ones." 

This  is  a  curious  prediction  as  to  the  effect*  of  the  introduction   of  steam 

*History  of  Steam  Navigation  between  Providence  and  New  York,  1792  1877,  by  Charles 
H.  Dow. 

f  Nautical  Magazine,  vol.  i.,  1832. 


HISTOR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  29 

to  navigation  upon  naval  warfare  and  armaments,  written  as  the  Earl's 
letter  was,  full  thirteen  years  before  Fulton's  success  with  the  "  Clermont " 
on  the  Hudson. 

1794. — William  Lyttleton,  July  15,  1794,  took  out  a  patent  in  England 
for  a  screw  propeller  of  three  blades,  which  was  to  be  rotated  by  hand-power 
or  a  steam-engine,  and  experimented  with  a  copper  screw  so  formed  as 
described  by  Colonel  Beaufry. 

The  same  year  Samuel  Morey,  of  Connecticut,  who  commenced  his  experi- 
ments on  the  Connecticut  River  in  1790,  propelled  his  boat  by  a  stern  wheel 
from  Hartford  to  New  York  City,  at  the  rate  of  five  miles  an  hour.  Chan- 
cellor Livingston,  Judge  Livingston,  Edward  Livingston,  John  Stevens,  and 
others,  were  on  board  this  boat  when  she  went  from  New  York  to  Greenwich. 
This  was  the  sixth  steamboat  built  in  the  United  States. 

The  most  reliable  account  of  Morey's  experiments  and  claim  to  having 
made  the  first  application  of  steam  to  navigation,  and  of  having  made  the 
"first  practical  steamboat,"  was  published  in  1864,  by  the  Rev.  Cyrus 
Mann,  of  Orford,  New  Hampshire.  Mr.  Mann,-  an  educated  man,  of  strict 
integrity,  spent  both  time  and  research  in  the  investigation  of  the  claims  of 
Fulton,  Morey,  and  others,  of  a  practical  success  in  steam  navigation.  The 
following  is  an  extract  from  his  book : 

"  The  credit  of  the  invention  of  the  steamboat  is  commonly  awarded  to 
Robert  Fulton,  but  it  belongs  primarily  and  chiefly,  it  is  believed,  to  a  more 
obscure  individual.  So  far  as  is  known  the  first  steamboat  ever  seen  on  the 
waters  of  America  was  invented  by  Captain  Samuel  Morey,  of  Orford, 
New  Hampshire.  The  astonishing  sight  of  this  man  ascending  Connecticut 
River,  between  Orford  and  Fairlee,  in  a  little  boat  just  large  enough  to 
contain  himself  and  the  rude  machinery  connected  with  the  steam-boilers 
and  a  handful  of  wood  for  a  fire,  was  witnessed  by  the  writer  in  his  boyhood, 
and  by  others  who  yet  survive.*  This  was  as  early  as  1793  or  earlier,  and 
before  Fulton's  name  had  been  mentioned  in  connection  with  steam  naviga- 
tion." 

The  records  of  the  Patent  Office  at  Washington  show  that  several  patents 
for  the  application  of  steam  were  taken  out  by  Morey  for  the  application  of 
steam  "  to  boats"  previous  to  Fulton's,  as  Morey's  great  aim  had  always 
been  to  invent  a  steamboat. 

Captain  Samuel  Morey,  a  son  of  General  Israel  Morey,  who  moved  to 
Orford  from  Connecticut  in  1766,  died  in  1843,  aged  seventy-one  years. 
He  originally  owned  fifteen  hundred  acres  of  woodland  about  Fairlee  Pond, 
and  employed  a  large  number  of  men  and  oxen  during  the  winter  months  in 
clearing  the  lumber  for  market,  the  proceeds  of  which,  forty  thousand  dol- 
lars, were  consumed  in  scientific  projects.  He  began  in  1780  to  give 

*  Mrs.  Nathaniel  Mann  was  on  board  the  steamboat  of  Morey,  and  "  ordered  it,"  as  she 
said. 


30  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

attention  to  subjects  of  light,  heat,  and  steam,  acd  invented  .several 
ingenious  contrivances.  He  was  a  correspondent  of  Professor  Silliman, 
and  contributed  to  the  pages  of  the  American  Journal  of  Science  and  Arts. 
He  also  corresponded  with  Fulton,  and  visited  him  twice  in  New  York, 
and  exhibited  to  him  the  m@del  of  his  boat,  receiving  a  return  visit  from 
Fulton. 

After  visiting  Morey,  Fulton  commenced  his  boat  on  the  Hudson,  and 
Morey  always  held  that  he  surreptitiously  imitated  his  model.  In  1820 
Morey  put  on  Fairlee  Pond  a  boat  named  the  "  Aunt  Sally."  It  was 
twenty  feet  long,  and  neatly  painted.  Some  unprincipled  person  sunk  it 
soon  after  its  trial  trip,  and  it  now  rests  beneath  the  waters  of  the  pond. 

Writing  to  William  A.  Duer,  Esq.,  October  31,  1818,  Morey  says : 
"  As  near  as  I  can  recollect  it  was  as  early  as  1790  that  I  turned  my  at- 
tention to  improving  the  steam-engine  and  in  applying  it  to  the  purpose 
of  propelling  boats.  ...  In  June,  1797, 1  went  to  Bordentown,  on  the  Del- 
aware, and  there  constructed  a  steamboat,  and  devised  the  plan  of  pro- 
pelling by  means  of  wheels,  one  on  each  side.  The  shafts  ran  across  the 
boat  with  a  crank  in  the  middle,  worked  from  the  beam  of  the  engine  with 
a  shackle  bar.  .  .  .  The  boat  was  openly  exhibited  in  Philadelphia.  .  .  . 
I  took  out  patents  for  my  improvements.  ...  I  never  had  any  doubt  but 
that  I  had  a  right  to  take  out  a  patent  for  the  application  of  two  wheels  to 
a  steamboat,  and  often  told  Mr.  Livingston  and  Mr.  Fulton  that  I  had. 
To  the  latter,  I  once  asserted  this  right  when  on  board  his  steamboat  with 
him."  Nothing  but  want  of  pecuniary  means,  as  he  asserted,  seems  to  have 
been  wanting  for  his  inaugurating  his  methods  of  propelling  boats  by  steam. 

Morey's  claim  as  the  inventor  of  the  first  successful  steamboat  must  give 
way  before  the  superior  claims  of  Fitch's  steamboat  already  recounted, 
however. 

Captain  Morey  continued  his  scientific  pursuits  to  the  time  of  his  decease, 
and  they  were  more  or  less  honored  and  recognized,  but  he  never  recovered 
from  the  blow  received  through  the  alleged  perfidy  of  Fulton. 

1796. — The  tenth  volume  of  the  "  Repository  of  Arts"  contains  a  descrip- 
tion of  the  fire-ship  of  Edward  Thomason,  which  was  laid  before  the  lords  of 
the  Admiralty,  in  England,  in  1796.  It  had  vertical  wheels  at  the  sides, 
operated  on  by  steam-engines,  and  was  intended  to  possess  the  power  of 
moving  given  distances  in  all  directions  according  to  the  intentions  of  the 
director,  so  that,  ivithout  any  person  on  board,  it  would  conduct  itself  into 
an  enemy's  port,  and  by  clock-work,  at  the  given  moment,  explode  the  com- 
bustible. This  seems  to  have  been  the  pioneer  of  the  modern  torpedo  boat, 
which  is  moved  from  the  shore  by  electricity. 

The  seventh  successful  steamboat  was  tried  in  1796,  in  the  United  States, 
the  invention  of  John  Fitch  after  his  return  from  France.  The  experiment 
was  tried  under  the  patronage  of  Robert  H.  Livingston,  as  certified  to  by 
John  R.  Hutchings,  General  Anthony  Lamb,  and  William  H.  Westlock. 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  31 

It  was  made  with  a  screw-propeller,  the  vessel  used  was  a  yawl,  about  eighteen 
feet  in  length  and  having  six  feet  beam,  and  steered  at  the  bow  with  an 
oar.  The  boiler  was  a  ten-gallon  iron  pot,  with  a  thick  plank  lid  firmly 
fastened  to  it  by  an  iron  bar  placed  transversely.  The  cylinders  were  of 
wood,  barrel-shaped  on  the  outside,  straight  on  the  inside,  and  strongly 
hooped.  Steam  was  raised  sufficiently  high  to  send  the  boat  once  or  twice 
around  the  pond,  when  more  water  was  needed  to  generate  steam  for  a  new 
start.  The  time  was  the  summer  of  1796*,  and  the  scene  of  the  experiment 
was  "  The  Collect"  a  fresh-water  pond  in  New  York  City,  near  what  is  now 
called  Canal  Street.  The  pond  has  been  drained,  and  its  site,  covered  with 
houses,  is  now  in  the  heart  of  the  city.  • 

1797. — The  eighth  United  States  steamboat  was  built  by  Samuel  Morey, 
assisted  by  the  Rev.  Burgees  Allison,  of  Bordentown,  New  Jersey. 
It  was  constructed  with  paddle-wheels  at  the  sides,  in  the  same  manner  as 
Fulton's  steamboat  subsequently,  and  was  propelled  from  Bordentown  to 
Philadelphia  in  the  summer  of  1797,  and  publicly  exhibited.  In  this  year, 
also,  Chancellor  Livingston  built  a  boat  on  the  Hudson  River,  and  obtained 
exclusive  privilege  from  the  New  York  Legislature  for  one  year,  on  condi- 
tion that  he  produced  a  vessel  impelled  by  steam  three  miles  an  hoar,  but 
which  he  was  unable  to  effect.  He  was  associated  in  this  enterprise  with  a 
person  of  the  name  of  Nisbett,  a  native  of  England.  Bruuell,  afterwards 
distinguished  as  the  engineer  of  the  Thames  Tunnel,  acted  as  their  engineer. 

Morse,  in  his  "  Gazetteer,"  published  in  1797,  under  the  head  of  Territory, 
and  referring  to  the  Northwest  Territory,  says  that  he  thinks  "it  is  probable 
steamboats  will  be  found  of  infinite  service  in  all  our  extensive  river  navigation." 

In  1797  an  experiment  in  canal  steam  navigation  wa-s  made  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Liverpool,  and  the  Monthly  Magazine  for  July  of  the  year  says, 
"  Lately  the  Newton-Common,  in  Lancashire,  a  vessel  heavily  laded  with 
copper  slag  passed  along  the  Sankey  Canal  without  the  aid  of  haulers  or 
rowers,  the  oars  performing  eighteen  strokes  a  minute  by  the  application  of 
steam  only  !  After  a  course  of  ten  miles  the  vessel  returned  the  same  even- 
ing by  the  same  means  to  St.'Helen's,  whence  she  had  set  out.  This  inge- 
nious discovery  by  the  original  form  and  motion  of  the  oars  may  be  ranked 
amongst  the  most  useful  of  modern  inventions,  and  in  particular  promises 
the  highest  benefits  to  inland  navigation." 

1798. — The  next  vessel  moved  by  steam,  in  the  United  States,  was  a  model 
boat,  about  three  feet  long,  built  by  John  Fitch,  at  Bardstown,  in  Kentucky, 
in  the  summer  of  1798,  and  tried  upon  the  creek  near  that  town. 

1798. — The  success  of  the  steamboat  was  assured  by  the  adoption  of  verti- 
cal paddle-wheels  over  the  sides,  though  later  inventions  have  so  modified 
the  hulls  and  engines,  that  the  screw  placed  at  the  stern  has  in  a  general 
measure  supplanted  the  side  wheels. 

In  1815  Nicholas  J.  Roosevelt  in  a  petition  to  the  New  Jersey  legislature 
asserts  with  the  modesty  and  manly  firmness  of  honesty  that  "he  is  the  true 


32  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

and  original  inventor  and  discoverer  of  steamboats  with  vertical  wheels." 
In  an  affadavit  attached  to  his  petition  he  says : 

"  In  or  about  the  year  1781  or  1782  "  he  resided  with  Joseph  Vosten- 
handt,  about  four  miles  above  Esopus  on  the  North  river,  in  New  York, 
and  that  he  did  there  make,  rig,  and  put  in  operation  on  a  small  brook  near 
Yostenhandt's  house  "  a  small  wooden  model  of  a  boat  with  vertical 
wheels  over  the  sides,"  each  wheel  having  four  arms  or  paddles  made  of 
shingles,  and  that  "  these  wheels  being  acted  on  by  hickory  or  whalebone 
springs  propelled  the  model  boat  through  the  water  by  the  agency  of  a  tight 
cord  passed  between  the  wheels,  and  being  reacted  on  by  the  springs." 

In  1798  in  conjunction  with  Chancellor  Livingston,  and  John  Stevens,  he 
entered  into  an  agreement  to  build  a  boat  on  joint  account  for  which  the  en- 
gines were  to  be  constructed  at  Second  River  by  Roosevelt,  while  the  pro- 
pelling power  was  to  be  on  the  plan  of  the  Chancellor's. 

Steam  was  applied  to  the  machinery  about  the  middle  of  the  year  1798 
unsuccessfully.  Improvements  were  made  in  it  until  in  October  Roosevelt 
wrote  the  Chancellor  an  account  of  a  trial  trip  on  which  the  speed  attained 
was  equivalent  to  ab.out  three  miles  in  still  water,  though  with  wind  and 
tide,  the  Spanish  minister  who  was  on  board  and  highly  elated  estimated  the 
actual  speed  at  double  that  amount. 

The  month  previous  to  this  trial,  on  the  6th  of  September,  1798,  Roosevelt 
wrote  the  Chancellor  in  this  connection,  after  referring  to  a  change  in  the 
plan  a  letter  in  which  he  says,  "  I  would  recommend  that  we  throw  two  wheels 
of  wood  over  the  sides,  fastened  to  the  axis  of  the  flys  (fly-wheels)  with  eight 
arms  or  paddles ;  that  part  which  enters  the  water  of  sheet  iron  to  shift  ac- 
cording to  the  power  they  require  either  deeper  in  the  water,  or  otherwise, 
and  that  we  navigate  the  vessel  with  these  until  we  can  procure  an  engine 
of  the  proper  size  which  I  think  ought  not  to  be  less  than  24  inch,  cylinder" 
On  the  16th  of  the  same  month  he  again  wrote  the  Chancellor  "I  hope  to 
hear  your  opinion  of  throwing  wheels  over  the  sides,  and  the  Chancellor  an- 
swers, "I  say  nothing  on  the  subject  of  wheels  over  the  sides,  as  I  am  per- 
fectly convinced  from  variety  of  experiments  of  the  superiority  of  those  we 
have  adopted." 

Their  apparatus  was  a  system  of  paddles,  resembling  a  horizontal  chain- 
pump,  set  in  motion  by  an  engine  of  Watt's  construction.  We  know 
that  such  a  plan,  if  inferior  to  paddle-wheels,  might  answer  the  purpose  ;  it, 
however,  failed,  in  consequence  of  the  weakness  of  the  vessel,  which,  chang- 
ing its  figure,  dislocated  the  parts  of  the  engine.  Their  joint  proceedings 
were  interrupted  by  the  appointment  of  Chancellor  Livingston  to  represent 
the  American  government  in  France.  Stevens,  however,  undiscouraged, 
continued  his  experiments  at  Hoboken,  while  Livingston  carried  to  Europe 
the  most  sanguine  expectations  of  success.  Previous  to  these  'attempts,  Mr. 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  33 

Nicholas  K.  Roosevelt  and  R.  R.  Livingston  had  made  some  experiments  in 
steam  navigation,  the  detailed  account  of  which  has  not  been  preserved.* 

1800. — Messrs.  Hunter  and  Dickinson  are  said  to  have  taken  out  a  patent 
in  England  in  1800  for  propelling  vessels  by  steam,  which  was  tried  on  the 
Thames,  in  January,  1801.  The  English  Monthly  Magazine  contains  an  ac- 
count of  this  performance,  "  as  very  creditable  to  them,  and  as  exceeding 
everything  before  accomplished  ; "  and  says  that  "  the  vessel  was  moved  at 
the  rate  of  three  miles  an  hour  through  the  water." 

The  newspapers  of  1801  announce  that  on  the  1st  of  July  "  an  experiment 
took  place  on  the  River  Thames  for  the  purpose  of  working  a  barge  or  any 
other  heavy  craft  against  the  tide  by  means  of  a  steam  engine  on  a  very 
simple  construction.  The  moment  the  engine  was  set  to  work  the  barge  was 
brought  about,  answering  her  helm  quickly,  and  she  made  way  against  a 
strong  current,  at  the  rate  of  two  and  a  half  miles  an  hour." 

1800. — Edward  Shorter  patented  a  screw-propeller  in  1800,  which  was 
successfully  tried  by  manual  power,  to  move  vessels  of  war  in  1802. 

Mr.  Samuel  Brown  hadta  boat  built  expressly  for  being  propelled  by  a 
gas  vacuum-engine,  of  which  he  was  the  inventor,  made  to  drive  a  two- 
bladed  submerged  propeller,  in  the  bow  of  the  boat,  by  which  a  speed  of 
from  six  to  seven  miles  an  hour  was  obtained. 


*  A  detailed  account  of  these  experiments  can  be  found  in  a  pamphlet  entitled  "  A  Lost 
Chapter  in  the  History  of  the  Steamboat,"  by  J.  If.  B.  Lathrop.  Published  by  the  Mary- 
land Historical  Society,  Baltimore.  March,  1871.  t  N  x 

3 


CHAPTER  II— 1800-1819. 

Win.  Symington's  steam-lug,  1802.— Robert  Fulton's  French  Experiments,  1802-4. --Oliver  Evans, 
1802-4.-Stevens,  1804.— The  Clermont,  Fulton's  first  successful  steamboat,  1807,-Robert  L.  Stevens, 
1808— Jonathan  Nichols,  1807-9.— Inland  Steam  Navigation,  U.  S.,  1809— John  Cox  Stevens'  sea 
voyage,  1809.— Robert  Fulton's  patent,  1811.— Rapid  Traveling  in  Steamboats,  1811.— First  Steam- 
boat on  the  Western  waters  of  the  U.  S  ,1811-— Fulton's  Steamboats,  1812.— Steamboat  on  the 
Delaware,  1812.— Steamboats  between  Philadelphia  and  New  York,  1818.— Hezekiah  Bliss,  1810 
-19.— The  Comet,  and  Henry  Bell,  1812— The  Elizabeth,  1813— The  Clyde,  and  Glasgow,  each  1813. 
—First  Steamboat  on  the  St.  Lawrence,  1813.- -Robert  Fulton's  patent,  1813.— First  Steamboat 
in  India,  1810, 1819, 1821— Early  English  Steamboats  1813-15.— Loss  by  wreck  of  Steamers  in  war, 
1812-14.— The  Margery  et  als,  1814.— The  Demologos  or  Fulton  the  First,  the  1st  war  steamship, 
1814.— Steamers  in  England  in  1814.— The  Argyle  or  Thames,  1815.— Steam  Navigation  adopted  in 
Russia,  1815-16.— Trevatheniet'  s  patents  on  Screw  Propeller  in  England,  1815.— Roosevelt  claims 
the  invention  of  paddle-wheels,  1814-16.— Liverpool  Steam  Ferry-boat,  1816.— The  Majestic  first 
to  cross  the  English  Channel,  1816.— First  Line  of  Steamboat*  New  York  to  New  London,  1816.— 
lona  Morgan's  Steamboat  in  Maine,  1816.— First  Steamboat  commanded  by  Cor.  Vanderbilt,  1817. 
—First  Steam  Tow  Boat,  1816.— The  Fire-fly,  1817.— First  Steamboat  on  the  Rhine,  1817.— The 
Manifest  of  first  Steamboat  to  Boston,  1817.— Frst  Steamboat  on  Lake  Erie,  1818.— Baltimore  and 
Philadelphia  Steamboat,  1813-15.— The  First  English  Steam  Tug,  1818.— Steamers  between  the 
Mersey  and  Clyde,  1819.— First  steamer,  Liverpool  andlreland,  1819. 

1802. — In  1802,  William  Symington,  who  had  been  associated  with 
Millar  and  Taylor  in  the  experiments  at  Dalswiuton,  under  the  patronage 
of  Lord  Dundas,  of  Kerse,  an  extensive  proprietor  in  the  Forth  and  Clyde 
Canal,  constructed  a  steam  vessel  for  the  purpose  of  superseding  the  use  of 
horses  in  towing  vessels  along  the  canal.  His  narrative  of  the  experiment, 
the  truthfulness  of  which  has  been  confirmed  by  others,  is  as  follows  : 

"Having  previously  made  various  experiments,  in  March,  1802, at  Lock 
Twenty-two,  Lord  Dundas,  the  great  patron  and  steamboat  promoter,  along 
with  Archibald  Spiers,  Esq.,  of  Eldtrslee,  and  several  gentlemen  of  their  ac- 
quaintances being  on  board,  the  steamboat  took  in  drag  two  loaded  vessel^ 
the  '  Active '  and  '  Euphemia,'  of  Grangemouth,  Gow  and  Elspine,  masters, 
each  upwards  of  seventy  toils  burthen,  and  with  great  ease  carried  them 
through  the  long  reach  of  the  Forth  and  Clyde  Canal  at  Port  Dundas,  a  dis- 
tance of  nineteen  and  a  half  miles,  in  six  hours,  although  the  whole  time  it 
blew  a  very  strong  breeze  right  ahead  of  us ;  so  much  so  that  no  other  vessel 
could  move  to  windward  in  the  canal  that  day  but  those  we  had  in  tow." 

When  unimpeded  by  having  other  boats  in  tow,  this  vessel  went  steadily 
at  the  rate  of  six  miles  an  hour,  aud  may  be  considered  to  have  been  a  com- 
plete success.  Her  cylinder  had  a  diameter  of  twenty-two  inches,  and  her 
piston  a  stroke  of  four  feet.  She  had  her  paddle-wheel  astern,  and  steering 
apparatus  in  front.  Mr.  Symington  proposed  to  apply  side-wheels  to  this 
34 


HISTOR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  35 

boat,  but  it  was  feared  they  would  injure  the  banks  of  the  canal,  and  he  was 
induced  to  substitute  a  stern-wheel. 

The  "  Charlotte  Dundas,"  as  this  vessel  was  called,  is  said  to  have  cost 
three  thousand  pounds.  If  not  the  first  practical  English  steamboat,  she 
was  certainly  the  first  tug  or  tow-boat  ever  built,  and  her  performance,  says 
Scott  Russell,  writing  in  1841,  "  appears  to  be  about  as  great  as  any  since 
accomplished  by  the  many  boats  which  on  the  same  canal  have  attempted 
the  same  duty.  So  simple  was  the  machinery  that  it  might  have  been  at 
work  to  this  day  with  merely  ordinary  repairs."* 

1802. — Robert  Fulton,  with  whose  name  the  history  of  steam  navigation 
is  inseparably  connected,  the  son  of  a  poor  Irish  laborer  who  emigrated  to 
America,  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1765,  was  in  1802  spending  the  winter  at 
Paris,  where  he  made  a  model,  and  wrote  a  description  of  a  small  steamboat 
with  paddle-wheels.  Pie  also  wrote  the  following  letter  to  a  friend,  showing 
he  "was  at  that  early  day  engaged  in  the  attempt  to  move  vessels  by  mechani- 
cal power. 

Paris,  the  2Oth  of  September,  1802. 
To  Mr.  FITLNER  SKIPWITH. 

Sir, — The  expense  of  a  patent  in  France  is  300  livres  for  three  years,  800  ditto  for  ten 
years,  and  1500  ditto  for  fifteen  years;  there  can  be  no  difficulty  in  obtaining  a  patent  for 
the  mode  of  propelling  a  boat  which  you  have  shown  me ;  but  if  the  author  of  the  model 
wishes  to  be  assured  of  the  merits  of  his  invention  before  he  goes  to  the  expense  of  a  patent 
I  advise  him  to  make  the  model  of  a  boat,  in  which  he  can  place  a  clock  spring  which  will 
give  about  eight  revolutions  ;  he  can  then  combine  the  movements  so  as  to  try  cars,  paddles, 
and  the  leaves  which  he  proposes ;  if  he  finds  that  the  leaves  drive  the  boat  a  greater  dis- 
tance in  the  same  time  than  either  oars  or  paddles,  they  consequently  are  a  better  application 
of  power.  About  eight  years  ago  the  Earl  of  Stanhope  tried  an  experiment  on  similar 
leaves  in  Greenland  Dock,  London,  but  without  success.  I  have  also  tried  experiments  on 
similar  leaves,  wheels,  oars,  paddles,  and  flyers  similar  to  those  of  a  smoke  jack,  and  found 
oars  to  be  the  best.  The  velocity  with  whkh  a  boat  moves,  is  in  proportion  as  the  sum  of 
the  surfaces  of  the  oars,  paddles,  leaves,  or  other  machine  is  to  the  bow  of  the  boat  pre- 
sented to  the  water,  and  in  proportion  to  the  power  with  which  such  machinery  is  put  in  mo- 
tion ;  hence,  if  the  sum  of  the  surfaces  of  the  oars  is  equal  to- the  sum  of  the  surfaces  of  the 
leaves,  and  they  pass  through  similar  curves  in  the  same  time,  the  effect  must  be  the  same ; 
but  oars  have  their  advantage,  they  return  through  air  to  make  a  second  stroke,  and  hence 
create  very  little  resistance ;  whereas  the  leaves  return  through  water,  and  add  considerably 
to  the  resistance,  which  resistance  is  increased  as  the  velocity  of  the  boat  is  augumented :  no 
kind  of  machinery  can  create  power;  all  .that  can  be  do'ne  is  to  apply  the  manual  qr  other 
power  to  the  best  advantage.  If  the  author  of  the  model  is  fond  of  mechanics,  he  will  be 
much  amused,  and  not  lose  his  time,  by  trying  the  experiments  in  the  manner  I  propose,  and 
this  .perhaps  is  the  most  prudent  measure,  before  a  patent  is  taken. 

I  am,  Sir,  with  much  respect,  yours, 

ROBT.  FULTON. 

1803. — About  the  same  time,  in  connection  with  Chancellor  Livingston, 
then  the  American  minister  at  the  French  court,  he  commenced  the  con- 

*  The  machinery  of  this  boat  was  exhibited  at  an  exhibition  in  London  a  few  years  since. 


36  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

struction  of  an  experimental  steamboat  on  a  large  scale,  which  was  launched 
in  the  spring  of  1803,  on  the  Seine,  below  Paris,  and  the  steam-engine  and 
boilers  put  on  board.  He  had,  however,  miscalculated  the  strength  of  his 
vessel,  and  when  the  weight  of  the  machinery  was  placed  in  the  centre  she 
broke  through  the  middle  and  sunk,  and  when  raised.was  found  to  be  unworthy 
of  repairs.  He  therefore  built  a  new  hull  to  receive  the  machinery,  which 
was  but  little  injured,  and  in  August,  1804,  made  a 'second  trial.  This 
new  vessel  was  sixty-six  feet  long  and  eight  feet  wide ;  but  she  moved  so 
slowly  as  to  oe  altogether  a  failure.  Soon  after  the  experiment  Fulton 
visited  England,  where  he  sought  out  Mr.  Symington,  and  made  a  trip 
with  him  in  his  steam  tug  on  the  Forth  and  Clyde  Canal.  Mr.  Symington 
says,  "In  compliance  with  Mr.  Fulton's  earnest  request,  I  caused  the 
engine  fire  to  be  lighted  up,  and  in  a  short  time  thereafter  put  the  steamboat 
in  motion,  and  carried  him  from  Lock  16,  where  the  boat  then  lay,  four 
miles  west  in  the  canal,  and  returned  to  the  place  of  starting,  in  one  hour 
and  twenty  minutes,  to  the  great  astonishment  of  Mr.  Fulton  and  several 
gentlemen,  who  at  our  outset  chanced  to  come  on  board." 

An  act  passed  the  Legislature  of  New  York,  April  5,  1803,  by  which  the 
rights  and  exclusive  privilege  of  navigating  all  the  waters  of  that  State,  by 
vessels  propelled  by  fire  or  steam,  which  had  been  granted  to  Livingston  in 
1798,  were  extended  to  Livingston  and  Fulton  for  twenty  years  from  the 
date  of  the  new  act.  By  this  act  the  producing  proof  of  the  practicability  of  pro- 
pelling a  boat  by  steam,  of  twenty  tons  capacity,  at  the  rate  of  four  miles  an 
hour,  with  and  against  the  ordinary  current  of  the  Hudson,  was  extended 
two  years.  Subsequently  it  was  extended  to  April,  1807. 

Fulton's  experiments  on  the  Seine  in  1800-4,  and  his  relations  with  Napo- 
leon I.,  are  ^hus  graphically  narrated  by  Mr.  A.  Ducasse.  He  says  : 

"  Between  six  and  eight  o'clock  on  the  8th  of  August,  1804,  the  two  banks 
of  the  Seine,  at  Paris,  at  the  foot  of  the  heights  of  the  '  Pompe  a  Feu '  at 
Chaillot,  were  crowded  with  curious  observers  collected  together  to  witness  an 
experiment,  the  importance  of  which,  unfortunately  for  the  civilized  world, 
was  not  recognized  for  a  long  time  afterward. 

"  Fulton  was  trying  on  the  Seine  the  first  steamboat,  already  invented  by 
him  some  years  before,  and  subsequently  offered  in  vain  first  to  France,  then 
to  England,  and  subsequently  to  his  native  country,  the  United  States,  which 
adopted  the  grand  discovery. 

"  On  that  evening,  then,  vast  numbers  of  curious  gazers  were  assembled  on 
the  quay,  and  unfortunately  the  Emperor,  detained  at  the  camp  of  Boulogne, 
was  not  in  Paris.  The  trial  took  place  without  being  witnessed  by  him,  and, 
in  spite  of  the  scientific  men  delegated  by  his  orders,  this  was  not  appreciated. 

"  A  strange  history  is  that  of  the  short-lived  relations  of  these  two  men  of 
genius,  Napoleon  I.  and  Fulton,  made  to  understand  one  another,  and  yet 
whom  a  fatal  and  jealous  destiny  seems  to  have  perpetually  kept  apart. 

"  Towards  the  end  of  the  year  1800,  Fulton,  then  for  some  time  residing 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  37 

in  Paris,  had  been  able  to  establish  relations  with  several  savans.  He  asked 
Volney,  who  was  known  to  the  First  Consul,  and  who  was  a  member  of  the 
Conservative  Senate,  to  propose  to  the  great  man  who  governed  France  to 
make  a  trial  of  his  system  of  navigation  with  steam  as  a  motive  power. 

"  Volney  naturally  addressed  himself  to  Forfait,  the  Ministre  de  la  Marine, 
who  laid  the  matter  before  the  First  Consul  in  the  following  terms : 

"  '  The  Ministre  de  la  Marine  submits  to  the  First  Consul  the  proposals 
concerning  the  "  Nautilus," — the  name  of  Fulton's  steamboat, — which  Mr. 
Robert  Fulton,  citizen  of  the  United  States,  has  place4  before  him,  through 
the  citizen  Volney,  member  of  the  Conservative  Senate.' 

"  On  the  4th  of  December,  1800,  the  First  Consul  wrote  on  the  margin  of 
this  demand  the  following  decision  : 

"'The  Ministre  will  treat  this  affair  with  Fulton,  Volney,  and  others.' 

"Napoleon,  occupied  with  the  affairs  of  Germany,  whither  Moreau  was 
then  marching  to  fight  the  battle  of  Hohenliuden,  occupied  with  the  vast 
interests  placed  in  his  powerful  and  organizing  hands,  unceasingly  tormented 
with  projects  and  inventions,  did  not  at  first  seize  the  importance  of  Fulton's 
discovery.  Moreover,  he  thought  it  was  the  business  of  the  Ministre  de  la 
Marine  to  examine  the  affair,  and  to  make  a  report  upon  it  to  him  if  it  were 
serious. 

"  For  the  present,  then,  he  thought  no  more  about  it. 

"In  the  month  of  March  of  1801,  Forfait  returned  to  the  charge  and  sub- 
mitted to  the  Chief  of  the  State  the  following  : 

"  'The  Ministre  de  la  Marine  proposes  to  allow  Fulton  a  sum  of  10,000f. 
to  enable  him  to  make  a  thorough  trial  of  the  "Nautilus"  at  Brest,  and  to 
give  him  certain  sums  by  way  of  reward.' 

"  Napoleon  wrote  on  the  margin  of  this  demand,  'The  First  Consul  agrees 
to  this  arrangement.' 

"  Fulton's  project  was  then,  by  order  of  the  Chief  of  State,  sent  to  the 
Institute  to  be  examined.  But  it  was  not  till  three  years  later,  in  1804,  that 
the  trial  of  the  steamboat  took  place  on  the  Seine,  as  we  shall  presently  show. 

"This  boat,  built  under  the  direction  of  Fulton,  by  Messrs.  Brown,  of  New 
York,  was  fifty  metres  long ;  it  was  moved  by  a  double  steam-engine,  which 
turned  paddles  on  each  side,  and  gave  it  a  speed  equal  to  about  that  of  a 
carriage  drawn  by  post-horses. 

"  One  fine  day  Napoleon  bethought  him  of  Fulton's  project.  It  was  at  the 
time  when  he  was  in  the  midst  of  his  troops  at  Boulogne,  preparing  his  grand 
expedition  against  England. 

"  With  his  gaze  constantly  fixed  on  the  great  rival  of  France,  he  sought 
every  means  likely  to  insure  the  success  of  his  descent  upon  the  bank  of  the 
Thames.  The  plan  of  the  American  engineer  recurred  to  him.  Great 
indeed  would  be  the  chances  of  success  if  Fulton  had  really  discovered  the 
means  of  moving  ships  by  means  of  steam, — a  power  the  use  of  which  might 
be  regulated  and  controlled  in  spite  of  tides  and  winds.  What  a  wondrous 
and  unequaled  victory  obtained  over  t  e  elements ! 


38  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

"Napoleon  then  asked  his  Minister  for  Fulton's  project.  The  Minister 
sent  it,  and  on  the  21st  of  July,  1804,  the  First  Consul,  two  months  ago 
hailed  as  Emperor,  wrote  the  following  curious  letter : 

"'I  have  just  read  the  project  of  Citizen  Fulton,  Engineer,  which  you 
have  sent  me  much  too  late,  since  it  is  one  which  may  change  the  face  of  the 
world.  Be  that  as  it  may,  I  desire  that  you  "  immediately "  confide  its 
examination  to  a  commission  of  members  chosen  by  you  among  the  different 
classes  of  the  Institute. 

"' There  it  is  that*  learned  Europe  would  seek  for  judges  to  resolve  the 
question  under  consideration.  A  great  truth,  a  physical,  palpable  truth,  is 
before  my  eyes.  It  will  be  for  these  gentlemen  to  try  and  see  it  and  seize  it. 
As  soon  as  their  report  is  made  it  will  be  sent  to  you,  and  you  will  forward  it 
to  me.  Try  and  let  the  whole  be  terminated  within  eight  days,  as  I  am 
impatient. 

"'FROM  MY  IMPERIAL  CAMP  AT  BOULOGNE,  this  21st  July,  1804.' 

"In  the  last  two  months  the  Parisians  had  seen  with  astonishment,  off  the 
quay  of  the  Pompe  a  Feu,  at  Chaillot,  a  boat  presenting  a  most  strange 
appearance.  It  was  armed,  said  the  journals  of  the  time,  with  two  large 
wheels,  placed  on  an  axle  like  that  of  a  cart.  Behind  these  wheels,  which 
were  intended  to  be  put  in  motion, — so  ran  the  journals  of  1804, — there  was 
a  sort  of  large  stove  with  a  pipe,  a  little  fire-engine  by  means  of  which  the 
wheels,  and  consequently  the  whole  vessel, 'might  be  put  in  motion,  turned, 
and  made  to  go  backward  or  forward. 

"  Some  evil-minded  persons  had  attempted,  shortly  after  its  arrival  in  the 
Seine,  to  sink  it,  and  they  had  partially  succeeded  in  their  attempt.  The 
relations  of  the  period  do  not  tell  us  who  these  persons  were  or  what  were 
their  motives.  * 

"When  Fulton  had  repaired  the  injuries  done  the  ship,  the  first  trial  of  a 
steamboat  in  France,  as  has  already  been  mentioned,  took  place  on  the  Seine 
on  the  8th  of  August,  1804.  Fulton,  assisted  by  three  other  men,  put  his 
boat  in  motion,  taking  in  tow  two  vessels  of  less  tonnage. 

"During  an  hour  and  a  half  he  afforded  a  curious  crowd  the  strange 
spectacle  of  a  ship  moved,  like  a  carriage,  by  wheels  fitted  with  oars  and  set 
in  motion  by  a  fire-engine.  The  trial  succeeded  wonderfully,  and  appeared 
conclusive. 

"The  rate  of  progress  up  the  Seine  was  from  five  to  six  kilometres  per 
hour;  in  going  down  it  was  double. 

"The  ship  was  easily  manoeuvred  in  every  direction,  answered  readily  to 
the  helm,  was  anchored  without  difficulty,  and  rapidly  pjt  again  in  motion, 
No  well-broke  horse  was  more  easily  to  manage. 

"  At  the  present  time  all  this  excites  no  astonishment,  but  sixty  years  ago 
when  navigation  was  only  comprehended  by  means  of  sails  or  oars,  the 
wonder  we  have  described  was  natural. 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  39 

"  What  is  really  surprising  is  that  the  results  of  this  trial  were  so  unim- 
portant ;  above  all,  when  we  remember  that  the  Emperor  had  ordered  a 
serious  examination  of  the  discovery  by  the  members  of  the  Institute,  and 
that  several  of  them,  among  whom  were  such  men  as  Bossout,  Carnot,  Prony, 
Perrier,  and  Volney,  were  on  board  the  '  Nautilus '  when  the  trial  trip  was 
made. 

"  And  yet,  four  days  afterwards,  on  the  12th  of  August,  the  Journal  des 
Debats  received  an  article  communicated  by  the  Government  on  the  subject 
of  this  trial,  which  terminates  thus: 

"  '  Doubtless  they  (the  members  of  the  Institute)  will  make  a  report  which 
will  give  this  discovery  all  the  eclat  it  deserves,  since  this  mechanism,  ap- 
plied to  our  rivers,  would  be  fraught  with  the  most  advantageous  results  to 
our  internal  navigation,'  etc. 

"Thus  it  appears  that  the  system  was  not  considered  applicable  to  mari- 
time navigation,  and  thus  Messieurs  de  1'Institute — ocular  witnesses  of  a  fact 
the  consequences  of  which  they  were  able  to  appreciate,  and  of  which  they 
had  been  ordered  to  find  out  the  value  and  to  explain  the  causes — thought 
it  was  consistent  with  their  dignity  to  reject  scornfully  the  most  wonderful 
discovery  that  had  ever  been  submitted  to  their  lofty  understanding. 

"  For  the  rest,  this  is  no  exception  to  the  general  rule.  Have  we  not  seen 
in  our  own  time  distinguished  soldiers  reject  percussion  powder  for  muskets? 
Do  we  not  even  now  see  breech-loaders  rejected  for  the  army  ?  and  has  it 
not  required  the  campaign  of  Sadowa  to  open  the  eyes  of  most  of  the  chiefs 
of  the  armies  of  Europe  ? 

"  Be  this  as  it  may,  the  reports  on  Fulton's  discovery  were  far  from  favor, 
able.  Scientific  men  rejected  it.  The  Emperor  is  said  to  have  sighed  on 
reading  their  report,  exclaiming,  '  It  is  a  pity  !' 

"What  must  have  been  the  regret  of  the  great  captain  when,  eleven  years 
later,  while  being  borne  into  exile  on  board  the  '  Bellerophon,'  under  the 
English  flag,  he  saw  a  small  steamer  manoeuvring  with  facility  in  British 
waters,  and,  on  inquiring  who  was  the  inventor,  was  told  that  his  name  was 
Fulton !" 

1803. — M.  Dalleny,  a  French  engineer,  in  October,  1803,  secured  a  patent, 
the  first  of  its  kind,  for  an  original  idea  of  his  own  for  applying  the  steam- 
engine  to  two  screws,  one  of  which  was  placed  on  the  bow  on  a  moveable 
axis,  and  served  as  a  rudder. 

At  Boulogne-sur-Mer,  on  Monday,  October  12, 1881,  was  unveiled  a  statue 
of  Frederic  Sauvage,  whom  the  French  claim  to  be  the  inventor  of  the  screw 
propeller.  A  Scotchman  named  Swan,  born  at  Coldingham,  Berwickshire, 
in  the  year  1787,  who  claimed  to  be  the  original  inventor  of  the  screw  pro- 
peller, died  in  London  in  1869,  and  a  monument  in  Abney  Park  Cemetery 
there  bears  the  following  inscription  ;  "Few  men  have  been  greater  benefac- 
tors to  their  country  than  the  late  John  Swan.  He  was  the  original  inventor 
of  the  screw  propellor  in  the  year  1824,  as  now  used  in  Her  Majesty's  ships, 


40  HIS  TOE  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VI G A  TION. 

and  published  by  the  late  Dr.  Birkbeck  in  the  Mechanic's  Register  of  the 
same  date." 

1802-4. — In  1802,  Oliver  Evans  agreed  with  James  McKeever,  of  Ken- 
tucky (father  of  the  late  Commodore  Isaac  McKeever,  U.  S.  Navy),  and 
Louis  Valcourt,  to  build  a  boat  to  run  on  the  Mississippi  between  New 
Orleans  and  Natchez.  Mr.  Evans's  high-pressure  engine  was  built  in  Phila- 
delphia, and  the  boat  in  Kentucky;  both  were  sent  to  New  Orleans,  but 
when  the  engine  arrived  at  New  Orleans  it  was  found  that  the  boat  had  been 
destroyed  by  a  hurricane.  The  engine  was  then  set  to  sawing  timber  in  New 
Orleans,  and  Mr.  Stackhouse  (one  of  the  engineers),  who  remained  with  it 
twelve  months  and  fifteen  days,  stated  that  during  that  period  the  mill  was 
constantly  at  work,  and  that  "  Nothing  relating  to  the  engine  broke  or  got 
out  of  order  so  as  to  stop  the  mill  one  hour."  This  was  the  engine 
sent  by  Oliver  Evans  to  drive  a  steamboat  against  the  current  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi five  years  before  Robert  Fulton  started  the  "  Clermont "  on  the 
Hudson. 

In  1804,  Oliver  Evans  built  a  scow-steamboat  at  Philadelphia,  for  the 
purpose  of  clearing  out  the  docks,  which  he  called  the  "  Eruktor  Amphibolis." 

To  prove  that  wagons  could  be  moved  on  land  and  vessels  moved  on  water 
by  the  force  of  steam,  Evans  geared  machinery  to  the  wagon  upon  which  the 
"Eruktor"  was  placed,  and  propelled  his  wagon  by  steam  from  the 
Centre  Square,  Philadelphia,  to  the  Schuylkill  River,  at  Market  Street. 
The  wagon-wheels  were  then  taken  off,  the  scow  launched,  and  a  paddle- 
wheel  placed  at-  its  stern.  It  was  then  propelled  down  the  Schuylkill  to  the 
Delaware,  and  up  the  latter  river  to  Philadelphia,  a  distance  of  sixteen  miles, 
passing  several  vessels  bound  to  the  same  port. 

Mr.  Evans  has  left  the  following  account  of  this  experiment : 

"  In  1804  I  constructed  at  my  works,  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  water,  by 
order  of  the  Board  of  Health  of  the  City  of  Philadelphia,  a  machine  for 
cleaning  docks.  It  consisted  of  a  large  flat  or  lighter,  with  steam-engine  of 
the  power  of  five  horses  on  board  to  work  machinery  to  raise  the  mud  into 
lighters.  This  was  a  fine  opportunity  to  show  the  public  that  my  engine 
could  propel  both  land  and  water  carriages,  and  I  resolved  to  do  it.  When 
the  work  was  finished  I  put  wheels  under  it,  and  though  it  was  equal  in 
weight  to  two  hundred  barrels  of  flour,  and  the  wheels  were  fixed  on  wooden 
axle-trees  for  this  temporary  purpose  in  a  very  rough  manner,  and  attended 
with  great  friction  of  course,  yet  with  this  small  engine  I  transported  my 
great  burthen  to  the  Schuylkill  with  ease;  and  when  it  was  launched  into 
the  water  I  fixed  a  paddle-wheel  at  the  stern,  and  drove  it  down  the  Schuyl- 
kill to  the  Delaware,  a.nd  up  the  Delaware  to  the  city  ;  leaving  all  the  vessels 
going  up  behind  me  at  least  half  way,  the  wind  being  ahead." 

On  the  26th  of  September,  1804,  he  closed  an  address  to  the  Lancaster 
Turnpike  Company  as  follows  : 

"  It  is  too  much  for  an  individual  to  put  in  operation  every  improvement 


HIS  TOE  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIOA  TION.  41 

which  he  may  invent.  I  have  no  doubt  ray  engines  will  propel  boats  against 
the  current  of  the  Mississippi,  and  carriages  on  turnpike  roads  with  great 
profit." 

In  1805  he  published  a  work  describing  the  principle  of  his  steam-engine, 
with  directions  for  working  it  when  applied  to  propel  boats  against  the  cur- 
rent of  the  Mississippi,  and  carriages  on  turnpike  roads. 

1804. — In  May,  1804,  John  Stevens  *  constructed  a  steamboat  which  went 
from  Hoboken  to  New  York  and  returned;  its  propelling  power  being  a 
wheel  at  the  stern,  formed  in  the  manner  of  a  wind-mill  or  smoke-jack,  and 
driven  by  a  rototary  engine. 

The  engine  not  proving  successful,  it  was  superseded  by  one  of  Watt's 
engines,  when  the  vessel  attained  an  average  speed  of  four  miles  an  hour. 
For  a  short  distance  Stevens  could  make  his  boat  go  at  a  speed  of  seven  or 
eight  miles  per  hour;  but  was  unable  to  maintain  that  speed  for  any  length 
of  time  from  a  deficiency  of  steam. 

Professor  Renwick  read  a,  paper  several  years  since  before  the  New  York 
Historical  Society,  in  which  he  stated  that  the  first  he  ever  heard  of  an 
attempt  to  use  steam  for  the  propulsion  of  vessels  was  from  a  classmate  who, 
in  1803,  witnessed  an  experiment  made  upon  the  Passaic  River  by  John 
Stevens,  of  Hoboken.  According  to  his  account,  the  propulsion  was  at- 
tempted by  forcing  water,  by  means  of  a  pump,  from  an  aperture  in  the  stern 
of  the  vessel.  In  May,  1804,  Mr.  Renwick  saw  Robert  L.  Stevens  and  the 
late  Commodore  Stevens,  as  he  was  styled,  cross  from  the  Battery  to  Hoboken 
in  a  boat  propelled  by  steam.  This  boat  was  a  small  one,  and  had  tubular 
boilers,  the  first  ever  made.  The  machinery  was  made  under  his  own  direc- 
tions, and  in  his  own  shop  at  Hoboken.  It  set  in  motion  hvo  propellers  (the 
first  double-screw)  of  five  feet  diameter  each,  and  each  furnished  with  four 
blades  having  the  proper  twist, — to  obtain  which  he  had  the  greatest  difficulty 
with  his  workmen, — and  set  at  an  angle  of  thirty-five  degrees.  It  is  a  proof 
of  the  remarkable  accuracy  and  skill  of  the  Hoboken  workshop  that  the 
engine  of  this  first  small  propeller,  which  is  carefully  preserved  in  the  Stevens 
Institute  of  Technology  at  Hoboken,  was  set  up  again  forty  years  after- 
wards (1844)  in  a  new  vessel,  which  was  modeled  on  the  lines  of  the  first 
boat,  and  without  altering  a  screw  was  worked  successfully,  and  in  the 
presence  of  a  committee  from  the  American  Institute  was  propelled  at  the 
rate  of  eight  miles  an  hour.  The  second  vessel  is  also  preserved  in  the 
Stevens  Institute  at  Hoboken.  Three  years  before  Robert  Fulton's  steamer, 


*  Colonel  John  Stevens,  born  in  New  York,  1749.  Died  at  Hoboken,  New  Jersey,  1838. 
Colonel  Stevens  was  the  father  of  Edwin  A.  Stevens,  founder  of  the  Stevens  Institute  cf 
Technology.  During  the  war  of  the  Revolution  he  served  in  a  variety  of  civil  and  military 
capacities,  and  afterwards  became  the  owner  of  large  estates  in  New  Jersey. 

In  1787  he  became  interested  in  steamboats,  from  seeing  that  of  John  Fitch,  and  experi- 
mented for  near  thirty  years.  In  1789  he  petitioned  the  New  York  Legislature  for  a  grant 
of  the  exclusive  navigation  of  the  waters  of  that  State,  but  without  success. 


42  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

the  "  Clermont,"  plowed  its  way  up  the  Hudson,  this  engine  and  boiler,  in 
the  hands  of  Colonel  John  Stevens,  had  demonstrated  the  efficiency  of  the 
screw  propeller.  • 

1806. — Encouraged  by  the  success  of  his  former  experiments,  Colonel 
Stevens  repeated  them  in  1806  on  a  larger  scale,  and  built  a  pirogue  fifty 
feet  long,  twelve  feet  wide,  and  seven  feet  deep,  which  attained  considerable 
speed.  He  named  her  the  "  Phoenix." 

THE  "  CLERMONT." 

1807. — In  the  spring  of  1807  Robert  Fulton  launched  from  the  building- 
yard  of  Charles  Brown,  on  the  East  Hudson,  a  steam-vessel,  one  hundred 
and  thirty  feet  long,  having  eighteen  feet  beam  and  six  feet  hold,  which  he 
named  the  "  Clermont,"  after  the  residence  of  his  friend,  patron  and  asso- 
ciate, Chancellor  Livingston.  The  "  Clermont  "  was  provided  with  a  single 
engine,  built  by  Boulton  and  Watt,  in  England,  which  lay  for  many  months 
on  the  wharf  at  New  York,  near  where  the  city  prison  now  stands,  between 
Canal  Street  and  the  Battery,  being  held  by  the  agent  of  the  ship  which 
brought  it  over  for  non-payment  of  freight.  This  engine  was  twenty-four  inches 
diameter  of  cylinder,  and  three  feet  stroke.  The  boiler  was  of  the  low- 
pressure  pattern,  twenty  feet  long,  seven  feet  deep,  and  eight  feet  broad. 
The  side-wheels  were  fifteen  feet  in  diameter,  with  buckets  four  feet  wide, 
dipping  two  feet  in  the  water.  The  "  Clermont"  started  on  her  first  trip 
from  New  York  for  Albany,  at  one  p.  M.,  on  the  7th  of  August,  1807,  just 
three  years,  to  a  day,  after  Fulton's  experiments  with  the  "  Nautilus  "  on 
the  Seine.  * 

Robert  Fulton,  with  a  few  friends  and  mechanics  and  six  passengers,  was 
on  board.  An  incredulous  and  jeering  crowd  were  gathered  on  the  shore 
as  she  cast  loose.  She  arrived  at  Clermont,  a  distance  of  one  hundred  and 
ten  miles,  on  Tuesday  at  the  same  hour.  Leaving  Clermont  on  Wednesday, 
at  nine  A.M.,  she  arrived  at  Albany  at  five  P.M.  the  same  day,  a  distance  of 
forty  miles  in  eight  hours.  "  The  run,"  says  Fulton,  "is  one  hundred  and 
fifty  miles  in  thirty-two  hours, — nearly  equal  to  five  miles  an  hour.  She 
kept  up  the  same  rate  of  speed  on  her  return  trip  to  New  York,  and  made 
several  trips  during  the  summer  with  like  results."  * 

*  Marcus  Richardson,  of  Bangor,  the  oldest  Mason  in  Maine,  who  died  in  that  city 
January  7,  1881,  aged  one  hundred  and  six  years  and  two  months,  witnessed  this  trial  trip 
of  the  "  Clermont."  He  was  a  privateersman  in  the  war  of  1812,  and  was  a  mason  seventy- 
seven  years. 

In  August,  1882,  Geo.  Dexter,  aged  eighty-four  years,  of  Albany,  and  Wm.  Perry,  of  Exe- 
ter, New  Hampshire,  aged  ninety  years,  who  were  passengers  in  the  "  Clermont  "  on  her 
return  trip  from  Albany  to  New  York  were  still  living. 

At  the  time  of  the  great  triumph  Peter  Cooper  was  an  apprentice  boy,  Thurlow  Weed  was 
a  cabin-boy  on  a  Hudson  River  sloop  and  Charles  O'Connor  a  prattling  child  of  three  years. 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  43 

Professor  Kenwick,  describing  the  "  Clermont "  as  she  appeared  on  her 
first  trip,  says,  "  She  was  very  unlike  any  of  her  successors,  and  very  dis- 
similar from  the  shape  in  which  she  appeared  a  few  months  afterward.  With 
a  model  resembling  a  Long  Island  skiff,  she  was  decked  for  a  short  distance 
at  stem  and  stern.  The  engine  was  open  to  view,  and  from  the  engine  aft  a 
house  like  that  of  a  canal-boat  was  raised  to  cover  the  boiler  and  jthe  apart- 
ment for  the  officers.  There  were  no  wheel-guards.  The  rudder  was  of  the 
shape  used  in  sailing  vessels  and  moved  by  a  tiller.  The  boiler  was  of  the 
form  then  used  in  Watt's  engines,  and  was  set  in  masonry.  The  condenser 
was  of  the  size  used  habitually  in  land  engines,  and  stood,  as  was  the 
practice  in  them,  in  a  large  cold-water  cistern.  The  weight  of  the 
masonry  and  the  great  capacity  of  the  cold-water  cistern  diminished  very 
materially  the  buoyancy  of  the  vessel.  The  rudder  had  so  little  power  that 
she  could  hardly  be  managed.  The  skippers />f  the  river  craft,  who  at  once 
saw  that  their  business  was  doomed,  took  advantage  of  the  unwieldiness  of 
the  vessel  to  run  foul  of  her  as  often  as  they  thought  they  had  the  law  on 
their  side.  Thus  in  several  instances  the  steamer  reached  one  or  the  other 
termini  of  the  route  with  but  a  single  wheel." 

Before  the  season  closed,  the  wheels  were  surrounded  by  a  frame  of  strong 
beams  and  the  paddles  were  covered  in  ;  the  rudder  was  changed  to  the 
pattern  now  used  on  all  river  boats  and  was  worked  by  a  wheel,  the 
ropes  from  which  were  attached  to  the  ends  most  distant  from  the  pintles. 
This  rudder  rendered  the  vessel  manageable,  and  the  beams  placed  around 
the  wheel  were  capable  of  inflicting  instead  of  receiving  harm  in  a  collision 
with  sailing  vessels. 

During  the  winter  of  1807-8  she  was  almost  wholly  rebuilt.  The  hull 
was  considerably  lengthened  and  covered  from  stem  to  stern  with  a  flush 
deck.  Beneath  this  two  cabins  were  formed,  and  surrounded  by  double 
ranges  of  berths,  fitted  up  in  a  manner  then  unexampled  for  comfort,  and 
the  public  taste  wascousulted  in  the  application  of  numerous  coats  of  rather 
gaudy  paint.  Thus  improved,  she  commenced  her  trips  for  the  season  of 

This  year  (1882)  a  movement  has  been  set  on  foot  to  erect  z.  suitable  monument  to  the 
memory  of  the  great  inventor,  whose  ashes  lie  neglected  in  an  obscure  vault  at  the  south- 
west corner  of  Trinity  Church. 

The  name  of  the  chief  engineer  of  the  "  Clermont "  on  her  first  trip  up-river  has  not  been 
preserved  ;  but  Mr.  Fulton,  having  had  some  difficulty  with  him,  promoted  Mr.  Charles 
Dyck  to  his  place  on  the  return  trip.  Mr.  Dyck  was  born  in  1787  and  died  in  1871.  While 
at  Albany,  a  gentleman,  Mr.  Dyck  said,  came  on  board  and  engaged  passage  to  New  York. 
Mr.  Fulton,  on  receiving  his  money,  «hed  tears,  remarking  that  it  was  the  first  he  had  re- 
ceived for  all  his  labor. 

In  1813,  Mr.  Dyck:  was  engineer  on  the  "Car  of  Neptune,"  from  New  York  to  Albany, 
and  also  oh  the  "  Fire-Fly,"  from  New  York  to  Poughkeepsie.  He  was  on  the  first  steamer 
on  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  Rivers ;  also  on  the  first  steamboat  on  the  Fulton  Ferry  line, 
and  from  New  York  to  New  Brunswick  on  the  Philadelphia  line  with  Captain  Vanderbilt. 
For  five  years  before  his  death  he  was  blind. 


44  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

1808,  and  started  regularly  at  the  appointed  hour,  at  first  much  to  the 
discontent  of  travellers,  who  had  previously  been  waited  for  by  sloops  and 
stages.  At  the  end  of  the  season  she  proved  too  small  for  the  crowds  who 
thronged  to  take  passage. 

The  success  of  the  "Clermont"  led  Fulton  and  Livingston  to  build  two 
other  vessels  and  add  them  to  the  line,  viz.,  "The  Car  of  Neptune"  and 
the  "Paragon,"  of  three  and  three  hundred  and  fifty  tons  respectively. 
Fulton  sent  the  following  account  of  the  first  trip  of  the  "  Clermont"  to  the 
American  Citizen : 

"  SIR  :  I  arrived  this  afternoon  at  four  o'clock  in  the  steamboat  from 
Albany.  As  the  success  of  my  experiment  gives  me  great  hopes  that  such 
boats  may  be  rendered  of  great  importance  to  my  country,  to  prevent  erro- 
neous opinions  and  to  derive  some  satisfaction  to  the  friends  of  useful  im- 
provements, you  will  have  the  goodness  to  publish  the  following  statement 
of  facts : 

"I  left  New  York  on  Monday  at  one  o'clock,  and  arrived  at  Clermont,  the 
seat  of  Chancellor  Livingston,  at  one;  time,  twenty-four  hours;  distance,  one 
hundred  and  ten  miles.  On  Wednesday  I  left  the  Chancellor's  at  nine  in  the 
morning,  and  arrived  at  Albany  at  five  in  the  afternoon;  distance,  forty 
miles;  time,  eight  hours. 

"  The  run  is  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  in  thirty-two  hours, — equal  to 
nearly  five  miles  an  hour.  On  Thursday,  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning,  I 
left  Albany,  and  arrived  at  the  Chancellor's  at  six  in  the  evening.  I  started 
from  thence  at  seven,  and  arrived  at  New  York  at  four  in  the  afternoon  ; 
time,  thirty  hours;  space  run  through,  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles, — equal 
to  five  miles  an  hour.  Throughout  my  whole  way,  both  going  and  return- 
ing, the  wind  was  ahead.  No  advantage  could  be  derived  from  my  sail.  TJie 
whole  has  therefore  been  performed  by  the  power  of  the  steam-engine,  etc. 

"  EGBERT  FULTON." 

Fulton  also  wrote  to  a  friend:  "I  overtook  many  sloops  and  schooners 
beating  to  windward,  and  parted  with  them  as  if  they  had  been  at  anchor. 
The  power  of  propelling  boats  by  steam  is  now  fully  proved.  The  morning 
I  left  New  York  there  were  not  thirty  persons  who  believed  that  the  boat 
would'  ever  move  one  mile  an  hour  or  be  of  the  least  utility;  and  while  we 
were  passing  off  from  the  wharf,  which  was  crowded  with  spectators,  I  heard 
a  number  of  sarcastic  remarks.  This  is  the  way  in  which  ignorant  men 
compliment  what  they  call  philosophers  and  projectors.  Although  the  pros- 
pect of  personal  emolument  has  been  some  inducement  to  me,  yet  I  feel  in- 
finitely more  pleasure  in  reflecting  on  the  immense  advantages  my  country 
will  derive  from  the  invention." 

The  British  Naval  Chronicle  for  1808  has  an  extract  from  a  letter  written 
by  a  gentleman  of  South  Carolina,  one  of  the  favored  few  who  were  pas- 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  45 

sengers  on  board  the  "Clermont"  on  her  first  trip.  Under  date  September 
8th,  1807,  he  says,  "  I  have  now  the  pleasure  to  state  to  you  the  particulars 
of  a  late  excursion  to  Albany  in  the  steamboat  made  and  completed  under 
the  directions  of  the  Hon.  Robert  R.  Living&ton  and  Mr.  Fulton,  together 
with  my  remarks  thereon.  On  the  morning  of  the  19th  of  August,  Edward  P. 
Livingston,  Esq.,  and  myself  were  honored  with  an  invitation  from  the 
Chancellor  and  Mr.  Fulton  to  proceed  with  them  to  Albany  in  trying  the 
first  experiment  up  the  river  Hudson  in  the  steamboat.  She  was  then  lying 
off  Clermont,  the  seat  of  the  Chancellor,  where  she  had  arrived  in  twenty- 
four  hours  from  New  York,  being  one  hundred  and  ten  miles.  Precisely  at 
thirteen  minutes  past  nine  o'clock  A.M.  the  engine  was  put  in  motion,  when 
we  made  head  against  the  ebb-tide,  and  head  wind  blowing  a  pleasant  breeze. 
We  continued  our  course  for  about  eight  miles,  when  we  took  the  flood,  the 
wind  still  ahead.  We  arrived  at  Albany  about  five  P.M.,  being  a  distance 
from  Clermont  of  forty-five  miles  (as  agreed  upon  by  those  best  acquainted 
with  the  river),  which  was  performed  in  eight  hours  without  any  accident 
or  interruption  whatever.  This  decidedly  gave  the  boat  upwards  of  five 
miles  an  hour,  the  tide  sometimes  against  us,  neither  sails  nor  any  other  im- 
plement but  steam  used. 

"  The  next  morning  we  left  Albany,  with  several  passengers,  on  the  return 
to  New  York,  the  tide  in  favor,  but  the  wind  ahead.  We  left  Albany  at 
twenty-five  minutes  past  nine  o'clock  A.M.,  and  arrived  at  Clermont  in  nine 
hours  precisely,  which  gave  us  five  miles  an  hour.  The  current  on  return- 
ing was  stronger  than  when  going  up.  After  landing  us  at  Clermont,  Mr. 
Fulton  proceeded  with  the  passengers  to  New  York.  The  excursion  to  Al- 
bany was  very  pleasant,  and  represented  a  most  interesting  spectacle.  As 
we  passed  the  farms  on  the  borders  of  the  river  every  eye  was  intent,  and 
from  village  to  village  the  heights  and  conspicuous  places  were  occupied  by 
sentinels  of  curiosity, — not  viewing  a  thing  they  could  possibly  anticipate 
any. idea  of,  but  conjecturing  about  the  plausibility  of  the  motion.  As  we 
passed  and  repassed  the  towns  of  Athens  and  Hudson,  we  were  politely 
saluted  by  the  inhabitants  and  several  vessels,  and  at  Albany  we  were  visited 
by  His  Excellency  the  Governor  and  many  citizens.  Boats  must  be  very 
cautious  how  they  attempt  to  board  her  when  under  way,  as  several  acci- 
dents had  nearly  happened  when  boarding  her.  To  board  ahead  will  endan- 
ger a  boat  being  crushed  by  the  wheels,  and  no  boat  can  board  astern.  The 
difference  between  the  wake  of  '  Neptune's  Chariot '  and  that  of  a  common 
water-carriage  is  very  materially  open  for  observation,  as  when,  you  ap- 
proach the  first  you  will  be  told  by  anticipation  to  pay  respect  to  a  lady  in 
the  'Chariot/  as  you  will  be  readily  notified  by  the  expansion  of  a  fan, 
which  forms  the  dimensions  of  her  wake,  but  moving  with  great  impetuosity 
from  the  warm  repulsion.  It  is  a  curious  fan  ;  it  only  spreads  by  an  aquatic 
latchet,  being  sprung  by  the  kicking  of  the  horses.  I  may  now  venture  to 
multiply  and  give  you  the  sum-total.  The  boat  is  one  hundred  and 


46  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

forty-six  feet  in  length,  and  twelve  feet  in  width  (merely  an  experimental 
thing),  draws  to  the  depth  of  her  wheels  two  feet  of  water,  one  hundred 
feet  deck  for  exercise,  free  of  rigging  or  any  incumbrances.  She  is  unques- 
tionably the  most  pleasant  boat  I  ever  went  in.  In  her  the  mind  is  free 
from  suspense.  Perpetual  motion  authorizes  you  to  calculate  on  a  certain 
time  to  land;  her  works  move  with  all  the  facility  of  a  clock,  and  the  noise, 
when  on  board,  is  not  greater  than  that  of  a  vessel  sailing  with  a  good 
breeze." 

The  Philadelphia  Times  published  in  1878  a  chat  with  a  survivor  of  the 
party  on  board  the  "Clerrnont,"  on  her  return  trip.  This  gentleman,  the 
Kev.  Frederic  Reynolds  Freeman,  a  Baptist  clergyman,  of  Illinois,  was 
then  on  a  visit  to  Philadelphia.  He  was  carried  in  his  mother's  arms  at  the 
time,  being  but  two  years  old.  His  personal  remembrance,  of  course,  does 
not  amount  to  much,  but  he  has,  said  the  Times,  a  store  of  information  con- 
cerning the  trip  not  in  the  possession  of  anybody  else,  for  as  soon  as  he  was 
old  enough  to  realize  the  importance  of  the  occasion,  he  sought  with  more 
assiduity  than  a  person  less  directly"  interested  would  for  all  the  facts  con- 
cerning it. 

His  lather,  Elisha  Freeman,  before  retiring  to  a  farm,  had  been  a  sea 
captain,  and  for  that  reason  was  invited,  with  a  small  number  of  other  per- 
sons, including  municipal  officials  of  Albany,  to  go  on  board  the  "Clermont" 
upon  its  arrival.  Captain  Freeman  went,  taking  with  him  his  wife  and  little 
son  Freddy.  "  The  event  is  like  a  dream  to  me,"  says  Mr.  Freeman.  "  Prob- 
ably my  memory  would  now  be  unable  to  reach  it  but  for  the  constant  re- 
hearsals of  the  scenes  and  incidents  made  to  me  in  my  youth. 

'*  When  Columbus  walked  the  streets  in  Spain  meditating  upon  his  project, 
which  had  become  generally  known,  men  and  small  boys  would  point  their 
fingers  at  their  foreheads  and  exchange  smiles.  Just  so  Robert  Fulton  was 
treated  before  he  turned  the  laugh  upon  a  country  of  scoffers. 

"  The  first  steam  packet  was  trim  and  handsome  enough,  excepting  the 
boilers,  machinery  and  smoke-stack,  which  were  rude,  cumbrous,  and  of 
extremely  formidable  appearance. 

"  The  side-wheel  was  a  clumsy  affair,  uncovered  and  with  twelve  huge 
paddles,  held  in  their  place  by  a  ring  half-way  between  their  extremities  and 
the  hub,  that  sent  water  splashing  upon  the  deck  with  every  revolution.  The 
top  of  the  smoke-stack  was  about  thirty  feet  above  the  deck, — nearly  as  high 
as  the  two  masts,  from  the  rear  one  of  which  floated  the  Stars  and  Stripes. 
Hours  before  she  started  a  great  multitude  had  assembled  along  the  wharves 
to  witness  the  expected  inglorious  ending  of  what  was  generally  known  as 
'Fulton's  Folly.'  Cries  of 'God  help  you,  Bobby!'  'Bring  us  back  a  chip 
of  the  North  Pole !'  '  A  fool  and  his  money  are  soon  parted !'  etc.,  were 
frequent,  loud  and  annoying.  Fulton,  however,  knew  that  the  crowd  were 
sincere  in  their  ridicule,  and  with  a  confident  smile  went  on  superintending 
preparations  for  the  start,  as  if  he  knew  that  triumph  would  presently  more 


. 

HISTOE  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  47 

than  overbalance  the  sneers,  jibes,  and  cat-calls  of  the  vulgar  and  the  pitying 
manners  of  the  more  refined.  Smoke  issues  from  the  stack ;  the  hawser  is 
drawn  in  ;  the  side-wheel  quivers;  it  slowly  revolves;  Fulton's  own  hand  at 
the  helm  turns  out  the  bow  ;  he  is  pale,  but  still  confident  and  self-possessed  ; 
the  *  Clermont'  moves  out  into  the  stream,  the  ponderous  machinery  thumping 
and  groaning,  the  wheel  frantically  splashing,  and  the  stack  belching  like  a 
volcano  ;  the  '  Clermont'  steadily  moves ;  all  aboard  swing  their  hats  into  the 
air  and  give  a  cheer  that  is  immediately  taken  up  by  the  entire  multitude  on 
land  ;  the  crowd  remain  cheering  on  the  piers  until  the  '  Clermont'  is  out  of 
sight  up  the  Hudson." 

Mr.  Freeman  says  that  the  boat  arrived  at  Albany  thirty-six  hours  after 
starting  from  New  York.  It  had  not  been  continually  in  motion,  the  party 
having  stopped  at  the  residence  of  Chancellor  Livingston  on  the  way  up. 
The  speed  was  at  the  rate  of  five  miles  an  .hour.  The  appearance  of  the 
strange  vessel  as  she  steamed  up  the  river  had  a  remarkable  effect,  even  in 
daytime,  upon  the  crews  of  craft  passing  by,  for  comparatively  few  of  the 
skippers  coming  down  could,  in  those  days  of  slow  mail  and  no  telegraph,  have 
been  prepared  to  encounter  such  an  oddity  ;  but  at  night  the  "  Clermont" 
spread  consternation  and  terror  on  all  sides.  It  was  very  dark,  and  the  fires 
were  fed  with  dry  white-pine  wood,  which,  when  stirred,  would  send  up 
columns  of  flame  and  sparks  from  the  mouth  of  the  tall  stack.  This  apparent 
volcano,  moving  steadily  through  the  darkness  up  the  middle  of  the  river, 
and  accompanied  by  the  rumbling  and  groaning  of  the  hard-laboring  ma- 
chinery, was  well-calculated  to  strike  terror  into  the  hearts  of  sailors  on  the 
sloops  and  other  craft  coming  down  with  grain  and  general  farm  produce, 
who  had  never  heard  of  any  motive  power  for  vessels  except  wind,  and  who, 
withal,  were  extremely  superstitious. 

"  My  father  and  others  told  me,"  says  Mr.  Freeman,  "  that  whole  crews 
prostrated  themselves  upon  their  knees  and  besought  Divine  Providence  to 
protect  them  from  the  horrible  monster  that  was  marching  on  the  tides  and 
lighting  up  its  pathway  by  its  fires." 

When  the  members  of  the  Freeman  family  went  aboard  the  "  Clermont," 
upon  its  arrival  at  Albany,  Mrs.  Freeman  observed  a  workman  emerging 
from  the  eugine-room-aa  place  very  suggestive  to  her  of  the  infernal  regions — 
carrying  in  his  hands  a  ladle  filled  with  molten  lead.  With  this  he  proceeded 
to  stop  up  holes  whose  presence  here  and  there  in  the  rude  machinery  was 
indicated  by  escaping  steam.  Captain  Freeman  then  learned  that  the  work- 
man had  been  busily  employed  doing  the  same  thing  ever  since  the  "  Cler- 
mont" had  left  New  York.  The  people  of  Albany  had  been  apprised  of  the 
arrival  in  advance,  and  the  whole  town  turned  out  to  receive  Fulton  and 
his  steamboat,  giving  them  an  enthusiastic  reception. 

The  "  Clermont"  had  not  been  long  under  way  on  its  first  trial  when  Fulton 
ordered  the  engine  stopped.  Having  observed  that  the  paddle  floats  were 
too  deeply  immersed  in  the  water,  he  shifted  them  nearer  to  the  centre  of  the 


48  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

paddle,  so  that  they  did   not  enter  so  deeply  into  the  water ;  and  this  altera- 
tion had  the  effect  of  increasing  the  speed  of  the  vessel.* 
A  correspondent  of  the  Cincinnati  Gazette  in  1880  says : 

"  Fulton's  first  successful  boat  was  called — not  the  '  Clermont,'  but  the 
'  Katharine  of  Clermont,'  after  Fulton's  wife,  Katharine  Livingston,  of  Cler- 
mont Manor.  I  read  the  name  so  painted,  having  been  a  passenger  on  the 
first  regular  trip  made  by  her  down  the  Hudson.  As  there  are  few  survivors 
of  that  notable  event,  which  occured  in  April,  1808,  an  account  of  it  may 
gratify  your  readers.  I  was  a  student  at  Union  College,  Schenectady,  and 
arrived  at  Albany  in  charge  of  a  maiden  lady  of  mature  years.  The  river 
was  then  navigated  by  sloops,  and  on  reaching  Albany  there  was  no  vessel 
in  port.  The  lady  accordingly  went  to  a  friend's  house,  while  I  took  up  my 
quarters  at  a  tavern.  During* the  night  the  Katharine  arrived  from  Kinder- 
hook,  a  few  miles  down  the  river.  She  had  made  her  trial  trip  the  previous 
Fall,f  being  then  a  mere  skeleton.  The  Winter  was  spent  in  fitting  her  up. 
She  was  about  the  size  and  shape  of  an  ordinary  canal-boat,  painted  a  light 
color,  and  provided  with  a  small  upright  engine.  She  was  advertised  to 
leave  for  New  York  at  9  o'clock  on  the  morning  after  her  arrival.  I  at  once 
determined  to  take  passage.  My  fair  charge,  with  the  proverbial  dilatoriness 
of  her  sex,  was  slow  in  getting  ready,  and  when  we  reached  the  wharf  the 
steamer  was  out  in  the  stream.  She  stopped,  however,  in  response  to  the 
signal,  made  by  ourselves  and  the  other  persons  gathered  on  the  bank, 
and  we  went  Out  to  her  in  a  skiff.  There  did  not  seem  to  be  much  excitement 
in  Albany,  but  at  Hudson,  where  the  engineer  showed  the  capacity  of  the 
craft  by  turning  her  about  and  steaming  a  little  way  up  the  river,  a  great 
crowd  was  gathered.  There  were  about  fifty  passengers  on  board,  quite  a  large 
proportion  being  boys  and  young  men.  I  was  to  land  at  Kingston,  seventy- 
five  miles  below  Albany.  Before  reaching  that  place  the  boat  ran  aground, 
and  it  took  twelve  hours  of  hard  work  to  get  her  afloat  again.  Fulton  was 
on  board.  He  was  plainly  dressed,  and  wore  a  boot  on  one  foot  and  a  shoe 
on  the  other.  He  appeared  buried  in  thought  and  spoke  to  no  one.  Shortly 
after  the  boat  left  Kingston,  where  I  quitted  her,  her  boiler  burst,  but,  as  it 

•  . 

*  David  Dunham,  whose  eccentricities  and  enterprise  were  alike  celebrated,  the  principal 
owner  of  the  celebrated  privateer,  "  General  Armstrong,"  was  one  of  the  foremost  patrons  of 
Robert  Fulton  in  his  experiments  with  steam  navigation,  and  advanced  large  sums  to  further 
his  projects.  An  accident  prevented  him  from  being  the  first  to  apply  steam  to  ocean  transit. 
He  was  knocked  overboard  or  fell  from  the  deck  of  one  of  his  own  vessels.  When  his  body 
was  recovered,  among  the  papers  in  his  pocket  was  a  contract  with  the  Government  for 
carrying  the  mails  between  this  country  and  Great  Britain,  giving  specifications  as  to  the  fleet 
of  steamers  he  proposed  to  establish.  Soon  after  his  demise  his  eldest  son  emigrated  to  the 
South,  and  established  a  plantation  in  Florida.  His  lineal  grandsons  entered  the  Confederate 
army. 

Fulton  died  in  London,  England,  February  24,  1815. 

f  Her  trial  trip  was  made  August  7,  1807,  as  already  shown. 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  49 

was  a  sheet-iron  affair,  no  one  was  hurt.  She  was  taken  to  New  York  for 
repairs,  where  I  saw  her  about  a  week  later,  having  made  the  remainder  of 
my  voyage  in  a  sailing  vessel." 

1808.—"  It  is  a  little  curious,"  says  Scott  Russell,  "  that,  although  Fulton 
was  the  first  in  America,  and  Bell  in  Europe,  to  successfully  avail  them- 
selves of  the  advantage  of  steam  applied  to  navigation,  it  was  in  both  cases 
non  longo-intervello  distanti.  Fulton  was  first  in  the  race  only  a  few  days, 
and  Bell  by  a  few  months." 

"  Robert  L.  Stevens  is  probably  the  man  to  whom,  of  all  others,  America 
owes  the  greatest  share  of  its  present  highly-improved  steam  navigation.  His 
father  was  associated  with  Livingston  in  his  experiments  previous  to  the 
connection  of  the  latter  with  Fulton,  and  persevered  in  his  experiments  dur- 
ing Livingston's  absence  in  France.  Undisputedly  he  is  the  pioneer  of 
steam-navigation  on  the  open  sea." 

At  the  age  of  twenty  he  built  a  steamboat  with  concave  water-lines — the 
first  application  of  the  wave-line  to  ship-building — and  adopted  a  new 
method  of  bracing  and  fastening  steamboats. 

In  conjunction  with  his  father,  John  Stevens,  the  inventor,  in  1807,  he 
constructed  a  paddle-wheel  steamer,  which  was  in  motion  on  the  Hudson 
only  a  few  days  later  than  Fulton's  first  successful  voyage.  He  called  her 
the  "  Phoenix."  Precluded  by  the  monopoly  which  Fulton's  success  had  ob- 
tained for  him  in  the  waters  of  New  York,  Mr.  Stevens  first  employed  the 
Phoenix  as  a  passage  boat  between  New  York  and  New  Brunswick,  and 
finally  conceived  the  bold  idea  of  carrying  her  under  steam  around  Cape 
May  to  the  Delaware,  and  so  to  Philadelphia, — a  voyage  which  was  success- 
fully accomplished  in  June,  1809,  he  going  in  command  of  the  boat.  A 
storm  overtook  them ;  a  schooner  in  company  was  driven  to  sea  and  absent 
many  days,  but  the  "  Phoenix  "  made  a  harbor  at  Barnegat  until  the  storm 
abated,  and  then  continued  her  voyage  to  Philadelphia,  where  she  plied 
for  many  years  between  that  city  and  Trenton.*  She  was  commanded  by 
Captain  DeGraw.  Robert  L.  Stevens  was  her  temporary  engineer,  and  she  was 
placed  on  the  Delaware  River  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  the  New  York 
passengers.  She  ran  from  Philadelphia  to  Bordentown,  and  made  the  pas- 
sage thence,  in  1812,  in  three  hours  when  running  with  the  tide,  and  in  five 
hours  against  it.  The  boat  had  no  wheel-house,  and  sometimes  when  in 
motion  the  water  would  be  thrown  as  high  as  her  smoke-stack.  She  belonged 
to  what  was  called  the  Swiftsure  Line,  and  attracted  much  interest.  Her 
hour  of  departure  was  announced  by  the  blowing  of  a  long  tin  horn,  and 
hundreds  of  persons  would  crowd  the  wharves  to  see  her  embark  on  her 
voyage.  Passengers  on  this  boat  were  landed  in  New  York  in  1812  some 
time  during  the  following  night  if  no  accident  occurred. 

*  The  first  English  experiment  in  deep-sea  navigation  by  steam  was  made  by  James 
Watt,  ten  years  later,  from  Leith  to  London,  in  1818. 

4 


50  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

About  1816  Robert  L.  Stevens  commenced  steam  ferriage  between  New 
York  and  the  Jersey  shore;  in  1818  he  discovered  the  utility  of  employing 
steam  expansively  and  using  anthracite  coal  for  fuel  in  steamers  ;  in  1821  he 
substituted  the  skeleton  wrought-iron  for  the  heavy  cast-iron  walking-beam; 
and  in  1824  applied  an  artificial  blast  to  the  boiler-furnace,  and  in  1827  the 
hog-frame  to  boats  to  prevent  them  from  bending  at  the  centre.  In  1842  he 
was  commissioned  by  the  United  States  government  to  build  an  immense 
steam-battery  for  the  defense  of  New  York  Harbor,  which  was  left  unfinished 
at  the  time  of  his  death,  April  20,  1856.* 

1807-9. — A  screw  vessel  was  constructed  at  Providence,  in  1807  to  1809,, 
by  Jonathan  Nichols,  a  blacksmith,  a  native  of  Vermont,  and  David  Griere, 
a  tailor,  from  Nantucket;  she  was  forty  feet  long,  and  was  worked  by  four 
horses.  A  small  model  boat  had  been  before  successfully  worked.  On 
June  24,  1807-8  or  1809,  this  craft  conveyed  to  Pawtuxet  a  happy  couple 
to  be  married  in  that  place,  and  a  party  to  attend  a  Masonic  gathering.  The 
trip  to  Pawtuxet  was  made  in  two  hours,  but  on  the  return  the  vessel,  being 
destitute  of  a  keel,  drifted  ashore  in  a  thunder-squall,  but  was  not  much  in- 
jured. A  Boston  mechanic  afterwards  bought  her  at  a  sheriff's  sale,  but 
while  being  towed  to  Boston  by  a  sloop  he  was  obliged  to  cut  loose  from  her, 
and  she  went  ashore  and  was  totally  lost  in  Buzzard's  Bay. 

1809. — "  Steam,"  says  the  Genlleman's  Magazine  for  December,  1809, 
under  the  head  of  AMERICA,  "  has  been  applied  in  America  to  the  purpose 
of  inland  navigation  with  the  greatest  success.  The  passage  boat  between 
New  York  and  Albany  is  one  hundred  and  sixty  feet  long,  and  wide  in  pro- 
portion for  accommodations,  consisting  of  fifty-two  berths,  besides  sofas,  etc., 
for  one  hundred  passengers ;  and  the  machine  which  moves  her  wheels  is 
equal  to  the  power  of  twenty-four  horses,  and  is  kept  in  motion  by  steam 
from  a  copper  boiler  eight  or  ten  feet  in  length.  Her  route  is  a  distance  of 
one  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  which  she  performs  regularly  twice  a  week,  and 
sometimes  in  the  short  space  of  thirty-two  hours." 

Mr.  Longstreet,  of  Augusta,  Georgia,f  is  said  this  year  to  have  invented  a 
steamboat,  on  principles  entirely  different  from  any  that  had  been  con- 
structed, for  navigating  the  rivers  of  the  Southern  States. 

This  steamer  was  fifteen  feet  long  by  four  broad,  with  a  cylinder  of  four 
inches.  It  carried  eight  persons,  and  went  at  a  uniform  rate  of  six  miles  an 
hour. 

*  It  was  relinquished  by  the  United  States  Government,  in  1862  or  3,  after  a  large  sum 
of  money  had  been  expended  upon  its  construction,  and  was  willed  by  Mr.  Stevens  to  the 
State  of  New  Jersey,  with  an  annual  sum  of  money  towards  its  completion.  It  has  never 
been  launched,  the  improvement  in  naval  armament  having  rendered  it  useless  for  the 
purposes  intended,  and  recently  has  been  sold  at  auction  by  the  State  of  New  Jersey. 
The  purchaser  will  probably  break  the  vessel  up  and  utilize  its  material  and  engines.  Some 
account  of  this  vessel  will  be  given  further  on. 

f  See  notice  of  him  under  heading,  1790. 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

STEAMBOATS  ON  THE  HUDSON. 


51 


1806. — Prior  to  the  practical  working  of  any  steamboat  in  Europe,  Mr. 
Charles  Brown  had  built  for  Fulton  the  following  vessels : 


NAME. 

When 
built. 

1 
H 

| 

s 

Breadth. 

,4 

I 

Cylinder. 

Stroke. 

•HOW  EMPLOYED. 

Clermont               . 

1806 

1  60 

feet. 
I-?-? 

feet. 
18 

feet. 
7 

inch. 

24. 

feet. 

On  the  Hudson  River 

Raritan  . 

1807 

1  2O 

On  the  Raritan  River 

Car  of  Neptune 

1807 

2Q  C 

iyc 

24. 

8 

•5  •} 

4.  4. 

On  the  Hudson  River 

Paragon           .       

1811 

??I 

17? 

27 

Q 

•32 

On  the  Hudson  River 

Jersey  Ferry-Boat  

1812 

O.V 

118 

78 

?Q 

°7 

2O 

By  the  Ferry  Co 

Fire-Fly  

1812 

118 

IOO 

IQ 

I 

2O 

•?   Q 

From    New   Yorlc    to 

Newburgh. 

The  following  advertisement  is  from  the  New  York  Evening  Post  of  June, 
1813,  five  years  after  the  advent  of  the  "  Clermont/'  with  a  copy  of  a  cut  of 
the  steamboat  at  its  head : 

"HUDSON  RIVER  STEAMBOATS. 

"  FOR     THE     INFORMATION     OF     THE     PUBLIC. 

"  The  Paragon,  Capt.  Wiswell,  will  leave  New  York  every  Saturday  after- 
noon .at  five  o'clock.  The  Car  of  Neptune,  Capt.  Roorbach,  do,  every  Tues- 
day afternoon  at  five  o'clock.  The  North  River*,  Capt.  Bartholomew,  every 
Thursday  afternoon  at  five  o'clock. 

"  The  Paragon  will  leave  Albany  every  Thursday  morning  at  nine  o'clock. 

"  The  Car  of  Neptune,  do,  every  Saturday  morning  at  nine  o'clock.  The 
North  River  do,  every  Tuesday  morning  at  nine  o'clock. 

"PRICES  OF  PASSAGE. 

"From  New  York  to  Verplanck's  Point,  $2 ;  West  Point,  $2.50;  New- 
burgh,  $3  ;  Wappingers  Creek,  $3.25 ;  Poughkeepsie,  $3.50 ;  Hyde  Park,  $4 ; 
Esopus,  $4.25;  Catskill,  $5;  Hudson,  $5;  Coxsachie,  $5.50;  Kinderhook, 
$5.75 ;  Albany,  $7. 

"  From  Albany  to  Kinderhook,  $1.50 ;  Coxsachie,  $2  ;  Hudson,  $2 ;  Cats- 
kills,  $2.25;  Red  Hook,  $2.75;  Esopus,  $3;  Hyde  Park,  $3.25;  Pough- 
keepsie, $3.50;  Wappingers  Creek,  $4;  Newburgh,  $4.25;  West  Point, 
$4.75 ;  Verplanck's  Point,  $5.25  ;  New  York,  $7. 

"  All  other  way  passengers  to  pay  at  the  rate  of  one  dollar  for  every 
twenty  miles.  No  one  can  be  taken  on  board  and  put  on  shore,  however 
short  the  distance,  for  less  than  one  dollar. 


The  "  North  River  "  was  the  "  Clermont,"  which  had  been  lengthened. 


52  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VI G  A  TION. 

"  Young  persons  from  two  to  ten  years  of  age  to  pay  half  price.  Chil- 
dren under  two  years  one-fourth  price.  Servants  who  use  a  berth  two-thirds 
price ;  half  price  if  none." 

In  1816,  eight  steamers  had  been  built  to  run  on  the  Hudson  ;  besides  the 
four  above  named  were  the  "  Hope,"  "  Perseverance,"  "  Richmond"  and 
"  Olive  Branch,'*  and  the  "  Clermont,"  having  been  enlarged,  was  re-named 
the  "  North  River." 

In  1816,  the  *'  Chancellor  Livingston,"  named  for  his  friend  and  patron, 
was  constructed  under  the  superintendence  of  Robert  Fulton  in  New  York, 
to  run  on  the  Hudson,  and  was  the  largest  boat  that  had  been  built  in  that 
<dty,  being  of  four  hundred  and  ninety-six  tons, — one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  tons  larger  than  any  of  her  predecessors  on  that  river.  She  was  not 
launched  until  after  his  death,  and  may  therefore  be  considered  the  crowning 
effort  of  his  life.  Her  keel  was  one  hundred  and  fifty-four  feet  long,  decks  one 
hundred  and  sixty-five  feet,  beam  thirty-two  feet,  draft  of  water  seven  feet  three 
inches,  principal  cabin  fifty-four  feet  long,ladies'cabin,  above  the  other,  thirty- 
six  feet  long,  with  closets,  forward  cabin  thirty  feet  long  and  seven  feet  high, 
permanent  sleeping  berths  in  principal  cabin  thirty-eight,  in  ladies'  cabin 
twenty-four,  forward  cabin  fifty-six,  in  captain's  cabin  on  deck  eight,  engi- 
neer's and  pilot's  three,  forecastle  six,  cook's  six ;  total,  one  hundred  and 
thirty-five.  Her  original  engine  was  of  seventy-five  horse-power,  diameter 
of  cylinder  forty  inches,  length  five  feet,  length  of  piston-rod  eight  feet  six 
inches,  stroke  five  feet,  boiler  twenty-eight  feet  long  and  twelve  feet  broad, 
with  two  funnels,  paddle-wheels  seventeen  feet  in  diameter,  paddle-boards 
five  feet  ten  inches  long.  She  had  two  fly-wheels,  each  fourteen  feet  in 
diameter,  connected  by  pinions  to  the  crank-wheel.  The  machinery  rose 
four  feet  above  the  deck.  Her  average  speed  was  eight  and  a  half  miles 
per  hour ;  with  strong  wind  and  tide  in  her  favor  she  made  twelve  miles  ; 
with  the  same  against  her,  not  more  than  six.  This  was  as  she  was  originally ; 
afterward  she  was  lengthened,  and  with  a  larger  engine  her  speed  was 
increased. 

In  1832  she  was  bought  by  Mr.  C.  Vanderbilt  and  Amos  H.  Cross,  of 
Portland,  and  put  on  the  route  between  Boston  and  Portland,  as  an  opposi- 
tion boat.  At  that  time  she  had  in  her  third  engine,  which  was  what  is 
called  a  square  or  cross-head  engine.  Working  beams  had  not  then  come 
into  use.  This  engine  had  a  fifty-six-inch  cylinder  and  six-feet  stroke.  She 
had  three  smoke-stacks  athwartships,  and  three  masts,  a  bowsprit  and  jib- 
boom,  with  yards  and  topsails  on  the  foremast.  In  1834  the  "  Chancellor 
Livingston"  was  broken  up  in  Portland,  and  her  engines  placed  in  a  new 
boat  named  the  "  Portland,"  which  was  launched  June,  1835. 

The  "  Portland  "  was  chartered  to  the  United  States  Government  during 
the  Mexican  war,  and  finally  lost  somewhere,  about  1848,  on  the  gulf  coast 
of  Mexico,  between  Tampico  and  Matamoras.  Captain  J.  B.  Coyle,  then 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 


53 


the  engineer  of  the  "  Portland,"  is  credited  with  having  invented  a  blower 
by  which  he  was  able  to  use  anthracite  coal  on  board  the  "  Portland,"  in 
1835,  and  she  was  the  first  steamer  that  burnt  anthracite  coal  with  success. 
Small  blower  engines  were  soon  after  adopted  in  New  York.* 

The  following  table  of  the  dimensions  of  nine  steamers  which  were  run- 
ning on  the  Hudson  prior  to  1838,  compared  with  the  table  of  the  pioneer 
steamers  on  that  river  in  1812,  will  show  the  rapid  development  of  steam 
propulsion  in  a  little  over  a  quarter  of  a  century  from  its  introduction  : 


Name. 

Length  of  Deck. 

Breadth  of 
Beam. 

I 

Diameter  of 
Wheel. 

ojj 

"Sc-3 

P 

Depth  of  Paddles 

Number  of 
Engines. 

Diameter  of 
Cylinder. 

Length  of  Stroke 

Number  of 
Revolutions. 

Part  of  Stroke  at 
•  which  steam  is 
cut  off. 

De  Witt  Clinton  

ft. 
230 

ft. 
28 

ft. 

ft. 

21 

ft. 

in. 
36 

I 

in. 
65 

ft. 

IO 

29 

* 

1  80 

27 

5-5 

22 

15 

34 

2 

44 

IO 

27.5 

\/ 

Erie  

780 

27 

S-5 

22 

15 

34 

2 

44 

10 

27-5 

i/ 

North  America 

2OO 

•30 

5 

21 

13 

3° 

2 

44  1A 

8 

24 

y 

Independence 

14.8 

44 

IO 

Albany  

212 

26 

24-5 

14 

3° 

19 

Swallow        ..            .  .. 

22.5 

3.75 

24 

II 

3° 

46 

27 

Utica                   

2OO 

21 

3-5 

22 

9.5 

24 

39 

10 

2OO 

25 

3-75 

23-5 

10 

24 

43 

10 

28 

Again,  the  following  table  gives  the  dimensions  of  ten  steamers,  recently 
built,  plying  on  the  Hudson  and  collateral  waters  in  1854,  not  quite  half  a 
century  after  the  advent  of  Fulton's  experimental  steamboat,  the  "Clermont." 


Name. 

Dimensions  of  Vessel. 

Engines. 

Paddle  Wheel. 

gj 

"So 

3 

I 

tJ 

0 

K 
o 
£ 

i 
! 

o  . 

«l 

s* 

I* 

la 

?2 
3* 

«4-l 

O     . 

M£ 
JS-g 

S£ 

302 
-fc 

i 

9 

a 

£ 
« 

SC^5 

•S3 

bco 

s  d 
^M 

!l 

US 
SS 

in. 
32 
32 
32 
28 
33 
33 
36 

P 

32 

ft. 

333 
300 

3°4 
375 
320 
300 
300 
280 
376 
286 

ft.  in. 
40  4 
39  o 
39  o 
35  o 
35  o 
35  o 
37  o 
33  o 

28  o 

ft.  in. 

IO  O 
13    2 

13  6 

'9*6 

II    0 
II    0 

10  6 
10  6 

96 

I  OOO 

1050 

1075 

in. 
81 
76 
76 
72 
72 
72 
72 

65 
76 

56 

ft. 

12 
12 
12 
II 
II 
12 

13 
II 

15 
12 

i8X 

21^ 
21^ 

18 

22 
21 
21 
22 

18 

24^ 

ft.in. 
39  o 
38 
38 
34 
33 
35 

^ 

44  6 
32 

ft.  in. 
12  4 
'io  3 
10  3 
ii 
ii 

9 
ii  6 

9 

12 
10 

Bay  States  

Hendrick  Hudson   

C.  Vanderbilt  

Connecticut  

New  World 

Alida  

*  Captain  Coyle  is  now  the  President  of  the  Portland  Steam   Packet    Company,  and  we 
may  say  was  the  originator  of  that  successful  enterprise. 


54  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

The  new  and  largest  class  of  steamers  on  the  Hudson  are  capable  of  run- 
ning from  twenty  to  twenty-five  miles  an  hour,  and  make  on  an  average 
eighteen  miles  an  hour.  These  remarkable  speeds  are  obtained  usually  by 
rendering  the  boilers  capable  of  carrying  steam  up  to  fifty  pounds  pressure 
above  the  atmosphere,  and  by  urging  the  fires  with  fans  worked  by  an 
independent  engine.  This  extreme  of  speed  is  also  obtained  at  a  dispropor- 
tionate increased  consumption  of  fuel. 

Up  to  1836  steamboats  in  the  United  States  had  burned  wood  only. 
The  "  Novelty  "  burnt  forty  cords  on  each  trip  from  Albany  to  New  York, 
and  the  same  on  her  northern  trip.  Experiments  were  made  with  coal 
for  fuel  with  success,  but  wood  was  principally  used  for  several  years  after. 

"  To  obtain  an  adequate  notion  of  the  form  and  structure  of  one  of  the  first- 
class  steamboats  on  the  Hudson,"  says  Doctor  Lardner  in  his  "  Museum  of 
Science  and  Art,"  "let  it  be  supposed  that  a  boat  is  constructed  similar  in 
form  to  a  Thames  wherry,  but  above  three  hundred  feet  long  and  twenty-five 
to  thirty  feet  wide.  TJpon  this  let  a  platform  of  carpentry  be  laid,  projecting 
several  feet  upon  either  side  of  the  boat,  and  at  the  stem  and  stern.  The  ap- 
pearance to  the  eye  will  then  be  that  of  an  immense  raft,  from  two  hundred 
and  fifty  to  three  hundred  and  fifty  feet  long  and  some  thirty  or  forty 
feet  wide.  Upon  this  flooring  let  us  imagine  an  oblong  rectangular 
wooden  erection,  two  stories  high,  to  be  raised.  In  the  lower  part  of  the  boat, 
and  under  the  flooring,  a  long,  narrow  room  is  constructed,  having  a  series 
of  berths  at  either  side,  three  or  four  tiers  high.  In  the  centre  of  this 
flooring  usually,  but  not  always,  is  enclosed  an  oblong,  rectangular  space, 
within  which  the  steam  machinery  is  placed,  and  this  enclosed  space  is  con- 
tinued upward  through  the  structures  raised  in  the  platform,  arid  is  inter- 
sected at  a  certain  height  above  the  platform  by  the  shaft  or  axle  of  the 
paddle-wheel. 

"These  wheels  are  propelled  generally  by  a  single  engine,  but  occa- 
sionally by  two.  The  paddle-wheels  are  of  great  diameter,  varying 
from  thirty  to  forty  feet,  according  to  the  magnitude  of  the  boats.  In 
the  wooden  building  raised  upon  the  platform  already  mentioned,  is  a 
a  magnificent  saloon,  devoted  to  the  ladies  and  those  gentlemen  who 
accompany  them.  Over  this,  in  the  upper  story,  is  constructed  a  row  of 
small  bedrooms  (state-rooms)  each  handsomely  furnished,  which  passengers 
can  have  who  desire  seclusion,  by  paying  a  small  additional  fare'.  The 
lower  apartment  is  commonly  used  as  a  dining  and  breakfast  room. 

"In  some  boats  the  wheels  are  propelled  by  two  engines,  which  "are  placed 
on  the  platform  which  overhangs  the  boat  at  either  side,  each  wheel  being 
propelled  by  an  independent  engine ;  the  wheels  in  this  case  acting  inde- 
pendently of  each  other  and  without  a  common  shaft  or  axle.  This  leaves 
this  entire  space  in  the  boat,  from  stem  to  stern,  free  of  machinery.  It  is 
impossible  to  describe  the  magnificent  coup  d'ceil  which  is  presented  by  the 
immense  apparent  length  when  the  communication  between  them  is  thrown 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  55 

open.     Some  of  these  boats  are  upwards  of  three  hundred  feet  long,  and  the 
uninterrupted  length  of  the  saloons  corresponds  with  this. 

"This  arrangement  of  machinery  is  attended  with  some  practical  advantages, 
one  of  which  is  a  facility  of  turning,  as  the  wheels  acting  independently  of 
each  other,  may  be  driven  in  opposite  directions,  one  propelling  forward  and 
the  other  backward,  so  that  the  boat  may  be  made  to  turn  on  its  centre. 
Although  from  the  great  width  of  the  Hudson  no  great  difficulty  is  encoun- 
tered in  turning  the  longest  boat,  yet  cases  occur  in  which  this  power  of 
revolution  is  found  extremely  advantageous.  Another  advantage  of  this 
system  is  that  if  one  of  the  two  engines  becomes  accidentally  disabled,  the 
boat  can  be  propelled  by  the  other. 

"No  spectacle  can  be  more  remarkable  than  that  which  the  Hudson  presents 
for  several  miles  above  New  York.  The  skill  with  which  these  enormous 
vessels,  measuring  from  three  to  four  hundred  feet  in  length,  are  made  to 
thread  their  way  through  the  crowd  of  shipping  of  every  description  moving 
over  the  face  of  this  spacious  river,  and  the  rare  occurrence  of  accidents,  is 
truly  admirable.  In  dark  nights  these  boats  run  at  the  top  of  their  speed 
through  fleets  of  sailing  vessels.  The  bells,  through  which  the  steersman 
speaks  to  the  engineer,  scarcely  ever  cease.  Of  these  bells  there  are  several 
different  tones,  indicating  the  different  operations  which  the  engineer  is  com- 
manded to  make,  such  as  stopping,  starting,  reversing,  slackening,  acceler-" 
ating,  etc.  At  the  slightest  tap  of  one  of  these  bells  the  enormous  engines 
are  stopped,  or  started,  or  reversed,  by  the  engineer,  as  though  they  were  the 
playthings  of  a  child.  These  vessels,  proceeding  at  sixteen  and  eighteen  miles 
an  hour,  are  propelled  among  the  crowded  shipping  with  so  much  skill 
as  almost  to  graze  the  sides,  sterns  or  bows  of  the  vessels  among  which  they 


This  graphic  description  was  written  in  1854,  twenty-eight  years  ago,  but 
conveys  a  good  general  description  of  the  boats  now  running  upon  the  river, 
electric  bells  and  electric  lights  being  among  the  later  improvements,  and 
the  cabins  and  saloons  perhaps  being  more  sumptuously  upholstered. 

"  No  spectacle,"  adds  Doctor  Lardner,  "  can  be  more  remarkable  than  a 
large  steam  tow-boat  dragging'its  enormous  load  up  the  Hudson.  They  may 
be  seen  in  the  middle  of  this  vast  stream  surrounded  by  a  cluster  of  twenty 
or  thirty  loaded  craft  of  various  magnitudes.  Three  or  four  tiers  are  lashed 
to  each  side,  and  as  many  more  at  the  bow  and  at  their  stern.  The  steamer* 
is  almost  lost  to  the  eye  in  the  midst  of  this  crowd  of  vessels  which  cling 
around  it,  and  the  moving  mass  is  seen  to  proceed  up  the  river,  no  apparent 
agent  of  propulsion  being  visible.  As  this  water  goods  train,  for  so  it  may 
be  called,  ascends  the  Hudson,  it  drops  off  its  load  vessel  by  vessel  at  the 
towns  which  it  passes.  One  or  two  are  left  at  Newburgh,  another  at  Pough- 
keepsie,  two  or  three  more  at  Hudson,  one  or  two  at  Fishkill,  and  in  fine 
the  tug  arrives  with  a  residum  of  some  half  a  dozen  vessels  at  Albany."* 

*  The  Museum  of  Science  ard  Arts,  edited  ly  Doctor  Lardner,  vol.  ii.     1854. 


56  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

STEAMBOATS  ON  THE  DELAWARE. 

1809. — The  seventh  vessel  which  was  propelled  by  steam  upon  the  Dela- 
ware arrived  in  Philadelphia,  from  Hoboken,  New  Jersey,  in  June,  1809. 
This  steamboat  was  called  the  "  Phoenix,"  and  was  the  same  built  by  John 
Cox  Stevens,  at  Hoboken,  in  1806,  and  intended  as  a  passenger  boat  be- 
tween New  Brunswick  and  New  York.  But  Fulton  and  Livingston  having 
obtained  from  the  State  of  New  York  an  assignment  or  transfer  of  the  rights 
of  John  Fitch  under  the  law  of  March  19,  1786,  securing  to  Fitch  a  mo- 
nopoly in  the  nature  of  a  patent  for  all  boats  and  vessels  navigated  by  fire 
and  steam,  Colonel  Stevens  found  that  employment  of  his  boat  in  the  waters 
of  New  York  was  restricted  so  much  that  it  could  not  be  made  profitable. 
He  therefore  formed  the  design  of  sending  the  vessel  to  Philadelphia,  as  an 
assistant  to  the  line  of  packets  and  stages  upon  the  line  to  New  York.  This 
was  a  bold  and  hazardous  experiment.  The  ocean  had  never  been  navi- 
gated by  steam,  and  the  power  of  the  engines  being  limited  the  danger  from 
storms  seemed  very  great.  But  Robert  L.  Stevens,  son  of  John  Cox  Stevens, 
the  inventor,  determined  to  risk  the  trial,  and  accordingly  with  a  small  crew 
he  left  New  York.  A  fierce  storm  overtook  them.  A  schooner  in  company 
was  driven  off  to  sea,  and  was  kept  oui  several  days.  The  "  Phoenix  "  made 
•a  harbor  at  Barnegat.  After  the  storm  subsided  Stevens  succeeded  in  bring- 
ing the  boat  around  into  the  Delaware,  and  thus  earned  the  distinction  of 
having  been  the  first  man  who  ever  navigated  the  ocean  by  steam.  The 
first  trip  on  the  Delaware  was  made  between  Philadelphia  and  Trenton, 
July  5, 1809,  there  being  nearly  forty  passengers  on  board.  The  "Phoenix"1 
had  "twenty-five  commodious  berths  in  her  cabin  and  twelve  in  her  steer- 
age, with  other  ample  accommodations  for  passengers."  She  was  constructed 
with  masts,  so  as  to  be  able  to  take  advantage  of  favorable  winds  and  thereby 
add  to  the  facility  of  her  passages,  and  at  the  same  time  effect  a  saving  in 
that  important  article, — fuel. 

After  the  "Phoenix,"  the  next  steamboat  that  ran  up  the  Delaware  was 
named  the  "  Philadelphia."  It  was  put  on  by  the  Union  Line,  and  was 
commanded  by  Captain  Jenkins.  She  ran  from  Philadelphia  to  Bristol,  and 
afterwards  established  a  wharf  about  three  miles  above,  called  "  Van  Hart's." 
Passengers  thence  took  stages  for  New  Brunswick  and  to  New  York  in  the 
,"  William  Gibbons."  For  some  reason  this  boat  always  went  by  the  name 
of"  Old  Sal," — probably  from  a  grotesque-looking  female  figure-head  on  her 
bow. 

The  next  steamboat  was  the  "  Pennsylvania,"  and  carried  passengers  for 
the  Citizens'  Line.  The  engine  of  this  boat  was  subsequently  placed  in  the 
old  "Lehigh."  Passengers  by  this  line  landed  at  Bordentown,  and  thence 
took  coaches  to  Washington,  New  Jersey;  where  they  were  conveyed  to  New 
York  on  the  steamer  "  JEtna,"  Captain  Robinson.  The  following  is  one  of 
the  advertisements  of  this  boat,  dated  March  23,  1818  : 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  57 

"  THE  STEAMBOAT  .ETNA 

"  Leaves  the  upper  side  of  Market  Street  daily,  at  6  o'clock  (after  to-morrow) , 
for  Bordentown,  touching  up  and  down  at  Burlington,  Bristol,  and  Wfr*4e 
Hill.  Passengers  for  New  York,  via  Bristol,  will  be  conveyed  thro'  by  sunset 
of  same  day,  and  by  way  of  Bordentown,  by  noon  next  day." 

The  following  advertisement  is  from  The  True  American  and  Commercial 
Advertiser,  Philadelphia,  Wednesday,  June  4th,  1817  : 

"  PHILADELPHIA  AND  BALTIMORE  LINE  OF  STEAM- 
BOATS AND  STAGES, 

(Cut  of  steamboat.) 

"  By  way  of  Wilmington  and  Elkton  every  Monday,  Wednesday  and  Friday. 

"  The  new  steamboat  Superior,  Capt.  Wm.  Milnor,  will  leave  the  first 
wharf  above  Market  St.,  Phila.,  at  3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  on  the  afore- 
said days  for  Baltimore. 

"  The  steamboat  New  Jersey,  Capt.  Rogers/will  leave  Light  St.  wharf  for 
Phila.  in  the  afternoon  of  the  same  days.  These  boats  are  connected  by  a 
line  of  stages  on  the  new  turnpike  between  Wilmington  and  Elkton. 

"N.  B. — The  Superior  will  leave  Phila.  every  day  for  Wilmington  (Sun- 
days excepted)  at  three  in  the  afternoon,  and  Wilmington  every  morning 
for  Philadelphia  at  seven  o'clock. 

"Passengers  rec'd  and  deliv'ed  at  Chester  and  Marcus  Hook." 

"THE  STEAMBOAT  BRISTOL 

(For  Burlington  and  Bristol.) 

"Leaves  the  first  wharf  above  Market  St.  every  day. at  three  o'clk.  in  the 
afternoon,  taking  passengers  for  New  York  by  the  way  of  Bristol,  Trenton, 
Brunswick,  and  Elizabethtown  ;  also  by  the  way  of  South  Amboy.  On  her 
return  to  Philada.  she  leaves  Bristol  at  half-past  seven  and  Burlington  at 
eight  o'clock  every  morning  (Sundays  excepted)." 

Another  advertisement  in  1818  announces 

"THE  STEAMBOAT  BRISTOL,  OF  BURLINGTON, 

"Has  commenced  running  for  the  season,  leaving  Bristol  daily  at  half-past 
seven  A.M.  ;  Burlington  at  eight  A.M.  (and  in  returning),  Philadelphia  at 
three  P.M. 

"N.B. — A  Coach  leaves  Bristol  for  Trenton  every  day,  immediately  upon 
the  arrival  of  this  boat,  and  in  the  morning  leaves  Trenton  in  time  for  the 
passengers  to  proceed  in  her  to  Philadelphia.  Fare  to  Trenton,  $1.25." 

And  still  another  informs  us  that 


58  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

"  THE  PHILADELPHIA  &  NEW  YOKK  LINE 

"  Of  steamboats,  via  Trenton  and  New  Brunswick,  connected  by  new  carri- 
ages. 26  Miles  by  land.  Fare,  $4.50  through.  Deck  passengers,  $3.50 
through. 

"  Passengers  leave  the  south  side  of  Market  Street  wharf,  in  the  Steamboat 
PHILADELPHIA,  for  Trenton,  every  day  at  11  o'clock,  lodge  ^in  New 
Brunswick,  and  arrive  in  New  York  in  the  Steamboat  OLIVE  BRANCH, 
the  next  day  at  10  o'clock  A.M.  On  her  return  the  Philadelphia  will  leave 
Trenton  at  6  o'clock  A.M.,  and  arrive  at  10  A.M.  On  her  return  the  Phila- 
delphia will  leave  Trenton  at  6  o'clock  A.M.,  and  arrive  at  10. 

"  The  Hull  and  Engine  of  the  Philadelphia  have  been  thoroughly  re- 
paired. She  will  work  under  a  very  low  pressure  of  steam,  and  will  be 
managed  by  a  careful  and  experienced  Engineer." 

The  "  JEtna"  exploded  her  boiler  in  New  York  Harbor  in  1824,  having 
on  board  the  Philadelphia  passengers,  and  several  lives  were  lost.  Her 
place  on  the  line  was  supplied  by  the  steamboat  "  New  York." 

The  Union  Line  then  built  the  "  New  Philadelphia"  to  compete  with  the 
"New  York,"  of  the  "Citizens'  Line,  and  then  the  "Trenton"  came  out  to 
run  against  the  "  Pennsylvania,"  of  the  Citizens'  Line.  This  line  then  built 
a  new  float,  and  named  it  the  "  Philadelphia,"  to  beat  the  "  Trenton." 

There  was  a  wonderful  competition  among  these  lines  for  several  years, 
when  Captain  Whilldin  and  Cornelius  Vanderbilt  started  an  opposition  to 
them  all.  This  was  called  the  Dispatch  Line,  and  the  fare  at  one  time  was 
•reduced  to  one  dollar.  The  boat  on  this  end  was  named  the  "Emerald." 
The  Dispatch  Line  was  soon  disposed  of,  and  the  Union  and  the  Citizens', 
with  same  of  the  others,  afterwards  became  merged  in  the  Camden  and 
Amboy  Railroad  Company.  The  next  boat  was  the  "  John  Stevens,"  built 
at  Uoboken  in  1846,  and  destroyed  by  fire  at  Bordentown  on  the  night  of 
the  16th  of  July,  1855.  The  next  was  the  "  Richard  Stockton,"  which  ran 
between  South  Amboy  and  New  York. 

1810-19.— Mr.  Hezekiah  Bliss,  who  died  at  Brooklyn  in  1876,  made  the 
acquaintance  of  Robert  Fulton  in  1810,  then  in  the  height  of  his  fame  as  the 
pioneer  of  steamship  navigation.  Young  Bliss  was  a  frequent  visitor  at 
Fulton's  home,  and  in  his  later  years  often  spoke  of  the  instruction  that 
Fulton  gave  him.  With  his  brain  full  of  steamboats,  young  Bliss  came  to 
Philadelphia  in  the  fall  of  1811,  and  in  the  following  spring  associated  him- 
self with  Daniel  French  in  the  organization  of  a  company  to  build  a  steam- 
boat. They  constructed  a  boat  about  sixty  feet  long  by  twelve  feet  wide, 
with  an  oscillating  engine  and  stern  wheel,  which  he  judged  the  best  adapted 
to  avoid  the  driftwood  that  had  proved  a  serious  impediment  to  navigation 
in  Western  waters.  The  boat  was  for  some  time  employed  on  a  ferry  be- 
tween Philadelphia  and  William  Cooper's  landing. 

In  1816,  Mr.  Bliss  went  to  Cincinnati,  and  there  in  the  following  year  he 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  59 

engaged,  with  the  eldest  son  of  General  William  H.  Harrison,  in  the  con- 
struction of  steamboats.  They  built  one,  which  they  named  "  General  Pike," 
in  honor  of  General  Zebulon  Montgomery  Pike,  the  father-in-law  of  young 
Harrison.  It  was  one  hundred  feet  long  by  twenty-five  wide,  and  was  the 
first  boat  ever  built  in  Cincinnati,  and  the  sixth  on  Western  waters.  The 
boat  was  first  run  in  1819. 

Returning  to  New  York  in  1827,  Mr.  Bliss  considered  a  flattering  propo- 
sition to  go  to  Mexico  as  an  agent  of  the  Barings  of  London,  and  soon  after- 
wards, with  Dr.  Eliphalet  Nott,  formerly  President  of  Union  College,  he 
engaged,  in  1827-28,  in  experiments  in  steam  navigation.  In  1851  he 
established  the  since  widely-known  Novelty  Works,  with  the  view  of  con- 
structing ocean  steamers. — Philadelphia  Press. 

STEAM  FERRY-BOATS  IN  NEW  YORK  HARBOR. — 1810-14. 

In  1810  arrangements  were  made  with  Robert  Fulton  to  coustruct  steam 
ferry-boats,  and  on  the  2d  j)f  July,  1812,  one  named  the  "Jersey"  was  put 
in  operation  between  Paulus  Hook,  Jersey  City.,  and  New  York.  The  event 
was  celebrated  with  a  grand  banquet  given  by  the  Jerseymen  to  the  New 
York  Common  Council.  A  correspondent  to  a  newspaper  of  the  time  says  : 

"  I  crossed  the  North  River  yesterday  in  the  steamboat  with  my  family 
in  my  carriage,  without  alighting  therefrom,  in  fourteen  minutes,  with  an 
immense  crowd  of  passengers.  On  both  shores  were  thousands  of  people 
viewing  the  pleasing  object.  I  cannot  express  to  you  how  much  the  public 
mind  appeared  to  be  gratified  at  finding  so  large  and  so  safe  a  machine  going 
so  well." 

This  "  large  machine  "  was  eighty  feet  long  and  thirty  feet  wide. 

A  year  later  the  "  York  "  was  put  on  with  the  "  Jersey."  They  were  sup- 
posed to  run  every  half-hour  from  sunrise  until  sunset,  but  frequently  an 
hour  was  consumed  in  making  a  trip.  Fulton's,  description  of  one  of  the 
boats  is  as  follows : 

"She  is  built  of  two  boats,  each  ten  feet  beam,  eighty  feet  long,  and  five 
feet  deep  in  the  hold ;  which  boats  are  distant  from  each  other  ten  feet,  con- 
fined by  strong  transverse  beam-knees  and  diagonal  traces,  forming  va  deck 
thirty  feet  wide  and  eighty  feet  long.  The  propelling  water-wheel  is  placed 
between  the  boats  to  prevent  it  from  injury  from  ice  and  shocks  on  entering 
or  approaching  the  dock.  The  whole  of  the  machinery  being  placed  between 
the  two  boats,  leaves  ten  feet  on  the  deck  of  each  boat  for  carriages,  horses, 
and  cattle,  etc. ;  the  other,  having  neat  benches  and  covered  with  an  awing, 
is  for  passengers,  and  there  is  also  a  passage  and  stairway  to  a  neat  cabin, 
which  is  fifty  feet  long  and  five  feet  clear  from  the  floor  to  the  beams,  fur- 
nished with  benches,  and  provided  with  a  stove  in  winter.  Although  the 
two  boats  and  space  between  them  give  thirty  feet  beam,  yet  they  present 
sharp  bows  to  the  water,  and  have  only  the  resistance  in  the  water  of  one 


60  HISTOR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

boat  of  twenty  feet  beam.  Both  ends  being  alike,  and  each  having  a  rudder, 
she  never  puts  about." 

The  Legislature  of  New  York  passed  an  act  March  4,  1814,  allowing 
William  Cutting  and  others  to  run  a  steam  ferry  with  passengers  at  four 
cents  each  between  Brooklyn  and  New  York.  The  first  trips  were  made  in 
the  beginning  of  May,  1814,  and  the  name  of  the  boat  was  the  "Nassau.'* 
The  Columbian,  a  newspaper  of  that  time,  contained  an  account  of  the  new 
ferry,  and  stated  that  on  one  of  the  first  trips  of  the  Nassau,  from  the 
Beekman  slip  to  the  lower  ferry  in  Brooklyn,  there  were  five  hundred  and 
forty-nine  passengers,  one  wagon  and  a  pair  of  horses,  two  horses  and  chaise, 
and  one  single  horse.  The  trip  occupied  from  four  to  eight  minutes,  and  forty 
crossings  were  made  every  day. 

The  veteran  artist  Banvard,  in  an  interview  with  a  reporter,  December, 
1881,  says :  "  I  crossed  this  Fulton  Ferry  from  Fair,  now  Fulton,  Street  on 
this  first  steam  ferry-boat.  At  that  time  the  boilers  were  placed  on  deck, 
and  Fulton  Street  was  a  country  road  with  old  farm-houses  on  either  side." 

Surmounted  by  a  picture  of  the  steamboat,  an  Advertisement  of  the  ferry 
company  of  1814  reads  :  • 

"  NEW  YOKK  AND  BEOOKLYN  FERRY. 

"  Such  persons  as  are  inclined  to  compound  agreeable  to  law,  in  the  Steam 
Ferry  Boat,  Barges,  or  common  Horse  boats,  will  be  pleased  to  apply  to  the 
subscribers,  who  are  authorized  to  settle  the  same. 

"GEORGE  HICKS,  Brooklyn. 
"JOHN  PINTARD,  52  Wall  St. 

"Commutation  for  a  single  person  not  transferable  for  12  months  $10  00 
do  do  8  months      6  67 

"May  3,  1814.  6m. 

Fulton  and  Cutting  formed  a  company,  "  The  New  York  and  Brooklyn 
Steamboat  Ferry  Association,"  with  a  capital  of  sixty-eight  thousand  dol- 
lars, in  sixty  shares,  valued  at  one  thousand  three  hundred  and  thirty- 
three  dollars  and  thirty-three  cents  each.  The  first  steamboat  of  this  com- 
pany was  the  "Nassau,"  and  the  Long  Island  Star  of  May  14,  1814,  men- 
tions her  first  trip.  The  boat  must  have  been  adapted  for  the  work,  as  it  is 
stated  "  Her  trips  varied  from  five  to  twelve  minutes  ;  carriages  and  wagons, 
however  crowded,  pass  on  and  off  the  boat  with  the  same  facility  as  in  pass- 
ing a  bridge." 

Some  time  after  the  steamboat,  supplementary  scows  were  run  by  horses. 
These  scows  had  double  hulls,  and  with  the  paddle  in  the  middle,  eight 
horses  supplied  the  power. 

In  1817  the  advantages  of  the  steamboat  were  so  manifest  that  the  public 
were  clamorous  for  a  second  boat,  which,  according  to  the  agreement,  was 
to  be  placed  on  the  route  by  May  1,  1819.  The  company  demurred  on  the 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  61 

ground  of  expense,  and  alleged  that  team-boats  were  more  easily  navigated 
and  much  safer  in  winter  than  steamboats.  They  offered  to  substitute  the 
horse  for  the  steam  on  the  boat,  and  to  run  it  until  8  p.  M.  The  New  York 
authorities,  with  reluctance  and  in  order  to  avoid  legislative  interference, 
agreed,  and  the  price  was  raised  to  four  cents  for  both  team  and  steamboats. 
In  1833,  David  Leavitt  and  Silas  Butler,  having  bought  forty-four  of  the 
sixty  shares  of  the  Fulton  Ferry  stock,  obtained  control  of  the  ferry  and 
put  on  two  new  boats. 

Mr.  Banvard  has  recorded  his  reminiscences  of  the  old  horse  ferry-boat 
from  New  York  to  Brooklyn  in  verse : 

"  How  well  I  remember  the  horse-boat  that  paddled 
'Cross  the  East  River  ere  the  advent  of  steam  : 
Sometimes  the  old  driver  the  horses  would  straddle, 
And  sometimes  ride  round  on  the  circling  beam. 

"  The  old  wheel  would  creak,  and  the  driver  would  whistle 

To  force  the  blind  horses  to  pull  the  wheel  round ; 
And  their  backs  were  all  scarr'd  and  stuck  out  in  bristles, 
For  the  driver's  fierce  stick  their  old  bones  would  pound. 

"  The  man  at  the  gate,  in  fair  weather  or  rainy, 

«  -  Stood  out  in  the  storm  by  the  cold  river-side,  « 

With  pockets  capacious,  to  hold  all  the  pennies  : 
It  took  just  four  coppers  to  cross  o'er  the  tide. 

"  The  pilot,  he,  too,  took  the  wind  and  the  weather, 
Perched  o'er  the  rtorses,  with  his  tiller  in  hand; 
Sometimes  would  the  wind  and  the  tide  fierce  together 
Delay  him  in  getting  his  boat  to  the  land. 

"  Though  four-horse  was  the  power  that  plowed  the  fierce  river, 

Yet  oft  in  his  hurry  would  the  passenger  curse, 
Though  no  thought  would  come  to  make  a  man  shiver 
About  the  dread  danger  of  a  boiler  to  burst." 

1811.— On  the  29th  of  November,  1811,  Daniel  Dod,  a  citizen  of  the 
United  States,  was  granted  a  United  States  patent,  by  which  he  claimed  as 
his  invention, — 

1st.  The  construction  of  the  boiler. 

2d.  The  condenser,  consisting  .  .  . 

3d.  The  exclusive  right  to  place  the  steam  cylinder  and  other  parts  of 
the  steam-engine  between  two  boilers  in  a  steamboat  as  described. 

4th.  The  disposition  and  arrangement  of  the  several  parts  and  combina- 
nation  of  the  whole  machinery. 

In  an  accompanying  schedule  Dod  says,  "  I  make  the  steam-engine  to  work 
with  a  double  impulse,  on  the  general  principles  of  Watt  and  Bolton's  steam- 


62  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

engines.  I  form  the  condenser  of  a  pipe,  or  a  number  of  pipes  condensed 
together,  and  condense  the  steam  by  immersing  the  pipes  in  cold  water, 
either  with  or  without  an  injection  of  water.  For  propelling  a  boat  I  make 
use  of  two  wheels,  one  on  each  side,  hung  on  an  axis  which  lies  across  the 
boat.  In  the  middle  of  this  axis  is  a  crank  to  which  is  attached  the  lower 
end  of  a  pitman.  The  upper  end  of  the  pitman  is  attached  to  one  end  of  a 
lever-beam  ;  the  main  piston-rod  is  attached.  The  lever-beam  is  placed 
above  the  cylinder  of  the  steam-engine,  in  the  manner  practiced  by  Watt 
and  Boltou. 

"  The  fly-wheels  of  the  steam-engine  I  fix  on  the  axis  of  the  propelling 
wheels ;  I  make  the  fly-wheels  by  weighting  the  propelling  wheels  with  iron 
buckets  or  propelling  boards,  or  with  iron  segments. 

*'  For  steam  I  use  two  boilers  placed  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat,  one  on  each 
side  of  the  space  allotted  for  machinery.  I  fix  the  cylinder  and  steam- 
engine  between  the  boilers. 

"The  boilers  I  construct,  viz. :  the  outside  to  be  a  cylinder  of  a  length 
and  diameter  to  produce  the  required  steam.  The  cylinder  to  be  horizontal, 
with  a  fixed  flue  equal  to  its  length  ;  its  form  the  segment  of  a  semi-circle 
or  greater.  This  flue,  placed  within  and  near  the  lower  side  of  the  cylinder, 
allowed  space  for  the  water  to  pass  under  it.  Within  the  flue,  at  one  end, 
was  the  fire ;  at  the  opposite  end  a  pipe  for  carrying  off  the  smoke  and  pro- 
ducing a  draught  to  carry  off  the  smoke  and  make  the  fire  burn  briskly. 
The  flat  or  upper  side  was  strengthened  and  supported  by  perpendicular 
tubes,  and  by  rods  and  braces  extending  from  the  upper  side  of  the  flue  to 
the  upper  side  of  the  cylinder.  The  axis  of  the  propelling  wheels  pass  over 
the  top  of  the  boilers." 

1812. — May  12,  1812,  Daniel  Dod  obtained  another  patent  for  his  mode 
of  applying  the  steam-engine  to  boats,  mills,  etc.  After  specifying  his  in- 
vention, Dod  says,  "  My  mode  of  applying  this  invention  to  the  navigation 
of  a  boat  is  as  follows : 

"  I  place  two  propelling  wheels  as  near  the  bow  of  the  boat  as  convenience 
will  admit.  The  arbors  of  these  two  wheels  are  placed  in  the  same  right 
line,  and  the  inner  ends  of  the  arbors  approach  near  together  in  the  middle 
of  the  boat.  One  crank  attached  to  the  end  of  both  arbors,  and  one  pitman 
from  the  end  of  the  lower  beam,  put  both  wheels  in  motion. 

"  Then  two  other  propelling  wheels  are  placed  so  far  abaft  of  the  forward 
wheels  that  the  distance  shall  be  equal  to  the  sum  of  the  length  of  the  two 
lever-beams.  The  arbors  of  these  two  abaft  wheels  also  are  placed  in  a  right 
line  with  each  other,  and  the  inner  ends  of  the  arbors  approach  near  to- 
gether, and  a  crank  is  connected  with  the  ends  of  both  arbors,  similar  to  the 
forward  wheels.  Then  a  pitman  from  the  end  of  the  other  lever-beam  will 
drive  both  wheels  together. 

"  In  this  way,  without  a  cog-wheel  or  sector  of  any  kind,  I  employ  one 
steam-engine  and  a  boat  to  drive  four  propelling  wheels,  by  which  means  I 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  63 

am  enabled  to  avail  myself  of  a  large  proportion  of  propellers,  without  mak- 
ing my  wheels  so  wide  as  to  project  out  an  inconvenient  distance  irom  the 
sides  of  the  boat." 

Dod  claimed  the  driving  of  double  sets  of  machinery  with  one  steam  en- 
gine, and  the  applying  of  four  propelling  wheels  to  a  boat,  as  his  invention 
and  exclusive  right ;  but  no  profitable  result  seems  to  have  been  achieved 
from  his  invention. 

Feb.  9,  1811,  Robert  Fulton  obtained  a  United  States  patent  supplemen- 
tary to  his  patent  of  Feb.  11,  1809,  for  inventions  and  discoveries  for  con- 
structing boats  or  vessels  to  be  navigated  by  the  power  of  steam.  Amongst 
other  specifications  describing  his  invention  he  says,  "  I  use  coupling  boxes, 
or  any  other  means  to  throw  the  propelling  wheels  in  or  out  of  gear,  or  to 
work  one  wheel  out  and  the  other  as  required."  This  convenience  I  claim 
as  my  discovery  and  exclusive  right.  I  also  claim  as  my  invention  the 
guards  which  are  around  and  outside  the  propelling  wheels,  which  guards 
may  support  the  outside  gudgeons  of  the  wheels  and  afford  a  deposit  for 
fuel,  etc.,  water  closets  for  the  use  of  passengers,  and  steps  to  enter  from  row 
boats  and  to  protect  the  water-wheels  from  injury  from  vessels  and  wharves." 
He  also  claimed  the  exclusive  right  to  cover  the  water-wheels  with  boards, 
netting,  grating,  canvas  or  leather,  etc.,  to  prevent  them  from  throwing  water 
on  deck  or  entangling  the  ropes.  He  claimed  also  to  have  invented  placing 
the  forward  tiller  or  steering  wheel  further  forward  in  steamboats  then  used, 
since  the  boat  being  long  and  the  deck  covered  with  passengers  the  pilots 
behind  could  not  see  far  ahead  ;  also  the  straight  and  diagonal  traces  being 
far  extending  from  the  boiler  to  forward  of  the  machinery,  which  he  placed 
on  the  sides  to  give  them  strength ;  also  a  frame  set  in  the  bottom  of  the 
boat  to  bear  the  weight  of  the  machinery  and  working  of  the  engine ;  also 
as  his  invention  and  exclusive  right  "  the  combination  of  sails  with  a  steam 
engine  to  drive  a  boat,  I  being  the  first  who  have  done  so,  and  proved  by 
practice  the  utility  of  the  union  of  the  two  powers  of  wind  and  steam."  He 
claimed  also  in  the  patent  his  "  particular  mode  of  proportioning  and  plac- 
ing a  propelling  wheel  or  wheels  in  the  stern  of  a  boat "  in  a  chamber 
formed  by  the  two  sides  of  the  boat  extending  aft  one  or  more  feet  further 
than  the  extreme  diameter  of  the  propelling  wheel,  to  each  side  of  which 
projection  there  is  a  rudder,  which  two  rudders  connected  by  a  cross-bar 
working  on  pivots  cause  them  to  move  together  and  parallel  to  each  other ; 
from  this  cross-bar  on  the  rudders  the  ropes  or  steering  chains  lead  on  to  the 
pilot." 

John  C.  Hamilton,  a  son  of  Alexander  Hamilton,  wrote  to  the  Philadel- 
phia Times  in  1878 :  "  About  the  year  1809  I  went  from  New  York  to 
Washington  City  with  my  mother.  Robert  Fulton  was  in  the  stage  with  us, 
and  we  were  all  day  getting  to  Princeton,  where  we  were  to  stop.  Behind 
the  stage  Fulton  had  a  submarine  torpedo  hitched  up,  which  he  was  taking 
to  Washington.  Fulton  was  a  gentleman  in  mind  and  manners." 


6  4  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VI G  A  TION. 

The  first  steamboat  launched  on  Lake  Champlain  was  in  1809  ;  she  was 
called  the  "  Vermont."  Between  1809  and  1870  thirty  steamboats  had  been 
built  and  run  upon  the  lake,  the  last  of  which,  like  the  pioneer  boat,  was 
named  the  "  Vermont." 

1811.— The  Boston  Weekly  Messenger  of  November  8,  1811,  under  the 
head  of  RAPID  TRAVELING,  prints  a  letter  from  New  York,  dated  October 
24,  which  says,  "  The  steamboat  '  Car  of  Neptune,'  which  left  this  city  on 
Saturday  evening  last  at  five  o'clock,  arrived  at  Albany  in  twenty  hours. 
She  returned  this  morning  in  twenty-two  hours, — equal  to  three  hundred  and 
thirty  miles  in  forty-three  hours !  Let  foreigners  say  we  have  no  talent  for 
improvement.  Point  out  where  there  is  a  mode  of  conveyance  equal  to  this  ! 
In  what  country  are  there  so  many  enjoyments  combined  in  one  great  poly- 
technic machine  and  mounted  with  wings  as  this  which  wafts  passengers  as 
by  enchantment  between  the  cities  of  New  York  and  Albany  ?  To  our 
countrymen,  then,  and  our  arts  let  justice  be  honorably  and  honestly  mea- 
sured out." 

In  January  of  the  same  year  Fulton  had  so  little  idea  of  the  capacity  and 
speed  attainable  by  steam,  that,  in  a  letter  to  Dr.  Thornton,*  he  says,  "  I 
shall  be  happy  to  have  some  conversation  with  you  on  your  steamboat  inven- 
tions and  experience.  Although  I  do  not  see  by  what  means  a  boat  contain- 
ing one  hundred  tons  of  merchandise  can  be  driven  six  miles  an  hour  in  still 
water,  yet  when  you  assert  perfect  confidence  in  such  success,  there  may  be 
something  more  in  your  combinations  than  I  am  aware  of.  ...  If  you 
succeed  to  run  six  miles  an  hour  in  still  water  with  one  hundred  tons  of 
merchandise,  I  will  contract  to  reimburse  the  cost  of  the  boat,  and  to  give 
you  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars  for  your  patent ;  or,  if  you  con- 
vince me  of  the  success  by  drawings  or  demonstrations,  I  will  join  you  in 
the  expense  and  profits." 

Within  forty  years  five  times  the  amount  of  merchandise  was  propelled  by 
steam  twenty  miles  an  hour. 

On  the  17th  of  March,  1811,  a  steamboat  built  by  Fulton  and  Livingston 
was  launched  at  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  under  the  superintendence  of  Mr. 
Eoosevelt,  as  the  agent  of  Messrs.  Fulton,  Livingston  &  Co.,  of  New  York. 
She  was  a  stern-wheel  boat,  and  was  the  first  steamboat  ever  run  upon  the 
Western  waters  of  the  United  States.  She  was  painted  with  a  bluish-colored 
paint,  and  passed  New  Madrid,  Missouri,  at  the  time  of  the  earthquake  in 
December  of  that  year.  Mr.  Scowls,  who  in  1853  was  a  wealthy  citizen  of 
Covington,  Kentucky,  was  a  cabin-boy  on  board. 

In  1814  she  carried  General  Coffee  and  Don  Carol  from  Natchez,  with 
troops,  down  to  New  Orleans  to  aid  General  Jackson  in  his  defense  of  that 
city. 

*  Recently  in  the  possession  of  Colonel  Force,  Washington. 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIOA  TION.  65 

FIRST  STEAMERS  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 

1809-13.— ID  1809  the  first  steamboat  was  launched  on  the  St.  Lawrence. 
,  The  Quebec  Mercury  of  that  date  says  concerning  her: 

"  On  Saturday  morning  at  eight  o'clock,  arrived  here  from  Montreal, 
being  her  first  trip,  the  steamboat  'Accommodation/  with  ten  passengers. 
This  is  the  first  vessel  of  the  kind  that  ever  appeared  in  this  harbor.  She  is 
continually  crowded  with  visitants.  She  left  Montreal  on  Wednesday  at 
two  o'clock;  so  that  her  passage  was  sixty-six  hours,  thirty  of  which  she  was 
at  anchor.  She  arrived  at  Three  Rivers  in  twenty-four  hours.  She  has  at 
present  berths  for  twenty  passengers,  which  next  year  will  be  considerably 
augmented.  No  wind  or  tide  can  stop  her.  She  has  seventy-five  feet  keel, 
and  is  eighty-five  feet  on  deck.  The  price  for  a  passage  up  is  nine  'dollars, 
and  eight  down,  the  vessel  supplying  provisions.  The  great  advantage 
attending  a  vessel  so  constructed  is  that  a  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  alone.  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  {notion  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 
favorable,  which  will  occasionally  accelerate  her  headway." 

In  the  spring  of  1813  a  second  boat,  of  increased  dimensions,  called  the 
"  Swiftsure,"  was  launched  from  the  banks  of  the  St.  Lawrence.  She  was 
one  hundred  and  thirty  feet  in  length  of  keel,  and  one  hundred  and  forty 
feet  on  deck,  with  twenty-four  feet  beam,  and  according  to  the  Mercury, 
made  the  passage  from  Montreal  to  Quebec  in  twenty-two  hours,  notwith- 
standing that  the  wind  was  easterly  the  whole  time,  and  blowing  strong. 

The  "  Swiftsure  "  beat  the  most  famous  of  the  sailing-packets  on  the  river 
fourteen  hours  in  a  race  of  thirty-six  hours,  but  her  owners  seem  not  to  have 
been  very  confident  of  her  movements  under  all  circumstances,  or  of  the 
number  of  passengers  who  would  patronize  her,  for  she  was  advertised  to 
"  Sail  as  the  wind  and  passengers  may  suit." 

FIRST  STEAMBOATS  IN  INDIA. 

1810. — The  "  Van  der  Capellen,"  the  first  steamboat  of  which  we  have 
any  record  in  connection  with  India,  was  built  at  Batavia  soon  after  the 
conclusion  of  the  Java  war,  in  1810-11,  at  the  expense  of  English  merchants. 
She  was  employed  by  the  government  for  two  years,  at  the  rate  of  ten  thou- 
sand dollars  a  month,  which  well  repaid  her  original  outlay.  She  proved 
very  effective  for  the  transport  of  troops  and  general  service.  After  some 
years  she  came  into  the  possession  of  Major  Schalch,  and  was  used  by  him, 


66  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

under  the  name  of  the  "  Pluto,"  in  1822,  as  a  dredging-boat.  Then  she  went 
to  Arraken  as  a  floating  battery.  Finally  she  was  lost,  in  1830  in  a  gale. 

In  1819,  Mr.  W.  Trickett  built  at  the  Butterley  Works  a  small  steam- 
boat of  eight  horse-power,  for  the  Nawab  of  Oude,  to  ply  on  the  Jumna.* 

In  1821  the  "Diana"  was  sent  out  for  a  Mr.  Roberts,  intended  for  em- 
ployment on  the  Canton  River.  She  had  a  pair  of  sixteen  horse-power  en- 
gines. At  Calcutta  she  was  nearly  reconstructed  by  Messrs.  Kyd  &  Co., 
and  launched  again  July  12,  1823,  after  which  she  was  purchased  by  the 
Bengal  government  and  dispatched  to  Amarapura,  five  hundred  miles  up 
the  river  Irrawaddy,  with  Mr.  Crawford,  then  the  Resident  in  Burmah.  She 
sailed  in  September,  when  that  river  is  at  its  fullest, and  her  progress,  which 
did  not  exceed  thirty  miles  a  day,  was  a  disappointment  to  the  Indian  gov- 
ernment. The  water  having  fallen  when  she  returned  in  December  the 
navigation  was  intricate,  and  her  passage  down  was  also  tedious. 

INTRODUCTION  OF  STEAMBOATS  ON  THE  WESTERN  WATERS. 
FIRST  TRIP  OF  THE  "NEW  ORLEANS"  FROM  PITTSBURG  TO  NEW  ORLEANS.")" 

1811. — Prior  to  the  introduction  of  steamboats  on  the  Western  waters  the 
means  of  transportation  thereon  consisted  of  keel-boats,  barges,  and  flat-boats. 
The  two  former  ascended  as  well  as  descended  the  stream.  The  flat-boat  or 
"  broad  horn,"  an  unwieldy  box,  was  broken  up  for  its  lumber  on  arrival 
at  its  place  of  destination.  Whether  steam  could  be  employed  on  the  Western 
rivers  was  a  question  its  success  between  New  York  and  Albany  was 
not  regarded  as  having  entirely  solved,  and  after  the  idea  had  been  suggested 
of  building  a  boat  at  Pittsburg  to  ply  between  Natchez  and  New  Orleans,  it 
was  considered  necessary  investigations  should  be  made  as  to  the  currents 
of  the  rivers  to  be  navigated.  These  investigations  were  undertaken  by  Mr. 
Nicholas  J.  Roosevelt,  with  the  understanding  that  if  the  report  was  favor- 
able Chancellor  Livingston,  Mr.  Robert  Fulton,  and  himself  were  to  be 
equally  interested  in  the  undertaking.  Livingston  and  Fulton  were  to  supply 
the  capital  and  Roosevelt  was  to  superintend  the  building  of  the  boat  and 
engine.  He  accordingly  repaired  to  Pittsburg  in  May,  1809,  accompanied 
by  his  bride,  where  he  built  a  flat-boat  which  was  to  contain  all  the  necessary 
comforts  to  float  himself  and  wife  with  the  current  from  Pittsburg  to  New 

*  Early  Steam  Navigation  to  India,  by  G.  A.  Prinsep,  Calcutta,  4to,  1830. 

f  This  account  of  the  "  New  Orleans'  "  first  voyage  is  condensed  from  "  The  First  Steam- 
boat voyage  on  the  Western  Waters,"  by  J.  H.  B.  Latrobe,  Baltimore,  October,  1871,  32-pp., 
8vo,  Fund  Publication,  No.  6,  of  the  Maryland  Historical  Society.  Mrs.  Roosevelt  was  a 
sister  of  Mr.  Latrobe,  and  alive  when  he  wrote  this  narrative.  This  successful  voyage  of  the 
"  New  Orleans"  down  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  antedates  the  first  voyage  of  the  "  Comet  " 
on  the  Clyde,  which  commenced  to  ply  between  Glasgow  and  Helensburgh  January,  1812, 
with  only  a  speed  of  five  miles  an  hour. 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  67 

Orleans,  and  this  boat  was  the  home  of  the  young  couple  for  six  months.     He 
reached  New  Orleans  about  December  1,  1809,  and  returned  thence  to  New 
York  in  the  first  vessel.     Mr.  Roosevelt  had  made  up  his  mind  that  steam 
was  to  do  the  work,  and  his  visit  was  to  ascertain  how  best  it  could  be  done 
upon  the  Western  streams.     He  gauged  them  and  measured  their  velocity 
at  different  seasons,  and  obtained  all  the  statistical  information  within  his 
reach.     Finding  coal  on  the  banks  of  the  Ohio,  he  purchased  and  opened 
mines  of  that  mineral,  and  so  confident  was  he  of  the  success  of  his  steam  pro- 
ject that  he  caused  supplies  of  the  fuel  to  be  heaped  up  on  the  shore  in  antici- 
pation of  the  wants  of  a  steamboat  whose  keel  had  yet  to  be  laid,  and  whose 
existence  was  dependent  upon  the  impression  of  his  report  upon  capitalists, 
without  whose  aid  the  plan  would  have,  temporarily  at  least,  to  be  abandoned. 
Mr.  Roosevelt's  report  so  impressed  Fulton  and  Livingston,  that  in  the  spring 
of  1810  he  was  sent  to  Pittsburg  to  superintend  the  building  of  the  first 
steamboat  that  was  launched  on  the 'Western  waters.     On  the  Allegheny  side, 
close  by  the  creek,  and  immediately  under  a  bluff  called  Boyd's  Hill,  the 
keel  of  Mr.  Roosevelt's  vessel  was  laid.     The  depot  of  the  Pittsburg  and 
Connellsville  Railroad  now  occupies  the  ground  (1882).     The  size  and  plan 
of  this   steamboat   was  furnished  by  Robert  Fulton.      It  was   to   be  one 
hundred  and  sixteen  feet  in  length,  with  twenty  feet  beam.     The  engine  was 
to  have  a  thirty-four-inch  cylinder,  and  the  boiler,  etc.,  to  be  in  proportion. 
To  obtain  the  timber,  men  were  sent  in  the  forest  to  find  the  ribs,  knees,  and 
beams,  transport  them  to  the  Monongahela,  and  raft  them  to  the  ship-yard. 
The  ship-builders  and  mechanics  for  the  machinery  department  had  to  be 
brought  from,  New  York.     A  rise  in  the  waters  of  the  Monongahela  set  all 
the  buoyant  materials  afloat,  and  at  one  time  it  seemed  probable  that  the 
vessel  would  be  lifted  from  its  ways  and  launched  before  its  time.     At  length 
the  boat  was  launched,  at  a  cost  of  near  thirty-eight  thousand  dollars,  and 
was  named  "  New  Orleans,"  after  the  place  of  her  ultimate  destination. 

As  the  "  New  Orleans"  approached  completion  and  it  became  known  that 
Mrs.  Roosevelt  intended  to  accompany  her  husband,  friends  endeavored  to 
dissuade  her  from  the  utter  folly,  if  not  absolute  madness  of  the  voyage.  Her 
husband  was  told  he  had  no  right  to  peril  her  life,  however  reckless  he  might 
be  of  his  own.  The  wife,  however,  believed  in  her  husband,  and  after  a  short 
experimental  trip  late  in  September  the  "New  Orleans"  commenced  her 
voyage.  There  were  two  cabins,  one  aft  for  ladies  and  a  larger  one  forward 
for  gentlemen.  In  the  former  were  four  berths.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Roosevelt 
took  possession  of  the  cabin,  as  they  were  the  only  passengers.  There  was  a 
captain,  an  engineer  named  Baker,  Andrew  Jack  the  pilot,  six  hands,  two 
female  servants,  a  man  waiter,  a  cook,  and  an  immense  Newfoundland  dog, 
named  " Tiger."  Thus  equipped  and  manned,  the  "New  Orleans"  began 
the  voyage  which  changed  the  relations  of  the  West  to  the  East,  and 
which  may  almost  be  said  to  have  changed  its  destiny. 

The  people  of  Pittsburg  turned  out  en  masse  and  lined  the  banks  of  the 


68  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

Monongahela  to  witness  the  departure  of  the  steamboat,  and  shout  after  shout 
rent  the  air,  and  handkerchiefs  were  waved,  and  hats  thrown  up  in  "  God 
speed"  when  the  anchor  was  raised,  and  as  she  disappeared  behind  the  first 
headlands  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Ohio. 

Too  much  excited  to  sleep,  Mr.  Koosevelt  and  his  wife  passed  the  greater 
part  of  the  first  night  on  deck,  and  watched  the  shore,  covered  then  with  an 
almost  unbroken  forest,  as  reach  after  reach  and  bend  after  bend  were  passed 
at  a  speed  of  from  eight  to  ten  miles  an  hour. 

On  the  second  night  after  leaving  Pittsburg  the  "  New  Orleans"  rounded 
to  opposite  Cincinnati  and  cast  anchor  in  the  stream.  Levees  and  wharf- 
boats  were  things  unknown  in  1811.  Here  as  in  Pittsburg  the  whole  town 
seemed  to  have  assembled  on  the  bank,  and  many  of  the  acquaintances  of  their 
former  visit  came  off  in  small  boats.  "  Well,  you  are  as  good  as  your  word  ; 
you  have  visited  us  in  a  steamboat,"  they  said  ;  "  but  we  see  you  for  the  last 
time :  your  boat  may  go  down  the  river,  but  as  to  coming  up  it,  the  idea  is 
an  absurd  one."  The  keel-boatmen  shook  their  heads  as  they  crowded  around 
the  strange  visitor  and  bandied  river  wit  with  the  crew  that  had  been  selected 
from  their  own  calling  for  the  first  voyage.  Some  flat-boatmen,  whose  arks 
the  steamboat  had  passed  a  short  distance  above  the  town,  an'd  who  now 
floated  by  with  the  current,  seemed  to  have  a  better  opinion  of  the  new-comer, 
and  proposed  a  tow  in  case  they  were  again  overtaken.  But  as  to  the  boat's 
returning  all  agreed  that  that  could  never  be. 

The  stay  at  Cincinnati  was  brief,  only  long  enough  to  take  in  a  supply  of 
wood  for  the  voyage  to  Louisville,  which  was  reached  on  the  night  of  the 
fourth  day  after  leaving  Pittsburg.  It  was  midnight  on  the  lstg  of  October, 
1811,  that  the  "  New  Orleans"  dropped  anchor  opposite  the  town.  There 
was  a  brilliant  moon.  It  was  almost  as  light  as  day,  and  no  one  on  board 
had  retired.  The  roar  of  the  escaping  steam,  then  heard  for  the  first  time, 
roused  the  population,  and  late  as  it  was,  crowds  came  rushing  to  the  bank 
of  the  river  to  learn  the  cause  of  the  unwonted  uproar.  A  letter  written  by 
one  of  those  on  board  records  the  fact  that  there  were  people  who  insisted 
that  the  comet  of  1811  had  fallen  into  the  Ohio  and  produced  the  hubbub  ! 

A  public  dinner  was  given  Mr.  Roosevelt  a  few  days  after  his  arrival, 
complimentary  toasts  were  drunk,  and  the  usual  amount  of  good  feeling  on 
such  occasions  manifested.  The  success  of  the  steamboat  in  navigating  down- 
stream was  acknowledged,  but  her  return  up-stream  was  deemed  impossible, 
and  it  was  regretted  that  it  was  the  first  and  last  time  a  steamboat  would  be 
seen  above  the  falls  of  the  Ohio. 

Not  to  be  outdone  in  hospitality,  Mr.  Roosevelt  invited  his  hosts  to  dine 
on  board  the  "  New  Orleans,"  which  still  lay  anchored  opposite  the  town. 
The  company  met  in  the  forward  or  gentlemen's  cabin,  and  the  feast  was  at 
its  height  when  suddenly  there  was  heard  unwonted  rumblings,  accompanied 
by  a  very  perceptible  motion  in  the  vessel  The  company  had  but  one  idea  : 
the  "  New  Orleans"  had  escaped  from  her  anchor,  and  was  drifting  toward 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  69 

the  falls,  to  the  certain  destruction  of  all  on  board.  There  was  an  instant 
rush  to  the  upper  deck,  where  the  company  found  that  instead  of  drifting 
toward  the  falls  of  the  Ohio  the  "  New  Orleans"  was  making  good  headway 
up  the  river,  and  would  soon  leave  Louisville  in  the  distance  down-stream. 
As  the  engine  warmed  to  its  work  and  the  steam  blew  off  at  the  safety-valve 
the  speed  increased.  Mr.  Roosevelt  had,  of  course,  provided  this  mode  of 
convincing  his  incredulous  guests,  and  their  surprise  and  delight  may  be 
readily  imagined.  After  going  up  the  river  a  few  miles  the  "  New  Orleans'* 
returned  to  her  anchorage. 

On  leaving  Pittsburg  it  was  intended  to  proceed  as  rapidly  as  possible  to 
New  Orleans  to  place  the  boat  on  the  route  for  which  it  was  designed, 
between  that  city  and  Natchez.  It  was  found,  however,  on  reaching  Louis- 
ville there  was  not  a  sufficient  depth  of  water  on  the  falls  of  the  Ohio  to 
permit  the  vessel  to  pass  over  them  in  safety.  The  "  New  Orleans"  therefore 
returned  to  Cincinnati,  convincing  the  most  incredulous  of  her  power  to  stem 
the  current  of  the  river.  The  waters  having  risen,  the  "  New  Orleans" 
returned  to  Louisville,  and  safely  passed  through  the  rapids,  crowds  collecting 
to  witness  her  departure.  "  Instinctively  each  one  on  board  grasped  the 
nearest  object,  and  with  bated  breath  awaited  the  result.  Black  ledges  of 
rock  appeared  only  to  disappear  as  the  'New  Orleans'  flashed  by  them. 
The  waters  whirled  and  eddied  and  threw  their  spray  upon  the  deck  as  a 
more  rapid  descent  caused  the  vessel  to  pitch  forward  to  what  at  times  seemed 
certain  destruction.  Not  a  word  was  spoken.  The  pilots  directed  the  men 
at  the  helm  by  motions  of  their  hands.  Even  the  great  Newfoundland  dog 
seemed  affected  by  the  apprehension  of  danger,  and  crouched  at  Mrs.  Roose- 
velt's feet.  The  tension  on  the  nervous  system  was  too  great  to  be  long 
sustained.  Fortunately,  the  passage  was  soon  made,  and  with  feelings  of 
profound  gratitude  to  the  Almighty  at  the  successful  issue  of  the  adventure 
on  the  part  of  both  Mr.  Roosevelt  and  his  wife,  the  '  New  Orleans'  rounded 
to  in  safety  below  the  falls." 

Hitherto  the  voyage  had  been  one  of  exclusive  pleasure,  but  now  were  to 
come,  in  the  words  of  the  letter  referred  to,  "  those  days  of  horror."  The 
comet  had  disappeared,  and  was  followed  by  the  earthquake  of  that  year 
which  accompanied  the  "  New  Orleans"  far  on  her  way  down  the  Mississippi, 
the  first  shock  of  which  was  felt  while  she  lay  at  anchor  after  passing  the 
falls.  On  one  occasion  a  large  canoe  fully  manned  came  out  of  the  woods 
abreast  of  the  steamboat  and  paddled  after  it.  There  was  at  once  a  race, 
but  steam  had  the  advantage  of  endurance,  and  the  Indians  with  wild  shouts 
soon  gave  up  the  pursuit.  One  night  there  was  an  alarm  of  fire.  The  ser- 
vant had  placed  some  green  wood  too  close  to  the  stove  in  the  forward  cabin, 
which  caught  fire  and  communicated  to  the  joiner-work  of  the  cabin,  when 
the  servant,  half  suffocated,  rushed  on  deck  and  gave  the  alarm.  By 
great  exertion  the  fire  was  extinguished.  At  New  Madrid  a  greater  portion 
of  which  had  been  engulfed,  terror-stricken  people  begged  to  be  taken  on 


70  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VI G  A  TION. 

board',  while  others,  dreading  the  steamboat  more  than  the  earthquake,  hid 
themselves  as  she  approached.  Having  an  insufficient  supply  of  provisions 
for  any  large  increase  of  passengers,  the  requests  to  be  taken  on  board  had 
to  be  denied.  The  earthquake  had  so  changed  the  channels  of  the  river  that 
the  pilots  became  confused,  and  guided  her  course  more  by  luck  and  judg- 
ment than  knowledge.  As  the  steamboat  passed  out  of  the  region  of  the 
earthquake  the  principal  inconvenience  was  the  number  of  shoals,  snags,  and 
sawyers.  These  were  safely  passed  and  the  vessel  came  in  sight  of 
Natchez  and  rounded  to  opposite  the  landing-place.  Expecting  to  remain 
here  for  a  day  or  two  the  engineer  had  allowed  his  fires  to  go  down,  so  that 
when  the  boat  turned  its  head  up-stream  it  lost  headway  altogether,  and  was 
being  carried  down  by  the  current  far  below  the  intended  landing.  Thou- 
sands were  assembled  on  the  bluff  and  at  the  foot  of  it,  and  for  a 
moment  it  seemed  that  the  "New  Orleans"  had  achieved  what  she  had 
done  so  far  only  that  she  might  be  overcome  at  last.  Fresh  fuel,  however, 
was  added  ;  the  engine  was  stopped  that  steam  might  accumulate  ;  presently 
the  safety-valve  lifted,  a  few  turns  of  the  wheels  steadied  the  boat,  a  few 
more  gave  her  headway,  and  overcoming  the  Mississippi,  she  gained  the 
shore  amid  shouts  of  exultation  and  applause. 

The  romance  of  the  voyage  ended  at  Natchez,  where  the  same  hospitalities 
were  extended  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Roosevelt  that  had  been  enjoyed  at  Louisville. 
From  thence  to  New  Orleans  there  was  no  occurrence  worthy  of  note. 
4f  Although  forming  no  part  of  the  story  of  the  voyage  proper,"  says  Mr. 
Latrobe,  "  yet  as  this  has  been  called  a  romance,  and  all  romances  end,  or 
should  end,  in  a  marriage,  the  incident  was  not  wanting  here,  for  the  captain 
of  the  boat  falling  in  love  with  Mrs.  Roosevelt's  maid,  prosecuted  his  suit  so 
successfully  as  to  find  himself  an  accepted  lover  when  the  *  New  Orleans' 
reached  Natchez ;  and  a  clergyman  being  sent  for,  a  wedding  marked  the 
arrival  of  the  boat  at  the  chief  city  of  the  Mississippi." 

The  "  New  Orleans"  ran  afterwards  between  that  city  and  Natchez.  The 
first  steamboat  that  ever  ascended  the  streams  of  the  Mississippi  and  Ohio 
was  the  fourth  one  launched  on  the  Ohio  and  the  second  built  at  Brownsville, 
and  was  named  the  "  Enterprise."  She  was  of  only  seventy-five  tons  burden. 
In  1814  she  descended  to  New  Orleans,  and  after  serving  General  Jackson 
in  his  defense  of  that  city  in  1815,  undertook  and  completed  the  return 
voyage  to  Pittsburg,  reaching  Louisville  in  twenty-five  days.  The  waters  of 
the  Mississippi  at  the  time  were  high,  and  she  was  enabled  to  avoid  the 
current  where  any  existed,  and  made  her  way  through  "  cut-offs"  and 
over  inundated  fields  in  still  water.  The  voyage  of  the  "Enterprise,"  as 
is  usually  the  case  with  first  experiments,  failed  to  convince  the  public  of  the 
practicability  of  ascending  the  Mississippi  when  that  river  was  confined  within 
its  banks,  and  its  current  sweeping  downward  at  a  rate  due  to  a  descent  of 
four  inches  to  the  mile.  It  was  reserved  to  the  steamboat  "  Washington," 
Captain  Henry  M.  Shreve,  to  demonstrate  by  a  second  voyage  of  twenty- 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 


71 


five  days  from  New  Orleans  to  Louisville  that  steamboats  could  ascend  this 
river  in  at  least  one-fourth  the  time  required  by  the  barges  and  keel-boats 
hitherto  in  exclusive  use.  At  a  public  dinner  given  to  Captain  Shreve*  at 
Louisville  on  his  return,  he  predicted  that  the  time  would  come  when  his 
twenty-five-day-voyage  would  be  made  in  ten, — a  feat  which  his  audience  no 
doubt  considered  visionary,  but  which  has  since  been  performed  in  four  days 
and  nine  hours. 

In  1823  there  were  public  rejoicings  at  Louisville,  Kentucky,  when  a 
steamboat  arrived  there  in  fifteen  days  and  six  hours  from  New  Orleans. 
The  captain,  answering  a  complimentary  toast,  gravely  stated  the  upward 
passage  might  possibly  be  accomplished  in  fifteen  days,  or  six  hours  less  than 
the  time  he  had  just  made.  Within  twenty  years  the  passage  was  actually 
performed  in  a  few  hours  over  four  days! 

The  oldest  steamboat  company  in  the  United  States  or  in  the  world  in 
1858  (and  we  believe  it  still  exists)  was  the  United  States  Mail  Line  between 
Cincinnati,  Louisville,  and  St.  Louis.  It  was  organized  in  1818,  and  kept 
improving  and  adding  to  its  boats.  This  company  built  the  first  steamer 
designed  exclusively  for  passengers.  She  was  named  the  "  General  Pike," 
and  made  her  trips  between  Louisville  and  Cincinnati  in  thirty-one  hours, — 
a  passage  now  made  in  nine  hours. 

In  1858  eighteen  miles  an  hour  was  the  maximum  speed  attained  on 
Western  waters.  At  that  date  eight  hundred  and  sixteen  steamboats  were 
employed  on  the  Mississippi  and  its  tributaries,  having  a  total  tonnage  of 
three  hundred  and  twenty-six  thousand  four  hundred  and  forty-three  tons. 

The  traveler  now  on  the  Father  of  Waters  is  seldom  if  ever  out  of  sight 
of  the  smoke  or  sound  of  a  steamboat,  and  the  boats  have  increased  in  size 
from  seventy-five  tons  to  between  one  and  two  thousand  tons,  with  machinery 
powerful  in  proportion. 

The  following  table  shows  the  progressive  improvement  made  in  the  speed 
of  the  boats  from  New  Orleans  to  Louisville  (distance  fourteen  hundred  and 
eighty  miles),  1815  to  1853  : 


DATE. 

Name  of  Steamer. 

:,  g! 

1  g  1 

DATE. 

Name  of  Steamer. 

-  gl 

>»    g     a 

&    &    X 

May,       18X5 

Enterprise  

25       2      40 

!  April,  1840 

Edward  Shippen.  . 

5  14    oo 

April,     1817 

Washington  

2Z   OO      OO 

April,  1842 

Belle  of  the  West.. 

6  14    oo 

Sept.,      1817 

Shelby  

20    4     20 

April,  1843 

Duke  of  Orleans... 

5  2\    oo 

May,       1819 

Paragon.,  

18  10    oo 

April,  1844 

Z    12      OO 

Nov.,      1828 

Tecumseh 

8     4    oo 

May,    1849 

Bostona 

s     8    oo 

April,     1834 

Tuscarora 

7  16    oo 

June,    1851 

Belle  Key 

4  23    oo 

Nov.,      1837 

General  Brown  

6    22      OO 

1   May,     1852 

Reindeer      .       .  . 

4  20    45 

Nov.,      1837 

Randolph  

i    6    22      OO 

May,     1852 

Eclipse  

4  18    oo 

Nov.,      1837 

Empress. 

6  17    oo 

May,     18m 

A   L   Shotwell 

4  10    20 

Dec.,      1817 

Sultana. 

6  15    oo 

May,     1853 

Eclipse 

4.      Q      3O 

Captain  Shreve  died  March  6,  1851.     He  invented  the  first  snag  boat. 


72  HISTOR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

The  last  was  the  quickest  time  on  record  up  to  that  date.  Her  average 
speed  was  fourteen  miles  an  hour  against  the  stream. 

STEAMBOATS  IN  ENGLAND. 

1812. — THE  "COMET."  Stimulated,  as  he  tells  us,  by  the  success  of  Mr. 
Fulton,  with  whom  he  was  in  correspondence,*  Mr.  Henry  Bell,  of  Helens- 
burgh,  for  many  years  a  house  carpenter  in  the  city  of  Glasgow,  Scotland, 
determined,  in  1812,  to  try  the  power  of  steam  on  the  Clyde,  and  produced 
the  first  trading  steam  vessel  in  Europe. 

Helensburgh  is  a  watering-place  on  the  river  Clyde,  and  Mr.  Bell,  for 
several  years  preceding,  had  been  the  proprietor  of  a  hotel  and  bathing- 
establishment  there.  It  was  to  increase  the  facilities  for  reaching  these 
baths  that  Mr.  Bell  first  constructed  his  steamboat. 

In  those  days  there  were  no  conveyances  on  the  river  except  "fly-boats," 
pulled  by  four  oars  or  using  sails  when  practicable ;  with  these  the  voyage 
was  sometimes  made  in  five  or  six  hours,  but  often  the  time  was  longer  and 
uncertain.  After  various  experiments  with  paddle-wheels  driven  by  hand  in 
place  of  oars,  Mr.  Bell  was  convinced,  by  the  experiments  of  Millar  and 
Symington  and  the  success  of  Fulton,  that  steam  power  alone  would  effect 
his  object.  In  consequence,  after  making  several  models  of  a  steam  vessel, 
he  succeeded  in  one  suited  to  his  ideas,  and  contracted  with  Messrs.  John 
Wood  &  Co.,  ship-builders,  in  Port  Glasgow,  to  build  a  steam  vessel  after 
his  model,  to  be  forty  feet  on  the  keel  and  have  ten  feet  six  inches  beam.  She 
was  called  the  "  Comet,"  because  she  was  built  and  finished  the  same  year 
that  a  comet  appeared  in  the  north-west  part  of  Scotland.  . 

The  "  Comet"  had  two  paddle-wheels,  or  rather  two  radiating  sets  of  pad' 
dies,  on  each  side,  resembling  very  much  in  their  appearance  four  malt 
shovels,  radiating  from  a  revolving  axis  to  which  they  were  all  fixed.  This 
was  soon  changed  to  Mr.  Bell's  complete  wheel,  which  has  been  in  use  ever 
since.  The  engine  known  as  the  bell-crank,  on  Mr.  Watt's  principle,  was 
put  up  under  Mr.  Bell's  superintendence.  The  boiler  was  every  way  inferior 
to  the  boilers  of  Millar,  Taylor,  and  Symington,  inasmuch  as  the  fire  was  on 
the  outside  of  the  boiler,  separated  from  the  wood  of  the  vessel  only  by  the 
bricks  in  which  it  was  set,  while  in  theirs,  as  in  all  steam  vessels  of  the 
present  day,  the  fire  was  wholly  within  the  boiler,  and  surrounded  by  water, 
so  as  to  prevent  danger  from  accident  by  fire  or  loss  of  heat.  The  boiler, 
which  was  fed  by  a  cistern  of  fresh  water,  was  on  one  side  of  the  engine,  the 
funnel  being  bent  to  the  centre  of  the  boat,  where  it  served  the  purpose  of  a 
mast  to  carry  sail.  The  early  constructors  of  steamboats  endeavored  to  dis- 

'*  Mr.  Bell,  in  a  letter  dated  March  I,  1824,  says,  "  When  I  wrote  to  the  American  gov- 
ernment on  the  great  utility  that  steam  navigation  would  be  to  them  on  their  rivers,  they 
appointed  Mr.  Fulton  to  correspond  with  me;  so  in  that  way  the  Americans  got  their  insight 
from  your  humble  servant." — Memoir  by  Patrick  Millar,  Jr. 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VI G  A  TION.  73 

guise  the  cxjious  funnel  under  the  designation  of  a  main-mast,  and  some  went 
so  far  as  to  raise  up  a  top-mast  in  the  thick  folds  of  the  dense,  black  smoke. 

The  "  Comet"  began  to  ply  from  Glasgow  to  Helensburgh  in  January, 
1812,  making  a  speed  of  about  five  miles  an  hour.  She  was  of  about  twenty- 
five  tons  burthen,  and  her  engine  exerted  a  force  of  about  three  horse-power. 
She  continued  during  the  summer  to  ply  successfully  as  a  passenger  boat. 

The  following  is  a  copy  of  the  original  advertisement : 

"  STEAM  PASSAGE  BOAT.  THE  COMET.  Between  Glasgow,  Green- 
ock,  and  Helensburgh,  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  Broomielaw  on  Tuesdays,  Thursdays, 
and  Saturdays,  about  midday,  or  at  such  hour  thereafter  as  may  answer  from 
the  state  of  the  tide  ;  and  to  leave  Greenock  on  Mondays,  Wednesday,  and 
Fridays,  in  the  morning,  to  suit  the  tide. 

"  The  terms  are  for  the  present  fixed  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  subscriber  continues  his  establishment  at  HELENSBURGH  BATHS  the 
same  as  for  years  past,  and  a  vessel  will  be  in  readiness  to  convey  passengers 
in  the  Comet  from  Greenock  to  Helensburgh. 

"  Passengers  by  the  Comet  will  receive  information  of  the  hours  of  sailing 
by  applying  at  Mr.  Housten's  office,  Broomielaw ;  or  Mr.  Thomas  Blackney's, 
East  Quay  Head,  Greenock. 

"  Helensburgh  Baths,  Aug.  5,  1812.  HENRY  BELL." 

^  \ 

The  "  Comet"  was  wrecked  in  1825  in  the  Firth  of  Clyde  on  a  return  trip 

from  the  Western  Highlands,  and  many  of  her  passengers  were  drowned. 
Bell,  her  originator,  became  as  great  a  wreck  as  his  vessel,  and  the  Clyde 
trustees,  out  of  gratitude,  settled  on  him  an  annuity  of  one  hundred  pounds, 
which  he  enjoyed  until  he  died,  in  1830.  His  widow  died  in  1856,  aged 
eighty-six.* 

1813. — THE  "ELIZABETH." — The  success  of  the  "Comet"  soon  excited 
competition,  and  three  months  after  she  began  t©  ply  upon  the  Clyde,  the 
keel  of  a  rival  was  laid,  and  in  March,  1813,  the  "  Elizabeth,"  the  second 
steamer  on  the  Clyde,  was  started,  and  continued  to  ply  successfully,  eclips- 
ing the  "Comet"  and  bringing  much  profit  to  the  owner.  The  "  Elizabeth," 
says  John  Scott  Russel,  was  probably  the  first  remunerating  steam  vessel  in 
the  world  ;  but  we  think  he  is  mistaken. 

Mr.  Bell  had  employed  in  his  experiments  on  fly-boats  an  engineer  named 
John  Thomson,  of  Glasgow,  who  appears  to  have  assisted  in  planning  his 


*  Notes  and  Queries,  vol.  iv.,  2nd  Series. 


74  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

first  boat,  and  to  have  felt  himself  ill-treated  by  Bell  in  not  b^ing  made  a 
partner  in  that  speculation.  To  avenge  his  wrong  he,  got  Mr.  Wood,  who 
built  the  "Comet,"  to  build  a  vessel  fifty-one  feet  keel,  twelve  feet  beam, 
and  five  feet  deep.  The  tonnage  of  this  vessel  was  about  thirty-three  tons, 
and  her  power  about  ten  horses.  The  correct  proportion  of  power  to  tonnage 
seems  to  have  been  the  secret  of  her  success.  The  owner's  description  of 
this  vessel  is  an  interesting  and  characteristic  memorial  of  early  steam, 
navigation,  he  fcays: 

"  The  '  Elizabeth'  was  started  for  passengers  on  the  9th  of  March,  1813, 
and  has  continued  to  run  from  Glasgow  to  Greenock  daily,  leaving  Glasgow 
in  the  morning  and  returning  the  same  evening.  The  passage,  which  is 
twenty-seven  miles,  has  been  made,  with  a  hundred  passengers  on  board,  in 
something  less  than  four  hours,  and  in  favorable  circumstances  in  two  and 
three-quarters.  The  '  Elizabeth'  has  sailed  eighty-one  miles  in  one  day,  at 
an  average  of  nine  miles  an  hour.  The  '  Elizabeth'  measures  aloft  fifty-eight 
feet;  the  best  cabin  is  twenty-one  feet  long,  eleven  feet  three  inches  at  amid- 
ships, and  nine  feet  four  inches  aft,  seated  all  round,  and  covered  with  hand- 
some carpeting.  A  sofa,  clothed  with  marone,  is  placed  at  one  end  of  the 
cabin,  and  gives  the  whole  a  warm  and  cheerful  appearance.  There  are 
twelve  small  windows,  each  finished  with  marone  curtains  with  tassels,  fringes, 
and  velvet,  cornices  ornamented  with  gilt  ornaments,  having  altogether  a 
rich  effect.  Above  the  sofa  there  is  a  large  mirror  suspended,  and  on  each 
side  bookshelves  are  placed  containing  a  collection  of  the  best  authors  for 
the  amusement  and  edification  of  those  who  may  avail  themselves  of  them 
during  the  passage ;  other  amusements  are  likewise  to  be  had  on  board. 

"  The  engine  stands  amidships,  and  requires  a  considerable  space  in  length 
and  all  the  breadth  of  the  vessel.  The  forecastle,  which  is  rather  small,  is 
about  eleven  feet  six  inches  by  nine  feet  six  inches,  not  quite  so  comfortable  as 
the  after  one,  but  well  calculated  for  a  cold  day,  and  by  no  means  disagreeable 
on  a  warm ;  all  the  windows  in  both  cabins  are  made  in  such  a  way  as  to  shift 
up  and  down  like  those  of  a  coach,  admitting  a  very  free  circulation  of  fresh  air. 
From  the  height  of  the  roofs  of  both  cabins,  which  are  about  seven  feet  four 
inches,  they  will  be  extremely  pleasant  and  healthful  in  the  summer  months 
for  those  who  may  favor  the  boat  in  parties  of  pleasure. 

"  Already  the  public  advantages  of  this  mode  of  conveyance  have  been 
generally  acknowledged  ;  indeed,  it  may  without  exaggeration  be  said  that 
the  intercourse  through  the  medium  of  steamboats  between  Glasgow  and 
Greenock  has,  comparatively  speaking,  brought  those  places  ten  or  twelve 
miles  nearer  each  other.  In  most  cases  the  passages  are  made  in  the  same 
time  as  by  the  coaches ;  and  they  have  been,  in  numerous  instances,  done  with 
greater  rapidity.  In  comparing  the  comfortableness  of  these  conveyances, 
the  preference  will  be  given  decidedly  to  the  steamboat.  Besides  all  this,  a 
great  saving  in  point  of  expense  is  produced  ;  the  fare  in  the  best  cabin  being 
only  four  shillings,  and  in  the  inferior  one  two  shillings  and  sixpence,  whereas 


HISTOR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  75 

the  inside  of  a  coach  costs  not  less  than  twelve  shillings  and  the  outside  eight 

shillings." 

The  "  CLYDE,"  a  third  vessel,  was  built  by  Mr.  Wood  the  same  year  for 
Mr.  Robertson,  an  engineer  of  Port  Glasgow,  and  commenced  her  trips  in 
July.  She  was  ^seventy  feet  on  the  keel,  seventy-six  feet  long  on  deck,  thir~ 
teen  to  fourteen  feet  beam,  of  fourteen  horse-power,  and  sixty-nine  tons 
measurement.  Her  speed  was  six  miles  an  hour. 

The  "  GLASGOW,"  a  fourth  vessel,  was  also  launched  by  Mr.  Wood  in  1813> 
seventy-two  feet  long,  fifteen  feet  beam,  seventy-four  tons  measurement,  and 
sixteen  horse-p  wer.  Her  engines  were  constructed  by  Mr.  Cook,  of  Glas- 
gow. She  was  intended  to  carry  goods  as  well  as  passengers,  and  was  mod- 
erately sharp,  but  afterwards  improved  by  lengthening  the  bow  five  feet, 
and  giving  it  greater  sharpness.  ,  This  vessel  belonged  to  the  first  joint  stock 
company  for  steam  navigation  ever  established. 

The  "DUMBARTON  CASTLE,"  eighty-one  tons,  one  hundred  and  seven  and  a 
half  feet  long,  sixteen  feet  ten  inches  broad,  and  eight  feet  eleven  inches  deep, 
having  two  engines  of  thirty-two  horse-power,  was  built  in  1815,  and  the 
following  year  accomplished  the  first  trip  to  Rothesay,  considered  a  feat,  as 
the  sailing  packets  formerly  on  th#  station  occupied  one  day,  and  occasion- 
ally three  days,  in  making  the  passage.  The  succeeding  year  she  made  the 
passage  through  the  Kyles  of  Bute,  and  up  Lochfyne  to  Inveraray,  having 
left  Glasgow  at  six  A.  M.,  and  reaching  Inveraray  about  ten  P.  M.,  a  most 
remarkable  occurrence. 

The  "  BRITANNIA,"  of  seventy-three  tons,  ninety-four  feet  four  inches  long, 
by  sixteen  feet  five  inches  broad,  and  eight  feet  eight  inches  deep,  having 
two  engines  of  fourteen  horse-power,  was  built  in  1815,  and  some  years  there- 
after made  the  trip  to  Campbeltown  in  about  fourteen  hours. 

The  "  ROB  ROY,"  fifty-six  tons,  eighty  feet  eleven  inches  long,  fifteen  feet 
eight  inches  broad,  and  eight  feet  deep,  was  built  in  1818,  and  was  the  first 
steamer  that  plied  to  Belfast. 

The  "  ROBERT  BRUCE,"  of  ninety  tons,  ninety-four  feet  long,  eighteen  feet 
seven  inches  broad,  and  eleven  feet  deep,  was  also  built  in  1818,  and  was  the 
first  steamer  that  proceeded  to  Liverpool  as  a  regular  trader  from  Glasgow. 

In  1813  a  steamer  was  launched  at  Manchester  and  another  at  Bristol. 
October,  1814,  the  first  steamer  was  in  operation  on  the  >  Humber,  and  in 
December  the  first  steamer  on  the  Thames  was  put  in  motion  on  the  canal 
at  Limehouse.  June  28,  1815,  a  steamboat,  built  on  the  Clyde,  arrived  and 
was  placed  on  the  Mersey.  On  her  passage  she  called  at  Ramsey,  Isle  of 
Man.  She  is  notable  as  the  first  steamer  which  plied  on  the  Mersey,  and 
also  as  the  pioneer  of  that  noble  fleet  of  steamers  which  ply  with  regularity 
between  Liverpool  and  the  numerous  ports  of  the  English,  Irish,  and  Scotch 
coasts,  also  from  being  the  first  steamer  to  encounter  the  passage  of  these 
coasts. 

t^bout  1814  two  vessels,  "  The  Princess  Charlotte  "  and  the  "  Princess  of 


76  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VI GA  TION. 

Orange,"  were  built  and  experimented  with  on  the  Clyde  by  a  man  named 
Miller,  and  proved  unsuccessful.  Watt  &  Boltou  were  the  engineers. 

THE  "INDUSTRY." — The  seventh  steamer  built  on  the  Clyde  was  launched 
by  William  Fyle,  May,  1814.  She  was  of  only  fifty-four  tons  register. 
After  an  honorable  career  she  lay  a  long  time  sunk  in  the  East  India 
harbor  at  Greenock,  but  November,  1872,  was  floated,  beached,  and  calked, 
and  in  1876  was  presented  by  Messrs.  Steele  &  Co.,  Catskill,  her  owners,  to 
the  Glasgow  Chamber  of  Commerce,  to  be  preserved  as  a  memento  of  the 
early  days  of 'steam  navigation,  being  beyond  doubt  the  oldest  steamboat  in 
the  world. 

In  1815  ten  steamboats  were  plying  from  the  Clyde  for  the  conveyance  of 
passengers.  The  success  of  the  steam-vessels  at  Glasgow  soon  excited  atten- 
tion elsewhere,  and  several  Clyde-built  vessels  were  purchased  as  models.,  A 
Mr.  Lawrence,  of  Bristol,  established  a  steamboat  on  the  Severn,  and  hav- 
ing carried  her  to  ply  on  the  Thames,  the  Company  of  Watermen  made  such 
opposition  he  was  obliged  to  take  her  back  to  Somersetshire.* 

June  11,  1813.— Robert  Fulton  filed  in  the  Patent  Office  at  Washington 
a  petition  for  a  patent,  in  which  he  asserted  that  he  was  the  proprietor  of 
two  patents  which  contemplated  the  propelling  of  one  single  boat  by  the 
steam-engine,  and  that  in  this  prosecution  of  his  experiments  on  the  naviga- 
tion by  steam  on  a  large  scale  he  had  made  discoveries  and  produced  inven- 
tions extending  to  an  incalculable  degree  the  benefits  of  his  original 
discovery  and  invention  of  the  practical  method  of  navigation  by  steam. 
These  inventions  he  goes  on  to  state  consist  principally  in  the  combi- 
nation and  connection  of  several  boats,  constructed  and  connected  in  a 
manner  so  as  to  be  propelled  or  drawn  forward  by  one  boat  containing 
a  steam-engine  with  the  machinery  necessary  for  the  propelling  of  such 
steamboats.  This  invention  consisting  essentially  in  the  separation  of  the 
steam-engine  and  of  the  boat  containing  the  same,  from  the  boat  or 
boats  which  carry  the  passengers  and  cargo,  without,  however,  its 
being  necessary  to  exclude  from  the  boat  carrying  the  steam-engine  some 
part  of  the  passengers  and  cargo.  By  which  invention  the  weight  being 
distributed  over  a  surface  of  water,*  which  may  be  indefinitely  increased, 
the  draft  of  water  necessary  to  carry  the  same  may  be  indefinitely  dimin- 
ished, while  at  the  same  time  all  the  inconveniences,  expense  and  liability 
to  warp,  which  attend  one  boat  of  very  large  dimensions  and  great  length 
are  avoided. 

1814. — Early  in  1814  there  were  five  steamboats  on  the  Thames  River.  1. 
The  "  Thames,"  (originally  the  "  Argyle"),  fourteen  horse-power,  plying  be- 
tween London  and  Margate  ;  reckoned  the  best  boat.  The  paddles  alternated 
with  each  other,  and  were  set  at  an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees.  2.  The  "  Re- 
gent," ten  horse-power,  paddles  set  square,  with  rims  like  an  overshot  wheel ; 

*  Buchanan's  "  Practical  Treatise  on  Propelling  Vessels  by  Steam."  « 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  77 

expected  to  ply  between  Chatham  and  Sheerness.  She  was  first  built  for  the 
wheel  to  work  in  the  middle ;  but  this,  not  having  been  found  to  answer, 
was  altered.  3.  The  "Defiance,"  twelve  horse-power,  to  Margate,  with 
double  horizontal  cylinder  engine.  4.  A  boat  which  plied  between  London 
and  Gravesend  was  laid  aside  on  account  of  a  lawsuit,  as  she  was  not  worked 
by  a  privileged  person.  She  was  soon  to  start  again,  with  a  new  twelve  or 
fourteen  horse-power  Scotch  engine,  being  originally  fitted  with  a  high- 
pressure  engine.  The  wheels  had  rims,  and  the  paddles  swung  like 
tap  butt-hinges.  5.  A  boat  with  double  keel,  six  horse-power,  was  building 
above  Westminster  Bridge ;  paddles  upright ;  said  to  be  for  London  and 
Kichmond.  6.  Mr.  Maudslay  built  a  small  boat  in  1813  for  Ipswich  and 
Harwich,  sixteen  miles  done  in  two  and  a  quarter  hours,  but  against  a  strong 
wind  in  three  hours.  This  had  six  frying-pan  paddles  set  square,  without 
rims.  "  There  are  two  steam  vessels  on  the  River  St.  Lawrence,  one  forty- 
eight  the  other  thirty-six  horse-power,  which  go  at  seven  miles  an  hour, 
measure  about  one  hundred  and  seventy  feet  long  and  thirty  feet  wide  ! 
Another  forty-eight  horse-power  vessel  will  be  launched  next  year  on  that 
river.  So  that  one  may  go  by  steam  from  Quebec  to  New  York  in  eight 
days,  with  a  short  land  carriage."* 

In  October,  1814,  the  first  steamboat  OQ  the  Humber  was  started  to  run 
between  Hull  and  Gainsborough.  She  was  called  the  "  Caledonia,"  and 
accomplished,  with  a  favorable  tide,  fourteen  miles  an  hour.  She  made 
the  voyage  between  the  two  ports,  a  distance  of  fifty  miles,  in  eight  hours. 

The  "  Margary"  was  tak«n  south  in  1814,  along  the  east  coast  of  Scotland. 
When  she  reached  the  Thames  she  passed  close  along  the  English  fleet  at 
anchor.  Her  extraordinary  apparition  excited  a  commotion  among  officers 
and  men ;  none  of  them  had  seen  a  steamer  before ;  by  some  she  was  taken 
for  a  fire-ship.  The  nearest  man-of-war  hailed  her,  and  on  being  answered 
that  she  was  a  steamer  built  at  Dumbarton,  on  the  Clyde,  a  seaman  named 
John  Richardson,  from  Dumbarton,  who  was  alive  in  1857,  ran  along  the 
deck  of  the  man-of-war  shouting  "Hurrah  for  Scotland!  Dumbarton  for- 
ever !"  The  "  Margary"  was  fifty-six  feet  long  and  nineteen  feet  in  breadth 
over  all.  On  leaving  for  London  she  was  taken  through  the  Forth  and 
Clyde  Canal,  and  coasted  up  to  London.f 

The  claims  of  the  "Margary"  conflict  somewhat  with  those  of  the  "Cale- 
donia," but  the  "  Margary"  was  launched  June,  1814,  according  to  Cleland's 
"Annals  of  Glasgow,"  published  in  1816,  and  went  to  London  November 
1814,  while  the  same  annals  say  the  "  Caledonia  "  was  not  launched  until 
April,  1815,  and  did  not  go  to  London  until  May,  1816.  According  to 
Cleland,  twenty  steam  vessels*  of  various  dimensions  were  built  at  Port  Glas- 
gow, Greenock,  and  Dumbarton  with  engines  of  Glasgow  make  during  the 

*  Buchanan 's  Treatise  on  Propelling  Vessels. 

f  Diimbarton  Herald ;  also  the  Greenock  Advertiser,  May  12,  1857. 


78  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

four  years  1812-16.  Of  these  the  "  Elizabeth,"  launched  November,  1812, 
went  to  Liverpool  in  1814;  "  Argyle,"  launched  in  June,  1814,  went  to 
London  in  1815;  "Margary,"  launched  June,  1814,  went  to  London  No- 
vember, 1814;  "Caledonia/'  launched  April,  1815,  went  to  London  May, 
1816 ;  "  Greenock,"  launched  May,  1815,  went  to  Ireland,  and  then  to  Lon- 
don May,  1816.* 

A  Margate  hoy  of  large  dimensions,  propelled  by  steam,  was,  in  1815,  run 
constantly  from  London  to  Margate,  and,  says  a  letter-writer,  "from  its 
novelty,  and  the  certainty  of  its  arrival  within  a  given  time  (about  twelve 
hours),  it  is  much  crowded  with  passengers."  This  was  probably  the 
"  Margary." 

Mr.  Martin,  the  harbor-master  of  Ramsgate,  who  commanded  a  sailing- 
packet  from  Margate  to  Ramsgate,  says  that  in  June,  1815,  on  one  of  his 
trips,  his  companions  pointed  out  to  him  an  object  some  distance  ahead, 
which  they  supposed  to  be  a  vessel  on  fire,  but  as  they  neared  it  was  dis- 
covered to  be  the  steamboat  "  Margary,"  alias  "  Thames."f  AVith  a  fresh 
breeze  he  sailed  round  her  easily,  as  her  engine  was  of  only  fourteen  horse- 
power, and  her  model  a  clumsy  one.  Nothing  could  exceed  the  ridicule  his 
passengers  bestowed  upon  the  unseemly  vessel ;  some  compared  her  to  a 
jaded  horse  with  a  huge  pair  of  panniers,  others  to  a  smoke-jack.  Yet  this 
vessel  had  voyaged  from  Port  Glasgow  to  Dublin,  and  from  thence  to  Lon- 
don, and  traversed  fifteen  hundred  miles  of  sea,  some  part  of  it  in  tempestu- 
ous weather. 

1815.— The  "British  Naval  Chronicle"  for  July,  1815,  says,  "The 
'  Thames '  steam  yacht  is  said  lately  to  have  accomplished  a  voyage  of  fif- 
teen hundred  miles.  She  twice  crossed  St.  George's  Channel  and  sailed 
round  Land's  End,  and  is  the  first  steam-vessel  that  ever  traversed  these 
seas.  The  advantages  of  a  vessel  enabled  to  proceed  either  by  sail  or  steam, 
or  both  united,  must  indeed  be  sufficiently  obvious,  and  especially  in  the  cer- 
tainty of  reaching  its  place  of  destination  in  a  given  time." 

The  Hampshire  Telegraph,  June,  1815,  notices  a  steam-vessel  which  "  sud- 
denly made  its  appearance  lately  at  Portsmouth,  England,  and  coming  into 
the  harbor  immediately  against  the  wind,  produced  a  considerable  degree  of 
curiosity.  She  was  a  very  neatly  fitted  vessel,  and  goes  through  the  water 
at  the  rate  of  seven  or  eight  miles  an  hour,  which  is  produced  by  the  steam 
from  an  engine  of  fourteen  horse-power.  One  ton  of  coal  is  sufficient  fuel  to 
produce  the  necessary  force  of  steam  for  propelling  her  one  hundred  miles. 
She  came  from  Plymouth  Sound  in  twenty-three  hours.  It  was  intended, 
had  the  wind  not  been  fair,  that  she  should  have  towed  the  '  Endymion ' 
frigate  out  of  the  harbor ;"  the  "  Endymion"  Being  the  vessel  which  was  on 
the  coast  of  the  United  States  during  the  war  of  1812-14,  and  had  the  credit 
of  receiving  the  surrender  of  the  U.  S.  Frigate  "  President." 

*  London  Notes  and  Queries,  vol.  v.,  2nd  Series. 

•j-  Another  gives  the  name  of  the  "  Argyle"  to  the  "  Thames." 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  79 

This  notice  undoubtedly  refers  to  the  "  Argyle,"  launched  on  the  Clyde, 
June,  1814,  and  re-named  the  "  Thames,"  which  is  memorable  from  being 
the  first  steamboat  to  make  an  extended  sea-voyage  in  British  seas. 

The  "  Argyle,"  or  "  Thames,"  was  seventy  tons  register,  seventy-nine  feet 
long  on  the  keel,  had  sixteen  feet  beam,  and  engines  of  fourteen  horse-power.' 
Her  paddle-wheels  were  nine  feet  in  diameter.  She  had  two  cabins, — one 
aft,  the  other  forward  of  her  engines.  In  her  waist  was  the  engine,  the 
boiler  on  the  starboard,  the  cylinder  and  fly-wheel  on  the  port  side.  Her 
funnel  did  duty  as  a  mast,  and  was  rigged  with  a  large  square-sail.  A  gal- 
lery upon  each  side  of  the  cabin  formed  a  continuous  deck.  She  had  eigh- 
teen painted  ports  on  each  side,  with  two  astern,  which  to  a  casual  observer 
were  very  formidable.  After  plying  a  year  between  Glasgow  and  Greenock 
she  was  purchased  by  a  London  company,  to  be  run  between  that  city  and 
Margate,  and  it  became  necessary  to  bring  her  by  sea  from  the  Clyde  to  the 
Thames. 

There  was  then  in  London  a  man  named  Dodd,  who  had  served  in  the 
navy,  and  had  distinguished  himself  as  an  engineer  and  architect,  but  who 
finally,  driven  by  misfortune  to  intemperance,  almost  literally  died  in  the 
streets  a  beggar. 

To  this  Dodd  was  intrusted  the  task  of  taking1  the  "Argyle"  from  the 
Clyde  to  the  Thames.  He  arrived  in  Glasgow  April,  1815,  with  a  crew  consist- 
ing of  a  mate,  an  engineer,  a  stoker,  four  seamen,  and  a  cabin-boy  ;  and  with 
these  put  boldly  to  sea  in  the  "Argyle"  about  the  middle  of  May,  1815. 
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, 
through  ignorance,  negligence,  or  misunderstanding,  the  pilot  during  the 
night  altered  the  course,  and  the  vessel  came  near  being  wrecked.  At  break 
of  day,  a  heavy  gale  blowing,  it  was  discovered  they  were  within  half  a  mile 
of  a  rock-bound  lee-shore,  two  miles  north  of  Port  Patrick.  To  beat  off  in 
the  teeth  of  the  gale  by  the  united  power  of  steam  and  sails  Dodd  found  im- 
possible. Depending,  therefore,  entirely  on  his  engine,  he  laid  the  vessel's 
head  directly  to  windward,  and  kept  the  log  going.  The  vessel  began  slowly 
to  clear  the  shore,  about  three  knots  an  hour.  Having  acquired  a  sufficient 
offing,  he  bore  away  for  Loch  Ryan,  gained  the  Irish'coast,  and  May  24  en- 
tered the  LifFey.* 

A  graphic  and  detailed  account  of  her  voyage,  written  by  Mr.  Weld,  the 
secretary  and  historian  of  the  Royal  Society,  who  with  his  wife  took  passage 
on  board  at  Dublin,  can  be  found  in  Chambers'  Journal  for  April  25,  1857. 

Leaving  the  LifFey  on  Sunday  noon,  the  28th  of  May,  1815,  many  persons 
from  curiosity  crossed  the  bay  in  her  and  landed  at  Dunleary  (now  Kings- 
town), and  the  sea  being  rough,  the  passengers  were  violently  sea-sick. 
Several  naval  officers  on  board  declared  it  to  be  their  firm  opinion  that 

*Morning  Chronicle,  June  15,  1815. 


80  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VI G  A  TION. 

the  vessel  could  Dot  live  long  in  heavy  seas,  and  that  there  would  be 
much  danger  in  venturing  far  from  shore.  At  Dunleary  all  the  passengers 
except  Mr  Weld  and  his  wife  left  the  boat,  and  it  is  to  their  brave  resolve 
to  remain  that  such  a  complete  account  of  this  pioneer  voyage  around  the 
British  Islands  has  been  preserved. 

The  voyagers  soon  left  behind  them  all  the  vessels  which  had  sailed  from 
Dublin  with  the  same  tide,  and  the  next  morning,  when  off  Wexford,  the 
dense  smoke  which  issued  from  the  mast-chimney  being  observed  from  the 
heights  over  town,  it  was  concluded  the  vessel  was  on  fire,  and  all  the  pilots 
put  off  to  her  assistance.  Putting  in  at  several  intermediate  points,  on  the 
the  6th  of  June,  the  adventurers  arrived  at  Plymouth.  The  harbor-master, 
who  had  never  seen  a  steamboat,  was  as  much  struck  with  astonishment 
when  he  boarded  the  "Thames"  as  a  child  in  the  possession  of  a  new  plaything. 
The  sailors  ran  in  crowds  to  the  sides  of  their  vessels  as  she  passed,  and, 
mounting  the  rigging  of  their  vessels,  gave  vent  to  their  observations  in  the 
most  amusing  manner. 

On  her  arrival  at  Portsmouth  thousands  of  spectators  assembled  to  gaze 
upon  her,  and  the  number  of  boats  that  crowded  around  her  was  so  great 
that  it  became  necessary  to  request  the  port-admiral  to  assign  the  voyagers 
a  guard  to  preserve  order.  A  court-martial  sitting  on  board  the  "  Gladiator" 
adjourned  its  session  to  visit  her,  and  on  the  10th  of  June  Sir  Edward 
Thornborough,  the  Port- Admiral,  sent  his  band  and  a  guard  of  marines  on 
board,  and  soon  after  followed  himself,  accompanied  by  three  admirals,  eigh- 
teen post-captains,  and  a  large  number  of  ladies.  The  morning  was  spent 
very  pleasantly  in  steaming  among  the  fleet  and  running  over  to  the  Isle  of 
Wight,  the  admiral  and  the  naval  officers  expressing  themselves  delighted 
with  the  "  Thames." 

From  Portsmouth  the  steamer  proceeded  to  Margate,  which  was  reached 
Sunday,  July  11,  1815.  The  next  day  she  arrived  at  Limehouse,  and  was 
moored.  They  passed  everything  on  the  Thames, — all  the  fast-sailing 
Gravesend  boats,  pleasure-boats,  West  Indiamen,  etc. 

The  whole  distance  sailed  from  Dublin  to  Limehouse  was  seven  hundred 
and  fifty-eight  nautical  miles,  which  were  accomplished  in  one  hundred  and 
twenty-one  and  a  half  hours,  with  an  expenditure  of  one  ton  of  coal  for  every 
one  hundred  miles. 

Sir  Rowland  Hill,  the  Post-office  Reformer,  whose  life  has  recently  been 
published,  makes  a  note  as  to  the  commencement  of  steam  traffic  at  Margate. 
He  was  there  in  the  year  1815,  with  his  brother,  Matthew  Davenport  Hill. 
On  the  3d  of  July  they  "  went  to  see  the  steamboat  come  in  from  London, 
generally  performing  the  voyage  in  about  twelve  hours."  "  It  is  surprising 
to  see,"  says  Sir  Rowland,  "  how  most  people  are  prejudiced  against  this 
packet.  Some  say  that  it  cannot  sail  against  the  wind,  if  it  is  high  ;  but  when 
it  entered  the  harbor,  (at  Margate),  the  wind  and  tide  were  both  against  it, 
and  the  former  rather  rough  ;  yet  I  saw  it  stem  them  both.  There  was  a  great 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  81 

crowd,  and  much  enthusiasm,  though  carpers  predicted  failure,  and  sneered 
at  'smoke-jacks.'  "* 

1815. — Richard  Trevithick  obtained  a  patent  in  England  for  "  a  screw 
propeller,  consisting  of  a  worm  or  screw,  on  a  number  of  leaves  placed  ob- 
liquely around  an  axis,  which  revolves  in  a  cylinder,  fixed  or  revolving,  or 
without  a  cylinder,  at  the  head,  sides,  or  stern  of  a  vessel.  In  some  cases 
the  screw  is  made  buoyant  and  works  on  a  universal  joint."  In  a  second 
specification  he  adds  :  "A  stuffing  box,  enclosing  a  ring  of  water,"  also  "  a 
boiler  of  a  number  of  small  perpendicular  tubes — each  tube  closed  at  the 
bottom,  but  all  opening  at  the  top  with  a  common  reservoir."  This  was  the 
first  English  patent  for  a  screw  propeller.  It  never  was,  however,  made  the 
subject  of  a  practical  experiment. 

EMPLOYMENT  OF  STEAMERS  IN  THE  WAR  1812-14. — The  Gentleman's  Maga- 
zine, April,  1814,  in  an  article  on  "Steam  Engine  Passage  Boats,"  says,"For  the 
information  of  those  who  are  unacquainted  with  the  fact,  it  may  be  necessary 
to  state  that  the  principal  rivers  of  North  America  are  navigated  by  steam- 
boats ;  one  of  them  passed  two  thousand  miles  on  the  great  river  Mississippi 
in  twenty-one  days  at  the  rate  of  five  miles  an  hour  against  the  descending 
current,  which  is  perpetually  running  down.  This  steamboat  is  one  hundred 
and  twenty-five  feet  in  length,  and  carries  four  hundred  and  sixty  tons  at  a 
very  shallow  draft  of  water, — only  two  feet  six  inches,— and  conveys  whole 
ships'  cargoes  into  the  interior  of  the  country,  as  well  as  passengers. 

"  The  city  of  New  York  alone  possesses  seven  steamboats  for  commerce 
and  passengers.  To  name  only  one  or  two  of  them,  that  from  thence  to 
Albany,  on  the  North  River,  passes  one  hundred  and  thirty  miles ;  then 
(after  about  forty-five  miles  of  land-carriage  to  Lake  Champlain)  you  enter 
another  steamboat  that  will  take  you  about  two  hundred  miles  to  near  Mon- 
treal, between  which  place  and  Quebec  a  British  steamboat  one  hundred 
and  forty  feet  in  lengthf  is  constantly  passing,  and  usually  goes  down 
in  twenty-eight  hours,  but  sometimes  in  only  twenty-four,  although  the  dis- 
tance is  one  hundred  and  eighty  miles,  and  returning  she  is  seldom  more 
than  twelve  or  fifteen  hours  additional  time,  though  the  stream  is  almost 
constantly  running  against  her  with  the  great  velocity  so  peculiar  to  the  river 
St.  Lawrence  of  North  America.  This  boat  in  the  last  year  was  found  of  the 
greatest  service  to  the  British  government  in  carrying  troops  and  stores  with 
greater  ease  and  dispatch  than  can  possibly  be  effected  by  land ;  and  it  is 
here  worthy  of  remark  that  in  the  late  expedition  of  Admiral  Sir  John 
Borlase  Warren  up  the  Potomac  River,  chasing  the  enemy,  they,  keeping 
their  ships  at  a  prudent  distance  from  ours,  sent  one  of  their  steamboats  directly 
against  the  wind,  so  as  to  be  just  without  gun-shot,  and  reconnoitered  our 

*New  Castle  Weekly  Chronicle,  August  21,  1881. 
f  The  "  Swiftsure."     See  ante. 


82  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

fleet.  This  fact  is  mentioned  because  it  is  presumed  that  it  is  the  first  instance 
where  they  have  been  applied  to  such  purposes. 

"  The  steamboats  used  at  present  in  our  own  island  are  a  sufficient  demon- 
stration of  their  utility ;  it  will  be  only  necessary  to  mention  those  working 
on  the  river  Braycfon  between  Yarmouth  and  Norwich,  and  on  the  river 
Clyde  between  Glasgow  and  Greenock ;  which  boats  on  this  latter  station 
often  beat  the  mail  between  the  two  places,  and  are  always  certain  to  time, 
let  the  wind  and  tide  be  what  they  may. 

"  It  would  occupy  too  considerable  a  space  ia  this  paper  to  enter  into  the 
merits  of  those  steamboats  now  building  and  preparing  on  the  rivers  Tyne, 
Thames,  and  Medway,  particularly  those  with  patent  and  simplified  appara- 
tus for  the  use  of  rivers,  to  pass  coastwise,  and  for  short  runs  of  passages  to 
the  Continent ;  but  it  is  necessary  -to  state,  from  most  mature  and  deliberate 
examination,  that  some  of  these  steamboats  with  patent  apparatus  are  so 
constructed  that  they  can  carry  sail,  and  perform  all  the  manoeuvres  of  other 
vessels  at  sea,  when  the  wind  is  in  their  favor,  and  when  against  them  by 
furling  their  sails  pass  right  in  the  wind's  eye  with  velocity,  thus  continuing 
their  passages  in  a  straight  line,  while  other  vessels  are  obliged  to  tack  to 
and  fro." 

It  is  interesting  to  note  as  a  measure  of  the  steamboat's  speed  during  the 
war  of  1812-14,  the  captions  of  the  newspaper  articles  of  that  day.  Here  is 
one : 

"  By  the  arrival  of  the  fast  sailing  "  Car  of  Neptune"  in  twenty-four  hours 
from  Albany,  we  have  news  from  the  army  under  General  Scott  to  a  very 
late  date." 

At  that  time  the  price  of  passage  from  Albany  to  New  York  was  ten 
dollars. 

THE  FIRST  \VAR  STEAMBOAT. 

1814.— Near  the  close  of  the  year  1813,  Robert  Fulton  exhibited  to  the 
President  of  the  United  States  the  drawing  of  a  proposed  war  steamer  or 
floating  battery,  named  by  him  the  "  Demologos." 

He  contemplated,  in  addition  to  the  proposed  armament  on  deck,  she  should 
be  furnished  with  tour  submarine  guns,  two  suspended  at  each  bow,  to  dis- 
charge a  hundred-pound  ball  into  an  enemy  ten  or  twelve  feet  below  her 
water-line,  and  that  she  should  have  an  engine  for  throwing  an  immense 
column  of  hot  water  upon  the  decks  or  through  the  ports  of  an  opponent. 
Her  estimated  cost  was  three  hundred  and  twenty  thousand  dollars,  which 
was  about  the  cost  of  a  first-class  sailing  frigate. 

Fulton's  project  was  favorably  received,  and  in  March,  1814,  a  law  author- 
ized the  President  to  cause  to  be  equipped  "  one  or  more  floating  batteries 
for  the  defense  of  the  waters  of  the  United  States." 

The  construction  of  the  vessel  was  committed  by  the  "Coast  and  Harbor 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  83 

Defense  Association  "  to  a  sub-committee  of  five  gentlemen,  appointed  by 
William  Jones,  Secretary  of  the  Navy. 

Robert  Fulton,  whose  soul  animated  the  enterprise,  was  appointed  the  en- 
gineer, and  on  the  20th  of  June,  1814,  the  keels  of  this  novel  steamer  were 
laid  at  the  ship-yard  of  Adam  &  Noah  Brown,  in  the  city  of  New  York. 
The  blockade  of  our  coast  by  the  enemy  enhanced  the  price  of  timber,  and 
rendered  the  importation  of  copper,  lead,  and  iron,  and  the  supply  of  coal 
from  Richmond  and  Liverpool  difficult ;  these  obstacles  were,  however,  sur- 
mounted, and  the  enemy's  blockade  only  increased  the  expense  of  her  con- 
struction. "With  respect  to  mechanics  and  laborers  there  was  also  difficulty; 
shipwrights  had  repaired  to  the  lakes  in  such  numbers  that  comparatively 
but  few  were  left  on  the  sea-board ;  besides,  a  large  number  had  enlisted  as  sol- 
diers. By  an  increase  of  wages,  however,  a  sufficient  number  of  laborers 
were  obtained ;  and  the  vessel  was  launched  on  the  29th  of  October,  1814, 
amid  the  hurras  of  assembled  thousands. 

The  river  and  bay  were  filled  with  steamers  and  vessels  of  war  in  compli. 
ment  to  the  occasion.  In  the  midst  of  these  was  the  floating  mass  of  the 
"  Demologos,"  or  "  Fulton,"  as  she  was  afterwards  named,  whose  bulk  and  un- 
wieldy form  seemed  to  render  her  as  unfit  for  motion  as  the  land  batteries 
which  were  saluting  her.* 

Captain  David  Porter,  writing  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  under  date  New 
York,  Oct.  18,  1814,  says,  "  I  have  the  pleasure  to  inform  you  that  the 
'Fulton  the  First'  was  this  morning  safely  launched.  No  one  has  yet  ven- 
tured to  suggest  any  improvement  that  could  be  made  in  the  vessel,  and,  to 
use  the  words  of  the  projector,  '  I  would  not  alter  her  if  it  ivere  in  my  power  to  do 
so: 

"  She  promises  fair  to  meet  our  most  sanguine  expectations,  and  I  do  not 
despair  in  being  able  to  navigate  in  her  from  one  extreme  of  the  coast  to  the 
other.  Her  buoyancy  astonishes  every  one.  She  now  draws  only  eight  feet 
three  inches  of  water,  and  her  draft  will  be  ten  feet  with  all  her  guns,  ma- 
chinery, stores,  and  crew  on  board.  The  ease  with  which  she  can  now  be 
towed  by  a  single  steamboat  renders  it  certain  that  her  velocity  will  be 
sufficiently  great  to  answer  every  purpose,  and  the  manner  it  is  intended  to 
secure  her  machinery  from  the  gunners'  shot  leaves  no  apprehension  for  its 
safety.  I  shall  use  every  exertion  to  prepare  her  for  immediate  service. 
Her  guns  will  soon  be  mounted,  and  I  am  assured  by  Mr.  Fulton  that  her 
machinery  will  be  in  operation  in  about  six  weeks." 

On  the  21st  of  November,  1814,  the  "  Fulton"  was  moved  from  the  wharf  of 

*  I  have  seen  a  large  copper-plate  engraving  of  the  launch  of  the  "  Fulton."  It  is  entitled 
"  Launch  of  the  Steam-Frigate  'Fulton  the  First,'  at  New  York,  Oct.  29,  1814;  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  feet  long,  fifty-seven  feet  wide,  mounting  thirty  long  32-pounders  and 
two  one  hundred  pounders  (columbiads).  Philadelphia:  Published  March  27,1815,  by 
B.  Tanner,  74  South  street.  Drawn  by  I.  I.  Baralet,  from  a  sketch  by  Morgan,  taken  on 
the  spot. 


84  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

Messrs.  Brown,  on  the  East  River,  to  the  works  of  Robert  Fulton,  on  the 
North  River,  to  receive  her  machinery.  The  steamboat  "  Car  of  Neptune" 
made  fast  to  her  port  and  the  "  Fulton  "  to  her  starboard  side,  towed  her  to 
her  destination  at  the  rate  of  three  and  half  to  four  miles  per  hour.* 

The  dimensions  of  this,  the  first  war  steamer,  were:  Length,  150  feet; 
breadth,  56  feet;  depth,  20  feet;  water-wheel,  16  feet  diameter;  length  of 
bucket,  14  feet ;  dip,  4  feet ;  engine,  48-inch  cylinder,  5-feet  stroke  ;  boiler, 
length  22  feet,  breadth  12  feet,  and  depth  8  feet.  Tonnage,  2,475.  She  was 
the  largest  steamer  by  many  hundreds  of  tons  that  had  been  built  at  the  date 
of  her  launch. 

The  commissioners  appointed  to  examine  her  in  their  report  say : 
"  She  is  a  structure  resting  upon  two  boats,  keels  separated  from  end  to  end 
by  a  canal  fifteen  feet  wide  and  sixty-six  feet  long.  One  boat  contains  the 
•caldrons  of  copper  to  prepare  her  steam.  The  vast  cylinder  of  iron,  with 
its  piston,  levers,  and  wheels,  occupies  a  part  of  its  fellow  ;  the  great  water- 
wheel  revolves  in  the  space  between  them  ;  the  main  or  gun-deck  supporting 
lier  armament  is  protected  by  a  bulwark  four  feet  ten  inches  thick,  of  solid 
timber.  This  is  pierced  by  thirty  port-holes,  to  enable  as  many  32-pounders 
to  fire  red-hot  balls ;  her  upper  or  spar  deck,  upon  which  several  thousand 
men  might  parade,  is  encompassed  by  a  bulwark  which  affords  safe  quarters. 
She  is  rigged  with  two  short  masts,  each  of  which  supports  a  large  lateen 
yard  and  sails.  She  has  two  bowsprits  and  jibs  and  four  rudders,  two  at 
each  extremity  of  the  boat ;  so  that  she  can  be  steered  with  either  end  fore- 
most. Her  machinery  is  calculated  for  the  addition  of  an  engine  which  will 
discharge  an  immense  column  of  water,  which  it  is  intended  to  throw  upon  the 
decks  and  all  through  the  ports  of  an  enemy.  If,  in  addition  to  all  this,  we 
suppose  her  to  be  furnished,  according  to  Mr.  Fulton's  intention,  with  100- 
pounder  columbiads,  two  suspended  from  each  bow,  so  as  to  discharge  a  ball 
of  that  size  into  an  enemy's  ship  ten  or  twelve  feet  below  the  water-line,  it 
must  be  allowed  that  she  has  the  appearance  at  least  of  being  the  most  for- 
midable engine  of  warfare  that  human  ingenuity  has  contrived." 

Such  is  a  correct  description  of  this  sea-monster  of  1814,  but  exaggerated 
and  fabulous  accounts  of  her  got  into  circulation.  Among  others,  the  fol- 
lowing was  published  in  a  Scotch  newspaper,  the  writer  stating  that  "he 
had  taken  great  care  to  procure  full  and  accurate  information/'f 

"  Her  length,"  he  writes,  "  on  deck  is  three  hundred  feet ;  thickness  of 
sides,  thirteen  feet,  of  alternate  oak  plank  and  cork-wood  ;  carries  44  guns, 
four  of  which  are  100-pounders ;  and  further  to  annoy  an  enemy  attempting 

*  "  Rees's  Encyclopedia"  states  she  was  towed  on  this  occasion  by  the  "  Paragon,"  of 
three  hundred  and  thirty-one  tons  burden,  at  the  rate  of  four  miles  an  hour.  That  she  was 
towed  by  "  Car  of  Neptune"  and  "  Fulton"  is,  I  believe,  correct. 

f  Stuart's  "War  and  Mail  Steamers"  has  accurate  drawings  of  the  "Fulton"  from  the 
originals. 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  85 

to  board  can  discharge  one  hundred  gallons  of  boiling  water  in  a  minute, 
and  by  mechanism  brandishes  three  hundred  cutlasses  with  the  utmost  regu- 
larity over  the  gunwales  ;  works  also  an  equal  number  of  heavy  iron  pikes 
of  great  length,  darting  them  from  her  sides  with  prodigious  force,  and  with- 
drawing them  every  quarter  of  a  minute." 

The  stores  of  artillery  at  New  York  not  fu  Aishing  the  number  and  kind 
of  cannon  she  was  to  carry,  guns  were  transported  from  Philadelphia,  a 
prize  having  placed  some  excellent  pieces  at  the  disposal  of  the  Navy  De- 
partment. To  avoid  the  danger  .of  their  capture,  twenty  of  these  guns  were 
sent  over  the  miry  roads  of  New  Jersey  dragged  by  horses. 

In  consequence  of  the  exhaustion  of  the  treasury  and  temporary  depres- 
sion of  the  public  credit,  the  commissioners  were  instructed  to  pay  the  bills 
for  the  "  Fulton"  in  treasury  notes,  but  solely  at  par.  These  notes  were 
often  so  long  withheld  that  those  who  had  advanced  materials  and  labor 
were  importunate  for  payment,  and  the  commissioners  had  frequently  to 
pledge  their  private  credit.  Once  the  men  discontinued  work.  From  these 
causes  her  completion  was  retarded  until  winter,  and  also  by  the  unexpected 
death  of  Mr.  Fulton,  on  the  24th  of  February,  1815. 

All  difficulties  at  length  being  surmounted,  the  machinery  was  put  in  mo- 
tion, and  she  made  her  first  trial  trip  on  the  1st  of  June,  1815,  only  nine 
months  after  her  keels  were  laid.  On  this  trial  she  was  found  capable  of  op- 
posing the  wind,  of  stemming  the  tide,  of  crossing  currents,  and  of  being  steered 
among  vessels  riding  at  anchor,  though  the  weather  was  boisterous  and  the 
water  rough.  Her  performance  demonstrated  the  success  of  Fulton's  idea, 
and  that  a  floating  battery  composed  of  heavy  artillery  could  be  moved  by 
steam. 

She  left  the  wharf  near  the  Brooklyn  ferry,  propelled  by  steam  alone, 
against  a  stiff  south  breeze  (which  was  directly  ahead),  and  a  strong  ebb 
tide,  and  steamed  by  the  forts,  saluting  them  with  her  guns,  her  speed  equal- 
ing the  most  sanguine  expectations. 

After  circumnavigating  the  bay  and  receiving  a  visit  from  the  officers  of 
a  French  ship-of-war,  she  came  to  anchor  at  Powles'  Hook  ferry  about  two 
p.  M.,  nothing  occurring  to  mar  the  pleasure  or  success  of  the  trip.  It  was 
discovered,  however,  that  alterations  were  necessary,  some  errors  to  be  cor- 
rected, and  some  defects  to  be  supplied,  before  she  was  prepared  for  a  second 
trial. 

On  the  4th  of  July,  1815,  she  again  made  a  trip  to  the  ocean,  eastward  of 
Sandy  Hook,  and  back  again,  a  distance  of  fifty-three  miles,  in  eight  hours 
and  twenty  minutes,  without  the  aid  of  sails,  the  wind  and  tide  being  partly 
favorable  and  partly  against  her,  the  balance  rather  in  her  favor.  The  gen- 
tlemen who  witnessed  this  experiment  without  exception  entertained  no 
doubt  as  to  her  fitness  for  the  intended  purpose.  Expedients  were  sought 
to  increase  her  power,  and  devised  and  executed  for  quickening  and  direct- 
ing her  movements. 


86  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

A  third  trial  of  her  powers  was  attempted,  on  the  llth  of  September,  with 
twenty-six  of  her  long  and  ponderous  guns  and  a  considerable  quantity  of 
ammunition  and  stores  on  board.  Her  draft  of  water  was  less  than  eleven 
feet.  She  changed  her  course  by  reversing  the  motion  of  her  wheels,  with- 
out the  necessity  of  putting  about,  like  the  ferry-boats  of  the  present  day. 
She  saluted  as  she  passed  the  forts,  overcame  the  resistance  of  the  wind  and 
tide  in  her  progress  down  the  bay,  and  performed  beautiful  manoeuvres 
around  the  U.  S.  Ship  "  Java,"  then  at  anchor  near  the  light-house.  She 
moved  with  remarkable  celerity,  and  was  perfectly  obedient  to  her  double 
helm.  The  explosion  of  powder  produced  very  little  concussion  on  board 
and  her  machinery  was  not  affected  by  it  in  the  slightest  degree.  Her  prog- 
ress during  the  fining  was  steady  and  uninterrupted.  On  the  most  accurate 
•calculation,  her  velocity  was  four  and  a  half  miles  an  hour,  and  she  made 
headway  at  the  rate  of  two  miles  an  hour  against  the  ebb  of  the  East  River, 
running  three  and  a  half  knots.  The  day's  exercise  was  satisfactory  to  the 
company  on  board  beyond  their  most  sanguine  expectation,  and  it  was  uni- 
versally conceded  that  the  United  States  possessed  a  new  auxiliary  against 
every  maritime  invader.  The  city  of  New  York  was  considered  as  having 
the  means  of  making  itself  invulnerable,  and  that  every  bay  and  harbor  of 
the  nation  might  be  protected  by  the  same  tremendous  power.  Her  perform- 
ance more  than  equalled  Fulton's  expectations,  and  it  exceeded  what  he  had 
promised  the  government,  that  she  should  be  propelled  by  steam  at  the  rate 
of  from  three  to  four  miles  an  hour. 

The  commissioners  who  superintended  her  construction,  congratulated  the 
government  and  the  nation  on  the  event  of  this  noble  project,  and  said, 
41  Honorable  alike  to  its  author  and  its  patrons,  it  constitutes  an  era  in  war- 
fare and  the  arts.  The  arrival  of  peace  indeed  has  disappointed  the  expec- 
tations of  conducting  her  to  battle.  That  best  and  conclusive  act  of  show- 
ing her  superiority  in  combat  has  not  been  in  the  power  of  the  commissioners 
to  make. 

"  If  a  continuance  of  tranquility  should  be  our  lot,  and  this  steam-vessel 
of  war  be  not  required  for  the  public  defense,  the  nation  may  rejoice  in  the 
fact  we  have  ascertained  as  of  incalculably  greater  value  than  the  expendi- 
tures, and  that  if  the  present  structure  should  perish,  we  have  the  informa- 
tion, never  to  perish,  how,  in  any  future  emergency,  others  may  be  built. 
The  requisite  variation  will  be  directed  by  circumstances." 

The  war  having  terminated, "  Fulton  the  First,"  after  these  trial  trips,  was 
taken  to  the  navy  yard  at  Brooklyn  and  moored  on  the  flats  abreast  of  that 
station,  where  she  was  used  as  a  receiving-ship  until  the  4th  of  June,  1829, 
fifteen  years  after  the  laying  of  her  keels,  when  she  was  accidentally  or  pur- 
posely blown  up. 

Commodore  Chauncey,  reporting  this  catastrophe,  says  that  he  had  been 
on  board  of  her  all  the  morning  inspecting  the  ship  and  men,  particularly 
the  invalids,  who  had  increased  considerably  from  other  ships,  and  whom  he 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VI O  A  TION.  8  7 

had  intended  asking  the  Department's  permission  to  discharge,  as  of  little  use 
to  the  service.  He  had  left  the  ship  but  a  few  moments  before  the  explosion 
took  place.  The  report  did  not  appear  to  him  louder  than  a  32-pounder, 
although  the  destruction  of  the  ship  was  complete  and  entire,  owing  to  her 
very  decayed  state.  There  was  on  board  at  the  time  no  more  than  two  and 
a  half  barrels  of  damaged  powder,  kept  in  the  magazine,  for  the  morning  and 
evening  gun.  By  this  explosion,  however,  twenty-four  men  and  a  woman 
were  killed,  nineteen  wounded,  and  five  reported  as  missing  and  probably 
killed.  Among  the  killed  was  Lieutenant  S.  M.  Breckinbridge,  and  among 
the. wounded  Lieutenant  C.  F.  Platt,  who  died  a  captain  in  the  navy,  Lieu- 
tenant A.  M.  Mull,  and  Sailing-Master  Clough  ;  Lieutenant  Platt  was  dan- 
gerously, the  others  severely  wounded.  Four  midshipmen  were  among  the 
wounded. 

Commodore  Chauncey  was  of  opinion  that  "  the  explosion  could  not  have 
taken  place  from  accident,  as  the  magazine  was  as  well  or  better  secured 
than  the  magazines  of  most  of  our  ships;  yet  it  is  difficult  to  assign  a  motive 
to  those  in  the  magazine  for  so  horrible  an  act  as  voluntarily  to  destroy 
themselves  and  those  on  board,  yet  if  the  explosion  was  not  the  effect  of  de- 
sign, I  am  at  a  loss  to  account  for  the  catastrophe." 

Master  Commandant  John  T.  Newton,*  her  commander,  was  on  shore  at 
the  time  of  the  explosion.  Such  was  the  beginning,  end,  and  uneventful 
history  of  the  first  steam-vessel  of  war  ever  put  afloat, — the  pioneer,  and  to 
an  extent  the  model  also,  of  the  floating  batteries,  double-hulled  vessels,  and 
"  double-enders  "  which  have  succeeded  her. 

Captain  E.  C.  Bowery,  U.  S.  N.,  a  surviving  officer  of  the  Fulton,  writing  me 
under  date  Dec.  13,  1881,  says  :  "  I  say  the  destruction  of  the  Fulton  was 
by  carelessness.  I  believe  in  Divine  Providence,  but  not  in  accident.  I 
joined  her  in  the  early  part  of  1826  as  an  acting  midshipman,  Commander 
Budd  then  having  command.  Her  magazine  (if  it  could  be  called  one)  was 
nearly  under  the  ship's  coppers,  and  separated  only  by  a  light  bulkhead 
was  the  'bag  room/  in  which  the  Sergeant  of  Marines  had  a  writing-desk,  on 
which  was  a  naked  oil  lamp.  Soon  after  reporting,  I  had  occasion  to  go 
down  there;  the  bulkhead  had  a  sliding  door,  which  was  open,  and  his  lamp 
shone  on  the  kegs  of  powder,  one  of  which  was  without  a  head.  I  remarked 
to  the  Sergeant,  '  If  your  light  was  only  five  feet  nearer  (all  the  space  that 
separated  it  from  the  powder)  there  would  be  trouble.'  '  Yis,'  said  he,  turn- 
ing his  beery  eyes  on  me,  '  there  would  be  a  sensation.'  After  that  I  never 
turned  in  at  night  without  thinking  there  might  be  a  sensation  before 
cock-crowing,  and  to  this  day  I  have  not  forgot  the  appearance  of  that  pow- 
der with  the  light  shining  on  it,  and  draw  the  inference  that  gross  careless- 
ness caused  the  sensation.  Yet  at  the  time  there  was  a  story  that  a  gunner's 

*  Captain  Newton  also  commanded  the  "  Missouri"  when  she   was  burned  in  Gibraltar 
Bay,  1844. 


88  HISTOR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

mate  had  been  disrated  and  punished  with  the  cats  the  morning  before  the 
blowing  up  of  the  Fulton." 

FIRST  STEAM  VESSELS  IN  RUSSIA. 

1815. — Steam  navigation  was  adopted  in  Russia  at  an  early  date.  Mr. 
Baird,  superintendent  of  the  mines,  made  the  first  experiments  in  1815 
with  an  open  boat  of  his  own  construction,  fitted  with  a  four  horse-power  en- 
gine, with  which  he  made  his  first  trip  from  St.  Petersburg  to  Cronstadt  and 
back  on  the  15th  of  November.  In  1816  he  built  a  steam-vessel  of  larger 
dimensions,  with  an  engine  of  twenty  horse-power,  for  conveyance  of  passen- 
gers between  the  two  places.  For  twenty  years  he  had  the  exclusive  privi- 
lege of  furnishing  the  Russian  metropolis  with  steamboats  for  mercantile 
purposes.  The  first  government  steam-vessel,  the  "  Rapid,"  was  constructed 
at  the  Ishora  yard  in  1816,  and  was  of  thirty-two  horse-power.  The  first 
Russian  steam  vessel  armed  with  guns  was  built  in  1826.  The  Neva 
was  the  first  river  in  Russia  on  which  steamboats  were  applied.  The  Cas- 
pian Sea,  in  1844,  was  navigated  by  four  steamboats,  each  of  forty  horse- 
power. The  first  steamboat  introduced  into  Siberia  was  built  in  1843,  and 
employed  on  Lake  Balkan.  She  was  of  thirty-two  horse-power,  and  called 
the  "Emperor  Nicholas." 

In  the  American  Daily  Advertiser  of  November  27,  1816,  there  appears 
the  following  notice  of  a  new  steamboat  to  run  between  New  York  and  Balti- 
more, commanded  by  Captain  Moses  Rogers,  who,  three  years  later,  further 
immortalized  himself,  in  connection  with  steam  navigation,  by  commanding 
the  "  Savannah,"  the  first  steam-vessel  that  ever  crossed  the  Atlantic  : 

"  NEW  STEAMBOAT. — On  Tuesday  last  the  elegant  steamboat  '  New  Jer- 
sey,' Moses  Rogers  master,  sailed  from  this  port  for  Baltimore.  This  boat 
is  coppered  completely,  and  furnished  with  powerful  copper  boilers.  She  is 
finished  in  a  style  superior  to  any  ever  built  in  this  place ;  the  workmanship 
of  the  main  and  ladies'  cabins  is  executed  with  great  taste  and  with  every 
possible  accommodation  for  passengers. 

"Her  engine  was  constructed  by  Mr.  Daniel  Large,  of  this  city,  engineer  ; 
it  appears  to  be  an  improvement  of  the  plan  proposed  by  Mr.  David  Pren- 
tice, and  exemplified  in  one  of  the  ferry-boats  on  the  Delaware.  The  cylinder 
is  fixed  upon  an  inclined  plane,  and  the  shafts  of  the  two  wheels  are  fur- 
nished with  a  crank  common  to  both,  which  crank,  by  a  connecting-rod, 
puts  the  fixtures  of  the  cylinder  and  air-pump  in  motion  without  that  tremor 
and  noise  which  is  so  injurious  to  steamboats  in  general,  and  unpleasant  to 
the  passengers.  Her  speed,  in  the  trials  which  have  been  made,  exceeds 
that  of  the  fastest  boats  at  their  commencement,  and  if  she  continues  to  im- 
prove she  will  be  one  of  the  most  expeditious  steamboats  in  the  United 
States.  No  expenses  have  been  withheld  ;  every  opportunity  has  been  em- 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  89 

ployed  to  fit  her  for  the  station  in  the  line  of  steamboats  for  which  she  is  in- 
tended, between  Baltimore  and  Elkton.  Captain  Rogers  was  also  the  first  who 
went  to  sea  in  a  steamboat;  he  navigated  the  '  Phoenix,'  in  1809,  from  New 
York  to  Philadelphia  ;  in  1813  he  navigated  the  'Eagle'  from  this  port 
(New  York)  to  Baltimore,  and  now,  towards  the  close  of  November,  he  pro- 
poses to  conduct  this  steamboat  to  the  capes  of  the  Delaware,  and  from 
thence  to  Baltimore,  by  way  of  Norfolk,  in  Virginia." 

1816. — Nicholas*  J.  Roosevelt,  in  the  following  advertisement,  claims 
the  invention  of  vertical  paddle-wheels  for  steamers,  and  for  which  he  ob- 
tained a  United  States  patent  in  1814  : 

"  STEAMBOAT  NOTICE. 

"  ALL  persons  are  hereby  informed  that  I  claim  the  right  of  Inventor  of 
Vertical  Wheels,  as  now  generally  us  ed  for  Steam  Boats  throughout  the 
United  States,  having  been  first  used,  after  my  invention,  in  the  North  River 
Steam  Boat,  by  Messrs.  Livingston  &  Fulton.. 

"  I  have  obtained  a  Patent  in  due  form  of  law,  for  my  invention,  which  is 
dated  the  1st  day  of  Dec.  1814. 

"  No  other  person  in  the  United  States  has  any  Patent,  but  myself,  for  the 
invention  of  Vertical  Wheels.  Having  obtained  a  legal  title  to  the  sole  use 
of  steam  boats  with  such  wheels,  I  hereby  forewarn  all  persons  from  using 
them  hereafter  without  license  from  me.  The  patent  and  evidence  of  iny 
right  are  in  the  hands  of  Wm.  Griffith,  Esq.,  of  the  City  of  Burlington,  my 
Counsel-at-Law. 

"  On  this  subject,  so  very  important  to  me  (being  the  only  real  and  effi- 
cient invention  since  Fitch's  Boat),  I  do  not  by  this  notice  challenge  contro- 
versy, but  am  prepared  to  meet  it  in  any  form.  My  object  is  to  make 
known,  that  I  am  the  inventor,  and  have  the  Patent  right.  Individuals  or 
companies  who  use  such  wheels  without  my  license  after  this,  will  be  prose- 
cuted under  the  Law  of  Congress,  for  damages  amounting  to  the  profits  of 
the  boat.  Licenses  will  be  sold  under  me  at  moderate  rates,  and  warranted.* 

"NICHOLAS  J.  ROOSEVELT. 

"BURLINGTON,  N.  J.,  4th  March,  1816." 

1816. — The  first  steamer  specially  built  at  Liverpool  for  the  purpose  of  a 
ferry  was  the  "  Etna,"  which  in  April,  1816,  began  to  ply  between  Liverpool 


"  *  NOTE. — Although  my  Patent  assures  me  a  legal  right,  any  person  may  be  further  satis- 
fied of  my  just  claim  by  recurrence  to  the  evidences  in  the  hands  of  my  Counsel-at-Law. 
They  consist  principally  of  original  letters  between  Chancellor  Livingston,  Mr.  Stevens  and 
myself,  on  this  very  thing,  at  the  time  of  my  invention,  accompanied  with  depositions  of 
many  persons  witnesses  of,  and  knowing  to  the  fact. 

"  N.  J.  R. 
"  March  15,  1816." 

— Philadelphia  Newspaper,  March  16,  1816. 


90  HIS  TOR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

and  Trau mere.  She  was  sixty-three  feet  long,  with  a  paddle-wheel  in  the 
centre*  her  extremities  being  connected  by  beams,  and  her  deck  twenty-eight 
feet  over  all.  This  primitive  vessel  initiated  the  transit  by  the  numerous 
ferry-boats  which  now  bridge  the  Mersey. 

March,  1816. — The  "Majestic"  was  the  first  steamboat  that  crossed  the 
English  Channel  from  Brighton  to  Havre.  She  was  built  at  Ramsgate,  and 
had  engines  of  twenty-five  horse-power,  and  was  considered  a  gigantic  con- 
cern. Her  crossing  from  Dover  to  Calais  with  two  hundred  passengers,  and 
return  without  accident  was  a  highly  appreciated  feat.  The  Majestic  estab- 
lished the  superiority  of  steamboats  over  other  means  of  water  conveyance. 
The  sailing-packet  between  Margate  and  Ramsgate  was  often  detained  two 
days  by  calms  and  tides.  The  steamboat  passed  and  repassed  the  sailing- 
packet  loaded  with  passengers.  On  one  occasion,  the  third  night  out,  the 
packet  caught  at  anchor  in  a  sudden  northerly  gale,  lost  much  of  her  gear, 
and  the  next  day,  while  the  gale  was  stronger,  had  the  mortification  of  see- 
ing the  "  Majestic"  pass  and  convey  her  passengers  into  Margate. 

1816. — The  first  line  of  steamboats  from  New  York  to  New  London,  Connec- 
ticut, was  established  in  1816.  On  the  28th  of  September,  1816,  the  "Connecti- 
cut," Captain  Bunker,  arrived  from  New  York  in  twenty-one  hours, — which 
was  regarded  as  a  signal  triumph  for  steam,  the  wind  and  the  tide  being 
against  her.  In  October  a  regular  line  commenced  making  two  trips  per 
week  to  New  Haven ;  the  "  Fulton,"  Captain  Law,  at  the  same  time  running 
between  New  York  and  New  Haven.  The  price  of  passage  was  five  dollars 
to  New  Haven,  and  from  thence  to  New  York  four  dollars. 

Jonathan  Morgan,  Esq.,  of  Wiscasset,  Maine,  a  well-known  and  eccentric 
citizen  of  Portland,  Maine,  in  1816  ascended  the  Kennebec  River  by  steam. 
In  June,  1818,  this  boat,  the  "Alpha,"  of  fifteen  tons,  was  sold  at  "public 
vendue"  by  a  constable  of  Wiscasset,  for  eighty-seven  dollars.  The  boat 
was  a -long,  narrow,  flat  boat,  and  the  machinery  being  taken  out  she  was 
converted  into  a  fishing-vessel.  The  steam-power  was  applied  to  a  screw- 
propeller  in  the  stern.  Her  boiler  was  built  of  pine  plank,  and  about  the 
size  of  a  common  molasses  hogshead,  into  which  was  fixed  a  fire-box  of  iron. 
An  endless  chain  connected  the  engine  with  her  propeller.  The  machinery 
was  invented  and  designed  by  Jonathan  Morgan,  who  anticipated  a  fortune 
from  its  invention. 

The  first  trip  of  the  "  Alpha"  up  the  Kennebec  was  as  far  as  Augusta. 
At  Hallowell  the  boat  halted,  when  many  visitors  .inspected  the  strange 
craft.  Mr.  Morgan  came  on  shore,  and  Page  &  Bemant,  to  encourage  the 
enterprise,  made  him  a  donation  in  money.  Leaving  the  wharf,  she 
was  unable  to  stem  the  current,  and  was  carried  sidelong  across  the  river 
and  fell  back  to  Clark's  wharf,  lower  down.  At  last  she  gained  sufficient 
headway  to  proceed  up  river  to  Augusta,  where  she  was  greeted  with  many 

*  This  was  like  Fulton's  ferry-boats  in  New  York  in  1810. 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  91 

cheers.     Mr.  Morgan,  who  removed  to  Portland  in  1820,  was  so  ashamed  of 
his  failure  that  he  never  wished  to  have  it  spoken  of. 

THE  FIRST  ENGLISH  STEAM  TUGS. 

1816. — It  has  been  asserted  that  the  first  application  of  s,team  for  the 
purpose  of  towing  vessels  was  made  in  October,  1816,  when  the  "Harlequin" 
was  towed  out  of  the  Mersey  by  the  "  Charlotte,"  a  steamer  which,  in  the 
summer  of  the  same  year,  had  been  placed  as  a  ferry-boat  to  run  between 
Liverpool  and  Eastham.* 

In  1819  Mr.  Rennie,  who  planned  the  breakwater  at  Plymouth,  England, 
was  the  "  advising  engineer  "  to  the  Admiralty,  and  on  every  occasion  urged 
the  application  of  steam-power  to  vessels-of-war.  He  hired  at  his  own  cost 
the  Margate  steamboat  "  Eclipse,"  and  successfully  towed  the  "  Hastings" 
74  against  the  tide  from  Woolwich  to  Gravesend,  June  14, 1819.  In  conse" 
quence  'of  this  feat  Lord  Melville  and  Sir  George  Cockburn,  R.  N.,  urged 
the  great  value  of  steam-power  for  towing  men-of-war. 

In  his  "  Local  Records,"  1 857,  Mr.  Latimer  perpetuates  the  memory  of  The 
Tynesides,  who  introduced  steam-towing: — "Died  in  Gateshead,  September 
27,  1852,  aged  81,  Mr.  Joseph  Price,  glass  manufacturer,  who  was  the  first 
to  apply  steam-vessels  to  the  towing  of  ships  to  and  from  sea,  in  adverse 
winds,  for  which  he  received  a  handsome  testimonial  in  1818.* 

In  Gateshead  the  first  English  steamboat  was  built.  It  was  launched 
from  the  South  Shore  in  the  month  of  February,  1814  ;  and  the  glass-manu- 
facturer took  an  interest  in  the  question  of  navigation  by  steam.  In  his 
retrospect,  July,  1838,  "  To  Merchants,  Manufacturers,  Shipowners,  &c," 
he  tells  us  that,  "  In  1815  he  became  a  shareholder  in  a  steamboat  speculation 
on  the  Tyne,  which  was  continued  for  two  years,  when  the  boats  becoming 
out  of  repairs  were  laid  up.  Fertile  in  resource,  Mr.  Price  devised  a 
new  use  for  the  boat  with  wheels — a  contrivance  that  was  celebrated  in  song 
by  his  townsman,  Wilson,  author  of  "The  Pitman's  Pay." 

"  Steam"  neist  cam'  puffin'  into  play, 

And  put  an  end  to  rowin' ; 
When  Price  said,  in  his  schemin'  way, 

"  Let's  try  the  chep  at  towin.'  " 

"July,  1818,"  Mr.  Price  "  conceived  good  might  be  done  by  towing  vessels 
to  sea."  . "  In  furtherance  of  my  idea,"  as  may  be  read  in  his  address  of 
1838,  "I  applied  to  the  late  Mr.  Robson,  wharfinger  of  Newcastle, for  leave 
to  try  an  experiment  with  one  of  his  loaded  vessels,  which  was  granted.  I 
gave  notice  to  Captain  Copeland,  of  the  Friends'  Adventure,  Hull  trader,  to 
have  all  ready  from  an  hour  to  an  hour  and  a  half  before  highwater. 

*  The  "  Charlotte  Dundas,"  it  should  be  remembered,  however,  was  built  for  a  tow-boat, 
and  we  have  already  shown  that  Fulton's  steam  battery  was  towed  on  one  occasion  by  the 
"  Car  of  Neptune  "  and  "  Fulton." 


92  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

At  the  time  appointed  I  requested  him  to  throw  a  line  on  board  the  steamer. 
The  tide  was  against  us  the  first  three  miles.  Everything  answered  as 
well  as  I  could  wish,  and  the  vessel  was  towed  two  miles  over  the  bar  in  two 
hours  and  ten  minutes — a  distance  of  thirteen  miles — the  wind  against  us 
all  the  way.  This  was  the  first  time  a  sailing  vessel  was  ever  towed  by  a  steam- 
boat. The  public  did  not  at  first  appreciate  my  endeavors  for  expediting 
the  sailing  of  ships  in  adverse  winds.  On  the  contrary,  I  was  told  I  had 
ruined  the  port.  I  continued  my  two  steamboats,  the  Eagle  and  Persever- 
ance, in  this  employ,  with  little  benefit  to  myself,  for  my  captains  were  so' 
timorous  they  would  not  stir  but  in  moderate  weather.  They  once  had  an 
offer  to  tow  two  ships  with  one  boat.  They  would  on  no  account  undertake 
so  heavy  a  task." 

The  "Perseverance"  was  originally  known  as  the  "Tyne  Packet,"  or 
"Tyne  Steamboat,"  and  afterwards  called  by  a  distinctive  name  when  she 
was  no  longer  alone  on  the  river.  Mr.  Price's  example  led  the  way  to 
general  traction  by  steam.  "  After  a  considerable  interval  other  owners 
of  steamboats  saw  the  advantage  of  the  towing  system,  and  employed 
theirs  in  a  similar  manner,  receiving  pay  according  to  the  depth  of  water 
the  sailing  vessels  drew.  The  advantage  to  the  ship-owner  was  great. 
Previously  no  vessel  over  240  tons  register  ever  attempted  to  come  up  to 
Newcastle.  After  the  introduction  of  the  towing  system  vessels  of  400  tons 
register  were  brought  up ;  and  vessels  that  previously  averaged  only  eight 
voyages  in  the  year  between  the  Tyne  and  the  Thames  were  able,  to 
average  thirteen  voyages,  thereby  keeping  the  coal  market  regularly  sup- 
plied, and  preventing  those  great  fluctuations  in  prices  whichformerly  had 
such  a  serious  effect  in  increasing  the  misery  of  the  poor." 

The  towing  system,  Mr.  Price  says,  was  in  1821  adopted  between  Hull 
and  Gainsbrough ;  in  1826  at  Liverpool ;  "  afterwards  at  Montreal,  where 
a  large  steam-vessel  towed  from  three  to  four  ships  at  once  from  Quebec 
in  less  than  forty-eight  hours,  then  thought  a  heavy  task,  considering  the 
strong  current  she  had  to  contend  against.  Previously,  ships  going  to  Mon- 
treal required  from  two  to  three  weeks  to  complete  the  distance." 

Mr.  Price's  services  were  recognized  on  the  Tyne  by  a  banquet  and  the 
presentation  of  a  silver  tankard  bearing  the  following  inscription  : 

Presented  to  Mr.  Joseph  Price 

by  the 
Shippers  and  Manufacturers  of  Lead, 

and  the 
Wharfingers  of  the  Goods  Trade  between 

Newcastle  and  London, 
as  a  mark  of  their  approbation  for 

his  zeal  and  spirited  exertions 
in  the  Application  of  Steamboats  to  the  Towing 
of  Vessels  on  the  River  Tyne. 
1818. 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  93 

PROGRESS  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION  IN  ENGLAND. 

1819.--The.  first  steamers  on  the  line  between  the  Mersey  and  the 
Clyde  were  the  "  Robert  Bf uce"  and  the  "  United  Kingdom,"  which  began 
to  ply  regularly  in  1819,  between  Liverpool  and  Glasgow.  The  following 
is  the  advertisement  of  the  first  return  voyage  from  Liverpool  to  Glasgow 
of  the  pioneer  vessel,  Robert  Bruce : 

"  SAFE  AND  EXPEDITIOUS  TRAVELING  BETWEEN  LIVERPOOL  AND 

GLASGOW. 

"  The  elegant  new  steam-packet '  Robert  Bruce,'  Captain  John  Paterson, 
will  sail  from  Glasgow  to-morrow  (Tuesday),  the  23d  of  August,  at  eight 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  from  the  George's  Dock  pier-head.  The  accommo- 
dation of  passengers  is  most  excellent,  and  she  is  expected  to  perform  the 
passage  within  thirty  hours.  The  fare  in  the  cabin  forty  shillings,  steerage 
twenty-one  shillings  ;  passengers  will  be  accommodated  with  provisions  at  mod- 
erate terms.  For  passage  apply  to  Captain  Paterspn,  or  to  John  Richardson. 

"  LIVERPOOL,  2d  August,  1819." 

The  first  steam-vessel  employed  in  the  Irish  trade  with  Liverpool  was  the 
"Waterloo,"  built  at  Greenock,  and  launched  on  the  18th  of  June,  1819. 
Being  fitted  with  engines  and  other  requisites  for  a  passenger  steamer  she 
proceeded  to  Belfast  to  ply  between  that  port  and  Glasgow.  Her  destina- 
tion was  soon  changed,  and  she  was- placed  on  the  line  between  Liverpool 
and  Belfast.  Her  first  arrival  was  thus  announced  in  the  Liverpool  Mercury 
of  July  23,  1819  : 

"  Yesterday  a  beautiful  steam-packet  arrived  at  this  port  from  Belfast, 
after  a  passage  of  only  twenty-four  hours.  She  is  called  the  *  Waterloo/  and 
is  a  fine,  well-built  vessel,  burden  two  hundred  and  one  tons,  length  ninety 
eight  feet,  breadth  on  deck  thirty-seven  feet,  and  has  two  highly-finished 
steam-engines  of  thirty  horse-power  each,  which  work  without  noise  or  vibra- 
tion, and  are  on  the  low-pressure  construction,  perfectly  safe  from  accident. 
They  are  attended  by  two  experienced  engineers.  The  vessel  is  provided 
with  two  masts,  with  sails  and  rigging.  Her  interior  accommodations  are 
as  complete  and  elegant  as  skill  and  expense  can  make  them.  She  has  a 
handsome  dining-room,  capable  of  accommodating  all  the  cabin  passengers, 
a  separate  and  neatly  decorated  cabin  for  ladies,  and  two  apartments  for 
private  families ;  twenty-two  well-furnished  beds,  each  accommodated  with 
light  and  air ;  and  a  comfortable  place  for  steerage  passengers.  She  cost 
nearly  ten  thousand  pounds.  She  will  sail  for  Belfast  at  tide  time  to-day, 
and  will  return  on  Monday.  She  will  sail  the  same  day,  and  regularly 
every  Monday  and  Friday.  Fares,  cabin,  £1  11s.  6c?.;  steerage,  10*.  6 d. 
The" cabin* passengers  are  not  under  the  necessity  of  talcing  provisions,  as  they 


94  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

are  well  accommodated  on  board  with  everything  at  the  most  moderate 
prices." 

The  "  Waterloo"  was  soon  transferred  to  the  more  important  traffic  be- 
tween Liverpool  and  Dublin,  where  her  success  resulted  in  the  employment 
of  more  powerful  steamers. 

This  detailed  account  of  so  small  a  steamer  may  be  pardoned  when  we 
consider  that  the  "  Waterloo"  was  the  germ  and  pioneer  of  the  magnificent 
steam  fleet  which  now  sails  in  and  out  of  the  port  of  Liverpool.  It  is  no 
longer  necessary  to  caution  passengers  they  are  not  under  the  necessity  of 
provisioning  themselves. 

1817. — Herbert  Lawrence,  who  died  in  1882,  aged  94,  built  in  1817  the 
'  Bolona?  the  first  steamboat  commanded  by  Cornelius  Vanderbilt.  Her 
model  is  in  the  possession  of  his  son,  William  H.  ,Vanderbilt.  Mr. 
Lawrence  remembered  the  trial  trip  of  the  "  Clermont,"  and  was  thus  a 
connecting  link  with  the  origin,  gradual  growth  and  present  state  of  steam 
navigation. 

1817.— THE"  FIREFLY!"— On  Monday,  the  26th  of  May,  1817,  the  "Fire- 
fly," Captain  Smith,  arrived  at  Newport  from  New  York.  The  sea  was  very 
rough  as  she  rounded  Point  Judith,  and  she  was  twenty-eight  hours  in  mak- 
ing the  passage.  She  was. intended  to  ply  between  Providence  and  Newport, 
and  made  her  first  trip  to  Providence  on  the  28th,  leaving  Newport  at 
nine  A.  M.  and  reaching  Providence  about  noon.  A  sloop  brought  news 
of  the  approaching  steamboat,  and  long  before  noon  the  wharves  were 
crowded  with  people  awaiting  the  arrival  of  the  strange  craft.  At  last  she 
came  wheezing  and  puffing  up  the  river  to  where  the  Crawford  Street  bridge 
now  stands ;  then,  turning  about,  ran  up  to  her  wharf  and  made  fast.  A 
gentleman  doing  business  in  the  Arcade  in  1877  remembered  being  held 
aloft  in  his  father's  arms  to  see  the  boat  come  in.  He  described  the  "  Fire- 
fly "  as  an  ugly  little  thing,  full  of  machinery  and  awkward  in  her  motions. 
The  people  cheered,  however,  and  shouted  and  looked  her  over  as  we  would 
now  inspect  a  balloon  just  arrived  from  St.  Petersburg. 

June  28,  the  "  Firefly,"  with  Governor  Knight,  U.  S.  Marshal  Dexter, 
and  others  on  board,  sailed  at  seven  A.  M.  for  Newport,  to  meet  and  escort 
President  Monroe  to  Providence.  He  went,  however,  in  a  revenue  cutter  to 
Bristol,  where  he  embarked  on  the  "  Friefly,"  reaching  Providence  about 
nine  p.  M.  On  landing  he  was  received  by  a  salute  of  cannon  and  the  ring- 
ing of  bells.  The  next  day  he  proceeded  to  Boston.  On  the  26th  of  July 
the  "  Firefly  "  made  a  "  cherry  "  excursion  to  Fall  River,  two  dollars  being 
the  charge  for  the  fare  and  dinner. 

The  packet-masters  resorted  to  every  lawful  means  to  break  down  the  new 
enterprise.  The  "  Firefly  "  was  no  match  for  a  fast  sloop  with  a  favorable 
wind.  She  hoisted  a  huge  square-sail  when  the  wind  was  fair,  but  the 
packets  would  often  come  into  port  ahead.  The  packet  captains*  even  car- 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  95 

ried  their  opposition  so  far  that  they  would  stand  upon  the  "  Firefly's" 
wharf  just  before  her  hour  of  starting  and  offer  to  carry  passengers  to  New- 
port for  twenty-five  cents,  or  for  nothing  if  they  did  not  get  there  in  advance 
of  the  "Firefly."  In  this  way  in  four  months  they  succeeded  in  running  her 
off. 

Then  the  packetmeu  held  a  meeting  on  the  packet  wharf  and  denounced 
interlopers  in  striking  and  powerful  language,  after  which  they  adjourned  to 
a  convenient  packet  and  drank  confusion  to  steamboats.  Packets  in  those 
days  furnished  the  best  means  of  transportation  between  Providence  and 
New  York.  The  Failing  of  a  mail-packet  for  New  York  aroused  more  at- 
tention than  is  now  paid  to  the  departure  of  an  ocean  steamship.  Passen- 
gers came  to  the  boat  accompanied  by  relatives  and  friends.  The  master  of 
the  boat  would  bring  out  his  stately  decanters,  and  place  a  whole  row  of 
glasses  on  the  mahogany  table  in  the  cabin.  Then  a  solemn  health  would 
be  drank  to  the  prosperity  of  the  voyage. 

The  packets  were  beautifully  modeled,  sloop-rigged  vessels  of  from  seventy- 
five  to  one  hundred  tons  burden,  built  with  a  view  to  speed,  carrying  capa- 
city, and  comfort.  The  sides  of  some  were  adorned  with  bead-work  ;  others 
had  polished  strips  of  hard  pine  let  into  the  sides,  and  all  were  painted  in 
gay  and  lively  colors.  The  cabins  were  frequently  finished  and  furnished 
with  mahogany,  and  decorated  in  every  imaginable  way.  These  cabins 
averaged  twelve  feet  square,  and  from  them  opened  tiny  state-rooms. 

Packets  sailed  from  Providence  for  New  York  every  week  ;  the  trip  was 
of  varying  length.  The  "  Huntress"*often  came  through  in  eighteen  hours, 
but  sometimes  the  voyage  lasted  a  week.  The  fare  was  ten  dollars,  includ- 
ing meals.  Over  the  cabin  stairs  hung  a  mahogany  letter-box,  and  on  arri- 
val there  would  be  a  rush  of  people  to  the  packet  to  get  letters  in  advance 
of  the  slow  mail  plodding  over  the  post-roads.  As  soon  as  the  immediate 
business  of  landing  was  over  the  captain  would  pour  the  contents  of  the  let- 
ter-box upon  the  mahogany  table,  and  after  the  distribution  of  letters  the 
decanters  were  produced  and  everybody  drank  the  captain's  health.  Cap- 
tain Whipple  Brown,  one  morning,  unloaded  from  his  sloop  seven  hundred 
and  fifty  thousand  dollars  in  silver.  There  were  five  thousand  dollars  in  a 
keg,  and  kegs  enough  to  load  fifteen  baggage-wagons,  which  before  sunrise 
set  out  for  Boston  with  two  well-armed  guards  in  charge  of  each  wagon."* 

Seventeen  large  steamboats  were,  in  1817,  in  constant  employment  on 
American  rivers  besides  ferry-boats. 

FIRST  STEAMBOATS  IN  BOSTON. 

1817. — The  steamboat  "Massachusetts,"  in  1817,  introduced  steam  naviga- 
tion to  Boston  early  in  June.  She  was  owned  by  Joseph  and  John  H.  Andrews, 

*  Charles  H.  Dow's  History  Steam  Navigation  between  New  York  and  Providence,  1792, 
1877. 


96  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

William  Fettyplace,  HOD.  Stephen  White,  and  Andrew  Watkins,  of  Sajem> 
and  Andrew  Bell,  of  Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire,  and  was  intended  to  run 
between  Salem  and  Boston.  She  was  of  two  hundred  and  thirty  tons 
register,  and  had  an  engine  of  thirty  horse-power.  She  made  a  few  trips 
between  Salem  and  Boston,  but  not  being  well  patronized,  in  the  autumn, 
or  early  in  the  winter,  was  sent  south  to  Charleston  or  Savannah,  to  be  sold, 
and  was  lost  on  the  passage  on  the  coast  of  North  Carolina.  On  her  arrival 
in  Salem  she  was  called  by  the  Enterprise  the  "  Brilliant  North  Star."  She 
made  her  first  trip  from  Salem  to  Boston  July  4,  1817,  leaving  Salem  at 
S  A.  M.  ;  she  arrived  at  Boston  at  eleven  A.  M.,  her  greatest  rate  of  speed  be- 
ing eight  miles  an  hour.  In  consequence  of  some  damage  to  her  machinery 
she  did  not  return  to  Salem  on  that  day,  and  her  passengers  were  sent  back 
in  .coaches.  The  next  day  she  made  a  trip  to  Hingham  and  returned,  mak- 
ing the  trip  in  two  hours  each  way.  The  enterprise  proved  more  than  a 
total  loss  to  her  proprietors.  There  was  a  distrust  in  the  public  mind  in 
relation  to  her,  and  many  who  cried  out  against  her  were  thought  to  be  in- 
fluenced by  the  stage  companies. 

The  Boston  Daily  Advertiser,  July  4,  1817,  announced,  "  We  understand 
that  the  elegant  steamboat  '  Massachusetts  '  will  be  here  this  day  at  ten 
o'clock,  and  will  take  a  few  gentlemen  and  ladies  for  a  few  hours  to  sail 
about  the  islands  in  this  harbor."  This  was  beyond  a  doubt  the  first  Fourth 
of  July  steamboat  excursion  in  Boston  harbor. 

She  seems  to  have  been  supplanted,  in  1818,  by  the  "  Eagle,"  which  filled 
her  place  as  an  excursion  boat.  The*"  Eagle  "  ran  from  Nantucket  to  New 
Bedford  for  six  months  the  same  year. 

1818. — From  a  return  made  to  the  Comptroller  of  New  York,  it 
appears  that  the  tax  upon  steamboat  passengers  produced  to  that  State  dur- 
ing the  years  1817  and  1818  was  a  net  aggregate  of  $37,620.18  The  gross 
amount  of  the  tax  for  these  two  years  was  $41,440.  All  passengers 
for  over  one  hundred  miles  paid  a  tax  of  $1.00  each,  and  for  under 
distances  over  thirty  miles,  half  the  sum ;  under  thirty  miles,  nothing.  For 
every  dollar  collected  by  the  State  it  was  estimated  that  seven  was  received 
by  the  proprietors  of  the  New  York  steamboats. 

1818. — One  hundred  and  thirty-nine  years  after  the  launch  of  the  first 
vessel,  the  "  Griffin,"  of  sixty  tons,  by  La  Salle,  August  7,  1679,  upon  the 
Niagara  River,  between  the  Falls  and  Lake  Erie,  steam  navigation  com- 
menced on  Lake  Erie.  The  pioneer  steamboat  called  "  Walk-in-the- Water  " 
was  launched  at  Black  Rock  on  the  28th  of  May,  1818. 

In  the  Federal  Gazette  and  Baltimore  Daily  Advertiser  of  April  27,  1818, 
I  find  two  advertisements  of  steamboats  running  to  Philadelphia, — one,  of 
the  Union  Line  of  Steamboats  via  Frenchtown  and  New  Castle,  advertised 
by  William  McDonald  &  Son  to  start  from  the  lower  end  of  Bowly's  wharf 
every  evening  at  five  o'clock  ;  the  other,  advertised  by  Briscoe  &  Partridge, 
leaving  the  same  wharf  at  the  same  hour  :  "  the  passengers,  traveling  over 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VI G  A  TION.  97 

a<£ood  turnpike  road  from  Elkton  to  Wilmington,  will  then  take  steamboats, 
and  arrive  in  Philadelphia  in  time  for  the  boats  which  leave  that  place  for 
New  York." 


CHAPTER  III.— 1819-1838. 

The  Savannah,  the  First  Ocean  Steamship,  1819.— David  Napier's  Enterprise,  1819-22.— First  Steam- 
boats on  the  Missouri,  1819.— The  Robert  Fulton  Steamship  between  New  Orleans  and  New  York, 
1819.— "Walk- in-the-Water,"  First  Steamboat  on  Lake  Erie,  1819.— First  Steamboat  on  Lake 
Michigan,  1827— First  Ramsgate  Steamboat,  1820.— First  Steam  Vessels  in  the  Royal  Navy,  1820- 
23— French  Officers  Sent  to  United  States  to  Enquire  about  Steam  Vessels,  etc.,  1820.— First  Steam- 
•  boat  on  the  Indus,  1820.— First  Sea-going  Steamboat  for  Hull,  England,  1821.— First  Steamboat 
Excursion  from  New  York  to  Providence,  1821. — First  Steamboat  Line  between  Providence  and 
NCAV  York,  1822.— David  Gordon's  Patent  for  Boxing  Paddle- Wheels,  1822.— Table  of  Comparative 
Voyages  of  Sailing  and  Steam  Vessels,  1822.— Number  of  Steamboats  on  American  Waters,  1823.— 
Capt.  de  Lisle  Proposes  Screws  to  be  Applied  to  French  Ships  of  the  Line,  1823.— Delangue  of 
Paris  Patents  a  Screw,  1824.— Steamer  Enterprise  Goes  from.  London  to  Calcutta,  1825.— Jacob 
Perkins'  Propeller,  1825.— Samuel  Brown's  Canal  Towing  Co.  Propeller,  1825— Steamboat  Speed 
on  the  Hudson,  1826.— Woodcroft's  Screw,  1826.— Winter  Steamboats  between  Philadelphia  and 
New  York,  1827.— The  Atlas  Launched  at  Rotterdam,  1828.— The  Swift,  First  Steamer  in  Turkey, 
1828.— The  Curacoa,  1828.— The  Steam  Brig  New  York,  1826.— Patten's  Screw ;  Copley's  Screw ; 
Peltier's  Screw,  1830.— First  Steamboats  on  the  Danube,  1830.— Temperance  Resolutions  of  the 
Livingston  Steam  Packet  Co.,  1829.— The  Meteor,  the  First  Ship  of  the  Royal  Navy  to  Carry  the 
Mails,  1830.— The  Hugh  Lindsay,  First  Steamer  to  Navigate  the  Red  Sea,  1830.— Girard's  Screw, 
1831.— First  Steamer  to  Arrive  at  Chicago,  1831.— Woodcroft's  Screw,  1822— First  Wrought-Iron 
Steamboat,  1832— The  Firebrand's  Long  Voyage,  1833.— First  Vessel  of  Royal  Navy  to  West 
Indies,  1832.— Junius  Smith,  the  Originator  of  Ocean  Steam  Navigation^  1832-8.— The  Second 
Steamship  to  Cross  the  Atlantic,  1832.— First  Steamer  on  the  Merrimac  River,  1834.— Smith's 
Screw,  1835.— Fitzpatrick's,  1835.— French  Steamboats,  1836.— First  Steamer  to  China,  1832.— An 
American  Iron-Clad,  1836.— Commodore  Barren's  Ram,  1836.— Steam  Tow-Boats  introduced  on 
tile  Delaware,  1836.— Steam  Vessels  of  Great  Britain,  1836-7.— The  Francis  B.  Ogden,  Ericsson's 
First  Practical  Screw  Steamer,  1836— The  Enterprise,  1839.— The  Robt.  F.  Stockton  Screw,  1838-9. 
—Crossing  the  Atlantic  Under  Sail.— The  Princeton,  First  Screw  War  Steamer.— Smith's  Screw 
Steamer  Archimedes,  1836-1838.— The  Rattler,  First  English  Screw  War  Steamer,  1843.— Austrian 
Russian,  and  Hungarian  Steamers,  1837.— Dr.  Lardner  on  Steam  Navigation  of  the  Atlantic,  1837. 
Steam  Vessels  of  the  United  States,  1838.— The  Germs  of  the  United  States  Navy,  1837. 

1819. — THE  SAVANNAH,  THE  FIRST  OCEAN  STEAMSHIP. 

This  vessel — pronounced"  a  myth  by  Mr.  Woodcroft  in  his  work  on  "  Steam 
Navigation,"  and  of  which  the  London  Illustrated  Times  for  January  16, 1858, 
says  it  "is  forced  into  the  belief  was  merely  an  after-thought  of  the  Americans," 
claiming  that  the  "  Rob  Roy,"  a  British  steam-packet  between  Glasgow  and 
Belfast,  was  the  first  sea-going  steamer — can  be  easily  shown  was  no  myth,  but 
a  sea-going  steamer,  which  by  the  aid  of  sails  and  steam  made  the  passage 
from  New  York  to  Liverpool  in  twenty-six  days  in  1819. 

The  "  Savannah"  was  built  at  Corlear's  Hook,  New  York,  by  Crocker  & 
Fickett.  She  was  three  hundred  and  eighty  tons  burthen,  and  was  launched 

7 


98  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

on  the  22d  of  August,  1818,  and  built  to  ply  between  New  York  and  Liv^r- 
pool  as  a  sailing  packet.  About  the  time  of  her  launch,  Captain  Moses 
Rogers,  then  of  Savannah,  Georgia,  suggested  to  Messrs.  Dunning,  Scarbo- 
rough, Sturges,  Burroughs,  Henry,  McKinna,  and  others  of  that  city, 
the  idea, of  constructing  a  steamer  for  plying  between  Savannah  and 
Liverpool.  They  accordingly  purchased  this  ship,  just  launched  at 
Corlear's  Hook,  and  well  adapted  for  the  purpose,  and  named  her  the 
^"Savannah."  They  allowed  the  rigging  and  other  appurtenances  for  sailing 
to  remain,  and  supplied  her  with  steam-machinery,  and  paddle-wheels,  the 
latter  constructed  to  fold  up  like  a  fan  and  to  be  laid  upon  deck  when  not 
in  use,  her  shaft  having  also  a  joint  for  that  purpose.  The  wheel-house  was 
made  of  canvas  extended  on  an  iron  rim.  She  made  a  trial  voyage  to 
Savannah  in  April,  1819,  and  arrived  there  from  New  York  in  seven  days, 
after  a  boisterous  passage,  during  which  she  had  to  take  in  her  wheels  several 
times  and  rely  upon  her  sails. 

She  left  New  York  under  canvass,  and  arrived  at  Savannah  earJy 
in  May,  1819.  President  Monroe  was  in  Charleston,  S.  C.,  and  Mr. 
Mr.  Scarborough  directed  her  to  go  there  and  give  the  President  an  invita- 
tion to  come  to  Savannah  on  the  steamship.  The  President  declined,  as 
the  people  of  Charleston  did  not  wish  him  to  leave  their  State  in  a  Georgia 
conveyance,  but  said  he  would  meet  her  at  Savannah.  Therefore  she  returned 
to  Savannah,  and  a  few  days  after  the  President  arrived  and  came  on 
board  with  his  suite,  accompanied  by  several  naval  officers  and  citizens.  The 
vessel  was  controlled  by  steam,  and  proceeded  upon  an  excursion  down  the 
river.  The  President  dined  on  board,  and  expressed  himself  greatly  pleased 
with  the  vessel,  and  told  Mr.  Scarborough  that  when  he  returned  from  her  trip 
across  the  Atlantic  to  bring  the  vessel  to  Washington,  for  he  thought 
no  doubt  the  government  would  purchase  her,  and  employ  her  as  a 
cruiser  on  the  coast  of  Cuba. 

After  her  trial-trip  there  was  no  doubt  that  the  "Savannah"  would  success- 
fully accomplish  the  object  for  which  she  was  purchased,  and  she  sailed  from 
Savannah  for  Liverpool  May  26,  1819.  The  New  York  papers  of  the  2d  of 
June  notice  her  having  been  spoken  at  sea,  all  Well.  The  log-book  of  the 
"  Pluto,"  which  arrived  at  Baltimore  from  Bremen,  contains  the  following 
passage : 

"  June  2,  1819.— Clear  weather,  smooth  sea,  latitude  42°,  longitude  50°. 
Spoke  and  passed  the  elegant  steamship  eight  days  out  from  Savannah  to 
Petersburg,  by  way  of  Liverpool.  She  passed  us  at  the  rate  of  nine  or 
ten  knots,  and  the  captain  informed  us  she  worked  remarkably  well,  and  the 
greatest  compliment  we  could  bestow  was  to  give  her  three  cheers  as  the 
happiest  effort  of  mechanical  genius  that  ever  appeared  on  the  Western 
ocean." 

Niles'  New  York  Register  for  the  21st  of  August  contains  this  para- 
graph, italicized,  at  the  head  of  its  column  of  foreign  news:  "  The  steam- 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  99 

ship  '  Savannah,'  Captain  Moses  Rogers,  the  first  that  ever  crossed  the  Atlantic, 
arrived  at  Liverpool  in  twenty-five  days  from  Savannah,  all  well,  to  the  great  as- 
tonishment of  the  people  at  that  place.  She  worked  her  engine  eighteen  days. 

It  is  stated  that  "  on  the  '  Savannah's'  approach  to  Liverpool;  with  sails 
furled  and  American  colors  flying,  the  piers  were  thronged  by  thousands 
who  greeted  her  arrival  with  vociferous  cheers,  and  before  she  anchored 
her  decks  were  so  crowded  it  was  with  the  greatest. difficulty  the  crew 
could  move  about  in  the  performance  of  their  duty." 

The  next  record  of  her  movements  is  that  she  sailed  in  August  for  St. 
Petersburg,  passing  Elsinore  on  the  13th,  and  that  the  British  "  wisely  sup- 
posed her  visit  to  be  somehow  connected  with  the  ambitious  views  of  the 
United  States." 

She  returned  to  Savannah  early  in  November,  1819,  after  a  passage  of 
fifty-three  days  from  St.  Petersburg,  via  Copenhagen  and  Arendal,  in 
Norway,  in  the  language  of  Captain  Rogers,  "  with  neither  a  screw,  nor  bolt, 
nor  rope-yarn  parted,  though  she  encountered  a  very  heavy  gale  in  the  North 
Sea."  She  left  Savannah  for  Washington  on  the  4th  of  November,  and  lost 
her  boats  and  anchors  off  Cape  Hatteras. 

.  But  for  the  war  of  1812,  the  "  Savannah  would  have  been  anticipated  in 
her  ocean  voyage  by  a  larger  and  superior  vessel,  built  by  a  company  for 
the  Russian  government.  This  vessel,  the  "  Emperor  Alexander,"  was  nearly 
ready  for  sea  when  her  departure  was  prevented  by  the  declaration  of  war 
in  June,  1812.  Under  the  name  of  the  "Connecticut"  she  was  known  upon 
the  waters  of  Long  Island  Sound,  and  later  in  her  history  was  a  weekly 
packet  between  Portland,  Maine,  and  Boston,  Massachusetts.  * 

If  these  statements  do  not  satisfy  the  most  doubting  that  the  "  Savannah" 
was  no  myth  or  an  after-thought  of  the  Americans,  these  extracts  from  a 
petition  to  Congress,  in  1856,  by  Mrs.  Taylor,  the  daughter  of  her  con- 
structor, fortified  by  the  sworn  testimony  of  Captain  Rogers,  must  be 
conclusive. 

Mrs.  Taylor  says,  "Your  petitioner  is  the  only  surviving  child  of  the  late 
William  Scarborough,  of  Savannah,  Georgia,  who,  being  an  energetic  and 
enterprising  man  of  great  mechanical  genius,  caused  to  be  constructed  in  the 
years  1818-19,  with  his  own  means,  and  those  of  every  friend  he  could  enlist 
in  the  effort,  the  first  steamer  that  ever  crossed  the  Atlantic, '  The  Savannah,' 
of  Savannah,  Georgia,  Captain  Moses  Rogers,  of  New  London,  Connecticut, 
commanding." 

For  the  details  of  this  voyage  she  refers  to  the  sworn  statement  of  Captain 
Steven  Rogers,  the  sailing-master,  "  and  prays  that  they  will  grant  her  some 
pecuniary  acknowledgment,"  etc. 

Captain  Stevens  Rogers,*  under  date  New  London,  Connecticut,  May  2, 

*  Captain  Stevens  Rogers,  the  sailing-master,  died  at  New  London,  Connecticut,  Septem- 
ber, 1868,  aged  seventy-four  years.  The  log-book  of  the  "  Savannah,"  containing  the  daily 
record  of  her  memorable  voyage,  is  in  possession  of  his  descendants. 


100  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

1856,  swears  that  he  is  aged  sixty-eight  years  ;  that  he  was  the  sailing  master 
of  the  steamship  "Savannah"  on  her  trial  trip  to  Liverpool',  Copenhagen, 

This  valuable  relic  is  made  up  of  ninety-six  pages  of  coarse  paper,  twelve  inches 
wide  and  nineteen  and  a  half  long,  browned  with  age,  and  with  edges  ragged  from 
much  handling.  Only  fifty-two  pages  are  written  on,  the  rest  are  blank.  It  is  unbound, 
but  the  sheets  are  sewn  into  an  enveloping  piece  of  sail-cloth,  which  is  rudely  hemmed  at  the 
upper  and  lower  edges.*  This  cloth  cover  bears  the  inscription,  "  Steamship  '  Savannah's' 
Log-Book,"  printed  in  bold  characters.  The  handwriting  is  that  of  Steven  Rogers,  the 
sailing-master.  Every  word  in  the  closely-written  pages  is  legible,  the  ink  being  still  black; 
only  a  small  portion  of  the  entries  have  any  present  interest,  the  larger  part  being  remarks 
on  the  weather,  on  the  disp6sition  of  the  ship's  sails,  and  the  results  of  the  observations  of 
latitude  and  longitude. 

The  caption  of  the  first  page  is  as  follows : 

"A  Journal  of  a  Voyage  from  New  York  towards  Savannah  on  steamboat  'Savannah? 
Moses  Rogers,  Master" 

This  is  continued  on  four  pages ;  the  caption  of  the  fifth  is, — 

"  A  Half- Hour  Journal  on  board  steamship  '  Savannah,'  Moses  Rogers,  Master." 

And  after  a  few  pages  this  caption  gives  place  to — 

"A  Journal  of  a  Voyage  from  Savannah  towards  Liverpool  on  board  steamship  '  Savan- 
nah ;'  Moses  Rogers,  Master." 

The  caption  afterwards  changes  several  times,  but  the  same  formula  is  preserved. 

The  first  entry  in  the  log-book  is — 

"  Sunday,  March  28,  1819.  These  24  hours  begin  with  fresh  breezes  at  N.  \V.  At  10 
A.  M.  got  under  way  for  Sea  with  the  crew  on  board.  At  I  P.  M.  the  Pilot  left  the  Ship  off 
Sandy  hook  light." 

After  this  entry  the  page  is  ruled  on  the  left  side  into  six  narrow  columns,  headed  respect- 
ively, "  H,  K,  HK  [hours,  knots,  half  knots],  Course,  Winds,  LW  [lee-way]  ;"  and  then 
a  longer  space,  headed,  "  Remarks  on  board,"  with  the  appropriate  date. 

The  second  entry  is  as  follows : 

"  Remarks  on  board  Monday,  March  29,  1819.  The  24  hours  begin  with  fresh  breezes 
and  clear.  At  4  P.  M.  the  Highlands  of  Neversink  bore  N.  b.  W.  6  Leagues  distant  from 
which  I  take  my  departure.  At  10  P.  M.  took  in  Topgallant  Sails.  At  6  A.  M.  Set  Topgal- 
lant Sails.  At  8  A.  M.  Tacked  Ship  to  the  Westward.  Saw  a  brig  and  Schooner  Steering  to 
the  Westward.  At  n  A.  M.  took  in  the  Mizzen  and  Fore  Topgallant  Sails.  At  1 1  A.  M. 
got  the  Steam  up  and  it  coming  on  to  blow  fresh  we  took  the  Wheels  in  on  deck  in  30  min- 
utes. At  meridian  fresh  breezes  and  Cloudy.  Lat.  by  Obs.  39°  19'." 

This  is  a  fair  sample  of  the  daily  records,  extending  over  a  period  of  nine  months. 

The  statement,  "  we  took  the  wheels  in  on  deck  in  thirty  minutes,"  refers  to  the  fact  that 
this  steamer  was  so  constructed  that,  in  case  of  boisterous  weather,  her  paddle-wheels  could 
be  brought  on  deck. 

Land  was  sighted  on  June  16,  being  the  coast  of  Ireland,  and  on  the  lyth  the  "  Savan- 
nah" "  was  boarded  by  the  King's  Cutter  «  Kite,'  Lieutenant  John  Bowie." 

The  log-book  here,  as  elsewhere,  is  sternly  brief.  Fortunately  we  have  in  Steven  Rogers' 
own  words  a  fuller  account  of  the  amusing  circumstances  connected  with  this  boarding  of  the 
"  Savannah"  by  the  king's  cutter.  In  a  communication  to  the  New  London  (Conn.)  Ga- 
zette he  said,  "  She  [the  steamer]  was  seen  from  the  telegraph-station  at  Cape  Clear,  on  the 
southern  coast  of  Ireland,  and  reported  as  a  ship  on  fire.  The  admiral,  who  lay  in  the  Cove 
of  Cork,  dispatched  one  of  the  king's  cutters  to  her  relief.  But  great  was  their  wonder  at 
their  inability,  with  all  sail  in  a  fast  vessel,  to  come  up  with  a  ship  under  bare  poles.  After 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  101 

St.  Petersburg,  etc.  "  Said  steamship  was  built  at  the  city  of  New  York,  in 
the  year  1818,  the  builders  being  Fickett  &  Crocker.  She  was  designed  for 
a  Havre  packet,  and  was  purchased  by  William  Scarborough,  of  Savannah, 
and  was  named  at  his  suggestion  *  The  Savannah,'  he  having  told  me  that 
in  his  opinion  the  ocean  would  be  navigated  by  steam,  and  he  intended  his 
own  State  and  city  should  have  the  credit  of  sending  the  first  steamer  across 
the  Atlantic.  Her  castings  were  made  in  New  York,  and  her  boilers  at 
Elizabeth  town,  New  Jersey,  by  Daniel  Dodge.  She  left  New  York  under 
canvas,  and  arrived  at  Savannah  in  the  early  part  of  May,  1819.  President 
Monroe  was  then  in  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  and  Mr.  Scarborough  di- 
rected us  to  go  there  and  give  the  President  an  invitation  to  come  to  Savan- 
nah on  the  steamship.  The  President  declined  because  the  people  of  Charles- 
ton did  not  wish  him  to  leave  their  State  in  a  Georgia  conveyance,  bat  said 
that  he  would  visit  us  at  Savannah.  So  we  returned.  A  few  days  after  we 
got  back  the  President  arrived,  and  came  on  board  the  vessel  with  his  suite 
and  several  naval  officers  and  citizens.  The  vessel  was  navigated  by  steam, 
and  we  proceeded  down  the  river  on  an  excursion.  The  President  dined  on 
board,  and  expressed  himself  greatly  pleased  with  the  vessel,  and  told  Mr. 
Scarborough  that  when  she  came  back  from  her  trip  across  the  Atlantic,  to 
bring  the  vessel  around  to  Washington,  for  he  thought  there  was  no  doubt 
the  government  would  purchase  her,  and  employ  her  as  a  cruiser  upon  the 
coast  of  Cuba. 

several  shots  were  fired  from  the  cutter,  the  engine  was  stopped,  and  the  surprise  of  her 
crew  at  the  mistake  they  had  made,  as  well  as  their  curiosity  to  see  the  singular  Yankee 
craft,  can  be  easily  imagined.  They  asked  permission  to  go  on  board,  and  were  much  grati- 
fied by  the  inspection  of  this  naval  novelty." 

Two  days  later  (June  20)  they  "shipped  the  wheels,  furled  the  sails,  and  ran  into  the 
River  Mersey,  and  at  6  P.  M.  come  to  anchor  off  Liverpool  with  the  small  Dower  anchor." 

The  London  Times  of  June  21,  1819,  has  the  following  paragraph,  credited  to  Marwade1  s 
Commercial  Report  for  that  week  : 

"  Among  the  arrivals  yesterday  at  this  port  we  were  particularly  gratified  and  astonished 
by  the  novel  sight  of  a  fine  steamship,  which  came  round  at  7^  P.  M.  without  the  assistance 
of  a  single  sheet,  in  a  style  which  displayed  the  power  and  advantage  of  the  application  of 
steam  to  vessels  of  the  largest  size,  being  three  hundred  and  fifty  tons  burden.  She  is  called 
the  '  Savannah,'  Captain  Rogers,  and  sailed  from  Savannah  (Georgia,  United  States)  the 
26th  of  May,  and  arrived  in  the  Channel  five  days  since.  During  her  passage  she  worked 
the  engine  eighteen  days.  Her  model  is  beautiful,  and  the  accommodations  for  passengers 
elegant  and  complete.  She  is  THE  FIRST  SHIP  on  this  construction  that  has  undertaken  a 
voyage  across  the  Atlantic  " 

The  Times  of  June  30,  1819,  says,  "  The  'Savannah'  steam  vessel  recently  arrived  at 
Liverpool  from  America — the  fi rst  vessel  of  the  kind  that  ever  crossed  the  Atlantic — was 
CHASED  A  WHOLE  DAY  off  the  coast  of  Ireland  by  the  '  Kite '  revenue  cruiser,  on  the  Cork 
Station,  which  mistook  her  for  a  ship  on  fire." 

Lloyd^s  List  reports  the  arrival  of  the  "Savannah"  at  Liverpool  on  the  2Oth  of  June, 
1819,  bound  to  St.  Petersburg;  and  in  Gore's  Annals  of  Liverpool  this  American  steamer's 
arrival  is  recorded  among  "remarkable  events." 


102  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

"We  sailed  from  Savannah  for  Liverpool  on  the  26th  of  May ,a  181 9. 
Moses  Rogers,  my  brother-in-law,  was  master  and  engineer.  I  was  sailing- 
master,  and  Mr.  Blackman  was  third  officer.  We  made  the  port  of  Liver- 
pool in  twenty-two  days  after  leaving  Savannah,  fourteen  of  the  twenty-two 
under  steam.  The  only  reason  why  the  whole  voyage  was  not  per- 
formed by  steam  was  the  fear  of  the  fuel  giving  out.  Off  Cape  Clear,  the 
admiral  at  Cork  dispatched  a  ship  to  our  relief,  supposing  we  were  on  fire.  At 
Liverpool  we  caused  a  great  deal  of  excitement,  and  suspicion  of  having 
some  design  to  release  Napoleon  from  St.  Helena.  From  Liverpool  we 
proceeded  to  Copenhagen,  and  from  thence  to  Stockholm.  At  both  places 
the  Savannah  excited  great  curiosity ;  at  the  latter  place  she  was  visited  by 
the  royal  family,  our  Minister,  Mr.  Hughes,  and  Lord  Lyndoch.  Lord  L.  went 
with  us  to  St.  Petersburg.  On  the  passage  he  desired  us  to  bring  the  vessel 
from  steam  to  canvas.  He  held  his  watch  and  noted  the  time,  fifteen  minutes. 
He  was  so  delighted  that  he  exclaimed,  '  I  blame  no  man  born  in  the  United 
States  for  being  proud  of  his  country  ;  and  were  I  a  young. man  I'd  go  there 
myself.'  The  Emperor  of  Russia  came  on  board  at  Cronstadt,  and  was 
much  pleased  with  the  vessel,  and  presented  Captain  Rogers  wjth  two  iron 
chairs  (one  of  which  is  now  in  the  garden  of  Mr.  Dunning  at  Savannah)." 

Steven  Rogers  then  states  that  he  has  in  his  possession  a  gold  snuff-box 
presented  to  him  by  Lord  Lyndoch,  upon  which  is  the  following  inscription  : 

"Presented  by  Sir  Thomas  Gresham,  Lord  Lyndoch,  to  Steven  Rogers, 
sailing-master  of  the  steamship  '  Savannah,'  at  St.  Petersburg,  Oct.  10, 
1819." 

He  adds :  •'  We  sailed  from  St.  Petersburg  to  Arendal  in  Norway,  and 
from  thence  to  Savannah,  in  twenty-five  days,  steaming  on  the  passage  nine- 
teen days.  We  went  from  Savannah  to  Washington  at  the  suggestion  of 
President  Monroe,  but  the  government  did  not  buy  her.  She  was  there  sold 
at  auction  and  converted  into  a  packet." 

Captain  Rogers  says  that  Scarborough  ruined  himself  by  her  and 
died  poor.  While  at  St.  Petersburg  the  "  Savannah"  was  anchored  opposite 
and  six  miles  from  the  city.  After  being  used  for  a  time  as  a  sailing 
packet  between  New  York  and  Savannah,  the  "Savannah"  went  ashore  on 
Long  Island  and  was  broken  up. 

These  notices  of  the  "  Savannah"  are  from  the  newspapers  of  the  day.. 

"  By  an  advertisement  in  this  day's  paper  it  will  be  seen  that  the  new.  and  ' 
elegant  steamship  "  Savannah"  is  to  leave  our  harbor  to-morrow.  Who 
would  have  had  the  courage  twenty  years  ago  to  hazard  a  prediction  that  in 
the  year  1819  a  ship  of  three  hundred  tons  burden  would  be  built  in  the 
port  of  New  York  'to  navigate  the  Atlantic  propelled  by  steam  ?  Such, 
however,  is  the  fact.  With  admiring  hundreds  have  we  repeatedly  viewed 
this  prodigy,  and  can  also  bear  witness  to  the  wonderful  celerity  with  which 
she  is  moved  through  the  water.  On  Monday  last  a  trial  was  made  of  her 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  103 

speed,  and  although  there  was  at  no  time  more  than  an  inch  of  steam  upon  her, 
and  for  the  greater  part  not  half  an  inch,  with  a  strong  wind  and  tide  ahead, 
she  went  within  a  mile  of  the  anchoring  ground  at  Staten  Island,  and  re- 
turned to  Fly-Market  wharf  in  one  hour  and  fifty  minutes.  When  it  is  con- 
sidered that  she  is  calculated  to  bear  twenty  inches  of  steam,  and  that  her 
machinery  is  entirely  new,  it  must  be  evident  that  she  will  with  ease  pass 
any  of  the  steamboats  upon  our  rivers.  Her  cabin  is  finished  in  an  elegant 
style,  and  is  fitted  up  in  the  most  tasty  manner.  There  are  thirty-two  berths 
all  of  which  are  state-rooms.  The  cabin  for  ladies  is  entirely  distinct  from 
that  intended  for  gentlemen,  and  is  admirably  calculated  to  afford  that  per- 
fect retirement  which  is  so  rarely  found  on  board  of  passenger  ships."* 

"  The  elegant  steamship  Savannah  arrived  here  about  five  o'clock  yesterday 
evening.  The  bank  of  the  river  was  lined  by  a  large  concourse  of  citizens, 
who  saluted  her  with  shouts  during  her  progress  before  the  city.  She  was 
also  saluted  by  a  discharge  from  the  revenue  cutter  Dallas.  Her  appear- 
ance inspires  instant  confidence  in  her  security.  It  is  evident  that  her 
wheels  can  be  unshipped  in  a  few  minutes,  so  as  to  place  her  precisely  in 
the  condition  of  any  other  vessel,  in  case  of  a  storm  and  rough  sea.  Our 
city  will  be  indebted  to  the  enterprise  of  her  owners  for  the  honor  of  first 
crossing  the  Atlantic  ocean  in  a  vessel  propelled  by  steam. "f 

"We  are  requested  to  state  that  the  steamship  Savannah,  Captain  Rogers, 
will  without  fail  proceeed  to  Liverpool  direct  to-morrow,  20th  instant. 
Passengers,  if  any  offer,  can  be  well  accommodated. "J 

'•  Captain  Livingston,  of  the  schooner  Contract,  who  arrived  at  Newbury- 
port  on  the  5th'  instant,  sighted  on  the  29th  of  May,  latitude  27:30,  longi- 
tude 70,  a  vessel  ahead  to  eastward,  from  which  he  saw  volumes  of  smoke 
issuing.  Judging  it  to  be  a  vessel  on  fire,  stood  for  her,  in  order  to  afford 
relief;  "but"  (observes  Captain  Livingston)  "found  she  went  faster  with 
fire  and  smoke  than  we  possibly  could  with  all  sail  set.  It  was  then  we 
discovered  that  what  we  supposed  a  vessel  on  fire  was  nothing  less  than  a 
steamboat  crossing  the  Western  ocean,  laying  her  course,  as  we  judge,  for 
Europe;  a  proud  monument  of  Yankee  skill  and  enterprise.  Success  to 
her."§ 

Norfolk,  August  10. —  *****  j  nave  received  no  shipping 
list  by  this  arrival,  but  an  article  of  great  importance  in  the  steam  world  (if 
I  may  use  the  expression)  is  contained  in  the  Cork  paper  of  the  19th  of  June. 

*  New  York  Mercantile  Advertiser,  March  27,  1810. 
f  Savannah  Georgian,  Wednesday,  April  7,  1819. 
£  Georgian,  Wednesday,  May   19,  1819. 
\  Georgian,  Thursday,  June  24,  1819. 


104  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

It  is  no  less  than  the  arrival  at  Kinsale,  in  twenty-one  days,  of  the  steam- 
ship Savannah,  from  Savannah,  laden  with  cotton  and  passengers.  She  put 
in  for  supplies,  would  remain  a  day  or  two,  and  then  proceed  for  Liverpool. 
Previous  to  her  putting  in  she  was  chased  by  a  cutter  under  the  impression 
that  she  was  a  ship  on  fire.  No  further  particulars  are  stated."* 

1819. — The  model  of  the  first  canal  boat  on  the  Erie  Canal  exists  at  the 
Historical  Society  Rooms  in  Buffalo.  It  is  about  two  feet  long,  sharp  at 
either  end,  and  is  flat-bottomed.  There  are  cabins  at  each  end,  between 
•which  are  the  gangways.  It  is  a  faithful  and  accurate  copy  of  the  "  Chief 
Engineer  of  Rome,"  the  first  canal  boat  that  was  built  to  navigate  old  Erie. 
The  following  card  of  explanation  says  the  "  Chief  Engineer  of  Rome  "  was 
the  first  boat  built  for  the  Erie  Canal,  of  which  the  trial  trip  was  made  Oct. 
23,  1819.  Governor  DeWitt  Clinton,  the  Canal  Commissioners,  and  Chief 
and  Assistant  Engineers,  other  State  officers  and  guests,  with  ladies  and 
gentlemen  of  Utica,  Whitesboro,  Oriskany,  and  Rome — in  all  about  sixty 
or  seventy  persons  made  up  the  party.  The  boat  was  named  in  compliment 
to  Benjamin  Wright,  the  Chief  Engineer  of  the  Erie  Canal.  The  model, 
without  the  forward  and  middle  cabins,  was  brought  from  England  in  the 
early  part  of  1817  by  Canvass  White,  then  Assistant  Engineer  to  Mr. 
Wright,  subsequently  a  distinguished  engineer.  The  model  was  presented 
to  the  Society  to  which  it  now  belongs,  in  February,  1867,  by  William  C. 
Young,  a  rodraan  of  the  Erie  surveys  of  1816-17,  a  kinsman  of  the  Whites 
-of  Whitesboro,  in  which  family  the  original  model-boat  has  been  kept  for 
years. 

1819. — Great  Britian  owes  to  David  Napier  the  establishment  of  deep- 
sea  communications  by  steam  vessels,  and  of  post-office  steam  packets,  at 
about  the  same  date  as  the  adventurous  voyage  of  the  "  Savannah."  Previ- 
ous to  his  enterprise  steam-vessels  rarely  ventured,  and  only  in  fine  weather, 
beyond  the  precincts  of  rivers  and  coasts  of  firths.  Soon  after  the  introduc- 
tion of  steam  on  the  river  Clyde  he  entertained  the  idea  of  establishing  steam 
communication  on  the  open  sea,  and  as  a  first  step  endeavored  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  intercourse  between  Glasgow  and  Belfast,  a  pas- 
sage which  required  a  week  to  accomplish  what  is  now  done  by  steam  in  nine 
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  might 


Charlotte  Citv  Gazette. 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  105 

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  inquired  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  sta- 
tion at  the  bow  and  resumed  his  employment.  At  last  he  was  favored  with 
a  storm  to  his  contentment,  and  when  the  seas,  breaking  over  the  vessel, 
swept  her  from  stem  to  stern,  he  found  his  way  back  to  the  captain  and  re- 
peated his  inquiry :  "  Do  you  call  it  rough  now  ?  "  The  captain  replied 
"  he  could  not  remember  to  have  faced  a  worse  night  in  the  whole  of  his  ex- 
perience," which  delighted  young  Napier,  who  muttering  as  he  turned  away, 
"I  think  I  can  manage,  if  that  be  all,"  went  down  to  his  cabin.  Napier  saw 
then  the  end  of  his  difficulties,  and  soon  satisfied  himself  as  to  the  means  of 
overcoming  them. 

His  next  inquiry  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  entrance  by  which  the  vessels  built  under  his  superin- 
tendence were  afterwards  so  distinguished. 

In  1818  he  established  a  regular  steam  communication  between  Greenock 
and  Belfast  by  means  of  the  "  Kob  Roy,"  a  vessel  of  about  ninety  tons 
burden  and  thirty  horse-power. ,  She  plied  two  winters  between  those  ports 
with  regularity  and  success,  and  afterwards  was  transferred  to  the  English 
Channel  as  a  packet  between  Dover  and  Calais.  Having  thus  acquired 
steam  navigation  dominion  of  the  open  sea,  Mr.  Napier  was  not  slow  to  ex- 
tend it. 

In  1819  the  Messrs.  Wood  built  for  him  the  "  Talbot,"  of  one  hundred 
and  fifty  tons,  with  two  of  Mr.  Napier's  engines,  each  of  thirty  horse-power, 
the  most  perfect  vessel  of  her  day  in  all  respects,  and  a  model  which  was 
long  in  being  surpassed.  The  "Talbot"  plied  between  Holyhead  and 
Dublin,  and  conferred  on  Ireland  the  advantage  of  a  direct,  certain,  and 
rapid  communication  with^England. 

Napier  in  1822  introduced  surface  condensers  on  board  the  "  Post 
Boy,"  a  steam-vessel  built  by  him.  The  condenser  consisted  of  a  series 
of  small  copper  tubes,  through  which  steam  passed  towards  the  air- 
pump.  By  a  constant  current  of  cold  water  encircling  the  pipes  the  steam 
was  cooled,  and  returned  into  water,  which  was  a^ained  returned  into  the 
boiler  for  conversion  into  steam,  without  being  mixed  with  the  cold  salt 
water,  which  in  the  ordinary  plan  was  injected  into  the  condenser.  The  ra- 
pidity of  condensation  was  found  insufficient,  and  he  returned  to  the  old 
system  for  condensation.  Years  afterward  he  returned  to  this  system,  in 


106  HISTOR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

circumstances  which  rendered  it  desirable,  and,  using  flat  plates  instead  of 
tubes,  was  more  successful,  and  plied  for  years  -with  no  other  condenser.  In 
1826  the  first  of  the  so-called  leviathan  class  of  steamers,  the  "United  King- 
dom," was  built  for  the  trade  between  London  and  Edinburgh.  She  was  of 
160  feet  long,  with  26 J  feet  beam,  and  engines  of  200-horse  power,  built  by 
David  Napier.  She  was  considered  the  wonder  of  the  day,  and  people 
flocked  from  all  quarters  to  inspect  and  admire  her. 

1819. — The  first  steamboats  to  ascend  the  Missouri  were  three  little  gov- 
ernment boats  in  1819.  A  party  of  engineers  and  naturalists  kept  along 
near  them  on  shore.  The  Pawnees  pilfered  the  horses,  provisions,  and  ap- 
paratus of  the  unfortunate  savans,  and  left  them  to  wander,  hungry  and  half 
naked,  till  they  found  refuge  among  the  friendly  Kaws.  These  steamers 
stemmed  the  current  with  difficulty,  and  were  delayed  by  sand-bars ;  for 
this  was  before  steamboats  were  educated  up  to  walking  off  on  their  spars  as  a 
boy  walks  on  his  stilts ;  and  on  their  return  they  dropped  down  river  stern 
foremost,  as  they  were  more  manageable  in  that  position.  One  of  the  first 
boats  to  ascend  the  Missouri  carried  the  figure-head  of  a  serpent  at  her  prow. 
Through  this  reptile's  mouth  steam  escaped,  and  the  savages  when  they  saw- 
it  fled  in  alarm,  fancying  the  spirit  of  evil  was  coming  bodily  to  devour 
them. 

FIRST  STEAMER  BETWEEN  NEW  YORK  AND  HAVANA. 

In  1819  a  vessel  of  seven  hundred  tons,  named  the  "  Robert  Fulton,"  ship- 
rigged,  but  furnished  with  a  steam-engine,  was  built  at  New  York,  to  ply  as 
a  packet  between  New  York,  Charleston,  Cuba,  and  New  Orleans.  She  per- 
formed her  voyage  over  that  long  route  with  great  regularity  in  nine  days, 
and  continued  running  on  it  over  three  years.  So  far  as  safety  and  speed 
were  concerned  she  was  successful;  but  she  did  not  defray  expenses,  and  was 
sold  to  the  Brazilian  government,  when  her  engine  was  removed,  and  she 
was  converted  into  a  crusier.  As  late  as  1838  she  was  in  the  Brazilian  service- 

The  "  Walk-in-the- Water,"  the  only  steamboat  on  Lake  Erie  in  1819,  was 
considered  sufficient  to  transact  the  commercial  business  of  that  lake.  This 
boat,  named  after  a  Wyandotte  chief,  made  her  first  trip  to  the  island  of 
Mackinaw  in  the  summer  of  1819.  There  was  no,  one  to  furnish  her  with  a 
cargo  except  the  American  Fur  Company. 

In  1827  the  waters  of  Lake  Michigan  were  first  plowed  by  steam,  a  boat 
having  made  an  excursion  to  Green  Bay  ;  and  in  1832  another  steamboat 
reached  Chicago  with  troops,  that  site  being  in  course  of  clearance  and  set- 
tlement, la  1840  forty-eight  boats  were  trading  between  Buffalo,  Chicago, 
and  other  ports  west  of  Detroit,  the  trip  occupying  fifteen  days. 

In»  1820  the  first  steam-vessel  was  prepared  for  Ramsgate,  and  was  called 
the  "  Eagle."  She  had  two  of  Bolton  &  Watt's  engines,  equal  to  forty 
horse-power.  She  was  in  existence  in  1850,  and  used  by  the  King  of  Den- 


o 

IT* 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 


107 


mark  as  his  steam-yacht.  If  a  sailing  packet  prior  to  the  advent  of  steam 
conveyed  to  or  from  London  and  Eamsgate  eight  hundred  passengers  a  month 
it  was  something  extraordinary.  Yet  in  November,  1850,  the  "  City  of  Lon- 
don," steam-packet,  conveyed  five  thousand  three  hundred  and  fifty-six  per- 
sons. 

1820-23.— The  "Comet,"  "  Lightning,"  and  "Meteor"  were  the  first 
steam-vessels  that  ever  appeared  in  the  British  navy,  and  the  "  Comet "  was 
the  first  that  ever  carried  a  pennant. 

These  sister-vessels  were  constructed  by  Oliver  Lang,  then  an  assistant 
surveyor  of  the  navy,  in  the  year  1820,  the  three  surveyors  in  office  having  re- 
fused to  take  the  responsibility  of  constructing  a  steam-vessel  for  sea  service  ! 
They  were  built  at  Deptford,  in  about  three  years,  from  Mr.  Lang's 
drawings  and  plans  of  fittings,  without  the  interference  of  any  one,  and 
solely  under  his  direction  and  personal  superintendence. 

The  following  was  the  Admiralty  return  of  their  dimensions  to  the  House 
of  Commons,  in  answer  to  the  inquiry  of  Rear-Admiral  Sir  Charles  Napier, 
in  1846 : 


Name. 

Guns. 

Length. 

Breadth, 

Depth. 

Class. 

Horse-power 

Engine. 

Comet.     . 

T. 

jfe* 

lie 

//.    in. 

21        7, 

//.    in. 
ii      II 

Paddle 

80 

Bolton  &  Watt's 

Lightning  

•2 

126 

22       8 

13      8 

H 

IOO 

Side  Lever. 
it 

Meteor  

•2 

126 

22       8 

13      3 

«t 

IOO 

K 

The  first  iron  steamboat  ever  built  was  constructed  in  1820  at  the  Horsley 
Iron  Works.  She  was  called  the  "Aaron  Manby,"  after  her  projector.  She 
was  built  in  sections  and  put  together  in  London,  and  was  the  first  vessel 
that  ever  went  direct  from  London  to  Paris. 

In  1820  there  was  only  one  small  steamboat  on  Lake  Erie.  In  1831,. 
eleven  steamboats,  with  an  aggregate  capacity  of  two  thousand  two  hundred 
and  sixty  tons.  In  1836,  forty-five  steamboats,  of  nine  thousand  one  hun- 
dred and  nineteen  tons.  In  1847,  sixty-seven  side-wheel  steamers  and 
twenty-six  screw  steamers. 

In  1822,  Messrs.  Wood  built  on  the  Clyde  the  "James  Watt,"  to  ply 
between  Leith  and  London.  She  measured  four  hundred  and  forty-eight 
tons  and  carried  two  engines  of  fifty  horse-power  each,  made  by  Bolton  & 
Watt,  under  the  superintendence  of  Mr.  Brown,  one  of  the  firm.  The  "James 
Watt"  was  remarkable  for  having- its  paddles  moved  through  the  interposi- 
tion of  toothed  wheels,  and  not  directly  by  the  engine ;  so  that  the  revolution 
of  the  axis  of  the  engine  was  greater  than  that  of  the  paddles.  With  the 
exception  of  the  low  proportion  of  power  to  tonnage,  the  "James  Watt" 
possessed  nearly  all  the  qualities  of  the  most  improved  vessels  of  a  quarter 
of  a  century  later. 


103  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

FIRST  STEAMBOATS  ON  THE  INDUS. 

1820. — A  small  steamboat  christened  the  "Snake"  was  built  in  Bombay 
in  1820,  and  was  the  first  steam  vessel  on  the  Indus,  and,  in  fact,  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  powers.  She  was  twice  wrecked, — once  in  a  hur- 
ricane in  1837,  and  again  in  a  cyclone  in  1854.  She  was  employed  during 
the  first  British  Burmese  war  and  on  the  expedition  to  the  Persian  Gulf 
from  1823  to  1826,  in  the  Chinese  war  of  1841-42,  Burmese  war  of  1852, 
Persian  war  of  1856,  mutiny  of  1857,  Chinese  expedition  of  1859,  etc.,  etc. 
She  in  her  day  carried  most  of  the  notables  that  arrived  in  India  via  Bom- 
bay, and  closed  her  eventful  career  of  sixty  years  in  1880,  when  she  was 
broken  up. 

The  "  Falcon  "  in  1820  used  steam  during  part  of  her  voyage  from  Eng- 
land to  India. 

A  steamboat  was  launched  at  Potsdam  in  1820,  larger  than  any  yet  built 
in  Europe.  It  was  two  hundred  feet  long  and  forty-four  feet  wide,  had  two 
engines  of  twenty  horse-power  each,  and  was  named  "The  Blucher"  with 
great  ceremony.* 

Impressed  with  the  importance  of  having  steam  ships  of  war  as  early  as 

1820,  the  French  government  sent  two  officers  to  America,  Captain  Mon- 
gery  of  the  Navy  and  M.  Marestier  of  the  Corps  of  Marine  Engineers,  to 
ascertain  and  report  upon*the  properties  of  the  steam  vessels  of  the  United 
States,  and  their  report  was  printed. 

In  1820-21  an  unsuccessful  attempt  was  made  by  Boston  ship  merchants 
to  establish  steam  towage  on  the  rivers  of  South  Carolina.  A  company  was 
formed  with  a  capital  of  $25,000,  and  afterwards  increased.  A  steamboat 
called  the  "  Patent,"  and  towing  barges  were  built  and  sent  out  to  ply  on  the 
Pedee  and  Santee  rivers,  but  as  appears  by  a  letter  to  Thomas  H.  Perkins, 
Esq.,  from  John  L.  Sullivan,  dated  Troy,  January  1,  1823,  the  enterprise 
resulted  in  the  loss  of  the  capital  invested,  and  its  abandonment.  It  is 
worthy  of  note  only  as  showing  that  thus  early  an  attempt  was  made  to 
inaugurate  steam  navigation  on  the  rivers  of  the  Southern  Atlantic 
coast  of  the  United  States. 

1821. — The  first  sea-going  steamboat  sent  out  from  Hull,  England,  was  in 

1821,  and  is  reputed  to  be  the  first  sea-going  steamboat  on  the  east  coast  of 
England.     In  1854  the  sea-going  steamers  connected  with  Hull  had  an 
aggregate  tonnage  of  9,139,  and  the  river-boats  2,218  tons  ;  other  steamboats 
coming  to  and  departing  from  Hull  had  a  burthen  of  5909  tons  ;  altogether 
there  were  eighty  steamers  trading  with  Hull,  fifteen  of  which  were  screws. 

In  1821  there  was  an  excursion  from  New  York  to  Providence  in  the 

Literary  Gazelle,  February,  1820. 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  109 

steamboat  "Kobert  Fulton,"*  the  first  of  its  kind.  The  Manufacturers'  and 
Farmers'  Journal  of  August  27,  1821,  has  the  following  notice  of  the  event. 

"  The  '  Robert  Fulton'  left  New  York  Thursday  afternoon  at  five  o'clock, 
and  arrived  below  at  nine  Saturday  morning.  As  soon  as  the  tide  would 
permit  she  came  up  to  town,  where  she  was  the  admiration  of  crowds  of 
visitors.  She  brought  eighty  passengers,  among  whom  was  the  Hon.  John 
Quincy  Adams,  Secretary  of  State,  who  immediately  proceeded  to  Boston  by 
land.  At  two  o'clock  the  '  Fulton'  departed  on  her  return  to  New  York." 

The  journal  of  one  of  the  passengers  supplies  further  particulars  of  this 
interesting  trip.  He  says : 

"  On  Friday,  at  a  quarter  before  eight  P.  M.,  we  ranged  alongside  of  the 
dock  at  Newport,  music  playing  as  we  entered  the  harbor  and  passed  the 
fortified  island.  Such  a  scene  of  tumult  as  was  here  witnessed  I  never  saw 
before.  The  wharves  were  lined  with  people  of  all  ages  and  conditions,  who 
pressed  forward  and  immediately  on  our  landing  took  complete  possession 
of  the  ship.  The  band  and  many  of  the  passengers  went  on  shore,  and 
Governor  Gibbs  and  some  of  the  principal  families  in  town  were  serenaded. 
When  the  party  returned  to  the  ship  they  were  scarcely  able  to  get  on  board, 
and  the  tumult  lasted  until  one  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

"  We  started  at  five  A.  M.  next  day  for  Providence.  As  we  approached 
the  scene  became  truly  interesting.  The  inhabitants  had  anticipated  our 
arrival,  and  every  hill  was  covered  with  an  admiring  assemblage.  India 
Point  wharf  presented  a  spectacle  singular  and  gratifying.  The  beauty  and 
fashion  of  this  charming  town  greeted  us  with  cheers  and  welcoming.  At 
7.45  we  came  up  to  the  dock  and  landed  the  company,  and  here  again 
numerous  parties  of  ladies  and  gentlemen  crowded  the  ship.  The  masts  and 
rigging  of  the  vessels  lying  in  the  vicinity  were  covered  with  spectators,  and 
nothing  could  exceed  the  interest  and  gratification  with  which  all  appeared 
to  greet  our  arrival.  At  3  P.  M.  the  '  Fulton'  left  the  wharf  amid  the  shouts 
of  thousands. 

"  We  arrived  at  Bristol  at  half-past  five  ?.  M.,  where  we  were  met  with  the 
same  spirit  of  enthusiasm  which  had  characterized  our  whole  route.  Mr. 
De  Wolfe's  elegant  mansion  was  thrown  open  to  the  visits  of  the  passengers, 
and  was  much  admired.  We  arrived  at  Newport  at  8  p.  M.  It  was  quite 
dark,  but  the  interest  appeared  to  have  increased  rather  than  diminished. 
I  took  a  station  at  the  gangway  to  assist  the  inhabitants,  and  particularly 
the  ladies,  on  board  the  ship, — notice  having  been  given  that  none  but 
ladies  would  be  allowed  on  board  at  first, — and  in  the  short  space  of  twenty 
minutes  I  handed  in  three  hundred  and  thirty-seven.  I  found  that  this 
number  did  not  appear  to  have  thkmed  the  crowd  in  the  least  degree,  and 
by  nine  o'clock  there  must  have  been  on  board  upward  of  six  hundred 
ladies." 

.  *  This  was.  not  the  New  York  and  Havana  packet  already  mentioned,  but  a  steam  vessel 
of  the  same  name  built  exclusively  to  navigate  Long  Island  Sound. 


110  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

EARLY  STEAMBOATS  ON  LONG  ISLAND  SOUND. 

After  the  "  Fulton"  steamed  away,  no  oteamboats  came  from  Provi- 
dence until  the  6th  of  June,  1822,  when  the  "  Connecticut,"  Captain  Bunker, 
arrived  from  New  York. 

On  the  12th  of  July,  of  this  year,  a  company  was  formed,  called  the 
"Rhode  Island  and  New  York  Steamboat  Company,"  and  regular  trips,  twice 
a  week,  were  begun  between  the  two  cities  by  the  "  Fulton"  and  "  Con- 
necticut." 

The  New  York  Legislature  had  granted  great  privileges  to  the  Livingston 
and  Fulton  Steam  Navigation  Company.  No  steam  vessel  could  navigate 
New  York  Bay,  the  North  River,  Long  Island  Sound,  or  any  of  the  lakes 
and  rivers  of  the  State  of  New  York  without  their  license.  The  Connecti- 
cut Legislature  antagonistically  enacted  "  no  vessel  bearing  such  a  license 
should  enter  any  waters  within  that  State."  The  "  Connecticut "  was  run- 
ning at  this  time  between  New  York  and  New  Haven  in  opposition  to  the 
packet  lines.  Through  the  influence  of  the  packet-owners  the  Legislature 
of  Connecticut  passed  a  prohibitory  law,  and  the  "  Fulton  "  and  "  Connec- 
ticut," running  between  New  York  and  New  London,  were  driven  from 
Connecticut  ports. 

The  Providence  Journal,  June  3,  1822,  copies  from  the  New  York  Mercan- 
tile Advertiser  the  announcement  that  steam  communication  between  New 
York  and  New  Haven  had  ceased,  and  states  that  the  "  Fulton "  and 
"  Connecticut "  had  sailed  for  some  point  in  Rhode  Island.  June  6  the 
arrival  of  the  Connecticut  was  announced  in  the  "  marine  news,"  and  July 
12  the  "  Fulton,"  Captain  Law,  arrived  at  Providence  from  Pawcatuck. 
The  same  day  the  "Connecticut,"  Captain  Elihu  S.  Bunker,  and  "Fulton  " 
began  regular  trips  between  Providence  and  New  York,  touching  at  New- 
port. The  fare  between  Providence  and  New  York  was  ten  dollars ;  between 
Newport  and  New  York  nine  dollars.  The  first  advertisement  of  this  com- 
pany appeared  under  the  cut  of  a  man-of-man  with  port-holes  open  and  every 
sail  set.  In  a  few  weeks  a  steamboat  cut  was  procured,  and  then  the  adver- 
tisement announced  that 

"From  New  York  a  boat  will  depart  on  Wednesday  and  Saturday  at  4 
o'clock  p.  M.,  and 

"From  Providence  a  boat  will  depart  on  Wednesday  and  Saturday  at 
6  o'clock  A.  M." 

The  "  Fulton"  and  "  Connecticut"  continued  their  weekly  trips  through 
the  season,  and  thus  was  inaugurated  the  steamboat  trade  between  Providence 
and  New  York.  The  log  of  the  first  trip  of  the  "Connecticut"  is  in  sub- 
stance:— "Left  New  York  on  the  4th  at  4  p.  M. ;  was  detained  at  Sandy 
Point  8J  hours  by  easterly  winds  ;  on  the  5th  continued  our  voyage,  andar- 


HISTOR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  Ill 

rived  off  Fisher's  Island  at  8  p.  M.  Lay  to  3  hours  ;  doubled  Point  Judith 
at  2  A.  M.  ;  touched  at  Newport,  and  arrived  at  Providence  at  8  A.  M.  on  the 
morning  of  the  6th  of  June."  During  the  autumn  of  1822  the  amount  of 
travel  and  rate  of  speed  between  New  York  and  Newport  were  :  Sep- 
tember 13,  "  Fulton,"  27  hours  from  New  York,  40  passengers  ;  October  4, 
"  Connecticut,"  32  hours,  40  passengers  ;  October  6,  "  Fulton,"  24  hours, 
26  passengers;  October  10,  "Connecticut,"  18  hours,  35  passengers. 
The  "  Fulton"  withdrew  for  the  winter  November  16,  but  the  "  Connecti- 
cut" was  continued  on  the  line,  making  one  trip  per  week  until  the  naviga- 
tion was  closed  by  the  ice.  The  following  announcement  reads  queerly 
now: 

"  The  '  Connecticut'  will  leave  Providence  every  Tuesday  evening  to  go 
down  the  river,  in  order  to  start  from  Newport  at  an  early  hour  on  Wednes- 
day morning.  It  will  therefore  be  necessary  for  the  passengers  to  be  on  board  at 
Providence  at  ten  in  the  evening." 

The  "  Connecticut"  and  "  Fulton"  were  owned  in  New  York.  The  "  Con- 
necticut" was  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  long,  twenty-six  feet  wide,  and 
of  about  two  hundred  tons  burden.  Her  color  was  white,  with  green  trim- 
mings. She  had  a  square  engine,  and  cost  eighty  thousand  dollars.*  The 
"  Fulton"  was  the  first  steamboat  built  expressly  to  navigate  Long  Island 
Sound.  She  was  enormously  strong,  but  had  little  less  machinery  than  is  now 
put  in  a  cotton  mill.  Her  wheels  were  turned  through  a  cog-wheel  with 
teeth  five  inches  long.  She  made  a  terrific  noise  when  in  motion,  but  moved 
so  slowly  that  she  was  once  five  hours  going  from  Providence  to  Newport. 
Her  color  was  black,  and  she  had  sails  to  help  the  steam.  Her  captain  once 
told  with  glee  he  had  come  all  the  way  from  New  York  without  hoisting  his 
sails. 

Neither  boat  had  upper  saloon,  state-rooms,  or  hurricane-deck.  Both 
boats  burned  pine  wood  under  large  copper  boilers,  which  were  kept 
polished  to  the  last  degree  of  brightness.  The  wood  necessary  to  keep  steam 
up  during  the  trip  between  Providence  and  New  York  was  piled  every- 
where, fore  and  aft,  and  high  above  the  guards.  But  little  freight  was  car- 
ried, as  the  wood  took  up  nearly  all  the  room.  When,  years  afterwards,  coal 
was  introduced,  iron  boilers  were  substituted,  and  the  old  copper  boilers 
paid  for  the  new  iron  ones. 

In  the  spring  of  1823  the  "  Connecticut  "  and  "  Fulton"  resumed  their 
trips.  The  "  Fulton"  had  been  overhauled  and  improved,  so  that  she  was 
nearly  as  fast  as  the  "Connecticut."  She  made  her  first  trip  to  Providence 
on  the  12th  of  May,  1823,  and  brought  fifty  passengers.  When  near  Field's 
Point  one  of  her  boilers  was  discovered  to  be  "  partially  ruptured."  The  fires 
were  hauled  and  the  boat  anchored  all  night.  In  the  morning  she  was  taken 
to  Providence,  and  five  days  afterwards  was  again  on  the  line. 

No  sooner  was  the  line  again  in  operation  than  the  packetmen  caused  to 

*  She  afterwards  ran  between  Portland,  Me.,  and  Boston,  Mass. 


112 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 


be  introduced  in  the  General  Assembly  of  Rhode  Island  a  Prohibitory  Bill, 
which  restricted  the  landing  of  steamboat  passengers  on  Rhode  Island  soil, 
and  a  bill  imposing  a  tax  of  fifty  cents  upon  each  passenger  by  steamboat. 
The  tax  bill  passed  the  Senate,  but  was  rejected  by  the  House,  the  measure 
being  decided  unconstitutional.  Consideration  of  the  other  bill  was  indefi- 
nitely postponed. 

During  the  season  of  1823  the  "  Connecticut"  and  "  Fulton  made  regular 
trips  between  Providence  and  New  York,  leaving  Providence  Wednesdays 
and  Saturdays  at  6  A.  M.,  and  New  York  Wednesdays  and  Saturdays  at  4 
p.  M.  The  advertisement  announcing  this  programme  concludes  with  the  re- 
mark :  "  Travelers  are  requested  to  read  the  above  notice  right." 

As  the  "  Connecticut"  approached  Nyaot  Point  one  June  morning  in  1823, 
two  skiffs  were  observed  making  for  the  steamer.  The  occupants  seemed  to 
signal  the  vessel  to  stop,  and  such  interest  was  aroused  that  Captain  Bunker 
steered  towards  the  foremost  skiff  and  hailed  her.  There  was  returned  no 
answer,  but  from  the  rear  boat  came  oaths  and  shouts  from  which  those  on  the 
steamer  gathered  that  the  occupants  of  the  foremost  boat  were  runaways  in 
pursuit  of  some  Gretna  Green.  As  their  boat  came  within  a  few  yards  of 
the  steamer  a  young  man  looked  up  and  said,  "Will  you  take  us  on  board, 
sir  ?  "  An  enthusiastic  response  from  the  passengers,  and  a  score  of  hands 
lent  their  aid.  Captain  Bunker  seemed  unconscious  of  what  was  going  on, 
but  tradition  says  that  the  instant  the  young  man's  feet  touched  the  deck  of 
the  steamer  the  engineer  received  an  order  to  "go  ahead"  with  a  suddenness 
that  took  away  his  breath  ;  and  in  a  very  few  seconds  a  wide  stretch  of  water 
lay  between  the  steamer  and  the  empty  boat. 

The  following  table  exhibits  the  average  and  comparative  length  of  the 
voyages  of  steam  and  sailing  vessels  between  British  ports  and  those  of  sur- 
rounding seas,  as  reported  to  the  British  Parliament  in  June,  1822: 


1 

ri 

1 

1 

J 

1 

0 

PORTS. 

|| 

tic 

Si 

PORTS. 

IE' 

^  0 

1 

II 

C  ^ 

B 

.55  g 

S  *"* 

H 

c/;  ^ 

& 

'^ 

P 

^1 

S 

QQ 

3 

i 

Holyhead  to  Dublin  
Pt.  Patrick  to  Don'gh'dee 

8 
3 

70  hours 
8      " 

3i 

'  Brighton  to  Dieppe  
Southampton  to  Havre 

9 
15 

30  hours 
36 

73 

I2O 

London  to  Leith  

cc 

^  days 

42Q 

"             Guernsey 

16 

•2"? 

12? 

"        "    Dublin. 

84 

.?         y 

16     * 

*T^;7 

610 

Milford  to  Waterford.. 

1  1 

J  i 
2C 

81 

Dublin  to  Liverpool  

T" 

36  hours 

Greenockto  Belfast  

~3 

3° 

90 

Greenockto  Liverpool... 
London  Bridge  to  Calais 

24 

12 

13  days 
36  hours 

224 
I  2O 

to  Glasgow,  up 
"      down 

2* 

12            ) 

6        / 

24 

London  to  Margate  

8 

20       " 

84 

Dublin 

25" 

52 

200 

Plymouth  

38 

10  days 

•21  C 

Ayr 

6 

12 

48 

Belfast  

no 

18     " 

O    0 

72C 

Largo 

2 

4 

18 

Ostend  

12 

24  hours 

/    D 

Port  Patrick.. 

20 

QO 

Texel. 

22 

I7O 

Isle  of  ^lan 

0 

,7 

Scarborough.. 

25 

68     " 

i  /u 
225 

Campbeltown 

16 

18 

J67 

Portsmouth... 

29 

8  days 

255 

Edinburgh  to  Aberdeen 

12 

25 

90 

Hull  

21 

50  hours 

21  C 

"          "  Sterling... 

8      " 

•7  A 

J 

1  J 

HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  113 

1823. — In  1823  there  were  about  three  hundred  steamboats  on  American 
waters. 

'Between  1813  and  1823  one  hundred  and  sixty  steam- vessels  were  launched 
in  England,  varying  all  the  way  from  nine  to  five  hundred  and  ten  tons  in 
size,  and  from  three  horse-power  to  one  hundred  and  twenty.  The  largest 
of  these,  the  "  Soho,"  was  of  smaller  dimensions  than  the  American  steam- 
boat "  Chancellor  Livingston,"  of  five  hundred  and  twenty  tons,  plying  on 
the  Hudson  River  between  New  York  and  Albany,  and  she  was  surpassed 
by  the  "  Lady  Sherbrooke,"  of  seven  hundred  and  eighty-seven  tons,  the 
largest  then  plying  upon  the  St.  Lawrence. 

In  1822  David  Gordon,  of  London,  obtained  a  patent  for  certain  improve- 
ments and  additions  to  steam  packets  applicable  to  naval  and  marine  pur- 
poses, which  consisted  in  boxing  the  paddle-wheels,  or  enclosing  them  in  a 
case,  by  which  plan  the  vessel  can  be  easily  made  proof  against  shot. 

In  1823  Captain  Dellsle  addressed  a  letter  to  the  French  Minister  of 
Marine,  in  which  he  proposed  applying  to  ships-of-the-line  four  screws  of  five 
arms  each,  of  which  two  were  to  be  placed  in  the  bow  and  two  in  the  stern 
of  the  ship.  He  gave  the  proportions  of  the  length  of  the  furrow  of  the 
screw  to  its  diameter  at  1.85.  He  also  gave  plans  for  raising  the  screws  out 
of  water  and  unshipping  them  while  immersed — that  it  might  not  impede 
the  vessel  while  under  sail. 

Wickoffinhis  "  Reminiscences  of  an  Idler  "mentions  in  1823  that  "a  steam- 
boat nicknamed  '  Old  Sal '  ran  daily  in  summer  from  Philadelphia  to  Bristol, 
some  twenty  miles,  a  distance  which  was  usually  accomplished  in  three  hours," 
and  that "  a  sensation  was  created  in  Philadelphia  when  a  steamboat  appeared 
called  the  '  Trenton'  that  ran  to  Bordentown,  some  twenty-six  miles,  in  two 
hours  and  a  half."  Passengers  then  took  stages  to  New  Brunswick,  when  an- 
other steamboat  carried  them  to  New  York.  With  luck  the  journey  was  per 
formed  in  twelve  hours,  but  terrible  work  it  was  in  the  heat  of  summer.  In 
winter  the  only  route  to  New  York  was  by  land,  the  rivers  being  closed  with 
ice." 

1822 — EARLY  STEAMBOATS  IN  MAINE. — The  first  advertisement  or  notice 
of  a  steamboat  in  Maine  is  found  in  the  Portland  Argus,  August  13, 1822,  viz. : 

"  The  steamboat  '  KENNEBEC  '  will  leave  Union  wharf  at  four  o'clock  for 
North  Yarmouth  to  spend  the  day.  Will  return  on  Thursday  to  take  passen- 
gers to  the  Island  as  usual.  If  required,  will  stop  at  Week's  wharf  to  receive 
and  land  passengers.  Will  also,  should  sufficient  number  of  passengers  ap- 
ply, go  to  Commencement  the  day  preceeding.  and  also  on  the  day  of  Com- 
mencement. For  tickets  apply  to  Mr.  A.  W.  TINKHAM'S  store." 

Lewis  Pease,  constable  and  bank  messenger  and  local  poet,  records  her 

advent  thus : 

"A  fig  for  all  your  clumsy  craft, 

Your  pleasure  boats  and  packets, 
The  Steamboat  lands  you  safe  and  soon, 
At  Mansfield's,  Trott's  or  Bracket's." 
8 


114  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

This  pioneer  boat  was  the  old  hull  of  a  flat-bottomed  craft,  in  which  Cap- 
tain Seward  Porter,  the  father  of  steam  navigation  in  Maine,  had  placed  a 
small,  imperfect  engine  for  excursions  in  the  bay.  His  enterprise  was  .so- 
successful  that  two  years  later  we  find  the  following  notice  in  the  Portland 
Argus  of  July  8,  1824. 

"  The  steamboat  '  Patent/  Captain  Seward  Porter,  arrived  here  yesterday, 
in  four  days  from  New  York,  having  touched  at  a  number  of  places  to  land 
passengers.  She  is  intended  to  ply  between  this  place  and  Boston,  is  strong 
and  commodious,  and  elegantly  fitted  for  passengers.  Her  engine  has  been 
proved,  is  of  superior  workmanship,  and  propels  the  boat  about  ten  miles  an 
hour.  From  the  perseverance  of  Captain  Porter  we  have  no  doubt  but  he 
will  meet  with  good  encouragement  and  find  it  profitable.  We  wish  him 
success." 

In  a  report  made  to  the  stock-holders  she  is  described  as  of  two  hundred 
tons  and  as  costing  $20,000.  She  had  one  mast,  anci  a  staff  at  her  stern,  from 
which  was  displayed  the  stars  and  stripes,  a  flag,  which,  in  1832,  was  in  the 
possession  of  Hon.  Wm.  Gould,  of  Windham,  Maine,  to  whom  it  was  pre- 
sented by  Captain  Porter  in  1831. 

The  "Patent"  was  low  and  without  a  hurricane  deck  ;  her  boiler  and  engine 
were  below,  and  she  had  a  heavy  balance-wheel  half  above  the  deck,  and  an 
arrangement  by  which  the  paddle-wheels  could  be  disconnected.  It  was  said 
her  engine  had  been  built  for  a  vessel  to  go  to  Russia  (?).  Her  cabins  were 
all  below.  The  ladies'  cabin  was  at  the  stern,  but  had  no  skylights  on  deck  ; 
the  entrance  to  it  was  through  the  gentlemen's  cabin.  The  stern  broad 
quarter-deck  was  clear  with  seats  all  around  it.  In  the  Boston  Courier  of 
August  12, 1824,  her  arrival  on  the  8th  is  noticed  from  Portland  in  seventeen 
and  a  half  hours  against  a  head  wind  with  seventeen  passengers. 

In  1824  a  small  boat  was  built  at  Bath  called  the  "  Waterville,"  to  run 
on  the  Kennebec  river. 

In  1825  the  "  Maine,"  built  of  the  hulls  of  two  schooners,  with  beams 
across,  was  fitted  out  in  Bath.  She  was  of  one  hundred  and  five  tons,  and 
cost  $13,000.  The  fare  between  Boston  and  Portland,  with  meals,  was  $5.00  \ 
to  Bath,  $6.00;  Augusta,  $7.00;  and  Eastport,  $11.00. 

1826. — The  steam-brig  "NEW  YORK"  was  running  on  the  coast  in  1826, 
and  was  lost  three  years  after.  A  short  time  previous  to  her  loss  she  had  been 
purchased  by  Mr.  Bartlett,  of  Eastport,  and  fitted  with  new  machinery,  etc., 
running  regularly  between  Boston,  Portland,  Bath  and  other  ports  on  the 
coast,  and  while  on  a  trip,  and  near  Owl's  Head,  came  in  collision  with 
another  steamboat  and  the  next  day  took  fire.  We  learn  from  the  statement 
of  a  passenger : 

"  Nothing  material  occurred  until  she  ran  on  shore  going  up  the  Kennebec. 
She  was  get  off"  on  the  next  tide,  and  proceeded  to  Bath,  where  passengers 
were  landed  and  received.  She  then  sailed  for  Belfast ;  in  the  evening,  near 
Owl's  Head,  she  met  the  steamer  Patent  from  Belfast  to  Portland  ;  both  ves- 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  115 

sels  came  in  contact,  and  the  Patent  receiving  injury  was  taken  in  tow  by 
the  New  York,  and  returned  to  Belfast.  The  New  York  then  proceeded  to 
Eastport,  having  about  thirty-two  souls  in  all  on  board.  On  the  same  even- 
ing, between  nine  and  ten  o'clock,  about  eight  miles  to  the  eastward  of 
Petit  Menan  Light,  a  glimmering  light  was  discovered  around  the  port  fun- 
nel. Only  two  men  were  on  deck,  viz. :  one  at  the  helm  and  one  at  the  bow. 
No  engineer  or  fireman  was  at  his  post,  and  but  one  bucket  could  be  found 
on  deck.  Before  assistance  could  be  had  the  fire  had  got  the  upper  hand, 
and  the  engineer  could  not  stop  the  machinery. 

"  No  fire  engine,  hose  or  buckets  could  be  found  to  throw  a  drop  of  water. 
The  passengers  escaped  in  the  boats,  and  landed  about  midnight  at  the  light- 
house, and  from  thence  to  the  mainland." 

The  "  New  York  "  had  full  round  lines,  flush  deck,  long  scroll-head, 
like  the  packet-ships  of  that  day ;  her  name  painted  on  the  paddle-boxes, 
with  the  addition  "  New  York  and  Norfolk  packet." 

Captain  Churchill,  her  commander,  was  known  as  a  first-class  sailor  and 
coaster,  and  by  his  familiars  was  called  "  Old  Churchyard." 

1824. — FRENCH  PATENT. — In  1824  L.  A.  Delangue,  of  Paris,  France, 
patented  a  mode  for  propelling  vessels  and  boats  on  rivers,  by  means  of 
Archimedes'  screw,  placed  horizontally,  and  put  in  motion  by  a  steam  engine. 

A.  A.  Geerault,  of  Paris,  patented  a  system  of  oars  moving  in  a  vertical 
direction,  applicable  to  the  navigation  of  steamboats,  and  G.  Heath,  of  Paris, 
a  method  of  keeping  a  boiler  always  full  of  water  by  condensing  the  steam. 

1825. — FIRST  STEAMER  TO  CALCUTTA. — The  steamship  "Enterprise" 
made  the  passage  from  London  to  Calcutta,  and  inaugurated  the  com- 
munication of  England  with  India  by  steam.  The  "  Enterprise"  was  a 
vessel  of  470  tons  burthen,  having  engines  of  120  horse-power.  Com- 
manded by  Lieutenant  Johnson,  R.  N.,*  she  sailed  from  Falmouth,  August 
16,  1825,  and  arrived  in  Diamond  'Harbor,  Bengal,  on  the  7th  of 
December,  having  achieved  a  distance  of  13,700  miles  in  113  days,  of 
which  she  was  64  days  under  steam,  39  under  sail,  and  10  at  anchor^ 
The  "  Enterprise"  was  built  by  an  association  of  gentlemen,  and  was  sold  to 
the  government  of  Bengal  for  £40,000,  which,  together  with  the  passage- 
money,  nearly  paid  her  first  cost.  She  was  employed  in  the  Burmese  war 
with  advantage,  and  on  the  occasion  of  the  treaty  of  Malowa  saved  the  gov- 
ernment six  lacs  of  rupees  by  reaching  Calcutta  in  time  to  prevent  the 
march  of  troops  from  the  upper  provinces. 

1825. — Jacob  Perkins,  February,  1825,  applied  a  propeller  eight  feet  in 
diameter  at  the  side  of  the  rudder  of  a  canal  boat.  It  was  built  like  a 
double  set  of  windmill  vanes,  the  solid  axle  of  one  set  working  the  hollow 
axle  of  the  other,  and  rotating  in  opposite  directions. 

*   Captain  Johnson  received  ;£  10,000  for  making  the  first  steam  voyage  to  India. 


116  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

1825. — A  vessel  was  also  built  at  Rochester  the  same  year  by  the  Canal  Tow- 
ing Company,  fitted,  on  the  plan  of  Samuel  Brown,  with  a  gas  vacuum  engine 
of  twelve  horse-power,  working  by  means  of  beveled  gear  a  two-bladed  pro- 
peller at  the  bow.  The  blades  were  at  an  angle  of  ninety  degrees  to  each 
other,  and  forty-five  degrees  to  the  axis. 

Another  vessel,  with  similar  engine  and  propeller,  was  soon  after  tried  on 
the  Thames,  and  attained  a  speed  of  seven  miles  per  hour. 

1826. — The  following  hand-bill,  if  compared  with  others  of  the  present 
time,  will  show  the  improvement  that  has  been  made  in  the  North  River 
boats  during  the  past  half-century  : 

HUDSON  RIVER  STEAMBOAT  LINE. 

CONSTITUTION,  CONSTELLATION, 

Captain  W.  J.  Wiswell.  Captain  R.  G.  Crittenden. 

DAILY. 

These  new  and  splendid  Boats  will  be  dispatched  DAILY  from  New  York 
and  Albany,  during  the  Summer  months,  commencing  their  regular  trips, 
under  this  arrangement,  on  Monday,  the  5th  June  :  leaving  the  wharf,  foot 
of  Cortland  Street,  New  York,  at  10  A.  M.,  and  the  wharf,  near  the  steam, 
boat  office,  South  Market  Street,  Albany,  at  9  o'clock. 

When  practicable,  the  Boats  will  come  to  at  the  wharves  at  Newburgh, 
Poughkeepgie,  Catskill,  and  Hudson.  At  Rhinebeck  and  Kingston  a  con- 
venient barge  will  constantly  be  in  readiness  to  receive  and  land  passengers. 

At  the  other  intermediate  places  passengers  will  be  received  and  landed 
whenever  it  can  be  effected  with  safety. 

These  boats  are  of  the  first-class,  and  for  extensive  and  airy  accommoda- 
tions, speed,  and  quiet  motion  of  engines,  and  skilful  management,  are  not 
surpassed  by  any  boats  navigating  the  Hudson  River,  and  the  proprietors 
assure  the  public  that  the  most  assiduous  attention  will  be  paid  to  the 
safety  and  comfort  of  passengers. 

Agents  for  this  line : 

A.  N.  HOFFMAN,  No.  71  Dey  Street,  New  York. 
A.  BARTHOLOMEW,  South  Market  Street,  Albany. 

J8&"A11  freight  and  baggage  at  the  risk  of  owners.  Freight  of  light  arti- 
cles, one  shilling  per  cubic  foot. 

May  23d,  1826. 

1826. — November  18, 1826,  Bennett  Woodcroft  patented  a  screw  propeller 
in  England. 

1827. — The  following  advertisement  of  a  steamboat  winter  line  between 
Philadelphia  and  New  York  is  from  a  Philadelphia  newspaper  dated  Feb- 
ruary 8,  1827: 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  117 

"STEAMBOAT  WINTER  LINE  FOR  NEW  YORK, 

And  the  only  one  now  running  between  the  two  Cities.  Through  in  one 
day.  Two  Citizens'  Line  Coaches  leave  their  office,  No.  32  North  Third 
street,  nearly  opposite  the  City  Hotel,  every  morning  (Sundays  excepted)  at 
4  o'clock  ;  breakfast  at  Vencleu's  City  Hotel,  Trenton  ;  dine  on  board  the 
steamboat,  under  way  from  Perth  Amboy,  and  arrive  in  -New  York  early 
the  same  afternoon.  Fare  through,  $6. 

"  For  seats,  apply  at  the  above  Office,  Citizens'  Line  office,  No.  23  South 
Third  street,  sign  of  Robinson  Crusoe,  and  at  the  office  of  the  Reading  and 
Bethlehem  Mail  Stages,  A.  M'Calla's,  White  Swan,  Race  street. 
baggage  at  its  owner's  risque." 


1828.  —  The  steamship  "Atlas"  launched  at  Rotterdam  in  the  summer  of 
1828,  had  three  engines  of  one  hundred  horse-power  each,  and  four  masts- 
Her  decks  were  thirty-five  feet  longer  than  a  first-rate  man-of-war,  and  she 
was  described  as  "  a  gigantic  steam-vessel,  the  largest  ever  built." 

1828.  —  FIRST  STEAMER  IN  TURKEY.  —  The  first  steamer  ever  seen  in  Tur- 
key, the  "  Swift,"  arrived  at  Stamboul  May,  1828.     This  solitary  boat  was 
purchased  by  an  American  and  two  or  three  others  for  three  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand  piasters,  and  was  presented  by  them  to  the  Sultan  Mahmoud. 

1828.—  THE  "  CURACOA."—  It  seems  probable  that  the  sight  of  the  "  Cale- 
donia,*" which  James  Watt,  Jr.,  brought  early  in  1817  from  the  Clyde  to 
take  up  the  Rhine,  staying  a  little  while  at  Rotterdam,  stimulated  the  inter- 
est of  the  Dutch  in  steam  navigation  ;  at  any  rate,  they  soon  after  ordered 
several  small  steamers  from  Scotland,  and  in  1827  a  company  of  the  mer- 
chants of  Amsterdam  and  Rotterdam  united  for  the  hazardous  experiment 
of  running  steamships  between  the  Netherlands  and  the  West  Indies.  Ac- 
cordingly, they  had  a  steamer  built  on  the  Clyde,  which  they  named  the 
"  Curacoa,"  of  three  hundred  and  fifty  tons  and  one  hundred  horse-power, 
and  dispatched  her,  in  the  summer  of  1829,  from  Amsterdam  to  the  Dutch 
West  Indies.  Another  account  says  she  started  from  Antwerp  on  her  first 
trip  August  12,  1828.  The  voyage  to  Curacoa  and  from  Antwerp  was  re- 
peated several  times  with  great  commercial  success;  nevertheless,  the  enter- 
prise soon  came  to  an  end. 

December  10,  1828,  Charles  Commerow  patented  a  perfect  one-turn  screw 
propeller  or  spiral,  fixed  parallel  to  the  keel,  the  outer  bearing  being  held 
by  a  second  sternpost,  behind  which  was  the  rudder. 

1829.  —  TEMPERANCE  ON  LONG  ISLAND  SOUND.  —  At  a  meeting  of  the 
Directors  of  the  Chancellor  Livingston  Steam  Packet  Company,  in  1829,  a 
resolution  was  adopted  prohibiting  the  steward  from  placing  decanters  of 
brandy  and  spirits  upon  the  tables.     This  action  created  a  tremendous  stir. 


118  HISTOR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

As  previously  stated,  the  cuisine  on  the  "  Chancellor"  had  always  been  superb. 
In  these  meals  the  decanters  had  played  an  important  part ;  to  banish  them 
was  atrocious.  The  indignation  was  strong,  and  a  letter  in  defence  of  the 
action  was  published.  That  letter  said  "  the  Directors  were  not  influenced 
by  petty  motives  of  economy  or  gain,  but  hoped  to  do  a  little  to  aid  the  cause 
of  reform,"  and  concluded  as  follows  : 

"  The  tables  are  now  supplied  with  red  wines  of  good  quality  and  pleasant 
flavor,  as  well  as  a  good  tendency  in  its  effects  upon  those  who  may  be  affected 
by  the  motion  of  the  boat.  In  addition  to  all  this,  whenever  any  person 
may  choose  to  order  brandy  or  spirits  from  a  belief  of  their  necessity,  it  will 
be  immediately  and  cheerfully  supplied  from  the  bar,  and  the  gentleman 
will  hear  no  more  about  it  unless  he  pleases." 

This  sensible  and  moderate  movement  in  favor  of  reform  finally  received 
the  approval  of  all  persons  of  true  discernment. 

1829.— November  29,  1829,  Benjamin  Smith,  of  Rochester,  New  York, 
obtained  a  patent  "  for  propelling  boats  on  the  water  by  the  application  of 
sculling  wheels,  or  a  screw  propelling  wheel,  formed  like  the  wheel  of  a 
smoke-jack,  and  fixed  at  the  stem  or  bow  of  the  boat  by  means  of  a  shaft 
running  through  the  centre,  and  worked  by  any  suitable  power."  July  10, 
1830,  a  Mr.  Doolittle  being  at  Syracuse,  saw  a  steamer  with  wheels  of  this 
description  arrive  on  the  canal  from  the  West. 

1830.— February  4,  1830,  John  M.  Patten,  of  Milton,  Pennsylvania, 
patented  "  a  spiral  or  screw- wheel"  (described  by  him  as  an  old  invention). 

May  22,  Josiah  Coply,  of  Warner  Mark,  Pennsylvania,  patented  "a  shaft 
having  affixed  to  it  eight  or  any  other  number  of  vanes  or  fans,  forming 
segments  of  spirals.  These  to  be  placed  under  water,. parallel  with  the  keel, 
and  a  rapid  rotatory  motion  to  be  given  to  them. 

October  1,  Felix  Peltier,  of  New  York,  patented  "  a  screw  placed  in  a 
horizontal  position,  and  wholly  uncovered  or  naked,  whether  formed  of  a 
single  spiral  wound  round  a  solid  arbor  and  cutting  at  constantly  equal 
angles,  or  whether  its  inclination  vary,  and  whether  the  spiral  be  of  one  or 
the  same  breadth  throughout,  measured  from  the  arbor." 

1830.— EARLY  STEAMSHIPS  OF  THE  FRENCH  NAVY.— The  Minister  of 
the  French  Marines  in  1830  announced  that  the  arrangements  for  the  trans- 
formation of  the  cannon  foundry  of  the  Island  of  Indret,  on  the  Loire,  into 
an  establishment  for  the  supply  of  engines  for  the  use  of  the  steamship  dock- 
yard at  that  place, 'commenced  at  the  close  of  1828,  were  then  sufficiently 
advanced  to  be  in  active  operation. 

This  steam  dock-yard  had  already  fitted  out  "  Le  Pelican."  She  had/owr 
wheels  and  four  engines  of  sixty  horse-power.  The  machine  was  made  at  In- 
dret. Two  steam  frigates,  viz.,  the  "  Castor"  and  "  Crocodile,"  were  building, 
calculated  to  draw  twelve  feet  of  water.  Their  length  on  deck  was  161  English 
feet,  keel  150  feet,  extreme  breadth  36  feet  4  inches,  breadth  amidships  25 


HISTOE  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  119 

feet.  They  were  to  be  armed  with  six  24-pound  carrouades,  and  three  of 
Paixham's  new  guns,  carrying  a  hollow  twelve-inch  shell  shot.  The  French 
had  nine  armed  steamships  afloat  in  1830,  and  nine  under  construction.  A 
writer  in  the  United  Service  Journal  in  1831  says  :  "  It  is  really  surprising — 
melancholy — to  find  there  is  not  one  steam  man-of-war  on  our  (the  Royal) 
Navy  list  " — "  the  construction  of  engines  has  not  even  commenced  in  our 
dock-yards." 

1830. — FIRST  STEAMER  ON  THE  DANUBE. — The  first  attempts  to  navi- 
gate the  Danube  by  steam  were  made  by  French  and  German  engineers,  who 
were  so  confident  of  success  that  they  did  not  even  try  the  vessel,  but  before 
trial,  invited  the  Emperor  Francis  I.  to  honor  them  with  his  presence  on 
their  first  trip  to  Pesth.  His  Majesty  embarked,  and  a  favorable  passage 
was  made  down  the  stream.  On  arriving  at  Pesth  with  the  Emperor  on 
board  the  vessel  crated  no  little  sensation  ;  salutes  were  fired  from  the  bat- 
teries, the  curiosity  was  intense,  and  to  celebrate  the  great  event  public 
balls  and  other  festivities  were  given.  At  the  end  of  these  joyous  proceed- 
ings His  Majesty  intimated  his  intention  of  returning  to  Vienna.  But 
when  orders  were  given  to  "go  on  with  all  speed"  it  was  found  the  engines 
had  insufficient  power,  and  that  the  stream  was  carrying  the  boat  down  the 
river.  All  attempts  to  propel  the  boat  against  the  current  proving  in- 
efficient, His  Imperial  Majesty  was  obliged  to  land  and  proceed  to  Vienna 
through  a  country  where  the  roads  were  so  bad  that  his  carriage  frequently 
stuck  fast  in  the  mud. 

In  1830  Mr.  J.  Pritchard,  an  Englishman,  succeeded  in  conquering  the 
Danube,  and  passing  the  rapids  of  Floresdorf  in  his  steamer,  returned  to 
Vienna,  where  his  vessel  was  visited  by  the  imperial  family  and  permission 
given  to  name  her  the  "  Francis  the  First."  A  concession  was  granted  to 
Mr.  Pritchard  by  the  Austrian  government  for  the  exclusive  right  of  carry- 
ing on  steam  navigation  on  the  Danube  for  fifteen  years. 

1830. — FIRST  ENGLISH  MAIL  STEAMER. — The  first  English  steamship  to 
carry  foreign  mails  was  the  "  Meteor."  The  United  Service  Journal  for  1830 
says,  "  It  has  long  been  contemplated  for  the  conveyance  of  the  foreign  mails. 
H.  M.  steam-vessel '  Meteor,'  Lieutenant  William  H.  Syrnons,  is  to  proceed 
to  the  Mediterranean  on  this  service.  The  first  adoption  of  steam  in  the 
conveyance  of  the  foreign  post-office  mail  has  taken  place.  H.  M.  steam- 
vessel  '  Meteor,'  Lieutenant  William  H.  Symons,  left  Falmouth  February 
5,  for  the  Mediterranean.  We  look  on  this  as  an  era  in  steam  navigation 
which  bids  fair  to  introduce  its  more  general  adoption  for  the  purposes  of 
government." 

1830. — FIRST  STEAMER  ON  THE  RED  SEA. — The  Hon.  East  India  Com- 
pany's armed  steamer  "  Hugh  Lindsay,"  Captain  Wilson,  of  four  hundred 


120  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

and  eleven  tons  burden,  and  two  engines  of  eighty  horse-power  each,  arrived 
at  Suez,  April  20,  1830,  from  Bombay.  She  was  the  first  steam-vessel  that 
ever  navigated  the  Bed  Sea.  It  had  been  for  some  time  a  favorite  object  of 
Sir  John  Malcolm,  the  Governor  of  Bombay,  to  establish  a  steam  convey- 
ance for  dispatches  between  that  place  and  England,  and  the  "  Hugh  Lind- 
say" was  built  for  the  purpose  at  a  cost  of  forty  thousand  pounds ;  yet  the 
blunder  was  committed  of  her  having  only  the  capacity  to  carry  six  days* 
coal.  In  consequence  the  "  Hugh  Lindsay  "  was  thirty-three  days  in  reach- 
ing Suez  from  Bombay,  having  lost  twelve  days  in  the  ports  of  Aden, 
Mocha,  Jiddah,  and  Cosseir,  coaling. 

The  letters  sent  by  her  reached  England  in  less  time  than  any  ever  re- 
ceived before  from  India.  Colonel  Campbell  was  the  only  passenger  by  her, 
from  want  of  room,  as  the  cabin  and  every  other  available  place  was  occu- 
pied by  coal.  She  was  so  deep  in  the  water  on  leaving  Bombay  that  she 
was  d  fleur  d'eau,  and  her  wheels  could  hardly  revolve.  The  distances' 
between  the  several  places  on  her  route  are : — From  Bombay  to  Aden 
1710  miles;  from  Aden  to  Mocha,  146  miles;  from  Mocha  to  Juddah, 
556  miles;  from  Juddah  to  Cosseir,  430  miles;  from  Cosseir  to  Suez,  261 
miles,  which  at  twenty  days'  navigation  is  155  miles  a  day,  or  six  miles  and 
a  fraction  per  hour.  She  was  the  first  vessel  that  made  so  long  a  voyage 
entirely  by  steam. 

A  letter  from  the  captain  of  the  "Hugh  Lindsay"  details  this  the  first  at- 
tempt to  establish  a  steam  conveyance  upon  the  Ked  Sea,  where  the  Lord 
opened  a  path  for  the  Israelites  of  old,  and  where  Pharaoh  and  his  host  so 
miserably  perished  : 

"  HON.  COMPANY'S  ARMED  STEAMER  '  HUGH  LINDSAY/ 

"  SUEZ,  April  22,  1830. 

"  SIR, — I  have  much  pleasure  in  acquainting  you  with  the  arrival  of  the 
*  Hugh  Lindsay '  at  Suez  this  day  from  Bombay,  which  place  she  left  20th 
of  March.  The  passage  has  occupied  more  time  than  was  expected,  owing 
to  the  delay  occasioned  by  receiving  coal  at  Aden  and  Juddah.  At  the 
former  place  we  were  detained  six  days,  and  at  Juddah  five.  We  also 
touched  at  Mocha,  which  detained  us  a  day.  The  present  trip  being  an  ex- 
periment, I  was  instructed,  if  time  permitted,  to  visit  you  at  Alexandria,  for 
the  purpose  of  communicating  with  you  on  the  subject  of  steam  navigation 
in  the  Red  Sea ;  but  the  season  being  now  so  far  advanced,  it  is  necessary 
we  should  use  the  utmost  dispatch  to  insure  our  return  to  Bombay  previous 
to  the  setting  in  of  the  south-west  monsoon,  for  which  reason  we  shall  leave 
Suez  as  soon  as  we  have  received  what  coal  there  is.  We  touched  at  Cosseir 
to  take  what  fuel  was  there  also,  and  we  are  apprehensive  we  shall  find  scarcely 
enough  on  the  Red  Sea  to  take  us  to  Bombay. 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  121 

"The  'Hugh  Lindsay'  is  four  hundred  and  eleven  tons  burden,  and  has 
two  eighty  horse-power  engines.  By  the  builder's  plan,  she  appears  to  have 
been  intended  to  carry  about  six  days'  coal ;  but  in  order  to  make  the  pas- 
sage from  Bombay  to  Aden  she  was  laden  as  deep  as  could  be,  and  left  with 
her  transom  in  the  water.  Notwithstanding,  on  our  arrival  at  Aden  after  a 
passage  of  eleven  days,  we  had  only  about  six  hours'  coal  remaining,  which 
circumstance  alone  shows  her  unfit  for  the  performance  of  the  passage.  Her 
being  so  deep,  too,  materially  affected  her  speed.  I  met  with  greater  deten- 
tion in  getting  off  coal  at  Aden  and  Juddah  than  I  had  anticipated.  Ar- 
rangements might  be  made  to. expedite  the  shipment  of  coal  at  those  places, 
but  I  am  now  of  opinion  the  fewer  depots  the  better,  and  that  if  steamers 
were  built  of  a  class  that  would  be  propelled  by  engines  wliose  consumption 
of  coal  would  not  exceed  nine  tons  in  the  twenty-four  hours,  and  which 
should  carry  conveniently  fifteen  days  coal  at  that  rate  of  consumption,  then 
the  navigation  of  the  Red  Sea  would  be  best  carried  on  in  two  stages,  one 
from  Bombay  to  Aden,  and  from  thence  to  Cosseir  or  Suez  direct.  I  think> 
too,  there  is  no  necessity  for  proceeding  up  as  far  as  Suez,  as  every  object 
might  be  equally  well  attained  by  going  to  Cosseir  only.  As  far  as  the  pas- 
sengers are  concerned,  the  majority,  I  should  suppose,  would  prefer  being 
landed  at  that  place,  for  the  purpose  of  viewing  the  antiquities  on  the  route 
from  thence  to  Alexandria,  and  the  arrival  of  dispatches  would  be  very  little 
delayed  when  we  take  into  account  the  time  occupied  by  a  steamer  on  going 
from  the  parallel  of  Cosseir  to  Suez,  which,  when  northwest  winds  prevail, 
could  not  be  done  in  less  than  two  days  and  a  half. 

"  I  enclose  a  copy  of  the  log  of  the  '  Hugh  Lindsay'  from  Bombay  to 
Suez,  conceiving  it  might  possess  some  interest  as  the  journal  of  the  first 
steam-vessel  which  has  ever  navigated  the  Red  Sea. 

"  I  am,  sir,  etc." 

1831.— April  23,  1831,  Giraud  patented  in  the  United  States  "a  screw  or 
spiral  lever  for  propelling." 

1831. — THE  FIRST  STEAMER  TO  CHICAGO. — The  first  steamer  arrived  at 
Chicago,  Illinois,  in  1831.  Nothing  could  exceed  the  surprise  of  the  sons 
of  the  forest  on  seeing  this  steamer  move  against  wind  and  current  without 
sails  or  oars.  They  lined  the  shores  and  expressed  their  astonishment  by 
repeated  shouts  of  "  Taiyoli  nichee  /"  an  expression  of  surprise.  A  report  had 
been  circulated  among  them  that  a  "  big  canoe"  would  soon  come  from  the 
noisy  waters,  which  by  order  of  the  Great  Father  of  the  "  Chemo  Koinods" 
(Yankees},  would  be  drawn  through  the  lakes  and  rivers  by  a  sturgeon,  and 
this  served  to  verify  the  report. 

1832.— IRON  STEAMBOATS.— March,  1832,  Bennett  Woodcroft  patented  a 
screw  formed  by  a  circular  line  coiled  round  a  cylinder,  increasing  the 


122  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

pitch  throughout  the  length  and  producing  greater  speed  with  fewer  rev- 
olutions, to  be  fixed  forward  of  the  middle  post  by  cutting  away  part  of 
the  dead  wood.  Sauvage  also  experimented  this  year. 

The  introduction  of  wrought-iron  hulls  for  steam-vessels  produced  great 
improvements.  It  enabled  builders  to  combine  a  strength  and  lightness  of 
draught  peculiarly  advantageous  in  some  branches  of  trade  and  in  certain 
localities.  The  "Alburkha,"  of  fifty-five  tons,  built  as  a  companion  to  the 
"  Quorra"  for  the  Niger  expedition  in  1832,  gave  great  satisfaction.  Messrs. 
Laird,  of  Liverpool,  their  builders,  immediately  commenced  the  "  Garry- 
owen,"  to  run  between  Limerick  and  Kilrush.-  The  "  Garryowen"  was  one 
hundred  and  twenty-five  feet  on  deck,  twenty-one  feet  six  inches  beam,  with 
engines  of  fifty  horse-power  each.  The  "Garryowen"  was  driven  on  shore 
in  the  great  hurricane  which  happened  soon  after,  but  escaped  uninjured. 
This  evidence  of  the  power  of  iron  vessels  to  withstand  the  casualties  of  the 
sea  so  raised  their  estimation  that  they  were  rapidly  increased  in  number 
and  their  size  greatly  extended.  The  "  Garryowen"  was  the  first  steamer 
built  that  had  a  regular  arrangement  of  water-tight  bulkheads. 

1820. — THE  AARON  MANBY. — The  first  steam-vessel  ever  constructed  of 
iron  was  the  "Aaron  Manby,"*  launched  in  1820,  and  named  for  her 
builder.  She  was  constructed  at  the  Horsely  Iron-Works  in  sections,  and 
was  sent  to  London  and  put  together  in  dock.  September,  1821,  Captain — 
afterwards  Rear-Admiral — Sir  Charles  Napier,  a  partner  in  the  speculation, 
took  charge  of  her  and  navigated  her  from  London  to  Havre,  and  thence 
to  Paris,  without  unloading  any  of  her  cargo.  She  was  the  first,  and  for 
thirty  years  afterwards  the  only,  vessel  that  sailed  direct  from  London  to 
Paris.  In  1843  she  was  in  good  condition,  and  to  that  time  had  required 
no  repairs  on  her  hull.  She  was  broken  up  in  1855,  after  thirty-five  years' 
service. 

1832. — The  third  steamer  to  cross  the  Atlantic  was  the  "  Royal  William," 
built  at  Quebec  in  1831  by  Mr.  George  Black  for  the  Quebec  and  Halifax 
Steam  Navigation  Company.  She  is  described  as  360  60-94-tons  burden, 
one  deck,  three  masts,  160  feet  long  ;  breadth  above  the  main  wales,  44  feet; 
between  paddle-boxes,  28  feet ;  schooner-rigged,  carvel  built.  She  was  towed 
to  Montreal,  where  she  was  fitted  with  marine  engines  with  side  levers  by 
Messrs.  Bennett  and  Henderson.  The  ship  created  a  profound  sensation, 
and  especially  upon  the  officers  of  one  of  his  Majesty's  frigates,  who  fired  at 
her  as  she  was  steaming  through  the  Gulf,  and  she  was  compelled  to  lay  to 
until  convinced  that  there  was  nothing  diabolical  in  her  construction.  The 
only  cargo  she  carried  on  her  trip  across  the  Atlantic  was  coal,  which  was 
nearly  all  used  on  the  voyage.  The  good  people  of  Cockaigne  thronged  to 
see  the  strange  craft  in  the  Thames,  and  were  heard  to  remark  that  the  "  In- 
dians" were  not  unlike  themselves,  the  hallucination  being  strengthened  by 

*  Previously  noted. 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  123 

the  fact  that  the  ancient  mariners  were  talking  French.  While  in  the 
Thames  the  Royal  William,  according  to  our  informant,  was  sold  to  the 
Spanish  Government,  and  became  the  Isabella  the  Second,  and  the  first  war 
vessel  of  the  Dons. 

Mr.  Joseph  Geo.  Dauten,  who  was  the  Second  Engineer  of  the  "  Royal 
William"  on  this  Atlantic  trip,  was  in  Montreal  in  1880. 

Her  Majesty's  ship  "  Rhodamanthus"  arrived  at  Barbadoes  May  17, 
1832,  from  Plymouth.  She  was  the  first  vessel  of  the  Royal  Navy  to  make 
the  voyage  to  the  West  Indies,  and  the  Portsmouth  Herald,  in  announcing 
her  intended  departure,  says,  "  we  are  anxious  to  learn  what  may  be  the 
effect  of  the  climate  on  the  engines,  fittings,  etc." 

1832. — THE  FIRST  IRON-CLAD  BATTERY. — Robert  L.  Stevens  conceived 
the  Stevens  battery  in  1832.  It  was  to  be  an  iron-armored  ship,  250  feet 
long,  and  28  feet  beam.  His  brothers,  J.  C.  and  E.  A.  Stevens,  assisted  in 
the  experiments,  and  the  keel  of  the  battery  was  laid  in  1843.  In  1854,  the 
improvement  in  projectiles  having  got  ahead  of  the  growth  of  the  battery, 
the  old  designs  were  abandoned  and  the  keel  of  the  Stevens  battery,  as  it 
was  called,  was  laid.  It  was  designed  to  be  40  feet  over  all,  and  45  feet 
beam,  with  a  draught  of  22  feet,  and  6,000  tons  displacement.  Powerful 
engines  devised  by  Mr.  Stevens  were  to  give  the  battery  a  speed  of  151  knots. 
Mr.  E.  A.  Stevens  at  his  death  left  $1,000,000  to  complete  the  vessel,  direct- 
ing that  it  should  be  given  when  completed  to  the  State  of  New  Jersey. 
This  million,  together  with  nearly  as  m'uch  expended  before,  was  used  up. 
The  heirs  claimed  the  battery  and  began  a  suit  to  have  it  declared  theirs. 
The  New  Jersey  courts  held  that  the  title  was  in  the  State  and  the  heirs  ap- 
pealed to  the  United  States  courts  for  the  reversal  of  the  decision.  Mean- 
while the  battery  stood  on  property  belonging  to  the  Stevens'  estate  valued, 
it  is  claimed,  $150,000.  The  heirs  desired  to  make  the  property  remunera- 
tive, and  in  order  to  get  the  battery  away  asked  the  Chancellor  to  have  the 
battery  sold. 

In  1880  in  pursuance  to  a  decree  of  the  Court  of  Chancery  of  New  Jersey, 
the  whole  of  the  still  unfinished  Stevens  battery,  together  with  three  steam- 
engines  used  in  the  workshops  and  in  the  construction  of  the  hull,  an  im- 
mense quantity  of  iron,  bolts  and  screws,  and  a  lot  of  tools,  wrenches,  punch- 
ing and  bolting  machines,  were  sold  at  auction,  at  the  yard  in  Hoboken,  to 
Wm.  E.  Laimbeer,  of  New  York,  for  $62,790.  It  had  cost  nearly  $2,000,000. 

The  battery  and  material  were  divided  into  eight  lots.  The  first  lot,  com- 
prising the  hull  of  the  vessel  as  far  as  it  was  completed,  with  the  engines  and 
boilers  on  board,  a  locomotive  boiler  and  Worthington  pump,  and  a  quantity 
of  rope  and  trestle-work  and  shed  beneath  which  the  battery  is  housed,  was 
offered  for  sale  as  soon  as  the  Master  in  Chancery  had  read  the  degree  and 
stated  the  conditions  of  sale  as  follows  :  On  each  of  the  seven  small  lots  10 
per  cent,  of  the  purchase  money  to  accompany  the  purchase,  and  the  re- 


124  HISTOR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

mainder.  on  October  20.  On  lot  one  the  vessel,  10  per  cent,  of  the  purchase 
money  down,  16  per  cent,  on  October  20,  and  the  rest,  if  the  vessel,  etc., 
should  be  removed  in  one  lot  or  remain  on  the  ground  for  completion,  before 
the  1st  day  of  January,  1881 ;  or  if  removed  piece-meal,  in  instalments  as 
the  material  is  removed,  at  the  rate  of  $20  per  ton.  The  bidding  opened  at 
$25,000,  and  rose  quickly  by  $1,000  bids  to  $32,000,  then  by  $500  a  bid  to 
$47,000,  after  which  it  dragged  at  $250  a  bid  to  $55,000,  at  which  figure  it 
was  knocked  down  to  Mr.  William  E.  Laimbeer,  of  No.  51  East  Thirty-first 
street,  New  York.  The  only  bidders  beside  the  purchaser  after  $35,000  had 
been  offered  were  Mr.  Purves,  of  Purves  &  Sou,  Philadelphia,  and  Mr. 
Clancy,  of  Boston. 

In  1832  the  "  General  Jackson"  was  the  only  steamer  running  in  the 
Sound  between  New  York  and  Norwich.  She  was  thought  in  her  time  a 
splendid  craft,  and  no  one  ever  imagined  that  any  improvements  could  be 
made  in  regards  to  her  beauty,  speed  or  comfort.  But  time  works  won- 
ders. "  She  had  no  state-rooms,  her  passengers  being  compelled  to  sleep 
in  berths  below  the  water  line.  These  were  roomy  enough,  but  at  times 
they  were  not  numerous  enough  to  accommodate  the  throngs  that  took  pas- 
sage. On  these  occasions  Captain  Havens  used  to  resort  to  a  lottery.  When- 
ever he  saw  that  all  could  not  get  berths  he'd  send  a  boy  on  deck  with  a  big 
bell  which  he'd  ring  and  tell  the  passengers  to  step  into  the  cabin  for  berths. 
When  all  had  assembled  he  would  place  slices  of  paper  with  numbers  cor- 
responding to  the  berths,  and  as  many  blanks  and  shake  'em  up.  Then  each 
man  or  woman  would  step  up,  draw«a  slip,  and  if  there  was  a  number  on  it 
that  berth  was  placed  at  the  disposal  of  the  lucky  one.  If  not,  it  was  a  mat- 
ter of  solicitude  to  find  a  soft  place  on  the  cabin  floor.  It  was  a  rare  thing 
however,  for  a  lady  to  be  compelled  to  rest  that  way,  as  the  more  fortunate 
males  gallantly  surrendered  their  privileges  and  slept  where  they  could  find 
a  place," 

1833. — THE  FIRST  MAIL  CONTRACT. — The  first  contract  for  carrying  the 
mails  in  steamers  was  niade  by  the  British  Postmaster-General  in  1833,  with 
the  "  Mona  Isle  Steam  Co.,  to  run  semi-weekly  between  Liverpool  and  the 
Isle  of  Man  at  £850  per  annum.  After  this  a  contract  was  made  in  1834 
with  the  "  General  Steam  Navigation  Co."  for  the  weekly  conveyance  of 
the  mails  between  London  and  Rotterdam  and  London  and  Hamburg  at 
£17,000  per  year.  Both  these  contracts  continued  in  force  twenty  years 
or  more. 

1833. — EARLY  STEAMBOATS  ON  THE  LAKES. — Mr,  Randall,  of  Phila- 
delphia, in  1833,  built  the  "Wisconsin,"  218  feet  long  by  38  feet  wide,  at 
Detroit,  and  ran  her  through  three  of  the  lakes  on  round  trips  of  two  thou- 
sand miles.  In  1845  he  designed  and  navigated  the  "  Empire,"  251  feet 
long,  38  feet  beam,  16  statute  miles  per  hour.  Soon  after  the  "City  of 
Buffalo"  and  the  "Western  Metropolis"  were  sent  afloat.  They  were  sister 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  125 

boats,  340  feet  long,  42  feet  beam,  and  only  9£  feet  draft  of  water,  light 
laden.  By  a  report  in  the  Cleveland  Herald  the  trip  between  Buffalo  and 
Cleveland  at  that  early  date  was  made  at  an  average  speed  of  twenty-one 
miles  an  hour  by  the  "Metropolis,"  the  "City  of  Buffalo"  making  even 
greater  speed* 

1833. — H.  M.  steam-packet  "  Firebrand"  traversed,  in  sixty-six  days, 
eleven  thousand  five  hundred  miles  in  two  voyages  from  Falmouth  to  Corfu, 
and  one  from  the  same  port  to  Lisbon.  In  the  same  year  the  "Koyal 
William,"  of  one  thousand  tons  burden  and  one  hundred  and  eighty  horse- 
power engine,  built  on  Three  Rivers,  in  Lower  Canada,  made  the  voyage 
from  Pictou,  Nova  Scotia,  to  Cowes,  in  the  Isle  of  Wight,  being  the  third 
transatlantic  voyagef  of  a  steamer.  She  was  employed  for  three  or  four 
years  between  England  and  Ireland.  She  afterwards  made  several  voyages 
across  the  Atlantic.  The  people  of  the  provinces  claimed  for  her  the  credit 
of  the  first  ocean  transit  by  steam.  The  Historical  Society  of  Chicago  has 
the  original  working  plans  of  this  vessel,  presented  by  James  Gouchie,  a 
Scotch  ship-builder,  who  in  1880,  was  a  resident  of  that  city.  She  was 
launched  at  Quebec  in  1831,  and  made  the  trip  from  Pictou  to  London  in 
twenty-five  days.  In  1837  "The  City  of  Dublin  Steam  Packet  Company" 
purchased  the  "  Royal  William,"  and  she  made  her  first  voyage  from  Dublin 
to  Liverpool,  October  9,  1837,  in  nine  hours  and  forty-eight  minutes.  Soon 
after  she  was  sold  to  the  Spanish  government  for  ten  thousand  pounds,  and 
converted  into  a  man-of-war.  She  sailed  from  Pictou  to  cross  the  Atlantic 
April  1,  1833. 

1834. — Up  to  the  year  1834  steamboats  in  the  United  States  had  burnt 
wood  only.  The  "Novelty"  burnt  forty  cords  each  trip  from  New  York  to 
Albany.  In  1836  experiments  were  made  with  anthracite  coal  for  fuel  on 
board  the  ferry-boats  in  New  York  with  success,  but  wood  was  principally 
used  for  American  coast-steamers  for  several  years  after. 

*  In  1860  Mr.  Randall  designed  and  modeled  a  vessel  for  an  ocean  steamship  line  to  be 
called  the  Philadelphia  and  Crescent  Steam  Navigation-Company,  organized  for  construct- 
ing vessels  for  trading  between  Great  Britain  and  Philadelphia,  which  obtained  an  act  of 
incorporation  from  the  State  Legislature  of  Pennsylvania.  This  vessel  was  to  be  500  feet 
long,  58  feet  moulded  beam,  and  to  measure  8000  tons.  Her  motive-power  was  to  consist 
of  two  sets  of  wheels.  She  was  to  have  ample  accommodations  for  3000  passengers  and 
3000  tons  of  cargo,  and  to  be  a  regular  "  2O-mile  ship."  She  was  to  have  ample  fuel  room 
sufficient  to  run  8000  miles  without  stopping  for  coal ;  a  main  saloon  of  350  feet  of  unin- 
terrupted length  and  175  family  state-rooms,  with  double  beds  in  each  of  extra  size,  etc.  A 
dining-room  and  drawing  room,  each  150  feet  long,  a  social  hall,  reading-room,  smoking- 
room,  and  library,  etc.,  etc. — Lindsay's  Merchant  Shipping,  vol.  iv,  pp.  157-158. 

Unfortunately  this  magnificent  design  of  Mr.  Randall  was  never  put  to  a  practical  test  at 
that  time,  but  he  only  anticipated  the  large  ocean  steamships  of  to-day. 

f  The  "  Savannah,"  1819,  from  Liverpool,  was  the  first;  the  "  Curacoa,"  from  Antwerp 
jo  Curacoa,  the  second. 


126  HISTOR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

The  advent  of  ocean  steam-navigation  soon  led  to  the  almost  universal 
use  of  coal, — bituminous  and  anthracite, — even  the  steamboats  on  the  Mis- 
sissippi having  adopted  the  former. 

1834. — The  first  steamer  on  the  Merrimac  River,  Massachusetts,  was 
called  the  "Herald."  S be  was  built  above  Pawtucket  Falls,  launched  in 

1834,  and  made  regular  trips  between  Lowell  and  Nashua  when  Lowell 
had  but  fourteen  thousand  inhabitants  and  Nashua  a  few  hundred.     In 
1838  she  was  lengthened,  and  could  carry  five  hundred  passengers.     In 
1840  she  was  floated  over  the  falls  to  Newburyport,  and  taken  to  New  York, 
and  run  as  a  ferry-boat  between  New  York  city  and  Brooklyn.* 

1835. — John  F.  Smith,  of  Charlestown,  Massachusetts,  September   18, 

1835,  patented  a  screw  revolving  in  a  cavity  made  by  giving  the  hull  the 
form  of  a  double  vessel  from  amidships  to  the  stern,  the  forepart  being  in 
the  ordinary  shape. 

Edward  P.  Fitzpatrick,  of  Mount  Morris,  New  York,  November  23,1835, 
patented  a  spiral  screw,  the  shaft  swelling  in  the  middle  like  a  double  cone, 
surrounded  by  a  spiral  thread,  also  wider  in  the  middle  than  at  the  ends. 

1836. — FRENCH  STEAMBOATS. — The  whole  number  of  French  steamboats 
in  1836  was  eighty-two  ;  the  majority  were  of  small  size  and  only  suited  to 
the  navigation  of  the  French  rivers.  Forty-four  were  passenger  boats, 
seventeen  freight  boats,  and  twenty-one  employed  in  towing  ships.  The 
aggregate  horse-power  of  these  eighty-two  steamboats  was  two  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  sixty-three,  an  average  of  thirty-five  horse-power  to 
each  boat.  The  average  tonnage  was  estimated  at  one  hundred  and  eighty 
tons,  or  fifteen  thousand  in  all. 

Twenty-seven  steam-vessels  were  also  in  the  French  Royal  Navy, 
eighteen  afloat,  six  on  the  stocks,  and  three  employed  as  tugs.  Of  the 
eighteen  afloat  eleven  had  one  hundred  and  sixty  horse-power  each,  and 
seven  one  hundred  and  fifty  horse-power  and  under,  and  were  armed  with 
six  guns  each,  two  being  Paixhan  or  steel  guns.  Fifty-four  steam-vessels 
were  also  preparing  for  the  service  of  the  Post-Office  Department  in  the 
Mediterranean. 

THE  ORIGIN  OF  OCEAN  STEAM  NAVIGATION,  1832. 

No  thought  was  entertained  of  the  application  of  steam  to  ocean  navigation 
until  1832,  when  the  subject  was  first  brought  before  the  public  by  an  Amer- 
ican citizen,  a  graduate  of  Yale  College  of  the  class  of  1802,  Junius  Smith, 
L.  L.  D.,  who  had  resided  in  London  over  forty  years,  engaged  in  active 
business  pursuits  with  this  country.  In  1832  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  on  the 
British  ship  "  St.  Leonard,"  arriving  in  New  York  in  October,  after  a  pas- 
sage of  fifty-four  days.  He  returned  to  London  in  the  packet  ship  "  West- 

*  Newburyport  Herald. 


HISTOR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  Ill 

minster,"  sailing  from  New  York  in  December,  making  the  passage  to 
Plymouth,  England,  in  thirty-two  days.  These  two  passages  forced  upon 
his  mind  the  idea  of  transatlantic  steam  navigation,  and  writing  to  his  cor- 
respondents in  New  York,  under  date  "  London,  June  28,  1833,"  he  says: 

"  Thirty-two  days  from  New  York  to  Plymouth  is  no  trifle ;  any  ordinary 
sea-going  steamer  would  have  run  it  with  the  weather  we  had  in  fifteen  days  with 
ease.  I  shall  not  relinquish  the  project  unless  I  find  it  absolutely  imprac- 
ticable." 

After  giving  the  subject  thoughtful  examination,  his  mind  became  tho- 
roughly imbued  with  the  project,  and  he  entered  upon  it  with  enthusiasm, 
first  introducing  the  scheme  to  leading  businessmen  and  bankers  of  London, 
and  to  shipping  merchants  engaged  in  the  American  trade.  The  novel 
project  was  received  with  indifference  and  scouted  as  visionary,  and  presenting 
insurmountable  obstacles.  These  objections  he  regarded  as  the  offspring  of 
ignorant  prejudice,  which  it  was  his  province  to  overthrow.  He  issued  a 
prospectus  embodying  facts  and  figures  to  disprove  such  objections,  which  he 
distributed  personally.  He  failed  to  meet  with  the  slightest  encouragement, 
but  on  the  contrary,  with  unqualified  ridicule,  as  a  visionary,  and  an 
outspoken  opposition  from  all  the  sailing-packet  interest,  whose  craft  would 
be  endangered  if  the  enterprise  should  prove  successful.  Nothing  daunted 
by  these  difficulties,  which  served  only  to  furnish  him  new  arguments  favor- 
able to  his  project  and  to  enlarge  his  ideas,  he  issued  a  second  and  then  a 
third  prospectus,  giving  a  wider  scope  to  his  idea  on  a  more  extended  basis. 
Thus,  his  first  prospectus  contemplated  a  company  with  £100,000  sterling 
capital  to  build  steamers  of  1,000  tons,  while  his  third  prospectus  proposed 
forming  a  company  with  £1,000,000  sterling  capital,  to  build  steamers  of 
1,800  to  2,000  tons.  These  prospectuses  presented  calculations  based  upon 
facts  connected  with  the  commerce  and  shipping  interests  of  the  two  coun- 
tries which  could  not  be  controverted,  the  only  remaining  point  was  to  satisfy 
the  public  of  .the  practicability  of  the  scheme. 

Here  was  a  direct  issue,  for  which  no  precedent  was  furnished,  and  it 
seemed  for  a  time  a  formidable  objection.  Although  the  fact  that  a  vessel 
might  be  safely  and  expeditiously  navigated  by  steam-power  from  port  to 
port  in  the  coasting  trade  was  fully  demonstrated,  it  was  universally  thought 
impracticable  to  cross  the  Atlantic  by  the  same  means.  It  was  a  Herculean 
task  to  turn  such  currents  of  thought,  but  to  this  great  change  his  efforts  were 
directed.  In  accomplishing  this  he  set  about  organizing  a  company  under 
the  title  of  "  The  British  and  American  Steam  Navigation  Company,"  by 
securing  a  Board  of  Directors  upon  the  basis  of  his  third  prospectus,  as  stated, 
with  a  capital  of  £1,000,000  sterling.  To  further  this  he  waited  upon  lead- 
ing merchants  and  bankers,  soliciting  the  use  of  their  names  borrowing  them 


128  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

as  a  man  would  borrow  money,  with  the  promise  to  return  it  as  soon  as  he 
could  do  without.  After  great  labor  he  succeeded  in  securing  a  list  of 
Directors.  With  these  he  came  before  the  public,  ©pening  books  of  sub- 
scription to  the  stock.  Here  it  may  be  proper  to  remark  that  a  more  diffi- 
cult task  can  scarcely  be  conceived  than  the  introduction  to  the  British 
public  of  a  new  project  embracing  such  physical  objections  as  Atlantic 
Ocean  steam  navigation  for  a  consecutive  number  of  days,  for  the  reason 
that  they  are  a  conservative  and  peculiarly  cautious  people,  slow  to  move, 
while  ready  with  their  vast  wealth  for  great  enterprises.  The  books  of 
subscription  were  opened  in  July,  1836,  shares  were  liberally  subscribed, 
sufficient  being  alloted  to  warrant  contracting  for  their  first  steamship,  which 
was  made  with  Messrs.  Curling  &  Young,  shipbuilders  at  Blackwall,  London. 
Relative  to  this  Dr.  Smith  wrote  his  New  York  correspondents  : 

"I  have  the  pleasure  to  inform  you  that  the  Directors  of  the  'British  and 
American  Steam  Navigation  Company'  have  contracted  for  the  building  of 
the  largest  and  intended  to  be  the  most  splendid  steamship  ever  built,  ex- 
pressly for  the  New  York  and  London  trade.  She  will  measure  one  thou- 
sand seven  hundred  tons,  two  hundred  feet  keel, forty  feet  beam,  three  decks, 
and  everything  in  proportion.  She  will  carry  two  engines  of  two  hundred 
and  twenty-five  horse-power  each,  seventy-six  inch  cylinder,  and-  nine  feet 
stroke.  The  expense  of  this  steam-frigate  is  estimated  at  £60,000.  These 
large  undertakings  require  time  to  mature,  but  I  think  the  business  will  at 
last  be  done  effectually." 

The  contract  for  the  engines  was  made  with  Messrs.  Claude,  Girdwood  & 
Co.,  of  Glasgow,  which  firm,  after  completing  about  two-thirds  of  the  work, 
was  obliged  to  suspend  and  went  into  bankruptcy,  which  proved  a  serious 
disappointment,  involving  a  year's  delay.  A  new  contract  was  then  made 
with  Mr.  Robert  Napier,  of  Glasgow,  and  as  the  building  of  the  ship  pro- 
gressed the  views  of  the  Directors  enlarged,  resulting  in  the  completion  of 
the  "  British  Queen,"  of  two  thousand  four  hundred  tons.  The  delay  con- 
sequent upon  the  failure  of  the  first  contractors  for  the  engines,  coupled  with 
the  importance  of  practical  demonstration  of  the  feasibility  of  crossing  the 
Atlantic  Ocean  by  steam,  determined  the  company  to  charter  the  steamer 
"Sirius,"  of  about  seven  hundred  tons,  fbr  a  voyage  from  London  to  New 
York  and  return.  She  was  dispatched  from  London  1st  April,  1838,  and 
arrived  at  New  York  on  the  17th,  making  the  passage  in  sixteen  days'  con- 
secutive steaming,  encountering  very  tempestuous  weather,  completely  de- 
monstrating the  feasibility  of  crossing  the  Atlantic  by  steam.  She  was  soon 
succeeded  by  the  "  British  Queen,"  which  left  London  in  July,  1839,  and 
arrived  in  New  York  after  a  passage  of  fourteen  and  a  half  days.  It  is  cer- 
tainly of  value  as  a  matter  of  record,  to  give  the  prospectus  under  which  the 
enterprise  was  originated.  The  following  is  a  verbatim  copy  of  the  original : 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  129 

«  BRITISH  AND  AMERICAN  STEAM  NAVIGATION  COMPANY. 

"CAPITAL,  £1,000,000,  IN  10,000  SHARES  OF  £100  EACH. 

DIRECTORS : 

"  HeDry  Bainbridge,  Esq.,  Chairman, 

"  Chas.  Enderby,  Esq.,  Col.  Aspinwall,  U.  States  Consul, 

"  Capt.  Thomas  Larkins,  Junius  Smith,  Esq., 

"  Capt.  Ro-bt.  Locke,  Jos.  Robinson  Pirn,  Esq., 

"  Capt.  Robt.  Isaacke,  Liverpool, 

"  Paul  Twigg,  Esq.,  Dublin,         Jas.  Beale,  Esq.,  Cork. 

"  Bankers — Messrs.  Puget,  Bainbridge  &  Co.,  12  St.  Paul's  Churchyard. 

"  Secretary — Macgregor  Laird,  Esq. 

"  The  object  of  this  company  is  to  establish  a  regular  and  certain  commu- 
nication by  steamships  between  Great  Britain  and  the  United  States.  The 
vessels  are  intended  to  depart  alternately  from  London  and  Liverpool  to 
New  York ;  their  average  passage  will  not  exceed  fifteen  days.  The  com- 
pany's first  vessel,  the  '  British  Queen,'  has  capacity  for  five  hundred  pas- 
sengers, twenty-five  days'  fuel,  and  eighty  tons  measurement  goods,  exclusive 
of  provisions,  stores,  etc. 

"  The  successful  voyages  of  'Sirius'  and  '  Great  Western'  steamships  having 
placed  the  success  of  the  undertaking  beyond  a  doubt,  the  Directors  are  now 
preparing  contracts  for  other  vessels  of  similar  description  to  the  '  British 
Queen,'  and  will  be  able  in  1839  to  despatch  their  vessels  for  New  York  on 
the  1st  and  16th  of  each  month  from  London  and  Liverpool  alternately. 

"  Applications  for  shares  may  be  made  to  Macgregor  Laird,  Esq.,  at  the 
Company's  offices,  78  Cornhill ;  to  Buxendale,  Tathem,  Upton  &  Johnston, 
7  Great  Manchester  Street,  London  ;  to  Isaac  Miller,  Esq.,  Liverpool,  and 
to  Boyle,  Low,  Pain  &  Co.,  Duane  Street,  Dublin." 

Such  was  the  modest  prospectus  under  which  a  system  of  ocean  steam 
navigation,  now  extending  throughout  the  entire  globe,  was  inaugurated. 

The  Duke  of  Wellington,  in  answer  to  a  letter  addressed  to  him  by  Dr. 
Junius  Smith,  replied  "  he  would  give  no  countenance  to  any  scheme  which 
had  for  its  object  a  change  in  the  established  system  of  the  country."* 

1830.— THE  FIRST  STEAMERS  IN  CHINA.— In  the  "  Life  of  E.  C.  Bridge- 
man,  the  Pioneer  of  American  Missions  in  China,"  the  arrival  of  the  first 
steamer  at  Macao  is  thus  mentioned  in  his  diary : 

"  May  1,  1830. — Arrived  at  Macao  on  the  19th  (April)  in  the  steamer 

*  These  facts  were  furnished  to  the  JV.  Y.  Evening  Post  by  Henry  Smith,  of  the  firm  of 
Wadsworth  &  Smith,  N.  Y.,  who  is  in  possession  of  all  the  correspondence  from  the  first 
inception  of  the  enterprise. 

9 


130  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

*  Forbes,'  the  first  ship  of  the  kind  that  has  ever  visited  these  shores.  She's 
a  wonder  to  the  Chinese  ;  they  call  her  Fo  Shune,  —  The  Fire-Ship." 

In  1832  a  Canton  paper  contained  an  advertisement  of  the  steamer 
"  King-fa."  It  said,  "  She  carries  a  cow,  a  surgeon,  a  band  of  music,  and 
has  rooms  elegantly  fitted  up  for  cards  and  opium  smoking." 

In  1835  an  attempt  was  made  by  the  foreign  residents  to  place  a  small 
steamboat  called  the  "  Jardine"  upon  the  Canton  River,  to  run  between. 
Lintin,  Macao,  and  Whampoa.  In  consequence  of  the  opposition  of  the 
Chinese  authorities,  as  shown  in  the  following  correspondence,  the  under- 
taking was  temporarily  abandoned.  The  editor  of  the  Canton  Register  re- 
marks :  "  We  understand  that  the  project  of  running  the  steamer  in  the  way 
set  forth  in  the  letter  is  not  abandoned,  notwithstanding  the  deputy-gov- 
ernor's refusal  to  accede  to  the  proposition  of  the  whole  of  the  foreign  com- 
munity of  Canton.  Perhaps  the  arrival  of  the  new  governor  will  be  a  favor- 
able opportunity  to  re-urge  this  reasonable  and  judicious  plan  of  communica- 
tion with  the  shipping  at  Lintin  and  with  Macao.  A  united  and  determined 
perseverance  on  the  part  of  the  foreigners  is  all  that  is  wanted  to  carry  this 
or  any  other  reasonable  project  into  effect. 

"  We  notice  with  unfeigned  pleasure  the  unanimous  feeling  of  the  foreign 
community  on  this  subject.  The  name  of  every  foreign  merchant  in  Canton 
was  signed  to  the  letter  to  Howqua,  including  the  three  East  India  Com- 
pany's agents,  whose  names  head  the  list.  0  si  sic 


"  To  HOWQUA,  SENIOR  HONG  MERCHANT  -    -  CANTON  : 

"  SIR,  —  We,  the  undersigned,  merchants  of  all  nations  residing  at  Canton  j 
having  for  years  past  experienced  much  inconvenience  from  the  tardiness 
and  uncertainty  of  our  communication  with  Macao,  where  our  wives  and 
children  reside,  as  well  as  from  the  difficulties  attending  the  conveyance  of 
letters  to  and  from  vessels  arriving  and  departing,  have  lately  procured  from 
Europe,  at  considerable  expense,  a  traveling  boat  of  a  modern  construction 
propelled  by  steam  and  capable  of  moving  against  wind  and  tide. 

"  The  said  boat  having  arrived  at  Lintin,  we  intend  to  order  her  up  with- 
out delay  ;  and,  as  the  officers  stationed  at  the  different  forts,  never  having 
seen  a  travelling  boat  of  this  description,  may  entertain  erroneous  ideas  re- 
garding her,  and  may  attempt  to  impede  her  passage  up  the  river,  which 
might  terminate  in  disaster,  the  motive  of  our  now  addressing  you  is  to  re- 
quest the  favor  of  your  forwarding  a  true  statement  to  the  government 
officers,  in  order  to  preclude  the  possibility  of  misunderstanding  or  trouble. 

"  Being  all  personally  known  to  you,  it  is  superfluous  to  assure  you  of  our 
peaceable  dispositions  and  the  rectitude  of  our  intentions. 

"Our  boat  is  purely  a  passage-boat,  and  no  cargo  can  ever  be  admitted. 
Neither  is  she  provided  with  a  defensive  weapon  of  any  description,  such  is 

*  Canton  Register,  December  29,  1835. 


HISTOK  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VI GA  TION.  131 

our  unbounded  confidence  in  the  protection  of  the  Imperial  government. 
Any  officer  doubting  our  statement  can  satisfy  himself  by  personal  inspec- 
tion. 

"The  regularity  of  communication  thus  established  will  leave  no  induce- 
ment to  resort  any  longer  to  Chinese  fast-boats  for  the  conveyance  of  letters 
or  passengers,  which  has  so  frequently  led  to  petitioning  at  the  city  gate,  re- 
moving at  once  one  of  the  chief  sources  of  trouble  to  the  Hong  merchants  as 
well  as  to  ourselves. 

"  The  boat  is  expected  at  Canton  in  seven  days,  when  we  shall  be  happy 
to  see  you,  sir,  or  any  gentleman  of  your  honorable  country,  on  board. 

"  With  compliments  we  affix  our  names. 

"  We  herein  state  her  length  85  feet,  beam  17  feet,  draft  of  water,  6  feet. 
Reduced  to  Chinese  feet  in  the  Chinese  letter,  being  70  feet  length,  14  beam, 
6  draft  of  water." 

To  this  letter  the  Hong  merchants  replied  : 

"  We  respectfully  inform  you,  benevolent  elder  brethren,  that  yesterday 
we  received  your  letter,  the  contents  of  which  we  immediately  submitted  to 
Tuhheen.  Now,  we  have  received  the  Tuhheen's  reply,  which  we  have  faith- 
fully transcribed,  and  we  present  it  praying  that  you,  benevolent  elder 
brethren,  will  all  inform  yourselves  thereof.  You,  gentlemen,  and  the 
established  authorities  of  your  honorable  country,  should  obey  the  orders 
that  the  said  steamship  is  not  permitted  to  enter  the  port.  When  there  are 
letters,  ships'  boats,  as  heretofore,  should  be  ordered  to  make  a  clear  report 
and  bring  them  up  for  delivery.  We  earnestly  request  your  particular 
attention  to  this  matter.  Directed  to  Mr.  Jardine  and  the  constituted 
gentlemen  for  their  information. 

"  Signed  by  tyootaeyung,  and  ten  others. 

"llth  moon,  6th  day,— 25th  December,  1835." 

The  acting  governor  also  wrote  to  Hong  merchants  in  reply  to  the  peti- 
tion of  the  foreign  merchants  : 

"  Ke,  Guardian  of  the  Prince,  Acting  Governor-general  cf  the  two  Kwang, 
Seunfoo  of  Kwantung,  proclaims  to  the  Hong  merchants,  who  have  presented 
the  petition  of  the  English  foreign  merchant  Tanele  (Daniel)  and  the  others 
in  reply — 

"  I  have  examined,  and  find  that  each  ship  of  every  nation  arriving  in  the 
Chinese  waters  (of  Canton  province)  have  hitherto  been  cargo-ships,  and, 
consequently,  they  have  been  permitted  to  come  up  to  Whampoa  ;  with  these 
exceptions,  ships  are  not  allowed  to  enter  the  port.  As  the  ships  that  re- 
main at  anchor  in  the  offing  have  letters  for  delivery  and  such-like  business, 
heretofore  it  has  been  the  custom  to  order  ships'  boats  to  make  a  clear  re- 
port at  the  custom-houses,  and  then  allow  them  to  enter  the  port ;  these  are 
the  reported  and  fixed  regulations.  Now,  as  the  English  have  brought 
hither  a  steamship,  it  is  proper  to  manage  the  affair  agreeably  to  the  regula- 


132  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

tions.  The  said  Hong  merchants  must  immediately  transmit  the  orders  to 
the  foreigner  of  the  said  steamship,  that  if  he  has  letters  he  should  order 
ships'  boats  to  make  a  clear  report,  and  then  enter  the  port  and  deliver  the 
letters,  he  must  not  hastily  bring  in  the  steamship;  if  he  presumes  obstinately 
to  disobey,  I,  the  Acting-Governor,  have  already  issued  orders  to  all  the  forts 
that  when  the  steamship  arrives  they  are  to  open  a  thundering  fire  and  at- 
tack her.  On  the  whole,  since  he  has  arrived  within  the  boundaries  of  the 
Celestial  Dynasty,  it  is  right  that  we  should  obey  the  laws  of  the  Celestial 
Dynasty.  I  order  the  said  foreigner  to  ponder  this  well  and  act  in  trem- 
bling obedience  thereto. 

"TAOUKWANG,  15th  year,  llth  moon,  6th  day,— 25th  December,  1835." 

Hoppo  followed  this  letter  with  this  edict  three  days  later : 
"Pang,  by  Imperial  appointment  Controller- General  of  the  Customs  at  Canton, 
<etc.  : 

"  I  have  examined  and  find  that  the  reported  and  fixed  regulations  are 
that  the  foreign  ships  of  every  nation,  when  they  arrive  in  the  waters  of 
Canton,  should,  as  the  law  directs,  make  a  clear  report  and  receive  a  pilot 
to  bring  them  up  to  Whampoa.     In  the  transmission  of  letters  hitherto  open 
boats  have  been  used  to  enter  and  leave  the  port,  which  waited  to  be  ex- 
amined ;  this  has   been   the  custom  for  very  many  years,  and  there   has 
neither   been   delay  nor  impedient ;  and  most  assuredly  these  regulations 
are  unchangeable.    It  is  now  authenticated  that  the  English  have  petitioned 
respecting  a  newly-built  steamship.    This  is  scarcely  a  credible  affair.     She 
is  not  permitted  to  enter  the  port.     I  order  the  head  Hong  merchants  and  all 
the  others  immediately  to  direct  their  most  assiduous  attention  to  the  expla- 
nation of  the  orders  to  the  said  foreigners,  that  they  should  be  obedient  to 
the  fixed  regulations  as  established  by  the  Emperor,  and  that  they  should 
use  ships'  small  open  boats  for  the  conveyance  of  letters  in  going  and  re- 
turning, and  reverently  obey  the  laws  of  the  Celestial  Dynasty  ;  they  are  not 
allowed  presumptuously  to  make  changes  and  oppose  the  prohibitory  laws. 
Forthwith  obey  my  former  orders  on  this  business,  and  await  the  reply  of 
the  Acting-Governor. 

"  TAOUKWANG,  15th  year,  llth  moon,  9th  day,— December  28,  1835." 

The  doubt  expressed  by  Pang  as  to  the  credibility  of  the  "affair"  of  the 
steamer  is  pointed  at  the  manner  in  which  he  supposes  she  may  be  employed  ; 
he  does  not  believe  that  she  is  merely  intended  as  a  passage-boat  and  packet, 
and  seems  afraid  there  is  some'  ulterior  design  on  the  part  of  the  foreigners.* 

*  "  The  steamer  «  Jardine  '  was  sailed  out  as  a  schooner  from  Aberdeen  (Scotland),  and 
arrived  in  September,  1835,  at  Lintin,  where  her  machinery  was  put  in  working  order; 
and  she  made  several  trips  to  the  Bogue  (Bocca  Tigris)  in  November,  being  intended  as  a 
passenger  and  mail  conveyance  between  Macao,  Lintin,  and  Canton.  But,  although  every 
foreign  merchant  residing  at  Canton  signed  a  letter  to  Howqua  for  submission  to  the  Cover- 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  133 

In  Williams'  "Middle  Kingdom"  (vol.  i.  pp.  573,  574,  edition  1876)  there 
is  a  description  of  a  steamer  which  "  was  attached  to  drawings  ma<Je  by  the 
Chinese  when  the  English  attacked  Canton  in  1841 : " 

"  She's  more  than  three  hundred  cubits  long, 
And  thirty-odd  in  height  and  breadth  ; 
Iron  is  used  to  bend  her  stiff  and  stout, 
And  she's  painted  black  all  round  about ; 
Like  a  weaver's  shuttle  is  her  shape ; 
On  both  sides  carriage  -wheels  are  fixed, 
And,  using  fossil  coal  to  make  a  fire, 
They  whirl  around  as  the  race-horse  flies. 
Of  white  cloth  all  the  sails  are  made, 
In  winds  both  fair  and  foul  she  goes. 
On  her  bow  is  the  god  of  the  waves, 
At  stem  and  stern  is  a  revolving  gun ; 
Her  form  is  truly  terrific  to  men. ' 
The  god  of  the  North  displaying  his  sanctity, 
The  sunken  rocks  there  shoaled  the  steamer ; 
All  who  saw  it  witnessed  to  the  justice  of  heaven. 
None  of  the  plans  of  the  foreigners  took  effect,  '* 
Which  greatly  delighted  the  hearts  of  men." 

In  this  connection,  referring  to  the  American  steamers  trading  in  Canton 
waters,  Mr.  Gideon  Nye  wrote  : 

"  Premising  that  several  steamers  under  the  British  flag  preceded  the 
coming  of  any  but  a  very  small  one  under  our  own,-I  merely  recall  that  this 
one  was  the  *  Fire-Fly,'  sent  out  in  pieces  by  R.  B.  Forbes,  Esq.,  of  Boston, 
to  run  between  Canton  and  Whampoa ;  that  he  sent  next  the  '  Spark '  (that 
is  still  running  to  Macao,  after  having  been  lengthened  about  sixteen  feet), 
also  in  pieces,  chiefly  for  account  of  the  late  Mr.  J.  B.  Endicott ;  and  another 
called  the  '  Midas,'  that  went  hence  to  Brazil.  These  all  came  out  during 
my  absence  from  Canton, — that  is,  after  1845  and  before  1850. 

"  During  the  same  period  three  British  steamers  were  running  between 
Canton  and  Hong  Kong, — the  '  Corsair,'  the  *  Canton,'  and  the  '  Hong 
Kong.'  In  1854  the  late  Mr.  Robert  Sturgis,  Mr.  J.  B.  Endicott,  and  my- 
self sent  to  New  York  for  a  larger  class  steamer  for  this  river  trade,  and  in 
her  (under  command  of  Captain  Sampson)  came  the  late  Captain  George  U. 
Sands  as  chief  engineer;  she  being  called,  I  think,  the  'Fung  Shung'  when  she 
left  New  York,  but  the  new  name  of '  River  Bird,'  suggested  by  my  partner, 
Mr.  Tuckerman  (late  U.  S.  Minister  in  Greece),  was  given  her  here.  In  1854 

nor,  stating  the  purpose  of  her  employment  and  engaging  that  she  should  be  restricted  to  it, 
the  thief  authorities  refused  consent  to  her  entering  the  river ;  and  this  was  peremptory,  not- 
withstanding the  admiral's  disposition  to  admit  her,  having  visited  her  and  allowed  her  to 
take  his  own  junk  in  tow  up  and  down  Anson's  Bay,  after  which  he  freely  acknowledged 
that  there  could  be  no  harm  in  her  running." — GIDEON  NYE,  in  China  Review,  Hong 
Kong,  1875. 


* 
134  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

the  steamer  '  CaroliDa  '  was  bought  for  me  in  California,  and  brought  over 
by  Captain  Sampson  in  1855 ;  but  I  sent  her  to  Calcutta,  where  also  the 
1  River  Bird'  was  sent  by  Mr.  Sturgis  after  the  war  of  1856  stopped  the  river 
traffic.  Hostilities  here  continued  until  1&60,  though  after  the  treaty  of 
Tientsin,  in  1858,  there  was  a  partial  resumption  of  business.  Meantime 
Captain  Sampson  had  returned  to  California  and  brought  over  the  '  Willia- 
mette.'  Soon  after  the  '  White  Cloud  '  came  cut  from  New  York,  chiefly 
for  Mr.  Sturgis'  and  Captain  Sands's  account,  and  next  the  'Hankow,'  both 
under  steam,  followed  later  by  the  'Kiushau'in  pieces,  to  be  set  up  at 
"Whampoa.  The  '  Fire-Dart'  was  sent  down  from  Shanghai,  followed  thence, 
later,  by  the  '  Po-yang'  and  '  Kiu-Kiang.'  The  '  Hankow'  was  destroyed  by 
fire  here,  and  the  'Pc-yang'  was  lost  in  a  typhoon  near  Macao."* 

1836. — PROPOSED  INVULNERABLE  STEAM  BATTERY  AND  TORPEDO  BOAT. 
— The  New  York  Times,  in  1836,  says,  "  Clinton  Roosevelt  of  N.  Y.,  has  in- 
vented an  invulnerable  steam-  battery.  It  is  rendered  invulnerable  by  mak- 
ing the  bow  and  stern  of  the  vessel  alike  sharp  and  plating  them  with 
polished  iron  armor,  with  high  bulwarks,  and  a  sharp  roof  plated  in  like 
manner,  with  the  design  of  glancing  the  balls.  The  means  of  offense  are  a 
torpedo  made  to  lower  on  nearing  an  enemy,  and  driven  by  a  mortar  into 
the  enemy's  side  under  water,  where,  by  a  fusee,  it  will  explode.  There  is 
also  a  large  cannon  at  each  end  of  the  battery,  and  mortars  to  throw  com- 
bustibles upon  the  sails  and  decks  of  opponents.  There  are  means  to  pre- 
vent balls  reaching  any  part  of  the  machinery,  and  the  design  is  always  to 
fight  the  vessel  end-on.". 

This  device  seems  not  to  have  been  put  to  practical  experiment,  but  most 
of  the  ideas  have  been  adopted  or  incorporated  in  vessels  of  a  later  date. 

1836. — COMMODORE  BARRON'S  PROW-SHIP.— A  model  of  Commodore 
James  Barren's  prow-ship  was  exhibited  in  the  rotunda  of  the  Capitol  at 
Washington  in  1836,  and  is  now  preserved  in  the  Seamanship  building  at 
the  Naval  Academy,  Annapolis,  Maryland.  Its  inventor  thus  described 
this,  the  first  steam  ram  ever  proposed,  under  date  February  11,  1836  : 

"  I  would  propose  that  a  vessel  be  constructed  of  solid  logs  of  light  timber, 
the  gravity  of  which  would  not  exceed  four-tenths  that  of  water,  and  be  of 
such  bulk  that  the  upper  part  of  the  solid  log-work  of  the  centre  vessel 
would  float  six  or  eight  feet  above  its  surface. 

"  Let  this  vessel,  or  combination  of  vessels,  be  of  large  dimensions,  say 
from  one  hundrec^  and  fifty  to  two  hundred  or  two  hundred  and  thirty  feet 
long,  and  seventy  or  eighty  feet  wide,  and  resembling  in  their  forpi  a  steam- 
boat of  the  treble  construction.  The  prow  should  be  very  strong,  and  for  a 
few  feet  aft  a  little  sharp;  but  not  so  much  so  as  to  impair  its  strength. 
The  point  of  it  should  not  be  reduced  to  a  less  thickness  than  three  or  four 

*  Gideon  Nye,  author  of  "History  of  American  Commerce  with  China,"  to  Thomas 
Gibbons. 


HISTORY  OF  STE^M  NAVIGATION.  135 

feet,  and  not  exceeding  in  its  whole  length  beyond  the  bow  of  the  centre 
vessel  fifteen  or  twenty  feet,  and  that  prominence  covered  with  iron  plates 
from  three  to  four  inches  thick,  eight  or  ten  inches  wide,  and  six  or  eight 
feet  long  on  each  arm,  formed  into  an  acute  angle  to  fit  the  shape  of  the 
prow,  and  enlarged  at  their  junction  on  the  point  of  the  prow  to  about  eight 
or  ten  inches  in  thickness,  and  rounding  outwards  in  sharp-pointed  knobs, 
out  in  large  diamond  form.  These  plates  should  be  placed  four  or  five  inches 
apart  from  each  other,  and  let  half  their  thickness  into  the  wood,  which  will 
produce  a  saw-shaped  space  upon  the  prow,  and  prevent  the  glancing  of  the 
vessel  from  her  object,  either  up  or  down,  or  sideways. 

"  The  logs  that  form  the  prow  should  be  at  least  two  feet  square,  thirty  or 
forty  feet  long,  and  of  the  hardest  and  toughest  wood,  such  as  oak  or  elm 
and  occupy  a  space  of  ten  or  twelve  feet  up  and  down,  and  be  supported  on 
each  side  by  the  same  kind  of  timber.  The  iron  plates  should  be  securely 
bolted  through  the  whole  mass,  but  particularly  so  through  these  logs  of 
hard  timber.  To  protect  the  crew  and  machinery  from  shot,  let  the  guard- 
vessels  without  the  centre  vessel  be  built  twelve  or  fifteen  feet  wide,  and  of 
solid  white  pine  timber,  and  projected  a  sufficient  distance  from  the 
sides  of  the  centre  vessel  to  embrace  the  paddle-wheels.  These  barricade 
vessels  should  be  of  sufficient  elevation  to  cover  the  upper  part  of  the  paddle- 
wheels.  Each  of  the  lower  parts  must  form  a  bottom  similar  to  the  centre 
one,  and  be  secured  to  it  forward  and  aft  by  the  cross  logs  of  which  the 
centre  vessel  is  constructed,  projecting  from  her  sides  to  such  a  distance  as 
to  allow  spaces  for  the  paddle-wheels  on  each  side,  and  from  as  many  points 
above  the  water  between  the  paddle-wheels  as  might  be  required  for  strength. 

"The  water  is  admitted  to  these  paddle-wheels  between  the  bows  of  these 
vessels  through  a  channel  formed  by  a  long  inverted  arch,  the  lowest  point 
of  which  must  descend  below  the  level  of  the  lower  part  of  the  wheels.  The 
solid  log-work,  forward  and  aft  of  the  centre  vessel,  should  form  a  mass  of 
at  least  twelve  or  fifteen  feet  in  thickness,  or  as  the  side  vessels. 

"  Over  the  top  of  these  vessels  lay  a  tier  of  logs  about  two  feet  square, 
which  will  serve  as  a  protection  to  the  crew  and  machinery  from  any  as- 
saults by  boarding,  etc.  The  middle  vessel  may  be  hollowed  out,  at  a  proper 
distance  from  her  extremes,  if  more  buoyancy  is  required  than  the  timber 
itself  gives,  except  amidships,  and  there  the  log-work  should  be  continuous 
from  the  prow  all  the  way  aft. 

"The  object  of 'this  vessel  is  to  destroy  men-of-war  by  running  into  them 
with  such  impetuosity  as  to  break  down  their  sides  sufficiently  to  admit 
water  in  such  quantities  as  would  defy  all  possible  efforts  to  prevent  im- 
mediate sinking. 

"  Only  about  ten  or  twelve  feet  of  the  prow  of  this  vessel  ought  to  be 
allowed  to  strike  the  ship  that  is  assailed ;  the  other  parts,  above  and  below, 
should  recede  or  incline  aft,  and  this  ten  or  twelve  feet  space  should  be  so 
situated  as  to  come  in  contact  with  the  side  of  the  enemy  five  or  six  feet 


136  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

above  the  water  and  five  or  six  feet  below  its  surface.  The  resistance  to  the 
stroke  would  be  less  impeded  than  it  would  be  were  it  given  by  a  prow  of 
greater  extent,  and  of  course  it  would  be  more  certain  to  pierce  or  break 
down  that  part  of  the  side  of  the  enemy's  ship  which  it  might  come  in  con- 
tact with.  Three  steam-engines,  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  horse-power 
each,  would  propel  such  a  vessel  at  the  rate  of  eight  or  ten  miles,  or  more> 
per  hour,  and  should  be  preferred  to  larger  ones,  as  they  would  be  less  liable 
to  damage  from  the  shock  to  which  they  might  be  exposed  when  the  vessel 
should  come  at  her  full  speed  in  contact  with  the  enemy. 

"  Let  those  who  are  curious  or  doubtful  of  the  efficiency  of  this  plan  cal- 
culate the  effect  which  would  be  produced  on  a  stationary  body  by  a  con- 
cussion so  violent  as  would  be  occasioned  by  a  stroke  of  the  prow  of  this 
massive  vessel.  To  make  it  apparent  that  the  strongest  ships  in  the  world 
are  entirely  inadequate  to  resist  such  force,  it  need  only  be  observed  that 
they  seldom  come  in  contact  with  each  other  with  any  violence  without 
sinking  or  sustaining  a  most  destructive  degree  of  damage. 

"  Ancient  as  well  as  modern  history  furnishes  us  with  many  proofs  of  the 
decided  effects  of  this  mode  of  attack.  The  Romans  and  Carthaginians 
were  in  the  .practice  of  running  into  each  other's  vessels  at  their  greatest 
speed,  impelled  by  their  oars ;  and  it  is  recorded  of  them  that  when  they 
found  their  enemies  entangled  with  their  friends,  so  as  to  render  them  sta- 
tionary for  the  moment  of  their  assault,  that  it  seldom  failed  to  produce  that 
description  of  destruction  contemplated  by  the  adoption  of  this  invention ; 
but  the  power  of  steam  and  the  solid  construction  of  this  vessel  would  give 
this  mode  of  attack  a  decided  advantage  over  all  other  attempts  of  a  similar 
nature  ever  heretofore  resorted  to,  and  beyond  a  doubt  insure  success. 

"  The  proof  of  the  effects  of  an  attack  made  by  a  whale  on  the  ship  *  Essex' 
of  New  Bedford,  in  the  year  1819,  is  conclusive  that  no  construction  of  a 
ship  now  known  could  resist  the  shock  of  such  a  vessel  as  the  one  I  have 
described.  A  circumstance  not  very  dissimilar  occurred  to  Captain  Jones, 
in  the  United  States  ship  '  Peacock,'  in  the  Pacific  Ocean. 

"  The  instances  of  destruction  occasioned  to  vessels  by  one  running  into 
another  are  too  numerous  to  admit  of  a  doubt  that  if  the  plan  recommended 
above  should  be  adopted  on  a  proper  scale,  it  could  never  fail  of  effecting  its 
object. 

"  The  rudder  is  attached  to  the  centre  vessel,  and  must  be  moved  by  a 
wheel,  which  may  be  placed  on  the  upper  surface  of  the  centre  vessel,  under 
the  roof  or  main  covering^  either  forward  or  aft;  but  I  should  prefer  its 
being  aft,  and  it  should  be  considerably  forward  and  lower  down  than  in 
ordinary  cases.  A  breast-work  should  be  raised  aft,  for  the  protection  of 
officers  and  others;  also  for  the  chimneys  and  steam-pipes,  in  their  proper 
places,  which  should  be  circular. 

"The  timber  alluded  to  in  the  above  description  is  the  white  pine, — 
'PinusStrobui,' — poplar, — ' Liriodendron  Tulipifera,' — and  some  species  of  the 
gum,  none  of  which  exceed  four-tenths  of  the  gravity  of  water. 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  137 

"  The  prow  mentioned  in  the  first  part  of  this  description  is  not  of  such  a 
form  as  I  would  either  use  myself  or  recommend  to  those  whom  I  would 
allow  to  use  my  invention :  that  form  might  become  fixed  in  the  body  as- 
sailed, but  the  form  represented  by  the  drawing  will  surely  clear  itself. 

"  In  speaking  of  the  different  presentations  of  the  prow  and  its  momentum,, 
it  is  to  be  considered  as  in  contact  with  a  solid  body. 

"Dimensions,  etc.,  of  the  steam  prow-ship: 

Length.  Width.  Depth.          Number  of 

feet.  feet.  feet.  Cubic  Feet. 

"  Middle  vessel          ...          150  20  30  90,000 

Side  vessels  .          .  each  125  12  30       both  90,000 

Number  of  cubic  feet  in  the  three  vessels,  180,000. 
Weight  of  each  cubic  foot  of  white  pine  in  the  three  vessels,  24  pounds. 
Specific  gravity  of  the  three  vessels,  4,320,000  pounds,  or  1,963  tons. 
Specific  gravity  of  the  three  vessels  multiplied  by  their  velocity  gives,  as  the  whole    mo- 
mentum of  the  three  vessels,  43,200,000  pounds. 

Momentum  on  each  foot  of  the  prow,  900,000  pounds." 

1836. — STEAM  TOW-BOATS  ON  THE  DELAWARE. — Steam  tow-boats  were 
introduced  upon  the  Delaware  in  1836,  as  appears  from  the  following 
advertisement  which  appeared  in  the  first  number  of  the  Philadelphia^ 
Ledger  March  25,  1836 : 

"  PHILADELPHIA  STEAM  Tow-BoAT  Co. 

"A  meeting  of  the  stockholders  will  be  held  on  Saturday  evening  next, 
at  the  room  of  the  Board  of  Trade,  in  the  Exchange,  at  7  o'clock. 

"  Merchants  generally,  who  take  an  interest  in  facilitating  the  navigation 
of  the  Delaware  by  means  of  steam  tow-boats,  are  respectfully  invited  to 
attend. 

"  By  order  of  the  Board  of  Directors, 

"  D.  B.  STACEY,  Secretary." 

1836. — REGISTERED  STEAM  VESSELS  OF  GREAT  BRITAIN. — The  number 
of  registered  steam-vessels  in  Great  Britain  in  1836  was  three  hundred 
and  ninety-seven.  One  hundred  and  fifty-three  were  under  fifty  tons, 
and  one  hundred  and  eighteen  more  under  one  hundred  tons.  The 
number  above  one  hundred  tons  was  one  hundred  and  twenty-six. 
The  largest,  the  "Monarch,"  of  London,,  measured  only  five  hundred 
and  eighty-seven,  and  no  other  exceeded  four  hundred  tons.  The  newspapers 
of  this  year  speak  of  "  an  immense  steam-frigate,  to  be  called  the  '  Gorgon,' 
to  be  built  in  London.  She  is  to  be  eleven  hundred  tons,  and  will  carry 
twelve  guns,  and  is  larger  than  the  old  seventy-fours." 

In  1837  the  number  and  tonnage  of  steam-vessels  belonging  to  the  British 
empire  distinguishing  British  possessions  in  Europe  from  the  British  plan- 
tations, was 


138  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIOA  TION. 

Vessels.  Ton-nage. 

England, 432  37>24O 

Scotland, 109  13,368 

Ireland,  . 87  18,437 


Total  for  United  Kingdom,           .          .  618  69,045 

Isles  of  Guernsey,  Jersey,  and  Man,         ...  6  832 

British  Plantations 44  8,411 

Total  for  all, 668  78,288 

THE  FIRST  PRACTICAL  SCREW  STEAMERS. 

1836. — Captain  John  Ericsson,*  a  native  of  Sweden,  who  had  for  some 
time  previous  to  the  date  of  his  patent  for  propelling  vessels  been  a  resident 
in  England,  and  was  well  known  as  a  mechanician  of  originality  and  skill,  ob- 
tained a  patent  in  England,  July  13, 1836,  for  a  spiral  propeller  consisting  of 
two  broad  thin  hoops  with  eight  fans,  each  fixed  on  a  shaft,  the  outer  hoop  re- 
volving in  a  contrary  direction  and  at  a  greater  velocity  to  the  inner  one. 
This  propeller  was  to  be  entirely  submerged  abaft  the  rudder,  the  shaft 
passing  through  the  stern-post;  the  rudder  was  divided  into  two  parts,  con- 
nected by  a  strong  iron  stay  on  each  side,  having  a  wide  bend  to  allow  the 
rudder  to  traverse  clear  of  the  shaft.  Before  the  construction  of  his  first 
vessel  Captain  Ericsson  -experimented  in  a  circular  bath  in  London  with  a 
model  boat,  which  was  propelled  by  a  screw.  This  model  boat  was 
fitted  with  a  small  engine  supplied  with  steam  by  a  pipe  leading  from 
a  steam-boiler  over  the  cenfre  of  the  bath  and  descending  to  within  a  foot  of 
the  water-line,  where  it  was  branched  off  by  a  swivel-joint  and  connected 
with  the  engine  in  the  boat.  Steam  being  admitted  in  this  pipe,  the  engine 
in  the  boat  was  put  in  action,  and  motion  was  thus  communicated  to  the 
propeller.  This  model,  though  less  than  three  feet  long,  performed  its  voy- 
age about  the  basin  at  the  rate  of  upwards  of  three  miles  an  hour. 

His  next  step  in  the  invention  was  the  construction  of  a  wooden  boat 
forty-five  feet  long,  eight  feet  beam,  three  feet  draught  of  water,  with  two 
propellers,  each  five  feet  two  inches  in  diameter.  So  successful  was  this  ex- 
periment that  when  steam  was  turned  on  for  the  first  time  the  boat  moved 
at  once  upwards  often  miles  an  hour  without  any  alteration  in  her  machin- 
ery. This  vessel  was  named  by  the  inventor  the  "  Francis  B.  Ogden,"  in 
compliment  to  the  United  States  Consul  at  Liverpool,  who  was  the  first  to 
appreciate  and  encourage  his  efforts.  The  vessel  was  built  at  Wapping,  by 
Mr.  Gulliver,  boat-builder,  and  was  constructed  solely  for  the  purpose  of 
testing  Ericsson's  propeller. 

*  Eric  is  in  Scandinavian  countries  the  same  as  Enrico  in  Italian,  Enrique  in  Spanish, 
Heinrich  in  German,  Henri  in  French,  and  Henry  in  English.  So  that  Mr.  Ericsson  may 
be  called  Mr.  Henryson. 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  139 

The  following  description  of  her  motive  power  was  published  in  the  Lon- 
don Mechanics'  Magazine  for  June,  1837  : 

"  The  propelling  apparatus  is  placed  at  the  stern,  and  works  entirely  under 
the  water.  It  consists  of  a  peculiar  application  of  the  old  and  well-known 
principle  of  the  water  screw,  by  which  a  great  propelling  power  is  concen- 
trated in  a  small  space.  Of  the  degree  of  power  concentrated  no  better 
proof  can  be  adduced  than  the  fact  that  the  speed  of-  4i  knots,  against  wind 
and  tide,  was  produced  by  an  apparatus  measuring  only  5  feet  2  inches  in 
diameter  and  2  feet  2  inches  wide,  weighing  only  615  pounds,  and  worked 
by  a  high-pressure  engine  having  2  cylinders  of  14  inches  stroke  and  12 
inches  diameter,  and  which,  during  the  experiment,  made  only  60  strokes  per 
minute,  and  showed  a  pressure  of  not  more  than  50  pounds  to  the  square 
inch.  The  new  propelling  apparatus  consists  of  two  short  cylinders  of  thin 
wrought  iron  supported  by  arms  of  a  peculiar  form,  which  are  placed  en- 
tirely under  {he  water  at  the  stern  and  made  to  revolve  in  contrary  direc- 
tions round  a  common  centre.  To  the  outer  periphery  of  each  cylinder  is 
attached  a  series  of  spiral  planes  or  plates,  which  may  be  placed  at  any  angle^ 
according  to  the  effect  sought  to  be  obtained,  whether  it  be  great  speed  or 
great  propelling  power. 

"  The  apparatus  may  be  made  to  ship  and  unship  at  pleasure;  the  engine 
that  works  it  may  also  be  loco-movable,  so  as  to  be  worked  upon  deck  and 
any  part  of  the  deck ;  and  in  these  two  peculiarities  we  are  inclined  to  think 
the  chief  advantage  of  this  new  step  in  steam  navigation  will  be  found  to 
consist.  Sailing-vessels  may  by  this  means  command  all  the  aid  that  steam 
can  give  them  without  divesting  themselves  of  any  of  their  peculiar  fitness 
for  long  sea  voyages  or  undergo  any  change  in  their  original  construction."* 

As  noticed,  the  "Ogden"  when  first  tried,  April,  1837,  upon  the  Thames, 
attained  a  speed  of  ten  miles  an  hour.  She  subsequently  towed  schooners 
of  one  hundred  and  forty  tons  seven  miles  an  hour,  and  the  American 
packet-ship  "  Toronto,"  of  six  hundred  and  fifty  tons  register,  at  the  rate  of 
more  than  five  English  miles  an  hour,  according  to  the  following  certificate  : 

"  PACKET-SHIP  '  TORONTO,' 
"  IN  THE  THAMES,  28th  May,  1837. 

"  We  feel  pleasure  in  certifying  that  your  experimental  steamboat,  the 
*  Francis  B.  Ogden,'  has  this  morning  towed  our  ship  at  the  rate  of  43  knots 
through  the  water,  and  against  tide. 

"  E.  NASHLY,  Pilot, 
"  H.  R.  HOOEY,  Mate. 
"  To  CAPTAIN  ERICSSON." 

The  London  engineers  looked  upon  the  experiment  with  silent  neglect, 
and  when  the  subject  was  laid  before  the  British  Admiralty  it  failed  to 

*  Vol.  xxvii,  p.  130. 


140  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

attract  its  favorable  notice.  Accounts  of  the  experiments,  with  favorable 
mention  appeared  in  the  Times,  and  other  public  journals ;  also  in  the  Civil 
En-gineer's  and  Architect1  s  Journal,  the  London  Journal  of  Arts  and  Sciences, 
the  London  Mechanics'  Magazine,  and  similar  publications. 

Perceiving  its  peculiar  and  admirable  fitness  for  ships-of-war,  Ericsson  was 
confident  that  the  Lords  of  the  Admiralty  would  at  once  order  the  construction 
of  a  war-steamer  on  the  new  principle.  He  therefore  invited  them  to  an  ex- 
cursion in  tow  of  his  experimental  boat.  Accordingly,  the  -Admiralty 
barge  was  ordered  to  Somerset  House,  and  Ericsson's  little  steamer  was 
lashed  alongside  of  it. 

A  lecture  before  the  Boston  Lyceum  in  December,  1843,  by  John  O.  Sar- 
gent, supplies  the  following  graphic  description  of  the  trip  : 

"  The  barge  contained  Sir  Charles  Adam,  Senior  Lord  of  the  Admiralty  ; 
Sir  William  Symonds,  Surveyor  of  the  British  Navy ;  Sir  Edward  Parry, 
the  Commander  of  the  Second  British  North  Pole  Expedition  ;  Captain 
Beaufort,  the  Hydrographer  of  the  Royal  Navy ;  and  other  scientific  and 
naval  officers. 

"  In  anticipation  of  a  severe  scrutiny  from  so  distinguished  a  personage  as 
the  chief  constructor  of  the  British  navy,  the  inventor  had  carefully  pre- 
pared plans  of  his  mode  of  propulsion,  which  were  spread  on  the  damask 
cloth  of  the  magnificent  barge.  To  his  utter  astonishment,  as  we  may  well 
imagine,  this  scientific  gentleman*  did  not  appear  to  take  the  slightest  in- 
terest in  his  explanations.  On  the  contrary,  with  those  expressive  shrugs  of 
the  shoulder  and  shakes  of  the  head  which  convey  so  much  without  abso- 
lutely committing  the  actor, — with  an  occasional  sly,  mysterious,  undertone 
remark  to  his  colleagues, — he  indicated  plainly  that  though  his  humanity 
would  not  permit  him  to  give  a  worthy  man  cause  for  unhappiness,  yet  '  he 
could  an'  if  he  would'  demonstrate  by  a  single  word  the  utter  futility  of  the 
invention. 

"  Meanwhile  the  little  steamer  proceeded  at  a  steady  progress  of  ten  miles 
an  houi;  through  the  arches  of  the  Southwark  and  London  bridges  towards 
Limehouse,  and  the  steam-engine  manufactory  of  the  Messrs.  Seward.  Their 
lordships  having  landed  and  inspected  the  huge  piles  of  the  marine  engines 
intended  for  his  Majesty's  steamers,  with  a  look  at  their  favorite  propelling 
apparatus,  the  '  Morgan  paddle-wheel,'  re-embarked,  and  were  safely  re- 
turned to  Somerset  House  by  the  noiseless  and  unseen  propeller  of  the  new 
steamer. 

"  On  parting,  Sir  Charles  Adam,  with  a  sympathizing  air,  shook  Ericsson 
cordially  by  the  hand,  and  thanked  him  for  the  trouble  he  had  been  at  in 
showing  him  and  his  friends  this  interesting  experiment,  adding  that  he 
feared  he  had  put  himself  to  too  great  an  expense  and  trouble.  Notwith- 
standing this  ominous  ending  of  the  day's  excursion,  Ericsson  felt  confident 
that  their  lordships  would  not  fail  to  perceive  the  importance  of  the  inven- 

*  Sir  William  Symonds. 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  141 

tion.  To  his  surprise,  however,  a  few  days  afterwards  a  letter  written  by 
Captain  Beaufort,  at  the  suggestion,  probably,  of  the  Lords  of  the  Admir- 
alty, was  put  into  his  hands,  in  which  that  gentleman,  who  had  witnessed 
the  experiment,  expressed  his  regret  that  their  lordships  had  been  very 
much  disappointed  at  its  results.  The  reason  was  altogether  inexplicable  to 
the  inventor ;  for  the  speed  attained  at  the  trial  far  exceeded  anything  that 
had  been  accomplished  by  any  paddle-wheel  steamer  on  so  small  a  scale. 

"  An  accident  soon  relieved  his  astonishment.  The  subject  having  been 
started  at  a  dinner-table  where  a  friend  of  Ericsson  was  present,  Sir  William 
Symonds  ingeniously  remarked  that  *  even  if  the  propeller  had  the  power  of 
propelling  a  vessel,  it  would  be  found  altogether  useless  in  practice,  because 
the  power  being  applied  in  the  stern,  it  would  be  absolutely  impossible  to 
make  the  vessel  steer.'  It  may  not  be  obvious  to  every  one  how  this  naval 
philosopher  derived  his  conclusion ;  but  his  hearers  doubtless  acquiesed  in 
his  oracular  proposition,  and  were  amused  at  the  idea  of  '  undertaking  to 
steer  a  vessel  when  the  power  was  applied  in  her  stern.' 

"  But  we  may  well  excuse  the  British  Admiralty  for  exhibiting  no  interest 
in  the  invention  when  the  engineering  corps  of  the  empire  arrayed  itself  in 
opposition  to  it,  alleging  that  it  was  constructed  upon  erroneous  principles 
and  was  full  of  practical  defects  ;  regarding  its  failure  as  too  certain  to  au- 
thorize any  speculation  of  its  success.  The  plan  of  screw  propulsion  was 
specially  submitted  to  many  distinguished  engineers,  and  publicly  discussed 
in  the  scientific  journals;  and  there  was  scarcely  any  one  but  the  inventor 
who  refused  to  acquiesce  in  the  numerous  demonstrations  proving  the  vast 
loss  of  mechanical  power  which  must  attend  the  substitute  for  the  old-fash- 
ioned paddle-wheel." 

In  August,  1837,  a  lithograph  of  the  apparatus  of  the  "  F.  B.  Ogden"  was 
published  in  London.  The  machinery  was  subsequently  removed  and  ap- 
plied to  other  purposes. 

THE  NOVELTY. — In  the  winter  of  1837  the  "Novelty,"  a  canal  boat,  was 
fitted  with  Ericsson's  propeller,  and  sent  to  ply  on  the  canal  between  Man- 
chester and  London,  England.  The  propellers  were  but  two  feet  six  inches 
in  diameter,  and  were  driven  by  an  engine  of  ten  horse-power ;  nevertheless, 
the  boat  realized  a  speed  of  eight  or  nine  miles  an  hour.  This  is  the  first 
screw-boat  ever  employed  for  commercial  purposes,  but  in  a  short  time  she 
was  laid  up,  owing  to  the  failure  of  her  owners. 

Although  Ericsson's  invention  was  treated  with  indifference  by  the  high- 
est naval  scientific  authority  of  England,  Mr.  Ogden  did  not  lose  his  interest 
or  belief  in  it.  He  was  distinguished  for  his  attainments  in  mechanical 
science,  and  is  entitled  to  the  honor  of  having  first  applied  the  principle  of 
the  expansive  power  of  steam,  and  of  having  originated  the  idea  of  right- 
angular  cranks'for  marine  engines.  His  practical  experience  and  long  study 
of  the  subject — for  he  was  the  first  to  stem  the  waters  of  the  Ohio  and  Mis- 
sissippi, and  first  to  navigate  the  ocean  by  steam  alone — enabled  him  at  once 
to  perceive  the  truth  of  the  inventor's  demonstrations. 


142  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

Other  circumstances  consoled  Ericsson  for  the  rejection  of  his  propeller 
by  the  Admiralty.  The  subject  was  brought  to  the  notice  of  Captain  Robert 
F.  Stockton,  IT.  S.  N.,  then  in  London,  who  was  induced  to  accompany  the 
inventor  on  one  of  his  experimental  trips  on  the  Thames.  Captain  Stockton 
must  be  credited  with  being  the  first  naval  officer  who  dared  to  act  upon  the 
suggestions  of  Ericsson  as  to  the  application  of  his  propeller  to  ships-of-war. 
He  saw  the  importance  of  the  invention,  and  his  acute  judgment  enabled 
him  to  predict  it  was  destined  to  work  a  revolution  in  naval  architecture. 
After  making  a  trip  in  the  "  Ogden,"  from  London  Bridge  to  Greenwich, 
he  ordered  Mr.  Ericsson  to  build  for  him  forthwith  two  iron  boats,  for  the 
United  States,  with  steam  machinery  and  propeller  on  the  plan  rejected  by 
the  British  Admiralty.  "  I  do  not  want,"  said  Captain  Stockton,  "  the 
opinions  of  scientific  men  :  what  I  have  seen  this  day  satisfies  me."  At  a 
dinner  at  Greenwich  Captain  Stockton  made  several  predictions  respecting 
the  new  invention,  all  of  which  have  been  realized.  To  the  inventor  he  said, 
in  words  of  no  unmeaning  compliment,  "  We  will  make  your  name  ring  on 
the  Delaware  as  soon  as  we  get  the  propeller  there." 

Captain  Stockton  not  only  ordered,  on  his  own  account,  two  iron  boats, 
but  at  once  brought  the  subject  before  the  government  of  the  United  States, 
and  had  numerous  plans  and  models  made  at  his  own  expense,  explaining 
the  peculiar  fitness  of  the  new  invention  for  ships-of-war.  So  completely 
was  he  persuaded  of  its  importance,  and  so  determined  his  views  should  be 
carried  out,  that  he  assured  the  inventor  the  government  of  the  United 
States  would  test  the  propeller  on  a  large  scale  ;  Ericsson  was  so  confident 
that  the  perseverence  and  energy  of  Captain  Stockton  would  accomplish  all 
he  promised  that  he  abandoned  his  professional  engagements  in  England 
and  set  out  for  the  United  States  at  once. 

THE  ENTERPRISE. — Before  leaving  England,  however,  he  built  for  Mr. 
John  Thomas  Woodhouse  an  iron  sffrew  propeller,  which  was  named  the 
"  Enterprise,"  to  run  as  a  passenger-boat  on  the  Ashby-de-la-Zouch  Canal. 
Her  length  was  about  70  feet;  beam,  7  feet;  and  her  engine  about  14 
horse-power;  her  speed,  from  9  to  10  miles  an  hour.  She  commenced  run- 
ning on  the  canal  in  August,  1839,  and  having  run  the  season  through 
without  profit  was  afterwards  used  as  a  steam-tug  on  the  Trent  and  Mersey. 

The  Naval  Magazine  for  November,  1837,  published  at  New  York  under 
the  auspices  of  the  United  States  Naval  Lyceum,  and  which  contains  a  de- 
scriptions and  drawing  of  Ericsson's  propeller  for  steamboats,  says:  "We  do 
it  from  a  conviction  that  this  ingenious  engineer  has  discovered  a  most  valu- 
able improvement  in  the  mode  of  propelling  vessels  by  steam,"  and  adds, 
"  If  it  succeeds  on  a  large  scale  as  well  as  it  has  on  the  trials  already,  it 
must  craate  an  entire  revolution  in  the  mode  of  propelling  by  steam" 

1838.— THE  ROBERT  F.  STOCKTON.— The  iron  vessel  birilt  for  Captain 
Stockton  was  launched  from  the  yard  of  Messrs.  Laird  &  Co.,  of  Birken- 
head,  the  7th  of  July,  1838,  and  named  the  "  Robert  F.  Stockton."  A 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VI GA  TION.  148 

drawing  of  this  vessel  as  rigged  for  her  voyage  across  the  Atlantic  illustrates 
"  Woodcroft's  History  of  Steam  Navigation." 

On  a  trial  below  Blackwall  the  12th  of  January,  1839,  in  the  presence  of 
thirty  gentlemen,  a  distance  of  nine  miles  (over  the  land)  was  passed  with 
the  tide  in  thirty-five  minutes,  proving  her  speed  in  the  water  to  be  between 
eleven  and  twelve  miles  an  hour.  The  "  Stockton  "  was  70  feet  long,  had 
10  feet  beam,  and  drew  6  feet  9  inches  of  water.  The  diameter  of  her  pro- 
peller was  6  feet  4  inches. 

To  test  the  power  of  her  propeller,  she  was  made  to  tow  four  coal  barges 
with  upright'sides  and  square  ends,  each  of  fifteen  feet  beam  and  drawing 
four  au'd  three-quarter  feet  of  water,  from  Southwark  to  Waterloo  Bridge. 
Steam  being  set  on,  full  speeed  was  attained  in  one  minute,  and  the  distance 
between  the  bridges,  which  is  precisely  one  mile,  was  performed  in  eleven 
minutes. 

Considering  the  square  form  of  the  barges,  and  that  they  presented  to- 
gether 58  feet  1  onch  beam,  with  an  average  draft  of  4  feet  4  inches,  besides 
the  sectional  area  of  the  steamer,  which  was  53  square  feet,  and  that  the 
propeller,  only  6  feet  4  inches  in  diameter,  occupied  less  than  2  feet  6  inches 
in  length  behind  the  stern  of  the  boat,  the  result  was  considered  very 
satisfactory. 

The  "Robert  F.  Stockton"  left  England  for  the  United  States  early  in 
April,  1839,  under  the  command  of  Captain  Crane.  Her  crew  comprised 
four  men  and  a  boy.  She  was  forty  days  making  the  passage  under  sail, 
and  for  his  daring  in  crossing  the  Atlantic  in  this  small  vessel  Captain 
Crane  was  presented  with  the  freedom  of  the  city  of  New  York.  Her  ma- 
chinery was  arranged  so  that  either  one  or  two  propellers  could  be  used.  In 
her  experiment  on  the  Thames  she  was  worked  with  a  single  propeller. 

THE  NEW  JERSEY.— In  1840  Captain  Stockton  sold  the  "R.  F.  Stockton" 
to  the  Delaware  and  Raritan  Canal  Company,  permission  having  been  ob- 
tained, by  a  special  act  of  Congress,  to  run  her  in  American  waters,  her 
name  at  the  same  time  being  changed  to  that  of  "  New  Jersey."  From  that 
date  she  was  in  constant  employment  as  a  steam-tug  on  the  Delaware  and 
Schuylkill,  both  winter  and  summer,  as  she  was  the  only  vessel  capable  of 
towing  through  the  drift  ice,  paddle-wheel  steamers  being  of  little  use  for 
that  purpose.  The  "  New  Jersey"  was  the  first  screw-propeller  vessel  prac- 
tically used  in  America,  although  numerous  unsuccessful  experiments  with 
the  screw  had  been  previously  made. 

In  the  autumn  of  1839,  Ericsson  came  to  the  United  States,  and  stilj.  lives 
in  a  green  old  age  to  plan  new  and  to  perfect  his  old  inventions  on  steam  nav- 
igation. Before  he  had  been  long  in  America  he  had  an  opportunity  of 
introducing  his  propeller  into  the  United  States  navy. 

THE  PRINCETON. — The  "Princeton"  war-steamer  was  built  and  fitted  with 
Ericsson's  screw ;  the  engines  also  designed  by  him  were  so  constructed  as 
to  lie  beneath  the  water-line,  and  therefore  more  out  of  reach  of  shot. 


144  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIOA  TION. 

These  were  the  first  engines  made  upon  this  principle,  and  we  believe  her 
engines,  though  compact  and  eminently  successful,  have  never  been 
duplicated  in  any  other  vessel  in  the  United  States.* 

THE  "  POMONE." — When  Ericsson  left  England  he  consigned  his 
interests  to  the  guardianship  of  Count  Adolph  E.  de  Rosen,  and  in  1843 
Count  Rosen  received  an  order  from  the  French  government  to  fit  a  forty- 
four-gun-frigate,  the  "  Pomone,"  with  a  propeller  on  Ericsson's  plan,  with 
engines  of  two  hundred  and  twenty  horse-power,  which  were  to  be  kept  below 
the  water-line.  In  1844  the  English  government  had  the  "  Amphion"  frigate 
fitted  on  the  same  plan,  with  engines  of  three  hundred  horse-power.  ^  These 
were  the  first  engines  in  Europe  which  were  kept  below  the  water-line.  They 
were  also  the  first  direct-acting  horizontal  engines  employed  to  give  motion 
to  the  screw.  Both  vessels  were  completely  successful. 

1836. — SMITH'S  ARCHIMEDEAN  SCREW. — In  1835  Francis  P.  Smith,  a 
farmer  at  Hendon,  first  directed  his  attention  to  screw  propulsion.  In  the 
spring  of  1836  he  obtained  the  co-operation  of  Mr.  Wright,  a  banker,  and 
his  first  patent  was  granted  the  31st  of  May,  1836.  A  model  boat,  con- 
structed under  his  supervision  and  fitted  with  a  wooden  screw,  was  then 
exhibited  in  operation  upon  a  pond  on  his  farm  at  Hendon  and  at  the 
Adelaide  Gallery  in  London.  At  the  Adelaide  Gallery  it  was  inspected  by 
Sir  John  Barrow,  the  Secretary  of  the  Admiralty,  and  Messrs.  Harris  & 
Bell,  of  Alexandria,  offered  to  purchase  the  invention  for  the  Pasha  of 
Egypt ;  but  their  offer  was  declined. 

The  results  with  the  model  boat  were  so  satisfactory  that  in  the  autumn 
of  1836  Mr.  Smith  and  his  friends  constructed  a  boat  of  six  tons  burthen, 
and  about  six  horse-power,  to  further  demonstrate  the  advantages  of  the 
invention.  This  boat  was  fitted  with  a  wooden  screw  of  two  turns.  On  the 
1st  of  November,  1836,  she  was  exhibited  to  the  public  in  operation  on  the 
Paddington  Canal,  and  continued  to  ply  there  and  on  the  Thames  until  the 
month  of  September,  1837.  During  one  of  her  trips  on  the  Paddington 
Canal,  in  February,  1837,  an  accident  occurred  which  first  pointed  out  the 
advantage  of  diminishing  the  length  of  the  screw.  The  propeller  having 
come  in  contact  with  some  object  in  the  water,  about  one-half  of  its  length 
was  broken  away,  and  no  sooner  had  this  been  done  than  the  boat  quickened 
her  speed  and  was  found  to  realize  a  better  performance  than  before.  In 
consequence  of  this  discovery,  a  new  screw  was  fitted,  of  a  single  turn,  and 
with  the  vessel  thus  improved,  very  satisfactory  results  were  obtained. 

Although  these  experiments  established  the  eligibility  of  the  screw 
as  a  propeller  for  canal  and  river  vessels,  nothing  had  yet  been  done 
that  was  known  or  remembered  to  show  that  it  was  applicable  to  vessels 
navigating  the  sea.  To  this  point,  therefore,  Mr.  Smith  directed  his  atten- 
tion, and  he  determined  to  carry  his  small  vessel  to  sea  with  the  view  of 

*  A  full  description  of  the  "  Princeton  "  will  be  found  in  the  next  chapter. 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VI GA  TION.  145 

* 

ascertaining  if  she  would  there  exhibit  the  same  efficiency  displayed  in  canal 
and  river  navigation.  Accordingly,  on  a  Saturday  evening,  September, 
1837,  he  proceeded  in  his  miniature  vessel  from  Blackvvall  to  Gravesend, 
and  having  at  three  in  the  morning  taken  in  a  pilot,  went  on  to  Ramsgate, 
and  reached  that  place  during  divine  service.  From  Ramsgate  he  proceeded 
to  Dover,  where  a  trial  of  the  vessel's  performance  was  made  in  the  presence 
of  Mr.  John  Wright  and  Mr.  Peak,  civil  engineer.  From  Dover  he  went  on  to 
Folkestone,  and  thence  to  Hythe,  returning  again  to  Folkestone.  The  dis- 
tance between  Hythe  and  Folkestone,  about  five  miles,  was  accomplished  in 
three-quarters  of  an  hour.  On  the  25th  of  September  he  returned  to  Lon- 
don, in  weather  so  stormy  and  boisterous  that  it  was  accounted  dangerous 
for  any  vessel  of  se  small  a  size  to  put  to  sea.  The  courage  of  the  under- 
taking, and  the  unexpected  efficiency  of  tie  propeller,  rendered  the  little 
vessel  during  this  voyage  an  object  of  great  interest;  and  her  progress  was 
watched  with  solicitude  from  the  cliffs  by  nautical  and  naval  men,  who  were 
loud  in  their  praises.  These  favorable  impressions  reached  the  Admiralty, 
and  produced  a  visible  effect  there. 

In  March,  1838,  the  Lords  of  the  Admiralty  requested  Mr.  Smith  to  have 
the  vessel  tried  under  their  inspection.*  Two  trials  were  accordingly  made 
which  were  considered  satisfactory ;  and  thenceforth  the  adoption  of  the 
propeller  for  the  naval  service  was  deemed  riot  improbable. 

Before  finally  deciding,  however,  upon  the  adoption  of  the  propeller,  the 
Lords  of  the  Admiralty  considered  it  desirable  that  an  experiment  should 
be  made  with  a  vessel  of  at  least  two  hundred  tons,  and  Mr.  Smith  and  the 
gentlemen  associated  with  him  in  the  enterprise  accordingly  resolved  to  con- 
struct the  "  Archimedes." 

1839. — THE  "ARCHIMEDES." — This  vessel,  of  two  hundred  and  thirty-seven 
tons  burthen,  was  designed  by  Mr.  Pascoe,  laid  down  in  the  spring  of  1838, 
and  launched  on  the  18th  of  October  following,  and  made  her  first  trip  in  1839. 
She  was  fitted  up  with  a  screw  of  one  convolution,  which  was  set  in  the  dead- 
wood,  and  was  propelled  by  two  engines  of  the  collective  power  of  ninety 
horses.  Her  cost  was  ten  thousand  five  hundred  pounds.  She  was  built 
under  the  persuasion  t^at  her  performance  would  be  considered  satisfactory 
if  a  speed  was  attained  of  four  or  five  knots  an  hour,  and  that  in  such  an 
event  the  invention  would  be  immediately  adopted  for  the  service  of  the 
navy.  Nearly  twice  that  speed  was  actually  obtained. 

After  various  trials  on  the  Thames  and  at  Sheerness,  the  "Archimedes," 
on  the  15th  of  May,  1839,  proceeded  to  sea.  She  made  the  trip  from 
Gravesend  to  Portsmouth,  under  adverse  circumstances  of  wind  and  water, 
in  twenty  hours.  At  Portsmouth  she  was  tried  against  the  "  Vulcan,"  one 
of  the  swiftest  steam  vessels  in  Her  Majesty's  service.  The  trial  took 
place  before  Admiral  Fleming,  Captain  Crispin,  and  other  competent  au- 

*  This  was  a  year  or  more  after  their  trip  in  Ericsson's  "  F.  B.  Ogden." 

10 


146  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

i 

thorities,  who  acquired  from  the  result  a  high  opinion  of  the  efficiency  of 
the  scmv  as  a  propeller,  which  they  expressed  in  writing  to  Mr.  Smith. 

The  following  description  of  the  "Archimedes"  is  from  a  newspaper 
of  the  time  :* 

"The  'Archimedes'  is  rigged  as  a  three-masted  schooner,  with  her  masts 
raking.  Her  length  is  125  feet ;  average  draught  of  water,  10  feet ;  capacity, 
240  tons ;  power  of  engines,  80  horses. 

"  The  mode  of  propulsion  may  be  said  to  be  by  a  portion  only  of  the 
Archimedean  screw.     When  the  vessel  was  first  tried,  a  full  turn  of  that 
species  of  screw  was  employed.     The  inventor  afterwards,  for  the  sake  of 
compactness,  introduced  the  double-threaded  screw,  with  half  a  turn  of  each 
thread,  as  more  applicable  to  this  vessel,  although  he  prefers  the  other. 
This  is  of  iron,  and  is  fixed  in  an  opening  on  the  run  of  the  vessel,  above 
the  keel,  and  about  ten  feet  forward  from  the  rudder.     The  screw  works 
transversely  with  the  keel,  radiating  the  water  all  round  as  it  turns  with  a 
backward  movement.     Its  diameter  is  five  feet  nine  inches,  and  the  length 
fore  and  aft  about  five  feet.     It  almost  appears  incredible  that  so  small  a 
portion  of  machinery  could  propel  a  vessel  of  such  length ;  but  the  hold  it 
takes  of  the  water,  and  the  velocity  with  which  it  turns,  are  the  elements  of 
its  power.     It  is  quite  under  the  surface,  and  is  therefore  invisible  to  spec- 
tators, either  on  board  or  on  shore.     It  is  worked  by  a  spindle  forming  its 
axle,  which  runs  fore  and  aft  and  is  connected  with  the  steam-engine,  the 
velocity  being  acquired  by  a  combination  of  spur-wheels  and  pinions.    Each 
revolution  of  the  larger  wheel  turned  by  the  cranks  of  the  engines  gives,  by 
the  multiplied  power,  five  and  one-third  revolutions  of  the  screw,  which  con- 
sequently revolves  at  the  rate  of  from  one  hundred  and  thirty  to  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  turns  in  a  minute,  according  to  the  speed  of  the  engine.     In 
consequence  of  the  powerful  stream  thus  propelled  against  the  rudder,  the 
ship  is  actually  found  to  obey  the  helm  much  more  readily,  and  to  be  there- 
fore more  under  command  in  steering,  than  either  a  common  steam  or  sail- 
ing-vessel; so  that  she  can  easily  turn  round  in  one  and  a  quarter  or  one  and 
a  half  of  her  own  length,  while  it  is  well  known  that  an  ordinary  steamer 
cannot  do  so  with  the  paddles  in  less  than  six  times 'her  length.f  The  shafts 
of  the  steam-engine  work  fore  and  aft,  the  cranks  turning  transversely,  so  as 
to  communicate  the  power  directly,  by  cog-wheels,  to  the  screw ;  and  there  is 
one  considerable  advantage  arising  from  this  arrangement  of  the  machinery, 
— namely,  that  the  cylinders,  and  in  fact  the  whole  weight  of  the  engine, 
rests  immediately  over  the  keel,  where  the  vessel  is  the  least  liable  to  strain- 
ing or  twisting  from  the  effects  of  undue  pressure.     The  larger  wheel  is 
toothed  or  cogged  with  horn-beam  (timber). 

"The  action  of  the  screw  is  different  from  the  operation  of  '  sculling,'  in 

*  The  Inverness  Courier. 

j-  This  was  a  confounding  answer  to  Sir  William  Symond's  opinion  of  Ericsson's  boat, 
"  It  would  be  absolutely  impossible  to  make  the  vessel  steer." 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  147 

the  particular  that  in  sculling  there  are  but  two  motions,  the  chief  force  be- 
ing derived  from  the  lateral ;  whereas  the  screw  exerts  an  equal  degree  of 
power  for  every  part  of  its  surface  towards  the  periphery  in  the  direction  of 
the  radii.  The  successive  columns  of  water,  as  fast  as  presented,  are  forced 
away  by  the  act  of  rotation,  pretty  much  as  the  earth  is  turned  away  from 
the  mold-board  of  a  plow.  The  action  of  the  screw  may  be  said  to  bear  the 
same  relation  to  '  sculling'  which  the  use  of  paddle-wheels  does  to  the  ordi- 
nary mode  of  propulsion  by  oars. 

"  The  'Archimedes'  has  made  several  trips  and  works  well.  Her  speed  is 
not  quite  so  great  as  that  of  a  first-rate  steamboat  in  calm  weather,  but  this 
is  believed  to  result  from  the  fact  that  her  engines  are  on  a  new  principle, 
and  made  by  an  inexperienced  engineer.  The  full  power  of  the  boat  is  eighty 
horse-power,  but  in  reality  they  do  not  work  up  to  more  than  sixty. 

"  One  of  the  greatest  advantages  of  this  invention,  as  applicable  to  all  de- 
scriptions of  shipping,  is  the  circumstance  that  the  screw  may  be  thrown  out 
of  gear  in  two  minutes  and  the  vessel  be  put  under  sail  alone.  The  screw 
is  then  turned  by  the  motion  of  the  vessel,  but  the  drag  is  not  more  than 
half  a  mile  in  ten.  Even  the  drag  itself  admits  of  being  removed,  as  provi- 
sion is  made  for  totally  unshipping  the  screw  and  bringing  it  upon  deck. 

"  The  advantages  of  the  screw  over  paddle-wheels  in  ocean-steamers,  it 
will  be  readily  seen,  must  be  very  great.  The  leaning  over  of  the  ship  often 
throws  one  of  the  paddle-wheels  out  of  water  and  immerses  the  other  too 
deeply.  The  screw  is  always  in  the  water.  The  saving  of  fuel  will  be  con- 
siderable, as  the  fires  may  be  extinguished  on  board  a  ship  propelled  by  the 
screw  and  the  vessel  used  as  a  sailing-ship  when  the  wind  is  full  and  fair. 
As  a  vessel  of  war  the  advantages  would  be  palpable.  This  opinion  has  been 
expressed  by  officers  of  the  royal  navy  who  have  witnessed  the  performance 
of  the  'Archimedes.'  When  it  is  recollected  that  this  invention  is  yet  in  its 
infancy,  and  that  the  'Archimedes'  is  the  first  vessel  on  a  large  scale  that 
has  been  constructed  on  the  new  principle,  we  may  readily  infer  that  the 
introduction  of  the  screw  in  the  construction  of  steamers  is  destined  to  work 
an  important  change  in  one  of  the  most  essential  features  of  naval  architec- 
ture." 

Soon  after  this  the  "Archimedes"  had  to  jreturn  to  London,  an  accident 
having  occurred  to  her  boilers,  and  new  boilers  were  fitted,  which  occupied 
five  months.  She  was  then  sent  to  the  Texel,  by  request  of  the  Dutch  gov- 
ernment, whose  interest  her  performances  had  excited  ;  but  on  the  way  she 
broke  the  crank-shaft  of  one  of  her  engines.  She  was  consequently  put  into 
the  hands  of  Messrs.  Miller,  Ravenhill  &  Co.  for  a  complete  repair,  and  at 
the  same  time  the  form  of  her  screw  was  altered  by  dividing  the  one  whole 
turn  into  two  half  turns,  which,  being  placed  on  the  opposite  sides  of  the 
axis,  gave  to  the  propeller  the  character  of  a  double-threaded  screw  of  half  a 
turn.  In  April,  1840,  the  Admiralty  dispatched  Captain  Chappell,  of  the 
Royal  Navy,  and  Mr.  Lloyd,  Chief  Engineer  of  the  Woolwich  dockyard,  to 
conduct  a  series  of  experiments  upon  the  vessel  at  Dover.  These  experi- 


148  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

meiits  were  carried  on  during  April  and  May,  and  the  speed  of  the  "Archi- 
medes" was  tested  relatively  with  that  of  the  mail  packets  on  the  Dover 
station.  The  result  was  a  highly  favorable  report  to  the  Admiralty,  stating 
that  the  success  of  this  new  method  of  propulsion  had  been  completely 
proven.  Immediately  after  these  experiments  the  vessel  was  placed  at  the 
disposal  of  Captain  Chappell,  who,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Smith,  performed 
in  her  the  circumnavigation  of  Great  Britain,  visiting  every  seaport  of  im- 
portance. Everywhere  the  vessel  became  an  object  of  wonder  and  admira- 
tion. Heretofore  engineers  had  been  almost  unanimous  in  opinion  that  a 
screw  would  occasion  a  loss  of  power  from  the  obliquity  of  .its  action,  and 
the  consequent  dispersion  of  the  water,  and  concluded,  therefore,  that  it 
would  be  ineligible  as  a  propeller.  But  it  was  impossible  for  them  to  resist 
facts  such  as  the  performance  of  the  "Archimedes"  afforded. 

The  London  Nautical  Magazine  at  this  time  took  decided  ground  against 
the  screw  as  a  means  of  propulsion  in  the  following  article: 

"  PADDLE-WHEEL  versus  SCREW.  Trial  of  Strength.^-A  few  days  ago  the 
following  experiment  was  made  in  the  river  to  test  the  power  of  the  Archi- 
medean screw,  as  compared  with  the  common  paddle-wheel,  in  presence 
of  Mr.  Fawcet,  the  eminent  steam-engine  builder  of  Liverpool,  Mr.  Barnes, 
and  other  gentlemen.  The  'Archimedes,'  with  Mr.  Smith's  screw  propeller, 
and  the  '  William  Gunston'  tug-boat,  with  common  paddles,  were  lashed 
together,  stern  to  stern,  with  an  interval  between  them  of  from  twenty  to 
thirty  fett.  The  former  vessel  has  two  engines  of  twenty-five  horse  power 
each  ;  the  latter,  two  of  twenty. 

"The  'Archimedes'  was  employed  to  tow  the  'William  Gunston'  with  her 
engines  and  paddle-wheels  in  a  state  of  rest,  and  this  she  did  with  ease,  the 
object  of  this  preliminary  trial  being  to  ascertain  that  the  working  efficiency 
of  the  screw  was  not  impaired  by  the  relative  position  of  the  two  vessels. 
The  steam  was  then  let  op  to  the  engines  of  the  '  William  Gunston,'  and  a 
fair  trial  of  strength  commenced  between  them  In  a  little  while  the 
'Archimedes'  was  seen  to  have  lost  all  power  over  her  rival ;  a  minute  or  two 
more  and  the  '  William  Gunston'  was  tugging  the  'Archimedes'  after  her  in 
spite  of  the  superior  engine  power  employed  on  the  opposite  direction,  and 
in  spite  also  of  the  aid  of  her  much-lauded  screw  propeller, — at  first  slowly, 
and  as  it  were  intermittingly,  but  at  a  constantly  increased  rate  of  speed, 
till  at  last  it  reached  the  usual  tug- boat  speed  of  from  eight  to  nine  knots 
per  hour. 

"  So  complete  and  convincing  an  experiment,  as  recorded  in  the  above 
extract  from  the  Mechanic's  Magazine*  must  indeed  have  been  a  most  inter- 
esting sight,  the  result  of  which  has  fully  confirmed  our  opinion  of  Mr. 
Smith's  invention,  as  being  one  of  those  that  are  theoretically  most  ingeni- 

*  Vol.  xxxii.  p.  149,  No.  885,  for  July. 


HIS  TOR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  149 

ous,  but  in  practice  deficient.  In  the  midst  of  the  laudatory  accounts  of  the 
doings  of  the  'Archimedes,'  which  followed  her  all  round  the  coast,  we  briefly 
recorded  our  opinion  among  our  '  Shakings,'  and  that  too  in  spite  of  her 
beating  an  old  government  steamer  at  Liverpool.  We  ask  then,  *  Where  is 
the  power  of  the  "Archimedes"  to  contend  with  the  ocean  waves?'  And 
'  echo  answers,  Where  ?'  Let  her  keep  to  still  water,  and  Mr.  Smith's  pro- 
peller will  prove  as  good  in  practice  as  it  has  in  theory.  We  understand  it 
is  being  adopted  on  canals."* 

After  the  "Archimedes"  had  accomplished  the  circumnavigation  of  Great 
Britain,  she  made  a  voyage  to  Oporto.  This  voyage  was  performed  in  sixty- 
eight  and  a  half  hours,  and  was  at  the  time  held  to  be  the  quickest  on  record. 
She  also  visited  Antwerp  and  Amsterdam,  passed  through  the  North  Hol- 
land Canal,  and  mafle  a  great  number  of  trips  to  other  places,  leaving 
everywhere  the  impression  that  she  had  succeeded  in  demonstrating  the 
practicability  of  propelling  vessels  by  a  screw  in  an  efficient  manner.  She 
was  next  loaned  to  Mr.  Brunei,  who  fitted  her  with  screws  of  several  differ- 
ent forms,  and  performed  various  experiments  with  her  at  Bristol.  The 
result  of  his  experiments  was  so  satisfactory  that  the  "  Great  Britain,"  orig- 
inally intended  to  be  propelled  by  paddles,  was  altered  and  adapted  for  the 
reception  of  a  screw. 

Meanwhile  the  Admiralty  determined  upon  adopting  the  screw  for  the 
navy,  and  in  the  merchant  service  an  opinion  had  arisen  equally  favorable 
to  its  eligibility. 

In  1840  and  1841  the  "  Princess  Koyal"  was  built  at  New  Castle,  the 
"  Margaret"  and  "  Senator"  were  built  at  Hull,  and  the  "  Great  Northern," 
a  vessel  of  fifteen  hundred  tons  burden,  was  laid  down  at  Londonderry,  in 
Ireland.f  These  were  merchant  screw  vessels.  In  1841  the  "Kattler,"  the 
first  screw  vessel  built  for  the  British  navy,  was  laid  down  at  Sheerness  as  a 
paddle-wheel  steamer,  but  while  on  the  stocks  was  changed  to  a  screw  steamer. 
This  vessel,  of  eight  hundred  and  eighty-eight  tons  burden,  was  launched  in 
the  spring  of  1843.  The  "  Rattler"  was  fitted  with  a  screw  in  every  respect 
the  counterpart  of  the  screw  of -the  "Archimedes," — viz.,  a  double-threaded 
screw  of  half  a  convolution.  The  length  of  the  screw  was  subsequently  re- 
duced, and  it  was  found  that  best  results  were  obtained  with  a  length  of 
screw  answering  to  one-sixth  of  a  convolution.  In  the  years  1843, 1844,  and 
1845,  an  extensive  series  of  experiments  were  made  on  the  "  Rattler"  upon 
screws  of  various  forms,  and  under  varying  circumstances  of  wind  and  water. 
The  performance  of  the  vessel  was  so  satisfactory  that  the  Lords  of  the 
Admiralty  ordered  twenty  vessels  to  be  fitted  with  the  screw,  under  Mr. 
Smith's  superintendence.  The  screws  introduced  into  these  vessels  in  every 
case  were  double-threaded  screws,  set  in  the  deadwood,  after  the  fashion 
adopted  in  the  "Archimedes"  and  the  "  Rattler." 

*  London  Nautical  Magazine >  September,  1840, 

•j-  A  description  of  these  vessels  will  be  found  in  the  next  chapter. 


150  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

Such  are  the  respective  merits  of  Smith  and  Ericsson  in  connection  with 
the  practical  introduction  of  the  screw  propeller.  Ericsson  had  the  advan- 
tage in  mechanical  capacity,  and  Smith  in  persistency  of  character.  Ericsson? 
previous  to  his  connection  with  the  screw,  was  an  accomplished  engineer. 
Smith  was  only  an  amateur,  with  everything  except  the  leading  idea  to  learn. 
Ericsson's  mechanical  resources  gave  him  means  of  overcoming  difficulties 
which  Smith  did  not  possess;  and  Smith  had  to  accept  expedients  then  usual 
among  engineers  as  his  starting  point,  while  Ericsson  could  reject  those 
expedients  in  favor  of  others  which  his  own  ingenuity  suggested.  In  bring- 
ing up  the  speed  of  his  screw,  Smith  had  to  use  gearing,  as  that  was  the 
expedient  which  was  approved  by  orthodox  engineers;  but  Ericsson,  throw- 
ing the  dogmas  of  the  engineers  to  the  winds,  coupled  the  engine  immedi- 
ately to  the  propeller.  This  comparative  destitution  of  mechanical  resources 
must  have  added  to  the  difficulties  of  Smith.  Smith's  patent  was  taken  out  on 
May  31st,  1836;  Ericsson's  patent  was  taken  out  on  the  13th  of  July,  1836. 
The  first  trial  of  Smith's  experimental  boat  was  the  31st  of  May,  1836,  and 
the  first  trial  of  Ericsson's  experimental  boat  was  on  the  30th  of  April,  1837. 
In  the  summer  of  1837,  Ericsson  exhibited  his  vessel  to  the  Lords  of  the 
Admiralty,  but  without  result,  owing,  as  is  alleged,  to  the  anticipated  diffi- 
culty «of  steering.  In  September,  1837,  Smith  carried  his  vessel  to  sea,  and 
showed,  by  repeated  experiments,  that  the  objection  entertained  to  Ericsson's 
plan  did  not  exist  in  his.  Ericsson's  vessel  appears  to  have  been  more  effi- 
cient than  Smith's.  Its  engine  power  was  greater,  and  the  mechanical  details- 
of  its  construction  more  perfect.  But  Smith's  vessel  was  also  completely 
successful.  She  towed  the  "  British  Queen"  steamer  in  the  river,  and  also 
the  "Lord  William  Bentinck,"  a  heavily-ladened  ship,  at  a  speed  of  two  and 
a  half  miles  an  hour,  although  there  was  an  opposing  breeze.  Both  vessels 
were  therefore  successful. 

1837. — STEAMERS  ON  THE  DANUBE. — On  the  18th  of  February,  1837,  six 
steamers  launched  by  the  Austrian  government  commenced  running  between 
Pesth  and  the  ports  of  Lower  Hungary.  This  step  was  hailed  in  Germany 
as  an  important  inception  of  the  entire  navigation  of  the  Danube  by  the 
Austrian  government. 

Of  the  steam-packets  which  were  to  run  between  Marseilles  and  Constan- 
tinople, and  between  Marseilles  and  Alexandria,  seven  vessels  were  this  year 
assembled  at  Toulon.  The  "  Scamandre"  was  the  first  vessel  to  start  for 
Constantinople.  She  left  during  the  month  of  April.  A  Russian  steamer 
left  Constantinople  for  Odessa  on  the  20th  of  each  month  ;  fare,  twenty-two 
dollars.  An  English  steamer  was  running  from  Constantinople  to  TrebizoncJ 
at  the  beginning  and  middle  of  each  month,  the  distance  being  five  hundred 
and  thirty  miles.  An  Austrian  steamer,  however,  placed  on  that  station  in 
May,  1837,  made  the  passage  once  a  week. 

The  steamer  "Maria  Dorothea"  left  Constantinople  for  Smyrna  every 
Monday,  and  made  the  voyage  in  thirty-six  hours.  An  English  steamer,  the 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  151 

"  Crescent,"  made  the  same  passage  in  thirty  hours.  The  Levant  steamer, 
which  had  hitherto  run  between  Smyrna  and  Athens  twice  a  week,  made  the 
voyage  in  about  forty-eight  hours.  The  Ionian  steamers  left  Corfu  for 
Zante  twice  a  month,  the  voyage  being  made  in  about  fourteen  hours.  The 
English  steamer  left  Corfu  the  29th  of  each  month,  touched  at  Patras  to 
take  the  mail,  and  thence  proceeded  to  Malta,  touching  at  Zante,  and  on  to 
Falmouth,  making  the  voyage  of  nineteen  hundred  miles  in  about  twenty 
days. 

Upper  cabins  in  steamers  on  the  great  American  lakes  were  first  intro- 
duced in  1837,  on  board  the  steamer  "  Great  Western,"  by  Captain  Augustus 
Walker,  who  died  at  Buffalo,  New  York,  1865,  aged  sixty-five  years. 

1837.  —  ATLANTIC  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  —  The  Edinburgh  Review,  in  1837, 
in  a  long  article  on  steam  navigation  across  the  Atlantic,  which  was  at- 
tributed to  Dr.  Lardner,  maintained  that  until  further  improvements  should 
be  made  in  the  construction  and  management  of  steam-vessels,  or  the 
economy  of  fuel,  it  would  be  impossible,  as  an  ordinary  thing,  to  make  a 
continuous  voyage  from  New  York  to  Liverpool,  and  especially  from 
Liverpool  to  New  York.  The  New  York  Journal  of  Commerce,  in  June, 
1837,  referring  to  this  article,  approved  of  its  conclusions,  and  supported 
them  in  a  long  article,  concluding,  "  Whatever  difference  of  opinion  may 
exist  as  to  the  practicability  of  an  Atlantic  steam  voyage,  it  must  be 
admitted  upon  all  hands  that  its  extent,  for  an  uninterrupted  run,  comes 
to  the  extreme  verge  of  the  possible  powers  of  steam  navigation."  "  To 
be  successful,  the  nearest  points  of  approach  to  the  Eastern  and  Western 
continents  should  be  chosen  as  the  points  of  arrival  and  departure,  to  in- 
crease the  probabilities  of  success."* 

The  London  Nautical  Magazine  for  March,  1837,f  says,  "  The  time  is  fftst 
approaching  when  the  famous  prophecy  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Dionysuis  Lardner, 
delivered  in  Dublin  and  redelivered  in  Bristol,  'that  it  is  as  easy  to  go  to 
the  moon  as  to  go  direct  from  a*  port  in  England  to  New  York/  will  be 
tested.  There  are  two  vessels  at  present  building  to  run  direct  from  Bristol 
and  London  to  New  York.  The  Great  Western  Steamship  Company  is 
building  a  vessel  at  Bristol,  which  will  probably  make  her  first  trip  next 
August.  She  is  intended  to  carry  twenty-five  days'  coal.  The  British  and 
American  Steam  Navigation  Company,  of  London,  have  contracted  for  a 
vessel  of  seventeen  hundred  and  ninety-five  tons.  This,  the  largest  steam 
vessel  ever  yet  propelled,  will  have  a  capacity  for  twenty-five  days'  fuel, 
eight  hundred  tons  measurement  goods,  and  five  hundred  passengers.  We 
sincerely  wish  both  the  Bristol  vessel  and  the  London  one  all  manner  of 
success  ;  and  when  we  reflect  that  sixty  thousand  people  have  lauded  at  New 


*  See  Army  and  Navy  Chronicle,  June  29,  1837,  for  the  Journal  of  Commerce  articles 
and  several  others. 

f  See  also  Army  and  Navy  Chronicle  for  April  13,  1837. 


152  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

York  from  January  1  to  September  1,  and  twenty-seven  thousand  in  Quebec 
last  year,  the  increase  that  will  naturally  take  place  when  the  passage  is 
shortened  to  fifteen  days  instead  of  thirty-seven,  the  present  outward  average 
of  the  New  York  packet  ships,  we  do  not  think  that  any  of  the  numerous 
plans  before  the  public  hold  out  stronger  inducements  to  the  capitalists. 

"  It  is  difficult  to  calculate  the  natural  benefits  that  will  accrue  to  both 
countries  by  the  establishment  of  steam  communication  between  them.  This 
much  we  may  affirm,  it  will  greatly  improve  both  countries  and  render  per- 
petual the  peace  that  now  happily  exists  between  them." 

1837. — THE  FIRST  STEAM  WHISTLE. — The  first  steam  whistle  used  upon 
a,  steamboat  was  on  Narragansett  Bay,  R.  I.,  upon  the  "King  Philip," 
Captain  Thomas  Borden,  running  between  Fall  River  and  Providence,  in 
1837,  by  Stephen  D.  Collins.  He  is  still  (1882)  engineer  of  the  "Canonicus," 
of  the  same  line,  having  been  in  service  forty-five  years.  Having  seen  a 
whistle  on  a  locomotive,  Mr.  Collins  ordered  one  to  be  made  for  the  "King 
Philip."  It  was  not  liked  at  first,  but  its  usefulness  as  a  signal  led  to  its 
rapid  adoption. 

1838. — STEAMBOATS  IN  U.  S.  WATERS.— A  letter  prepared  by  the  Secre-. 
tary  of  the  Treasury  of  the  United  States,  in  answer  to  a  resolution  of 
inquiry  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  20th  of  June,  1838,  communicated 
many  interesting  particulars  concerning  the  employment  of  steam-vessels  in 
the  United  States,  and  the  accidents  that  had  happened  to  them  :  • 

"The  number  of  accidents  resulting  in  loss  of  life  or  much  injury  to  prop- 
erty from  the  use  of  marine  steam-engines  of  every  kind  in  the  United 
States  is  computed  to  have  been  about  260.  Of  these,  253  are  ascertained, 
and  the  rest  are  estimated.  Accidents,  by  explosions  and  other  disasters  to 
ste*amboats,  appear  to  have  constituted  a  great  portion  of  the  whole,  and  are 
estimated  tcfhave  equalled  230,  two  hundred  and  fifteen  of  which  are  ascer- 
tained. The  first  of  these  is  believed  to  have  occurred  in  the  'Washington,' 
on  the  Ohio  River,  in  1816. 

"Since  the  employment  of  steamboats  in  the  United  States  it  is  computed 
that  1300  have  been  built  here.  About  260  of  these  have  been  lost  by  acci- 
dent, as  many  as  240  worn  out,  and  the  rest  are  running. 

"  The  largest  boat  in  the  United  States  is  the  '  Natchez,'  of  860  tons,  and 
about  300  horse-power,  designed  to  run  between  New  York  and  the  Missis- 
sippi. The  'Illinois'  and  the  '  Mattison,'  on  Lake  Erie,  are  next  in  size,  the 
first  being  755  and  the  last  700  tons.  The  'Massachusetts,'  on  Long  Island 
Sound,  is  the  next,  being  626  tons,  and  the  'Buffalo,'  on  Lake  Erie,  next 
largest,  being  613  tons. 

"The  largest  boats  passing  Louisville  in  1837  were  the  'Uncle  Sam,'  of 
490  tons,  and  the  'Mogul,'  of  414  tons;  below  Louisville  the  'Mediterranean,' 
of  490  tons,  and  'North  America,'  of  445  tons,  on  the  Ohio,  and  the  'St. 
Louis,'  of  550  tons,  on  the  Mississippi,  were  running. 

"The  whole  number  of  steamboats  ascertained  and  estimated  to  be  in  this 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  153 

country  (1838)  is  800.  In  England,  in  1836,  the  whole  number  of  steam- 
boats in  that  country  was  computed  to  have  been  600.  On  the  AVestern 
and  Southwestern  waters  near  400  were  supposed  to  be  running  in  1838> 
where  none  were  used  till  1811,  and  where,  in  1834,  the  number  was  com- 
puted to  be  but  234.  On  the  Ohio  River,  in  1837,  413  steamboats  are  re- 
ported to  have  passed  through  the  Louisville  and  Portland  Canal,  not  in- 
cluding many  below  and  above,  which  never  passed  through.  It  is  deserv- 
ing of  notice  that  of  the  413  near  60  went  out  of  use  by  accidents,  decay, 
etc.,  within  the  year ;  and  104  of  the  others  were  new,  and  many  of  them 
were  probably  destined  to  run  on  other  rivers.  As  an  illustration  of  the 
rapid  increase  of  steamboat  business  on  the  Ohio,  the  steamboat  passages 
through  the  Louisville  Canal  increased  from  406,  in  1831,  to  1,501,  in  1837, 
or  about  fourfold  in  six  years.  Seventy  boats  were  running  in  1870  on  the 
Northwestern  lakes,  where  a  few  years  since  the  number  was  very  small, 
having  been  as  late  as  1835  only  twenty-five.  Of  the  800  steamboats  now 
in  the  United  States  the  greatest  number  ascertained  to  be  in  any  State  is 
140,  in  the  State  of  New  York. 

"The  tonnage  of  all  the*steamboats  in  the  United  States  is  computed  to 
exceed  155,473.  Of  this,  137,473  is  in  boats  reported.  By  the  official  re- 
turns, the  whole  tonnage  now  would  probably  equal  near  160,000  tons, 
having  been  in  1837  153,660.  Many  boats  included  in  those  returns  have 
since  been  lost  or  worn  out,  and  several  new  ones  have  been  built. 

"The  tonnage  of  each  boat  averages  about  200,  and  the  estimates,  where 
the  returns  have  been  defective,  were  on  that  basis.  In  England  the  ton- 
nage is  estimated  to  have  been  67,969  in  1836. 

"  The  greatest  loss  of  life  on  any  one  occasion  in  a  steamboat  was  by  a 
collision,  and  the  consequent  sinking  of  the  'Monmouth/  in  1837,  on  the 
Mississippi,  when  300  lives  were  lost.  The  next  greatest  were  by  the  ex- 
plosions of  the  '  Oronoka,'  in  1838,  on  the  Mississippi,  by  which  130  (or  more) 
lives  were  lost;  and  of  the  '  Moselle,'  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  by  which  between 
100  and  120  persons  were  destroyed.  The  greatest  injury  to  life  by  acci- 
dents to  boats  from  snags  and  sawyers  appear  to  have  been  13  lost,  in  1834, 
on  the  '  St.  Louis,'  on  the  Mississippi  River.  The  greatest  by  shipwreck  was  in 
the  'Home,'  in  1837,  on  the  coast  of  North  Carolina,  when  one  hundred 
persons  perished.  The  greatest  by  fire  happened  in  the  '  Ben  Sherrod,'  on 
the  Mississippi  River,  in  1837,  when  near  130  perished.  The  number  of 
steamboats  built  in  the  United  States  in  1834  was  88 ;  in  1837  it  was  184, 
having  increased  over  200  per  cent,  in  three  years.  The  greatest  number 
of  steamboats  and  other  steam-machines  appear  to  have  been  constructed  at 
Pittsburgh,  Cincinnati,  and  Louisville,  on  the  Western  waters,  and  New 
York,  Philadelphia,  and  Baltimore,  on  the  Atlantic.  At  Louisville  alone, 
from  1819  to  1838,  there  was  built  244  steam-engines,  62  of  which  were  for 
boats.  The  fuel  originally  used  in  steamboats  in  the  United  States  was 
wood  ;  of  late  years  bituminous  coal  has  been  substituted  in  many  instances, 


154  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

also  anthracite  coal.  The  latter,  from  the  small  space  it  occupies,  seems  to 
possess  a  decided  advantage  for  sea-going  vessels,  as  well  as  locomotives. 

"  Some  steamboats  made  of  iron  are  believed  to  be  in  use  in  Georgia,  if 
not  in  other  parts  of  this  country,  though  none  of  that  material  have  been 
manufactured  here;  it  is  computed  that  their  cost  is  less  than  those  of  wood, 
and  as  they  draw  less  water  with  the  same  freight,  they  are  more  useful  on 
shallow  streams. 

"  The  number  of  steamboats  built  in  the  United  States  during  the  years 
ending  on  the  30th  of  September,  1838  and  1839,  were  90  and  125  respec- 
tively."* 

1837. — WHAT  DR.  LARDNER  SAID  ABOUT  TRANSATLANTIC  NAVIGATION. 
It  has  been  frequently  said,  and  it  is  generally  believed,  that  Dr.  Dionysius 
Lardner  publicly  asserted,  before  the  voyages  of  the  "  Great  Western"  and 
"  Sirius"  were  accomplished  facts,  that  a  steam  voyage  across  the  Atlantic 
was  a  physical  impossibility.  What  he  did  say  was,  however,  quite  differ- 
ent, viz. :  that  such  vessels  could  not  be  made  a  paying  investment  for  such 
a  voyage  without  government  assistance  or  a  subsidy,  in  the  then  state  of 
steam  navigation. 

He  says,f  "  It  cannot  be  seriously  imagined  that  any  one  who  had  been 
conversant  with  the  past  history  of  steam  navigation  could  entertain  the 
least  doubt  of  the  abstract  practicability  of  a  steam  vessel  making  the  voyage 
between  Bristol  and  New  York. 

"A  vessel  having  as  a  cargo  a  couple  of  hundred  tons  of  coals  would, 
cceteris  paribus,  be  as  capable  of  crossing  the  Atlantic  as  a  vessel  transport- 
ing the  same  weight  of  any  other  cargo.  A  steamer  of  the  usual  form  and 
construction  would,  it  is  true,  labor  under  comparative  disadvantages,  owing 
to  obstructions  presented  by  her  paddle-wheels  and  paddle-boxes ;  but  still 
it  would  have  been  preposterous  to  suppose  that  these  improvements  could 
have  rendered  her  passage  to  New  York  impracticable.  But,  independently 
of  these  considerations,  it  was  a  well-known  fact  that  long  antecedent  to  the 
epoch  adverted  to,  the  Atlantic  had  actually  been  crossed  by  the  steamers 
'Savannah'  and  'Curacoa.'  .  .  .  Projects  had  been  started,  in  1836,  by  two 
different  and  opposing  interests,  one  advocating  the  establishment  of  a  line 
of  steamers  to  ply  between  the  west  coast  of  Ireland  and  Boston,  touching 
at  Halifax,  and  the  other  a  direct  line  making  an  uninterrupted  trip  be- 
tween Bristol  and  New  York.  In  the  year  1836,  in  Dublin,  I  advocated  the 
former  of  these  projects,  and  in  1837,  at  Bristol,  at  the  next  meeting  of  the 
British  Association,  I  again  urged  its  advantages,  and  by  comparison  dis- 
couraged the  project  of  a  direct  line  between  Bristol  and  New  York.  When 
I  say  that  I  advocated  one  of  these  projects  it  is  needless  to  add  that  the 
popular  rumor  that  I  had  pronounced  the  Atlantic  voyage  by  steam  im- 
practicable is  utterly  destitute  of  foundation." 

*  Extract  from  the  Report  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  to  Congress,  June  30,  1830. 
f  Museum  of  Science  and  Arts,  vol.  x.,  1856. 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  155 

The  meeting  took  place  August  25,  1837,  and  the  report  of  the  Times' 
special  reporter  which  appeared  in  that  paper  on  the  27th  says,  "Dr.  Lard- 
ner  said  he  would  beg  any  one,  and  more  especially  of  those  who  had  a  di- 
rect interest  in  the  inquiry,  to  dismiss  from  their  minds  all  previously-formed 
judgments  about  it,  and  more  especially  upon  this  question  to  be  guarded  against 
the  conclusions  of  mere  theery ;  for  if  ever  there  was  one  point  in  practice  of  a 
commercial  nature  which  more  than  another  required  to  be  founded  on  ex- 
perience, it  was  this  one  of  extending  steam  navigation  to  voyages  of  extra- 
ordinary length.  He  was  aware  that,  since  the  question  had  arisen,  it  had 
been  stated  that  his  own  opinion  was  averse  to  it.  This  statement  was  totally 
wrong ;  but  he  did  feel  that  great  caution  should  be  used  in  the  means  of 
carrying  the  project  into  effect.  Almost  all  depended  on  the  the  first  at- 
tempt, for  a  failure  would  much  retard  the  ultimate  consummation  of  the 
project. 

"  Mr.  Scott  Russell  said  that  he  had  listened  with  great  delight  to  the  lu- 
cid and  logical  observations  they  had  just  heard.  He  would  add  one  word. 
Let  them  try  this  experiment  with  a  view  only  to  the  enterprise  itself,  but 
on  no  account  try  any  new  boiler  or  other  experiment,  but  have  a  combina- 
tion of  the  most  approved  plans  that  had  yet  been  adopted. 

"After  some  observations  from  Messrs.  Brunei  and  Field,  Dr.  Lardner,  in 
reply,  said  that  he  considered  the  voyage  practicable,  but  he  wished  to  point 
out  that  which  would  remove  the  possibility  of  a  doubt,  because  if  the  first  at- 
tempt failed  it  would  cast  a  damp  upon  the  enterprise  and  prevent  a  repeti- 
tion of  the  attempt."* 

"What  I  did  affirm  in  1836-7,"  continues  Dr.  Lardner,  "was  that  the  long 
sea  voyages  by  steam  which  were  contemplated  could  not  at  that  time  be 
maintained  with  that  regularity  and  certainty  which  are  indispensable  to 
commercial  success  by  any  revenue  which  could  be  expected  from  the  traffic 
alone,  and  that  without  a  government  subsidy  of  a  considerable  amount  such 
lines  of  steamers,  although  they  might  be  started,  could  not  be  permanently 
maintained." 

He  then  proceeds  to  show,  up  to  1851,  the  commercially  non-success  of 
transatlantic  steamers  that  were  not  subsidized,  and  adds — 

"  Thus  it  appears,  in  fine,  that  after  a  lapse  of  nearly  fourteen  years,  not- 
withstanding the  great  improvements  in  steam  navigation,  the  project  ad- 
vanced at  Bristol,  and  there  pronounced  by  me  to  be  commercially  imprac- 
ticable, signally  failed."f 

It  is  a  pity  he  could  not  have  looked  a  little  farther  into  the  future  and 
seen  the  commercial  success  of  later  steamships,  consequent  upon  their  in- 
crease of  size  and  the  economical  improvements  ^adopted,  as  also  from  the 

*  London  Times,  August  27,  1837. 

f  "  Museum  of  Science  and  Arts,"  vol  x.,  1856. 


156  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

demand  for  the  agricultural  projects  of  the  United  States  furnishing  return 
cargoes. 

1839. — SIR  JOHN  Ross's  IDEAS  ABOUT  STEAM  WAR  VESSELS. — Sir 
John  Ross,  R.  N.,  the  distinguished  Arctic  voyager,  in  his  "Treatise 
on^  Navigation  by  Steam,"*  says,  "  The  ships  and  vessels  proper  in  steam 
navigation  will  admit  of  a  still  greater  variety  than  sailing-vessels ; 
and  although  none  have  as  yet  been  constructed  of  a  greater  ton- 
nage than  one  thousand  tons,  there  is  no  good  reason  why  they  may  not  be- 
twice  as  large  or  of  as  much  tonnage  as  the  largest  ship  in  the  navy ;  for 
although  there  may  be  a  limit  to  the  size  of  the  boiler,  shaft,  and  other  parts 
of  the  machinery,  there  can  be  no  objection  to  two  sets  if  the  ship  is  too 
large  for  one."  He  then  proceeds  to  say,  "  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  in  a 
future  war  a  fleet  of  men-of-war,  and  indeed  a  small  squadron,  will  scarcely 
be  effective  without  a  considerable,  if  not  an  equal  number  of  steam  vessels 
to  act  under  various  circumstances;  and,  among  other  things,  their  province 
will  be  to  tow  or  increase  the  velocity  of  the  ships  in  calms  or  light  winds, 
and  particularly  in  action."  Such  vessels,  he  adds,  should  have  the  parts 
containing  the  machinery  fortified  against  shot  at  distances  where  it  would 
take  effect  upon  her  consort;  and  he  also  proposes  a  class  of  steam  gunboats 
for  coast  defense,  having  their  guns  and  paddles  covered  by  a  semi-circular 
shield-deck  of  iron ;  he  gives  sectional  illustrations  of  this  proposed  defense. 

He  says  also  in  the  same  volume,  "  It  is  believed  by  those  who  have  not 
devoted  much  time  and  attention  to  the  subject  of  steam  navigation  that  it 
cannot  be  extended  to  perform  foreign  voyages,  and  it  must  be  confessed 
that  the  experiments  which  have  been  made  seem  rather  to  confirm  than  to 
alter  that  opinion  ;  but  it  will  be  shown  here  that  the  trials  which  have 
hitherto  been  made  have  not  been  of  such  a  nature  as  to  justify  a  decided 
opinion."  He  also  gives  in  the  volume,  illustrated  by  diagrams,  a  system  of 
naval  tactics,  in  which  the  steam  vessels  are  represented  either  as  towing 
ships  of  the  line  on  the  off-side,  or  as  whippers-in  of  a  convoy  in  time  of 
war. 

In  1837  Mr.  Samuel  Hall,  of  Basford,  the  inventor  of  the  tubular  con- 
denser, patented  a  wheel  having  its  floacs  placed  obliquely,  but  so  arranged 
that  every  three  of  them  were  set  in  an  opposite  direction  ;  and  about  the 
middle  of  1838  a  patent  for  another  oblique  paddle-wheel  was  taken  out  by 
Lieutenant  W.  S.  Hall,  of  the  Eighteenth  Regiment.  These  and  other  in- 
ventions for  the  improvement  of  the  paddle-wheel  preceded  the  invention 
of  the  Archimedean  propeller,  improperly  called  the  Archimedean  screw, 
being  only  a  small  segment  of  a  screw,  and  resembling  more  a  short  fan  than 


*  Treatise  on  Navigation  by  Steam,  etc.,  and  an  Essay  toward  a  System  of  the  Naval 
Tactics  peculiar  to  Steam  Navigation,  as  applicable  both  to  Commerce  and  Maritime  War- 
fare. By  Sir  John  Ross,  C.  B.  Second  edition.  I  vol.,  quarto.  London  :  John  Weale, 
1837- 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  157 

a  screw.  The  system  was  taken  from  a  kind  of  small  windmills  called 
"  water-snakes"  employed  in  low  countries  like  Holland  to  draw  water  off 
the  plains. 

1837. — THE  GERM  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  STEAM  NAVY. 

After  the  destruction  of  the  steam  battery  "  Demologos,"  or  "Fulton  1st," 
the  steam  galliot  "  Sea-Gull, "  a  purchased  vessel  of  one  hundred  tons,  was 
employed  in  Porter's  mosquito  fleet  for  the  suppression  of  piracy  in  the  West 
Indies  in  1822-5.  She  was  employed  as  a  receiving  vessel  at  Philadelphia 
for  many  years  and  finally  sold  out  of  the  .service  in  1840.  But  "Fulton 
2d,"  launched  in  1837,  from  the  New  York  Navy  Yard,  was  the  pioneer 
steam  war-vessel  of  our  present  naval  organization,  and  the  second  war- 
vessel  built  by  the  United  States. 

She  was  designed  and  intended  for  a  floating  battery  for  the  defence  of 
New  York  Harbor,  as  a  substitute  for  the  "  Demologos."  •  With  machinery 
of  great  power,  she  attained  for  that  time  a  high  rate  of  speed,  but  was 
virtually  inadequate  for  an  ocean  steamer,  although  she  did  make  one  trip 
to  the  West  Indies  and  back. 

Her  hull  was  built  solid  of  the  best  live  oak.  Strength  rather  than  speed 
was  consulted  in  its  lines,  her  midship  cross-sections  being  the  same  for  one- 
third  of  her  length,  with  a  bluff  bow,  partially  relieved  by  a  hollow  line  and 
finer  lines  aft.  Heavy  bulwarks  were  built  up  from  her  decks  for  the  pro- 
tection of  her  crew  and  battery,  bevelled  in  all  directions  to  glance  off  an 
enemy's  shot.  She  had  three  masts  and  was  rigged  as  a  topsail  schooner. 
Her  principal  dimensions  were:  Length  between  the  perpendiculars,  one 
hundred  and  eighty  feet;  extreme  beam  on  deck,  thirty-four  feet  eight 
inches ;  depth  of  hold,  thirteen  feet  four  inches ;  estimated  tonnage,  nine 
hundred  and  seventy-three  tons.  At  thirteen  feet  draft  she  displaced  one 
thousand  four  hundred  and  thirty-three  tons  of  sea  water.  She  had  two 
horizontal  condensing  engines  on  the  spar  deck,  supported  by  wooden  frames. 
The  boilers  were  of  copper,  set  in  flues  wagon-shaped  and  four  in  number, 
each  with  its  separate  smoke  stack.  The  paddle-wheels  were  twenty-two 
foet  ten  inches  in  diameter ;  the  buckets  eleven  feet  six  inches  wide  and  three 
feet  broad.  Her  armament  consisted  of  eight  long  forty-two  pounders  and 
one  twenty-four  pounder.  Her  total  cost,  hull  and  equipments,  engines, 
wheels  and  boilers,  was  $299,650. 

There  are  no  logs  extant  of  the  performances  of  this  vessel,  but  in  a  letter 
to  Captain  Matt.  C.  Perry,  dated  February  18, 1838,  from  Chas.  H.  Haswell, 
the  chief  engineer,  the  speed  in  smooth  water  in  New  York  Bay  is  given  at 
fifteen  statute  miles  per  hour  with  a  boiler  pressure  of  thirty  pounds  per 
square  inch,  cutting  off  at  three  eighty  the  stroke  with  the  old-fashioned 
canboid  cut-off,  the  engines  making  twenty-six  double  strokes  of  piston  per 
minute.  The  average  draft  of  water  was  ten  feet  six  inches.  The  coal 
lockers  contained  coal  for  two  days'  consumption. 


158  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

"Fulton  2d"  remained  for  several  years  in  useless  hulk  at  the  New  York 
Navy  Yard  until  1853,  when  she  was  hauled  upon  ways,  lengthened  and 
repaired,  and  fitted  with  pew  machinery,  and  became  known  as  "  Fulton 
3d."* 

The  "  Fulton  2d"  lay  at  the  New  York  Navy  Yard  for  many  years  a  use- 
less hulk,  until  1852,  when  the  old  engine  was  condemned  and  she  was  fitted 
with  new  engines  of  different  arrangement,  two  iron  boilers  being  substituted 
for  the  copper.  The  new  engine  was  a  single,  inclined,  condensing  one,  with 
circular,  double-drop  return  flue  boilers. 

The  hulk  was  hauled  upon  the  ways  and  thoroughly  repaired.  The  upper 
deck  and  heavy  bulwarks  removed  and  a  complete  change  made  in  her  in- 
ternal arrangements,  but  none  in  her  lines.  She  was  rigged  ao  a  two-masted 
/ore-topsail  schooner.  Her  armament  consisted  of  one  pivot  eight-inch 
paixhan  gun  forward,  and  four  medium  thirthy-two's  in  broadside. 

The  hull  of  this  "  Fulton  2d"  was  launched  August  30,  1851,  and  on  the 
1st  of  January,  1852,  a  trial  trip  was  made  in  the  harbor  of  New  York,  em- 
bracing a  run  of  seventy-one  miles,  under  steam,  average  miles  per  hour 
13.34 ;  consumption  of  coal  per  hour,  2280  pounds  ;  average  revolutions  per 
minute,  21  ;  horse-power  developed,  899 ;  draft,  10  feet.  After  cruising  in 
New  York  Harbor  for  the  relief  of  distressed  vessels,  she  sailed  on  the  25th 
of  February  to  join  the  Home  Squadron  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  On  the 
31st  of  March  she  steamed  from  Havanna  to  Pensacola,  550  miles,  on  an 
air  line  in  fifty-five  hours,  said  to  be  at  that  time  the  quickest  trip  ever  made 
between  those  two  ports.  Going  down  the  bay  from  Pensacola  to  the  navy 
yard,  she  ran  the  six  miles  in  twenty-two  minutes,  accurate  time,  a  rate 
equivalent  to  17.73  miles  per  hour.f 

"Fulton  3d"  was  in  ordinary  at  the  Pensacola  Navy  Yard  when  it  was  taken 
possession  of  by  the  rebels  in  1862,  and  was  then  destroyed. 

October  31,  1837.— The  Secretary  of  the  Navy  authorized  Captain  M.  C. 
Perry  "  to  appoint  two  first-class  and  two  second-class  assistant  engineers  ; 
the  appointments  to  be  confirmed  by  the  commandant  of  the  station."  "  The 
engineers  must  receive  from  you,"  he  adds,  "  a  letter  of  appointment  revoca- 
ble at  any  time  by  the  commanding  officer  of  the  station,  upon  complaint 
of  intemperance,  incapacity,  insubordination,  negligence,  or  other  misconduct, 
preferred  by  the  commander  of  the  steamer,  if  proved  to  the  satisfaction  of 
the  commanding  officer  of  the  station.  The  commander  of  the  steamer,  of 
course,  to  have  the  power  of  suspending  them  from  duty  if  necessary.  The 
engineers  must  be  required  to  sign  some  proper  instrument  of  writing  which 
will  legally  make  them  liable  to  this  law  for  the  government  of  the  navy, 
but  to  be  exempt  from  corporal  punishment,  which  instrument  is  to  be 

*  For  full  particulars  of  Fulton  ist,  2d,  and  3d,  see  the  Naval  and  Mail  Steamers   of  the 
United  States,  by  Engineer-in-Chief  Chas.  B.  Stuart,  U,  S.  N.,  1853. 
j-  Stuart's  Naval  and  Mail  Steamers  of  the  United  States. 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  159 

transmitted  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  with  their  letters  accepting  their 
appointments." 

November  7,  1837. — The  Secretary  wrote  Captain  Perry  that  the  "Fulton," 
as  recommended  by  the  Commissioners  of  the  Navy  and  approved  by  the 
Navy  Department,  was  allowed — two  first-class  engineers,'  at  $800  per  an- 
num each ;  two  second-class  engineers,  at  $500  per  annum  each  ;  four  coal- 
heavers,  at  $15  per  month ;  and  eight  firemen,  at  $25  to  $30  per  month. 

Both  the  firemen  and  coal-heavers  were  to  sign  the  ship's  articles,  and 
were  to  be  removable  "at  the  pleasure  of  the  commander  of  the  vessel,"  qp 
authorized  for  the  reduction  of  petty  officers  and  seamen.  "  If  additional 
coal-heavers  should  be  found  necessary,  some  of  the  seamen  or  ordinary 
seamen  of  the  vessel  might  be  designated  by  the  commander  to  perform  that 
duty."  He  next  wrote : 

"NAVY  DEPARTMENT,  November  21,  1837. 

"  CAPT.  M.  C.  PERRY,  Com'dg  Str.  '  Fulton,'  New  York  : 

"  SIR, — Your  letter  of  the  16th  instant,  relative  to  the  engineers  of  the 
*  Fulton'  and  their  uniforms,  has  been  received. 

"  The  adoption  of  a  uniform  such  as  you  may  approve,  if  agreeable  to  those 
at  whose  expense  it  is  to  be  provided,  meets  with  the  sanction  of  the  Depart- 
ment, and  it  is  also  desirable,  as  mentioned  in  your  letter,  that  none  be 
appointed  engineers  but  those  of  the  very  best  standing. 
"  I  am,  respectfully,  &c., 

1        "M.  DICKENSON, 
"  Secretary  of  the  Navy." 

A  letter  dated  December  19,  1837,  authorized  Captain  Perry  to  employ, 
agreeably  to  his  request,  four  additional  firemen. 

December  21,  1837,  the  Secretary  wrote  him:  "  Your  communication  of 
the  17th  instant  has  been  received,  with  its  several  inclosures,  and  the  ap- 
pointments of  assistant  engineers  which  you  have  made,  as  well  as  the 
measures  you  have  taken  in  regard  to  the  engagements,  etc.,  of  the  engineers^ 
firemen,  and  others,  of  the  steamer  '  Fulton,'  are  approved  by  the  Depart- 
ment." 

February  13,  1838,  the  Secretary  wrote  Captain  Perry  that  he  approved 
of  his  suggestion,  and  says,  "I  have  directed  Commodore  Ridgely  to  place 
on  board  the  *  Fulton'  five  apprentices  to  the  navy,  who  are  to  be  under  the 
particular  charge  of  the  engineers  (one  to  each)  and  exclusively  attached  to 
the  engineers,  and  to  be  shipped  and  paid  as  other  apprentices." 

February  21,  1839,  the  Secretary  authorized  the  pay  of  the  second-assist- 
ant engineers  on  the  "  Fulton"  to  be  increased  from  five  hundred  to  six 
hundred  dollars  from  the  1st  of  March. 

March  1,  1839,  he  authorized  "the  salary  of  such  engineers  as  now  receive 
eight  hundred  dollars  to  be  increased  to  nine  hundred." 


160  HISTOR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

In  this  connection  it  is  interesting  to  note  the  rapid  rise  in  importance  of 
our  steam  navy  in  the  past  forty-one  or  forty-two  years.  Its  personnel  in 
1882  consists  of: 

10  chief  engineers  on  the  active  list  ranking  relatively  with  captains  in 
the  navy,  one  of  whom,  as  Chief  Engineer  of  the  Bureau  of  Steam  Engi- 
neering, has  the  relative  rank  of  commodore ;  15  chief  engineers  with  the 
relative  rank  of  commander ;  45  chief  engineers  with  the  relative  rank  of 
lieutenant-commander;  81  passed  assistant  engineers  with  the  relative  rank 
0f  lieutenant ;  17  passed  assistant  engineers  with  the  relative  rank  of  master ; 
11  assistant  engineers  ranking  as  masters ;  51  assistant  engineers  with  the 
relative  rank  of  ensign  ;  62  cadet  engineers,  graduates ;  74  cadet  engineers 
at  the  Naval  Academy,— viz.,  25  first-class  ;  25  second-class;  24  third-class. 

1  chief  engineer  on  the  retired  list,  with  the  relative  rank  of  captain :  1 
chief  engineer  with  the  relative  rank  of  commander ;  6  chief  engineers  with 
the  relative  rank  of  lieutenant-commander  ;  18  passed  assistant  engineers 
with  the  relative  rank  of  lieutenant ;  25  assistant  engineers  with  the  relative 
rank  of  master. 

While  the  rank  of  engineer  officers  has  been  increased,  the  pay  has  simi- 
larly advanced.  The  engineer-in-chief  now  receives  $5,000  ;  chief  engineers, 
from  $4,000  to  $2,800,  on  duty ;  passed  assistant  engineers,  from  $2,200  to 
$2,000,  on  duty;  assistant  engineers,  from  $1,900  to  $1,700,  on  duty;  -cadet 
engineers,  from  $1,000  to  $500,  on  duty ;  and  their  right  to  leave  pay  has 
been  recognized.  When  retired  they  receive  three-fourths  of  their  highest 
pay  on  the  active  list. 


CHAPTER  IV.— 1838-1858. 

• 

THE  INAUGURATION  OF  REGULAR  TRANSATLANTIC  STEAM  NAVIGATION— Arrival  of  the  City  of  Kingston 
at  New  York  from  Cork,  April  2, 1838— Arrival  of  the  Sirius  from  Cork  and  the  Great  Western 
from  Bristol  at  New  York,  April  23, 1838— The  President,  1839— The  British  Queen  1839— Dimen- 
sions of  the  Earliest  and  Largest  Transatlantic  Steamships,  1840— Miscellaneous  Notes— The 
Cyclop,  Steam  Frigate,  1840— The  Nemesis,  1840— The  Screw  Steamer  Archimedes,  1840— The 
Argyle,  Chili  and  Peru,  1839— The  Cunard  Line  Inaugurated,  1840— The  Bangor,  1842— The  French 
Steam  Navy,  1840— Screw  Steamers  in  Great  Britain,  1842— Steam  Navigation  on  the  Indus,  Estab- 
lished 1842— The  Driver,  the  first  Steamship  to  Circumnavigate  the  Globe,  1842— United  States 
Steamship  Princeton,  the  First  Screw  Steam  War-vessel,  1843— H.  M.  Ship  Rattler,  the  Second 
Screw  Steam  War- Vessel,  1843— The  Great  Britain,  1843— First  English  Steam  Collier,  1844— The 
Midias  and  Edith,  the  first  Steam  Screw  Vessels  to  China,  1844-45— The  Witch,  1845— American 
Mail  Steamships  to  Havre  and  Bremen,  1845-50— The  Propeller  Massachusetts,  1845— Thames 
Steamboats,  1845— The  North  River  Steamer  Oregon,  1846— The  First  French  Atlantic  Steamer, 
1847— First  American  Steamer  to  the  Pacific,  1848— The  Gemeni  Iron  Twin  Steamer,  1850— Screw 
Steamship  Himalaya,  1851— The  Francis  Skiddy,  1852— The  Australian,  1852— The  Argo,  the 
Second  Steamship  and  First  ScreAV  to  Circumnavigate  the  Globe,  1854— The  Golden  Age,  1854— 
The  Cunard  Steamer  Persia,  1855— Steam  Vessels  of  the  Royal  Navy,  1856. 

1838. — Daniel  Webster,  in  a  lecture  at  Boston,  said,  in  allusion  to  steam- 
power,  "  In  comparison  with  the  past,  what  centuries  of  improvement  has 
this  single  agent  comprised  in  the  short  space  of  fifty  years !  .  .  .  What 
further  improvements  may  still  be^made  in  the  use  of  this  astonishing  power, 
it  is  impossible  to  know,  and  it  were  vain  to  conjecture.  What  we  do  know 
is,  that  it  has  most  essentially  altered  the  face  of  affairs,  and  that  no  visible 
limit  yet  appears  beyond  which  its  progress  is  seen  to  be  impossible."  When 
Webster  spoke  thus,  the  grand  problem  of  ocean  steam-navigation  had  not 
been  solved;  in  fact,  the  possibility  of  a  steamship  crossing  any  ocean  was 
generally  denied  both  by  practical  and  scientific  men. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Directors  of  the  Great  Western  Railway,  October, 
1835,  one  of  the  party%  spoke  of  the  enormous  length,  as  it  tben  appeared,  of 
the  proposed  railway  from  London  to  Bristol.  Mr.  Brunei  exclaimed, 
"  Why  not  make  it  longer,  and  have  a  steamboat  to  go  from  Bristol  to  New 
York,  and  call  it  the  Great  Western?"  The  suggestion,  treated  at  first  as  a 
joke,  soon  engaged  the  serious  attention  of  three  of  the  leading  members  of 
the  Board.  A  tour  of  the  great  ship-building  ports  of  the  kingdom  was 
made  in  order  to  collect  information.  In  the  report  of  the  result  of  the  in- 
quiry Mr.  Brunei  inserted  a  paragraph  which  laid  down  the  principles  on 
which  the  success  of  oceanic  steam  navigation  wholly  depended.  It  was 
this,  that  the  resistance  to  the  passage  of  vessels  through  the  water 
increases  at  a  lower  rate  of  progression  than  their  tonnage.  At  equal  speeds, 
a  vessel  twice  the  size  of  another  will  encounter  four  times  the  resistance. 

161 


162  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

But  its  capacity,  or  tonnage,  will  be  eightfold  that  of  the  smaller  vessel. 
By  a  well-proportioned  increase  of  size,  therefore,  it  is  possible  to  employ  far 
more  powerful  engines,  to  carry  enough  coal  for  the  consumption  of  a  long 
voyage,  and  at  the  same  time  to  have  ample  accommodation  for  passengers 
and  goods.  So  true  is  this,  that  it  is  now  admitted  that  the  economical 
limit  to  the  size  of  vessels  is  imposed  rather  by  the  dimensions  of 
ports  and  harbors  than  by  the  exigencies  of  the  shipwright.  Speed,  also, 
can  be  considerably  increased  by  the  employment  of  more  powerful  engines  ; 
the  limit  to  ocean  speed  being  imposed  by  another  physical  law,  that 'the 
resistance  increases  as  the  cube  of  the  velocity. 

The  keel  of  the  "  Great  Western"  was  laid,  and  assurance  given  that  she 
would  be  followed  by  a  splendid  line  of  vessels,  which  would  consign  the 
packet-ships  to  the  care  of  the  historian  as  "  things  that  were." 

The  project  was  simultaneously  started  by  two  opposing  interests,  one  ad- 
vocating a  line  of  steamers  to  ply  between  the  west  coast  of  Ireland  and 
Boston,  touching  at  Halifax,  the  other  a  direct  line  between  Bristol  and 
New  York.  The  former,  the  "  British  and  American  Steam  Navigation 
Company,"  resolving  not  to  be  left  astern  by  the  company  in  Bristol,  which 
was  getting  the  "  Great  Western"  ready  for  sea,  chartered  the  "Sirius,"  a 
steamer  which  had  been  built  to  run  between  London  and*  Cork,  to  run 
against  the  "  Great  Western,"  and  she  made  two  voyages  in  their  employ. 

1838,— April  2,  1838,  the  British  steamer  "  City  of  Kingston,"  arrived  at 
New  York  from  Cork,  Ireland,  being  the  second  British  steamship  that 
crossed  the  Atlantic.  Subsequently  she  went  to  the  West  Indies  and  re- 
turned to  Norfolk  and  Baltimore. 

1838.— THE  '•  SIRIUS."— The  "Sirius"  arrived  at  New  York  on  St 
George's  day,  the  23d  of  April,  also  the  anniversary  of  the  birth  and  death 
of  Shakspeare.  The  New  York  papers  of  that  date  say,  "Myriads  of  persons 
crowded  the  Battery  to  have  a  glimpse  of  the  first  steam  vessel  which  had 
crossed  the  Atlantic  from  the  British  Isles  and  arrived  safely  in  port." 
The  "  Sirius,"  of  seven  hundred  tons'  register  and  engines  of  three  hundred 
and  twenty  horse-power,  sailed  from  Cork  at  ten  A.  M.  Wednesday,  April  4, 
1838,  and  was  followed  by  the  "Great  Western,"  which  sailed  from  Bristol 
(the  port  which  sent 'out  the  Cabots),  April  8,  both  vessels  arriving  at 
New  York  April  23,  1838,  the  "Sirius"  a  few  hours  in  advance  of  the 
"Great  Western." 

The  "Sirius"  was  advertised  to  return  May  1,  and  the  Chevalier  Wickoff 
was  one  of  seven  passengers  who  met  on  the  tug-boat  which  was  to  convey 
them  on  board.  He  says  in  his  reminiscences:  "  We  moved  off  amid  the 
hurrahs  of  excited  people  who  came  on  every  kind  of  craft  to  wish  us  God 
speed."  Among  the  passengers  was  James  Gordon  Bennett,  the  remarkable 
founder  of  the  New  York  Herald.  He  says,  "  Perceiving  a  tall,  slim  man 
near  me,  I  entered  into  conversation.  His  physiognomy  was  striking:  lofty 
forehead,  prominent  nose,  firm  mouth,  and  the  general  expression,  though 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  163 

somewhat  stern,  not  forbidding.      After  chatting  for  some  time  I  remarked: 

" '  I  hear  the  famous  Bennett  is  on  board." 

"  'Yes,  I  believe  he  is/  said  the  tall  man,  with  a  smile. 

"  '  Do  you  feel  at  all  nervous  about  it?' 

" '  Not  in  the  least/  was  the  reply. 

"  '  Well,  for  my  part/  I  continued,  *  I  am  not  altogether  comfortable  on 
the  point.' 

"  '  Why  ?'  asked  my  companion. 

" '  Because  he  is  so  given  to  saying  sarcastic  things  of  people.' 

" '  That  depends  a  good  deal/  he  answered,  '  whether  they  are  worth  it.' 

'"Do  you  know  him  by  sight?'  I  inquired. 

" '  Very  well.' 

"  'Then  do  point  him  out  if  you  see  him  on  deck.' 

"  '  He  is  standing  before  you.     My  name  is  Bennett.' 

"  'What!'  I  exclaimed,  on  recovering  my  breath  ;  'are  you  the  man  so 
fiercely  assailed,  and  whose  humorous  sallies  I  have  read  with  such  delight 
these  six  months  past?' 

"  '  Ecco  homo  /'  he  retorted. 

"  All  went  merrily  the  first  week.  Then  stormy  weather  set  in,  and  our 
little  steamer  was  put  to  a  tougher  test  than  I  had  expected.  She  was 
dreadfully  knocked  about,  but  was  staunch  and  steadfast  in  the  worst  gales. 

"  When  only  a  couple  of  days  from  the  English  coast,  the  coal  was 
nearly  exhausted,  and  they  economized  by  going  at  half  speed,  but  toward  the 
last  we  were  forced  to  burn  up  whatever  could  be  spared.  On  entering  the 
English  Channel  the  vessel  became  enveloped  in  a  dense  fog.  Suddenly  the 
mist  cleared  off  and  it  was  found  we  were  heading  on  to  one  of  the  Sicily 
Islands,  and  in  half  an  hour  would  have  been  a  wreck.  On  the  seventeenth 
day  we  put  into  Falmouth  for  coal  and  provisions,  and  thence  started  for 
London." 

The  "Sirius"  ran  afterwards  on  the  line  of  steam-packets  between  Dublin 
and  Cork,  and  ran  on  the  rocks  of  Bally  Cotton  Bay  January  16, 1847,  and 
was  wrecked,  when  twenty  lives  were  lost. 

The  "  Great  Western"  made  her  return  trip  to  Bristol  in  less  than  twelve 
days.  Steam  travelling  across  the  Atlantic  was  thus  inaugurated. 

The  following  account  of  these  pioneer  steamships,  and  of  their  first  voyage 
across  the  Atlantic,  is  from  the  New  York  Express  of  April  24,  1838.* 

*  The  New  York  Courier  and  Enquirer," ol  April  23,  1838,  has  this  notice  of  the  arrival 
of  the  "  Sirius  :" 

"  ARRIVAL   OF   A   STEAMER    FROM   EUROPE. 

"  Seven  days  later  from  London.     Six  days  later  from  Liverpool. 

"  Last  night  our  news  schooner «  Eclipse'  boarded  the  steamer  '  Sirius,'  Lieutenant  Richard 
Roberts,  R.  N.,  Commander,  from  Cork,  whence  she  sailed  on  the  4th  inst.  She  has  per- 


164  HISTOR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

41  STEAMSHIPS  '  SIRIUS'  AND  '  GREAT  WESTERN.' — SPLENDID  SIGHT  FROM  THE 

BATTERY." 

"  Yesterday  was  a  day  of  unusual  excitement  in  this  city,  it  being  univer- 
sally considered  the  beginning  of  a  new  era  in  the  history  of  Atlantic  navi- 
gation. The  steamship  '  Sirius'  having  arrived  Sunday  night,  thousands  as- 
formed  the  voyage  without  accident,  save  a  slight  one  whcih  befell  her  on  coming  in  the 
Hook,  where  she  grounded.  •  Since  her  departure  she  has  used  only  fresh  water  in  her  boil- 
ers, having  on  board  Mr.  Hall's  condensing  apparatus." 

Under  the  head  of  marine  news  is  reported :  "  Steam  packet  <  Sirius,'  Roberts,  from  Cork, 
sailed  April  4,  with  forty-six  passengers,  etc.,  to  \Vads\vorth  &  Smith.  The  'Sirius'  went 
ashore  on  the  point  of  the  Hook  last  evening  about  ten  o'clock.  She  did  not  sustain  any 
•damage,  and  will  be  got  off  on  the  rising  tide." 

The  same  paper  contains  the  following  advertisement  : 

•"BRITISH    STEAM-PACKET    SHIP    FOR    LONDON,    TO    SAIL    FROM   NEW 

YORK,   MAY  i,  1838. 

"  The  new  and  powerful  Steamship 

"  SIRIUS, 

"  700  tons  burthen  and  320  Horse-power, 
"  LIEUTENANT  R.  ROBERTS,  Commander, 

is  intended  to  sail  from  London,  March  28th,  touching  at  Cork,   ana  thence,   on  the   2d  of 
April,  for  this  port,  returning  from  New  York  to  London  on  the  1st  of  May. 

"  This  vessel  has  superior  accommodation,  and  is  fitted  with  separate  cabins,  for  the  ac- 
commodation of  families,  to  whom  every  possible  attention  will  be  given. 

"  Cabin,  $140,  including  provisions,  wines,  etc. 

"  Second  cabin,  $80,  including  provisions. 

"  This  superior  steamship  has  been  chartered  by  the  Directors  of  the  British  and  American 
Steam  Navigation  Company  of  London,  to  meet  the  pressing  demands  of  the  public,  in  an- 
ticipation  of  the  steamship  '  British  Queen,'  now  building;  is  a  new  vessel,  about  six  months 
old,  and  has  proved  herself  superior  to  any  steam  vessel  in  British  waters  in  speed  and  sea- 
worthy 'qualities. 

"  Further  information  afforded  on  application ;  and  for  freight  and  passage  apply  to 

"WADSWORTH  &  SMITH, 
"  4  Jones  Lane  (rear  103  Front  Street), 
"Agent  of  the  American  and  British  Steam  Navigation  Company" 

The  following  is  the  first  advertisement  of  the  "  Great  Western"  in  the  New  York  Courier 
and  Enquirer,  April  24,  1838  : 

"  BRITISH   STEAM-PACKET   SHIP 

"  GREAT  WESTERN, 

"  JAMES  HOSKINS,  R.  N.,  Commander, 

"  Having  arrived  yesterday  from  Bristol,  which  place  she  left  on  the  8th  inst.,  at  noon,  will 
sail  from  New  York  for  Bristol  on  Monday,  7th  May,  at  2  o'clock  p.  M. 


HIS1  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  165 

sembled  to  see  her,  as  the  news  spread  about  the  city.  She  anchored  a  short 
distance  from  the  Castle,  and  crowds  upon  the  Battery  had  a  view  of  her 
from  that  promenade.  The  sun  shone  clear,  and  the  weather  was  as  fine  as 
could  be  wished. 

"  The  '  Sirius'  sailed  from  Cork  on  the  evening  of  the  4th  instant,  and 
made  the  Highlands  of  New  York  at  six  o'clock,  P.M.  on  the  22d,  making 
the  passage  in  eighteen  days'  and  having  on  board  forty  seven,  passengers. 
During  the  day  she  was  thronged  by  small  boats  filled  with  passengers  to 
view  her.  About  one  o'clock  it  was  announced,  by  telegraph  that  the 
steamer  '  Great  Western'  was  off  the  Hook,  when  thousands  poured 
down  Broadway ;  and  the  Battery  at  two  p.  M.  presented  a  brilliant 
'appearance.  The  crowd  reminded  one  of  the  landing  of  the  '  Nation's  guest,' 
Lafayette.  The  smoke  of  the  'Great  Western'  was  seen  in  the  horizon  as- 
cending in  black  volumes  long  before  her  hull  was  visible.  The  ship,  as  she 
came  in  sight  and  [passed  Bedloe's  Island,  received  a  salute  from  the  fort 
of  twenty-six  guns.  She  approached  the  Battery  through  a  fleet  o*f  row- 
boats  and  small  craft,  cheered  by  every  one.  She  soon  ranged  alongside  the 
Castle,  sailed  around  the  '  Sirius,'  which  saluted  her,  and  the  crowd  from  the 
wharves.  Castle,  boats,  etc.,  gave  three  hearty  cheers,  returned  by  those  on 
board.  She  then  went  up  the  East  River,  and  anchored  near  Pike  Street. 
This  successful  experiment  of  steam  packets  between  New  York  and  Eng- 
land gave  life  and  joy  to  all. 

"  The  '  Great  Western'  left  Kingroad,  Bristol,  at  two  o'clock,  April  7th, 
and  she  was  at  two  o'clock,  April  23d,  only  sixteen  days,  in  New  York,  thus 
bringing  England  nearer  to  us  than  many  parts  of  our  own  ceuntry.  This 
has  been  done  in  a  season  of  the  year,  not  of  summer  sunshine,  but  of  gales, 
storms,  sleet,  and  hail, — and  steam  navigation  across  the  Atlantic  is  no  longer 
an  experiment,  but  a  plain  matter  of  fact.  The  thing  has  been  done 
triumphantly. 

"The  'Great  Western1  was  built  at  Bristol,  by  the  Great  Western  Steam- 
ship Company,  and  intended  to  commence  a  regular  line  between  Bristol  and 

"  She  takes  no  steerage  passengers.  Rates  in  the  Cabin,  including  Wines  and  Provisions 
of  every  kind,  30  guineas;  a  whole  state  room  for  one  person,  50  guineas.  Stewart's  fee  for 
each  passenger,  £\  los.  sterling.  Children  under  13  years  of  age  half  price.  No  charge 
for  letters  or  papers.  The  captain  and  owners  will  not  be  liable  for  any  package  unless  a 
bill  of  lading  has  been  given  for  it.  One  to  two  hundred  tons  can  be  taken  at  the  lowest 
current  rates. 

"  Passage  or  freight  may  be  engaged,  a  plan  of  the  cabin  may  be  seen,  and  further  particu- 
lars learned,  by  applying  to 

"  RICHARD  IRVING,  98  Front  Street." 

The  "  Great  Western"  continued  to  sail  from  the  Severn,  and  subsequently  from  the 
Mersey,  and  made  seventy-four  transatlantic  passages  before  passing  into  the  hands  of  the 
West  India  Company.  On  her  second  trip  from  New  York  she  reached  Bristol  in  twelve 
and  a  half  days.  v 


166  HISTOR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

New  York.  She  was  launched  on  the  19th  of  July,  1837.  Her  length  be- 
tween the  perpendiculars,  from  the  forepart  of  the  stern  to  the  afterpart  of 
the  stern  at  the  keel,  212  feet ;  length  of  keel  on  the  blocks,  205  feet ;  length 
of  cabin-deck  (saloon),  75  feet ;  length  over  all  (from  figure-head  to  tafFrail), 
235  feet ;  breadth  between  paddle-wheels,  34  feet  4  inches ;  depth  under 
deck  to  the  top  of  floors,  23  feet  3  inches  ;  scantling  floors  on  the  side  of 
keel,  15  inches,  sided  ;  ditto,  16  inches,  moulded ;  length  of  floors,  24  feet ; 
thickness  of  bends,  7  inches ;  bottom  plank,  5  inches  ;  top  sides,  4  inches ; 
sheer  streaks,  5  inches';  upper  deck  clamps,  8  inches;  diagonal  riders,  5 
inches,  3  feet  apart;  iron  diagonals,  4  inches  by  f  ;  bilge  planks,  6  inches; 
keelson,  20  by  21  inches. 

"Tonnage,  1320  tons;  best  berths,  150;  berths  for  crew,  26  ;  berths  for' 
engineers,  firemen,  and  officers,  40 ;  two  engines,  by  Maudsley  &  Field,  400 
horse-power,  200  each  ;  diameter  of  cylinder,  73?  inches ;  length  of  stroke, 
7  feet ;  coal  stowage,  600  tons,  or  enough  for  thirty  tons  per  diem  for  twenty 
days.    • 

"  Her  whole  cost  amounted  to  about  £50,000,  £21,373  15s.  Wd.  of  which 
has  been  expended  for  ship-building,  £13,500  for  the  engines,  about  £J,000 
for  the  fitting  up,  furniture,  and  painting  of  the  grand  saloon,  and  the  re- 
mainder for  rigging,  equipment,  stores,  and  coals. 

"  The  '  Sirius'  is  a  beautiful  model,  seven  hundred  tons,  three  hundred 
and  twenty  horse-power,  schooner-rigged.  Notwithstanding  rough  weather, 
she  came  over  with  perfect  safety.  Passengers  were  delighted  with  her  per- 
formance. Her  boilers  were  supplied  with  fresh  water  by  a  distilling  ap- 
paratus which  converted  the  salt  into  fresh  water.  The  distilling  worms 
(small  copper  tubes)  measured,  as  reported,  near /our  miles  ! 

"  The  following  is  the  journal  of  her  voyage  : 

"  4th  April.— Started  ;  light  breezes  from  N.E.  Draft  of  water,  15  feet 
2  inches. 

"5th. — Heavy  at  N.E.  to  N.N.E.,  windy;  fresh  gale,  much  head-sea, 
slight  raio.  Exchanged  numbers  with  the  bark  'Dale,'  of  Liverpool. 
Weighted  one  ton  of  coal,  which  lasted  1  h.  30  m.;  pressure  on  the  boilers, 
53.4  pounds. 

"  6th. — Stormy,  W.N.  W.  breezes,  with  squalls  and  heavy  head-sea.  Passed 
two  brigs,  one  standing  east  and  the  other  north. 

"  7th. — Same,  strong  gales,  and  squally,  with  rain, — vessel  laboring  heavy. 
Passed  two  large  ships  standing  to  the  eastward,  under  double-reefed  topsails. 
Very  squally.  Passed  a  barque.  Heavy  sea,  with  long  swell ;  took  in  water 
on  deck. 

"  8th. — Same,  with  hazy  weather.  Stopped  engine,  owing  to  one  of  the 
braces  working  loose — started  the  engine  in  an  hour  after — heavy  rains. 

"  9th. — Wind  still  W.N.W.,  and  a  heavy  head-sea — clear.  Passed  a  brig 
standing  east.  Set  a  single-reefed  foresail  and  double-reefed  mainsail. 


HISTORY  OF  STEAAL  NAVIGATION.  167 

"10th.— Spoke  ship  'Star,'  of  New  York,  longitude  24  W.— fresh  gales 
and  squally — shipped  a  great  deal  of  water. 

"llth.— Winds  E.N.E. — passed  «a  ship  standing  to  the  south — light 
breezes. 

"  12th. — Light  winds,  easterly — stopped  ejigine  to  pack  the  stuffing-boxes 
— light  winds  and  fair. 

13th.— S.E.,  light  breezes.  Spoke  the  *  Roger  Sherman/  of  Bath,  36  days 
from  New  Orleans,  bound  to  Havre — hoisted  colors  to  a  Falmouth  packet 
— three  sail  in  sight — reduced  the  weight  to  33.4  Ibs.  on  boilers. 

"  14th. — S.W.  light  breezes — passed  a  ship  standing  to  the  westward — 
observed  a  change  in  the  color  of  the  water. 

"15th — Heavy  W.N.W.  gale;  dark  and  foggy. 

"  16th — N.W.  to  W.  gales ;  heavy  head-sea  and  snow — vessel  laboring — 
stopped  engine  three-quarters  of  an  hour  to  fasten  screws. 

"  17th. — N.W.  by  W.  winds;  squally,  with  hail  and  snow. 

"  18th.— S.W.  winds  and  squalls. 

"  19th.— Same. 

"  20th. — W.  by  N.,  heavy  sea  and  hard  rain— stopped  engine,  and  was 
boarded  by  Her  Majesty's  ship  "  Coromandel,"  from  Bermuda,  bound  to 
Halifax,  with  Eleventh  Regiment.  t 

"  21st. — Ditto — exchanged  signals  with  an  Austrian  brig. 

"  22d. — Made  light  for  the  pilot  off  the  Highlands.  Not  getting  a  pilot, 
the  '  Sirius'  ran  in,  and  then  touched  off  the  Hook — receiving,  however,  no 
damage." 

Her  Majesty's  Consul  historically  records  the  event  of  her  arrival  in  the 
following  letter  addressed  to  the  commander  of  the  "Sirius:" 

"HER  MAJESTY'S  CONSULATE, 

"NEW  YORK,  April  23,  1838. 

"  SIR, — I  have  the  honor  and  happiness  to  congratulate  you  on  the  arrival 
of  your  steamship  across  the  Atlantic,  at  a  season  when  strong  gales  so  gen- 
erally prevail,  thereby  having  proved  that  British  skill  has  accomplished  a 
most  important  enterprise,  which  will  produce  a  revolution  in  commercial 
and  social  intercourse,  of  which  we  are  incapable  of  forming  any  "just  con- 
ceptions. Permit  rne,  sir,  to  add  that  I  have,  in  common  with  my  fellow- 
subjects  of  Her  Majesty  in  this  city,  a  further  cause  of  rejoicing,  that  the 
honor  of  accomplishing  the  enterprise  has  been  achieved  by  a  son  of  the 
British  navy,  and  that  it  was  completed  on  St.  George's  day. 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  sir, 

"  Your  humble  servant, 

"JAMES  BUCHANAN. 
"  RICHARD  ROBERTS,  Esq.,  R.K, 

"  Commander  of  the  Steamship  '  Sirius.'  " 


168 


HISTORY  OF  fjTEAM  NAVIGATION. 


11  LOG  OF  THE  '  GREAT  WESTERN.' — We  published  yesterday  an  abstract 
from  the  log-book  of  the  '  Sirius,5  showing  her  daily  progress,  and  the  sort 
of  weather  she  had  to  encounter,  and  WQ  now  give  an  extract  from  the  log- 
book of  the  '  Great  Western' : 


LATITUDE. 

LONGITUDE. 

m 

i 

8 

C3 

d 

Wind.                 REMARKS    ON    WEATHER. 

1 

t~> 

1 

2 

1 

1 

«• 
o 
5 
4 

S 

8 

pril  8.... 

10  P.M. 

Sandy  I. 

N.W.  N.N.W. 

Strong  gale. 

"      9.... 

West. 

"240 

50.27 

07.32 

N.N.W.  and  S.W. 

Moderate. 

"    10.... 

78-30  W. 

213 

49.55 

00.00 

12.50 

12.16.45 

W.  by  N.  and  S.W. 

Moderate. 

"    11.... 

W.  by  S. 

206 

49.04 

43.11 

17.25 

17.10 

S.W.  and  E.  by  S. 

Moderate     and     hazy,. 

rough  at  night. 

"    12.... 
"    18.... 

W.  1-2  S. 
W.  1-4  S. 

231 
218 

47.47 
46.56 

47.17 
46.56 

22.48 
23.09 

22.05.10 
28.27 

E.  by  S.E.  to  S.E. 
E.S.E. 

Moderate  and  cloudy. 
Light  winds. 

"    14.... 

W.  3-4  S. 

218        46.26 

46.23 

33.40 

34.09 

S.W.  and  S.S.W. 

At  10  P.M.,  squally,  with 

small  rain. 

"    15.... 

W.  by  S. 

241 

45.24 

45.19 

39.43 

39.38.30 

S.E.  to  S.W.  by  S. 

Strong  and  squally,  ves- 
sel lurched  deeply  but 

easv. 

"    16.... 

W.  3-4  S. 

243 

44.46 

44.34 

45.19 

45.31 

Variable. 

Squally. 

"     17.... 

W.  3-4  S. 

185 

44.07 

44.10 

49.46 

49.21 

S.W.  to  W.N.W. 

Strong  gales  'and  heavy 

"    18.... 

W.S.W. 

169 

42.02 

'42.58 

52.55 

52.30 

W.N.W.toW.byN. 

SCft. 

Moderate. 

"    19.... 

W.  1-4  S. 

206 

42.02 

42.02 

56.50 

56.49.45 

S.W. 

Strong  winds  and  heavy 

sea. 

«•  ?o.... 

W.  3-4  S. 

183 

41.36 

No  Ob 

60.54 

No  ob. 

S.W.  W.N.W. 

Strong  winds  and  heavy 

"    21.... 
"    22.... 
"     23.... 

W.  3-4  S. 
S.  83  W. 
S."79  W. 

192 
198 
230 

41.05 
39.48 

40.30 
39.41 

65.05 
68.38 

64.24.13 
69.03.30 

N.N.W. 
N.N.W.  to  W.N.W. 

N.N.W.  and  X. 

sea,  ship  very  easy. 
Light  winds  and  cloudy. 
Strong  winds  and  frosty. 
Fine  weather;  at  10  re- 

- 

ceived  a  pilot. 

To  harbor,  50;  3,223  miles  sleaming. 


A  passenger  on  the  "  Great  Western,"  on  this  her  first  transatlantic 
voyage,  in  a  communication  to  Chambers'  Edinburgh  Journal,  says : 

"A  number  of  daring  passengers — for  daring  they  were  thought  in  that 
day — took  berths  for  the  voyage  in  the  *  Great  Western' ;  and  on  8th  April, 
1838,  at  noon,  the  gallant  ship  steamed  away  from  her  anchorage  at  the 
mouth  of  the  river  Avon,  and  majestically  descended  the  Severn,  bound  for 
New  York.  One  of  her  passengers  says,  when  they  were  fairly  under  way, 
'  Whatever  misgivings  might  previously  have  assailed  us  in  the  contempla- 
tion of  oty  voyage,  I  believe  that  at  this  moment  there  was  not  a  faltering 
heart  among  us.  Such  stability,  such  power,  such  provision  against  every 
probable  or  barely  possible  contingency,  and  such  order  presented  itself 
everywhere  on  board,  as  was  sufficient  to  allay  all  fear.' 

"  Suffice  it  that  the  '  Great  Western'  entered  the  harbor  of  New  York  at 
full  speed  on  the  afternoon  of  23d  April,  having  performed  the  passage  in 
the  then  unprecedentedly  short  period  of  fifteen  days,  in  which  only  four 
hundred  and  fifty-two  tons  of  the  six  hundred  tons  of  coal  on  board  had 
been  consumed.  The  fort  on  Bedloe's  Island  saluted  the  steamer  with 
twenty-six  guns,  answering  to  the  number  of  States  of  the  Union  at  that 
time. 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  169 

"  *  It  had  been  agreed  among  us,'  says  one  passenger,  '  some  days  previ- 
ously, that  before  we  left  the  ship  one  of  the  tables  should  be  christened 
Victoria,  the  other  the  President.  Wine  and  fruit  had  been  set  upon  them 
for  this  purpose :  we  were  standing  round  the  former  of  them  ;  the  health 
of  Britain's  Queen  had  been  proposed ;  the  toast  was  drunk ;  and  amidst 
the  cheers  that  followed,  the  arm  was  just  raised  to  consummate  the  naming, 
when  the  fort  opened  its  fire.  The  fire  was  electric.  Our  colors  were  lowered 
in  acknowledgment  of  the  compliment,  and  the  burst' which  accompanied 
it  from  our  decks — drinking  the  President  and  the  country,  and  breaking 
wine  again — was  more  loud  and  joyous  than  if  at  that  moment  we  had 
unitedly  overcome  a  common  enemy.  Proceeding  still,  the  city  became 
more  distinct, — trees,  streets,  the  people, — the  announcement  of  the  arrival 
of  the  ship  by  telegraph  had  brought  thousands  to  every  point  of  view  upon 
the  water-side ;  boats,  too,  in  shoals,  were  out  to  welcome  her,  and  every  ob- 
ject seemed  a  superadded  impulse  to  our  feelings.  The  first  to  which  our 
attention  was  now  given  was  the  '  Sirius,'  lying  at  anchor  in  the  North 
River,  gay  with  flowing  streamers,  and  literally  crammed  with  spectators, — 
her  decks,  her  paddle-boxes,  her  rigging,  mast-head  high  !  We  passed  round 
her,  receiving  and  giving  three  hearty  cheers,  then  turned  towards  the  Bat- 
tery. Here  myriads  seemed  collected, — boats  had  gathered  around  us  in 
countless  confusion,  flags  flying,  guns  were  firing,  and  cheering  again, — the 
shore,  the  boats,  on  all  hands  around,  loudly  and  gloriously,  seemed  as 
though  they  would  never  have  done.  It  was  an  exciting  moment, — a  mo- 
ment which,  in  the  tame  events  of  life,  finds  few  parallels :  it  seemed  the 
outpouring  congratulations  of  a  whole  people,  when  swelling  hearts  were 
open  to  receive  and  to  return  them.  It  was  a  moment  of  achievement !  We 
had  been  sharers  in  the  chances  of  a  noble  effort,  and  each  one  of  us  felt  the 
pride  of  participation  in  the  success  of  it,  and  this  was  the  crowning  instant 
Experiment  then  ceased ;  certainly  was  attained ;  our  voyage  was  accom- 
plished.' In  explanation  of  the  allusion  in  the  above  to  the  '  Sirius '  we 
may  here  state  that  this  steamship,  which  had  sailed  from  Cork  before  the 
'  Great  Western'  left  Bristol,  had  arrived  a  day  or  two  before  the  latter  ves- 
sel ;  but  the  '  Sirius'  only  partially  used  her  engines,  not  having  stowage  for 
sufficient  fuel  to  keep  them  constantly  plying." 

.  1839.— The  Charleston  (S.  C.)  Mercury  says,  August,  1839,  "  Major  John 
Lind,  of  Charleston,  S.  C.,  an  officer  of  the  United  States  Engineers,  is  justly 
entitled  to  the  credit  of  the  application  of  the  screw  in  the  place  of  the  pad- 
dle-wheel to  the  steamboats.  More  than  five  years  since*  he  explained  the 
principle,  and  experimented  successfully  with  a  small  model  boat  on  the 
canal  near  Washington  City." 

1839. — The  New  Jersey  Journal,  August,  1839,  says,  "  Mr.  Samuel  Dow, 
of  Elizabeth  town,  upwards  of  twenty  years  since,  made  two  small  boats  from 


The  s.rew  as  a  method  of  propulsion  was  devised  nearly  half  a  century  earlier. 


170  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

twenty  to  twenty-five  inches  in  length,  one  with  a  screw,  and  the  other  with 
paddle-wheels,  in  order  to  test  the  superiority  of  the  screw.  Each  had  a 
mast  and  cord,  the  standing  part  of  the  latter  fast  to  and  wound  around  the 
shaft  or  axle,  and  over  a  sheave  in  the  masthead,  with  equal  weight  at- 
tached. At  the  going  off  the  wheel  would  go  ahead  ;  but  before  the  race 
the  screw  would  overhaul  and  shoot  ahead. 

"  Mr.  Dow  built  a  boat  twenty-five  feet  in  length,  with  a  screw  on  each 
side,  to  ship  and  unship  as  might  be  advantageous.  It  was  worked  by  four 
men  with  a  crank  and  cog-wheels." 

1839. — SAIL  VESSELS  TO  BE  PROPELLED  BY  STEAM. — The  Norfolk 
Herald,  October  7,  1839,  says  Mr.  Benjamin  Harris,  of  that  borough, 
had  conceived  a  plan  by  which  sail-vessels  of  every  description  might 
be  propelled  with  the  aid  of  steam,  by  paddles  operating  vertically  in 
the  bottom  of  the  vessel  above  the  keel,  connected  with  the  machinery  above 
by  a  perpendicular  shaft  working  in  a  metal  cylinder,  constructed  to  exclude 
the  water.  In  the  larger  class  of  ships,  the  boilers,  engines,  and  all  the  ma- 
chinery could  be  stowed  away  below  the  water-line. 

Mr.  Harris  tested  his  idea  on  a  skiff  fourteen  feet  long  and  three  wide, 
which,  propelled  by  the  hand,  by  a  crank  turning  a  paddle-wheel  two  and  a 
half  feet  in  diameter,  made  the  rate  of  five  miles  an  hour. 

Many  ingenious  plans  were  proposed  up  to  1839,  when  the  utility  of  the 
screw-propeller  was  fully  demonstrated,  and  a  number  of  screw  boats  were 
placed  on  the  lines  of  inland  navigation  connecting  Lake  Ontario  with  the 
St.  Lawrence. 

THE  "LONDONDERRY"  OR  "GREAT  NORTHERN"  SCREWS,  1842. — There  is  a 
good  representation  of  the  "  Great  Northern,"  which  was  launched  the  latter 
part  of  1842,  with  sections  of  the  stern  showing  the  screw,  in  the  London 
Illustrated  News,  for  January  24,  1843.  The  vessel  is  represented  as  ship 
rigged,  with  the  smokestack  aloft  the  main  mast  and  having  a  line  of  painted 
ports  along  her  side.  The  paper  states,  "Her  great  length,  breadth  and 
depth  exceeds,  we  believef  the  dimensions  of  any  steam  vessel  ever  in  exist- 
ence. She  was  built  at  Londonderry  by  Captain  Wm.  Coppin,*  (an  experi- 
enced ship  builder  and  inventor),  and  is  a  remarkable  monument  of  marine 
architecture.  She  is  propelled  by  the  Archimedean  screw,  which  works  on 
each  side  of  the  rudder :  the  engine  is  of  three  hundred  and  sixty  horse- 
power. No  paddles  are  required,  and  but  for  the  funnel  which  is  seen 
amidships,  she  might  pass  for  a  square-rigged  ship  of  the  larger  class.  She 
has  three  masts  with  lower  and  upper  yards,  and  is  rigged  in  every  respect 

*Captain  Coppin  has  obtained  in  England  and  in  this  country  (March  28,  1882)  a  patent  for 
a  compound  ship  constructed  of  three  hulls  of  narrow  beam,  the  two  outer  hulls  being  longer 
than  the  central  hull,  and  the  whole  decked  over  and  combined  as  one  vessel.  The  centre 
vessel  is  entirely  devoted  to  machinery  and  has  a  screw  at  both  ends.  The  design  bears 
promise  of  great  speed  and  carrying  capacity  and  great  stability,  but  has  not  yet  been  put  to 
a  practical  trial. 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  171 

like  a  frigate  or  sloop-of-war.  We  were  favored  by  one  of  her  officers  with 
the  following  dimensions  : — Length  from  taffrail  to  stern,  274  feet ;  beam, 
37  feet ;  depth,  50  feet.  On  her  passage  from  Londonderry  she  ran  upon 
an  average  thirteen  and  a  half  knots  without  her  engine,  which  can  be  spared 
or  used  as  circumstances  may  require.  When  it  was  necessary  to  put  on  the 
engine  she  ran  nine  knots  head  to  wind.  The  space  for  storage  is  most 
capacious.  Standing  aft  and  looking  forward  on  the  orlop  deck  the  distance 
seems  immense,  exceeding  indeed  the  largest  first-rate  in  the  navy.  With 
all  this  room  there  is  at  present  a  want  of  arrangement  for  cabins,  but  we 
understand  she  will  be  fitted  up  in  the  best  style.  With  respect  to  her  exter- 
nal appearance  the  vessel  seems  a  huge  monster  steamer,  but  pleasing  in  her 
mould  and  trim.  (This  the  cut  shows).  A  beautiful  female  figure  is  placed 
over  the  cut  water  and  her  stern  is  richly  decorated  with  carving,  gold  and 
color.  In  consequence  of  the  heavy  mast,  yards  and  rigging,  she  will  require 
an  immense  quantity  of  ballast.  At  present  it  is  not  decided  whether  she  is 
to  run  to  and  from  Ireland  or  be  employed  in  other  service.  During  her 
stay  many  persons  entered  the  dockyard  to  gaze  upon  this  truly  wonderful 
object." 

Extracts  from  her  log  from  Cowes  to  London,  beginning  December  25, 
1843,  and  ending  December  29,  when  she  steamed  into  the  East  India  port 
docks,  which  are  given,  show  that  her  sailing  qualities  were  not  impeded  by 
the  screw  propeller. 

1842.— In  March  1842,  Lieutenant  W.  W.  Hunter,  U.S.  N.,  took  out  a 
patent  for  a  submerged  horizontal  wheel,  for  the  propelling  of  steamers.  The 
first  essay  was  made  in  the  canal  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  on  a  small  boat 
called  the  "Germ"  The  results  obtained  was  represented  as  so  favorable  it 
was  determined  by  the  U.  S.  Government  to  build  a  wooden  vessel  of  1000 
tons  to  test  this  method  of  propulsion.  This  vessel,  named  "The  Union"  was 
built  at  the  Norfolk,  Virginia,  Navy  Yard,  and  was  of  the  following  dimen- 
sion :  Length  on  deck,  184  feet  6  inches  ;  beam  on  deck,  33  feet  6  inches; 
beam  at  wheels,  26  feet;  depth  of  hold,  161  feet;  deep  drop,  13  feet;  dis- 
placement at  11  feet  draft  900  tons.  Engines, — Two  iron  condensing  hori- 
zontal disconnected  engines,  built  at  the  Washington  Navy  Yard.  Diame- 
ter of  cylinders  24  feet ;  strokes  of  piston,  4  feet. 

The  Hunter  wheel  consisted  of  a  plain  drum  revolving  in  a  horizontal 
plane  beneath  the  water  upon  the  sides  or  periphery  of  this  drum  ;  the  pad- 
dles placed  vertically  and  radically  from  the  centre.  In  the  Hunter  wheel 
the  paddles  acted  in  the  same  manner  as  the  Orsman  paddle-wheel,  except- 
ing that  they  revolved  horizontally  instead  of  vertically.  9 

The  "  Union"  was  rigged  as  a  three-masted  schooner,  was  never  off  the 
United  States  coast,  and  did  but  very  little  steering,  and  never-after  several 
alterations  attained  a  speed  of  over  six  knots.  Her  total  cost  with  altera- 
tions was  $172,475.  Her  armament  was  four  65-pounders  mounted  in  the 
centre  of  the  vessel  on  swivels.  After  various  trials  she  was  put  in  orders  and 


172  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

sent  to  the  Philadelphia  Navy  Yard,  where  her  machinery  and  boilers  were 
taken  out  and  sold,  and  the  hull  turned  into  a  receiving  ship,  and  finally 
sold  and  broken  up. 

Two  other  vessels  were  built  for  the  United  States  Navy  with  Hunter's 
submerged  horizontal  wheels,  viz. :  the  "  Hunter,"  a  small  vessel,  lost  at 
Sacrificio  on  her  first  voyage  in  1841,  and  the  "Allegheny,"  an  iron  vessel 
of  large  tonnage,  but  which  was  only  partially  a  success. 

1843.— THE  "  GREAT  BRITAIN."— The  keel  of  the  "  Great  Britain,"  built 
at  Bristol  from  designs  and  on  calculations  made  by  Mr.  Brunei,  was  laid 
down  in  July,  1839,  and  launched  on  the  19th  of  July,  1843,  His  Royal 
Highness  Prince  Albert,  the  Prince  Consort,  honoring  the  event  with  his 
presence.  The  "  Great  Britain "  was  originally  intended  for  a  paddle- 
steamer,  but  the  [company  having  been  unable  to  induce  any  forge-master 
to  undertake  the  forgings  required  for  the  paddle-shafts,  necessity  compelled 
the  adoption  of  the  screw-propeller.  After  her  launch  she  was  imprisoned 
several  months  in  Cumberland  dock,  Bristol,  owing  to  the  locks  being  nar- 
rower than  the  ship,  which  necessitated  their  being  widened.  She  was  re- 
leased from  her  long  and  ludicrous  durance  December  12,  1844,  and  early 
in  1845  steamed  round  to  London.  Her  propeller  was  fifteen  and  a  half 
feet  in  diameter.  She  was  of  large  dimensions  for  the  time,  having  an 
extreme  total  length  of  322  feet,  51  feet  width  of  beam,  32  feet  6  inches 
depth  of  hold,  and  3,448  tons  burthen  by  the  old  measurement.  The 
"  Great  Britain"  was  among  the  first  ocean-going  steam-ships  built 
of  iron,  and  also  among  the  first  of  that  now  numerous  class  navigated 
by  a  screw  propeller.  Originally  she  had  six  masts,  which  were  afterwards 
reduced  to  three.  The  screw  was  worked  by  engines  of  1,000  horse- 
power, but  were  changed  to  engines  of  500  horse-power  nominal.  She  was 
intended  to  be  employed  between  Bristol  and  New  York  as  the  companion 
ship  of  the  "  Great  Western."  Besides  being  very  strongly  framed,  she  was 
divided  into  six  water -tight  compartments,  which  proved  their  utility  when 
on  her  voyage  from  Liverpool  to  New  York,  with  one  hundred  and  eighty- 
five  passengers  on  board,  she  was  stranded  on  the  22d  of  September,  1846,  in 
Dundrum  Bay,  on  the  Irish  coast,  where  she  lay  till  the  25th  of  August, 
1847,  exposed  to  all  the  storms  which  swept  that  rugged  and  tempestuous 
coast.  When  floated  off  she  was  found  to  have  sustained  little  or  no  damage. 
During  the  Crimean  war  she  was  employed  by  the  British  government  as  a 
transport,  and  afterwards  run  to  Australia  as  a  passenger-ship,  with  ma- 
chinery and  equipments  modified  to  suit  the  service.  She  was  still  on  that 

route  in  1876.* 

• 

*  This  vessel,  which  has  a  history  of  more  than  ordinary  interest,  was  yesterday  offered. 
for  sale  by  Mr.  t.  W.  Kellock  (Messrs.  Kellock  &  Co.)  at  their  salesroom,  Walmer  Build- 
ings, Water  street,  and  the  event  attracted  a  very  large  attendance  of  gentlemen  who  are 
closely  identified  with  the  shipping  interests  of  the  port.  The  "  Great  Britain,"  lying  in 
the  West  Float,  Birkenhead,  was  described  in  the  "bill  of  particulars"  as  of  3270  gross, 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  173 

The  "  Great  Western  "  ran  regularly  between  Bristol  and  New  York  till 
the  end  of  1846.  In  1847  she  was  sold  to  the  West  India  Koyal  Mail  Steam 
Packet  Company,  and  was  considered  one  of  their  best  vessels.  She  vWas 
broken  up  in  1857,  at  Vauxhall,  being  unable  longer  to  compete  profitably 
with  the  new  class  of  steamers. 

1838.— THE  "  LIVERPOOL."— The  "  Liverpool "  was  built  in  the  city  for 
which  she  was  named,  and  was  dispatched  to  New  York,  October  20,  1838, 
by  Sir  John  Tobin,  a  well-known  merchant,  and  put  back  to  Cork,  October 
26.  She  again  proceeded  on  her  voyage  on  the  6th  of  November,  and  made 
the  passage  in  sixteen  and  a  half  days,  arriving  at  New  York  November  23. 
She  was  at  first  of  1,150  tons,  but  her  tonnage  was  subsequently  increased  to 
1,543,  and  she  obtained  the  name  of  the  "Great  Liverpool."  She  made 
in  all  six  voyages  to  and  from  New  York,  when  she  was  transferred  to 
the  Peninsular  and  Oriental  Company,  and  in  1846  was  totally  wrecked 
off  Cape  Finisterre. 

1839.— THE  "  PRESIDENT."— The  "President"  was  launched  December  7, 
1839,  with  great  eclat,  and  sailed  on  her  first  trip  to  New  York  August  1, 
1840  ;  but  her  career  was  very  brief,  and  may  be  summed  up  in  a  few 
words.  When  due  from  New  York  in  April,  1841,  she  failed  to  make  her 
appearance  :  tremendous  weather  having  been  experienced  in  the  Atlantic, 
with  unusual  quantities  of  ice  in  very  low  latitudes,  and  the  greatest 
anxiety  was  felt  for  her  safety.  She  was  never  again  heard  of,  nor  was 
any  trace  of  her  wreck  ever  discovered.  Her  figure-head  was  a  bust  of 
Washington  after  Canova.* 

tonnage,  and  1795  tons  net  register.  It  is  further  stated  that  "she  was  for  many  years  in 
the  Australian  trade,  and  well-known  by  her  rapid  passages  as  a  most  successful  ship.  Her 
construction  is  of  great  strength,  and  the  iron  used  was  Low  Moor  of  the  finest  quality.  For 
the  cattle  trade  across  the  Atlantic  she  is  admirably  adapted,  her  high  'tween  decks  and  side 
ports  affording  grand  ventilation ;  she  can  carry  live  stock  on  three  decks.  For  a  sailing 
ship  her  beautiful  lines  peculiarly  adapt  her,  and  with  the  machinery  taken  out  she  is  cal- 
culated to  carry  4000  tons  dead  weight.  Her  engines  are  by  J.  Penn  &  Sons,  of  Greenwich, 
and  are  in  good  candition  ;  her  boilers  by  Fawcett,  Preston  &  Co.,  of  Liverpool ;  and  though 
this  steamer  has  been  built  many  years,  her  iron  was  so  good,  and  strength  of  construction 
so  great,  with  a  certain  outlay  she  could  be  made  a  most  desirable  merchant  ship.  Dimen- 
sions— Length  over  all  325  feet,  breadth  50-6  feet,  depth  31-5  feet."  The  bidding  began 
at  ;£2,ooo,  then  went  to  ^"5,000,  and  before  long  ^"6,500  was  offered.  There  being  no  ad- 
vance on  this  price,  Mr.  Kellock  announced  that  the  vessel  was  withdrawn. — Liverpool 
Mercury,  July  29,  1 88 1. 

*  On  the  23d  of  April,  1841,  in  lat.  41,  long.  70,  a  Portuguese  brig  saw  a  large  steamship 
under  sail  going  about  four  miles  an  hour.  No  smoke  issued  from  the  funnels  (the  "  Presi- 
dent" had  two),  and  the  paddle-wheels  were  not  in  motion.  The  captain  of  the  brig  saw 
the  steamer  on  the  following  day,  and  even  approached  within  three  or  four  miles  of  her 
while  pursuing  his  homeward  route.  She  did  not  hail  the  brig,  nor  did  she  appear  to  be  at 
-  all  in  a  disabled  state.  A  British  man-of  war  and  two  Portuguese  vessels  were  sent  to  cruise 
in  search  of  the  "  President,"  but  without  success. 


174  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

1839.— THE  "BRITISH  QUEEN."— The  "British  Queen"  sailed  from  Ports- 
mouth, England,  on  her  first  trip,  July  13,  1839,  with  a  full  complement  of 
passengers,  a  crew  of  one  hundred  men,  eight  hundred  tons  of  goods,  and 
six  hundred  tons  of  coal.  She  cost  three  hundred  thousand  dollars,  and 
when  leaving  the  harbor  was  said  to  have  afloat  in  her  property  to  the 
value  of  seven  and  a  half  millions  of  dollars.  She  was  sold  to  the  Belgian 
government  in  1841. 

The  "  Columbia,"  of  the  Cunard  line  from  Liverpool  to  New  York,  was 
wrecked  on  the  rocks  off  Seal  Island  July  2,  1843.  No  lives  lost. 

In  1840  Lieutenant  Wall,  R.  N.,  communicated  interesting  papers  to  the 
United  Service  Journal  "  On  the  Construction,  Proportions,  and  Power  best 
adapted  to  Sea-going  Steam  Vessels,"  in  which  he  presented  arguments  in 
favor  of  building  and  supplying  large  steamers  with  three  instead  of  two  en- 
gines, and  set  forth  the  advantages  which  would  counterbalance  the  in- 
creased expense,  weight,  and  friction  of  a  third  cylinder. 

The  same  year  M.  Scott  RusseM  arrived  at  this  "  very  remarkable  result :" 
"  That  in  a  voyage  by  a  steam  vessel  in  the  open  sea,  exposed  of  course  to 
adverse  winds,  there  is  a  certain  high  velocity  and  high  portion  of  power 
which  may  be  accomplished  with  less  expenditure  of  fuel  and  of  room  than 
at  a  lower  speed  with  less  power." 

The  Secretary  of  the  United  States  Navy,  in  1840,  in  his  official  report, 
stated  that  England,  in  1836,  had  600  steamers  at  home  and  abroad,  and  in 
1840  the  number  of  steamers  in  the  United  States  was  800,  of  which  600 
belonged  to  the  Western  waters,  where  in  1834  there  were  about  254.  About 
140  belonged  to  the  State  of  New  York.  In  tonnage,  in  1840,  the  United 
States  had  155,000  tons  of  steam  shipping,  and  great  Britain  68,000. 

The  Society  of  Arts  awarded  Mr.  Jennings  a  silver  medal  in  1840,  for  his 
invention  of  night  signals  for  steamers.  A  small  iron  steamer  was  built  in 
England,  appropriately  named  "The  Anthracite,"  especially  adapted  to 
burning  that  kind  of  coal.* 

July  10,  1840,  the  "  Cyclops  "  steam  frigate,  "  the  largest  and  most  power- 
ful steam  man-of-war  in  the  world,"  was  launched  at  the  Pembroke  Dock- 
yard. Her  dimensions  were :  length,  225  feet;  beam  between  paddles,  38 
feet;  depth  of  hold,  38  feet;  tonnage,  1300.  She  was  200  tons  larger  than 
the  "  Gorgon,"  launched  from  the  same  slip  two  years  before.  She  had  a 
complete  gun-deck,  as  well  as  an  upper  or  quarter  deck,  and  on  her  main 
deck  mounted  eighteen  long  36-pounders,  on  the  upper  deck  four  48-pound- 
ers  and  two  96-pounders,  "  tremendous  guns  on  swivel  carriages,  carrying  a 
ball  ten  inches  in  diameter,  and  sweeping  around  the  horizon  240  degrees." 

She  was  commanded  by  a  post-captain,  the  "  Gorgon  "  being  the  only 
steamer  in  the  Royal  Navy  at  that  date  taking  post  rank.  Her  crew  con- 
sisted of  210  men,  20  engineers  and  stokers,  and  a  lieutenant's  party  of 

*  Mechanic's  Magazine. 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  175 

marines,  who  had  charge  of  the  guns.  All  the  guns  were  mounted  upon  sliding 
fixed  pivot  carriages.  She  was  schooner-rigged,  and,  with  six  months'  stores 
and  twenty  days'  fuel,  drew  only  fifteen  feet  of  water.  Her  orlop-deck  could 
store  800  troops  and  their  officers  with  comfort.  She  was  built  in  six  months, 
on  plans  of  Sir  William  Symonds,  and  had  engines  of  320  horse-power. 

The  steamer  "  Nicholai,"  of  eight  hundred  tons,  was  built  at  Deptford,  in 
1839,  to  run  between  Lubeck  and  St.  Petersburg,  and  the  Messrs.  Laid  & 
Woodside,  of  Liverpool,  shipped  in  sections  the  hulls  of  three  iron  steam- 
boats to  be  set  up  in  Montevideo. 

1838— TPIE  "  COLUMBUS."— The  "Columbus"  of  Liverpool,  built  in  1838 
for  trans-Atlantic  voyages,  was  fitted  with  Howard's  vapor  engine,  and  hence 
obtained  the  name  of  the  "  quicksilver  "  steamer.  She  was  brig-rigged,  had  two 
very  low  funnels,  and  burned  anthracite  coal,  so  that  "no  smoke  was  emitted." 
She  was  a  vessel  of  330  tons,  builder's  measurement,  had  21*  feet  beam,  was 
145  feet  long  on  her  keel,  and  her  depth  of  hold  was  13?  feet;  horse-power, 
110.  She  had  two  55  feet  engines  (her  cylinder  being  40*  inches  in  diameter), 
her  piston  had  3£  feet  stroke,  and  her  paddle-wheels  were  \1\  feet  in  diam- 
eter. .Her  speed  was  10£  statute  miles  per  hour.  Her  furnace  was  not  applied 
immediately  to  the  water,  but  to  a  pan  of  quicksilver,  which  it  was  proposed 
to  maintain  at  its  boiling-point,  but  very  much  above  the  boiling-point  of 
water.  On  this  surface  of  hot  quicksilver  water  was  injected,  which  in- 
stantly converted  into  steam  containing  more  heat  than  was  sufficient 
to  maintain  it  in  vaporing  form.  This  superheated  steam  worked  the 
piston,  and  being  subsequently  condensed  by  a  jet  of  fresh  water,  the  mix- 
ture of  warm  water  produced  by  the  steam  and  the  water  injected  was  con- 
ducted through  the  cooling  pipes,  and  subsequently  used  to  supply  the  water 
evaporation,  thus  not  only  dispensing  with  the  boiler,  but  also  with  sea- 
water,  the  same  distilled  water  constantly  circulating  through  the  cylinder 
and  condenser.  The  experimental  results  xwere  satisfactory,  and  a  small 
boat  fitted  with  Howard's  engine  was  plying  between  London  and  Richmond 
during  the  summer  of  1838.  The  result  of  the  trial  of  the  "Columbus"  I 
have  not  ascertained,  but  it  was  probably  unsuccessful,  as  this  is  the  only 
notice  of  "Howard's  quicksilver  engine"  I  have  been  able  to  find. 

1838.— THE  "  RAINBOW,"  built  by  John  Laird,  of  Liverpool,  for  the  Gen- 
eral Steam  Navigation  Company  in  1838,  was  an  iron  steamer  of  580  tons, 
190  feet  between  the  perpendiculars,  25  feet  beam  between  the  paddle-boxes, 
and  121  feet  depth  of  hold.  Her  engines  were  of  180  horse-power.  On  one 
occasion  she  made  the  trip  between  London  and  Antwerp,  a  distance  of  190 
nautical  miles,  in  fourteen  hours, — the  quickest  that  had  been  made.  On 
this  vessel  Prof.  Airy  experimented  on  the  effect  of  iron  on  the  compass.* 

*  Nautical  Magazine,  1829. 


176  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

1839. — THE  "  NORTH  AMERICA,"  the  first  vessel  with  which  it  was  at- 
tempted to  open  a  steam  communication  between  Halifax  and  Boston,  per- 
formed the  voyage  in  the  autumn  of  1839  from  one  place  to  the  other  in 
thirty-six  hours,  and  on  a  second  trip  in  twenty-nine  hours,  with  very  heavy 
weather. 

1839. — STEAMERS  TO  INDIA. — The  "  Queen  of  the  East,"  an  iron  steam- 
ship, the  first  of  a  line  of  steamers  to  ply  between  England  and  Calcutta, 
launched  in  1839,  was  an  iron  ship  of  2,618  tons  and  600  horse-power.  Her 
extreme  length  was  312  feet,  and  between  the  perpendiculars  270  feet ;  beam, 
45  feet ;  depth  of  hold,  30  feet ;  cylinder, '84  inches  diameter;  9  feet  stroke. 

The  "  India,"  the  first  vessel  of  the  India  Steam  Navigation  Company  via 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  was  1,200  tons,  and  had  accommodation  for  eighty 
passengers.  Her  extreme  length  was  200  feet ;  beam,  40  ;  depth,  40.  Her 
cargo  capacity  was  400  tons.  She  had  two  plate  iron  bulkheads  across  the 
engine  to  confine  accidental  fire  and  prevent  a  leak  spreading  from  one  di- 
vision to  another.  Three  additional  steamers  were  on  the  stocks  for  this 
company,  and  others  to  be  immediately  commenced. 

1840. — THE  "  PROSEPINE"  war  steamer  of  470  tons,  built  in  England, 
1840,  had  four  sliding  keels,  nine  water-tight  bulkheads,  two  of  which  were 
longitudinal,  running  the  entire  length  of  the  engine-room,  and  was  armed 
with  four  long  guns  on  non-recoil  carriages.  Her  draft  was  four  feet;  her 
two  engines  were  of  45  horse-power  each,  and  her  paddle-wheels  could  be 
disconnected. 

1840. — THE  "  PROPELLER,"  a  small  steamer  with  engine  of  24  horse- 
power, built  in  England  in  1840,  had  propellers  of  single  blades  of  iron  on 
each  side,  broad  and  large,  which  dipped  into  the  water  perpendicularly. 
The  appearance  of  the  propellers  was  like  that  of  the  legs  of  grasshopper?, 
and  when  in  motion  their  action  resembled  the  legs  of  that  insect  in  its 
work.* 

1841.— THE  "  CAIRO,"  built  for  the  navigation  of  the  Nile  in  1841,  was 
flat-bottomed  to  adapt  her  for  the  shallow  waters  of  the  Nile,  having  a  draft 
of  only  two  feet.  She  had  two  oscillating  engines  of  sixteen  horse-power 
each.  She  was  an  iron  vessel  and  divided  by  water-tight  bulk-heads,  with 
five  compartments  and  could  accommodate  one  hundred  persons  in  her 
cabins.  Her  average  speed  was  guaranteed  by  her  builders  to  be  fifteen 
miles  an  hour. 

1841. — THE  "FIRE-FLY,"  of  about  two  horse-power,  fitted  with  a  locomo- 
tive boiler,  vibrating  engines,  and  Ericsson  screw  propeller,  attained  a  speed 
of  nine  miles  an  hour  on  the  Thames  at  Oxford. 

1839.— SCREW  STEAMER  "K.  F,  STOCKTON."— January  29,  1839,  The 
"  R.  F.  Stockton  "  (screw)  towed  the  American  packet-ship  "  Toronto,"  650 
tons,  and  drawing  162  feet  water,  from  Blackwall  to  the  lower  points  of 

*Xondon  Times,  Oct.  10,  1840. 


HISTOR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VI G A  TION.  Ill 

Woolwich,  3i  miles,  in  40  minutes,  against  a  flood-tide  running  2  to  2£  miles 
an  hour. 

"The  fact  of  this  ship  having  been  moved  at  the  rate  of  upwards  of  six 
miles  an  hour,  by  a  propeller  measuring  only  6  feet  4  inches  in  diameter  and 
occupying  less  than  3  feet  in  length,  is  one  which,  scientifically  considered, 
as  well  as  in  a  practical  and  commercial  point  of  view,  is  of  immense  im- 
portance."* 

1840.— The  "  NEMESIS."— Captain  W.  H.  Hall,  sailed  from  Portsmouth 
in  the  "  Nemesis,"  March  28, 1840.  She  was  the  first  iron  steamer  -that  ever 
rounded  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  She  arrived  at  Table  Bay  July  1,  left  on 
the  llth,  but  meeting  with  severe  gales,  put  into  English  River,  Delagoa. 
Bay,  to  refit,  which  occupied  three  weeks,  when  she  resumed  her  voyage  up 
the  Mozambique  Channel  to  India  and  China,  where  she  performed  gallant 
service.  She  was  168  feet  long,  29  feet  beam,  and  650  tons  burthen.  She 
was  fitted  with  five  water-tight  compartments. 

The  "  Archimedes,"  an  iron  screw  steamer,  in  1840  made  an  experimental 
trip  around  the  island  of  Great  Britain,  or  1722  miles,  in  210  hours,  being 
on  an  average  about  8*  miles  an  hour. 

The  "  Archimedes  "  was  built  by  F.  P.  Smith's  Archimedean  Screw  Pro- 
peller Company.  After  the  experimental  trials  were  over  the  engines  were 
taken  out  and  she  was  sold  for  a  sailing  vessel.f 

The  first  application  of  Hall's  reefing  paddle-wheels  was  to  the  iron 
steamer  "  Lee,"  in  1840. 

COMPOUND  ENGINES,  1829-1837. — A  comparatively  little  known  work, 
by  C.  A.  Tremtsuk,  published  at  Bordeaux  in  1842,  contains  some  interest- 
ing particulars  of  the  steamers  plying  at  that  time  on  the  Gironde  and  the 
Garonne.  One  of  these  vessels,  the  "  Union,"  launched  in  June,  1829,  had 
a  compound  engine  constructed  by  Hallette,  of  Arras.  This  engine  had  two 
inclined  cylinders,  the  connecting-rods  taking  hold  of  the  same  crank-pin. 
The  cylinders  had  diameters  of  15  and  15.8  inches  respectively,  and  the 
stroke  in  each  instance  was  26  inches.  The  engine  was  run  at  thirty  revo- 
lutions a  minute  under  a  pressure  of  sixty-six  pounds  of  steam.  Another 
example  of  an  early  compound  engine  was  in  use  in  1842  on  board 
the  steamer  "  Le  Corsaire  Noir."  It  was  built  in  1837  by  Fol,  ST.,  of  Bor- 
deaux, and  had  three  oscillating  cylinders,  two  of  them  being  each  10.78 
inches  in  diameter,  with  39.4  inches  stroke,  and  the  third  having  a  diameter 
of  21.27  inches,  with  a  stroke  of  32  inches.  The  three  cylinders  acted  on 
three  different  cranks.  The  two  smaller  cylinders  received  the  steam  from 
the  boiler  at  a  pressure  of  seventy-four  pounds,  and  discharged  it  into  an 
intermediate  receiver,  from  which  it  passed  to  the  large  cylinder  and  then  to 
the  condenser.! 

*  Timbs,  in  the  Year-Book  of  Facts  for  1840. 

f  See  ante,  Chapter  III. 

J  Benjamin,  in  his  paper  on  "  Ocean  Steamships,"  in  the  Century,  September,  1882,  says: 

12 


178  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

1839.— The  steamer  "  Argyle"  sailed  from  Liverpool  ApriUG,  1839,  for 
New  Orleans  via  Cadiz  and  Madeira ;  and  the  "  Chili "  sailed  from  Falmouthr 
and  the  "  Peru"  from  London,  July  2,  1839,  for  Valparaiso  and  Callao  via 
Kio  Janeiro. 

1839. — THE  FIRST  TRIAL  OF  STEAMERS  IN  BATTLE. — The  attack  upon 
St.  Jean  d'Acre  November  3,  1839,  by  the  allied  squadrons  of  England, 
Austria  and  Turkey,  under  the  command  of  Commodore  Sir  Charles  Na- 
pier, was  the  first  occasion  on  which  the  advantages  of  steam  was  tried  in 
battle.  Four  English  paddle-wheel  steamers,  viz  :  the  "Phenix,"  "  Gorgon," 
"  Strombolo,"  and  "  Vesuvius,"  were  engaged  in  the  action,  and  the  shells 
thrown  from  them  did  prodigious  execution  ;  they  were  enabled  with  rapidity 
to  take  up  the  most  advantageous  positions  and  rendered  great  assistance 
during  the  bombardment. 

1840. — A  VESSEL  PROPELLED  BY  PRESSURE  PUMPS. — The  Edinburgh 
Observer  of  1840  says,  "An  ingenious  mechanic  residing  at  Grahamstown 
has  been  for  a  long  period  engaged  in  constructing  a  small  vessel  to  be  pro- 
pelled by  pressure-pumps.  The  boat  was  launched  into  the  Forth  and 
Clyde  Canal  at  Bainsford  bridge,  and  proceeded  along  the  reach  at  a  rate 
of  not  less  than  fifteen  miles  per  hour,  conducted  by  the  inventor  alone,  who 
worked  the  pumps.  He  had  no  doubt  that  his  invention  would  entirely 
supersede  the  use  of  paddle-wheels." 

The  London  Morning  Chronicle  for  1840  says,  "Experiments  were  tried 
with  a  model  of  an  entirely  new  form  of  steam  vessel,  and  with  every  pros- 
pect of  a  successful  result.  In  this  remarkable  invention  there  are  no 
paddle-wheels  nor  external  work  of  any  kind.  The  whole  machinery  is  in 
the  hold  of  the  vessel,  where  a  horizontal  wheel  is  moved  by  the  power  of 
steam,  and,  acting  upon  a  current  of  water  admitted  by  the  bows  and  thrown 
off  at  the  stern,  propels  the  vessel  at  a  rapid  rate.  By  a  very  simple  con- 
trivance of  stop-cocks,  etc.,  on  the  apparatus,  the  steamer  can  be  turned, 
retarded,  stopped,  or  have  her  motion  reversed." 

An  officer  of  the  United  States  Navy  obtained  a  patent  in  1840  for  a 
similar  improvement;  his  model  was  examined  by  scientific  gentlemen  in 
Washington,  who  highly  approved  of  it.  The  whole  machinery  was  situated 
below  the  water-line,  out  of  reach  of  shot. 

1840. — THE  CUNARD  LINE  ESTABLISHED. — Samuel  Cunard,  of  Halifax, 
in  1840,  started  the  line  of  ocean  steamers  known  by  his  name.  It  was 
the  first  permanently  successful  line  of  transatlantic  steamers.  The  "  Britan- 
nia," the  first  regular  steamer  of  the  line,  left  Liverpool,  July  4,  1840,  and 
arrived  at  Boston,  July  18,  1840,  fourteen  days  and  eight  hours  from  Liver- 
pool. 

"  The  compound  engine  was-invented  by  Hornblower  in  1781."     Also,  "  that  Allaire  made 
such  an  engine  for  Eckford  in  1825." 

Hornblower's  engine  is  not  mentioned  in  the  Abridgment  of  Patents  for  Marine  Propul- 
sion, published  by  the  British  Patent  Office. 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  179 

Cunard  had  for  years  conducted  a  line  of  packet-brigs  between  Halifax 
and  England, — tub-like  vessels  widely  known  as  coffins,  several  having 
foundered  under  the  wintry  waves  of  the  Atlantic.  Mr.  Cunard  accepted  a 
subsidy  and  laid  the  keels  of  four  steamers  of  eight  hundred  tons  to  run  be- 
tween Halifax  and  Liverpool,  with  a  small  connecting  steamer  to  run  from 
Halifax  to  Boston.  On  his  return  by  the  "  Great  Western"  he  was  encoun- 
tered at  Bristol  by  news  from  America.  Kesolutions  favoring  the  enterprise 
had  been  presented  at  a  large  meeting  in  Boston  and  adopted  by  acclama- 
tion. With  thesa  in  hand,  Cunard  waited  on  the  Admiralty.  "  See,"  he 
says,  "  my  predictions  are  verified.  I  told  you  the  boats  were  too  small ; 
the  Bostonians  say  they  must  come  through  to  Boslon,  and  that  they  will 
settle  the  question  of  the  Northeast  boundary.  Give  me  ten  thousand 
pounds  more  and  I  will  enlarge  the  steamers  and  extend  my  route  to 
Boston."  They  gave  him  the  additional  sum :  he  went  back  to  Glasgow, 
broke  up  the  keels  already  laid,  and  built  the  "  Britannia,"  "  Acadia," 
"Caledonia,"  and  "Columbia,"  the  pioneers  of  his  line  to  America.  The 
"  Unicorn,"  a  chartered  vessel,  was  the  first  vessel  of  the  Cunard  line  to 
cross  the  Atlantic,  but  the  "  Britannia"  was  the  first  regular  vessel  to  arrive 
at  Boston. 

1842. — The  paddle-wheel  steamer  "  Bangor,"  from  Boston,  via  Halifax 
and  Pictou,  arrived  at  Fayal  on  the  19th  September,  1842,  in  ten  days  from 
the  latter  port,  and  left  on  the  21st  for  Constantinople,  touching  at  Gibraltar 
and  Malta.  She  was  at  one  time  the  steam-yacht  of  the  Sultan,  and  later 
employed  in  conveying  Mahommedan  pilgrims  towards  Mecca.  She  was  a 
side-wheel  steamer,  built  in  New  York  to  ply  between  Boston,  Portland,  and 
Bangor,  Maine,  and  was  some  time  on  that  route.  On  her  voyage  to  Gibral- 
tar her  lower  cabins  were  converted  into  coal-bunkers,  and  her  upper  cabins 
removed. 

1840. — THE  FRENCH  STEAM  NAVY. — The  French  steam  navy  in  1840 
consisted  of  the  following  paddle-wheel  steamers,  viz. :  The  "  Lavoisier,"  220 
horse-power ;  "  Veloce,"  220 ;  "  Chameleon,"  220  ;  "  Gassendi,"  220 ;  "  Ma- 
jeur,"160;  "Sphinx,"  160;  "Ardent,"  160 ;"  Crocodile,"  160;  "Fulton/' 
160;  "Chimere,"  160;  "Styx,"  160;  "Me"teore,"  160;  "Vulture,"  160; 
"  Phare,"  160;  "Acheron,"  160;  "  Papin,"  160 ;  "  Cerberus,"  160  ;  "  Tartar/1 
160;  "Etna,"  160;  Brandon,"  "Cocytes,"  160;  "  Phaeton","  160;  "  Ton- 
nerre,"  160;  "Euphrates,"  160;  "  Gregerois,"  160;  "Grondeur,"  160;  "Ka- 
mier,"  150;  "Castor,"  150;  "  Brasier,"  100;  "  Coureur,"  80;"  Flambeau," 
80  ;"  Corsier,"  60 ;  "  Erebus,"  60 ;  "  African/,'  40 ;  and  seven  other  boats  on 
the  stocks,  viz.:  the  "  Asmodeus,"  "  Pluto,"  "Infernal,"  "Gomore,"  "Ton- 
are,"  "  Cuvier,"  and  "  Chaptal,"  which  gave  France  an  effective  force  of 
forty-one  .steamboats,  whilst  the  English  had  nearly  twice  as  many.  The 
"Gomore,"  of  four  hundred  and  fifty  horse-power,  was  to  carry  thirty-four 
guns  under  a  covered  battery,  and  the  "  Infernal"  was  of  three  hundred  and 
twenty  horse-power. 


180  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  English  had  the  "  Cyclops,"  which  could  mount 
sixteen  long  thirty-twos,  four  pieces  of  forty-eight  on  its  quarter-deck,  and 
two  of  ninety-six, — twenty-two  guns  in  all.  She  could  carry  coal  for  twenty- 
five  days'  steaming,  and  take  one  thousand  soldiers  on  her  deck ;  four  hun- 
dred troops  across  the  Atlantic,  or  three  hundred  to  India.  Her  usual  rate 
of  sailing  was  eleven  knots  an  hour.  She  beat  in  sailing,  and  without  using  the 
engine,  the  "Pantaloon,"  the  fastest  sailing  brig  in  the  Royal  Navy,  in  a  pas- 
sage of  three  hundred  miles.  Her  crew  comprised  two  hundred  and  twenty 
seamen  in  time  of  war,  and  one  hundred  and  seventy-three  during  peace. 
Independent  of  her  war-steamboats,  Great  Britain  had  immense  resources  in 
her  commercial  steam  navy,  which  consisted  of  eight  hundred  and  ninety- 
nine  steamboats,  aggregating  a  force  of  sixty-eight  thousand  one  hundred 
and  forty-five  horse-power.  Among  these  were  thirty-three  steamboats,  of 
from  four  hundred  and  fifty  to  seven  hundred  horse-power,  which  traded  to 
the  United  States,  South  America,  and  India. 

1842. — EARLY  SCREW  STEAMERS  IN  GREAT  BRITAIN. — The  London 
Nautical  Magazine  for  1842  notes  the  following  vessels  with  screw  propellers 
as  having  been  built  or  then  being  built  in  Great  Britain,  viz.: 

Already  btiilt. 

"Archimedes,"         237  tons,  70  horse-power,  belonging  to  London. 
"Princess  Royal,"  101     "      45           "  "  Brighton. 

"Bee,"  30     "      10  "  "  Portsmouth. 

"  Beddington,"        270     "      60  "  "  South  Shields. 

"Novelty,"  300     "      25  "  "  London. 

Building. 

"  Great  Britain,"  3,600  tons,  1000  horse  power,  belonging  to  Bristol. 
"Rattler,"  800    "       200 

Two  for  the  French  government  of  230  horse-power. 

One       "  "  "  "  350          " 

Propellers  had  been  fitted  to  other  vessels  with  various  success.  The  old 
river  steamer  "  Swiftsure  "  was  fitted  with  one,  and  an  increased  speed  at- 
tained by  it.  The  "  Great  Britain  "  is  described  as  the  "  largest  vessel 
in  the  world ;  but  the  most  noble  feature  about  her  is  her  newly-improved 
screw-propeller,  patented  by  Mr.  Smith,  of  London,  and  applied  by  him 
with  complete  success  to  the  'Archimedes.'  " 

Henry  Winhault,  who  launched  the  "  Novelty  "  on  the  Thames,  in  1843, 
claims  she  was  the  first  screw  propeller  ever  used  to  carry  freight. 

The  "Napoleon"  of  130  horse-power,  built  in  Havre,  in  1842,  was  the 
first  French  steamer  propelled  by  the  screw. 

In  1842  steam  navigation  was  established  on  the  Indus.  The  iron  steamers 
"  Planet "  and  "Satellite,"  originally  intended  for  the  Rhine,  were  purchased 
by  the  East  India  Company,  sent  out  in  sections,  and  put  together  in  the 


HISTORY   OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  181 

dock-yards  in  Bombay.  In  1844-45  the  "  Napier,"  "  Conqueror,"  and 
"  Meance "  were  added  to  the  line ;  all  these  had  engines  of  sixty  horse- 
power. 

In  1842  H.  B.  M.  steamship  "  Driver  "  circumnavigated  the  globe,  the 
first  steamship  to  perform  this  feat. 

1841. — THE  FIRST  STEAM  LAUNCH. — The  "Jane,"  a  steamer  26  feet  long, 
with  five  feet  beam,  and  of  less  than  three  tons  tonnage,  and  one  horse- 
power, attained  in  smooth  water  a  speed  of  seven  miles  an  hour.  She  was 
built  by  Mr.  Blaxand,  of  Greenwich,  and  her  propelling  power  was  two 
screw  paddles  at  the  stern.  The  machinery  was  worked  by  straps  and  fric- 
tion pulleys,  so  arranged  as  to  avoid  the  wear  and  tear  of  gears. 

1842. — Captain  Carpenter,  of  H.  M.  S.  "  Geyser,"  in  1842  had  her  pinnace 
fitted  with  his  patent  propeller  and  a  small  engine  of  5  to  6  horse-power. 
The  pinnace  was  30  feet  in  length,  9  feet  wide,  and  capable  of  carrying 
3  tons.  Her  "  disc  "  engine  weighed  6  cwt.,  and  measured  three  feet  by  one 
and  a  half.  The  engine  and  boiler  were  so  fitted  to  the  pinnace  that  they 
could  be  taken  out  or  replaced  in  five  minutes. 

1841. — AN  ICE-CUTTING  STEAMBOAT  was  invented*  by  M.  C.  Hiorth,  a 
Dane,  in  1851,  which  could  cut  its  way  through  the  thickest  ice  with  a  speed 
nearly  equal  to  that  of  an  unimpeded  navigation. 

THE  "  PRINCETON,"  1843. — Screw  propulsion  was  introduced  into  the 
United  States  Navy,  and,  it  may  be  said  into  the  United  States,  in  1843,  by 
the  construction  of  the  "  Princeton,"  a  steamship  classed  as  a  second-rate 
sloop-of-war. 

.  This  vessel  was  designed  by  and  constructed  under  the  superintendence 
of  Captain  John  Ericsson,  a  Swede  by  birth,  but  a  resident  of  New  York. 
She  was  the  first  screw  steam  war -vessel  ever  built* 

Her  dimensions  were : 

Length  on  deck         .  .  .  .  .  .  .  164  feet. 

Length  between  perpendiculars,         .  .  .  .  .  156     " 

Extreme  beam  on  deck,         .  .  .  .  .  .  30     "  6  inches. 

Depth  of  hold  to  berth-deck,  .  .  .  .  -  14" 

Depth  from  berth  to  spar-deck,         .  .  .  .  7     "  " 

Total  depth  of  vessel,  .  .  .  .  '     .  21     "  " 

Measurement  burden,  ......  673  tons. 

Launching  weight  of  hull,  .  .  .  .  418     " 

Displacement  at  i6)4  feet  draught    ,  954     " 

at  18  .  .  .  .  1046     " 

Immersed  midship  sectional  16^  feet  draught,        .  .  .  346  square  feet. 

"  "  «        at  18         "         "  .  390 

Draught  of  water  at  deepest  load,  with  200  tons  of  coal  onboard    .  19  feet  4  inches. 

Draught  of  water,  with  100  tons  of  coal  in,' after  bunkers  and")  forward  14^  feet. 

provisions  and  water  for  the  crew  half  out         ...  ]  aft,    .      iS^     " 

Mean  draught  of  water  with  half  coal  out  and  all  other  weights  full  1 7  feet. 

*  H.  M.  S.  "Rattler,"  the  second  screw  war  vessel,  was  launched  after  the  "  Princeton." 


182  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

The  peculiarity  of  her  model  consisted  in  a  very  flat  floor  amidships,  with 
great  sharpness  forward,  and  excessive  leanness  aft,  the  run  being  remarka- 
bly fine,  with  a  great  extent  of  dead-wood  terminating  in  a  stern-post  of  the 
unusual  thickness  of  twenty-six  inches  at  the  'centre  of  the  propeller-shaft, 
but  tapering  above  and  below.  This  dead-wood  and  stern-post  was  pierced 
by  a  hole  thirteen  inches  diameter. 

Other  of  her  peculiarities  were  that  for  the  first  time  in  a  vessel  of  war  all 
of  her  machinery  was  placed  entirely  below  the  water-line,  out  of  reach  of  shot. 
She  was  also  the  first  war  steamer  to  burn  anthracite  coal,  thus  avoiding  the 
•dense  volumes  of  black  smoke  which  revealed  all  foreign  war  steamers.  She 
was  also  the  first  steamer  provided  with  telescopic  funnels,  to  be  lowered  out 
of  the  way  of  the  sails,  and  the  first  to  use  blowers.  She  was  provided  with 
direct-acting  engines.  Ericsson,  who  devised  her,  was  the  first  also  to 
couple  the  screw  directly  to  the  engine. 

An  eye-witness  has  described  a  remarkable  race  between  the  "  Princeton" 
and  the  "Great  Western"  the  fastest  ocean  paddle-wheel  steamer  of  the  day. 
The  "  Great  Western  "  was  aware  that  the  new  United  States  war  vessel  pro- 
pelled by  an  unseen  instrument  intended  to  run  with  her  a  sufficient  dis- 
tance for  a  fair  trial  of  the  relative  speed  of  the  two  vessels,  and  was  there- 
fore fully  prepared. 

On  the  day  in  question,  shortly  after  the  "Great  Western  "  had  passed 
the  Battery  in  the  New  York  harbor,  with  volumes  of  dense  smoke  pouring 
from  her  pipe,  her  paddle-wheels  leaving  a  snow  white  wake  behind  them, 
the  "Princeton"  came  down  the  Hudson  at  great  speed.  She  looked  like  a 
fine  model  of  a  sailing-ship,  with  yards  squared  and  not  a  stitch  of  canvas 
spread  ;  no  smoke-pipe  visible,  it  being  lowered  level  with  the  rail ;  no  smoke 
to  be  seen,  anthracite  being  the  fuel  supplied ;  but  propelled  by  a  noisless 
and  unseen  agency.  She  soon  reached  and  passed  the  "  Great  Western  "  and 
steamed  around  her,  and  passed  her  a  second  time  before  the  two  reached 
their  points  of  final  separation. 

Captain  Stockton,  who  may  be  said  to  have  been  her  originator,  superin- 
tended her  construction,  and  was  her  first  Captain.  In  a  letter  to  the  Secre- 
tary of  the  Navy,  he  thus  describes  the  "  Princeton." 

UNITED  STATES  SHIP  "  PRINCETON." 
PHILADELPHIA,  FEB.  5,  1844. 

SIR  : — The  United  States  ship  "  Princeton  "  having  received  her  arma- 
ment on  board,  and  being  nearly  ready  for  sea,  I  have  the  honor  to  trans- 
mit to  you  the  following  account  of  her  equipment,  etc. : 

The  "  Princeton  "  is  a  full-rigged  ship  of  great  speed  and  power,  able  to 
perform  any  service  that  can  be  expected  from  a  ship  of  war.  Constructed 
upon  the  most  approved  principles  of  naval  architecture,  she  is  believed 
o  be  at  least  equal  to  any  ship  of  her  class  with  her  sail,  and  she  has  an 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  183 

auxiliary  power  of  steam,  and  can  make  greater  speed  than  any  sea  going 
steamer  or  other  vessel  heretofore  built.  Her  engines  lie  snug  in  the  bot- 
tom of  the  vessel,  out  of  reach  of  an  enemy's  shot,  and  do  not  at  all  inter- 
fere with  the  use  of  the  sails,  but  can  at  any  time  be  made  auxiliary  thereto. 
She  shows  no  chimney,  and  makes  no  smoke,  and  there  is  nothing  in  her 
external  appearance  to  indicate  that  she  is  propelled  by  steam. 

The  advantages  of  the  "  Princeton  "  over  both  sailing-ships  and  steamers 
propelled  in  the  usual  way  are  great  and  obvious.  She  can  go  in  and  out 
of  port  at  pleasure,  without  regard  to  the  force  or  direction  of  the  wind 
or  tide,  or  the  thickness  of  the  ice.  She  can  ride  safely  with  her  anchors 
in  the  most  open  roadstead,  and  may  lie  to  in  the  severest  gale  of  wind  with 
safety.  She  can  not  only  save  herself,  but  will  be  able  to  tow  a  squadron 
from  the  dangers  of  a  Jee  shore.  Using  ordinarily  the  power  of  the  wind 
and  reserving  her  fuel  for  emergencies,  she  can  remain  at  sea  the  same  length 
of  time  as  other  sailing-ships.  Making  no  noise,  smoke,  or  agitation  of  the 
water  (and  if  she  chooses,  showing  no  sail)  she  can  surprise  an  enemy.  She 
can  take  her  own  position  and  her  own  distance  from  an  enemy.  Her  en- 
gines and  water-wheel  being  below  the  surface  of  the  water,  safe  from  an 
enemy's  shot,  she  is  in  no  danger  of  being  disabled,  even  if  her  masts  should 
be  destroyed.  She  will  not  be  at  daily  expense  for  fuel  as  other  steamships 
are.  The  engines  being  seldom  used,  will  probably  out-last  two  such  ships. 
These  advantages  make  the  "  Princeton,"  in  my  opinion,  the  cheapest 
fastest,  and  most  certain  ship-of-war  in  the  world. 

The  equipments  of  this  ship  are  of  the  plainest  and  most  substantial  kind, 
the  furniture  of  the  cabins  being  made  of  white  pine  boards,  painted 
white,  with  mahogany  chairs,  table,  and  side-board,  and  an  American  manu- 
factured oil-cloth  on  the  floor. 

To  economize  room,  and  that  the  ship  may  be  better  ventilated,  curtains 
of  American  manufactured  linen  are  substituted  for  the  usual  and  more  cus- 
tomary and  expensive  wooden  bulkheads,  by  which  arrangement  the  apart- 
ments of  the  men  and  officers  may  in  an  instant  be  thro*vn  into  one,  and  a 
degree  of  spaciousness  and  comfort  is  attained  unusual  in  a  vessel  of  her 
class. 

The  "  Princeton  "  is  armed  with  two  long  225-pounder  wrought-iron  guns, 
and  twelve  42-pounder  carronades,  all  of  which  may  be  used  at  once  on 
either  side  of  the  ship.  She  can  consequently  throw  a  greater  weight  of 
metal  at  one  broadside  than  most  frigates.  The  big  guns  of  the  "  Prince- 
ton "  can  be  fired  with  an  effect  terrific  and  almost  incredible,  and  with  a 
certainty  heretofore  unknown.  The  extraordinary  effects  of  the  shot  were 
proved  by  firing  at  a  target,  which  was  made  to  represent  a  section  of  the 
two  sides  and  deck  of  a  74-gun  ship,  and  timbered,  kneed,  planked  and 
bolted  in  the  same  manner.  This  target  was  560  yards  from  the  gun.  With 
the  smaller  charges  of  powder,  the  shot  passed  through  these  immense  masses 
of  timber  (being  57  inches  thick),  tearing  it  away  and  splintering  it  for  sev- 


1«4  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

eral  feet  on  each  side,  and  covering  the  whole  surface  of  the  ground  for  a  hun- 
dred yards  square  with  fragments  of  wood  and  iron.  The  accuracy  with  which 
these  guns  throw  their  immense  shot  (which  are  three  feet  in  circumference) 
may  be  judged  by  this  : — the  six  shots  fired  in  succession  at  the  same  eleva- 
tion struck  the  same  horizontal  plank  more  than  half  a  mile  distant.  By 
the  application  of  the  various  arts  to  the  purposes  of  war  on  board  the 
"  Princeton,"  it  is  believed  that  the  art  of  gunnery  for  sea  service  has  for 
the  first  time  been  reduced  to  something  like  mathematical  certainty.  The 
distances  to  which  these  guns  can  throw  their  shot  at  every  necessary  angle 
of  elevation  has  been  ascertained  by  a  series  of  careful  experiments.  The 
distance  from  the  ship  to  any  object  is  readily  ascertained  with  an  instru- 
ment on  board,  contrived  for  that  purpose  by  an  observation  which  it  re- 
quires but  an  instant  to  make,  and  by  inspection  without  calculation.  By 
self-acting  locks,  the  guns  can  be  fired  accurately  at  the  necessary  elevation  r 
no  matter  what  the  motion  of  the  ship  may  be.  It  is  confidently  believed 
that  this  small  ship  will  be  able  to  battle"  with  any  vessel,  however  large,  if 
she  is  not  invincible  against  any  foe.  The  improvements  in  the  art  of  war 
adopted  on  board  the  "Princeton"  may  be  productive  of  more  important 
results  than  any  thing  that  has  occurred  since  the  invention  of  gunpowder. 
The  numerical  force  of  other  navies,  so  long  boasted,  may  be  set  at  naught. 
The  ocean  may  again  become  neutral  ground,  and  the  rights  of  the  smallest 
as  well  as  the  greatest  nations  may  once  more  be  respected.  All  of  which,, 
for  the  honor  and  defense  of  every  inch  of  our  territory,  is  most  respectfully 
submitted  to  the  honorable  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  for  the  information  of  the 
President  and  Congress  of  the  United  States. 

By  your  obedient  and  faithful  servant, 

R.  F.  STOCKTON, 

CAPTAIN  U.  S.  NAVY. 
To  HON.  DAVID  HENSHAW, 

SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY. 

The  "Arrogant "  the  first  war-propeller  vessel  planned  as  such  by  the 
English* — four  or  five  years  after  the  date  of  the  United  States  steamer 
"  Princeton,"  had  cylinders  of  nearly  the  same  capacity  as  her  American 
prototype,  yet  her  engines  occupied  2,812  cubic  feet,  while  those  of  the 
"  Princeton  "  occupied  but  1,738  feet.  The  "  Princeton's"  engines  weighed 
85  tons ;  the  "Arrogant's,"  built  by  the  eminent  engineer  Penn,  were  much 
heavier. 

The  hull  of  the  "  Princeton,"  having  been  built  of  white  oak,  was  found  to 
be  too  rotten  for  repair  in  1849,  and  was  broken  up.  Her  performance  was 
not  excelled  by  any  screw  steamer  of  her  time,  relatively  with  the  fuel  she 

*  The  "  Rattler "  was  originally  laid  down  for  a  paddle-wheel  steamer,  and  her  plans- 
changed  on  the  stocks  to  a  screw. 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  *  185 

consumed.  At  sea  she  worked  and  steered  admirably,  either  under  sail 
alone  or  with  sail  and  steam.  She  was  a  very  dry  vessel,  but  owing  to  the 
sharpness  of  her  hull  fore  and  aft  the  midship  section  she  pitched  in  a  rough 
sea  with  great  violence.  With  a  fair  amount  of  canvas  and  a  moderate  wind 
she  would  careen  to  an  extent  unusual  in  a  vessel  of  her  class,  but 
though  she  thus  easily  went  down  to  her  bearings,  it  took  additionally  a  very 
large  quantity  of  canvas  and  a  strong  wind  to  depress  her  sensibly  further. 
In  a  heavy  gale  clawing  off  a  lee  shore  she  carried  sail  to  a  greater  extent 
than  was  considered  prudent  by  other  sailing  sloops-of-war  in  her  company  ; 
all  of  them,  and  some  frigates,  she  beat  out  to  windward,  dragging  her 
propeller. 

After  the  hull  was  broken  up  the*machinery  of  the  vessel  remained  in 
store  at  the  Boston  Navy  Yard  until  the  summer  of  1851,  when  the  Depart- 
ment ordered  a  new  clipper  hull  to  be  built  at  that  yard,  of  increased 
dimensions,  to  receive  the  Ericsson  semi-cylinder  engines,  to  have  new 
boilers,  and  a  propeller  of  suitable  proportions  for  this  enlarged  "Princeton." 
The  new  vessel,  built  of  live  oak  and  copper  fastened,  was  beautiful  to  look 
at,  but  her  performance  did  not  equal  expectation  It  was  a  case  of  putting 
old  wine  into  new  bottles.  She  performed  very  little  service  at  sea,  was 
used  as  a  receiving  vessel  at  Philadelphia,  and  was  sold  in  that  city  in  1867. 
Her  armament  was  four  8-inch  guns  of  58  cwt.  and  six  30-pounder  guns  of 
32  cwt.  Her  dimensions  were:  Mean  length  at  load  line,  177.5  feet;  ex- 
treme beam,  32.66  feet ;  depth,  25.75  feet ;  displacement  at  mean  load  line, 
1,370  gross  tons.  She  was  ship  rigged. 

1840. — The  Royal  Steam  Navy  in  1840  consisted  of  between  38  and 
50  paddle-wheel  steam  vessels  of  all  classes.  During  the  next  three  years — 
1842-44 — eight  screw  vessels  were  ordered  to  be  built,  but  the  "  Rattler  " 
was  the  first  that  was  launched.  This  number  was  augmented  by  twenty- 
six  in  1845.  In  1848  there  were  forty-five  screw  steamers  in  the  Royal  Navy. 

In  1845  the  Queen  reviewed  the  channel  fleet,  the  steam  branch  being  on 
that  occasion  represented  by  one  solitary  ship,  the  "Rattler"  the  first  screw 
steamship  added  to  the  Royal  Navy.  In  1853,  when  the  Queen  again  re- 
viewed the  fleet  at  Spithead  the  steam  branch  had  increased  in  the  interven- 
ing eight  years  to  twenty-seven  paddle-wheels  and  thirteen  screws,  while 
there  were  only  three  sailing  ships  present. 

An  official  report  of  the  result  of  various  trials  of  the  performance  of 
screw  steamers,  dated  May,  1850,  states  it  "  as  lyghly  probable  that  fine 
sailing-vessels,  fitted  with  auxiliary  screw-power,  would  be  able,  if  not  to 
rival,  at  least  to  approach  full-powered  and  expansively-acting  steamships 
in  respect  of  their  capability  of  making  a  long  voyage  with  certainty  and  in 
a  reasonably  short  time."  "  Another  application  of  the  screw,  although  in- 
ferior iti  general  importance  to  its  application  as  a  propeller  to  ordinary 
ships,"  says  the  same  report,  is  as  a  manoeuvrer  to  those  large  ships  in  which 
engines  of  considerable  power  cannot  be  placed,  or  in  which  it  is  considered 


186  *  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

unadvisable  to  place  them.  No  doubt  ca*n  be  entertained  of  the  e  fficiency 
of  such  an  instrument  worked  by  an  engine  of  even  fifty  horse-power.  The 
full  extent  of  its  utility,  however,  cannot  perhaps  be  thoroughly  appre- 
ciated until  it  shall  have  been  extensively  used  in  Her  Majesty's  navy." 

1843.— The  H.  M.  S.  "RATTLER,"  the  first  screw  vessel  of  war  of  the  Royal 
Navy,  was  ordered  to  be  altered  when  on  the  stocks  to  test  the  method  of 
screw  propulsion.  She  seems  to  have  been  built  to  see  if  a  propeller  would 
really  propel  a  vessel.  Her  engines  were  a  set  of  ordinary  paddle-wheel 
engines  attached  to  the  screw  by  means  of  gearing,  and  of  course  project- 
ing above  the  water  line.  That  the  experiment  might  be  conclusive,  so 
far  as  a  trial  could  be  made  between  two  vessels,  she  was  constructed  on 
the  same  lines  as  the  "Alecto"  (her  after-part  being  lengthened  for  the  in- 
sertion of  the  screw),  and  she  was  fitted  with  engines  of  the  same  power,  and 
on  a  plan  which  had  previously  been  tried  with  paddle-wheel  vessels.  So 
doubtful  were  the  Lords  of  the  Admiralty  of  her  success  that  the  space 
on  her  broadside  where  paddle-wheels  were  usually  inserted  was  kept 
clear  of  gun-ports  that  wheel-houses  might  be  appended  in  case  of  the  non- 
success  of  her  screw  ;  and  this  was  the  state  of  her  broadside  when  she  was 
in  China,  in  1853-54.* 

The  "  Rattler  "  was  launched  from  Sheerness  Dock  yard  in  April,  1843. 
She  was  considered  a  remarkably  fine  model,  and  of  very  unusual  length  in 
proportion  to  her  beam,  her  dimensions  being  one  hundred  and  ninety-five 
feet  extreme  length,  thirty-three  feet  extreme  breadth,  and  eighteen  and 
one-half  feet  mean  depth  of  hold.  Her  burden  was  eight  hundred  and 
eighty-eight  tons.  The  river  trials  of  the  "  Rattler  "  lasted  from  October, 
1843,  to  the  beginning  of  1845,  and  showed  that  the  screw-shaft  might  be 
advantageously  reduced  in  diameter,  and  the  blades  reduced  by  one-third  of 
their  length  ;  an  alteration  which  greatly  reduced  the  weight  of  the  screw,  and 
facilitated  the  shipping  and  unshipping  of  it,  and  also  rendered  unnecessary 
the  wounding  or  weakening  to  so  great  an  extent  the  after  part  of  the  vessel. 
The  result  of  the  experiments  with  the  "  Rattler  "  was  that  the  aperture  in 
future  vessels  might  be  of  very  moderate  dimensions  without  lessening  the 
propelling  power  of  the  screw,  and  that  in  smooth  water  the  screw  was  not 
inferior  to  the  paddle-wheel.  Early  in  1845  the  "Rattler"  proceeded  in 
company  with  the  "  Victoria  and  Albert,"  and  the  "  Black  Eagle,"  from 
Portsmouth  to  Pembroke.  When  rounding  Land's  End,  both  these  vessels 
steaming  against  a  strong,  head-wind,  their  paddles  being  constructed  on  the 
feathering  principle,  proved  superior  to  the  "  Rattler,"  which  left  an  un- 
favorable impression  as  to  the  efficiency  of  the  screw  against  wind  and  sea  in 
heavy  weather,  and  this  impression  continued  for  several  years,  although 
when  next  tried,  in  a  run  from  the  Thames  to  Leith,  in  speed  she  was  de- 


*  My  informant  of  this  fact  was  Captain  Abel  Fellowes,  R.  N.,  who  commanded  her   at 
that  time. 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  187 

cidedly  superior  to  paddle-wheel  steamers  of  greater  tonnage.  Before  join- 
ing the  squadron  of  Rear-Admiral  Hyde  Parker,  in  July,  1845,  the  "  Rat- 
tler" was  employed  to  tow  the  "Erebus"  and  "Terror"  to  the  Orkney 
Islands  on  their  fatal  expedition  to  the  North  Pole. 

In  1843  Count  Adolph  E.  de  Rosen,  the  agent  of  Ericsson,  received  an 
order  from  the  French  government  to  fit  a  forty-four  gun  frigate,  the  "  Po- 
mone,"  with  an  Ericsson  propeller  with  engines  of  two  hundred  and  twenty 
horse-power,  which  were  to  be  located  beneath  the  water-line,  as  in  the  case 
of  the  "  Princeton."  The  next  year  the  English  government  gave  Count 
Rosen  instructions  to  fit  the  frigate  "  Amphion  "  with  a  propeller  and  with 
engines  of  three  hundred  horse-power,  which  were  to  be  fixed  below  the 
water-line  like  those  of  the  French  "Pomone."  The  engines  of  these  vessels 
were  the  first  engines  in  Europe  which  were  kept  below  the  water-line. 
They  were  also  the  first  direct  acting  horizontal  engines  employed  to  give 
motion  to  the  screw.  Both  vessels  were  completely  successful.*  f 

When  the  screw  propeller  was  first  tried  in  the  British  navy  it  was  not 
supposed  by  anybody  that  the  small  section  at  present  used  would  be 
enough ;  it  might  for  anything  that  was  then  decided  be  a  screw  of  one 
complete  turn  upon  its  axis.  Upon  that  supposition  the  "Rattler "was 
lengthened  by  the  stern  sufficiently  for  a  long  aperture ;  in  consequence  the 
run  at  the  forepart  of  the  aperture  was  constructed  of  such  a  degree  of  fine- 
ness as  to  be  most  favorable  to  the  efficacy  of  the  screw.  The  correctness  of 
form  in  this  case^  was  purely  accidental. 

1844. — THE  FIRST  STEAM  WHISTLE  ON  THE  MISSOURI. — The  use  of  the 
steam-whistle  on  the  Missouri  River  dates  back  to  1844.  At  that  time  the  set- 
tlers on  the  Missouri  River  were  in  the  habit  of  making  yearly  visits  to  St. 
Louis  to  do  their  trading  for  themselves  and  friends.  They  were  not  provided 
with  daily  intercourse  with  the  outside  world,  and  many  who  lived  back  from 
the  river  seldom  if  ever  saw  a  steamboat  more  than  once  a  year.  During 
the  fall  of  the  year  1844  the  new  steamboat  "Lexington"  started  up  the 
Missouri  River  loaded  down  to  the  guards  with  freight.  Among  the  pas- 
sengers were  Judge  Joseph  C.  Ransom,  Theodore  Warner,  of  Lexington,  and 
Ben  Holliday,  afterwards  the  famous  overland  stage  proprietor;  Colonel 
Pomeroy,  of  Lexington,  and  a  planter  of  Platte  County,  named  George 
Yocum. 

The  steamer  "  Lexington  "  was  provided  with  a  steam-whistle — the  first 
used  on  the  Missouri — and  no  one  knew  about  it  except  Warner,  who  was  a 
wag  and  a  lover  of  a  joke.  The  night  after  leaving  St.  Louis  the  passengers 
were  collected  together  playing  cards  in  the  cabin,  when  the  talk  turned 
upon  steamboat  explosions,  then  very  common.  "  I  feel  perfectly  safe  on 
this  boat,"  said  Warner,  as  he  dealt  the  cards. 

"  Why?"  inquired  Yocum,  the  planter. 


Bourne  on  the  screw  propeller,     j-  See  page  144. 


188  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION 

"  Why  ?"  echoed  the  rest  of  the  company. 

"  I  will  tell  you  why,"  said  the  wag,  carefully  studying  his  cards  ;  "  this 
boat  is  provided  with  a  new  patent  safety-valve,  which  notifies  the  passengers 
on  board  when  it  is  about  to  blow  up.  It  is  a  concern  which  makes  a  most 
unearthly  noise,  and  when  you  hear  it,  it  is  time  to  get  back  aft  or  jump 
overboard." 

Notwithstanding  that  Warner  told  his  story  with  the  most  solemn 
and  earnest  countenance,  some  were  skeptical.  Not  so,  however,  the 
planter.  Next  morning,  when  the  "Lexington"  was  steaming  up  the 
straight  stretch  of  river  below  Washington,  Mo.,  the  passengers  were  at 
breakfast,  and  busily  engaged  in  doing  justice  to  the  meal.  Suddenly 
the  whistle  commenced  to  blow  for  the  first  time  on  the  trip.  The  pas- 
sengers looked  at  each  other  a  moment,  and  horror  and  dismay  spread  itself 
over  their  faces.  The  first  man  to  realize  the  situation  was  Yocum,  the 
planter,  who,  with  hair  erect  and  blanched  face,  jumped  up,  crying : 

"Run,  run  for  your  lives;  the  denied  thing's  going  to  bust.  Follow 
me,  and  let's  save  ourselves." 

Of  course,  there  was  a  stampede  for  the  rear  of  the  boat,  and  it  was  only 
by  the  exertions  of  some  of  the  crew  that  the  more  excited  were  restrained 
from  jumping  into  the  river. 

1844. — THE  FIRST  ENGLISH  STEAM  COLLIER  was  built  in  1844. 
She  was  bark-rigged.  The  "  King  Coal,"  as  she  is  appropriately 
called,  one  of  the  latest,  was  contracted  for  in  1870,  _  and  cost  com- 
plete for  sea  fifteen  thousand  pounds.  She  carries  nine  hundred  tons  coal 
cargo,  with  burden  space  for  one  hundred  tons  more,  and  has  extra  water- 
ballast  when  she  has  no  cargo  on  board  ;  against  strong  winds  her  speed  is 
eight  and  a  half  knots  an  hour  loaded,  and  from  nine  and  a  half  to  ten 
knots  in  fine  weather  when  light;  her  power,  ninety  horse-power,  nominal. 
She  has  a  saloon-cabin  on  deck  for  the  captain,  with  four  berths  aft,  and 
accommodation  for  chief  mate  and  steward  forward.  Her  crew,  all  told,  is 
seventeen.  Her  voyages  from  New  Castle  to  London  and  back  usually 
occupy  six  to  eight  days.  Hoisting  sails,  lifting  the  anchor,  and  other 
heavy  work  is  done  by  steam  winches.  The  crew  have  a  roomy  and  well- 
ventilated  forecastle  level  with  the  main-deck ;  the  seamen  occupy  one  side, 
the  stokers  the  other,  with  a  bulkhead  between.  The  engineers  have 
cabins  on  deck  in  the  bridge-house.  The  wheel-house  is  amidship,  and  the 
helmsman  is  protected  from  the  weather. 

The  ordinary  sailing  collier  delivered  in  the  course  of  the  year  under  the 
most  favorable  circumstances  three  thousand  five  hundred  tons  of  coal.  The 
screw  collier,  with  a  complement,  all  told,  of  seventeen  men,  conveys  annually, 
on  the  same  round,  fifty  thousand  tons.  Steam  colliers  have  been  generally 
adopted  in  the  United  States,  and  the  Reading  Company  has  quite  a  fleet 
of  them. 

1844. — Steam  propellers,  carrying  principally  freight,  but  some  passengers, 


HIS1  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  189 

commenced  navigating  Long  Island  Sound  in  1844.  The  first  was  called 
the  "  Quinebaug." 

1844.— THE  "  MIDAS."— The  propeller  schooner  "  Midas,"  Captain  William 
Poor,  owned  by  R.  B.  Forbes,  of  Boston,  left  New  York  for  China,  Novem- 
ber 18,  1844.  She  was  the  first  American  steam  vessel  that  passed  beyond 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  was  the  first  American  screw  steamer  to  ply 
in  the  waters  of  China.  She  was  disabled  by  neglect  to  her  boilers,  and 
came  home  via  Rio  Janeiro  under  sail,  and  ran  for  a  Jong  time  after  be- 
tween Savannah  and  Rio  Janeiro  as  a  sailing-vessel. 

1845.-^THE  "  EDITH."— The  propeller  bark  "Edith,"  Captain  George  W. 
Lewis,  owned  by  R.  B.  Forbes,  left  New  York  for  Bombay  and  China,  January 
18, 1845.  She  proceeded  from  Bombay  to  China  in  twent}'-one  and  one-half 
days,  beating  all  competitors.J  She  was  the  first  American  steamer  that  visited 
British  India,  and  the  first  square-rigged  propeller  that  went  to  China  under 
the  American  flag.  She  was  purchased  by  the  United  States  government 
during  the  war  with  Mexico,  and  after  running  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  for  a 
year  went  around  Cape  Horn,  and  was  lost  near  St.  Barbara,  on  the  coast 
of  California. 

THE  "  IRON  WITCH." — In  April,  1845,  R.  B.  Forbes  contracted  with  Erics- 
son to  build  an  iron  paddle-wheel  steamer  of  great  speed,  called  the  "  Iron 
Witch."  She  was  about  three  hundred  feet  long,  and  was  the  first  iron  pas- 
senger steamer  that  plied  on  the  North  River.  She  had  side  propellers  in 
place  of  paddles,  but  was  not  fast  enough  to  compete  with  the  Albany  boats. 
Her  engines  were,  therefore,  taken  out  and  put  into  a  wooden  vessel 
called  "The  Falcon,"  which  was  bought  by  George  Law,  and  was  the 
first  steamer  under  the  American  flag  that  plied  to  Chagres,  in  connection 
with  the  California  route.* 

1845. — AUXILIARY  STEAMSHIPS  FOR  THE  ROYAL  NAVY  ORDERED. — 
The  Commissioners  appointed  to  inquire  into  the  state  of  the  National 
defenses  of  Great  Britain,  recommended  that  several  ships  of  the  line 
should  be  fitted  with  steam  machinery  and  screw  propellers,  and 
the  Board  of  Admiralty  in  1845  issued  an  order  to  prepare  the  "Blenheim," 
"  Ajax,"  "  Edinburgh,"  and  "  Hague,"  72-gun  ships,  for  adaptation  to  screw 
steamers.  Four  42-gun  frigates  were  ordered  to  be  similarly  prepared. 
The  "  Blenheim"  was  lengthened  and  altered  at  an  outlay  of  above  £43,000 
on  her  hull,  and  £25,000  for  machinery  before  she  was  completed  as  a  guard 
ship.  The  expense  of  altering  and  adapting  the  other  vessels  was  much 
less. 

The  term  "  auxiliary,"  which  has  been  found  a  most  convenient  applica- 
tion when  a  steam  vessel  does  not  come  up  to  the  anticipated  speed,  came 
from  England,  and  in  the  British  Navy  was  never  designed  for  new  vessels, 
but  only  for  those  sailing  vessels  already  built,  which  could  not  be  driven  be- 
yond a  moderate  speed.  The  screw  was  added  to  save  condemnation. 

*  See  account  of  George  Law's  line  in  succeeding  pages. 


190  HISTOR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

1845.— THE  "  EREBUS  "  AND  "  TERROR."— The  two  vessels  of  Captain 
Franklin's  ill-fated  expedition  in  search  of  the  North-west  passage,  which 
sailed  from  England  on  the  Queen's  birthday,  May  24,  1845,  were  provided 
with  a  small  steam  engine  and  screw,  intended  for  use  in  calms. 

1845. — Early  in  1841  Thomas  Butler  King,  of  Georgia,  for  many  years 
chairman  of  the  Committee  of  the  United  States  House  of  Representatives  on 
Naval  Affairs,  introduced  a  resolution  direct  ng  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  to 
advertise  for  proposals  for  mail  steamships  to  run  to  European  ports,  and  for 
a  coastwise  line  between  the  North  and  South.  Persevering  in  his  efforts 
from  session  to  session,  he  succeeded  in  having  a  bill  passed  in  1845  placing 
the  arrangement  for  the  transportation  of  the  mails  to  foreign  countries 
under  the  direction  of  the  Postmaster-General,  and  authorizing  him  to 
solicit  proposals  for  several  routes.  This  led  to  the  formation  of  the  Ocean 
Steam  Navigation  Company  of  New  York,  which  in  1847  built  and  placed 
the  "  Washington  "  and  the  "  Hermann  "  on  the  route  to  Southampton  and 
Bremen.  They  were  the  first  American  ocean  steamships  alter  the  "  Savan- 
nah," and  at  the  time  of  their  construction  the  best  specimens  of  sea  steamers 
our  constructors  and  engineers  had  produced.  Their  average  passages  from 
Cowes  to  New  York  was  thirteen  days  fourteen  hours  and  fifty-three  minutes ; 
from  New  York  to  Cowes,  fourteen  days  seven  hours  and  seventeen  minutes. 
The  contract  between  this  "  Ocean  Steam  Navigation  Company  "  and  the 
United  States  was  for  them  to  carry  the  United  States  mails  between  New 
York  and  Bremen  twice  a  month,  touching  at  Cowes,  the  compensation  to 
be  two  hundred  thousand  dollars  per  annum.  The  two  steamships  were  two 
hundred  and  twenty-four  ftet  long,  thirty-nine  feet  broad,  and  twenty-nine 
feet  deep,  and  measured  seventeen  hundred  tons.  At  the  expiration  of  the 
contract  the  line  was  discontinued,  the  steamers  were  sold  and  transferred  to 
the  Pacific,  where  in  1863  the  "  Hermann"  was  broken  up,  and  a  few  years 
later  the  "  Washington"  was  wrecked. 

1845. — THE  UNITED  STATES  STEAMER  "WATER  WITCH." — The  first 
iron  steamer  built  for  the  United  States  Navy  was  the  "  Water  Witch." 
She  was  intended  as  a  water  tank  to  supply  the  vessels  of  the  Portsmouth, 
Va.,  Navy  Yard  with  water,  and  was  originally  fitted  with  Hunter's 
horizontal  submerged  wheels.  She  proved  too  large  for  the  purpose 
intended,  and  was  then  fitted  for  a  harbor  vessel  and  tug.  Her  per- 
formance not  being  satisfactory,  she  was  taken  to  Philadelphia,  cut  in 
two  and  lengthened  thirty  feet  at  the  centre,  the  width  being  also  increased 
six  inches.  The  whole  machinery  was  taken  out  and  she  was  fitted  with  a 
Losser  propeller.  In  1849  she  was  again  fitted  with  entirely  new  machinery, 
without  alteration  of  hull,  and  fitted  with  ordinary  paddle-wheels  at  the 
sides.  In  1852  the  iron  hull,  as  originally  constructed,  proving  too  narrow 
for  an  efficient  and  safe  war  steamer,  it  was  used  as  a  target  for  experiment 
gun  practice  at  Washington,  and  a  new  one  of  wood  of  enlarged  proportions 
and  greater  strength  was  ordered  by  the  Department.  Thus  like  the  boy's 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  191 

jackknife,  that  by  repairs  was  changed,  both  blades  and  handle,  until  it  was 
questionable  whether  he  could  call  it  the  old  knife  or  a  new  one,  the  iron 
submerged  wheel,  water  tank,  propeller,  and  paddle-wheel  steamer  "Water 
Witch"  became  at  last  a  wooden  paddle-wheel  boat  of  increased  dimensions, 
having  both  a  new  hull  and  new  engines.  She  was  finally  surprised  and 
captured  by  the  rebels  during  our  civil  war  and  destroyed  by  them. 

1845.— THE  MASSACHUSETTS.— Captain  R.  B.  Forbes  says,  "  In  1845  I 
built  the  auxiliary  steam  propeller  '  Massachusetts'  for  myself  and  others, 
and  sailed  in  her  on  the  15th  of  September,  or  thereabouts,  from  New  York 
for  Liverpool,  and  arrived  on  the  2d  of  October,  having  used  steam  nearly 
eleven  days  out  of  seventeen  and  a  half.  This  was  the  first  packet-ship  under 
steam  that  started  and  performed  more  than  one  complete  voyage  between 
the  United  States  and  England  under  the  American  flag,  and  was  the  first 
propeller  that  was  put  into  the  trade."  The  propeller  "Marmora"  went 
to  England  before  the0"  Massachusetts,"  on  her  way  to  the  Mediterranean, 
and  the  steamer  "Bangor"  (paddle)  which  had  b  en  a  packet  between 
Boston  and  Portland,  Maine,  went  to  Gibraltar ;  but  the  "  Massachusetts" 
was  the  first  regular  steam  packet-ship  between  the  United  States  and 
England  under  our  flag. 

The  propeller  of  the  "  Massachusetts"*  was  of  composition  metal,  nine  feet 
in  diameter.  She  had  two  cylinders  of  17,640  cubic  inches  each,  set  at  right 
angles.  The  propeller  was  contrived  to  take  out  of  the  water  at  pleasure, 
and  when  out  of  water  the  ship  was  a  perfect  sailing-ship  of  about  seven 
hundred  tons.  She  made  two  voyages  from  New  York  to  Liverpool  and 
back,  and  was  then  chartered,  and  afterwards  sold  to  the  War  Department. 
General  Scott  had  his  flag  on  board  the  "Massachusetts"  at  the  taking  of 
Vera  Cruz.  She  was  transferred  to  the  Navy  Department  and  went  through 
the  Straits  of  Magellan  to  California. 

During  the  civil  war  her  engines,  which  were  designed  by  Ericsson,  were* 
taken  out  and  she  was  refitted  as  a  storeship  and  renamed  the  "  Farralones." 
After  the  war  she  was  sold  in  San  Francisco  and  renamed  the  "Alaska," 
and  was  engaged  in  carrying  wheat  from  that  port  to  Liverpool,  and  for 
aught  I  know,  "  still  lives." 

1846. — STEAMBOATS  ON  THE  THAMES. — In  1846  there  were  eleven  steam- 
boats running  between  London  and  Westminster  Bridges  on  the  Thames 
at  one  penny  the  trip,  making  thirty-two  trips  in  the  hour,  or  three  hundred 
and  twenty  trips  per  diem.  Assuming  forty  as  the  average  number  of  pas- 
sengers for  each  trip,  the  daily  total  would  be  fifteen  thousand,  and  the  return 
trip  being  the  same,  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  pounds  was  about  the 
daily  receipts  of  these  boats.  The  time  of  each  trip  varied  from  one-quarter 
to  one-half  hour. 


*  Portraits  of  the  Massachusetts  and  Edith  are  preserve/d  in  the  Naval  Library   and  Insti- 
tute at  the  Boston  Navy  Yard. 


192  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

1846. — THE  "  OREGON." — The  Hudson  Kiver  steamer  "  Oregon,"  the 
most  magnificent  steamer  afloat  in  1846,  it  is  said  maintained  a  speed  against 
a  west-northwest  gale  and  head  sea  of  twenty  miles  per  hour.  In  calm 
weather  she  made  an  average  speed  of  twenty-five  miles  per  hour. 
Her  length  was  three  hundred  and  thirty  feet,  by  thirty-five  feet 
width  of  beam,  and  her  measurement  one  thousand  tons,  with  berth 
accommodations  for  six  hundred  passengers. .  Her  engine  was  of 
eleven  hundred  horse-power,  and  had  a  seventy-two-inch  cylinder  with 
eleven  feet  stroke.  On  the  main  deck,  the  inclosed  space  from  the 
ladies'  cabin  forward  formed  a  promenade  two  hundred  feet  long.  The 
massive  engine  in  the  centre,  and  four  or  five  side  parlors,  fitted  up  with  ten 
or  twelve  berths  each,  opened  out  over  the  guards,  as  also  a  smoking-room, 
denominated  the  "Exchange,"  and  the  wash-room  and  barber's  shop, — the 
latter  fitted  up  with  marble  slab,  Croton  water,  wash-bowls,  etc.  In  the 
main  cabin  a  continuous  line  of  berths  extended  oyer  three  hundred  feet 
from  end  to  end  of  the  boat,  numbering  some  two  hundred.  This  in- 
cluded the  after-cabin,  which  was  connected  by  an  ample  passage-way  with 
the  forward  one.  Five  hundred  yards  of  carpeting  covered  the  floors  in 
these  cabins.  Each  berth  was  fitted  with  Mackinaw  blankets  and  Marseilles 
quilts,  having  the  name  of  the  steamer  worked  in  them.  A  thirty-pound 
mattress,  and  also  bolsters  «nd  pillows,  with  linen  of  the  finest  qnality,  com- 
pleted the  equipment  of  the  berths.  The  curtains  were  of  satin  de  laine  of 
rich  tints,  with  embroidered  inner  curtains. 

"  A  portion  of  the  after-cabin  was  set  aside  for  ladies,  and  distinguished 
by  extra  trimmings,  blue  and  gold  curtains,  etc.  The  dining-saloon  accom- 
modated two  hundred  and  fifty  persons.  The  table  service  was  of  the  richest 
French  china,  every  article  marked  with  the  name  of  the  steamer ;  the  glass- 
ware was  heavy  star-cut.  The  silver-plated  ware  was  of  Prince  Albert 
pattern,  very  heavy  and  costly.  But  the  transition  from  this  show-room  to 
the  ladies'  upper  cabin  was  as  great  as  from  that  of  a  common  ferry-boat 
cabin.  There  the  magnificent  fittings  dazzled  the  eye.  Nothing  was  want- 
ing which  could  add  richness,  splendor,  or  luxury.  There  were  seven  tiers 
of  berths  and  three  state-rooms  upon  each  side,  the  cabin  being  seventy  feet 
long.  At  the  extreme  stern  was  the  wash-room,  fitted  with  even  more  com- 
fort than  that  for  gentlemen.  Each  side  of  the  entrance  were  full-length 
mirrors  that  at  first  glance  were  often  mistaken  for  [doors  opening  into 
another  cabin.  The  state-room  doors  were  of  enameled  white,  richly  gilt, 
and  their  interior  embellishments,  like  the  cabin,  splendid  and  beautiful. 
The  front  of  the  ladies'  cabin  from  the  main- deck  was  splendid.  The  archi- 
tecture was  plain,  with  an  enameled  white  ground  profusely  gilt,  with  raised 
flowers  upon  the  gilt  pillars.  A  time-piece  was  placed  over  the  door  and 
stained  glass  around  it." 

The  "state-room  hall"  on  the  upper  deck  was  two  hundred  and  twenty 
feet  long  by  sixteen  wide,  except  the  space  occupied  by  the  engine  in  the 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  193 

centre.  Out  of  it  opened  sixty  state-rooms,  furnished  in  sumptuous  style ; 
three  were  double  ones,  and  a  fourth  was  fitted  up  as  a.  "  bridal-room"  with 
good  taste,  and  with  a  wide  French  bedstead,  etc. 

Forward  of  this  hall  was  a  lounge,  from  which  there  was  an  unobstructed 
view  ahead  of  the  progress  of  the  boat  and  passing  objects.  Astern  was  a 
promenade-deck.  State-room  hall  and  the  main  cabin  were  adorned  with 
superb  mirrors  set  in  rich  frames.  The  cost  of  the  furniture  and  fittings 
was  thirty  thousand  dollars,  and  of  the  boat  itself  about  one  hundred  and 
thirty  thousand  dollars.  She  was  built  under  the  superintendence  of  her 
t commander,  Captain  St.  John,  and  her  symmetry,  the  beauty  of  her  model, 
and  the  arrangement  of  her  engines,  which  gave  her  unrivaled  speed,  were 
the  result  of  his  long  and  practical  experience. 

1846. — FIRST  AMERICAN  MAIL  STEAMSHIPS. — The  first  regular  American 
ocean  mail  steamship  was  the  "  Southerner."  She  was  built  in  1846  and 
put  on  the  route  between  New  York  and  Charleston,  South  Carolina.  She 
was  followed  by  the  "Falcon"  and  others  in  the  trade  to  Southern  ports. 

1847. — The  first  French  Atlantic  steamer  arrived  at  New  York  from 
Cherbourg  on  the  8th  of  July,  1847. 

1847.— THE  "UNITED  STATES."— \V.  H.  Webb  in  1847  built  for  Messrs.  C. 
H.  Marshall  &  Co.,  the  owners  of  the  celebrated  Black  Ball  line  of  packet- 
ships,  for  the  New  York  and  Liverpool  trade,  the  steamer  "  United  States," 
of  two  thousand  tons  burden,  which  in  April,  1848,  sailed  on  her  first  voy- 
age to  Liverpool.  She  was  the  first  American  steamer  built  for  the  Atlantic 
Ocean  freight  and  passenger  trade,  made  several  voyages,  did  not  pay,  was 
withdrawn  and  sold  to  parties  in  Bremen,  and  was  added  to  the  navy  of  the 
new  German  Confederation.  She  had  a  flat  bottom  with  a  concave  floor. 
In  several  respects  she  differed  from  any  vessel  previously  constructed.  She 
was  also  the  first  commercial  steamship  constructed  to  be  of  use  to  the 
"Government  Naval  Service.  She  could  be  armed  with  two  tiers  of  guns, 
had  plenty  of  room  in  which  to  work  them,  and  could  carry  coal  enough  for 
a  voyage  to  Europe.  Her  first  trip  to  Liverpool  occupied  thirteen  days  and 
consumed  forty  tons  of  coal  daily — five  hundred  and  twenty  tons.  She  was 
two  hundred  and  fifty-six  feet  long,  fifty  feet  broad,  and  thirty  and  a  half 
feet  deep. 

1849. — THE  LAW  LINE. — This  at  one  time  highly  successful  line  of  mail 
steamers  was  established  by  Law,  Roberts  &  Co.,  under  a  Government  con- 
tract with  A.  G.  Sloo,  made  in  conformity  with  the  law  of  Congress  of  March 
2,  1847,  for  carrying  the  United  States  mails  between  New  York  and  Cali- 
fornia and  Oregon.  The  line  owed  its  origin  to  the  enterprise,  intelligent 
policy  and  business  capacity  of  George  Law  of  New  York,  who  at  an  early 
day  in  the  history  of  California  did  much  to  hasten  the  introduction  of 
civilization  and  comfort  upon  the  shores  of  the  Pacific,  and  to  convey  the 
countless  thousands  of  immigrants  to  their  new  homes  "and  bring  back  in- 
telligence of  their  arrival. 

13 


194  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

The  "  OHIO  "  was  the  first  vessel  built  for  this  line  under  the  law  of  Con- 
gress in  1849.  Her  hull  was  strongly  built  and  had  a  diagonal  bracing  of 
three-inch  round  iron  extending  the  whole  length  of  the  vessel  between  the 
keelson  and  main  deck  beams.  The  "  Georgia,"  a  sister  vessel,  was  framed 
in  the  same  manner,  but  was  of  different  model.  She  exhibited  in  her 
model  the  first  signal  departure  from  the  sail  packets  that  had  been  so  cele- 
brated. The  general  dimensions  of  these  two  steamers  were — 

"  Ohio."  "  Georgia." 

Length  on  deck, 248  feet.  255  feet. 

Breadth  of  beam,         ......  45/4"  49      " 

Depth  of  hold, 24^  "  25^  " 

Tonnage,    .........  2,397  tons.  2,695  tons- 
Average  draft,    .         .         .         .         .         .         .  15/4  feet.  17  feet. 

Diameter  of  paddle-wheels,         ....  36        "  36     " 

Their  engines  were  of  the  side  lever  variety  and  had  double-balanced 
valves,  the  steam  valve  being  worked  by  one  eccentric  so  adjusted  as  to  cut 
off  the  steam  at  any  part  of  the  stroke,  while  the  exhaust  valve,  being 
worked  by  a  separate  eccentric,  could  be  set  to  give  any  desired  lead.  Each 
steamer  had  two  engines.  Diameter  of  the  cylinders",  90  inches ;  stroke  of 
piston,  3 -feet.  There  were  four  iron  boilers  in  each,  two  iorward  and  two 
abaft  the  engines.  Each  boiler  was  21  £  feet  long,  15  feet  wideband  14  feet 
high,  with  five  rows  of  flues  and  four  furnaces  with  grates  8  feet  in  length. 
The  arrangement  of  the  flues  was  different  from  any  previously  built.  The 
average  speed  of  these  vessels  in  good  weather  was  12  knots. 

The  "  ILLINOIS,"  the  next  vessel  built  for  the  line,  was  constructed  under 
the  immediate  direction  of  George  Law.  Her  length  on  deck  was  267  feet 

9  inches;  length  of  keel,  255  feet;   breadth  of  beam,   40  feet   3  inches; 
depth  of  hold  to  spar  deck,  31  feet     She  was  fitted  with  two  oscillating 
engines.     The  diameter  of  the  cylinder  was  85  inches ;  stroke  of  piston,  9 
feet ;  diameter  of  paddle-wheels,  33  feet  6  inches ;  breadth  of  paddle-wheels, 

10  feet  6  inches.     She  had  four  return  tubular  iron  boilers,  with  two  smoke 
pipes,  and  was  barquentine  rigged.     Her  maximum  speed  was  13£  miles  per 
hour.     On  one  occasion  she  ran  from  Chagres  to  New  York,  one  thousand 
nine  hundred  and  eighty  miles,  in  six  days  and  sixteen  hours,  being  an 
average  or  nearly  twelve  and  a  half  miles  per  hour  the  whole  voyage. 

Besides  these  vessels  the  company  chartered  the  "Falcon,"*  which  was 
chiefly  employed  in  carrying  the  mail  between  Havana  and  New  Orleans. 
Her  length  on  deck  was  206  feet;  beam,  30?  feet;  depth  of  hold,  21  feet; 
average  draft,  12  feet;  tonnage,  875  tons;  average  speed,  9  knots. 

These  steamers  were  all  running  on  the  line  between  Chagres  and  New 
York  in  1853. 

1847. — THE  BREMEN  LINE. — The  first  American  transatlantic  steamers 

*  The  "  Falcon,"  it  will  be  recollected,  received  the  engines  of  the  "  Iron  Witch,"  the  first 
iron  Hudson  River  boat. 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 


195 


after  the  "Savannah"  (1818)  were  the  "Washington  ".and  the  "Hermann," 
constructed  in  1847  to  form  a  monthly  communication  between  New  York  and 
Bremen.  The  hulls  of  these  sister  ships  were  built  by  Westervelt  &  Mackay 
and  the  machinery  by  Stillman,  Allen  &  Co.,  of  New  York.  The  following 
were  their  general  dimensions  : 


Length  on  main  deck, . 
Length  on  spar  deck,  . 
Breadth  of  beam, 
Depth  of  hold, 
Average  draft, 

Tonnage  C.  H.  measurement, 
Kind  of  engines, 
Diameter  of  cylinders, 
Length  of  stroke, 
Diameter  of  paddle  wheels, 
Average  speed  per  hour, 


Washington." 
230      feet. 
236         « 

39        " 

31 


Hermann." 

235  feet. 

241       " 

40      " 

31       " 


1700  tons. 
two  side  lever. 

6      feet. 
10        " 


1800  long. 
two  side  lever. 
6  feet. 
10     " 

36     « 


II  knots. 


Several  alterations  were  made  in  the  boilers  and  paddle-wheels  after  their 
first  construction. 

1850.— THE  HAVRE  LINE.— The  "  Franklin,"  constructed  in  1848,  and 
the  "Humboldt"  in  1850,  built  to  be  added  to  the  Bremen  Line,  were 
built  and  equipped  by  the  same  firms  as  those  of  the  Bremen  Line,  but 
were  placed  by  Messrs.  Fox  &  Livingston  to  run  between  New  York  and 
Havre.  Their  average  passages  from  New  York  to  Cowes,  from  January 
1st  to  December  1st,  1852,  were  12  days,  17  hours,  9  minutes,  and  from 
Cowes  to  New  York  12  days,  22  hours  each. 

The  general  dimensions  of  these  two  steamships  were : 


Length  on  deck, 
Breadth  of  beam, 
Depth  of  hold, 
Average  draft,         .    . 
Breadth  across  the  paddles, 
Diameter  of  paddle-wheels, 
Engines,  . 

Diameter  of  cylinders,     . 
Length  of  stroke,     . 
Tonnage, 


"  Franklin." 

«'  Humboldt." 

263  feet. 

292  feet. 

41  10  12  feet. 

40     " 

26 

27     » 

18 

ig}4  " 

32 

72     « 

32X           " 

35      " 

two  side  lever. 

two  side  lever. 

7  9-12  feet 

95  inches. 

8 

9  feet. 

2,400  tons. 

2,850  tons. 

Each  had  four  iron  flue  boilers,  placed  back  to  back. 

The  New  York  and  Havre  Steam  Navigation  Company,  to.  which 
these  steamships  belonged,  was  established  in  1848,  to  ply  between 
Havre  and  New  York,  stopping  at  Southampton  both  going  and  returning, 
and  obtained  a  contract  for  carrying  the  United  States  mails,  for  which  they 
were  to  receive  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars  per  annum  for  a 


196  HISTOR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

fortnightly  service.  The  "Franklin"  was  launched  in  1848,  and  made  her 
first  voyage  in  1850.  In  July,  1854,  she  was  wrecked  and  totally  lost  on 
Long  Island.  The  "Humboldt"  made  her  first  voyage  in  1851,  and  was 
wrecked  entering  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia,  in  October,  1853. 

To  preserve  the  mail  contract,  the  service  was  supplied  by  chartering  un- 
suitable steamers  at  heavy  cost  until  1855-56,  when  the  "Arago"  and  "  Ful- 
ton" were  built  and  placed  on  the  line.  On  the  breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion 
in  1861  the  line  was  withdrawn.  The  "Arago"  was  sold  to  the  Peruvian 
government,  and  the  hull  of  the  "  Fulton"  was  broken  up,  dry  rot  rendering 
her  useless  as  a  sailing-ship.  Her  engines  were  utilized  elsewhere. 

The  "  Fulton"  (1856)  was  built  by  Smith  &  Denison  under  the  superintend- 
ence of  Captain  Wm.  Skiddy  ;  the  engines  by  the  Morgan  Iron  Works.  Her 
dimensions  were: — Length  on  deck,  290  feet;  breadth  of  beam,  42  feet  4 
inches ;  breadth  over  all,  65  feet  6  inches  ;  depth  of  hold,  31  feet  6  inches  ; 
tonnage,  custom  house,  2,300  tons ;  tonnage,  cargo  and  measurement,  3,000 
tons  ;  diameter  of  cylinder,  65  inches;  length  of  stroke,  10  feet;  diameter  of 
paddle-wheels,  31  feet ;  length  of  paddles,  9  feet ;  number  of  paddles  on  each 
wheel,  28  feet;  wi'dth  of  paddles,  18  inches;  and  shafts  of  wrought  iron. 
She  had  two  iron  Martin  boilers  with  vertical  seamless  brass  tubes,  12  feet 
long,  30  feet  wide,  drawn  from  ingots  by  the  American  Tube  Company, 
Boston,  and  a  fire  and  heating  surface  of  9,100  square  feet.  The  "  Fulton" 
had  three  decks.  On  the  berth  deck  she  had  accommodation  for  150  first 
and  second-class  passengers  and  could  accommodate  300,  and  she  could 
carry  800  tons  of  coal  and  700  tons  of  freight.  Her  draught  of  water  was 
seventeen  and  a  half  feet.  She  was  furnished  with  two  inclined  oscillating 
engines. 

Mr.  Rainey,  in  his  work  on  "  Ocean  Steam  Navigation,"  says,  "  When  one 
of  our  first  American  mail  steamers  sailed  for  Europe,  no  practical  marine 
engineers  could  be  found  to  work  her  engines.  She  took  a  first-class  engineer 
,  and  corps  of  assistants  from  one  of  the  North  River  packets ;  but  as  soon  as 
the  chip  got  to  sea  and  heavy  breakers  came  on,  all  the  engineers  and  fire- 
men were  taken  deadly  seasick,  and  for  three  days  it  was  constantly  expected 
the  ship  would  be  lost." 

1848.— THE  "  CALIFORNIA."— The  steamer  "  California,"  which  left  New 
York  on  the  6th  of  October,  1848,  was  the  first  steamer. to  bear  the  Ameri- 
can flag  to  the  Pacific  Ocean,  and  the  first  to  salute  with  a  new  life  the  soli- 
tudes of  that  rich  and  untrodden  territory.  She  was  soon  followed  by  the 
"  Panama"  and  "Oregon,"  and  in  due  time  by  the  "  Tennessee,"  the  "  Gol- 
den Gate,"  the  "  Columbia,"  the  "  John  L.  Stevens,"  the  "  Sonora,"  the 
"Republic,"  the  "Northerner,"  the  "Fremont,"  the  "Tobago,"  the  "St. 
Louis,"  and  the  "  Golden  Age."  These  steamers  found  nothing  ready  to  re- 
ceive them  in  the  Pacific.  The  company  was  compelled  to  construct  large 
workshops  and  foundries  for  their  repair,  and  had  also  to  build  their  own 
dry-dock,  that  of  the  government  at  Mare  Island  not  being  ready  until  1854. 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  197 

For  a  large  portion  of  the  early  time  the  company  had  to  pay  thirty  dollars 
per  ton  for  coal,  and  once  as  high  as  fifty  dollars  per  ton.* 

1848. — THE  USE  OF  IRON  FOR  STEAMERS  DISTRUSTED. — In  the  re- 
port of  a  Parliamentary  Committee  on  the  state  of  the  British  Navy 
in  1848,  it  was  said,  "  Contradictory  evidence  was  given  the  Committee 
as  to  the  applicability  of  iron  to  the  construction  of  war  steamers,  and 
the  Committee  therefore  offer  no  opinion  on  the  matter.  The  present 
Board  of  Admiralty  distrust  the  use  of  iron  in  the  construction  of  war 
steamers ;  and  the  Committee  consider  that  while  so  important  a  question  is 
in  abeyance,  the  expenditure  of  a  large  sum  for  constructing  such  vessels 
must  be  regarded  as  an  inconsiderate  outlay  of  the  public  money." 

DUBLIN  AND  HOLYIIEAD  PACKETS. — In  1848  the  "Banshee"  and  the 
"  Llewellyn "  commenced  to  run  between  Dublin  and  Holyhead  as  mail 
packets,  and  on  their  trial  trips  attained  a  speed  of  upwards  of  eighteen 
statute  miles  per  hour. 

The  public  soon  required  faster  and  more  commodious  steamers,  and 
in  1860  the  "  Connaught,"  "  Ulster,"  "  Munster,"  and  "  Leinster"  iron  steam- 
boats were  built,  of  the  following  dimensions :  Length  between  the  perpen- 
diculars, 334  feet;  beam,  35  feet;  depth,  21  feet.  They  had  a  central 
keel-plate  3  feet  deep,  £  inch  thick,  with  two  bars  9  inches  deep.  They  had 
nine  iron  watertight  bulkheads.  The  "  Leinster,"  on  her  trial,  made 
twenty  and  a  half  statute  miles.  The  "  Connaught,"  twenty  and  three- 
quarter  statute  miles.  Each  of  these  vessels  cost  near  £80,000  when  com- 
plete in  all  respects  for  sea. 

1849.— THE  "MiNT."— R.  B.  Forbes,  of  Boston,  Massachusetts,  in  1849,  sent 
to  California,  on  the  deck  of  the  ship  "  Samoset,"  an  iron  steamer  called 
the  "  Mint,"  about  seventy-five  feet  long  by  fifteen  beam.  She  was  stowed 
on  the  starboard  side  of  the  ship,  the  deck-house  being  removed  over  to  the 
port  side  to  balance  her,  and  ivas  launched  under  steam.  She  was  the  first 
American  steamer  to  ply  on  the  Sacramento. 

In  1850  he  sent  an  iron  paddle-wheel  steamer  in  two  parts  to  China  on  the 
deck  of  the  brig  "  Rolling  Wave,"  on  account  of  Captain  J.  B.  Endicot. 

1849. — The  "  Sansom,"  the  first  screw  steam  tug  in  the  United  States  was 
built  by  Messrs.  Cramp  &  Sons  in  1849. 

1850. — FIRST  STEAMER  ON  LAKE  TITICACA,  PERU. — A  small  iron  steam- 
boat was  built  by  Mr.  George  Birbeck,  Jr.,  of  New  York,  intended  to  ply 
on  Lake  Titicaca,  Peru.  She  was  55  feet  keel,  12  feet  beam,  and  5  feet 
hold,  and  was  propelled  by  two  high  pressure  engines  of  10  horse  power 
each,  connected  at  right  angles.  Her  wheels  were  of  wrought-iron  10  feet 
in  diameter.  The  boat  was  put  together  in  New  York,  and  each  piece  marked  • 
She  was  then  taken  apart  to  be  shipped.  No  piece  was  to  exceed  350 

*  See  account  of  this  company  under  head  of  Ocean  Steamship  Company. 


198  HISTOR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

pounds,  as  on  its  arrival  at  Lima  it  was  to  be  transported  on  mule-back  to 
Lake  Titicaca,  which  is  140  miles  long. 

1850. — THE  TWIN  STEAMER  "GEMINI."— In  the  autumn  of  1850  Mr. 
Peter  Borrie  launched  what  he  called  a  "  safety  iron  twin  steamer,"  which 
he  appropriately  named  the  "  Gemini,"  adapted  for  carrying  goods,  passen- 
gers, cattle,  and  all  sorts  of  vehicles,  and  for  either  ocean  or  river  navigation. 

This  vessel,  was  chiefly  constructed  of  iron,  having  two  separate 
hulls  placed  side  by  side  (with  a  space  between  them  in  which  the  paddle- 
wheel  worked)  strongly  connected  together  at  the  deck  (which  passed  over 
all),  and  also  by  a  plate-iron  arch  and  stays  between  the  hulls.  The 
hulls  thus  joined  afforded  a  great  extent  of  deck-room  with  a  very  small 
amount  of  tonnage,  or  of  resistance  from  the  area  passing  through  the  fluid; 
and,  as  both  ends  were  exactly  similar,  it  was  expected  the  vessel  would 
steam  with  equal  facility  either  way,  without  turning.  The  keels  and 
stems  were  not  placed  in  the  centre  of  the  hulls,  but  towards  the  inside 
of  them,  thus  making  the  water-lines  very  fine  on  the  inside,  to  diminish  the 
tendency  of  the  water  to  gorge  up  between  the  hulls,  found  to  take  place 
in  twin  steamers  as  usually  constructed ;  which  gorging  tends  to  sepa- 
rate the  two  hulls  and  increases  their  resistance  in  passing  through 
the  water.  The  inner  bilges  of  the  two  hulls  were  fuller  than  the 
outer  ones,  to  afford  a  greater  degree  of  buoyancy  on  the  inside,  necessary 
to  support  the  weight  of  the  deck,  etc.,  between  the  hulls/  The  vessel  was 
adapted  for  river  navigation,  at  a  high  degree  of  velocity;  but  a  vessel 
for  sea  purposes  would  require  to  be  made  broader  in  proportion  to  her 
length,  according  to  the  trade  in  which  she  was  to  be  placed. 

The  "Gemini"  was  one  hundred  and  fifty-seven  and  a  half  feet  long  and 
twenty-six  and  a  half  feet  broad  on  deck,  each  hull  being  eight  and  a  half 
feet  broad,  with  a  space  of  nine  and  a  half  feet  between  them.  -Her  frames 
were  of  angle-iron  and  spaced,  the  outside  plating  being  securely  riveted  to 
them.  The  keels  were  formed  by  curving  the  plates  downwards,  so  as  to 
form  channels  for  the  bilge-water  inside  of  the  hulls;  but  in  seagoing  and 
other  vessels,  where  the  draught  of  water  would  be  greater,  Mr.  Borrie  pro- 
posed keels  of  iron  bars,  and  to  rivet  the  garboard  strakes  upon  them  in  the 
usual  way.  The  plating  was  not  carried  to  the  top  of  the  frames  on  the  in- 
side of  the  hulls,  except  at  the  space  in  the  middle  for  the  paddle-wheel,  but 
was  carried  up  to  the  deck,  so  as  to  form  an  arch  between  the  two  hulls, 
which  were  also  bound  together  with  iron  stays  at  the  springing  of  the  arch. 
The  deck-beams  were  of  T-shaped  iron,  securely  fastened  at  the  ends  to  the 
frames,  and  at  the  middle  to  the  top  of  the  arch.  The  deck-planks  were 
fixed  to  the  beams  by  screws  passing  through  the  flanges  of  the  beams,  and 
calked  and  made  water-tight  in  the  usual  way.  Each  of  the  hulls  was  di- 
vided into  compartments  by  water-tight  bulkheads.  There  were  also  fenders 
of  angle-iron,  one  at  each  end,  to  prevent  boats,  etc.,  from  getting  into  the 
canal  or  space  between  the  hulls.  The  deck  was  bounded  by  bulwarks, 


o 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  199 

which  had  two  large  gangways  on  each  side,  hinged  at  the  lower  side  to  the 
decks,  and  lifted  up  or  lowered  by  winches  attached  to  the  bulwarks.  Orf 
each  end  of  the  paddle-box  were  a  number  of  deck-houses, — a  cook-house, 
with  apparatus  in  it  for  cooking  by  steam,  a  state-room,  a  dining-room,  engi- 
neer's room,  etc.  On  the  top  of  the  deck-houses  and  paddle-box  was  a  plat- 
form, or  hurricane-deck,  upon  which  the  steering-wheels  were  placed  ;  and 
being  properly  railed  in,  could  be  used  as  a  promenade  for  passengers. 

The  vessel  having  to  steam  with  equal  facility  either  way  without  turning, 
was  fitted  with  a  rudder  at  each  end.  The  rudder  was  in  the  middle  of  the 
canal  between  the  hulls,  and  was  formed  of  an  iron  plate  upon  a  shaft  or 
spindle  coming  up  to  the  deck,  which  shaft  was  not  in  the  centre  of  the  plate, 
but  about  one-third  of  its  length  from  the  one  side,  so  that  the  pressure  of 
the  water  against  the  rudder  acted  partly  on  both  sides  of  its  centre  of  mo- 
tion ;  but  when  the  rudder  was  left  free  it  always  accommodated  itself  to  the 
direction  of  the  vessel's  motion,  one  end  being  longer  than  the  other  from 
the  centre  of  motion. 

The  steering-wheels  were  on  the  top  of  the  paddle-box  in  the  middle  of 
the  vessel ;  thus  the  man  at  the  wheel,  from  his  elevated  position,  had 
a  clear  view.  The  clear  area  on  deck  for  passengers,  including  the  hurri- 
cane-deck, above  the  accommodations  at  each  end  of  the  paddle-box,  was 
two  thousand  six  hundred  square  feet,  and  the  area  of  the  cabin  floors  was 
six  hundred  square  feet,  so  that  there  was  ample  accommodation  to  carry 
from  eight  hundred  to  one  thousand  passengers  with  ease  and  safety. 

1851-52. — AVERAGE  PASSAGES  OF  THE  CUNARD  AND  COLLINS  STEAMERS. 
There  was  great  rivalry  in  1851-52  between  the  Cunard  &  Collins'  lines  of 
steamships  between  England  and  the  United  States,  which  resulted  as  follows: 

In  1851  the  Collins'  Line  in  fourteen  trips  from  Liverpool  to  New  York, 
averaged  11  days,  8  hours.  The  quickest  trip  was  made  by  the  "  Baltic,"  in 

9  days,  13  hours.     The  longest  by  the  "Atlantic,"  in  13  days,  17  hours  and  30 
minutes. 

.  In  14  trips  from  New  York  and  Liverpool  the  average  tims  per  trip  was 

10  days,  23  hours.  Quickest  trip  by  the  "Baltic,"  10  days,  4  hours,  45  m  inutes. 
Longest  by  the  "  Baltic"  12  days,  9  hours. 

In  1851  the  Cunard  Line,  in  14  trips  from  Liverpool  to  New  York,  averaged 

11  days  23  hours  30  minutes.     Quickest  trip  by  the  "Africa,"   10  days,  16 
hours,  50  minutes.     Longest  by  "  Europa,"  17  days,  2  hours,  50  minutes. 

In  14  trips  from  New  York  to  Liverpool  the  average  time  was  10  days,  13 
hours.  Quickest  by  "Africa,"  10  days,  5  hours,  35  minutes.  Longest  by 
"Europa,"  14  days,  3  hours. 

In  1852  the  Collins'  Line  averaged  in  13  trips  from  Liverpool  to  New 
York  per  trip,  11  days,  22  hours;  the  quickest  trip  was  by  the  "Atlantic,"  10 
days,  3  hours.  Longest  trip  by  the  "Pacific,"  15  days,  4  hours,  30  minutes. 

In  13  trips,  the  same  year  from  New  York  to  Liverpool,  the  average 
was  11  days,  1  hour.  Quickest  trip  by  the  "Arctic,"  9  days,  13  hours,  30  min- 
utes. Longest  by  the  "  Baltic,"  12  days,  21  hours. 


200  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

In  1852  the  average  of  13  trips  of  the  Cunard  Line  from  Liverpool  to- 
New  York  per  trip  was  13  days,  3  hours,  3  minutes.  Quickest  trip  by  the 
"Asia,"  10  days,  19  hours.  Longest  by  the  "Niagara,"  20  days,  19  hours. 

In  13  trips  from  New  York  to  Liverpool  the  average  was  11  days,  5  hours. 
Quickest  trip  by  the  "Asia,"  10  days,  5  hours,  10  minutes.  Longest  by 
"Asia,"  12  days,  21  hours,  30  minutes. 

In  1860  the  Collins  steamer  "  Baltic"  made  the  trip  from  New  York  to 
Liverpool  in  9  days  13  h.  30  min. 

1851. — THE  HIMALAYA. — The  screw  steamship  "Himalaya,"  was  launched 
on  the  anniversary  of  the  Queen's  birthday,  May  24,  1851.  The  launch 
was  witnessed  by  the  Directors  of  the  Peninsular  and  Oriental  Company, 
for  which  the  vessel  was  built,  and  a  noble  and  fashionable  -assembly.  The 
naming  was  by  Lady  Matheson,  wife  of  Sir  James  Matheson,  chairman  of 
the  company.  On  a  given  signal,  shortly  before  high  tide,  the  vessel  glided 
gently  into  the  water  amid  the  cheers  of  the  spectators. 

The  "  Himalaya,"  designed  and  built  under  the  inspection  of  F.  Watt- 
man,  Jr.,  at  Blackwall,  was  commenced  in  November,  1850 ;  her  length  be- 
tween perpendiculars  was  three  hundred  and  forty  feet ;  breadth,  forty-six 
feet  two  inches ;  depth  of  hold,  thirty-four  feet  nine  inches ;  and  she  was 
three  thousand  five  hundred  and  fifty  tons  burden,  and  had  engines  of  seven 
hundred  horse-power.  She  was  intended  to  have  paddle-wheels,  with  en- 
gines of  twelve  hundred  horse-power,  but  before  she  was  too  far  advanced  it 
was  decided  she  should  be  fitted  with  a  screw-propeller  and  engines  of  seven 
hundred  horse-power  on  the  most  approved  principle.  She  carried  twelve 
hundred  tons  of  fuel,  with  accommodation  for  four  hundred  cabin  passen- 
gers, five  hundred  tons  measurement  goods,  and  had  ample  space  for  mail- 
rooms,  etc.  In  strength  of  build  and  form  for  speed  the  "  Himalaya"  was 
at  that  day  unrivaled,  having  six  water-tight  bulkheads,  and  she  was  fitted 
with  every  appliance  for  safety.  She  was  provided  with  "  Trotman's  im- 
proved Porter's"  anchors,  the  bower-anchors  weighing  respectively  forty- 
eight  and  fifty  hundredweight,  in  lieu  of  ordinary  anchors  of  five  tons  each, 
The  cabin  arrangements  with  regard  to  ventilation  were  excellent,  and  com- 
bined elegance  with  simplicity. 

1852. — THE  "FRANCIS  SKIDDY." — The  magnificent  side-wheel  steamer 
"Francis  Skiddy,"  which  plied  between  New  York  and  Albany  in  1852,  was 
built  by  George  Colyer.  She  was  325  feet  in  length,  thirty-eight  and 
a  half  feet  beam,  eleven  and  a  half  feet  depth  of  hold.  Her  engine  was 
of  one  beam,  seventy-inch  cylinder  and  fourteen-feet  stroke.  Her  water-wheel 
was  forty  feet  in  diameter,  twelve-feet  face,  thirty-three-inch  bucket.  She  had 
four  low-pressure  boilers,  twenty-four  feet  long,  nine  feet  face,  capable  of 
seventy  pounds  of  steam,  with  a  blowing-engine  attached  to  each  of  twelve- 
inch  cylinder  and  twelve-inch  stroke.  Her  consumption  of  fuel  was  two 
thousand  pounds  per  hour.  Her  draught  of  water,  five  and  a  half  feet.  As 
a  provision  against  danger  she  had  three  fire-pumps, — two  to  work  by  hand 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  201 

and  one  by  steam,  with  six  hundred  and  fifty  feet  of  hose  attached,  together 
with  five  buckets,  a  life-preserver  for  every  passenger,  and  a  supply  of 
Francis'  metallic  life-boats,  etc.  Her  appointments  were  magnificent.  The 
main  cabin,  three  hundred  feet  in  length,  was  capable  of  seating  five  hun- 
dred people,  and  was  arranged  in  the  most  commodious  manner.  There 
was  also  an  immense  saloon,  opening  upon  sixty  state-rooms.  This  was  sur- 
mounted with  a  dome  or  arch,  decorated  with  stained  glass,  which  cost  ten 
thousand  dollars. 

1852. — THE  "AUSTRALIAN,"  THE  FIRST  MAIL  STEAMER  TO  AUSTRALIA. 
The  "Australian"  was  the  first  to  make  the  mail  steam  voyage  from 
England  to  Australia.  She  was  built  at  Dumbarton,  for  Messrs.  Cunard  & 
Co.,  for  the  Canadian  trade.  She  steamed  from  Plymouth,  England,  on 
her  first  voyage  to  Australia  June  5,  1852,  and  reached  King  George  Sound, 
West  Australia,  August  20  ;  Adelaide,  August  29  ;  Melbourne,  September  2, 
and  returned  January  11, 1853,  having  completed  the  voyage  in^two  hundred 
and  twenty-one  days,  one  hundred  and  sixty-five  of  which  were  under  steam 
and  sails,  and  fifty-six  in  port,  taking  in  mails,  coal,  and  lading.  The 
following  account  of  her  voyage  out  is  extracted  from  Chambers'  Journal 
for  1854: 

"  The  public  mind  was  excited  to  a  pitch  of  feverish  anxiety  concerning 
the  gold  discoveries  in  Australia,  and  in  order  to  provide  for  the  delivery  of 
mails  to  and  from  the  colony  with  greater  speed  and  regularity,  a  company 
was  formed,  pledged  to  effect  this  by  a  line  of  great  steamships.  Even  then, 
people  who  ought  to  have  known  better,  confidently  predicted  that  direct 
steam  communication  with  Australia  was  impracticable.  As  in  the  case  of 
crossing  the  Atlantic,  nothing  would  convince  them,  or  settle  the  question 
but  actual  performance.  Now,  as  the  distance  to  be  run  is  little  short  of 
sixteen  thousand  miles,  it  is  obvious  that  no  ship,  unless  of  enormous  size, 
could  carry  sufficient  fuel  to  perform  the  entire  voyage  under  steam,  with- 
out stopping  to  take  in  coal  at  stations  on  the  way ;  and  this  has  caused 
hitherto  considerable  delay  and  great  additional  expense.  The  pioneer  was 
the  'Australian,'  a  large  new  Clyde-built  iron  steamship,  that  first  started 
from  London,  and  after  some  accidents  and  delays,  finally  left  Plymouth 
with  the  mails  on  the  5th  of  June,  1852,  under  command  of  Captain  Hosea- 
son.  She  anchored  at  St.  Vincent  on  the  16th  to  take  in  coal,  which  had 
previously  been  sent  to  the  depot  there  from  England.  This  occupied  three 
days.  The  ship  then  proceeded  on  her  voyage,  and  after  coaling  at  St. 
Helena,  reached  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  on  the  19th  July,  where  she  again 
coaled,  sailing  from  Table  Bay  on  the  22d,  and  anchored  in  King  George's 
Sound,  West  Australia,  on  the  20th  of  August.  There  she  received  coal 
from  a  ship  sent  out  with  a  cargo  from  England  expressly  for  her,  and  a  few 
days  afterwards  proceeded  to  Adelaide,  which  she  reached  on  the  29th,  and 
Melbourne  on  the  2d  of  September.  This  was  the  first  voyage  performed  by 
a  steamer  from  England  to  the  antipodes.  In  some  respects  it  was  a  badly- 


202  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION 

managed  voyage,  much  unplesantness  occurring:  among  both  passengers  and 
crew,  repeated  accidents  happening  to  the  machinery,  and  the  coal  running 
short  between  the  stations,  so  that  at  times  the  engines  stopped,  and  the  ves- 
sel had  to  lie  to  or  proceed  under  canvas.  Nevertheless,  it  effectually  demon- 
strated the  practicability  of  the  enterprise.  She  was  followed  by  the 
*  Great  Britain/  and  steamships  now  perform  with  punctuality  and  dispatch 
the  voyage  to  and  from  Australia,  calling  at  the  Cape,  boch  on  the  outward 
and  homeward  passage,  to  land  and  receive  mails  and  passengers,  equal  to 
that  which  distinguishes  the  Atlantic  and  Mediterranean  steamers.  Taking 
into  consideration  the  prodigious  expanse  of  ocean  to  be  traversed,  this  is  a 
triumphant  realization  of  the  most  sanguine  hopes  of  those  who  have  watched 
the  progress  of  steam  navigation." 

1852. — FASTEST  STEAMERS  IN  THE  ROYAL  NAVY. — The  second  edition 
of  Murray's  "  Marine  Engine,"  published  in  1852,  states  that  the  "  Ter- 
rible," "  Sidon"  and  "  Odin,"  are  "  probably  the  fastest  war  steamers  properly 
so  called  in  the  Royal  Navy.  Of  these,  the  '  Terrible,'  with  226  feet  length, 
42  feet  beam,  27  feet  hold,  and  seventeen  and  a  half  feet  load  draft,  attained 
a  speed  of  ten  knots  per  hour  on  trial  with  sea  stores  and  guns  on  board. 
The  '  Sidon'  (Sir  Charles  Napier's  ship)  with  210!  feet  length,  36 £  feet  beam, 
and  27  feet  hold,  and  with  two  engines  of  6£  feet  stroke,  and  86 J  inches  di- 
ameter, has  a  speed  on  trial  of  ten  knots,  while  the  speed  of  the  '  Oden'  is 
superior  to  either,  being  eleven  and  one  quarter  knots,  also  on  trial ;  the 
average  sea-speed  of  the  three  being  not  to  exceed  nine  knots.  The  few 
steamers  then  in  the  navy  of  the  United  States  equalled  in  speed  these  at 
that  time  exceptional  fast  steamers  of  the  Royal  Navy. 

1852. — Commodore  M.  O.  Perry,  in  a  letter  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy, 
Feb.  8,  1852,  wrote,  "An  ocean  steamer  of  3,000  tons  is  of  the  maximum  di- 
mensions for  safety  and  efficiency,  whether  for  war  or  commercial  purposes." 
He  did  not  forsee  the  immense  iron-clads  and  passenger  steamers  that  a 
quarter  of  a  century  would  develop. 

1852. — THE  PENINSULA  AND  ORIENTAL  Co.  was  the  first  to  adopt  screw 
steamers  for  its  regular  service.  In  1852  the  "  Chusan,"  of  seven  hundred 
and  sixty-five  tons,  and  the  "  Formosa,"  of  six  hundred  and  seventy-five 
tons,  were  placed  upon  the  route  between  Hong-Kong  and  Shanghai.  These 
were  succeeded  by  the  "  Bengal,"  of  two  thousand  one  hundred  and  eighty- 
five  tons,  and  the  "  Candia,"  of  nineteen  hundred  and  eighty-two  tons,  be- 
tween Suez  and  Calcutta. 

In  1852  the  iron  steamer  "THISTLE,"  while  proceeding  along  the  coast, 
struck  a  rock  on  the  north  of  Ireland,  and  steamed  thence  without  assistance 
to  Greenock,  seventy  nautical  miles  across  the  north  channel,  with  the  fore- 
deck  under  water,  the  fore  and  after  compartments  filled  with  water,  and 
only  the  centre  or  engine  compartment  free.  She  returned  to  Greenock  by 
the  power  of  her  own  engines  without  assistance.  The  fact  of  a  vessel  of  only 
six  hundred  and  .seventy  tons  steaming  across  the  Irish  Channel  safely,  with 


HISTORY   OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 


203 


her  holds  and  cabins  full  of  water,  the  mid-compartment  only  free, 
afforded  a  strong  testimony  to  the  efficiency  of  water-tight  bulkheads. 

1853. — THE  ASPINWALL  LINE,  originally  established  by  Messrs.  Howland 
and  Aspinwall  of  New  York,  by  an  arrangement  with  the  Law  Line  per- 
formed mail  service  exclusively  between  Panama  (on  the  Pacific  coast), 
California  and  Oregon,  under  Government  contract. 

The  steamers  of  this  line  in  the  mail  service  in  1853  were  the  "  Golden 
Gate,"  the  "  Tennessee,"  the  "  Columbia,"  the  "  Panama,"  the  "  California," 
the  "  Oregon,"  and  the  "  John  L.  Stephens."  The  "  Golden  Gate  "  was  com- 
pleted in  1851  and  made  a  trial  trip  to  Annapolis,  where  she  was  visited 
by  the  President  of  the  United  States,  members  of  his  Cabinet,  and  other 
distinguished  persons. 

The  following  were  the  principal  dimensions  of  these  steamships : 


DIMENSIONS. 

Columbia. 

Tennessee. 

Panama. 

1 

California. 

1 
g 

O 

Golden  Gate. 

J.  L.  Stephens. 

Length  on  deck.. 

220  feet. 
219    " 
29    " 
13    " 

212  feet 

200  feet 

200  feet 

200  feet 

265  feet 

280  feet 
270    " 
40    " 
26    " 
2,450  tons 
oscillating 
85  inches 
9  feet 
32    " 

"       "  keel 

Breadth  of  beam  
Depth  of  hold 

35  feet 
22    " 

32    " 
21    " 
1.087  tons 
side  lever 
70  inches 
8  feet 
26    " 

33  feet 
20    " 
1,050  tons 
side  lever 
70  inches 
8  feet 
26    " 

34  feet 
20     " 
1,100  tons 
side  lever 
70  inches 
8  feet 
26    •' 

40  feet 
22    " 
2.030  tons 
oscillating 
85  inches 
9  feet 
31    " 

Tonnage  

Engines 

side  lever 
57  inches 
5  feet 
22    " 

side  lever 
75  inches 
8  feet 
32    " 

Diameter  of  cylinders. 
Stroke  of  piston  
Dia.  of  paddle-wheels. 

1853. — THE  "FORFORO,"  a  small  iron  screw  steamer  of  forty-three  tons  and 
forty  horse-power,  rigged  as  a  three-masted  schooner,  sailed  July  17, 1853,  from 
Liverpool  for  the  West  coast  of  South  America,  and  arrived  at  Valparaiso 
November  15.  The  passage  occupied  one  hundred  and  twenty-one  days, — 
forty-six  under  steam  a-nd  sail,  and  twenty-eight  under  sail  alone.  She  used 
in  all  one  hundred  and  sixty  tons  of  coal,  and  averaged  six  knots  all  the 
way.  She  was  the  smallest  steamer  that  ever  performed  so  long  a  voyage. 

1854. — THE  FIRST  STEAMER  TO  CIRCUMNAVIGATE  THE  GLOBE.— In  1854 
the  English  screw-steamship  "  Argo,"  eighteen  "hundred  and  fifty  tons  register, 
returned  to  England  from  Australia  via  Cape  Horn,  and  was  the  first 
steamer  that  had  circumnavigated  the  globe.  She  made  the  passage  out  to  Aus  - 
tralia  via  Cape  of  Good  Hope  in  sixty-four  days,  and  returned  via  Cape  Horn 
in  the  same  time.  Since  the  ancient  days  of  Jason  and'his  "Golden  Fleece" 
several  celebrated  ships  have  borne  the  renowned  name  of  "Argo,"  and  cer- 
tainly we  consider  the  present  steamer  not  the  least  worthy  of  the  number 
to  be  chronicled  in  history.  She  has  proved  herself  one  of  the  most  notable 
pioneer  ships  of  the  nineteenth  century. 

1853-54. — THE" GOLDEN  AGE." — The  American  piddle-wheel  steamer 
"Golden  Age"  arrived  at  Liverpool,  in  1853,  where  she  attracted  much  notice- 


204  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

She  was  of  great  size  and  power,  built  with  all  the  latest  transatlantic  fashions 
and  improvements,  one  of  which  was  she  had  no  bowsprit ! — something  our 
English  brothers  then  thought — though  they  have  learned  to  know  better — as 
indispensable  as  the  nose  on  a  man's  face.  Her  owners  resolved  to  send  her  to 
Australia,  and  she  made  the  quickest  passage  out  on  record  up  to  that  time. 
But  her  subsequent  voyage  was  far  more  memorable  and  important.  On  the 
llth  of  May,  1854,  she  left  Sydney,  and  in  thirteen  days  reached  Tahiti,  where 
she  took  in  the  enormous  weight  of  twelve  hundred  tons  of  coal.  This  occupied 
her  six  days  ;  and  on  the  31st  she  sailed  direct  for  the  Isthmus  of  Panama, 
which  she  reached  on  the  19th  of  June,  the  passage  from  Sydney,  including 
the  long  stoppage  mentioned,  thus  being  performed  in  about  thirty-nine 
days  !  This  wonderful  feat  was  rendered  more  remarkable  from  strong 
head-winds  during  the  first  part  of  the  voyage  and  an  estimated  current 
against  her  course  equal  to  an  extra  seven  hundred  and  sixty-eight  miles. 
From  Tahiti,  however,  the  sea  was  so  smooth  and  the  passage  so  mild  that  a 
canoe  might  have  come  the  whole  distance  in  safety.  She  arrived  at  Panama 
just  in  time  .to  transfer  two  hundred  passengers,  her  mails,  and  a  million 
sterling  in  gold  to  the  West  Indian  steamer  "  Magdalena,"  at  Chagres,  and 
consequently  letters  from  Sydney  to  the  llth,  and  from  Melbourne  to  the 
5th  of  May — only  sixty-seven  days  from  Sydney! — were  received  in  London 
on  the  18th  of  July,  1854. 

"  Thus  to  American  skill  and  enterprise,"  says  the  Edinburgh  Journal, 
"  credit  is  due  for  first  opening  direct  steam-communication  across  the  vast 
Pacific,  in  that  manner  connecting  Australia  and  Europe  by  the  medium  of 
Panama.  We  cannot  read  without  regret  that  the  spirited  proprietors  of 
the  '  Golden  Age'  have  incurred  a  dead  loss  of  several  thousand  pounds  by 
the  experiment,  solely  owing  to  the  cost  of  coal  at  Tahiti.  But  they  have 
shown  what  can  be  done,  and  nothing  can  be  more  certain  than  that  ere 
long  arrangements  will  be  made  sufficiently  economical  to  enable  a  regular 
line  of  noble  steamships  to  traverse  this  novel  route,  and  so  bring  us  within 
two  months'  distance  of  Australia.  To  quote  a  newspaper  paragraph,  'Ever 
since  Columbus  set  out  across  the  Atlantic  in  search  of  India  it  has  been 
the  dream  -of  commerce  to  reach  the  East  by  the  West,  and  from  the  time 
that  Balboa  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  great  trans-American  ocean  from  the 
heights  of  Darien  the  world  has  looked  forward  to  the  junction  of  the  two 
oceans  at  one  point  or  another  as  the  commencement  of  a  new  era  in  the 
history  of  commerce.  Nevertheless,  the  Pacific  has  hitherto  been  a  field  of 
adventure  rather  than  of  regular  commerce.  Till  recently  it  has  been  cut 
off  from  all  direct  communication  with  the  trade  and  civilization  of  JEurope 
and  America.  No  maritime  nations  of  importance  have  occupied  any  part 
of  the  extensive  line  of  coast  by  which  it  is  circumscribed,  and  within  which 
it  has  lain  in  silent  repose  rather  like  a  secluded  lake  than  a  mighty  ocean. 
But  a  new  destiny  is  beginning  to  dawn  upon  it.  The  "  Golden  Age  "  breaks 
in  upon  its  isolation,  and  arouses  it  from  its  slumbers.  She  inaugurates  an 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  205 

€ra  in  which  its  commerce  \yill  probably  as  far  transcend  that  of  the  Atlan- 
tic as  the  latter  eclipsed  that  of  the  Mediterranean.' " 

1854-56. — SIDE-PROPELLERS  ON  THE  LAKES. — Side-screw  propellers  were 
advocated  in  1856  as  a  substitute  for  the  paddle-wheel.  In  1854  the  lake 
steamer  "Baltic"  was  thus  altered  at  Buffalo.  Her  high  pressure  paddle- 
wheel  engines  were  taken  out  and  replaced  with  side-propeller  engines.  She 
carried  double  the  weight  and  run  with  half  the  fuel  at  a  higher  rate  of 
speed  after  the  change,  notwithstanding  her  new  eogines  rated  60  per  cent, 
less  power  than  her  old  ones.  The  "  Baltic  "  was  the  first  vessel  to  which 
this  mode  of  propulsion  was  applied.* 

In  1848. — Gardner  Stow  patented  a  screw  propeller  on  each  side  of  the 
vessel,  so  that  the  inclined  vanes  of  sheet  iron  or  wood  should  dip  into  the 
water. 

1855. — The  steam  frigate  "  Mississippi "  (paddle)  flagship  of  Commodore 
M.  O.  Perry  on  the  Japan  expedition  sailed  from  Norfolk,  Va.,  November 
24,  1852,  arrived  at  the  Navy  Yard,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  April  23,  1855,  and 
was  the  first  war  steamship  of  the  United  States  Navy  to  circumnavigate  the 
globe.  She  went  to  Japan  via  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  and  returned  via 
Cape  Horn,  or  rather  through  the  Straits  of  Magellan,  having  been  absent 
two  years  and  five  months. 

The  "  Mississippi "  run  aground  in  the  attack  upon  Port  Hudson  in  186-, 
and  was  set  fire  to  and  abandoned  to  avoid  her  surrender. 

April,  1856— The  steamer  " Baltic,"  (Collins'  Line),  had  bulk-heads  put 
into  her  hold  in  New  York  after  making  her  last  trip  from  Liverpool.  These 
bulkheads  should  have  been  of  iron  instead  of  wood,  which  was  cheaper. 
Why  is  it  that  water-tanks  for  vessels  are  made  of  iron  and  the  fire-tanks,  or 
the  encasement  for  boilers  and  engines,  are  made  of  wood,  neither  fire-proof 
nor  water-proof?  Iron  bulkheads  are  lighter  and  less  bulky,  and  cheaper  if 
the  safety  of  life  is  taken  into  account. 

1856. — STEAM  VESSELS  OF  THE  KOYAL  NAVY. — On  the  1st  of  April, 
1856,  the  steam  vessels  belonging  to  the  Royal  Navy  were :  f 

Guns.  Horse-power. 

43  line  of-battle  ships,   ....  3»797  22,940 

24  frigates  and  mortar- vessels,                 .             .  889  10,560 

90  paddle-wheel  vessels,             .             .             .  500  24,640 

76  corvettes  and  sloops,               .             .             .  761  16,202 

47  troop-ships,  37  7,300 

155  gunboats,       .....  580  8,240 


435  6,564  89,892 

In  1857  the  American  steamship  "  Vanderbilt  "  made  the  run  from  New 
York  to  "  the  Needles,"  the  western  extremity  of  the  Isle  of  Wight,  in 
9  days  and  8  hours,  and  on  her  return  trip  in  9  days  9  hours  24  min. 


*The.  Hudson  River  steamer  "  Iron  Witch"  had  .mfr-propelleis  in  1845.    See  tf»fcpage  189. 
f  Lardner's  "  Museum  of  Science." 


CHAPTER  V.— 1858-1882. 

THE  GREAT  EASTERN,  1858;  Description  of  the  Vessel,  &c.;  Her  First  Voyage  to  New  York  and  Arrival 
Described— The  Emperor,  a  Steam  Yacht,  Presented  to  the  Japanese,  1859— The  Scotland  and 
England  Purchased  by  the  Prince  of  Satsuma,  1861.— The  MONITOR,  First  Turreted  Steam  War 
Vessel,  1861— The  Faid  Rabani  Yacht  of  the  Khedive,  1863— Number  of  British  Inventions 
Patented  in  the  Ten  Years  Preceding  1866 — Steamers  on  Lake  Memphremagog,  1867— The  Kate 
Corser,  the  First  Steamer  on  the  Great  Salt  Lake,  1869— An  Extraordinary  Inland  Voyage,  1869— 
Coal-Saving  Discovery,  1872— The  Cable  Steamer  Faraday.  1873— A  Chinese  Steamboat  Enter- 
prise, 1874— The  Bessimer  Anti-Sea-Sick  Steamboat,  1875— The  Double-Hulled  Castalia,  1875— 
The  lona,  1876.— Steamboats  in  Corea,  1878— The  Solano,  1879— The  Remarkable  Voyage  of  a 
Wrecked  Steamer,  1880— The  Comet  on  Lake  Bigler,  1880— A  Mountain  Steamer  on  Twin  Lakes, 
1880— The  Three  Brothers  Transferred  to  the  British  Flag,  1880— A  Canal  Boat  Propelled  by  Air, 
1880— The  Hochung,  the  First  Chinese  Steamer  to  cross  the  Pacific,  1880— The  Chinese  Steamer 
Meefoo  Arrives  at  London  with  a  Cargo  of  Tea,  1881— Taggart's  Screws,  1880— The  Anthracite, 
the  Smallest  Steamer  that  has  Crossed  the  Atlantic,  1880— The  Harriet  Lane,  1881— The  Dessoug, 
1881— A  Hydraulic  Ship,  1881— A  Novel  Steam  Yacht,  1881— The  Kittatinny,  1881— Steamboat  Dis- 
aster, 1881— The  Fall  River  Line,  1882— A  West  India  Steamship  Enterprise,  1882— The  Colussus, 
18»2— RECENT  NOVEL  INVENTIONS  AND  EXPERIMENTS— Morse's  Unsinkable  Ship— Lundborg's 
Twin-Screws—Root's  Side-Screw  Steamship— Coppin's  Tripple  Steamship— Fryer's  Buoyant 
Propeller— Rosse's  Catamaran  Steam  Tugs. 

1858. — THE  "  GREAT  EASTERN." — Experience  had  shown  that  a  sea 
steamer  of  eighteen  hundred  tons,  making  the  quickest  passages  to  and  from 
England  and  Australia,  with  a  full  cargo  and  complement  of  passengers,  lost 
by  the  voyage  from  one  thousand  to  ten  thousand  pounds.  A  great  portion 
of  the  expense  was  from  the  necessity  of  supplying  c  >al  depots  at  different 
points  where  the  steamer  could  touch  during  her  voyage.  These  deviations 
from  the  shortest  route  also  protracted  the  passage  so  that  clipper-ships 
made  as  quick  passages  as  steamers,  at  less  expense,  so  that  they  super- 
seded steamers.  The  problem  then  to  be  solved  was :  Supposing  a  steamer 
could  be  built  to  move  eighteen  miles  an  hour,  what  must  be  the  size  of  a 
steamer  to  carry  out  and  back  fuel  for  a  voyage  from  England  to  Australia, 
— twenty-five  thousand  miles  ?  To  work  a  steamer  profitably,  it  was  found 
that  the  tonnage  must  be  nearly  a  ton  to  a  mile.  Mr.  Brunei,  therefore, 
conceived  the  idea  of  constructing  a  steamer  of  from  twenty  to  twenty-five 
thousand  tons  burden,  capable  of  carrying  coals  for  full  steaming  on  the 
longest  voyage,  to  be  built  on  the  tubular  plan,  with  both  the  screw  and 
the  paddle,  and  fitted  also  with  sail  for  propelling  power. 

The  Eastern  Steam  Navigation  Company  was  formed  to  carry  out 
his  idea,  with  a  capital  of  one  million  two  hundred  thousand  pounds, 
in  shares  of  twenty  pounds  each,  with  power  to  increase  the  capital 
to  two  million  pounds.  The  place  where  the  great  ship  was  to  be  built,  on 
the  bank  of  the  Thames  at  Millwall,  consisting  of  a  layer  of  mud  thirty  feet 

206 


HIST  OR  Y  QF  STEAM  JV^L  VIGA  TION.  207 

thick  on  a  bed  of  gravel,  was  prepared  by  driving  over  fourteen  hundred 
piles  in  lines  parallel  to  the  river,  as  the  vessel  was  to  be  launched  side- 
ways. The  first  plate  of  the  vessel  was  laid  May  1,  1854. 

The  ship  was  built  with  an  inner  and  outer  skin, — two  feet  ten  inches 
apart,  with  longitudinal  webs  at  intervals  of  six  feet  running  the  whole  length 
of  the  vessel ;  and  these  were  subdivided  by  transverse  plates  into  water- 
tight spaces  of  about  six  feet  square,  so  that  should  the  outer  skin  be  dam- 
aged the  water  could  only  get  in  between  the  webs  and  inner  skin.  The 
ship  is  divided  by  transverse  bulkheads  into  twelve  water-tight  compartments 
below  the  lower  deck,  and  nine  above  the  lower  deck,  so  that  should  both 
the  outer  and  inner  skin  be  fractured  the  water  could  only  enter  one  of 
these  compartments, — two  of  which  could  be  filled  without  danger  to  the 
safety  of  the  vessel.  Besides  these  transverse  bulkheads  there  are  two  which 
extend  from  the  bottom  of  the  ship  to  the  upper  deck,  and  run  longitudinally 
for  a  length  of  three  hundred  and  fifty  feet.  There  are  also  two  tubular 
iron  platforms  extending  from  the  gunwale  to  the  longitudinal  bulkheads, 
running  fore  and  aft,  thirty-six  feet  apart,  and  connected  together  about 
every  sixty  feet  by  iron  platforms  seven  feet  wide.  The  greatest  care  was 
taken  to  make  the  bow  strong  enough  to  withstand  any  impediment,  and  to 
enable  the  vessel  to  resist  the  constant  vibration  of  the  screw. 

The  vessel  has  no  keel,  the  bottom  being  flat.  A  keel-plate  was  first  laid 
along  a  level  platform  prepared  for  it  about  five  feet  from  the  ground ;  then 
the  centre-web,  which  somewhat  resembles  the  keel  of  an  ordinary  ship. 

The  iron  plates  of  which  the  skins  of  the  vessel  are  composed  are  three- 
quarters  of  an  inch  thick,  except  the  keel-plate,  which  is  one  inch  thick. 
Their  average  size  is  about  ten  feet  by  two  feet  nine  inches,  and  their  weight 
eight  hundred  and  twenty-five  pounds.  For  the  sternpost  and  keel  some 
enormous  plates  were  required.  Two  were  twenty-seven  feet  long,  three  feet 
three  inches  wide,  one  and  one-quarter  inches  thick,  and  weighed  two  tons 
each ;  others  were  twenty-five  feet  long,  four  feet  wide,  and  one  and  one- 
quarter  inches  thick,  and  weighed  two  and  one-quarter  tons  each.  About 
thirty  thousand  plates,  of  an  average  weight  of  six  hundred  pounds  each, 
•were  used  in  the  construction  of  the  hull.  Each  plate,  before  being  placed 
in  its  proper  position,  was  a  separate  study  to  the  engineer.  For  each  a 
model  in  wood  was  made,  and  by  steam-shears  the  plates  were  cut  according 
to  the  pattern  ;  the  proper  curve  was  given  to  it,  and  the  holes  for  the  rivets 
were  punched  by  machinery.  They  were  riveted  together  by  rivets,  fastened 
at  a  white  heat,  some  seven-eighths  of  an  inch  and  some  three-quarters  of  an 
inch  in  diameter,  about  two  and  a  half  inches  apart  where  the  plates  were  to 
be  made  water-tight,  and  from  four  to  six  inches  apart  in  other  places.  The 
total  number  of  rivets  was  not  far  from  two  million.  About  eight  thousand 
tons  of  iron  were  used  in  her  hull.  The  estimated  weight  of  the  whole  vessel 
when  voyaging  with  every  article  and  person  on  board  was  twenty-five 
thousand  tons. 


208  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

For  the  purpose  of  launching  the  vessel  two  ways  were  constructed,  with 
pile  foundations,  one  at  the  fore  part  of  the  vessel  and  one  at  the  after  part, 
each  three  hundred  feet  long  and  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet  wide,  with 
about  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet  of  space  between  them.  The  cradles, 
two  in  number,  were  of  the  same  width  as  the  ways.  Their  bottom  was 
composed  of  iron  plates  seven  inches  wide  and  one  inch  thick,  placed  at 
intervals  of  one  foot  apart,'  with  their  edges  carefully  rounded  off  so  as  to 
offer  the  least  resistance  to  the  railway  metals  of  the  ways  down  which  they 
would  pass. 

The  first  attempt  to  launch  the  vessel  was  made  November  3,  1857,  and 
the  vessel  was  moved  six  feet  down  in  her  ways.  Several  unsuccessful 
attempts  were  made  on  different  days,  until  January  31,  1858,  when  she 
was  afloat.  The  cost  of  building  and  launching  the  vessel  in  round  numbers 
was  seven  hundred  ^and  thirty  thousand  pounds,  exceeding  the  original 
estimate  by  two  hundred  and  thirty  thousand  pounds.  In  November,  1858, 
the  Eastern  Steam  Navigation  Company,  finding  it  impossible  to  go  .on,  was 
dissolved,  and  a  new  corporation,  called  "The  Great  Ship  Company,"  was 
formed,  with  a  capital  of  three  hundred  and  thirty  thousand  pounds.  Of  this 
capital  one  hundred  and  sixty  thousand  pounds  was  to  be  paid  to  share- 
holders of  the  former  corporation  ;  the  fitting  and  finishing  would  cost  about 
one  hundred  and  twenty  thousand  pounds,  so  that  it  was  estimated  fifty 
thousand  pounds  would  be  left  for  working  expenses. 

The  "  Great  Eastern"  was  christened  by  Miss  Hope,  now  Duchess  of 
Newcastle,  daughter  of  the  chairman  of  the  Great  Eastern  Steam  Navigation 
Company.* 


\V.  S.  Lindsay,  in  his  "  History  of  Merchant  Shipping,"  says  in  the  summer  of  1857, 
accompanied  by  Robert  Stephenson  and  Brunei  he  visited  the  "Great  Eastern."  Preparations 
for  her  launching  had  commenced.  After  his  inspecting  the  vessel,  Brunei  asked  him  what 
he  thought  of  her.  He  replied  she  was  the  strongest  and  best  built  ship  he  had  ever  seen 
and  a  marvellous  piece  of  mechanism.  "Oh,"  he  said  rather  testily  and  abruptly,  "I  did  not 
want  your  opinion  about  her  build.  I  should  think  I  know  rather  more  how  an  iron  ship 
should  be  built  than  you  do.  How  will  she  pay  ?" 

"Ah,"  replied  Mr.  L.,  "  that's  quite  a  different  matter." 

Seeing  Mr.  L.  did  not  care  to  answer  his'question,  he  repeated  it,  adding,  "  If  she  be- 
longed to  you,  in  what  trade  would  you  place  her  ?" 

"  Turn  her  into  a  show,"  said  Mr.  L.  with  a  laugh,  "  something  attractive  to  the  masses. 
She  will  never  pay  as  a  ship.  Send  her  to  Brighton,  dig  a  hole  in  the  beach,  and  bed  her 
stern  in  it,  and  if  well  set  she  will  make  a  substantial //«?r,  and  her  decks  a  splendid  promen- 
ade. Her  hold  would  make  magnificent  salt  water  baths,  and  her  'tween  decks  a  grand 
hotel,  with  restaurant,  smoking  and  dancing  saloons,  etc.  She  would  be  a  marvellous  at- 
traction for  the  cockneys,  who  would  flock  to  her  by  thousands.  Candidly,  this  is  my  opinion, 
for  I  really  don't  know  of  any  other  trade  at  present  in  which  she  will  be  likely  to"  pay  so 
well." 

Stephenson  laughed,  but  Brunei  was  offended. 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 


209 


SUMMARY  OF  STATISTICS* OF  THE  "GREAT  EASTERN." 


Length  of  upper  deck,         .  692  feet. 

Length  between  perpendiculars,  680  " 

Breadth  across  paddle-boxes,  118  " 

Breadth  of  hull,         .  83  " 

Depth  from  deck  to  keel,  58  " 

Number  of  decks,     ...  4 

Number  of  masts,     ...  6 

f  2  ft.  9  in.  to 
Diameter  of  masts,  .         .  1       «  5  « 

Quantity  of  canvass  under  full 

sail,         .         .         .  6,500  sq.  yards. 

Number  of  anchors,         .         .10 
Number  of  boats,  .         .       20 

Tonnage  (old  measurement),  22,500  tons. 
Storage  for  cargo,  .  6,000     " 

Capacity  of  coal-bunkers,         12,000     " 
Draught  of  water,  unladen,  15  ft.  6  in. 

Draught  of  water,  laden,          .      30  feet. 
Number  of  water-tight  compart- 
ments,     .         .         .         .12 

Paddle-  Wheels. 

Diameter  of  paddle-wheels,  56  feet. 

Weight  of  "  .185  tons. 

Length  of  floats,     .         .         .       13  feet. 
Width  of"          .         .  3     " 

Number  of  floats  to  each  wheel,  30 
Length  of  paddle-shafts,         .        38  feet. 
Weight  of  "  -30  tons. 

Length  of  intermediate  cranked 

.  shaft,      .         .         .         .        21  %  feet. 
Weight  of  "  "  31  tons. 

Paddle- Engines. 

Nominal  horse  power,  .  1,000 

Number  of  cylinders,  .  .         4 

Diameter  of      "  .  .         6  feet  2- in. 
Weight  of  cylinders,  including 

piston  and  rod,  .  .  38  tons. 

Length  of  stroke,  .  .  14  feet. 

Strokes  per  minute,  .  14 


Paddle-Engine  Boilers, 


Number  of  boilers, 
Furnaces  to  each, 
Length  of  boilers, 
Width  of       " 
Height  of    " 


4 

10        i 
17  ft.  6  in. 
17  "  9    " 
13  "  9    " 


Weight  of  each, 
Weight  of  water, 
Area  of  heating  surface, 
Number  of  tubes, 
Thickness  of  plates, 


.     50  tons. 
.     40      « 
4,800  sq.  feet. 
,    400 

y&  £  7-16  in. 


Screw  Propeller, 


-r-,.  e 

Diameter  of  screw, 

Pitch  of  screw, 
Number  of  fans, 


24  feet. 
37     « 
4 


Length  of  propeller-shaft,       ,   1 60  feet. 
Screw  Engines. 

Nominal  horse-power,  1,600 
Number  of  cylinders,  .  4 

Diameter  of  each  cylinder,  .     84  inches. 

Length  of  stroke,  .  .       4  feet. 

Number  of  revolutions  per 

minute,  .         .  50 

Screw  Boilers. 

Number  of  boilers,          .  .       6 

Funnels  to  each  boiler,    .  .12 

Length  of  boiler,  .  .     1 8  ft.  6  in. 

Width  of       "  .  .     17   «  6   " 

Height  of     "  .  .14  feet. 

Weight  of    "  .  57  tons. 

Weight  of  water,  .  .     45     " 

Area  of  heating  surface,  5,000  sq.  feet. 
Number  of  tubes,            .  420 

Thickness  of  plates,        .  7-16  &^<  in. 

Number  of  auxiliary  engines,  4 
Number  of  donkey-engines,  10 
Total  horse-power,  about  12,000 


Number  of  passengers  (first-class),  800 

"  (second-class),       2,000 

"  (third-class),          1,200 

Aggregate  length  of  saloons  and  berths,  350  ft. 
Number  of  saloons,        .         .         .          10 
Length  of  principal  saloon,   .         .        looft. 
Width,          .         .         .         .         .          36" 

Height, 13 " 

Length  of  berths,  .         .         .          14 " 

Width  of      "       .         .         .  7  to  8  ft. 

Height  of    "  .         .  7  ft.  4  in. 


210  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VI G  A  TION. 

Nothing  can  stand  comparison  with  this  great  steamship  except 
Noah's  ark,  and  even  Noah's  ark  could  not  match  it.  The  length  of  the 
ark  was  three  hundred  cubits,  its  breadth  fifty  cubits,  and  its  height  thirty 
cubits.  The  Scripture  "  cubit,"  as  stated  by  Sir  Isaac  Newton,  is  twenty 
inches  and  about  sixty-two  hundredths.  Bishop  Wilkins  makes  it  somewhat 
more, — namely,  twenty-one  inches  and  about  sixty-eight  hundredths.  Ee- 
ducing  these  to  English  feet,  and  calculating  the  tonnage  after  the  old  law, 
we  have  approximately  the  following  table: 

Noah's  Ark  according  Noah's  Ark  according  Great 

to  Sir  Isaac  Newton.  to  Bishop  Wilkins.  Eastern. 

Length  between  perpendiculars,         .             515.62  547-OO  680.00 

Breadth,         ....               85.94  91.16  83.00 

Depth,           .             .  '           .             .               5I-56  54-70  58.00 

Keel  or  length  for  tonnage,                 .             464.08  492.31  630.02 

Tonnage  according  to  old  law,          .             18,232  21,762  28,093 

So  Noah's  ark  is  quite  overshadowed.  Magnitude  is  not,  however,  the 
only  peculiarity  which  the  "Great  Eastern"  possesses.  No  other  vessel 
afloat  has  two  sets  of  engines  and  two  propellers,  nor  was  the  cellular  con- 
struction to  be  found  elsewhere  in  marine  architecture. 

To  comprehend  the  immense  size  of  the  ship  one  must  go  on  the  mail*  deck. 
From  that  standpoint  every  foot  of  the  deck  is  seen  except  the  very  shadow 
of  the  masts  and  chimneys.  The  wave  of  the  hand  can  be  seen  by  the  steers- 
man or  any  officer  on  watch  on  any  part  of  the  deck.  Go  on  to  the  bridge 
between  the  paddle-boxes  and  look  toward  the  bow,  and  you  see  a  space  in 
extent  equal  to  the  entire  length  of  a  very  large  steamer, — near  two  hundred 
and  fifty  feet, — and  then  turn  your  eye  toward  the  stern  and  you  have 
double  the  distance  in  that  direction,  the  entire  length  of  the  deck  being  a 
little  short  of  seven  hundred  feet,  and  the  width  eighty-four  feet..  This 
expanse  of  deck  covers  about  an  acre  of  surface,  or  one  hundred  and  sixty 
square  rods,  stretched  out  into  a  long  oval  one  eighth  of  a  mile,  or  forty  rods 
in  length.  The  deck  of  the  ship  is  double,  or  cellular,  after  the  plan  of  the 
Britannia  tubular  bridge,  and  is  formed  of  two  half-inch  plates  at  the  bottom 
and  two  half-inch  plates  at  the  top,  between  which  are  webs  which  run  the 
whole  length  of  the  ship. 

This  deck  is  planned  to  be  of  such  strength  that  were  it  taken  up  by  its 
two  extremities  and  the  entire  weight  the  vessel  is  to  carry  were  hung  upon 
its  middle,  it  would  sustain  the  whole  unaided. 

The  deck  is  six  hundred  and  ninety-two  feet  in  length,  or  more  than  as 
long  again  as  that  of  the  steamship  "  Great  Britain."  It  is  nearly  three 
times  as  long  as  that  of  the  British  line-of-battle  ship  the  "  Duke  of  Wel- 
lington"; eighty-eight  feet  more  would  make  it  as  long  again  as  the  "  Persia," 
the  longest  vessel,  previous  to  the  launch  of  the  "  Great  Eastern,"  afloat  upon 
the  ocean. 

"This  ship,"  says  a  writer  just  after  the  launch,  "is  one  of  the  wonders 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  211 

of  this  fast  age,  but  whether,  like  some  of  the  monstrosities  of  past  ages,  she 
is  to  be  a  mere  curiosity  and  a  monument  of  the  folly  of  her  builders,  or 
whether  she  is  to  introduce  a  new  age  of  progress  in  steam  navigation,  yet 
remains  to  be  demonstrated.  The  first  step  in  the  solution  of  the  problem 
is  her  safe  and  rapid  passage  from  England  to  America." 

"  Granting,  then,"  said  the  Liverpool  Albion,  just  previous  to  her  launch, 
"  that  the  mammoth  ship  is  merely  an  extended  copy  of  all  other  iron 
steamers  built  on  the  wave-line  principle,  let  us  see  what  are  the  'one  or  two 
exceptions'  so  modestly  aljuded  to  by  Mr.  Russell  last  week  before  the 
British  Association  of  Dublin.  The  most  prominent  in  reality,  though  the 
feature  which  escapes  unprofessional  visitors,  is  the  cellular  construction  of 
the  upper  deck  and  the  lower  part  of  the  hull,  up  to  the  water-line,  or  about 
thirty  feet  from  the  bottom,  which  is  as  flat  as  the  floor  of  the  room.  This 
system,  while  it  gives  greater  buoyancy  to  the  hull,  increases  her  strength 
enormously,  and  thus  enables  her  to  resist  almost  any  outward  pressure. 
Two  Avails  of  iron,  about  sixty  feet  high,  divide  her  longitudinally  into  three 
parts, — the  inner  containing  the  boileis,  the  engine-rooms  and  the  saloons, 
rising  one  above  the  other,  and  the  lateral  divisions  the  coal-bunkers  ;  and 
above  them  the  side-cabins  and  berths.  The  saloons  are  nearly  sixty  feet  in 
length,  the  principal  one  nearly  half  the  width  of  the  vessel,  and  lighted  by 
skylights  from  the  upper  deck.  On  either  side  are  the  cabins  and  berths, 
those  of  the  first-class  being  commodious  rooms  large  enough  to  contain 
every  requirement  of  the  most  fastidious  landsmen.  The  thickness  of  the 
lower  deck  will  prevent  any  sound  from  the  engine-rooms  reaching  the 
passengers,  and  the  vibrations  from  being  at  all  felt  by  them.  Each  side 
of  the  engine-rooms  there  is  a  tunnel  through  which  the  steam  and  water- 
pipes  are  carried,  and  also  rails  for  economizing  labor  in  conveyance  of 
coal.  The  berths  of  the  crew  are  forward,  below  the  forecastle,  which  it  is 
intended  to  appropriate  to  the  officers. 

"Below  the  berths  of  the  seamen  are  two  enormous  cavities  for  cargo,  of 
which  five  thousand  tons  can  be  carried,  besides  coals  enough  for  the  voyage 
to  Australia,  making  about  as  many  tons  more. 

"  The  weight  of  this  huge  ship  being  twelve  thousand  tons,  and  coal  and 
cargo  about  eighteen  thousand  tons  more,  the  motive-power  to  propel  her 
twenty  miles  an  hour  must  be  proportionate.  If  the  visitor  walks  aft  and 
looks  down  a  deep  chasm  near  the  stern,  he  will  perceive  an  enormous  metal 
shaft  one  hundred  and  sixty  feet  in  length  and  weighing  sixty  tons ;  this 
extends  from  the  engine-room  nearest  the  stern  to  the  extremity  of  the  ship, 
and  is  destined  to  move  the  screw,  the  four  fans  of  which  are  of  proportionate 
weight  and  dimensions.  If  next  he  walks  forward  and  looks  over  the  side, 
he  will  see  a  paddle-wheel  considerably  larger  than  the  circle  at  Astley's ; 
and  when  he  learns  that  this  wheel  and  its  fellow  will  be  driven  by  four 
engines  having  a  nominal  power  of  one  thousand  horses,  and  the  screw  by 
a  nominal  power  of  sixteen  hundred  horses,  he  will  have  no  difficulty  in 


212  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

conceiving  a  voyage  to  America  in  seven,  and  Australia  in  thirty-five  days. 

"  The  screw-engines,  designed  and  manufactured  by  Messrs.  J.  Watt  & 
Co.,  are  the  largest  ever  constructed,  and  when  making  fifty  revolutions  per 
minute  will  exert  an  effective  force  of  not  less  than  eight  thousand  horses. 
It  is  difficult  to  realize  the  work  which  this  gigantic  force  would  perform  if 
applied  to  the  ordinary  operations  of  commerce  :  it  would  raise  one  hundred 
and  thirty-two  thousand  gallons  of  water  to  the  top  of  the  London  Monument 
in  one  minute,  or  drive  the  machinery  of  forty  of  the  largest  cotton-mills  in 
Manchester,  giving  employment  to  from  thirty, to  forty  thousand  operatives. 

"  There  are  four  cylinders,  each  of  about  twenty-five  tons,  and  eighty-four 
inches  in  diameter.  The  crank-shaft,  to  which  the  connecting-rods  are  ap- 
plied, weighs  about  thirty  tons.  The  boilers  are  six  in  number,  having 
seventy-two  furnaces,  and  an  absorbent  heating  surface  nearly,  equal  in  ex- 
tent to  an  acre  of  ground.  The  total  weight  of  the  engines  exceeds  twelve 
hundred  tons,  yet  they  are.  so  contrived  that  they  can  be  set  in  motion  or 
stopped  by  a  single  hand. 

"  Sails  will  not  be  much  needed,  for  in  careering  over  the  Atlantic  at 
twenty  miles  per  hour,  with  a  moderate  wind,  they  would  rather  impede 
than  aid  ;  but  in  the  event  of  a  strong  wind  arising,  going  twenty-five  miles 
per  hour  in  the  course  of  the  vessel,  sails  may  be  used  with  advantage.  The 
1  Great  Eastern'  is  provided,  accordingly,  with  seven  masts,  two  square- 
rigged,  the  others  carrying  fore  and  aft  sails  only.  The  larger  masts  are 
iron  tubes,  the  smaller  of  wood.  The  funnels,  of  which  there  will  be  five 
alternating  with  the  masts,  are  constructed  with  double  castings,  and  the 
space  between  the  outer  and  inner  casting  will  be  filled  with  water,  which 
will  answer  the  double  purpose  of  preventing  the  radiation  of  heat  to  the 
decks  and  economizing  coal  by  causing  the  water  to  enter  the  boiler  in  a 
warm  state.  Her  rigging  will  probably  cause  most  disturbance  of  ideas  to 
nautical  observers,  for,  besides  the  unusual  number  of  masts,  she  will  want 
two  most  striking  features  of  all  other  vessels,  namely,  bowsprit  and  figure- 
head. Another  peculiarity  is  the  absence  of  a  poop.  The  captain's  apart- 
ment is  placed  amidships,  immediately  below  the  bridge,  whence  the  electric 
telegraph  will  flash  the  commander's  orders  to  the  engineer  below,  helms- 
man at  the  wheel,,  and  lookout  man  at  the  bows.  In  iron  vessels,  great  pre- 
caution being  necessary  to  prevent  the  compass  from  being  influenced  by 
the  mass  of  metal  in  such  attractive  proximity,  various  experiments  have 
been  made  with  the  view  of  discovering  the  best  mode  of  overcoming  this. 
It  was  originally  intended  to  locate  the  compass  upon  a  stage  forty  feet  high, 
but  this  plan  has  been  abandoned,  and  a  standard  compass  will  be  affixed 
to  the  mizzen-mast  at  an  elevation  beyond  the  magnetic  influence  of  the 
ship. 

"  Whatever  misgivings  therejmay  be  as  to  the  length  and  the  weight  she 
will  carry  amidships  will  be  set  at  rest  before  she  touches  the  water  by  the 
mode  of  her  launching,  as  great  a  novelty  as  the  ship  herself.  Hitherto  the 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  213 

plan  has  been  to  build  the  vessel  on  an  inclined  plane  at  right  angles  with 
the  water ;  but  in  the  'Great  Eastern'  this  was  impossible,  on  account  of  her 
great  length,  to  say  nothing  of  the  expense  of  building  a  vessel  of  her  di- 
mensions in  a  position  which  would  elevate  her  forecastle  nearly  a  hundred 
feet  above  the  ground.  These  considerations  led  Mr.  Brunei  to  launch  her 
sideways,  with  which  view  she  has  been  built  parallel  with  the  river.  In 
constructing  the  foundation  of  the  floor  upon  which  it  stands  provision  has 
been  made  at  two  points  to  insure  sufficient  strength  to  bear  the  whole 
weight  when  completed.  On  these  two  points  she  will  rest  when  ready,  and 
thus  her  strength  will  be  tested  in  the  severest  and  therefore  most  satisfac- 
tory manner.  Two  cradles  will  be  introduced  at  these  points,  and  she  will 
then  be  moved  by  two  hydraulic  engines.  Timber  ways  are  laid  down  to 
low-water  mark,  with  an  incline  of  one  foot  in  twelve,  and  iron  rails  of  pe- 
culiar construction  are  to  be  laid  upon  these  transversely.  A  tell-tale  will 
indicate  the  rate  at  which  the  two  ends  are  descending,  and  any  difference 
that  may  occur  will  be  immediately  rectified  by  strong  check-tackles.  It  is 
calculated  that  she  will  advance  twelve  feet  per  minute,  at  which  speed  her 
submersion  will  be  effected  in  twenty  minutes.  The  cradles  will  then  be 
drawn  from  under  her,  and  she  will  be  towed  over  to  the  opposite  side  of 
the  river,  where  she  will  lie  until  ready  for  sea." 

The  London  Times,  after  describing  the  ship,  thus  discourses  : 
"  With  these  principal  figures  gone  through,  let  us  imagine  the  'Great 
Eastern'  afloat  and  on  her  voyage  to  Bombay  or  Melbourne,  with  her  ordi  - 
nary  complement  of  passengers  on  board.  The  first  idea  that  strikes  us  is 
the  multitude  on  board.  It  will,  in  fact,  be  a  town  afloat,  and  more  than  a 
town  of  four  thousand  population,  because  it  will  be  a  floating  town  of  four 
thousand  grown-up  persons,  with  comparatively  few  exceptions,  each  of  them 
being  an  '  individual,' — by  which  we  mean  a  human  being  of  size  to  com- 
mand notice,  and  having,  to  appearance,  a  mind  and  will  of  his  own,  with  a 
formed  air,  tone,  and  manner  peculiar  to  himself.  In  this  sense  even  young 
ladies  are  individuals.  All  this  crowd  of  individuals  will  be  collected 
within  the  dimensions  of  seven  hundred  feet  by  sixty.  What  a  new  shape 
of  human  society !  Take  the  eight  hundred  first-class  passengers  by  them- 
selves, and  what  room  does  even  this  number  afford  for  the  formation  of  all 
kinds  of  different  circles  and  sets,  which  will  know  nothing  of  each  other, 
one  man  only  knowing  another  by  sight,  and  hardly  that!  How  many  im- 
measurable social  charms  will  be  collected  within  a  few  hundred  feet!  How 
many  Mr.  Smiths  will  there  be  who  will  not  speak  to  Mr.  Jones  during  the 
whole  voyage  because  he  is  not  in  the  same  set !  How  many  Mr.  Joneses 
will  pay  back  Mr.  Smith  in  the  same  coin  !  Between  how  many  'nice'  young 
ladies  and  ' proper' young  gentlemen  will  there  not  be  a  great  gulf  fixed, 
because  in  the  eyes  of  anxious  mothers  the  said  young  gentlemen  are  not  de- 
sirable persons,  but  mere  penniless  bipeds!  What  flirtations  will  there  not 
be  behind  boats,  what  rivalries,  and,  if  many  Americans  voyage  by  the 


214  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

1  Great  Eastern,'  what  duelings  may  we  not  expect  on  that  ample  deck  !  In 
short,  what  an  epitome  or  camera  obscura  of  the  world  will  the  '  Great 
Eastern'  present !  It  will  be  worth  any  aspiring  novelist's  while  to  take  his 
berth  to  Australia  or  India  and  back  again,  simply  for  the  great  convenience 
of  having  so  much  human  nature  brought  before  him  within  so  small  a  com- 
pass. It  will  be  the  mountain  brought  to  Mahomet,  the  world  condensing 
itself  before  his  eyes  for  the  sake  of  being  observed  and  examined  ;  the 
rapid  succession  of  faces  will  bewilder  him  at  first,  but  individuality  will 
come  out  in  time,  though  he  must  be  sharp  about  his  work,  otherwise  the 
'  Great  Eastern'  will  have  stopped  her  screw  and  paddles  before  he  has  got 
any  results.  If  his  material  is  enlarged  his  time  'is  much  curtailed  on  the 
new  system.  Farewell  to  long  voyages  with  their  appropriate  quarrels  and 
matches,  their  love-makings,  reconciliations,  and  irrevocable  unions ;  voy- 
age-life has  entered  on  another  phase.  For  what  is  a  month  ?  It  is  gone 
before  we  begin  to  think  about  its  going.  How  will  the  old  voyagers  look 
back  to  the  romantic  days  when  a  roomful  of  persons  were  their  own  com- 
pany for  four  months,  gradually  forming  enmities  or  friendships,  when  at- 
tachments rose  up  among 'young  people'  unconsciously,  and  by  the  mere 
passive  influence  of  the  scene !  We  are  growing  a  busier  nation  every  year,, 
and  cannot  afford  time  for  more  than  one  chapter  of  this  sea  romance." 

After  hopes  deferred,  and  delays  almost  innumerable,  the  mammoth  steam- 
ship "  Great  Eastern"  made  a  highly  successful  trip  across  the  Atlantic,  and 
moored  at  the  dock  prepared  for  her  in  New  York. 

The  event  marks  an  era  in  the  history  of  steam  navigation.  That  a  vessel 
so  monstrous  in  its  proportions — by  the  side  of  which  the  first  steamer  of 
Fulton  would  be  but  a  cock-boat — should  have  been  propelled  across  the 
ocean  by  the  power  of  steam  alone,  shows  what  strides  have  been  made  since 
1818,  when  the  "  Savannah"  first  ventured  to  cross  the  Atlantic,  steaming 
when  the  wind  was  not  fair,  and  sailing  with  favoring  gales. 

The  "  Great  Eastern"  differs  from  all  ships  which  have  been  built  before 
it  in  three  respects,  the  chief  of  which  is  her  excessive  magnitude.  Nothing 
like  it  ever  before  floated.  We  have  -given  the  figures  of  her  huge  dimen- 
sions, but  these  naked  numerals  convey  only  a  vague  idea. 

The  steamships  in  the  English  and  American  navy  hardly  equal  half  her 
length  or  breadth,  and  yet  the  "  Himalaya,"  the  "Persia,"  the  "Adriatic," 
and  the  "  Niagara"  were  previously  regarded  as  absolute  prodigies  in  marine 
architecture. 

The  "  Great  Eastern"  had  thirty-eight  passengers  and  eight  guests  on  her 
first  voyage  to  the  United  States.  Their  names  were  : — Miss  Herburt,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Gooch,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stainthorp,  General  Watkins,  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Harrison,  Captain  Morris,  R.  N.,  Captain  McKennan,  R.  N.,  Major 
Balfour,  Captain  Drummond,  Captain  Carnagee,*  R.  N.,  Rev.  Mr.  Southey, 

*  Captain  Carnagee  and  Mr.  Gooch  were  Directors  in  the  Great  Ship  Company,  and  Mr. 
Russell  was  a  son  of  J.  Scott  Russell,  architect  of  the  ship. 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  215 

Mr.  A.  Woods,  correspondent  London  Times,  Mr.  J.  S.  Oakford,  London, 
agent  Vanderbilt  Line,  Mr.  Murphy,  New  York  pilot,  Mr.  Russell,  Zerah 
Colburn,  Mr.  Holly,  correspondent  New  York  Times,  H.  M.  Wells,  Mr. 
McKenzie,  G.  S.  Roebuck,  Mr.  Skinner,  D.  Kinnedy,  G.  E.  M.  Taylor,  G. 
D.  Brooks,  Mr.  Taylor,  T.  Harnley,  H.  Marin,  [Mr.  Cave,  A.  Zuravelloff, 
Mr.  Merrifield,  Mr.  Field,  Mr.  Barber,  R.  Marson,  G.  Hawkins,  H.  Cangtan, 
W.  T.  Stirapson,  Mr.  Beresford,  Mr.  Hubbard,  George  Wilkes. 

The  following  is  the  official  report  of  the  run  of  the  "  Great  Eastern,"  on 
her  first  voyage  to  New  York  : 

June  18,  lat.  49°27X,  Ion.    8°45';  run  since  yesterday,  285  miles. 

"  19,  "  48°4i/,  "  i6°i2/  "  "  296  " 

«  20,  «  47°4Q/,  "  27054'  «  «  276  " 

"  21,  "  46°i6/,  "  30°03/  "  "  304  " 

11  22,  "  44°5o/,  "•  56°22/  •'  "  280  " 

"  23,  "  42°5o/,  «  42°40/  "  "  302  " 

"  24,  "  4i°oi/',  "  4S°52/  "  "  299  " 

"  25,  "  40°58/,  "  56°io/  "  "  325  « 

"  26,  "  40°58/,  "  63°4i/  «  «  333  " 

"  27,  "  40°i3/,  "  68°56/  "  "  254  " 

"  28,  "  40°28/,  "  74°OD/  "  "  234  " 


Total         ......    '     .         3,188     " 

The  greatest  speed  attained  during  the  passage  was  14?  knots  an  hour, 
and  she  consumed  2,877  tons  of  coal. 

The  New  York  Herald  gave  an  account  of  the  trip,  from  which  we  ex- 
tract a  few  passages  : 

"  THE  START.  —  The  '  Great  Eastern'  was  advertised  to  sail  on  Saturday, 
the  16th  of  June.  Workmen  were  engaged  on  her  up  to  five  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon  of  that  day,  and  before  they  could  be  disembarked  the  weather, 
which  had  been  stormy  since  noon,  became  thick  and  hazy,  so  that  it  was 
felt  by  the  pilot  it  would  be  dangerous  to  take  so  large  a  vessel  through  the 
intricate  channel  of  the  Solent  in  the  uncertain  light  of  the  evening.  She 
lay,  therefore,  in  Southampton  water,  till  Sunday  morning,  when  about  seven 
A.  M.  orders  were  given  to  unshackle  the  mooring-chains.  The  ponderous 
character  of  these  cables  is  such  that  it  was  forty-five  minutes  before  this 
could  be  effected. 

"  The  morning  was  raw  and  gusty,  with  the  wind  blowing  down  the  water. 
The  tide  had  canted  the  vessel  athwart  the  channel,  which  she  appeared  to 
half  block  up,  but  on  hoisting  the  fore-staysail  she  slowly  paid  off  and  got 
her  head  pointed  in  the  direction  she  was  to  go.  Steam  was  admitted  into 
the  cylinders  of  the  paddle-engines  about  ten  minutes  past  eight,  and  shortly 
after  the  order  was  given,  '  Easy  ahead  with  the  screw,'  and  the  '  Great 
Eastern'  steamed  slowly  out  on  her  first  voyage  to  sea.  It  has  been  a  re- 
mark in  all  trials,  that  no  motion  is  felt  when  this  ship  is  under  way.  It 


216  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

was  not  until  objects  on  shore  began  to  recede  that  one  could  realize  the 
fact  of  this  huge  ship  being  fairly  on  her*  journey.  A  few  minutes'  steam- 
ing brought  us  abreast  of  Calshot  Castle,  where  the  colors  were  dipped  in 
acknowledgment  of  a  similar  courtesy  from  the  fort.  With  this  exception 
our  departure  was  ungreeted.  The  men  on  board  the  few  vessels  we  saw 
had  seen  so  much  of  the  big  ship  that  she  excited  no  emotion  in  their  minds, 
and  we  passed  without  a  single  cheer.  The  ship  rounded  the  bell-buoy  and 
ran  into  the  Solent  with  the  handiness  of  a  yacht.  As  we  passed  Yarmouth 
our  presence  was  acknowledged  by  the  lowering  of  the  ensign  of  the  Yacht 
Club-House,  a  civility  returned  by  the  ship.  In  two  hours  we  were  abreast 
of  the  Needles.  At  twenty  minutes  past  ten  o'clock  we  discharged  our 
Southampton  pilot.  In  a  few  minutes  we  were  again  under  way,  with  the 
screw  making  twenty-seven  and  the  paddles  seven  and  a  half  revolutions 
per  minute,  and  ran  down  channel.  The  ship  on  starting  drew  twenty-two 
feet  of  water  forward  and  twenty-six  aft.  Her  right  trim  is  on  an  even  keel, 
so  that  her  condition  was  unfavorable  to  her  best  performance.  She  had 
five  thousand  five  hundred  tons  of  coal  in  the  bunkers.  Being  stored  prin- 
cipally aft,  this  had  something  to  do  with  her  being  down  by  the  stern.  The 
object  of  the  trip  was  not  to  get  any  great  amount  of  speed  out  of  the  ship, 
but  to  get  the  machinery  and  men  in  working  order. 

"  The  '  Great  Eastern'  so  outrages  all  received  notions  of  ship  and  of  sea- 
life,  that  when  strolling  about  one  of  her  spacious  unoccupied  lower  decks  a 
party  of  English  and  American  gentlemen  are  discovered  in  an  odd  corner 
engaged  in  a  great  international  skittle-match,  one  accepts  it  as  a  matter  of 
•course,  and  is  fully  prepared  to  find  a  billiard-table  in  full  blast  in  some 
other  unexplored  compartment  of  the  vessel.  It  is  certainly  the  first  time 
skittles  were  played  in  crossing  the  Atlantic;  but  the  idea  is  a  good  one,  as 
enabling  those  fond  of  athletic  sports  to  divert  the  tedium  of  a  sea-passage 
by  first-rate  physical  exercise.  Several  exciting  foot-races  have  come  off 
round  our  ample  deck,  and  the  distance  to  be  run  in  making  the  complete 
circuit  has  been  found  quite  sufficient  to  give  the  competitors  a  very  decided 
1  breathing.' 

"For  those  whose  tastes  do  not  lie  in  the  direction  of  gymnastics  there  is 
a  well-selected  library  of  the  English  classics,  which  the  accommodations  of 
the  saloons  enable  one  to  enjoy  most  luxuriously.  Quite  an  interesting 
feature  in  our  trip  has  been  evening  concerts  in  the  ladies'  saloons.  Mr. 
Macfarlane,  the  conductor  of  the  ship's  band,  and  an  able  pianist,  has  added 
much  to  the  general  enjoyment  by  the  excellent  manner  in  which  the  baud 
has  rendered  a  selection  of  musical  duets  for  the  piano-forte  and  the  cornet- 
a-piston.  Vocal  amateurs  among  the  officers  and  passengers  have  varied  the 
performance,  and  Captain  Hall  has  shown  that  to  his  other  accomplishments 
must  be  added  that  of  his  being  an  excellent  musician  ;  his  proficiency  on 
the  flute  being  very  seldom  equalled  by  amateurs. 

"  Thursday,  June  28. — Ran  under  easy  steam  all  night,  and  at  twenty-five 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  217 

minutes  past  seven  o'clock  (ship's  time)  this  morning  reached  the  light-ship 
at  Sandy  Hook,  thus  making  the  run,  in  spite  of  the  long  route  taken,  the 
loss  of  time  by  encountering  the  Gulf  Stream,  and  the  delay  from  fogs,  in 
eleven  days  two  hours,  including  the  difference  of  time.  The  distance  run 
by  the  ship  was  three  thousand  two  hundred  and  forty-two  miles ;  deduct- 
ing the  loss  of  time  by  the  fog,  this  gives  a  speed  of  about  thirteen  knots, 
proving  that  with  a  clear  bottom  and  full  pressure  of  steam  she  would  over- 
run Brunei's  estimate  of  fourteen  and  a  half  knots  an  hour  for  a  long  run. 

"The  passage  being,  all  things  considered,  decidedly  fine,  it  was  still  suffi- 
ciently checkered  to  settle  the  important  point  of  the  'Great  Eastern'  being 
the  most  comfortable  passenger-ship  in  the  world,  her  movements  in  a 
sea-way  being  so  long,  slight,  and  easy  that  no  inconvenience  is  produced. 
Sea-sickness  may  be  considered  as  annihilated,  and  the  attendant  discom- 
fort of  a  sea-passage  reduced  to  a  minimum." 

Mr.  George  Wilkes,  editor  of  Wilkes'  Spirit  of  the  Times,  a  passenger  on 
the  "  Great  Eastern,"  has  furnished  a  graphic  account  of  his  trip.  The 
getting  on  board  and  the  first  day  of  the  voyage  he  makes  of  but  little 
account,  but  after  a  night  on  board  he  writes  as  follows  : 

"  Monday,  June  18. — I  was  awoke  this  morning  by  the  sun  shining  brightly  through  my 
port-hole  (I  should  rather  use  the  plural,  for  my  sumptuous  apartment  was  lit  by  two),  and 
I  rose  to  enjoy  the  luxury  of  dressing  in  a  carpeted  space  as  large  almost  as  a  room  in  the 
St.  Nicholas.  Before  I  got  up,  however,  I  lay  for  a  few  minutes  to  observe  the  silence  and 
quiet  of  the  vessel.  In  fact,  there  seemed  to  be  no  motion  to  her  at  all,  and  had  it  not  been 
for  the  barely  perceptible  buzz  of  her  bow — to  which  I  was  very  near — as  it  split  the  water 
and  passed  it  humming  along  the  vessel's  beautiful  wave-line,  I  should  not  have  been  able 
to  decide  with  certainty  whether  she  was  going  on  or  standing  still.  Vibration  there  was 
none,  and  as  for  the  usual  clatter  of  machinery,  which  is  the  distinguishing  feature  of  a  steam- 
ship, it  could  not  be  heard  at  all.  Moreover,  there  was  not  any  of  the  squeaking  and  squeal- 
ing of  timbers  and  tortured  wood  work,  which  makes  up  a  hideous  serenade  on  all  other 
vessels,  for  our  party-walls,  our  state-room  floors  and  ceilings,  are  of  iron,  and  so  ribbed  and 
morticed,  and  joined  stiffly  with  the  hull,  that  the  ship,  while  passing  through  still  water* 
seems  to  be  one  solid  tube  or  beam.  Indeed,  I  could  not  make  it  certain  to  my  senses  that 
she  had  not  stopped,  until,  looking  out  of  my  port-hole,  I  saw  the  ocean  passing  by,  and  our 
vast  mass  moving  gradually  through  it  like  a  floating  castle.  When  I  went  on  deck  I  found 
the  air  cool  and  bracing,  but  all  there  was  of  wind  was  caused  by  our  own  motion.  At 
eight  o'clock  her  paddle-engines  gave  ten  revolutions,  and  those  for  the  propeller  twenty  - 
nine,  while  the  log,  which  was  heaved  a  few  minutes  afterwards,  credited  her  with  a  rate  of 
ten  knots.  After  timing  the  stroke  of  the  engines  I  took  a  look  at  the  rapidly-revolving 
paddles,  and  found  that  their  original  diameter  of  fifty-six  feet,  which  had  proved  to  be  too 
large,  had  been  reduced  to  fifty  feet  by  reefing  or  drawing  in  the  floats,  or  paddles,  three  feet 
on  each  arm.  A  large  projection  of  useless  iron  consequently  extends*  beyond  the  actual 
wheels  to  make  an  unnecessary  resistance  to  the  water,  and  I  am  told  that  the  wheel  would 
<lo  better  still  if  the  floats  were  reefed  in  yet  farther. 

"  I  now  took  my  first  promenade  around  the  deck,  and  though  well  instructed  in  its  vast 
proportions,  I  could  not  help  wondering,  as  I  went  on,  to  see  the  space  unroll  before  me  as 
it  did.  Standing  at  the  stern  and  looking  forward,  the  vessel  seems  almost  to  terminite 
amidships,  but  when  you  reach  that  point  there  appears  to  open  up  another  ship  before  you. 


218  HISTOR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

This  illusion  proceeds  from  the  fact  that  two  large  life-boats,  which  had  hung  outside  to- 
wards the  bow,  had  been  brought  in  at  the  request  of  the  Board  of  Trade,  and  set  on  blocks 
in  the  centre  of  the  ship  to  divide  the  view.  These,  however,  will  be  removed  as  soon  as  the 
vessel  gets  into  port,  and  then  there  will  be  restored  a  clean,  unobstructed  double  avenue, 
through  which  our  friend  Hiram  Woodruff  might  drive  a  double  team,  and  go  only  four 
times  round  to  make  a  mile.  The  deck  is  flush  from  stem  to  stern,  and  its  only  obstructions 
are  the  six  masts,  the  five  smoke-funnels  in  between,  the  raised  skylights  for  cabin  ventila- 
tion, and  seven  low  structures,  all  of  which  run  in  a  line  with  the  masts  and  smoke-stacks. 
The  two  outermost  of  these — stem  and  stern — are  sheds  for  the  donkey  or  auxiliary  engines ; 
two  are  erections  for  the  main  cabin  entrances;  one  spacious  one  in  the  centre  of  the  quarter- 
deck is  allotted  to  the  captain ;  another  of  like  character  is  the  double  residence  of  the  first 
and  second  officers,  and  another  still,  of  tolerable  size,  is  given  to  the  passengers  as  a  smok- 
ing-room. These  are  the  only  obstructions  which  are  found  on  deck,  while  around  them 
runs  a  clean  twelve-foot  promenade,  one  side  of  which  has  been  named  Broadway  and  the 
other  Fifth  Avenue.  The  floor  of  the  deck,  like  the  hull  of  the  ship,  is  of  iron,  and  built 
like  the  sides,  on  the  tubular  principle,  with  twenty-one  inches  of  space  between  its  walls, 
and  interlaced  and  strapped,  crossed  and  recrossed,  with  welded  bars,  so  as  to  give  it  not 
only  the  buoyancy  of  a  life  preserver,  but  almost  incalculable  strength.  The  facing  of  this 
floor  is  pine.  Two  men  are  usually  placed  at  each  of  the  wheels,  so  that  eight  are  enabled 
to  steer  her;  and  four  auxiliary  wheels  can  be  added,  by  which  a  force  of  thirty-two  men 
can  be  brought  to  bear.  Only  four,  however,  are  now  guiding  her  through  the  calm,  mild 
weather  of  the  morning.  The  coursa  is  given  by  the  first  officer,  the  man  next  the  compass 
guides  the  motions  of  the  rest;  and  if  the  direction  of  the  ship  requires  a  sudden  change,  an 
auxiliary  compass,  or  indicator,  which  receives  its  impulse  from  the  central  bridge,  directs 
them  immediately  what  to  do.  But  for  this  device  it  would  be  difficult  to  guide  the  ship 
without  great  loss  of  time ;  but  now  orders  are  communicated  from  end  to  end  with  the  speed 
of  light,  and  the  leviathan  answers  to  her  rudder  and  points  its  nose  as  readily  as  if  drawn 
with  a  hook,  '  or  led '  by  its  tongue  with  a  cord. 

"  A.t  noon,  as  the  bugle  summoned  IK  to  lunch,  I  timed  the  paddle-piston  at  ten  revolu- 
tions and  the  propeller  at  thirty  and  a  half,  and  the  log  at  the  same  time  reported  twelve 
and  a  half  knots.  The  run  of  the  ship  for  the  last  twenty  six  hours  was  reported  as  three 
hundred  miles.  Latitude  49027X,  longitude  8D45X.  When  we  came  up  from  lunch  we 
found  that  a  light  breeze  had  set  in  upon  our  larboard  quarter,  and  our  jib  and  forward  try- 
sails were  spread  to  take  advantage  of  it.  The  wind  freshened  as  the  afternoon  grew  on, 
and  at  three  o'clock  the  billows  began  to  crispen  at  their  tops  and  indicate  a  rising  sea.  At 
four  o'clock  a  drizzling  rain  set  in,  and  the  still  strengthening  wind  gave  promise  of  a  stormy 
night.  Some  of  us  had  been  apprehensive,  from  the  mild  manner  in  which  we  had  set  out, 
that  the  voyage  might  run  through  the  entire  length  of  its  term  in  the  same  dull  way,  and 
thus,  while  it  deprived  us  of  the  least  possibility  of  becoming  heroes,  land  us  at  New  York 
without  any  further  knowledge  of  the  ship  and  her  sea-going  qualities  than  we  could  have 
learned  by  studying  her  while  anchored  in  the  Thames.  The  fear  of  such  disappointment, 
however,  was  dispelled  by  the  time  we  had  wiped  our  beards  from  dinner,  for  on  ascending 
to  the  deck  at  six  o'clock  and  taking  our  position  on  the  elevated  grating  in  her  bow,  we  saw 
the  leviathan,  before  so  dead,  so  apparently  inert,  and  which  had  been  passing  through  the 
waterslikesomespectr.il  island,  quicken  with*  life  and  bend  with  a  slow  grandeur  to  the 
motion  of  the  sea.  "Thank  God,  she  rolls!"  exclaimed  an  experienced  officer  on  her  first 
trial  trip,  when  she  was  caught  in  a  series  of  heavy  billows  off  Portland  Race,  and  it  was 
with  something  like  the  same  ebullition  of  delight  that  we  saw  the  mighty  ship  cast  her 
silent  disposition  off  and  make  her  obeisance  to  the  still  mightier  deep.  Her  motion  was  a 
gentle  and  majestic  swing  from  side  to  side,  the  extent  of  three  or  four  degrees,  and  now 
and  then  when  a  billow  fell  away  from  her  bow  and  a  swell  at  the  same  time  would  roll  un- 


HI8TORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  219 

derneath  her  stern  she  would  mildly  yield  her  head, — not  short  and  sudden,  with  a  plebeian 
start,  but  with  a  monarch's  measured  grace,  as  if  she  felt  herself  to  be  the  master,  and  only 
yielding  to  the  courteous  laws  of  life.  It  was  a  great  treat  to  see  her  thus  leaning  her  way 
from  side  to  side  through  the  parting  waters,  while  good-sized  ships,  which  were  then  in 
sight,  were  rolling  uneasily. or  pitching  from  stem  to  stern.  It  was  like  some  accomplished 
swimmer,  who  sweeps  forward  gracefully  hand  over  hand,  compared  to  a  clumsy  novice  who 
barely  manages  to  keep  himself  afloat  through  the  rapidity  of  a  short  digging  motion.  The 
'  Great  Eastern'  was  alive ;  but  mighty  as  she  was,  still  she  was  amendable  to  that  vast  throb 
and  pulsation  of  the  sea  which  is  mightier  than  the  mightiest.  Nevertheless  she  proved,  by 
the  comparision  before  us,  her  superiority  to  all  ordinary  ships,  as  well  as  to  any  disturbing 
motion.  In  fact,  her  soft  undulations  gave  actual  relief  and  pleasure  to  every  one  who  stood 
upon  her  deck.  And  all  the  while  this  motion  was  upon  her  the  skittles  were  played  at 
one  of  the  after-holds.  Nevertheless,  let  it  be  noted  here  that  the  theory  that  ships  above  a 
certain  size  will  march  through  the  wave  superior  to  the  perturbation  of  the  sea  is  ended  by 
our  experiment  forever.  No  ship  can  be  made  large  enough  to  entirely  ignore  the  gigantic 
pulsation  of  the  ocean.  The  foresail  and  fore-topsail  were  drawing  well  at  dark,  'and  the- 
wind,  which  now  struck  us  almost  astern,  was  whistling  through  our  cordage  with  great 
noise. 

"A  GALE. — Tuesday,  January  19,  I  was  awakened  a  little  after  midnight  by  the  howling  of 
the  wind,  the  shouts  ot  the  men  taking  in  sail,  and  a  great  tramping  overhead,  The  vessel 
was  rolling  more  than  she  had  at  any  time  before, — say  about  eight  or  nine  degrees, — and  I 
could  now  feel  a  little  vibration  of  her  bow,  imparted  by  the  screw  as  it  smote  and  scudded 
into  the  water  whenever  the  motion  of  the  vessel  lifted  its  blades  above  the  surface.  I  went 
to  my  window,  but  the  nig*ht  was  too  thick  for  anything  but  darkness  to  be  seen,  and  all  I 
could  distinctly  hear  was  the  measure  I  wail  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  men  (for  both 
watches  had  been  called  up)  in  chorus,  to  '  haul  the  bowline,  haul,'  while  engaged  in  trying 
to  take  in  the  mainsail  and  main-topsail.  The  wind  seemed  to  soften  a  little  at  two  o'clock, 
but  perhaps  that  was  the  notion  of  my  drowsiness,  for  I  fell  asleep  at  that  hour,  while  the 
men  were  still  as  busily  engaged  at  the  mainsail  as  ever.  I  afterwards  learned  that  it  had 
employed  them  five  hours  to  furl  it  in  the  furious  tempest  that  prevailed.  The  cause  of  this 
difficulty  was  partly  owing  to  the  violence  of  the  gale  acting  upon  the  immense  area  of  the 
sail,  and  partly  to  the  unhandy  size  of  the  tackle  by  which  it  must  necessarily  be  worked. 
Everything  is  exaggerated  in  the  way  of  size  on  board  the  '  Great  Eastern,'  and  to  be  hand- 
led aloft  as  other  ships  she  requires  an  extra  breed  of  men.  The  gile  subsided  a  little  in  its 
fury  at  four  o'clock,  but  when  I  arose,  at  seven,  I  still  found  it  blowing  very  hard,  and  the  sea 
covered  with  a  thread-like  foam,  which  filled  the  hollows  as  well  as  whitened  on  the  billow 
tops.  Still  the  ship  rolled  only  eight  degrees,  and  her  stately  nod  did  not  disturb  a  plate 
upon  the  table.  The  storm-rack  was  laid  at  breakfast  to  protect  the  dishes,  but  it  was  not 
needed,  for  my  full  tea-cup  sat  outside  of  it  without  being  in  the  slightest  peril  of  a  slip. 
Nevertheless,  a  three-thousand-ton  vessel  would  have  been  pitching  sadly.  The  motion  did 
not  succeed  in  making  a  single  person  sea-sick,  though  there  were  among  her  passengers 
several  who  had  never  been  to  sea  before. 

"  The  wind  moderated  still  more  during  the  afternoon,  and  we  set  all  our  topsails,  but  the 
ship  kept  up  her  motion,  and  went  frolicking  along  her  path  as  full  of  life  as  a  clipper-brig 
or  a  pilot-boat.  Nothing  could  be  more  beautiful  than  to  stand  upon  an  elevated  grating  in 
her  bow  and  see  her  stern  lift  itself  majestically  against  the  sky  as  we  dropped  into  some 
yielding  wave  before  us,  or  to  behold  her  rising  sideways  to  her  equilibrium,  like  some  frol- 
icking beauty  lifting  her  shoulder  in  her  downy  bed.  I  could  hardly  realize,  as  I  viewed 
her  buoyant  step  upon  the  deep,  that  ten  thousand  plates  of  iron,  representing  twelve  thous- 
and tons  of  inert  metal,  clamped  by  three  million  rivets,  and  bearing  within,  besides  her  pon- 
derous engines,  six  thousand  tons  of  coal,  could  career  thus,  cork-like,  upon  the  bosom  of  the 


220  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

thin  and  shifting  element  below.  Yet  there  she  rode,  ship-like  and  sweet, '  a  thing  of  baauty 
and  a  joy  forever.'  The  most  striking  idea  of  her  size,  however,  and  the  greatest  demand 
upon  your  wonder  that  she  swims  so  lightly,  is  obtained  by  going  down  by  her  sponsons, 
outside  and  aft  the  paddle-boxes,  which  enables  you  to  see  the  her  entire  towering  section 
abaft  the  wheel.  From  that  point  you  face  up  and  down  her  massive  sides  and  see  the  black 
warehouse,  for  it  looks  not  like  a  ship,  grandly  rise  and  fall  in  the  hissing  and  downy  foam 
which  the  wheels  send  flying  by  her  run.  This  flying  foam  unites  beneath  her  stern,  and  is 
there  strewn  into  lace-work  by  the  propeller,  and  goes  seething  on  its  broad  path  for  miles. 
I  think  the  scene  from  this  lower  platform  of  the  gangway  gives  the  finest  idea,  while  in 
motion,  of  the  vast  power  and  grandeur  of  the  ship.  The  deck  and  rigging,  on  the  other 
hand,  being  seen  altogether,  lose  in  a  little  while  their  command  upon  the  wonder,  for  their 
great  symmetry  so  wins  upon  the  eye  that  they  mingle  together  in  apparently  usual  degrees. 
It  is  only  when  in  comparison  with  some  other  object  that  the  '  Great  Eastern'  sensibly  ex- 
hibits her  huge  proportions  to  an  accustomed  eye,  and  then  everything  else  is  dwarfed  by  her 
neighborhood. 

"  Wednesday,  June  27. — Fine  weather,  with  a  breeze  which  kept  four  of  our  trysails  set, 
continued  during  the  afternoon,  but  at  six  o'clock  a  very  heavy  fog  set  in,  which  condensed  itself 
upon  the  rigging  in  huge  drops  that  fell  upon  the  deck  like  rain.  So  dense  did  this  all-per- 
vading mist  become  that  the  lookouts  could  scarcely  see  ten  feet  from  the  ship,  and  our  lights 
could  not  have  been  distinguished  at  the  distance  of  a  hundred  yards  ahead ;  so  out  of  mercy 
to  the  unwary  who  might  possibly  be  in  our  path,  at  near  reach  to  shore,  we  slackened  our 
speed  down  from  fifteen  to  seven  and  a  half  knots,  and  ran  at  this  rate,  with  frequent  warn- 
ings from  our  whistle,  all  night.  Under  this  state  of  affairs  it  was  thought  prudent,  moreover, 
that  we  should  make  soundings  to  ascertain  with  certainty  exactly  where  we  were,  but  the 
effort  failed  at  every  attempt,  in  consequence  of  the  great  height  we  were  above  the  water, 
requiring  more  line  than  we  could  pay  out  while  the  vessel  was  in  motion.  We  slowed  her 
down  to  six  knots,  then  to  four  and  then  to  two,  but  still  it  would  not  answer,  and  the  order 
went  from  the  captain  that  the  ship  must  be  absolutely  stopped. 

"  It  had  been  the  particular  pride  of  Mr.  McLenan,  the  chief  engineer,  who  is  a  perfect 
enthusiast  in  his  duty,  that  the  ship's  engines,  which  had  been  so  much  abused  and  misrepre  - 
sented  for  the  last  year,  should  perform  what  scarcely,  if  ever,  had  been  done  before :  and 
that  was  to  make  a  first  Atlantic  voyage  without  a  single  moment's  pause  from  port  to  port. 
When,  therefore,  he  heard  the  order  to  stop  the  ship  he  received  it  like  a  man  who  was 
smitten  with  a  sentence,  and  asked  with  the  greatest  earnestness  if  we  could  not  get  along 
without.  The  answer  was  against  him,  and  the  lungs  of  the  monster  were  folded  from  their 
respirations,  and  after  ten  minutes'  run  with  silent  wheels  and  blades,  and  final  reversal  of 
her  wheels,  she  sat  still  upon  the  waters.  This  event  took  place  at  11.40,  but  a  cast  of  one 
hundred  and  fifteen  fathoms  of  line  gave  us  no  bottom,  and  we  went  on  again,  at  twelve 
o'clock,  still,  however,  continuing  only  at  half  speed.  At  ten  minutes  to  five  this  morning 
we  made  another  pause  to  heave  the  lead  again,  and  this  time  with  a  cast  of  sixty-five 
fathoms  we  found  bottom  on  George's  Bank,  and  at  ten  minutes  past  five  went  on  again. 
The  fog  having  lifted,  we  now  resumed  our  speed  and  proceeded  at  our  usual  rate  of  thirteen 
and  fourteen  knots.  During  these  two  pauses  the  engineer  rapidly  examined  such  of  the 
screws  and  nuts  as  were  not  accessible  during  the  action  of  the  engines,  but  did  not  discover 
one  that  was  out  of  place  or  that  required  tightening,— a  great  proof  of  the  excellence  and 
condition  of  her  machinery. 

"Thus  ended  the  first  transatlantic  voyage  of  the 'Great  Exstern,'  and  though  it  may  be 
regarded  as  a  failure  in  the  way  of  speed,  it  will  be  perceived  there  were  interests  at  stake 
which  transcended  that  consideration,  and  which  doubtless  justified  the  commander  in  the 
unusual  care  he  took  to  keep  the  great  ship  safe. 

"  Captain  Vine  Hall  is  one  of  the  most  experienced  navigators  of  the  English  East  India 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VI G A  TION.  221 

trade,  but  in  addition  to  the  caution  which  he  naturally  felt  incumbent  on  him  from  the  fact 
that  he  had  never  crossed  the  Atlantic  before,  he  was  doubtless  deeply  impressed  with  the 
paramount  importance,  not  only  to  his  employers  and  the  cause  of  science,  but  to  England 
and  the  whole  world,  of  giving  a  substantial  proof  that  ships  of  the  size  of  the  '  Great  Eastern ' 
could  safely  cross  the  deep.  It  was  therefore  properly  a  matter  of  secondary  consequence  to 
him  whether  the  enthusiasm  of  his  passengers  or  the  ardor  of  his  engineers  or  officers  should 
chafe  at  his  divergences  or  extra  care ;  he  accomplished  the  great  point  that  was  required, 
and  we  who  left  England  with  him  but  ten  days  before  are  here  to  approve  his  action.  When 
he  returns  to  England  in  September  he  will  give  the  leviathan  its  head,  and  she*  will  then 
prove  for  herself  that  speed  is  one  of  her  attributes  as  well  as  safety.  In  fact,  she  has  proven 
it  already  by  the  manner  in  which  she  has  accomplished  this  voyage,  and  there  is  not  a  pas- 
senger who  crossed  in  her  but  views  her  as  beyond  all  comparison  the  most  superior  passen- 
ger-ship that  ever  floated.  The  extra  distance  which  she  ran  on  this  trip  is  certainly  equal 
to  more  than  a  day's  travel,  and  when  we  add  to  this  that  twenty-four  hours'  margin  is  always 
allowed  to  a  new  ship's  first  voyage,  and  take  into  consideration  also  that  not  an  officer  on 
board  ever  made  a  voyage  in  her,  that  the  men  were  all  raw  recruits,  fresh  levied  within  three 
days  of  starting,  and  that  even  the  stokers  did  not  know  how  to  spread  coal  to  advantage  on 
the  fires,  we  cannot  help  regarding  even  the  time  she  made  as  a  great  triumph.  As  to  her 
comfort  and  convenience  as  a  passenger- ship,  it  is  hardly  possible  to  say  too  much  in  praise  of 
her.  She  meets  all  the  requirements  of  the  most  luxurious  hotel,  and  when  the  weather 
drives  her  inhabitants  below  they  can  promenade  through  her  cabins  upon  long  walks,  or 
lounge  about  upon  superb  divans,  listening  to  music  that  would  not  discredit  the  most  pre- 
tentious concert.  By  her  continued  steadiness  sea-sickness  is  entirely  ignored,  and  in  the 
way  of  strength  no  iron  structure  that  ever  has  been  made  can  at  all  compare  with  her. 

"  This  was  impressed  upon  us  by  every  sway  of  the  sea,  and  the  idea  which  she  continually 
enforces  on  the  mind,  above  all  others,  is  her  absolute  safety  from  all  ordinary  dangers  of  the 
ocean.  Against  »the  risks  resulting  from  contact  with  a  solid  body  she  is  beyond  all  calcu- 
lation stronger  than  anything  which  has  been  seen  afloat.  The  manner  in  which  her  vast 
weight  stood  poised  upon  two  single  rests  in  the  builder's  yard  for  weeks  before  her  launch, 
and  the  thundering  against  her  sides  of  the  huge  battering-rams  that  smote  her  inch  by  inch 
towards  the  water,  give  evidence  of  what  she  can  endure.  No  shoal  or  beach  could  break 
her  before  all  her  passengers  could  escape,  for  *  her  scales  are  her  pride,  shut  up  together  as 
with  a  close  seal.  They  are  joined  one  to  another,  they  stick  together  that  they  cannot  be 
sundered.' 

"  Above  all  other  ships  she  should  be  chosen  by  the  timid,  and  it  really  is  a  puzzle  to  me 
how  so  many  intelligent  men  who  had  read  the  history  of  her  construction,  and  who  were 
about  crossing  to  New  York  at  the  date  of  her  'departure,  could  be  induced  to  choose  any 
other  vessel.  She  is  certainly  exempt  from  all  the  ordinary  dangers  of  the  sea.  and  any  one 
who  will  go  into  her  bow  and  look  at  the  fourteen  feet  of  matted  iron  in  that  welded  beak 
will  credit  her  with  sufficient  power  and  impulse  to  split  and  push  aside  any  ordinary  ice- 
berg." 

ARRIVAL  AT  NEW  YORK. — The  "  Great  Eastern  "  arrived  at  the  bar  at. 
about  seven  o'clock  on  Thursday  morning,  and  as  it  was  known  she  would 
be  detained  until  high  water  (two  o'clock),  ample  time  was  afforded  to  every- 
body who  wished  to  go  down  the  bay  to  meet  her,  or  to  witness  her  approach 
to  the  city.  Messrs.  Grinuell,  Minturn  &  Co.,  consignees  of  the  ship,  with 
their  friends  and  the  press,  went  down  in  a  steamer  and  came  up  on  board 
the  "Great  Eastern."  The  New  York  Times  gives  the  following  sketch  of 
the  passage  of  the  bar  and  the  trip  up  the  bay : 


222  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

"  About  two  o'clock  the  order  was  given  to  cast  off  the  steamer's  tugs, 
which  lay  like  two  loDg-boats  under  her  quarters,  and  Mr.  Murphy,  the 
pilot,  with  Captain  Hall,  mounted  the  starboard  wheel-house,  and  the  word 
was  passed,  "Head  slow  with  the  paddles."  In  another  moment  the  enor- 
mous wheels  were  in  motion,  and  the  ship  began  to  move.  Slowly  her  great 
prow  was  turned  offshore  and  headed  towards  the  light-ship,  for  the  purpose 
of  getting  a  good  entrance  to  the  ship-channel.  At  2.30  P.M.  both  the 
paddles  and  screw  were  in  rapid  motion,  the  ship  heading  towards  Sandy 
Hook.  The  speed  of  the  ship  was  now  increased,  so  that  the  half-dozen 
steamboats  which  followed  in  her  wake  could  with  difficulty  keep  up  with 
her.  At  three  o'clock  the  ship  was  on  the  bar,  when  the  paddles  were 
slowed,  as  is  the  custom  in  passing  that  point  with  all  vessels  of  heavy 
draught.  She  went  over,  however,  without  any  difficulty,  and  the  long- 
dreaded  bar  was  safely  passed.  Full  steam  was  now  given  to  both  the 
screw-  and  paddle-engines,  and  she  made  excellent  time  in  coming  up  with 
and  passing  the  Hook.  Here  the  telegraph  station  was  decked  out  with  a 
profusion  of  flags,  and  as  '  they  had  no  guns  to  fire,'  the  fog-bell  was  vigor- 
ously tolled,  a 'greeting  to  the  passing  steamer.  This  was  replied  to  by 
cheers  from  the  passengers  gathered  on  the  port  side,  in  which  Captain  Hall 
joined ;  the  ensign  was  also  dipped.  Meantime  an  extempore  lunch  was 
prepared  below  for  the  newly-arrived  guests,  whom  Captain  Carnagee  wel- 
comed to  the  ship  in  a  few  words,  to  which  Mr.  Grinnell  responded,  giving 
as  a  sentiment  the  Press  of  New  York,  which  was  acknowledged  briefly 
by  Mr.  Raymond  and  Mr.  Erastus  Brooks. 

"  Steering  well  to  the  southward  to  give  ample  room  in  which  to  turn  the 
only  remaining  point  of  difficulty, — the  Southwest  Spit, — the  order  was 
given  to  slow  the  paddles  to  half  speed;  the  helm  was  put  hard  a-port,  and 
in  less  time  than  it  takes  to  describe  the  operation  she  made  the  circuit  of 
the  spit  with  all  the  ease  of  a  pilot-boat.  -No  description  could  do  justice  to 
the  scene  of  animation  and  enthusiasm  which  now  surrounded  the  steamer 
as  she  approached  the  Narrows.  Steamers  of  all  sizes  and  descriptions 
swarmed  about  her,  crowded  with  ladies  and  gentlemen  cheering  and  waving 
their  salutations. 

"At  a  few  minutes  after  3  p.  M.  the  '  Great  Eastern'  was  dimly  discerned 
in  the  foggy  distance  of  the  lower  bay.  Then  she  disappeared  behind  the 
bluff,  and  an  hour  passed  before,  over  the  walls  of  the  new  fort,  at  the  dis- 
tance of  four  miles,  the  tall  masts  of  the  great  ship  were  seen  rapidly  pass- 
ing. With  an  uncontrollable  impulse  a  shout  arose  from  the  vast  crowd  on 
the  old  quarantine  grounds  and  from  Burr's  Gardens.  Opposite  Fort  Hamil- 
ton she  stopped,  and  the  fort  gave  her  a  rousing  salute  of  cannon.  When 
she  resumed  her  '  onward  march,  her  triumph  o'er  the  deep,'— which  at  this 
point  meant  the  bay  of  New  York,  that  it  was  said  she  never  could  enter, — 
she  in  due  courtesy  replied  in  cannon.  As  she  passed  the  various  landings 
on  the  island  she  was  also  greeted  with  gunpowder,  and  her  health  and  the 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  223 

good  wishes,  of  the  spectators  were  drank,  not  in  as  much  lager  beer  as  would 
float  her,  but  certainly  in  a  great  quantity  of  lager  beer.  As  she  passed  the 
shore  of  the  island  she  was  admirable  in  her  appearance.  Though  at  the 
distance  of  more  than  a  mile  and  a  half,  with  the  smoke  of  her  cannon 
mantling  about  her  and  partially  obscuring  her  magnificent  proportions,  she 
announced  herself  as  the  leviathan  of  the  bay.  By  the  rule  of  parallax,  her 
size  was  indeed  enormous,  for  she  seemed  to  shut  from  observation  miles  of 
Long  Island  Heights  over  and  below  Greenwood  and  Gowanus.  Her  ap- 
pearance as  she  passed  up  the  bay  took  everybody  by  surprise.  Not  only 
was  no  voice  of  detraction  heard,  but  all  spectators  were  almost  madly  en- 
thusiastic in  her  praise. 

"  The  effort  to  round  her  to  at  the  foot  of  Hammond  Street  was  unsuccess- 
ful, it  being  necessary  to  moderate  her  speed  so  much  that  steerage-way  was 
lost  as  soon  as  the  engines  were  stopped.  She  accordingly  swung  with  her 
head  up-stream,  and  the  efforts  of  two  tugs,  with  hawsers  at  her  bow,  could 
not  wind  her.  After  drifting  with  the  flood-tide,  backing  and  going  ahead 
for  a  long  time,  she  was  turned  round,  and  at  about  eight  o'clock  P.M.  was 
snugly  got  into  her  berth  and  made  fast. 

"  There  was  no  lack  of  admiration  for  the  vast  proportions,  the  graceful 
lines,  and  the  internal  arrangements  and  ornamentation  of  the  ship.  There 
was  much  surprise  expressed  at  the  neglected  condition  of  the  decks,  which 
appeared  as  if  they  had  neither  been  cleaned,  scraped,  holystoned,  or  var- 
nished siuce  she  was  launched.  The  planks  in  many  places  appeared  badly 
shrunken,  and  suffering  for  want  of  wetting  down.  The  same  was  observed 
of  the  platforms  on  both  sides  of  the  paddle-boxes,  and  other  portions  of 
wood-work  of  the  ship.  The  smoke-pipes  look  as  if  they  had  encountered 
the  storms  of  a  voyage  from  India  instead  of  England,  and  there  is  a  general 
dirty  appearance  of  the  whole  outside  portion  of  the  ship.  It  is  understood 
that  it  will  take  several  days  to  put  her  in  condition  to  receive  the  visits  of 
the  public.* 

*  The  Hon.  John  McLeod  Murphy,  once  an  officer  of  the  United  States  navy,  in  a  lec- 
ture on."  American  Ships  and  Ship-Builders,"  delivered  at  Clinton  Hall,  New  York,  De- 
cember 29,  1859,  took  occasion  to  say, — 

"  I  am  not  a  prophet,  nor  the  son  of  a  prophet,  but  I  hazard  little  in  expressing  the  con- 
viction that  a  monster  ship,  far  exceeding  the  *  Great  Eastern'  in  model  and  build,  will  yet 
be  launched  in  this  country;  but  her  keel  will  not  be  laid  until  it  is  clearly  demonstrated 
that  she  can  be  made  to  pay.  Perhaps  in  the  calm  waters  of  the  Pacific,  when  our  trade  shall 
have  been  fairly  opened  with  Japan,  the  vessel  that  shall  bring  her  enchanting  fabrics  and 
people  will  outstrip  in  magnitude  and  strength  and  speed  the  gigantic  form  of  that  which 
was  conceived  in  the  feverish  brain  of  Brunei." 

When  they  examined  the  hull  of  the  '  Great  Eastern,'  in  1875,  they  found  52,000  square  feet 
of  iron  plate  incrusted  with  mussels,  in  some  places  to  the  thickness  of  six  inches.  The  total 
weight  of  these  incumbrances  was  estimated  at  300  tons,  enough  to  load  two  brigs  or  thirty 
freight  cars. 

The  Manchester  (England)  Examiner,  reported  in  1880  that  the  "  Great  Eastern"  would 


224  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VI O  A  TION 

1858. — On  the  Emperor  of  Russia's  birthday,  Sept.  21, 1857,  the  stern 
post  of  the  "  General  Admiral"  was  laid  in  Wai.  H.  Webb's  shipyard,  New 
York,  in  the  presence  of  the  Russian  Minister  and  many  invited  guests,  the 
event  being  further  celebrated  by  a  prayer  in  the  Russian  language  and  a 
banquet  at  the  Clarendon  Hotel.  A  silver  plate  was  placed  in  a  mortice  in 
the  keel  inscribed  in  Russian.  "The  lO^gunship  "'General  Admiral"  was 
begun  in  the  presence  of  the  Baron  de  Stoeckel,  Russian  Minister  at  Washing- 
ton, Sept.  21,  1857,  at  New  York,  after  the  plans  of  Wm.  H.  Webb,  American 
Ship-builder"  The  mortice  was  then  closed,  and  the  first  copper  bolt  driven 
into  the  ship,  every  guest  present  giving  a  blow. 

Precisely  one  year  afterward,  on  the  birthday  of  the  Grand  Duke  Constan- 
tine  after  whom  she  was  named,  the  "General  Admiral"  was  launched  with 
great  eclat.  Her  cost  was  about  $1,125,000.  On  her  trip  to  Europe  she 
made  the  voyage  to  Cherbourg  in  eleven  days  and  ten  hours,  part  of  the 
time  under  canvas  alone,  with  her  propeller  lifted  clear  of  the  water,  her 
average  speed  being  twelve  knots  an  hour.  In  acknowledgment  of  her  suc- 
cess the  Emperor  of  Russia  presented  Mr.  Webb  with  a  gold  snufT  box  en- 
riched with  diamonds,  and  the  British  Government  immediately  built  two 
vessels  alter  the  same  general  design  and  model,  which,  however,  never 
equaled  her  in  speed. 

She  was  325  feet  long,  55  feet  wide,  and'  34  feet  deep,  and  had  two  hori- 
zontal engines  of  800  horse-power.  A  board  of  U.  S.  Navy  officers,  consist- 
ing of  Commodore,  afterwards  Rear  Admiral  A.  H.  Foote,  Chief  Engineer 
W.  E.  Everett,  and  Naval  Constructors  S.  M.  Pook  and  B.  F.  Delano,  re- 
ported to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  that  the  workmanship  and  disposition 
of  materials  was  excellent,  and  fully  equal  those  of  any  vessel  constructed 
by  our  government,  and  in  regard  to  location  of  beams  relatively  to  the 
parts  she  is  superior,  from  the  fact  of  the  armament  having  been  determined 
before  building  the  vessel." 

1858. — Thomas    Rainey  in  his  book  entitled  "  Ocean  Steam  Navigation 

be  sold  by  auction  soon,  unless  previously  disposed  of  by  private  treaty.  The  step  proposed 
was  foreshadowed  in  the  last  report  of  the  directors  of  the  company,  as  will  be  gathered  from 
the  following  paragraph :  "  During  the  past  year  seveial  proposals  for  the  employment  of 
the  ship  have  been  made,  but  have  fallen  through  from  some  cause  or  other;  the  directors 
are,  however,  using  their  best  exertions  to  attain  that  object,  which  now  becomes  imperative, 
as  the  funds  available  for  the  maintenance  of  the  ship  are  approaching  exhaustion,  and  under 
these  circumstances  the  directors  feel  it  desirable  to  take  powers  from  the  shareholders  to 
dispose  of  the  ship  in  case  no  favorable  proposal  for  chartering  her  should  be  received."  The 
balance  to  the  debt  of  profit  and  loss  account  at  the  close  of  the  last  year  was  eight  thousand 
four  hundred  and  thirty-one  pounds.  Considerable  expenditure  was  made  on  the  vessel  last 
year,  when  she  had  new  upper  decks  and  part  new  masts.  It  may  be  stated  that  the  capital 
of  the  company  is  one  hundred  thousand  pounds,  and  that  she  stood  in  the  books  at  the  close 
of  1880  at  eighty-six  thousand  seven  hundred  and  fifteen  pounds.  She  has  been  employed 
in  various  ways,  but  perhaps  in  none  more  successfully  than  the  laying  of  the  Atlantic 
cable.  She  is  stated  now  to  be  in  excellent  condition. 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  225 

of  the  Ocean  Post"  says  :  "  In  offering  to  the  Government  and  the  public  his 
volume  he  is  conscious  of  his  inability  to  presenting  anV  new  views,  but  there 
is  no  work  in  any  country  which  treats  of  marine  steam  navigation  in  its 
commercial,  political,  economical,  social,  and  diplomatic  bearings,  or  dis- 
cusses the  theory  and  practice  of  navigation  so  as  to  develop  the  costs  and 
difficulties  attending  high  speed  on  the  ocean  or  of  the  large  expenses  incurred 
in  making  regular  and  reliable  statements." 

1859. — STEAMING  ON  THE  AMOOR. — Steam  navigation  was  introduced 
upon  the  Amoor  River,  •China,  in  1859,  by  private  means.  The  first  steam 
vessel,  called  the  "  Admiral  Kozawitch,"  was  launched  upon  the  waters  of 
that  river  in  the  summer  of  that  year.  She  was  built  in  the  United  States, 
brought  over  in  pieces,  and  put  together  at  Nicolajefsk.  She  was  con- 
structed of  timber,  and  had  one  paddle-wheel,  and  that  astern.  On  her 
first  trip  she  went  up  the  river  to  the  confluence  of  the  Shika,  and  returned 
to  Nicolajefsk.  She  then  went  up  the  river  as  far  as  the  thriving  town  of 
Michael  Semenofsky,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Soongari,  and  finally  to  Nian- 
choorsky,  near  Algoon,  where  she  remained  for  the  winter. 

1858. — STEAMERS  ON  THE  YANG-TSE-KIANG. — In  1858,  it  being  ques- 
tioned how  far  the  Yang-tse-Kiang  was  navigable,  a  British  squadron, 
composed  of  the  "Retribution,"  Captain  Barker,  senior  officer  com- 
manding; the  "Furious,"  Captain  Sherard  Osborn  (on  board  of 
which  were  Lord  Elgin  and  staff);  the  "Cruiser,"  Commander  Bythesea; 
tie  "Dove,"  gunboat,  Commander  Ward;  and  "Lee,"  gunboat,  Lieutenant 
Jones,  steamed  up  the  river  towards  Hankow.  The  "  Retribution"  grounded 
and  did  not  reach  that  port,  but  all  the  other  vessels  did,  and  svera 
the  first  foreign  vessels  to  penetrate  so  far  into  the  interior  of  China,  a 
service  which  Lord  Elgin  availed  himself  of  to  insist  that  Hankow  should 
be  opened  to  foreign  commerce.  The  expedition  left  Shanghai  Nov.  9,  1858, 
and  returned  January  1,  1859. 

I860.— In  February,  1860,  the  Yang-tse  was  for  the  first  time  opened  by 
treaty  to  the  ships  of  other  nations,  and  the  "  Scotland,"  commanded  by 
Captain  A.  I).  Dundas,  R.  N.,  and  belonging  to  W.  S.  Lindsay,*  an  auxil- 
iary screw  steamship  of  1,100  tons  gross  register,  was  the  first  foreign  mer- 
chant vessel  which  loaded  a  cargo  from  Shanghai  to  Hankow,  bringing  back 
teas  for  transhipment  to  Europe  and  America ;  but  it  was  not  until  1863 
that  any  English  vessel  loaded  a  cargo  direct  from  Hankow  for  Great 
Britain.  The  "Scotland"  sailed  from  Shanghai  with  a  full  cargo  for 
Hankow  in  June,  1860.  She  drew  17  feet  of  water.  Two  light  draft 
trading  steamers  preceded  her  ;  one  an  American  boat,  and  the  other  a 
Russian  vessel  from  the  Amoor.  On  the  8th  of  May,  1860,  the  auxiliary 
steamship  "  Robert  Lowe,"  of  1,250  tons,  left  Shanghai  for  Hankow  for  the 
purpose  of  loading  a  cargo  of  teas  direct  for  London.  Two  other  vessels, 

*  Author  of  "  Merchant  Shipping."     See  page  467. 
15 


226 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 


however,  had  preceded  her.  The  engines  of  the  "  Robert  Lowe  "  were  only 
SO  nominal  horse-po\?er,  and  her  passage  between  Shanghai  and  Hankow, 
a  distance  of  608  miles,  occupied  ten  days.  One  day  was  lost  in  changing 
her  propeller,  which  she  had  to  anchor  every  night.  The  current  averaged 
three  knots,  and  at  times  was  fully  five  knots  an  hour  against  her.  The 
cargo  of  the  "  Robert  Lowe,"  for  Hankow  and  London,  consisted  of  9,568 
chests,  234  half  chests,  and  2,054  boxes  of  black  teas  ;  535  bales  of  cotton 
and  sundries ;  and  her  freights  amounted  to  £10,315,  and  £480  passage  money. 

Owing  to  the  repudiation  by  the  Chinese  of  the  treaty  of  Tientsin,  the 
•defeat  of  the  British  forces  at  the  Peiho  and  the  subsequent  war  measures 
which  resulted  in  a  new  treaty,  the  formal  opening  of  the  Chinese  ports  was 
deferred  until  the  spring  of  1861. 

The  first  merchant  steamer  that  anchored  at  Hankow  after  Lord  Elgin's 
treaty  was  the  "  St.  Theodosius,"  under  a  German  flag ;  the  second,  the 
"Fire-Dart,"  an  American  side-wheel  steamer  belonging  to  Heard  &  Co.; 
the  third  was  the  British  steamer  "  Governor-General/'  all  within  a  few 
days  of  each  other. 

The  "  Fire-Dart's  "  imagined  they  were  the  first  until  they  found  the  Ger- 
mans had  stolen  a  march  upon  them.  Her  trip  was  a  most  interesting  one 
and  had  some  of  the  excitement  of  an  exploring  expedition.  They  had  no 
charts  except  some  tracings  obtained  by  Mr.  John  Heard  from  one  of  the 
officers  of  Lord  Elgin's  expedition.  They  touched  at  a  great  many  places, 
and  were  absent  from  Shanghai  from  April  16,  to  May  14, 1861.  The  rebel 
forces  occupied  some  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  of  the  river,  and  the  "Fire- 
DarJ; "  had  several  adventures  with  them. 

1863-4. — There  were  nine  steamers  loading  between  Hankow  and 
Shanghai — five  British  and  four  American — some  having  a  capacity  for 
2,000  tons  of  tea,  and  all  vessels  of  great  speed,  making  the  passage  to  Han- 
kow in  four  days,  and  returning  under  favorable  circumstances  in  less  than 
half  that  time. 

1873. — The  "  Hankow,"  and  three  other  paddle-wheel  steamers  of  a  simi- 
lar class,  were  built  at  Glasgow  expressly  for  the  navigation  of  the  Yang-tse. 
The"Pekin,"  "Shanghai"  and  "Ichang"  were  finished  in  1873,  and  the 
"  Hankow"  in  April,  1874.  Their  dimensions  were  : 


Dimensions. 

Pekin  and 
Shanghai. 

Ichang. 

Hankow. 

Gross  tonnage 

Length  on  load  water-line 

Breadth  moulded 

Depth 

Load  Draft 

Dead  weight  capacity 

•Measurement  capacity  in  tons  of  40  feet.. 


3,076                 1,  68  1 

3,168 

292  feet 

242      feet 

308  feeb 

42    « 

36  ,  ;; 

42    " 

15    " 

16    " 

10    " 

9  2    " 

ii    " 

664  tons 

460  tons 

840  tons 

3,668     " 

1,972     " 

3,800     " 

HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

DIMENSIONS  OF  CHINESE  STEAMERS  (Continued). 


227 


Dimensions.                                    Pekin  and 
Shanghai. 

Ichang. 

Hankow. 

Passenger  accom  ,  European  '                 14     " 

10     " 

14     " 

'•               Chinese,  ist  class  16     " 
"          2d  class  164     " 

6     « 
1  66     " 

18     " 
170     " 

Sp^ed  on  trial                                                                   I  "?knots 

1  2  knots 

12  z£  knots 

Diameter  of  cylinder  '                 68  inch 

62  inches 

72  inches 

Stroke                                                                             1  2  feet 

10  feet 

14  feet' 

Indicated  HP                                                          I  450    " 

i  200    " 

i  84.0     " 

Pressure  of  steam                                                             27  Ibs 

•?•?  Ibs 

•K  Ibs 

Consumption  of  fuel  at  full  power  per  hr                 27  cwt. 

27  cwt. 

40  cwt. 

Steamers  of  the  above  type  in  1876  left  Hankow  and  Shanghai  daily,  one 
dispatched  by  Russell  &  Co.,  an  American  company,  the  other  by  Butter- 
field  &  Swine,  an  English  firm. 

1877.— On  the  15th  of  March,  1877,  the  United  States  steamer  "Monacacy," 
Commander  Joseph  P.  Fyffe,  steamed  from  Hankow  to  Ichang,  three  hundred 
and  fifty  miles  above  Hankow  and  one  thousand  miles  from  the  sea. 
April  5th  the  formal  opening  of  Ichang  took  place  and  the  American  flag 
was  hoisted  over  the  newly  established  consulate,  being  the  first  foreign 
ensign  raised  thus  far  in  the  interior  of  China,  and  the  "Monacacy"  the 
first  foreign  steam  vessel  to  reach  Ichang. 

The  first  steamer  owned  by  the  Chinese  was  the  "  Emperor,"  a  yacht 
presented  them  by  Lord  Elgin  on  making  his  commercial  treaty  in  1858- 
59.  Since  then  the  Chinese  have  become  owners  of  steamers  with  astonish- 
ing rapidity. 

1861. — STEAMERS  IN  JAPAN. — In  1861  the  Prince  of  Satsuma  purchased 
the  "England"  and  "Scotland,"  two  British  screw  steamships  of  eleven  hun- 
dred tons  gross  register,  being  the  first  foreign  vessels  purchased  by  the 
Japanese,  except  by  the  government.  As  evidence  of  the  skill  and  ingenuity 
of  the  Japanese,  they  made  boilers  of  copper  for  the  "  England "  within 
twelve  months  of  the  time  when  she  came  into  their  possession.  The 
"  England  "  was  seized  and  scuttled  in  August,  1863,  by  the  English  at  the 
bombardment  of  Kagosima,  and  sunk  in  deep  water.  The  "Scotland"  was 
still  in  the  service  of  the  Japanese  in  1$70. 

1861 — XHE  "MONITOR.". — A  resolution  of  the  United  States  Senate,  July 
24,  1868,  requested  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  to  communicate  to  that  body 
the  facts  concerning  the  construction  of  the  ironclad  "  Monitor."  In  answer 
Secretary  Welles  made  an  elaborate  report*  detailing  the  history  of  her 
construction,  together  with  that  of  two  other  ironclads, — the  "New  Iron- 
sides" and  "  Galena," — constructed  differently,  as  recommended  by  a  board 

*  Exec.  Doc.  No.  86,  Fortieth  Congress,  second  ssssion. 


228  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

of  navy  officers  September  16,  1861,  composed  of  Commodores  Joseph 
Smith  and  Hiram  Paulding  and  Commander  Charles  Henry  Davis. 

The  Secretary  visited  Connecticut  in  September,  and  while  at  Hartford, 
C.  S.  Bushnell,  Esq.,  brought  him  the  plan  of  the  original  "  Monitor,"  in- 
vented by  Captain  John  Ericsson,  of  New  York.  It  received  the  instant 
approval  of  the  Secretary,  who  requested  Mr.  Bushuell  to  proceed  to  Wash- 
ington without  delay  and  submit  it  to  the  board.  He  was  assured  that  in 
case  of  unavoidable  delay  beyond  the  time  limited  for  receiving  proposals, 
an  exception  should  be  made  in  favor  of  this  novel  invention  of  a  submerged 
vessel  with  a  revolving  turret,  and  that  it  should  be  embraced  among  the 
plans  on  which  the  opinion  of  the  board  would  be  required. 

The  board  .of  officers  in  their  report  say,  with  regard  to  Mr.  Ericsson's 
proposition, — 

"  This  plan  of  a  floating  battery  is  novel,  but  seems  based  on  a  plan  which 
will  render  the  battery  shot  and  shell-proof.  We  are  apprehensive  that  her 
properties  for  sea  are  not  such  as  a  sea-going  vessel  should  possess.  But  she 
may  be  moved  from  one  place  to  another  on  the  coast  in  smooth  water.  We 
recommend  an  experiment  be  made  with  one  battery  of  this  description  on 
the  terms  proposed,  with  a  guarantee  and  forfeiture  in  case  of  failure  in  any 
of  the  properties  and  points  of  the  vessel  as  proposed.  Price,  $275,000 ; 
length  of  vessel,  172  feet;  breadth  of  beam,  41  feet;  depth  of  hold,  11 J 
feet ;  time,  100  days ;  draught  of  water,  10  feet ;  displacement,  1,255  tons ; 
speed  per  hour,  9  statute  miles." 

In  accord  with  this  recommendation,  the  4th  of  October,  1861,  John 
Ericsson,  John  F.  Winslow,  John  A.  Griswold,  and  C.  "S.  Bushnell  con- 
tracted with  Gideon  Welles,  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  on  behalf  of  the 
United  States,  to  build  the  original  "  Monitor,"  as  she  was  later  named  by 
her  inventor,  and  to  have  her  and  her  equipments  in  all  respects  ready  for 
sea  in  one  hundred  days  after  the  date  of  the  contract.  The  agreement  was 
"  to  construct  an  ironclad,  shot-proof  steam  battery  of  iron  and  wood  com- 
bined on  Ericsson's  plan;  the  lower. vessel  to  be  wholly  of  iron,  and  the 
upper  vessel  of  wood ;  the  length,  one  hundred  and  seventy-nine  feet ; 
breadth,  forty-one  feet ;  depth,  five  feet,  or  larger  if  the  contractors  thought  it 
requisite  to  carry  the  armament  and  stores  required."  Masts,  spars,  sails,  and 
rigging  were  to  be  furnished  sufficient  to  drive  the  vessel  six  knots  an  hour 
with  fair  freeze  of  wind  ;  steam-power  was  to  be  supplied  to  give  her  a  speed 
of  eight  knots,  and  she  was  to  carryprovisions,  water,  and  stores  of  all  kinds 
for  one  hundred  persons  for  ninety  days,  and  fuel  for  her  engrne  for  eight 
days ;  the  deck,  when  loaded,  was  to  be  eighteen  inches  above  the  load-line 
amidships.  It  was  also  expressly  stipulated  that  no  member  of  Congress  or 
officer  of  the  navy,  or  any  person  holding  office  under  government,  should 
share  in  the  contract  or  in  any  benefits  arising  from  it, — a  wise  provision. 

The  payments  made  to  the  contractors,  as  per  agreement,  the  last  being 
only  five  days  before  the  "  Monitor"  sailed  from  New  York,  were  as  follows : 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  229 

1861,  November  15,  first  payment,  $50,000,  less  25  per  cent.,  .... 
"     December  3,  second  payment,  $50,000,  less  25  per  cent.,  .... 
"     December  17,  third  payment,  $50,000,  less  25  per  cent.,  .... 

1862,  January,  3,  fourth  payment,  $50,000,  less  25  per  cent.,  .... 
"     February  6,  fifth  payment,  $50,000,  less  25  per  cent.,  ... 

^  "     March  3,  sixth  payment,  $25,000,  less  25  per  cent.,      ..... 
"     March  14,  last  payment,  reservations,  .         ... 

Total, $275,000 

By  the  terms  of  the  contract  the  reservations  were  to  be  retained  until  the 
points  and  properties  of  the  vessel  were  fully  tested,  not  exceeding  ninety 
days.  Her  performance  from  New  York  to  Hampton  Roads  and  her 
encounter  with  the  "  Merrimac "  were  deemed  satisfactory  tests,  and  the 
payment  of  the  reservations  was  made  within  one  week  after  that  action, 
as  will  be  seen  by  the  date  of  the  last  payment.  Erroneous  news- 
paper statements  were  made  that  the  "Monitor"  "was  built  by  the 
contractors  at  their  own  risk,  and  that  the  government  was  not  to  be 
called  upon  for  remuneration  until  the  vessel  had  been  tested  in  action. 
Strong  in  faith,  receiving  but  a  negative  support  from  the  Navy  De- 
partment, the  contractors  completed  the  '  Monitor '  at  their  own  cost."  It 
was  also  stated  that  a  member  of  the  House  of  Representatives  from  New 
York  "advanced  the  money  and  paid  the  expense  of  getting  the  'Monitor* 
which  met  the  'Merrimac'  at  Hampton  Roads,  built."  The  truth  is  the 
money  applied  to  build  the  "  Monitor "  was  appropriated  by  Congress  in 
August,  and  the  money  promptly  handed  over  to  the  contractors,  agreeably 
to  their  contract,  as  the  work  progressed.  While  building,  the  novel  ex- 
periment received  ridicule  and  abuse,  but  after  her  wonderful  achievement 
in  Hampton  Roads  the  tone  was  changed,  and  persistent  efforts  were  made 
to  deny  the  Navy  Department  any  credit  for  her  adoption  and  construction. 

The  "Monitor"  left  New  York  March  6,  1862,  under  command  of  Lieu- 
tenant John  L.  Worden,  and  on  the  8th  reached  Hampton  Roads,  and  the 
next  day  her  memorable  encounter  with  the  "  Merrimac  "  took  place. 

The  hull  of  the  "  Monitor  "  was  built  by  Mr.  T.  F.  Rowland,  at  Green- 
point,  from  Captain  Ericsson's  drawings,*  and  under  his  personal  super- 
vision, the  material  being  furnished  by  his  associates,  Messrs.  Griswold, 
Winslow,  and  Bushnell.  The  turret  was  built  at  the  Novelty  Iron  "Works, 
agreeably  to  his  plans  and  under  his  supervision,  with  plates,  rivets, 
etc.,  furnished  by  his  associates.  Being  too  heavy  for  transportation,  it 
was  taken  down  and  placed  in  sections  on  the  deck  of  the  vessel.  The 
port-stoppers,  of  heavy  hammered  wrought  iron,  were  made  at  the  steam- 
forge  of  Mr.  C.  D.  DeLancey,  in  Buffalo.  After  the  guns  were  dis- 
charged and  run  back  into  the  turret,  the  stoppers  were  swung  over  the 

*  A  Brief  Sketch  of  the  First  "  Monitor"  and  its  Inventor,  a  paper  read  before  the  Buffalo 
Historical  Society,  January  3,  1874,  by  Eben  P.  Dorr.  8vo.  Pp.  49. 


230  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

port-holes,  to  prevent  any  shot  from  entering  the  ports.  The  closing  being 
regulated  by  machinery,  was  instantaneous,  and  that  side  of  the  turret 
swung  away  from  the  enemy,  the  guns  loaded  and  swung  back  a£aiu,  and 
guns  discharged.  Thus  the  ports  were  constantly  protected,  either  by  the 
guns  obstructing,  ot  by  the  ports  being  closed  by  the  stoppers. 

The  entire -internal  mechanism  of  the  turret  was  built  to  Captain  Erics- 
son's working  plans  at  the  Delamater  Iron  Works.  The  hull  and  side 
armor  was  put  up  by  Mr.  Rowland.  The  mode  of  launching  was  planned 
by  him.  To  prevent  the  vessel,  when  fully  equipped  with  machinery,  turret, 
and  armor,  from  plunging  under  water,  Mr.  Rowland  constructed  large 
wooden  tanks,  securing  them  under  the  stern.  The  result  of  these  joint 
efforts  was  that  within  one  hundred  days  from  laying  the  keel-plates  of  the 
hull  the  whole  work  was  completed  and  the  engines  of  the  vessel  put  in 
motion  under  steam. 

The  "Monitor"  was  launched  on  the  30th  day  of  January,  1862,  and  her 
first  trial  trip  and  delivery  to  the  navy-yard  was  February  19,  1862.  She 
had  two  trial  trips  afterwards.  On  her  second  trial  she  could  not  be  steered, 
and  went  no  farther  than  the  foot  of  Wall  Street,  New  York.  On  the  third 
trial  trip,  about  March  4,  she  went  down  to  Sandy  Hook  and  tried  her  guns, 
having  on  board  a  board  of  officers  consisting  of  Commodore  Gregory,  Chief 
Engineer  Garvin,  and  Constructor  Hart,  who  reported  favorably  of  her  per- 
formance.* 

How  the  name  "Monitor  "was  given  to  this  first  turreted  ironclad — a 
name  that  has  since  become  generic  for  all  this  class  of  vessels — is  told  in 
the  following  letter  from  its  inventor  ten  days  before  her  launch  : 

"  NEW  -YoRK,  January  20,  1862. 

"  SIR, — In  accordance  with  your  request  I  now  submit  for  your  approba- 
tion a  name  for  the  floating  battery  at  Greenpoint. 

"  The  impregnable  and  aggressive  character  of  this  structure  will  admon- 
ish the  leaders  of  the  Southern  Rebellion  that  the  batteries  on  the  banks  of 
their  rivers  will  no  longer  present  barriers  to  the  entrance  of  the  Union 
forces. 

"  The  ironclad  intruder  will  thus  prove  a  severe  monitor  to  those  leaders. 
But  there  are  other  leaders  who  will  be  startled  and  admonished  by  the 
booming  of  the  guns  from  the  impregnable  iron  turret.  '  Downing  Street ' 
will  hardly  view  with  indifference  this  last  '  Yankee  notion/  this  monitor. 
To  the  Lords  of  the  Admiralty  the  new  craft  will  be  a  monitor,  suggesting 
doubts  as  to  the  propriety  of  completing  those  four  steel-clad  ships  at  three 
and  a  half  millions  apiece. 

"On  these  and  many  similar  grounds  I  propose  to  name  the  new  battery 
*  MONITOR.'  Your  obedient  servant, 

"  To  GUSTAVUS  V.  Fox,  "  J.  ERICSSON. 

"  Assistant  Secretary  of  the  Navy." 


Previous  to  1854  Ericsson's  mind  had  dwelt  upon  the  idea  of  planning  and  constructing 


HIST  OK  Y  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  231 

When  the  "  Monitor  "  was  nearly  ready  for  commission,  Lieutenant  Wor- 
den  was  authorized  to  select  a  crew  for  her  from  the  receiving-ship  "  North 
Carolina,"  or  any  other  vessel-of-war  in  New  York  Harbor.  Under  that 
authority  he  asked  for  volunteers  from  the  "North  Carolina"  and  frigate 
"  Sabine,"  and  after  fully  stating  to  the  crews  of  those  vessels  the  probable 
dangers  of  the  passage  to  Hampton  Roads,  and  the  certainty  of  important 
services  to  be  performed  there,  he  had  many  more  volunteers  than  was  re. 
quired.  It  is  unnecessary,  and  would  be  out  of  place  here,  to  detail  the 
fight  in  Hampton  Roads, — the  first  naval  duel  between  ironclads ;  that  be- 
longs more  properly  to  the  naval  history  of  the  period.  Suffice  it  to  say,  the 
little  turreted  vessel,  mounting  but  two  guns,  stood  up  successfully  to  the 
defense  of  twenty-one  ships-of-war,  mounting  two  hundred  and  ninety-six 
guns,  all  alike  defenseless  against  the  attack  of  the  ironclad  "  Merrimac." 
She  was  a  modern  David,  taking  the  forefront  of  the  battle  against  a  modern 
giant  Goliath,  while  the  hosts  stood  by  anxious  spectators  of  the  conflict. 

From  the  10th  of  March  until  the  destruction  of  the  "  Merrimac,"  on  the 
llth  of  May,  the  "Monitor"  remained  at  Hampton  Roads,  guarding  the 
Elizabeth  and  James  Rivers,  always  ready  for  the  "  Merrimac."  During 
this  time  her  pilot-house  was  strengthened  by  heavy  pieces  of  oak  and  three 
one-inch  layers  of  iron  plates.  May  8  she  engaged  the  battery  on  Sewell's 
Point  in  company  with  the  fleet.  May  12  she  led  the  vessels  that  went  to 
Norfolk  when  that  city  was  evacuated  by  the  rebels.  On  the  15th  she  par- 
ticipated in  the  engagements  of  Fort  Darling,  seven  miles  below  Richmond. 
From  that  time  until  the  retreat  of  the  army  from  the  Peninsula  she  was 
employed  patrolling  the  James  River,  and  arrived  at  Newport  News  Au- 
gust 31,  being  the  last  vessel  that  came  down  the  James  River.  In  Septem- 
ber the  "Monitor"  proceeded  to  the  Washington  Navy  Yard  for  repairs, 
and  sailed  again  for  Hampton  Roads  in  November. 

On  the  29th  of  December,  1862,  under  the  command  of  Commander  John 
P.  Bankhead,  she  sailed  for  Beaufort,  North  Carolina,  in  company  with  the 
United  States  steamer  "Rhode  Island,"  her  convoy,  and  on  the  night  of  the 
30th  she  foundered  near  Cape  Hatteras.  About  half  of  her  officers  and 
crew  were  carried  down  with  her,  the  others  escaped  to  the  "  Rhode  Island." 
The  cause  of  her  foundering  is  not  known.  "  It  may,  perhaps,"  says  Mr. 
Dorr,  "  be  assigned  to  the  fact  that  she  had  lain  all  summer  in  the  hot  sun 
of  the  James  River.  The  oak  timber  which  had  been  fitted  to  the  top  edge 
of  the  iron  hull  had  shrunk  so  that  when  in  the  heavy  sea  there  was  two  or 
three  feet  of  water  over  it  most  of  the  time  on  the  weather  side,  and  the 


an  iron-plated  shot  proof  ship-of-war,  and  on  the  26th  of  September,  1854,  he  forwarded  from 
New  York  to  Napoleon  III.  a  plan  of  such  a  ship,  with  a  synopsis  of  his  plans,  which  shows 
beyond  all  cavil  that  America  is  the  birthplace  of  the  "  Monitor,"  and  that  John  Ericsson, 
the  Swede,  is  its  sole  inventor.  Ericsson's  letter  was  promptly  acknowledged  by  the  Em- 
peror, but  he  did  not  embrace  the  opportunity  o*fiered,  and  the  first  monitor  was  built  for  the 
United  States  in  the  early  period  of  its  civil  troubles. 


232  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

water  found  its  way  through  this  space  and  flowed  in  great  volume  into  the 
ship  with  fatal  effect."  There  can  be,  I  think,  no  doubt  the  battering  the 
great  overhang  of  her  deck  received  from  the  heavy  seas  caused  it  to  separate 
from  the  hull  to  which  it  was  fastened,  and  allowed  the  water  to  flow  in 
•which  sunk  her.  The  report  of  the  board  of  officers  who  recommended  her 
"Construction,  says  they  were  "  somewhat  apprehensive  that  her  properties  for 
sea  are  not  such  as  a  sea-going  vessel  should  possess,"  and  this  opinion  was 
fully  borne  out  by  this  result. 

1863.— THE  "FAID  RABANI."— A  beautiful  steamer,  the  "Faid  Rabani,"  or 
Divine  Favor,"  was  built  as  a  river  pleasure  yacht  for  the  Pacha  of  Egypt 
foy  an  English  firm  in  1863.  She  was  an  exquisitely-modeled  vessel  of  the 
following  dimensions,  viz.:  keel  and  fore-rake,  one  hundred  and  eighty  feet; 
breadth  of  beam,  twenty  feet ;  depth  of  hold,  nine  feet ;  draught  of  water, 
three  feet ;  power  of  engines,  one  hundred  and  fifty  horses.  The  yacht  was 
furnished  with  oscillating  engines,  had  feathering  paddles,  and  performed 
thirteen  knots  an  hour  without  the  slightest  perceptible  vibration.  Her 
engines  were  bright  with  brass  and  tteel-work,  and  finished  with  the  same 
taste  and  care  used  in  turning  out  a  gold  watch.  Although  the  vessel  had 
an  ordinary  escape-pipe,  it  was  not  used,  for  the  steam  was  blown  into  the 
water  from  the  sides  of  the  yacht.  She  had  three  safety-valves  and  a  beau- 
tiful small  brass  donkey-engine,  independent  of  the  others,  for  supplying  the 
boilers  with  water  when  the  large  engines  were  still.  The  principal  features 
of  the  "Faid  Rabani,"  however,  were  her  splendid  interior  furnishings  and 
decorations,  including  no  less  than  four  hundred  and  fifty  pictures  of  separate 
subjects,  set  in  frames.  His  Highness'  reception-room,  which  was  in  the 
poop,  was  an  apartment  of  unrivaled  beauty,  fitted  up  with  the  richest  rose- 
wood bulkheads,  door,  etc.,  the  panels  of  which  were  filled  with  beautiful 
pictorial  designs  on  papier-mache.  The  divans  extending  round  the  saloon 
were  covered  with  costly  cloth  of  gold,  from  the  front  of  which  was  sus- 
pended gold-embroidered  needle-work  and  massive  gold-bullion  fringe. 
Between  the  windows  were  pictures  of  fruit  and  flowers,  birds,  etc.,  and  vases 
enriched  by  precious  stones,  executed  by  a  new  patent  gem-enamelling  pro- 
cess. The  ceiling  between  the  beams — which  were  of  mahogany,  French 
polished — was  filled  with  designs  of  fruit  and  flowers  on  papier-mackb  panels, 
enriched  with  gold-border  mouldings.  His  Highness'  bedroom  was  fitted 
up  in  a  corresponding  style  of  elegance.  The  cabins  were  decked  out  in  a 
style  of  great  costliness  and  magnificence ;  the  fore-cabin  contained  twelve 
apartments  for  the  pacha's  officers  and  suite.  A  beautiful  awning  covered 
the  main  deck  and  poop.  In  point  of-  decoration  the  outside  of  the  yacht 
was  worthy  of  the  interior.  Round  all  the  windows,  from  stem  to  stern, 
were  carved  and  gilt  architraves,  and  the  bulwarks  were  ornamented  with 
carved  fretwork,  relieved  with  gold.  The  paddle-boxes  were  also  highly 
ornamented,  and  on  a  shield  in  the  centre  was  the  vessel's  name  in  Arabic. 
The  figure-head  was  composed  of  his  Highness'  crest,  supported  by  two  lions 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  233 

richly  gilded.     The  hull  was  painted  a  very  rich  green  color,  and  was  liter- 
ally one  blaze  of  gold  from  stem  to  stern. 

1864. — WINAN'S  CIGAR-SHAPED  STEAMSHIP. — In  1858  Messrs.  Winans, 
of  Baltimore  (see  Harper's  Weekly,  October  28,  1858,  where  drawings  were 
given),  built  a  cigar-shaped  steamer  which  was  expected  to  revolutionize 
transatlantic  steam  navigation.  In  1864  they  built  at  Milwall,  London,  a 
somewhat  similar  vessel.  She  was  a  great  iron  tube,  tapering  away  to  a 
point  at  each  end,  and  presenting  the  strangest  possible  form  for  a  ship,  her 
deck  being  merely  the  arc  of  a  circle,  on  which  were  riveted  stanchions  for 
rails,  and  between  these  a  raised  platform  with  seats  on  each  side.  She  had 
neither  keel  nor  cut-water,  and  in  the  language  of  her  inventor,  there  was 
"  no  blunt  bow  standing  up  above  the  water  line  to  receive  blows  from  heavy 
seas,  no  flat  deck  to  hold,  or  close  bulwark  to  retain,  the  water  that  a  rough 
sea  may  cast  upon  the  vessel,  neither  masts,  spars,  nor  rigging.*"  The  length 
of  the  vessel  was  180  feet,  or  sixteen  times  its  breadth  of  beam,  the  whole 
length  being  made  available  to  secure  water  lines  favorable  to  fast  speed  • 
She  was  fitted  with  high  pressure  engines,  and  her  boilers  were  on  the  prin- 
ciple of  those  used  on  railway  locomotives.  The  propelling  power  was  a 
novel  application  of  the  screw.  She  appears  to  have  failed  for  want  of 
sufficient  stability. 

Messrs.  Perkins  &  Sons,  of  London,  subsequently  patented  a  similar  de- 
sign, and  proposed  to  construct  and  run  an  experimental  fast  express 
steamer  from  England  to  New  York.  It  was  proposed  she  should  be  eight 
hundred  feet  in  length,  with  40  feet  beam,  "and  have  a  flat  bottom.  She  was 
not  to  draw  more  than  11  feet  of  water  with  her  cargo,  passengers,  and  500 
tons  of  coal  on  board. f 

1865. — THE  "DUNDERBERG"  OR  "  ROCHAMBEAU." — The  steam  ram 
"  Dunderberg"  wa^j  launched  from  the  yard  of  W.  H.  Webb,  New 
York,  July  22,  1865.  Her  length  was  378  feet,  breadth  73  feet,  depth 
of  hold  23  feet,  tonnage,  7060  tons.  Her  sides,  five  feet  thick,  were 
covered  with  a  five-inch  plating  of  iron.  Her  guns  threw  shells  of  500 
pounds,  and  she  was  driven  fifteen  nautical  miles  by  an  entirely  concealed 
force  of  1200  horse-power.  After  offering  her  to  the  United  States  Gov- 
ernment, which  had  about  wound  up  its  expensive  civil  war  when  she  was 
launched,  Mr.  Webb  sold  her  to  the  French  Government,  who  renamed  her 
the  "  Rochambeau,"  but  in  their  hands  she  did  not  prove  a  success. 
Having  been  built  of  unseasoned  white  oak,  she  soon  required  extensive 
repairs,  and  was  finally  broken  up  without  having  performed  any  war 
service. 

"  The  '  Dunderberg'  was  buiit  under  the  general  superintendence  of  Rear 

*  We  see  here  a  rude  type  of  the  domed  steamships  of  1882,  expected  to  make  great  speed 
in  crossing  the  Atlantic. 

f  See  W.  S.  Lindsay's  "  Merchant  Shipping."     Vol.  IV.,  pp.  568-573. 


234  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

Admiral  F.  H.  Gregory,  U.  S.  N.  The  following  description  of  this  novel 
vessel  and  her  launch  is  derived  from  the  New  York  Sun: 

"At  three  minutes  past  nine  o'clock  on  Saturday  morning,  at  Webb's 
Yard,  New  York,  was  launched  the  great  naval  curiosity  of  the  age,  the 
monster  iron  ram  'Dunderberg,'  the  mightiest  vessel  in  the  world.  Admiral 
Francis  H.  Gregory,  with  Commodore  Ringgold,  and  other  members  of  his 
staff,  occupied  a  stand  decorated  with  bunting,  on  shore  and  near  the  bow 
of  the  vessel.  A  large  number  of  other  distinguished  personages  were 
present. 

"The  '  Dunderberg,'  on  reaching  the  dock,  was  found  to  be  drawing  only 
fifteen  feet  aft,  thirteen  feet  amidships,  and  nine  feet  six  inches  forward. 
The  lightness  of  this  draft  is  truly  wonderful,  and  it  is  far  less  than  many 
people  supposed  it  would  be.  The  ship,  dressed  off  in  flags  and  streamers, 
and  her  decks  covered  with  ladies  and  gentlemen,  made  a  splendid  appear- 
ance in  the  water. 

"Early  in  the  beginning  of  the  late  civil  war,  the  builder  of  the  '  Dunder- 
berg,' Mr.  W.  H.  Webb,  prepared  the  general  plan  for  the  construction  of  a 
vessel  to  combine  the  requirements  of  the  most  powerful  war  vessel  afloat, 
before  the  monitors  began  to  dot  our  coast  line.  The  demand  for  vessels 
for  blockading  and  swift  cruising  monopolized  the  attention  of  those  who 
had  the  subject  in  charge.  At  last  the  order  was  given  and  the  keel  of  tire 
'  Dunderberg'  was  laid. 

"  Due  care  has  been  taken  to  render  the  '  Dunderberg'  safe  in  a  heavy 
seaway,  being  intended  for  a  sea-going  vessel.  The  prime  necessity  of  offering 
the  utmost  resistance  to  the  missiles  of  an  enemy,  was  by  no  means  lost  sight 
of,  and  the  advantages  of  an  angular  surface  to  receive  the  enemy's  fire  has 
been  combined  with  a  great  mass  of  timber  and  the  protective  powers  of  four 
and  a  half  inches  of  solid  armor  plating.  In  general  appearance  she  will  re- 
semble,when  afloat,  a  huge  fort  embrasured  for  a  score  of  the  heaviest  ordnance 
yet  placed  upon  the  deck  of  any  vessel.  Her  magnitude  and  novel  design 
will  be  rendered  pleasing  to  th^e  eye  by  her  spars  and  outward  fittings  ;  but 
the  lack  of  the  common  symmetry  displayed  in  marine  architecture  will  lose 
its  quaintuess  and  be  changed  into  a  feeling  of  admiration  of  her  grandeur 
and  power. 

"The  whole  object  in  the  construction  of  this  noble  vessel  has  been  to  make 
the  most  terrible  war  vessel  in  existence ;  one  that  could  protect  our  large 
harbors,  but  if  required,  launch  out 'in  mid-ocean  to  meet  the  enemy,  or 
cross  over  and  place  under  contribution  any  of  the  ports  of  Europe,  or  crush 
out  any  naval  force  that  attempted  to  impede  her  progress. 

"  The  hull  of  the  '  Dunderberg'  is  built  of  several  thousand  feet  of  solid 
timber  of  the  finest  quality  and  choicest  selection.  The  bottom  is  flat,  the 
sides  angular  and  sharp,  surmounted  by  a  casemate  of  sixteen  guns,  although 
pierced  for  twenty-one.  The  hull  is  built  of  square  logs,  bolted  together, 
leaving  no  openings,  and  caulked  inside  as  well  as  outside.  This  massive 


*' 

HIS  TOE  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  235 

• 

structure  is  strongly  trussed  with  diagonal  braces  of  iron  fastened  inside  of 
the  solid  frame,  in  such  a  manner  it  seems  impossible  she  could  be  damaged 
by  any  ordinary  disaster.  The  hull  is  three  hundred  and  eighty  feet  four 
inches  in  extreme  length,  and  seventy-two  feet  ten  inches  extreme  beam. 
The  main  hold  is  twenty-two  feet  seven  and  a  half  inches  in  depth.  Her 
tonnage  is  set  down  by  the  naval  authorities  in  the  register  as  five  thousand 
and  ninety  tons. 

"The  '  Dunderberg's'  bulkheads  are  such  she  may  properly  be  described 
as  a  double  vessel,  one  being  built  inside  the  other.  The  outer  vessel 
destroyed  or  seriously  injured  the  inner  one  would  be  able  to  buoy  up  the 
the  mass.  The  bulkheads  run  longitudinally  as  well  as  transversely,  inclos- 
ing the  engines,  and  furnishing  ample  space  for  the  coal-bunkers,  which* 
when  filled  with  coal,  give  security  to  the  engines  and  boilers  against  shot 
or  a  ram  driven  by  the  enemy. 

"The  Earn  is  the  feature  of  the  '  Dunderberg/  and  will  attract  observation 
and  comment.  It  is  a  portion  of  the  ship  itself.  It  is  the  bow  of  the  vessel 
fashioned  into  a  huge  beak,  and  is  a  solid  mass  of  timber  extending  back 
fifty  feet,  arranged  with  a  wrought-iron  front-piece  to  protect  it  from  shot 
and  abrasion  in  contact. 

"The  planking  of  the  outer  hull  is  five  inches  in  thickness.  Outside  the 
outer  planking  is  the  covering  of  logs.  This  commences  at  nothing  and 
widens  out  at  the  top  to  seven  feet,  so  that  at  the  blige  it  is  three  feet,  and  at 
the  water-line  six  feet  in  thickness.  On  the  cushion,  which  is  filled  in  solid, 
is  placed  the  armor. 

"The  captain's  cabin  is  on  the  main  deck  and  in  the  casemate  aft.  The 
wardroom  is  on  the  berth  deck  aft,  and  forward  of  it  will  be  the  steerage, 
for  the  junior  engineers,  midshipmen  and  mates. 

"  She  will  be  provided  with  four  heavy  anchors,  two  '  bowers'  and  two 
sheet  anchors  with  several  hundred  fathoms  of  chain  of  the  finest  quality  of 
iron.  She  will  have  a  number  of  stream  anchors  and  kedges.  Two  capstans 
will  be  placed  on  deck,  one  forward  and  one  aft,  while  forward  is  a  windlass 
of  great  power. 

"  Very  large  and  improved  magazines  and  shell-rooms  are  placed,  one 
forward  and  the  other  aft. 

"  The  engine  department  is  provided  with  several  large  and  powerful  pumps, 
for  clearing  the  ship  of  water  in  event  of  a  leak,  as  well  as  protection  against 
fire.  In  addition  are  two  sets  of  hand-pumps,  which  can  be  used  for  like 
purposes,  and  besides  are  two  eight-inch  steam  pumps  which  are  worked 
independent  of  the  engine.  The  vessel  is  supplied  with  one  of  Normandy's 
Fresh-water  Condensers  capable  of  providing  two  thousand  gallons  of  drink- 
ing water  per  day. 

"The  Armor. — The  armor  required  for  the  'Duuderberg'  will  be  about 
one  thousand  tons.  The  side-armor,  of  the  best  hammered  iron,  is  manu- 
factured into  slabs,  from  twelve  to  fifteen  feet  in  length,  by  three  feet  in 


236  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIOA  TION. 

width.  These  plates  are  three  and  a  half  inches,  and  are  screw-bolted  to  the 
armor  cushion  by  one  and  a  half  inch  bolts.  The  plates  are  placed  vertically, 
and  not  horizontally,  as  in  the  case  with  the  ironclad  vessels  of  Europe.  The 
armor  of  the  casemate  is  four  and  a  half  inches  thick,  placed  vertically  on 
the  sloping  sides,  and  screw-bolted  with  one  and  a  half  inch  bolts,  which 
enter  the  wood  work  to  the  depth  of  eighteen  inches,  none  of  the  fastenings 
passing  through  the  sides ;  so  there  will  be  no  nuts  or  bolts  flying  about  the 
deck  in  action.  These  slabs  are  twenty-eight  inches  in  width,  and  are  eight 
feet  in  height.  The  top  of  the  casemate  will  have  a  light  bomb-proof  armor. 
The  main  deck  outside  of  the  casemate  will  be  covered  with  thick  armor, 
and  will  be  secured  to  the  deck  by  three-quarter  inch  iron  bolts  with 
counter-sunk  heads.  The  armor  will  extend  out  over  the  shelf  which  serves 
as  a  protection  to  the  screw  and  the  two  rudders. 

"The  pilot  house  is  six  feet  in  diameter,  seven  feet  in  height,  and  ten  inches 
in  thickness,  and  is  on  the  forward  upper  deck  of  the  casemate. 

"  In  guarding  against  the  assault  of  the  enemy  in  the  rear,  Mr.  Webb  has 
arranged  the  stern  with  a  view  to  obtain  the  greatest  strength  and  protection, 
combined  with  lightness  of  construction,  to  avoid  the  drag  of  the  water  as 
well  as  the  jar  in  a  seaway,  this  necessary  projection  pounding  upon  the 
waves.  .This  marvel  of  strength,  with  its  braces  and  supports,  is  generally 
conceded  deserving  of  the  highest  praise  as  a  piece  of  skill  and  ingenuity. 

"Beneath  this  shelf  is  the  enormous  propeller,  weighing  32,000  pounds,  the 
largest  ever  cast  of  composition.  The  screw  shaft  has  no  out-board  bearing, 
but  works  upon  a  massive  metal  stern  bearing,  lined  with  strips  of  lignum 
vitce.  The  screw  is  twenty-one  feet  in  diameter,  four  feet  in  diameter  at  the 
hub,  and  tapering  down  to  three-quarters  of  an  inch  at  the  edge  of  the  four 
blades,  and  has  a  pitch  of  from  twenty-seven  to  thirty  feet. 

"The  main  rudder  is  abaft  the  propeller,  and  is  a  massive  wooden  structure. 
Forward  of  the  screw,  and  over  the  propeller  shaft,  is  a  spare  rudder,  which 
can  be  put  in  service  should  any  accident  occur  to  the  main  rudder. 

"The  casemate  of  the  '  Dunderberg'  surmounts  her  hull,  and  is  a  tower  of 
strength.  It  is  constructed  of  square  logs,  each  one  foot  in  thickness,  and  is 
built  to  the  height  of  seven  feet  in  the  clear,  and  covered  over  with  a  bomb- 
proof deck,  on  which  it  was  intended  to  place  two  turrets,  similar  to  those 
in  use  on  board  of  the  monitors.  The  casemate  will  contain  twelve  to  four- 
teen eleven-inch  Dahlgren,  and  four  fifteen-inch  Rodman  smooth  bore  guns, 
making  it  the  heaviest  armament  of  its  number  ever  placed  on  the  deck  of 
any  vessel.  The  '  Dunderberg'  contract  price  was  one  million  four  hundred 
thousand  dollars. 

"The  hull  of  the  vessel  from  below  the  water-line  rises  to  the  gunwale  at  an 
angle  of  about  thirty-five  degrees,  when  it  joins  the  casemate,  which  inclines 
inward  at  an  angle  of  about  fifty-five  degrees.  This,  it  is  expected,  will 
'  shed'  shot  with  perfect  ease  and  certainty. 

"  To  support  the  immense  weight,  and  give  strength  to  the  bottom  of  the 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  237 

fabric,  the  vessel  has  an  enormous  keel  and  four  keelsons,  on  which  rest  the 
bed  plates  of  the  engines,  and  furnish  the  foundation  for  the  upright  stan- 
chions or  supports  which  aid  in  holding  up  the  weight  of  the  casemate  and 
its  contents. 

"  The  '  Dunderberg'  will  be  rigged  as  a  hermaphrodite  brig,  i.  e.,  having 
yards  upon  her  foremast  and  fore-and-aft  sails  upon  her  mainmast.  She  will 
spread  several  thousand  yards  of  canvas,  which  will  steady  her  in  a  seaway 
and  aid  her  in  making  a  passage  across  the  ocean  or  cruising  at  sea  or  along 
our  shores.  She  will  be  provided  with  boats  to  accommodate  six  hundred 
souls. 

"  GENERAL  DIMENSIONS  OF  THE  SHIP. 

Extreme  length,         .....  380  feet    4  inches. 

Extreme  beam,          *   \    •.'•   *             .             •             .  72     "    10      " 

Depth  of  main  hold,              .             .             .             .  22     "      7      " 

Height  of  casemate,                .             .             .             .  7     "      9      " 

Length  of  ram,           .              .              .              .              .  50     " 

Draught  when  ready  for  sea,              .             .             .  21     " 

Displacement,            .....  75°°°  tons. 

Tonnage,                     .....  5,090     " 

Weight  of  iron  armor,                         .             .             .  1,000     " 

"  DIMENSIONS  OF   ENGINES,  BOILERS,   ETC. 

Cylinders  (two)  ^ach,            .             .             .             .  100  inches. 

Stroke  of  pistons,       .             .             .             .             .  45      " 

Boilers — six  main  and  two  donkey. 

Depth  of  boilers,       .             .             .                        '   .  13  feet. 

Height  of  boilers,      .....  17  feet  6  inches. 

Front  of  boilers,         .              .              .              .              .  21     "    6      " 

Weight  of  boilers,     .....  450  tons. 

Boiler  surface,            .....  30,000  feet. 

Grate  surface,            .....  1,200     " 

Condenser  surface,                 ....  12,000  square  feet. 

Diameter  of  propeller,            .             ..           .             .  21  feet. 

Pitch  of  propeller,     .             .             .             .             .  27  to  30  feet. 

Weight  of  propeller,              ....  34,580  pounds. 

Capacity  of  coal-bunkers,      ....  1,000  tons. 

Actual  horse-power,               ....  5,ooo  horse. 

Nominal  horse-power,            ....  1,500      " 

"The  Engines. — The  'Dunderberg'  will  be  propelled  by  two  horizontal 
back-acting  condensing  engines  of  five  thousand  actual  horse-power,  sub- 
jected to  the  most  critical  inspection  at  the  instance  of  the  Navy  Department, 
and  pronounced  without  fault  or  blemish  in  any  respect.  They  are  massive, 
beautiful  and  powerful,  and  reflect  credit  upon  their  builders.  The  cylinders 
are  two  in  number  and  each  one  hundred  inches  in  internal  diameter,  with 
forty-five  inches  stroke  of  piston.  These  enormous  cylinders  were  -bored  out 


238  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

horizontally  to  prevent  springing.  The  engines  have  one  of  Allen's  patent 
surface  condensers,  of  the  tubular  pattern,  ten  feet  in  width,  twenty-six  feet 
long,  and  five  feet  deep.  The  air  circulating  and  condensing  pumps  are 
•worked  independently.  The  air  pump  has  two  steam  cylinders,  36x36  inches, 
working  the  pump,  which  is  also  36x36  inches.  The  circulating  pumps,  two 
in  number,  and  the  condenser  pumps,  33x36  inches,  with  36-inch  cylinders 
and  45-inch  stroke.  There  is  one  bilge-pump  for  each  engine,  and  two 
donkey-pumps  with  9-inch  cylinders  and  12-inch  stroke.  There  are  four 
blowers  for  ventilation,  driven  by  independent  engines. 

"  The  main  engines  are  reversed  by  two  small  engines  which  can  be  con- 
trolled by  a  small  boy.  The  engines  will  make  sixty  revolutions  per  minute, 
ordinary  speed,  on  a  pressure  of  twenty-five  pounds  of  steam.  The  pumping, 
air-condensing  and  circulating  engines  will  run  at  forty-five  revolutions  per 
minute.  A  prominent  feature  of  the  engine  department  of  the  '  Dunder- 
berg '  is  the  mechanical  skill  displayed  in  the  placing  of  the  line-shafting 
and  bearing  of  the  propeller-shaft.  The  main  bearings  are  forty  inches  in 
length,  and  are  provided  with  hollow  brasses  for  water  circulation.  The 
thrust-bearing  has  thirteen  thrust-collars  on  the  shaft,  and  in  addition  a  ball- 
thrust  is  attached.  Steam  is  furnished  to  the  engines  by  six  horizontal 
tubular  boilers,  each  thirteen  feet  in  depth,  seventeen  feet  six  inches  in 
height,  and  twenty-one  feet  five  inches  front.  The  furnaces  are  situated  in 
two  tiers,  with  ten  furnaces  to  each  boiler,  making  a  total  of  sixty  furnaces 
in  the  main  boilers.  There  are  two  donkey-boilers,  each  with  four  furnaces. 
The  smoke-pipe  is  thirteen  feet  in  diameter,  and  where  it  passes  through  the 
gun-room  it  is  shot-proof.  It  contains  a  grating  to  prevent  anything  being 
thrown  down  to  damage  the  boilers.  Some  idea  can  be  formed  of  the  size  of 
the  smoke-stack  when  we  state  that  it  is  sufficiently  commodious,  standing 
upright,  to'accommodate  twenty  persons  seated  around  a  table  placed  inside. 
Bulkheads  of  iron  are  placed  transversely  at  each  end  of  the  space  occupied 
by  the  boilers  and  machinery ;  these  extend  from  the  floors  up  to  the  spar- 
deck,  and  form  water-tight  compartments  of  sufficient  capacity  to  float  the 
ship  in  case  of  an  emergency.  The  coal-bunkers  have  a  capacity  of  one 
thousand  tons.  The  propeller  shaft  is  in  four  sections,  and  is  one  hundred 
and  eighteen  feet  in  length ;  it  is  eighteen  inches  in  diameter,  and  is  sup- 
ported by  four  main  journals.  The  stern  bearing  is  of  brass,  and  extends  out- 
side of  the  vessel  two  feet.  The  engines  are  expected  to  give  the  screw  sixty 
revolutions  per  minute,  working  at  an  ordinary  and  regular  rate  of  speed, 
although  it  is  believed  in  case  of  need  they  can  be  worked  up  as  high  as 
seventy-five  or  eighty  turns.  The  former  rate  can  be  attained  with  twenty- 
five  pounds  pressure  of  steam,  but  by  the  addition  of  the  donkey-boilers  and 
full  firing,  steam  can  be  raised  to  forty  pounds.  The  contract  calls  for  a 
speed,  of  fifteen  knots  per  hour.  The  'Dunderberg'  will  carry  from  ten  to 
fifteen  days  coal.  The  cost  of  the  engines  and  boilers  will  be  over  half  a 
million  of  dollars." 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  239 

1866. — THE  DOUBLE-TURRETED  MONITORS  "MONADNOCK"  AND  "Mi- 
ANTONOMIAH." — This  class  of  vessels  was  never  designed  for  cruising  pur- 
poses, but  for  harbor  defense  and  operations  upon  the  coast  of  the  United 
States,  and  owing  to  the  foundering  of  the  original  "  Monitor  "  off  Cape 
Hatteras,  and  another  of  these  vessels  in  the  blockade  off  Charleston,  an 
impression  prevailed  that  they  could  not  be  sent  with  safety  outside  the  har- 
bors in  which  they  were  constructed.  To  dispel  this  false  impression  the 
Secretary  of  the  Navy  decided  to  send  the  "Miantonomiah"  across  the  At- 
lantic to  Europe  and  return,  and  the  "  Monadnock  "  ma  the  St'raits  of  Ma- 
gellan to  California,  but  not  without  accompanying  vessels  to  tow  them  if 
needed,  and  to  ensure  the  safety  of  their  crews  in  case  of  disaster  or  ship- 
wreck. The  "  Monadnock,"  after  navigating  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific, 
reached  San  Francisco  in  safety  and  was  placed  in  ordinary  at  Mare  Island 
Navy  Yard,  where  an  iron  vessel  of  the  same  name  and  similar  dimensions 
has  since  been  built,  to  receive  her  engines  and  machinery,  the  old  wooden 
hull  having  become  decayed.  The  "  Miantonomiah,"  a  vessel  of  the  same 
size  and  type,  crossed  the  Atlantic,  passed  up  the  Baltic  to.  Cronstadt,  visited 
many  of  the  principal  ports  of  Europe,  and  returned  in  safety  to  the  United 
States.  Like  her  sister  vessel,  her  wooden  hull  having  become  decayed,  has 
been  replaced  by  an  iroi}  one,  and  her  iron  plating  has  been  exchanged  for 
one  of  compound  steel. 

The  "  Monadnock,"  under  command  of  Lieutenant-Commander  Francis 
M.  Bunce,  sailed  from  Hampton  Roads,  Va.,  November  2, 1865,  in  company 
with  the  "  Vanderbilt  "  and  "Powhatan,"  paddle-wheel  steamers,  and  "Tus- 
carora,"  a  screw  ship,  and  arrived  at  St.  Thomas,  "VV.  I.,  November  11,  after 
a  somewhat  stormy  passage  of  nine  days.  "The  'Monadnock'  behaved  so 
well  at  sea,"  says  Commodore  John  Rodgers  in  his  official  report,  "  as  to  in- 
spire her  officers  not  only  with  confidence,  but  with  enthusiasm  at  her  per- 
formance as  a  sea-boat.  They  do  not  doubt  her  ability  to  go  anywhere."  At 
St.  Thomas  she  was  visited  by  Santa  Anna.  ex-President  of  Mexico.  Captain 
Bunce,  in  his  report  from  thence,  says  :  "  The  engines  have  not  stopped  except 
in  obedience  to  the  bell.  She  has  made  an  average  speed  of  5.85  knots  per 
hour,  the  greatest  distance  run  in  any  one  day  being  162;  the  least,  79.5. 
In  scudding  she  behaves  well,  her  propeller  guarding  the  rudder  against 
heavy  shocks.  A  head  sea  has  but  little  effect  on  her.  Her  motion  is 
greatest  with  the  sea  abaft  the  beam;  but  her  roll,  though  quick  and  short, 
is  easy."  On  her  voyage  to  St.  Thomas  she  consumed  213  tons  of  coal,  or 
an  average  of  23  tons,  8  cwt.  daily.  On  the  26th  of  November  she  arrived 
at  Salute  Island,  French  Guiana,  having  made  an  average  speed  of  6.01 
knots  per  hour  on  an  average  daily  expenditure  of  25  tons,  19  cwt.  of  coal. 
On  the  10th  of  December  she  was  at  Ciara,  Brazil,  after  a  passage  from 
Salute  Island  of  nine  days,  five  hours,  having  made  an  average  speed  of 
5.34  knots  per  hour  on  a  daily  expenditure  of  27i  tons  of  coal.  On  the 
26th  of  December  she  arrived  at  Bahia  in  company  with  the  attending  squad- 


240  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

ron,  having  stopped  at  Pernambuco ;  her  steamiDg  performance  continued 
equally,  and  she  -aided  her  engines  with  extemporized  sails,  which  added 
from  a  knot  to  a  knot  and  a  half  to  her  speed.  On  the  3d  of  January  the 
squadron  arrived  at  Rio  Janeiro,  and  on  the  passage  from  Bahia  to  Rio  her 
average  speed  was  seven  knots  on  a  daily  expenditure  of  26£  tons  of  coal. 
At  Rio  the  Emperor  of  the  Brazils,  Dom  Pedro  II.,  visited  the  "Monad- 
nock."  From  Rio  to  Montevideo  she  averaged  a  speed  of  7.37  knots.  From 
Montevideo  to  Valparaiso  her  average  speed  was  7.1  knots.  Commodore 
Rodgers,  in  his  report  from  Valparaiso,  March  2,  1866,  says: 

"  Any  difficulties  in  the  voyage  to  San  Francisco  which  may  have  been 
anticipated  are  believed  to  end  here.  It  would  be  something  unusual  were 
we  to  encounter  any  weather  which  an  ordinary  steamboat  could  not  resist. 
The  powers  of  the  monitor  have  been  much  more  than  equal  to  the  difficul- 
ties that  we  have  thus  far  met,  and  the  result  amply  vindicates  the  judgment  of 
the  Department  in  directing  a  voyage  which  was  generally  thought  perilous, 
but  of  the  success  of  which  I  had  no  doubt.  In  the  long  seas  of  the  Pacific 
to  the  southward  of  this  I  observed  that  the  'Monadnock'  took  very  little 
water  upon  her  decks,  rising  over  the  waves  easily  and  buoyantly."  Pier 
Commander,  the  same,  reports :  "  The  machinery  has  worked  admirably. 
The  passage  through  the  Straits  of  Magellan  and  Sarmiento  Channel  to  the 
Gulf  of  Penar  presented  no  difficulties  which  were'  not  easily  overcome.  I 
feared,  in  passing  through  the  narrow  places  and  abrupt  turnings,  the  length 
of  the  ship  would  give  trouble,  bufrin  practice  found  none  whatever." 

On  the  25th  of  April  the  "Monadnock"  arrived  at  Callao,  Peru,  and 
May  13th,  at  Panama,  having  stopped  at  Payta,  with  her  usual  average  of 
speed  and  expenditure  of  coal.  Her  next  stopping  place  was  Acapolio,  in 
Mexico,  May  29,  and  on  the  22d  of  June  she  arrived  at  San  Francisco,  and 
on  the  28th  of  June  Commodore  Rodgers  reports:  "I  have  the  honor  to 
announce  the  safe  arrival  of  the  *  Vanderbilt '  and  'Monadnock'  at  the 
Navy  Yard  Mare  Island.  The  '  Monadnock '  found  no  weather  on  her 
voyage  from  Philadelphia  to 'this  place  which  seemed  to  touch  the  limit  of 
her  seagoing  qualities.  The  engines  have  performed  as  satisfactory  as  the 
hull,  and  have  arrived  in  complete  order.  The  success  of  the  voyage  amply 
vindicates  the  judgment  of  the  Department  in  undertaking  it,  and  the  hopes 
of  the  most  sanguine  of  '  Monitor '  people  are  fulfilled  in  this  crucial  ex- 
periment." 

Lieutenant-Commander  Bunce  in  his  report  says :  "  During  the  recent 
passage  of  this  ship  from  Philadelphia  to  this  port  (San  Francisco)  the 
'  Monadnock '  has  run  by  log  15,385  knots.  Her  average  speed  has  been  6.32 
knots.  The  engines  have  been  run  about  sixty  revolutions  per  minute,  that 
being  the  point  judged  to  be  most  economical  in  fuel  and  in  wear  and  tear 
of  machinery.  Not  a  single  piece  of  the  spare  machinery  has  been  used,  and 
the  engines  are  all  now  in  good  working  order;  they  have  been  able  to  per- 
form all  work  demanded  of  them.  The  vessel  is  an  excellent  sea-boat,  and 
has  received  no  damage  from  any  weather  we  have  encountered. 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  241 

"  In  her  present  condition  she  is  as  perfectly  safe  and  trustworthy  a  vessel 
for  cruising  in  any  part  of  the  world  as  a  vessel  can  be  relying  on  steam 
alone  for  its  motive-power,  and  twice  as  safe  as  most  steamers,  for  she  has 
two  independent  pairs  of  steam-engines,  either  of  which  are  sufficient  to'keep 
the  ship  under  control  in  any  weather,  and  to  propel  her  in  ordinary  condi- 
tions of  wind  and  sea  five  knots  per  hour.  At  sea  she  has  never  needed  or 
received  assistance  of  any  kind  whatever  from  other  vessels,  and  therefore  I 
regard  her,  or  any  vessel  of  her  class,  as  thoroughly  competent,  independent 
cruisers." 

Such  was  the  successful  voyage  of  the  first  turreted  vessel  from  the  At- 
lantic to  the  Pacific.  It  was  followed  soon  after  by  the  safe  voyages  of  two 
single- turreted  monitors  to  Callao,  which  had  been  sold  to  the  agents  of.  the 
Peruvian  Government  by  the  Government  of  the  United  States.* 

THE  "  MIANTONOMAH  "  AND  HER  VOYAGE. — We  now  turn  to  the  voy- 
age of  the  sister  ship,  and  her  crossing  and  recrossing  the  Atlantic.  The 
"  Miantonomah  "  left  New  York  under  the  command  of  Commander  J.  C. 
Beaumont,  and  under  the  escort  of  the  paddle-wheel  steamship  "  Augusta," 
and  double-euder  "  Ashuelot,"  May  6th,  and  arrived  at  Halifax  on  the  10th, 
left  Halifax  on  the  18th,  and  arrived  at  St.  Johns,  Newfoundland,  on  the 
23d,  and  arrived  at  Queenstown,  Ireland,  June  16th,  at  4  p.  M.,  after  a  pleas- 
ant passage  across  the  Atlantic  of  ten  days,  and  having  been  in  tow  of  the 
"  Augusta,"  "  as  a  matter  of  convenience  oj  precaution,"  more  than  necessity, 
a  great  portion  of  the  way,  the  "  Miantonomah  "  consuming  a  fair  propor- 
tion of  coal.  Captain  Murray,  in  his  reports,  says :  "  I  think  she  could  have 
crossed  over  alone.  Heavy  weather  does  not  appear  to  materially  affect  the 
speed  or  rolling  of  the  *  Monitor,'  for  while  the  other  vessels  were  lurching 
about,  and  their  progress  checked  by  heavy  seas,  she  went  along  compara- 
tively undisturbed  or  unchecked."  On  the  23d  of  June  the  "  Miantono- 
mah "  arrived  at  Portsmouth,  England.  Mr.  Fox,  Assistant  Secretary  of 
the  United  States  Navy,  joined  her  at  Halifax,  and  took  passage  in  her  to 
Queenstown,  where  he  left  her,  being  a  special  messenger  to  the  Emperor  of 
Russia,  bearing  the  congratulations  of  the  people  of  the  United  States  on  his 
escape  from  assassination.  He  rejoined  her,  however,  at  Cherbourg,  France, 
but  left  her  again  at  Kiel.  The  "  Miantonomah  "  afterwards  made  an  ex- 
tended cruise  in  the  Mediterranean,  visiting  most  of  the  principal  naval 

*The  two  monitors,  "  Catawba "  and  "  Oneota,"  of  1,054  tons,  fitted  with  Ericsson's 
patent  trunk  engines,  were  purchased  from  the  United  States  Government  by  the  agents  of 
the  Peruvian  Government,  and  added  to  the  navy  of  the  Republic  under  the  names  of 
"  Manco  Capac  "  and  "  Atahuallpa."  They  arrived  at  Callao  in-May,  1870,  after  a  prolonged 
voyage  of  eighteen  months,  having  steamed  12,000  miles,  the  engines  having  made  4,500,000 
revolutions.  In  latitude  44°  50'  S.  in  the  Pacific  they  encountered  a  very  heavy  gale, 
which  not  only  tried  the  strength  of  the  ship,  but  its  sea-going  qualities.  The  monitors 
proved  splendid  sea-boats,  their  heaviest  rolling  being  but  seven  degrees,  while  their  convoy 
was  rolling  twenty-eight  degrees. 

16 


242  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

ports,  and  returned  to  the  United  States  ma  the  West  Indies,  arriving  at 
Philadelphia  in  July,  1867,  after  having  steamed  17,767  miles.  Her  perform- 
ance was  in  every  respect  as  satisfactory  as  was  that  of  the  "  Monadnock," 
Everywhere  she  was  an  object  of  interest  and  attention.  In  England  she  was 
visited  by  the  Lords  of  the  Admiralty,  the  Prince  of  Wales,  Dukes  of  Edin- 
burgh, Argyle,  Sutherland,  and  other  high  dignitaries  ;  in  Copenhagen,  by  the 
King  of  Denmark  and  the  royal  family,  and  her  arrival  at  Cronstadt  with 
the  "Augusta"  was  the  occasion  of  a  great  naval  fete.  Indeed,  her  whole 
cruise  in  Northern  Europe  proved  one  continued  ovation.  At  Hamburg, 
Kear  Admiral  Popoff,  the  distinguished  naval  constructor  of  the  Kussian 
Navy,  came  on  board,  and  with  his  staff  took  passage  in  her  to  Cronstadt, 
and  was  delighted  with  his  trip  and  the  performance  of  the  monitor. 

The  recrossing  the  Atlantic  was  accomplished  under  the  most  favorable 
circumstances  as  regards  weather,  but  the  monitor,  in  consequence  of  a  foul 
bottom,  did  not  behave  as  well,  her  average  speed  being  but  six  and  a  half 
knots  instead  of  seven,  which  was  the  average  made  during  the  run  from  St. 
Johns  to  Queenstown.  On  both  passages  she  was  aided  a  greater  part  of 
the  time  by  the  tow-line  of  the  "  Augusta."  From  Naples  to  Philadelphia, 
a  distance  of  7,500  miles,  head  winds  were  encountered  in  only  two  instances, 
viz.,  on  the  second  day  out  from  Naples,  and  the  day  before  she  arrived  in 
the  Delaware. 

After  these  two  voyages  there  was  no  longer  any  doubt  but  the  larger 
class  of  monitors  were  seaworthy  vessels,  capable  of  crossing  the  Atlantic, 
or  visiting  the  most  distant  seas  when  necessity  required  them  to,  though 
their  particular  province  is  the  defense  of  our  coasts  and  harbors. 

The  tonnage  of  the  "  Monadnock  "  and  "  Miantonomah,"  then  building, 
is  stated  in  the  United  States  Navy  Register  for  1864,  by  the  old  measurement, 
as  1,564  tons  each.  In  1866,  by  the  new  measurement,  the  "  Miantonomah  " 
is  1,225  tons  ;  the  "Monadnock"  1,091,  which  infers  a  difference  of  model. 
They  continued  to  be  so  reported  until  the  register  of  1881,  where  both  are 
stated  to  have  a  tonnage  of  1,226  tons  and  a  displacement  of  3,815  tons. 

It  seems  more  than  probable  that  the  seaworthiness  of  these  vessels  sug- 
gested the  idea  of  the  domed  and  mastless  steamship  "  Meteor,"  now  (1882) 
building,  which  is  to  make  a  rapid  transit  of  the  Atlantic,  if  the  expecta- 
tion of  her  constructor  and  owners  is  fulfilled. 

1866. — BRITISH  STEAM  INVENTION  FOR  TEN  YEARS  PRECEDING. — The 
British  Patent  Office  has  published  a  series  of  classified  abridgments  of 
specifications  of  patents  in  fifty-five  handy  volumes,  which  contain  all  the 
patents  qf  the  particular  subjects  treated  in  each  volume  that  have  been 
reported  from  the  establishment  of  the  Patent  Office  up  to  a  late  date.  No 
such  index  of  American  invention  has  been  issued  by  the  United  States 
Patent  Office,  and  the  inquirer  has  to  search  through  the  records  of  one 
hundred  years  to  select  what  he  particularly  wants. 

Thus  the  two  12mo  volumes  of  333  and  340  pages  each,  "  on  marine 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  243 

propulsion,  exclusive  of  sails,"  contain  abridgments  of  every  patent  on  that 
subject  issued  from  the  British  Patent  Office  from  1618  to  1866. 

The  second  volume  shows  that  between  the  ten  years,  comprised  between 
January,  1857,  and  December,  1866, 17  patents  were  taken  out  for  air  ex- 
pelled to  propel  a  vessel,  26  for  air-pump  to  steam-engine,  26  for  fire-bars  to 
steam-engine,  163  concerning  boilers,  8  for  canal  navigation,  5  for  cranks, 
119  for  cylinders,  74  for  condensers,  6  for  vessels  supported  on  drums,  212 
for  steam-engines,  75  for  feathering  paddles,  100  concerning  furnaces,  35  for 
governors,  7  for  guages,  69  for  hydro-propulsion,  11  for  preventing  the  in- 
crustation of  boilers,  10  for  life-boats,  etc.,  8  for  atmospheric  engines,  4  for  gas 
engines,  5  for  heated  air,  32  for  paddle-floats,  98  for  paddle-wheels,  10  for  sub- 
merged wheels,  340  for  screw  propellers,  devices  of  various  kinds,  etc.,  15  for 
refrigerators  for  engines,  70  concerning  shafts  for  paddle-wheels  or  propel- 
lers, 3  for  starting  gear,  4  for  stopping  vessels,  52  for  steering,  4  for  sub- 
marine vessels,  29  for  superheating  steam,  11  for  towing,  27  for  turbines,  71 
for  valve  and  valve  gear,  3  for  revolving  vessels,  2  for  vessel  separate  for 
engine,  and  many  other  minor  inventions  ;  and  the  first  volume,  1618-1857, 
contains  thirty  pages  of  index,  showing  quite  as  many  more. 

1867. — STEAMERS  ON  LAKE  MEMPHREMAGOG,  N.  H. — The  Memphre- 
magog  Steam  Navigation  Company  had  three  steamers  in  1867  plying  upon 
that- lake  in  New  Hampshire,  and  two  more  upon  the  stocks.  A  traveler 
describes  a  trip  in  one  of  these  boats  to  inspect  another  upon  the  stocks 
that  year. 

"  Friday  last,"  he  says,  "  I  took  a  trip  upon  the  '  Mountain  Maid'  to  Ma- 
gog to  inspect  the  new  boat.  She  exceeds  the  best  of  the  Winnipiseogee 
boats  in  her  construction,  in  speed,  and  in  her  appointments,  and  will  equal 
the  largest  of  them  in  size.  She  is  not  an  American  boat,  although  Ameri- 
can capital  has  been  liberally  invested  in  her.  She  will  fly  the  flag  of  the 
New  Dominion  of  Canada  (supposing  that  to  be  different  from  the  British 
bunting). 

"  The  name  of  the  steamer  is  taken  from  Mount  Oxford,  the  highest 
mountain  in  Canada,  which  stands  a  sentinel  at  the  outlet  of  the  lake,  rear- 
ing its  pyramid  almost  five  thousand  feet  from  its  waters.  The  hull  is  iron, 
the  plates  having  been  made  and  fitted  upon  the  Clyde.  Her  length  is  one 
hundred  and  seventy  feet ;  her  low  pressure  engine  has  a  thirty-six  inch 
cylinder  and  ten  feet  stroke,  and  is  of  superior  finish. 

"  The  company  has  purchased  the  '  Mountain  Maid'  and  rebuilt  her.  The 
'  Oxford'  is  to  make  two  trips  a  day  through  the  lake.  The  '  Maid'  will  run 
as  an  auxiliary  freight  and  tow-boat." 

The  "  Mountain  MaicTJbeing  insufficient  to  meet  the  wants  of  pleasure- 
seekers,  an  iron  steamer  was  built  and  placed  on  the  lake.  The  hull  was  built 
on  the  Clyde.  It  was  brought  over,  and  the  steamer  completed  at  Magog. 
It  is  one  hundred  and  seventy  feet  long,  and  is  divided  into  four  water-tight 
compartments,  and  is  conveniently  fitted  up  with  dining-saloon  and  ladies' 
cabin.  It  was  christened  the  "  Lady  of  the  Lake."  It  runs  seventeen  miles 


244 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 


an  hour,  makes  two  daily  trips  between  Newport  and  Magog,  and  takes  three 
hours  to  make  the  run  from  one  end  of  the  lake  to  the  other,  including  stops. 

In  addition  to  the  "  Lady  of  the  Lake,"  there  are  a  number  of  smaller 
steamers  at  Newport. 

1869.— STEAMER  ON  THE  GREAT  SALT  LAKE.— The  "  Kate  Corser,"  the 
first  steamer  to  cross  the  American  "Dead  Sea," — the  Great  Salt  Lake — and 
employed  for  some  time  in  transporting  ties  to  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad, 
in  1869  made  a  successful  trip  up  Bear  River  to  Corinne.  The  local  news- 
paper says,  "  On  nearing  the  city  the  circus  band-wagon  containing  the  band, 
with  several  other  carriages,  started  to  meet  her.  About  one  mile  below 
she  steamed  to  shore  and  took  them  aboard.  She  stemmed  the  current  ad- 
mirably, and  bore  up  to  the  city  like  a  swan,  amid  the  sound  of  swelling 
music,  the  deafening  boom  of  anvils,  and  the  cheers  of  .the  throng  upon  the 
river's  bank."  Bear  River  was  found  to  be  perfectly  free  from  falls  or 
rapids ;  the  current,  however,  was  very  strong. 

EXTRAORDINARY  INLAND  VOYAGE. — On  the  5th  day  of  August,  1869, 
the  steamer  "  Helen  Brooks  "  left  Baltimore,  Maryland,  for  Bayou  Teche, 
Louisiana.  She  left  Baltimore  by  way  of  the  Chesapeake  Bay,  and  passed 
through  the  State  of  Delaware  by  canal ;  up  the  Delaware  River  to  Trenton, 
New  Jersey  ;  through  the  State  of  New  Jersey  by  canal ;  down  the  Raritaii 
River  to  New  York  City ;  up  the  Hudson  River  to  Troy ;  through  the  State 
of  New  York  by  the  Erie  Canal  to  Buffalo;  thence  by  way  of  Lake  Erie  to 
Chicago  ;  down  through  the  Illinois  Canal  to  the  Illinois  River  ;  and  thence 
down  the  Mississippi  River,  arriving  at  Napoleon  October  14,  1869,  after  a 
circuitous  journey  of  over  three  thousand  miles. 

THE  MERCANTILE  STEAMERS  OF  THE  WORLD,  1870-74. 


1 
NATIONALITY. 

Number. 

Average  size  in  Tons. 

Tonnage. 

1870. 

1873. 

1874. 

1870. 

1873. 

1874. 

1S70. 

1873. 

1874. 

597 

403 

613 

6 
81 
39 
3,002 
9 
67 
107 
315 
X220 
9 
110 
112 
23 
144 
72 

861 

1,199 

1,254 

576 
1,025 
1,0.°,9 
1,005 
592 
582 
876 
1,012 
1,222 
592 
827 
453 
802 
771 
728 

513,792 

483,040 

768.724 
3,459 
83,039 
40,536 
3,015,773 
5,332 
38,976 
93,723 
318,757 
268,828 
5,329 
91,011 
51,103 
18,452 
111,072 
52,387 
155,417 
77,440 
27,530 

74 
14 
2,426 

"44 

82 
288 
127 
8 
>  86 
26 
38 
62 

91 
42 
3,061 

"'71 
95 
392 
200 
8 
103 
88 
17 
114 

599 
746 

681 

925 
725 
857 

44,312 
10,462 
1,651,767 

84,155 
30,444 
2,624,431 

British        

Central  American.. 

275 

481 
739 
827 
408 
423 
282 
729 
458 

486 
766 
808 
1,024 
424 
826 
473 
855 
592 

12,085 
39,405 
212,976 
105,131 
3,267 
36,358 
7,321 
13,126 
28,422 

34,498 
72,753 
316,765 
204,894 
3,390 
85,045 
41,602 
14,536 
67,522 

Dutch           

Greek               

Italian 

Norwegian  

Russian  *  

148 
83 

'"49 

202 
143 
9 
109 

212 
195 
29 

492 
224 

"481 

686 
373 
339 
643 

733 
397 
949 

72,845 
18,633 

138,675 
53,327 
3,049 
70,067 

Turkish  &  Egypt'n.. 

23,550 

Totals             

4,132 

5,148 

5,365 

676 

841 

974 

2,793,432 

4,328,193 

5,226,888 

HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  245 

1872. — From  1841  to  1872  forty-four  steamships,  employed  on  voyages 
between  the  United  States,  England,  and  the  Continent,  were  lost.  Four 
of  these  were  wooden  paddle-wheel  steamers,  the  remainder  were  iron  vessels. 

The  "  President,"  "  City  of  Glasgow,"  "  City  of  Boston,"  "  Pacific,"  "Tem- 
pest," "  United  Kingdom,"  and  "  Mina  Thomas"  foundered  at  sea,  and  were 
never  heard  from.  Between  1857  and  1864  nine  iron  steamers,  running 
from  the  mouth  of  the -St.  Lawrence  to  Portland,  Maine,  were  lost. 

1867. — PETROLEUM  AS  FUEL  ON  BOARD  STEAMERS. — Under  authority 
of  an  act  approved  April  27,  1866,  appropriating  five  thousand  dollars  for 
testing  the  use  of  petroleum  as  a  fuel  under  marine  boilers,  an  elaborate 
series  of  experiments  was  made  at  the  Boston  Navy  Yard  on  board  the 
United  States  steamer  "  Palos,"  a  first-class  screw  tug-boat  of  350  tons,  to 
ascertain  the  value  of  crude  petroleum  as  a  fuel  for  generating  steam  in 
marine  boilers,  the  burning  apparatus  being  the  invention  of  Mr.  Henry  R. 
Foote.  The  steamer  made  a  successful  excursion  down  the  harbor  and 
back,  and  the  experiments  were' continued  at  the  wharf  for  several  months, 
but  the  general  result  was  not  considered  satisfactory.  About  the  same 
time  other  experiments  were  made  at  the  Brooklyn  Navy  Yard  with  the 
same  fuel  and  the  boilers  and  apparatus  invented  by  Clark  Fisher,  an  en- 
gineer of  the  United  States  Navy.  Also,  among  other  systems  of  burning 
petroleum  under  the  same  boilers,  was  tried  that  of  Mr.  Simon  Stevens,* 

The  conclusion  arrived  at  was  that  convenience,  health,  comfort  and  safety 
were  against  the  use  of  petroleum  in  steam-vessels,  and  that  the  only  advan- 
tage shown  was  a  not  very  important  reduction  in  the  bulk  and  weight  of 
fuel  carried. 

1867. — Up  to  1867  the  largest  and  fastest  merchant  ocean  steamer  built 
on  the  American  continent  was  the  "Adriatic"  of  the  Collins'  Line.  The 
hull  was  343  10-12  feet  long  on  the  load-line,  an^  her  extreme  breadth 
343  10-12  feet.  Her  displacement  was  5,233  tons. 

1870. — THE  "  PALOS." — The  first  United  States  steamer  to  pass  through 
the  Suez  Canal  was  the  "  Palos,"  fourth-rate,  Commander  L.  A.  Beardslee, 
which  entered  the  canal  at  Port  Said  on  the  morning  of  August  9,  1870. 
Leaving  it  on  the  llth  at  7  A.M.  the  steamer  arrived  at  Ismaillia  at  3  P.M., 
having  been  detained  three  hours  in  the  "gares"  waiting  for  steamers 
coming  from  the  southward  to  pass,  and  after  several  other  detentions  at 
"gares"  arrived  at  Suez  at  1.30  P.M.,  August  13,  1870,  having  been  under- 
way in  the  canal  seventeen  hours. 

Commander  Beardslee  reported  that  the  canal  for  its  entire  length  at  that 
date  had  a  nearly  level  floor,  with  from  24  to  28  feet  of  water,  72  feet  wide, 
and  that  a  vessel  drawing  16  feet  had  a  channel  116  feet  in  width. 

1870. — THE  "  HOTSPUR,"  the  first  iron-clad  constructed  chiefly  as  a  ram 
for  the  Royal  Navy,  was  launched  in  1870. 

*  See  Report  of  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  Decembes  2,  1867.  Report  of  the  Chief  of  the 
Bureau  of  Steam  Engineering. 


246  HISTOR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

1870. — COMPOUND  ENGINES  IN  THE  ROYAL  NAVY. — The  wooden  screw 
corvette  "  Briton  "  was  taken  out  of  Sheerness  harbor  on  the  10th  of  June, 
1870,  for  a  final  trial  of  her  engines  and  the  newly  invented  plan  of  reheat- 
ing the  steam  on  its  passage  from  a  small  to  a  large  cylinder.  The  London 
Times  said :  "  The  value  of  the  invention  was  amply  proved ;  the  trial 
having  finally  disposed  of  the  long-vexed  question  as  to  the  best  means  of 
economizing  fuel  in  steamships."  The  "Briton"  was'kept  at  full  speed  for 
four  consecutive  hours,  the  engines  making  seventy-seven  revolutions,  the 
speed  being  over  twelve  knots,  and  the  consumption  of  coal  only  1.3  pounds 
per  horse-power  per  hour,  the  average  consumption  .of  coal  on  Her 
Majesty's  steamers  having  before  ranged  from  3  to  4  pounds  per  horse-power 
an  hour.  A  previous  trial  of  the  "Briton"  had  not  been  as  successful. 

1871. — COMPOUND  ENGINES  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  NAVY. — This  year 
Chief  Engineer  J.  "W.  King,  U.  S.  N.,  made  a  strong  report  in  favor  of  com- 
pound engines,  in  which  he  stated  that  the  Fairfield  Works  on  the  Clyde 
had  completed  one  hundred  and  thirty  pairs  of  compound  engines,  and  had 
then,  at  the  time  of  his  visit,  twenty-two  pairs  under  construction,  all  for 
ocean  steamers.  That  firm  or  company  was  then  regarded  as  the  pioneer  of 
the  compound  system,  and  its  productions  accepted  as  the  best  types.* 

In  consequence  of  this  favorable  report,  the  Honorable  Secretary  of  the 
United  States  Navy  ordered  all  new  vessels  and  those  requiring  new  engines 
to  be  fitted  with  those  of  the  compound  type.f  In  December,  1872,  Chief 
Engineers  Charles  H.  Loring  and  Charles  H.  Baker  made  a  very  strong 
report  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  in  favor  of  compound  engines. 

1872. — FUEL  SAVINGS  EXPERIMENT. — In  1872  a  discovery  was  made  by 
which  the  cost  of  steam-power,  it  was  claimed,  was  reduced  sixty  per  cent. 
It  was  put  into  practical  operation  at  the  Atlantic  Works  in  Boston.  By  a 
novel  process  the  grea^;  amount  of  heat  that  escapes  into  the  air  in  the 
waste  or  exhaust  steam  from  engines  is  utilized  by  conducting  it  through 
the  tubes  of  a  boiler  filled  with  the  bisulphide  of  carbon,  "a  fluid  which 
boils  at  110°  Fah.,  and  at  the  temperature  of  exhaust  steam  gives  a  pres- 
sure of  sixty-five  pounds  to  the  inch  in  the  boiler;"  the  vapor  formed  in 
this  boiler  is  used  to  drive  an  engine,  instead  of  steam,  and  after  being  used, 
ij  condensed  by  cooling,  pumped  into  the  boiler  again,  and  used  continu- 
ously without  loss. 

Careful  experiments  proved  that  the  fuel  required  to  produce  one  hundred 
horse-power  with  the  best  engines  then  in  use  would  by  this  process  produce 
two  hundred  and  fifty  horse-power,  a  gain  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  per  cent, 
in  the  power  obtained  by  the  same  consumption  of  fuel. 

For  making  a  careful  test  of  this  process,  two  new  engines  of  the  same 

*  Report  of  J.  W.  King,  U.  S.  N.,  Chief  of  Bureau  of  Steam  Engineering,  to  the  Secre- 
tary of  the  Navy,  October  30,  1871. 
f  See  Secretary  of  Navy  Report,  1872. 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  247 

size  and  construction  were  put  up  at  the  Atlantic  Works ;  one  was  run  by 
steam  in  the  usual  manner,  while  the  heat  that  escaped  in  the  exhaust  from 
this  engine  was  used  to  heat  a  boiler  and  drive  the  second  engine.  A  care- 
ful measurement  of  the  power  produced  by  each  of  the  engines  showed  that 
while  the  first  engine,  worked  by  steam  in  the  usual  way,  produced  6.23 
horse-power,  the  second  engine,  worked  entirely  by  the  waste  heat  escaping 
in  the  exhaust  from  the  first,  produced  9.12  horse-power,  the  two  together 
producing  15.35  horse-power  with  the  fuel  required  to  drive  the  steam- 
engine  alone. 

The  coal  required  to  run  a  steam-engine  of  one  hundred  horse-power,  of 
the  best  class  in  use,  is  about  four  thousand  pounds  per  day,  or  six  hundred 
tons  a  year.  It  was  claimed  by  this  discovery  the  same  engine  could  be  run 
with  sixteen  hundred  pounds  of  coal  per  day,  or  two  hundred  and  forty  tons 
per  year,  saving  three  hundred  and  sixty  tons  of  coal  a  year  for  each 
hundred  horse-power  produced. 

For  steam-vessels  the  advantages  of  this  process  would  be  greater  than  for 
stationary  engines,  as  a  large  amount  of  room  occupied  by  coal  would  be  saved, 
and  could  be  used  for  freight.  The  vessel  could  also  carry  fuel  to  last  through 
a  much  longer  voyage,  enabling  steam  to  compete  with  sailing-vessels  on 
long  voyages  advantageously. 

1873.— THE  CABLE  STEAMER  "  FARADAY."— This  vessel  was  built  in  1873 
for  laying  Atlantic  cables.  She  is  366  feet  in  length,  had  52  feet  beam,  is 
36  feet  in  depth  and  measures  5,000  tons  gross,  but  can  carry  6,000  ton^ 
dead  weight.  Her  iron  hull,  in  addition  to  the  requirements  of  "  Lloyds,"  was 
enormously  strengthened  to  fit  her  for  the  service  for  which  she  was  built.  She 
4  is  fitted  with  three  cable  tanks  constructed  of  plate-iron,  which  form  a  series 
of  double  arches  supporting  the  sides  of  the  vessel.  These  tanks  are  united 
together  and  to  the  general  fabric  of  the  hull  by  five  iron  decks.  The  vessel 
is  double-bottomed,  the  space  between  the  two  bottoms  being  a  network  of 
iron  girders  for  carrying  the  cable  tanks,  and  at  the  same  time  giving  lon- 
gitudinal strength  to  that  portion  of  the  hull.  The  space  is  further  utilized 
for  carrying  water  ballast,  to  trim  the  vessel  as  the  cable  is  run  out,  and  to 
enable  her  to  make  a  voyage  across  the  Atlantic  without  cargo  or  other 
weight  beyond  fuel.  In  outward  appearance  the  "  Faraday"  is  unlike  other 
ocean  steamers,  her  bow  and  stern  being  of  the  same  form,  and  she  is  fitted 
with  a  rudder  at  both  ends.  She  has  two  surface  condensing  engines,  each 
working  a  separate  screw.  The  object  of  this  arrangement  is  to  obtain 
increased  steering  or  manoeuvring  power,  which  is  a  very  important  condition 
in  cable  laying. 

1875. — THE  DOUBLE-HULL  "  CASTALIA." — To  provide  ample  accommoda- 
tions for  all  classes  of  passengers  under  shelter  as  well  as  on  deck,  to  reduce 
the  motion  of  rolling  and  pitching  to  a  minimum,  and  to  keep  the  draft  to  six 
feet,  so  that  the  steamer  could  enter  the  channel  ports  on  both  sides  at  every 
state  of  tide,  the  "  Castalia  "  was  built  at  the  Thames  Iron  Works.  She  may 


248  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

be  roughly  described  as  the  two  halves  of  a  longitudinally  divided  hull, 
290  feet  long,  placed  26  feet  apart,  and  strongly  bound  together.  Under 
this  deck  worked  a  pair  of  paddle-wheels,  side  by  side,  on  two  separate  shafts. 
so  that  each  wheel  could  be  worked  independently  by  two  pairs  of  engines, 
one  pair  on  each  half  of  the  vessel.  The  division  of  the  hull  provided  a 
deck  sixty  feet  wide.  Before  and  behind  the  engine  were  state  saloons 
enclosed  by  the  hurricane  deck  running  the  whole  width  of  the  vessel, 
There  were  also  decks  below  running  fore  and  aft  to  within  a  few  feet  of  the 
double  bow  in  the  separate  hulls.  The  "Castalia"  had  accommodation  for 
one  thousand  passengers. 

A  correspondent  of  the  London  Times  says  of  this  steamer : 
"  Returning  from  our  autumnal  tour  we  determined  to  give  the  '  Castalia' 
a  trial.  The  weather  was  unusually  boisterous ;  at  Calais  it  was  difficult  to 
stand  against  the  gust  of  wind  which  swept  across  the  pier.  Outside,  the 
sea  ran  high,  and  the  usual  discomforts  of  the  passage  presented  themselves 
to  us.  The  '  Castalia,'  when  she  left  the  pier,  seemed  to  glide  to  the  tur- 
bulent waters  outside.  For  a  moment  it  puzzled  one  to  find  the  deck  as  firm 
and  level  as  a  dinner  table,  and  yet  waves  breaking  all  around.  We  per- 
formed the  passage  to  Dover  in  about  two  hours  and  a  quarter ;  the  motion 
was  very  slight  indeed,  about  as  much  as  in  the  ordinary  steamers  after  they 
get  within  the  harbor  of  Dover  or  Calais — every  few  minutes  there  was  one 
single  roll  of  about  three  degrees.  There  was  no  tremulous  motion  from  the 
paddles.  I  explored  the  saloons  for  indications  of  straining,  but  found 
none ;  the  surface  of  the  paint  was  without  a  shadow  of  a  crack,  and  through- 
out the  passage  there  was  no  creaking  noise.  When  we  arrived  in  Dover 
the  decks  before  and  aft  of  the  funnels  were  as  dry  as  when  we  left  Calais. 
The  sea  was  enough  to  try  the  regular  steamers,  but  on  board  the  'Castalia' 
children  were  playing  about,  every  one  was  perfectly  comfortable,  and  I  can 
safely  state  that  it  is  the  first  time  I  ever  crossed  the  Channel  without  seeing 
a  sign  of  sickness." 

1875. — THE  "  BESSEMER."— This  vessel  was  constructed  for  the  Channel 
service  to  combine  great  speed,  a  light  draft,  and  the  least  possible  roll- 
ing and  pitching  motions,  and  to  afford  passengers  crossing  the  Channel  the 
quickest  transit  with  the  greatest  amount  of  ease,  at  an  immersion  so  small 
that  the  vessel  could  enter  the  existing  English  and  French  harbors  at  all 
times  of  the  tide.  The  "Bessemer"  was  designed  by  E.  J.  Reed,  ex-con- 
structor to  the  Royal  Navy,  with  the  exception  of  her  anti-seasick  swinging 
saloon,  which  was  the  invention  of  Mr.  Bessemer.  The  vessel  was  so  novel 
in  her  construction  as  to  be  an  object  of  great  interest.  She  was  three  hun- 
dred and  fifty  feet  long  at  the  water-line,  and  forty-eight  feet  at  each  end; 
the  deck  was  only  four  feet  above  the  line  of  flotation,  so  that  in  rough 
weather  the  sea  would  wash  over  these  low  ends.  The  decks  on  this  por- 
tion of  the  vessel  had  a  considerable  curve,  and  the  sides  of  the  ship  were 
rounded  off  so  that  the  water  might  escape.  This  form  of  end  was  selected 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  249 

to  obviate  any  tendency  to  pitching.  Above  these  low  decks  was  a  breast- 
work eight  feet  high,  two  hundred  and  fifty-four  feet  long  and  all  the  width 
of  the  vessel.  The  whole  of  this  breagtwork  deck  was  for  the  use  of  the 
passengers,  and  portions  fore  and  aft  of  the  paddle-boxes  were  protected  with 
stanchions.  The  vessel  was  propelled  by  four  paddle-wheels,  and  ninety 
feet  of  the  space  between  the  paddles  was  occupied  by  the  swinging  saloon. 
Beyond  this  and  at  each  end  the  space  nearest  the  saloon  was  occupied  by  the 
engines  and  the  boilers.  At  one  end  of  the  breastwork  there  was  accom- 
modation for  the  crew  and  beneath  their  quarters  stowage-room  for  passen- 
gers' luggage,  etc.  At  the  opposite  end  of  the  breastwork  the  space  was 
fitted  with  cabins  for  the  ladies,  and  below  these  cabins  was  a  saloon  fifty-two 
feet  long,  fitted  with  sofa  seats  all  around.  Along  the  sides  of  the  breast- 
work deck,  between  the  paddle-boxes,  were  other  cabins,  smoking  and  re- 
freshment-rooms. The  "  Bessemer"  swinging  saloon  was  about  seventy  feet 
long,  thirty-five  feet  wide,  and  twenty  feet  high.  The  weight  of  the  saloon 
was  borne  by  four  large  bearings,  one  at  each  end  and  two  near  the  centre. 
The  end  bearings  were  fixed  on  iron  transverse  bulkheads,  which  were  well- 
stiffened  by  fore  and  aft  ways  to  prevent  their  buckling.  The  saloon  was  a 
superbly-fitted  apartment.  The  top  of  it  formed  a  promenade  deck,  and 
was  fitted  all  around  with  seats.  The  saloon  was  entirely  under  the  con- 
trol of  machinery  invented  by  Mr.  Bessemer,  and  it  was  expected  the 
passengers  would  not  feel  any  more  unpleasant  sensation  than  they  would  in 
going  up  or  down  the  Thames. 

The  swinging  saloon  was  in  the  centre  of  the  vessel,  and  was  entered  by 
two  broad  stair-cases  leading  to  a  landing  connected  with  the  saloon  by  a 
flexible  flooring.  The  aftermost  of  the  two  central  supports  was  hollow  and 
served  as  a  part  of  the  hydraulic  machinery  for  regulating  th'e  motion  of  the 
saloon. 

The  nominal  horse-power  of  the  engines  of  the  "  Bessemer"  was  750,  but 
they  could  be  worked  up  to  an  indicated  power  of  4,600,  and  were  calculated 
to  drive  the  vessel  at  a  speed  of  from  eighteen  to  twenty  statute  miles  an 
hour.  The  paddle-wheels,  one  hundred  and  six  feet  apart  and  twenty-seven 
feet  ten  inches  in  diameter,  were  fitted  with  twelve  feathering  floats. 

May  8,  1875. — The  "Bessemer"  crossed  from  Dover  to  Calais  and  back 
again,  when  her  speed  was  about  the  same  as  the  ordinary  boats. 

THE  "  CALAIS-DOUVER." — Another  twin  boat  for  crossing  the  Channel  be- 
tween England  and  France,  called  the  "  Calais-Douver,"  in  some  respects 
an  improvement  on  the  "  Bessemer,"  has  been  built  and  is  in  successful 
service.  Her  length  is  three  hundred  and  two  feet;  breadth  over  all,  sixty- 
one  feet ;  depth,  thirteen  feet  nine  inches;  water  space  between  th'e  hulls, 
twenty-four  and  a  half  feet;  draft,  seven  feet;  speed,  fourteen  and  a  half 
to  fifteen  knots.  The  diameter  of  her  cylinders  is  sixty-three  inches  ;  stroke 
of  piston,  six  feet;  cut  off,  three-tenths  of  stroke  ;  revolutions  of  her  paddle- 
wheel,  thirty-five  per  minute;  steam  pressure,  thirty  pounds;  diameter  of 


250  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

wheel,  twenty-four  feet;  beam  of  each  hull,  eighteen  feet  three  inches;  horse- 
power, 3,600.     She  was  built  at  Newcastle-upon-Tyne. 

1875 — HIGH  SPEED  BOATS  IN  RUSSIA. — In  1875  a  high-speed  boat  was 
built  at  St.  Petersburg  on  an  improved  plan,  whose  outer  hull  was  made 
entirely  of  Muntz  metal,  it  being  cheaper  than  copper  as  a  sheathing  for 
wooden  vessels.  In  a  trial  with  one  of  the  fastest  boats  she  was  victorious, 
and  accomplished  nineteen  miles  per  hour,  the  engines  making  an  average 
of  nearly  six  hundred  revolutions  per  minute,  working  with  steam  at  one 
hundred  pounds  per  square  Inch.  This  vessel  is  described  as  forty-eight 
feet  long  at  the  load-line,  having  six  and  one-half  feet  beam,  and  three  and 
one-half  feet  depth  of  hold,  while  her  mean  draft  was  one  foot  nine 
inches.  She  had  compound  engines  of  superior  workmanship  in  every  re- 
spect, which  drove  a  screw  two  feet  nine  inches  in  diameter,  having  three 
feet  four  inches  in  pitch. 

1876.— THE  "!ONA." — The  "lona,"  a  paddle-wheel  steamer  employed  in 
the  passenger  traffic  between  Glasgow  and  the  Western  Highlands,  had 
cabin  accommodations  for  twelve  hundred  passengers,  and  her  long  range  of 
saloon  houses,  with  plate-glass  windows  fore  and  aft,  gave  her  a  graceful  ap- 
pearance. Her  dimensions  were :  Length,  250  feet ;  beam,  25  feet.  She  was 
propelled  by  a  pair  of  oscillating  engines  with  a  continued  nominal  power 
of  180  horses.  Her  draft,  when  fully  laden,  did  not  exceed  6  feet,  and  her 
speed  under  favorable  circumstances  was  from  twenty  to  twenty-one  miles 
per  hour.  She  was  the  fastest  steam-vessel  in  Great  Britain,  and  one,  or  two 
steamers  of  the  United  States  excepted  in  the  world. 

1878.— THE"  IRIS."— There  was  in  the  British  Navy  in  1878  a  man-of- 
war  capable  of  steaming  twenty-one  miles  an  hour.  She  was  a  vessel  named 
the  "  Iris,"  of  nearly  four  thousand  tons  measurement,  having  a  nominal 
speed  of  seven  thousand  horse-power.  When  fully  equipped  and  armed  she 
may  not  have  been  so  fleet,  but  the  surprising  speed  realized  at  Portsmouth 
was  not  considered  the  maximum  that  the  '•  Iris"  was  capable  of  making.  A 
previous  trial  of  the  ship's  engines  had  not  been  so  satisfactory.  At  that 
time  a  huge,  four-bladed  screw  was  fitted,  and  the  improvement  in  the  fleet- 
ness  of  the  vessel  was  due  to  reducing  the  surface  of  the  screw,  and  employ- 
ing two  blades  instead  of  four.  The  engines,  powerful  as  they  were,  had  been 
overweighted  by  the  screw. 

The  "  Iris"  was  the  forerunner  of  a  steel  flotilla  of  six  corvettes  and  two 
dispatch  boats  of  a  similar  character. 

By  employing  steel  in  lieu  of  iron,  it  has  been  possible  to  construct  much 
lighter  craft,  with  finer  lines  to  the  vessels  without  sacrificing  their  strength 
and  soliSity.  The  steel  corvettes  are  to  be  fleet  boats,  but  have  the  high 
speed  of  the  "  Iris"  or  "  Mercury."  They  are  intended  for  swift  cruisers, 
and,  though  comparatively  lightly  armed,  each  of  them  have  a  pair  of  seven- 
inch,  or  armor  piercing  guns.  They  are  named  respectively  the  "  Carys- 
fort,"  "  Champion,"  "  Cleopatra,"  "  Comus,"  "  Conquest,"  and  "  Curacoa." 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  251 

The  "  Iris"  and  "  Mercury"  armament  consists  of  sixty-four  pounders  ;  but 
their  speed  is  such  they  will  always  have  the  option  of  fighting  or  running 
away. 

1878. — STEAMBOATS  IN  COREA. — A  steamboat  built  by  the  Coreans  is  thus 
referred  to  in  the  North  China  Daily  News  of  March  28,  1878  :  B 

"Everything  European,  just  because.it  is  so,  is  despised,  but  the  Coreans 
try  hard  to  originate  wonderful  undertakings.  For  about  eight  months  they 
have  been  working  at  a  steamboat,  and  some  ten  thousand  taeh  have  been 
used  up.  There  is  the  shell  with  three  keels,  which  makes  the  thing  rather 
flat.  The  bow  is  sharp,  and  there  are  port-holes  for  cannon  ;  a  smoke-stack, 
which  has  been  observed  at  work,  but  the  wheels  are  wanting.  Meanwhile, 
for  fear  the  Japanese  might  benefit  by  the  sight,  this  masterpiece  was  covered 
in  with  a  wooden  frame.  Ten  years  ago  they  made  an  iron  vessel,  but  it  un- 
fortunately sank  when  launched." 

1879. — THE  "  DURBIN." — The  fastest  long-distance  voyage  on  record  was 
made  b^the  steamer  "Durbin"  with  telegrams  from  Zululand  to  England, 
in  1879.  She  left  Table  Bay  a  little  before  8  P.M.,  and  averaged  298  miles 
a  day  to  Madeira,  where  she  stopped  on  April  14  for  four  and  a  half  hours. 
She  made  Plymouth  at  6  P.M.  on  April  20.  The  entire  distance,  about 
6,000  miles,  was  run  at  an  average  of  13.1  knots.  Faster  speed  has  been 
made  across  the  Atlantic,  but  this  is  the  best  for  so  long  a  distance. 

1879. — STEAM  vs.  SAILS. — At  the  end  of  the  year  1879  there  were  reg- 
istered as  belonging  to  the  United  Kingdom,  including  the  Channel  Islands, 
20,538  sailing-vessels,  of  4,068,742  tons,  and  5,027  steam-vessels,  of  2,511,- 
733  tons,  making  in  the  whole  25,565  vessels,  of  6,579,795  tons,  being  24,- 
811  tons  more  than  at  the  end  of  the  year  1878. 

The  numbers  for  1879  compared  with  those  of  1866  show  in  the  fourteen 
years  a  decline  of  5,602  in  the  number  of  sailing-vessels,  and  of  834,910  tons 
in  the  tonnage ;  and  in  steam-vessels  an  increase  of  2,196  in  the  number,  and 
of  1,635,548  tons  in  the  tonnage. 

The  shipping  belonging  to  the  United  States  on  the  30th  of  June,  1879, 
was  classified  as  follows :  17,042  sailing-vessels,  of  2,422,813  tons ;  4,569 
steam-vessels,  of  1,176,172  tons  ;  2,394  barges,  of  466,878  tons  ;  and  1,206 
canal-boats,  etc.,  of  103,721  tons;  total,  25,211  vessels  of  all  kinds,  and  ton- 
nage, 4,169,584  tons. 

How  rapidly  steam  has  superseded  wind  as  the  motive-power  of  ships  on 
the  Atlantic  is  shown  in  the  statement  of  exports  of  grain  in  bushels  from 
New  York,  from  January  1  to  October  31,  for  five  years,  viz.: 

Year  Steam.  Sail. 

1878 28,151,191  47,493,409 

•1879 33.847.952  52>°46,703 

1880 43.955.o65  57,203,079 

1881  .    .    .    .  •  .    .  46,212,288  17,738,421 

1882 34,500,000       5,200,000 


252  mSTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

1879. — THE  "  SOLANO.". — The  largest  ferry-boat  in  the  world  was  given 
a  trial  December  1,  1879,  at  San  Francisco,  and  behaved  satisfactorily  in 
every  respect.  The  "  Solano"  was  built  for  the  transportation  of  passenger 
and  freight  cars  across  the  Straits  of  Carquinez  from  Port  Costa  to  Benicia. 
Her  dimensions  are:  Length  over  all,  424  feet ;  length  on  bottom  (she  has 
no  keel),  406  feet ;  height  of  sides  in  centre,  18  feet  5  inches ;  height  of 
sides  on  each  end,  from  bottom  of  boat,  15  feet  10  inches ;  molded  beam,  64 
feet;  extreme  width  over  guards,  116  feet;  width  of  guards  at  centre  of 
boat,  25  feet  6  inches;  reverse,  sheer  of  deck,  2^  feet.  She  has  two  vertical- 
beam  engines  of  60-inch  bore  and  11-inch  stroke,  built  at  Wilmington,  Del. 
The  engines  have  a  nominal  power  of  1,500  horses  each,  but  are  capable  of 
b3ing  worked  up  to  2,000  horse-power  each.  Upon  the  deck  of  the  "Solano" 
are  four  railroad  tracks  extending  her  entire  length,  with  a  capacity  of 
carrying  forty-eight  loaded  freight  cars,  or  twenty-four  passenger  coaches  of 
the  largest  class.  Her  four  rudders  are  worked  by  an  hydraulic  steering 
gear,  operated  by  an  independent  steam  pump.  They  are  also  connected 
with  the  ordinary  steering.gear,  so  that,  in  case  of  any  disarrangement  of  the 
hydraulic  apparatus,  the  vessel  may  be  guided  by  it.  The  advantage  is  that 
this  immense  craft  can  be  handled  by  one  man,  whereas,  if  the  ordinary 
wheel  and  system  of  steering  were  used,  six  men  would  be  required  at  the 
wheel. 

1880. — CHINESE  ENTERPRISE. — In  1874  fifty  British  steamers  were  profit- 
ably engaged  in  the  local  trades  in  Chinese  waters.  That  year  the  natives 
organized  the  China  Merchants'  Steam  Navigation  Company,  with  the  im- 
perial consent  and  support.  The  fmst  year  the  company  had  six  steamers 
in  operation.  The  next  year  four  were  added,  and  in  1877  the  company's 
fleet  numbered  sixteen  vessels.  A  fierce  competition  was  waged  with  foreign 
companies,  during  which  rates  were  cut  from  fifty  to  seventy  per  cent,  of  the 
former  amounts.  The  result  was  that  the  foreign  Shanghai  Steam  Naviga- 
tion Company"  was  killed,  and  its  twenty-six  vessels  and  wharf  property 
were  bought  by  the  native  company.  The  aggressive  policy  thus  begun  has 
been  continued,  until  now  the  Chinese  look  to  a  general  navigation  of  the 
high  seas,  and  in  August,  1880,  the  "Hongchoug,"  one  of  the  original  six  ves- 
sels of  the  China  Merchants' Company,  entered  the  harbor  of  San  Francisco. 
China  enjoys  the  cheapest  labor  on  the  planet;  has  enormous  coal-fields  and 
large  iron  deposits ;  and  a  firm  of  British  builders  have  decided  to  transfer 
their  capital  to  China,  with  a  view  to  beginning  the  work  of  ship  building, 
for  which  so  abundant  materials  and  advantageous  conditions  for  labor  exist. 
Japan  is  acting  with  like  vigor,  and  has  already  several  steam  lines  in  opera- 
tion. 

1880. — A  REMARKABLE  VOYAGE  OF  A  WRECKED  STEAMER. — On  July 
14,  1880,  the  Chilian  transport  "  Rimac,"  an  iron  screw-steamer  of  twelve 
hundred  and  twenty-seven  tons,  carrying  a  regiment  of  cavalry  and  a  valua- 
ble cargo,  was  captured  by  the  Peruvian  corvette  "Unnn"and  taken  to 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  253 

Callao.  After  the  Peruvian  defeat  at  Chorillos  and  Miraflores  the  "  Rimac" 
was  burned  and  sunk.  The  hulk  was  raised  by  the  Chilians,  and  was  found, 
although  severely  damaged,  it  could  be  rendered  serviceable,  and  that  the 
machinery  was  only  slightly  injured.  Every  particle  of  wood-work  was 
burned  out  of  her,  and  she  presented  more  the  appearance  of  an  empty  fire- 
worn  stove  than  of  a  vessel  with  which  the  sea  could  be  navigated.  The 
deck-beams  were  cracked  and  twisted  as  if  they  had  been  thin  iron  wires  ; 
some  stanchions  still  stood  upright,  but  more  had  assumed  shapes  which 
would  have  astonished  any  ship-builder,  and  the  bulwarks  were  bulged  in 
and  out,  and  shrivelled  as  if  they  had  been  run  through  some  powerful 
crimping-machine.  Damaged  as  she  was,  it  was  the  desire  of  the  Chilian 
government,  whose  prize  she  had  become,  and  of  the  South  American  Com- 
pany, who  had  become  her  purchasers,  that  she  should  be  taken  back  to 
Chili,  and  Captain  James  Hart  was  called  upon  for  an  opinion  as  to  the  pos- 
sibilty  of  taking  her  to  Chili.  He  reported  favorably,  although  declaring 
there  was  much  risk,  and  the  voyage  was  agreed  upon.  Only  the  most  ab- 
solute and  trivial  repairs  were  effected,  and  after  the  sides  had  been  boarded 
up  to  prevent  her  filling,  this  damaged  iron  tank — for  it  could  scarcely  be 
called  a  vessel — took  its  departure  from  Callao.  The  machinery  worked 
well.  But  as  the  engines  were  intended  to  drive  a  heavy  vessel,  and  they 
were  now  employed  in  propelling  a  light  and  unladen  hull,  they  were  too 
powerful  for  their  work.  They  drove  it  along  at  a  good  speed,  it  is  true, 
but  the  vibration  caused  thereby  was  severe  in  the  extrem&  Very  heavy 
weather  was  encountered,  and  as  the  vessel  would  dip  into  the  sea  so  they 
would  strike  her  abeam,  the  water  would  rush  into  the  hold,  threatening  to 
swamp  her,  and  keeping  the  pumps  constantly  at  work.  All  hands  were 
wet  through  the  entire  trip,  no  cabins  having  been  put  up.  Several  of  the 
damaged  deck-beams  broke,  through  the  severe  straining  of  the  sides,  and 
one  day  the  remains  of  the  bridge  tumbled  into  the  hold,  carrying  with  it 
the  binnacle  and  the  wheel,  which  had  been  temporarily  fixed  up.  The 
compass  was  useless,  it  being  impossible  to  place  reliance  in  it  owing  to  the 
vibration  causing  the  needle  to  revolve  the  whole  time.  Steering  was  done 
by  guess-work,  the  direction  of  the  sea,  which  runs  from  the  southward  and 
the  heavens,  serving  as  a  substitute.  The  voyage  fortunately  was  performed 
in  safety,  and  the  wreck  was  finally  moored  in  Valparaiso.  The  distance 
from  Callao  to  Valparaiso  is  fifteen  hundred  and  fifty-eight  miles,  head  to 
wind  all  the  time.  The  "  Rimac"  is  now  being  repaired,  and  within  a  few 
months  she  will  be  again  ready  for  sea. 

1880. — THE  "  COMET  "  ox  LAKE  BIGLER. — A  new  pleasure-steamer,  called 
the  "  Comet,"  was  built  for  Lake  Bigler  in  1880.  It  was  exclusively  for  the 
use  of  passengers  and  pleasure-parties,  and  made  the  trip  around  the  lake 
in  a  day,  and  was  fitted  up  in  splendid  style. 

1880.— THE  "THREE  BROTHERS." — In  1880  the  well-known  American 
ship  "  Three  Brothers,"  formerly  the  steamship  "  Vauderbilt,"  and  the 


254  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

largest  sailing  merchant- vessel  afloat,  was  sold  to  merchants  in  Liverpool  for 
eight  thousand  pounds,  and  she  will  hereafter  sail  under  the  British  flag. 

1880. — A  MOUNTAIN  STEAMER. — Steam  navigation  among  the  mountain 
ranges  of  Colorado  is  one  of  the  peculiarities  of  that  wonderful  region.  A 
Denver  paper  says  :  "  A  sail  over  the  placid  and  translucent  waters  of  Twin 
Lakes  will  convince  the  traveler  that  Colorado  affords  some  of  the  most 
beautiful  aquatic  scenery  in  nature.  Twin  Lakes  are  located  three  miles 
from  Twin  Lake  Station,  Denver  and  South  Park  Division,  Union  Pacific 
Railway,  or  one  hundred  and  fifty-seven  miles  southwest  of  Denver,  at  the 
eastern  base  of  the  Sawache  Range,  at  an  elevation  of  nine  thousand  three 
hundred  and  thirty-three  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  The  lower  lake 
covers  fifteen  hundred  and  twenty-five,  and  the  upper  four  hundred  and 
seventy-five  acres,  and  they  are  united  by  a  small,  swift,  clear  stream,  about 
half  a  mile  in  length,  which  winds  through  grassy  meadows  studded  with 
scattering  shade-trees,  affording  delightful  picnic  or  camp-grounds.  On  the 
north  stands  Mount  Elbert,  fourteen  thousand  three  hundred  and  sixty  feet 
above  the  sea,  or  five  thousand  and  twenty-seven  feet  above  the  lakes.  Di- 
rectly opposite  (at  the  south  side  of  the  lakes)  are  the  Twin  Peaks,  also 
giants  of  the  Rocky  chain.  The  sheets  are,  therefore,  thoroughly  mountain- 
locked."  The  paper  above  quoted  says  the  little  steamer  plying  on  Twin 
Lakes  "  has  the  distinguished  honor  of  being  nearer  to  heaven  than  any 
other  craft  in  the  wide,  wide  world." 

SHIPS  TH^H?  WERE  NEVER  HEARD  FROM. — The  following  European 
steamers  have  never  been  heard  from  after  leaving  port :  The  "  President," 
sailed  from  New  York,  March  11,  1841  :  had  among  her  passengers  Tyrone 
Power,  the  famous  Irish  comedian,  and  a  son  of  the  Duke  of  Richmond. 
The  "  City  of  Glasgow,"  never  heard  from  after  leaving  Glasgow  in 
the  spring  of  1854 ;  four  hundred  and  eighty  lives  lost.  The  "  Pacific," 
never  heard  from  after  Jan.  23, 1856,  when  she  left  Liverpool ;  two  hundred 
lives  lost.  The  "  Tempest,"  never  heard  from  after  she  left  New  York,  Feb. 
26,  1857.  The  "City  of  Boston,"  left  New  York  Jan.  25,  1860;  about  one 
hundred  and  sixty  lives  lost.  The  "  Ismailia"  left  New  York,  Sept.  26, 
1878,  and  was  never  heard  from. 

1880. — A  CANAL-BOAT  PROPELLED  BY  AIR. — A  novelty  in  canal-boats 
in  Charles  River,  Mass.,  attracted  considerable  attention  in  1880.  It  was  called 
a  "  pneumatic  canal-boat,  and  was  built  at  Wiscasset,  Maine,  as  devised  by 
the  owner,  R.  H.  Tucker,  of  Boston,  who  held  patents  for  its  design  in  Eng- 
land and  the  United  States.  The  boat  shown  on  Charles  River,  designed  to 
be  used  on  canals  without  injurying  the  banks,  was  a  simple  structure,  sixty- 
two  feet  long,  twenty  wide,  three  feet  in  depth,  and  drew  seventeen  inches  of 
water.  It  was  driven  entirely  by  air,  Root's  blower  No.  4  being  used,  and 
was  operated  by  an  eight  horse-power  engine.  The  air  was  forced  down  a  cen- 
tral shaft  to  the  bottom,  where  it  was  deflected,  and,  being  confined  between 
the  keels,  passed  backward  and  upward,  escaping  at  the  stern  through  an 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  255 

orifice  nineteen  feet  wide,  so  as  to  form  an  air  wedge  between  the  boat  and 
the  surface  of  the  water.  The  force  with  which  the  air  struck  the  water 
propelled  the  boat  at  a  speed  of  four  miles  an  hour,  but  required  a  thirty- 
five  horse-power  engine  to  develop  its  full  capabilities.  The  patentee  claimed 
a  great  advantage  in  dispensing  with  the  heavy  machinery  of  screws  and 
side-wheels,  and  believed  that  his  contrivance  gave  full  results  in  propor- 
tion to  the  power  employed.  It  was  also  contrived  for  backing  and  steer- 
iug  by  air  propulsion.  Owing  to  the  slight  disturbance  it  caused  to  the 
water,  it  was  thought  very  well  adapted  for  work  on  canals. 

1880. — THE  FIRST  CHINESE  STEAMER  TO  CROSS  THE  PACIFIC.— On  the 
31st  of  August,  1880,  the  Chinese  steamer  "  Hochung"  entered  the  Custom- 
house of  San  Francisco,  California,  paying  the  regular  tonnage  dues  of  thirty 
cents  per  ton,  and  one  dollar  per  ton  extra  dues  on  alien  ships,  the  latter 
under  protest.  Extra  duties  of  10  per  cent,  on  the  cargo  were  also  paid 
under  protest,  and  .the  whole  matter  was  referred  to  the  decision  of  the  Sec- 
retary of  the  Treasury.  She  was  also  the  first  Chinese  steamer  that  ever 
visited  the  Hawaiian  Islands  in  November,  1879,  and  carried  to  Honolulu 
431  Chinese  immigrants. 

A  San  Francisco  paper  said  of  this  arrival,  under  the  heading,  "  China's 
Debut  Upon  the  Sea  :" 

"  The  arrival  at  San  Francisco  on  the  30th  of  August  of  the  first  Chinese 
steamer  that  has  ever  crossed  the  Pacific  deserves  commemoration.  This 
steamer,  the  '  Hochung,'  appeared  at  the  Golden  Gate,  seeking  admission  to 
a  foreign  port,  nearly  forty  years  after  the  isolation  in  which  for  ages  China 
was  encased  was  broken  and  five  of  her  ports  were  opened  to  the  commerce 
of  the  civilized  world.  The  treaty  of  1842,  by  which  this  concession  was 
secured  to  foreign  trade,  has  borne  fruit  slowly  ;  but  the  tardiness  of  the 
Chinese  to  undertake  maritime  enterprises  is  due  not  so  much  to  their  love 
of  seclusion  as  to  the  difficulty  of  acquiring  the  art  of  navigation.  This  art 
is,  and  ever  has  been,  one  of  the  later  acquisitions  of  nations.  .  .  .  It  is  no 
wonder,  therefore,  that  the  Chinese  have  taken  forty  years  to  master  the 
nautical  skill  requisite  for  the  accomplishment  of  this  feat.  But  the  begin- 
ning of  ocean  traffic  is  now  made ;  and  this  field  of  commercial  competition 
once  fairly  broken,  there  is  reason  to  hope  the  Orientals  will  find  it  profit- 
able. ...  In  this  maritime  enterprise  they  are  favored  by  the  immense  coal 
supply  of  the  Middle  Kingdom.  Baron  Richthofeu,  who  carefully  examined 
the  coal-fields  of  China,  says  it  is  '  among  the  most  favored  countries  of  the 
world  as  regards  the  distribution  of  mineral  fuel.'  This  able  geographer 
computes  from  his  own  inspection  that  the  '  quantity  of  very  superior  coal 
available  for  cheap  extraction  is  so  large  that,  at  the  present  rate  of  con- 
sumption, the  world  could  be  supplied  from  Shansi  alone  for  several  thou- 
sand years.'  This  vast  coal-bed  is  reached  by  the  Yang-tse-Kiang  (river), 
China's  great  commercial  highway,  navigable  for  large  vessels  twelve  hun- 
dred miles  from  its  mouth,  and  easily  ascended  by  ocean  steamers  as  far  as 


256  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VI G  A  TION. 

Hankow,  seven  hundred  miles  from  the  sea.  With  such  magnificent  de- 
posits of  mineral  fuel  suited  for  use  on  steam-vessels,  the  day  is  not  distant 
when  the  Chinese,  renowned  for  ages  as  dextrous  mechanics,  will  be  able 
with  a  little  nautical  training-  to  carve  out  a  bright  maritime  ruture  for 
their  nation." 

A  telegraphic  dispatch,  dated  London,  December  7,1881,  announced  that 
"the  'Meefoo/  the  first  of  a  regular  line  of  steamers  under  the  Chinese  flag, 
arrived  in  the  Thames  with  three  thousand  tons  of  tea."  * 

1880.— TWIN  GAIN  SCREWS.— Mr.  John  Taggart,  of  Boston,  in  1880,  in- 
vented a  method  of  propelling  steamers  by  two  screws,  differing  in  almost 
every  particular  from  the  ordinary  propeller.  These  screws  are  described 
as  long,  hollow  iron  cylinders,  with  what  are  called  "gain"  screws  with  two 
threads.  The  threads  are  near  together  at  the  bow,  and  gradually  diverge 
towards  the  stern,  thus  giving  them  the  name  of  gain  screw.  It  is  claimed 
a  great  power  is  gained  by  this  means  at  once  at  the  bow,  and  the  gradu- 
ally-increasing width  between  the  threads  diminishes  to  a  great  extent  the 
friction  and  dead  weight  of  the  water.  The  cylinders,  being  hollow,  are  very 
buoyant.  The  journals  of  these  cylinders  run  in  strong  yokes  projecting 
from  the  iron  heel  at  the  bow  and  stern.  These  cylinders  are  run  by  an 
endless  chain.  The  threads  are  large,  and  answer  to  the  blades  of  a  propel- 
ler, but,  having  a  greater  surface,  give  an  increased  power.  It  is  claimed 
that  with  these  screws  a  river-boat  could  be  run  at  the  rate  of  thirty-seven 
miles  an  hour;  that  a  tug  thus  equipped  could,  with  engines  of  the  same 
power,  pull  ordinary  tugs  backwards,  and  that  an  ocean  steamer  could  cross 
the  Atlantic  in  four  and  a  half  days.  A  practical  test  of  the  invention  is 
proposed  by  building  a  tug  on  this  new  plan. 

1880. — The  tonnage  and  value_of  the  st:arners  of  the  mercantile  navy  of 
Great  Britain  in  1880  was  : 

Tons.  Value. 

Under  500  tons      .         .         .                  .        339>5°5  £12  ^4,074,050 

From  500  to  2,000          ....     1,913,445  20  38,268,929 

From  2,000  upwards,     .         .         .         .        341,184  25  6,829,600 

Total,  2,594,134  ^50,872,580 

This  was  the  value  of  the  vessels  completely  fitted  and  provisioned  for  sea, 
with  allowance  for  the  average  of  the  various  ages  in  the  different  classes. 

1880. — THE  "  ANTHRACITE,"  the  smallest  steamer  that  ever  crossed  the 
Atlantic,  arrived  at  New  York  in  August,  1880,  and  went  thence  to  Phila- 
delphia. She  sailed  from  the  latter  port  on  the  23d  of  August,  and  arrived 
at  Falmouth,  England,  September  14,  after  a  voyage  of  twenty-two  days 
and  fourteen  hours.  She  steamed  three  thousand  three  hundred  and  six- 

*  Are  not  the  Chinese  now  in  advance,  considering  that  we,  who  claim  to  hold  the  most 
advanced  opinions  of  the  age,  exclude  their  emigrants  under  the  recent  shameful  act  of 
Congress  ? 


f  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  257 

teen  miles,  doing  the  entire  distance  with  the  consumption  of  less  than 
twenty-five  tons  of  coal,  steaming  thirteen  hundred  and  fifty-three  miles  with 
only  nine  tons.  The  "  Anthracite"  had  a  new  system  of  boilers,  which,  her 
inventor  claimed,  would  revolutionize  the  utilization  of  steam  for  propelling 
vessels. 

The  ''Anthracite"  was  built  expressly  for  this  Atlantic  voyage,  to  show 
that  the  difficulty  previously  encountered  in  vessels  with  high-pressure 
engines  of  retaining  steam  could  be  overcome  by  substituting  for  ordinary 
piston-packing  a  metal  peculiar  to  the  Perkins'  system.  Economy  in  ex- 
penditure of  heat  and  water  was  also  claimed. 

Of  the  "Anthracite's"  eighty-four  feet  of  length,  her  engines,  furnaces 
and  boilers  take  up  a  space  of  twenty-two  feet  six  inches,  leaving  a  hatch- 
way, kitchen,  and  forecastle-cabin  in  the  forepart  of  the  boat,  and  a  water- 
tight bulkhead.  Abaft  the  engines  are  three  cabins,  with  sleeping-bunks, 
with  a  water-tight  bulkhead  in  the  stern.  The  screw  is  of  the  ordinary  fish- 
tail pattern,  with  two  blades.  Her  gross  tonnage  is  70.26  tons,  and  her 
registered  tonnage  is  27.91  tons.  Her  average  consumption  of  coal  on  the 
voyage  from  England  to  Newfoundland  and  thence  to  New  York  was  one 
ton  of  Welsh  bituminous  coal  a  day.  The  weather  was  very  rough,  con- 
sequently the  sails  could  be  little  used.  The  counter  registering  the  revolu- 
tions of  her  screw  was  set  at  0  before  she  left  England,  and  on  arrival  at 
New  York  marked  three  million  nine  hundred  and  eighty  thousand.  In 
the  voyage  over  the  natural  draught  of  the  furnace  was  only  used,  but  she 
has  a  fan-bolwer,  which  can  be  brought  into  use  if  increased  consumption  of 
fuel  and  a  high  pressure  of  steam  are  desired. 

The  peculiarity  of  the  machinery  which  effects  the  economy  of  fuel  lies  in 
the  means  employed  for  using  steam  at  very  high  pressure  safely,  and  with- 
out undue  wear  and  strain.  The  average  boiler  pressure  on  the  voyage  over 
.was  from  three  hundred  and  fifty  to  four  hundred  pounds  to  the  square  inch, 
but  the  boilers  had  been  tested  up  to  two  thousand  five  hundred  pounds  per  square 
inch  by  hydraulic  pressure.  The  body  of  the  boiler  consists  of  a  series  of 
horizontal  tubes,  welded  up  at  each  end,  and  connected  together  by  a  verti- 
cal tube,  and  the  several  sections  are  connected  by  a  vertical  tube  to  the 
top  ring  of  the  fire-box,  and  by  another  to  the  steam  collecting-tube.  The 
fire-box  is  formed  of  tubes  bent  into  a  rectangular  shape.  The  boiler  is 
surrounded  by  a  double  casing  of  thin  sheet-iron,  filled  between  with  non- 
conducting material  to  prevent  loss  of  heat.  The  cylinders  and  valve-boxes 
are  steam-jacketed,  and  further  protected  by  jackets  of  non-conducting  ma- 
terial, so  that,  although  all  the  parts  are  kept  at  a  high  temperature,  the 
heat  given  out  in  the  engine  and  fire-room  is  much  less  than  is  usual  in 
ordinary  marine  engines. 

The  difficulty  from  friction  and  imperfect  joints  in  practically  working 
machinery  at  high  pressures  was  one  of  the  serious  obstacles  encountered  in 
developing  this  system.  After  a  series  of  experiments,  the  inventor  adopted 

17 


258  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

f 

an  anti-friction  alloy,  of  which  the  packing-rings  and  internal  rubbing  sur- 
faces are  made.  No  lubrication  is  required  beyond  that  furnished  by  the 
steam.  He  states  cylinders  fitted  with  piston-rings  made  of  this  metal  have 
been  several  years  at  work,  showing  no  signs  of  wear,  the  only  wear  occur- 
ring on  the  rings,  which  can  be  easily  and  cheaply  replaced.  Not  only  is 
the  cost  of  oil  and  grease  saved,  but  the  destructive  action  on  the  ma- 
chinery and  boiler  of  the  acids  generated  from  lubricants  is  avoided. 

For  the  use  of  steam  at  these  high  pressures  three  different-sized  cylinders 
are  employed,  all  jacketed  with  spiral  tubes  cast  in  the  metal,  which  are 
supplied  with  steam  direct  from  the  boilers,  and  keep  up  the  temperature  of 
the  cylinders.  The  cylinders  are  arranged  one  above  the  other,  and  their 
pistons  are  connected  to  a  common  piston-rod.  The  operation  is  thus  de- 
scribed by  Mr.  Loftus  Perkins,  the  inventor,  in  a  paper  read  before  the  In- 
stitution of  Mechanical  Engineers,  London  : 

"The  high-pressure  steam  is  introduced  into  the  upper  end  of  the  first 
cylinder,  where  there  is  no  gland,  and  where  the  piston  is  formed  so  as  to 
require  no  lubricating  material.  The  steam  is  cut  off  at  half-stroke  in  this 
cylinder,  and  when  admitted  for  the  return-stroke  into  the  bottom  of  the 
second  cylinder,  of  four  times  the  area,  the  temperature  is  so  much  reduced 
as  to  cause  no  difficulty  when  brought  into  contact  with  the  piston-rod 
gland.  From  the  bottom  of  the  second  cylinder  the  steam  expands  into  the 
top  of  the  same  cylinder,  which  is  of  larger  capacity  than  the  bottom,  and 
serves  as  a  chamber,  and  is  in  direct  communication  with  the  valve-box  of 
the  third  cylinder.  This  last  is  double-acting,  and  is  arranged  to  cut  off  at 
about  a  quarter-stroke,  and  at  the  termination  of  the  stroke  exhausts  into 
the  condenser,  with  an  expansion  of  about  thirty-two  times." 

It  is  some  years  since  Mr.  Perkins  began  to  advocate  the  merits  of  this 
system,  and  he  has  taken  out  many  patents  connected  therewith,  but  the 
difficulties  attending  its  practical  working,  and  the  disposition  to  oppose  ij, 
by  those  who  had  large  sums  invested  in  old  style  machinery,  have,  it  is 
asserted,  prevented  its  general  adoption,  although  in  several  cases  in  Eng- 
land it  has  been  successfully  introduced.  The  boilers  and  engines  of  the 
"  Anthracite"  contain  all  the  latest  improvements  of  the  inventor,  and  are 
thought  to  afford  a  practical  demonstration  of  the  entire  success  of  the  Per- 
kins system,  and  show  how  all  stationary  and  marine  engines  can  be  run 
at  an  expense  of  less  than  one-half  the  present  cost  for  fuel. 

Two  and  a  half  pounds  of  coal  per  horse-power  per  hour  is  considered 
very  economical  running,  and  some  of  our  best-managed  ocean  steamers  use 
one  hundred  tons  of  coal  a  day  in  their  voyage.  To  demonstrate  the  prac- 
ticability of  reducing  this  more  than  one-half,  thereby  not  only  saving  the 
cost  of  fuel,  but  giving  more  space  for  freight,  was  the  purpose  of  the  visit 
of  the  "  Anthracite"  to  Americans  waters. 

1880. — FIRST  STEAMBOAT  ox  THE  UPPER  DELAWARE.— The  steamboat 
"Kittatinny,"  the  first  that  ever  reached  Port  Jervis,  New  York,  arrived 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  259 

at  Delaware  Water  Gap  April  28,  1880,  without  accident,  having,  run  the 
fifty  miles  in  less  than  five  hours.  This  steamboat  was  sixty  feet  long,  four- 
teen feet  wide,  and  carried  seventy  persons*  the  navigation  of  the  Upper 
Delaware  being  thus  proved  feasible  by  steam.  Great  excitement  prevailed 
throughout  the  region  traversed,  and  hundreds  of  persons  flocked  to  see  the 
boat. 

1881. — THE  "HARRIET  LANE." — The  United  States  revenue  steam-cutter 
"  Harriet  Lane,"  built  in  1859  for  that  service,  was  placed  at  the  disposal  of 
the  Prince  of  Wales  during  his  visit  to  this  country,  and  at  the  outbreak  of 
the  Eebellion  was  turned  over  to  the  Navy  Department.  On  New  Year's 
night,  1863,  her  decks  were  the  scene  of  one  of  the  most  desperate  hand-to- 
hand  encounters  of  the  war,  when  her  captain  and  first  lieutenant  were 
killed.  Transformed  into  a  sailing  bark,  and  named  the  "  Elliott  Ritchie," 
this  famous  craft  was  peacefully  lying  at  Philadelphia  awaiting  a  cargo, 
December  10,  1881. 

1881. — THE  "DESSOUG." — The  steamer  "Dessoug,"  which  conveyed  Cleo- 
patra's Needle  from  Egypt  to  New  York,  was  built  in  England,  and  was  for 
years  used  as  a  trader  until  the  KKedive  of  Egypt  bought  and  converted 
her  into  a  yacht.  Purchased  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  the  obelisk  to 
America,  she  was  sold  and  altered  and  rebuilt  as  a  freight  steamer  for  the 
New  York  and  Savannah  cotton  trade. 

1881.— AN  HYDRAULIC  SHIP,  built  in  Germany  in  1881,  on  her  trial  ac- 
complished nine  knots  an  hour.  Two  hundred  years  before  that  the  experi- 
ment was  made  of  propelling  vessels  by  expelling  water  from  the  stern,  and 
failed,  as  sufficient  speed  was  not  attained.  This  new  method  is  based  on 
the  assumption  that  the  propelling  force  depends  on  the  contact  of  surfaces, 
and  not  on  the  sectional  area  of  the  flowing  mass,  so  a  number  of  tubes  with 
narrow  outlets  are  used  instead  of  one  large  tube. 

1881. — A  NOVEL  PROPELLING  POWER. — A  steam-yacht  with  a  novel 
propelling  power  was  built  in  1881.  Instead  of  a  screw,  as  in  ordinary  pro- 
pellers, there  is  a  flat  blade  of  iron  under  the  rudder  at  right  angles  to  the 
keel.  This  blade  was  hinged  in  the  centre.  The  blade  worked  backward 
and  forward  on  a  hollow  shaft,  with  a  stroke  of  three  feet  forward  and  aft. 
As  the  blade  moves  forward  under  the  overhang  'of  the  vessel,  by  means  of 
an  inside  shaft,  it  shuts  up,  and  makes  no  resistance  to  the  water.  When  it 
goes  back  again  it  opens,  and  virtually  pushes  the  water  astern.  As  the 
engine  can  work  the  blade  with  a  stroke  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  to  the 
minute,  it  is  calculated  that  extraordinary  speed  will  be  attained.  The 
yacht  is  about  thirty  feet  long  over  all,  and  is  provided  with  a  patent  engine 
resembling  a  pump-engine,  with  a  pump-cylinder.  The  propelling-blade  or 
pusher  is  three  feet  in  length  and  fifteen  inches  wide. 

1881. — THE  "MONARCH." — :The  first  freight  steamer  to  engage  in  the 
inter-oceanic  trade  arrived  at  San  Francisco  in  1881.  She  left  Barrow, 
England,  on  the  31st  of  August,  1881,  and  stopping  to  coal  at  the  Cape 


260  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

Verde  Islands,  and  at  Coronel,  on  the  West  Coast  of  South  America,  arrived 
at  San  Francisco  on  the  8th  of  September,  having  been  sixty-nine  days  on 
the  passage.  She  had  as  freight  on  her  voyage  2,000  tons  of  steel  rails,  and 
it  was  the  result  of  the  desire  of  railroad  builders  on  the  Pacific  slope  to  get 
the  equipments  needed  as  speedily  as  possible.  The  shipment  might  have 
been  made  by  a  sailing  vessel  at  not  over  $5  per  ton,  but  in  this  case  it  is 
understood  $16.75  were  paid,  making  the  shipment  cost,  when  landed,  over 
$20,000  more  than  would  have  been  the  case  under  ordinary  conditions. 
The  "  Monarch"  was  chartered  before  her  arrival  in  San  Francisco  to  carry 
a  load  of  grain  to  Liverpool,  at  £3  17s.  6d.  per  ton,  a  trifle  over  that  paid 
to  sailing  vessels  when  the  contract  was  made.  Premising  that  the  steamer 
carries  the  same  weight  of  grain  she  has  of  rails,  her  gross  freight,  money 
would  amount  to  about  $72,000  for  the  round  voyage.  Out  of  this,  deduct- 
ing the  money  paid  for  coal,  and  assuming  that  she  consumed  twenty-five 
tons  of  fuel  each  day,  which  would  cost,  when  on  board,  not  less,  on  an 
average,  than  $10  per  ton — not  a  high  valuation,  considering  that  the  coal 
was  taken  in  large  part  at  outlying  stations — and  that  she  steamed  on  the 
round  voyage  one  hundred  and  .twenty-eight  days,  this  would  amount  to 
$32,000,  leaving  $40,000  for  ordinary  running  expenses  and  profits.  A  sail- 
ing vessel,  which  carried  an  equal  amount  of  cargo  would,  with  freight-rates 
as  they  have  been,  obtain  for  making  the  same  round  trip  $22  per  ton,  which 
would  give  a  gross  freight  of  $44,000,  or  ten  per  cent,  more  than  the  sum 
made  by  the  steamer  after  deducting  coal  charges.  The  saving  to  the 
steamer  would  be  that  she  could  make  five  round  voyages  while  a  sailing 
vessel  was  making  three.  But  it  must -be  remembered  that  steamers  are  not 
likely  to  have  the  same  favorable  outward  freight  offered  to  them.  If  they 
can  only  command  2s.  6d.  more  per  ton  than  sailing  vessels  in  carrying  a 
perishable  article  like  grain  from  San  Francisco,  it  is  safe  to  assume,  that 
as  a  rule,  they  will  not  get  more  than  the  slower  craft  for  carrying  steel 
rails  or  other  outward  cargo.  The  conclusion  to  be  drawn  is,  that  for  the 
present  steamers  cannot  profitably  compete  with  sailing  vessels  on  such  a 
long  route  as  that  between  California  and  Europe. 

1881. — COST  OF  OCEAN  STEAMSHIPS  IN  ENGLAND. — The  following  were 
the  prices  per  ton  paid  for  screw  steamers  built,  equipped  and  ready  for  sea 
in  1881  by  builders  on  the  Mersey,  Clyde,  and  east  coast  of  England,  suited 
to  the  trade  indicated;' and  the  enormous  losses  by  wreck  and  foundering 
have  resulted  in  a  sober  second  thought ;  and  the  lead  pencil  type  model, 
long  and  narrow,  says  an  English  paper,  is  giving  place  to  more  beam.  The 
length  and  contracted  breadth,  with  a  profusion  of  water  ballast,  is  com- 
pelled to  give  place  to  more  beam  and  greater  stability: 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 


261 


Trade. 
CARGO  STEAMERS: 

Adapted  for  general  Atlantic  trade, 
Especially  fitted  for  cattle, 
Especially  fitted  for  cattle, 
For  general  and  cattle  trade, 
Three-decked  rule, 
Spar  deck,      . 

And  passengers  if  required,    .  ' 
Also  suitable  for  cattle,  . 


But  easily  arranged  for  passengers, 
Awning  deck   especially  built  for 

cotton,         .... 
Awning  deck  especially  built  for 

cotton,         .... 
Spar  deck  for  Atlantic  trade,  . 


Net 
Class.         Tonnage. 

Consumption 
Knots        of  coal,          Price 
per  hour.    24  hours.    II.  S.  Gold 

Tons. 

100  A  i        1,484 

.10.5 

28 

$167,894 

100  A  i        2,000 

™y2 

36 

214,126 

100  A  i        

II 

24 

223,859 

20  years  L        2,000 

io# 

25 

243.325 

100  A  I 

,500 

10 

27 

170,327 

20  years  L 

,370 

10 

16 

175.  194 

100  A  i 

.349 

9^ 

20 

160,594 

100  A  i 

5i3° 

9X 

17 

128,962 

100  A  i 

,090 

9 

12 

13^395 

100  A  i           910 

9 

10 

107,063 

100  A  i           916 

9X 

12 

105,603 

iob  A  i 

100  A  i 
160  A  I  &  20 
yerrs.  L 


1,270 
2,060 


9% 

13 
ii 


35 

28 


i45>995 

291,990 

184,927 


1881. — THE  LARGEST  TORPEDO  BOAT  afloat  in  1881  was  built  in  Eng- 
land for  the  Danish  Government  by  Messrs.  Thorny  croft  &  Co.  Her  dis- 
placement was  fifty-five  tons,  or  forty  per  cent,  more  than  that  of  the  largest 
torpedo  boats  in  the  British  service ;  but  her  dimensions  were  still  within 
the  limit  which  would  permit  her  to  be  conveyed  by  rail  from  one  part  of 
the  coast  to  another.  Her  armament  consisted  of  four  of  the  largest  White- 
head  torpedoes,  each  of  which  carried  a  charge  of  eighty  pounds  of  gun- 
cotton,  and  in  addition  she  mounted  a  Hotchkiss  revolving  gun.  She  had 
a  coal  capacity  often  tons,  estimated  as  equivalent  to  1,200  miles,  at  a  speed 
of  eleven  knots,  and  her  full  speed,  as  shown  at  the  trial,  as  well  as  during 
a  run  of  three  hours  at  the  measured  miles,  was  twenty  knots,  which  was  two 
knots  in  excess  of  the  stipulation. 

1881. — THE  "DESTROYER." — The  first  public  exhibition  of  Captain  Erics- 
sou's  torpedo  boat,  "  Destroyer,"  was  made  at  Hoboken,  November  14, 1881. 
Several  prominent  officers  of  the  army  and  navy  were  present.  The  chief 
object  of  the  exhibition  was  to  demonstrate  the  practical  working  of  the 
submerged  gun,  by  which  the  torpedo  missile  is  sent  upon  its  deadly  errand ; 
also  to  show  the  ability  of  the  torpedo  to  penetrate  protective  network  around 
a  fleet  or  a  single  ironclad. 

A  dummy  projectile  of  wood  was  used  without  a  torpedo  charge.  In  the 
test  the  dummy  was  discharged  from  the  cannon  by  the  use  of  twelve  pounds 
of  giant  powder  at  a  target  net  of  Manilla  rope  and  wooden  slats  three  hun- 
dred feet  distant.  The  muzzle  was  six  feet  and  six  inches  below  the  surface, 
and  the  projectile  passed  through  the  target  five  feet  under  water,  appeared 
on  the  surface  one  hundred  feet  further  in  shore,  and  rode  on  the  water  at  a 
considerable  speed  for  two  hundred  feet  more,  making  a  distance  of  six  hun- 


262  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

dred  feet  traveled  in  all.  The  projectile,  which  was  twenty-five  feet  six  inches 
in  lengtht  traveled  through  the  water  to  the  point  of  appearance  on  the  sur- 
face, four  hundred  feet,  in  three  seconds,  and  this  with  a  charge  of  but 
twelve  pounds  of  powder.  The  gun  is  fired  by  electricity  by  the  wheelsman, 
who,  through  his  lookout,  must  aim  and  discharge  the  gun  in  accordance 
with  his  best  judgment  as  to  effectiveness.  The  experiment  was  under  the 
direction  of  V.  F.  Lassoe.  It  was  the  fifty-second  time  the  gun  had  fired 
the  projectile,  and  at  no  trial  since  the  boat  has  been  put  in  working  order 
has  it  failed  with  the  same  charge  to  throw  the  dummy  torpedo  three  hun- 
dred feet  in  three  seconds  or  less.  The  French  officers  were  especially  in- 
terested in  the  experiment,  and  though  they  at  first  pronounced  it  an  impos- 
sibility to  operate  a  gun  constructed  on  such  principles,  and  with  submerged 
muzzle,  successfully,  they  were  obliged  to  acknowledge  that  the  theory  had 
proved  correct.  Astonishment  was  depicted  in  every  line  of  their  counten- 
ances when  they  saw  the  projectile  rise  to  the  surface  beyond  the  target, 
after  having  traversed  the  distance  from  the  muzzle  of  the  gun  and  through 
the  netting  without  making  even  the  faintest  ripple  on  the  surface. 

In  actual  service  the  torpedo  projectile  is  to  carry  three  hundred  and  forty 
pounds  of  dynamite — enough  to  destroy  the  largest  ironclad.  The  gun  will 
be  discharged  with  a  force  sufficient  to  carry  the  projectile  from  three  hun- 
dred to  seven  hundred  feet  through  the  water. 

1881.— THE  FALL  RIVER  LINE.— The  "Bristol"  and  " Providence,"  of 
the  Fall  River  Line  of  Sound  steamers  between  Boston  and  New  York,  for 
size,  proportions,  and  general  magnificence  of  appointments,  have  attracted 
the  attention  and  admiration  of  travelers  from  every  portion  of  the  world. 
They  are  373  feet  long,  83  feet  beam,  3,000  tons  register,  and  cost  $1,250, 
000  each.  During  the  Centennial  season,  1876,  the  passengers  carried  in 
safety  and  comfort  by  these  mammoth  steamships  were  numbered  by  hun- 
dreds of  thousand3.  Over  one  thousand  persons  frequently  made  the  trip 
in  one  of  these  steamers  without  discomfort  or  crowding.  The  fresco-work 
and  gilding  of  the  interior  is  elegant  and  elaborate,  the  shading  and  color- 
ing having  a  most  harmonious  and  beautiful  effect.  The  main  saloons, 
galleries,  and  cabins  are  carpeted  richly  and  tastefully,  and  the  furniture 
elegantly  upholstered.  All  the  state-rooms  are  connected  with  the  main 
office  by  electric  bells.  Some  idea  of  the  size  of  their  engines  may  be  formed 
when  it  is  stated  that  the  Corliss  engine,  which  attracted  so  much  attention 
at  the  Centennial,  was  not  one-half  the  size  nor  had  one-half  the  capacity  of 
the  engines  on  either  the  "  Bristol"  or  "  Providence."  In  provisions  for 
safety  the  arrangements  are  perfect.  Every  portion  of  the  boats  where  fire 
is  used  is  absolutely  fire-proof,  and  each  steamer  is  provided  with  all  the  im- 
proved life-saving  appliances. 

The  "  Puritan,"  the  new  steamer  launched  August,  1882,  from  Roach's 
yard  for  this  line  has  300  state-rooms  and  accommodations  for  1,000  pas- 
sengers, and  is  15  feet  longer  and  4  feet  wider  than  the  "  Bristol."  She  is- 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  263 

384  feet  long  over  all, — 370  feet  long  at  water-line, — 87  feet  wide  over 
guards,  and  17  feet  6  inches  deep  at  sides.  Her  double  hulls  are  divided 
into  96  water-tight  compartments,  bearing  a  pressure  of  5  pounds  per  square 
inch.  Steam  is  supplied  from  4  Redfield  boilers,  and  there  is  one  immense 
beam-engine,  having  a  cylinder  110  inches  in  diameter,  with  14  feet  stroke. 
This  cylinder  was  cast  at  Mr.  Roach's  Morgan  Iron  Works,  in  New  York, 
and  is  said  to  be  the  largest  cylinder  ever  cast  in  this  country.  It  required 
45  tons  of  gun-metal,  which  it  took  three  hours  and  ten  minutes  to  melt. 
The  90,000  pounds  were  then  transferred  by  the  labor  of  100  men  to  two 
huge  tank-ladles,  each  with  a  capacity  of  about  15  tons,  and  having  two  large 
crane-handles.  The  tanks  were  connected  with  the  mould  by  pipes,  and  the 
crane-handles  were  attached  to  huge  cranes.  The  mould  was  filled,  under 
Mr.  Roach's  personal  supervision,  in  two  and  a  half  minutes,  the  molten 
metal  roaring  like  a  wild  beast,  and  emitting  showers  of  .twenty  colors.  It 
required  about  ten  days  for  the  metal  to  thoroughly  cool,  and  for  several 
days  it  remained  red-hot.  When  perfectly  solidified  the  upper  part  of  the 
mould  was  demolished,  and  the  cylinder  dug  from  its  resting-place  in  the 
ground.  The  two  main  shafts  for  this  engine  are  40  feet  long  and  27  inches 
in  diameter,  forged  from  wrought  iron,  and  each  weigh  85,000  pounds. 

1881. — STEAMSHIP  DISASTERS. — As  the  tonnage  of  the  merchant  steam 
marine  increases,  so  do  disasters  of  steam-vessels  grow.  The  records  of  1881 
show  the  disasters  to  steam-vessels  for  the  year  to  have  been  198.  A  dozen 
of  these  were  repaired  and  put  into  service,  but  nearly  all  were  total  wrecks. 
A  few  were  also  sunk  at  their  piers  through  carelessness  while  loading  or 
discharging  cargoes,  as  in  the  case  of  the  "Braunschweig,"  loading  coal  in 
the  harbor  at  Bremen.  Others  were  stranded  and  floated  off  without  re- 
ceiving damage.  Included  in  the  record  for  1881  is  the  loss  of  the  Polar 
expedition  steamer  "  Jeaunette,"  in  the  Arctic  Ocean. 

The  record  for  1881  shows  141  of  the  disasters  were  to  British  steamships ; 
15  were  American  ;  6  French  ;  6  Danish  ;  5  German  ;  3  Dutch  ;  4  Swedish  ; 
1  Brazilian  ;  3  Belgian  ;  4  Spanish  ;  2  Chilian  ;  Mexican,  Chinese,  Austrian, 
Japanese,  and  Norwegian,  1  each  ;  of  3  the  nationality  could  not  be  learned. 
Of  these,  4  were  of  steel,  5  of  wood,  and  the  remainder  iron  vessels.  The 
total  tonnage  lost  in  1881  was  200,000  tons,  151,041  tons  of  which  were 
British;  11,568  American;  4,390  Dutch;  2,488  Swedish;  1,000  Brazilian  ; 
6,486  French;  4,643  Belgian  ;  3,274  Danish  ;  4,562  German  ;  4,177  Spanish  ; 
680  Mexican  ;  1,233  Chinese;  808  Austrian  ;  947  Japanese  ;  697  Norwegian, 
and  1,750  Chilian.  Of  the  disasters,  99  vessels  were  stranded  ;  30  suak  by 
collision ;  40  foundered;  7  burned ;  11  are  missing;  6  were  abandoned  at 
sea ;  2  were  sunk  by  ice ;  1  broken  in  two,  and  1  was  destroyed  by  explo- 
sion. Eleven  of  the  vessels  were  laden  with  grain  ;  23  with  coal ;  11  with 
iron  ;  2  with  cotton,  and  1  each  with  copper  ore,  petroleum,  provisions,  wool, 
and  sugar. 

The  greatest  number   of  disasters  were  in  October;  the  record^ for  that 


264 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 


mouth  are  unprecedented,  the  total  number  lost  being  32,  of  which.  18  were 
British ;  France,  Germany,  and  Norway  lost'  2  each  ;  Austria,  Belgium, 
Brazil,  Chili,  Holland,  Russia,  Spain,  and  Sweden,  1  each.  It  is  estimated 
that  no  less  than  43,033  tons  of  produce  were  lost  in  the  October  gales. 

The  steamship  "  Bath  City"  foundered  off  Newfoundland,  December  3, 
1881,  and  the  sufferings  of  the  crew  were  terrible.  Sighted  on  November 
30,  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  the  port  of  St.  Johns,  Newfoundland, 
by  a  steamship  which  could  have  assisted  her  into  port,  sbe  was  left  mast- 
less,  rudderless,  and  leaking,  to  her  fate,  which  came  three  days  afterwards. 
The  vessel  went  to  the  bottom,  and  the  crew  were  launched  on  the  stormy 
ocean  in  their  life-boats.  Four  were  drowned  by  the  capsizing  of  one  of  the 
boats,  and  six,  including  the  captain,  perished  from  cold  and  exposure. 
The  other  castaways,  having  suffered  three  days  and  nights  in  these  open 
boats,  were  rescued. 

1881. — BRITISH  STEAMSHIP  SUBSIDIES. — The  report  of  the  British  post 
office  for  the  year  ended  March  31,  1881,  states  the  sums  paid  to  various 
steamship  companies  for  the  conveyance  of  the  ocean  mails,  together  with 
the  receipts  from  ocean  postages  and  the  net  payments  under  the  several 
contracts  during  that  year,  was  as  follows : 


Countries. 

Contract  Compen- 
sation. 

Receipts  from 

postages. 

Net  payment  by  the 
Government. 

East  Indies,  China  and  Japan  
East  Coast  of  Africa  ,  

,£356,900* 
30,000 

,£60,000 
t;oo 

^"208,000 
20,  coo 

United  States 

6s  11  1 

38  ooo 

27  OOO 

Halifax,  Bermuda  and  St.  Thomas 
West  Indies,.  

17,500 
84,782 

1,000 

^q,ooo 

16,500 
5O,OOO 

West  Coast  of  Africa 

7  Q6o 

OJ» 

6  ooo 

I  QOO 

^562,462 
Estimated 


^"140.500 

/332.900 

For  the  service  in  the  English  Channel,  between  Dover  and  Calais,  the 
sum  of  £11,274  were  paid  for  the  same  year;  and  for  the  service  in  the  Irish 
Channel,  between  Holyhead  and  Kingstown,  £85,000  were  expended,  a  sum 
equal  to  more  than  one-quarter  of  the  total  net  payment  by  the  Government 
for  its  ocean  postal  service. 

The  service  to  Brazil  cost  the  Government  nothing,  iha  postage  earned 
having  been  sufficient  for  the  compensation  asked  for.  Neirly  the  whole  of 
the  expenditure  specified  was  made  for  the  maintenance. of  postal  communi- 

*  Of  this  amount,  /"8S,ooo  were  contributed  by  the  Government  of  British  India. 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VI GA  TION.  265 

cation  within  the  limits  of  the  British  Empire.  Besides  which  several  of 
the  colonial  governments  are  under  contract  with  steamship  companies  for 
their  own  immediate  ocean  mail  service. 

AUSTRIAN  STEAMERS. — The  first  Austrian  Lloyd  steamer  for  New  York 
sailed  from  Trieste,  January  25,  1881.  She  was  to  touch  at  Messina,  Pal- 
ermo, Barcelona,  Malaga,  Cadiz,  and  Lisbon,  and  had  on  board  a  full  cargo, 
600  tons  of  it  being  for  New  York. 

1882. — "THE  PEACE." — A  missionary  steamer,  whose  hull  and  machinery 
weighed  only  six  tons,  was  recently  moored  in  the  Thames,  near  London. 
The  vessel  was  named  "Peace"  and  was  built  for  the  Baptist  Missionary  So- 
ciety, who  destined  it  for  the  service  of  the  mission  in  the  upper  reaches  of 
the  Congo  River.  The  boat  could  be  taken  to  pieces  rapidly  for  transport 
purposes,  and  the  total  number  of  pieces,  none  of  which  were  too  heavy  for 
a  man  to  carry,  were  eight  hundred.  The  greatest  possible  use  was  made  of 
all  available  space,  and  the  two  cabins  were  admirably  fitted.  A  kitchen 
adapted  for  a  stove  and  other  cooking  appliances  formed  part  of  the  equip- 
ment. A  substantial  awning  covered  the  deck,  and  between  this  and  the 
sides  of  the  vessel  a  wire  awning  was  fitted  to  stop  arrows  and  other  mis- 
siles. It  was  intended  to  take  the  steamer  to  pieces  and  pack  the  sections  in 
boxes,  which  would  be  sent  to  the  mouth  of  the  Congo.  From  thence  they 
were  to  be  borne  by  eight  hundred  men  three  hundred  miles  up  to  Stanley 
Pool,  where  the  steamer  would  be  reconstructed  by  the  missionaries. 

1882. — THE  "  COLOSSUS." — The  latest  addition  to  the  British  Royal  Navy 
is  the  double-screw  steel  armor-plate  turret-ship  "  Colossus,"  launched  at 
Portsmouth,  March  21,  1882.  She  is  of  9,146  tons  burden,  and  her  engines 
are  of  6,000  horse-power, — a  striking  advance  upon  Fulton's  "  Clermont," 
the  wonder  of  three-quarters  of  a  century  ago. 

The  "Colossus"  has  been  in  the  process  of  construction  for  some  eight 
years  past,  but  the  work  on  her  has  been  seriously  pressed  only  since  1879. 
She  is  a  twin-screw  turret-ship,  with  a  central  armored  citadel,  her  principal 
dimensions  being :  total  length  between  the  perpendiculars,  325  feet ;  and 
extreme  breadth,  68  feet,  with  a  displacement  of  9,146  tons.  Considerable 
delay  has  been  experienced  with  respect  to  the  turrets,  which  cannot  be  pro- 
ceeded with  until  the  nature  of  their  armament  is  determined.  It  is  prob- 
able that  each  turret  will  be  armed  with  two  of  the  new  46-ton  breech-load- 
ing rifle-guns.  A  novel  feature  in  the  armament  of  the  ship  will  be  the 
mounting  of  four  6-inch  guns  on  the  top  of  the  after-superstructure,  and  a 
couple  of  guns  on  the  forward-superstructure,  with  rifle-proof  covering- 
boards  for  the  protection  of  the  gunners. 

The  vessel  is  to  be  fitted  with  a  manganese  bronze  propeller,  in  place  of 
the  one  of  gun-metal  originally  ordered.  This  decision  was  arrived  at  after 
a  series  of  comparative  experiments  made  with  the  two  metals,  Bars  of 
both  metals,  one  inch  square,  were  placed  on  supports  twelve  inches  apart, 
and  first  subjected  to  a  steady  pressure  applied  in  the  middle  of  the  bars, 


266  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

and  afterwards,  to  impact,  by  a  weight  of  fifty  pounds  falling  from  a  height 
of  five  feet.  With  a  steady  pressure  the  gun-metal  bars  slipped  between  the 
supports  or  broke  with  a  strain  of  twenty-eight  hundred-weight,  while  the 
manganese  bronze  bars  required  fifty-four  hundred-weight  to  break  them. 
Tested  by  impact,  the  gun-metal  bars  broke  with  from  seven  to  eight  blows, 
when  it  took  from  thirteen  to  seventeen  blows  to  break  the  manganese 
bronze  bars.  The  ultimate  bend  of  the  latter  was  also  in  both  cases  more 
than  that  of  the  gun-metal,  thus  showing  fully  double  the  strength,  with 
superior  toughness.  The  advantages  claimed  for.  the  manganese  bronze  over 
gun-metal  are,  first,  a  considerable  saving  of  actual  weight  of  machinery ; 
and,  secondly,  that  it  enables  a  thinner  and  consequently  a  better  blade  to 
be  made,  offering  less  resistance  to  the  water,  and  equaling  in  strength  the 
gun-metal  blade  of  greater  dimensions. 

Since  the  launch  .of  the  "Colossus"  another  ironclad,  to  be  called  the 
"  Rodney,"  has  been  laid  down  and  commenced  at  the  Chatham  Dock- Yard. 
She  is  to  be  a  barbette  ship,  and  will  carry  ten  heavy  guns.  Her  length 
between  the  perpendiculars  is  325  feet;  extreme  breadth,  68  feet;  depth  of 
hold,  28  feet  2?  inches.  She  is  to  have  engines  of  7,000  horse-power,  and 
will  have  a  gross  tonnage  of  9,158  tons./ 

1882. — THE  "DUNCAN"  AND  "CAMPERTOWN." — The  English  Government, 
having  determined  to  build  two  ironclads  which  will  match  the  Italian  iron- 
clad "  Duilio,"  on  the  26th  of  September,  1882,  the  admirality  ordered 
the  construction  of  two  ships,  to  be  named  the  "  Duncan"  and  "  Camper- 
town,"  of  the  following  dimensions  :  Length,  330  feet;  extreme  breadth,  63 
feet  6  inches;  displacement,  10,000  tons  on  a  mean  draft  of  water  of  26  feet 
9  inches.  These  new  ships  are  to  have  twin  screws,  with  engines  of  9,800 
horse-power,  estimated  to  give  a  speed  of  16  knots  an  hour,  being  an  excess 
of  two  knots  over  the  Italian  turret  ship.  The  "  Duilio"  is  341  feet  long. 
Her  extreme  beam,  64  feet  9  inches,  and  displacement,  10,434;  her  engines 
being  of  7,500  indicated  horse-power.  The  armor  of  the  English  ships  will 
be  carried  to  a  depth  of  5  feet  below  the  water-line,  with  a  protecting  belt 
rising  2  feet  6  inches  above  the  water-line,  the  armor  comprising  compound 
plates  of  the  following  thickness:  side,  18  inches;  bulkhead,  16  inches; 
barbette  towers,  14  and  12  inches."  They  will  have  vertical  ventilation  by 
tubes  from  the  flying  to  the  lower  decks.  As  at  present  determined  upon,  their 
armaments  will  each  consist  of  four  63-ton  breech-loading  rifle  guns,  and  six 
6-inch  breech-loading  guns,  with  a  number  of  Nordenfelts.  and  Catlings,  and 
Whitehead  torpedoes.  They  §re  to  carry  900  tons  of  coal,  and  their  compli- 
ments will  consist  of  450  officers  and  men.  Their  cost  is  estimated  to  be  not 
less  than  £1,000,000  sterling  each,  or  two-thirds  of  the  amount  which  is  appro- 
priated for  the  annual  expenditure  for  the  whole  navy  of  the  United  States. 

1882.— NEW  FRENCH  IRONCLADS.— As  a  result  of  a  number  of  experi- 
ments lately  carried  out  in  France  with  armor  plates  of  a  variety  of  patterns, 
and  obtained  from  various  sources,  both  French  and  foreign,  a  contract  has 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  267 

been  concluded  between  the  Minister  of  Marine  and  the  managers  of  the 
Creusot  Works  for  the  supply  by  the  latter  of  the  armor  for  the  "Formid- 
able" and  "Capitaine  Baudin"  two  new  ironclads  of  11,441  tons  each,  or  of 
almost  exactly  the  same  size  of  the  English  "Inflexible;"  the  displacement 
of  the  latter  being  11,406  tons.  The  plates  are  to  be  22  inches  thick  at  the 
strongest,  and  14  inches  thick  at  the  weakest  part  of  the  armor ;  and  con- 
sequently the  new  French  vessels  will  be  defensively  stronger  than  any 
English  ironclad  at  present  either  afloat  or  being  built.  The  Creusot  firm 
is  also  at  the  present  time  supplying  the  armor  plates  for  the  "Terrible"  a 
vessel  of  7,184  tons,  and  for  the  "Furieux"  a  ship  of  5,695  tons ;  the  plates 
for  both  the  vessels  being  nearly  20  inches  thick. 

1882. — Among  the  costly  steamers  built  at  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  in  1882,  none 
possess  more  points  of  interest  than  the  "  Chattahoochie."  Her  hull  is  the 
first  constructed  entirely  of  steel  in  this  country.  Steel  hulls  have  been  built 
in  Pittsburgh,  but  in  these  the  braces,  angles,  etc.,  were  of  iron.  In  the 
"  Chattahoochie"  steel  is  solely  used.  The  steel  plates  used  vary  from  a 
"light"  three-sixteenth  inch  in  thickness  up  to  one-fourth  inch,  according 
to  their  locality  in  the  hull.  The  contract  for  the  boat  was  let  to  the  Du« 
quesne  Engine  Works,  by  the  People's  Line,  of  Columbus,  Ga.,  for  $47,000. 
The  trade  calls  for  a  boat  of  light  draft,  strength  and  speed,  and  these  seem 
all  embodied  in  the  "Chattahoochie."  Her  hull  is  158  feet  long,  31*  wide, 
and  4%  deep.  She  is  a  stern-wheeler,  with  engines  of  15-inch  cylinder  and 
5-foot  stroke,  fitted  with  the  Rees  "cut  off"  and  other  modern  improvements. 
Her  wheel  is  eighteen  by  twenty-four  feet,  with  a  steel  shaft.  There  is  more 
steel  about  the  "  Chattahoochie"  than  any  boat  of  her  size  afloat.  Five  elec- 
tric lights  make  the  "  Chattahoochie"  a  thing  of  beauty  by  night.  Her  draft 
is  only  twenty-two  inches.* 

At  the  steam-yacht  race  at  Nice,  France,  on  the  16th  of  March,  1882,  nine 
yachts  competed  for  the  Prix  de  Monte  Carlo,  or  $1,000  and  a  gold  meclaL 
Eight  were  English,  and  the  smallest,  the  "  Few-Follet,"  of  French  nation- 
ality. The  course  was  fifty  miles  long,  and  done  in  three  hours,  fifty-six 
minutes  and  ten  seconds — a  speed  about  thirteen  and  seven-tenth  knots  per 
hour.  The  "Coudace,"  built  in  Leith  and  engined  in  Glasgow,  Scotland, 
won  the  first  prize ;  "Black  Swan,"  engined  by  the  same  firm,  took  the 
second  ;  the  "  Le  Few-Follet,"  the  third.  Only  two  yachts  contested  in 
1881,  and  the  increase  in  1882  indicates  the  future  of  steam-yacht  racing. 

In  1882  the  little  steam  tug  "Game  Cock,"  a  craft  only  seventy-five  feet 
long,  -  feet  wide,  and  drawing  eleven  feet  of  water,  steamed  from  London 
to  Panama  in  thirty-one  days.  She  indexes  in  a  marked  manner  the  won- 
derful improvements  made  lately  in  the  efficiency  of  steam  craft.  The 
recent  introduction  of  steel  as  a  building  material  in  the  construction  of 

*This  steamer  should  not  be  confounded  with  one  of  the  same  name  launched  in  1882. 
by  John  Roach,  at  Chester,  for  the  Ocean  Steamship  Company  of  Savannah. 


268  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

these  "  lightning"  steam  craft — torpedo  boats,  launches,  etc. — has  made  re- 
sults probable  that  a  short  time  ago  were  thought  impossible. 

1882. — CHAIN  STEAMERS. — The  Leipsic  Gartenlaube,Juue,  1882,  contains 
an  interesting  article  on  chains  used  in  the  navigation  on  the  Elbe  River. 
The  following  are  the  main  points  of  the  article: 

On  the  waves  of  the  Elbe,  impatiently  floating  toward  Hamburg,  a  steamer 
goes  up  the  stream,  pulling  along  a  long  row  of  heavily-laden  boats.  But 
it  is  not  only  the  force  of  steam  that  conquers  the  stream.  Below,  on  the 
bottom  of  the  river,  a  heavy  iron  chain  is  resting,  that  gives  the  steamer  a 
hold,  and  enables  her  to  overcome  the  force  of  the  water.  From  this  chain 
such  vessels  are  called  chain-steamers,  and  the  whole  navigation  going  on  in 
such  a  way  is  called  chain  navigation. 

In  the  middle  of  the  channel,  along  the  whole  length  of  the  navigable 
part  of  the  river,  a  chain  has  been  sunk,  firmly  anchored  at  its  two  ends. 
This  chain,  lifted  out  of  the  water,  is  received  by  an  arm  at  the  bow  of  the 
vessel,  and  thence  by  conducting  rolllers  moved  to  two  steel  drums  in  the 
middle  of  the  deck.  Around  these/drums,  provided  with  grooves,  the  chain 
winds  three  times  in  such  a  manner  that  it  goes  from  the  first  groove  of  the 
first  drum  to  the  first  groove  of  the  second  drum,  thence  to  the  second 
groove  of  the  first  drum,  and  then  to  the  second  groove  of  the  second  drum, 
etc.  Finally  the  chain,  in  a  conducting  groove  obliquely  descending,  is 
taken  to  the  stern  of  the  ship,  where  it  goes  down  into  the  water  again.  The 
engine  sets  the  two  drums  in  motion,  and  all  the  parts  of  the  drums  encir- 
cled by  the  chain  receive  and  dismiss  an  equal  portion  of  it,  moving  the 
vessel  forward  a  corresponding  distance. 

The  chain  on  the  bottom  of  the  river  to  which  the  steamer  is  attached  by 
the  two  drums,  so  that  she  can  go  only  forward  or  backward,  is,  according 
to  the  pulling  force  of  the  ship  and  the  depth  of  the  water,  lifted  a  certain 
length  in  front  of  the  vessel.  The  point  where  it  remains  unlifted  is,  as  it 
were,  the  anchoring  point  of  the  vessel,  the  weight  and  friction  of  the  chain 
supplying  the  anchor.  The  chain  steamer,  while  the  whole  load  of  vessels 
attached  to  and  towed  by  her,  is  thus,  as  it  were,  constantly  at  anchor  on 
going  up  the  stream,  and  she  cannot,  even  by  the  most  rapid  current,  be 
forced  back  one  inch  of  the  way  made.  Because  the  vessel  by  the  chain 
firmly  resists  the  water,  the  power  of  the  engine  can  be  used  to  its  fullest 
extent. 

The  chain,  of  course,  does  not  rest  tightly  in  the  river  bed.  The  raised 
portion  of  it  permits  the  vessel,  by  means  of  the  rudders,  to  go  sufficiently 
far  to  the  right  or  left,  out  of  the  way  of  other  vessels.  This  is  of  particu- 
lar importance  at  the  bends  of  the  river. 

On  account  of  the  burden  caused  by  the  lifting  of  the  chain,  the  depth  of 
the  water  must  not  exceed  a  certain  limit.  In  a  river  from  thirty  to  fifty 
feet  deep  chain  navigation  would  not  be  profitable,  because  the  chain  would 
become  too  heavy.  As  to  the  use  of  chain  vessels,  a  depth  of  eight  toetres 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  269 

has  proved  a  practical  limit  of  the  depth  of  the  water.  The  essential  advan- 
tage of  chain  navigation  consists  in  the  fact  that  it  permits  vessels  to  go'up 
a  stream  with  a  very  rapid  current,  where  other  tow-boats  cannot  go  along 
any  further  with  the  barges  attached  to  them. 

It  is  self-evident  that  the  strength  of  the  chain  must  correspond  to  the 
depth  and  rapidity  of  the  river.  The  links  of  the  chain  placed  in  the  Elbe 
have  the  size  of  the  palm  of  a  hand,  and  are  of  two  and  one-half  centi- 
metres thick,  each  link  weighing  a  little  over  one  kilogram.  The  weight  of 
the  chain  placed  in  the  Elbe  River  exceeds  ten  million  kilograms. 

The  chain  steamers  have  the  same  shape  at  both  ends,  and  are  provided 
with  two  rudders,  one  at  the  bow  and  one  at  the  stern.  The  engine  usually 
has  a  strength  of  from  one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  horse-power. 
To  a  chain  steamer  in  the  Elbe  usually  from  ten  to  twelve  freight  vessels 
are  attached,  connected  by  ropes.  She  takes  the  train  of  boats  up  the  river, 
until  another  chain  steamer  meets  her  and  relieves  her  of  her  load.  Such  a 
place  is  made  a  station,  and  may  be  any  point  of  the  chain.  The  relieved 
motor  returns  until  it  meets  another  train  of  vessels  coming  up,  which  it  re- 
ceives in  turn  in  the  mode  described,  towing  it  up  the  stream.  In  order  to 
move  independently  of  the  chain,  the  majority  of  the  steamars  are  provided 
with  propellers.  For  detaching  a  steamer  from  the  chain  simply  one  of  the 
locks  of  the  chain  is  opened,  with  which  it  is  regularly  provided  in  intervals 
of  half  a  kilometre.  Or,  if  necessary,  a  link  of  the  chain  is  broken  by  a 
chisel,  and  after  the  chain  has  been  taken  off  from  the  drums,  its  two  parts 
are  united  again  by  a  lock. 

The  first  chain  ^steamers  were  successfully  used  in  France  in  1830.  E. 
Bellingrath,  of  Dresden,  inventor  of  the  hydrostatic  truck,  is  the  chief  of 
the  chain  navigation  in,the  Elbe  River,  Germany.  The  Elbe  River  rises  in 
Austria  (Bohemia)  and  flows  through  the  central  part  of  Germany  into  the 
North  Sea.  In  the  latter  country  630  kilometres  and  in  the  former  about 
40  kilometres  of  chain  have  been  placed  in  the  river,  while  the  number  of 
chain  steamers  is  about  thirty. 

The  chain  does  not  always  occupy  the  same  place  in  the  river,  but  its 
position  is  constantly  changed  by  the  .steamers.  For  this  reason  only  one 
can  be  used  in  the  river.  Two  or  more  chains  or  ropes  made  of  metal  wires 
would  become  entangled.* 

*  Experiments  have  been  recently  made  on  the  canal  from  Antwerp  to  Liege  with  a  system 
of  mechanical  traction  of  boats  by  means  of  a  moving  cable  (the  invention  of  M.  Rigcrii). 
An  endless  cable  made  of  Bessemer  steel  is  set  in  continuous  motion  by  fixed  engines  on  the 
banks  of  the  canal.  It  is  supported  along  the  bank  by  special  pulleys,  and  directed  by  re- 
turn pulleys  of  large  diameter  lodged  in  chambers  of  masonry  under  the  level  of  the  tow- 
path.  The  length  of  the  cable  is  eight  kilometres,  or  five  miles.  Thus  a  canal  is  divided 
into  as  many  sections,  each  worked  by  a  fixed  engine,  as  this  length  of  five  miles  is  contained 
in  it.  The  steam-engine  acts  on  the  cable  through  a  pinching-pulley,  similar  to  the  Fowler 
pulley.  The  attachment  of  the  boats  to  the  cable  is  by  means  of  checkered  nippers  em- 
bracing the  cable.  On  coming  'to  a  supporting  pulley,  or  a  pulley  at  a  curve,  the  nippers 


270  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

1882. — THE  HOPPER  STEAM  DREDGER. — This  new  dredger,  built  at  Ren- 
few  for  the  Harbor  Commissioners  of  Otago,  New  Zealand,  was  recently 
tried  on  the  banks  of  the  Clyde,*  "  and  dredged  at  the  rate  of  400  tons  per 
hour,  which  was  plunged  into  its  own  hold,  or  hopper  cavity,  capable  of 
containing  1,300  tons  of  spoil ;  at  the  same  time  it  loaded  the  new  govern- 
ment steamer  "  Perseverance,"  which  came  alongside.  Afterwards,  by  steam 
appliances,  its  bucket-girder  was  elevated,  the  moorings  let  go,  and  its  twin- 
screws  put  in  motion,  and  the  vessel  steamed  away  down  the  Clyde  to  the 
measured  mile,  where  the  loaded  speed  was  tested  at  7£  knots  per  hour;  it 
then  steamed  down  the  Firth  of  Clyde,  where  its  large  cargo  was  instantly 
deposited,  through  its  bottom,  in  sixty  fathoms  water.  The  trial  of  dredg- 
ing, steering,  speed,  manoeuvring,  and  depositing  was  considered  very  satis- 
factory by  the  respecting  gentlemen  on  board.  This  vessel  dredges  from  5 
feet  to  35  feet  depth,  has  twin  screws,  and  is  propelled  and  worked  by  two 
independent  sets  of  compound  engines,  of  700  horse-power,  and  besides  load- 
ing its  own  cargo,  it  can,  if  required,  fill  a  fleet  of  barges  on  the  old  system. 
It  will  steam  out  to  New  Zealand,  and  is  the  tenth  and  largest  Hopper 
dredger  constructed  by  Messrs.  Simons  &  Co.,  who  are  the  inventors  «nd 
originators  of  the  system.  It  is  also  worthy  of  note,  that  owing  to  the  enter- 
prise of  the  above  small  colony,  they  have  now  a  dredger,  the  equal  of  which 
is  neither  in  Europe  nor  America," 

1882.— THE  RAILROAD  IRON  FERRY-BOAT  "  NEWBURGH,"  built  for  the 
West  Shore  Railroad  Company,  was  launched  in  October,  1882,  at  New- 
burgh,  the  christening  being  by  Miss  Carrie  Fry,  daughter  of  the  Super- 
intendent of  Steam  Motive  Power  of  the  railroad.  The  dimensions  are: 
Length  over  all,  205  feet ;  breadth  of  beam,  36  feet ;  over  the  guards,  65 
feet ;  depth,  14J  feet.  Her  hull  is  of  the  best  quality  of  iron,  and  of  great 
strength,  as  she  will  have  to  contend  with  heavy  ice  in  the  winter.  The 
keel  plate  is  f  inch  thick,  the  bottom  and  bilge  plates  £  inch,  the  water-line 
strake  t  inch,  shear  strake  7-16,  and  the  gunwale  plate  £  inch  by  24  inches 
wide.  The  frames  are  3x4,  spaced  21  inches  apart,  and  the  reverse  iron  is 
8x3.  There  is  a  10-inch  belt  frame  on  every  eighth  frame,  and  the  floors 
are  16  inches  deep.  The  stem  posts  are  of  the  best  hammered  iron,  8x4 
inches.  Each  end  of  the  hull  is  fitted  with  a  water-tight,  wrought-iron 
bulkhead,  extending  for  about  30  feet  from  the  stem  ;  there  are  4  keelsons, 
running  from  bulkhead  to  bulkhead,  and  the  bottom  of  the  hull  inside  is 
cemented  with  the  best  Portland  cement. 

pass  without  releasing  the  cable.  The  principal  advantages  of  the  system  are,  first,  a  con- 
siderable increase  of  speed.  At  present  the  daily  stretch  covered  in  hauling  with  horses  is 
about  seventeen  kilometres,  and  with  men  only  about  twelve  kilometres.  By  the  new  method 
it  is  easy  to  make  five  kilometres  an  hour.  Further,  there  is  a  considerable  economy  both 
in  the  capital  required  at  first  and  in  the  cost  of  working  over  other  systems.  —Boston  Tran- 
script, November  I,  1882. 

*  London  Engineering,  October,  1882. 


HISTOR  Y  OF  STEAM NA  VIGA  TION.  271 

The  motive  power  of  the  vessel  is  a  vertical  beam  engine,  of  50  inches 
bore  by  10  feet  stroke,  fitted  with  Hayward's  patent  cut-off.  The  gallows 
frame  of  the  engine  is  of  iron  and  of  great  strength.  The  water  wheels  are 
'wholly  of  iron,  21  feet  in  diameter  and  of  8J  feet  face.  The  shafts  are  15 
inches  in  diameter,  each  one,  with  its  wheel,  weighing,  complete,  about  26 
tons.  The  boiler  is  of  steel,  10'j  feet  in  diameter,  and  33  feet  long,  with  two 
furnaces,  and  weighs  about  30  tons.  Everything  about  the  engine  and 
boiler  departments  is  of  the  newest  and  best  description.  In  short,  the 
boat  is  all  that  experience  and  skill  can  make  her,  for  safety,  utility  and 
comfort. 

The  cabins  on  two  sides  of  the  boat  are  made  very  inviting.  They  have 
tile  floors  ;  the  wood  work  is  in  the  Queen  Anne  style,  of  California  red 
wood,  cherry  and  mahogany,  finished  in  oil  and  touched  with  gold.  The 
seats  are  of  perforated  veneering,  with  "  Austrian  bentwood  arms."  The 
windows  in  the  sides  of  the  cabins  are  each  one  single  light  of  plate  glass,  6 
feet  high  and  3  wide,  with  a  transom  of  stained  glass  above.  The  doors  to 
the  cabins  are  of  mahogany,  with  stained  glass  transoms  overhead  ;  the 
wheel  bulkheads  are  each  provided  with  two  large  bevel-edged  mirrors. 
She  was  to  be  completed  about  the  15th  of  December. 

RECENT  NOVEL  INVENTIONS  AND  EXPERIMENTS. 

1882. — MORSE'S  UNSINKABLE  STEAMSHIP. — Mr.  Joseph  W.  Morse,  a 
veteran  artist  and  engraver  of  Brooklyn,  New  York,  has  invented  a  safety 
ocean  steamship,  which  he  claims  is  unsinkable.  He  says  he  conceived  the 
invention  twenty-five  years  ago,  and  built  a  model  of  it  nine  years  ago, 
which  he  kept  in  his  office  in  Franklin  Avenue,  where  many  persons  saw 
it.  He  thinks  that  Lorrillard  and  others  who  are  -building  the  "  Meteor" 
are  infringing  upon  his  invention,  and  that  it  probably  suggested  the  idea  of 
the  dome  steamer.  Last  July,  describing  his  vessel  to  a  visitor,  he  says  : 
"  One  advantage  I  have  over  the  proposed  new  line  is  that  my  vessel  cannot 
be  sunk.  No  matter  how  heavy  a  storm  may  be,  she  will  ride  it  safely.  If 
she  should  run  into  an  iceberg,  or  collide  with  another  vessel,  it  would  be 
impossible  to  sink  her. 

"Her  safety  will  not  consist  in  numerous  air-tight  compartments,  but  why 
it  will  be  impossible  to  sink  her  is  my  secret.  You  can  look  at  the  model,"  he 
added,  pointing  to  it  standing  on  a  table  in  the  corner  of  the  office. 

The  model  boat  is  that  of  a  low,  rakish-looking  vessel.  The  principal  fea- 
ture is  that  she  has  no  deck,  being  rounded  on  top  after  the  manner  of  the 
lower  part  of  the  hull.  The  bow  tapers  gradually  from  the  centre  after  the 
fashion  of  a  steam  yacht.  There  is  also  a  gradual  tapering  from  the  centre 
to  the  stern,  which  overhangs  the  rudder  to  some  extent,  but  the  stern  is  as 
sharp  as  the  bow.  The  vessel  is  a  long,  narrow  cylinder,  sharpened  at  both 
ends,  the  lines  being  neatly  and  artistically  drawn.  She  has  two  tall  smoke- 
stacks, leaning  fore  and  aft. 


272  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEA  M  NA  VIGA  TION. 

"You  see,"  continued  the  inventor,  "she  is  built  for  speed  as  well  as  for 
safety.  Having  no  rigging,  and  with  her  shape,  she  will  meet  with  little  re- 
sistance of  either  wind  or  water.  She  is  modeled  so  that  she  will  glide 
through  the  water  with  scarely  a  ripple.  The  water  will  run  along  her  bot- 
tom with  as  much  ease  as  though  running  down  hill.  Her  upper  part  is 
built  on  the  same  principle,  so  that  the  speed  will  not  be  impeded  by  the 
wind.  There  will  be  no  projections  from  the  upper  part,  save  the  pilot-house 
and  smoke-stack.  They  will  be  built  of  iron  and  strongly  braced,  and  modeled 
in  the  same  manner  as  the  vessel.  You  will  notice  that  I  have  studied  the 
wind  as  well  as  the  water,  and  speed  as  well  as  safety.  A  steamship  built 
after  my  model  will  make  a  voyage  to  Europe  in  one-quarter  le^s  time  than 
the  fastest  steamship  afloat  at  the  present  day. 

"  That  apparent  forward  smoke-stack  is  the  pilot-house.  The  vessel  has 
but  one  smoke-stack.  The  pilot-house  being  on  a  level  with  the  smoke-stack, 
the  pilot  will  have  a  longer  range  of  vision,  and  be  beyond  the  reach  of  the 
'sea  in  case  of  storm.  The  pilot-house  and  smoke-stack  will  be  forty  feet 
above  the  surface  of  the  water,  about  the  usual  height  of  a  lookout  on  a 
vessel.  Below  the  pilot  house  there  will  be  an  opening  for  the  purpose  of 
pumping  air  into  the  ship.  This  pure  air  will  be  continually  passing  through 
the  ship,  and  out  again  through  the  smoke-stack.  Aft  of  the  pilot  room,  in 
the  stack, will  be  an  elevator  for  the  transportation  of  the  men  up  and  down." 

The  pilot-house  and  smoke-stack  are  not  circular  tube-shaped,  but  are 
flattened  on  the  sides,  and  sharp  fore  and  aft,  on  the  same  principle  as  the 
bow  and  stern  of  the  ship. 

"  People  may  object  to  being  sealed  up  in  your  cylinder-shaped  vessel 
during  an  entire  voyage  to  Europe,"  the  visitor  remarked.  "  In  case  of  an 
accident  there  would  be  no  opportunity  to  escape." 

"  A  great  many  people  object  to  going  to  Europe  on  account  of  the  dan- 
ger they  are  exposed  to  on  board  the  present  vessels,"  said  the  inventor. 
"  Could  they  be  convinced  that  there  was  no  danger  in  making  a  voyage  to 
Europe,  there  would  be  many  more  who  would  make  the  trip.  On  my  vessel 
there  would  be  no  danger  whatever;  as  I  said,  it  is  impossible  to  sink  her. 
The  only  accident  that  could  happen  would  be  a  breakdown  in  the  ma- 
chinery. But  each  ship  would  carry  duplicate  machinery,  so  that  an  acci- 
dent could  be  repaired  immediately.  Then  my  ship  would  be  fitted  up  as 
comfortably  as  a  hotel.  There  will  be  heavy  plate  glass  windows  running 
along  the  sides  of  the  ship,  and  [the  ventilation  will  be  perfect.  I  intend 
having  a  railing  along  the  upper  part  of  the  vessel,  so  that  in  pleasant 
weather  the  passengers  may  take  a  promenade  if  they  wish.  In  bad  weather 
they  don't  want  to  be  outside.  In  a  heavy  storm,  when  the  sea  is  pitching 
over  a  vessel — seas  that  would  wrench  and  disable  an  ordinary  ship — my 
boat  will  ride  it  as  safely  as  though  she  was  steaming  up  the  Eaot  River. 
The  passengers  will  feel  as  safe  as  though  they  were  sitting  in  their  own 
parlors.  The  water  when  rushing  v-over  the  deck  of  an  ordinary  ship,  car- 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  273 

rying  away  the  bulwarks  and  rigging,  will  run  off  my  vessel  like  the  water 
off  a. whale's  back.  The  boat  is  so  modeled  that  if  she  should  turn  over — 
which  will  be  impossible  as  the  centre  of  gravity  will  be  below  the  water- 
line — but  if  she  should  turn  over  she  would  float  as  well  one  way  as  the 
other.  All  that  the  passengers  would  have  to  do  would  be  to  stand  on  their 
heads.  To  be  sure,  that  might  inconvenience  them  some,  but  then  there  is 
no  danger.  There  is  a  picture  that  will  illustrate  how  she  will  weather  a 
storm,"  and  the  inventor,  artist  and  engraver  pointed  to  a  picture  hanging 
on  the  wall. 

The  painting  is  of  his  patent  safety  steamship  in  a  terrible  storm,  exe- 
cuted by  the  inventor  himself.  The  hurricane  is  blowing  due  east,  and 
heavy  black  clouds  hover  about  in  close  proximity  to  the  smoke-stack.  The 
sea  is  running  "  mountain  high"  and  breaking  over  the  ship  from  a  repre- 
sented height  of  forty  feet.  Part  of  the  ship  is  obscured,  from  her  being  sub- 
merged amidships.  The  bow  is  about  plunging  into  a  great  sea,  while  the 
stern  projects  from  another.  Away  up  in  the  pilot-house  the  captain  is 
seen  with  his  face  glued  to  the  glass,  his  hands  firmly  grasping  the  wheel, 
while  tjie  sea  is  breaking  about  him  in  a  white,  foamy  mass.  In  through  the 
plate  glass  windows  the  passengers  are  forming  a  set  for  a  quadrille,  as  un- 
concerned as  though  they  were  sailing  up  the  Hudson  on  an  excursion 
barge. 

"  Here  is  another,"  said  the  inventor  shortly  afterward,  pointing  to  a  pic- 
ture on  the  other  wall,  "  which  presents  the  ship  in  another  light." 

The  painting  represented  the  ship  in  smoother  water,  under  sunshine,  evi- 
dently steaming  along  at  a  rapid  pace.  A  little  astern  is  a  sea  gull.  The 
reporter  interpreted  it  as  a  race  between  the  patent  safety  steamship  and 
the  gull,  in  which  the  bird  is  beaten. 

"  What  will  be  the  dimensions  of  your  ship  ?"  the  reporter  inquired. 

"  My  figures,"  replied  the  inventor,  "  are  360  feet  in  length,  25  feet  beam, 
and  35  feet  deep.  She  can  be  built  larger  if  necessary.* 

1882.  —  CAPTAIN  LUNDBORG'S  TWIN-SCREW  STEAMSHIP. — His  design, 
which  he  has  patented  in  the  United  States  and  Europe,  is  based  en  a 
novel  form  of  vessel,  which  renders  high  speed  possible,  while  adding  greatly 
to  the  carrying  capacity  and  stability  of  the  vessel.  ^ 

The  design,  while  affording  ample  space  for  passengers  and  valuable 
cargo,  has  the  primary  object  of  attaining  a  velocity  of  twenty  to  twenty-one 
knots  an  hour,  with  a  comparatively  moderate  expenditure  of  power.  The 
prominent  idea  is  that  of  making  the  main  body  of  the  ship  divide  the  water 
horizontally  instead  of  vertically.  By  adopting  this  system  of  construction  he 
says  it  becomes  possible  to  build  a  ship  of  the  greatest  capacity  for  a  given 
draft — an  advantage  which  speaks  for  itself.  But  besides  this  it  is  stated  that 
this  ship  of  shallow  draft  and  great  capacity  can  have  admirable  lines,  and 
her  resistance  may  be  reduced  to  a  minimum.  The  principle,  he  claims,  ad- 

*  Brooklyn  Eagle,  July  17,  1882. 
18 


274  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

mits  of  the  naval  architect  imparting  to  his  ship  a  splendid  clean  run  aft,  and 
the  screws  can  be  carried  far  astern  and  yet  be  well  supported.  The  advan- 
tages to  be  derived  from  thus  placing  the  screws  far  astern  have  been  insisted 
on  by  the  late  Mr.  Froude.  No  scheme  has  been  put  forward  which  is  so 
perfectly  adapted  to  the  use  of  twin  screws.  If  desired,  the  stern  of  the  ship 
can  be  carried  further  aft,  to  protect  the  screws.  There  is  ample  room 
provided  for  engine  power,  notwithstanding  the  fine  run  of  the  hull  aft. 
The  principle  dimensions,  etc.,  of  Captain  Lundborg's  proposed  ship  are : 

Length  of  hull  below  water  on  the  plane  of  greatest  beam,          ....     450  feet. 

Greatest  breadth, 66   " 

Length  on  load  water-line,          ..........     444   " 

Breadth  on  lead  water-line,         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .  58   " 

Draught  of  water  on  lead  water-line,  .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .     '  23   " 

Length  over  all  on  upper  deck, 475   " 

Breadth  on  upper  deck  at  greatest  transverse  section  (outside  of  frames),     .  62    " 

Depth  from  top  of  upper  deck  beams  to  bottom  plating,       .         .         .         .  41    " 

Height  between  the  upper  and  second  decks,      .         .         .         .         .     •    .         .         9   " 

Height  between  second  and  third  decks,     ........         9    " 

Height  between  third  and  orlop  decks,       ........         8   " 

Area  of  greatest  immersed  transverse  section,      ......     1,412  sq.    " 

Coefficient  of  greatest  immersed  transverse  section,      .....  o  09303 

Area  of  load  water-plane,  .         .         .         .  .         .         .         .         .  15,255  sq.  feet. 

Displacement  to  load  water-line,         .......     380,836  cubic     " 

" 10,881  tons. 

Horizontal  distance  of  center  of  buoyancy  from  the  submerged  stern,  .         .     225 "feet. 

Vertical  distance  of  centre  of  buoyancy  below  load  water-line,    .         .         .          11,456    " 
Height  of  metacenter  above  center  of  buoyancy,          .  .         .         .  7*469  " 

Height  of  metacenter  above  center  of  gravity  of  the  ship  when  fully  equipped  and 

loaded, *      .  3,458   " 

Height  of  metacenter  above  center  of  gravity  of  the  ship  at  14  feet  draft  of  water, 
with  no  cargo,  coal,  stores,  water,  or  ballast,  and  no  water  in  boilers,  but 
otherwise  completely  fitted  and  fully  rigged,        ......  5,060   " 

Height  of  metacenter  above  center  of  gravity  of  the  ship  at  9.6  feet  draft  of  water, 
the  hull  being  complete,  with  masts  in  and  rigged,  but  empty,  without  en- 
gines or  boilers, .  .  .  .  .  11,389  " 

Wet  surface  when  immersed  to  load  water-line,        .         .  .         .         .  38,040   " 

Angle»of  obliquity  of  load  water-line  at  the  bow       ......  5°  50' 

Angle  of  obliquity  at  the  stern,        ...'......  6°  30' 

Mean  angle  of  obliquity  at  entrance,        "... 7° 

The  ship  is  to  have  two  propellers  of  16  feet  diameter  and  28  feet  pitch ; 
the  propelling  power  to  consist  of  four  compound  engines,  two  on  each  pro- 
peller shaft,  developing  each,  when  making  90  revolutions  per  minute, 
4,500  indicated  horse-power,  or  for  all  four  engines  together  18,000  indicated 
horse-power. 

With  this  power  the  speed,  according  to  Professor  Rankine's  formula, 
would  be  20.7  knots  per  hour;  but  that  speed  would  in  all  probability  be 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  275 

exceeded,  as  little  power  will  be  lost  by  wave-making,  the  water  having  a 
clean  run  astern,  being  divided  horizontally  by  the  lower  part  of  the  hull. 

The  ship  would  have  room  to  accommodate  about  600  first-class  and  1,000 
second  and  third-class  passengers,  and  carry  3,000  tons  of  cargo,  23  feet 
-draft  of  water,  besides  2,700  tons  of  coal. 

The  ship  is  designed  to  be  built  of  iron  or  steel,  with  a  double  bottom,  and 
with  a  great  number  of  water-tight  compartments,  transverse  and  longi- 
tudinal. 

The  peculiar  form  of  the  hull  makes  it  possible  to  unite  great  carrying 
•capacity  with  the  finest  lines  for  high  speeds.  The  submerged  stern,  which 
divides  the  water  horizontally,  admits  of  the  finest  possible  run  aft,  and- 
affords  a  perfect  support  and  protection  to  the  propeller  shafts.  With  this 
construction  the  propellers  act  constantly  in  solid  water,  unaffected  by  stern 
post,  rudder,  and  the  overhanging  part  of  the  stern,  as  in  ships  of  the  usual 
form.  This  feature  secures  an  economy  of  power,  or  what  is  the  same  thing, 
an  increase  of  speed. 

A  vessel  of  this  form  will  not  roll  and  pitch  as  much  as  other  vessels, 
as  the  body  of  water  above  the  projecting  part  of  the  hull  offers  considerable 
resistance  to  such  motions. 

.The  rudders  may  be  nearly  balanced,  and  will  require  but  little  power  to 
work  them,  and  on  account  of  the  peculiar  form  of  the  stern,  the  rudders 
may  have  considerably  less  area  than  those  of  the  common  model,  as  it  re- 
quires less  power  to  move  the  stern  laterally. 

The  form  of  the  hull,  while  permitting  very  sharp  entrance  and  run, 
affords  ample  room  for  the  application  of  the  greatest  engine  power  com- 
patible with  carrying  capacity.* 

1882. — ROOT'S  SIDE-SCREW  STEAMSHIP. — A  vessel  of  this  kind  is  being 
built  at  Greenpoint,  Long  Island,  by  Samuel  Pine,  for  Senor  Diaz,  for  lighter- 
age service  in  Cuba.  This  vessel  embodies  in  the  arrangement  of  her  pro- 
pelling wheels  the  ideas  set  forth  by  Mr.  Root  before  the  American  Society 
of  Mechanical  Engineers.  The  hull  is  one  hundred  feet  long,  thirty-two 
wide,  and  with  one  hundred  tons  of  cargo  draws  only  three  feet  of  water. 
She  is  decked  over  and  has  a  flat  bottom,  with  vertical  sides,  longitudinal 
strength  being  obtained  by  three  fore  and  aft  bulkheads,  and  she  is  the  first 
example  of  what  is  thought  by  experts  will  be  a  revolution  in  the  science  of 
screw  propulsion. 

A  high  rate  of  speed  is  not  expected,  but  her  performance  will  exemplify 
the  economy  which  Mr.  Root  claims  for  his  novel  application  of  screw  pro- 
pelling wheels.  These  wheels  are  set  on  the  ends  of  an  athwartship  shaft, 
the  plane  of  their  faces  being  fore  and  aft,  and  not  as  the  common  type  of 
screw  propeller  is,  at  right  angles  to  the  line  of  motion  of  the  vessel.  They 

*  The  Scientific  American,  October  21,  1882,  has  a  view  of  the  ship  complete,  and  also 
of  her  stern.  She  is  represented  as  having  three  funnels  and  four  masts,  three  of  which  are 
square  rigged. 


276  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

are  driven  by  a  vertical  direct  acting  engine.  The  boiler  has  a  vertical  tubular, 
which  will  drive  the  wheels  from  one  hundred  and  fifty  t9  two  hundred  revo- 
lutions per  minute.  The  "  true  screw"  type  of  wheel  is  used,  six  feet  in. 
diameter. 

In  his  experimental  workshop  Mr.  Root  has  a  trough  of  \rater,  in  which 
he  exhibits  the  speed  of  different  models  moved  by  clock-spring  machinery,, 
turning  various  types  of  propelling  wheels.  It  is  interesting  and  instructive 
to  see  one  model  in  particular,  spinning  down  the  trough,  propelled  by  a 
screw-wheel  revolving  horizontally  under- the  bottom,  the  propelling  force 
being  generated  by  a  current  of  water  sucked  in  by  the  revolutions  of  the 
screw,  between  it  and  the  incline  of  the  bottom  of  the  boat.  There  seems- 
no  limit  to  the  power  that  could  be  exerted  by  this  oblique  acting  current 
excepting  in  the  size  and  speed  of  the. screw-wheel,  and  the  illustration 
of  Mr.  Root's  theory  b$  the  action  of  this  model  is  conclusive  as  to  its  theo- 
retical correctness.  It  presented  an  amusing  and  instructive  paradox  in, 
the  propelling  effect  produced  by  a  vertical  screw-shaft,  its  thrust  being  at 
right  angles  to  the  line  of  motion — the  propeller  blades  working  horizon- 
tally and  parallel  with  the  keel  instead  of  at  right  angles  to  it,  as  all 
propellers  do  that  are  now  used.  "  In  the  present  method  of  applying  the 
screw-propeller  wheel,"  says  Mr.  Root,  "  the  maximum  propelling  effect  has 
without  doubt  been  obtained,  for  it  is  well  known  that  an  increase  of  engine 
power  gives  nothing  like  a  proportionate  effect  in  speed.  Sixty  per  cent,  of 
all  the  power  is  wasted  somewhere,  Mr.  Froihde  calculates,  and  accounts  for 
this  great  loss  of  power  in  the  present  method  of  stern  screw-wheel  propul- 
sion in  the  fact  that  a  screw-wheel  at  the  stern  of  a  vessel  draws  the  water 
iway  from  the  after  body,  creates  a  suctkin,  as  it  were,  and  of  course r 
increases  thereby  the  head  resistance,  such  increase  varying  with  the  size  of 
the  column  of  water  acted  upon  by  the  wheel. 

"  It  is  a  fact  in  practice  that  all  craft  propelled  by  a  stern  screw-wheel, 
when  they  reach  a  certain  velocity,  settle  down  by  the  stern ;  and  pile  on 
the  power  as  you  may,  beyond  that  point  no  more  speed  can  be  obtained. 
They  can  and  do  settle,  however,  which  fact  shows  clearly  that  a  vacuum  is 
formed  when  a  high  rate  of  speed  is  obtained,  and  that  the  screw-wheel, 
operating  in  the  vacuum,  becomes,  more  or  less,  a  retarding  instead  of  a 
propelling  force,  as  such  'minus-pressure' adds  directly  to  the  head  resistance. 
It  has  lately  been  found  in  England  that  at  high  speeds  the  power  does  not 
follow  the  speed  produced  in  a  uniform  ratio,  as  in  some  speeds  it  may  vary 
as  the  cube  ;  beyond  them  it  drops  down  as  low  as  the  square  of  the  velocity. 
Fluid  action  around  a  vessel  is  something  of  an  enigma,  and  the  columns  of 
water  acted  upon  by  a  screw-wheel  at  the  stern,  in  its  reactionary  thrust,  is 
more  so.  The  fact  of  the  enormous  waste  of  power  in  the  best  examples  of 
steam  screw-wheel  propulsion  is  incontrovertible." 

Mr.  Root  proposes  to  change  the  position  of  the  wheel,  and  make  the 
currents  generated  by  their  revolutions  force  the  vessel  through  the  water 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  277 

by  their  oblique  action  on  the  sides  of  the  after-body  or  "  run"  of  the  vessel. 
His  system  has  been  patented  in  the  United  States  and  abroad,  and  is 
analagous  in  its  application  to  the  action  of  fishes  when  swimming,  the  power 
being  applied  laterally.  At  a  poipt  in  the  "  run"  of  his  craft,  where  the 
water  begins  to  close  in  laterally,  he  places  his  wheels.  The  shaft  is  at  right 
angles  to  the  keel  and  the  wheels  some  sixteen  feet  apart.  The  proper 
pitch,  etc.,  of  these  wheels  has  to  be  determined  by  experiment,  but  they  will 
drive  a  current  inboard  along  the  sides  of  the  run  (which  will  be  made 
concave,  vertically),  that  in  its  impigniug  force  upon  the  converging  sides  of 
the  hull,  will  propel  it  forward.  It  is  like  the  snapping  of  a  bean  between 
your  fingers,  and  the  larger  the  wheels  and  the  greater  their  velocity  the 
more  power  they  will  exert,  as  they  work  always  in  solid  water. 

1882. — COPPEN'S  TRIPLE  STEAMSHIP. — Captain  William  Coppen  is  an  old 
-and  well-known  constructor  and  inventor.  As  early  as  1842  he  built  the 
"  Londonderry,"  a  screw  steamship  of  1,500  tons,  the  largest  screw  steamer 
that  had  up  to  that  time  been  built.*  She  was  sometimes  called  the  "  Great 
Northern,"  and  antedated  the  "  Great  Britain,"  which  was  laid  down  as  a 
paddle-wheel,  but  before  launching  altered  to  a  screw.  Captain  Coppen's 
U.  S.  patent  is  dated  March  28,  1882,  and  his  idea,  which  has  yet  to  be  put 
to  a  practical  test  has  been  approved  and  endorsed  by  several  distinguished 
•officers,  both  line  and  staff,  of  the  United  States  Navy,  and  William  Pearce,  of 
the  well-known  firm  of  William  Elder  &  Co.,  who  under  date  September  llth, 
1880,  says,  "I  am  satisfied  that  twenty  knots  an  hour  will  be  very  readily 
attained  with  this  (your)  form  of  vessel,  and  of  the  power,  displacement  and 
dimensions  contained  in  your  estimates." 

The  invention  consists  of  a  compound  ship,  consisting  of  three  ship  hulls 
united  as  one  vessel,  the  two  outer  hulls  being  of  equal  length  and  longer 
than  the  central  hull,  and  the  whole  being  decked  over.  The  three  hulls  are 
rigidly  connected  by  iron  or  steel  bulkheads,  box-girders,  and  iron  or  steel 
decks,  or  frames,  so  as  to  form  complete  platforms  or  decks  and  leave  con- 
siderable extra  space  between  the  ships.  The  centre  ship  is  to  carry  the 
-engines,  and  is  provided  with  a  propeller  at  each  end.  This  arrangement 
brings  the  screws  well  towards  the  centre  of  the  outside  hulls  and  prevents 
a  possibility  of  the  pitching  motion  lifting  the  propeller  out  of  the  water. 
The  three  hulls  are  tapered  from  the  centre,  both  longitudinally  and  verti- 
cally, and  come  to  a  rounded  point  at  both  end?,  so  as"  to  enter  the  wave 
and  reduce  the  pitching  motion  to  a  minimum,  the  rolling  being  done 
-away  with  by  the  extent  of  the  water-space  between  the  ships.  The  decks 
extend  in  the  centre  three-fifths  (more  or  less)  of  the  length  of  the  outside 
ship.  The  remaining  portion  of  the  ends  are  covered  over  for  passing 
through  the  waves.  For  smooth  water  ferry-boats  and  the  like,  the  decks 
are  proposed  to  be  the  entire  length  of  the  outside  hulls. 


See  page  170. 


278  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

Captain  Coppen  claims  that  his  improvements  are  "  specially  applicable 
to  war  ships,  and  enable  a  large  amount  of  armor  plating  to  be  carried,  and 
give  an  extended  battery  platform  to  carry  guns  of  the  largest  calibre,  and 
that  turrets  of  increased  thickness  of  armor  plate  can  be  employed  with 
safety.  Complete  protection  is  also  given  to  the  engines,  screw  propellers 
and  steering  apparatus,  increased  accommodation  for  a  large  number  of 
troops  and  horses,  with  a  speed  at  least  one-third  faster  than  the  present 
class  of  transports,  and  the  construction  is  such  that  one  of  the  three  ships 
might  be  completely  riddled  with  shot  or  damaged  by  a  ram,  and  yet  be 
supported  by  the  other  two."  There  can  be  no  question  that  a  vessel  of  this 
description  will  have  great  stability,  and  can  be  armor-clad,  and  that  the 
outer  hulls  will  have  to  be  penetrated  before  the  central  hull,  containing  the 
engine,  can  be  reached,  and  that  the  broad  platform  of  her  deck  would  be 
admirably  adapted  for  carrying  guns  of  heavy  calibre.  As  a  ferry-boat  she 
seems  also  to  unite  many  advantages,  and  her  broad  decks  and  stability  seem 
to  adapt  her  particularly  for,  a  railroad  ferry  barge.  Her  ability  to  turn 
rapidly  in  a  [seaway,  and  to  withstand  Atlantic  gales,  and  also  the  sp8ed 
she  might  attain,  has  yet  to  be  put  to  a  practical  test. 

1882. — THE  FRYER  BUOYANT  PROPELLER,  "  ALICE" — A  VELOCIPEDE 
OR  LOCOMOTIVE. — A  working  model  of  this  queer  craft  stands  in  a  brick 
yard  at  Hastings-on-the-Hudson,  where  it  is  an  object  of  great  curiosity. 
The  model  consists  of  a  triangular  frame-work  resting  on  three  wheels,  which 
are  in  the  same  relation  to  each  other  as  the  wheels  of  a  tricycle.  These 
wheels  are  spheroidal  in  shape,  about  six  feet  in  diameter,  and  are  housed 
above  with  dome-shaped  covers.  Each  sphere  is  a  propeller,  having  flanges 
or  buckets  at  the  sides  at  right  angles  to  the  vertical  diameter,  and  acting 
upon  the  water  like  a  paddle-wheel.  These  spheroids  are  driven  by  steam. 
At  the  same  time  they  serve  as  floats,  and  are  submerged  about  one-sixth  of 
their  capacity.  Another  feature  of  the  propellers  is  that  they  have  an  iron 
tire  or  keel,  by  means  of  which  they  may  be  made  to  serve  as  wheels,  and 
carry  the  vessel  along  a  track  on  dry  land.  An  engine  rests  on  the  frame- 
work between  the  two  propellers  that  are  opposite  each  other.  The  frame- 
work forming  the  deck  is  supported  on  the  axes  of  the  wheels,  so  that  it  is- 
several  feet  above  the  surface  of  the  water. 

Robert  Fryer,  the  inventor,  conceived  the  idea  of  his  water-car  about 
twelve  years  ago,  and  has  been  engaged  in  making  experiments  ever  since, 
His  first  model  was  made  on  a  small  scale.  It  consisted  of  three  hollow 
copper  globes  connected  by  axles  to  a  frame  superstructure,  and  of  the  same 
form  as  the  larger  model.  The  spheres  were  twelve  inches  in  diameter,  and 
were  made  to  revolve  by  springs  placed  inside,  and  wound  up  by  keys.  After 
repeated  experiments  in  a  tank,  it  was  rigged  with  a  small  sail  and  launched 
on  the  Harlem  River,  with  good  results.  Daily  experiments  were  subse- 
quently made  with  the  steam  model  on  the  Harlem,  much  to  the  astonish- 
ment of  those  who  caught  sight  of  it.  It  was  found  that  it  could  be  turned! 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  279 

in  its  own  length,  that  there  was  no  appreciable  slipping,  and  that  it  was 
little  affected  by  the  action  of  the  wind  or  tide.  When  the  "  Alice"  was 
taken  to  Hastings  it  made  part  of  the  distance  on  dry  land,  steaming  along 
the  road  like  a  great  lumbering  wagon. 

The  plan  proposes  a  huge  hollow  semi-cylinder  for  the  superstructure, 
containing  saloons  and  state-rooms,  with  masts  and  rigging  above  for  carry- 
ing sails.  One  claim  made  for  the  buoyant  propeller  is  that  it  cannot  be 
overturned  in  the  roughest  sea,  on  account  of  its  triangular  shape,  and  that 
its  oscillation  in  a  violent  sea  will  be  less  than  that  of  an  ordinary  vessel  on 
comparatively  smooth  water.  The  advantage  from  this  is  that  passengers 
would  have  no  fear  of  sea-sickness.  The  inventor  believes  that  his  ship  will 
excel  the  steam  vessels  now  in  use  in  point  of  convenience  and  comfort,  and 
be  a  safer  means  of  transit,  as  the  ship  proper  would  stand  thirty  feet  above 
the  water,  and  out  ot  reach  of  the  waves  even  in  a  stormy  sea.  He  also 
designs  to  apply  the  same  principle  to  the  construction  of  dispatch  and  life 
boats.  If  this  water-car  comes  up  to  the  expectations  of  its  inventor  it  will 
make  the  passage  of  the  Atlantic  between  Sundays.* 

1882. — KOSSE'S  CATAMARAN  STEAM-TUG. — This  novel  steam-vessel,  which 
was  built  at  Brown's  Ship  Yard,  in  Tarrytown,  is  now  in  the  harbor  of  New 
York,  waiting  trial.  Its  inventor,  Captain  J.  Rosse,  will  claim  the  reward 
offered  by  the  government  for  a  steamboat  that  can  run  in  canals  without 
washing  or  otherwise  injuring  the  banks.  The  practical  utility  of  the  craft 
has  not  yet  been  proved,  but  it  is  believed  that  it  will  prove  very  powerful 
in  towing  canal-boats  without  making  a  destructive  washing  against  the 

*  Two  correspondents  of  the  Manchester  Times,  in  October,  1882,  referring  to  Fryer's 
Marine  Velocipede,  say : 

"  In  June,  1866,  a  patent  was  granted  in  America  to  A.  Blomquist  and  C.  Cooke  (patent 
No.  56,351)  for  a  'marine  car'  on  three  spheres,  wi  h  paddles  attached,  on  the  same  principle 
as  that  described  by  your  correspondent  'Mechanic.'  What  made  me  notice  his  account  is 
the  fact  that  about  five  years  ago  I  made  a  model  of  the  vessel  for  Mr.  Blomquist,  of  Brook- 
lyn, New  York,  one  of  the  original  patentees.  ANOTHER  MECHANIC, 

"  Late  of  Brooklyn,  New  York." 


"  'Mechanic,'  Carlisle,  in  describing  the  vessel  invented  by  Robert  Fryer,  of  New  York, 
would  almost  make  us  believe  there  is  something  new  under  the  sun.  But  though  the  re- 
markable vessel  may  be  new,  the  idea  is  not.  I  once  inquired  of  the  Editor  respecting  a 
machine  on  which  a.  man  walked  on  the  river  Tyne,  and  was  told  that  my  question  was  not 
sufficiently  explicit.  The  machine  described  by  '  Mechanic '  corresponds  exactly  with  the 
invention  to  which  my  question  referred.  If  I  recollect  rightly,  the  machine  I  saw  was  a 
marine  velocipede,  on  three  long,  spider-like  legs,  stretching  from  what  formed  a  seat  for  the 
rider.  These  legs  were  fixed  in  hollow  tin  spheres,  sufficiently  large  to  bear  his  weight, 
and  wide  enough  apart  to  enable  him  to  maintain  his  balance.  The  rider  had  flanges  or 
flappers  fitted  on  his  feet,  and  was  thus  enabled  to  propel  himself.  Although  the  speed  was 
not  very. great,  it  was  sufficient  to  enable  him  to  keep  pace  with  the  boats  around  him — 
namely,  the  procession  of  barges  on  the  day  when  George  IV.  was  crowned. 

"  DRIFFIELD,  South  Shields." 


v 


280  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

bank.  The  boat  is  built  of  two  very  narrow  hulls  fifty-three  feet  in-  length, 
with  the  machinery  and  weight  thoroughly  balanced  on  them.  She  lies  low, 
so  as  to  pass  under  the  canal  bridges.  A  huge  belt,  which  runs  fore  and  aft 
over  two  drums  at  right  angles  with  and  between  the  two  hulls,  has  buckets 
or  paddles  fixed  across  its  outer  surface.  The  power  is  applied  to  the  drums, 
and  the  belt  is  moved  around  from  forward  to  aft,  taking  the  water  easily, 
and  leaving  it  without  making  a  commotion.  The  novelty  has  so  far  made 
satisfactory  speed.* 

1882. — A  BOAT  PROPELLED  BY  ELECTRICITY. — The  Scientific  American 
for  November  11,  1882,  has  a  description  and  engraving  of  a  small  boat  pro- 
pelled by  electricity  lately  tried  on  the  Thames  River  near  London.  It 
also  gives  transverse  and  longitudinal  sections  and  a  deck  plan  of  the  boat. 
The  hull  is  of  iron,  25  feet  long,  5  feet  beam,  drawing  21  inches  of  water 
forward  and  30  inches  aft.  She  is  a  screw  boat,  the  propeller  being  of  the 
Collis-Browne  type,  20  inches  in  diameter,  andVith  a  3  foot  pitch.  The 
screw  is  calculated  to  make  350  revolutions  per  minute.  Twelve  persons 
can  be  accommodated  on  board,  though  only  four  were  actually  carried  on 
the  trial  trip.  The  electric  engines  are  nothing  else  than  a  pair  of  Siemens' 
dynamos,  of  the  size  known  as  D3,  and  their  motive  power  is  furnished  by 
Sellon-Volckmar  accumulators.  These  accumulators  are  a  modification  of 
those  of  Plante  and  of  Faure,  but  are  made  of  specially  compact  design  for 
the  purpose  of  electric  navigation.  The  cells  each  contain  forty  prepared 
plate?,  and  weigh  about  forty  pounds.  They  are  about  10  inches  square  and  8 
inches  high,  and  are  charged  while  the  boat  is  lying  at  anchor  by  wires 
which  come  across  the  wharf  from  the  factory,  bringing  currents  generated 
by  dynamos  fixed  in  the  works.  There  is  room  for  a  battery  of'fifty-four 
such  cells  to  be  stowed  away,  as  will  be  seen  upon  the  drawings,  where  the 
battery  cells  are  marked  B  B.  Only  forty-five  cells  were  used  at  the  trial 
trip.  They  had  a  total  electromotive  force  of  ninety-six  volts,  and  were 
capable  of  furnishing  continuously  for  nine  hours  a  current  exceeding  thirty 
amperes. 

When  in  action  the  counter-electromotive  force  of  the  motors  reduces  the 
apparent  strength  of  the  current  according  to  Jacobi's  well-known  theory  of 
electro-magnetic  engines.  The  accumulators  have  a  total  weight  of  some- 
what less  than  a  ton.  The  motors  of  electric  engines  are  arranged  so  that 
either  or  both  of  them  may  be  furnished  with  the  current,  there  being  a 
switch  to  each  lead.  There  is  also  a  commutator  to  switch  into  circuit  any 
number  of  cells  from  forty  upward.  One  of  the  motors  can  be  thrown  in 
or  out  of  gear  by  means  of  an  Addyman's  friction  clutch,  which  permits  the 
pulley  to  be  started  and  stopped  with  great  facility  without  shocks.  A  re- 
versing gear  for  the  two  motors  is  contrived  by  the  very  simple  device  of 

•*  Engravings  of  this  Catamaran,  the  Fryer  Propeller,  and  the  Domed  Steamship  "Meteor," 
can  be  found  in  Harper  s  Weekly,  October  7,  1882. 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  281 

arranging  two  pairs  of  brushes  for  each  collector  or  commutator,  one  pair 
having  an  angular  lead  forward,  the  other  a  lead  backward.  By  a  simple 
lever  arrangement  either  pair  of  brushes  can  be  pressed  at  will  against  the 
segments  of  the  commutator.  In  practice  this  arrangement  works  well,  the 
boat  being  very  readily  stopped  by  reversing  the  engines  in  this  fashion. 
As  will  be  seen  from  the  drawings,  the  motors  are  connected  by  belts  to 
pulleys  on  a  countershaft,  from  which  a  belt  passes  down  to  a  pulley  on  the 
propeller  axis,  whose  speed  is  thus  reduced  in  the  proportion  of  950  to  350 
revolutions  per  minute.  The  steering  is  managed  by  the  same  person  who 
operates  the  switches^  seated  in  the  central  cabin.  A  whistle  being  impos- 
sible in  the  absence  of  steam,  this  necessary  feature  is  replaced  by  a  large 
electric  bell,  also  worked  by  the  accumulators.  The  calculated  average 
speed  is  nine  miles  per  hour.  This  speed,  says  Engineering,  was  actually 
attained  on  the  trial  trip  from  Milwall  to  London  Bridge  and  back. 

1882. — A  STEAMSHIP  BRAKE.— The  stopping  of  steamers  suddenly, 
when  under  way,  has  long  been  a  problem  unsolved.  But  a  near  approach 
to  an  effective  "  brake,"  as  it  is  called,  is  in  operation  on  one  of  the  small 
craft  plying  between  City  Point  and  Long  Island,  in  Boston  Harbor. 
A  trial  of  the  device,  invented  by  Mr.  John  McAdams,  on  the 
steamer  "City  Point,"  was  made  in  the  harbor  in  November.  The 
arrangement  is  simple,  and  is  seen  at  once  from  a  glance  at  the  working 
model.  The  essential  parts  are  two  large  metal  fins  on  the  after  part  of  the 
hull,  one  on  either  side,  which  can  by  a  simple  movement  be  thrown  at 
right  angles  to  the  body  of  the  boat,  presenting  a  broad  surface  to  the  water 
and  effectually  checking  the  boat's  headway.  The  fins  can  be  made  of  any 
size,  those  of  the  "City  Point"  being  five  feet  by  four.  The  fins  are  hinged 
securely  on  the  stern  post,  and  are  sustained  when  open  by  three  strong 
telescope  braces  and  a  chain,  the  last-named  also  serving  to  close  the  ap- 
paratus. When  closed  the  appearance  is  of  two  closed  port-holes.  The  ma- 
terial is  steel.  A  strong  spring  opens  the  fins,  just  starting  them  a  few 
inches,  and  the  force  of  the  water  throws  them  open  to  the  full  extent. 
There  are  two  levers  for  working  the  apparatus,  one  in  the  pilot-house  and 
one  on  the  forward  deck.  An  additional  and  automatic  arrangement  has 
also  been  invented,  consisting  of  a  long  lever  to  hang  from  the  end  of  the 
bowsprit  of  large  vessels,  and  serving  to  work  the  apparatus  automatically 
in  case  of  sudden  collision.  In  case  of  necessity  one  fin  can  be  worked 
alone,  not  only  checking  the  speed,  but  also  turning  sharply  aside.  The 
"  City  Point"  got  under  way,  and,  while  at  full  speed,  the  signal  was  given 
and  the  fins  thrown  back.  The  motion  of  the  boat  was  checked  with  a 
a  sharp  shock,  and  before  ten  feet  of  space  were  covered  she  lay  perfectly 
still.  The  effect  of  forty  square  feet  of  steel  braced  sudden-ly  at  right  angles 
to  the  vessel  may  be  imagined.  Several  trials  were  made,  both  with  steam 
on  and  with  steam  shut  off  at  the  moment  the  fins  were  opened,  and  in 
both  cases  the  motion  was  quickly  stopped.  The  patent  has  only  been  issued 


282  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VI G  A  TION. 

a  few  weeks,  and  nothing  has  been  done  looking  to  the  general  introduction 
of  the  brake,  but  its  success  on  trial  certainly  shows  that  steps  have  been 
taken  in  the  right  direction  toward  preventing  the  numerous  collisions  of 
steamers  and  the  consequent  loss  of  life  and  property. 

OCEAN  MERCANTILE  STEAMERS. — The  net  tonnage  of  the  maritime  na- 
tions of  the  world,  according  to  the  French  Bureau  Reports  in  1882,  was : 

Countries.  Net  tonnage. 

Great  Britain,  .             .                           .             .  3,133,453 

United  States,  .....  408,496 

Norway,  -.             .             .             .             .             .  53,34° 

Germany,  .                           ....  234,680 

Italy,  ......  75,646 

France,  ......  302,432 

Russia,  .             .             .             .             .             .  87,997 

Sweden,  ......  66,204 

Spain,  .             ...             .             .             .  144,691 

Holland,  .             .                           ...  81,048 

Greece,  .             .             .                          .             .  11,019 

Austria,  ......  66,352 

1882. — There  are  sixty-five  steamers  in  the  British  merchant  marine  of 
considerable  coal-bearing  power  that  possess  an  ocean  speed  of  upwards 
of  thirteen  knots,  and  the  P.  &  O.  Line  possess  forty-eight  steamers  with 
a  speed  of  over  twelve  knots. 

1882. — THE  LIMIT  OF  STEAM  PRESSURE. — In  the  time  of  Watt  the  or- 
dinary limit  was  seven  pounds.  Ten  times  this  pressure  is  usual  now, 
while  ninety  pounds  is  not  uncommon.  The  rise  within  the  past  ten  years 
has  been  twenty-five  pounds,  and  with  the  constant  study  of  boiler  structure 
yand  boiler  capacity  for  work  and  strain,  we  may  expect  to  see  at  least  an 
equal  rise  during  the  coming  ten  years.  Pressures  of  one  hundred  pounds 
and  over  are  occasional  now,  but  are  yet  far  from  being  the  rule.  The  in- 
creasing use  of  steel  in  boiler  construction  must  lead  to  developments  that 
will  help  the  solvement  of  the  problem. 

1882. — A  NOVEL  APPLICATION  OF  THE  SCREW.— The  screw  propeller  at 
the  stern  has  maintained  its  position  unchanged,  though  often  varied  in  its 
form  and  in  the  pitch,  or  number  of  its  blades,  since  it  was  first  brought 
into  general  use.  It  has  been  tried  at  the  bow,  where  it  worked  well  enough, 
until'  it  proved  troublesome  when  brought  in  contact  with  drift-wood.  It 
has  been  placed  at  the  sides,  where  it  operated  only  as  an  imperfect  paddle- 
wheel.  Recently  it  has  been  tried  in  an  entirely  new  position.  The  vessel 
to  which  this  new  method  of  placing  the  screw  has  been  applied  is  a  lighter, 
designed  for  carrying  heavy  freight  upon  a  crooked  and  shallow  river.  Her 
wood  hull,  is  about  ninety  feet  long  and  thirty-two  feet  wide,  and  draws 
about  thirty-nine  inches  when  loaded  with  one  hundred  tons  of  freight,  In 
general  appearance  the  boat  does  not  differ  from  the  ordinary  steam-lighters 


HISTOE  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  283 

used  in  American  waters.  Her  hull  is  of  the  usual  shape,  except  at  the 
stern  ;  there  the  after-body  turns  abruptly  inward  at  the  water-line,  making 
a  double  curve  toward  the  stern-post.  Below  the  water-line,  the  hull  carries 
a  lip  or  projection  that  follows  the  ordinary  lines  of  a  ship's  stern.  In  the 
concave  recess  on  each  side  of  the  stern  is  placed  a  single  screw,  facing  out- 
ward. That  is,  the  shaft  carrying  a  screw  at  each  end  extends  directly 
across  the  hull.  This  shaft  is  jtist  at  the  water-line,  and  carries  each  screw 
half-submerged.  The  deck  above  each  screw  overhangs  the  hull,  as  in 
American  river-boats.  The  engine  is  placed  between  the  two  screws  and 
directly  connected  with  the  shaft.  On  turning  the  two  screws  placed  in  this- 
position,  it  would  appear  that  they  would  act  as  paddle-wheels.  They  do  so, 
but  the  amount  of  work  performed  in  moving  the  boat  is  thought  to  be  very 
small.  Experiments  seem  to  prove  that  the  movement  of  the  boat  is  caused 
by  the  streams  of  water  turned  by  the  screws  against  the  wedge-shaped  hull. 
The  water  thrown  into  the  concave  part  of  the  stern  cannot  easily  escape,, 
and  the  result  is  the  hull  is  thrust  forward  by  the  action  of  the  water  against 
it.  The  actual  trials  of  the  boat  show  that  she  can  be  moved  with  a  full 
load,  in  rather  rough  water,  at  a  speed  of  from  four  to  five  knots  an  hour. 
This  is  considered  good  speed  for  such  a  boat,  with  her  small  engine  power. 
On  the  second  trial  trip  careful  measurements  were  made  of  the  power 
utilized  by  the  screws.  The  boat  was  towed  at  her  usual  speed,  and  the 
amount  of  strain  on  the  tow-line  found  by  the  aid  of  a  dynamometer.  The 
power  needed  to  move  the  boat,  compared  with  the  actual  working  power  of 
the  engine,  was  found  to  be  over  fifty  per  cent.  In  other  words,  one-half  the 
actual  power  of  the  engine  seems  to  be  realized  in  moving  the  boat.  This 
is  considered  a  favorable  showing  for  the  position  of  the  screws.  The 
trial  trips  of  the  new  boat  are  regarded  as  interesting  contributions  to  the 
question  of  screw  propulsion.  The  positions  of  the  screws  give  a  good 
economy  for  the  power  employed,  and  in  new  and  faster  boats,  that  are  to  be 
built  upon  the  same  pattern,  more  interesting  results  may  be  expected.* 

1882. — THE  DOME  STEAM- YACHT  "  METEOR." — There  is  now  building  at 
Nyack-on-the-Hudson  a  steamboat  of  naval  construction  which  is  rapidly 
approaching  completion.  This  craft  is  the  design,  model  and  invention,, 
both  in  hull  and  machinery,  of  Captain  A.  Perry  Bliven.  She  will  be 
launched  on  the  first  of  August.  Her  dimensions  are:  Length  over  all,  153 
feet;  water-line,  136  feet;  on  keel,  128  feet;  extreme  beam,  21  feet  (> 
inches;  beam  at  water-line,  17  feet;  extreme  depth  of  hold,  17  feet;  draught 
forward,  6  feet ;  draught  aft,  11  feet ;  tonnage,  old  measurement,  512  30-100. 
This  vessel  is  an  entire  new  departure  from  the  principles  and  designs  of  the 
steamers  now  afloat,  and  is  the  pioneer  vessel  of  the  American  Quick  Transit 
Company  of  Boston.  The  "  Meteor"  will  be  followed  by  large  steel  steamers 
of  the  same  model,  and  with  the  most  powerful  machinery  ever  yet  placed 


The  Century  for  November,  1882. 


284  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

in  ocean  steamships.  The  "  Herald,"  to  be  built  in  Boston,  on  the  "  Me- 
teor's" model,  will  be  of  the  following  dimensions :  425  feet  long ;  56  feet 
beam  ;  48  feet  hold  ;  draught  forward,  17  feet ;  draught  aft,  26  feet ;  capacity, 
7,500  tons,  old  measurement.  She  will  have  four  steel  boilers,  new  pattern ; 
three  double  compounded  steel  engines,  twelve  cylinders ;  actual  horse- 
power, 18,000 ;  capable  of  making  a  speed  of  28  to  30  miles  per  hour. 

It  appears  that  the  inventor's  aim  is  to  make  a  self-righting  boat  by  carry- 
ing the  sides  over  the  deck  in  the  form  of  a  dome.  The  side  frames' are 
made  continuous,  and  meet  over  the  centre  of  the  hull,  or,  in  other  words, 
the  frames  begin  at  one  side  of  the  keel,  rise  directly  at  an  angle  of  about 
forty-five  degrees  to  the  water-line,  and  then  curve  inward  over  the  deck 
and  back  on  the  same  lines  to  the  keel.  A  section  of  the  hull  taken  in  the 
•centre  is  thus  of  a  wedge  shape,  with  a  sharp  edge  below  and  rounded  top 
above.  This  wedge  form  is  preserved  through  the  entire  length  of  the  hull. 
There  are  no  hollow  lines  in  the  boat,  and  the  sharp,  overhanging  bow  is 
intended  to  part  the  water  near  the  surface,  and  to  form  a  long,  tapering 
wedge.  The  widest  part  of  the  hull  is  exactly  at  the  middle,  both  ends 
being  precisely  alike.  This  is  quite  different  from  the  flat  bottom  and 
straight  sides,  with  comparatively  bluff  or  rounded  bows,  of  the  ordinary 
ocean  steamship. 

The  boat  is  intended  to  be  much  deeper  aft  than  forward,  and  the  deck 
will  be  much  higher  above  water  at  the  bows  than  at  the  stern.  There  will 
be  no  houses  or  raised  constructions  of  any  kind  on  deck,  except  the  dome- 
shaped  pilot  house,  the  ventilators,  and  the  smoke-stacks.  There  will  be  an 
open  railing  around  the  centre  of  the  deck,  so  that  it  can  be  used  as  a  prom- 
enade in  pleasant  weather,  or  whenever  the  seas  do  not  break  over  the  boat. 
The  object  of  this  unbroken  dome-shaped  deck  is  to  enable  the  boat  to  throw 
off  all  waves  that  break  over  the  bows  or  sides  in  rough  weather.  It  is 
thought  that,  instead  of  shipping  tons  of  water  and  retaining  it  on  deck  till 
it  can  be  drained  off,  the  boat  will  shed  or  throw  off  the  water  from  the  long 
sharp  bows  and  open  deck,  and  will  at  once  relieve  herself  of  the  weight  of 
the  water.  Waves  striking  the  rounded  deck  will  have  no  hold  on  the  boat, 
and  their  force  will  thus  be  spent  harmlessly.  The  sharp  wedge-shape  and 
rounded  top  of  the  hull,  and  the  fact  that  even  when  fully  loaded  the  centre 
of  gravity  will  be  below  the  water-line,  makes  the  model  self-righting. 

From  experiments  with  a  small  model,  this  claim  of  the  inventor  seems 
to  be  clearly  proved.  In  laying  out  the  boat  only  the  spar  deck  will  be 
used  for  passengers,  the  main  deck  and  all  below  being  intended  for  cargo, 
coal,  and  engines.  The  state-rooms  will  be  arranged  along  the  outside,  each 
room  having  a  port  in  the  side  of  the  boat,  while  the  ceiling  will  be  formed 
of  the  curved  deck  above.  The  saloons  will  be  the  whole  width  of  the  ship, 
and  on  the  spar  deck.  For  lighting  the  saloons  there  will  be  skylights  in 
the  centre,  and  as  these  in  rough  weather  may  be  covered  by  the  seas  that 
sweep  over  the  deck,  they  will  be  very  strong,  and  will  be  air-tight.  To 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  285 

secure  ventilation  there  will  be  steam-fans,  kept  in  motion  at  all  times,  and 
maintaining  a  good  circulation  of  air  through  every  part  of  the  boat.  For 
this  purpose  the  fresh  air  will  be  taken  through  wind-sails  on  the  deck,  and 
the  exhaust  air  from  the  rooms  will  be  turned  into  the  blast  used  in  forcing 
the  boiler  fires.  No  boats  are  to  be  carried  on  deck ;  the  life-rafts  and  boats- 
will  be  kept  in  an  apartment  under  the  domed  deck  at  the  stern,  and  when 
they  are  to  be  launched  doors  will  be  opened  in  the  deck,  and  the  boats 
launched  in  the  usual  way  from  davits  through  these  doors.  The  pilot- 
house will  be  at  the  bows,  and  will  be  entirely  inclosed.  It  will  not  rise 
much  above  the  deck,  and  will  be  entered  from  below. 

There  will  be  no  masts  or  sails,  as  it  is  intended  to  depend  wholly  on  the 
engines  for  propulsion.  In  constructing  the  hull,  to  secure  great  strength, 
three  heavy  trusses,  or  "  hog  frames,"  are  to  be  placed  on  the  keel,  each  one 
rising  to  the  spar  deck,  and  securely  fastened  to  the  side-frames  of  the  boat. 
The  ceiling  will  be  double,  and  placed  diagonally  on  the  frames.  In  the 
larger  steamships  the  absence  of  sailing  power  will  be  compensated  for  by  two 
extra  engines  and  two  supplementary  screws,  that  can  be  employed  in  case 
the  larger  screw  is  lost,  or  the  main  engines  break  down. 

1882. — HERR  BECK'S  GUNPOWDER  ENGINE. — A  patent  has  been  taken 
out  in  Germany  for  a  gunpowder  engine.  Years  ago,  before  Savery  and 
Newcomen  introduced  their  rude  attempts  at  steam-engines,  Huyghens  and 
others,  notably  Papin,  endeavored  to  utilize  the  force  of  exploding  gun- 
powder as  a  means  of  obtaining  motive-power,  and  engines  were  constructed 
which  demonstrated  at  least  the  possibility  of  the  idea.  A  tall  cylinder, 
having  a  touch-hole,  at  the  bottom,  was  fitted  with  a  heavy  piston,  to  which 
ropes  were  attached  passing  over  pulleys.  A  sufficient  quantity  of  gun- 
powder was  placed  inside  the  cylinder  to  drive  the  piston  nearly  to  the  top 
when  the  powder  was  fired,  and  then  the  gases  escaping  through  the  touch- 
hole,  and  being  also  condensed,  the  atmospheric  pressure  forced  the  piston 
down,  and  men  who  were  holding  on  to  the  ropes  were  hauled  up.  Of  late 
the  idea  has  been  utilized  in  the  construction  of  a  pile-driver,  the  "  monkey" 
being  driven  down  by  the  force  of  exploding  gunpowder.  Herr  Beck  has 
recently  devised  an  engine,  the  piston  of  which  is  driven  backwards  and 
forwards  by  small  charges  of  gunpowder  supplied  at  each  end  by  an  auto- 
matic arrangement.  The  ignition  is  effected  by  the  motion  of  the  piston, 
which  draws  in  a  flame  of  gas  or  spirit,  the  access  being  regulated  by  slide 
valves,  which  also  opens  outlets  for  the  escape  of  the  gases  of  combustion. 

1882. — A  NEW  MOTOR. — A  new  motor  has  been  discovered  which,  it  is 
claimed,  will  supersede  steam.  The  material  from  which  the  energy  is  gen- 
erated is  bisulphide  of  carbon,  which  is  utilized  as  a  motor  agent  in  the  form 
of  vapor,  and  the  advantage  claimed  for  it  over  steam  is  that,  while  water 
expands  in  the  ratio  of  1  cubic  inch  to  1,700,  bisulphide  of  carbon  has  an 
expansive  property  of  1  to  8,000.  When  the  vapor  is  generated  it  passes 
into  the  steam-chest  of  the  engine  and  moves  the  piston  rods.  A  pipe  at- 


286  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

tached  to  the  engine  conveys  the  exhaust  vapor  directly  through  a  condenser 
back  to  the  tank  in  its  original  liquefied  form  to  be  regenerated.  The  sys- 
tem of  generation  and  condensation  is  similar  to  the  heart-action ;  and  with 
machinery  perfectly  constructed  it  is  claimed  that  a  single  supply  of  the 
bisulphide  of  carbon  can  be  used  with  reinforcement  for  an  indefinite  period. 
The  cost  of  fuel  is  trifling,  it  being  claimed  that  from  the  peculiar  properties 
of  the  bisulphide  an  ordinary  house  fire  can  develop  a  power  sufficient  to 
run  an  ocean  steamer.  Water  boils  at  212  degrees,  and  it  takes  320  degrees 
of  heat  to  make  steam  available,  while  the  new  agent  takes  the  form  of 
vapor  at  180  degrees.  The  invention  is  owned  by  J.  R.  Blumenburg,  a 
German,  who  has  been  exhibiting  it  to  Philadelphia  capitalists  with  such 
success  that  they  are  likely  to  try  it  on  a  large  scale. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

•THE  GREAT  OCEAN  STEAMSHIP  COMPANIES,— GENERAL  REMARKS,  OCEAN  TRAMPS,  ETC.— The  Cunard, 
1840.— The  Peninsular  and  Oriental,  1840.— Pacific  Steam  Navigation,  1840.— Royal  West  India 
Mail,  1841— Collins'  Line,  1847.— Pacific  Mail  Steamship  Company,  1848.— Warren  Line,  1850.— In- 
man  Line,  1850.— The  Messageries  Maritimes,  1851.— Allan  Line,  1854,— Hamburg  American  Packet 
Company,  1855.— Anchor  Line,  1856.— North  German  Lloyds,  1857.— Leland  Line,  I860.— Company 
Generale  .Transatlantique,  1862.— National  Steamship  Company,  1863.— Williams  &  Guion  Line, 
1866.— Old  Dominion  Line,  1867.— White  Star  Line,  1870.— American  or  Keystone  Line,  1871— City 
Line— State  Line,  1872.— Red  Star  Line,  1873— The  Monarch  Line,  1874— Harrison  Line— Ocean 
Steamship^Company  of  Savannah. — The  Mitser-Bistic  Steam  Navigation  Company,  1875. — The 
Atlas  Steamship  Company.— Roach's  United  States  and  Brazil  Steamhhip  Line,  1S75.— The  Mallory 
Line.— The  Red  "  D  "  Line,  1879.— New  York,  Havana  and  Mexican  Mail  Line.— Boston  and  Sa- 
vannah Steamship  Companny,1882.— Thingvalla  Line,  1882.— West  India  Steamship  "  Enterprise.' ' 

I  am  indebted  to  the  courtesy  of  the  managers,  agents,  and  owners  of  the 
several  ocean  steamship  lines  for  the  major'part  of  the  information  contained 
in  this  chapter,  but  I  have  also  drawn  from  printed  histories  and  circulars 
and  communications  which  I  have  found  in  magazines  and  newspapers  since 
these  sketches  of  Ocean  Steamship  Lines  were  written,  and  in  part  printed 
in  the  United  Service. 

The  Century,  in  its  September  number,  has  published  an  interesting  article 
on  Ocean  Steamships,  by  S.  W.  G.  Benjamin,  which  has  been  supplemented 
by  an  anonymous  communication  entitled  "  More  about  Ocean  Steamships," 
published  in  the  Boston  Transcript.  The  writer  seemed  to  be  well  posted  up 
in  his  subject,  better  even  than  Mr.  Benjamin,  and  as  his  communication 
contains  some  interesting  facts  which  I  have  not  given,  I  take  the  liberty  to 
quote  from  him  a  few  paragraphs  to  supply  the  deficiency  : 

"  The  steamships  of  the  world,"  he  says,  "  may  be  roughly  divided  into 
three  classes.  These  are — First,  those  belonging  to  mail  lines,  carrying  pas- 
sengers and  mails,  and  leaving  and  arriving  at  certain  ports  at  an  advertised 
time,  and  with  the  greatest  regularity  possible  under  the  circumstances. 
The  second  class  consists  of  steamers  not  carrying  the  mails,  and  sometimes 
but  a  few  passengers,  chiefly  devoted  to  the  carrying  trade — cattle,  grain, 
miscellaneous  cargoes  of  ore  and  general  products — but  plying  with  a  cer- 
tain regularity  between  stated  ports.  The  third  class  comprises  all  steamers 
which,  having  no  fixed  route,  go  to  any  port  which  offers  the  best  terms  for 
freight,  wandering  around  the  globe,  and  hardly  touching  at  the  same  place 
twice.  These  latter  are  the  "  ocean  tramp"  class  of  steamships,  on  which  in 
ma"ny  cases  opprobrium  has  been  unjustly  heaped." 

Of  the  first  class  of  steamers,  the  two  largest  lines  in  the  world  are  the 
British  India  Steam  Navigation  Company  and  the  Austro-Hungarian 

287 


288  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

Lloyds.  It  is  hard  to  say  exactly  which  is  the  larger?>but  at  present  the 
steamers  owned  by  each  number  about  seventy-seven  and  seventy-nine  re- 
spectively. The  British  India  company  does  its  chief  business,  as  its  name 
indicates,  with  India  and  its  dependencies,  and  the  map  which  represents  its 
different  routes  is  a  network  of  bewildering  lines.  Every  port  in  India  is 
in  communication  with  Calcutta,  Bombay  and  Madras  by  this  company's 
steamships,  and  communication  with  London  is  kept  up  by  fortnightly 
steamers.  This  company  runs  steamers  every  fortnight  also  from  London 
to  the  Persian  Gulf  and  Bagdad,  calling  at  Algiers ;  and  it  has  lately  started 
a  line  to  Brisbane  in  Queensland  via  Batavia.  Its  steamers  have  until 
lately  been  of  medium  size,  but  it  is  now  building  larger  ships.  Its  vessels 
are  named  after  Indian  towns,  etc.,  and  the  names  are  mostly  very  pretty, 
as  the  "  Merkara,"  "  Dorunda,  "  Ellora/'.and  others. 

"  The  chief  lines  from  London  to  the  Cape  direct  are  the  Union  Steam- 
ship Company  (thirteen  steamers),  and  Donald  Currie  &  Co.'s  Castle  line 
(twenty  steamers),  mostly  large  and  fine  ships,  while  the  trading  stations  on 
the  West  Coast  of  Africa  are  supplied  by  the  African  Steamship  Company 
and  the  British  and  African  Steam  Navigation  Company,  with  smaller 
steamers,  more  or  less  devoted  to  freight,  although  carrying  the  mails. 

"  Lamport  &  Holt  also  run  a  line  from  London  to  Brazil  and  the  river 
Platte,  some  of  the  steamers  returning  to  Liverpool  via  New  York.  This 
line  has  some  thirty  steamers  of  moderate  size,  named  after  scientific  men, 
painters  and  poets. 

"  The  City  Line  (City  of  London,  of  Venice,  of  Khios,  etc.)  is  owned  by 
George  Smith  &  Sons  of  Glasgow,  who  also  own  a  large  fleet  of  sailing  ships. 
There  are  ten  steamers  in  this  line,  all  fine  ships  of  3,000  tons.  The  Hall 
Line  (Werneth  Hall,  [4,100],  Breton  Hall,  etc.)  owned  by  the  Sun  Shipping 
Company,  and  the  Star  Line  ("Vega,"  "Orion,"  etc.)  are  favorite  lines  for 
India,  as  is  also  the  Ducal  Line  (Duke  of  Lancaster,  etc.),  which  has  some 
very  fine  ships,  seven  in  all.  These  last  named  lines  all  come  more  or  less 
under  the  second  heading  of  combined  passenger  and  freight  steamers. 

"  Hamburg  sends  out  lines  to  Panama  (Hamburg-American  Steamship 
Company),  to  Brazil  (Hamburg-South  American  Steamship  Company),  to 
Valparaiso  (Kosmos  Steamship  Company).  It  is  not  generally  known,  how- 
ever, that  the  French  Transatlantic  Company  by  no  means  confines  its  op- 
erations in  America  to  its  New  York  business,  but  has  some  fine  steamers 
running  to  Aspinwall,  Vera  Cruz  and  the  West  Indies. 

"  Turning  to  the  Pacific  Ocean,  we  find  only  one  English  Line  connecting 
America  with  Asia — the  Oriental  and  Occidental  Steamship  Company, 
which  is  really  a  part  of  the  White  Star  Line.  The  fine  steamers  "Arabic" 
and  "Coptic,"  of  4,300  tons  each,  which  were  built  last  year,  and  ran  a  short 
time  on  the  Atlantic,  have  now  their  place  in  the  O.  &  O.  Company's  fleet. 

"  Turning,  then,  to  the  second  class  of  steamers,  the  organized  lines  of 
"  freighters,"  we  find  in  this  category  many  lines  of  fine  ships,  so  many,  in 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  289 

fact,  it  will  be  impossible  to  mention  more  than  a  few.  At  the  head  of 
this  class  stand  the  firm  of  Thomas  Wilson,  Sons  &  Co.,  of  Hull.  They  own 
fifty  ships,  averaging  fully  1,500  tons  each,  their  names  all  ending  in  "  o." 
Besides  the  lines  of  steamers  running  from  Hull  to  Boston  and  New  York — 
only  a  tithe  of  their  immense  business — Wilson  &  Co.  despatch  ships  to  all 
ports  of  the  Baltic,  to  Germany,  Holland,  and  France,  and  even  Constanti- 
nople. Their  business  is  rapidly  increasing,  and  they  have  built  within  a 
few  years  a  number  of  large  ships,  chiefly  for  their  Atlantic  trade. 

"  JVftGregor,  Gow  &  Co.,  of  Glasgow,  own  the  Glen  Line  of  steamers  (not  to 
be  confounded  with  another  line  of  Glen  steamers  owned  by  Lindsay, 
Gracie  &  Co.,  of  Leith),  fifteen  in  all,  employed  in  the  China  and  Japan  trade, 
noted  as  tea  ships.  They  are  of  moderate  size,  and  of  a  good  model.  The 
'  Stirling  Castle/  of  4,423  tons,  which  has  earned  the  name  of  being  the 
fastest  steamer  in  the  world,  belongs  to  another  '  tea'  line  of  nine  steamers, 
owned  by  Thomas  Skinner,  of  Glasgow,  named  after  Scottish  castles.  Another 
China  line  is  the  Ocean  Steamship  Company,  owned  by  Alfred  Holt,  Liver- 
pool, twenty-four  steamers  of  about  2,000  tons,  named  from  Homeric  char- 
acters. Warren  &  Co.,  of  Liverpool,  although  they  own  only  three  steamers 
(the  ships  not  named  after  States  being,  according  to  the  registers,  chartered), 
have  in  those  three  the  '  Missouri'  (5,146),  *  Kansas'  (5,276),  and  '  Iowa' 
(4,329),  the  largest  freighters  on  one  line  in  the  world.  The  '  Hooper'  (4,935) 
has  been  taken  off  the  Boston  Line  for  some  time,  and  now,  with  her  name 
changed  to  the  *  Silvertown,'  is  running  in  her  old  capacity  of  a  telegraph 
ship.  Another  line  of  '  freighters'  of  large  tonnage  is  that  owned  by  Nott 
&  Hill,  of  London— the  'Netting  Hill,"  Tower  Hill'  and  'Ludgate  Hill'— all 
over  4,000  tons.  In  fact,  large  freight  steamers  are  fast  becoming  common, 
and  lines  which  have  hitherto  built  ships  of  2,000  tons  are  now  building 
vessels  of  4,000  tons  and  over.  A  line  of  steamers  which  has  recently 
sprung  into  prominence,  and  which  illustrates  the  rapidity  with  which 
steamers  are  built  nowadays,  is  the  '  Clan  Line,'  owned  by  Messrs.  Cayzer,  Ir- 
vine &  Co.,  of  Liverpool.  In  1878  this  company  had  about  five  steamers, 
but  such  has  been  the  wonderful  growth  of  the  line  that  at  present  there  are 
twenty-one  steamers,  either  now  running  or  in  course  of  construction  ;  most 
of  them  are  2,200  tons.  They  are  all  named  after  Scottish  clans,  as  the 
*  Clan  Cameron,'  etc.  They  run  from  Liverpool  to  Calcutta,  the  Cape  and 
Mauritius. 

"  The  Marquis  de  Campo,  of  Cadiz,  has  lately  become  prominent  as  a  ship 
owner,  employing  steamers  in  the  Manila  and  the  Havana  and  the  Mexican 
trade.  Nearly  all  his  ships  have  been  bought  of  other  lines,  and  we  may 
discover  among  them  some  old  friends.  Every  one  who  has  crossed  the 
Atlantic  in  the  famous  old  'China'  will  be  glad  to  know  of  her  present 
situation.  She  is  now  the  'Magellanes'  of  De  Campo's  Line,  while  the  'Siberia' 
figures  as  the  'Manila,'  and  the  Warren  steamer  'Minnesota'  assumes  her 
place  as  the  '  Cristobal  Colon.' 

19 


290  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

"  Passing  over  many  important  regular  freight  lines,  we  come  to  the  third 
class,  the  general  freighter,  the  vagabond  class  of  steamer,  the  '  OCEAN 
TRAMP,'  which  may  be  in  Boston  one  month,  Odessa  the  next,  and  Archan- 
gel the  third.  This  is  a  much-abused  class.  Popular  opinion  is  decidedly 
against  them.  They  are  all  supposed  to  be  worthless,  rotten,  poorly  manned 
and  liable  to  founder  in  any  sea  heavier  than  that  of  a  mill  pond.  That 
there  are  a  great  many  to  which  this  description  will  apply  is  too  true. 
They  founder,  like  the  '  Escambia,'  almost  within  the  harbor,  or  more  fre- 
quently are  simply  reported  '  missing.'  These  unfortunate  vessels  mostly 
belong  to  individual  owners  or  small  lines.  But  there  are  large  fleets  of 
newly  built,  staunch  steamers  employed  in  this  useful  trade,  and  at  the  head 
of  the  list  stand  Messrs.  Watts,  Ward  &  Milburn,  of  London,  with  about 
forty  steamers,  most  of  them  comparatively  new.  Their  steamers  are  found 
everywhere.  Messrs.  Appleby,  Ropner  &  Co.,  London,  is  another  large 
firm.  The  number  of  new  companies  started  within  the  last  few  years  for 
this  business  is  surprising.  At  present  they  usually  number  some  half  a 
dozen  vessels  each,  generally  named  as  a  distinct  system.  To  enumerate 
them  would  be  tedious ;  but  we  may  single  out  Messrs.  Rankin,  Gilmour  & 
Co.,  for  their  splendid  steamer  St.  Ronans,  of  4,484  tons,  a  magnificent  ves- 
sel, equal  in  every  way  in  appearance  to  a  transatlantic  passenger  steamer. 

"  The  few  persons  who  pursue  the  shipping  news  have  undoubtedly  no- 
ticed the  numbers  of  freighters  arriving  at  Philadelphia  and  Baltimore  from 
Benisaf  and  Rio  Marina.  These  two  places,  which  maps  completely  ignore, 
are  situated  in  Algeria,  near  Bona,  and  in  the  island  of  Elba,  respectively. 
The  freighters  go  there  for  ballast  of  iron  ore,  which  they  take  to  our  South- 
ern ports,  receiving  a  full  cargo  for  Europe  in  the  place  of  the  ore. 

"  Of  all  these  thousands  of  steamers  so  few  are  totally  lost  every  year 
that,  when  we  think  of  the  powers  of  Nature  and  the  carelessness  of  man  in 
sending  unseaworthy  ships  to  sea,  we  cannot  help  being  surprised  at  the 
smallness  of  the  number  of  casualties." 

THE  CUNARD  LINE,  1840. — Mr.  Samuel  Cunard  was  one  of  the  first  to 
foresee  the  great  results  that  might  be  achieved  by  the  establishment  of 
steamer  communication  between  the  United  States  and  England,  and  as  far 
back  as  the  year  1830,  in  his  quiet  home  in  Nova  Scotia,  was  thinking  over 
the  best  means  of  carrying  out  this  project.  In  1838  Mr.  Cunard  went  to 
England,  bent  upon  putting  his  idea  into  operation,  and,  introduced  by  Sir 
James  Melville,  of  the  India  House,  he  presented  himself  to  Robert  Napier, 
the  eminent  marine  engineer,  and  the  result  of  their  deliberations  was  that 
Mr.  Cunard  gave  Mr.  Napier  an  order  to  build  four  steamships  for  the  At- 
lantic service.  The  four  vessels  were  to  be  of  900  tons  each,  and  300  horse- 
power. Mr.  Napier  advised  the  building  of  larger  vessels,  and  ultimately 
it  was  arranged  that  the  four  vessels  should  each  be  of  1,200  tons  burthen 
and  440  horse  power. 

The  project  now  assumed  a  proportion  beyond  the  resources  of  a  private 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  291 

individual,  and  Messrs.  Cuuard  and  Kapler,  taking  counsel  together,  hit 
upon  the  idea  of  forming  a  company.  Messrs.  Burns,  of  Glasgow,  and 
Messrs.  Maclver,  of  Liverpool,  after  having  run  coasting  steamers  in  keen 
rivalry  for  several  years,  in  1830  amalgamated  their  undertakings,  and  this 
firm  of  Burns  &  Maclver  was,  at  the  time  that  Mr.  Cunard  came  to  Eng- 
land, one  of  the  most  prosperous  shipping  companies  in  Great  Britain.  The 
proposal  to  form  an  Atlantic  steamship  company  was  mooted  to  Messrs. 
Burns  &  Maclver  by  Mr.  Napier,  and  the  outcome  was  the  establishment, 
in  1839,  of  the  "  British  and  North  American  Royal  Mail  Steam-Packet 
Company."  This  official  title  being  rather  lengthy  for  hurried  utterance,  a 
convenient  substitute  was  found  in  the  simple  phrase,  "  Cunard  Line."  This 
phrase  has  now  become  familiar  as  a  nautical  term  from  Sandy  Hook  to  the 
•Suez  Canal,  and  from  Scotland  to  the  West  Indies.  Samuel  Cunard  may 
be  justly  regarded  as  the  father  of  the  line,  and  his  enterprising  partners, 
the  Maclvers  and  Burnses,  have  shown  themselves  to  be  quite  adequate  to 
the  grave  responsibilities  which  they  then  assumed.  About  this  time  the 
government  decided,  on  grounds  of  public  convenience,  as  well  as  with  the 
view  of  promoting  the  extension  of  steam  navigation,  to  abandon  the  curious 
old  brigs  which  had  been  used  for  so  many  years  for  the  conveyance  of  the 
mails  across  the  Atlantic  and  to  substitute  steam  mail-boats.  The  admiralty 
accordingly  advertised  for  tenders  for  this  service,  and  the  Great  Western 
Steam  Shipping  Company  and  the  newly  formed  company  of  Messrs.  Cunard, 
Burns  &  Maclver  were  the  only  competitors.  The  tender  of  the  latter  firm 
was  accepted,  and  a  seven  years'  contract  was  entered  into  between  the 
Lords  of  the  Admiralty  on  the  one  part,  and  Samuel  Cunard,  George  Burns, 
and  David  Maclver  on  the  other  part,  for  the  conveyance  of  mails  fort- 
nightly between  Liverpool  and  Halifax,  Boston,  and  Quebec,  in  considera- 
tion of  the  annual  sum  of  £60,000.  One  of  the  conditions  of  the  bargain 
was  that  the  ships  engaged  in  this  service  should  be  of  sufficient  strength 
and  capacity  to  be  used  as  troop-ships  in  case  of  necessity.  The  first  four 
ships  built  under  Mr.  Napier's  direction  for  the  Cunard  Company  were  the 
"  Britannia,"  the  "  Acadia,"  the  "  Caledonia,"  and  the  "  Columbia."  The 
"  Unicorn"  was  dispatched  from  Liverpool  on  the  16th  of  May,  1840,  to  be 
placed  on  the  branch  route  to  Newfoundland,  and  made  the  passage  to 
Boston  in  nineteen  days. 

There  was  considerable  excitement  in  Boston  on  the  afternoon  of  Tues- 
day, June  2,  1840,  when  it  was  announced  that  Mr.  Cunard's  steamship 
"  Unicorn,"  Captain-  Douglas,  was  entering  the  harbor.  The  arrival  of  the 
first  regular  steam-packet  from  Europe  had  been  looked  forward  to  with 
interest,  as  marking  a  most  important  epoch  in  the  commercial  relations  of 
the  New  World  and  the  Olcl.  The  people,  young  and  old,  men,  women, 
and  children,  assembled  as  the  "  Unicorn"  approached  Long  Wharf,  and 
the  scene  on  water  and  land  was  inspiring  and  enthusiastic.  Cheers  rent 
the  air,  handkerchiefs  and  hats  were  waved,  as  the  "  Unicorn"  approached. 


292  H1STOR  Y  OF  STEAM  A/A  VIGA  TION. 

The  United  States  ship-of-the-line  "  Columbus,"  moored  in  the  channel, 
hoisted  the  English  ensign  at  the  fore,  and  her  band  played  the  national 
tunes  of  England  and  the  United  States,  and  the  revenue  cutter  "  Hamil- 
ton," which  made  a  gallant  appearance  dressed  in  flags  and  bunting,  fired  a 
salute.  For  a  short  time  the  "  Unicorn"  "lay  to"  off  the  wharf,  and  as 
Captain  Sturgis,  commanding  the  "  Hamilton,"  stepped  on  board  and  ten- 
dered a  welcome  to  Captain  Douglas,  a  round  of  cheers  went  up  from  the 
crowd.  Then  the  "  Unicorn"  steamed  along  the  water-front  and  wharves 
to  the  vicinity  of  the  navy -yard,  and  proceeded  to  the  Cunard  wharf  at 
East  Boston,  which  had  been  recently  built,  and  at  that  time  was  considered 
elegant  and  spacious  in  every  respect.  As  she  passed  the  revenue  cutter  she 
was  again  saluted,  and  returned  the  salute.  Salutes  were  also  fired  from  the 
wharf.  On  two  lofty  flag-staffs  erected  on  the  extremity  of  the  wharf  British 
and  American  ensigns  were  hoisted.  When  moored  at  the  wharf  many  peo- 
ple hastened  on  board  to  exchange  congratulations  with  the  captain,  officers, 
and  passengers. 

The  "Unicorn"  encountered  a  good  deal  of  rough  weather  on  her  voyage, 
but  proved  a  good  and  staunch  boat.  Her  machinery  worked  well,  and  the 
passengers  were  well  pleased  with  their  accommodations.  She  brought  out 
twenty-seven  cabin  passengers  to  Halifax,  and  twenty-four  to  Boston,  and 
files  of  London  papers  to  the  15th  of  May,  of  Liverpool  papers  to  the  16th 
and  of  Paris  papers  to  the  13th. 

The  day  following  her  arrival  the  Boston  newspapers  were  full  of  copious 
extracts  from  the  foreign  ^papers  which  the  "  Unicorn"  brought,  and  which 
were  appended  to  the  short  notice  of  the  important  event.  Regret  was  ex- 
pressed that  the  political  and  commercial  intelligence  by  the  arrival  was 
not  more  important,  but  the  heading,  "  SIXTEEN  DAYS  LATER  FROM 
EUROPE  !"  clearly  indicated  that  one  of  the  most  important  advantages  that 
was  anticipated  by  the  opening  of  steamship  communication  between  Boston 
and  Liverpool  was  the  quicker  exchange  of  news  with  the  Old  World. 

The  arrival  of  the  <;  Unicorn  "  was  the  talk  of  the  city,  and  the  city  felt 
called  upon  to  take  proper  recognition  of  so  significant  an  occurrence,  and 
three  days  later,  on  Friday,  June  5th,  the  city  authorities  extended  a  wel- 
come to  Samuel  Cunard,  Jr.,  a  son  of  Samuel  Cunard,  and  Captain  Douglas, 
commander  of  the  "  Unicorn,"  at  Faneuil  Hall.  The  cradle  of  liberty  was 
beautifully  festooned  with  the  flags  of  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain, 
and  was  otherwise  decorated  in  a  very  tasteful  manner.  The  city  officials 
and  invited  guests  marched  in  procession  to  the  hall  from  the  old  City  Hall, 
where  a  banquet  had  been  prepared  for  about  four  hundred  and  fifty  per- 
sons. Hon.  Jonathan  Chapman,  the  Mayor  of  Boston,  acted  as  the  presid- 
ing officer  and  master  of  ceremonies.  In  his  address  of  welcome  he  en- 
larged upon  the  vasj  importance  to  Boston  of  steam  navigation  with  Europe 
in  connection  with  the  western  railroad.  The  sentiment  which  he  offered  in 
conclusion  was  :  "  Commercial  enterprise — it  waked  up  the  dark  ages  ;  it 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  293 

launched  mankind  upon  the  sea  of  improvement;  it  guided  the  bark  and 
spread  the  sail  until  a  sail  is  no  longer  needed  to  join  the  two  continents 
together."  Mr.  Cuuard,  Jr.,  was  then  called  up,  and  made  a  pleasant 
response,  and  the  band  played  "God  Save  the  Queen."  Commander 
Douglas  gave  a  brief  account  of  the  voyage,  and  said  the  steamers  that  were 
being  built  for  the  line  were  to  be  much  larger,  and  he  had  reason  to  believe 
that  the  passage  would  be  made  in  fifteen  days.  To  a  toast  in  honor  of 
England  and  America,  Hon.  Mr.  Grattan,  her  Britannic  Majesty's  Consul, 
responded,  and  then,  the  Mayor  calling  for  volunteer  toasts,  there  followed 
the  most  sparkling  wit  and  sentiment.  Hon.  Robert  C.  Winthrop,  then 
Speaker  of  the  House,  made  an  eloquent  speech,  and,  referring  to  the  dictum 
of  Dr.  Dionysitis  Lardner,  that  steam  navigation  across  the  ocean  was  physi- 
cally impossible,  said  that,  to  all  appearances,  it  was  quite  as  improbable  as 
the  scientific  doctor's  late  elopement  to  France  with  Mrs*  Heaviside.  The 
poet  Longfellow  offered  this  beautiful  sentiment:  "  Steamships — the  pillar 
of  fire  by  night  and  the  cloud  by  day,  which  guide  the  wanderer  over  the 
sea."  The  Chevalier  de  Friederichsthal,  attached  to  the  Austrian  embassy 
at  Washington,  M.  Gourand,  from  Paris,  and  other  distinguished  foreigners, 
John  P.  Bigelow,  John  C.  Park,  Hon.  George  S.  Hillard,  Nathaniel  Greene, 
then  Postmaster  of  Boston,  and  others,  offered  appropriate  sentiments,  and 
Governor  Everett,  who  was  not  present,  sent  a  letter. 

The  celebration  was  creditable  to  the  city,  and  the  event  it  commemorated, 
but  nevertheless  evoked  the  criticism  of  censorious  individuals,  who  evi- 
dently did  not  understand  or  agree  with  the  old  proverb,  that  the  way  to  a 
people's  heart  is  through  their  stomach.  In  comparison  with  steamships 
which  now  enter  Boston  and  New  York,  the  "  Unicorn  "  was  small  and  in- 
significant, and  yet  the  arrival  of  no  craft  was  ever  looked  forward  to  with 
greater  anticipation  or  more  genuine  pleasure. 

With  the  arrival  of  the  "Unicorn  "  began  the  steam  traffic  between  Bos- 
ton and  London  and  Liverpool,  which  has  since  assumed  such  large  pro- 
portions. Its  coming  marked  a  new  era  in  civilization,  and  was  the  har- 
binger of  an  immense  commercial  traffic,  and  a  wonderful  rapidity  of  com- 
munication between  the  New  World  and  the  Old.  Over  forty  years  have 
elapsed,  and  ocean  steamers  daily  arrive,  but  they  excite  little  interest  now. 

The  "  Unicorn"  was  followed  by  a  coincidence  which  was  entirely  unin- 
tentional by  the  departure  on  the  4th  of  July  from  Liverpool  of  the  "Bri- 
tannia," under  command  of  Lieutenant  Woodruff,  R.  N.,  for  Halifax  and 
Boston,  the  first  regular  vessel  of  the  Cunard  Line.  Liverpool  was  in  a 
condition  of  great  excitement  on  the  day  of  the  vessel's  departure ;  thou- 
sands of  people  crowded  the  quays  to  watch  her  out,  and  it  was  felt  that  a 
new  era  of  oceanic  intercourse  had  been  begun  by  this  memorable  event. 

The  "  Britannia"  entered  Boston  harbor  after  a  run  of  fourteen  days  and 
eight  hours.  The  ship  came  to  -Jier  moorings  on  a  Saturday  evening,  but 
the  inhabitants  of  Boston  thronged  the  wharves  to  welcome  her,  and  salvos 


294  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VI G  A  TION. 

of  artillery  were  fired  in  honor  of  the  occasion.  Mr.  Cunard,  Sr.,  accom- 
panied the  vessel,  and  so  great  was  the  enthusiasm  created  by  his  enterprise 
that  he  received  eighteen  hundred  invitations  to  dinner  within  twenty-four 
hours  after  his  arrival.  On  the  17th  of  August  the  "Acadia"  arrived  at 
Boston,  after  a  passage  of  twelve  days  and  eighteen  hours  ;  the  shortest  pas- 
sage between  the  two  continents  which  had  been  made.  Three  days  later  a 
public  banquet  was  given  in  honor  of  the  event,  £t  which  Hon.  Josiah 
Quincy  presided.  For  seven  years  these  four  steamers,  reinforced  by  two- 
others,  carried  out  the  contract  with  the  government.  At  the  end  of  that 
time  the  British  government  called  upon  the  company  to  double  the  number 
of  its  sailings,  and  every  new  steamer  was,  in  some  respects,  an  improvement 
upon  its  predecessors. 

Charles  Dickens  crossed  in  the  "Britannia,"  and  one  of  the  most  amusing 
chapters  of  his  "  American  Notes"  is  devoted  to  the  voyage. 

Some  readers  may  recall  how  comically  he  contrasts  his  actual  experiences 
with  his  anticipations  of  what  the  ship  would  be  like,  his  imagination  hav- 
ing been  fed  previous  to  his  going  on  board  by  the  lithographic  pictures  of 
the  line — what  "an  utterly  impracticable,  thoroughly  hopeless  and  pro- 
foundly preposterous  box"  he  found  his  state-room  to  be ;  and  how  he  de- 
scribes the  saloon  as  "  a  long,  narrow  apartment,  not  unlike  a  gigantic 
hearse  with  windows  in  the  sides ;  having  at  the  upper  end  a  melancholy 
stone,  while  on  either  side,  extending  down  its  whole  dreary  length,  was  a 
long,  long  table,  over  each  of  which  a  rack,  fixed  to  the  low  roof  and  stuck 
full  of  drinking  glasses  and  cruet-stands,  hinted  dismally  at  rolling  seas  and 
heavy  weather." 

A  notable  event  in  the  history  of  the  "  Britannia,"  the  pioneer  ship  of 
the  Cuuard  Line,  which  became  a  great  favorite  in  Boston,  was  the  cutting  a 
channel  for  ten  miles  in  length,  in  Boston  Harbor,  in  1844,  through  the  ice,  in 
order  that  she  might  sail  at  the  appointed  time.  "Those  who  remember  the 
month  of  February,  1844,  will  recall  one  of  the  most  astonishingly  cold 
periods  of  the  last  fifty  years.  The  first  of  the  month  was  agreeable  enough 
for  winter,  but  three  or  four  days  of  intense  cold  came  upon  us  about  the 
middle  of  it.  Ice  rapidly  formed  in  the  harbor,  and  soon  the  whole  dis- 
tance from  the  wharves  to  Fort  Warren  was  frozen  over.  Men,  women,  and 
children  enjoyed  the  novel  experience  of  walking  all  over  the  harbor. 
Skaters  went  to  the  outermost  edge  of  the  ice.  Horses  and  sleighs  entered 
on  the  ice-field  from  South  Boston.  Booths  were  established  for  the  supply 
of  creature  comforts,  bonfires  lighted  to  warm  the  hands  and  feet  of  pedes- 
trians, the  earliest  ice-craft  with  extended  sail  was  seen  skimming  over  the 
smooth  surface,  and  the  days  and  nights  in  the  harbor  partook  of  a  carnival* 
But  it  was  a  serious  matter  to  the  agent  of  the  Canard  Line,  who  had  the 
steamer  *  Britannia'  in  port,  and  she  was  under  contract  to  carry  the  mails 
and  must  somehow  get  out  to  sea.  Bostonians  had  some  interest  in  the 
matter,  too,  for  the  line  had  but  recently  been  established,  and  here  was  a 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VI G A  TION.  295 

fulfilment  of  the  prophecy  of  the  jealous  New  Yorkers,  who  had  said  it  was 
an  ice-locked  harbor  in  winter.  With  characteristic  energy  and  public 
spirit  the  merchants  met  at  the  Exchange  one  day,  as  the  time  for  the  sail- 
ing of  the  steamer  neared,  and  no  south  wind  had  come  to  loosen  the  frost's 
hold  on  the  waters,  and  resolved  upon  the  undertaking  of  cutting  a  channel 
for  the  steamer  from  her  dock  to  the  open  bay, — a  pathway  of  over  ten  miles. 
Mr.  John  Hill,  with  some  experience  in  ice-cutting,  was  selected  for  the  job, 
but  it  proved  too  much  for  him.  At  this  juncture  Mr.  Jacob  Hittinger,  of 
Gage,  Hittinger  &  Co.,  large  ice-cutters  upon  Spy  Pond,  in  West  Cam- 
bridge, contracted  with  the  merchants  to  liberate  the  steamer.  The  task 
was  accomplished,  and  the  '  Britannia/  on  her  appointed  sailing-day,  moved 
majestically  through  the  canal,  a  hundred  feet  wide,  to  the  open  ocean,  amid 
firing  of  cannon  and  the  cheering  of  thousands,  the  multitudes  not  only 
lining  all  the  wharves,  but  flocking  upon  the  solid  ice  in  countless  num- 
bers. Probably  never  again  will  we  witness  the  spectacle  of  an  ocean 
steamer  moving  down  the  harbor  accompanied  by  thousands  of  people  run- 
ning or  skating  by  her  side.  The  tug-boats  which  have  come  into  service 
by  scores  have  rendered  the  freezing  of  the  harbor  practically  impossible, 
as  on  the  slightest  indication  of  ice  they  are  abroad  to  break  it  up.  Gage, 
Hittinger  &  Co.  received  ten  thousand  dollars  for  this  immense  job,  which 
actually  cost  them  twenty  thousand  dollars,  but  they  enjoyed  the  satisfac- 
tion of  being  recognized  as  enterprising  and  successful  men  in  the  venture.*" 
The  Cunard  steamers  in  the  trasatlantic  trade,  1850,  were  : 

Tons    H.  P. 

Caledonia,  ....  1,250  500 
Hibernia,  .  ...  .  1,400  550 
Cambria,  .  .  .  .  1,400  550 
America,  ....  1,800  700 
Canada, 1,800  700 


Tons    H.  P . 


Niagara,  .         .         .  1,800  700 

Europa,  .         .         .         .         .  1,800  700 

Asia,       .....  2,250  800 

Africa,    .....  2,250  800 


All  these  were  paddle-wheel  steamships,  and  the  general  length  of  the  six 
largest  was  275  to  300  feet,  and  beam  from  40  to  42  feet.  Their  cylinders 
were  90  inches  in  diameter,  and  the  length  of  stroke  of  the  piston  of  the 
700  H.  P.  engines  was  8  feet,  and  of  the  800  H.  P.  engines  9  feet.  The 
diameter  of  the  paddle-wheels  being  32  and  36  feet. 

In  1852  the  Cunard  Company  established  steam  communication  between 
Liverpool  and  the  Mediterranean  ports.  Their  steamers  have  also  per- 
formed the  mail  service  between  Glasgow,  Greenock  and  Belfast.  They 
have  had  lines  of  steamers  plying  between  Liverpool  and  Glasgow  and 
Glasgow  and  Londonderry,  and  they  likewise  have  had  steamers  carrying 
the  mails  between  Halifax,  Bermuda  and  St.  Thomas 

Prior  to  1852  the  fleet  of  the  Cunard  Company  consisted  entirely  of 
paddle-wheel  wooden  steamships.  In  that  year  the  "  Andes  "  and  "  Alps," 
both  iron  vessels  with  screws,  were  added  to  the  long  "  catalogue  of  the 


"::"   Coimnomvealth  ne\v>pnp 


296  HISTOR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

ships."  These  were  afterwards  taken  by  the  British  government  for  trans- 
port service  in  the  Crimea,  and  were  followed  in  1854  and  1855  by  the 
"Jura"  and  the  "  J^tna,"  iron  screws,  and  both  for  the  Atlantic  trade.  In 
1855,  with  the  "  Persia,"  the  experiment  was  tried  of  building  an  iron 
paddle  steamer. 

1855. — On  the  3d  of  March  the  steamship  "  Persia,"  the  first  iron  paddle- 
wheel  ship  built  for  the  Cunard  Company,  was  launched  from  the  building- 
yard  of  Messrs.  Robert  Napier  &  Sons,  at  Go  van.  She  was  the  largest 
steamship  then  afloat  in  the  world,  exceeding  in  length,  strength,  tonnage, 
and  steam-power  the  "  Great  Britain  "  or  the  "  Himalaya,"  and  by  twelve 
hundred  tons  the  internal  capacity  of  the  largest  of  the  Cunard  liners  of 
that  time.  Her  chief  proportions  were  as  follows  : 

Length  from  figure-head  to  taffrail,          ......  390  feet. 

Length  in  the  water,      .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .  360   "    > 

Breadth  of  the  hull, 45    " 

Breadth  all  over, 71    " 

Depth, 


The  lines  of  beauty  had  been  so  well  worked  out  in  the  "  Persia  "  that  her 
appearance  was  singularly  graceful  and  light.  Yet  the  mighty  fabric,  so 
beautiful  as  a  whole,  was  made  up  of  innumerable  pieces  of  metal,  welded, 
jointed,  and  riveted  into  each  other  with  exceeding  deftness.  The  keel  con- 
s?sted  of  several  bars  of  iron  about  thirty-five  feet  in  length,  each  joined  by 
long  scarfs,  and  as  a  whole  thirteen  inches  deep  by  four  and  a  half  inches 
thick  The  framing  was  constructed  in  a  peculiar  manner  to  secure  the 
greatest  amount  of  strength.  Tine  iron  stern-post  was  thirteen  inches  in 
breadth  by  five  inches  in  thickness,  carrying  the  rudder,  the  stack  of  which 
was  eight,  inches  in  diameter.  The  framing  of  the  ship  was  very  heavy. 
The  space  between  each  frame  was  only  ten  inches,  and  the  powerful  frames 
or  ribs  were  themselves  ten  inches  deep,  with  double  angle-irons  at  the  outer 
and  inner  edges. 

The  plates,  or  outer  planking  of  the  ship,  were  laid  alternately,  so  that 
one  added  strength  to  the  other,  forming  a  whole  of  wonderful  compactness 
and  solidity.  The  keel-plates  were  eleven-sixteenths  of  an  inch  in  thick- 
ness; at  the  bottom  of  the  ship  the  plates  were  fifteen-sixteenths  of  an  inch 
in  thickness  ;  from  that  section  to  the  load  water-line  they  were  three- 
fourths  of  an  inch ;  and  above  that  they  were  eleven-sixteenths  of  an  inch 
in  thickness.  The  plates  round  the  gunwales  were  seven-eighths  of  an  inch 
in  thickness. 

She  had  seven  water-tight  compartments.  The  goods  were  to  be  stowed 
in  two  of  the  divisions.  The  goods  store-rooms  or  tanks  were  placed  in  the 
centre  line  of  the  ship,  with  the  coal-bunkers  on  each  side  of  them.  The 
vessel  was  constructed  with  a  double  bottom  under  the  goods  chambers,  so 
that  if  .the  outer  were  beat  in,  the  inner  would  protect  the  cargo  dry  and 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  297 

intact.  The  chambers  were  water-tight,  and  in  the  event  of  accident  to  the 
hull  the  tanks  would  of  themselves  float  the  ship. 

She  was  followed  in  1862  by  the  "  Scotia,"  also  built  of  iron,  and  of  still 
larger  dimensions.*  It  soon  became  apparent  that  iron  was  the  best  mate- 
rial for  ocean  steamers,  and  that  the  screw  furnished  the  best  means  of  pro- 
pelling them,  and  in  all  subsequent  additions  to  the  fleet  these  truths  have 
been  recognized  and  acted  upon. 

Between  1840  (when  the  Cunard  Company,  strictly  so-called,  came  into 
existence)  and  1876,  it  had  built  one  hundred  and  twenty-two  steamers,  and 
owned  in  that  year  a  navy  of  forty-nine  vessels,  viz. :  twenty-four  in  the 
Atlantic  mail  service,  twelve  in  the  Mediterranean  and  Havre  line,  five 
plying  between  Glasgow  and  Belfast,  three  between  Liverpool  and  Glasgow, 
three  between  Halifax  and  Bermuda,  and  two  between  Glasgow  and  Derry. 
The  money  value  of  the  Atlantic  mail  boats  alone  was  estimated  at 
between  fifteen  million  and  twenty  million  dollars,  and  it  would  not  be  an 
exaggeration  to  state  that  the  value  of  the  entire  fleet  was  double  the  amount. 
According  to  an  official  statement  made  by  the  company  about  this,  time  a 
Cimard  transatlantic  steamer  had  sailed  at  first  once  a  week,  subsequently 
twice  a  week,  and  latterly  three  times  a  week  from  Liverpool,  and  another 
from  New  York  or  Boston,  making  over  four  thousand  voyages  across  the 
Atlantic,  an  aggregate  distance  of  over  twelve  million  miles,  carrying  more 
than  two  million  of  passengers  without  the  loss  of  a  life  or  even  of  a  single 
letter. 

Few  people  suspect  that  at  least  three  of  the  old  favorites  are  still  run- 
ning from  New  York  to  Europe ;  for  how  could  they  recognize  the  "  Kus- 

*  In  the  summer  of  1879,  the  "  Scotia"  was  bought  by  the  British  Telegraph  Construction 
and  Maintenance  Company.  Her  paddles  were  removed  and  new  engines  and  twin  screws 
placed  in  her,  and  she  sailed  from  the  Mersey  for  Singapore.  The  "  Scotia  "  was  the  last 
and  grandest  of  the  paddle-wheel  vessels  added  to  the  Cunard  fleet ;  a  strong  ship,  of  great 
engine  power,  and  in  her  day  the  most  magnificent  vessel  engaged  in  the  Transatlantic 
trade  between  Liverpool  and  New  York.  But  times  changed  with  the  "  Scotia,"  as  they  do 
with  all  other  things  mundane.  Her  engines,  though  still  of  unrivaled  power,  consumed 
an  enormous  amount  of  coal,  and  coal  was  not  only  costly,  but  its  storage  filled  an  undue 
proportion  of  the  available  space.  Science  had  introduced  a  new  order  of  things  in  marine 
engines.  The  cumbrous  paddles  were  superseded  by  the  more  compact  screw,  and  the  com- 
pound system  of  engines  allowed  of  an  equal  power  being  realized  at  a  far  less  expenditure 
of  fuel.  These  improvements  decided  the  fate  of  the  "  Scotia'"  We  may  well  suppose  that 
it  was  not  without  a  severe  qualrn  that  the  Cunard  Company  came  to  the  resolution  that  their 
splendid  "  Scotia,"  while  almost  a  new  ship,  must  give  way  to  the  new  order  of  things. 
Screw  steamers  like  the  "  Russia  "  and  the  "  Scythia  "  were  doing  as  good  work  under  more 
favorable  conditions,  and  the  "  Scotia  "  was  withdrawn  from  the  service.  She  was  sold, 
and  for  a  long  time  lay  at  Birkenhead,  superannuated  and  almost  neglected.  And  it 
should  be  borne  in  mind  by  those  who  criticise  the  deterioration  of  our  navy,  that  the 
^ Scotia"  was  built  after  the  commencement  of  our  Civil  War  as  a  specimen  of  the  finest 
steamship  afloat,  and  that  three  years  ago,  only  seventeen  years  after  her  construction,  she 
was  sold,  having  been  for  some  time  superannuated. 


298 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 


sia,"  enlarged  to  nearly  twice  her  former  size,  in  the  "  Waeslaud,"  the 
"  Java  "  in  the  "  Zealand,"  or  the  "  Algeria,"  which  disappeared  so  quietly 
as  hardly  to  be  missed,  in  the  "  Pennland?" 

It  was  said  that  the  steamship  "Russia,"  the  last  vessel  built  by  the 
Cunard  Company  under  a  subsidy  contract,  cost  more  by  £30,000  than  she 
would  have  cost  if  built  for  an  independent  service. 

For  ten  years  in  the  early  history  of  the  Cunard  Company  each  vessel 
carried  a  naval  officer  as  a  representative  of  the  Admiralty  (in  those  days 
the  mail  contracts  were  made  by  the  Lords  of  the  Admiralty,  instead  of  by 
the  Postmaster-General,  as  no*?),  who  was  clothed  with  power  to  act  in 
certain  emergencies,  and  who  had  control  of  the  royal  mails.  The  com- 
pany, after  a  time,  paid  a  round  sum  to  be  relieved  of  the  presence  of  these 
officials.  At  a  later  period,  representatives  of  the  post-office  were  placed 
on  board,  who  sorted  and  made  up  the  mails  on  the  voyage. 

THE  FLEET  OF  THE  CUNARD  LINE,  1882. 


Name.        Built. 

Tonnage,  j 

Name. 

Tonnage. 
Built  ! 

Name. 

'•   Tonnage. 
Built 

Gross. 

Net.  | 

i  Gross. 

Net. 

'Gross.    Net. 

Aleppo  •  1865 
Atlasf                1860 

2,050 
2,393 
2,553 
4,536 

1,904 

1,398  ; 

1,552  ; 
1,627  i 
2,923  : 

'l,23l" 

Malta*  

1865     1  132 

1,149 
1,552 
1,193 

1.585 
1.382 
2,033 
1,694 
1,429 

Scythia*  
Servia*  
SidonJ  

1874  !  4  557     -~>  903 

Marathonf... 
Morocco  
Olympus  
Palmyra  
Parth'ia*  
Samariat  
Saragossa  

1860  ;  2,403 
1861  i  1,855 
1860  i  2,415 
1866  j  2,043 
1870     3,166 
1870     2,605 
1874  i  2,262 

1881  '  8.500    6,500 
ISiil  I  L853    1,193 
1865  i  2.U58    1,399 
1872  i  1>J»9     1,228 
bldg  
1882     5,000  ,  4,350 
1882    

Batavia  !  1870 

Bothnia*  1870 
Catalonia*  
Demerarat  1872 
Gallia* 

Tarilal  
Trinidad  
Aurania  
Cessatorlag.  .. 
Pavoniaf  

Kedarj           :  1860 

1,875 

1,215 

Between  New  York  and  Liverpool . 
Mediterranean  service. 


f  Between  Boston  and  Liverpool. 

I  Arrived  at  Boston  on  first  trip,  September  4. 1882. 


The  transatlantic  steamers  of  this  line  sail  every  Wednesday  and  Satur- 
day from  New  York  and  from  Boston  for  Liverpool,  and  as  often  from 
Liverpool  for  each  of  those  ports. 

The  report  of  the  directors  of  the  lately  formed  Cunard  Stock  Company 
shows  the  net  profits  of  the  year  1880  amounted  to  one  hundred  and  ninety- 
three  thousand  eight  hundred  and  eleven  pounds. 

The  three  steamers  recently  built  are  of  steel.  The  "  Aurania  "  is  seven 
thousand  tons,  and  has  engines  of  eight  thousand  five  hundred  horse-power; 
and  the  "  Pavonia,"  and  her  sister  ship,  the  "  Cephalonia,"  are  five  thousand 
six  hundred  tons.  The  "  Servia,"  one  of  the  latest  additions  to  the  Cuuard 
Line,  arrived  at  New  York  at  11  A.M  ,  December  8, 1881.  She  left  Queens- 
town  at  10  A.M.,  November  28,  and,  taking  into  consideration  the  bois- 
terous weather  she  encountered,  the  passage  was  a  remarkably  quick  one. 
Her  purser,  Mr.  William  Field,  said  that  he  never  experienced  such  a 
rough  time,  though  he  has  held  his  present  position  for  twenty-five  years, 
having  served  in  every  ship  on  the  line,  and  made  over  four  hundred  pas- 
sages. No  damage  whatever  occurred  to  the  big  craft. 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  299 

The  "  Servia"  brought  one  hundred  and  seventy-one  cabin  passengers  and 
one  hundred  and  fifty-five  in  the  steerage.  In  point  of  size  the  "  Servia  " 
is  only  exceeded  by  the  "  Great  Eastern,"  while,  as  regards  engine-power,  it 
is  claimed  that  she  surpasses  anything  afloat. 

Mr.  John  Burns,  of  the  Cunard  Company,  in  a  communication  to  the 
London  Times  when  the  "  Servia  "  was  on  the  stocks,  said  concerning  her  : 

"  This  vessel  has  been  designed,  after  lengthened  consideration,  to  meet 
the  requirements  of  our  traditional  service,  and  we  have  adopted  in  every 
detail  of  the  ship  and  engines  the  most  advanced  scientific  improvements 
compatible  with  the  safe  working  of  so  great  a  vessel.  Among  the  im- 
portant matters  into  which  we  have  crucially  inquired  has  been  that  of  the 
employment  of  steel  instead  of  iron,  and  after  a  practical  and  thorough 
examination  into  the  merits  of  both  materials  we  have  adopted  steel  for  the- 
hull  and  boilers,  but  under  a  provision  so  stringent  that  every  plate,  before 
acceptance,  will  undergo  a  severe  and  rigid  test  by  a  qualified  surveyor 
appointed  and  stationed  at  the  steel  manufactory  for  that  special  purpose, 
and  that  the  manipulation  of  the  steel  by  the  builders  shall  be  subject  to  an 
equally  careful  supervision  by  qualified  engineers  of  our  own  appointment- 
The  steel  is  to  be  made  on  the  Siemens-Martin  process,  and  all  rivets  as  well 
as  plates  throughout  the  ship  are  to  be  of  steel." 

The  substitution  of  steel  for  iron  has  not  only  improved  the  steamship,, 
steel  being  more  ductile *and  stronger  than  iron,  but  it  has  a  great  advan- 
tage economically.  The  "  Servia  "  weighs  six  hundred  and  twenty  tons  less 
than  she  would  have  done  if  she  had  been  built  equally  strong  with  iron  ; 
and  of  course  she  has  so  much  greater  carrying  capacity. 

The  "  Servia's  "  dimensions  are  :  Length,  533  feet ;  breadth,  52  feet ; 
depth,  44  feet  9  inches  ;  gross  tonnage,  8,500  tons.  A  better  idea,  perhaps,  of 
the  vast  size  of  the  vessel  may  be  gathered  from  the  following  facts  :  Her 
cargo  capacity  is  6,500  tons,  with  1,800  tons  of  coal  and  1,000  tons  of  water 
ballast,  the  vessel  having  a  double  bottom,  on  the  longitudinal  bracket  sys- 
tem. The  anchor  davits  are  8  inches  and  the  chain-cable  pipe  22  inches  in 
diameter.  The  propeller-shaft  weighs  26 2  tons,  and  the  propeller,  boss,  and 
blades  are  38  tons  in  weight.  The .  machinery  consists  of  3  cylinder  com- 
pound surface  condensing  engines,  one  cylinder  being  72  inches  and  two  10ft 
inches  in  diameter,  with  a  stroke  of  piston  of  6  feet  6  inches.  It  is  antici- 
pated that  the  indicated  horse-power  will  amount  to  10,500.  There  are  in 
all  7  boilers,  6  of  which  are  double-  and  one  single-ended,  and  all  are  made 
of  steel,  with  corrugated  furnaces,  the  total  number_ of  furnaces  being  "39. 

Practically,  the  "  Servia"  is  a  five-decker,  as  she  is  built  with  four  decks- 
and  a  promenade.  The  promenade,  which  is  reserved  for  the  passengers,  is- 
very  large  and  spacious.  On  the, fore  part  of  it  are  the  steam  steering-gear 
and  house,  the  captain's  room,  and  flying  bridge.  On  the  upper  deck  for- 
ward is  the  forecastle,  with  accommodations  for  the  crew,  and  lavatories- 
and  bath-rooms  for  steerage  passengers,  while  aft  are  the  light-towers- 


300  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

for  signaling  the  admiralty  lights,  with  the  lookout  bridge  on  the  top. 
Near  the  midship-house  are  the  captain's  and  officers'  sleeping-cabins. 
Next  to  the  engine  skylight  is  the  smoking-room,  which  can  be  entered  from 
the  deck  or  from  the  cabins  below.  It  is  unusually  large  for  a  smoking- 
room,  being  30  feet  long  by  22  feet  wide.,  Near  the  after-deck  house  is  the 
ladies'  drawing-room,  to  which  access  can  be  obtained  either  from  the  music- 
room  or  from  the  deck.  Abaft  of  this,  and  in  the  upper  end  of  the  upper 
deck,  is  the  music-room,  which  is  50  feet  by  22  feet  in  dimensions,  and  which 
is  fitted  up  in  a  handsome  tnanner,  with  polished  wood  panelings.  Imme- 
diately abaft  of  the  music-room  is  the  grand  staircase  leading  to  the  main 
saloon  and  the  cabins  below  ou  the  main  and  lower  decks.  At  the  foot  of 
the  stair  leading  to  the  saloon,  and  also  in  the  cabins,  the  panelings  are  of 
Hungarian  ash  and  maple  wood.  The  saloon  is  very  large,  being  74  feet 
long  by  49  feet  wide,  with  sitting  accommodation  for  350  persons,  while 
the  clear  height  under  the  beams  is  8  feet  6  inches.  The  sides  are  all  in 
fancy  wood,  with  beautifully  polished  inlaid  panels.  All  the  upholstery  of 
the  saloon  is  of  morocco  leather.  Eight  forward  of  the  after-deck  are  the 
baths,  lavatories,  and  state-rooms.  The  total  number  of  state-rooms  is  168, 
and  the  vessel  has  accommodation  for  450  first-class  and  600  steerage  pas- 
sengers, besides  a  crew  of  200  officers  and  men.  For  two-thirds  of  its  entire 
length  the  lower  deck  is  fitted  up  with  first-class  state-rooms.  The  ship  is 
divided  into  nine  water-tight  bulkheads.  There  ^are  in  all  twelve  boats 
•^quipped  as  life-boats. 

The  arrangement  of  the  water-tight  doors  in  the  engine-  and  boiler-spaces 
is  admirable,  as  in  case  of  accident  they  can  be  shut  from  the  upper  deck  in 
two  seconds  or  so.  The  keel  is  built  in  five  layers,  having  a  total  thickness 
•of  six  and  three-quarter  inches.  The  upper  deck,  which  is  of  steel,  has  a 
covering  of  yellow  pine ;  the  main  deck,  which  is  also  of  steel,  is  covered 
with  teak,  and  the  lower  deck,  again  of  steel,  is  shielded  with  teak  above 
the  engine-  and  boiler-spaces.  The  deck-houses  and  deck-fittings,  which  in 
unusually  heavy  weather  might  otherwise  be  liable  to  be  carried  away,  are 
made-  of  iron  and  steel,  and  are  rivete'd  to  the  decks  underneath.  The 
"  Servia"  is  built  with  a  double  bottom,  so  that  in  the  event  of  her  running 
on  the  rocks  and  having  a  hole  knocked  in  her  hull,  she  would  still  be  per- 
fectly safe  as  long  as  the  inner  skin  remained  intact.  She  has  three  masts 
of  the  special  Cunard  rig,  and  they  carry  a  good  spread  of  canvas  to  assist 
in  propelling  her.  She  is  fitted  with  steam  steering-gear,  steam  winches, 
^ud  a  second  steering-gear,  independent  of  the  steam  apparatus.  The  latest 
scientific  improvements  have  been  adopted  in  all  parts  of  the  vessel ;  steam 
is  used  for  warming  the  cabins  and  saloons,  and  every  passage  has  its  own 
series  of  ventilators. 

On  her  trial  trip  she  repeatedly  attained  a  speed  of  20 ••  miles  an  hour. 
This  is  equivalent  to  about  18  knots.  During  the  trial  she  carried  2,500 
tons  of  dead  weight  aboard. 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  301 

In  former  days  it  was  held  that  the  ratio  of  indicated  horse-power  in  the 
engines  to  the  tons  burden  of  the  vessel  should  be  as  one  to  four. .  In  the 
"  Great  Eastern,"  with  her  propeller  and  paddle-wheels,  the  ratio  was  as  one 
to  fourteen.  But  in  the  "  Servia"  and  other  new  boats  the  number  of  indi- 
cated horse-power  is  greater  than  the  number  of  tons  burden.  The  engines 
are  exceedingly  powerful,  even  when  the  size  of  the  vessel  is  considered  ; 
and  hence  the  framework  of  the  hull  has  to  be  made  with  great  rigidity  and 
with  the  utmost  care.  The  increase  in  speed  attained  by  these  changes  can 
only  be  demonstrated  by  experience;  but  it  seems  to  be  the  opinion  of  many 
nautical  men  that,  with  such  heavy  engines,  the  jar  given  to  the  hull  will 
make  the  "  Servia"  and  vessels  of  her  class  less  comfortable  as  passenger 
crafts  than  some  of  the  older  and  smaller  transatlantic  steamers. 

In  1859,  in  recognition  of  the  great  service  he  had  rendered  to  the  United 
Kingdom,  the  Queen,  upon  the  recommendation  of  Lord  Palmerston,  con- 
ferred a  baronetcy  upon  Mr.  Samuel  Cunard.  He  was  succeeded,  on  his 
death,  both  in  his  business  and  his  title,  by  his  son  Edward,  who  continued 
his  connection  with  the  company  up  to  the  time  of  his  decease,  in  1869,  when 
the  title  devolved  upon  the  present  baronet,  Sir  Bache  Edward  Cunard. 
Sir  Bache,  who  is  a  great  polo  player  and  intimate  of  the  Prince  of  Wales, 
was  born  in  1851,  and  has  not  been  connected  with  the  undertaking  origin- 
ated by  his  distinguished  grandfather.  The  only  member  of  the  Cunard 
family  now  associated  with  the  Cunard  steamship  enterprise  is  Mr.  William 
Cunard,  the  second  son  of  Sir  Samuel,  and  uncle  of  the  present  baronet. 

Mr.  David  Maclver  died  a  few  years  after  the  formation  of  the  line.  Sir 
Samuel  and  his  son,  Sir  Edward,  died  later.  George  and  James  Burns  re- 
tired from  business  in  favor  of  two  sons  of  the  former,  John  and  James 
Cleland. 

Until  the  year  1868  the  management  of  the  Cunard  Company  was  carried 
on,  as  it  were,  in  three  divisions.  There  were  the  Messrs.  Maclver  at  Liver- 
pool, the  Messrs.  Burns  at  Glasgow,  and  the  Messrs.  Cunard  in  America. 
Together  they  constituted  the  Cunard  Company,  but  they  conducted  the 
business  as  three  distinct  undertakings.  In  1863  a  fresh  deed  of  partner- 
ship was  executed,  by  which  Messrs.  Cunard,  Burns  and  Maclver  became 
the  sole  partners,  as  well  as  joint  managers.  This  arrangement  continued 
in  force  until  May,  1878,  when  the  concern  was  merged  into  a  limited  lia- 
bility company,  with  a  capital  of  $2,000,000.  Of  this  $1,200,000  was  taken 
by  Messrs.  Cunard,  Burns  and  Maclver  as  part  payment  for  the  property 
and  business  which  they  transferred  to  the  new  company.  No  shares  were 
offered  to  the  public.  By  a  rule  of  the  London  Stock  Exchange,  however, 
two-thirds  of  the  capital  of  any  undertaking  quoted  in  their  official  list 
must  be  allotted  to  the  public.  To  meet  this  requirement,  Messrs.  Cunard, 
Burns  and  Maclver  consented  to  relinquish  £533,340  of  their  capital  for  the 
benefit  of  the  public.  This  was  done  in  March,  1880,  and  the  demand  for 
shares  thrown  open  was  enormously  in  excess  of  what  was  available. 


302  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

Mr.  William  Cunard,  one  of  the  managing  directors  of  the  company  in 
1881,  is  the  second  son  of  Sir  Samuel,  who  founded  the  company,  and  was 
created  a  baronet  by  the  Queen  for  his  enterprise  in  transatlantic  steam 
navigation.  For  many  years  the  Cunard  Company  received  a  subsidy  of 
£176,340  per  annum  under  its  mail  contracts,  but  for  some  years  past  the 
only  compensation  the  line  has  received  for  carrying  the  mails  has  been  one- 
third  of  the  actual  postage  paid.  The  steamships  of  the  company  are,  how- 
-ever,  as  formerly,  inspected  on  the  day  before  sailing  from  England  by 
officers  of  the  Board  of  Trade.  When  first  established  they  carried  an 
officer  of  the  Koyal  Navy  as  mail  agent,  but  that  practice  has  been  dis- 
continued. 

It  is  remarkable  to  note  the  extraordinary  progress  achieved  since  the 
"  Britannia"  made  her  first  voyage  in  1840.  Measuring  1,139  tons,  she  had 
capacity  for  but  225  tons  of  cargo,  whereas  the  "  Bothnia,"  of  4,335  tons, 
built  in 4874,  takes  3,000  tons  of  cargo,  or  nearly  fourteen  times  as  much, 
though  only  four  times  larger.  The  "  Britannia"  carried'  90  passengers, 
whereas  the  "  Bothnia"  can  carry  349,  or  close  upon  four  times  as  many. 
The  former  steamed  8J  knots,  the  latter  steams  13  knots  an  hour,  or  more 
than  half  as  quick  again,  with  less  than  half  the  coal  per  indicated  horse- 
power per  hour,  and  at  about  the  same  quantity  of  fuel  for  the  actual  num- 
ber of  miles  run.  The  "  Persia,"  the  finest  vessel  afloat  in  her  day,  took  six 
tons  of  coal  to  carry  a  ton  of  freight  across  the  Atlantic.  The  "  Arizona," 
double  the  size  of  the  "  Persia,"  takes  only  a  fifth  of  a  ton. 

The  "Cephalonia"  was  launched  in  the  Mersey  May,  1882,  and  is  the  largest 
steamer  ever  built  on  that  river.  Her  dimensions  are  as  follows :  Length 
on  upper  deck,  440  feet ;  length  between  perpendiculars,  430  feet ;  beam,  46 
feet ;  depth  in  hold,  34  feet  6  inches ;  tonnage,  B.  M.,  4,350  tons ;  gross  reg- 
ister, about  5,600  tons.  The  "  Cephalonia"  is  constructed  of  iron,  and  is 
fitted  to  carry  upward  of  one  hundred  first-class  passengers,  and  1,500  steer- 
age. She  has  four  decks,  three  of  which  are  of  iron,  covered  with  wood- 
planking.  Her  rig  is  that  of  a  barque.  The  masts  are  of  steel,  the  fore  and 
main  being  in  one  piece  up  to  the  top-mast  head,  and  mizzen  in  one  piece 
its  whole  length.  The  engines  are  2,500  horse-power,  and  have  two  cylinders, 
the '  high  pressure  one  being  52  inches  diameter,  and  the  low  pressure  93 
inches  diameter,  with  a  stroke  piston  of  5  feet  6  inches.  The  propeller  is 
four-flanged,  and  of  the  best  steel.  The  boilers  are  six  in  number.  The 
appliances  for  discharging  cargo  include  five  very  powerful  steam  winches. 
The  capstans  and  the  steering  apparatus  are  also  worked  by  steam. 

The  "  Cephalonia"  has  several  unique  features,  distinguishing  her  from 
other  large  ocean  steamers.  One  is  that  of  Sir  George  Thompson's  sounding 
machinery,  by  which  soundings  can  be  made  to  a  depth  of  60  fathoms  while 
the  vessel  is  going  at  the  rate  of  15  miles  an  hour.  She  has  also  appli- 
ances for  steering,  both  by  steam  and  by  hand,  there  being  two  for  the 
former  and  three  for  the  latter.  She  carries  six  officers,  eight  engineers,  and 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VI G  A  TION.  303 

two  electricians.  The  "  Cephalonia"  excels  in  the  completeness  of  the  elec- 
tric light  system,  which,  in  some  respects,  is  in  advance  of  anything  yet  used 
on  the  Atlantic.  There  are  340  of  the  Swan  incandescent  lamps  on  board, 
ready  for  use  in  the  day  as  well  as  night.  They  are  so  contrived  that 
the  light  falls  within  the  chimney  of  a  regular  oil  lamp,  which  can  be  used 
in  case  of  accident  to  the  former.  A  pair  of  powerful  engines  and  one  of 
Dr.  Sieman's  electric  machines  are  steadily  employed  under  the  management 
of  an  electrician  for  the  production  of  the  light. 

She  left  Liverpool  on  her  first  trip  August  24, 1882,  at  3  P.M.,  and  arrived 
at  Boston,  September  4th,  bringing  141  cabin  and  406  steerage  passengers. 
No  fair  wind  was  had  during  the  whole  trip,  and  in  consequence  the  "Cepha-" 
Ionia"  was  not  able  to  utilize  her  square  sails,  but  with  the  exceptions  of 
one  or  two  stoppages  to  attend  to  the  requirements  of  the  machinery,  no  de- 
lay was  encountered.  The  speed  attained  during  the  trip  was  fourteen 
knots. 

The  new  Cunard  steamship  "  Pavonia,"  Captain  McKay,  arrived  at  Bos- 
ton, October  30,  1882,  from  Liverpool.  The  "  Pavonia"  is  a  sister  ship  to 
the  "  Cephalonia."  Her  length  is  430  feet,  breadth  46  feet,  and  depth  47 
feet.  There  are  accommodations  for  over  200  cabin  and  1,000  steerage 
passengers.  The  saloon  extends  across  the  vessel,  and  the  smoking-room  is 
situated  on  the  promenade  deck.  The  ladies'  cabin,  which  is  a  marvel  of 
beauty,  is  situated  on  the  main  deck.  The  vessel  has  eleven  water-tight 
compartments,  with  three. solid  iron  decks.  A  special  feature  in  the  con- 
struction of  this  steamer  is  the  strength  and  number  of  her  transverse  water- 
tight bulkheads,  the  eleven  compartments  being  divided  into  smaller  ones. 
Besides  the  steam  steering-gear,  which  is  located  aft,  but  is  worked  from  the 
bridge,  there  is  a  powerful  screw-gear  and  an  arrangement  for  working  the 
vessel  with  ropes  in  the  event  of  any  accident^  The  forecastle,  which  is  92 
feet  long,  contains  storage  room  for  the  passengers  and  accommodation  for 
the  seamen.  Back  of  the  forecastle,  in  the  after  deck,  there  is  a  pleasant 
promenade  to  the  turtle  back,  the  deck  being  clear  on  both  sides.  The  first- 
class  state-rooms  are  on  the  main  deck,  and  their  average  size  is  about 
11x6  feet.  Each  state-room  is  provided  with  an  electric  light,  which  can 
be  regulated  by  the  occupant.  The  engines  are  of  the  two-cylinder,  inverted, 
vertical  type,  being  53  and  92  inches  in  diameter,  and  having  5  feet  6  inches 
stroke.  The  "Pavonia"  was  built  by  Messrs.  J.  &  G.  Thomson,  of  Glasgow, 
and  is  intended  to  go  at  the  rate  of  14  knots  per  hour  at  sea. 

The  "  Gallia's"  model  received  a  first-prize  gold  medal  at  the  Paris  Ex- 
hibition. She  was  barque-rigged,  and  built  after  the  general  design  of  the 
"  Scythia"  and  "  Bothnia,"  but  she  is  longer  and  wider  than  either.  Her 
length  is  450  feet  over  all,  her  moulded  width  44  feet,  and  her  depth  of 
hold  36  feet,  with  a  measurement  capacity  of  4,809  tons.  Her  machinery 
includes  the  latest  improvements.  She  has  three  compound  direct-acting 
cylinder  engines,  two  of  them  being  84  inches  in  diameter,  and  the  third 


304  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

61  inches;  the  piston-stroke  being  60  inches,  affording  a  nominal  force  of 
700  horse-power,  which,  however,  can  be  increased,  should  necessity  demand, 
to  over  3,000  horse-power.  She  has  state-room  accommodations  for  480 
first-class  passengers,  and  has  equally  large  accommodation  for  steerage 
passengers.  The  cabin  fittings  and  arrangements,  and  the  state-rooms,  are 
unusually  fine.  The  principal  dining-saloon  is  on  the  spar  deck,  and  is 
lighted  by  a  series  of  top  and  side  lights.  It  is  floored  with  oak  parquetry 
of  Belgian  manufacture,  and  the  walls  are  inlaid  with  Japanese  paneling 
upon  a  ground  of  red  jasper,  with  gold  tracery.  There  are  sideboards  and 
mirrors,  a  piano,  and  a  large  library.  The  second  dining-saloon  (on  the 
'main  deck)  is  furnished  with  taste,  and  both  have  revolving  sofa  chairs  at 
the  tables.  On  the  upper  deck  there  is  a  "  ladies'  boudoir,"  and  a  "  ladies' 
cabin"  on  the  spar  deck,  the  latter  being  paneled  with  Brazilian  onyx,  and 
richly  upholstered  in  blue.  A  commodious  and  beautifully-fitted  smoking- 
room  for  gentlemen  is  on  the  main  deck.  The  state-rooms  and  berths  are 
large,  well  ventilated,  and  fitted  with  many  improvements,  including  station- 
ary wash-basins  and  steam-heaters  of  new  pattern.  They  all  communicate  by 
means  of  pneumatic  bells  in  the  steward's  department.  The  vessel  carries  a 
crew  of  one  hundred  and  thirty  men 

With  a  history  extending  over  forty  busy  years,  with  a  fleet  that  has  com- 
prised from  the  beginning  one  hundred  and  twenty-six  large  steamers,  with 
a  constant  floating  population  of  many  thousands  to  protect,  and  with  all 
the  dangers  of  wind  and  wave  to  battle  against,  it  might  naturally  be  sup- 
posed that  the  Cunard  Company  would  have  a  long  list  of  disastrous  acci- 
dents, shipwrecks,  and  losses  to  recount ;  but  it  is  the  boast  of  the  pro- 
prietors of  the  Cunard  Line  that  from  1840  down  to  the  present  time  not 
one  of  their  passengers  has  lost  his  life  by  accident  in  any  of  the  thousands 
of  voyages  that  have  been  made  across  the  Atlantic  in  their  ships,  and  the 
few  accidents  which  have  happened  to  the  machinery  or  otherwise  have 
only  resulted  in  temporary  delays,  without  endangering  the  safety  of  the 
passengers.  Many  things  have  combined  to  secure  to  the  Cunard  ships  this 
astonishing  immunity  from  disaster.  In  the  first  place,  the  company  have 
always  insisted  on  having  their  vessels  built  of  the  best  possible  materials ; 
they  have  enjoined  the  most  thorough  workmanship ;  they  have  kept  their 
vessels  under  such  careful  supervision  as  to  insure  the  discovery  of  the 
slightest  defect  in  strength  or  seaworthiness,  and  they  have  never  allowed  a 
steamer  to  start  on  a  voyage  unless  they  have  been  satisfied  of  its  being  com- 
plete, perfect,  and  efficient. .  In  the  next  place,  they  have  chalked  out  sepa- 
rate routes  for  outward  bound  and  homeward  bound  steamers,  somewhat 
apart  from  the  direct  course;  and  although  by  adopting  this  plan  they  may 
have  lengthened  their  voyages  by  a  few  hours,  this  has  been  more  than  atoned 
for  by  the  increased  sense  of  security  which  has  been  induced.  The  care  and 
skill  exercised  by  the  navigation  of  the  Cunard  Line  of  steamers  have  been  am- 
ply rewarded  by  the  prosperity  and  success  which  have  attended  them. 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  .    305 

From  the  year  1840  down  to  the  present  time  (November,  1882),  the  com- 
pany have  built  126  steamers,  and  their  entire  fleet  now  comprises  31  steam- 
ships, having  an  aggregate  tonnage  of  87,604  tons,  and  55,445  effective  horse- 
power. The  company  employ,  one  way  and  another,  from  10,000  to  12,000 
men.  Upward  of  1,500  are  constantly  engaged  in  the  work  of  loading  and 
unloading,  and  nearly  that  number  in  fitting  and  repairing  vessels.  They 
have  always  from  7,000  to  8,000  sailors  employed,  and  these  men  may  be 
regarded  as  among  the  finest  men  to  be  found  in  the  whole  merchant  service. 

1840. — THE  PENINSULAR  AND  ORIENTAL  STEAM  NAVIGATION  COMPANY. 
— The  career  of  this  company,  the  first  to  undertake  to  convey  the  mails 
overland  to  the  East,  is  interesting.  During  the  earlier  part  of  its  career, 
by  agreeing  to  carry  the  Peninsular  mails  for  a  sum  considerably  less  than 
the  Admiralty  packets,  with  a  speed  and  regularity  hitherto  unknown,  it 
conferred  an  undoubted  boon  upon  the  public. 

In  1815  Mr.  Brodie  McGhee  AVilcox,  a  young  man  without  influence  and 
but  limited  pecuniary  means,  commenced  business  in  London  as  a  ship 
broker  and  commission  merchant.  He  soon  after  engaged  a  youth  from  the 
Orkney  Islands,  Arthur  Anderson,  as  his  clerk,  who  became  his  partner  in 
1825,  under  the  title  of  Wilcox  &  Anderson.  In  1834  the  Dublin  and  Lon- 
don Steam  Packet  Company  chartered  the  steamer  "  Royal  Tar "  to  Dom 
Pedro  through  the  agency  of  the  firm.  Soon  afterwards  the  Spanish  min- 
ister in  London  induced  Messrs.  Bourne,  of  Dublin,  to  put  on  a  line  of 
steamers  between  London  and  the  Peninsula,  for  which  Wilcox  &  Anderson 
were  appointed  agents.  A  small  company  was  formed  to  carry  out  this 
undertaking.  Previously  to  September,  1837,  the  Peninsular  mails  were 
conveyed  by  sailing-packets,  which  left  Falmouth,  England,  for  Lisbon  every 
week,  "  wind  and  weather  permitting."  The  Peninsular  Company  of  Steam- 
packets,  some  little  time  established,  on  the  29th  of  August,  1837,  con- 
tracted to  convey  the  Peninsular  mails  for  £29,600  per  annum,  subsequently 
reduced  to  £20,500  per  annum.  This  .service  may  be  considered  the  nucleus 
of  the  great  company  which  now  conveys  the  mails  to  all  parts  of  the 
Eastern  world.  The  "  Iberia,"  the  first  steamer  dispatched  with  the  Penin- 
sular mails,  sailed  in  September,  1837. 

The  mails  were  conveyed  to  and  from  India  up  to  September,  1840,  by 
steamers  plying  monthly  between  Bombay  and  Suez,  and  thence  by  British 
government  steamers  from  Alexandria  to  Gibraltar,  where  they  received  the 
mails  brought  out  by  the  Peninsular  Company  from  England.  In  1839  the 
British  government  entered  into  a  convention  with  the  French  government 
for  sending  letters  to  and  from  India  through  France  by  way  of  Marseilles. 
The  irregularities  that  ensued  caused  the  British  government  to  apply  to 
the  managers  of  the  Peninsular  Company  to  run  a  line  of  superior 
steamers  direct  from  England  to  Alexandria,  and  vice  versa,  touching  only  at 
Gibraltar  and  Malta.  The  vessels  approved  by  the  Admiralty  were  the 
"  Oriental,"  of  1,600  tons  and  450  horse-power,  and  the  "  Great  Liverpool," 

20 


306   .  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

of  1,540  tons  and  464  horse-power,  which  was  originally  intended  for  the 
transatlantic  service.  These  were  now  dispatched  with  the  mails  from 
England  to  Alexandria,  Egypt,  thus  combining  the  two  mail  services  and 
constituting  the  Peninsular  and  Oriental  Steam  Navigation  Compan}r.  In 
1842  the  East  India  Company  contracted  with  the  Peninsular  Company  to 
establish  a  line  of  steamers  between  Calcutta  and  Suez,  and  September  24, 
1842,  its  new  ship,  "  Hindoostau,"  of  1,800  tons  and  520  horse-power,  was 
sent  from  Southampton  to  open  a  line  between  Calcutta,  Madras,  Ceylon, 
and  Suez.  The  government  went  into  another  contract  with  the  company 
for  a  monthly  service  from  Ceylon  to  Penang,  Singapore,  and  Hong  Kong, 
and  in  1854  the  company  undertook  another  line  between  Bombay  and 
Suez.  They  next  extended  a  line  between  India  and  the  Australian  colo- 
nies. All  these  lines  were  heavily  subsidized.  The  urgent  requirements 
of  government  for  conveying  troops  to  the  Black  Sea  and  the  Baltic  on 
the  outbreak  of  the  Crimean  war  obliged  the  company,  towards  the  close  of 
1854,  to  discontinue  the  line  to  Australia  and  to  reduce  the  Bombay  and' 
China  service  from  a  fortnightly  to  a  monthly  line.  During  the  Crimean 
war  this  company  had  eleven  of  their  steamers,  measuring  18,000  tons,  in 
the  transport  service,  which  conveyed  during  the  continuance  of  hostilities 
1,800  officers,  60,000  men,  and  15,000  horses.  The  "  Himalaya,"  the  largest 
vessel  of  the  line  at  this  time,  was  340  feet  in  length,  44i  feet  width  of 
beam,  and  her  engines  were  2,050  indicated  horse-power.  She  was  3,540 
tons,  old  measurement,  and  cost  £132,000  when  complete  for  sea, 

Thus,  step  by  step,  the  company  advanced,  until  we  learn  from  its  annual 
report  ending  September  30, 1874,  its  paid-up  capital  at  that  time  amounted 
to  £2,700,000  and  £800,000  debenture  stock,  and  that  it  was  the  intention 
during  the  year  to  increase  it  up  to  £4,300,000,  of  which  £600,000  would  re- 
main unpaid.  Of  this  capital,  £3,757,000  consisted  of  stock  in  ships;  £221,- 
000  of  freehold  and  leasehold  property  and  docks  and  premises  in  England, 
Calcutta,  Bombay,  Singapore,  Hong  Kong,  and  other  stations ;  and  £413,000 
in  coal  and  naval  victualing  stores.  Its  fleet  at  the  same  time  consisted  of 
50  sea-going  steamers,  measuring  122,000  tons,  and  of  22,000  horse-power, — 
thirty-four  being  employed  in  the  Mediterranean,  Adriatic,  India,  and  China 
services ;  four  in  the  Australian  service  between  Ceylon,  Melbourne,  and 
Sydney ;  five  in  the  China  and  Japan  local  services ;  two  used  as  cargo  ves- 
sels ;  five  undergoing  repairs  and  in  reserve.  The  company  also  possesses 
twelve  steam-tugs  and  three  cargo-  and  coal-hulks,  and  gave  permanent  em- 
ployment to  12,600  persons,  exclusive  of  coal  laborers  and  coolies  on  shore; 
about  90,000  tons  of  coal  are  usually  kept  constantly  in  stock  at  its  coaling- 
stations.  This  was  a  navy  which  many  governments  might'  be  proud  to  own . 

The  iron  screw  steamship  "  Khedive,"  of  this  line,  built  in  1873,  is  of  the 
following  dimensions  :  Length,  380  feet;  breadth,  42  feet ;  depth,  36  feet. 
Her  builders'  measurement  is  3,329  tons ;  her  gross  register,  3,742  tons ;  and 
her  net  register,  2,092  tons.  She  is  fitted  to  accommodate  with  the  space 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  307 

and  style  now  required  for  Eastern  travel  164  first-class  and  53  second-class 
passengers.  Has  store-rooms  to  hold  380  tons ;  rooms  for  mails  and  baggage, 
to  contain  142  tons  ;  bunkers  to  hold  846  tons  of  coal ;  and  holds  which  can 
receive  2,003  tons  of  cargo,  of  50  feet  to  the  ton.  The  contract  price  for 
the  ship  fitted  complete  for  sea  was  £110,000.  Her  engines  are  compound, 
vertical,  direct-acting,  of  600  nominal  horse-power,  with  4  feet  6  inches 
length  of  stroke.  The  diameter  of  her  cylinders,  69  and  96  inches  res- 
pectively ;  and  of  her  four-bladed  screw,  17  feet  6  inches ;  its  pitch  being 
22  feet  6  inches  and  24  feet.  She  has  4  boilers  and  16  furnaces.  The 
fire-bar  surface  is  320  square  feet,  and  the  heating  and  condensing  surface 
11,720  and  6,059  square  feet  respectively.  The  loaded  pressure  is  55  pounds 
on  her  boilers. 

We  have  nothing  in  ancient  times  to  compare  with  this  model  modern 
steamship,  with  her  long,  low  hull,  unless  it  be  the  rowing-galley,  and  to 
propel  a  vessel  of  the  size  and  weight  of  the  "  Khedive  "  at  the  rate  of  four 
miles  an  hour  through  the  smoothest  water  would  require  at  least  two  thou- 
sand rowers,  while  the  average  speed  of  the  "  Khedive"  on  a  voyage  from 
Alexandria  to  Southampton,  a  distance  of  2,982  miles,  was  ten  knots,  and 
on  the  return  voyage  11  knots  or  nautical  miles  per  hour. 

A  new  contract  has  been  made  with  the  Peninsular  &  Oriental  Steam 
Navigation  Company  for  the  conveyance  of  the  mails  to  India  and  China, 
for  a  period  of  eight  years  from  the  1st  of  February,  1880,  at  the  reduced 
subsidy  of  £370,000,  being  £60,000  per  annum  less  than  the  sum  paid  under 
the  then  expiring  contract.  This  payment  may  be  further  reduced  at  the 
option  of  the  post-office  authorities  by  £10,000  per  annum,  in  consideration 
of  the  penalties  not  being  made  absolute.  In  this  case,  also,  simultaneously* 
with  a  reduction  of  cost,  an  increase  of  speed  has  been  secured.  The  com- 
pany is  liable  to  a  penalty  of  £100  for  every  twelve  hours  in  excess  of  the 
contract  time  between  Brindisi  and  Bombay  on  its  outward  voyages,  and  of 
£200  for  every  twelve  hours  in  such  excess  on  its  homeward  voyages. 

In  the  service  to  and  from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  the  two  contracting 
companies,  when  their  voyages  go  beyond  three  days  in  excess  of  the  time 
allowed  by  their  contracts  (heavy  penalties  being  incurred  for  one  or  more 
of  these  three  days),  are  liable  to  a  penalty  of  £6  5s  an  hour  for  each  com- 
plete hour  in  addition  consumed  on  the  voyage  out  or  home. 

1840.— THE  PACIFIC  STEAM  NAVIGATION  COMPANY. — The  Pacific  Steam 
Navigation  Company  sends  out  its  ships  from  London  eastward  to  Mel- 
bourne, westward  to  Valparaiso,  and  does  a  large  coasting  business  on  the 
west  coast  of  South  America.  Its  ships  run  to  Australia  under  the  name  of 
the  Orient  Line,  and  are  splendid  specimens  of  steamers.  To  this  line  be- 
long the  "  Orient,"  5,386  tons,  and  the  lately  finished  steamer  "  Austral,"* 

*  A  telegram  from  Sydney  states  that  the  belief  which  was  first  entertained  that  the  foun- 
dering  of  the  Orient  steamer  "Austral,"  Nov.,  1882,  entailed  no  loss  of  life  proves  to  have  been 


308  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

whose  tonnage  is  5,588  tons  gross.  The  Orient  steamers  go  to  Australia 
both  via  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  and  via  the  Canal. 

The  first  steamer  on  the  Pacific  coast  was  a  small  craft  named  the  "  Telica," 
commanded  and  owned  by  a  Spaniard  named  Mitrovitch,  but  his  career  and 
that  of  his  vessel  was  a  short  and  melancholy  one.  In  a  fit  of  despair  at  his- 
want  of  success  he  fired  his  pistol  into  a  barrel  of  gunpowder,  blowing  up 
his  vessel  in  the  harbor  of  Guayaquil,  and  destroying  himself  and  all  on 
board  except  one  man.  This  lamentable  occurrence  retarded  the  intro- 
duction of  steam  on  the  Pacific  coast.  But  Mr.  William  Wheelright,  a 
native  of  Newburyport,  Massachusetts,  then  United  States  Consul  at  Guaya- 
quil, saw  the  great  advantages  of  steam  communication  along  the  coast  and 
between  the  several  South  American  republics,  and  spent  six  of  the  best 
years  of  his  life  in  arranging  for  such  communication.  Failing  to  obtain 
the  needed  aid  and  encouragement  for  his  plans  in  the  United  States,  he 
proceeded  to  England,  and  on  the  17th  of  February,  1840,  just  about  the 
time  that  transatlantic  steam  navigation  was  an  assured  success,  he  obtained,, 
"under  letters  patent,"  a  charter  for  the  establishment  of  the  Pacific  Steam 
Navigation  Company,  with  a  small  subsidy  for  the  conveyance  of  the  British 
mails. 

The  capital  of  the  company  was  at  first  limited  to  two  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  pounds,  in  five  thousand  shares  of  fifty  pounds  each.  The  whole 
capital  was  subscribed  for,  but  only  an  amount  was  called  up  sufficient  at 
the  time  to  enable  the  directors  to  provide  two  boats, — the  "  Chili "  and 
"  Peru," — which  were  dispatched  to  commence  operations  towards  the  close 
of  1840.  These  vessels  were  wooden  paddle-wheel  steamers,  sister-ships  of 
about  seven  hundred  tons  gross  register,  though  with  a  capacity  of  not  half 
that  tonnage,  with  engines  of  about  one  hundred  and  fiAy  horse-power,  their 
extreme  length  being  one  hundred  and  ninety-eight  feet  and  extreme  breadth 
fifty  feet.*  They  were  at  that  time  considered  fine  vessels,  and  on  their 
arrival  at  Valparaiso  they  were  received  with  great  rejoicings  and  with  sal- 
vos of  artillery,  everybody  wishing  to  visit  them,  "the  President  of  the 
Republic,  accompanied  by  his  ministers,  being  among  the  first  to  welcome 
the  steamships  to  the  shores  of  the  Pacific." 

The  company  in  its  early  days  had  many  difficulties  to  overcome,  the 
scarcity  of  fuel  being  one  of  the  greatest,  and  during  the  first  five  years 
sustained  a  loss  of  no  less  than  seventy-two  thousand  pounds  upon  a  paid- 
up  capital  of  ninety-four  thousand  pounds.  In  face  of  this  heavy  loss  the 
shareholders  resolved  to  persevere,  and  in  December,  1847,  the  directors 

mistaken.  The  purser  and  four  of  the  crew  were  drowned.  Further  telegrams  received  at 
Lloyd's  state  that  the  Austral,  while  coaling,  keeled  over  and  sank  at  her  moorings.  She  had 
1, 500  tons  of  coal  on  board  and  a  cargo  of  only  200  tons  of  iron. —  The  Penny  Illus.  Paper y 
November  18,  1882. 

*  Lindsay's  Merchant  Shipping,  vol.  iv.,has  an  illustration  of  the  pioneer  steamer  "Peru." 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  309 

were   enabled  to  give  to  the  shareholders  for  the  first  time  a   dividend, 
though  only  two  and  one-half  per  cent.,  on  their  paid-up  capital. 

In  1850,  four  new  steamers,  viz.,  the  "  Lima,"  "  Santiago,"  "  Quito,"  and 
•"  Bogota,"  of  one  thousand  tons  and  two  hundred  horse-power  each,  in  pur- 
suance with  a  contract  with  the  Admiralty,  and  costing  one  hundred  and  forty 
thousand  pounds,  were  added  to  the  line,  to  be  employed  in  a  bi-monthly 
service  between  Valparaiso  and  Panama. 

From  1860  the  trade  of  the  Pacific  rapidly  developed.  Steam  here,  as 
elsewhere,  opened  up  new  and  hitherto  unthought-of  branches  of  commerce, 
and  from  that  date  the  progress  of  the  company  has  been  of  unexampled 
success. 

In  1865  the  chartered  powers  of  the  company  were  extended  to  the  estab- 
lishment of  lines  "  between  the  west  coast  of  South  America  and  the  river 
Plata,  including  the  Falkland  Islands  and  such  other  ports  or  places  in 
North  and  South  America  and  other  foreign  ports  as  the  said  company  shall 
deem  expedient." 

The  directors  by  degrees  applied  the  compound  engine  after  1856  to  all 
their  steamships,  and  it  is  worthy  of  record  that  they  were  not  only  among 
the  first,  if  not  the  first,  to  adopt  the  compound  engine  for  ocean-going 
steamers,  but  were  almost  singular  in  this  respect  for  upwards  of  fourteen 
years. 

During  these  years  the  profits  of  the  undertaking  had  been  steadily  in- 
creasing, and  at  a  special  meeting  of  the  shareholders,  held  December,  1867, 
it  was  determined  to  add  to  the  operations  of  the  company  a  monthly  line 
from  Liverpool  to  the  west  coast  of  South  America  ma  the  Straits  of  Magellan. 

This  entirely  new  and  important  though  hazardous  branch  of  the  service 
necessitated  an  increase  of  the  capital  of  the  company  to  two  million 
pounds.  In  furtherance  of  their  views  the  "  Pacific,"  of  two  thousand  tons 
register  and  four  hundred  and  fifty  horse-power,  was  sent  from  Valparaiso 
in  May,  1868,  as  the  pioneer  of  the  new  mail  line. 

The  project  was  successful,  and  in  1869  the  profits  of  the  four  new 
steamers,  which  had  made  nine  voyages  from  Liverpool  to  Valparaiso,  were 
so  satisfactory  that  in  1870  it  was  determined  to  extend  the  voyage  from 
Valparaiso  to  Callao.  Seventeen  voyages  made  in  the  course  of  that  year 
with  still  greater  success  induced  the  directors  to  recommend  that  the  de- 
partures thenceforward  should  be  three  a  month ;  and  in  December,  1871, 
the  capital  was  authorized  to  be  increased  to  three  million  pounds,  so  that 
the  company  might  be  enabled  to  dispatch  every  week  one  of  their  steamers 
on  this  distant  voyage.  « 

In  July,  1872,  the  capital  was  increased  to  four  million  pounds. 

In  1877,  when  in  command  of  the  United  States  squadron  in  the  South 
Pacific,  I  wrote  a  letter  to  the  Navy  Department,  in  which  I  gave  the  fol- 
lowing information  in  regard  to  the  then  condition  of  this  line : 

"  I  forward  herewith  an  advertisement  exhibiting  the  names  and  tonnage 


310  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

of  the  forty-eight  vessels*  which  now  compose  the  steam  fleet  of  the  Eng- 
lish '  Pacific  Steam  Navigation  Company '  on  this  coast.  A  few  of  these 
vessels  have  paddle-wheels,  but  nearly  all  are  iron  screw-steamers  of  power, 
speed,  and  good  model.  Relieved  of  their  light  passenger  decks  and  armed, 
they  would  in  the  event  of  war  prove  an  efficient  and  formidable  auxiliary 
to  the  British  naval  force  in  these  seas  as  cruisers  and  'commerce  des- 
troyers.' The  schedule  and  average  speed  of  the  coasting  steamers  of  this 
company,  ten  knots,  is  considered  their  economical  rate  of  steaming. 

"  The  eighteen  steamers  of  the  '  Straits '  Line  are  barque-rigged,  have  an» 
average  tonnage  greater  than  the  five  '  first-rates  '  of  our  navy,  are  superior 
to  them  in  speed,  are  capable  of  being  as  heavily  armed.  In  addition  to  a 
profitable  freight,  they  carry  coal  for  forty  days,  steaming  at  the  rate  of 
eleven  knots  per  hour  under  all  conditions  of  wind  and  weather,  the  latter 
a  good  desideratum  for  a  country,  like  the  United  States,  having  no  colonies, 
and  its  ships  dependent  upon  home  ports  for  a  supply  of  coal,  which  are 
now  classed  as  '  contraband  of  war.' 

"  The  following  memorandum  of  the  performance  of  the  '  Aconcagua/ 
one  of  the  steamships  of  the  Straits  Line,  I  took  from  her  abstract  log  by 
permission  of  her  commander: 

"The  Pacific  Steam  Navigation  Company's  steamship  'Aconcagua,'  4,106 
tons,  left  Liverpool  June  13,  1877,  at  8  P.M.,  and  arrived  at  Callao,  Peru, 
August  9,  1877,  at  7  A.M.,  stopping  in  the  voyage  at  Fauillac,  Lisbon,  St. 
Vincent,  Rio  Janeiro,  Montevideo,  Sandy  Point,  Valparaiso,  Arica,  and 
Mollendo,  the  time  occupied  on  the  voyage  being  56  days,  5  hours,  50  min- 
utes ;  the  actual  steaming  time,  40  days,  11  hours,  35  minutes.  The  distance 
run  was  11,033  nautical  miles.  Coal  consumed,  1,900  tons.  She  also  ex- 
pended 656  gallons  of  oil,  132  pounds  of  tallow,  and  74  pounds  of  waste. 
She  received  on  board  at  Liverpool  1,746  tons  of  coal,  and  at  St.  Vincent, 
750  tons. 

"  The  following  was  her  expenditure  of  coal  between  the  several  ports 
stopped  at: 

Liverpool  to  Pauillac,  .  .  139  tons.  ,  Sandy  Point  to  Valparaiso, .         .     295  tons- 

Pauillac  to  Lisbon,      .         .  .  148     "      ,  Valparaiso  to  Arica,  .          .  .     147     " 

Lisbon  to  St.  Vincent,         .  .  256     "      :  Arica  to  Mollendo,      .         .  22     " 

St.  Vincent  to  Rio  Janeiro,  .  461     "  Mollendo  to  Callao,    .         .  66     " 

Rio  Janeiro  to  Montevideo,  .  155     " 

Montevideo  to  Sandy  Point  .  211     "  Total,          .         .         .  .1,900 

"The  average  of  her  voyage, — speed,  11.36  knots;  revolutions,  50.75  per 
minute ;  pressure,  63 ;  coal,  46.91  tons  per  day.  The  least  average  speed 
made  in  any  twenty-four  hours  during  the  voyage  was  9.6  knots. 

"On  her  previous  voyage  the  'Aconcagua'  touched  at  one  less  port,  ran 

*  Mr.  Lindsay,  in  his  Merchant  Shipping,  says  the  company  owned  in  1876  fifty-four 
steamships,  aggregating  119,870  tons  and  20,395  horse-power. 


HISTOR  Y  OF  STEAM  XA  VIGA  TIOX.  311 

11,003  nautical  miles,  and  consumed  1,776  tons  of  coal.  The  'Aconcagua' 
has  but  one  smoke-stack,  others  of  the  line  have  two.  The  Straits  steamers 
with  steam- cutters,  and  all  the  ships  of  the  company  are  furnished  with 
steam-capstans." 

Two  of  the  ships  of  this  company,  viz.,  the  "  Iberia"  and  "  Liguria,"  built 
in  1873,  are  each  4,671  tons  gross  register,  with  a  capacity  of  4,000  tons  of 
cargo,  space  for  916  tons  of  coal  additional,  and  accommodation  for  800 
third-class  passengers.  On  their  trial  trips  these  steamers  attained  a  speed 
of  15  knots  per  hour.  Their  length  is  425  feet  between  perpendiculars,,  and 
449  feet  over  all.  Their  breadth  is  44J  feet;  depth  of  hold,  35£  feet.  .The 
engines,  which  are  compound,  have  each  three  cylinders,  one  of  4  feet  8 
inches  diameter,  and  two  of  6  feet  6  inches  diameter,  with  5  feat  length  of 
stroke. 

When  we  consider  that  the  tonnage  of  the  navy  of  the  United  States  in 
1881,  distributed  in  22  sailing-vessels,  83  screw-steamers,  26  iron-clads,  and 
7  side-wheel  steamers,  in  all  138  vessels  of  every  class  and  type,  amounts  to 
only  143,338  tons,  it  may  be  profitable  to  compare  it  with  the  120,000  tons 
of  this  private  company,  invested  in  steam-vessels  combining  the  latest  im- 
provements in  machinery  for  economy  and  speed. 

The  services  of  the  steamers  of  this  company  on  the  west  coast  of  South 
America  have  of  late  been  subjected  to  the  depressing  influences  of  the  war 
between  Chili  and  Peru,  but  the  steam  trade  of  the  Pacific  has  steadily  and 
marvelously  increased  since  first  opened  out  by  the  energy  of  our  country- 
man, Wheelright.  The  people  of  Chili,  sensible  of  their  indebtedness, 
have  erected  a  bronze  statue  to  his  honor  in  one  \>f  the  principal  plazas  of 
Valparaiso. 

The  commanders,  officers,  and  engineers  of  this  company  are  all  Britons. 
The  company  owns  an  island  in  the  Bay  of  Panama,  where  they  have  a  grid- 
iron for  hauling  up  their  vessels  for  cleaning  or  repair.  They  have  also 
erected  shops  at  Callao,  Peru,  fitted  with  the  requisite  apparatus,  imple- 
ments, and  took,  and  maintain  there  a  staff  of  well-trained  workmen. 
Connected  with  the  establishments  at  Callao,  Panama,  and  Valparaiso, 
the  company  contributes  liberally  to  the  support  of  schools,  and  for  the 
maintenance  of  clergymen  of  the  Established  Church ;  and  it  is  also  inter- 
ested in  the  iron  floating-docks  at  Valparaiso  and  Callao. 

The  splendid,  we  may  say,  stupendous  results  of  this  company  are  the 
outgrowth  of  the  project  of  William  Wheelright,  a  native  of  Newburyport, 
Mass.,  who,  after  pre?enting  his  plans  to  the  capitalists  of  New  York,  and  their 
being  rejected  by  them,  presented  them  in  Liverpool,  where  they  met  with 
better  success.  Thus  through  the  far-seeing  of  our  English  brethren  the 
sceptre  of  the  commerce  of  the  Pacific  has  passed  into  their  hands,  and  it  will 
require  on  our  part,  notwithstanding  the  predilection  our  South  American 
cousins  have  for  us,  a  long  pull,  a  strong  pull,  and  a  pull  altogether  before 
we  can  regain  it  or  any  portion  of  it. 


312  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

The  "Austral,"  built  oil  the  Clyde  by  Elder  &  Co.,  is  474  feet  long  over 
&11,  has  a  breadth  of  beam  of  48  feet  3  inches,  and  her  moulded  depth  is  37 
feet.  Her  displacement  on  the  load  line  is  about  9,500  tons.  She  is  10  feet 
longer,  2  feet  broader,  and  2  inches  deeper  than  the  "  Orient,"  but  as  her 
lines  are  finer,  her  tonnage  will  not  much  exceed  that  of  the  "  Orient."  She 
is  built  throughout  of  Mild  steel,  and  has  3  steel  decks.  Between  the  inner 
skin  and  the  double  bottom  she  is  divided  into  19  water-tight  compartments. 
The  hull  proper  is  divided  by  13  water-tight  bulkheads,  10  of  which  are 
carried  up  to  the  main  deck.  Above  the  main  deck  the  ship  is  divided  into 
7  fire-proof  compartments,  and  there  is  ample  arrangements  for  flooding  any 
of  the  compartments  or  for  extracting  water  from  them,  the  pumps  having 
a  capacity  for  throwing  2,928  tons  of  water  per  hour.  She  has  four  masts,  two 
of  which  are  square  rigged.  The  cabins  are  all  placed  within  the  area  of 
the  ship,  \vith  a  gangway  four  feet  wide,  running  along  the  vessel  outside  the 
state-rooms  and  at  frequent  intervals  across  the  ship.  This  permits  each 
state-room  to  have  windows  instead  of  air-ports,  and  the  air-port  in  the  side 
of  the  ship  maybe  kept  open  even' in  rough  weather  without  any  fear  of  the 
water  entering  the  cabin.  This  arrangement  of  the  cabins  and  state  rooms 
coincides  exactly  with  one  proposed  by  R.  B.  Forbes,  Esq.,  of  Boston,  in  a 
pamphlet  published  by  him  in  186.6.  It  seems  an  arrangement  that  must 
be  universally  adopted,  as  it  not  only  allows  the  passenger  to  obtain  an 
abundant  supply  of  fresh  air,  but  prevents  his  inhaling  the  foul  air  which 
comes  up  from  the  hold  through  the  skin  of  the  ship  into  his  state-room 
when  the  state-room  is  built  against  the  sides. 

The  "  Austral"  belongs  to  what  is  known  as  the  Orient  Line  of  this  com- 
pany, and,  as  well  as  the  "Orient,"  is  specially  designed  for  the  importation 
of  frozen  meats  from  Australia.  She  is  fitted  with  refrigerating  machinery 
of  the  capacity  of  about  seven  hundred  tons,  the  largest  refrigerator  room 
fitted  on  any  ship.  At  the  trials  at  sea  of  the  machinery  it  produced  a 
continuous  stream  of  cold,  dry  air  for  the  meat  chamber,  the  temperature 
of  the  air  flowing  from  the  machine  being  85°  Fahrenheit  below  zero,  and 
the  large  chamber  kept  steadily  at  zero,  or  32°  below  the  freezing  point. 
As  the  weight  of  an  Australian  sheep  is  about  eighty  pounds,  this  enor- 
mous freezing  machine  will  keep  twenty  thousand  sheep  frozen  in  a  per- 
fectly fresh  state  for  any  length  of  time  necessary  before  shipment.  The 
public  rooms,  engine-room,  pantries  and  passageways  are  lighted  by  the 
electric  light  fitted  up  by  Messrs.  Siemens  with  nine  arc  lamps  and  one  hun- 
dred and  seventy  Swan  lamps. 

THE  ROYAL  WEST  INDIA  MAIL  STEAM  PACKET  COMPANY. — 1841. — Soon 
after  the  Atlantic  Ocean  began  to  be  regularly  navigated  by  steam-vessels, 
the  importance  of  a  rapid  and  more  frequent  means  of  intercommunication 
with  the  West  Indies  led  to  the  formation  of  this  company,  which  contracted 
with  the  Board  of  Admiralty  in  March,  1841,  for  the  conveyance  of  the 
mails  between  England,  the  West  Indies,  *aud  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  It  com- 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  313 

menced  operations  on  a  much  more  comprehensive  and  grander  scale  than 
either  the  Cunard  Company  or  Peninsular  and  Oriental.  Fourteen  large 
steamships  were  at  once  ordered  to  be  built  for  the  service  ;  they  were  to  be 
of  such  strength  as  would  enable  them  to  carry  guns  of  the  largest  calibre 
then  in  use  on  board  Her  Majesty's  war  steamers,  with  engines  of  not  less 
than  four  hundred  cohesive  horse-power.  The  contract  required  one  of 
these  vessels  to  be  ready  to  take  the  mails  on  board  twice  in  each  calendar 
month,  and  to  proceed  via  Corunna  and  Madeira  to  the  island  of  Barbadoes, 
and  after  staying  not  more  than  six  hours,  thence  via  St.  Vincent  to  the 
island  of  Grenada,  where  the  stoppage  was  limited  to  twelve  hours  ;  thence  in 
succession  to  Santa  Cruz  and  St.  Thomas,  Tricola  Mole,  in  Hayti,  Santiago 
de  Cuba,  and  Port  Royal,  in  Jamaica.  After  a  stay  of  not  exceeding  twenty- 
four  hours  at  Port  Royal,  the  steamer  was  to  proceed  to  Savana  la  Mar,  and 
thence  to  Havana  ;  returning,  she  was  to  call  at  Savana  la  Mar,  Port  Royal, 
Santiago  de  Cuba,  Tricola  Mole,  and  Samana,  in  Hayti,  delivering  mails  at 
each  place,  "  care  being  taken  that  the  said  steam-vessel  shall  always  arrive 
at  Samaua  aforesaid  (after  performing  the  said  voyage  from  Barbadoes 
under  ordinary  circumstances  of  wind  and  weather)  on  the  twenty-second 
day  after  the  arrival  from  England  of  the  mails  at  Barbadoes ;"  and  after 
delivering  and  receiving  the  mails  at  Samana,  "  the  steam-vessel  shall  make 
the  best  of  her  way  back  from  Samana  to  such  port  in  the  British  Channel 
as  the  said  Commissioners  of  the  Admiralty  shall  from  time  to  time  direct." 
In  consideration  of  this  service  the  company  was  to  receive  at  the  rate  of 
two  hundred  and  forty  thousand  pounds  per  annum  in  quarterly  payments. 
Notwithstanding  this  large  subsidy,  the  close  of  the  first  year's  operations 
showed  a  loss  of  seventy-nine  thousand  seven  hundred  and  ninety  pounds, 
sixteen  shillings,  ei^ht  pence  to  the  company. 

By  the  original  arrangements  the  annual  mileage  traversed  would  have 
been  six  hundred  and  eighty-four  thousand  eight  hundred  and  sixteen  miles. 
Government,  however,  in  answer  to  the  company's  appeal,  reduced  the  dis- 
tance to  be  performed  to  three  hundred  and  ninety-two  thousand  nine  hun- 
dred and  seventy-six  miles,  without  reducing  the  subsidy.  Though  these 
liberal  concessions  had  been  made,  they  were  more  than  counterbalanced  by 
the  loss  of  two  valuable  ships  during  the  second  year.  Yet  the  trade  in- 
creased so  rapidly  as  to  leave  in  1843  a  surplus  of  receipts  over  expenditures 
of  ninety-four  thousand  two  hundred  and  ten  pounds,  and  in  1844  of  one 
hundred  and  forty-seven  thousand  seven  hundred  and  forty-nine  pounds. 
From  this  time  the  prospects  of  the  Company  have  steadily  improved.  In 
1850  the  mail  contract  was  renewed  for  ten  years  from  -1st  January,  1852, 
the  annual  subsidy  being  increased  to  two  hundred  and  seventy  thousand 
pounds,  the  company  agreeing  to  a  monthly  service  to  Brazil,  and  an  in- 
crease of  the  mileage  to  five  hundred  and  forty-seven  thousand  two  hundred 
and  ninety-six  mile^.  The  company  was  also  required  to  increase  the  speed 
of  the  West  Indian  line  from  eight  knots  to  ten  knots  per  hour,  and  to  add 


314  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

to  their  fleet  five  new  steamers  of  two  thousand  two  hundred  and  fifty  tons 
and  eight  hundred  horse-power  each.  In  1864  a  third  contract  was  entered 
into  whereby  the  annual  subsidy  was  reduced  to  one  hundred  and  seventy- 
two  thousand  nine  hundred  and  fourteen  pounds,  and  the  speed  increased  to 
ten  and  a  half  knots  per  hour  in  the  West  India  Transatlantic  service.  In 
1866  it  was  agreed  each  alternate  fortnightly  packet  should  proceed  from 
St.  Thomas  direct  to  Colon  (Aspinwall),  instead  of  first  touching  at  Jamaica, 
thus  shortening  the  route  between  England  and  Panama. 

In  1874  the  annual  subsidy  for  the  conveyance  of  the  West  India  mails 
was  reduced  to  eighty-four  thousand  seven  hundred  and  fifty  pounds,  not 
much  more  than  one-third  per  cent,  of  what  the  company  originally  re- 
ceived. 

In  1875  a  contract  was  entered  into  with  Her  Majesty's  government  to 
carry  on  the  Brazilian  and  River  Plata  mail  service  for  a  payment  accord- 
ing to  the  weight  of  letters,  etc.,  conveyed. 

The  early  ships  of  this  line  were  the  finest  class  of  paddle-wheel  ste'amers 
built  of  wood  then  afloat,  or  that  had  been  sent  to  sea  either  for  naval  or 
mercantile  purposes.  Thus  the  "Forth,"  one  of  the  original  fleet,  was  some- 
where about  nineteen  hundred  tons  gross  or  builder's  measurement,  eleven 
hundred  and  forty-seven  tons  register,  and  four  hundred  and  fifty  nominal 
horse-power.  She  was  built  at  Leith  in  1841.  As  government  reserved  the 
right  of  purchasing  any  of  these  ships  at  a  valuation,  she  was,  like  the 
others,  constructed  in  accordance  with  a  specification  from  the  Admiralty, 
under  the  survey  and  immediate  control  of  officers  appointed  for  the  pur- 
pose. Ill  luck,  however,  attended  the  early  days  of  the  company,  for  though 
the  course  of  the  vessels  was  a  comparatively  safe  one,  they  lost  six  of  their 
ships  in  the  first  eight  years.  The  "  Isis"  sunk  off  Bermuda,  October  8, 1842, 
having  previously  struck  on  a  reef.  The  "  Galway  "  was  lost  April  15, 1843, 
twenty  miles  west  of  Corunna,  when  her  captain,  surgeon,  various  passengers, 
and  a  portion  of  her  crew,  consisting  in  all  of  sixty  persons,  perished.  The 
"Medina"  was  wrecked  on  a  coral  reef  near  Turk's  Island,  May  12,  1844. 
The  "Tweed,"  of  1,800  tons  and  450  horse-power,  was  lost  February  12, 
1847,  on  the  Alicraues,  a  reef  off  the  coast  of  Yucatan,  by  which  accident 
seventy-two  of  the  one  hundred  and  fifty-one  persons  which  composed  her 
crew  and  passengers  were  drowned.  February  1,  1849,  the  "  Forth"  was 
lost  on  the  same  rocks  which  had  caused  the  destruction  of  the  "  Tweed," 
while  the  following  year  the  "  Actseon"  was  wrecked  while  rounding  the 
point  near  Carthagena.  Some  of  these  disasters  no  doubt  arose  from  the 
intricate  character  of  the  navigation  among  the  West  India  islands,  and 
others,  as  it  was  alleged,  "  by  those  sudden  changes  of  weather — hurricanes, 
squalls,  '  northers,'  etc.— with  which  the  West  India  Islands,  Spanish  Main, 
and  Gulf  of  Mexico  are  so  frequently  visited."  But  as  the  company  has 
met  with  much  fewer  disasters  of  late  years,  incompetency  probably  had 
something  to  do  with  these  almost  periodical  losses.  In  November,  1852, 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.    ,  315 

the  "  Demerara,"  which  had  been  launched  the  preceding  September  from 
the  banks  of  the  Severn,  was  stranded  across  the  river,  and  so  injured  that 
she  had  to  be  broken  up,  and  her  engines  utilized  on  the  "  Atrato,"  an  iron 
paddle-wheel  steamer.  The  "Demerara"  was,  at  the  time  of  her  launch,* 
the  largest  steamship  save  the  "Great  Britain"  afloat.  She  was  316  feet 
long  over  all,  282  feet  between  the  perpendiculars,  and  276  feet  keel,  and 
was  2,318  tons  by  the  old,  and  upwards  of  3,000  tons  by  the  new  measure- 
ment. 

The  "Atrato"  was  launched  by  Messrs.  Caird  &  Co.  from  their  yard  at 
Cartsdyke,  in  May,  1853.  Early  in  1852  the  "Demerara,"  built  on  the 
Severn,  was  stranded  across  the  river  soon  after  her  launch,  as  stated  above, 
and  so  much  injured  that  she  had  to  be  broken  up.  For  this  ship  Messrs. 
Caird  &  Co.  had  the  engines  ready,  and  the  Directors  immediately  gave 
orders  to  construct  an  iron  vessel  to  be  fitted  with  them.  That  ship  was 
the  "  Atrato."  To  suit  the  machinery  it  was  requisite  to  maintain  the  same 
width  as  the  "Demerara"  had  been,  but  the  length  was  considerably  in- 
creased. The  "  Great  Britain  "  was  of  about  thirty  tons  greater  capacity,  but 
the  "  Atrato  "  was  longer  by  forty  feet. 

Her  dimensions  were : 

Length  over  all,    ..........  350  feet. 

Length  of  keel  and  forerake,  .         .         .         .         .         .         .  315     " 

Extreme  breadth,  including  wings  .          .          .          .          .  72     " 

Breadth  of  beam,  .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .  42     " 

Depth  of  hold,      ...........       34     " 

The  dimensions  of  the  great  war-steamer  "  Duke  of  Wellington,"  three- 

*  The  launch  of  the  "  Demerara"  took  place  at  Bristol.  The  morning  being  a  fine  one, 
large  numbers  oi  persons  assembled  to  witness  the  floating  out ;  and  the  vessels  in  the  float- 
ing harbor  were  dressed  gaily.  Owing,  however,  to  delays,  and  the  water  having  fallen 
some  eighteen  inches  or  two  feet,  the  spectators  were  doomed  to  disappointment,  as  she  could 
not  be  got  out  until  the  evening's  tide,  when  she  floated  gracefully  upon  the  water,  having 
been  christened  by  the  wife  of  Lieutenant  Hast,  R.  N.,  Commodore  of  the  West  India  squad- 
ron, and  future  commander  of  the  "  Demerara."  With  the  exception  of  the  "  Great  Britain," 
the  "  Demerara"  was  the  largest  steamship  afloat.  Her  length  of  keel  was  276  feet;  length 
between  the  perpendiculars,  282  feet;  length  over  all,  316  feet,  or  6  feet  shorter  than  the 
"  Great  Britain."  Her  breadth  of  beam  was  41  feet,  and  the  extreme  width,  from  the  outside 
of  the  paddle-boxes,  75^  feet;  depth  to  the  main  deck,  26  feet  8  inches;  depth  of  spar 
deck,  7  feet.  Tonnage — by  old  measurement,  2,318  tons;  by  new  measurement,  upwards  of 
3,000  tons.  She  was  built  of  sound  British  oak,  teak,  and  pine,  is  diagonally  trussed  with 
iron,  has  copper  fastenings  throughout  to  the  21  feet  mark,  and  iron  fastenings  above  that. 
She  was  propelled  by  two  engines  made  by  Messrs.  Caird  &  Co.,  of  Greenock,  which  were 
constructed  on  the  side-lever  principle,  of  the  combined  power  of  750  horses,  or  24,500,000- 
pounds,  96-inch  cylinders,  and  9  feet  stroke,  and  they  were  attached  to  a  pair  of  Morgan's 
patent  feathering  float-paddles. 

An  elegant  dejeuner  was  afterwards  given  at  the  White  Lion  Hotel,  at  which  between 
forty  and  fifty  gentlemen  sat  down. 


316  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

decker,  the  largest  ship  then  belonging  to  the  Royal  Navy,  may  be  stated, 
by  way  of  comparison  : 

Extreme  length,     ..........  278  feet. 

Length  of  keel  and  forerake,         .......  240     " 

Breadth,        ......         .....       59     " 

Depth,          .         .     '     .         .         ....... 


The  "Puke  "  was  thus  less  than  the  "  Atrato"  by  about  seventy  feet  in 
length  and  ten  feet  in  depth  ;  the  width  of  the  latter  being,  from  the  cause 
we  have  mentioned,  less  by  seventeen  feet.  The  height  of  the  "  Atrato" 
from  the  keel  to  top  of  bulwark-rail  was  forty-three  feet.  Her  bow  was  sur- 
mounted by  a  spirited  representation  of  an  Indian  deity,  the  work  of  Mr. 
Peter  Christie,  of  Greenock. 

The  "  Atrato  "  had  four  decks,  seven  and  eight  feet  respectively  in  height. 
The  spar-deck  was  flush  from  stem  to  stern,  affording  a  promenade  the 
length  and  breadth  of  a  good  street,  —  three  hundred  and  thirty.feet  by  thirty- 
eight.  She  had  two  funnels  and  three  masts.  The  standing  rigging  was 
light  and  graceful,  being  formed  of  galvanized  iron.  The  masts  were  fitted 
with  Sir  Snow  Harris'  lightning  conductors.  The  main  and  foremasts  were 
"great  sticks"  of  Quebec  pine,  the  former  measuring  ninety  feet  long  by 
seven  in  circumference. 

The  keel  of  the  ship  was  formed  of  nine  enormous  pieces  of  iron,  and  the 
stem  and  stern-posts  were  each  one  piece,  and  both  carried  besides  some  dis- 
tance along  horizontally.  In  the  framing  and  fitting  of  the  paddle-boxes, 
the  beams  and  stringers,  all  of  patent  iron,  presented  an  extraordinary  con- 
trast to  the  great  logs  used  for  the  purpose  in  the  other  ships.  The  paddle- 
spaces  were  forty  feet  by  twelve  and  a  half  wide,  the  wheels  of  thirty-seven 
feet  diameter,  patent  feathering  principle.  The  ship  was  divided  into  seven 
water-tight  compartments  by  iron  bulkheads.  Thirteen  hundred  tons  of 
iron  were  used  in  the  construction  of  the  hull.  She  was  propelled  by  two 
beam-engines  of  the  collective  power  of  eight  hundred  horses,  and  she  had 
accommodations  for  two  hundred  and  twenty-four  first-class  passengers. 

But  by  far  the  greatest  disaster  which  befell  any  of  this  company's  ships 
was  the  destruction  of  the  "  Amazon"  by  fire  ;  nothing  could  be  more  terri- 
ble than  the  loss  of  this  ship  and  the  sufferings  of  those  who  perished  with 
her.  The  "  Amazon  "  was  launched  at  Blackwell  on  the  28th  of  June,  1851. 
She  was  the  largest  wooden  merchant  steamship  which  up  to  that  time  had 
been  constructed.  She  was  310  feet  in  length,  42  feet  in  width,  72  feet  over 
the  paddle-boxes,  and  32  feet  in  depth  ;  she  was  about  3,000  tons  burden, 
or  2,256  tons  register,  and  was  fitted  with  engines  of  800  horse-power,  the 
diameter  of  the  cylinders  being  96  inches  each,  and  the  stroke  9  feet.  The 
engines  made  14  revolutions  of  her  wheels,  which  were  41  feet  in  diameter, 
per  minute,  giving  her  a  speed  by  log  of  11  knots.  Her  cost  was  upwards 
of  £80,000,  and  when  ready  for  sea  somewhat  over  £100,000.  When  sur- 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  317  - 

veyed  by  the  Admiralty  before  her  departure  from  Southampton  she  was 
reported  capable  of  carrying  fourteen  32-pounders  and  two  10-inch  pivot 
guus  of  eighty-five  hundred-weight  each,  and  her  coal-bunkers  were  con- 
structed to  carry  1,000  tons  of  coal,  sufficient  for  sixteen  and  one-half  days' 
full  steaming.  On  the  2d  of  January,  1852,  the  "  Amazon"  sailed  from 
Southampton  on  her  first  outward  voyage.  On  the  4th  of  January,  when 
about  110  miles  W.  S  ."W.  of  the  Sicily  Islands,  the  watch  on  deck  discovered 
that  a  fire  had  broken  out  suddenly  on  the  starboard  side  forward,  between 
the  steam-chest  and  the  galley,  the  flames  at  once  rushing  up  the  gangway 
in  front  of  the  foremost  funnel.  All  efforts  to  check  the  progress  of  the  fire 
proved  futile,  and  the  most  terrible  consternation  and  confusion^  prevailed, 
the  gale  which  howled  overhead  and  around  tthem  increasing  the  terror  of 
the  awful  calamity.  The  boats  were  burnt  where  stowed  or  swamped  when 
lowered,  save  two  of  the  life-boats  and  a  small  dingy,  in  which  sixty-five  of 
the  one  hundred  and  sixty-one  souls  on  board  managed  to  escape  from  the 
burning  wreck,  ninety-six,  including  the  captain,  perished  in  the  ship. 

These  losses  left  the  company  only  the  "Orinoco,"  "Magdalene,"  and 
"  Parana"  for  the  direct  service  between  Southampton  and  Colon ;  but,  stimu- 
lated rather  than  depressed  by  misfortune,  they  chartered  other  vessels,  and 
entered  into  the  construction  of  steamers  of  a  still  finer  description.  When 
the  government  relieved  them  from  the  condition  of  building  wooden  ves- 
sels adapted  for  purposes  of  war,  and  the  directors  discovered  that  iron  was 
preferable  to  wood,  and  the  screw  a  better  mode  of  propulsion  than  the 
paddle,  they  produced  vessels  equal  to  most  of  those  engaged  in  transat- 
lantic navigation. 

There  are  not  now  many  finer  vessels  afloat  than  the  "  Tagus"  and 
"  Moselle,"  launched  in  1871,  and  the  later  ships  of  this  line.  The  "  Moselle," 
of  about  3,200  tons  gross  register,  and  engines  of  600  horse-power,  made 
14.929  knots  per  hour  as  the  average  per  four  runs  over  the  measured  mile; 
and  the  "Tasmanian,"  an  iron  screw-vessel,  also  fitted  in  1871  with  com- 
pound engines,  accomplished  her  first  voyage  to  St.  Thomas  in  fourteen 
days  and  two  hours,  on  a  consumption  of  only  466  tons  of  coal,  though  before 
the  alteration  in  her  engines  she  had  consumed  1,088  tons  in  making  the 
same  voyage. 

Tbe  fleet  is  now  a  fine  one,  consisting  of  twenty-four  steamships  of  from 
3,472  tons  registered  tonnage  down  to  1,000,  and  nearly  all  iron  screw-vessels? 

1847.— THE  COLLINS'  LINE.— In   1847  Mr.  Edward  K.  Collins,*  with 

*  Edward  K.  Collins,  founder  of  the  first  American  line  of  steamships  between  New  York 
and  Liverpool,  was  buried  June  26,  1878,  from  his  former  residence,  at  Madison  avenue. 
The  remains  were  taken  to  Woodlawn  Cemetery.  Representatives  from  all  the  large  steam- 
ship lines  in  the  vicinity  attended.  He  was  born  at  Truro,  Mass.,  in  1802.  He  entered 
upon  mercantile  pursuits  in  early  life,  and  on  settling  in  New  York  City  soon  acquired  a 
reputation  for  great  activity  and  enterprise  in  commercial  affairs.  He  organized  a  line  of 
sailing  packets  between  that  city  and  New  Orleans  and  Vera  Cruz,  Mexico,  which  were  so 


318  HISTOR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

others,  emulous  of  the  success  which  had  attended  the  Cunard  .Line,  con- 
tracted with  the  government  of  the  United  States  to  convey  the  United 
States  mails  between  New  York  and  Liverpool,  agreeing  to  make  twenty 
voyages  in  each  year,  and  to  employ  five  first-class  vessels  in  doing  so.  For 
the  fulfillment  of  this  agreement  the  Collins'  Company  was  to  receive  $19,- 
250  per  voyage?  The  company  was  unable  to  get  the  vessels  ready  within 
.  the  stipulated  time,  and  the  time  for  their  completion  was  extended.  It  was 
also  favored  with  an  advance  of  $25,000  a  month  on  each  vessel  from  the 
date  of  its  launch  until  the  sum  should  amount  to  $885,000.  It  was  also 
agreed  on  the  part  of  the  government  that  the  Company  should  not  be  com- 
pelled to  complete  its  fifth  vessel.  Then,  in  consideration  of  the  Company's 
making  twenty-six  instead  of  twenty  annual  voyages,  the  subsidy  *was  in- 
creased from  $19,250  to  $33,000  per  voyage,  or  to '$878,000  yearly.  For 
these  pecuniary  considerations  the  company  was  urged  by  the  United  States 
Government,  and  endeavored,  as  well  as  agreed,  to  make  the  fastest  passages 
between  England  and  America.  This  endeavor  was  made  with  great  spirit, 
and  statements  submitted  to  Congress  show  that  it  cost  nearly  half  a  million 
of  dollars  annually  to  effect  the  saving  of  a  single  day  or  a  day  and  a  half 
on  the  passage  to  Liverpool.  Notwithstanding  its  large  subsidy,  the  Col- 
lins' enterprise,  after  sustaining  the  loss  of  two  out  of  four  of  the  Company's 
ships,  completely  failed. 

The  history  of  the  Collins'  fleet,  the  ships  of  which  were  in  their  day  the 
finest  afloat,  both  as  to  accommodations  and  speed,  is  soon  told.  The 
"Arctic"  was  run  into  by  the  French  steamship  "Vesta"  in  mid-ocean,  Sep- 
tember 27,  1854,  and  sunk;  the  "Pacific,"  with  240  souls  on  board,  includ- 
ing the  wife  of  Mr.  Collins,  was  never  heard  from  after  sailing  from  Liver- 
pool. The  "Atlantic"  was  the  pioneer  steamship  of  the  line.  She  sailed 
from  New  York  April  27,  1849,  and  arrived  in  the  Mersey  May  10,  thtfs 
making  the  passage  in  about  thirteen  days,  two  of  which  were  lost  in  repair- 
ing the  machinery ;  the  speed  was  reduced  in  order  to  prevent  the  floats 
from  being  torn  from  the  paddle-wheels.  The  average  time  of  the  forty- 
two  westward  trips  in  the  early  days  of  the  line  was  11  days,  10  hours  and 
26  minutes,  against  the  average  of  the  then  so-called  fastest  line  of  steamers, 
12  days,  19  hours  and  26  minutes.  The  "Atlantic"  was  broken  up  in  New 

successful  as  to  induce  him  to  turn  his  attention  to  the  passenger  traffic  between  New  York 
and  Liverpool.  He  accordingly  established  the  Dramatic  Line  of  sailing  packets,  compris- 
ing the  fine  ships  "  Shakspeare,"  "  Garrick,"  "  Siddons,"  and  "  Roscius."  He  had  them 
constructed  with  full  poops,  with  a  view  of  affording  increased  accommodations  for  cabin 
passengers,  which  was  considered  quite  an  improvement  over  the  "  old  liners"  then  in  use, 
and  as  a  consequence  he  soon  distanced  his  competitors  in  gaining  the  patronage  and  favor 
of  the  public.  ThegDramatic  Line  became  famous  and  was  a  successful  pecuniary  enterprise. 
The  great  success  attending  his  efforts  in  this  direction  finally  led  him  to  entertain  the  idea 
of  establishing  a  steam  line  of  packets.  In  nautical  circles  the  project  at  once  excited  con- 
siderable interest,  and  also  secured  the  sympathies  of  the  people.  A  subsidy  from  Congress 
was  granted  for  carrying  the  mails. 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  319 

York  in  1879.     On  her  arrival  at  Liverpool,  in  1850,  she  was  found  to  be 
too  large  for  any  of  the  docks,  so  of  necessity  lay  out  in  the  river. 

The  "  Adriatic,"  the  queen  of  the  fleet,  the  only  screw  ship  of  the  line,  was 
purchased  by  an  English  company,  and  is  now  used  as  a  coal  hulk.  To 
such  base  uses  do  we  come  at  last. 

This  leaves  only  the  "  Baltic,"  a  vessel  which  cost  $700,000,  to  be  accounted 
for.  It  is  claimed  that  she  made  the  quickest  trip  under  steam  alone  that 
had  ever  been  made  in  crossing  the  Atlantic.  The  White  Star  steamships, 
which  later  have  made  such  rapid  passages,  spread  nearly  an  acre  of  canvas, 
while  the  "  Baltic"  had  comparatively  no  canvas. 

After  the  failure  of  the  Collins'  Line,  the  "  Baltic"  was  in  Government 
service  during  the  civil  war,  and  afterwards,  altered  into  a  sailing-ship,  made 
several  trips  from  San  Francisco  to  Europe  with  wheat,  her  freight  some- 
times amounting  to  more  than  $70,000.  She  was  sold  to  a  German  company, 
who  hoped  to  sell  her  to  Russia  during  the  Turkish  war,  but  the  war  ceasing, 
she  was  sold  to  private  owners,  and  on  her  passage  from  Bremen  to  Boston 
met  with  a  terrific  gale,  which  strained  her  so  badly  that  it  was  determined 
to  break  her  up  for  the  material  in  her.  Soon,  said  a  Boston  paper  of  Octo- 
ber, 1880,  all  that  will  be  left  of  the  "Baltic"  will  be  a  collection  of  old 
junk  and  a  smoking  hulk  at  Apple  Island,  the  graveyard  of  many  a  fine 
vessel.  So  ended  the  last  of  the  Collins'  Line,  all  of  which  were  paddle- 
wheel  steamships,  excepting  the  "  Adriatic,"  which  never  made  a  trip  on  the 
line. 

The  "Adriatic"  was,  launched  April  8,  1856.  Her  length  was  345  feet ; 
beam,  50  feet;  depth  of  hold,  33*  feet;  registered  tonnage,  4,144.75.  The 
"  Adriatic"  was  purchased  by  the  Galway  Company  in  1861.  The  transfer 
of  this  ship  to  the  English  flag  does  not  seem  to  have  reduced  her  speed  or 
detracted  from  her  sea-going  qualities,  for  she  made  the  run  from  Galway 
to  St.  Johns  in  six  days,  the  specified  time,  and  having  completed  this  pas- 
sage to  New  York  in  one  day  fifteen  hours,  and  three-quarters  less  than  the 
contract  time,  returned  from  St.  Johns  to  Galway  in  five  days,  nineteen  hours 
and  three-quarters,  perhaps  the  quickest  passage  on  record  from  port  to  port 
across  the  Atlantic.* 

The  principal  dimensions  of  the  "  Atlantic"  and  of  the  "  Pacific,"  a  sister 
vessel,  were:  Length  between  the  perpendiculars,  276  feet;  beam,  45  feet; 
across  the  paddles,  75  feet ;  depth  of  hold,  31  feet  7  inches ;  diameter  of 
wheel,  36  feet ;  tons  burden,  2,860,  and  she  was  said  to  be  the  largest  steam- 
ship that  had  been  built. 

The  "Arctic,"  the  fastest  steamer  of  the  line,  was  modeled  by  George 
Steers,  who  designed  the  yacht  "America;"  her  tonnage  was  2,856  tons;- 
length  of  deck,  282  feet;  breadth,  45  feet;  and  depth  below  main  deck,  24 

*  Appendix  No.  6  to  the  Report  of  the  Committee  of  the- House  of  Commons.  For  a  his- 
tory of  the  Galway  Line,  which  was  unsuccessful,  see  Lindsay's  Merchant  Shipping,  vol.  3. 


320  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

feet.  Her  cylinders  were  95  inches  diameter,  stroke  10  feet.  On  her  eighth 
passage  from  New  York  to  Liverpool  she  made  the  then  extraordinary  time 
of  5  days,  17  hours  and  12  minutes.  Her  paddle-wheels  were  35  feet  6 
inches  diameter,  and  contained  each  thirty-six  floats.  She  burned  about  87 
tons  of  coal  a  day.* 

From  the  start  the  Collins'  Company  suffered  from  want  of  capital.  Al- 
though the  four  vessels  of  this  company  cost  $2,944,142  its  paid-in  capital 
only  amounted  to  $1,200,000.  It  began,  therefore,  with  a  debt  of  $1,744,122, 
which  was  a  continual  drain  for  interest  and  commissions.  With  careful 
management  this  difficulty  might  have  been  overcome,  for  its  receipts  from 
the  government  for  the  transportation  of  mails  during  the  first  five  years 
amounted  to  more  than  the  cost  of  the  vessels.  Its  receipts  from  other  sources 
were  large,  and  when  the  "Arctic"  and  "Pacific"  were  lost  they  were  in- 
sured for  their  value  at  the  time.  Mr.  Collins  submitted  to  Congress  the 
following  statement,  dated  February  17,  1855 : 

Total  receipts  for  passengers  and  freight,     .         .         .   '    (  .         .     $4,460,867 
"         "  mail  service,   .......       3,413,966 


17,874,833 
Total  disbursement,   .         .     -    . 7,207,291 


Leaving  a  nominal  surplus  of,     .......        $667,542 

which  was  more  than  disposed  of,  as  follows  : 

Loss  of  the  "Arctic,"          .         .         .'•'...         .         .         .         .        $255,000 

Depreciation  of  investment,        .......          258,000 

7  per  cent,  interest  on  capital,    .......          408,000 

$921,000 


*  Sir  Edmund  Cunard  testified,  in  1860,  that  the  Collins'  Line  got  at  first  for  twenty-four 
voyages  $401,040  from  the  United  States  Government,  and  that  afterwards  it  received  $893,- 
750  for  twenty-six  voyages,  or  double  his  own  subsidy,  considering  that  he  made  two  voyages 
to  one.  The  capital  of  the  .Collins'  Line,  $3,500,000,  he  said,  would  have  been  entirely  sunk 
but  for  the  loss  of  two  ships,  by  which  they  got  $1,250,000  from  the  English  underwriters. 

He  said  if  his  contract  was  withdrawn  he  had  better  sink]  his  ships  than  try  to  keep  them, 
for  they  were  not  adapted  for  mercantile  uses.  The  "  Scotia"  cost  him  $900,000.  Cunard's 
original  subsidy,  for  twenty-four  voyages  a  year,  was  $300,000  per  annum  for  seven  years. 
In  1852  he  agreed  to  make  a  weekly  service  for  $865,000  a  year,  to  last  ten  years;  five  years 
afterward  he  demanded  a  larger  extension  of  the  contract,  so  he  could  borrow  money  to  build 
faster  steamers  than  Collins.  Collins'  original  four  steamers  cost  $2,994,000,  and  his  last  ex- 
periment, the  "Adriatic,"  ruined  him.  The  average  cost  ,of  each  of  his  early  voyages  was 
$65,215,  and  the  corresponding  receipts  $48,287,  yet  he  carried  more  passengers  from  the  be- 
ginning to  the  end  than  the  Cunarders. 

Mr.  Collins'  first  proposition  to  the  government  of  the  United  States  was  in  1845,  but  no 
contract  was  concluded  with  him  until  1847.  The  "  Atlantic  "  was  the  first  to  take  her  depar- 
ture for  Europe  in  April,  1850,  the  "  Pacific"  followed  in  a  lew  weeks,  then  the  "Arctic," 
and  the  "  Baltic"  soon  after  These  vessels  were  alike  in  model  and  in  dimensions. 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  321 

The  all-controlling  desire  which  seemed  to  outweigh  every  consideration 
of  prudence  was  principally  in  relation  to  speed.  Mr.  Olds,  of  Ohio,  in  the 
United  States  House  of  Representatives,  expressed  the  feeling  of  multitudes 
in  the  country  when  he  said,  "  We  have  the  fastest  horses,  the  prettiest 
women,  and  the  best  shooting-guns  in  the  world,  and  we  must  also  have  the 
fastest  steamers.  The  Collins'  Line  must  beat  the  British  steamers.  Our 
people  expected  this  of  Mr.  Collins,  and  he  has  not  disappointed  them." 

The  Collins'  Line  are  as  substantially  and  economically  built  vessels  as 
any  of  their  time  After  running  six  years  cost  for  repairs  more  than  the 
previous  cost  of  the  ships,  or  eighteen  per  cent,  per  annum.* 

PACIFIC  MAIL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANY,  1848. — This  company  was  com- 
pelled at  the  outset  to  form  an  establishment  of  the  most  effective  character 
four  or  five  thousand  miles  away  from  home,  and  it  was  at  that  time  thirteen 
thousand  miles  distant.  The  country  was  wholly  new,  so  much  so  that  it 
was,  in  most  parts  of  the  field  which  it  had  to  occupy,  extremely  difficult  to 
procure  ordinary  food  for  their  operations.  Their  ships  had  to  make  a 
voyage  more  than  half  of  that  around  the  world  before  they  arrived  at  their 
points  of  service,  and  they  found  themselves  without  a  home  when  there. 
The  steamer  "  California,"  1,086  tons,  which  left  New  York  on  the  6th  of 
October,  1848,  was  the  first  of  the  line  to'  bear  the  American  flag  to  the 
Pacific  Ocean,  and  the  first  to  salute  with  a  new  life  the  solitudes  of  that 
rich  and  untrodden  territory.  She  was  soon  followed  by  the  "  Panama,"  1,088 
tons,  and  "  Oregon,"  1,099  tons,  and  in  due  course  by  the  "  Tennessee,"  the 
"Golden  Gate,"  2,068  tons,  the  "Columbia,"  778  tons,  the  "John  L. 
Stephens,"  2,189  tons,  the  "  Sonora,"  1,614  tons,  the  "  Republic,"  850  tons, 
the  "Northerner,"  1,010  tons,  the  "Fremont,"  576  tons,  the  "Tobago,"  189 
tons,  the  "St.  Louis,"  1,621  tons,  and  the  "  Golden  Age,"  2,280  tons. 

These  steamers  found  nothing  ready  to  receive  them  in  the  Pacific.  The 
company  was  compelled  to  construct  large  work-shops  and  foundries  for  their 
repair,  and  now  have  at  Benicia  a  large  and  excellent  establishment,  where 
they  can  easily  construct  a  marine  engine.  They  had  also  to  build  their 
own  dry-dock.  They  had  also  to  make  shore  establishments  at  Panama,  San 
Francisco,  and  Astoria,  which,  with  coal  depots,  etc.,  were  extremely  costly, 
owing  to  materials  having  to  be  transported  so  far  and  labor  at  the  time 
being  so  high  owing  to  the  rush  to  the  gold-diggings.  For  a  portion  of  the 
time  the  company  had  to  pay  thirty  dollars  a  ton  for  coal,  and  in  one  in- 
stance fifty  dollars.  The  success  of  building  up  this  large  establishment  in 
the  Pacific  was  simply  an  accident,  and  that  accident  the  discovery  of  gold. 

It  is  impossible  in  these  notes  to  give  even  a  brief  sketch  of  all  the  for- 
tunes and  misfortunes  of  this  great  steamship  company,  but  it  is  sufficient  to 
say  it  still  lives.  All  the  early  steamers  were  wooden  paddle-wheelers,  but, 
as  in  the  case  of  all  the  ocean  steamship  companies,  the  fleet  is  now  com- 

*  Ranie's  Ocean  Post. 

21 


322  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

posed  of  iron  screw  ships.  In  1876  it  had  a  fleet  of  thirty-three  steamers  of 
an  aggregate  capacity  of  74,000  tons  of  cargo,  exclusive  of  the  large  space 
assigned  to  passengers  ;  but  that  fleet  has  since  been  very  much  reduced.  It 
had  then  thirty-five  chief  agencies,  and  its  steamers  called  at  forty-seven 
ports  in  the  Pacific  and  those  in  the  Atlantic. 

The  China  and  Japan  Line  was  not  started  until  the  1st  of  January,  1867, 
when  the  first  of  its  fleet  passed  out  of  the  Golden  Gate  of"  California  bound 
across  the  Pacific  to  those  ancient  nations.  The  "  Great  Republic,"  "  China," 
""  Japan,"  and  "America,"  all  of  them  wooden  vessels  with  paddle-wheels 
and  walking-beam  engines,  soon  followed.  These  vessels,  of  about  4,000  tons 
each,  made  the  voyage  from  San  Francisco  to  Yokohama  in  twenty-two  days, 
thence  to  Hong  Kong  in  seven  days,  the  whole  distance,  including  the 
stoppage  at  Yokohama,  occupying  thirty  days. 

In  1874  the  company  added  to  the  line  the  "  City  of  Tokio"  and  "  City  of 
Peking,"  two  magnificent  iron  screw  steamships  of  5,560  tons  burden,  423 
feet  in  length,  48  feet  wide,  and  38  feet  deep,  being  the  largest  steamships 
that  had  ever  carried  the  American  flag.  They  have  since  started  a  line  of 
steamers  to  Australia  and  the  Hawaian  Islands. 

The  voyage  of  the  Pacific  Mail  Steamship  Company's  steamer  "  City  of  New 
York,"  from  New  York  to  San  Francisco  in  1876,  was  remarkable.  The 
total  distance,  13,552  miles,  was  performed  in  59  days,  the  actual  steaming 
time  being  54  days,  14  hours.  The  entire  passage  was  made  on  the  coal 
shipped  at  New  York,  none  having  been  taken  on  board  en  route.  The  runs._. 
were  as  follows : 

New  York  to  Cape  Virgin,  west  entrance  of  the  Straits  of  Magellan  .         .  7,074  miles. 

Through  the  Straits, 340      " 

Cape  Pillar,  east  entrance  of  Straits  of  Magellan,  to  San  Francisco,  .         .  6,138      " 
The  total  revolutions  of  the  engines  during  the  voyage  was,      .         .         .     3,338,105 

"         distance,  by  observation,  run  was,    .         .  •       .         .         .         .  13,552  miles. 

"         distance  by  screw, 14,235  m    " 

"         amount  of  coal  consumed  (dock  to  dock),          ....  1,485  tons. 

Total  amount  of  coal  consumed  at  anchor  (port  consumption),  .         .  45      " 

"  "  "  "       for  steaming,  ......  1,440      '* 

Average  consumption  of  coal  per  day,      .......  26.4          " 

"  "  mile, 239    Ibs. 

"       revolutions  per  day,  running  time,       ......  61,250 

*'  "  minute,     .         .         .         .         .         .         .  42-53 

*'      speed  per  day,  running  time,      .  .         .         .         .         .  248^/3  miles. 

The  following  are  the  dimensions  of  the  "  City  of  New  York :"  Length, 
353  feet;  beam,  40}  feet;  tonnage,  3,019.  Engines,  1,000  horse-power. 

The  following  table  gives  the  name,  class,  tonnage,  and  passenger  capacity 
of  the  present  fleet  of  the  company,  but  does  not  give  the  foreign  connecting 
lines  in  the  Atlantic  and  South  Pacific : 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VI G  A  TION.  323 

FLEET  OF  THE  PACIFIC  MAIL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANY,  OCTOBER,  1882. 


VESSELS. 

Tonnage. 

Length. 

Beam. 

Passengers. 

Cabin. 

Steerage. 

ATLANTIC  LINE. 
Acapulco  

2,572 
3,532 
2,686 
2,075 

2,906 

2,572 
2,081 
2,076 

1,490 
2,017 

i,457 
1,816 
2,099 

^,080 
5,o8o 
3,548 

3>OI9 
3,oi7 

2,737 
2,730 

300. 

345- 
280. 
300. 

312. 
280. 
300. 
300. 

248. 
263. 
227. 
261  4 

257-1 

423- 
425- 
344- 

339- 
353- 
376.9 

377- 

'  43- 
38.6 
40. 
36. 

40. 
40. 

36- 

36. 

36.1 
37- 

38*8 
35- 

48. 
48. 
38. 

40.2 
40. 
37-4 
37-1 

190 

300 

City  of  Para 

Colon 

190 

300 

San  Bias 

PANAMA  AND  SAN  FRANCISCO  THROUGH 
LINES. 
Colima  

190 
190 

300 
300 

Gran  ada  

San  Jose 

Sin  Juan. 

CENTRAL  AMERICA  AND  MEXICAN  LINE. 
City  of  Panama 

55 

IOO 

1  20 
60 
80 

-    150 
150 

150 
200 
600 
250 

200 

1,500 
1,500 

Clyde     

Costa  R.ica                                         ...        * 

Honduras  . 

South  Carolina,  

CHINA  LINE. 
City  of  Peking 

City  of  Tokio 

City  of  Rio  de  Janeiro                     .    . 

AUSTRALIAN  LINE. 
City  of  New  York 

150 

150 

600 
500 

City  of  Sydney 

Calandia  (chartered) 

These  vessels  are  all  iron  screw  steamships. 

The  "  City  of  Para"  and  "  City  of  Rio  de  Janeiro,"  formerly  of  the  Bra- 
zilian Line,  now  belonging  to  the  P.  M.  S.  S.  Co.,  are  sister  ships.  Each 
measures  368  feet  6  inches  over  all;  beam,  38  feet  8  inches;  hold,  28  feet  7 
inches,  with  compound  engines  42 £  and  74 £  inches  in  diameter;  stroke,  5 
feet.  Each  ship  has  six  boilers,  10  feet  6  inches  long  and  13  feet  in  diam- 
eter. The  register  is  2,548  tons ;  gross  tonnage,  3,500. 

Steamships  of  the  line  sail  from  New  York  on  the  10th,  20th,  and  30th 
of  each  month,  and  from  San  Francisco  on  the  4th  and  19th  of  each  month 
via  the  Isthmus  of  Panama. 

The  voyage  between  New  York  and  San  Franciso  occupies  twenty-five 
days  :  nine  days  between  New  York  and  Aspinwall ;  one  day  in  crossing  the 
Isthmus,  including  the  transfer  by  steam-tug  to  or  from  steamers  in  the  Bay 
of  Panar^a ;  and  fifteen  days  on  the  Pacific  Ocean.  Steamers  call  at  no 
California  port  except  San  Francisco,  and  at  no  port  between  New  York 
and  Aspinwall.  Connections  are  made  at  Aspinwall  with  Royal  Mail,  West 


324  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

India  and  Pacific,  Transatlantique,  and  Hamburg-American  steamers  for 
ports  on  the  Atlantic  coast  of  Central,  South,  and  North  America,  and  the 
West  India  Islands. 

At  Panama,  with  Pacific  Steam  Navigation  Company,  for  all  Pacific  ports- 
of  South  America  and  Australia. 

At  Yokohama,  with  Mitsu  Bishi  Mail  Line,  for  Japanese  ports  and 
Shanghai. 

At  Hong-Kong,  with  Peninsular  and  Oriental,  Messageries  Maritimes, 
Jardine,  Matheson  &  Co.,  and  Douglas,  Lapraik  &  Co.'s  steamship  lines  for 
all  China,  India,  and  Eastern  ports,  and  via  Suez  Canal  for  all  European 
ports.  Also  with  steamers  for  Manilla  and  Batavia. 

At  Auckland,  with  Union  Steamship  Company,  for  all  New  Zealand  ports. 

At  Sydney,  with  Australian  Steam  Navigation  Company,  for  Australian 
ports;  with  Union  Steamship  Company,  for  all  New  Zealand  ports;  with 
Eastern  and  Australian  Steamship  Company,  for  Keppel  Bay,  Bowen,. 
Townsville,  Somerset,  and  via  Torres  Straits  for  Batavia,  Singapore,  and 
Calcutta;  with  Peninsular  and  Oriental  steamers,  for  Melbourne,  Adelaide, 
King  George's  Sound,  Ceylon,  etc.,  also  with  steamers  for  New  Caledonia 
and  Hobart  Town  ;  with  Tasmanian  Steam  Navigation  Company,  for  Hobart 
Town  and  Launceton. 

THE  WARREN  LINE  OF  STEAMSHIPS,  BOSTON  AND  LIVERPOOL,  1850. — 
The  nucleus  of  this  line  was  the  once  celebrated  sailing-packets  of  Enoch 
Train  &  Co.,  viz. :  the  "  Plymouth  Hock,"  "  Washington  Irving,"  "  Daniel 
Webster,"  "Anglo-American,"  "Anglo-Saxon,"  etc.,  ships  of  from  one  thou- 
sand to  fifteen  hundred  tons;  supplemented  as  the  requirements  of  speed 
were  called  for  by  the  clippers  "  Star  of  Empire,"  "  Chatsworth,"  "  Stafford- 
shire," "  Cathedral,"  and  the  "  Chariot  of  Fame,"  of  from  fifteen  hundred 
to  two  thousand  tons. 

This  line  is  a  Boston  enterprise  for  carrying  freight  and  passengers  be- 
tween Boston  and  Liverpool.  At  times  each  ship  has  brought  from  four 
hundred  to  eight  hundred  emigrant  passengers,  and  the  pressure  has  been 
so  great  other  ships  have  been  chartered. 

Between  1850  and  1860  steam  worked  its  way  into  the  Atlantic  carrying 
trade,  and  the  Warren  Company  was  among  the  first  to  substitute  steam  for 
sailing  ships.  Its  first  vessels  were  the  "Propontis,"  "Bosphorus,"  "Dela- 
ware," "  Meletia,"  "  Peruvian,"  etc.,  bringing  large  cargoes,  and  an  average 
of  seven  hundred  emigrant  passengers.  Keturn  cargoes  were  sought  for  in 
other  ports. 

In  1872  the  trade  had  increased  enough  to  warrant  the  placing  of  such 
large  steamships  on  the  line  as  the  "Minnesota,"  "  Victoria,"  and  "  Pales- 
tine," carrying  from  2,200  to  2,800  tons  of  merchandise.  The  "Iowa,"  has 
the  capacity  of  carrying  3,300  tons  of  merchandise,  exclusive  of  coal,  and 
makes  an  average  passage  of  ten  and  one-half  days  between  Boston  and 
Liverpool.  Other  ships  of  this  line  are  the  "Canopus,"  "Milanese," 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  325 

41  Pharos,"  "Glamorgan,"  and  "Pembroke,"  to  which  have  been  recently 
added  the  "  Missouri,"  of  4,300  tons,  and  "  Kansas,"  of  4,500  tons  dead- 
weight capacity. 

In  1880  this  line  dispatched  from  Boston  in  eighty-four  steamers  20,031 
tons  of  merchandise,  28,176  oxen,  11,323  swine,  and  18,053  sheep. 

The  "  Missouri,"  Captain  A.  H.  Burwell,  arrived  at  Boston  Friday,  June 
10,  1880,  having  sailed  from  Liverpool  on  the  29th  of  May,  making  her  first 
ocean  voyage  in  about  twelve  days.*  She  was  built  on  the  Clyde,  and  is 
pronounced  one  of  the  finest  of  the  Atlantic  steamers.  Her  dimensions  are: 
Length,  425  feet ;  breadth,  43  feet  6  inches ;  depth,  35  feet  6  inches,  and 
the  tonnage  under  deck  5,000.  Her  engines  are  300  horse-power,  constructed 
on  the  compound  principle,  which  are  supplied  with  steam  from  four  steel 
boilers  at  a  working  pressure  of  eighty  pounds  to  the  square  inch.  The 
steamer  is  fitted  with  four  decks;  three  are  iron,  throughout  the  entire 
length,  and  sheathed  with  wood  planking.  She  is  divided  into  eight  water- 
tight compartments,  and  has  water-ballast  capacity  to  the  extent  of  700  tons, 
and  her  dead-weight  cargo  and  coal  capacity  will  be  5,000  tons.  The  steam 
eteering-gear  can  be  worked  from  aft,  or  in  the  pilot-house  or  on  the  bridge 
amidships. 

Tnfe  INMAN  LINE,  1650. — The  history  of  the  Inman  Line  owes  its  incep- 
tion to  William  Inman  (who  died  in  1881)  and  his  co-partners,  is  the  his- 
tory of  all  the  great  institutions  in  England — a  good  basis,  sure  founda- 
tions, and  the  gradual  growth  of  a  legitimate  plan.  It  was  the  first  regular 
line  of  steamers  across  the  Atlantic,  consisting  entirely  of  iron  ships,  pro- 
pelled by  the  screw."  December  10,  1850,  the  "  City  of  Glasgo\v*'  of  1,600 
tons  and  350  horse-power,  the  first  steamship  of  what  was  then  called  the 
Liverpool,  New  York,  and  Philadelphia  Steamship  Company,  sailed  from 
Liverpool  for  Philadelphia,  having  previously  made  several  successive  and 
successful  voyages  to  New  York,f  under  other  owners.  In  June,  1851,  the 
"  City  of  Manchester"  was  added  to  the  line.  It  was  not  until  February, 
1875,  that  the  line  was  converted,  in  honor  of  its  founder,  into  the  "Inman 
Steamship  Company,"  limited. 

*  Captain  Burwell  died  on  his  passage  to  Boston  in  command  of  one  of  the  company's 
steamers,  September,  1882. 

f  The  "  City  of  Glasgow"  left  Liverpool  last  for  Philadelphia,  March  I,  1854,  and  is  sup- 
posed to  have  foundered  at  sea,  as  she  was  never  heard  from.  The  vessel  and  cargo  were 
valued  at  #850,000. 

Mr.  Inman,  having  watched  the  performances  of  the  "  City  of  Glasgow"  on  her  first  trip  to 
America,  was  convinced  of  the  advantages  she  possessed  over  not  merely  sailing-ships,  but 
over  paddle-steamers,  and  therefore  recommended  her  purchase  to  his  partners.  Acting  on 
his  advice,  they  bought  and  dispatched  her  with  four  hundred  steerage  passengers  in  the 
winter  of  1850  across  the  Atlantic,  and  thus  inaugurated  what  is  now  known  as  the  "  Inman 
Line."  The  "  City  of  Glasgow"  did  her  work  well,  and  falsified  the  prophecies  of  disaster. 
The  "  City  of  Manchester"  left  a  profit  of  forty  per  cent,  the  first  year  of  her  movement. 


326  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  %A  VIGATION. 

New  York  having  just  become  the  port  of  the  Cunard  fleet,  the  pew  line 
did  not  wish  to  enter  into  direct  competition  with  the  older  company,  but  in 
1857  the  "  Inman"  went  also  to  New  York,  and  having  decided  to  name 
their  ships  for  the  leading  cities  of  the  world,  had  already  added  to  its  line 
the  "City  of  Philadelphia,"*  "City  of  Baltimore,"  "City  of  Washington," 
and  "Kangaroo,"  and  in  1860  they  added  the  "  City  of  New  York,"  when 
the  company's  service  became  a  weekly  one. 

In  1863  the  "City  of  London,"  "City  of  Cork,"  "City  of  Limerick,"  and 
"City  of  Dublin"  were  added  to  the  line,  and  the  number  of  the  trips  in- 
creased to  three  times  a  fortnight,  and  afterwards  to  twice  a  week.  The 
fleet  in  1880  consisted  of  eleven  vessels,  varying  "in  gross  tonnage  from 
2,536  to  5,490  tons,  and  in  nominal  horse-power  from  350  to  1,000.  Five 
ships  have  been  built  within  the  last  seven  years,  four  being  among  the 
largest  and  finest  merchant  steamships  afloat,  viz. :  the  "  City  of  Chester," 
"  City  of  Richmond,"  "  City  of  Berlin,"  and  the  "  City  of  Borne."  The 
"City  of  Berlin"  was  launched  October  27,  1874. 

She  has  a  gross  tonnage  of  5,491,  is  4,634  tons,  builder's  measurement,  and 
has  a  net  register  tonnage  of  3,139  tons.  Her  engines  are  1,000  nominal 
horse-power,  but  capable  of  being  worked  up  to  five  times  that  amount  of 
power.  She  is  513  feet  in  length  over  all,  has  four  decks,  and  a  moulded 
width  of  45  feet.  These  dimensions  give  her  accommodations  for  200  saloon, 
or  first-class,  and  1,500  intermediate,  or  steerage,  passengers,  and  a  crew  of 
150  men.  The  contract  with  her  builders  was  that  she  should  indicate 
5,000  horse-power  and  steam  about  16  knots.  On  her  trial  trip,  at  the 
measured  ferile,  her  engines  indicated  5,200  horse-powe'r.  She  is  propelled 
by  a  pair  of  inverted,  direct-acting,  compound  high-  and  low-pressure 
engines.  The  low-pressure  cylinder  of  these  engines  is  120  inches,  and  the 
high-pressure  cylinder  72  inches  in  diameter,  with  a  piston-stroke  of  5  feet 
6  inches.  She  has  12  boilers,  heated  by  36  furnaces,  and  they  are  so- 
arranged  that  any  number  of  them  can  be  cut  off. 

Her  saloon  is,  amidships,  and  is  44  feet  in  length  by  43  in  width,  longi- 
tudinally divided  by  two  rows  of  walnut  columns  surmounted  by  gilded 
Corinthian  capitals.  It  is  lighted  in  the  daytime  by  an  elegant  cupola 
skylight. 

The  Allowing  description  of  this  vessel  by  a  passenger  may  well  be  com- 
pared with  that  of  "  The  Thalmamegus,"  described  by  Atheneus,  and  built  by 
Philopater,  king  of  Egypt,  which  was  420  feet  long,  57  feet  broad,  and  72 
feet  high  from  the  keel.  The  element  of  steam  was  of  course  wanting. 

"There  is  certainly  no  finer  steamer  afloat,  none  more  comfortable.  Seated 
at  dinner  in  her  saloon,  lounging  in  her  smoking-room,  or  chatting  with  the 


*  The  "  City  of  Philadelphia,"  on-her  passage  from  Liverpool  to  Philadelphia,  struck  on 
Cape  Race,  September  17, 1854,  and  was  lost;  the  vessel  and  cargo  being  valued  at  $600,000, 
— passengers  and  crew  saved.  In  1870  the  "  City  of  Boston"  sailed  for  Europe  and  has 
never  since  been  heard  of. 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  327 

ladies  in  their  divan,  you  may  easily  forget  you  are  at  sea.  The  '  City  of 
Berlin'  has  two  decks,  both  of  them  superior  to  anything  I  have  ever  seen. 
You  can  have  a  promenade  of  nearly  five  hundred  feet  straight  ahead,  and 
the  clean  sweep  of  the  lower  deck  from  one  end  to  the  other  is  something 
superb.  The  lower  deck  looks  like  a  little  town,  and  it  is  a  great  deal 
pleasanter  than  most  little  towns.  There  is  a  row  of  handsome-looking 
houses,  with  a  street  open  to  the  sea  on  either  side.  These  houses,  bright 
and  neat,  with  their  descriptions  engraved  on  each  in  English,  French,  and 
German,  are  the  officers'  rooms,  ladies'  room,  smoking-room,  etc.,  all  open- 
ing upon  the  deck  on  both  sides,  so  that  their  ventilation  and  comfort  are 
perfect.  The  smoking-room  has  electric  bells  and  other  conveniences.  The 
ladies'  public  room  is  spacious,  and  filled  with  sofas  and  seats,  so  that  the 
occupants  can  sit  and  chat  with  their  male  friends  outside,  or  draw  a  curtain- 
and  shut  themselves  from  all  observation,  or  retire  to  a  private  room  below 
(which  opens  upon  lavatories  and  bath-rooms),  and  is  one  of  the  snuggest 
apartments  in  the  ship,  furnished  in  excellent  taste,  and  provided  with  luxu- 
ries and  comforts  undreamed  of  in  private  houses.  In  the  companion-way 
hangs  a  list  of  the  crew,  and  the  boats  to  which  they  belong.  The  call  is 
made  every  day ;  each  man  has  his  number,  and  in  case  of  danger  he  knows 
exactly  what  to  do.  ...  The  state-rooms  are  lighted  from  the  deck  by  pro- 
tected windows.  In  the  best  rooms,  in  addition  to  the  usual  berths,  is  a 
sofa  made  so  that  it  can  be  converted  into  a  berth  large  enough  for  two. 
The  washing  conveniences  are  such  that  you  turn  the  taps  in  your  state- 
room to  wash  with  more  confidence  than  if  you  had  a  London  reservoir  to 
draw  from,  there  being  between  three  and  four  miles  of  lead  piping  in  the 
ship.  The  bath-tubs  are  all  of  white  marble.  You  arrange  the  business  of 
getting  a  bath  with  the  steward.  At  the  entrance  of  each  bath  is  a  slate,  on 
which  is  inscribed  the  passenger's  name  and  the  time  at  which  the  bath  is 
devoted  to  him.  Should  he  fail  to  appear,  the  others  go  on  in  rotation. 

"  The  saloon  is  furnished  in  Spanish  mahogany  and  purple  velvet.  There 
are  four  rows  of  tables,  and  the  menu  and  wine-card  is  something  to  be  re- 
membered. The  captain  presides  at  one,  the  purser  at  another,  the  surgeon, 
at  a  third,  and  some  favored  passengers  at  the  fourth.  The  ship  comprises 
within  its  vast  domain  a  barber-shop,  a  butcher-shop,  vegetable-store,  kitchen, 
with  lifts  and  shoots  for  the  convenience  of  cooks  and  waiters,  a  bakery,  a 
laundry,  a  surgery,  hospital  and  infirmaries,  and  ice-houses.  Indeed,  nothing 
is  wanting:  even  a  light-house  is  provided.  The  sleeping  accommodations 
are  so  arranged  that  by  writing  early,  families  or  parties  of  eight,  sixteen, 
and  twenty-four  can  be  berthed  in  private  rooms." 

The  "  City  of  Paris"  in  1869  conveyed  his  Royal  Highness  Prince  Arthur 
(now  Duke  of  Connaught)  to  America  in  six  days,  twenty-one  hours,  the 
quickest  passage  ever  made  to  any  part  of  the  New  World  from  Cork.  The 
prince  attended  divine  service  at  Queenstown  on  Sunday,  embarked  at  4 
P.M.  that  day,  and  was  landed  at  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia,  at  half-past  10  A«M. 


328  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

on  the  following  Sunday  in  time  for  morning  service  at  that  place,  which,  to 
his  credit,  he  also  attended. 

In  1874  the  average  time  made  by  the  fifty-one  sailings  of  the  Inman 
steamers  between  Queenstown  and  Sandy  Hook,  New  York,  2,775  miles,  was 
10  days,  22  hours,  1  minute.  The  same  year  the  "City  of  Chester"  and 
"  City  of  Richmond,"  the  newest  and  swiftest  of  the  line,  made  seven  pas- 
sages each,  none  of  which  exceeded  9  days,  the  longest  being  the  "  Rich- 
mond's," in  8,  days,  21  hours,  41  minutes,  and  the  shortest  the  "  Chester's," 
in  8  days,  1  hour,  38  minutes.  The  passages  covered  the  whole  of  1874,  the 
vessels  being  subject  to  all  'the  phases  of  the  variable  Atlantic.  In  Decem- 
ber, 1875,  the  "  City  of  Brussels"  made  the  passage  from  New  York  to 
Queenstown  in  7  days,  20  hours,  33  minutes,  the  "  City  of  Richmond"  in  7 
days,  18  hours,  50  minutes,*and  in  September  and  October  the  "  City  of 
Berlin"  made  passages  both  ivays  in  7  days,  18  hours,  2  minutes,  7  days,  15 
hours,  48  minutes,  and  7  days,  14  hours,  12  minutes. 

The  Inman  was  the  first  line  to  make  special  provisions  for  emigrant  pas- 
sengers, and  during  the  ten  years  ending  in  1863  had  carried  a  yearly 
average  of  30,000  passengers,  or  300,000.  The  next  ten  years  exhibited 
even  better  results,  the  number  of  passengers  carried  exceeding  787,000,  or 
an  annual  average  of  78,700. 

From  1850  to  1860  no  mails  were  carried,  Mr.  Inman  holding  that 
"  ocean  postage"  was  the  proper  way  of  paying  for  mail  services  rather  than 
by  monopolies  and  subsidies.  When  the  Collins'  Line  of  American  steamers 
was  withdrawn  the  Inman  came  into  the  gap  and  carried  the  American 
mails,  receiving  for  the  service  eight  pence  per  half-ounce  for  letters,  the 
postage  being  one  shilling  per  half-ounce.  The  Inman  Company  has  never 
had  a  subsidy,  and  has  never  been  paid  but  for  work  done.  When  they 
came  to  agreement  in  1867  with  the  Cunard  Company  to  run  a  tri-weekly 
service  to  New  York,  they  were  paid  £35,000  per  annum  for  one  sailing  a 
week,  which  was  less  than  one-half  the  remuneration  they  would  have  been 
paid  under  the  ocean  postage  system.  Thus  the  company  carried  the  royal 
mail  from  1868  until  December,  1876,  in  conjunction  with  the  Cunard.  In 
1877  the  British  Government  entered  into  arrangements  with  the  Inman, 
Cunard,  and  White  Star  Lines  (exclusively)  to  run  the  mails  tri-weekly — 
viz. :  Tuesday,  Thursday,  and  Saturday — to  New  York. 

On  the  30th  of  December,  1881,  the  "  City  of  Brussels"  took  from  Liver- 
pool to  New  York  seven  hundred  and  sixty  sacks  of  mail  matter,  the  largest 
shipment  of  that  kind  ever  sent  to  New  York. 

The  "  City  of  Rome,"  launched  on  the  14th  of  June,  1881,  at  Barrow-in- 
Furness,  by  the  Barrow  Ship-Building  Company,  was  regarded  as  the  most 
appropriate  name  which  could  be  given  to  the  latest  addition  to  the  Inman 
fleet.  Not  many  years  ago  Barrow  was  a  handful  of  houses ;  it  is  now  a 
town  with  thousands  of  inhabitants,  whose  prosperity  depends  upon  the 
enterprise  and  ability  which  have  led  to  the  construction  of  the  "  City  of 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  329 

Rome."  The  builders  and  owners  of  the  vessel  united  to  make  the  occasion 
memorable.  A  conspicuous  proof  of  the  friendly  rivalry  between  the  trans- 
atlantic companies  was  shown  by  the  presence  at  the  launch  of  representa- 
tives of  the  Cunard,  White  Star,  National,  and  Allan  Lines.  The  launch 
was  successfully  accomplished  ;  the  ceremony  of  christening  being  performed 
by  Lady  Constance  Stanley.  The  vessel  arrived  in  the  Mersey  from  her 
trial  trip  on  the  14th  of  September  following.* 

The  decoration  of  ocean  steamers  is  generally  of  a  hybrid  sort,  and  not 
always  in  the  best  of  taste.  In  the  "  City  of  Rome"  a  consistent  design  has 
been  harmoniously  executed,  and  finds  expression  in  richness  of  material 
rather  than  emphasis  of  color.  An  inspection  of  her  saloons  and  cabins 
carries  away  a  recollection  of  noiseless  carpets,  neutral  hues,  the  flashings  of 
beveled  mirrors,  gold  and  ebony  panelings,  embroidered  curtains,  silver 
lamps,  stained  glass,  yielding  cushions  of  green  velvet,  and  faint  designs  of 
tapestries.  The  decorations  belong  to  the  modern  aesthetic,  and  have  been 
chosen  for  their  utility,  appropriateness  and  beauty.  The  figure-head,  about 
three  times  life-size,  represents  a  Roman  emperor,  Hadrian,  modeled  from 
the  statue  in  the  British  Museum  in  strict  conformity  with  its  model.  The 
stern  is  enriched  by  festoons  on  either  side,  the  centre  being  marked  by  a 
carving  of  the  arms  and  crest  of  the  city  of  Rome.  As  a  compliment,  the 
municipality  of  the  ancient  metropolis  sent  a  copy  on  vellum  of  the  arms 
and  crest  of  the  city,  which  are  hung  up  in  one  of  the  principal  apartments 
of  the  vessel. 

The  dimensions  of  the  "  City  of  Rome"  are :  Length,  586  feet ;  extreme 
breadth,  52  feet  3  inches;  depth-  of  hold,  37  feet;  tonnage,  8,826  tons; 
horse-power,  indicated,  10,000.  The  weight  of  this  great  steamer  is  8,000  tons, 
and  her  displacement,  at  26  feet  mean  draught,  is  13,500  tons ;  so  that  [she 
has  a  dead-weight  carrying  power  of  5,500  tons.  The  cubical  contents  of 
her  hold  give  her  a  measurement  capacity  of  7,720  tons,  at  50  cubic  feet  to 
the  ton.  She  has  4  masts,  3  funnels,  and  has  11  compartments  formed  by 
water-tight  bulkheads,  each  extending  to  the  main  deck.  The  largest  of 
these  compartments  is  60  feet  long ;  and  supposing  one  filled  with  water,  the 
trim  of  the  vessel  would  not  be  materially  affected.  The  stern  frame  is  the 
largest  forging  ever  made  for  such  a  purpose,  the  finished  weight  being  33 
tons.  The  framing  of  the  vessel  is  of  the  ordinary  type:  the  floors  are  34 
inches  deep  at  the  centre  line.  The  frames  are  in  one  length  from  centre 

*  The  "  City  of  Rome"  sailed  from  Liverpool  for  New  York  April  6,  1882,  on  her  first 
trip.  She  made  her  last  trip  as  one  of  the  Inman  Line  to  New  York  in  September.  Has 
since  been  transferred  to  the  Anchor  Line,  and  is  advertised  by  that  line  to  sail  from  New 
York  in  October.  She  was  returned  to  her  builders  by  the  Inman  Company,  because  she 
failed  to  come  up  to  the  contract  in  many  important  respects,  notably  in  speed,  carrying 
capacity  and  draught  of  water.  The  Barrow  Ship  Building  Company  agreed  to  take  her  back 
and  pay  every  expense  the  Inman  Company  had  gone  to  with  her  rather  than  stand  a  suit 
for  ;£ 1 25,000  sterling  damages  which  the  Inman  Company  had  commenced. 


330  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

line  to  gunwale,  and  are  of  angle  iron  7  inches  by  4  inches,  and  60  feet'  in 
length.  The  reverse  frames  are  in  one  length  of  4  inches  by  4  inches  angle- 
iron.  The  beams  are  of  the  Butterley  bulb  sections,  each  rolled  in  one 
length.  The  vessel  has  cwo  complete  iron  decks  above,  while  the  lower 
deck  is  complete  for  half  the  length,  and  has  wide  plating  on  each  side  of 
the  remainder.  The  "  City  of  Rome"  has  nine  keelsons.  The  five  central 
ones  are  of  uniform  height,  and  are  carried  unbroken  through  the  engine- 
and  boiler-seatings.  The  shell  plating  is  on  the  principle  that  has  been  ap- 
plied to  all  the  large  transatlantic  steamers  built  in  Barrow.  The  inside 
plates  form  a  complete  skin,  fitted  edge  to  edge  and  butt  to  butt,  with  cover- 
ing plates  half  the  width  of  the  inside  strakes  fitted  outside.  The  hold 
stanchions  are  arranged  in  two  tiers,  one  on  each  side,  the  better  to  support 
and  strengthen  the  long  beams.  The  question  of  propelling  the  ship  at  so 
high  a  speed  as  18  knots  per  hour  demanded  careful  consideration,  and  it 
was  ultimately  decided  that  it  would  be  best  to  adhere  to  the  single-screw 
arrangement,  and  adopt  a  propeller  24  feet  in  diameter,  driven  by  three  sets 
of  inverted  "tandem"  engines,  working  on  three  cranks  disposed  at  an  angle 
of  120  degrees  with  one  another.  The  "  tandem"  engine  has  the  high -pressure 
cylinder  placed  in  a  line  behind  or  above  the  low-pressure  cylinder.  The 
crank-shaft  is  a  built  shaft,  and,  with  the  screw  shafting,  was  made  by  Sir 
Joseph  Whitworth  &  Co.  of  their  fluid  compressed  steel.  The  leading  par- 
ticulars of  the  engines  are:  there  are  three  high-pressure  cylinders  43  inches 
diameter,  and  three  low-pressure  cylinders  86  inches  diameter,  and  6-feet 
stroke.  The  diameter  of  the  crank-shaft  is  25  inches,  and  of  the  crank-pins 
26  inches.  The  length  of  the  main  bearings  is  33£  inches,  and  of  the  crank- 
pins  28  inches.  The  crank-shaft  weighs  64  tons;  had  it  been  made  of  iron, 
and  solid,  the  weight  would  have  been  73  tons.  The  propeller  shafting  is 
24  inches  diameter,  and  the  hole  through  it  14  inches  diameter.  The  thrust- 
shaft  has  thirteen  collars  39 J  inches  diameter,  giving  a  surface  of  6,000 
square  inches.  This  piece  of  shafting  weighs  17  tons.  The  propeller-shaft 
is  25  inches  diameter  and  30 }  feet  long,  and  weighs  18  tons.  The  bed-plate 
weighs  1.00  tons.  The  cooling  surface  of  the  condensers  is  17,000  square 
feet,  equal  to  nearly  17  miles  360  yards  of  tubing.  There. are  two  air- 
pumps,  39  inches  diameter,  and  3  feet  stroke,  worked  by  levers  attached  to 
the  aft  and  forward  engines.  There  is  a  pumping-engine,  which  can  be  used 
for  pumping  heavy  leaks,  or  can  also  discharge  through  the  condenser* 
There  are  also  three  auxiliary  pumping-engines,  for  feeding  the  boilers,  for 
bilge-pumping,  and  for  deck  purposes.  Steam  is  supplied  by  eight  cylin- 
drical tubular  boilers,  fired  from  both  ends.  Each  boiler  is  14  feet  mean 
diameter  and  19  feet  long,  with  a  steam-receiver  13  feet  long  and  4  feet 
diameter;  and  has  6  furnaces  3  feet  9  inches  diameter,  3  at  each  end:  48 
furnaces  io  all.  The  fire-bars  are  6  feet  long,  giving  a  grate  surface  of 
1,080  square  feet.  The  shell  p!ates  of  the  boilers  are  24  feet  8  inches  long, 
4  feet  41  inches  wide,  and  11  inches  thick,  and  weigh  nearly  2'-  tons  each; 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  331 

all  the  holes  are  drilled.  Each  furnace  has  its  separate  combustion-chamber. 
These  boilers  are  constructed  for  a  working  pressure  of  90  pounds  per  square 
inch.  The  engines  are  intended  to  work  constantly  at  8,000  indicated  horse- 
power, but  are  capable  of  developing  10,000  horse-power,  indicated. 

It  is  difficult  to  convey  in  words  an  adequate  idea  of  the  engine-room. 
Four  Serrin  lamps  render  it  as  bright  as  day.  These  lamps  have  no  glas& 
shades,  and  give  no  trouble.  It  may  help  a  little  to  realize  what  her  engines 
are  when  we  state  the  engine-room  is  50  feet  wide  and  of  the  same  length. 
The  engines  are  47  feet  8  inches  high  from  the  bottom  of  the  frames  to  the 
tops  of  the  high-pressure  cylinders;  that  is  to  say,  as  high  as  an  ordinary 
four-story  house.  Access  to  the  engine-rodm  platforms  is  by  iron  stair-cases,, 
which  will  take  3  persons  abreast.  Entering  from  the  upper  deck,  nothing 
is  to  be  seen  but  the  3  high-pressure  cylinders  and  the  lids  of  the  low- 
pressure  cylinders,  a  close  grating  concealing  all  the  rest  of  the  machinery 
below.  Descending  the  first  flight  of  stairs,  which  runs  fore  and  aft,  we  are 
on  the  second  platform  surrounding  the  low-pressure  cylinders,  which  is  the 
only  hot  place  in  the  engine-room.  Passing  between  the  cylinders  and  the 
steps  we  have  descended,  we  come  to  a  second  flight,  aft  of  the  engines,  and 
running  athwartships,  and  descend  to  the  third  platform,  from  which  access 
is  got  to  the  two  stuffing-boxes  in  the  lower  lid  of  each  low-pressure  cylinder. 
Standing  here,  and  looking  forward  between  the  frames,  we  have  a  sight 
unique.  We  see  the  three  mighty  cross-heads,  with  their  guides,  and  the  jaws 
of  the  great  connecting-rods  moving  up  and  down  in  rhythmical  sequence 
in  the  vivid  glare  of  the  electric  lamps,  which  cast  strong  shadows  on  the 
white  bulkheads.  Passing  to  the  lower  floor  again,  we  have  before  us  the 
like  of  which  can  nowhere  else  be  seen.  Here  is  ample  room  to  walk  about; 
there  is  no  steam  to  indicate  the  presence  of  an  engine,  for  the  cylinders  are 
high  over  our  heads.  We  look  up  and- see  the  black  covers  looming  far 
above ;  straight  before  us  is  the  crank-shaft.  As  we  look  at  it  we  realize 
that  it  is  the  largest  crank-shaft  in  the  world ;  it  weighs  66  tons.  Each  of 
3  cranks,  with  its  shafting,  occupies  a  length  of  14  feet,  and  weighs  22  tons. 
A  tall  man,  standing  beside  one  of  the  cranks,  is  dwarfed.  Each  crank-pit 
is  a  chasm.  The  rush  of  water  from  the  pipes  over  the  bearings  is  caught, 
and  the  crank,  which  has  given  so  much  trouble,  scatters  a  light  spray,  the 
drops  gleaming  like  jewels  in  the  electric  light.  The  noise  is  monotonous, 
but  not  wearisome.  The  great  connecting-rod  brasses  are  just  a  little  slack, 
and  the  want  of  lead  in  the  slides  makes  the  pistons  slow  in  getting  away 
from  the  cylinder-covers ;  and  we  have,  as  the  cranks  revolve,  not  a  blow 
or  a  knock,  but  a  soft,  all-pervading  thud,  as  each  centre  is  turned.  Away 
aft  runs  the  main  screw-shaft,  24  inches  in  diameter;  The  thrust-shaft  has 
12  collars  4  feet  in  diameter,  and  weighs  17  tons.  Following  it  down  the 
long  tunnel  we  lose  by  degrees  all  the  sights  and  sounds  of  the  ship.  Then 
a  noise,  as  of  a  village  water-wheel,  a  pattering  and  murmuring  of  water,, 
reaches  us.  Standing  on  an  angle-iron  brace  we  look  through  a  hole  in  the 


332  HISTOR Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGATION. 

last  bulkhead  in  the  ship,  and  see  by  the  light  of  an  engine-room  lamp  a 
small  pool  of  water  under  the  end  of  the  stern-tube,  and  in  this  pool  dips 
the  last  coupling,  4  feet  in  diameter,  like  its  fellows;  and  the  nuts  and  the 
heads  of  the  bolts  of  the  coupling  patter  in  the  water,  and  make  the  sounds 
which  have  different  associations.  It  may  be  well  to  explain,  with  reference 
to  the  engines,  that  the  bald  figures  of  horse-power  do  not  express  the  true 
significance  of  the  progress  which  has  been  made  in  that  department  of 
naval  science.  The  engines  now  in  use  are  not  only  infinitely  more  powerful, 
but  they  are  relatively  more  economical.  The  engines,  with  which  earlier 
vessels  were  equipped,  have  been  superseded  by  compound  condensing- 
engines,  which  accumulate  force  and  utilize  the  steam  more  fully,  so  that 
with  a  reduced  consumption  of  fuel  there  is  an  increased  power  of  propul- 
sion. Without  this  progress  in  engineering  skill  the  development  of  steam 
navigation  would  have  been  impossible.  Either  the  vessels  could  not  have 
carried  a  sufficiency  of  fuel,  or  the  storage  of  it  would  have  engrossed  so 
large  a  proportion  of  the  cargo  space,  that  they  could  not  have  been  worked 
profitably.* 

An  example  of  the  revolution  in  the  engine-room  may  be  cited  from  one 
of  the  Inman  steamers.  The  "  City  of  Brussels"  was  placed  on  the  line  in 
1869,  when  she  was  regarded  as  a  model  of  nautical  excellence — the  "  crack" 
ship  of  her  day.  But  within  seven  years  of  her  launch,  while  her  hull  and 
sailing  appointments  were  in  undiminished  efficiency,  her  machinery  had 
become  antiquated,  and  she  was  furnished  with  entirely  new  engines.  This 
costly  renovation  was  made  with  the  result  that  by  the  new  compound 
engines  equal  power  was  attained  on  a  much  smaller  consumption  of  coal. 
It  is  needless  to  explain  that  to  save  40  to  50  tons  of  coal  per  day  was  a 
direct  economy  of  fuel,  and  a  gain  of  space  for  the  stowage  of  freight- 
earning  cargo.  In  fact,  by  the  change  of  engines  the  consumption  of  fuel 
was  reduced  from  about  110  tons  per  day  to  less  than  65  tons,  and  the 
cargo  space  augmented  by  about  800  tons,  with  an  increase  of  propelling 
power.  Compound  engines  have  introduced  a  revolution  almost  as  complete 
as  did  first  the  paddle-wheels  and  next  the  screw,  and  are  now  universal  in 
ocean-going  steamers,  one  of  the  largest  sets  ever  constructed  being  fitted 
on  board  the  "  City  of  Rome." 

On  the  trial  trip  of  the  "City  of  Rome,"  working  at  three-quarters  speed, 
with  45  revolutions  per  minute,  the  measured  mile  was  performed  at  the 
rate  of  15!  knots  per  hour;  but  as  the  engines  at  full  speed  make  58  or  60 
revolutions  per  minute,  the  ship  will,  it  is  expected,  in  practice  attain  a 
s^peed  of  17  or  18  knots  per  hour.  In  the  series  of  tests  the  engines  worked 
with  great  smoothness,  and  it  was  demonstrated  that  they  could  be  brought 
to  a  dead  stop  in  two  seconds  by  the  turning  of  a  single  lever,  and  that  from 
going  full  speed  ahead  they  could  be  reversed  to  full  speed  astern  in  the 
space  of  five  seconds. 

*This  fulfils  Dr.  Lardners's  famous  opinion  or  prediction. 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  333 

The  internal  arrangements  of  the  "  City  of  Rome"  are  of  the  most  complete 
nature.  The  promenade-deck  carries  at  the  fore  end  the  saloon  skylight. 
In  the  hurricane  deck-house  the  captain's  and  chief  officer's  cabins  are 
placed  close  to  the  steering-house  and  lookout  bridge,  so  that  they  are 
always  near  in  case  of  necessity.  Abaft  this  is  the  upper  saloon,  and  abaft 
this  the  upper  smoking-rooms  is  a  novel  feature,  it  being  thought  advisable, 
in  view  of  the  large  number  of  passengers,  to  fit  two  smoking-rooms,  with 
separate  stairs  to  the  cabin-deck.  In  the  after  deck-house  is  a  saloon  or 
lounge  for  ladies,  fitted  up  in  the  most  elegant  manner,  to  prevent  the 
going  below  in  showery  weather.  Abaft  is  a  companion  leading  to  the 
sleeping-cabins.  At  the  sides  of  the  hurricane-deck  are  twelve  life-boats, 
one  fitted  up  as  a  steam-launch.  On  this  deck  are  placed  capstans,  and  at 
each  of  the  cargo  hatchways  steam-winches  for  working  the  cargo.  On  the 
upper  deck  is  the  drawing-room,  one  hundred  feet  long,  for  the  use  of  pas- 
sengers. This  apartment,  which  is  fitted  very  handsomely  with  lounges,  is 
in  the  form  of  a  wide  gallery,  with  a  rectangular  opening  into  the  dining- 
saloon  below,  thus  giving  height  and  light  to  the  latter  apartment.  Above 
is  a  large  skylight,  richly  ornamented ;  at  the  fore  end  is  a  grand  piano,  and 
at  the  after  end  the  grand  staircase  to  the  dining-room  below.  Here,  also, 
is  the  lower  smoking-room,  which  is  fitted  similarly  to  the  upper;  the  panel- 
ing of  these  rooms  is  in  wainscot  oak,  the  floor  is  laid  in  Mosaic  pavement, 
and  the  upholstery  in  morocco  leather.  Abaft  this  are  the  rooms  for  the 
officers  and  engineers.  The  height  in  the  'tween  decks  is  9  feet.  The  grand 
dining-saloon  is  72  feet  long,  52  feet  wide,  and  9  feet  high,  or  17  feet  in  the 
opening  to  the  drawing-room  above.  This  opening,  surmounted  by  the  sky- 
light, forms  an  effective  and  elegant  relief  to  the  flat  and  heavy  ceiling. 
The  paneling  and  decorations  are  artistic  and  unique.  The  apartment 
accommodates  two  hundred  and  fifty  first-class  passengers.  The  chairs 
are  of  polished  teak-wood,  neatly  fluted,  with  the  Inman  monogram  carved 
in  open  work.  They  revolve  on  pivots,  and  are  numbered  to  correspond 
with  the  state-rooms.  At  night  the  saloon  is  lit  by  thirty-two  Swan  incan- 
descent electric  lamps,  pendent  from  the  ceiling,  giving  the  whole  a  brilliant 
appearance.  A  paneled  dado,  of  quaint  design,  three  feet  high,  is  carried 
entirely  round  the  saloon,  and  from  the  dado  cornice  to  the  line  of  the 
ceiling  the  wall  is  treated  with  rich  panels  of  figured  mahogany,  bordered 
with  a  margin  of  satin-wood,  alternating  with  the  side-light  casings.  These 
side-lights  are  more  architectural  than  is  usually  found  on  board  steamships. 
An  architrave  is  carried  in  a  square  form  round  the  side-lights,  inclosing  a 
secondary  sill,  and  runs  down  to  the  top  of  the  dado.  From  the  centres  of 
each  of  the  intermediate  panels  the  corbels  (elaborate  pieces  of  moulded 
and  carved  oak)  spring,  making  the  lines  of  the  ceiling  construction,  and 
carrying  them  down  on  the  walls.  At  the  level  of  the  corbel  capitals  the 
ceiling  rises  upon  elliptic  arches  between  the  beams,  suggesting  the  fan 
vaunting,  which  is  so  beautiful  in  Gothic  architecture.  The  music-room  is 


334  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

immediately  above  the  saloon,  and  is  rather  more  severe  in  its  style,  being 
finished  in  black  and  gold.  The  room  is  surmounted  by  a  handsome  circular 
skylight,  twenty  feet  long  by  ten  feet  wide,  which  throws  down  a  flood  of 
light  to  the  dining  and  music-rooms.  A  special  feature  in  this  skylight  is  the 
introduction  of  oval  lights,  enlarged  to  double  the  area  where  they  pass 
into  the  ceiling  of  the  dining-saloon.  An  organ  is  in  the  dining-saloon,  and 
a  grand  piano  in  the  music-room.  The  ladies'  boudoir,  on  the  main  deck,  is 
fitted  in  a  very  handsome  manner,  the  walls  being  paneled  in  figured 
brocaded  silk,  and  the  ceiling  in  Japanese  leather  paper.  The  couch  is 
upholstered  in  blue  velvet,  with  tapestry  curtains.  Alongside  are  baths, 
etc.,  for  the  lady  passengers.  On  the  hurricane-deck  is  another  boudoir, 
treated  in  a  contrast,  with  black  and  gold.  The  furniture  and  upholstery 
of  this  boudoir  is  of  amber-colored  plush  velvet,  and  the  window-hangings 
and  door  portiere  are  of  Roman  cloth  of  the  same  tone,  banded  with  stripes 
of  plush.  The  smoking-rooms  are  beautifully  fitted,  that  on  the  saloon- 
deck  having  a  novel  treatment  of  wall  paneling  of  original  Japanese  water- 
color  sketches  of  birds  and  flowers.  The  seats  are  covered  with  pig-skin 
leather.  The  wood-work  of  the  walls,  etc.,  in  the  upper  smoking-room  is  of 
pencil  cedar-wood ;  in  the  lower  of  mahogany,  oak  and  walnut.  The  floors 
of  those  apartments  are  laid  with  parquetry.  Abaft  the  music-saloon  are 
the  repositories  for  the  plate  and  dishes  for  the  service  of  the  table,  and 
abaft  of  these  the  cook's  and  steward's  portion  of  the  ship.  The  breadth 
and  general  style  of  the  kitchen  may  surprise  many,  but  when  the  number 
of  passengers  is  taken  into  account  wonder  at  the  gigantic  proportions  for 
feeding  them  will  cease.  Four  hundred  cabin  passengers  and  1,800  steerage, 
with  about  240  of  a  crew,  may  have  to  be  provided  for  on  a  voyage,  and  in 
that  aspect  the  rooms  for  cooks  and  stewards  are  none  too  many.  Going  aft 
beyond  the  regions  where  the  cook  presides,  we  come  on  the  engine-room. 
Nearer  the  stern  we  come  to  the  quarters  of  the  steerage  passengers,  and 
these,  though  of  course  not  rich  like  the  c^bin,  are  roomy  and  clean  to  a 
degree  that  would  surprise  old  Atlantic  stagers.  Still  aft  there  is  an  engine 
for  the  service  of  the  electric  light,  with  which  the  whole  ship  is  to  be  fitted. 
An  ominous  notice  warns  all  who  come  near  that  instantaneous  death  may 
result  from  the  incautious  handling  of  the  wires.  At  the  stern  there  is  a 
ponderous  steering  apparatus,  although  the  place  from  which  the  steering 
is  to  be  done  is  far  off  on  the  captain's  bridge,  where  there  is  the  now 
familiar  little  wheel  which  is  used  in  steering  by  steam. 

The  crew  numbers,  when  the  full  complement  is  aboard,  240.  There  are 
berths  for  54  firemen  and  50  seamen,  while  over  100  are  in  the  cook  and 
steward's  department,  and  12  directly  connected  with  the  engine-room. 

Opening  through  double  spring-doors  at  the  foot  of  the  grand  staircase, 
and  under,  is^an  American  luncheon- bar,  with  the  usual  fittings.  On  each 
side,  from  the  saloon  to  the  after  end  of  the  engine-room,  are  state-rooms, 
providing  for  300  passengers.  Amidships  are  retiring-rooms,  baths  and 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  335 

lavatories,  barber's  shop,  etc.  Accomodation  is  provided  on  the  main  deck 
for  500  emigrants,  and  on  the  lower  deck  for  1,000  more,  making  a  grand 
total  of  1,500.  The  berths  are  arranged  in  single  tiers  of  half-rooms,  each 
separated  by  a  passage,  and  having  a  large  side-light,  adding  greatly  to  the 
light,  ventilation  and  comfort  of  the  passengers,  besides  the  advantage  of  a 
lesser  number  of  persons  in  each  room.  Comfortable  and  properly  equipped 
wash-rooms  are  provided  for  both  sexes. 

In  proportions  and  design  the  "City  of  Rome"  presents  a  remarkable 
contrast  to  the  "  Great  Eastern,"  to  which  she  stands  next  in  magnitude  in 
the  mercantile  marine.  Brunei's  vessel  suggests  a  stately  ark,  with  towering 
walls  and  ponderous  hull,  massive,  stupendous,  rather  than  elegant.  The 
conditions  are  reversed  in  this  vessel.  The  "  City  of  Rome"  is  of  great 
length,  tapering  form, symmetrical  lines,  and  graceful  mould,  so  that  the 
inexperienced  observer  is  unable  to  realize  her  enormous  dimensions.  The 
difference  of  proportions  between  the  two  vessels  shows  how  scientific  the- 
ory is  modified  by  practical  experiment.  In  designing  the  "  Great  Eastern," 
Brunei  had  no  other  guide  than  his  scientific  knowledge ;  there  were  no 
gradations  between  the  puny  vessels  of  five-and-twenty  years  ago,  and  the 
leviathan  he  constructed  ;  and  he  reckoned  the  length,  beam  and  depth  on 
bases  which  the  practice  of  later  ship-building  has  not  confirmed.  The 
tendency  of  naval  construction  in  the  merchant  navy  is  to  lengthen  the 
hulls,  without,  in  any  appreciable  degree,  increasing  the  beam  or  depth 
of  the  hold.  This  is  apparent  by  comparing  the  dimensions  of  these  typical 
vessels,  the  "  Great  Eastern"  and  the  "  City  ©f  Rome."  The  length  of  the 
former  is  680  feet ;  her  breadth  of  beam,  83  feet ;  depth,  60  feet.  The 
measurements  of  the  "  City  of  Rome"  are : — Length,  586  feet ;  breadth  of 
beam,  52  feet  3  inches ;  and  depth  of  hold,  37  feet ;  while  in  length  she 
closely  approximates  to  her  rival ;  in  breadth  and  depth  she  is  little  more 
than  half  the  magnitude.  It  is  in  these  differences  of  proportion  that  the 
disparity  of  tonnage  is  to  be  found.  The  "  Great  Eastern"  is  of  enormously 
greater  cubical  capacity  from  her  breadth  and  depth  ;  though  less  tall  and 
bulky  of  hull,  the  "  City  of  Rome"  is  of  great  cargo  capacity.  Her  length 
and  beautiful  lines  suggest  an  impression  of  buoyant  grace  rather  than  of 
vast  magnitude  ;  yet  her  carrying  power,  notwithstanding  her  clipper  bow 
and  rounded  stern,  is  greater  than  any  other  vessel  afloat,  except  the  "  Great 
Eastern." 

The  Fleet  of  the  Inman  Line  is  now  (1882)  composed  of  the  following 
steamships:— "City  of  Berlin,"  5,491  tons;  "City  of  Richmond,"  4,607 
tons  ;  "  City  of  Chester,"  4,566  tons  ;  "  City  of  Paris,"  3,500  tons  ;  "  City  of 
Montreal,"  4,490  tons;  "City  of  Brussels,"  3,775  tons;  "City  of  New 
York,"  3,500,  which  leave  New  York  for  Liverpool,  Thursdays  or  Saturdays, 
and  Liverpool  for  New  York,  Tuesdays  or  Thursdays. 

With  the  latest  vessels  added  to  the  fleets  of  the  Cunard,  the  Inman,  the 
Guion,  and  the  Anchor  Companies,  it  is  possible  to  gain  an  idea  of  the  ocean 


336  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

ships  of  the  future.  So  far  as  size,  speed  and  comfort  are  concerned,  these 
are  as  much  in  advance  of  the  Atlantic  liners  of  which  we  were  so  proud  a 
quarter  of  a  century  ago  as  those  were  improvements  on  the  earliest  speci- 
mens of  river  passenger  steamers.  A  great  point  was  thought  to  be  reached 
when  the  Cunard  Company  built  the  "  Scotia"  and  the  "  Persia,"  or  when 
the  Inman  Company  became  possessed  of  the  "City  of  Glasgow  ;"  but  the 
finest  of  these  steamers  was  not  much  above  half  the  size  of  the  "  Servia"  or 
the  "  City  of  Rome,"  whilst  its  engine-power  was  comparatively  infinitesimal. 
No  better  illustration  of  the  changes  that  have  taken  place  in  our  ocean 
fleet  could  be  given  than  a  reference  to  the  statistics  bearing  on  the  size  of 
some  of  the  early  and  some  of  the  latest  Atlantic  liners.  The  Cunarder 
"  Scotia,"  which  was  launched  on  the  Clyde  in  1862,  and  was  then  consid- 
ered the  best  specimen  of  her  type,  measured  379  fe*t  in  length,  and  had  a 
breadth  of  47  feet  8  inches,  and  a  depth  of  30  feet  5  inches.  Her  tonnage 
was  3,871,  and  she  was  fitted  with  side-lever  engines  indicating  1,000  horse- 
power. The  "  City  of  Glasgow,"  belonging  to  the  Inman  Company  some 
years  earlier,  measured  277  feet  long  by  32  feet  7  inches  broad,  and  24  feet 
7  inches  deep.  She  was  1,600  tons  burden,  and  her  engines  were  380  horse- 
power. According  to  popular  theory,  the  limits  of  practicable  ship-building 
were  reached  when  the  "  City  of  Berlin,"  five  years  ago,  was  introduced  into 
the  Inman  fleet,  she  being  then  the  largest  vessel  afloat  (excepting  the 
"  Great  Eastern"),  and  it  being  assumed  finality  had  been  reached  in  the 
magnitude  of  ocean-going  steamers.  Her  measurements,  in  contrast  with 
the  pioneer  of  the  service,  testify  to  the  progress  which  twenty-five  years  have 
witnessed  in  the  development  of  steam  navigation.  Her  length  is  520  feet ; 
breadth,  44  feet,  depth  to  spar  deck,  37  feet,  and  her  gross  measurement 
5,481  tons.  Her  engine-power  being  900  horse-power  nominal,  but  capable 
of  working  up  to  4,800  horse-power  indicated.  Compare  these  figures  with 
the  dimensions  of  the  "  Servia"  or  the  "  City  of  Rome."  The  "  Servia"  has 
a  length  of  530  feet,  a  beam  of  52  feet,  a  depth  of  41  feet,  a  carrying  capacity 
of  at  least  8,500  tons,  and  is  fitted  with  engines  calculated  to  develop  an 
indicated  horse-power  of  10,500  tons.  The  "  City  of  Rome"  is :  Length, 
586  feet ;  breadth,  52  feet  3  inches ;  depth,  37  feet ;  tonnage  upwards  of 
8,000 :  and  engine-power,  10,000.  These  facts  are  striking,  but  they  fail  to 
exhaust  the  comparisons  which  might  be  drawn  between  the  vessels  formerly 
engaged  in  the  ocean  traffic  and  the  ships  which  are  taking  their  place. 
Those  who  inspect  the  "Servia"  or  the  "City  of  Rome"  will  become  aware 
of  an  untold  number  of  ingenious  contrivances  by  which  the  comfort  and 
the  safety  of  the  passengers  are  now  assured.  The  vessel  of  the  future  is  not 
only  a  model  of  speed  and  of  large  cargo  capacity;  it  also  is  a  model  of 
luxury. 

Where,  it  may  be  asked,  is  this  peaceful  rivalry  in  the  production  of  big 
ships  to  stop  ?  Are  ship-builders  and  ship-owners  to  go  on  increasing  the 
size  of  the  ocean-liners  until  they  rival  the  "  Great  Eastern  ?"  It  is  impos- 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  337 

sible  to  place  any  limit  on  such  an  enterprise ;  but  it  may  safely  be  taken 
for  granted  that  if  ships  of  the  dimensions  of  the  "  Great  Eastern"  become 
necessary,  the  errors  which  have  made  her  failure  conspicuous  will  be 
avoided.  It  is  evident  if  Mr.  Brunei,  in  building  that  vessel,  could  have 
adopted  the  principle  of  the  compound  engine,  her  fate  might  have  been 
different.  Instead  of  being  under  the  necessity  of  putting  the  great  ship  up 
to  auction  after  a  by  no  means  brilliant  career,  the  shareholders  might  be 
enjoying  the  profits  which  are  to  be  reaped  in  ocean  transport.  The  danger 
is  that  in  the  race  for  the  possession  of  huge  floating  palaces  the  steamship 
companies '  may  outrun  the  wants  of  travelers.  If  the  ocean  fleets  of  the 
future  are  to  be  composed  of  such  vessels,  an  enormous  increase  of  the  travel- 
ing public  will  be  essential  to  the  continued  prosperity  of  the  industry, 
Any  improvement  in  the  facilities  with  which  a  transatlantic  voyage  can  be 
made  is  sure  to  bring  its  own  reward.  The  time  when  ocean  travel  was 
attended  with  misgivings,  or  was  a  luxury  reserved  for  men  of  wealth  and 
leisure,  has  passed.  With  the  appearance  of  ships  that  will  traverse  the 
Atlantic  in  less  than  a  week,  a  holiday  trip  to  Europe  may  be  as  cheap  as 
restorative.  The  president  of  the  Scotch  Engineers'  and  Ship-Builders'  So- 
ciety recently  declared  that  in  a  few  years  "we  shall  have  steamships  start- 
ing from  each  side  of  the  Atlantic  every  morning,  noon,  and  night,  and 
arriving  on  the  opposite  shores  with  as  much  regularity  as  our  present  ex- 
press railway  trains  arrive  at  the  termination  of  a  journey  of  four  or  five 
hundred  miles." 

In  passenger  accommodations  the  ships  of  the  Inman  Line  are  superior  to 
most  Clyde-built  ships,  and  their  design  shows  an  inclination  to  break  from 
the  restrictive  and  "uninventive  habit  which  is  said  to  hamper  the  British 
ship-builder.  "  Give  an  English  carpenter  a  certain  space  in  an  unfinished 
ship,  ancl  tell  him  to  fit  it  up  as,  for  instance,  a  chart-room,"  a  gentleman 
connected  with  one  [of  the  lines  recently  said,  "  and  he  will  repeat  exactly 
what  he  did  in  fitting  up  the  previous  ships,  without  stopping  a  moment  to 
consider  if  some  change  is  not  desirable  and  possible.  An  American  car- 
penter, on  the  contrary,"  this  critic,  who  was  an  Englishman,  continued, 
"  will  rack  his  brains  for  improvements,  and  the  ship  he  fits  up  to-day  is 
sure  to  be  more  comfortable  than  the  one  he  fitted  up  yesterday." 

The  following  vessels  have  been  bought  and  built  or  have  passed  through 
the  Inman  Company's  hands  since  its  establishment  in  1850 : 


338 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 


NAME. 

"B 

M 

£ 
"tc 

1 

Breadth. 

£ 

Tonnage. 
Gross.  Net. 

NAME. 

1 

t 

3 

Breadth. 
~~  Depth. 

Tonn 
Gross. 

age. 
Net. 

City  of  Rome* 

1881 
1874 
Ib73 
1873 
1872 
1869 

1865 
1866 
1863 
1869 
1853 
1860 
1867 
1863 
1865 
1854 

600 

-US'.) 
•»;><) 
Ml 
11!' 

390 

875 

:.!iis 
:i7i 
:;:>4 
:;;>s 
;:(<» 
;;:;•_! 
:;:',! 
:>2(> 
:,,; 

52 

45 

•11 
•14 
•4-1 
11 

-10 

n 
.11. 
4:5 
.10 
:-,s 
:',!) 
:u 
40 

:a 

37 

:;<; 
:;.-) 
:>"> 
34 

:!5 

',}'.} 
26 
2(5 
•11 
2i> 
•21 
2(> 
30 
2s 

* 

8415 
5491' 
4607 
4566 
4489 
3775 

3499 
3081 
2765 
2911 
2870 
2655 
2391 
2536 
2360 
2472 

City  of  Boston  

1864 

818 

:',<)» 
:-ns 
300 

21)4 
2(52 

270 
2(32 
257 
227 
:;:.:•', 

2(5r. 
-01 
201 
174 
122 

108 

39 

37 

;;ii 
40 
;;<) 
36 

35 
;;i; 
:;ii 
:;:; 

42 

;;:; 
:-;o 

2!> 

24 

-:'- 
21! 

2(5 
27 
2(5 

'2-  ' 

2(1 

25 
25 

25 
27 
*") 
28 
26 
is 
17 
15 
10 

2213 
2190 
1999 
2197 
2168 
1962 
1953 
1906 
1719 
1609 
2717 
1547 
770 
697 
448 
211 
163 

1649 
1564 
1548 
1494 
1648 
1152 
1250 
1296 
1169 
1087 
•1587 
1082 
523 
538 
333 
174 
133 

City  of  Berlin 

2957 
2824 
2713 
2939 
2434 

2380 
1975 
1880 
1980 
1951 
1805 
1626 
1724 
1679 
1774 

T'tual 

City  of  Richmond  
Citv  of  Chester 

City  of  Dublin||  

City  of  Montreal  

City  of  Philadelphia^.. 

1854 

City  of  Brussels 

City  of  New  York  (en- 
larged)   

Vigo** 

City  of  Manchestertf.... 

1852 

City  of  Paris 

City  of  London  

City  of  Glasgow^  

1850 

City  of  Brooklyn 

City  of  Washington  
City  of  Bristol 

City  of  Corkff  

City  of  Halifax  ||  . 

City  of  Antwerp  
City  of  Limerick  
City  of  New  York  
City  of  Baltimore!  . 

City  of  Durham   

1865 
1856 
1856 
1856 

Bosphorus  ...    .... 

Hercules  .* 

Ajax  

*  Returned  to  the  builders  as  not  fulfilling  the  contract,  and  since  transferred  to  the  Anchor  Line, 
October,  1882.  f  Sold  March,  1874,  and  now  running  between  Liverpool  and  Bombay. 

I  Purchased  from  Cunard  Company.    '        ||  Sold  1872.  §  Sold  1«69.  *![  Lost  1854. 

**  Sold  1861.  ft  Sold  1871. 

The  present  fleet  of  the  transatlantic  steamers  of  the  Inman  Line  are : 


NAME. 

Built. 

Gross  Tons. 

NAME. 

Built. 

Gross  Tons. 

City  of  Berlin  
City  of  Richmond  .... 
City  of  Chester 

1874 

1873 
I87I 

5491 
4607 
4^66 

City  of  Montreal.... 
City  of  Brussels  

1872 
1869 
1861; 

4490 

3775 

•3  COO 

City  of  Paris  . 

1861; 

•    •JOQI 

1882 

8ii< 

"^t1  j 

THE  MESSAGERIES  MARITIMES,  1851. — Much  the  largest  maritime 
undertaking  engaged  in  the  trade  of  the  Mediterranean  and  elsewhere  is 
that  of  the  Messageries  Maritimes,  formerly  the  Messageries  Imperiales, 
monopolizing,  as  it  does,  nearly  the  whole  of  the  steam  tonnage  of  France. 
Indeed,  apart  from  the  vessels  owned  by  this  company,  and  one  or  two 
highly  subsidized,  the  French  may  be  said  to  have  no  steamers.  In  1873 
the  whole  steam  tonnage  of  France  amounted  to  one  hundred  and  eighty- 
five  thousand  one  hundred  and  sixty-five  tons  net  register,  and  in  1875  the 
gross  tonnage  of  the  fleet  of  Messageries  Maritimes  was  one  hundred  and 
twenty-four  thousand  nine  hundred  and  seventy-six  tons.  The  Messageries 
Maritimes  is  a  pure  creation  of  the  government,  raised  with  the  greatest 
care  from  its  infancy,  and  maintained  by  large  grants  from  the  public  purse. 
Previously  to  1851  the  company  had  been  chiefly  engaged  as  carriers  by 
land,  and  was  under  contract  for  the  conveyance  of  the  mails  throughout  a 
considerable  portion  of  France.  In  July,  1851,  the  company  entered  upon 
its  first  over-sea  contract  for  the  conveyance  of  the  French  mails  to  Italy, 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  339 

the  Levant,  Greece,  Egypt,  and  Syria,  and  in  1852  added  to  their  service 
the  principal  ports  of  Greece  and  Salouica. 

In  1854  the  managers  contracted  for  the  transport  of  all  troops  and  mili- 
tary stores  between  France  and  Algeria,  besides  the  conveyance  of  the 
mails,  and  having  increased  their  fleet  to  meet  the  requirements  of  the 
Crimean  campaign,  were  in  1855  enabled  to  open  between  Marseilles,  Civita 
Vecchia  and  Naples  a  direct  weekly  line  of  steamers,  independently  of  the 
postal  service.  After  the  close  of  the  Crimean  war,  in  1856,  the  directors 
employed  their  disposable  vessels  in  increasing  the  frequency  of  services  to 
Algeria,  and  in  establishing  a  postal  service  between  Marseilles  and  the 
ports  of  the  Danube  and  along  the  east  coast  of  the  Black  Sea.  In  1857 
they  entered  into  arrangements  for  the  conveyance  of  the  French  mails 
between  Bordeaux;  the  Brazils,  and  the  La  Plata.  At  that  time  the  fleet 
of  the  company  had  reached  fifty-four  ships  of  eighty  thousand  eight  hun- 
dred and  seventy-five  tons  and  fifteen  thousand  two  hundred  and  forty 
horse-power,  and  they  obtained  from  their  government  in  1861  a  contract 
for  the  conveyance  of  the  French  mails  to  India  and  China.  In  1871  their 
fleet,  measuring  one  hundred  and  thirty-seven  thousand  three  hundred  and 
thirty-four  tons,  of  twenty  thousand  eight  hundred  and  eighty-five  horse- 
power, performed  service  on  the  India  and  China  routes  of  two  hundred  and 
thirty  thousand  one  hundred  and  thirty-five  French  leagues;  on  the  Medi- 
terranean and  Black  Sea,  one  hundred  and  fifty-three  thousand  four  hun- 
dred aijd  seventy-eight;  and  on  the  Brazilian,  fifty  thousand  and  four.  In 
all,  four  hundred  and  twenty-three  thousand  six  hundred  and  seven  leagues 
annually,  independently  of  various  extra  services.  Since  then  their  Bra- 
zilian and  La  Plata  lines  have  been  doubled.  At  the  first  their  vessels  were 
built  in  England,  but  the  company  now  possesses  large  establishments  of  its 
own,  where  they  construct  screw  steamers  of  iron  of  the  largest  size.  The 
ships  of  the  Messageries  Maritirnes,  like  those  of  their  great- competitors  for 
the  trade  of  the  East,  the  Peninsular  and  Oriental  Company,  now  pass 
through  the  Suez  Canal.* 

THE  HAMBURG-AMERICAN  PACKET  COMPANY,  1855.— The  Hamburg- 
American  Packet  Company,  which  has  now  a  weekly  service  between  New 
York  and  Hamburg,  touching  at  Havre  on  the  western  trips  and  at  Ply- 
mouth and  Cherbourg  on  the  eastern,  was  established  in  1847  at  Hamburg, 
its  first  vessels  being  first-class  sailing  ships.  Mr.  Adolph  Godeifroy,  of 
Hamburg,  elected  the  President  of  the  company  at  its  formation,  still  retains 
that  responsible  position.  Its  ships,  which  were  built  expressly  for  its  ser- 
vice, had  excellent  cabin  accommodations,  and  quarters  in  the  steerage  for 
emigrants  even  superior  to  anything  that  had  previously  been  offered  to  that 

*The  English  Peninsular  and  Oriental  Company,  in  1875,  f°r  a  service  of  1,171,092 
miles,  received  ,£430,000,  while  the  Messageries  Maritimes,  for  a  service  of  631,514,  or 
little  more  than  half  as  much,  ^399,838.  It  will  be  perceived  both  were  pretty  heavily 
subsidized. 


340  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VI G  A  TION. 

class,  and  the  new  line  met  a  want  that  had  for  some  time  existed,  supply- 
ing direct  and  first-class  accommodation  for  travelers  between  Germany 
and  the  United  States.  The  first  two  vessels  were  the  "  Deutschland"  and 
"  Nordamerica,"  which  came  to  New  York  first  in  1848,  and  were  followed 
in  succession  by  the  "Elbe,"  "Rhein,"  "Oder,"  "Donau,"  "Alair,"  "Weser," 
and  "  Neckar ;"  and  while  sailing  ships  were  the  best  means  of  transport  be- 
tween the  two  countries,  the  vessels  of  this  line  were  not  surpassed  by  any 
others  until  by  the  famous  American  lines  of  sailing  ships  between  New 
York  and  Liverpool. 

The  introduction  of  lines  of  screw  steamers,  however,  between  Liverpool 
and  New  York,  and  their  keen  competition  for  the  German  and  French 
emigrants,  convinced  the  directors  that  if  this  line  desired  to  retain  its- 
supremacy  it  must  avail  itself  of  the  most  approved  method  of  transport, 
and  foreseeing  that  steam  must  inevitably  supersede  canvas  as  a  method  of 
propulsion  for  sea-going  vessels,  measures  were  taken  to  increase  the  capital 
of  the  company,  and  Caird  &  Co.,  of  Greenock,  Scotland,  were  ordered  ta 
build  two  screw  steamships.  The  result  of  this  order  was  the  launching  in 
1855  of  the  "  Hammonia"  and  "  Borussia."  Just  then,  however,  there  wa& 
an  active  demand  for  transports  sailing  under  a  neutral  flag,  and  the  com- 
pany chartered  its  two  new  steamers  to  the  allied  French  and  English  Gov- 
ernments, and  they  were  sent  to  the  Crimea.  Their  charters  expired  in  the 
spring  of  1856,  and  on  the  1st  of  June  in  that  year  the  "Borussia"  left 
Hamburg  for  New  York,  arriving  here  on  the  16th  of  June,  she  being  really 
the  pioneer  of  the  present  line,  for  the  old  sailing  packets  were  soon  all  re- 
placed by  steamers.  The  "  Hammonia"  left  Hamburg  on  the  1st  of  Julyr 
and  from  that  time  a  monthly  steam  service  was  maintained.  The  new 
ships  were  fine  vessels,  ably  commanded  and  officered.  Close  attention  was 
given  by  the  company's  agents  on  either  side  of  the  water  to  the  proper 
working  of  the  "steward's  department,  and  the  line  became  a  favorite  from 
the  start.  The  management  of  the  company  was  already  popular  in  connec- 
tion with  the  sailing  vessels,  and  their  adoption  of  a  steam  line  in  its  stead 
was  the  cause  of  much  gratification  to  those  who  had  friends  in  Germany 
desiring  to  come  to  this  country. 

The  Hamburg  Company  met  with  sufficient  encouragement  to  induce 
them  to  double  their  steamers  and  increase  the  service  from  a  monthly  to 
a  semi-monthly  one,  and  in  1856  the  "  Bavaria"  and  the  "  Teutonia"  were 
added  to  the  fleet.  They  were  built  at  Greenock,  and  were  2,273  and  2,034 
tons  measurement  respectively.  Next  year  was  a  year  of  panic  and  great 
commercial  depression,  and  the  new  enterprise  of  the  Hamburg  Company 
had  to  bear  its  share  of  the  general  disaster ;  nevertheless,  in  this  year 
another  new  steamer  was  added,  the  "  Saxonia,"  of  2,404  tons.  All  the  old 
sailing  ships  were  now  sold  off  as  fast  as  practicable,  and  the  line  became  a 
steam  line  solely.  • 

Although  their  steamers  were  as  fast  as  any  afloat  and  were  noted  for 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  341 

their  excellence  as  sea-boats,  the  aim  of  the  management  was  to  secure 
regularity  of  passage  and  perfect  safety  rather  than  great  speed.  No  racing 
passages  were,  therefore,  ever  allowed. 

In  1861  the  service  was  again  increased,  a  steamer  being  despatched  from 
New  York  every  Saturday.  This  change  had  been  contemplated  for  some 
time,  but  was  hastened  by  the  charter  of  the  Vanderbilt  steamers  to  the 
United  States  Government,  and  the  United  States  mails  were  given  to  the 
Hamburg  Company  in  addition  to  the  direct  German  mail,  which  it  had 
carried  from  the  first.  This  extra  service  necessitated  the  addition  of  more 
steamers,  and  in  1863  the  "  Germania"  was  built  by  the  Messrs.  Caird  & 
Co.  at  Greenock,  followed  the  next  year  by  the  "Allemania,"  built  by 
Messrs.  Day  &  Co.  at  Southampton. 

In  1867  the  first  steamer  "  Hammonia"  was  sold,  and  her  name  changed 
to  the  "Belgian,"  and  the  Hamburg  Company  built  a  new  steamer  "Ham- 
monia" at  Greenock.  This  steamer  was  300  feet  long,  40  feet  beam,  and  33 
feet  deep,  and  registered  2,967  tons.  The  "  Cimbria,"  of  about  the  same  size, 
was  also  built  in  1867.  Next  year  the  "Holsatia"  and  "Westphalia"  were 
built,  being  larger  vessels  than  either  of  the  previous  steamers,"  the  "  Hol- 
satia" being  3,134  and  the  "  Westphalia"  3,500  tons.  In  1869  the  "Silesia,"  of 
3,156  tons,  was  added,  and  in  1870  the  "  Thuringia"  was  launched  at  Greenock. 

The  older  steamers  were  now  withdrawn  from  the  New  York  Line,  and  a 
new  line  was  established  by  this  company  between  Hamburg  and  New 
Orleans,  and  an  attempt  made  to  maintain  a  service  from  Hamburg  to  the 
West  Indies  and  Aspinwall.  Here  it  came  into  keen  competition  with  the 
North  German  Lloyd,  and  as  there  was  not  sufficient  business  for  both,  the 
two  companies  finally  agreed  that  the  North  German  Lloyd  should  have 
the  New  Orleans  Line ;  and  the  Hamburg  Line  kept  the  West  India  service, 
with  Aspinwall  as  the  final  port  of  destination. 

The  Franco-German  war,  in  1870,  caused  an  interruption  of  the  Ham- 
burg Company's  service  for  three  months,  after  which  the  weekly  service 
to  New  York  was  resumed.  In  1872  the  "Frisia"  was  built  at  Greenock. 
In  1873  the  "Pommerania"  was  added  from  the  same  builders,  and  in  1874 
the  "  Suevia."  This,  the  last  steamer  built  by  the  Hamburg  Line,  is  the 
largest.  She  is  360  feet  long,  41  feet  beam,  and  26  feet  deep,  and  registers 
3,624  tons.  Like  all  the  other  boats  she  is  brig-rigged  and  is  propelled  by 
two  compound  inverted  direct-acting  engines  fitted  with  surface  condensers. 
Her  cylinders  are  48  and  80  inches  respectively  in  diameter,  with  5  feet 
stroke  of  piston.  She  is  divided  into  compartments  by  seven  water-tight 
bulkheads,  and  is  a  first-class  vessel,  having  no  superior  in  the  ocean  service. 
Below,  her  arrangements  for  passengers  are  on  the  most  liberal  scale,  her 
rooms  for  cabin  passengers  being  of  extra  size  and  well  ventilated,  while  the 
quarters  for  steerage  passengers  are  convenient  and  commodious.  Her  great 
power  and  fine  model  insured  a  regularity  and  rapidity  of  passage  which 
has  never  been  interrupted. 


342  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

The  years  which  immediately  followed  the  building  of  this  steamer  were 
years  of  reverse  to  the  Hamburg  Company.  The  panic  of  1873  in  this 
country  had  checked  emigration,  and  in  addition  to  this  the  establishment 
of  the  Eagle  Line  between  New  York  and  Hamburg  caused  a  competition 
which  was  ruinous.  With  the  decrease  in  the  number  of  passengers  came, 
of  course,  a  surplus  of  freight-room,  and  freights" from  all  European  ports 
fell  greatly  in  consequence.  All  these  causes  were  felt  so  severely  by  the 
Hamburg-American  Packet  Company  that  in  1875,  for. its  own  salvation,  it 
was  obliged  to  buy  up  the  floating  property  of  the  Eagle  Line,  which  forth- 
with went  into  liquidation'.  By  this  operation  the  steamers  "  Herder," 
"Lessing,"  "  Gellert,"  and  "  Wieland"  were  added  to  the  New  York  Line. 
These  were  all  very  fine  steamers,  built  at  Glasgow  expressly  for  the  Eagle 
Line,  and  would  have  been  a  great  acquisition  to  the  Hamburg  Line  if  they 
had  not  been  too  much  in  the  nature  of  too  much  of  a  good  thing.  They 
were  about  3,500  tons  each,  the  "  Herder,"  built  in  1873  ;.  the  "  Lessing"  and 
"  Wieland'''  in  1874  ;  and  the  "  Gellert"  in  1875.  Still,  although  the  com- 
pany was  saddled  with  a  surplus  of  steamers,  the  vexatious  opposition  was- 
removed,  and  the  New  York  service  again  became  profitable.  The  threat- 
ened war  between  Russia  and  England  in  1878  enabled  the  Hamburg  Com- 
pany to  dispose  of  some  of  its  surplus  steamers,  and  the  "  Holsatia,"  "Ham- 
monia,"  and  "Thuringia"  were  sold  to  the  Russian  Government. 

The  fleet  of  the  Hamburg-American  Packet  Company  in  1882  consists  of 
twenty-four  ocean  steamships,  viz. :  "Albingia,"  "Allemannia,"  "  Bavaria," 
"Bohemia,"  "  Borussia,"  "  Cimbria,"  "Cyclop,"  "  Frisia,"  "Gellert,"  "Ham- 
monia."  "Herder,"  "Holsatia,"  "Lessing"  "Lotharingia,"  "  Rhenania," 
'.'  Rugia,"  "  Saxonia,"  "  Silesia,"  "  Suevia,"  "Teutonia,"  "  Thuringia,"  "  Van- 
dalia,"  "Westphalia,"  "Wieland,"  besides  a  number  of  smaller  steamers 
employed  as  feeders  for  the  West  India  Line  and  elsewhere,  and  a  large 
number  of  river  passenger  steamers,  tugboats,  lighters,  floating  steam 
winches,  steam-sloops,  etc.,  which  are  necessary  accessories  to  so  large  a 
service. 

THE  ANCHOR  LINE,  1856. — Some  fifty  years  ago  four  small  Scotch  beys 
started  from  the  Clyde  in  little  smacks,  then  served  consecutively  in 
schooners,  brigs,  barques,  ships  and  steamers,  until  conversant  with  every 
detail  connected  with  all  these  types  of  vessels ;  with  knowledge  acquired 
and  sterling  integrity,  and  practicing  economy,  they  grew  up  to  manhood, 
and  saw  attempts  made  to  establish  steam  traffic  between  Glasgow  and«the 
Western  Continent,  and  as  often  saw  them  fail.  In  due  time  they  banded 
together,  and  these  little  Scotch  boys  became  the  well-known  firm  of 
"  Handyside  &  Henderson,"  of  Glasgow,  the  originators  of  the  "  Anchor 
Line."  Their  first  efforts  were  in  small  sailing-vessels  in  the  Mediterranean 
fruit  trade,  and  they  finally  purchased  the  steamer  "  Inez  de  Castro  "  and 
another  small  craft.  They  then  altered  the  ship  "  John  Bell "  into  an 
auxiliary  steamer,  and  another  sailing-ship,  "  Tempest,"  in  the  same  manner. 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

and  with  these  two  vessels  inaugurated  the  Anchor  Line.  The  story  of  the 
"  Tempest,"  the  pioneer  of  this  line,  is  soon  told :  "  The  good  die  young.'' 
She  was  lost  on  her  second  return  trip. 

The  Anchor  Line  came  into  existence,  with  these  two  converted  vessels, 
in  1856,  and  as  early  as  1872  seventeen  steamships  had  been  constructed 
for  its  service  between  New  York  and  Glasgow,  besides  thirty  steamships 
for  its  service  in  the  Mediterranean.  At  the  present  time  (1882)  steam- 
ships of  the  line,  carrying  the  United  States  mail,  sail  from  New  York  every 
Saturday,  calling  at  Londonderry  on  the  voyage  to  Glasgow,  and  from 
Glasgow  every  Thursday,  also  from  London  every  Saturday,  sailing  the 
same  day  of  the  week  from  New  York  for  London.  There  is  also  a  branch 
of  this  line  sailing  between  Barrow-in-Furness  (touching  at  Dublin)  and 
New  York  about  once  a  fortnight.  For  several  years  the  company  applied 
its  energies  in  developing  the  Peninsular  and  Mediterranean  branch  of  their 
service.  Steamships  of  this  line  sail  from  Glasgow  every  fourteen  days  for 
Lisbon,  Gibraltar,  Genoa,  Leghorn,  Naples,  Messina  and  Palermo.  In  1863 
they  determined  to  vigorously  prosecute  the  Glasgow  and  New  York  trade, 
and  built  the  "  Caledonia  "  and  "  Britannia."  In  1868-70  serious  disasters 
befell  the  company,  and  in  a  few  months  they  chronicled  the  losses  of  the 
"  Hibernia,"  "  United  Kingdom,"  and  "  Cambria." 

On  the  arrival  of  the  "  Iowa  "  at  New  York,  June  29,  1867,  the  dwarfs, 
Tom  Thumb  and  wife  and  Commodore  Nutt  and  wife,  who  were  passengers, 
united  in  a  letter  of  thanks  for  the  care  and  attention  they  had  received. 

The  company  flag,  which  gives  name  to  the  line,  is  a  white  burgee,  on 
which  is  borne  a  red  anchor  horizontally. 

On  the  14th  of  August,  1872,  the  owners  and  agents  of  the  Anchor  Line 
signalized  the  advent  of  their  latest  and  at  that  time  best  steamer,  the  • 
"  California,"  an  iron  screw  steamship  of  3,208  gross  tons,  361.5  feet  length, 
40.5  feet  beam,  and  a  working  horse-power  of  1,047,  by  an  excursion  to  Long 
Branch.  The  company  numbered  four  hundred,  and  after  an  absence  of 
eight  hours  returned  to  New  York  City.  The  band  of  the  Seventh  Regi- 
ment and  two  bag-pipers  in  Highland  costume  entertained  the  company,  and 
the  whole  four  hundred  guests  were  at  one  time  seated  at  tables  spread 
between  decks,  provided  with  every  delicacy  that  the  markets  of  the  Old 
and  New  World  afforded. 

A  passenger  describing  the  "  California  "  says  :  "  The  grand  saloon,  forty- 
five  feet  long  by  forty  wide,  is  finished  in  a  scale  of  magnificence  which  is 
carried  out  in  every  part  of  the  floating  palace.  The  paneling  is  of  polished 
oak,  interlaid  with  rich  dog  and  white-wood,  adorned  with  rich  carving  and 
gold.  The  smoking  saloon  is  luxuriously  fitted,  and  painted  in  a  tint  of 
sea-green,  and  silver-plated  chandeliers  drop  from  the  ceiling.  Each  state- 
room has  its  electric  bell.  Two  large  bath-rooms  are  on  each  side  of  the 
vessel.  The  ladies'  boudoir  is  decorated  in  sea-green  tints,  dotted  and 
•striped  in  gold,  with  delicate  birds  perched  in  the  centre  of  each  broad 


344 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 


panel.     She  has  accommodations  for  one  hundred  and  fifty  first-class  and 
nine  hundred  steerage  passengers." 

The  present  fleet  of  the  Anchor  Line  is  as  follows;  the  names  of  the 
vessels  are  alphabetically  arranged,  and  with  two  exceptions  end  in  "t'a:" 

TRANSATLANTIC,    PENINSULAR,    MEDITERRANEAN    AND     ORIENTAL    STEAMSHIPS    OF    THE 

ANCHOR    LINE   IN    l882.* 


Name. 

Service. 

Built. 

Register'  d 
Tonnage. 

Name. 

Service. 

Built. 

Register'  d 
Tonnage. 

Acadia  

Med.  and  Or. 

1866 

1081 

Ethiopia.. 

Transatlantic 

1873 

4004 

Alexandria.... 

Alsatia 

« 

1870 
1876 

1629 

7OOO 

Furnessia  . 
Galatia  .... 

« 
Med.  and  Or. 

1881 

5496 

3I2C 

Anchoria.  . 

Transatlantic 

1871; 

J 

4176 

Hesperia  . 

T.12Z 

Armenia  .  . 

Med.  and  Or. 

3380 

Hispania  . 

3380 

Assyria... 

« 

1871 

'    1623 

India  

1860 

228Q 

Australia 

(i 

1870 

2243 

3I2S 

Belgravia   . 

(( 

5000 

Italia  

1872 

22415 

Britannia    . 

« 

1863 

2  2OO 

• 

3121; 

Bolivia   . 

Transatlantic 

1873 

40  ;o 

Macedonia  . 

• 

2272 

Caledonia  
California 

Med.  and  Or. 
« 

1872 
1872 

2125 

•3287 

Olympia  
Roumania 

1872 

2050 
•3  COG 

Castalia  

« 

1873 

220  ) 

Scandinavia 

1865 

ins 

Circassia 

Transatlantic 

4200 

Scotia.  . 

1866 

1  101 

City  of  Rome 

Sidonian 

1870 

I27C 

Columbia  
Devonia 

Med.  and  Or. 
Transatlantic 

1867 

2OOO 
42OO 

Trinacria  .... 
Tyrian  

1871 
1860 

2107 
ICn8 

Dorion 

Med.  and  Or. 

1868 

1018 

Utopia  

1873 

27^1 

Elysia..  . 

« 

1873 

2777 

Victoria  

1872 

•5242 

To  obviate  the  risk  of  collision,  lessen  the  dangers  of  navigation  and 
ensure  fine  weather,  the  owners  of  the  Anchor  Line  have  adopted  Maury's 
system  of  separate  steam  lane  routes  for  their  Atlantic  steamships,  whereby 
the  most  southerly  route  practicable  is  regularly  maintained  throughout  all 
seasons  of  the  year.  . 

The  "  Furnessia,"  the  latest  addition  to  the  fleet,  the  City  of  Rome 
excepted,  was  built  at  Barrow-in-Furness,  Lancashire,  England,  and  was, 
when  launched,  the  largest  vessel  ever  built  in  England  save  the  "  Great 
Eastern."  She  has  since  been  surpassed  by  the  "  City  of  Rome,"  "  Servia," 
etc.  Her  dimensions  are  :  length,  445  feet ;  beam,  44  feet  6  inches  ;  depth 
of  hold,  34  feet  6  inches ;  her  registered  tonnage  is  5,496  ;  gross  tonnage, 
6,500  tons;  and  her  displacement  when  drawing  twenty-six  feet  of  water, 
9,900  tons.  She  is  brig-rigged,  and  has  two  funnels.  Her  engines  are  3  500 
horse-power.  The  diameter  of  the  propeller  is  20  feet  6  inches.  The 
engines,  fitted  with  Rogers'  patent  exhauster,  have  special  fire-engines  and 
emergency  pumps  for  pumping  in  case  of  collision  or  accident.  She  has 
steam  steering-gear,  winches,  cranes,  etc.,  and  her  hull  is  divided  into  nine 
water-tight  compartments.  9 

*  The  date  of  building  is  given  when  known.     Those  whose  date  of  building  is  not  given 
have  been  built  since  1873. 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  345 

The  promenade-deck,  which  stretches  from  nearly  amidships  to  the  stern 
of  the  steamer,  is  surmounted  by  a  deck-house,  of  which  one-half  is  utilized 
as  a  comfortable  smoking-room.  Opposite  the  entrance  to  the  smoking- 
room  is  a  staircase  which  descends  to  the  music-  or  drawing-room  on  the  spar- 
deck.  The  walls  of  this  music-room  are  lined  with  panels  of  walnut  and 
satin-wood.  The  seats  around  the  apartment  are  upholstered  in  brown  morocco, 
and  around  the  staircase  leading  to  the  main-deck  are  ornamental  boxes 
filled  with  exotic  plants.  It  is  also  furnished  with  a  Broadwood  piano  and 
a  Mason  &  Hamliu  organ,  and  a  well-stocked  library.  A  broad,  airy  cor- 
ridor, lighted  and, ventilated  by  skylights  at  frequent  intervals,  leads  from 
the  music-room  aft,  on  either  side  of  which  are  state-rooms  elegantly  and 
comfortably  fitted  up,  having  two  berths  and  a  sofa  in  each.  Descending 
from  the  music-room  by  a  broad  staircase  the  dining-saloon  is  reached.  The 
port-holes  of  this  saloon  are  hid  by  window-frames  with  stained  glass,  and 
the  carpets,  curtains,  and  other  accessories  display  the  taste  and  elegance 
which  are  everywhere  evinced. 

The  dining-saloon  is  heated  by  steam,  furnished  from  two  Baltimore 
heaters  .fitted  into  white  marble  mantels.  A  corridor,  similar  to  that  on  the 
spar-deck,  stretches  from  the  main  saloon  aft,  giving  access  on  both  sides  to 
state-rooms,  which  are  each  fitted  for  the  accommodation  of  four  persons. 
There  are  two  state-cabins  furnished  with  special  magnificence,  which,  in 
place  of  the  ordinary  berths  elsewhere  provided,  are  supplied  with  Parisian 
electro-plated  bedsteads. 

THE  NORTH  GERMAN  LLOYD  STEAMSHIP  COMPANY,  1857,  was  founded 
by  a  number  of  enterprising  business  men  of  the  ancient  and  wealthy  city  of 
Bremen,  a  city  belonging  to  the  so-called  Hansa-Bund,  or  commercial  con- 
federation of  German  free  cities,  whose  merchants  in  the  thirteenth  century 
sent  their  ships  out  over  the  German  Ocean  and  up  the  Baltic,  and  gave  the 
first  incentive  to  the  trade  of  northern  Europe,  which  they  controlled  for 
centuries.  True  to  the  traditions  of  their  forefathers,  the  inaugurators  of 
this  new  line  of  communication  with  the  Western  Hemisphere  determined 
to  offer  to  the  public  in  place  of  the  slow  and  uncertain  sailing-vessels,  by 
which  all  living  and  dead  freight  had  been  forwarded  from  the  port  of 
Bremen,  a  quick,  safe,  and  commodious  fleet  of  steamers. 

The  founders  of  the  line  were  sensible  that,  in  order  to  succeed  in  the 
new  undertaking,  it  would  be  necessary  to  conduct  the  management  with  a 
jealous  regard  for  the  comfort,  safety,  and  well-being  of  the  passengers. 
They  had  to  contend  with  the  prejudice  of  many  who  were  unable  to  com- 
prehend the  grand  revolution  in  ocean  transportation  taking  place,  and  who 
would  not  intrust  their  lives  or  goods  on  these  new-fangled  arrangements 
driven  by  steam  and  moved  by  complicated  machinery,  lia'ble,  as  they  be- 
lieved, to  continual  derangement.  Founded  on  the  maxim  that  that  com- 
pany serves  its  own  interest  best  that  serves  the  public  best,  the  line,  in  spite 
of  the  opposition  of  early  years  and  the  eager  competition  of  later  days, 


346  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

grew  and  prospered.  Up  to  December,  1878,  the  steamers  of  this  company 
had  made  two  thousand  five  hundred  and  fourteen  voyages  across  the  At- 
lantic, and  carried  more  than  six  hundred  and  eighty  thpusand  persons  over 
the  ocean.  Of  this  number  more  than  one  hundred  and  eight  thousand 
were  cabin  passengers,  all  of  whom  were  conducted  safely  and  well  over  its 
stormy  sea.  This  is  a  record  few  steamship  lines  can  equal,  and  that  hardly 
any  can  excel. 

The  transatlantic  steamers  of  this  line,  thirty  in  number,  except  four  built 
on  the  Humber,  were  all  built  on  the  Clyde.  They  are  iron  screw  steamers 
with  flush  decks,  built  according  to  the  English  Lloyd  rule.  Their  length 
on  an  average  is  360  feet;  breadth  of  beam,  40  feet;  and  depth,  32  feet,  the 
length  being  about  nine  times  the  breadth.  Tonnage,  about  3,500  tons, 
They  are  provided  with  iron  decks,  and  seven  water-tight  compartments. 
Their  draught  without  cargo  is  17  feet,  and  with  cargo  21  feet.  They  are 
brig-rigged,  spreading  14,000  square  feet  of  sail,  carry  ten  iron  life-boats,  28 
feet  long,  and  the  other  usual  appliances  for  saving  life.  The  engines  of 
nearly  all  of  these  ships  are  of  the  compound  type.  The  screws  are  of  iron, 
with  four  blades  about  15  feet  in  diameter,  and  with  a  pitch  of  about  24 
feet.  The  larger  steamers  have  twelve  main  boilers,  with  two  furnaces  and 
one  auxiliary,  and  the  average  speed  of  the  mail  steamers,  viz. :  "Neckar," 
"Oder,"  "Mosel,"  "Rhein,"  "Main,"  "Donau,"  "Freser,"  and  "America," 
plying  between  Bremen  and  New  York,  is  stated  as  fourteen  and  one-half 
knots  per  hour. 

A  new  steamer,  called  the  "  Elbe,"  has  been  built  on  the  Clyde  and  placed 
on  the  line  between  Bremen,  Southampton,  and  New  York. 
'  The  "  Elbe"  is  of  5,000  tons  measurement,  and  her  dimensions  are  420 
feet  in  length  by  45  feet  breadth  of  beam,  and  40  feet  depth  of  hold.  She 
is  provided  with  seven  water-tight  compartments,  and  fitted  with  four  masts, 
the  fore  and  main-masts  square-rigged,  and  the  two  mizzen-masts  schooner- 
rigged.  The  upper-deck  fore  and  aft  is  covered  over.  She  has  a  hurricane- 
deck  amidships  180  feet  long,  as  a  promenade-deck  for  first-cabin  passengers, 
on  which  the  ladies'  cabin  is  placed  near  the  mainmast. 

The  "  Elbe"  has  the  most  approved  steam  steering-gear,  operated  from  the 
wheel-house,  which  is  placed  under  the  bridge  and  at  the  forward  end  of  the 
hurricane-deck. 

Her  engines  are  of  6,000  horse-power,  indicated,  and  consist  of  three  cyl- 
inders, the  high-pressure  of  60  inches  diameter,  and  the  two  low-pressure  of 
85  inches  diameter  each,  and  guaranteed  to  obtain  a  speed  of  sixteen  miles 
an  hour.  The  crew  is  160  all  told. 

The  "Mosel,"  from  Southampton  for  New  York,  went  on  shore  near  the 
Lizard  in  a  thick  fog  and  calm,  August  9,  1882,  and  became  a  total  loss, 
breaking  up  about  September  4.  Her  six  or  seven  hundred  passengers 
and  the  mails  were  landed  by  the  steamer  "  Rosetta"  of  Falrnouth  Her 
dimensions  were:  Length,  365  feet;  beam,  40  feet;  depth  of  hold,  35  feet. 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  347 

Her  gross  tonnage  was  3,50.0,  and  her  bunkers  carried  1,000  tons  of  coal. 
She  was  full  brig-rigged,  had  eight  metallic  life-boats  and  two  gigs,  and  her 
decks  were  of  East  India  teak.  Her  original  machinery  was  powerful  and 
fine,  consisting  of  inverted  direct-acting  engines  of  800  horse-power,  nominal r 
with  the  capacity  of  working  up  to  2,500.  She  had  two  cylinder,  72  inches 
in  diameter,  with  5  feet  stroke.  The  boilers  were  six  in  number,  with  four 
furnaces  to  each.  The  "  Mosel"  was  finely  furnished  throughout,  and  could 
accommodate  90  first-class,  126  second-class,  and  680  steerage  passengers, 
and  she  cost  a  little  over  $500,000.  She  was  valued  at  $425,000.  In  Sep- 
tember, 1881,  she  was  repaired  and  refitted  at  an  expense  of  $125,000.  Her 
hurricane-decks  and  turtle-backs  were  renewed,  and  the  second  cabin  was 
removed  to  the  main-deck  forward.  New  engines  were  placed  in  her,  greatly 
exceeding  in  power  her  old  ones.  In  1875  a  memorable  crime  was  com- 
mitted by  a  passenger  on  the  "  Mosel"  while  she  was  lying  in  Bremerhaven. 
A  case  of  dynamite  was  exploded  on  the  wharf,  sixty-eight  persons  being 
killed  and  thirty-three  severely  wounded.  The  vessel  was  but  little  injured. 
The  author  of  the  catastrophe,  W.  H.  Thomassen,  who  had  been  a  blockade 
runner  during  the  American  rebellion,  but  had  latterly  lived  in  Germany, 
was  tried  and  legally  put  to  death. 

THE  LEYLAND  LINE. — This  line  has  a  large  fleet,  all  of  which,  except 
the  Boston  steamships,  run  to  Mediterranean  ports,  for  which  there  are  four 
departures  a  week.  The  steamers  of  this  line  bear  names  ending  with  the 
letter  "n,"  and  have  the  further  peculiarity  of  being  ranged -in  classes  ac- 
cording to  the  letters  with  which  their  names  begin,  the  names  of  sister 
ships  always  beginning  with  the  same  letter.  Thus,  the  steamers  of  the 
Boston  service  are  always  spoken  of  as  the  "  B's"  and  the  "  I's," — the  "  Ba- 
varian," "  Batavian,"  "Bohemian,"  and  the  "  Istrien,"  "  Illyrien,"  and 
"  Iberien." 

The  "Flavian,"  repaired  in  Boston,  replaced  the  "Bohemian,"  lost,  in 
the  Boston  service  of  the  company.  The  disaster  which  overtook  her  ob- 
liged the  giving  up  temporarily  of  a  projected  line  to  Baltimore.  She  is 
different  from  the  regular  boats  of  the  line  running  to  Boston,  being  smaller 
and  shorter  than  the  large  four-masters,  of  lighter  draught,  and  of  greater 
beam  in  proportion  to  her  length,  which  is  335  feet.  She  has  only  two- 
masts.  Her  tonnage  is  about  1,400  by  measurement.  She  is  finely  fitted, 
and  has  comfortable  quarters  for  officers  and  crew.  She  was  built  at 
Jarrow-on-Tyne,  a  name  hardly  known  this  side  of  the  Atlantic,  but  which 
has  the  greatest  iron  ship-building  yard  in  the  world.  It  employs  seven- 
thousand  men,  and  everything  is  done  on  the  premises.  The  iron  is  taken 
from  the  company's  mines  three  miles  up  the  river,  enters  the  yard  as  crude 
ore,  and  leaves  it  a  complete  steamship.  The  coal  is  mined  in  the  yard.  At 
Jarrow  there  are  three  monster  steamers  building  specially  for  the  Boston 
service  of  the  Leyland  Line,  and  they  will  propably  begin  running  in  the 
autumn  of  1882.  Two  are  called  the  "Virginian"  and  the  "  Valencian  •;"" 


348 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 


the  third  will  have  a  name  beginning  with  V.  The  three  "  V's"  will  be 
steamers  of  5,000  tons  and  about  500  feet  long,  much  larger  than  any  of  the 
the  present  boats,  but  resembling  them  in  build. 

The  steamer  "Bohemian"  was  wrecked  in  Dunlough  Bay,  February  6, 
1881.  She  sailed  from  Boston  on  January  27,  1881,  for  Liverpool,  and 
went  ashore  on  the  Irish  coast  during  a  dreadful  storm.  Thirty-two  of  those 
on  board  were  drowned,  and  twenty-one  of  the  crew,  including  the  second 
officer,  saved.  Another  survivor  was  seen  on  a  rock,  separated  from  the 
mainland,  but  all  efforts  to  rescue  him  failed.  Two  life-boats  were  capsized 
in  the  attempt. 

The  "  Bohemian"  was  fifteen  years  old,  and  had  been  on  the  Leyland 
Line  five  years. 

THE  COMPANY  GENERALE  TRANSATLANTIQUE,  1862. — This  company, 
established  in  1862,  maintains  a  regular  line  between  Havre  and  New  York. 
It  receives  a  subsidy  from  the  French  government  for  its  West  India  and 
New  York  and  Havre  lines;  other  independent  services  are  not  subsidized. 
In  1880  a  contract  was  entered  into  between  the  company  and  the  French 
Government  for  its  line  between  Marseilles,  Algerian,  and  Tunisian  ports, 
and  a  small  subsidy  granted. 

The  company  has  lately  added  to  its  lines  a  new  weekly  line  from  Mar- 
seilles to  Genoa,  Leghorn,  Naples,  Messina,  Syracuse,  Malta,  etc. 

The  following  table  shows  the  fleet  of  the  company,  1881: 


FOR   THE    ATLANTIC. 

FOR   THE   MEDITERRANEAN. 

Tonnage. 

Horse-power. 

Tonnage. 

Horse-power. 

Amerique, 

4,5°° 

900 

Moi'se,    . 

,800 

45° 

France,  . 

4,5oo 

900 

Saint-Augustin, 

,800 

45° 

Labrador, 

4,50° 

900 

Isaac  Pereire,  . 

,800 

45° 

Canada, 

4,500 

900 

Abd-el-Kader, 

,800 

450 

Saint-Germain 

3,650 

850 

Charles-Quint, 

,800 

45° 

Pereire,  . 

3,300 

900 

Ville  de  Madrid,     . 

,800 

45° 

Saint-Laurent 

3,4oo 

900 

Ville  de  Barcelona, 

,800 

450 

Ville  de  Paris, 

3,3oo 

900 

Kleber,  . 

,800 

45° 

Lafayette, 

3,400 

800 

Ville  d'Oran   . 

,800 

450 

Washington,  . 

3,400 

800 

Ville  de  Bone, 

,800 

45° 

Olinde-Rodrigues,  . 

3,000 

660 

Afrique, 

800 

250 

Saint-Simon,  .         . 

3,000 

660 

Ajaccio,  . 

800 

250 

Ferdinand  de  Les- 

Bastia,    . 

800 

250 

seps,  . 

3,000 

660 

•  Corse,     . 

800 

250 

Ville  de  Marseille, 

3,000 

660 

Immaculee  -  Concep 

- 

Ville  de  Bordeaux, 

2,600 

660 

tion,   . 

800 

250 

Ville  de  Brest, 

2,600 

660 

Lou-Cettori,    . 

800 

250 

Ville  de  Saint-Na- 

Marechal  Canrobert, 

800 

250 

zaire,  . 

2,600 

660 

Mohammed  -  el  -  Sa- 

Colombie, 

2,800 

660 

deck,  . 

800 

250. 

Caldera, 

2,800 

660 

Malvina, 

800 

250 

Salvador, 

900 

250 

Manoubia, 

600     • 

200 

HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 


349 


FOR  THE  ATLANTIC.  {Continued.} 

FOR   THE   MEDITERRANEAN. 

{Continued.} 

Tonnage. 

Horse-power. 

Tonnage. 

Horse-power. 

Saint-Domingue, 

800 

250 

Ville  de  Tange'r 

600 

200 

Venezuela, 

800 

250 

Dragut,  . 

500 

ISO 

Alice,    . 

.        800     . 

IOO 

Mustapha-ben-Ismai'l,      500 

150 

Caravelle,  .     . 

700 

250 

La  Vallete,     . 

500 

150 

Colomba, 

600 

200 

Insulaire, 

400 

'SO 

Carai'be,      '    . 

600 

r«5 

TUG. 

"Belle  Isle,      . 

150 

IOO 

RESERVES. 

TRANSPORT   STEAMERS. 

Guadeloupe,    . 

1,  600 

400 

Bixio,    . 

.       2,280 

250 

Desirade, 

1,400 

400 

Flachat, 

.      2,280 

250 

Le  Chatelier, 

.       2,227 

.250 

Fournel, 
Clapeyron, 

.       2,OOO 
.       IJ60 

250 

180 

SHIPS 

BUILDING. 

Provincia, 

.       1,700 

1  80 

Ville  de  Rome, 

1,  800 

45» 

Martinique,    . 

.       1,  600 

200 

Ville  de  Naples,      . 

1,  800 

45° 

Picardie,        .     . 

.       1,500 

200 

Ville  de  New  York. 

The  "  Ville  de  New  York,"  now  building  at  Barrow-in-Furness '  for  the 
Company,  is  to  be  the  largest  steamship  that  has  entered  the  port  of  Havre. 
According  to  the  plans,  her  length  between  perpendiculars  will  be  460 
feet ;  depth  of  hold,  from  bottom  of  keel  to  spar-deck,  37  feet  6  inches. 
Her  beam  is  to  be  proportioned  with  her  draught,  which  cannot  exceed  23 
feet  in  depth  on  account  of  the  bar  or  entrance  on  the  river  Seine,  and  its 
breadth  is  to  be  50  feet.  In  her  length  she  is  to  be  divided  into  ten  water- 
tight compartments,  two  of  which  will  be  occupied  by  the  boilers,  which 
can  be  separated  in  case  of  emergency.  One-half  of  the  boiler-power  can 
be  used  without  stopping  the  vessel,  and  will  give  a  speed  of  almost  eleven 
knots.  A  water-tight  bottom,  which  is  to  extend  her  whole  length,  can  also 
be  used  for  ballasting  the  vessel  and  giving  her  uniform  draught,  and  a 
system  of  pumps  worked  by  steam  will  insure  her  speedy  and  adequate 
drainage.  The  "  Ville  de  New  York  "  will  have  four  masts  and  two  smoke- 
stacks. She  will  have  all  the  latest  improvements  and  most  recently 
devised  accommodations. 

There  are  to  be  four  decks  and  a  promenade-deck  extending  alongside  on 
top  of  the  main-deck,  and  supported  forward  by  stanchions.  -  This  one  will 
be  entirely  reserved  for  the  first  and  second-class  passengers.  No  sailors 
will  be  permitted  on  it,  as  all  their  work  will  be  done  on  the  deck  below, 
which  is  also  to  be  used  by  the  third-class  passengers.  Forward  and  aft  on 
the  promenade-deck  there  are  to  be  two  turrets,  which  will  contain  the 
signal-fire  and  the  double  foot-bridge  for  the  officers  on  watch.  The  pilot- 
house, which  is  to  be  fitted  with  steam  steering-gear,  and  the  captain's  house 
will  be  located  here  too.  The  arrangements  for  the  crew  will  be  such  that 


350  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

every  department  will  do  its  work  without  interfering  with  the  passengers. 
The  officers'  rooms  will  be  situated  forward  under  cover,  so  as  to  be  con- 
venient to  the  bridge,  where  they  have  to  be  on  watch,  and  the  engineers' 
berths  are  to  be  arranged  around  the  engine-room,  so  that  they  may  not  be 
obliged  to  go  on  deck.  . 

The  first-class  passengers'  saloon  and  cabins  will  be  in  the  centre  of  the 
vessel,  forward  of  the  machinery,  where  the  pitching  is  felt  least.  Twenty- 
four  of  the  cabins  will  contain  single  berths,  and  have  skylights  for  admit- 
ting air  in  all  weathers.  All  will  be  lighted  by  means  of  electricity.  The 
second-class  passengers  are  to  be  located  aft  of  the  machinery,  and  third- 
class  at  the  end  of  the  first-class  cabins,  between  decks.  Splendidly  fur- 
nished dining-rooms,  saloons  and  reading-rooms  will  form  one  of  the  vessel's 
attractions,  and  there  will  be  a  system  of  baths  and  all  arrangements  likely 
to  contribute  to  comfort. 

The  machinery  will  be  compound,  with  cylinders  set  one  above  the  other. 
Each  of  the  three  compound  engines  will  have  its  own  crank-shaft  and  con- 
denser. The  air  and  circulating  pumps  will  be  independent.  The  six 
cylinders  will  have  a  stroke  of  5  feet  7  inches.  The  diameter  of  high- 
pressure  cylinders  will  be  35?  inches,  and  that  of  the  low-pressure  cylinders 
75  inches.  The  whole  condensing  surface  will  be  10,300  feet,  and  every  one 
of  the  circulating  pumps  will  be  able  to  supply  at  full  speed  250  gallons  of 
water  per  second. 

The  boilers  supplying  the  steam  to  the  main  engine  will  have  in  all  36 
furnaces,  with  a  fire  surface  of  21,600  square  feet;  besides,  there  will  be  a 
large  donkey  boiler,  with  two  furnaces  having  550  square  feet  of  fire  surface, 
for  supplying  steam  to  the  hoisting  engines,  donkey-pumps,  and  other  steam 
apparatus.  The  main  boilers  will  carry  a  steam-pressure  of  90  pounds  per 
square  inch,  and  the  power  of  the  engines,  it  is  claimed,  can  be  estimated  at 
7,000  horse-power  on  trial,  giving  a  speed  of  16i  knots. 

THE  NATIONAL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANY,  1863. — The  year  in  which  this 
line,  between  Boston,  New  York  and  Liverpool,  was  started  was  a  most  un- 
promising one  for  the  inauguration  of  such  a  commercial  enterprise,  as  it  was 
the  year  in  which  commercial  men  in  the  Northern  States  were  distracted 
with  apprehensions  for  the  future  of  the  Union,  and  when  trade,  except  in 
war  material,  was  practically  at  a  stand-still.  Such  was  the  period,  how- 
ever, chosen  by  a  little  knot  of  far-seeing  commercial  men  in  Liverpool  for 
commencing  the  operations  of  the  National  Steamship  Company.  They 
have  been  more  than  justified  by  the  result,  and  their  success  is  at  once  a 
testimony  to  their  pluck  and  commercial  foresight. 

The  National  Steamship  Company  was  the  first  and  for  some  years  the 
only  steamship  company  trading  across  the  Atlantic  between  Liverpool  and 
the  United  States,  established  upon  the  principle  of  a  limited  activity, 
that  is  to  maintain  the  reputation  of  its  steamers  for  safety,  and  such  expedi- 
tion on  the  voyage  as  is  consistent  with  safe  navigation.  And  as  an  additional 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  351 

guarantee  for  safety,  the  company  takes  upon  itself  the  entire  insurance  of 
each  of  its  steamers,  and  a  considerable  sum  per  annum  is  distributed  be- 
tween the  captain  and  officers  of  each  steamer,  as  a  bonus,  provided  that 
their  vessel  is  navigated  free  of  accident.  The  efficacy  of  these  regulations 
is  proved  by  the  fact  that  although  the  National  Line  has  carried  nearly 
650,000  passengers,  not  a  single  passenger  has  been  lost  from  accident  of 
the  seas,  and  though  it  was  started  with  a  capital  of  £700,000,  in  one  of  its 
recent  years  its  gross  earnings  exceeded  that  amount,  and  it  has  not  only 
paid  good  dividends  during  the  years  of  its  existence,  but  'has  accumu- 
lated an  insurance  fund  of  over  £200,000,  while  its  property  in  1877  was 
valued  at  £1,200,000,  and  must  now  have  increased  to  more  than  double 
the  original  capital.  From  the  start  the  directors  had  to  face  the  fact  that 
it  could  expect  no  assistance  from  mail  subsidies,  and  that  it  had  to  compete 
with  formidable  rivals.  It  was  necessary,  therefore,  that  it  should  strike 
out  a  line  for  itself,  and  it  was  decided  that  the  line  should  consist  of  ships 
not  built  for  great  speed,  but  capable  of  carrying  large  cargoes  without  in- 
terfering with  comfortable  arrangements  for  passengers.  This  was  the 
model  adopted,  and  experience  has  shown  that  the  policy  of  the  company 
was  a  wise  one.  The  result  is  that  to-day  the  vessels  of  the  National  Com- 
pany are  among  the  largest  engaged  in  the  transatlantic  traffic. 

The  company  commenced  its  operations  in  1863  with  three  of  the  largest 
vessels  then  afloat,  viz.,  the  iron  screw  steamships  "  Louisiana,"  "Virginia," 
and  "  Pennsylvania"  respectively,  of  a  gross  tonnage,  one  of  3,000  and  two  of 
3,500  tons  each.  The  following  year  the  fleet  was  increased  to  six  vessels 
by  the  addition  of  the  "  Erin,"  "  Queen,"  and  "  Helvetia,"  each  of  a  larger 
tonnage  than  the  pioneer  vessels,  with  which  number  a  weekly  service  was 
commenced.  After  two  years'  trading  this  fleet  proved  insufficient,  and  two 
other  vessels — the  "  England,"  of  4,900  tons  and  600  horse-power,  and  the 
"  Denmark,"  of  3,724  tons  and  350  horse-power — was  added  to  the  line  in 
1865.  In  1868  the  "  Italy,"  of  4,169  tons  and  500  horse-power,  built  and 
engined  by  Messrs.  John  Elder,  of  Glasgow,  became  one  of  the  National 
liners.  It  should  be  mentioned  that  the  "  Italy"  was  the  first  Atlantic  steam- 
ship in  which  engines  upon  the  compound  principle  were  used.  In  1869  the 
"  Holland,"  of  3,847  tons  and  350  horse-power,  was  added  to  the  line.  The 
company  signalized  its  increasing  prosperity  in  the  year  1871,  by  adding  to 
the  line  two  of  the  largest  steamships  then  afloat  (the  "  Great  Eastern"  ex- 
cepted)  in  the  "  Egypt,"  of  4,670  tons,  and  the  "  Spain,"  of  4,512  tons.  The 
"  Egypt"  is  455  feeX  long  and  44  feet  beam,  and  the  "Spain,"  440  feet  long 
and  43  feet  beam.  Each  of  these  vessels  has  frequently  made  the  passage 
from  Queenstown  to  Sandy  Hook  in  nine  days.  In  1872  the  "  Canada,"  of 
4,276  tons,  and  the  "Greece,"  of  4,310,  were  added  to  the  line.  At  the 
present  time  (1882)  its  fleet  consists  of  the  following  vessels: 


352 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 


NAME. 

Built. 

H.  P. 

Tons. 
1 

NAME. 

Built. 

H.P. 

Tons. 

Spain           ..             

1871 

600 

4,871 

Canada  

1872 

45° 

4,276 

Egypt  . 

1871 

600 

5,089  i 

Greece  

1872 

45° 

4>310 

1865 

600 

4,900  ! 

1866 

4^f) 

4,281 

The  Queen 

1864 

4^O 

4,471  ; 

Holland  

1869 

3r° 

3,847 

1864 

t;oo 

4,^88 

1865 

T>o 

7,724 

Erin 

1864 

qoo 

4,07  i 

Italy... 
7 

1868 

500 

4,341 

Comprising  twelve  of  the  largest  steamers  (belonging  to  one  company)  in 
the  Atlantic  passenger  service,  capable  of  accommodating  1,200  cabin  and 
15,000  steerage  passengers.  With  this  fleet  a  weekly  service  is  maintained, 
one  vessel  starting  from  Liverpool  every  Wednesday  and  another  for  New 
York  every  Saturday.  In  addition  there  is  a  special  weekly  service  main- 
tained between  London  and  New  York,  in  which  six  vessels  of  the  company 
are  engaged. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  Abyssinian  campaign  the  "  England"  and  "  Queen" 
were  chartered  by  the  government  as  transports,  and  continued  in  service 
until  the  close  of  the  campaign.  They  made  the  shortest  run  of  any  of  the 
transports  between  Liverpool  and  Bombay,  and  the  "  Queen"  steamed  home 
from  Bombay  to  Liverpool,  by  way  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  in  forty-nine 
days,  which  was  claimed  as  the  shortest  time  ever  made  by  that  route. 

Four  of  the  company's  steamships — the  "Egypt,"  "Spain,"  "England," 
and  "  France" — were  engaged  in  the  year  1879  to  convey  troops  to  South 
Africa,  and  the  present  year  the  "Holland,"  "France,"  "Italy,"  and 
"  Greece"  were  employed  to  take  troops  to  Egypt.  The  "  Holland"  sailed 
from  London  on  the  1st  of  August  with  a  portion  of  the  Household  cavalry, 
and  by  special  request  of  Her  Majesty  passed  inside  the  Isle  of  Wight,  and 
she  was  visited  by  the  Prince  and  Princess^of  Wales  and  their  daughters, 
who  boarded  her  from  the  Royal  yacht  "  Osborne." 

On  the  9th  the  "  Greece,"  commanded  by  Captain  W.  Pearce,  sailed  from 
Southampton,  having  had  the  honor  of  receiving  four  royal  visits  during 
the  day.  She  had  on  board  246  horses  and  about  300  officers  and  men  of 
the  5th  Dragoon  Guards,  under  the  command  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Pope. 
The  first  distinguished  visitor  to  arrive  on  board  the  steamer  was  Prince 
Edward  of  Saxe- Weimar,  who,  with  his  suite,  made  a  careful  inspection  of 
the  vessel  and  the  arrangements  for  the  accommodation  of  the  troops,  and 
expressed  themselves  highly  satisfied.  Shortly  afterwards  his  Royal  High- 
ness the  Duke  of  Cambridge  and  suite  paid  a  visit  to  the  "  Greece,"  and 
after  a  thoroughly  official  examination  of  the  provision  made  for  the 
officers,  men  and  horses,  expressed  the  greatest  satisfaction.  About  three 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  Prince  and  Princess  of  Wales,  accompanied  by 
the  three  Princesses,  Louise,  Victoria,  and  Maud,  and  the  two  royal  middies, 
Prince  Albert  Victor  and  Prince  George  of  Wales  (just  returned  from  their 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NA  VI  GAT  I  ON.  353 

two  years'  cruise  round  the  world),  and  Miss  Kuollys,  went  on  board  the 
"  Greece,"  inspecting  with  much  interest  every  portion  of  the  fine  vessel, 
their  examination  even  extending  to  the  lower  decks  of  the  vessel,  where  the 
horses  are  carried.  The  Princess  of  Wales  was  most  particular  in  examin- 
ing minutely  all  the  fitting  and  accommodation  for  the  men  and  horses,  and 
was  especially  enthusiastic  in  her  commendation  of  the  arrangements  of  the 
vessel.  Immediately  after  their  departure  the  royal  yacht  "  Alberta  "  was 
sighted,  and  Her  Majesty  the  Queen,  arriving  from  Osborne  House,  accom- 
panied by  the  Princess  Beatrice,  the  Duchess  of  Con  naught,  and  attended 
by  several  ladies,  was  received  on  board  the  "Greece"  by  Admiral  Ryder 
and  Captain  Brookes.  The  Queen,  who  evinced  the  liveliest  interest  in  the 
fitting  out  of  the  transport,  was  much  pleased  with  her  visit,  and  before 
Her  Majesty  left  the  steamer,  several  officers  who  were  going  on  active 
service  in  the  East  were  presented  to  her  in  the  saloon. 

The  steamships  of  this-  line  have  been  constructed  by  the  most  celebrated 
builders  in  Great  Britain,  and  are  of  great  strength  and  power  and  of 
beautiful  model,  enabling  them  to  make  regular  passages  in  all  kinds  of 
weather.  They  are  built  entirely  of  iron  and  steel  (except  the  merely 
decorative  parts),  and  divided  into  water-tight  and  fire-proof  compartments, 
with  steam  pumping,  hoisting,  and  steering-gear,  and  provided  with  fire 
extinguishers,  improved  sounding  apparatus,  and  generally  found  through- 
out in  everything  calculated  to  add  to  their  safety,  and  to  the  comfort  and 
convenience  of  passengers,  heretofore  unattained  at  sea. 

The  saloons  are  some  of  them  150  feet  in  length,  and  are  particularly 
well  lighted  and  ventilated.  The  state-rooms,  all  on  the  main-deck,  are 
exceptionally  large,  light,  and  airy,  and  are  furnished  throughout  with 
every  requisite  to  make  the  ocean  passage  a  comfortable  and  easy  one. 
Pianos,  ladies'  saloons,  both  on  deck  and  below ;  gentlemen's  smoking-room, 
and  ladies'  and  gentlemen's  bath-rooms,  are  provided.  The  cuisine  is  of  the 
very  highest  order. 

Special  attention  has  been  given  in  the  construction  of  the  steamers  to 
provide  for  the  comfort  of  steerage  passengers,  the  accommodation  being 
unsurpassed  for  airiness  and  room,  light,  good  ventilation,  and  general 
arrangements. 

The  steamers  have  covered-in  decks  over  their  whole  length,  allowing 
passengers  in  good  weather  an  unobstructed  length  of  promenade,  and 
affording  in  bad  weather  a  complete  protection  from  wet  and  exposure, 
while  allowing  spacious  room  for  exercise.  The  deck  space  is  over  400  feet 
in  length,  and  from  42  to  45  feet  wide. 

The  sleeping  apartments  are  well  'lighted,  warmed,  and  comfortable,  the 
height  between  decks  being  greater  than  in  most  steamers.  Married 
couples,  with  their  young  children,  are  berthed  by  themselves ;  single  men 
and  women  in  separate  rooms,  apart  from  each  other.  During  the  day  all 
can  associate  together  and  mess  at  the  same  table.  Stewardesses  are  in 

23 


354  H1STOR  Y  OF  STEAM  A  A  VIOA  TION. 

attendance  on  women  and  children.     Medicine  and  medical  attendance  free 
to  every  passenger. 

From  the  beginning  of  its  operations  it  has  been  the  settled  practice  of 
the  company  to  make  the  safety  of  the  passengers  its  first  consideration, 
and  the  speed  of  the  passage  the  second.  It  is  the  uniform  practice  of  the 
managers  to  require  from  each  captain  a  sailing  chart,  showing  his  course 
out  and  home,  the  instructions  being  that  he  is  never  to  go  higher  than  a 
certain  line  of  latitude  with  the  idea  of  getting  a  shorter  sailing  line.  These 
charts  are  regularly  examined  and  filed.  The  articles  in  the  Company's 
Book  of  Instructions  on  these  matters  are  as  follows  :  "  During  the  ice 
months,  that  is  to  say,  from  the  1st  of  February  until  the  31st  of  August, 
inclusive^  the  commanders  will  shape  their  courses  so  far  south  as  wHl  in 
their  judgments  avoid  danger  from  field  ice-bergs.  Between  the  above 
dates  they  are  not  to  cross  the  region  of  the  banks  higher  than  43°  North 
Latitude  on  the  outward  passages  (easterly),  and  not  higher  than  42° 
North  Latitude  on  the  homeward  (westerly)  passages.  From  the  1st  of 
September  until  the  31st  of  January,  inclusive,  the  banks  are  to  be  crossed 
at  a  safe  distance  south  of  the  Virgin  rocks. 

"  The  commanders,  while  using  every  diligence  to  secure  a  speedy  voyage, 
are  prohibited  from  running  any  risk  whatever  that  might  result  in  acci- 
dent to  their  ships.  They  must  ever  bear  in  mind  that  the  safety  of  the 
ships  and  the  lives  and  property  on  board  is  to  be  the  ruling  principle  that 
shall  govern  them  in  the  navigation  of  their  ships,  and  no  supposed  gain  in 
expedition  or  saving  of  time  on  the  voyage  is  to  be  purchased  at  the  risk  of 
accidents.  The  Company  desires  to  establish  and  maintain  the  reputation 
of  the  steamers  for  safety,  and  expect  such  expedition  on  their  voyage  as  is 
consistent  with  safe  navigation." 

From  the  soundness  of  the  positions  it  has  taken  and  the  policy  it  has 
pursued,  it  is  not  too  much  to  prophesy  from  its  past  an  equally  prosperous 
future. 

THE  WILLIAMS  &  GUION  LINE,  1866. — This  line  was  established  in  Au- 
gust, 1866.  It  was  originally  the  Black  Star  Line  of  packet-ships,  which 
were  run  from  Liverpool  to  New  York  for  twenty-four  years,  carrying  some 
sixty  thousand  passengers  yearly,  and  never  losing  a  ship  or  a  life  by  acci- 
dent. From  1866,  when  the  steamship  line  was  established,  to  1873  the  line 
run  six  steamers,  each  making  eight  round  trips  per  year,  carrying,  on  an 
average,  six  hundred  passengers  to  New  York  and  one  hundred  from  New 
York  each  trip,  making  seven  hundred  passengers  per  round  trip,  or  a  total 
per  year  of  thirty-three  thousand  six  hundred,  and  a  grand  total  of  pas- 
sengers, between  1866  and  1873,  of  fully  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand. 
In  January,  1868,  the  "  Chicago,"  of  this  line,  ran  ashore  near  Queenstown 
and  became  a  total  wreck,  all  hands  being  saved.  Since  then  the  "  Col- 
orado" was  run  into  in  the  Mersey,  and  six  passengers  jumped  overboard  and 
were  drowned.  All  the  others  were  saved. 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VI G  A  TION.  355 

In  August,  1866,  the  iron  screw  steamer  "Manhattan"  sailed  from  Liver- 
pool for  New  York,  being  the  pioneer  of  the  company's  new  fleet.  The 
"  Minnesota,"  "Nebraska,"  "  Colorado,"  "  Idaho,"  "  Nevada,"  "  Wisconsin," 
and  "  Wyoming,"  named  for  the  States  and  Territories  of  the  Union,  each 
of  about  three  thousand  tons,  and  built  of  iron  specially  for  the  line,  followed 
in  rapid  succession.  In  1873  the  "  Montana,"  of  three  thousand  five  hun- 
dred tons,  was  added,  and  in  1874  the  "  Dakota,"  a  sister  ship.  The  incor- 
porate name  of  the  company  is  the  "Liverpool  and  Great  Western  Steam- 
ship Company,"  but  it  is  best  known  as  the  "  Guion  Line." 

The  "Alaska,"  the  latest  addition  to  the  Guion  Line,  arrived  in  New  York 
on  her  first  trip,  after  a  prolonged  and  stormy  passage,  on  the  afternoon  of 
November  — ,  having  left  Queenstown  Tuesday,  November  1,  during  a 
severe  storm,  which  during  the  night  turned  into  a  complete  hurricane. 
The  steam  steering-gear  gave  way,  as  also  did  the  hand-gear,  which  com- 
pelled a -stop  for  ten  hours  to  repair  the  damage.  The  next  day  a  small 
steam-pipe  broke,  which  filled  the  engine-room  with  steam  and  obliged  the 
engineers  to  leave  their  posts  and  put  out  the  fires.  It  was  only  a  water- 
pipe  used  to  lessen  the  noise  of  escaping  steam,  but  it  caused  great  incon- 
venience and  obliged  them  to  work  up  to  sixty-five  pounds  of  steam  only, 
when  the  vessel  is  capable  of  working  under  one  hundred.  An  average  of 
sixteen  knots  an  hour  was  made,  but  it  is  expected  the  "Alaska"  will  make 
regularly  eighteen  and  one-half  knots  an  hour  and  record  four  hundred  and 
forty  miles  a  day.  She  made  four  hundred  and  two  miles  one  day  with  only 
sixty-five  pounds  of  steam. 

Mr.  Guion,  accompanied  by  a  number  of  personal  friends  and  members 
of  the  press,  went  down  the  bay  in  a  special  tender  to  meet  the  steamship. 
When  the  tender  was  off  Staten  Island  the  huge  ship  was  sighted  steaming 
through  the  Narrows  decked  gayly  with  flags,  floating  the  national  ensign 
at  the  fore  and  the  flag  of  the  royal  naval  reserve  at  the  stern.  When  off 
quarantine  the  "Alaska"  dropped  her  anchor,  and  the  health-officer,  with 
those  who  had  gone  down  to  inspect  her,  went  on  board. 

As  the  vessel  lay  at  anchor  in  the  stream  she  presented  a  fine  appearance, 
but  only  when  on  board  of  her  could  one  get  an  idea  of  her  size.  The  prin- 
cipal dimensions  of  the  "Alaska"  are :  Length,  526  feet ;  breadth,  50  feet  6 
inches ;  depth,  40  feet  7  inches  to  upper-deck,  or  48  feet  7  inches  to  prom- 
enade-deck. Her  gross  tonnage  is  8,004)  tons.  The  engines  are  of  the  com- 
pound inverted,  direct-acting  three-cylinder  type.  The  high-pressure  cyl 
iuder  68-inch  diameter,  and  the  two-ton  pressure  cylinders  100  inches  diam- 
eter each,  with  a  stroke  of  6  feet.  Steam  is  supplied  by  boilers  of  the  usual 
cylindrical  form  at  a  pressure  of  100  pounds.  The  indicated  horse-power  is 
about  1,000.  The  "Alaska"  has  two  smoke-stacks  and  four  masts,  barque- 
rigged.  There  are  altogether  seven  decks.  The  first,  or  promenade-deck, 
extends  the  whole  length  and  breadth  of  the  vessel,  excepting  the  parts  in 
the  bow  and  stern* forming  the  "turtle."  The  second  deck  is  an  open  one. 


356  HISTOR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIOA  TION. 

Along  the  sides  of  the  vessel,  and  along  the  middle  are  the  quarters  for  the 
officers  and  engineers  and  a  number  of  state-rooms  for  intermediate  passen- 
gers. In  the  third  or  main-deck  accommodations  are  provided  for  three 
hundred  and  forty  first-class,  sixty  second-class,  and  one  hundred  and  eigh- 
teen steerage  passengers.  This  deck,  amidships,  is  taken  up  entirely  by  the 
state-rooms  and  dining-saloons  for  first-class  passengers.  The  entrance  to 
the  main  saloon  is  by  a  spacious  stairway  from  the  second  deck,  and  is 
handsomely  arranged.  The  main  saloon  is  50  feet  wide  and  64  feet  long, 
and  has  a  seating  capacity  for  280  people.  The  ceiling  is  9  feet  high,  but  a 
cupola  of  stained  glass,  23  feet  long  and  15  feet  wide,  makes  the  centre  of 
the  main  saloon  20  feet  high.  The  sides  of  the  saloon  are  finished  in  hard 
woods,  with  panels  of  maple,  teak,  satin,  and  oak  inlaid.  The  upholstery  is 
in  blue  Utrecht  velvet.  Near  the  saloon  is  the  ladies'  cabin,  upholstered 
with  rich  brocaded  tapestry,  with  sofas  well  arranged  for  comfort  and  ease. 
Communicating  with  this  room  are  the  ladies'  bath-rooms,  which  are  com- 
plete in  every  particular.  The  main  saloon  and  smoking-room  is  28  feet 
wide  and  24  four  feet  long.  It  is  floored  in  parquetry.  There  are  four 
bath-rooms  on  the  main-deck,  as  well  as  lavatories  at  convenient  places. 
The  fourth  deck  is  devoted  to  steerage  passengers,  and  will  accommodate 
one  thousand  persons.  The  fifth  deck  is  used  entirely  for  cargo.  The 
"Alaska"  is  fitted  with  steam-windlass,  steam  steering-gear,  steam-winches, 
and  all  the  most  improved  appliances  for  navigation  and  for  promoting  the 
comfort  of  the  passengers.  There  are  electric  bells  communicating  with  the 
chief  steward's  office  throughout  the  ship,  and  she  is  fitted  with  Swan's 
electric  lights. 

THE  OLD  DOMINION  STEAMSHIP  COMPANY  (1867)  succeeded  the  N.  Y. 
and  Va.  S.  S.  Co.,  which  ran  the  route  previous  to  the  Civil  War. 

The  service  of  the  Old  Dominion  Steamship  Company  now  embraces  the 
following  lines  of  passenger  travel :  Main  Line — New  York  to  Norfolk, 
.Portsmouth,  Newport  News,  Petersburg  and  Richmond,  Va.-  Norfolk 
Division — Norfolk  to  Old  Point  Comfort  (Fortress  Monroe),  Hampton, 
Newport  News,  Smithfield,  York-town,  Matthews,  Gloucester,  and  Cherr^r- 
stone,  Va.  North  Carolina  Division — Elizabeth  City  to  Washington,  South 
Creek,  Makeley's,  Newberne,  and  Eiverdale,  N.  C. ;  Washington,  N.  C.,  to 
Greenville  and  Tarboro,  N.  C.,  etc.  Delaware  Division — New  York  to 
Lewes,  Delaware ;  Franklin  City,0Va.,  to  Chiucoteague,  Va.,  etc.  West 
Point  Division— New  York  to  West  Point,  Va. ;  freight  only. 

The  line  commenced  with  three  steamers  of  less  than  3,000  tons  burthen 
combined.  The  following  named  are  its  present  fleet : ' 

The  "  Roanoke,"  iron  propeller,  freight  and  passengers,  2,354  tons,  New 
York. 

The  "  Guyandotte,"  iron  propeller,  of  the  same  class  and  build  as  the 
"  Roanoke." 


HISTOR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  357 

The  "  Old  Dominion,"  iron  side-wheel  steamship,  freight  and  passengers, 
2,222  tons. 

The  "  Wyanoke,"  iron  side-wheel  steamship,  freight  and  passengers,  2,068 
tons. 

The  "Richmond,"  iron  propeller,  freight  and  passengers,  1,436  tons. 

The  "  Manhattan,"  iron  propeller,  freight  and  passengers,  1,400  tons. 

The  "  Breakwater,"  iron  propeller,  freight  and  passengers,  1,110  tons. 

The  "  Rapidan,"  wooden  side-wheel,  freight,  868  tons. 

Steamer  "  Widgeon,"  Swift,  master. 

Steamer  "  Transfer." 

The  "  Northampton,"  wooden  side-wheel,  freight  and  passengers,  600  tons. 

The  "  Accomack,"  wooden  side-wheel,  freight  and  passengers,  434  tons. 

The  "  Shenandoah',"  wooden  side-wheel. 

The  "  Luray,"  wooden  side-wheel. 

The  "  Newberne,"  iron  propeller,  freight  and  passengers,  400  tons. 

The  "  Pamlico,"  wooden  propeller,  252  tons. 

And  about  2,000  tons  in  barges,  propellers,  lighters,  etc.,  or  about  20,000 
tons  in  all. 

The  passenger  accommodations  of  the  Old  Dominion  steamships  are  of 
the  most  comfortable  and  superb  character ;  the  saloons  are  substantially 
and  elegantly  furnished,  the  tables  well  supplied,  and  in  fact  they  are  want- 
ing in  nothing  calculated  to  make  a  trip  upon  them  desirable  and  pleasant. 
During  the  Company's  career  of  fifteen  years  not  a  single  life  entrusted  to  its 
care  has  been  lost.  Through  the  worst  storms  and  series  of  marine  disasters 
these  steamships  have  always  passed  in  perfect  safety. 

The  movement  of  freights  northward  by  this  line  consists  of  the  products 
of  mine,  field  and  forest — ores,  marble,  granite,  logs,  lumber,  and  their 
products,  cotton,  tobacco,  rice,  peanuts,  and  every  variety  of  produce,  fish, 
oysters,  etc. 

South-bound — All  kinds  of  merchandise. 

Beside  points  immediately  reached  by  steamers,  intimate  rail  connections 
exist  with  all  parts  of  the  South,  South-west  and  West,  and  freights  and 
passengers  transferred  to  and  from  the  same. 

An  almost  daily  line  is  maintained.  During  Aftgust,  1882,  forty-five 
arrivals  of  this  Company's  boats  were  entered  in  New  York.  They  prob- 
ably handle,  agents  of  the  Company  say,  as  great  a  volume  of  business  in 
tons  as  any  other  Company,  either  foreign  or  domestic,  in  this  country. 

The  "  Roanoke  "  and  "  Guyandotte,"  of  1,355  tons  each,  built  at  Roach's 
ship-yard,  Chester,  Pa.,  are  two  iron  screw  steamships  of  a  very  superior 
character.  The  dimensions  are:  Length,  270  feet;  breadth  of  beam,  41 
feet ;  depth  of  hold  from  base  line,  26  feet,  9  inches.  The  steamers  were 
built  under  the  special  inspection  and  in  accordance  with  the  rules  of  the 
American  Shipmasters'  Association,  and  are  classed  for  twenty  years  in  the 
"  Record  of  American  Shipping."  They  are  supplied  with  water-tight  bulk- 


358  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

heads,  and  have  every  appliance  for  the  safety  and  comfort  of  passengers. 
There  are  three  decks  and  a  hurricane-deck.  Excellent  accommodations 
are  supplied  for  100  cabin  passengers,  state-rooms  for  which  are  of  large 
size  and  'elegantly  upholstered  and  appointed,  having  all  modern  con- 
veniences. The  saloons  are  finished  in  a  choice  variety  of  hard  woods,  and 
handsomely  upholstered  and  furnished.  Thorough  ventilation  is  supplied, 
and  everything  done  which  experience  can  suggest  to  make  these  steamships 
among  the  best  in  the  coasting  trade.  They  have  compound  engines,  the 
high-pressure  cylinders  being  38  inches  in  diameter,  and  the  low-pressure 
74  inches.  The  length  of  stroke  of  the  piston  is  4*  feet.  Four  steel  boilers, 
13  feet  in  diameter,  12  feet  long,  and  tested  to  carry  90  pounds  of  steam, 
insure  a  good  rate  of  speed. 

THE  WHITE  STAR  LINE,  1870. — The  White  -Star  Line  was  originally 
composed  of  a  fleet  of  fast-sailing  American  clipper-ships,  by  the  "  Champion 
of  the  Seas,"  "  Blue  Jacket,"  "  White  Star,"  "  l^haiimar,"  etc.,  sailing  to 
Australia.  To  this  line  Messrs.  Imray  &  Co.  succeeded,  and  still  carry  it 
on  with  fast  vessels,  built  of  iron. 

In  1870  the  establishment  of  the  line  of  steamships  taking  this  name  was 
claimed  as  a  new  departure  in  ocean  steamship  management.  The  ships  of 
the  line  differed  in  model,  internal  arrangements,  and  equipment  from  all 
their  predecessors,  They  were  designed  to  combine  the  highest  speed  with 
unprecedented  comfort  and  convenience  for  passengers. 

Nautical  critics  are  conservative,  and  look  with  great  distrust  upon 
marked  innovations  in  naval  construction,  and  these  vessels  were  the  subject 
of  unfavorable  comments.  They  might  do  for  summer  passages,  but  doubts 
were  expressed  whether  they  would  endure  the  test  of  a  North  Atlantic 
winter.  It  was  an  innovation  that  the  vessels  of  the  line  should  be  built  at 
Belfast  instead  of  upon  the  Clyde,  the  stipulation  being  that  the  ships  were 
to  be  constructed  of  strength,  size  arid  power  to  equal,  if  not  surpass,  any- 
thing upon  the  Mersey.  The  builders  were  not  limited  by  contract,  but 
left  to  fulfill  the  general  instructions  given.  When  the  first  vessels  of  the 
line  were  brought  to  Liverpool  from  Belfast  they  created  a  "  sensation," 
and  became  the  subject  of  comment  and  observation.  Events  have  proved 
that  the  builders  reaqhed  a  high  degree  of  speed  and  safety,  and  that  no 
steamships  have  been  better  able  to  cope  with  the  winter  storms  of  the 
Atlantic.  For  ten  years,  in  winter  as  in  summer,  the  steamships  of  the 
White  Star  Line  have  lived  down  adverse  criticism.  The  best  evidence  of 
the  value  of  the  improvements  introduced  by  the  White  Star  Company  is 
that  they  have  been  adopted  by  rival  lines.  The  White  Star  steamers  range 
from  3,700  to  5,000  tons,  and  are  among  the  largest  in  the  world.  They 
are  built  with  regard  to  strength  no  less  than  speed,  and  constructed  on  the 
floating-tube  principle,  with  seven  water-tight  and  fire-proof  iron  bulkheads. 
They  are  steered  by  steam,  and  have  the  principal  saloon  and  state-rooms 
amidships.  A  complete  inspection  by  the  commanding  officer  is  made 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  359 

before  every  voyage,  when  the  men  are  put  through  a  boat-service  drill  and 
a  drill  in  defense  of  fire,  which  is  repeated  once  or  twice  at  sea  on  each 
voyage.  The  discipline  is  as  pronounced  as  on  board  ships  of  the  royal 
navy.  From  February  to  July,  when  the  ice  is  drifting  with  the  Gulf 
Stream,  the  White  Star  vessels  are  navigated  by  a  southerly  track,  and  vice 
versa  from  August  to  January.  When  the  ice  has  drifted,  and  the  northern 
parallels  are  clear  of  ice  and  fog,  the  boats  take  the  northern  track. 

The  average  passages  of  the  steamships  of  the  White  Star  Line,  both  ways 
between  Queenstowu  and  New  York,  have  been  under  9  days,  and  many 
passages  have  been  under  8  days.  In  July,  1875,  the  "Germania"  made 
the  passage  from  Queenstown  to  New  York  in  7  days,  23  hours,  7  min- 
utes, and  the  return  passage  in  August  in  7  days,  22  hours,  8  minutes. 
The  "Adriatic"  and  "Baltic"  have  made  passages  under  8  days,  and 
in  February,  1876,  the  "Germania"  eclipsed  herself  and  all  other  vessels 
of  the  line  by  steaming  from  Sandy  Hook  to  Queenstown  in  7  days,  15 
hours,  17  minutes,  having  traversed  2,894  knots,  equal  to  158  knots  per 
hour  for  the  entire  passage.  In  1877  the  "  Germauia"  made  the  passage  in 
7  days,  11  hours,  27  minutes.  The  "Britannia"  made  the  passage  in  7 
days,  10  hours,  53  minutes. 

A  passenger  describing  these  vessels  says  of  them  : 

"In  their  internal  arrangements' the  White  Star  ships  are  even  more 
strikingly  a  '  new  departure'  in  steamship  architecture  than  in  their  model. 
The  main  saloon,  instead  of  being  at  the  stern,  and  hemmed  in  by  state- 
rooms, making  a  long,  narrow,  badly-lighted  apartment,  is  placed  in  the 
very  nrddle  of  the  vessel,  and  extends  from  side  to  side,  forming  a  grand 
hall,  75  feet  long  and  45  feet  wide,  lighted  not  only  by  the  ample  skylights, 
but  by  large  windows  at  the  sides.  A  broad  staircase,  well  lighted  by  night 
and  day,  leads  to  the  saloon,  where  there  is  ample  room  for  dining  two 
hundred  persons,  giving  to  each  diner  his  or  her  own  seat,  not  of  undefined 
capacity  on  a  settee,  but  u  chair  with  revolving  seat,  which  is  kept  at  every 
meal  for  the  passenger  to  whom  it  is  alioted  at  the  commencement  of  the 
voyage,  and  can  be  approached  at  any  time  during  the  progress  of  the 
meals  without  disturbing  the  others.  There  is  nothing  to  indicate  that  you 
are  on  shipboard  ;  indeed,  there  is  every  appearance  of  hotel  life  of  the 
most  elegant  and  comfortable  style,  including  even  an  open  marble  fire- 
place, which  substitutes  the  customary  stove,  and  gives  an  additional  air  of 
homeliness  to  the  scene. 

"The  state-rooms  are  also  arranged  amidships,  at  either  cud  of  the  saloon, 
and  are  large,  well-lighted,  and  furnished  with  every  convenience,  including 
electric  bells.  Bath-rooms  are  within  easy  reach,  and  nothing  that  can  pro- 
mote the  comfort  of  the  passenger  is  omitted.  The  smoking-roorn  is  not,  as 
too  often,  a  close  little  den,  but  a  large  and  handsome  apartment;  and  the 
ladies'  saloon  is  on  a  more  liberal  scale  than  usual,  and  far  more  attractive 
in  its  appointments.  From  their  situation  and  the.  great  length  of  the 


360  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.       • 

ships,  the  main  saloon,  the  state-rooms,  and  all  the  rooms  for  the  general 
use  of  the  passengers,  are  almost  entirely  free  from  motion,  except  in  the 
worst  of  weather,  thus  reducing  the  risk  of  sea-sickness  to  a  minimum. 

"  Five  water-tight  bulkheads  run  from  the  top  to  the  bottom  of  the  ship. 
These  are  supplemented  by  self- closing  doors,  and  other  appliances  designed 
to  confine  a  leak  or  the  effect  of  an  accident  to  that  part  of  the  vessel  to 
which  the  mishap  may  have  occurred.  These  doors  are  perfectly  self-acting 
and  almost  independent  of  human  agency.  In  one  compartment,  contain- 
ing the  after-set  of  boilers,  the  door  which  leads  to  the  next  compartment  is 
arranged  for  prompt  water-tight  closing.  Should  the  water  find  its  way 
into  the  neighboring  compartment,  the  engineer  in  charge  has  only  to  turn 
a  lever  and  the  ponderous  door  falls  into  its  place,  regulated  in  its  descent 
by  an  air  cylinder,  which  checks  the  door  and  causes  it  to  fall  in  jerks.  In 
another  compartment  you  find  that  the  iron  way,  upon  which  you  walk,  is 
automatic.  Should  the  sea  find  its  way  beneath,  the  door  (for  the  flooring 
upon  which  you  have  passed  is,  after  aW,  only  a  kind  of  iron  bridge)  rises 
by  the  action  of  the  water,  and  confines  the  water  to  a  section  of  the  vessel. 
There  is  nothing  more  remarkable  in  the  fittings  of  these  steamers  than 
these  self-acting  doors,  which  are  always  kept  in  perfect  order,  working  with 
a  simplicity  only  equaled  by  the  importance  of  the  work  they  can  accom- 
plish. 

The  managers  of  the  line  have  adopted  "  ic"  as  a  termination  for  the 
names  of  their  vessels,  as  "Adriatic,"  "  Celtic,"  "  Baltic,"  "  Britannic,"  "  Ger- 
manic," "  Republic,"  etc. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  passengers  assembled  in  the  saloon  of  the  steamer 
"  Britannic,"  off  Sandy  Hook,  on  the  evening  of  August  17,  1877,  on  the 
completion  of  the  voyage  from  Queenstown  in  the  unprecedented  time  of 
seven  days,  ten  hours,  and  fifty-three  minutes,  it  was  "Resolved,  To  ask 
Captain  Thompson  to  accept  a  souvenir,  suitably  inscribed,  to  commemorate 
this  achievement."  Thirty  passengers  and  a  number  of  invited  guests  were 
present.  The  souvenir  consisted  of  a  silver  pitcher,  with  this  inscription  : 
"Presented  to  Captain  Wm.  H.  Thompson,  of  S.  S.  'Britannic,'  by  ^he  pas- 
sengers, to  commemorate  the  voyage  from  Queenstown  to  New  York,  Au- 
gust 10  to  August  17,  1877."  The  presentation  speech  by  D.  W.  James 
humorously  contrasted  the  discomforts  of  ocean  travel  twenty  years  ago  with 
the  speed  and  conveniences  which  modern  vessels  afford. 

A  silver  cup,  appropriately  inscribed,  was  also  presented  to  the  Chief 
Engineer  of  the  "Britannic,"  Thomas  Sewell,  as  a  mark  of  the  passengers' 
appreciation  of  his  skill  and  care  during  the  voyage,  September  29,  1877. 

The  "  Coptic,"  the  latest  addition  to  the  White  Star  Line,  arrived  at  New 
York,  December  3,  1881,  after  an  exceedingly  rough  passage  of  sixteen 
days.  The  "Coptic"  is  a  sister  ship  to  the  "Arabic,"  of  the  same  line,  and 
was  built  at  Belfast,  Ireland.  The  material  used  in  her  construction  is 
milled  steel,  which  was  chosen  on  account  of  its  strength  and  toughness. 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  361 

Her  dimensions  are:  Length,  430  feet;  breadth,  42  feet;  and  depth  of  hold, 
34  feet.  Her  registered  tonnage  is  4,368  tons,  but  she  will  carry  about 
6,000.  She  is  propelled  by  two  double-cylindered  compound  engines  of 
450  horse-power  at  90  pounds  pressure  of  steam.  These  were  built  by  the 
Victoria  Engine-Works,  Liverpool.  The  main  shaft  is  a  built  one.  In  the 
engine-room  are  the  very  large  pumps.  In  the  next  room  are  two  dynamos 
which  furnish  electricity  for  the  S\Van  electric  lights  used  throughout  the 
ship.  There  are  three  double  elliptical  boilers,  which  require  twelve  fires 
to  heat  them,  and  have  been  tested  to  180  pounds.  While  the  "  Coptic"  is 
intended  to  be  used  more  for  carrying  freight  than  passengers,  the  accom- 
modation for  passengers  are  very  good.  The  state-rooms  are  large  and  sup- 
plied with  all  the  conveniences  known  to  modern  ship-builders.  The  main 
saloon  is  handsomely  upholstered  in  dark  olive  velvet,  and  is  approached 
through  an  entrance  hall  from  the  main  staircase.  The  saloon  is  paneled 
in  wood  made  to  simulate  embossed  leather.  The  chairs  are  cane-seated 
and  revolving.  The  light  all  through  .the  ship  is  furnished  by  the  Swan 
electric  lamps,  which  consist  of  carbonized  threads  inclosed  in  hermetically 
sealed  glass  bulbs.  The  hull  of  the  ""Coptic"  is  divided  into  eight  compart- 
ments, either  one  of  which  might  be  stove  in  without  endangering  the  vessel. 
The  principle  upon  which  the  doors  of  these  compartments  are  worked  is 
comparatively  new,  and  has  been  so  highly  approved  by  the  English  Ad- 
miralty Board  that  the  government  has  adopted  it  in  building  vessels  for 
the  navy.  The  "  Coptic"  has  four  masts,  three  being  square-rigged  and  the 
fourth  being  rigged  fore-and-aft.  There  are  three  decks,  braced  in  every 
direction,  and  turtle-backs  forward  and  aft. 

The  "  Coptic"  left  Queenstown  on  her  first  trip  on  the  17th  of  November, 
1881.  Her  captain  said  of  her,  "She  behaved  very  well.  We  had  about 
as  heavy  weather  as  I  have  seen,  and  nothing  could  be  more  satisfactory 
than  the  '  Coptic.'  When  we  were  in  about  forty  degrees  west  we  were 
struck  by  a  hurricane.  On  the  28th  she  was  struck  aft  by  a  sea  which 
stove  in  the  after  turtle-back  over  the  rudder,  swept  everything  loose  away, 
stove  in  two  boats,  and  carried  two  sailors  overboard.  We  could  do  nothing 
to  save  them,  because  no  boat  could  live  in  such  a  sea.  The  iron  plates  over 
the  wheel  were  broken  in.  The  stout  iron  rods  were  bent  and  twisted  by 
the  water  as  though  they  had.  been  light  wires  in  the  hands  of  a  strong 
man." 

The  chief  engineer  said  of  the  engines,  "They  work  beautifully.  One 
man  can,  by  moving  six  little  levers,  work  the  whole  engine  with  one-half 
the  effort  ordinarily  required  to  manage  a  small  stationary  engine.  It  works 
rapidly  too.  On  this  side  is  the  signal-plate  which  connects  with  the  bridge. 
The  engineer  can  in  less  than  a  minute  after  receiving  the  order  to  stop,  go 
ahead  at  full  or  half  speed,  or  back.  They  are  as  easily  managed  as  any 
engines  I  have  ever  seen.  The  new  lights  make  the  engine-room  as  light  as 
day." 


362  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

The  "Coptic"  and  her  sister  ship,  the  "Arabic,"  are  intended  for  the 
carrying  of  freight  and  emigrants.  The  "  Coptic"  will  probably  be  sent  to 
the  Pacific  in  two  or  three  years,  to  run  between  San  Francisco  and  Hong 
Kong.  She  will  carry  more  freight,  run  faster  on  a  given  amount  of  coal, 
said  her  captain,  than  any  vessel  now  running  between  New  York  and 
England.  The  "Coptic"  on  her  first  trip  brought  a  few  saloon  passengers, 
three  hundred  emigrants,  and  a  full  cargo  of  freight. 

NAVIGAZIONE  GENERALE  ITALIANA. — This  great  steamship  company, 
whose  headquarters  are  in  Rome,  with  departments  at  Genoa  and  Palermo, 
is  a  union  of  Florios  and  Rubattinos  companies,  and  have  service  extending 
all  over  the  Mediterranean  and  up  the  Adriatic  and  Black  Sea  and  to  India, 
also  to  New  York.  The  I.  and  V.  Florio  Company  of  Palermo  began  opera- 
tions about  twenty-five  or  thirty  years  ago,  and  five  years  ago  absorbed  the 
Trinacria  company  of  Palermo,  making  their  fleet  about  forty-five  steamers 
of  various  sizes.  Six  months  they  consolidated  with  the  Rubattino  Com- 
pany of  Geneva,  whose  business  was  in  a  great  part  to  the  East  through  the 
Suez  Canal,  the  combined  fleet  consisting  now  of  ninety-two  steam  vessel?, 
exclusive  of  several  very  large  ones  which  are  being  constructed.  In  the 
New  York  trade  they  now  have  employed  three  steamers  reguJarly  of  large 
tonnage,  viz.,  the  "Archimedes,"  4,500  tons ;  "Washington,"  4,000  tons,  and 
"  Vincenzo  Florio,"  4,000  tons,  besides  three  other  steamers  of  somewhat 
smaller  tonnage,  employed  as  trade  requires.  Three  other  steamers  are 
being  built  for  the  New  York  Line,  and  it  is  anticipated  six  steamships  will 
be  running  regularly  on  that  line  in  the  course  of  a  year.  A  recent  news- 
paper says,  speaking  of  this  company  : 

"The  Italian  Government  is  rendering  essential  aid  to  the  efforts  of  its 
citizens  to  extend  the  commerce  of  the  country.  Under  the  promise  of  large 
bounties  from  the  Government,  two  great  chipping  firms  at  Genoa  have 
united  and  have  given  orders  to  English  builders  for  twenty  steamers,  all  of 
them  ranging  between  4,000  and  5,000  tons  register.  For  many  years  the 
traffic  of  the  great  Italian  port  has  been  stationary,  Marseilles  having  out- 
run it  under  tfie  changed  conditions  of  modern  commerce.  An  effort  is 
now  to  be  made  to  restore  the  prosperity  of  former  days,  and  immense  new 
docks  have  been  constructed.  The  new  steamers  will  not  be  confined  to  the 
Mediterranean  trade,  but  lines  will  be  established  to  both  coasts  of  the 
American  continent." 

The  company's  steam  fleet  consists  of  the  following  named  steamship?, 
viz.: 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

BELONGING  TO  THE  GENOA  BRANCH. 


863 


NAME. 

Tons. 

NAME. 

Tons. 

Ahissinia  . 

7600 

Italia              

600 

Adriatico.. 

1  200 

ceo 

Africa... 

1  200 

Lombardia  

500 

Alessandro  Volta  

600 

Malabar                 

1900 

Arabia    

1400 

Malta                            

IOOO 

Asia     

1300 

Manilla                

4800 

Assiria  

g 

1600 

Messina  

I2OO 

Bengala  

1600 

Montcalier  i  

600 

Birmania  

3200 

Palestine  

900 

Calabria 

1400 

Palmaria                                             * 

IOOO 

IOOO 

Persia 

1400 

Caprera 

600 

Pertusola 

800 

China. 

cooo 

Pianosa.                            

IOO 

Cipro 

I  IOO 

Piemonte                        .          

400 

Christoforo  Colombo 

coo 

Roma                          

22OO 

Conte  Menabrea. 

200 

|  Sardegna         

4OO 

Corsica                                   

200 

Sicilia  

800 

E^itto                              

I^OO 

Singapore... 

45OO 

Elba         .              

200 

Sumatra  

22OO 

Giava                 

3600 

Tortola  

150 

Gofgona 

200 

Torcana. 

4OO 

India 

1400 

Umbria                                                 ..  . 

•?oo 

Kaffaele  Rubattino,  5,000  tons  (building). 
BELONGING  TO  THE  PALERMO  BRANCH. 


NAME. 

Tons. 

NAME. 

Tons. 

Alfredo  Cappellini  ,  

ICO 

Mediterraneo  ,\  

• 
1800 

Amerigo  Vespucci  

400 

Milano  

400 

Ancona 

700 

Moretto 

IOO 

Atchemede 

4  COO 

Napoli 

4CO 

I2OO 

Oreto 

700 

Barone  Ricasoli 

2OO 

Orlecna 

22OO 

Campido°lio 

COO 

Pachi-no    ....           

I2OO 

Cariddi 

I2OO 

Palermo  

480 

Dripane                  .                  

2OOO 

Peloro  

2  COO 

Epfadi 

26OO 

Piincipe  Amedeo  ,  

j 

I2OO 

Egida                                    

IOO 

Principe  Oddone  

I2OO 

Flettrico 

4.  CO 

Scilla 

I2OO 

Enna                             

2OOO 

Sigesta  

2  COO 

Etna                                 

COO 

Selmunte 

1800 

Euro 

I  COO 

Sirneto  *' 

2300 

Firenze 

4CO 

Solunto  

2500 

Elavis  Gioja 

4OO 

Taormina  

I800 

4OO 

Tigre 

4OO 

Imera 

1800 

Tirreno 

800 

Jjnio                                   

I5OO' 

Venezia  

9OO 

Leone     ....                       

ceo 

Vincenzio  Elorio                             .  ..  " 

4000 

Liliteo 

I2OO 

Washington... 

4OOO 

Marco  Polo 

4OO 

Marsala  .. 

^ 
2^OO 

364  HISTOR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

1871. — THE  AMERICAN  STEAMSHIP  COMPANY  OF  PHILADELPHIA  was 
organized  in  1871  with  a  capital  of  $2,500,000,  and  a  contract  was  given  to 
Messrs.  Cramp  &  Sons,  of  Philadelphia,  for  the  construction  of  four  first- 
class  iron  steamships  of  3,000  tons  burden,  and  to  have  an  average  speed  of 
thirteen  knots  an  hour.  The  steamers  were  intended  to  carry  the  mails  and 
conduct  a  general  freight  and  passenger  business  between  Philadelphia  and 
Liverpool,  calling  at  Q.ueenstown.  The  "Pennsylvania,"  the  pioneer  steam- 
ship of  the  line,  was  launched  in  August,  1872,  and  made  her  first  voyage 
in  May,  1873.  The  "Ohio,"  "Indiana,"  and  "Illinois"  followed  at  regular 
intervals.  They  are  360  feet  long,  42  feet  beam,  and  33  feet  depth  of  hold. 
Their  engines  are  nominally  500  horse-power,  and  capable  of  being  worked 
up  to  3,000.  Their  great  breadth  of  beam,  in  proportion  to  their  length, 
tends  to  increase  their  steadiness  at  sea.  This  line  is  now  the  only  transat- 
lantic line  sailing  under  the  American  flag,  and  the  fleet  in  1881  embraced 
the  following  nine  first-class  steamships: 


Tons.   | 

Tons. 

-2    T  O4     j 

Lord  Gough,    . 

3  6^ 

Ohio,'       

**' 

^.104   ! 

British  Crown 

3,487 

Indiana,  ..... 

O'           T^      I 

'    3,I04  ; 

British  Queen, 

•     3,558 

Illinois,    ..... 

•     3>I04  i 

British  King,    . 

•     3,558 

Lord  Clive,      .... 

•     3,386  i 

British  Prince, 

.          .          •          •     3,858 

A  steamer  of  the  fleet  sails  every  Wednesday  and  Saturday  between  Liver- 
pool and  Philadelphia  from  each  port,,  calling  at  Queenstown.  They  are 
capable  of  carrying  100  first-class,  75  intermediate,  and  800  steerage  pas- 
seng^rs,  with  from  3,500  to  4,500  tons  of  freight.  A  portion  of  the  main- 
deck  is  set  apart  for  the  special  accommodation  of  "intermediate"  passen- 
gers. Families  can  secure  separate  rooms,  and  have  their  meals  served  apart 
from  the  other  passengers,  at  about  half  the  price  paid  by  holders  of  first- 
class  tickets,  and  the  bill  of  fare  is  ample  and  varied.  The  accommodations 
for  steerage  passengers  are  excellent,  and  great  pains  is  taken  to  secure 
comfort  and  to  provide  wholesome  and  unstinted  food  for  this  class  of 
voyagers. 

The  largest  vessel  of  the  line,  the  "  British  Prince,"  is  419  feet  long,  has 
42  feet  beam  and  28  feet  depth  of  hold,  and  is  3,859  tons  register. 

The  shortest  passage  of  any  steamship  of  the  line  was  made  by  the  "  Illi- 
nois," October,  1880,  from  Queenstown  to  Cape  Henlopen,  in  eight  days,  ten 
hours,  and  thirty-four  minutes,  beating  the  "  Pennsylvania's  "  shortest  time 
of  eight  days,  nineteen  hours,  and  twelve  minutes.  The  average  passage  is 
about  ten  days.  The  "  Illinois  "  in  her  59  round  voyages,  or  118  passages, 
has  had  six  years,  ten  months,  and  thirteen  days  sea  service.  In  59  passages 
out  to  Queenstown  she  traveled  173,000  miles,  and  in  59  home  to  Henlopen, 
171,092  miles,  a  distance  of  344,092  miles,  to  which  must  be  added  10,620 
miles  up  and  down  the  Delaware,  and  27,966  miles  from  Queenstown  to 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  365 

Liverpool,  making  the  total  nautical  miles  382,678,  equal  to  441,093  statute 
miles. 

Safeguards  against  loss  of  life  at  sea  are  a  feature  in  the  equipments  of 
these  steamers.  In  addition  to  the  usual  complement  of  life- boats  of  the 
ordinary  construction,  each  carries  a  number  of  Hfe-rafts,  provided  with 
bread- and  water-tanks,  always  kept  supplied.  These  rafts  can  be  thrown 
into  the  water -with  scarcely  a  moment's  delay  ;  and  have  appliances  for  the 
accommodation  of  passengers  on  both  top  and  bottom,  and  are  always  right 
side  up.  They  are  more  available  in  a  storm  than  ordinary  life-boats,  which 
have  to  be  lowered  with  caution,  and  are  frequently  stove  against  the  side 
of  the  ship  and  rendered  useless. 

General  Grant,  in  one  of  these  steamers,  the  "  Indiana,"  on  the  17th  of 
May,  1877,  took  his -departure  from  Philadelphia  on  starting  upon  his  trip 
around  the  world. 

This  enterprise  has  achieved  success  without  aid  from  the  government, 
and  has  demonstrated  the  possibility  of  running  a  splendid  line  of  European 
steamers  without  the  assistance  of  a  government  subsidy. 

The  five  latest  additions  to  the  line  were  built  in  Great  Britain,  two  being 
constructed  by  Harland  &  Wolff,  of  Belfast,  and  three  by  the  Lairds,  of 
Liverpool.  Although  of  greater  tonnage,  they  are  not  fitted  to  carry  as 
m&ny  first-class  passengers  as  the  American-built  ships. 

CITY  LINE  OP  OCEAN  STEAMSHIPS.— The  steamships  of  this  line  sailing 
fortnightly  ma  the  Suez  Canal  from  Glasgow  and  Liverpool  to  Calcutta 
direct  and  back  to  London,  are  so  called  because  they  are  named  for  the 
principal  cities  of  the  world.  They  are  owned  by  Messrs.  George  Smith  & 
Sons,  of  Glasgow,  and  comprise  twelve  steamships,  varying  in  tonnage  from 
3,750  to  2,328  tons,  viz. : 


Tons. 

City  of  Damascus,  ....  3,750 
City  of  Agra,  .  .  .  .  -3.412 
City  of  London,  ....  3,212 
City  of  Khios,  ....  3,246 

City  of  Venice,  ....  3,206 
City  of  Manchester,  .  .  .  3,125 
City  of  Cambridge,  ....  2,329 


Tons. 

City  of  Edinburgh,  ....  3,212 
City  of  Canterbury, .  .  .  3,212 

City  of  Carthage,  ....  2,650 
City  of  Mecca,  ....  2,290 
City,  of  Oxford,  ....  2,328 

Total  tonnage  cf  the  fleet,          .  35,972 


THE  STATE  STEAMSHIP  LINE  was  established  in  1872  by  a  British  com- 
pany, in  Glasgow.  The  steamers  comprising  the  fleet  have  all  been  built  on 
the  Clyde,  by  the  Glasgow  Engineering  and  Ship  Building  Company,  espe- 
cially for  the  North  Atlantic  passenger  traffic.  Each  steamer  is  constructed 
with  an  especial  view  to  safety,  which  is  invariably  the  first  consideration  in 
all  deliberations  regarding  the  operations  of  the  company.  It  is  due  to  the 
care  and  vigilance  of  the  company's  officers  that  the  line  has  been  so  for- 
tunate in  escaping  accidents. 


366  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

The  officers  of  this  company  are  supplied  with  and  instructed  to  use  care- 
fully and  often  in  case  of  fogs,  and  on  all  occasions  of  uncertainty,  the  log, 
patent  log,  head  line,  and  Sir  William  Thomson's  sounding  machine.  Offi- 
cers are  also  instructed  as  to  the  necessary  precautions  in  the  avoidance  of 
danger  from, collision  with  fishermen  off  the  Banks,  and  from  ice-bergs.  In- 
temperance is  uncompromisingly  dealt  with,  and  no  officer  employed  or  re- 
tained who  is  addicted  to  the  excessive  use  of  spirituous  liquors. 

The  cabins  are  situated  on  the  main  deck,  in  the  portion  of  the  steamer 
where  the  least  motion  is  felt,  and  consequently  the  less  liability  to  sea-sick- 
ness. The  state-rooms  are  arranged  with  two  berths  and  sofa ;  are  large, 
light,  and  well-ventilated.  For  the  convenience  of  ladies,  there  are  private 
baths  and  dressing-rooms  in  the  main  saloon,  and  reception-rooms  on  deck. 
There  is  also  provided  for  gentlemen,  baths,  smoking  and  reading-rooms, 
and  everything  necessary  for  their  comfort  and  enjoyment  during  the  voy- 
age. For  the  general  use  of  passengers  there  are  comprehensive  libraries 
of  selected  books,  pianos  and  other  musical  instruments,  and  most  tastefully 
arranged  concert  halls.  The  main  dining  saloons,  which  are  luxuriously 
furnished,  extend  entirely  across  the  steamers,  and  are  provided  with  revolv- 
ing chairs,  and  other  improvements  for  convenience  and  comfort. 

The  tables  are  always  supplied  with  all  seasonable  delicacies,  and  an 
abundance  of  the  best  quality  of  the  more  substantial  and  necessary  edibles, 
a  la  Carte. 

Attentive  stewards  are  at  the  disposal  of  passengers. 

Experienced  surgeons  also  accompany  each  steamer. 

The  second  cabins  by  this  line  are  in  the  centre  portion  of  the  steamers 
on  main-deck.  The  berths  are  similar  to  those  in  the  first  cabin,  with  plenty 
of  clean  linen  and  the  floors  carpeted,  the  only  difference  being  that  there 
are  four  in  a  room,  and  occasionally  more.  Second  cabin  passengers  are  not 
permitted  in  the  saloon  or  smoking-rooms.  There  are  separate  dining  tables, 
and  well-prepared  meals  are  served  three  times  daily.  During  the  busy 
season  the  sexes  are  separated ;  but  whenever  it  is  practicable  to  book  fami- 
lies together,  it  is  invariably  done. 

Steerage  passengers  receive  special  attention  by  the  State  Line  Company, 
and  this  company  has  made  special  arrangements  for  the  convenience  of 
families,  who  are  allotted  to  special  rooms,  wherever  practicable.  The 
proper  separation  of  the  sexes,  and  the  provision  for  the  privacy  of  single 
women  has  also  been  looked  after  in  the  State  Line  steamers.  Good  provi- 
sion is  made  for  ventilation  and  other  necessary  comfort.  There  is  always 
a  liberal  supply  of  well-cooked  food  on  hand,  which  is  served  out  unspar- 
ingly. The  surgeon  visits  the  steerage  apartments  three  times  regularly 
every  day,  and  oftener  when  necessary.  Special  hospitals  are  also  arranged 
on  deck  for  the  isolation  of  patients  when  necessary. 

During  the  year  1881  the  company  added  to  their  fleet  two  new  and  large 
steamers— the  "State  of  Nebraska"  and  the  "State  of  Florida."  Both  of 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  367 

these  are  specimens  of  marine  architecture  of  which  the  company  may  well 
be  proud.  They  are  about  400  feet  long,  42  feet  wide,  and  have  a  tonnage 
measurement  of  between  4,000  and  5,000.  There  are  accommodations  for 
about  100  first  class  saloon,  80  second  cabin,  and  several  hundred  steerage 
passengers. 

The  saloons,  which  are  on  the  main -deck,  extend  entirely  across  the 
steamer,  are  provided  with  six  long  dining  tables  with  revolving  chairs,  of 
the  most  approved  pattern,  securely  fixed,  so  as  to  afford  the  greatest  ease 
for  passengers  while  enjoying  their  meals.  The  saloons  are  lighted  by  sky- 
lights from  above,  and  the  usual  side  port-holes.  In  the  upper  portion  of 
the  saloon  is  a  circular  balcony  or  gallery,  at  one  end  of  which  is  a  piano 
and  at  the  other  a  pipe-organ,  and  around  the  sides  are  elegantly  uphol- 
stered seats.  This  room  is  called  the  concert  hall. 

The  state-rooms  are  both  forward  and  aft  of  the  saloens,  and  they  are 
unusually  large,  well-lighted,  and  ventilated.  They  are  fitted  with  two 
berths  each,  and  a  sofa  berth,  which  may  be  utilized  by  children  or  members 
o£  the  same  family,  if  they  so  desire. 

From  the  ladies'  saloon  a  wide  companionway  leads  up  to  the  hurricane- 
decks,  which  extend  the  entire  breadth  of  the  vessels,  and  are  125  feet  in 
length,  affording  a  splendid  promenade. 

The  ladies'  private  dressing-rooms,  gents'  smoking-rooms,  libraries,  bath- 
rooms, etc.,  are  all  well  arranged  and  provided  with  all  necessary  appoint- 
ments for  convenience  and  luxury. 

The  second  cabins  are  situated  forward  of  the  saloons,  and  are  provided  ^ 
with  a  comfortable  saloon  and  separate  tables.  The  state-rooms  are  about 
the  same  as  those  in  the  saloon — the  floors  carpeted,  and  plenty  of  bedding 
provided — so  that  while  passengers  by  this  class  are  not  allowed  the  extra 
privileges  of  the  saloon  passengers,  yet  they  certainly  have  here  most  com- 
fortable quarters. 

The  steerage  berths  are  also  situated  on  the  main-deck,  and  are  unusually 
convenient  and  comfortable.  The  berths  are  arranged  and  classified  so  as 
to  afford  more  retirement  and  privacy  to  single  women,  and  large  rooms  for 
families  where  they  may  remain  intact.  There  are  also  provisions  for  good 
ventilation  and  cleanliness,  and  also  hospitals  for  the  sick  in  case  such  is 
required. 

ROUTE,  LENGTH  OF  TRIP,  ETC. — The  route  of  the  State  Line  Steamers  is 
from  New  York  every  Thursday,  to  Glasgow  direct.  From  Glasgow 
steamers  sail  every  Friday,  calling  at  Belfast,  from  which  port  a  steamer 
sails  every  Saturday.  The  average  length  of  voyage  is  nine  to  ten  days 
between  New  York  and  Glasgow,  and  vice  versa.  The  steamgrs  of  this  line 
take  the  direct  course  across  the  Atlantic,  passing  the  north  coast  of  Ireland, 
thus  avoiding  the  unpleasant  experience  of  a  trip  through  St.  George's 
Channel. 

The  company's  fleet  is  composed  of  the  "State  of  Nebraska,"  about  4,500 


368 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 


tons;  "State  of  Florida,"  about  4,000  tons;  "State  of  Indiana,"  about  3,000 
tons;  "State  of  Nevada,"  about  3,000  tons;  "State  of  Pennsylvania,"  about 
3,000  tons ;  "  State  of  Georgia,"  about  3,000  tons ;  "  State  of  Alabama," 
about  3,000  tons ;  "  State  of  —  — ,"  building. 

THE  RED  STAR  LINE,  1873.— The  •  Red  Star  Line,  of  Belgian  Royal 
Mail  Steamers,  between  Antwerp  and  New  York  and  Philadelphia,  was 
inaugurated  in  1873,  under  the  auspices  of  the  King  of  the  Belgians,  and 
now  comprises  seven  large,  full-powered  steamers,  forming  a  weekly  line, 
sailing  from' Europe  and  America  every  Saturday.  The  latest  additions 
to  the  fleet,  the  "  Belgenland,"  "  Rhynland  "  and  "  Waesland,"  are  built 
with  all  the  modern  appliances  for  comfort  and  safety,  and  are  among  the 
largest  and  fastest  passenger  steamships  in  the  Atlantic  trade. 

The  fleet  comprises  the  following  first-class  steamers: — 


Steamers. 


|       Built.  Tons. 


Waesland  

Rhynland  

Belgenland 

Switzerland  

Nederland 

Vaderland  

Zeeland 

New  Steamer  (building). 


1880 
1879 
1879 
1874 

1873 
1872 
1878 


5000 
4000 
4000 
3000 
3000 
3000 

35°° 
5000 


Beam. 


43  feet. 

40 

40 

39 

39 

39 

43 

43 


Length. 


445 
4i8 
418 
345 
345 
330 
370 
445 


The  "  Belgenland  "  and  "  Rhynland  "  were  added  to  the  fleet  in  1879,  and 
were  built  by  the  celebrated  Barrow  Ship-building  Company,  of  Barrow, 
England.  Their  engines  are  compounded,  of  about  2,200  indicated  horse- 
power, and  consume  45  to  50  tons  of  coal  per  day,  producing  an  average 
speed  of  14  knots  per  hour.  They  have  accommodations  for  150  cabin  and 
1,000  steerage  passengers. 

•The  "  Waesland,"  added  in  1880,  is  from  the  shipyards,  of  Harland  & 
Wolff,  of  Belfast.  She  is  of  5,000  tons  burthen,  445  feet  long,  43  feet  beam 
and  34  feet  8  inches  depth  of  hold.  She  has  4  decks,  3  of  them  of  iron,  and 
4  iron  masts,  2  of  which  are  square-rigged.  She  can  accommodate  150 
cabin  and  1,500  steerage  passengers.  These  vessels  are  of  the  highest  class 
in  every  respect,  having  been  built  under  the  special  survey  of  the 
Inspectors  of  British  Lloyds  and  Bureau  Veritas,  the  leading  authorities  on 
the  classification  of  ships.  The  state-rooms  and  saloons  are  in  the  centre  of 
the  ship,  where  the  least  motion  is  felt,  and  are  supplied  with  the  latest 
improvements  in  ventilating  apparatus,  electric  bells,  commodious  bath  and 
smoking-rooms,  etc. 

The  second  cabins  and  state-rooms  are  also  situated  above  the  main-deck 
(the  same  deck  as  the  first  cabin),  in  the  after  part  of  the* ship.  They  have 
the  same  perfect  ventilation  as  the  first  cabins,  and  are  unsurpassed  in 
cleanliness  and  convenience,  being  adrriirably  adapted  for  families  and 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  369 

passengers   generally  who   may  wish  to  exercise  a   moderate   amount   of 
•economy  in  thek  voyage  to  and  from  Europe. 

The  American  Line  (running  between  Philadelphia  and  Liverpool)  and 
.the  Ked  Star  Line  (running  between  New  York  and  Antwerp)  are  under 
one  management,  and  first-class  round  trip  tickets  issued  for  one  line  are 
good  to  return  on  the  other.  •  Holders  of  first  cabin  excursion  tickets  by  the 
Red  Star  Line  who  may  be  in  England,  and  not  caring  to  recross  the 
English  Channel,  can  therefore  return  by  the  American  Line  direct  from 
Liverpool  to  Philadelphia,  by  applying  to  the  agents  of  the  American  Line 
at  Liverpool. 

To  those  who  wish  to  go  direct  to  the  Continent,  the  Red  Star  Line  offers 
unusual  inducements.  The  voyages  to  Antwerp  are  direct  and  uninter- 
rupted, and  on  landing  at  that  port  the  passenger  finds  himself  but  a  short 
distance  from  Paris,  and  within  easy  travel  of  the  leading  continental  cities. 

THE  MONARCH  LINE,  1874. — The  legal  and  corporate  name  of  this  com- 
pany is  "The  Royal  Exchange  Shipping  Company"  (limited),  but  it  is 
better  known  as  the  Monarch  Line,  from  the  nomenclature  adopted  by  the 
company  for  the  ships  of  its  fleet.  The  ships  are  all  well  built  of  iron  and 
steel,  with  a  double  hull  and  six  water-tight  compartments,  the  bulkheads 
running  from  the  keelson  to  the  upper-deck.  They  are  400  feet  in  length, 
45  feet  beam,  33  feet  depth  of  hold,  and  are  of  a  gross  tonnage  of  4,500  tons, 
with  engines  of  2,500  horse-power.  They  are  built  under  the  British  Ad- 
miralty Survey,  to  comply  with  their  stringent  rules  for  government  trans- 
port service.  Their  accommodations  are  similar  and  equal  to  those  of  the 
steamers  of  other  transatlantic  lines.  Several  of  the  ships  of  this  line  have 
been  taken  up  as  transports  by  the  English  Government  in  the  several  wars 
it  has  been  engaged  in  since  1874. 

The  "Grecian  Monarch,"  the  latest  addition  to  the  line,  and  which  arrived 
from  London  at  New  York,  September,  1882,  on  her  first  trip,  is  thus  de- 
scribed in  the  Daily  Graphic  of  the  16th  : 

"Lying  at  her  dock  next  the  Pavonia  Ferry  in  Jersey  City,  her  huge 
sides  exposed  to  view  and  her  masts,  which  are  of  iron, 'glistening  in  the 
sunlight,  the  steamer  looked  a  craft  of  rare  beauty.  She  is  not  large  as 
•compared  with  some  of  the  modern  monsters  in  the  shape  of  vessels  that  now 
<?ross  the  sea,  but  she  is  symmetrical  and  strongly  built,  the  main  purpose  of 
her  construction  being  evidently  safety  rather  than  a  high  rate  of  speed. 
Over  all  she  is  400  feet  long,  while  her  breath  of  beam  is  43  feet  and  her 
hold  33  feet.  She  is  of  4,364  tons  burden,  and  above  the  spar-deck  has  a 
hurricane-deck  166  feet  long  and  30  feet  wide.  She  has  accommodations  in 
the  steerage  for  1,000  passengers,  and  in  the  cabins  for  112.  The  ship  is 
divided  into  water-tight  compartments,  and,  besides  a  handsome  dining- 
saloon,  smoking-room  and  ladies'  cabin,  has  three  hospitals — two  located 
near  the  steerage  and  one  on  deck.  Of  the  first  two,  one  is  set  apart  for 
men,  while  the  other  is  appropriated  to  th§  use  of  women.  The  third  is  for 

24 


370 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 


patients  who  may  chance  to  fall  ill  of  an  infectious  disease.  It  is  completely 
isolated,  and  forms  an  improvement  worthy  of  special  note.  •  Like  her  sister 
vessels,  the  "  Grecian  Monarch"  is  peculiarly  fitted  for  troop  service,  and  is- 
on  the  English  Admiralty  list  for  that  purpose.  The  steerage  is  more  com- 
modious, however,  than  on  the  other  ships,  and  the  ventilation  afforded 
better  than  on  most  ships  that  come  into  this  port.  The  state-rooms  are  of 
average  size,  "but  beautifully  and  comfortably  furnished.  The  berths  are 
tempting  retreats.  The  saloon,  which  is  almost  amidships,  is  as  elegant  a§ 
that  of  any  first-class  hotel.  An  upright  piano  of  rich  ebony  is  one  of  its 
attractions.  The  apartment  is  finished  in  carved  oak  and  maple,  and  has 
white  ceilings  decorated  with  gold  stars.  The  upholstering  is  of  blue 
morocco  leather  and  velvet.  The  captain,  officers  and  crew,  numbering 
one  hundred  men,  were  selected  with  care.  The  captain  is  Mr.  K.  J.  W. 
Bristow,  a  gentleman  of  long  experience  at  sea.  He  was  the  late  com- 
mander of  the  "  Egyptian  Monarch,"  and  formerly  in  the  service  of  the 
Cunard  and  White  Star  Lines.  The  vessel  ran  at  the  rate  of  fourteen  knots 
per  hour  in  coming  from  London,  but  as  usual  during  a  first  trip  there  were 
little  hindrances  to  speed,  which  will  be  done  away  with  when  the  machinery 
works  more  smoothly." 

The  "  Assyrian  Monarch,"  in  1882,  was  honored  by  Having  as  a  passenger 
from  England  the  celebrated  elephant  Jumbo.  He  received  royal  honors 
en  route,  the  boy  crews  of  the  training  ships  manning  yards  as  he  went  by. 
Lady  Burdett  Coutts  and  party  travelled  from  London  to  bid  the  great 
brute  farewell.  The  Baroness  on  reaching  the  "Monarch"  went  to  the 
forward  part  of  the  ship,  between  decks,  to  visit  the  elephant,  and  gave  him 
a  last  bun  and  bid  him  good  by.  The  Baroness  left  a  sum  of  money  to- 
purchase  sweets,  etc.,  for  the  "  Monarch's"  passage.  As  she  left  the  Mill- 
wall  docks  she  was  gaily  dressed  with  flags.  So  much  interest  in  England 
was  manifested  for  Jumbo  that  the  "Monarch"  took  out  elastic  bags  to  be 
dropped  into  the  sea  at  intervals  in  regard  to  his  health,  etc.,  a  skilful 
means  of  advertising  the  enormous  beast. 

The  Monarch  Line  forms  a  direct  communication  between  London  and 
New  York,  and  has  connections  with  Havre,  Paris,  Hamburg,  Bremen, 
Antwerp,  Gothenburg,  and  Copenhagen. 

The  present  fleet  consists  of  the  following  named  steamships: 


NAME. 

Built. 

Registered 
Tonnage. 

NAME. 

Built. 

Registered 
Tonnage. 

l87C 

1482 

Persian  Monarch 

1880 

"?oo8 

1878 

1-2-18 

Egyptian  Monarch 

1881 

3Ql6 

1870 

2014. 

Lydian  Monarch 

1881 

3Ql6 

Assyrian  Monarch  . 

1880 

•2QI7 

Grecian  Monarch 

1882 

4-264, 

building 

44OO 

• 

HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 


371 


THE  HARRISON  LINE. — This  line  of  steamships,  running  between  New 
Orleans  and  Liverpool,  has  started  up  since  the  Civil  War,  and  is  the  out- 
growth of  a  line  of  sailing  ships  which  were  running  as  early  as  1850.  The 
owners  of  this  line  are  Thomas  and  James  Harrison,  of  Liverpool.  The 
following  is  a  list  of  their  steamers  in  1882:— 


Name. 

Tons  Reg. 

Name. 

Tons  Reg. 

Name. 

Tons  Reg. 

Name. 

Tons  Reg. 

Alice  . 

1182 

Commander. 

Governor 

26^0 

Merchant  . 

144-2 

Author 

I3O7 

Counsellor 

22m 

Historian 

18^50 

Orator 

I  ^42 

Architect... 
Chancellor 
Chrysolite  . 

1934     ' 
2052 
702 
7O2 

Discoverer... 
Engineer  .... 
Explorer  
Editor 

2251 
275° 

2OIO 

Inventor  
Legislator  .. 
Mariner  
Mediator 

2291 
2126 
1443 

2OI  I 

Professor  . 
Statesman 
Warrior  ... 

2630 
..       1851 
..       1231 

& 

J 

1 

THE  OCEAN  STEAMSHIP  COMPANY  OF  SAVANNAH. — This  Company  runs 
a  line  of  ocean  steamships  between  New  York  and  Savannah  and  Phila- 
delphia and  Savannah,  and  owns  at  present  a  fleet  of  nine  vessels,  viz.,  the 
"  City  of  Augusta,"  "  City  of  Macon,"  "  City  of  Savannah,"  "  Juniata," 
"  Dessoug,"  "  Tallahassee,"  "  Chattahoochie,"  and  "  Wacoochie."  The 
•  three  last  have  been  recently  launched  from  Roach's  yard  at  Chester.  The 
"  City  of  Columbus  "  and  "  Gate  City,"  formerly  of  this  Company,  were 
sold  in  September,  1882,  to  a  Boston  Company,  which  will  run  them  as  a 
connecting  line  with  the  Ocean  Steamship  Company,  using  the  docks  of  the 
latter  Company  at  Savannah.  The  "  Dessoug,"  used  as  a  freight  boat,  is 
noted  from  having  brought  to  New  York  the  Egyptian  Obelisk  presented 
by  the  Khedive.  The  cost  of  her  purchase  and  refitting  amounted  to 
$94,642.58,  and  she  is  estimated  to  be  worth  $120,000. 

The  "City  of  Augusta,"  until  the  recent  additions  to  this  line,  which  are 
not  yet  in  commission,  was  the  largest  vessel  engaged  in  the  coastwise  trade, 
having  a  cargo  capacity  of  3,000  tons,  or  6,000  bales  of  cotton.  She  is  323 
feet  over  all,  40  feet  beam,  has  three  decks,  and  five  water-tight  compart- 
ments, and  is  built  of  iron.  She  carries  compound  engines,  with  two 
inverted  cylinders,  42s  and  82  inches  in  diameter  respectively.  Her  screw 
is  16  feet  in  diameter,  with  26  feet  pitch  ;  her  working  pressure,  100  pounds 
of  steam.  She  has  six  steel  tubular  boilers,  and  steam  steering-geer  and 
capstans.  With  accommodations  for  100  passengers,  her  state-rooms  are 
roomy,  and  her  fitting-up  is  sumptuous.  No  steamer  goes  out  of  New  York 
having  more  elegant  appointments.  The  saloons  are  finished  in  many- 
colored  foreign  woods ;  polished  brass  dazzles  the  eye  at  every  point ; 
revolving  chairs,  elegantly  upholstered,  solicit  the  lazy  passenger  ;  the  table 
equipments  are  tasteful  and  handsome.  The  personal  administration  of  the 
Company's  ships  leaves  nothing  to  be  desired,  whether  it  be  seamanship 
on  deck  or  hospitable  courtesy  in  the  saloon. 


372  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.* 

These  ships  are  greatly  used  by  invalids  ordered  to  Florida  or  elsewhere 
in  the  South  by  their  physicians,  and  these  have  usually  to  make  the  winter 
voyage.  The  ships  are  steam-heated,  and  always  comfortable,  though 
twenty-four  hours  out  of  New  York  the  weather  becomes  warm.  The 
"  City  of  Macon "  and  the  "  Dessoug "  rode  out  the  terrible  cyclone  of 
August  31,  1881,  without  damage,  and  the  entire  fleet  is  made  up  of 
thoroughly  seaworthy  ships.  The  northward  b8und  traffic  is  largely  made 
up  of  cotton,  of  which  247,944  bales  were  delivered  in  New  York  in 
1880-81,  an  increase  of  more  than  100  per  cent,  in  three  years.  Other  ship- 
ments comprise  tobacco,  rice,  turpentine,  rosin,  watermelons,  fruits  and 
vegetables,  and  yellow  pine  lumber.  From  New  York  were  sent  last  year 
130,000  tons  of  sundries  and  6,357i  tons  of  railroad  iron. 

On  the  retirement  of  Mr.  Waddell  (since  deceased)  last  year  from  the 
Presidency,  the  Hon.  Edward  C.  Anderson,  many  years  Mayor  of  Savannah, 
and  an  ex-officer  of  the  United  States  Navy,  and  who  had  previously  been 
a  managing  director,  was  elected  to  fill  the  vacancy.  The  wharfs,  docks 
and  warehouses  of  the  Company  at  Savannah  are  of  ample  capacity  and 
excellent  arrangement  for  the  transaction  of  its  business.  Through  bills  of 
lading  and  tickets  are  given  by  this  Company  over  the  Central  Railroad  of 
Georgia,  Savannah,  and  Western  railroads,  and  close  connection  made  with 
the  steamers  and  railroad  to  Florida. 

THE  MiTSU-BisHi  STEAM  NAVIGATION  COMPANY,  1876.— This  line  of 
steamers,  under  the  Japanese  flag,  was  established  in  1875,  and  its  shares 
were  held  almost  exclusively  by  Japanese.  In  1876  it  owned  four  steamers, 
viz.,  the  "  Tokio-Murin,"  nee  New  York,  the  "  Kunayaua-Murin,"  nee 
Madras,  the  "  Takar-Murin,"  nee  Acanthia,  and  the  "  Zazon,"  while  others 
were  in  course  of  construction  in  Great  Britain,  which  were  to  form  a 
weekly  line  between  China  and  the  Japanese  ports  of  Nagasaki,  Hiogo, 
Imioscki,  and  Yokohama.  This  was  a  great  advance  from  their  seclusion 
and  isolation  from  the  rest  of  the  world,  from  which  they  were  awaked 
by  their  treaty  with  Commodore  M.  C.  Perry,  in  1854,  only  twenty-one 
years  before.  This  company  purchased  steamers  with  great  rapidity,  and 
now  (1882)  owns  considerably  over  thirty  steamers,  and  they  are  all  named 
for  Japanese  cities,  as  "Hiroshima  Naru,"  City  of  Hiroshima,  once  the 
"  Golden  Age"  of  the  Pacific  Mail  Company. 

THE  ATLAS  STEAMSHIP  COMPANY. — The  vessels  of  the  Atlas  Line  are 
iron-screw  ships,  constructed  under  the  superintendence  of  the  surveyors  to 
English  Lloyds,  and  in  accordance  with  the  requirements  of  the  British 
Board  of  Trade.  The  company's  fleet  consists  of  the  following  steamships  : 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 


373 


NAME. 

Gross 
Tonnage. 

Effective 
Horse- 
power. 

NAME. 

Gross 
Tonnage. 

Effective 
Horse- 
power. 

Albano  

2^0 

2OOO 

Atlas 

1280 

QOO 

Alene  

2104 

1600 

Avila 

1  200 

QOO 

Alvo  

2009 

J  ^OO 

Antilles 

14.00 

IOOO 

Athos  

1047 

icjoo 

Alpin 

890 

700 

Ailsa  

I(KO 

1  200 

i  Arden 

CAA 

600 

Alps 

I7^O 

IOOO 

Arran 

462 

COO 

Andes  

I7^o 

IOOO 

Aden  Branch  Steamer. 

Alvena 

I7ON 

QCQ 

Also  the  Satellite  tow-boat. 

The  accommodations  for  passengers,  with  a  special  view  to  their  comfort, 
are  located  in  the  central  portion  of  the  steamer,  forward  of  the  engines, 
and  both  saloons  and  state-rooms  are  above  the  main-deck.  This  prevents 
any  annoyance  from  the  smell  or  noise  proceeding  from  the  engine  room, 
whilst  the  passengers  are  placed  in  that  part  where  the  motion  is  least  felt 
and  the  best  ventilation  is  secured.  In  the  tropics  these  considerations  are 
of  paramount  importance  to  the  comfort  of  travelers.  The  crew  and  officers 
are  all  berthed  in  the  after-portion  of  the  vessel,  so  that  the  fore  part  is  left 
clear  as  a  promenade-deck.  The  steamers  of  this  line  leave  New  York  every 
fourteen  days  for  Kingston,  Jamaica,  Savanilla,  Carthagena,  and  Colon, 
Aspinwall,  from  whence  they  return  direct  to  New  York.  Their  steamers 
also  leave  New  York  every  ten  days  for  ports  in  Hayti,  and  return  via 
Kingston,  Jamaica.  They  also  leave  New  York  for  Cape  Hayti  and  ports 
on  the  north  side  of  Jamaica,  and  Greytown,  Nicaraugua,  returning  via 
ports  in  Jamaica  to  New  York.  Still  another  line  of  their  steamers,  under 
the  Spanish  flag,  sail  from  New  York  to  Maracaibo,  calling  at  Porto  Rico, 
and  returning  via  Cape  Hayti  to  New  York. 

The  company  has  also  established,  under  a  contract  with  the  colonial 
government,  a  weekly  steam-service  from  Kingston  around  the  Island  of 
Jamaica,  calling  at  ali  the  principal  ports. 

The  Atlas  Company  suddenly  advertised,  a  short  time  ago,  the  departure 
of  two  apparently  new  steamers,  the  "Avila"  and  the  "Antilles,"  and  two 
of  their  well-known  boats,  the  "  Claribel"  and  "Atlas,"  disappeared  as  sud- 
denly from  their  list.  Whence  these  new  steamers  ?  What  had  become  of 
the  old  ones?  It  was  no  secret;  the  company  wished  to  put  two  of  its  ves- 
sels under  the  Spanish  flag,  and  had  simply  changed  the  English  names  to 
Spanish  ones. 

ROACH'S  UNITED  STATES  AND  BRAZIL  MAIL  STEAMSHIP  LINE. — The 
steamships  of  the  United  States  and  Brazil  Mail  Steamship  Line  (now 
defunct)  were  built  by  John  Roach  &  Son,  at  Chester,  Pa.,  on  the  Dela- 
ware, and  were  fine  specimens  of  naval  architecture.  They  were  370  feet 
long  over  all,  39  feet  beam,  with  a  depth  of  hold  from  base  line  to  the  top 


374  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

of  spar-deck  of  31  feet  6  inches,  and  had  a  Custom  House  register  of  3,500 
tons.  Their  mean  low  draft  was  21  feet.  They  had  three  decks,  beside  the 
hurricane-deck,  from  the  stern  extending  to  the  after  side  of  the  main 
hatch.  The  deck  frames  were  of  iron,  and  the  deck  houses  all  iron  braced 
and  stiffened  in  the  most  thorough  manner.  They  had  six  bulkheads  divid- 
ing them  into  seven  water-tight  compartments.  Connected  with  these  com- 
partments were  bilge  pumps  with  separate  valves,  so  that  one  or  all  could 
be  simultaneously  operated. 

Built  under  the  supervision  of  the  French  Bureau  Veritas,  and  the 
American  Shipmasters'  Association  of  New  York,  they  were  rendered  per- 
fectly seaworthy  by  the  use  of  the  best  of  material  in  their  construction  and 
equipment.  They  were  furnished  with  8  metallic  life-boats,  having  a  carry- 
ing capacity  of  from  35  to  60  each,  and  with  four  life  rafts  capable  of 
carrying  700  persons.  The  hoisters,  windlass,  capstan  and  steering  appa- 
ratus were  all  worked  by  steam.  The  coal  bunkers  carried  700  tons  of 
coal,  and  the  temporary  and  shifting  bunkers  would  carry  as  many  more 
tons.  The  machinery  proper  consisted  of  two  compound  surface  condensing 
engines,  the  cylinders  of  which  were  42  inches  for  the  high  pressure  and  74 
inches  for  the  low  pressure ;  each  60  inches  stroke,  2,500  horse-power,  and 
with  separate  engines  for  working  the  air  and  circulating  pumps.  By  this 
arrangement  the  main  engines  had  only  to  turn  the  propeller.  The  six 
boilers  were  of  the  cylindrical  return  tubular  type,  their  working  pressure 
90  pounds  to  the  square  inch.  There  was  also  a  donkey  boiler  for -hoisting 
purposes,  clearing  the  bilge  and  supplying  the  main  boilers  with  water  in 
case  of  fire.  The  propeller  or  screw  was  a  four-bladed  brass  one,  16  feet  in 
diameter,  of  the  Hirsch  patent.  The  maximum  passenger  capacity  was  100 
first-class  passengers  and  400  in  the  steerage.  Commodious  rooms  were 
provided  on  the  hurricane-deck  for  the  captain  and  officers ;  also  a  large 
smoking-room  richly  furnished  with  lounge  seats  and  circular  tables.  The 
accommodation  for  first-class  passengers  consisted  of  a  saloon  130  feet  long 
by  30  wide.  It  was  a  sumptuous  and  commodious  apartment.  It  had  6 
rows  of  tables  parallel  to  each  other,  over  60  feet  in  length,  sufficient  to 
accommodate  over  100  persons.  Alongside  of  them  were  placed  sofas  with 
shifting  backs,  and  in  addition  a  range  of  sofas  stretching  almost  around 
the  saloon.  The  chairs  and  sofas  were  upholstered  in  crimson  velvet. 

The  saloon  was  lighted  through  the  day  by  52  square  sliding  windows, 
each  26  by  20  inches,  besides  6  large  mahogany  skylights  fitted  with  orna- 
mental glass,  serving  the  purposes  of  light  and  ventilation.  The  ceiling  of 
this  spacious  and  beautiful  saloon  was  over  eight  feet  from  the  floor  to  the 
under  edge 'of  the  deck  beams,  and  the  floors  were  inlaid  with  oak  and 
black  walnut.  The  saloon  was  richly  carpeted  and  adorned  with  mirrors  ; 
its  panelings  were  Hungarian  ash  and  French  walnut,  with  Honduras 
mahogany  mouldings.  The  stairways  were  of  highly  polished  woods,  and 
the  newel  posts  were  surmounted  by  bronze  figures  supporting  a  lamp. 


HIS1  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  375 

The  furniture  and  appliances  were  of  the  latest  patterns  and  most  elegant 
finish. 

The  state-rooms,  or  sleeping  apartments,  for  the  first-class  passengers  were 
on  the  spar  and  hurricane-decks  aft  of  the  saloon,  and  were  not  only 
commodious,  well-lighted  and  fully  ventilated,  but  furnished  in  a  style  of 
luxurious  comfort.  All  of  the  berths  were  fitted  with  rich  lambrequins  and 
lace  curtains.  The  saloon,  ladies'  cabin,  smoking-room,  and  each  individual 
berth  in  the  first-class  departments,  were  supplied  with  electrical  annuncia- 
tors, communicating  with  the  steward's  department.  The  afcerpart  of  the 
main  saloon  was  a  ladies'  boudoir,  containing  a  bath-room,  supplied  with 
hot,  cold  water,  and  sea  water,  and  set  off  with  lounges,  mirrors,  etc.  The 
barber  shop,  amidships,  on  the  spar-deck,  had  two  bath-rooms  complete  in 
their  appointments.  The  steamers  were  each  supplied  with  a  competent 
and  skilled  surgeon. 

The  rate  of  passage  from  New  York  to  St.  Thomas  was  $70 ;  to  Para, 
$130;  to  Pernambuco,  $150;  to  Bakia,  $160;  to  Kio  de  Janeiro,  $175. 
Children  under  12  years  of  age  half  price. 

The  whole  project  was  the  enterprise  of  one  plucky  man,  John  Roach, 
a  deserving  citizen,  yet  probably  one  of  the  best-abused  men  in  the 
"Country.  The  founder  of  the  line  risked  a  million  of  his  own  private 
capital  in  starting  a  line  of  steamers  to  an  .empire  6,000  miles  away,  from 
which  the  United  States  buys  $60,000,000  worth  of  goods  every  year,  and 
to  which  it  would  like  to  sell  a  similar  sum  annually,  and  could,  in  time,  if 
facilities  for  the  trade  are  created  and  maintained.  Previous  to  the  start- 
ing of  the  line  our  merchants  were  handicapped.  It  was  as  though  Boston 
were  trying  to  do  business  with  San  Francisco  by  means  of  steamers  sailing 
to  Panama,  while  New  York  was  trading  over  a  direct  railroad  route  across 
the  continent.  We  had  to  send  a  long  way  to  reach  Brazil.  The  English 
traded  direct.  Our  mails  and  valuable  goods  to  Brazil  had  to  go  by  way 
of  England,  taking  10  or  13  days  to  cross  the  Atlantic,  having  often  to  wait 
10  days  in  England  for  a  steamer,  and  then  consuming  from  20  to  25  days 
in  going  from  the  British  Isles  to  Brazil. 

When  this  new  line  from  this  country  direct  was  started,  facilities  were 
created  which  were  imperatively  needed.  The  convenience  of  the  line  was 
so  great  that  it  has  been  frankly  and  cordially  conceded.  The  steamers 
were  well  managed,  and  in  three  years  never  missed  a  trip  nor  failed  to  sail 
on  time.  By  means  of  the  line  mails  were  sent  in  22  days  direct ;  and  the 
certainty  egularity  of  the  trips  were  of  advantage  almost  to  the  whole 

American  public.  A  wide  variety  of  miscellaneous  products  were  intro- 
duced, little  by  little,  and  the  start  of  a  large  trade  effected.  In  quantities 
of  goods  sold,  the  export  trade  to  Brazil  increased  constantly  while  the 
steamers  run.  The  line  brought  travelers  and  merchants  to  the  country  in 
large  numbers,  the  exact  number  in  the  three  years  being  about  2,000. 
Profitable  orders  and  contracts  were  brought  to  this  country  by  these  trav- 


376  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

elers,  which  otherwise  would  not  have  been  secured.  There  was  a  large- 
reduction  in  freights,  also,  through  the  operation  of  this  American  line. 
Instead  of  its  costing  from  70  to  85  cents  a  bag  to  get  coffee  to  New  York 
from  Brazil,  the  freight  was  reduced  to  50,  and  even  to  30  cents  a  bag. 
This  commodity  was  brought  6,000  miles  for  $5  and  $6  a  ton,  that  is,  at  the 
rate  of  $l'a  ton  for  a  thousand  miles  of  voyage,  which  is  about  the  cheapest 
ocean  transportation  ever  known. 

The  saving  to  the  United  States  upon  the  immense  importations  of  coffee 
was  very  large.  The  freight  on  measurement  goods  was  also  lowered  from 
35  cents  a  cubic  foot  to  about  20  cents.  These  reductions  and  the  more 
important  fact  of  regular  and  quick  communication  were  of  genuine  service 
to  the  public ;  and  it  was  with  sincere  regret  that  business  men  learned  of 
the  discontinuance  of  the  American  Line.  During  the  three  years  that  Mr. 
Koach  maintained  the  line,  $1,400,000  was  paid  out  for  expenses,  and 
$92,000  for  repairs  in  the  United  States,  and  $300,000  for  expenses  abroad. 
And  it  was  estimated  that  the  business  men  of  this  country  have  saved 
$1,700,000  by  a  reduction  of  South  American  freights  during  that  period. 

Mr.  Koach  had  very  far-reaching  plans.  Could  this  line  have  received 
the  support  he  sought  to  obtain  for  it,  he  would  have  built  more  steamers 
and  started  several  other  lines.  The  Brazilian  fleet  would  have  been 
enlarged,  and  direct  trade  woi>ld  have  been  opened  to  other  coasts.  The 
Buenos  Ayres  project  was  only  one  of  many,  in  view. 

It  seems  a  pity  that  the  question  of  mail  compensation  to  the  Brazilian 
Line  could  never  have  been  discussed  on  its  merits.  Mr.  Roach's  appeal  to 
Congress  was  not  by  any  means  entirely  defenceless.  He  carried  the  United 
States  mails  140,000  miles  in  1879  for  $1,875,  while  three  coasting  lines 
carried  them  unitedly  123,400  miles  and  got  $102,800  for  the  service.  Mra 
Roach  was  beaten,  not  by  the  impolicy  of  the  subsidy  system,  but  by  an 
organized  effort,  both  in  the  United  States  and  in  Brazil,  to  break  him 
down.  People  went  from  city  to  city  with  subscription  papers  to  raise 
money  for  use  against  him  at  Washington  ;  and  the  speeches  made  at 
Washington  in  opposition  to  his  line  were  translated  into  Portuguese  and 
sent  to  Brazil  by  thousands  to  create  a  coldness  in  official  circles  there 
against  the  American  steamers. 

The  two  steamers,  "  City  of  Para  "  and  "  City  of  Rio  Janeiro  "  (?)  were- 
sold  to'  the  Pacific  Mail  Steamship  Company,  and  are  now  running  on  the 
west  coast  of  America.  The  history  of  this  line  is  that  of  an  unfortunate 
enterprise,  undertaken  in  advance  of  its  time,  there  can  be  little  or  no 
doubt  to  be  revived  at  no  very  distant  day  with  a  profitable  result. 

THE  MALLORY  LINE  OF  STEAMSHIPS. — I  have  been  unable  to  obtain 
the  historical  information  I  hoped  for  concerning  this  important  steamship 
enterprise.  I  learn  from  its  circular  that  the  Mallory  Line  to  Texas  com- 
prises the  following  steamships  : 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  377 


Tons. 


Guadaloupe,      .         .         .         .         .     2840 
Rio  Grande,      .         .         .         .         .     2566 

San  Marcos, 2840 

State  of  Texas,          .         .         .         .1696 


Tons. 


Colorado, ......     2764- 

Carondelet,  ....     1508- 

Western  Texas,          .         .         .         .1210 


These  vessels  stop  at  Key  West,  Florida,  Galveston,  Brazos,  Brownsville, 
Corpus  Christi,and  Indianola,  Texas.  The  line  also  has  connection  with  Flor- 
ida, Nassau  and  New  Providence.  Steamers  of  the  line  leave  New  York  every 
Friday  for  Florida,  arriving  at  Fernandina  on  Tuesday,  and  from  Florida 
there  is  a  steamer  placing  them  in  Nassau  every  week.  The  iron  steamer 
"  Western  Texas"  performs  the  service  for  Florida ;  and  the  iron  steamship 
"  City  of  San  Antonio,"  1,572  tons,  is  now  running  regularly  on  the  Mallory 
Line  between  New  York  and  Florida.  She  can  -carry  7,000  boxes  of 
oranges  in  well  ventilated  spaces,  and  has  fine  passenger  accommodations, 
and  is  fast. 

THE  RED  "  D"  LINE  OF  STEAMSHIPS,  1879. — This  line  of  steamships,, 
running  to  Laguayra,  Puerto  Cabello,  Caracas,  and  Maracaibo,  was  inaugu- 
rated in  November,  1879,  when  the  company  commenced  to  substitute  them 
for  the  line  of  sailing  vessels  that  had  been  engaged  in  the  trade  for  upwards 
of  forty  years.  At  first  foreign  chartered  steamers  were  engaged  in. the  ser- 
vice. Later  on  it  was  decided  to  replace  them  with  steamers  built  in  the- 
United  States  specially  for  the  trade.  Accordingly  contracts  were  entered 
into  with  the  William  Cramp  &  Son  Ship-Engine  Building  Company  of 
Philadelphia  for  the  steamer  "  Caracas,"  and  subsequently  for  the:  steamer 
"  Valencia."  The  "  Caracas"  left  New  York  on  her  first  voyage  in  Juner 
1881,  and  the  "  Valencia"  in  May,  1882. 

These  two  steamers,  of  about  1,200  tons,  new  measurement  (act  of  Con- 
gress, 1882),  are  built  in  the  most  substantial  manner,  and  have  the  highest 
classification.  Th'ey  are  well  appointed  for  passenger  as  well  as  freight  and 
mail  service.  They  connect  at  the  Island  of  Caracas  with  the  branch 
steamer  "  Maracaibo,"  running  to  the  port  of  Maracaibo.  The  "  Maracaibo"" 
was  built  under  contract  with  Messrs.  Neafie  &  Levy,  of  Philadelphia,  and 
left  there  in  August,  1880.  She  is  built  of  wood,  in  the  most  substan- 
tial manner,  has  ample  accommodations  for  passengers,  and  is  about  500 
tons,  old  measurement.  Being  intended  exclusively  for  foreign  service,  she 
carries  the  British  flag.  The  steamers  of  the  main  line,  the  "  Caracas"  and 
"  Valencia,"  are  officered  and  manned  by  citizens  of  the  United  States,  and 
carry  the  American  flag. 

A  steamship  of  this  line  leaves  New  York  twice  a  month  for  Laguayra 
Porto  Cabello,  and  Caracas,  the  round  trip  from  and  back  to  New  York 
occupying  about  twenty-six  days. 

NEW  YORK,  HAVANA,-  AND  MEXICAN  MAIL  STEAMSHIP  LINE. — The 
company's  fleet  comprises  the  following  first-class  steamships :  "  City  of 
Puebla,"  3,100  tons;  "City  of  Alexandria;"  "City  of  Washington,"  2,618- 


378  HISTOR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VI G A  TION. 

tons;  "British  Empire,"  4,000  tons,  chartered;  "City  of  Merida,"  2,000 
tons  ;  "  City  of  Mexico,"  1,027  tons ;  which  are  appointed  to  leave  New  York 
•every  Thursday  and  Havana  every  Saturday. 

Leaving  New  York  direct  for  Havana,  they  proceed  from  there  every 
Tuesday  for  Vera  Cruz  and  intermediate  ports.  On  the  return  trip  they 
arrive  at  Havana  Wednesday  or  Thursday,  and  leave  direct  for  New  York 
«very  Saturday. 

Steamers  of  this  line  also  run  every  three  weeks  between  New  Orleans 
and  Vera  Cruz,  connecting  with  the  steamers  for  Havana  and  New  York. 

With  a  view  of  preventing  sea-sickness  and  of  adding  to  the  comforts  of  pas- 
sengers, there  have  been  placed  in  a  number  of  state-rooms  of  the  steamships 
""  City  of  Washington"  and  "  City  of  Alexandria"  the  new  patent  Huston 
self-leveling  berths,  which  remain  always  and  under  all  circumstances  in  a 
perfectly  horizontal  position,  however  great  may  be  the  rolling  and  pitching 
of  the  vessel. 

There  has  also  been  introduced  in  the  dining  saloons,  instead  of  the  in- 
convenient long  tables  and  sofas  of  the  old  style,  small  tables  that  will 
accommodate  from  four  to  eight  persons  only,  with  single  revolving  chairs 
for  each  one,  in  order  to  avoid  the  usual  confusion  and  noise  incidental  to 
the  dining  together  of  all  the  passengers. 

The  "  City  of  Alexandria"  was  built  by  John  Roach  in  1880,  and  is  338 
feet  over  all,  38  feet  6  inches  wide,  and  33  feet  deep  from  the  hurricane-deck, 
being  10  feet  longer,  6  inches  wider,  and  2  feet  shallower  than  the  "  City  of 
Washington,"  which  in  all  other  respects  she  resembles.  Both  steamers  have 
excellent  accommodations  for  150  first-class  passengers. 

The  "  City  of  Merida"  ano^  "  City  of  Mexico"  are  wooden  ships,  built  at 
Oreenpoint,  L.  I.  The  "  British  Empire,"  chartered,  was  built  for  the  New 
Zealand  trade,  and  is  410  feet  long,  40  feet  beam,  and  28  feet  hold. 

BOSTON  AND  SAVANNAH  STEAMSHIP  COMPANY,  1882.— Previous  to  the 
war  of  the  rebellion  the  water  transportation  business  between  the  port  of 
Savannah,  Ga.,  and  Boston  was  by  sailing  vessels,  regular  lines  of  packets, 
for  freighting  purposes  mainly,  running  between  this  and  other  principal 
southern  ports  and  Boston.  About  the  close  of  the  war  a  line  of  small 
steamers  were  put  on  for  the  Savannah  business,  which  marked  the  begin- 
ning of  a  revolution  in  that  trade. 

These  steamers  were  originally  provided  and  sent  out  to  take  advantage 
of  the  call  for  cotton  transportation  between  Savannah  and  Boston.  Com- 
pared with  the  present  facilities  they  were  small  affairs,  450  bales  of  cotton, 
without  any  other  description  of  freight,  being  sufficient  to  load  them  com- 
pletely. When  the  cotton-carrying  season  was  over  (September  to  April  is 
the  season)  their  business  was  considered  nearly  at  a  standstill,  until  the 
autumn  should  again  bring  about  the  particular  etate  of  things  which  they 
were  designed  to  fit  into. 

In  1869  the  firm  of  F.  W.  Nickerson  &  Co.,  of  Boston,  established  a 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  379 

steamer  line  on  this  route.  Their  first  vessel,  the  "Oriental,"  was  an  iron- 
screw  steamer  of  800  tons  burthen.  The  "Oriental"  made  the  round  trip 
in  twenty  days.  The  uAlhambra,"  a  steamer  of  700  tons,  was  added.  In 
time  other  steamers  took  place  in  the  line,  and  regular  trips  were  made,  the 
sailing  days  being  the  10th,  20th,  and  30th  of  each  month.  Finally  weekly 
trips  were  made,  and  the  carrying  capacity  of  the  ships  had  increased  to 
1,800  bales  of  compressed  cotton  in  a  single  cargo. 

Finally,  on  the  7th  of  September,  1882,  the  Boston  and  Savannah  Steam- 
ship Company  was  organized  to  take  the  place  previously  filled  by  F.  W. 
Nickerson  &  Co.,  that  is,  this  firm  and  connections  became  the  company 
with  the  title  just  named,  and  a  new  departure  has  been  taken  in  the  busi- 
ness by  the  purchase  from  the  Ocean  Steamship  Company  of  the  "  Gate 
€ity"  and  "City  of  Columbus,"  and  placing  them  on  the  line  in  connection 
with  the  "  Seminole." 

The  first  line  of  steamers  established  (at  the  close  of  the  war)  found  avail- 
able as  freights  boots  and  shoes,  bagging  for  cotton  bales,  furniture,  fish,  and 
the  like  commodities.  The  return  cargo  was  exclusively  cotton  for  the  use 
of  the  New  England  mills.  The  changes  which  have  occurred  in  the  char- 
.acter  of  cargoes  and  their  destination  during  the  comparatively  short  time 
which  has  passed  since  are  well  worth  consideration. 

The  bagging  forming  an  important  feature  in  outward  cargoes  was  East 
India  gunny  cloth,  imported  to  Boston,  and  from  thence  shipped  by  these 
steamers  to  Savannah  as  covering  for  cotton  bales.  Thus  it  became  an  in- 
teresting factor  in  transportation  both  ways.  The  East  India  gunny  cloth 
disappeared  entirely  from  commerce,  in  this  direction,  at  least,  five  years 
ago ;  and  in  its  place  appeared  a  domestic  bagging,  manufactured  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Boston.  In  place  of  the  gunny  cloth  once  imported  to 
Boston,  now  jute  butts  are  imported,  and  of  these  butts  the  domestic  bagging 
is  made,  which  alone  is  now  used  in  covering  cotton  bales. 

Another  change  in  the  character  of  the  freight  carried  out  is  in  the  arti- 
'de  of  fish.  Formerly  these  were  taken  largely  in  bulk  ;  but  now  the  product 
is  mostly  canned,  even  mackerel  being  sent  South  in  this  form  of  packing. 
It  is  not  unusual  for  one  of  the  present  steamers  to  take  out  5,000  packages 
of  fish  at  a  trip.  Some  articles  of  freight  are  so  singular  as  to  be  almost 
unaccounted  for ;  as,  for  instance,  from  300  to  500  bedsteads  are  taken  out 
iit  nearly  every  trip,  and  chairs  and  other  cheap  furniture  something  in 
proportion. 

In  the  present  cargoes  outward  from  Boston  bacon  forms  an  important 
•element.  The  time  is  not  long  since  all  this  supply  went  South  from  the 
West.  Now,  as  many  as  800  boxes  of  bacon  are  sent  to  Savannah  per  trip 
of  these  steamers.  Immense  quantities  of  potatoes  and  apples  are  also  taken 
out,  the  first-named  principally  for  planting  in  Georgia  and  Florida,  and  in 
the  spring  the  new  potatoes  produced  form  an  important  element  in  the  return 
cargoes.  Great  numbers  of  pianos,  organs,  carriages,  etc.,  are  also  taken  out. 


380  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

The  difference  in  quantity  of  freight 'carried  now,  compared  with  former 
times,  is  shown  by  the  figures,  the  present  steamers  taking  about  100,000 
cubic  feet,  or  2,500  tons,  of  cargo,  against  15,000  cubic  feet,  or  about  400 
tons  each,  in  the  early  days.  An  ordinary  freight  car  will  carry  36  bales 
of  compressed  cotton  at  one  time.  A  cotton  cargo  for  one  of  these  steamers 
is,  therefore,  equivalent  to  the  loading  of  a  freight  train  of  122  cars. 

A  peculiarity  of  the  composition  of  the  return  cargoes  is  the  rapid  growth 
of  the  naval  stores  business  as  an  element  in  the  transportation  of  this  line. 
Eight  years  ago  there  was  not  perhaps  a  turpentine  still  in  Georgia,  at  least 
not  one  of  any  size.  Now  Savannah  rivals  Wilmington,  N.  C.,  in  the  pro- 
duction of  piney  products,  and  the  shipments  to  Boston  from  Savannah 
average  1,000  barrels  of  resin  and  300  barrels  of  spirits  of  turpentine  per 
week  by  these  steamers.  Lumber,  once  brought  in  sailing  vessels  by  slow 
and  laborious  process,  may  now  be  telegraphed  for  at  the  mills  in  Georgia, 
and  fine  yellow  pine  cargoes  be  landed  in  Boston  within  six  days  thereafter. 

Cotton  forwarded  from  the  principal  centres  in  Georgia  reaches  Boston 
by  this  means  in  an  average  of  six  days  from  starting.  The  preference  in 
transportation  is  given  to  spinners'  cotton — that  is,  cotton  to  be  used  in  the 
mills  at  this  end  of  the  route,  but  usually  at  least  one-quarter  of  the  cargo- 
is  on  through  bills  of  lading,  and  goes  directly  across  the  ocean  to  foreign 
ports.  The  sea  island  cotton,  for  the  various  thread  mills  near  Boston,  is- 
largely  brought  by  these  steamers,  and  rice,  hides,  and  wool  are  also  brought 
largely. 

In  the  early  period  of  the  development  of  these  transportation  interests,, 
the  ships  were  hauled  off  as  soon  as  the  cotton  season  was  over,  in  the  spring. 
Now,  the  business  is  more  profitable  when  cotton  is  "  off"  than  during  its 
season.  This  quick  transportation  has  developed  and  increased  to  an  enorm- 
ous extent  the  truck  farming  business  of  Georgia  and  Florida,  it  being  a 
matter  of  common  practice  to  deliver  produce  in  Boston  four  days  after  it 
is  harvested  in  Florida.  Immense  quantities  of  early  vegetables  are  thus 
shipped  in  excellent  condition  to  Boston,  the  succession  taking  place  regu- 
larly, and  anticipating  the  northern  crops  often  by  many  weeks.  Later  on, 
of  melons  alone  there  are  often  enough  shipped  by  a  single  steamer  to  occupy 
the  entire  capacity  of  the  upper  between  decks,  or  as  many  as  40,000  melons 
at  one  trip.  Cotton  forms  a  part  of  the  cargo  of  every  shipment,  and  through 
bills  of  lading  for  this  article  appear  in  every  manifest. 

The  orange  season  for  the  section  of  the  South  (Florida  and  Georgia)  con- 
tinues from  November  to  February.  A  few  years  ago  only  a  small  amount 
of  this  fruit  came  to  Boston  by  water ;  now  these  steamers  bring  from  200 
to  600  boxes  of  oranges  per  trip  during  the  season. 

And  thus  these  two  sections,  North  and  South,  minister  to  the  wants  of 
each  other  through  the  mediumship  of  this  transportation  line.  Not  alone 
this,  but  the  system  of  through  bills  of  lading,  which  is  operated  both  ways,, 
makes  these  ministrations  far-reaching,  and  is  already  indicative  of  grand 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  381 

results  in  the  future  in  the  interests  of  Boston  as  a  commercial  centre.  It 
will  be  noticed  that  the  development  already  secured  has  touched  import- 
antly upon  her  export  interests,  and  the  possibilities  in  this  direction  are  not 
limited.  At  least' an  element  worth  taking  into  account  is  revealed  by  these 
transactions. 

There  is  a  large  passenger  business  between  New  England  and  the  far 
South  during  certain  seasons  of  the  year.  While  the  heated  term  is  on,  the 
Southerners  delight  in  visiting  our  mountains,  and  lakes,  and  seashores,  in 
fact  every  part  of  thickly-settled  and  open-armed  New  England.  From 
November  to  May  the  New  Englander  finds  equal  pleasure  in  sojourning  in 
the  mild  climate  of  Georgia  and  Florida.  Heretofore,  transportation  has 
been  via  New  York  city,  involving  changes  of  cars,  hotel  stoppages,  and 
various  annoying  dependencies.  The  present  steamers  of  the  Boston  and 
Savannah  Steamship  Company  are  fitted  expressly  for  first-class  passenger 
transportation,  the  cabins,  saloons,  and  state-rooms  being  as  fine  as  can  be 
found  anywhere  afloat.  Since  the  sea  trip  is  direct  and  most  delightful,  and 
the  expense  of  transportation  less  than  one-half  of  that  per  rail,  it  is  no 
wonder  that  the  route  is  preferred.*  • 

THINGVALLA  LINE,  1882. — The  passenger  steamship  "  Geyser,"  Captain 
Thompson,  of  the  new  Thingvalla  Line,  sailed  from  Copenhagen  in  Decem- 
ber, 1881,  on  her  first  trip  to  New  York.  The  Thingvalla  Company  is  com- 
posed of  Danish  capitalists,  foremost  among  whom  is  C.  F.  Tietgeu,  the 
founder  of  the  Great  Northern  Telegraph  Company,  whose  lines  extend  from 
England  through  Asia  to  the  Pacific.  The  steamship  "  Thingvalla"  had 
for  two  years  made  irregular  trips  between  Copenhagen  and  New  York. 
The  company  put  three  new  steamers  on  the  stocks  in  Copenhagen  and  in 
Malmo,  Sweden ;  of  these  the  "  Geyser"  and  the  "  Hecla"  have  been 
finished,  and  the  "  Iceland"  is  about  to  be  launched.  The  steamers  are  the 
largest  ever  built  in  Denmark.  Their  engines  are  of  2,000  tons  indicated 
horse-power,  and  are  designed  to  make  twelve  knots  an  hour.  The  vessels 
are  3,000  tons  burden,  312  feet  long,  39  feet  wide,  and  calculated  to  carry 
40  cabin  and  700  steerage  passengers,  and  a  crew  of  50  men.  Their  route 
will  be  from  Copenhagen  around  the  northeast  coast  of  Scotland,  Chris- 
tiansand,  Norway,  being  their  only  stopping  place.  By  going  to  the  north  of 
Scotland  time  will  be  saved,  and  it  is  expected  that  the  steamers  will  make 
the  trip  to  New  York  in  thirteen  or  fourteen  days.  An  eifort  will  be  made 
to  secure  the  carrying  of  the  mail  between  the  United  States  and  the  Scan- 
dinavian kingdoms  as  soon  as  all  the  four  steamers  are  running.  Until 
the  summer  of  1882  the  steamers  will  make  fortnightly  trips;  if  desirable 
after  that  the  company's  fleet  will  be  increased. 

The  "  Thingvalla"  brought  to  New  York  as  freight  forty  thousand  heads 
of  cabbage  that  arrived  in  fair  condition. 

*  The  foregoing  account  of  this  company  is  derived  from  the  Sunday  Boston  Herald  of 
September  24, 


382  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

The  "  Hecla,"  the  second  of  the  line,  made  the  voyage  in  thirteen  days 
from  Christiansand.  Previous  to  the  establishment  of  this  line  passengers 
and  fast  freight  from  Copenhagen  and  ports  of  Denmark  had  to  go  to 
Bremen,  Hamburg,  Havre,  Liverpool  or  London,  to  take  steamer  for  New 
York.  Now  these  vessels  are  full  of  emigrant  passengers,  and  the  cabin 
traffic  is  also  large.  The  "  Hecla"  on  her  first  trip  carried  760  emigrants. 
She  has  cabin  accommodations  for  thirty  passengers.  The  "  Hecla"  was 
built  at  Malmo,  Sweden ;  is  315  feet  in  length,  40  feet  beam,  has  30  feet 
depth  of  hold,  and  is  of  1,846  tons  capacity.  Her  saloon  and  smoking-room 
are  on  the  main-deck,  the  state-rooms  and  captain's  room  being  immediately 
below.  Electric  bells  communicate  from  the  state-rooms  to  the  steward's 
room,  and  between  the  bridge,  whe^l-house  and  engine-room. 

1882. — A  WEST  INDIA  STEAMSHIP  ENTERPRISE. — Senor  Martinez  de 
Campos,  a  lieutenant-general  in  the  Spanish  army,  and  a  statesman  of  high 
reputation,  has  been  elected  president  of  a  Cuban  steamship  company,  which 
will  confine  its  operations  almost  entirely  to  the  West  Indian  island?.  Of 
course  this  new  enterprise  will  be  liberally  subsidized  by  the  Spanish  home 
government. 

Seven  or  eight  iron  steamships  are  to  be  purchased  or  constructed  in  Eng- 
land, each  to  have  a  carrying  capacity  of  at  least  2,500  tons.  They  will  be 
fitted  with  all  the  modern  conveniences  necessary  for  capturing  the  large 
passenger  traffic  that  has  grown  up  between  the  islands. 

Senor  Campos  proposes  to  run  his  ships  to  all  the  principal  ports  in  the 
West  Indies,  to  Central  America,  and  to  the  northern  coast  of  South 
America.  They  will  carry  cargoes  of  assorted  goods  entered  in  bond  at 
Havana,  and  from  that  port  will  distribute  these  goods  among  all  the  ports 
embraced  in  the  sphere  of  operation  marked  out  for  the  new  line.  The  re- 
turn cargoes  will  be  composed  of  the  products  of  the  various  islands  ^and 
countries  at  which  the  ships  will  touch ;  and  these  cargoes  will  enter  at 
Havana,  to  be  distributed  by  other  Spanish  steam  lines  among  the  markets 
of  the  world. 

A  marked  feature  of  the  new  enterprise  is  the  design  to  secure,  as  far  as 
possible,  the  service  of  free  Cuban  negroes  for  firemen  and  coal-passers,  and 
as  sailors  only  those  who  have  passed  through  the  "  vomito,"  or  whose  resi- 
dence in  the  tropics  warrants  the  assumption  of  their  thorough  acclimation. 
If  a  sufficient  number  of  free  negroes  cannot  be  obtained  on  the  island,  the 
captains  of  the  vessels  will  be  empowered  to  employ  such  persons  of  color 
residing  on  the  other  islands  who  will  fill  the  requirements  of  the  company 
in  this  sanitary  respect. 

By  the  employment  of  none  but  acclimated  officers  and  seamen  the  com- 
pany believes  it  will  economize  both  time  and  money.  There  are  instances 
on  record  when  'ships  have  lost  a  part  of  their  crews  in  one  short  voyage 
among  the  fever-stricken  islands,  and  have  been  laid  up  in  some  out-of-the- 
way  port  until  hands  could  be  procured  to  work  them.  Passengers,  also, 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  383 

would  rather  travel  in  vessels  thus  manned,  for  when  sickness  breaks  out  on 
board  a  ship  it  almost  always  makes  its  first  appearance  among  the  crew, 
who  are  more  exposed  to  the  heat  of  the  sun  than  the  passengers,  who  are 
protected  from  its  rays  by  awnings. 

Mr.  De  Campo's  new  enterprise  will  receive  government  help  the  moment 
the  first  ship  puts  to  sea. 

THE  NEW  YORK  AND  CUBA  MAIL  STEAMSHIP  COMPANY,  1876. — This 
company  forms  a  direct  weekly  mail  line  of  American  steamers  between 
New  York  and  Havana ;  it  also  sends  a  monthly  steamer  to  Santiago  de- 
Cuba  and  Cienfugos,  leaving  New  York  on  Saturdays  and  Havana  on  Wed- 
nesdays. The  New  York  and  Havana  Line  comprises  the  steamships 
"  Newport,"  <%  Saratoga,"  and  "  Niagara*"  The  "  Santiago"  forms  its  con- 
nection between  New  York  and  Santiago,  etc.  The  steamers  of  the  line 
also  connect  at  Havana  with  other  lines,  visiting  West  India  and  Florida 
ports  and  New  Orlearfs. 

The  "  Newport,"  built  in  1880,  is  an  iron  ship  of  3,000  tons,  348  feet  in 
length,  38  feet  beam,  and  23  feet  from  the  spar-deck  to  the  keelson.  The 
"  Newport"  has  made  the  fastest  time  on  record  between  New  York  and 
Havana.  Her  engines  are  on  the  compound  principle.  The 'cylinders  are 
90  and  48  inches  diameter  respectively,  with  4J  feet  stroke.  The  engines 
are  capable  of  developing  3,000  horse-power,  or  about  one  horse-power  for 
every  ton  of  her  tonnage,  which  is  greater  in  proportion  than  that  of  the 
"  Arizona,"  the  most  powerful  steamship  afloat  in  proportion  to  registered 
tonnage.  The  entire  engine  department  is  said  to  be  more  roomy  and  better 
ventilated  than  that  on  any  steamship  afloat.  All  the  steam  pumps  are  so- 
arranged  that  they  may  be  connected  with  any  part  of  the  vessel  in  case  of 
fire  or  leak,  their  united  capacity  being  equal  to  70,000  gallons,  or  about 
1,750  barrels  a  minute.  • 

The  "  Saratoga"  takes  the  place  of  the  well-known  steamer  bearing  the 
same  name  purchased  by  the  Russian  Government  in  1878  and  converted 
into  a  cruiser.  She  is  2,500  tons  register,  320.  feet  long,  38.4  in  beam,  23 
feet  deep  to  the  main-deck,  and  31  feet  to  the  hurricane-deck.  She  has 
compound  engines  of  2,000  horse-power,  calculated  to  give  her  a  speed  of 
15  knots  an  hour. 

The  "Niagara,"  built  in  1877,  is  2,300  tons,  294  feet  long,  and  her  cabin 
accommodations  are  the  same  as  the  "  Niagara." 

The  "Santiago"  was  built  by  John  Roach  &  Son.  She  is  of  iron,  290 
feet  long,  39  feet  beam,  and  measures  2,400  tons.  She  has  the  usual  water- 
tight compartments  and  all  the  latest  improvements. 

SOCIETE    POSTALE    FRANCAISE    DE    I/ATLANTIQUE,    1882. — The    Societe 

Postale  Francaise  de'l'Atlantique,  established  two  years  ago  under  subsidies 
from  the  governments  of  Canada  and  Brazil  for  carrying  their  mails,  but 
sailing  under  the  French  flag,  having  determined  to  send  the  steamers  of  its 
line  to  Boston,  has  established  two  lines,  one  for  the  Brazil  trade  and  the 


384  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  XA  VIGA  TION. 

other  for  the  trade  between  Boston,  Antwerp  and  Havre.  The  line  will  be  a 
monthly  one  to  and  from  each  port.  The  line  consists  of  the  following  steam- 
ships :  the  "  Ville  de  Para,"  "  Ville  de  Ceare,"  "  Ville  de  Montreal,"  "  Ville 
de  Quebec,"  and  "  Ville  de  Halifax."  The  "  Ville  de  Para,"  in  October,  left 
Montreal  for  Brazil,  and  on  her  return  will  reach  Boston  about  November 
30.  The  first  steamer  from  Antwerp  to  Boston,  the  "  Ville  de  Montreal," 
will  leave  the  former  city  about  the  last  of  November  or  first  of  December. 
Mr.  William  D.  Bentley,  consul-general  of  the  Emperor  of  Brazil,  is  gen- 
eral agent  of  the  company,  and  his  connection  with  the  Brazilian  Govern- 
ment is  of  great  advantage  to  the  company  he  represents  in  its  relations 
with  that  country.  The  capital  of  the  company  is  10,000,000  francs,  all  paid 
in.  The  president  is  Monsieur  Derriere,  President  of  the  Societe  Generale 
of  France,  and  director  of  the  Bank  of  France.  The  company  began  run- 
ing  between  Canada  and  Brazil  with  chartered  boats,  but  it  now  has  five 
new  steamers  of  3,000  tons  burthen.  They  are  built  in  the  most  substantial 
manner,  propelled  by  1,200  horse-power  engines,  and  are  sumptuously  fitted 
up,  with  ample  accommodations  for  forty  first-class  passengers  each,  and  are 
said  to  excel  anything  in  the  way  of  steamers  ever  run  from  Montreal. 
These  vessels  -will  afford  the  best  facilities  for  the  direct  importation  of  iron 
ware,  wire  goods,  wines,  liquor,  coffee,  sugar,  rubber,  and,  in  brief,  all  French 
and  Brazilian  goods,  and  lor  exporting  grain,  meats  and  breadstuff's. 

STEAMERS  ON  LONG  ISLAND,  1882. — Each  of  the  three  lines  running 
boats  on  the  Sound  to  New  York,  viz.,  the  Fall  River  Line,  so-called,  the 
Providence  or  Stonington  Line,  and  the  Norwich  Line,  have  taken  a  new 
departure,  as  it  were,  within  the  last  two  years,  adding  a  new  boat  to  their 
lines.  Some  description  of  these  floating  palaces  may  not  be  out  of  place 
as  showing,  by  comparison,  the  progress  in  size,  construction,  speed,  etc., 
with  the  pioneer  boats  09  those  waters  some  fifty  or  sixty  years  ago. 

THE  "  PILGRIM"  OF  THE  FALL  RIVER  LINE.— The  hull  of  this  new  float- 
ing palace  is  of  iron,  and  both  builders  and  owners  have  united  to  make  her 
absolutely  non-combustible  and  non-sinkable.  The  great  increase  in  the  size 
of  the  sound  steamers  during  the  last  few  years  had  generated  an  intrinsic 
weak'ness  which  demanded  radical  changes  in  material,  methods,  etc.,  of  con- 
struction. To  supply  the  lack  of  natural  strength,  so  glaring  in  the  ancient 
steamers,  the  hull  of  the  "  Pilgrim"  is  cellular,  or,  in  other  words,  has  a 
double  skin,  inside  and  outside,  with  a  system  of  longitudinal  framing  be- 
tween. The  system  of  longitudinal  and  transverse  framing  is  continuous  in 
its  strength,  and  in  a  great  degree  is  independent  of  the  inside  and  outside 
platings,  which,  attached  to  the  framework,  form  a  hollow  box  or  girder,  the 
whole  length  of  the  vessel's  side  and  bottom.  This  hollow  box  or  tank  is 
24  inches  deep  or  wide  at  the  sides  of  the  vessel,  and*  down  to  the  turn  of 
the  bilge,  whence  it  is  increased  in  size  (internal)  to  36  inches  at  the  centre 
of  the  hull,  or  across  the  keel.  This  double  hull  is  divided  into  96  water- 
tight compartments,  formed  by  the  water-tight  athwartship  floors  and  bracket 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VI G  A  TION.  385 

frames,  27  feet  apart,  and  the  longitudinals — keelsons  running  340  feet  fore 
and  aft,  and  water-tight  at  all  intersections.  This  tank,  so  to  speak,  was 
tested  when  building  with  a  pressure  of  five  pounds  to  the  square  inch,  thus 
insuring  its  efficiency  in  practice.  The  outside  plating  being,  of  course, 
water-tight,  and  the  inside,  for  a  distance  of  340  feet,  water-tight  also,  it  can 
readily  be  seen  that  a  puncture  or  strain  of  the  outside  skin  will  have  very 
little  injurious  effect  on  the  vessel's  buoyancy ;  but,  in  addition  to  the  safety 
provided  by  the  construction  of  the  double  hull,  the  interior  capacity  is 
again  divided  into  water-tight  compartments  by  half  a  dozen  athwartship 
water-tight  bulkheads,  a  sub-division  which  makes  the  probability  of  sink- 
ing by  collision  or  a  rupture  of  the  bottom  almost  impossible.  These  bulk- 
heads extend  up  to  the  main^deck,  which  is  built  of  iron,  and  made  water- 
tight to  the  outside  of  the  guard-frame.  The  wheel  batteries  are  of  iron, 
and  the  enclosure  of  the  engine,  boilers,  chimney,  kitchen,  smoke-pipes,  and 
ventilators  being  also  of  iron,  the  probability  of  the  vital  parts  of  the  steamer 
being  destroyed  by  fire  is  reduced  to  a  minimum.  This  non-combustible  and 
non-sinkable  hull  is  384  feet  long,  50  feet  moulded  beam — about  87  feet  wide 
over  guards — and  17  feet  6  inches  deep  at  fehe  lowest  point  on  the  sides.  By 
reason  of  the  peculiar  type  of  model,  together  with  its  exceedingly  large 
dimensions,  it  will  be  observed  that  enormous  structural  strains  will  be  gen- 
erated when  in  service,  to  counteract  which  requires  a  careful  and  scientific 
adjustment  of  the  resisting  material.  The  longitudinal  bracket  plate  sys- 
tem, which  originated  in  the  English  Board  of  Admiralty,  has  been  adopted, 
and  the  extent  and  degree  of  skill  and  care  which  has  been  exercised  in 
proportioning  the  different  parts  of  the  hull  to  their  respective  strain  is  re- 
markable. The  keel  is  double  plate,  the  inner  one  20  by  11  1-6  and  the 
outer  one  26  by  13  1-16.  The  main  keelson  is  a  single  plate  3  feet  deep,  10 
1-6  inches  thick,  and  in  length  not  less  than  28  feet;  the  butts  are  double- 
strapped,  with  heavy  plates.  The  longitudinals  are  6  in  number,  each  side 
of  the  centre  keelson,  and  extend  continuously,  fore  and  aft,  as  far  as  possi- 
ble, the  outer  ones  forming  breast-hooks  at  the  ends  about  4  feet  apart.  They 
are  built  of  plates,  28  feet  in  length,  with  a  width,  according  to  location,  of 
24  to  36  inches.  Two  of  these  are  secured  to  the  outer  and  inner  skins  with 
single  angle  irons,  and  the  other  two,  the  heaviest  ones,  are  secured  to  the 
outer  and  inner  plating  with  double  angle  irons,  and  made  water-tight. 

By  the  peculiar  construction  of  this  hull  an  endurance  is  obtained  to 
which  the  staunchest  craft  that  ever  steamed  through  Long  Island  Sound  is 
but  a  basket  in  comparison.  There  are  half  a  dozen  bulkheads— one  placed 
26  feet  abaft  of  stem,  of  7  1-6  plate,  stiffened  with  angle  iron ;  one  forward 
of  the  boilers ;  one  between  the  boilers  and  engines ;  one  abaft  the  engines  ; 
and  one  collision  bulkhead  aft.  All  the  doors  fit  water-tight,  and  are  so 
arranged  as  to  open  and  close  quickly.  All  of  the  internal  supports  of  the 
boat  are  of  the  best  of  wrought  iron,  and  no  wood  whatever  is  employed 
where  metallic  material  could  be  substituted. 

25 


386  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

The  plating  of  the  outer  hull  is  of  the  best  flange  iron,  12  1-6  inches 
thick,  the  plates  not  less  than  14  feet  long,  with  all  butts  planed  and  triple 
riveted.  The  bottom  plating,  in  alternate  strokes,  is  11 1-6  inches  thick,  and 
the  side  and  bilge  plating  extending  aft  from  the  stem  anci  forward  of  the 
stern  port,  is  flush  far  enough  to  compare  with  the  in  and  out  plating  of  the 
bottom.  The  flush  plating  has  seam  straps  in  long  lengths,  and  at  and  about 
the  water-line  the  plating  is  doubled  as  a  protection  against  ice.  No  plates 
are  less  than  14  feet  long,  while  those  of  the  sides,  for  a  length  of  280  feet 
midships,  are  at  least  28  feet  in  length,  and  everything  is  heavily  "strapped 
and  double  and  triple  riveted.  The  hull  has  a  heavy  inner  as  well  as  an 
outer  plating ;  the  main-deck  is  also  laid  with  stringer  plates,  and  the  saloon- 
deck  strengthened  by  placing  six-inch  T  iron  carlings  eight  feet  apart,  all 
fore  and  aft.  The  steering  apparatus  has  a  steam  steering-gear,  and  there  is 
an  auxiliary  steering-gear,  always  ready  for  immediate  use  in  case  of  acci- 
dent to  the  other.  The  fitting  and  furnishings  are  costly  and  elaborate,  and 
every  way  in. keeping  with  the  thoroughness  and  stability  of  the  craft  which 
they  adorn,  and  all  parts  of  the  boat  are  illuminated  by  electric  lights. 

THE  NEW  "  RHODE  ISLAND"  OF  THE  STONINGTON  LINE. — In  1882  the 
Stonington  line  had  its  fleet  strengthened  by  the  restoration,  in  name  at  least, 
of  the  renowned  steamer  "  Rhode  Island,"  being  the  third  to  date  of  the  line 
to  bear  that  name,  her  immediate  predecessor  having  been  wrecked  the  year 
previous.    The  engines  are  about  all  comprised  in  the  new  craft  which  did 
service  in  the  old  boats  which  were  so  popular  among  the  Sound   line 
travelers  between  New  York,  Providence  and  Boston.     The  old  "  Rhode 
Island"  was  constructed  in  1872-73,  and  went  upon  the  line  July  17,  1873. 
She  was  a  staunch  boat  in  every  particular,  and  was  capable  of  most  arduous 
service.     One  season',  at  least,  she  ran  day  and  night  trips  continuously.     It 
will  be  remembered  that  on  her  last  trip  for  the  season  of  1880  she  ran 
ashore  in  a  dense  fog  at  the  Bonnet,  opposite  Dutch  Island,  and  in  a  short 
time  went  to  pieces,  the  wreckers  saving  only  her  engine,  some  of  her  cargo, 
and  part  of  her  furniture.     Immediately  after  the  disaster  the  steamship 
company  decided  to  build  another  steamer  to  take  the  place  of  the  one  de- 
stroyed, and  on  the  1st  of  January,  or  thereabouts,  gave  the  order  for  its 
construction  to  Robert  Palmer,  ship-builder  at  Noank,  Conn.     The  forests 
of  Connecticut  and  Virginia  were  drawn  upon  for  white  oak.     Long  Island 
.  and  the  North  River  furnished  locust,  and  Jacksonville,  Florida,  the  live 
oak ;  Savannah  and  Cedar  Keys  the  yellow  pine.     About  the  middle  of 
February  the  keel  was  laid.     The  frame  is  of  white  oak,  live  oak  and  locust. 
It  is  secured  by  immense  iron  straps,  \  inch  or  f  inch  by  4  inches,  and  18 
or  20  feet  long,  let  in  flush  with  the  timbers,  the  ends  butted  together  and 
fished  with  strong  plates,  hot  riveted  through  and  through.     Her  dimensions 
are  as  follows :  Length  of  keel,  325  feet ;  length  of  10-feet  water-line,  332 
feet ;  length  over  all,  344  feet ;  width  of  hull,  46  feet ;  width  over  guards, 
83  feet ;  depth  of  hold  (clear),  15  feet ;  diameter  of  wheels,  39  feet  4  inches ; 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  387 

length]  of  buckets,  12  feet;  capacity  (carpenters'  measurement),  2,800  tons. 
She  is  run  by  the  engine  that  was  in  the  old  "  Rhode  Island,"  which  has 
been  entirely  overhauled  and  put  in  order.  As  in  the  old  "  Rhode  Island," 
she  has  steam  steering  apparatus,  and,  in  addition,  is  provided  with  a  steam 
windlass. 

1881.— The  "  City  of  Worcester,"  of  the  Norwich  Line,  was  built  by  the 
Harlan  &  Hollingsworth  Company,  of  Wilmington,  Del.  Her  hull  is  of  iron, 
the  plating  seven-sixteenths  to  three-quarters  of  an  inch  thickness,  and  the 
sheer  streak  1^  inches.  Her  principal  dimensions  are:  Admeasurement, 
2,500  tons  ;  length  on  water  line,  325  feet ;  length  over  all,  340  feet ;  beam 
moulded,  46  feet ;  over  all,  80  feet ;  depth  from  base  line  to  top  of  beams  at 
dead  flat,  16  feet  3  inches.  She  has  six  water-tight  bulkheads  fitted  between 
double  frames  on  the  side.  All  these  bulkheads  are  extended  to  the  guard- 
deck,  being  thoroughly  braced  and  stayed  by  both  vertical  and  diagonal 
angle  irons.  Should  two  of  these  bulkheads  be  destroyed  by  collision,  the 
other  four  would  float  the  boat.  The  machinery  and  the  steam  chambers 
are  enclosed  in  iron  all  the  way  up  through  the  hurricane-deck,  to  afford 
perfect  ventilation  to  the  fire-room  and  give  greater  protection  against  fire. 
The  two  smoke-pipes  are  also  enclosed  in  iron  casings.  Her  machinery 
consists  of  a  surface-condensing,  working-beam  engine,  having  a  cylinder  90 
inches  in  diameter  by  12  feet  stroke  of  piston,  arranged  with  composition 
valves  and  seats,  and  Stevens  cut-off.  The  wheels  are  38  feet  in  diameter, 
with  buckets  of  about  11  feet  face.  The  steamer  is  fitted  with  iron  gallows 
frame,  iron  guard  logs,  iron  king  posts  and  iron  batteries  and  bulkheads  for 
water-wheel  houses.  She  has  three  main  boilers,  37  feet  6  inches  long,  by 
12  feet  diameter  and  13  feet  face,  containing  about  9,300  feet  of  fire  surface 
and  550  feet  of  grate  surface.  They  will  sustain  a  working  pressure  of  50 
pounds  to  the  square  inch.  She  also  has  a  40-horse  power  donkey  boiler, 
with  steam  pump,  located  on  the  guard-deck,  and  fitted  with  the  necessary 
attachments  and  fixtures.  The  boat  has  200  tons  of  boilers,  and  her  main 
boilers  are  claimed  to  be  the  largest  in  the  world. 

The*  hull  is  extra-braced  forward,  where  she  is  also  extra-plated  as  a 
guard  against  ice,  through  which  she  can  be  easily  propelled  with  the  full 
power  of  her  engine.  The  hold  is  ventilated  by  a  well  between  the  boilers 
and  machinery  space,  and  also  through  the  two  hollow  iron  masts.  The 
bottom  of  the  boat  is  covered  inside  with  the  best  quality  of  Portland 
cement.  The  anchors,  worked  from  the  upper  deck,  weigh  4,100  and  3,000 
pounds  respectively.  The  chain  cables  are  11  and  If  inches  in  diameter, 
and  are  each  75  fathoms  long.  The  windlass  is  worked  by  an  independent 
engine. 

The  "  City  of  Worcester  "  has  eight  boats  hung  on  the  davits,  six  22  feet 
long  each,  and  two  24  feet  in  length.  These  boats  are  square-sterned,  as  it 
was  found  when  the  steamer  "City  of  New  York"  rescued  the  passengers 
from  the  wrecked  "  Narragansett  "  that  the  double- ender  boat  was  next  to 


388  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

useless  for  that  work.  In  addition,  the  steamer  has  a  small  boat  16  feet 
long. 

The  precautions  against  fire  are :  On  the  main  deck  9  fire-plugs,  8  in  the 
saloon,  4  in  the  hold,  and  4  on  the  hurricane-deck.  These  plugs  are  sup- 
plied by  2  pumps,  always  in  readiness  for  immediate  action,  the  steam  being 
supplied  by  the  donkey  boiler.  1,450  feet  of  hose  are  at  all  times  attached 
to  the  plugs,  and  used  for  no  other  purpose. 

The  freight  capacity  of  the  boat  will  easily  accommodate  90  car-loads. 
There  is  a  separate  gangway  for  passengers,  by  which  they  can  enter  or 
leave  the  vessel,  with  no  bales,  barrels,  boxes  or  baggage  to  molest  them. 

The  saloon  on  th,e  main-deck  is  separated  from  the  freight  compartment 
by  pilasters  and  elaborately  ornamented  ground  glass.  The  joiner  work  is 
in  mahogany,  bird's-eye  maple,  French  walnut  and  tulip  woods,  marquetry 
and  gilt,  and  is  tastefully  relieved  by  the  white  ceiling  and  delicately  tinted 
cornice.  The  cornice  and  pilasters  in  the  main  saloon  above  are  a  combi- 
nation of  hard  woods  and  veneer  work,  finished  in  the  Eastlake  or  Queen 
Anne  style.  The  forward  saloon  has  an  upper  tier  of  state-rooms,  with  a 
mahogany  overhanging  balustrade  all  around,  with  mahogany  stairways 
leading  thereto.  These  stairways,  and  all  on  the  boat,  are  covered  with 
stamped  gold-bronze  brass.  Each  of  the  stairways  has  a  design  having  an 
elegance  distinctively  its  own. 

The  dining-room  is  in  the  forward  saloon  of  the  upper-deck,  away  from 
the  odors  of  machinery.  There  are  175  state-rooms  in  all,  each  having  one 
of  Jennings'  closets,  supplied  from  a  tank  amidships  connected  with  a  small 
engine,  which  keeps  a  continuous  cleansing  flow  through  them.  The  wash- 
rooms and  large  state-rooms  are  inodorous,  the  water  coming  from 
another  tank.  For  two  lengths  abaft  and  forward  of  the  wheel  the  state- 
rooms are  three  rows  deep ;  elsewhere  there  are  two  rows  on  each  side. 
Besides  the  ordinary  state-rooms,  having  two  berths  in  each,  there  are 
twelve  large  bedstead  state-rooms — four  aft,  two  amidships  and  six  forward. 
All  the  rooms  are  ventilated  by  transoms  over  the  doors,  as  well  as  by 
windows.  Each  room  has  an  electric  annunciator;  the  inside  furnishings 
are  in  mahogany,  French  walnut,  bird's-eye  maple  and  other  hard  woods, 
and  are  fitted  with  the  Peerless  wire  mattress.  There  are  150  open  berths 
in  the  hold,  divided  into  forward  and  after  gentlemen's  cabins,  with  the 
ladies'  cabin  in  the  stern.  These  berths  are  well  ventilated,  there  being 
several  feet  of  space  between  the  cabin  walls  and  the  steamer's  plating. 

The  steamer  is  heated  by  steam ;  marble-top  radiators  are  in  the  saloons, 
and  each  state-room  has  its  independent  heating  coil.  The  lighting  is  by 
Edison's  incandescent  electric  light.  There  are  250  of  these  lamps,  of  16 
candle-power  each,  the  electricity  for  which  is  generated  by  an  independent 
15  horse-power  engine.  The  boat  is  also  piped  for  gas,  and  chandeliers  are 
fitted  for  burning  mineral  sperm  oil. 

•The  doors  are  furnished  with  "  Parliament"  hinges,  which  allows  of  their 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  389 

being  unshipped  and  used  as  life-preservers.  The  pilot-house  is  finished 
in  hard  woods,  with  hard  wood  steering-wheel,  chairs,  sheaves  and  fixtures. 
The  steering  is  by  steam  or  hand,  as  desired.  The  kitchen  has  its  inde- 
pendent steam  boiler,  the  ice-room  is  near  by,  and  in  the  forward  hold  is 
the  officers'  mess-room.  There  is  ample  room  on  the  promenade-deck,  and 
the  roomy  guards  make  moving  about  an  easy  and  agreeable  possibility. 

The  steamer's  lines  are  pleasing  to  the  eye,  and  her  exterior  ornamenta- 
tion 1s  tasteful.  On  each  paddle-box  is  a  seal  of  the  City  of  Worcester, 
Mass.,  encircled  with  gilt  work,  from  which  diverge  the  sunset-colored  rays 
of  the  lattice-work,  between  which  one  gets  glimpses  of  the  great  red  wheel 
inside.  All  modern  improvements  entering  into  the  construction  of  a  first- 
class  steamer  have  been  introduced  into  the  "  City  of  Worcester."  She  is 
faster  than  the  "City  of  New  York  "  of  this  line,  that  boat,  the  fastest  on 
the  Sound,  having  made  the  distance  between  docks,  120  miles,  in  6  hours 
and  5  minutes — a  record  that  has  never  been  beaten. 

The  first  impression  on  boarding  the  "  Worcester "  is  the  substantial 
character  of  her  appointments  and  her  capacity.  Upon  entering  her  saloons 
one  is  struck  with  their  magnificence,  and  by  the  absence  of  all  gaudiuess, 
or  with  so  little  of  the  throbbing  so  disagreeable  to  many  people.  Quiet  as 
a  well  or  dead  house.  The  passenger,  to  the  fullest  sense,  whichever  way 
he  turns,  finds  a  repetition  of  the  idea  of  bountiful  provision  or  manifesta- 
tion of  hospitable  intention. 

The  "  City  of  Worcester  "  took  her  place  on  the  Norwich  Line,  and  began 
her  trips  in  connection  with  the  New  England  Kailroad  from  Boston  to 
New  York  in  September,  1881. 

1880.— THE  "ORIENT."— The  steamship  "Orient,"  belonging  to  the 
Orient  Steam  Navigation  Company,  launched  at  Glasgow  in  1880,  was  de- 
signed to  sail  direct  for  Australia.  Her  measurement  over  all  was  460  feet ; 
455  feet  6  inches  between  perpendiculars ;  beam,  46.35  feet ;  depth  of  main- 
deck,  27.1  feet,  and  to  the  after-deck,  35.1  feet.  She  can  carry  3,000  tons 
of  coal  and  3,600  tons  of  cargo  of  40  feet  measurement,  has  accommodations 
for  120  first-class,  130  second-class,  and  300  steerage  or  third-class  passen- 
gers. Her  cost  was  about  £150,000.  Her  displacement,  9,500  tons.  The 
crank  shaft  is  20  inches  in  diameter;  screw  shaft,  18?  inches  in  diameter; 
she  is  propelled  by  a  four-bladed  screw,  22  feet  in  diameter  and  having  30 
feet  pitch.  She  was  expected  to  burn  from  2,500  to  2,800  tons  of  coal  on 
her  voyage  to  Australia,  and  was  steered  by  steam. 

1882. — A  new  steamship,  called  the  "  Austral,"  has  been  built  by  John 
Elder  &  Co.  for  the  Australian  trade.  Her  length  over  all  is  474  feet ;  her 
tonnage  9,500  tons.  She  has  been  built  throughout  of  mild  steel,  and  has  three 
steel  decks.  The  lightness  of  the  material  of  which  she  is  constructed  causes 
her  to  draw  comparatively  little  water,  and  it  may  be  said  that  it  will  be 
hardly  possible  to  sink  or  burn  her.  She  is  divided  below  the  inner  skin  and 
the  double  bottom  into  nineteen  separate  water-tight  compartments ;  and  in 


390  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

the  hull  proper  within  the  interior  skin  she  is  divided  by  thirteen  water-tight 
bulkheads,  ten  of  which  run  up  to  the  level  of  the  main-deck.  If  the  whole 
of  the  lower  compartments  were  filled  with  water,  the  effect  would  be  an 
additional  draught  to  the  extent  of  eighteen  inches,  and  if  by  accident  or 
design  the  sea  obtained  free  communication  with  any  two  of  the  holds,  the 
stability  and  surplus  buoyancy  of  the  vessel  would  prevent  her  from  being 
endangered. 

THE  CASTLE  LINE. — The  steamships  of  this  line  carry  Her  Majesty's  mails 
between  London  and  South  Africa — sailing  from  London  every  alternate 
Tuesday,  and  from  Dartmouth  every  alternate  Friday,  for  Cape  Town, 
Mossel  Bay,  Algoa  Bay,  Port  Alfred,  East  London,  and  Natal,  calling  regu- 
larly at  Madeira,  and  touching  at  St.  Helena  and  Ascension  at  stated  intervals. 

The  fleet  of  this  company  comprise  the 

Armadele,  Castle  of,  . 
Antonish  Castle, 
Dunnotar  Castle, 
Garth  Castle, 
Drummond  Castle, 
Kinfaurie  Castle 
Grantuity  Castle, 
Conway  Castle,  . 
Warwick  Castle 
Dunrotin  ^Castle 

THE  ALLAN  LINE,  1854 — Previous  to  the  inauguration  of  this  line  of 
steamships  the  trade  between  Great  Britain  and  Canada  had  been  carried 
on  by  a  superior  class  of  sailing  ships,  many  of  which  during  its  early  his- 
tory were  commanded  by  their  owners  and  their  sons.  Among  these  early 
merchant  traders  to  Canada,  Mr.  Alexander  Allan,  the  father  of  the  family 
that  gives  its  name  to  the  present  Allan  Line  of  steamers,  had  a  prominent 
place.  He  was  a  native  of  Saltcoats,  North  Britain,  afterwards  removed  to 
Glasgow,  and  owned  a  numerous  fleet  of  sailing  ships,  one  of  which,  in  early 
life,  he  himself  commanded.  His  eldest  son,  James,  and  his  third  son,  Bryce 
Allan,  of  Liverpool,  followed  his  example,  while  Hugh  and  Andrew  estab- 
lished themselves  in  Montreal,  and  in  1851  entered  into  partnership  as  the 
successors  of  Edmonstone  &  Allan,  where  they  managed  the  shipping  busi- 
ness of  the  family,  and  Jarnes,  when  he  retired  from  the  sea,  formed  with 
Bryce  and  their  3roungest  brother  Alexander  the  now  important  branch  of 
their  business  in  Liverpool.  When  the  success  of  screw  steamers  upon  the 
Atlantic  had  been  assured,  the  members  of  the  Allan  family  turned  their 
attention  to  the  advantages  to  be  derived  from  their  employment  of  such 
vessels,  and  established  a  line  of  them  to  run  between  Liverpool,  Quebec, 
and  Montreal  during  the  period  of  open  navigation,  and  between  Liverpool 
and  Portland,  Maine,  when  the  St.  Lawrence  was  ice-bound. 


Tons, 
e  of,  .                                 4^o 

Northan  Castle, 

Tons. 
.     2800 

T^O  J 

•      '     •           •           •      4350 
5,           ....      4350 

3705 

tie,     ....     3705 

,                                                        7CO7 

Dunbar  Castle,  . 
Taymouth  Castle, 
Duart  Castle,      . 
Lapland 
Dunkeld,  . 

.     2800 
.     1827 
.     1827 
.     1269 

•     1558 

!,....       3489 
2966 
•       2957 
...            .            .       2857 

Melrose     . 
Florence    . 
Venice 

840 
,         .         .       695 
.       5ii 

HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  391 

The  first  four  steamers  of  this  firm  were  builfc  by  William  Denny,  of  Dum- 
barton, and  the  skill  of  this  builder  is  evinced  by  the  fact  that  one  of  these 
early  steamers,  the  "  Anglo-Saxon,"  of  1,637  tons  burthen,  although  de- 
signed for  economy  of  fuel  and  capacity  for  cargo  and  passengers  rather 
than  for  speed,  made  the  passage  from  Quebec  to  Rock  Light,  Liverpool,  in 
the  then  altogether  unprecedented  short  time  of  nine  dtiys  and  five  hours. 
Built  in  1856,  she  was  wrecked  on  Cape  Race  April  27,  1863,  with  a  sacri- 
fice of  237  lives. 

Before,  however,  their  vessels  were  finished, the  Canadian  Government,  in 
June,  1852,  advertised  for  the  conveyance  of  the  mails  between  Great 
Britain  and  Canada  in  summer  and  Portland  in  the  winter.  For  this  ser- 
vice a  contract  was  concluded  with  Messrs.  McKean,  McCarty  and  Lament, 
of  Liverpool,  who  formed  a  company,  and  opened  the  line  in  the  spring  of 
1853  with  a  vessel  of  500  tons  register  named  the  "  Geneva."  The  line  was 
continued  for  about  eighteen  months  by  means  of  the  steamer  "  Cleopatra," 
of  1,467  tons,  and  two  smaller  vessels,  the  "  Ottawa"  and  "  Charity,"  and  the 
"Canadian,"  built  in  1854,  of  1,764  tons,  the  first  steamer  built  for  the 
Messrs.  Allan,  who  had  chartered  her  to  the  company. 

But  the  service,  which  was  conducted  with  varying  regularity,  proving 
uiTpr6fitable,  was  transferred  to  the  Allans,  who  undertook,  with  the  fleet 
they  were  building  specially  for  this  trade,  to  carry  on  a  fortnightly  service 
to  Quebec  in  summer,  and  a  monthly  voyage  to  Portland,  Maine,  in  winter, 
for  the  annual  subsidy  of  £24,000.  -The  Crimean  war,  however,  occurring 
in  1854,  offered  more  remunerative  employment  to  the  steamers  of  the  fleet 
of  both  contractors,  and  consequently  the  regular  mail  service  by  the  Allan 
Line,  which  at  first  was  designated  as  the  "  Montreal  Ocean  Steamship 
Company,"  was  not  commenced  until  April,  1856.  Since  then  it  has 
been  maintained  with  unbroken  regularity,  with  the  exception  of  various 
serious  losses,  which  might  almost  have  been  anticipated  in  the  early  history 
of  the  service,  considering  the  dangerous  character  of  the  navigation.* 
From  a  fortnightly  line  in  summer  and  a  monthly  line  in  winter  the  opera- 
tions of  the  company  have  expanded  into  a  regular  weekly  service,  supple- 
mented by  an  additional  fortnightly  mail  service  between  Liverpool  and 
Halifax,  extending  during  the  summer  to  St.  Johns,  Newfoundland,  and 
continued  monthly  during  the  winter,  by  means  of  an  ice-boat,  between 
Halifax  and  St.  Johns,  when  the  latter  port  cannot  be  approached  by  ocean 
steamships.  Steamers  of  the  Allan  fleet  also  trade  between  Liverpool  and 


*  The  "  Indian,"  built  1855,  1,764  tons,  was  lost  February  19,  1860,  on  Cape  Sable,  with 
a  sacrifice  of  205  lives;  the  "Canadian,"  built  in  1854,  1,764  tons,  June  I,  1857,  near 
Quebec,  all  saved;  "Canadian"  No.  2,  sunk  by  ice  in  the  Straits  of  Belle  Isle,  June  4,  1861, 
30  lives  lost;  "  Anglo-Saxon,"  1,673  tons,  wrecked  on  Cape  Race,  April  27,  1863,  237  lives 
lost;  "Norwegian,"  wrecked  on  St.  Paul's  Island,  Cape  Breton,  June  14,  1863,  all  saved; 
"  Bohemian,"  wrecked  on  Alden's  Rock,  off  the  entrance  to  Portland  Harbor,  February  22, 
1864,  20  lives  lost. 


392  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

Baltimore,  and  a  weekly  line  is  maintained  between  Glasgow  and  Canada 
in  the  summer.  There  is  also  a  line  consisting  often  steamships,  of  between 
3,300  and  2,500  tons  each,  and  an  aggregate  tonnage  of  30,100  tons,  engaged 
in  what  is  called  the  Calcutta  or  Indian  service,  and  a  fleet  of  twelve  iron 
clipper  sailing  ships,  with  an  aggregate  tonnage  pf  16,857  tons,  also  in  the 
service  of  the  company,  trading  to  all  parts  of  the  world,  but  chiefly  to  the 
East  Indies.  The  Messrs.  Allan  do  not  insure  their  vessels,  a  circumstance 
which  of  itself  is  the  very  best  guarantee  that  great  care  will  be  exercised  in 
the  management  and  navigation  of  the  ships.  A  rule  of  this  company,  care- 
fully observed  by  the  captains,  requires  that  in  case  of  fog  the  speed  must 
be  reduced  to  dead  slow,  safety  being  the  chief  consideration. 

Their  steamer,  the  "Hibernian,"  built  in  1861,  was  the  first  in  the  Atlantic 
trade  where  deck-houses  were  covered  in  by  a  promenade-deck,  stretching  from 
stem  to  stern,  which  prevents  a  sea,  when  it  breaks  on  board,  from  filling  tire 
passages  between  the  deck-houses  and  bulwarks.  So  highly  was  the  plan  ap- 
proved by  the  British  Government  that  the  unproductive  spaces  under  this 
deck  were  made,  by  order  of  the  Board  of  Trade,  the  subject  of  a  special 
exemption  from  tonnage  measure  by  the  deck  shelter  clause  of  the  Merchant 
,  Shipping  Act  of  1854.  Other  Atlantic  lines  adopting  this  protection  ob- 
tained like  privileges,  but  difficulties  arising  in  connection  with  ships  of 
somewhat  different  construction,  which,  however,  claimed  the  same  exemp- 
tion, this  immunity  was  abolished. 

Some  of  the  vessels  of  this  line  are  remarkable  for  their  speed.  For  in- 
stance, in  October,  1872,  the  "  Polynesian,"  on  her  first  voyage  made  the 
passage  between  Quebec  and  Londonderry  in  seven  days,  eighteen  hours  and 
fifty-five  minutes;  while  her  sister  ship,  the  "Sarmatian,"  was  engaged  by 
the  government  to  convey  the  42d  Highlanders  to  the  Gold  Coast  in  the 
Ashantee  war.  The  "  Sarmatian"  is,  by  the  way,  the  favorite  ship  of  the 
Princess  Louise,  Marchioness  of  Lome,  and  in  her  she  has  made  all  her  pas- 
sages between  England  and  Canada. 

The  "  Hungarian,"  one  the  earliest  of  these  steamers,  made  the  passage 
from  Quebec  to  Rock  Light  in  nine  days,  six  hours  and  thirty-five  minutes, 
or  from  land  to  land  in  six  days.  Another,  the  "  Peruvian,"  completed  one 
of  the  fastest  round  voyages  on  record  on  any  Atlantic  line.  On  the  16th 
of  December,  1864,  she  left  Moville,  the  port  of  call,  near  Londonderry,  at 
6.24  P.M.,  discharged  her  cargo  at  Portland,  took  in  her  homeward  cargo, 
and  sailing,  arrived  back  at  Moville  on  the  10th  of  January,  1865,  at  9.15 
A.M.,  thus  making  the  passage  out  and  home,  including  detentions  at  Port- 
land while  discharging  and  loading  her  cargoes,  in  twenty-four  days,  fifteen 
hours. 

As  a  representative  ship  of  the  Allan  Line  we  will  take  the  "Sardinian," 
which  was  built  and  had  her  engines  constructed  by  Messrs.  Robert  Steele  & 
Co.,  of  Greenock.  She  measures  400  feet  in  length  between  perpendiculars,  is 
42  feet  3  inches  in  width  of  beam,  and  is  35  feet.  8  inches  in  moulded  depth. 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  393 

Her  register  is  2,577  tons  measurement,  with  a  gross  tonnage  of  4,376  tons. 
She  is  impelled  by  a  pair  of  inverted,  direct-acting,  compound  high  and  low 
pressure  engines.  These  engines  are  supplied  with  all  the  most  recent  im- 
provements for  combining  power  with  economy  of  fuel,  and  securing  smooth 
and  equable  working.  They  are  furnished  with  superheating  and  surface- 
condensing  apparatus  of  the  most  improved  construction ;  and  everything 
which  experience  could  dictate  or  science  suggest,  to  ensure  efficiency  of 
working  has  been  sedulously  applied  without  stint  or  regard  to  first  cost. 
Her  high-pressure  cylinder  measures  60  inches,  and  her  low-pressure  cylin- 
der 104  inches  in  diameter,  and  the  pistons  have  4  feet  6  inches  of  a  stroke. 
The  steam  for  working  these  powerful  engines  is  generated  in  ten  oblong 
boilers,  which  are  heated  by  twenty  furnaces,  fired  athwartship.  When 
working,  at  about  full  spejed  the  engines  make  about  sixty  revolutions,  and 
at  that  number  of  revolutions  the  ship  has  a  regulated  and  sustained  speed 
of  14  knots  per  hour,  the  indicated  horse-power  being  calculated  at  2,800. 

The  "  Sardinian"  was  built  under  special  survey,  to  take  the  highest 
classification  for  iron  steamships.  She  is  divided  into  seven  water-tight 
compartments  by  six  water-tight  iron  bulkheads.  Her  awning  and  spar- 
decks  are  both  iron  from  stem  to  stern  and  from  side  to  side  of  the  ship,  and 
firmly  riveted  to  every  deck-beam ;  her  main-deck,  also,  is  of  iron  from  the 
after  hold  to  the  main  hold,  and  from  side  to  side  of  the  ship,  except  that 
portion  which  is  occupied  by  the  engine  space.  In  addition  to  these  pre- 
cautions for  ensuring  extra  strength  to  the  hull  of  the  ship,  heavy  iron 
stanchions  have  been  introduced  on  every  deck,  and  at  every  beam  where 
they  could  be  introduced  with  advantage. 

While  thus  carefully  and  thoughtfully  providing  for  the  general  strength 
of  the  structure,  and  the  proportionately  important  power  by  which  the 
stately  ship  is  to  be  impelled  on  her  ocean  path,  other  and  subsidiary, 
although  in  the  aggregate  scarcely  less  important,  means  for  guiding,  regu- 
lating, and  assisting  her  in  the  management  of  her  voyaging,  in  aiding 
her  into  and  out  of  dock,  and  in  the  no  less  important  operations  of  load- 
ing and  stowing  and  unloading  of  cargo,  together  with  those  numerous  ap- 
pliances for  securing  comfort  to  all  on  board,  which  are  indispensable  in 
some  degree,  are  provided  for  on  the  most  liberal  scale. 

The  "  Sardinian"  carries  ten  large  boats,  all  of  which  are  of  the  best  life- 
boat construction,  and  as  regards  her  passenger  accommodation  she  neces- 
sarily stands  very  high,  having  provision  for  180  saloon,  60  intermediate, 
and  1,000  steerage.  The  cabin  passengers  of  the  "Sardinian"  are  carried 
in  the  saloon  and  the  state-rooms  immediately  connected  with  it.  The  saloon 
is  80  feet  in  length  by  41  feet  in  breadth,  and  is  lofty  in  the  ceiling.  It  is  situ- 
ated on  the  awning-deck,  and  is  lighted  by  a  lantern  cupola  in  the  centra  of  the 
ceiling,-  augmented  by  an  abundance  of  side  lights,  the  combination  produc- 
ing an  effulgence  which,  united  to  the  gorgeous  furnishings,  produces  an 
-effect  at  once  gratifying  and  dazzling.  The  ceiling  is  delicately  panelled  in 


394  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

French  white,  enriched  with  gold  mouldings.  The  wainscoting  of  the  saloon 
is  richly  panelled  in  highly-polished  walnut  wood,  relieved  by  a  delicate 
stringing  o£  bright  rosewood,  the  panel  framing,  rails,  and  mounters  being 
of  polished  teakwood.  This  is  surrounded  by  a  rich  gold  carved  cornice,  the 
interspace  between  the  panels  being  filled  by  handsome  fluted  columns  of 
ebony,  with  rich  gold  capitals.  The  settees  are  upholstered  in  crimson 
velvet.  As  in  the  other  steamers  belonging  to  this  line,  the  "  Sardin- 
ian" is  furnished  with  a  hot-plate  table,  from  which  the  passengers  are 
supplied  with  viands  served  a  la  Russe  as  per  carte  menu.  The  saloon  is 
furnished  with  a  piano-forte,  and  a  well-selected  library  of  books  for  the  use 
of  the  passengers.  In  short,  everything  which  can  conduce  to  comfort  has 
been  abundantly  provided,  and,  as  a  whole,  the  saloon,  with  its  rich  furni- 
ture and  graceful  surroundings,  presents  a  coup  daeil  of  rare  beauty  and 
magnificence.  In  connection  with  the  saloon,  in  two  houses  on  deck,  are 
situated  additional  accommodation  for  the  saloon  passengers.  Those  consist 
of  a  ladies'  sitting-room  or  boudoir,  which  is  furnished  in  a  style  of  quiet 
yet  luxurious  beauty,  and  a  charming  snuggery  fitted  up  as  a  smoke-room. 
The  dormitories  or  state-rooms  for  the  saloon  passengers  are  on  the  main 
and  upper  passenger-decks.  They  are  roomy,  capacious,  and  well-lighted,  as 
well  as  fully-supplied  with  regulated  ventilation.  They  are  elegantly  fur- 
nished with  bed  and  toilette  appliances,  and  every  means  has  been  adopted 
to  secure  comfort  and  safety  to  all  the  inmates.  This  vessel,  like  others  of 
the  fleet,  is  supplied  with  electric  bells  in  the  cabin  department  of  the  ship. 

The  intermediate  passenger  berths  are  placed  on  the  upper  passenger- 
deck,  the  steerage  passengers  being  located  on  the  upper  and  second  pas" 
senger-decks.  Both  these  classes  of  passengers  last  referred  to  are  supplied 
with  cooked  victuals  of  the  best  quality  by  the  ship's  stewards  in  unlimited 
quantity.  The  sanitary  arrangements  throughout  the  ship  are  of  the  most 
perfect  kind.  A  peculiarity  as  to  carrying  steerage  passengers  by  the  ships 
of  this  line  is  that  the  company  supplies  passengers  with  the  use  of  a  suitable 
and  ample  outfit  for  the  voyage,  whereby  passengers  are  saved  the  trouble, 
inconvenience,  and  loss  consequent  on  having  to  supply  their  own  outfit  pre- 
vious to  embarking.  The  outfit  consists  of  patent  life-preserving  pillows, 
mattress,  pannikin  to  hold  a  pint  and  a  half,  plate,  knife,  nick-el-plated  fork, 
and  nickel-plated  spoon.  The  charge  for  the  use  of  these  articles  for  the 
voyage  is  only  a  very  few  shillings.  Each  berth  in  the  cabin  is  fitted  with  a 
pair  of  life-saving  pillows,  specially  adapted  for  fastening  to  the  person  in 
case  of  emergency. 

In  1874  the  head  of  the  firm,  Hugh  Allan,  was  knighted  by  the  Queen- 
in  London  for  his  efforts  in  establishing  steam  communication  between 
Canada  and  the  mother  country.  During  the  visits  of  the  Prince  of  Wales, 
Prince  Arthur  and  other  members  of  the  royal  family  to  Canada,  he  enter- 
tained them  in  princely  fashion.  He  had  the  finest  residence  in  the  city  of 
Montreal,  and  his  hospitality  was  unbounded. 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  395 

The  Allan  Line  is  still  under  contract  with  the  Governments  of  Canada 
and  Newfoundland  for  the  conveyance  of  the  mails.  Steamships  of  this  line 
now  leave  for  Portland  and  Liverpool,  via  Queenstown,  every  alternate  Satur- 
day, and  for  Boston  and  Liverpool,  via  Halifax,  calling  at  Londonderry,, 
every  alternate  Thursday,  and  Baltimore  and  Liverpool,  via  'Halifax,  every 
alternate  Monday,  and  from  Halifax  for  Liverpool  every  Saturday. 

Sir  Hugh  Allan,  the  founder  of  this  great  line,  died  at  Edinburgh,  sud- 
denly, of  heart  disease,  December  9,  1882.  His  decease  caused  a  profound- 
shock  and  the  deepest  regret  throughout  the  whole  city  of  Montreal,  with 
which  he  had  been  connected  for  nearly  sixty  years. 

Beside  founding  and  attending  to  his  shipping  interests,  he  was  at  the 
head  of  all  great  enterprises  for  building  up  the  city  and  the  country  as 
well,  and  when  he  died  was  president  of  one  of  the  largest  Canadian 
banks,  which  he  founded,  and  of  twenty-two  other  public  companies,  includ- 
ing railways,  coal  mining,  cotton,  woolen,  sewing  machine,  telegraph,  eleva- 
tors, insurance,  rubber,  colonization,  etc.  In  all  these-  he  had  a  large 
amount  of  capital  invested. 

His  surviving  brother,  Andrew  Allan,  who  resides  now  in  Montreal,  is  the 
present  head  of  the  firm.  An  elder  brother  died  a  short  time  ago  in  Glasgow, 
and  there  are  still  two  surviving  in  that  city.  They  have  limited  interests 
in  the  firm,  but  the  deceased  and  Andrew  were  the  principal  owners.* 

*  Sir'  Hugh  Allan  was  born  at  Saltcoats  in  the  County  of  Ayr,  Scotland,  on  the  29th  of 
September,  1810.  In  the  year  1824  his  father  removed  his  residence  to  Greenock,  and  in  the 
following  spring  (1825)  Hugh,  being  then  fourteen  years  of  age,  was  entered  as  £  clerk  in  the 
firm  of  Allan,  Kerr  &  Co.  After  he  had  been  there  about  a  year  his  father  proposed  that  he 
should  go  out  to  Canada.  He  sailed  from  Greenock  for  Montreal  on  the  I2th  of  April,  1826, 
in  the  brig  "Favorite,"  and  landed  at  Montreal  for  the  first  time  on  Sunday  morning,  the  2ist  of 
May,  1826.  At  that  time  there  was  only  one  steam  tug  on  the  St.  Lawrence,  and  no  wharves ; 
the  city  was  then  in  its  infancy,  with  little  trade  or  foreign  commerce.  He  obtained  a  situa- 
tion as  .clerk  with  the  firm  of  William  Kerr  &  Co.,  then  engaged  in  the  dry  goods  trade  in 
St.  Paul  Street.  He  visited  his  home  in  Scotland  in  1830,  returning  to  Canada  the  follow- 
ing year.  Soon  afterwards  he  obtained  a  situation  in  the  house  of  James  Millar  &  Co.,  then 
engaged  in  building  and  sailing  ships,  and  as  commission  merchants.  He  remained  a  clerk 
to  the  end  of  the  year  1835,  when  some  changes  taking  place  in  the  establishment  he  was 
admitted  a  partner  with  Mr.  Millar  and  Mr.  Edmonstone,  who  had  been.  long,  connected 
with  the  house.  About  the  year  1851,  the  successful  establishment  of  screw  steamers  on  the 
Atlantic  elicited  proposals  for  a  line  to  the  River  St.  Lawrence.  Mr.  Allan  was  awarded  a  con- 
tract in  1853.  At  first  the  service  was  fortnightly,  but  on  May  I,  1859  the  weekly  service  was 
commenced,  and  has  ever  since  been  continued.  Sir  Hugh  Allan  was  identified  with  a  larger 
number  of  commercial  and  financial  corporations  than  any  other  gentleman  in  the  Dominion. 

He  married,  September  13,  1844,  Matildardaughter  of  John  Smith,  a  prominent  dry  goods 
merchant  of  Montreal.  By  this  marriage  he  had  thirteen  children,  twelve  of  whom  survive — 
eight  daughters  and  four  sons.  Four  of  the  former  are  married  to  British  army  officers,  and  live 
in  England.  Lady  Allan  died  over  a  year  ago.  He  was  a  life-long  member  of  St  An- 
drew's Church,  and  one  of  the  foremost  men  of  the  Church  of  Scotland  in  Canada.  Pie  was 
knighted  by  Her  Majesty  in  1871.  The  cable  announcement  of  his  death  in  Edinburgh 
created  a  most  profound  sensation  and  called  out  universal  expressions  of  sincerest  regret 
throughout  the  Dominion  of  Canada. — JV.  Y.  Graphic. 


396 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 


The  Company's  transatlantic  line  is  now  composed  of  the  following  double- 
engined  Clyde-built  iron  steamships.  They  are  built  in  water-tight  compart- 
ments, are  unsurpassed  for  strength,  speed  and  comfort,  are  fitted  up  with 
all  the  modern  improvements  that  practical  experience  can  suggest,  and 
have  made  the- fastest  time  on  record. 


Numidian*     , 
Parisian  . 
Sardinian 
Polynesian 
Sarmatian 
•Circassian 
Moravian 
Peruvian 
Nova  Scotian 
Hibernian 
Caspian. 
Austrian 
Nestorian 
Prussian 
*  Building. 


Gross  Tons. 
6100 
5400 
4650 
4100 
3600 
4000 

3650 

3400 

3300 

3440 

3200 

27001 

2700  j 

30001 


Scandinavian . 
Hanoverian    . 
Buenos  Ayrean 
Corean  . 
Grecian  . 
Manitoban 
Canadian  3d  . 
Phoenician 
Waldensian    . 
Lucerne 
Newfoundland 
Acadian 
Mersey  tender 


Gross  Tons. 

3000 
4000 
3800 
4000 
3600 

3150 
2600 
2800 
2600 

2200 

1500 

1350 

500 


The  East  India  Line  is  composed  of  the  following  steamers 


City  of  Manchester, 
City  of  Edinburgh, 
City  of  Canterbury, 
City  of  Cambridge, 
City  of  Carthage, 


Tons. 
3300 
3500 
3500 
2500 
2800 


City  of  London, 
City  of  Oxford, 
City  of  Venice, . 
City  of  Mecca,  .* 
City  of  Poonah, 


The  clipper  sailing  ships  of  the  Allan  Company  are  as  follows 


Tons. 

Glendaruel, 1761 

•Glenmorag,  .....  1576 
Glenfinert,  .  .  .  .  '153° 
Glenbervie,  .....  800 

Gleniffer, 800 

Abeona,  .  .  .  _  .  .  .  979 
St.  Patrick,  .  .  .  -992 


Strathearn, 

Strathblane, 

Ravenscrag, 

Pomona,    . 

Chippewa, 

Medora,     . 

City  of  Montreal, 


Tons. 
35°° 
2500 

35°° 
2500 
2500 


Tons 
1705 
1364 
1263 

1200 
1072 

746 
1062 


TOTAL  TONNAGE. 

Atlantic  service, 59)9! 6 

India  service, •  .         .  30,100 

Sailing  ships, .  16,857 


Grand  total, 106,873 

Sir  Hugh  Allan  left  a  fortune  estimated  at  $15,000,000. 


NOTES. 


The  following  notes  have  been  received  by  me  while  the  volume  has  been 
passing  through  the  press,  and  are  of  too  much  interest  and  importance  to  be 
altogether  omitted. 

Note  to  page  4. 

It  seems  a  pity  to  destroy  a  good  and  well-told  story,  but  that  of  Solomon  de  Ca-us  being 
confined  in  Bicetre  as  a  madman,  as  related  in  a  supposititious  letter  from  Marion  Delormer 
dated  Paris,  February,  1641,  which  has  been  so  widely  circulated  and  universally  credited,, 
is  now  known  to  be  a  modern  fiction,  and  was  first  published  in  December,  1834,  in  the 
"  Musee  des  Families,"  Vol.  II.,  pp.  57  and  58,  and  was  written  by  Henri  Berthoud,  who 
has  himself  told  the  story  of  its  authorship.  It  appears  that  the  "  Musee"  had  caused  to  be 
"engraved  a  picture  representing  a  madman  behind  the  bars  of  a  prison,  to  illustrate  a  promised 
story,  but  the  author  having  failed  to  redeem  his  promise,  Henri  Berthoud  was  called  upon 
to  write  a  story  that  would  utilize  the  engraving,  and  with  that  in  view  he  invented  the  letter 
of  Marion  Delorme.  Moreover,  it  appears  that  while  the  Delorme  letter  is  dated  in  1641, 
De  Caus  died  in  1626,  or  fifteen  years  before  its  date.  On  the  i8th  of  July,  1862,  Mr, 
Charles  Reed,  in  a  letter  to  the  Academic  des  Sciences,  states  that  he  had  discovered  in  the 
Record  Office  of  the  "  Palais,"  in  Paris,  the  following  account  of  his  burial  in  1626. 

"  Solomon  de  Caus,  engineer  to  the  King,  has  been  buried  in  the  Trinity  on  Saturday  the 
last  day  of  February,  1626,  assisted  by  two  archers  of  the  guard." 

From  this  it  would  seem  he  was  buried  with  all  due  honors,  as  the  assistance  or  presence 
of  the  archers  of  the  guard  was  a  real  distinction  very  seldom  granted  in  those  days.  In 
consequence  of  Mr.  Reed's  discovery  the  street  in  the  vicinity  of  the  cemetery  has  been 
named  after  de  Caus. 

The  above  facts  are  derived  from  a  little  French  book  entitled  "  L> Esprit  dans  ISHistoire 
Recherches  et  Curiosities  sur  les  Mots  Histoiriques  par  Edouard  Fournier.  Troiseme  edition 
Revile  et  Considerablement  Augmente.  Paris :  E.  Dentee,  editeur,  etc.,  1867."  Pages  298 
to  301. 

We  may  add  that  the  Marquis  of  Worcester  makes  no  mention  of  any  interview  with  ds 
Caus  in  his  "  Century  of  Inventions,"  written  in  1655,  and  first  published  in  1663.  In  the 
reprint  of  that  work,  with  commentary  by  Henry  Dirctis,  Esq.,  published  in  London,  1865 
at  pages  476-479  there  is  some  account  of  de  Caus,  and  an  illustration  of  his  fire-water  work 
or  steam  fountain,  with  an  engraving  of  it,  which  is  exactly  traced  from  it  and  in  every  respect 
a  faithful  copy. 

Note  to   Page  20. 

The  following  account  of  Patrick  Miller's  first  experiments — 1788-1789 — are  from  con- 
temporary newspapers  : 

1788. — "  DUMFRIES,  October  21. — On  the  1 4th  instant  a  boat  was  put  in  motion  by  a 
steam-engine,  upon  Mr.  Miller's  piece  of  water  at  this  place.  This  gentleman's  improve- 
ments in  naval  architecture  are  well  known  to  the  public ;  and,  for  some  time  past,  his 
attention  has  been  turned  to  the  application  of  the  steam-engine  to  the  purposes  of  navigation. 
He  has  now  accomplished,  and  evidently  shown  to  the  world,  the  practicability  of  this,  by 
execu  ing  it  upon  a  small  scale.  A  vessel,  twenty-five  feet  long  and  seven  broad,  was,  on 

397 


398  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  JV  A  VIGA  TION. 

the  above  date,  driven  with  two  wheels  by  a  small  engine.  It  answered  Mr.  M.'s  expecta- 
tions fully,  and  afforded  great  pleasure  to  the  spectators  present.  The  success  of  this  exper- 
iment is  no  small  accession  to  the  public  :  its  utility  on  canals,  and  all  other  navigations, 
points  it  out  to  be  of  the  greatest  advantage,  not  only  to  this  island,  but  to  many  other  nations 
of  the  world.  This  improvement  holds  no  inconsiderable  rank  amongst  the  inventions  of 
modern  times ;  and  added  to  his  other  improvements,  bespeaks  how  much  Mr.  Miller  de- 
serves of  the  public.  The  engine  used  is  Mr.  Symington's  patent  engine.  The  method  of 
converting  the  reciprocating  motion  of  the  engine  into  the  rotary  one  of  the  wheels,  is  par- 
ticularly elegant.  It  is  in  fact  a  new  thing  in  mechanics,  and  which  the  world  owes  to  Mr. 
Symington's  ingenuity." — Glasgow  Mercury,  October  '28,  1788. 

1789. — "  FALKIRK,  December  4.— Yesterday  an  experiment  of  the  greatest  consequence 
to  commerce  was  exhibited  here  on  the  Great  Canal,  by  Mr.  Miller,  viz  :  the  application  of 
a  steam-engine  to  sailing.  This  gentleman,  who  formerly  made  experiments  on  the  same 
subject  on  a  small  scale,  has  in  the  present  instance  applied  them  to  a  vessel  of  considerable 
burden,  with  a  degree  of  success  which  must  be  very  agreeable  to  the  public.  The  velocity 
obtained,  though  very  considerable — the  experiment  not  being  completed — cannot  be  partic- 
ularly stated  at  present.  The  result,  however,  so  far  shows  that  the  invention  bids  fair  to  be 
one  of  the  greatest  utility  to  mankind." — Glasgow  Mercury,  December  13,  1789. 

In  1791  Mr.  Rumsey  came  to  London,  with  the  intention  of  running  a  steamboat  on  the 
Thames,  on  the  pumping  principle,  similar  to  that  which  he  had  already  worked  on  the 
Potomac.  His  boat  w,as  nearly  finished  when  he  died ;  it  aftewards  was  tried,  however,  and 
found  to  move  at  the  speed  of  four  knots  an  hour.  This  was  'the  first  English  steam- vessel. 

In  the  summer  of  1801  two  persons,  named  Hunter  and  Dickenson,  caused  a  steam-tug  to 
be  constructed  in  London.  The  following  notice  of  its  trial  trip  was  given  in  the  metropol- 
itan journals  of  the  day  : — "An  experiment  of  much  importance  to  the  mercantile  interests 
has  just  taken  place  on  the  Thames;  namely,  a  trial  of  a  working  barge,  or  a  heavy  craft, 
against  tide,  with  a  steam-engine  of  simple  construction;  by  which,  the  moment  it  was  set 
to  work,  the  barge  was  brought  about,  answering  her  helm,  and  stemming  a  strong  current, 
at  a  rate  of  two  and  a  half  miles  an  hour." 

Note  to  Page  36. 

FULTON'S  SUBMARINE  BOAT  AT  BREST,  1801. — Robert  Fulton,  of  Little  Britain,  Pennsyl- 
vania, made  the  following  experiment  in  the  harbor  of  Brest  on  July  3,  1801  : — He  em- 
barked with  three  companions  on  board  his  plunging  boat,  and  descended  in  it  to  the  depth 
of  five,  ten,  fifteen,  and  so  on  to  twenty-five  feet ;  but  he  did  not  attempt  to  go  lower,  be- 
cause he  found  that  his  imperfect  machine  would  not  bear  the  pressure  of  a  great  depth.  He 
remained  below  the  surface  for  an  hour.  During  this  time  he  was  in  utter  darkness.  Af- 
terwards he  descended  with  candles ;  but,  finding  a  great  disadvantage  from  their  consump- 
tion of  vital  air,  he  caused,  previously  to  his  next  experiment,  a  small  window  of  thick  glass 
to  be  made  near  the  bow  of  his  boat,  and  he  again  descended  with  her  on  July  24,  1801. 
He  found  that  he  received  from  his  window,  or  rather  aperature  covered  with  glass — for  it 
was  no  more  than  an  inch  and  a  half  in  diameter — sufficient  light  to  enable  him  to  count 
the  minutes  on  his  .watch.  Having  satisfied  himself  that  he  could  have  sufficient  light 
when  under  water,  that  he  could  do  without  a  supply  of  fresh  air  for  a  considerable  time,  and 
that  he  could  descend  to  any  depth  and  rise  to  the  surface  with  facility,  his  next  object  was 
to  try  his  boat  on  the  surface  as  well  as  beneath  it.  On  July  26th  he  weighed  his  anchor 
and  hoisted  his  sails — his  boat  had  one  mast,  a  mainsail,  and  a  jib.  There  was  only  a  light 
breeze,  and  therefore  she  did  not  move  on  the  surface  at  more  than  the  rate  of  two  miles  an 
hour;  but  it  was  found  she  would  tack  and  steer,  and  sail  on  a  wind  or  before  it  as  well  as 
any  common  sailing-boat.  Fulton  then  struck  her  masts  and  sails,  to  do  which,  and  per- 
fectly to  prepare  the  boat  for  plunging,  required  about  two  minutes.  Having  plunged  to  a 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

certain  depth,  he  placed  two  men  at  the  engine,  which  was  intended  to  give  her  progressive  ^J* 
motion,  and  one  at  the  helm,  while  he,  with  a  barometer  before  him,  governed  the  machine, 
which  kept  her  balanced  between  the  upper  and  lower  waters.  He  found  that  with  the 
exertion  of  one  hand  only  he  could  keep  her  at  any  depth  he  pleased.  The  propelling  err* 
gine  was  then  put  in  motion,  and  he  found,  upon  coming  to  the  surface,  that  he  had  made, 
in  about  seven  minutes,  a  progress  of  400  metres,  or  about  500  yards.  He  then  again  plunged, 
turned  her  round  while  under  water,  and  returned  to  the  place  he  began  to  move  from.  He 
repeated  his  experiments  several  days  successively  until  he  became  familiar  with  the  opera- 
tions of  the  machinery  and  movements  of  the  boat.  He  found  she  was  as  obedient  to  her 
helm  under  water  as  any  boat  on  the  surface,  and  that  the  magnetic  needle  traversed  as  well 
in  the  one  situation  as  in  the  other.  On  the  7th  of  August  Mr.  Fulton  again  descended  with 
a  store  of  atmospheric  air  compressed  into  a  copper  globe  of  a  cubic  foot  capacity,  into  which 
two  hundred  atmospheres  were  forced.  Thus  prepared,  he  descended  with  three  com- 
panions to  the  depth  of  about  five  feet.  At  the  expiration  of  one  hour  and  forty  minutes  he 
.began  to  take  small  quantities  of  pure  air  from  his  reservoir,  and  did  so,  as  he  found  occa- 
sion, for  four  hours  and  twenty  minutes.  At  the  expiration  of  this  time  he  came  to  the  sur- 
face without  having  experienced  any  inconvenience  from  having  been  so  long  under  water. 

Note  to  Page  44. 

A  correspondent  of  London  Notes  and  Queries,  in  1882,  says :  "In  1810  my  great  unqle, 
Francis  James  Jackson,  then  Envoy  Extraordinary  to  the  United  States,  writes  thus  :  '  Hav- 
ing passed  four  months  at  New  York  ...  I  have  accepted  the  offer  of  a  gentleman,  Mr. 
Hogen,  to  lend  me  his  country  house.  It. is  a  very  good  one,  on  the  banks  of  the  Hudson. 
.  .  .  One  of  the  curiosities  that  we  daily  see  pass  under  our1  windows  is  the  steamboat,  a 
passage  vessel  with  accommodation  for  near  a  hundred  persons.  It  is  moved  by  a  steam- 
engine  turning  a  wheel  on  either  side  of  it,  which  acts  like  the  main  wheel  of  a  mill,  and 
propels  the  vessel  against  wind  and  tide  at  the  rate  of  four  miles  an  hour.  As  soon  as  it 
comes  in  sight  there  is  a  general  rush  of  our  household  to  watch  and  wonder  until  it  disap- 
pears. They  don't  at  all  know  what  to  make  of  the  unnatural  monster  that  goes  steadily 
careering  on,  with  the  wind  directly  in  its  teeth  as  often  as  not.  I  doubt  that  I  should  be 
obeyed  were  I  to  desire  any  one  of  them  to  take  a  passage  in  her.  When  first  this  vessel 
appeared  in  these  waters  it  excited  great  consternation.  Some  of  the  simple'  country  folk 
were  pretty  well  frightened  out  of  their  wits,  suspecting,  I  am  told,  it  was  some  diabolical 
conveyance  that  had  brought  his  Satanic  Majesty  from  the  lower  realms  to  visit  the  United 
States.  I  am  inclined  to  look  with  favor  on  this  application  of  the  propelling  power  of 
steam.  Not  improbably  it  is  destined  at  no  distant  day  to  produce  incalculably  great  and 
beneficial  changes  in  our  mode  of  voyaging.'  " 

Note  to  Pages  72-73. 

The  Christian  Leader,  in  1880,  giving  an  account  of  the  last  survivors  of  the  "  Clermont" 
on  her  first  trip  in  1807,  asked  if  there  was  any  one  living  who  sailed  in  Henry  Bell's 
"  Comet"  in  1812,  and  soon  received  an  answer  that  "there  still  resides  in  Helensburgh  an 
old  gentleman  who  not  only  sailed  in  the  «  Comet,'  but  was  during  the  last  two  years  of  the 
steamer's  existence  one  of  its  shareholders.  Captain  William  Stewart,  born  in  1799,  a  native 
of  Glasgow,  spent  his  boyhood  at  Luss,  on  Loch  Lomond,  and  several  years  of  his  youth  at 
Helensburgh,  where  he  made  the  acquaintance  of  Henry  Bell.  He  was  for  many  years  the 
commodore  captain  of  the  Belfast  line  of  steamers,  and  was  severely  injured  in  a  passage  on 
the  night  of  the  memorable  storm  of  February,  1856.  .The  '  Comet'  was  launched  in  the 
January  of  1812,  and  commenced  to  ply  in  that  year.  From  personal  recollection,  and  from 
his  intimacy  with  many  of  Bell's  friends,  Captain  Stewart  relates  many  interesting  reminis- 
.cences  of  the  engineer's  early  efforts  in  perfecting  his  project  for  steam  navigation.  The 


400  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

paddle-wheel  did  not  at  once  suggest  itself,  but  was  the  ultimate  result  of  many  an  experi- 
ment. Bell  himself  constructed  an  elaborate  contrivance  for  the  propulsion  of  vessels,  on  the 
principle  of  the  web  foot  of  a  duck.  It  was  a  thing  of  many  parts  all  hinged  together,  and 
so  constructed  as  to  spread  itself  out  for  the  propelling  movement,  and  to  close  together  in 
the  forward  motion.  This  apparatus  he  got  attached  to  a  boat,  with  which  he  launched  forth 
from  the  Baths  Pier  in  Helensburgh.  After  they  had  been  spasmodically  propelled  by  this 
machine  for  about  a  mile  towards  Ardmore  Point  the  apparatus  collapsed.  Bell  accepted  the 
result,  merely  remarking,  '  That  will  do,'  and  he  then  began  to  whistle.  He  found  his  ap- 
paratus unworkable,  and  so  like  a  practical  man  turned  his  thoughts  on  some  other  plan, 
which  resulted  in  the  paddle-wheel.  An  old  gentleman,  who  was  courting  a  lady,  hap- 
pened one  day  to  piss  the  shipbuilding  yard  where  the  first  steamboat  was  being  constructed 
at  Port  Glasgow,  and  remarked  to  his  companion  that  this  was  a  boat  that  was  to  «  run  upon 
wheels,'  but  he  could  not  see  how !  The  original '  Comet'  to  us  would  appear  a  peculiar 
looking  structure.  Its  funnel  was  of  great  height,  serving  the  double  purpose  of  mast  and 
funnel.  By  its  means  square  sails  were  hoisted  by  '  block  and  tackle,'  as  Captain  Stewart* 
explains.  After  sailing  successfully,  in  1818  the  'gComet'  was  lengthened  to  enable  her  to 
make  longer  voyages.  Then  Mr.  Stewart  became  a  shareholder.  When  the  alterations  were 
completed,  by  invitation  of  Henry  Bell,  Mr.  Stewart  went  with  the  *  Comet'  on  its  first  voyage 
to  the  West  Highlands  through  the  Crinan  Canal.  Mr.  Stewart  relates  that  when  ^the 
'  Comet'  first  appeared  in  the  narrow  channel  at  Eastdale  the  natives  fled  up  the  hill  terror- 
stricken.  The  «  Comet'  was  wrecked  on  Craignish  Point  in  1820.  It  was  probably  thrown 
on  the  rocks  by  the  strong  current  which  at  times  runs  there,  it  being  right  opposite  the 
dreaded  Corryvreckan.  All  hands  were  saved.  Captain  Stewart  thinks  Bell  was  in  the 
'  Comet'  when  it  was  wrecked  on  Craignish  Point  in  1820.  The  shareholders  lost  their  in- 
vestment, there  being  no  such  thing  as  insurance  on  steamers  at  that  early  date.  Bell  did 
not  reap  much  personal  benefit  from  his  invention,  and  his  widow  kept  the  Baths  Hotel  in 
Helensburgh  till  her  death,  about  the  year  1856." 

In  the  Museum  of  the  British  Patent  Office  there  can  be  seen  the  engine  of  the  "  Comet." 
It  was  erected  there  in  1862  by  Mr.  John  Robertson,  of  Glasgow,  the  same  engineer  who 
fitted  it  in  the  "  Comet"  exactly  fifty  years  before. 

•    Note  to  Page  ioj. 

It  seems  to  be  a  mistake  that  the  "Aaron  Mandy,"  built  in  1820,  was  the  first  iron  steam- 
boat ever  built.  An  iron  steamboat  called  the  "Caledonia"  was  built  by  Messrs.  Carmichael 
in  Dundee  in  1818,  two  years  earlier,  to  run  on  the  river  between  Perth  and  Dundee. 

The  following  letter,  written  on  the  6th  of  May,  1818,  by  Mr.  Charles  Carmichael  describes 
the  trial  trip  of  the  "  Caledonia."  "We  got  the  steamboat  started  some  time  ago.  On 
this  day  week  we  were  down  at  the  mouth  of  Tay,  and  had  we  had  plenty  of  coals  and  beef 
on  board  we  would  not  have  been  long  in  seeing  London.  But,  alas !  the  beef  got  done  ere 
we  were  far  past  the  lighthouse,  and  the  coals  had  enough  to  do  to  take  us  home.  Ninety- 
three  people  dined  on  board,  and,  as  before  mentioned,  the  beef,  and  what  was  worse,  the 
whiskey  got  done  before  us.  You  must  observe  that  we  did  not  expect  more  than  sixty  to 
dine,  so  that  the  additional  thirty-three  were  intruders,  and  that  in  part  accounts  for  the  grog 
being  so  soon  expended.  The  day  was  fine,  and  the  water  smooth  till  we  came  near  the 
buoy  of  Tay,  where  there  was  a  considerable  swell.  The  boat  was  then  ordered  about,  and 
in  a  quarter  of  an  hour  we  were  in  smooth  water  again.  The  engines  wrought  well,  and 
the  greater  part  of  the  company  enjoyed  their  jaunt.  I  said  engines ;  for  there  are  two  of 
them,  and  two  boilers,  so  constructed  that  you  can  work  with  one  boiler  or  with  one  engine  in 
the  event  of  the  other  meeting  with  any  accident.  The  common  speed  that  the  steamboat 
moves  at  is  eight  miles  an  hour  with  the  current,  which  varies  from  two  to  four  miles  an 
hour.  The  first  time  she  went  to  Perth  she  made  it  in  three  hours.  The  distance  is  twenty- 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  401 

seven  miles."  Among  the  many  ingenious  ideas  of  Carmichael  was  the  method  of  work- 
ing steamboat  engines  from  the  deck  of  the  vessel.  This  mode  of  reversing  and  working  the 
engines  was  a  long  step  in  advance  at  that  time  in  the  perfecting  of  the  steam  engine.  It 
was  applied  with  complete  success  to  the  engines  of  the  ferry  steamer  "  George  IV.,"  which 
plied  between  Dundee  and  Newport.  The  hand-gearing  for  starting  or  stopping  the  engines 
was  situated  on  the  deck  of  the  boa*t,  and  all  concentrated  upon  a  small  table  in  view  and 
hearing  of  the  man  at  the  helm  or  the  master,  who  directed  both  on  coming  to  the  quay.  On 
this  table  were  certain  words  indicating  the  functions  of  each  handle,  such  as  "Go  ahead;" 
"  Go  astern"  A  sapient  citizen  voyaging  for  the  first  time  after  the  new  gear  had  been 
fitted  to  the  boat,  glanced  at  the  table,  and,  seeing  the  last  quoted  inscription,  exclaimed, 
"  George  Astern.  Fa's  he  ?  I  aye  thocht  thir  engines  wis  made  by  Carmichael." 

Note  to  Pages  33  and  in. 

Captain  W.  W.  Coit,  the  founder  of  the  Norwich  and  New  York  Transportation  Company, 
for  a  long  time  commander  of  steamboats  on  Long  Island  Sound,  is  said  to  have  made  the 
first  experiment  of  burning  coal  for  the  purposes  of  steam  navigation.  His  experiments  were 
unsuccessful  for  a  time,  and  nearly  proved  a  failure.  He  finally  changed  the  grate  of  the 
furnace  in  order  that  the  fire  might  be  worked  from  beneath  instead  of  on  top,  and  thus  suc- 
ceeded in  utilizing  hard  coal  as  a  means  for  generating  steam.  His  boats  were  gratuitously 
supplied  with  coal  by  the  coal  companies  for  thus  opening  up  a  market  for  the  immense  stock 
they  piled  up  on  their  wharves. 

Note  to  Page  112. 

Columbian  Centinel  April  19,  1826. 

The  arrangement  of  a  steamboat  line  between  Providence  and  New  York  is  to  commence 
to-morrow.  The  "  Connecticut"  will  sail  at  3  P.M.  and  the  "  Fulton"  on  Saturday  from 
Providence  to  New  York,  stopping  at  Newport  foi  passengers. 

The  steamboat  "Washington"  arrived  at  Providence  on  Sunday  in  twenty-two  hours  from 
New  York,  notwithstanding  the  thick  weather. 

The  regular  line  between  Boston  and  New  York,  by  way  of  Norwich,  commences  this  day; 
fare,  nine  dollars.  The  stages  attached  to  this  line  leave  Boston  on  Sundays  and  Thursdays 
at  4  o'clock  A.M.,  where  a  steamboat  will  be  in  readiness  to  take  passengers  to  New  York 
and  land  them  the  next  morning.  This  route  is  said  to  be  the  most  expeditious,  and  passen- 
gers on  it  avoid  the  disagreeable  voyage  around  Point  Judith ;  but  the  accommodations  are 
said  to  be  most  inferior  to  those  of  the  Providence  boat. 

Note  to  Page  116. 

The  United  States  Court  of  Errors,  sitting  at  Albany,  March,  1825,  decided  on  the  great 
steamboat  case  of  the  North  River  Company  vs.  John  R.  Livingston,  respondent,  and  the  de- 
cision of  the  Chancellor  was  affirmed.  This  decision  threw  open  the  Hudson  River  to  a  free 
navigation  by  fired  steamers,  and  annulled  the  exclusive  right  granted  to  Livingston  and 
Fulton.  The  importance  of  the  question  caused  the  Senate  chamber  and  gallery  to  be 
crowded  by  persons  anxious  to  learn  the  decision  of  the  court.  Twenty-two  members  of  the 
court  were  for  affirming  the  decision  of  the  Chancellor  and  nine  for  reversing  it. 

Note  to  Page  123. 

Mr.  James  Gouchie,  an  old  Scotch  ship-builder,  and  now  a  resident  of  a  village  near 
Chicago,  recently  presented  to  the  Chicago  Historical  Society  the  original  working  plans 
from  which  was  constructed  the  "  Royal  William."  The  price  paid  for  her  by  the  Spanish 
Government  was  ^"10,000. 

26 


402  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

Note  to  Page  126. 

1825. — AN  ATLANTIC  STEAM  COMPANY  was  formed  as  early  as  1825,  to  establish  a  com- 
munication between  Europe  and  America  by  means  of  steam  vessels.  The  capital  was  limited 
to  .£600,000,  and  says  the  New  York  Albion,  February  1826,  £270,000  have  already  been 
subscribed  for,  and  ten  per  cent,  of  the  same  actually  tpaid  down,  a  sum  amply  sufficient  to 
carry  into  effect  the  first  part  of  the  scheme.  Two  very  fine  vessels  have  been  offered  to  the 
Directors,  one  of  four  hundred  and  thirty-nine  tons,  with  two  engines  each  of  fifty  horse- 
power, and  another  of  five  hundred  tons,  built  at  Greenock,  with  two  engines  of  ninety 
horse-power  each.  The  Directors,  acting  upon  advice  offered  them  from  this  country,  have 
wisely  given  up  the  idea  of  employing  vessels  of  one  thousand  tons  burthen.  Two  lines  of 
communication  have  been  proposed,  besides  inferior  branches ;  one  from  Valentia  Island, 
the  starting  point  to  Nova  Scotia  and  New  York;  the  other  from  Valentia  to  Antigua, 
Carthagena,  Jamaica,  and  the  countries  at  the  bottom  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  The  latter  will 
probably  be  chosen,  as  the  transportation  of  bullion  and  specie  has  been  promised  them. 
The  seas  are  less  tempestuous  on  this  route,  and  freight  and  passengers  to  and  from  the  West 
Indies  will  be  obtained  to  a  great  extent.  With  respect  to  safety  of  steam  vessels  on  the 
oeean  the  Directors  speak  in  the  strongest  terms  of  confidence.  Captains  Skinner  and  Gray, 
of  the  Holyhead  and  Mtlford  stations,  who  have  been  in  the  habit  of  crossing  the  Irish 
Channel  (perhaps  as  tempestuous  sea  as  any  in  the  world)  for  several  winters  almost  without 
interruption,  consider  that  for  the  worst  weather  on  the  ocean  a  steam-vessel  would  be  pref- 
erable to  one  possessing  sailing  powers.  It  is  asserted  that  the  entire  journey  from  London 
to  New  York  via  Dublin,  can  be  effected  in  trventy-one  days  ;  and  the  journey  back  in  six- 
teen, owing  to  the  prevalence  of  westerly  winds  on  the  Atlantic. 

The  great  and  important  benefits  that  the  success  of  the  scheme  will  confer  on  Ireland 
are  fully  appreciated  and  understood,  and  the  friends  of  the  measure,who  are  enthusiastically 
the  friends  of  that  fine  country,  look  forward  with  delight  to  the  period  when  the  ports  of 
the  West  of  Ireland  shall  become  the  busy  scene  of  commercial  industry. — Independent 
Chronicle  and  Boston  Patriot,  Saturday,  February  24,  1826. 

The  Boston  Independent  Chronicle  and  Patriot,  September  25,  1825,  has  an  editorial  half 
a  column  long,  copied  from  the  Daily  Advertiser,  on  the  subject  of  steam  navigation  to 
Europe,  refers  to  the  London  Company,  and  a  pamphlet  it  had  issued,  which  says,  "  It  may 
be  assumed  as  an  incontrovertible  fact  that  wherever  steam  navigation  has  been  established 
on  a  proper  footing,  and  on  a  sufficient  scale  of  vessels  and  machinery,  it  has  not  only  been 
abundantly  successful,  but  its  performance  h'as  surpassed  expectations,  overcome  the- natural 
prejudices,  and  commanded  the  confidence  of  even  nautical  men ;  and  it  has  not  only  drawn 
to  it  all  the  most  valuable  communication  in  its  line  of  transit,  but  also  increased  it  in  a 
tenfold  proportion" 

The  editorial  further  commends  to  the  attention  of  its  readers  "  the  importance  of  estab- 
lishing this  species  of  communication  between  Boston  and  Halifax,  as  a  branch  of  the  grand 
line  of  communication  between  America  and  England,"  and  adds,  "  All  that  is  necessary  to 
be  done  on  our  part  to  secure  to  us  a  full  share  of  the  benefits  of  the  enterprise  is  to  provide 
a  single  steamboat  of  five  hundred  tons,  of  the  most  approved  construction,  to  ply  regularly 
between  this  port  and  Halifax." 

A  Committee  was  appointed  at  a  meeting  held  November  12  for  the  purpose  of  establish- 
ing a  steamboat  line  between  Halifax  aud  Boston,  which  reported  favorably  on  the  project  at 
another  meeting  held  at  Merchants'  Hall  December  I ;  'and  it  was  Resolved— -It  was  expedi- 
ent forthwith  to  form  a  company  for  the  establishment  of  a  line  of  steamboats  between  Bos- 
ton and  Eastport,  and  another  Committee  was  appointed  with  authority  to  adopt  such  meas- 
ures as  they  may  deem  expedient  for  obtaining  subscribers  to  the  stock.  The  names  of  many 
of  the  leading  merchants  of  Boston  at  that  time  were  on  one  or  other  of  these  Committees. 


HISTOR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  403 

The  full  report  of  the  Committee  is  published  in  the  Independent  Chronicle  and  Patriot, 
December  7,  1825. 

We  do  not  find  that  this  forgotten  company  ever  started  out  a  steamer,  and  it  is  obvious 
that  a  steamer  of  five  hundred  tons  could  not  carry  coal  for  twenty:one  days'  steaming  and 
a  remunerative  cargo. 

Note  to  Page  126-129. 

The  Magazine  of  American  History  for  November,  1882,  pp.  774-83,  contains  a  letter 
from  Junius  Smith,  dated  New  York,  January  8,  1844,  to  his  *'  Dear  Brother  in  Christ,"  the 
Rev.  Doctor  D.  D.  Field,  of  Iladdan,  Connecticut,  in  which  he  details  the  troubles  he  had 
in  organizing  a  company  to  establish  a  line  of  steam  packets  across  the  Atlantic,  between  the 
United  States  and  Great  Britain. 

He  says  as  early  as  August,  1832,  after  his  protracted  passage  of  fifty-seven  days  across  the 
Atlantic  in  the  British  Bark  "St.  Leonard,"  the  crossing  of  the  Atlantic  by  steam  developed 
itself  in  his  mind.  "  It  was  no  slight  affair  for  an  individual  without  fortune,  without  influ- 
ence, and  without  co-operation,  to  devise,  shape  and  follow  out  measures  which  were  to 
change  the  commercial  intercourse  between  Europe  and  America,  and  establish  a  new  sys- 
tem of  navigation,  against  the  interests  of  commercial  and  nautical  men,  the  uniform  practice 
of  past  ages,  and  the  prejudices  of  men.  On  the  24th  of  January,  1833,  he  arrived  in  London 
from  New  York,  to  enlist  the  public  in  his  scheme  and  called  upon  Mr.  Jones,  a  Director  of 
the  London  and  Edinburgh  Steam  Navigation  Company,  and  explained  his  views  and  solic- 
ited his  co-operation.  At  that  date  there  was  only  one  steam-vessel  in  England  other  than 
those  owned  by  the  London  and  Edinburgh  Steam  Company,  of  a  size  or  in  any  way  adapted 
to  cross  the  Atlantic.  That  vessel  was  then  in  the  service  of  Dom  Pedro,  but  was  expected 
home  in  the  spring,  and  in  May,  1833,  she  arrived  at  Blackwell.  She  had  sixteen  owners, 
and  he  found  it  impossible  to  scale  their  claims.  He  next  turned  his  most  serious  attention 
to  the  formation  of  a  company  for  the  purpose  of  building  steamships  for  Atlantic  navigation, 
and  was  soon  reconciled  to  former  disappointments.  On  the  istof  June,  1835,  he  published 
a  prospectus  for  a  joint  stock  steam  navigation,  in  his  own  name,  as  he  could  find  no  one  to 
second  him,  proposing  to  raise  ;£  100,000  in  two  hundred  and  ten  shares  of  ^£500  each,  to 
construct  steamships  for  the  New  York  trade.  This  prospectus  was  widely  distributed,  but 
not  a  single  share  was  applied  for.  A  few  looked  upon  the  scheme  with  some  favor,  and 
several  gentlemen  called  upon  him  to  make  inquiries.  "  Generally,  however,  the  plan  was 
treated  with  sarcasm,  slander,  and  ridicule."  "  Sly  innuendoes,"  he  says,  "lies  open  and 
insinuating,  and  every  species  of  hostilities  assailed  me  (him)  from  every  quarter." 

At  length  he  "  determined  to  leave  the  worst,  hope  for  tha  best,  and  carry  forward  the 
undertaking  with  all  the  energy  he  could  command."  His  prospectus  was  revised,  the  stock 
capital  raised  to  ^500,000,  and  the  name  altered  to  "  The  American  and  British  Steam  Nav- 
igation Company,"  but  he  could  not  secure  a  single  director.  At  last  he  was  introduced  to 
Mr.  Isaac  Shelby,  then  Chairman  of  the  London  and  Birmingham  Railroad,  and  a  Director 
in  other  companies,  who  was  a  prompt  and  off-hand  man  of  business,  who  when  the  project 
was  explained  to  him,  said — "  I  will  be  your  chairman,"  and  on  the  3ist  of  October,  1835, 
a  second  prospectus  was  issued,  and  the  first  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Directors  was  held  on 
the  25th  of  November,  1835.  Advertisements  were  inserted  on  the  3Oth  6f  October  in  the 
London  Times,  Herald,  Morning  Chronicle,  and  Public  Ledger,  and  again  on  the  3d,  1 9th, 
2 ist  and  27th  of  November,  notifying  the  public  of  the  formation  of  the  Company  and  where 
to  apply  for  shares. 

In  October,  1836,  a  contract  was  concluded  to  construct  a  steamship  of  two  thousand  and 
sixteen  tons,  to  be  called  the  "Victoria,"  but  upon  the  accession  of  Her  Majesty  to  the 
throne,  the  name  was  altered  to  the  "  British  Queen." 

"On  the  I2th  of  July,  1839,  at  noon,  the  "  British  Queen"  sailed  from  Portsmouth  with  Mr. 


404  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION. 

Smith  on  board  as  a  passenger,  and  two  o'clock    Sunday  morning,   July  28th,  hove   to  off 
Sandy  Hook  for  a  pilot,  thus  making  the  passage  in  fourteen  and  a  quarter  days."     (See 
page  174  for  further  account  of  the  "  British  Queen.") 
Mr.  Smith  died  at  Astoria,  New  York,  January  23,  1853. 

Note  to  Page  fQJ. 

On  June  5,  1847,  the  New  York  and  Bremen  Line  started  their  first  ship,  the  "  Washing- 
ton," for  Southampton  on  the  same  day  that  the  "  Britannia,"  belonging  to  the  Cunard  Com- 
pany, sailed  from  New  York  for  Liverpool.  This  was  the  first  race  between  American  and 
British  steamers,  and  though  the  "  Britannia"  did  not  require  "  to  run  by  the  deep  mines,  and 
put  in  more  coal  to  beat  the  '  Washington,'  "  as  the  New  York  Herald  anticipated,  the  other 
prophecy  of  the  editor  has  been  remarkably  fulfilled.  The  "  Britannia"  won  the  race  by  two- 
full  days.  "  We  have  to  say,"  says  the  Herald,  "that  if  the  «  Britannia'  beats  the  '  Wash- 
ington' over  she  will  have  to  run  by  the  deep  mines  and  put  in  more  coal.  We  shall  have,, 
in  two  years'  time,  a  system  of  Atlantic,  Gulf  and  Pacific  steamers  in  operation  that  will  tell 
a  brilliant  story  for  the  enterprise  of  Brother  Jonathan.  We  are  bound  to  go  ahead,  and 
steam  is  the  agent  of  the  age.  We  expect  yet  to  see  the  day  when  the  traveler  -will  be  able  to- 
leave  New  York,  and  going  eastward  all  the  time  will  be  enabled^  to  make  the  circuit  of  the 
earth,  coming  in  by  Huascualco,  in  the  summer  interval  between  two  sessions  of  Congress,, 
spending  a  month  or  two  in  the  Mediterranean  on  the  way" 

Note  to  Pages  ig6  and  iqj, 

The  "Edward  Everett,  Jr.,"  built  on  board  the  ship  of  that  name  belonging  to  Boston,  Mass.,, 
was  the  first  steamboat  ever  seen  on  the  Sacramento  River,  California,  in  1849.  Steam  was- 
raised  on  her  the  day  after  she  slid  into  the  water.  She  was  commanded  by  Wm.  V.  Wells,  and 
the  Chief  Engineer  was  A.  M.  Procter,  who  was  living  in  East  Boston,  Mass.,  in  1882.  She 
had  a  hard  time  getting  up  the  river,  her  commander  having  agreed  to  tow  a  sailing  barque  a 
long  distance,  and  being  unable  to  do  it,  after  some  swearing,  he  cut  loose  from  his  tow 
and  paddled  away  at  the  rate  of  two  knots  under  full  steam,  and  the  barque  drifted  on  a 
shoal  before  she  could  anchor.  The  "  Edward  Everett,  Jr.,"  was  sold  to  some  circus 
men  for  $5,500,  and  was  snagged  and  wrecked  on  the  upper  Sacramento  River  some  few 
months  after  she  was  launched.*  A  photograph  of  the  steamer  as  she  lay  in  the  Straits  of 
Benecia,  from  a  drawing,  was  on  exhibition  in  a  window  on  Bromfield  Street,  in  Boston,. 
December,  1882. 

Note  to  Page  ijg. 

For  a  full  account  of  the  French  steam  navy  four  years  later,  viz.,  in  1844,  see  "  Remarks 
on  the  State  of  the  Naval  Forces  of  France,"  with  an  Appendix  and  Notes  by  His  Royal 
Highness  the  Prince  de  Joinville.  New  edition.  Translated  by  an  officer  of  the  United 
States  Navy.  Boston,  1844.  8vo,  pp.  30. 

Note  to  Page  22. 7. 

An  important  commercial  undertaking  has  just  been  consummated  in  Japan  in  the  shape 
of  the  Union  Steajnship  Company.  This  company  is  backed  by  private  and  government 
capital.  It  is  intended  to  develop  the  trade  of  Japan,  particularly  at  ports  which  have  hith- 
erto suffered  from  lack  of  steam  communication.  The  capital  stock  is  $8,000,000,  half  sub- 
scribed by  the  government  and  half  by  Japanese  merchants  and  farmers.  The  latter  part  has- 
already  been  paid  in.  The  company's  fleet  will  at  first  consist  of  forty  steamers,  about  half 
of  which  will  be  running  within  eighteen  months.  The  company  will  extend  its  operations- 
to  Hong  Kong  and  the  Chinese  ports. — N.  Y.  Herald,  Jan.  18,  1883. 

*  "  Ballou's  Monthly,"  September,  1882,  W.  H.  Thomas'  Reminiscences  of  a  Gold  Hunter. 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  405 

Note  to  Page  247. 

The  cable  steamer  "  Minia"  lies  constantly  in  the  harbor  of  Halifax,  fully  equipped  and 
awaiting  her  calls  to  service.  She  is  a  staunch  craft  of  three  thousand  tons  burden,  with  un- 
usual beam  for  a  vessel  of  her  length.  Her  work  consists  entirely  of  repairing,  the  laying  of 
full-length  cables  being  relegated  to  large  steamers  like  the  "  Great  Eastern,"  the  "  Hooper," 
or  the  "  Faraday."  Occasionally,  however,  the  "  Minia"  is  required  to  lay  considerable  por- 
tions, and  she  carries  regularly  in  her  tanks  about  six  hundred  miles  of  fresh  cable.  The 
tanks,  some  twenty-five  feet  in  diameter,  reach  far  down  into  her  capacious  hold,  and  the 
cables  are  coiled  in  a  deep  layer  around  a  central  core.  The  larger  the  core  the  less  the 
capacity  of  the  tank,  and,  on  the  other  hand,  the  smaller  the  core  the  greater  the  danger  that 
the  paying-out  cable  will  kink  and  foul  when  it  reaches  the  smaller  central  coils.  To  partly 
avoid  this  difficulty,  a  large  force  of  men — sometimes  as  many  as  thirty — are  placed  in  a 
circle  around  the  interior  of  the  tank,  and  each  man  as  the  cable  lifts  before  him  holds  down 
the  adjacent  coils  and  sees  that  the  cable  is  free.  It  not  uncommonly  happens  that  one  of 
'these  watchers  grows  careless  and  is  knocked  by  one  of  the  ascending  coils  head  over  heels 
among  his  fellows,  for  the  modern  cable  steamers  often  pay  out  the  coils  with  a  velocity 
reaching  seven  or  eight  miles  an  hour.  After  running  from  the  tanks  the  cable  passes  over 
a  series  of  wheels,  fitted  with  a  powerful  system  of  brakes,  which  can  be  applied  instantly. 
Then  it  goes  over  a  wheel  at  the  stern,  and  is  dropped  into  the  ocean.  In  picking  up  the 
cable  the  coils  pass  over  a  large  wheel,  thence  to  the  tanks,  where  they  are  carefully  relaid. 
The  modern  first-class  Atlantic  cable  costs  at  the  factory  about  $6,000,000,  and  a  whole 
winter  is  needed  for  its  manufacture.  It  is  made  of  (i)  seven  central  strands  of  fine  copper 
wire  twisted  together;  (2)  a  .tightly  fitting  tube  of  solid  gutta  percha;  (3)  a  wrapping  of 
jute  ;  (4)  a  covering  of  thick  wires,  and  (5)  a  final  wrapping  of  thick  tarred  tape  several 
inches  wide.  The  deep-water  cable  of  these  days,  when  finished,  is  about  an  inch  in  diam- 
eter, the  shore  cable  often  an  inch  and  a  half.  In  paying  out  as  well  as  taking  in  cable  the 
utmost  care  must  be  used,  and  even  then  at  times  an  unexpected  kink  may  not  only  break  the 
cable,  but  rip  to  pieces  the  wheels,  brakes,  and  other  valuable  machinery. — Corr.  of  Evening 
Post,  November  2,  1882. 

Notes  to  Page  260. 

"  Gath,"  the  well  known  newspaper  correspondent,  recently  interviewed  the  captain  of  an 
ocean  steamship  and  asked,  among  other  things,  "  How  long  will  a  steamship  last?" 

"  Thirty  per  cent,  of  all  the  iron  steamships  are  lost.  Of  the  remainder  many  are  in  ser- 
vice after  a  quarter  of  a  century,  such  as  the  "  Cuba"  and  "Java"  and  other  earlier  Cun- 
arders,  which  are  rebuilt  or  altered,  and  now  on  the  Red  Star  Line  to  Antwerp.  Steamships, 
like  animals,  lose  their  speed  after  a  few  years,  and  pass  from  the  first  to  the  second  class 
without  visible  change  of  quality.  An  eight  year-old  boat  will  seldom  give  the  speed  she  had 
at  two  years,  and  a  ship  going  to  England  will  steam  faster  than  going  to  America,  which 
some  say  comes  from  the  superior  activity  of  British  firemen  going  toward  rather  than  from 
home." 

•  Among  the  notable  disasters  of  1882  was  the  collision  in  a  fog  of  the  British  steamer 
"  Lepanto,"  September  21,  1882,  with  the  Netherlands  royal  mail  steamer  "Edam,"  by  which 
the  latter  was  sunk  and  the  former  badly  injured.  The  "  Edam"  sailed  from  Jersey  City  for 
Amsterdam,  September  20 

When  the  "  Edam"  was  first  noticed  by  those  on  board  the  "  Lepanto"  the  mate,  who  was 
-on  the  bridge, *gave  orders  to  reverse  the  engines,  but  before  they  could  be  obeyed  a  crash- 
ing sound  was  heard  and  heartrending  appeals  to  be  saved  filled  the  air.  A  moment  later 
boats  were  lowered  and  sent  through  the  fog  in  search  of  the  stricken  vessel.  Ere  they 
returned  some  thirty  passengers  reached  the  "  Lepanto"  in  strange  boats,  and  requested  to  be 
taken  on  board,  as  their  ship  was  sinking.  A  few  minutes  later  the  remaining  passengers 


406  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

arrived  and  were  taken  on  board.  The  "  Lepanto's"  boats  returned  without  being  able  to- 
find  the  sinking  vessel.  The  captain  of  the  latter  called  the  roll  of  his  passengers  and  crew,, 
and  found  two  engineers  missing,  John  Von  Gyt  and  Nicholas  Liondecker.  He  carried,  he 
said,  thirty  passengers,  four  being  ladies,  and  a  miscellaneous  cargo.  While  making  this 
statement  an  explosion  was  heard  which  told  that  the  "  Edam"  had  blown  up.  The  "  Le- 
panto's" boats  cruised  for  hours  in  search  of  the  missing  seamen,  but  failed  to  find  them.  At 
daybreak  on  the  23d  she  continued  her  journey  to  New  York  with  the  rescued  persons  and 
two  of  the  Edam's  boats.  She  arrived  in  the  lower  bay  on  the  morning  of  the  24th.  Nothing, 
not  even  clothing  or  personal  effects,  was  saved  from  the  ship- wrecked  vessel. 

October  77. — The  German  ship  "  Constantia"  collided  with  the  steamer  "  City  of  Ant- 
werp" fourteen  miles  off  Eddystone,  and  both  vessels  sunk.  All  the  "  Constantia's  crew  and 
four  belonging  to  the  "  City  of  Antwerp"  landed  at  Cardiff. 

October  gth. — The  Hamburg- American  Packet  Company's  steamer  "  Herder"  went  ashore 
in  a  fog  at  Cape  Race  on  the  rocks  immediately  eastward  of  the  head  of  Long  Beach,  about 
three  miles  west  of  the  Cape.  There  were  288  persons  on  board,  namely,  170  passengers- 
and  a  crew  of  118,  all  told.  All  were  landed  safely  at  daylight  in  the  eight  boats  belonging 
to  the  ship.  The  luggage  of  the  passengers  and  seventy-six  bags  of  mail  matter,  all  there 
was  on  board,  were  saved.  The  ship  was  a  total  loss. 

November  30. — The  "  Cedar  Grove,"  while  on  a  voyage  from  London,  England,  for 
Halifax,  was  sunk  off  Canso  in  a  gale.  Cape  Canso  Island  is  at  the  southeast  point  of  Nova 
Scotia,  and  there  is  a  light-house  there;  but,  accompanying  the  gale,  there  was  a  blinding 
snow  storm,  so  that  nothing  could  be  distinguished  more  than  twenty  feet  away.  At  3  o'clock 
A.M,  suddenly,  a  fearful  shock  was  felt.  Somebody  had  blundered,  and  the  steamer  had 
struck  the  treacherous  reef  known  as  Walker's  rock,  one  mile  west  of  Cranberry  Island  light. 
The  sea  was  running  with  fear,  ul  strength,  and  a  moment  later  the  steamer  was  lifted  off  the 
reef,  but  it  was  evident  she  was  doomed,  as  the  water  was  pouring  in,  and  she  began  to  settle 
down.  A  rush  was  made  for  me  boats.  The  roar  of  the  breakers  was  heard  close  at  hand, 
nobody  knew  exactly  where  they  were  and  the  utmost  alarm  prevailed.  Three  boats  were 
lowered,  and  two  of  them  succeeded  in  getting  through  the  breakers,  and  reached  land. 
Nothing  was  ever  heard  of  the  third  and  larger  part  of  those  on  board  the  steamer,  who  left 
to  come  in  this  third  boat.  There  was  the  wildest  confusion  when  the  boats  were  leaving, 
and  those  who  were  saved  did  not  know  whether  the  missing  people  got  into  their  boat  or 
perished  in  the  steamer,  which  went  down  in  ten  fathoms  of  water  within  an  hour  after  she 
struck  the  reef.  There  were  thirty  persons  on  the  steamer.  Only  ten  escaped. 

The  "  Cedar  Grove"  was  a  brig-rigged  iron  ship  of  2,700  gross  tons.  She  was  built  for 
the  New  Brunswick  Steamship  Company  of  St.  John  at  Hilton-on-Tyne,  and  was  launched 
in  August.  Captain  Jacob  Fritz,  her  commander,  had  been  in  the  employ  of  Troop  &  Sons, 
of  St.  John,  the  managing  owners,  for  thirty-five  years,  and  was  known  as  a  careful  and 
efficient  officer.  The  steamer  was  on  her  second  voyage  out,  and  had  a  large  quantity  of 
general  cargo  for  Nova  Scotia,  New  Brunswick  and  the  Upper  Provinces.  The  steamer  was 
insured  in  St.  John  for  $130,000,  which  was  within  $20,000  of  value. 

November  79. — The  steamer  "  Westphalia"  of  the  Hamburg  Line  from  New  York  for- 
Hamburg  came  into  collision  with  an  unknown  steamer,  which  is  believed  to  have  sunk  with 
all  on  board.  The  "  Westphalia"  had  ninety  passengers  on  board  at  the  time  of  the  col- 
lision. Besides  a  large  hole  in  the  port  bow,  extending  to  below  the  water-line,  there  were 
several  small  holes  in  the  starboard  bow.  In  the  collision  the  bulkhead  ivas  stove  in.  Both 
steam  and  hand  pumps  had  to  be  kept  going  from  1.30  o'clock  in  the  morning,  when  the 
collision  occurred,  until  the  vessel  reached  Portsmouth  in  the  afternoon.  A  boat  was  dis- 
patched to  try  and  find  some  trace  of  the  other  steamer.  The  officer  in  charge  of  the  boat 
had  instructions  to  land  after  searching.  The  captain  of  the  "  Westphalia"  then  made  ready 
all  of  the  "  Westphalia's"  boats  for  launching  in  the  event  of  the  water  gaining,  and  made 
for  Portsmouth.  The  mails  and  passengers  were  landed  and  will  be  forwarded  to  Hamburg, 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  407 

On  the  6th  of  December  the  steamer  "  Peruvian"  of  the  Allan  Line  was  run  on  shore  in 
the  Mersey,  after  a  collision,  to  prevent  her  from  sinking,  and  was  subsequently  floated.  The- 
following  singular  effect  was  a  result  of  this  accident.  By  the  swelling  of  a  quantity  of  peas- 
in  her  lower  hold  considerable  damage  was  done  to  the  stanchions  and  beams,  and  the  alop 
was  lifted  from  the  beams. 

The  disasters  of  1883  commence  with  the  loss  of  the  "  City  of  Brussels"  of  the  Inman 
Line  (see  page  332),  which  left  New  York  December  28,  1882,  and  was  run  down  in  a  fog 
off  the  mouth  of  the  Mersey  by  the  steamer  "  Kirby  Hall"  on  the  6th  of  January,  and  sunk 
in  twenty  minutes.  The  "  City  of  Brussels"  was  lying  by  under  steam  near  the  lightship  at 
the  time  waiting  for  the  fog  to  clear  up.  The  bow  of  the  "  Kirby  Hall"  struck  the  star- 
board side  of  the  "  City  of  Brussels"  with  tremendous  force,  cutting  her  down  to  the  water's 
edge  and  almost  half  through.  The  "  Kirby  Hall"  was  on  her  maiden  voyage.  She  had 
left  Glasgow  only  a  few  hours  before,  and  was  calling  at  Liverpool  to  complete  loading  and 
to  embark  passengers  for  the  East.  The  main  compartment  of  the  "  City  of  Brussels"  was 
cut  in  two  by  the  collision.  Two  of  the  steerage  passengers  on  board  and  eight  of  the  crew 
were  drowned.  Neither  the  passengers  nor  crew  were  able  to  save  anything,  and  many  were 
obliged  to  leave  the  ship  with  the  barest  articles  of  clothing.  The  bow  of  the  "  Kirby  Hall" 
was  stove  in,  but  she  was  able  to  proceed  to  Liverpool  with  the  rescued  persons. 

Before  she  arrived  a  pilot-boat  boarded  her  with  provisions,  which  were  very  welcome, 
as  the  passengers  had  not  tasted  food  for  a  number  of  hours.  Many  of  them  are  suffering 
greatly  from  the  shock.  Besides  the  breach  in  the  hull,  the  bulkhead  of  the  "  City  of  Brussels" 
was  shifted  by  the  violence  of  the  collision.  The  'steamship  carried  out  41  bags  of  letters 
and  86  bags  of  newspapers.  For  delivery  at  Queenstown  there  were  30,604  letters,  2,419  of 
which  were  registered,  and  66  bags  of  newspapers.  For  Liverpool  there  were  1,719  le'ters, 
60  of  them  being  registered,  and  20  bags  of  newspapers.  One  bag  of  letters  and  two  of 
newspapers  were  from  Boston,  and  the  same  quantity  from  Philadelphia,  and  there  was  one 
bag  of  letters  from  San  Francisco,  all  of  which,  fortunately,  were  saved.  The  boats  of  the 
"  Kirby  Hall"  could  render  no  assistance,  as  she  had  only  five  seamen  on  board,  being  on  a 
trial  trip. 

The  "  City  of  Brussels"  has  had  a  veiy  eventful  career.  She  was  launched  from  the  yard  ot 
Messrs.  Tod  &  MacGregor,  Glasgow,  August  u,  1869.  Her  first  trip  was  made  in  October 
of  the  same  year.  She  sailed  from  Queenstown  on  Friday,  October  15,  and  arrived  at  New 
York  October  23,  a  passage  of  eight  days  and  thirteen  hours.  She  had  four  decks,  divided 
by  water-tight  bulkheads,  having  sliding  water-tight  doors,  worked  from  the  upper  or  spar- 
deck.  The  forecastle,  round  house  and  poop-decks  were  in  a  line  fore  and  aft  the  ship's 
length,  and  were  constructed  of  iron  framing  and  substantial  woodwork.  The  spar-deck 
was  covered  with  heavy  steel  plates  across  its  whole  breadth.  She  had  accommodations  for 
200  first-class  and  600  second  and  third-class  passengers.  The  engines  were  of  the  horizon- 
tal trunk  plan,  of  600  nominal  horse-power.  There  were  six  boilers  and  twenty-eight  fur- 
naces, ranged  fore  and  aft  on  each  side  of  the  ship,  and  fired  athwartships  .  Provision  was 
made  for  the  extinguishing  of  fire  by  the  fitting  up  of  a  centrifugal  pump  capable  of  lifting 
over  two  thousand  gallons  of  water  per  minute.  There  was  also  in  the  engine-room  one 
large  pumping-engine,  to  which  steam  could  be  applied  from  the  main  boiler  as  well  as  the 
donkey  boiler  on  the  spar-deck.  The  cargo  holds  were  well  supplied  with  pumps  and  steam 
extinguishers. 

On  May  14^  1875,  en  route  from  Liverpool  to  New  York,  the  "  City  of  Brussels"  went  ashore 
in  a  dense  fog  near  Carnsore  Point,  Ireland.  The  sea  being  calm,  she  floated  at  flood  tide 
a  few  hours  after,  and  proceeded  unharmed  on  her  voyage. 

In  1876  she  was  overhauled  and  supplied  with  new  compound  engines  and  new  boilers. 
Many  new  state-rooms  were  added,  and  in  the  spring  of  1877  she  resumed  her  place  in  the 
line. 


408  HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VI G A  TION. 

The  second  voyage  that  she  made  to  the  eastward  after  her  extensive  repairs  proved  to  be 
exceptionally  sensational.  Among  her  passengers  was  a  large  number  of  Canadian  pilgrims 
to  Rome,  who  carried  $30,000  in  gold  as  a  present  to  his  holiness  the  Pope,  and  an  address 
written  upon  parchment.  The  pilgrims  were  received  in  New  York  city  by  the  dignitaries 
of  the  Church,  Cardinal  McCloskey  making  the  address  of  welcome.  April  21,  the  steamer 
left  port  profusely  decorated  with  bunting — the  papal  flag  and  English  ensign  being  con- 
spicuous. Two  days  after,  or  on  Monday,  April  23,  the  "  Brussels"  broke  her  shaft,  and  from 
that  time  on  was  compelled  to  depend  upon  her  canvas.  As  time  wore  on,  and  she  was 
several  days  overdue  at  Liverpool,  great  anxiety  was  felt  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic  for 
her  safety.  Nothing  was  heard  from  her  until  Sunday,  May  13,  when  the  "City  of  Rich- 
mond," arrived  at  New  York  with  news  of  her  safety.  The  scene  at  the  Inman  wharf  when 
the  news  was  spread  was  of  the  most  exciting  character.  The  "  City  of  Richmond"  had 
transferred  necessary  supplies  to  the  "  City  of  Brussels,"  and  the  vessels  separated  in  mid- 
ocean  with  cheers.  May  29  the  "  Brussels"  arrived  at  Liverpool  in  tow  of  four  ocean  tugs, 
all  on  board  well  and  in  cheerful  spirits.  A  large  crowd  cheered  them.  The  Doclc  Board 
steamer  with  General  Grant,  who  was  then  on  his  trip  around  the  world,  and  other  gentle- 
men, went  out  to  meet  the  disabled  steamer.  The  pilgrims  were  welcomed  by  deputations 
from  Liverpool  Roman  Catholic  societies,  and  a  Te  Deum  was  sung  at  the  Pro-Cathedral. 
She  ha*d  made  her  way  since  leaving  the  "  City  of  Richmond,"  until  meeting  the  tugs  sent  in 
search  of  her,  under  canvas. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  November  14,  1877,  she  arrived  at  Sandy  Hook  after  a  very  stormy 
voyage  of  thirteen  days,  and  was  proceeding  slowly  up  the  bay  when  she  came  in  collision 
with  the  schooner  "  Alexander  Young,"  of  Somerset,  Mass.,  bound  from  Philadelphia  with 
coal.  She  struck  the  schooner  about  the  fore-rigging  on  the  starboard  side,  and  cut  through 
her  like  a  knife,  sending  her  to  the  bottom  in  three  minutes.  Out  of  a  crew  of  six,  two  were 
drowned.  Owing  to  the  intense  darkness  prevailing  at  the  time  the  captain  and  the  pilot  of 
the  steamship  were  not  blamed  for  the  collision. 

On  the  9th  of  September,  1880,  the  ship,  on  her  way  to  New  York,  was  caugTit  in  a  hur- 
ricane, which  lasted  but  a  few  hours,  but  was  of  such  violence  that  the  captain  said  in  all 
his  experience  he  had  never  known  such  another.  The  ship  was  not  tossed,  but  hurled 
about  on  the  waves,  which  were  running  mountain  high,  and  broke  over  her  with  frightful 
fury.  The  passengers  were  panic  stricken,  as  the  vessel  rose  up  on  the  foaming  mountains 
or  plunged  again  into  the  deep,  as  if  she  were  never  coming  up  again.  The  greater  number 
of  the  cabin  passengers  crowded  the  saloon,  and  there  was  not  a  soul  in  that  saloon  that 
thought  the  ship  could  survive  the  tempest.  Men  and  women  cried  aloud  and  wrung  their 
hands  in  an  agony  of  despair.  Husbands  and  wives  and  brothers  and  sisters  and  friends  em- 
braced each  other,  expecting  in  a  moment  to  be  parted  forever.  There  was  another  terrible 
scene  in  the  steerage — seven  hundred  passengers,  of  nearly  every  nationality,  rushing  about 
and  being  hurled  mercilessly  about  their  quarters,  screaming  and  howling  in  despair.  The 
"  City  of  Brussels"  was  finely  handled  by  Captain  Watkins,and  the  passengers  addressed  him 
a  letter  of  thanks  for  bringing  them  safely  through  their  peril,  which  they  said,  besides  afford- 
ing them  sad  remembrances  of  their  own  weakness  and  littleness  in  the  midst  of  the  angry 
elements,  also  left  them  joyful  mementoes  of  their  liberation  and  protection  (under  Provi- 
dence) by  the  captain's  skill  and  efficiency.  The  letter  bore  the  signatures  of  the  cabin 
passengers,  who  numbered  one  hundred  and  thirty. 

Note  to  Page  262. 

Third  line  from  bottom  for  "  Puritan"  read  "  Pilgrim,"  and  for  a  further  account  of  the 
vessel,  see  page  384. 

Note  to  Page  262-263. 

To  the  account  of  steamboat  disasters  in  1881  we  would  add — 

In  the  year  1882,  284  steamships  and  large  river  steamboats  were  lost;  only  a  few  were 


R- 

HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  409 

floated  and  repaired.  The  aggregate  tonnage  was  320,065  tons.  Of  these  the  British  ves- 
sels numbered  192,  with  a  total  of  236,516  tons;  American,  16,  13,972  tons;  Austrian,  2, 
3,062  tons;  Belgian,  3,  4,247  tons;  Chilian,  I,  997  tons;  Danish,  5,  5,013  tons;  Dutch, 
6,  9,228  tons;  French,  16,  12,847  tons;  German,  17,  14,735  tons'»  Italian,  I,  843  tons; 
Russian,  5,  5,986  tons;  Spanish,  n,  9,037  tons;  Swedish,  3,  2,302  tons;  Greek,  I,  1,280 
tons;  unknown  nationality,  40.  Of  this  list  141  were  stranded,  32  were  sunk  by  collision, 
52  foundered,  3  capsized,  2  were  burned,  6  were  sunk  by  ice,  7  were  abandoned  in  a  sinking 
condition,  and  25  are  missing.  The  total  number  of  lives  lost  was  2,002.  Many  of  these 
vessels  were  old  iron  steamers,  originally  narrow,  which  were  cut  in  two  and  lengthened. 
Of  the  long  list,  139  were  so-called  water-ballast  vessels.  Some  of  them  had  water-ballast 
trimming  tanks,  placed  at  both  end^  of  the  vessel.  Others  had  water-ballast  compartments, 
fitted  either  forward  er  abaft  the  engines  and  boiler  spaces,  and,  occasionally,  both  forward 
and  aft,  which  are  frequently  used  as  cargo  spaces.  Still  others  had  water-ballast  spaces  in 
the  bottom  of  the  vessel,  confined  to  one  hold,  or  fitted  in  both  the  fore  and  aft  holds,  or  were 
provided  with  water  ballast  in  the  longitudinal  construction  along  the  bottom  of  the  vessel. 
The  losses  of  some  of  these  vessels  may  also  be  attributed  to  excessive  efforts  for  speed.  In 
the  construction  of  vessels  now  too  often  everything  else  is  considered  secondary  to  the  one 
great  object — to  get  the  utmost  speed  possible.  Velocity,  constantly  increasing  velocity  in 
steamships  is  demanded,  and  proper  attention  to  the  strength  of  the  material  used  is  not 
always  given.  It  is  a  question  whether,  in  many  cases,  the  iron  ships  built  now  possess,  in 
proportion  to  their  size,  the  staunchness  and  buoyancy  requisite  to  withstand  the  elements 
that  must  be  battled  with  on  the  ocean.  There  are  almost  as  many  different  plans  pursued 
in  the  construction  of  the  water  tight  compartments  in  iron  shi£>s  as  there  are  classes  of  these 
ships.  The  absolutely  safe  bulkhead  must  be  an  unbroken  partition  from  the  keel  to  the 
main-deck,  with  valves  opening  into  the  bilge,  so  that  the  water  may  run  from  one  compart- 
ment into  another  when  required.  In  a  large  number  of  vessels  the  bulkheads  only  reach  to 
the  "  'tween  decks,"  and,  in  some,  only  to  the  lower-deck.  Many  of  the  bulkheads  have 
doors  opening  from  one  compartment  into  the  other,  to  facilitate  the  loading  and  unloading 
of  freight,  and  it  is  a  question  whether  these  are  not  frequently  left  insecure  when  the  vessel 
sails.  These  are  a  constant  source  of  danger,  unless  the  strictest  regulations  and  the  most 
vigilant  watch  are  observed.  Not  one  in  a  hundred  of  those  who  take  pacsage  on  an  ocean 
steamship  knows  anything  about  the  strength  of  the  vessel  to  which  he  intrusts  his  life,  and 
he  would  seldom  obtain  any  intelligible  information  if  he  inquired  about  the  matter.  The 
well-earned  popularity  of  some  of  the  leading  lines  of  steamships  is  due  to  the  construction 
of  the  vessels,  as  well  as  to  the  care  taken  in  their  management.  Iron,  as  a  material  for 
ship  building,  is  preferred  by  owners,  because  it  is  cheaper  in  the  end  than  wood,  and,  after 
the  first  expense  of  construction  is  incurred,  is  kept  in  order  at  much  less  expense.  Many 
of  the  immense  ships  and  steamers  of  the  present  day  are  models  of  symmetry  and  a  certain 
kind  of  beauty.  But  often  there  is  one  doubtful  point  about  them — the  so-called  water-tight 
bulkheads.  Are  they  water-tight  ?  In  other  words,  are  they  seaworthy  ?  Have  they  always 
proved  themselves  to  be  such  in  the  recorded  accidents  ?  The  ships  built  within  the  past 
five  years  show  improvement  in  this  respect,  but  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  the  pressure  on 
a  bulkhead,  when  it  comes  into  use  in  case  of  accident,  is  enormous.  As  a  rule  these  bulk- 
heads consist  of  a  series  of  somewhat  light  iron  plates  extending  across  the  whole  breadth  of 
the  ship  and  the  full  depth  of  the  lower  hold,  in  many  cases  1 6  by  50  feet.  This  great  par- 
tition is  often  supported  simply  by  rather  light  vertical  angle-irons,  about  four  feet  apart.  In 
many  ships  there  appears  to  be  nothing  about  this  great  breakwater  to  stop  it  from  giving 
away  amidships  in  a  vertical  line  between  any  two  angle-irons,  except  the  connection  at  top 
and  bottom,  two  points  perhaps  15  feet  apart.  In  any  ship  of  more  than  30  feet  beam  a 
bulkhead,  to  do  effective  service  in  case  of  a  collision,  should  have  a  stout  central  support, 
springing  vertically  from  the  keelson  and  attached  above  to  the  deck. — New  York  Tribune. 


410  HIS  TOR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGATION. 

Note  to  Page  278. 

Two  of  Captain  Coppens'  triple  steamers,  it  is  understood,  are  to  be  built  this  winter  for 
use  next  summer  as  harbor  and  excursion  boats,  to  run  down  Boston  Harbor  to  the  Point  of 
Pines  and  back.  They  are  to  be  built  of  iron  at  the  Loring  Iron  Works,  South  Boston. 

Note  to  Page  298. 

The  "  Aurania,"  of  the  Cunard  Line,  was  launched  at  the  yard  of  J.  &  G.  Thompson, 
on  the  Clyde,  December  26,  1882.  The  new  vessel  is  said  to  be  the  heaviest  steamer  of 
any  description  which  has  been  launched  on  the  Clyde.  Her  gross  measurement  is  7,500 
tons.  She  is  built  of  steel  throughout,  with  scantlings  considerably  above  the  require- 
ments of  Lloyds.  Her  dimensions  are  :  Length  between  perpendiculars,  470  feet ;  breadth, 
57  feet;  and  depth,  39  feet.  Her  breadth  is  unusual,  and  will  add  to  her  stability.  Not- 
withstanding this,  it  is  expected  that  she  will  prove  as  fast,  if  not  faster,  than  the  "  Servia."  Her 
width  enabled  her  to  be  built  in  eight  beams  instead  of  eleven  beams,  used  in  the  construc- 
tion of  the  "  Servia."  The -hold  of  the  "Aurania"  is  divided  into  eleven  water-tight  com- 
partments. Her  architects  say  that  she  would  be  able  to  float  if  any  two  of  these  compart- 
ments should  become  flooded.  The  engines  will  be  capable  of  developing  10,000  horse- 
power. There  are  three  cylinders,  two  of  94  inches  diameter,  while  the  other  is  68  inches. 
The  piston  stroke  is  6  feet.  The  saloons  will  accommodate  several  hundred  passengers,  and 
there  will  be  ample  room  for  1,000  immigrants.  There  will  be  158  state-rooms,  of  the 
average  dimensions  of  1 1  x  6  feet.  The  main  saloon,  fitted  up  in  the  most  elaborate  and 
luxurious  manner,  will  be  54  feet  long  by  52  feet  wide.  The  vessel  will  be  lighted  by  six 
hundred  Swan  electric  lights.  Amidships  is  a  promenade-deck  250  feet  long,  which  affords 
a  shelter  for  the  upper-deck.  There  will  be  five  of  the  most  powerful  winches  of  the  Muir 
&  Caldwell  pattern  for  receiving  and  discharging  cargo.  The  "  Aurania"  is  to  be  barque- 
rigged.  Her  masts  are  lofty  for  a  steamship,  and  will  enable  her  to  carry  a  very  large  spread 
of  canvas.  Her  decks  have  been  made  very  strong,  and  in  case  of  a  war  could  easily  carry 
cannon.  The  saloons  and  steerage  will  be  supplied  with  the  latest  improvements  for  ventila- 
tion. Her  unusual  width  will  enable  her  to  be  easily  handled,  even  without  any  cargo  in 
her  hold. 

In  the  table  on  the  same  page  for  "  Cessatoria,"  read  Cephalonia,  as  below. 

Note  to  Page  j>/^. 

In  the  report  for  the  year  ended  March  31  >  1879,  lne  postmaster-general  (Lord  John  Man- 
ners) said  that  the  contract  of  the  Royal  Mail  Steam  Packet  Company  for  the  conveyance  of 
the  West  India  mails  being  then  about  to  terminate,  he  had  entered  into  a  new  contract  with 
the  company  for  a  term  of  years,  providing,  in  addition  to  all  the  requirements  of  the  existing 
service,  for  an  increase  of  speed  (from  n  to  \\yz  knots  an  hour)  between  England  and  St. 
Thomas,  and  between  England  and  Barbadoes.  The  new  subsidy  was  to  be  ,£80,000  per 
annum,  or  £  12,000  less  than  before. 

Note  to  Page  338. 

The  Compagnie  des  Messageries  Maritimes  has  recently  launched  a  new  packet-boat,  "  La 
Normandie,"  to  run  between  Havre  and  New  York.  This  vessel,  when  finished,  will  be  the 
most  colossal  of  the  ships  comprised  in  the  French  commercial  fleet.  She  measures  160 
metres  in  length,  15  in  maximum  breadth,  and  11-4  in  depth  from  deck  to  keel,  and  exceeds, 
by  15  metres,  the  largest  steamers  now  in  service.  The  author  of  the  plans  of  "  La  Norman- 
die"  is  M.  Arundet,  an  engineer  of  the  French  navy,  and  chief  of  the  constructions  and  tech- 
nical service  of  the  Transatlantic  Company,  under  the  direction  of  N.  Eugene  Pereire,  Presi- 
dent of  the  Company's  Council  Boird.  , 


HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION.  411 

The  immense  hull,  which  tapers  off  forward  like  an  axe-blade,  is  divided  vertically  into- 
ten  iron  water-tight  compartments.  The  decks  are  four  in  number. 

The  engines  for  propelling  the  vessel  are  three  in  number,  giving  an  effective  power  of 
6,600  horses,  and  actuating  the  screw  so  as  to  give  a  speed  of  29  to  30  kilometers  per  hour. 
On  board  of  "  La  Normandie"  steam  is  a  sovereign  mistress;  for  not  only  does  it  serve  to  pro- 
pel the  ship,  but  through  the  intermedium  of  special  engines  distributed  at  different  points,  it 
actuates  the  pumps,  the  manoeuvring  apparatus,  and  the  apparatus  for  loading  unloading,  etc. 

The  masts,  which  are  of  iron,  are  four  in  number.  The  two  fore  ones  carry  square  sails- 
set  on  low  steel  yards,  while  the  other  two  carry  less  sail. 

"  La  Normandie"  is  the  last  packet  boat  of  this  line  that  will  be  built  in  England.  Here- 
after the  vessels  designed  for  the  Company's  fleet  will  be  built  in  French  yards.  She  comes 
from  the  shipyards  at  Barrow,  a  place  which,  twenty  years  ago,  was  a  desert  beach,  but  to-day 
is  a  city  of  45,000  souls,  thanks  to  the  establishments  for  naval  constructions  and  to  a  spinning 
mill  that  gives  employment  to  the  wives  and  daughters  of  the  ship  carpenters. 

At  the  launch,  the  unfastening  of  a  ribbon  by  the  young  lady  who  stood  god-mother 
sufficed  to  give  the  "  Colossus"  its  liberty,  by  bringing  about  the  fall  of  an  axe  that  severed 
the  last  rope  holding  back  the  cable. 

The  deck  of  "  La  Ville  de  Normandie"  has  been  reserved  for  general  service,  for  the  offi- 
cers' and  engineers'  quarters,  for  the  smoking-saloon,  vestibules  for  passengers  of  the  first  and 
second  class,  etc.  Above  the  deck,  on  a  level  with  the  roof  of  the  cabins  there  is  a  light 
bridge  to  serve  as  a  promenade  for  the  passengers ;  and,  overlooking  this,  is  the  bridge  for 
the  captain.  Orders  are  given  by  means  of  a  speaking  tube  and  telegraphic  apparatus ;  but, 
if  need  be,  the  captain  can  himself  steer  the  vessel  by  a  simple  pressure  of  his  finger  upon* 
a  servo-motor — a  steam  apparatus  which  acts  upon  the  rudder. 

The  passenger  cabins  are  between  decks.  Passengers  of  the  first  class  occupy  the  central 
part  of  the  ship,  contrary  to  the  old  arrangement,  which  located  them  in  the  back  part  of  the 
ship.  There  the  oscillations  due  to  rolling  and  pitching,  and  to  the  revolution  of  the  screwr 
are  less  perceptible.  The  grand  dining-saloon  reaches  from  larboard  to  starboard,  and  meas- 
ures 15  meters  in  width  by  1 1  in  length,  and  2-6  in  height.  It  is  lighted  by  port  lights  set  h> 
frames  of  onyx.  Around  this  saloon  are  distributed  state-rooms  for  157  passengers,  some  de- 
signed for  a  single  person,  others  for  two,  and  some  for  families.  Within  easy  access  there 
is  a  saloon  for  ladies,  and  bathing-saloon,  and  state-rooms  for  servants.  Save  as  to  beauty  of 
decoration  and  of  furniture,  the  arrangements  are  identical  for  the  smoking-saloons  and  the 
second-class  cabins  for  68  passengers  in  the  back  part  of  the  ship. 

Emigrants,  or  third-class  passengers,  are  installed  on  the  third  deck,  in  a  cabin  containing 
866  berths.  The  hotel  part  of  the  ship  is  heated  in  winter  by  a  circulation  of  steam,  and  at 
night  the  vessel  is  lighted  by  electricity.  This  latter  is  furnished  by  two  machines  of  40 
H.  P.  each.  The  general  service  is  facilitated  by  thirteen  large  arc  lamps.  In  the  interior, 
the  saloons  and  cabins  are  lighted  by  400  Swan  incandescent  lamps. 

Note  to  Page  jjg. 

The  news  of  the  fearful  disaster  to  the  Hamburg-American  steamer  "  Cimbra"  caused  im- 
mense excitement.  There  were  no  officers  and  crew  and  380  passengers,  mostly  emigrants- 
from  East  Prussia.  The  "  Cimbria"  left  the  Elbe,  opposite  Stade,  at  4  o'clock  on  Wednes- 
day afternoon,  January  17,  1883.  A  despatch  was  received  in  Hamburg  on  Saturday,  how- 
ever, saying  that  on  account  of  the  fog  the  steamer  was  unable  to  leave  the  Elbe.  This  will 
'explain  why  the  vessel  reached  the  Island  of  Borkum  only  early  on  Friday  morning.  Here 
in  a  dense  fog  the  collision  with  the  Hull  steamer  "  Sultan"  took  place. 

After  the  collision  some  of  the  boats  were  lowered,  and  thirty-nine  passengers  arrived  in.- 
Cuxhaven  in  one  boat,  bringing  the  news  of  the  disaster  and  reporting  that  others  had  man- 
aged to  l»ave  the  ship  in  boats.  On  Saturday  six  steamers  were  sent  out  to  search.  The 


412  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

steamer  "  Diament"  landed  seventeen  at  the  Weser  Lighthouse,  and  eleven  others  are  re- 
ported to  have  been  rescued.  The  steamer  "  Sultan"  arrived  in  the  Elbe  Sunday  morning 
badly  damaged.  Surprise  was  expressed  that  assistance  had  not  been  obtained  from  the 
Island  of  Borkum,  which  is  on  the  frontier  of  Holland  and  Germany  between  the  Eastern 
.and  Western  Ems. 

The  "  Cimbria"  was  built  at  Greenock,  Scotland,  in  1867,  and  was  a  brig-rigged  vessel  of 
3,025  tons  burden.  She  had  seven  water-tight  compartments,  three  decks,  was  326  feet 
long,  40  feet  beam,  and  her  depth  of  hold  was  26  feet. 

Note  to  Page  347-348. 

MODERN  JARROW — A  BUSY  SHIP-BUILDING  ENGLISH  TOWN. — A  Tyne  sailor  once  de- 
scribes Jarrow  town  as  one  of  the  four  quarters  of  the  world.  Modern  Jarrow  grew  up 
around  a  coal  pit,  as  ancient  Jarrow  had  grown  up  around  a  monastery,  says  a  writer  about 
the  River  Tyne.  It  is  a  place  where  you  may  see  a  pillar  of  cloud  by  day  and  a  pillar  of 
fire  by  night;  for  it  is  a  town  of  shipyards  and  blast  furnaces  and  Cyclopean  industry.  Here 
was  built  the  first  screw  collier,  the  progenitor  of  the  vast  line  of  steamships  which  has  al- 
most driven  the  black  collier  brig  from  the  face  of  the  sea.  Where  the  shipyard  slopes  down 
to  the  river  is  a  row  of  iron  skeletons,  growing  rapidly  into  steamships  under  the  continuous 
hammering  of  swarming  crowds  of  workmen,  who  look  as  small  among  the  curving  ribs  of 
metal  as  the  Lilliputians  must  have  seemed  to  Gulliver,  This  very  shipyard  has  turned  out 
•some  of  the  vessels  of  our  royal  navy ;  and  when  the  Emperor  of  China,  wishing  to  emulate 
the  barbarians,  bethought  him  that  he  would  create  an  admiral  and  an  iron-clad  fleet,  it  was 
to  Jarrow  that  the  orders  for  the  Chinese  gun-boats  came.  The  river  broadens  out  nobly 
where  these  iron  ships  are  launched.  In  the  whole  course  of  the  Tyne  there  is  no  finer 
sweep  of  water  than  that  which  lies  between  Jarrow  slake  and  the  harbor  at  Shields.  On 
•either  hand,  ere  the  harbor  is  reached,  are  the  Tyne  and  Northumberland  docks,  one  full  of 
colliers,  the  other  of  merchantmen,  and  both  with  a  vast  tangle  of  masts  and  rigging  sloping 
.against  the  sky.  Unlike  the  Mersey  in  this,  the  Tyne  stands  in  small  need  of  docks,  for, 
.along  its  whole  course  to  beyond  Newcastle,  there  is  a  succession  of  coal  staiths  and  quays, 
where  the  ships  load  and  unload  as  safely  as  if  they  were  in  dock. — Boston  Herald,  January 
1 8,  1883, 

Note  to  Page  362. 

The  following  is  a  comparison  of  the  "  Navigazione  Generale  Italiana"  and  "  Austrian 
Lloyds"  of  their  condition  in  1882,  condensed  from  their  official  reports; 

Nav.  Gen.  It.  Aus.  Lloyd. 

Steamships,  No.,  ....*..  92  74 

Tons  registered, 74,58o  88,224 

Horse-power,        ......  23,920  I7>93° 

Miles  run  in  year,         .....         2,253,990  1,610,885 

Capital  stock, $20,000,000  $6,300,000 

Original  cost  of  ships,  .         .         .         .         .       12,400,000  I3>797>625 

Present  value, 11,878,694  6,565,300 

Income  last  year,        -.         .         .         .         .         6,666,845  5,478,445 

Expenses,  including  ins.  and  written  off,        .         6,109,000  5,007,623 

Net  profit,    .  557.845  470,822 

Government  contributions  to  above  income,  .         1,625,000  868,511 

Both  companies  paid  6  per  cent,  of  the  net  profits  to  their  stockholders,  and  propose  to 
increase  their  operations.  The  State  aid  was  paid  in  cash,  and  for  convenience  is  computed, 
the  franc  at  20  cents,  the  florin  at  50  cents,  gold. 


HISTOR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  413 

Note  to  Page  384. 

The  first  steamer  of  the  Societe  Postale  Francaise  de  Atlantic,  the  "  Ville  de  Para,"  arrived 
at  Boston  in  December,  and  sailed  thence  on  the  loth  of  January  on  her  return  to  Brazil  vict 
Halifax  and  St.  Thomas,  W.  I. 

Note  to  Page  358. 

A  new  steel  steamship  for  the  White  Star  Line  was  launched  at  the  yard  of  Harland  & 
Wolff,  January  12,  1883.  The  new  vessel  will  be  called  the  "  Ionic." 

Note  to  Page  382. 

The  "  Iceland,"  the  third  ship  of  the  Thingvalla  Line,  arrived  at  New  York  in  September,. 
1882.  She  sailed  froih  Copenhagen  September  7  with  three  hundred  immigrants  and  a 
general  cargo.  She  called  at  Christiansand  and  took  on  board  four  hundred  more,  sailing; 
from  thence  on  the  gth.  After  a  few  hours  at  sea  she  met  with  a  slight  derangement  of  her 
machinery  and  put  into  Leith,  where  repairs  were  made,  and  she  sailed  again  on  the  I2th  of 
September  for  New  York. 

The  "  Iceland's"  register  tonnage  is  1,899.  Her  dimensions  are  :  Length,  312  feet ;  beam, 
40  feet ;  depth  ot  hold,  30  feet.  Her  hold  is  divided  into  five  water-tight  compartments. 
The  engines  are  of  2,000  indicated  horse-power,  and  enable  the  vessel  to  steam  at  the  rate  of 
twelve  knots  per  hour. 

Note  to  Page  382. 

From  an  advertisement  in  the  Panama  Star  and  Herald,  dated  October  16,  1882,  we 
learn  that  Senor  Campo's  lines  are  in  successful  operation,  and  running  between  Havana  and 
Colon  (Aspinwall) ;  from  Colon  to  Santander,  Spain,  Bordeaux,  etc. ;  between  Havana  and 
St.  Thomas,  Havana  and  La  Guayra,  Bordeaux  and  Vera  Cruz,  and  there  is  a  monthly 
Straits  of  Magellan  Line,  which  leaves  Bordeaux  on  the  first  of  each  month,  calling  at  San- 
tander, Coruna,  Cadiz,  Pernambuco,  Bahia,  Rio  Janeiro,  Montevideo,  Buncos  Ayres,  Valpa- 
raiso and  Callao,  and  returning  from  the  last-named  port  on  the  first  of  each  month,  calling 
at  the  same  ports. 

The  following  are  steamers  of  The  Marquis  de  Campo's.  Spanish  Mail  Line  : 

Tons. 

Ebro, I5°9 

Vinuelas, 3200 

Panama.    .         .         .         .         .         .  •  2200 

Santo  Domingo,          ....     3200 

San  Augustin, 3200 

Romeo 500 

Julieta, 500 

Six  now  building,  each  of  .         .         .     4800 
Four       "  "  .  2600 


Tons. 

Magallanes, 2630 

Asia 2500 

Valencia, 2500 

Barcelona,          .         .         .                  .  2500 

Leon  XIII , 2200 

Espana, 2700 

Madrid, 2500 

Mejico 2200 

Vera  Cruz, 2900 

Reina  Mercedes,         ....  3080 


BIBLIOGRAPHY. 


A  Bibliography  of  Books,  Pamphlets,  and  Magazine  Articles  on  Steam 

Navigation. 

This  bibliography  does  not  pretend  to  be  a  complete  one  of  everything 
relating  to  steam  navigation,  but  only  of  such  works  and  articles  on  the 
subject  as  are  to  be  found  in  my  own  library  and  the  public  and  society 
libraries  in  and  about  Boston,  and  most  of  which,  as  well  as  piles  of  news- 
papers from  the  beginning  of  the  century,  have  been  examined  in  the  col- 
lection of  these  Notes  and  the  preparation  of  this  work. 

Steam  boilers,  strength  of  cylindrical. — W.  B.  Johnson,  "  Journal  of  Science,"  23,  68. 
S.eam  bridge  of  the  Atlantic. — "  Eclectic  Magazine,"  21,  135. 

Steam  communication  with  the  Mediterranean. — C.  E.  Lester,  "  DeBow's  Review,"  n,  227. 
Steam  first  applied  to  paddle  wheels. — I.  E.  Bloomfield,  "  Hunt's  New  Magazine,"  15,  67. 
_  Steam  navigation. — "  New  York  Review,"  4,  147  ;   "  Am.  Whig  Review,"  1,22;  "Black- 
wood's  Magazine,"  21,  393;  "  Hunt's  New  Magazine,"  4,  105. 

Steam  navigation,  Atlantic. — Junius  Smith,  "Journal  of  Science,"  35,  169,  332;  J.  B. 
Moore,  "Hunt's  Magazine,"  3,296;  Torrence  Hart,  "  Hunt's  Magazine,"  13,  348; 
"  N.  Y.  Review,"  3,  95;  "Edinburgh  Review,"  65,62;  "  Quarterly  Review,"  62, 
102;  "Christian  Quarterly,"  10,371;  Origin  of,  Junius  Smith,  "  Hunt's  Magazine," 
16,  172. 
Steam,  Ericsson's,  propeller.—"  Living  Age,"  3,  40. 

"       on  Lake  Ontario. — "  Hunt's  New  Magazine,"  17,  527. 

"       to  China. — C.  H.  Davis,  "  Hunt's  New  Magazine,"  18,  467.  • 

«          "  — M.  F.  Maury,  "  Southern  Literary  Messenger,"  14,  246. 

"        to  India. — "  Edinburgh  Review,"  57,  313,  60,  232;  "Foreign  Quarterly  Review," 

18,  342. 

Steam  to  the  Pacific. — "  Journal  of  Science,"  41,  358. 
"      navy,  British. — "  Living  Age,"  5,  153. 
"      in  maritime  war. — "  Niles'  Register,"  37,  45. 

"      vessels,  the  "  Helix,"  as  a  propeller  of  Jean  Benner. — "  Hunt's  Magazine,"  21,  279. 
"      voyage,  the  first,  on  the  British  seas,  1815. — "  Eraser's  Magazine,"  38,  275. 
'-  Steamboat  (the  American),  who  invented  the. — See  N.  H.  Antigenarian  Society  (collection 

No.  i.) 

Steamboat,  a  lost  chapter  in  the  history  of  the. — Maryland  Hist.  Soc.  (Fund.  Pub.  No.  5.) 
"  voyage,  the  first,  on   the  Western  waters. — Maryland   Hist.  Soc.  (Fund.  Pub. 

No.  6.) 

Steam  communication  between  Boston  and  New  Orleans. — See  "  Boston  Board  of  Trade." 
"      mail  across  the  Pacific. — Clippings  from  the  "  California   Press,"  March  to  Novem- 
ber, 1860. 

Steam  navigation  from  California  to  China. — Milton  S.  Latham ;   also  R.  B.  Forbes. 
American  steamship  navigation.     By  Hamilton  Andrews  Hall. 

414 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  '415 

Peale,  R.,  letter  on  the  first  experiment  in  steam  navigation.     Penn.  Hist.  Col.,  vol.  I. 
Steamboat  disasters. — "North  American  Review,"  50,  19. 

"         explosions. — "  N.  Y.  Review,"  4,  46;  "American  Almanac,  1835,"  H2. 
Steamboats,  American. — W.  C.  Redfield,  "Journal  of  Science,"  23,  311. 

"  progress  of. — "  Quarterly  Review,"  19,  347. 

"  safety  in. — J.  L.  Sullivan,  "Journal  of  Science,"  20,  I. 

Steamer  Atlantic. — "  Hunt's  Magazine,"  15,  323. 
Steamship  Great  Britain. — "  Hunt's  Magazine,"  9,  292,  13,  252. 

"         first  American,  to  Bremen. — "  Hunt's  Magazine,"  17,  357. 
Steamships,  American  and  Atlantic  mail. — "  Hunt's  Magazine,"  15,  51. 

"  and  steam  navigation. — Junius  Smith,  "  Journal  of  Science,"  36,  133. 

"  Collins  and  Cunard  Lines  of,  statistics  of. 

J.  &  C.  Campbell's. — "  Hunt's  Magazine,"  25,  377,  635,  26,  379,  27,  242,  376. 

*'  of  Cunard  Line,  voyages  of. — "  Hunt's  Magazine,"  15,  320. 

*«  French  Atlantic. — "  Hunt's  Magazine,"  16,  617,  17,  176. 

"  American  iron. — "  Eclectic  Magazine,"  I,  594. 

"  of  war. — "  N.  Y.  Review,"  5,  83. 

"  United  States  naval  and  mail. — "  Hunt's  Magazine,"  16,  419. 

Steam  navigation,  history  of,  in  Maine.     By  William  Goord,  in  the  Portland  daily  "  Press," 

1871.     Eleven  numbers.  k^°^  ^   ^'/W* 

Articles  in  "  London  Notes  and  Queries."  *  7^    ^  /> 

1st  series. — Steam  power,  its  inventor,  iii,  23.  U-v^-k.  $erjv 

2d      "      — Steam  navigation,  origin  of,  vii,  357;  prophesied  by  poets,  vi,  400.  v 

2d      "      — Steam,  Earl  Stanhope's  experiments  in,  ii,  50. 

2d      "      — First  navigator  of  channel  steamers,  iv,  106,  155,  214,  252,  296,  398. 
2d      "      — The  first  steamer  to  carry  foreign  mails,  v,  393  ;  the  first  to  America,  xii,  365, 

444,  526. 
3d  series. — Steam  navigation,  vol.  i,  207;  in  1783,  ix,  137;  first  steamboat  in  America,  vii, 

151- 

3d  series. — Steamboat  "  Blucher"  launched. 

4th    "      — Steam,  its  application  to  navigation,  xi,  169,  240,  291  ;  steamboats  and. 

4th    "      — Galleys,  their  relative  speed,  xi,  177  ;  steamships  predicted,  iv,  29,  84,  144,  462. 

5th    "      — Loss  of  a  Hamburg  steamer,  vi,  48.  •          v  &f  t 

Articles  in  "  Harper's  Magazine,"  vols.  i  to  Ix,  1850-1880. — 
The  Mississippi  steamboat,  illus.,  xli,  835,  1870. 
Steam  navigation. — The  ocean  steamer,  illus.,  xli,  185,  1869-70. 

"  Ocean  steamers,  Captain  McKinnon,  vii,  205,  1853. 

"  Pacific  "  departs  for  Europe,  ii,  733,  1850-51. 
«<  Steamship  "  Savannah  "  "  log  book,"  liv,  342,  1876-77. 

"  E.  H.  Knight,  1,  79,  1850. 

"  Steamboat,  invention  of  the,  xiii,  408,  1856. 

Steam  bridge  of  the  Atlantic,  1,  411,  1850. 
Steamships,  losses  of,  x,  119,  xii,  844,  xiv,  847,  275. 
"  Wreck  of  the  "  San  Francisco,"  viii,  404,  1854. 

«•  Steam,  i,  50,  1850. 

«  Steamboat  excursions,  lix,  622,  1879. 

New  steamships,  xlix,'i43,  450,  Ii,  306,  610,  762,  914,  Ivii,  315. 
Steam  navigation.— Bescke,  W.,' memorial. 

«  '    On  iron-clad  vessels,  1865. 

Braithwaite,  Voyage  of  the  "  Victory,"  1835,  pam. 
«     ,  Cameron's  Australian  steamers,  pam. 


416  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

Steam  Navigation. — Clarkson's  History  of  Livingston  Manor,  1869. 
«  New  England,  1833. 

"  -    Ship,  Ericsson's  trial,  1843. 

"  Gibbons  vs.  Ogden,  U.  S.  Supreme  Court  opinion  in  1824,  pam. 

"  Description  of  the  "  Great  Eastern." 

"  Lloyd's  Steamboat  Directory,  1826. 

«  Miller,  \V.  O.,  submerged  propeller,  1856. 

"  Montgomery,  steam  on  canals,  1858.  • 

"  N.  Y.  and  Galway  Company,  1851,  pam. 

"  Redfield's  letters  to  Commodore  Perry,  1841. 

«  Redfield,  explosion  of  the  New  England,  1833. 

"  Smyth,  sermon  on  the  loss  of  the  "  Home." 

"  Steamboat  disasters,  1843. 

"  Sullivan,  J.  L.,  steamboat  rights,  1822. 

"  Woodcroft,  B.,  progress  of  steam  navigation,  1848. 

"  Explosions  of  steam  boilers  in  the  U.  S.,  1838. 

"  Princeton,  U.  S.  steamship. 

"  Armstrong's  treatise  on  steam  boilers,  1850. 

"  Baker's  improvements  on  boiler  furnaces,  pam. 

"  Bartol,  B.  N.,  marine  boilers  of  the  U.  S.,  1851. 

"  Ericsson's  caloric  engine,  1859,  pam. 

"  Guthrie,  explosion  of  boilers,  1852. 

"  Ilarshman's  "         "         pam. 

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HISTOR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  417 

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The  same  reprinted  in  N.  Y.  Doc.  Hisfory,  vol.  ii.     1850.  / 

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London,  1831 ;  8vo. 

Town,  I.     Atlantic  Steamships,  published  1832. 

27 


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418  HISTORY  OF  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

Town,  I.     Historical  Sketch  of  the  Newspaper  Controversy  of  Navigating  the  Atlantic  with 

Steamships. 

Town,  I.     Description  of  the  "  Sirius"  and  "  Great  Western."     New  York,  1838;   I2mo. 
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tween India  and  England.     Bombay,  1833;  4to.     pp.  14 
Forbes,  R.  B.     Mail  Steamers  of  the  United  States  on  the  Pacific  Coast  to  China.   Pamphlet ; 

Svo. 

Forbes,  R.  B.     The  Ship  of  the  Future  for  the  Oceanic  Route.   Boston,  1881.    Svo.  pp.  14. 
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Building,  1864-65.     Boston,  1865.     8vo.,  pp.  16,  with  four  plans. 
Forbes,  R.  B.     The  Prize  Steamer  "Cherokee,"  formerly  the  "Thistle,"     Boston,  1864- 

8vo.,  pp.  33. 
Wilson,  J.  H.     On  Steam  Communication  Between  Bombay  and  Suez,  with  an  Account  of 

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Olds,  Hon.  Edson  B.     The  same.     8vo.,  pp.  56.     Washington,  1855. 

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Report  of  a  Board  on  the  Herrshoff  System  of  Motive  Machinery  as  Applied  to  the  Steam 

Yacht  Leila.     June  3,  1881.     8vo.,  pp.  77,  plates. 
Report  of  a  Board  on  the  Machinery  of  the  Steamer  "Anthracite."     Nov.  5,  1880.  8vo.,  pp. 

25,  plates. 

Report  of  B.  F.  Isherwood.     On  the  Vedette  Boats  Constructed  for*  the  French  and  British 
Navies,  by  the  Herrshoff  Manufacturing  Co.,  at  Bristol,  R.  I.     August  9,  1882.  8vo.* 
pp.  48,  plates. 
Report  of  a  Board  on  the  Mallory  Steering  and  Propelling  Screw,  as  Applied  to  the  United 

States  Torpedo  Boat  Alarm.     Jan  31,  1882.     8vo  ,  pp.  58,  plates. 

John  Scott  Russell.     The  Nature,  Properties,  and  Application  of  Steam  and  on  Steam  Navi- 
gation.    From  the  Seventh  Edition  of  the  Encyclopaedia  Britannica.     Edinburgh,  184$. 
Steamboat  Disasters.     "  North  American  Review,"  1,  19;  cxxxi,  257. 
"  Wescott's  "  Old  Franklin  Almanac,"  1862,  70. 

"  "  The  Am.  Ship,"  1879. 

Steamboat  Works  on  the  Clyde,  "  Penny  Magazine,"  xii,  377. 
"         The  Alleghany,  1830.     "  Olden  Time,"  i,  42.  - 

First  Steubenville.     "  Olden  Time,"  ii,  368. 
"         First  English.     "Journal  Franklin  Institute,"  xiii,  139. 
Jonathan  Hull's,  1736.     "  Chamber's  Journal,"  lii,  341. 
Invention  of.     "  Quarterly  Review,"  xix,  347.   - 
"         Mary  Powell  des.     "Journal  Franklin  Institute,"  cviii,  18. 
Steamship  Charlemagne.     "Journal  Franklin  Institute,"  Ivii,  117. 
Steamships,  U.  S.  "  Catholic  Magazine,'-'  iv,  654. 

"         American  and  Atlantic  Mail.     "  Hunt's  Mer.  Magazine,"  xv,  51. 

"         and  Steam  Navigation.     "  Am.  Jour.  Science,"  xxxvi,  133. 

"         Building  of  English  and  American,  1850.     "Journal  Franklin  Institute,"  li,  41. 

"         Collins  and  Cunard  Lines,  Statistics  of.     "  Hunt's  Merchant's  Magazine,  xxv,  377, 

635;  xxvi,  379;  xxvii,  242,  376. 

"         Cunard  Line,  Voyages  6f.     "  Hunt's  Am.  Mer.  Mag.,"  xv,  320. 
"         Ericsson  Propeller.     "  Living  Age,"  iii,  40;  "  U.  S.  Nautical  Magazine." 
"         For  Channel  Passage.     "  Pop.  Science  Rev.,"  xii,  I. 
"         French  Atlantic.     "  Hunt's  Mer.  Mag.,"  xvi,  617,  xvii,  176. 
"         Ircn.     "Am.  Electric  Rev.,"  i,  594. 
"         Loss  of.     "  Hunt's  Mer.  Mag.,"  xxxiv,  147. 
"         Ocean.     "  Democratic  Rev.,"  xxxvii,  417. 
"         Ocean,  Description  of.     "Appleton's  Jour."  xx,  546. 
"  — -   History  of.     "Westminster  Review,"  ci.    • 
"         of  War.     "  New  York  Rev.,"  v,  83. 

"         New  America,  1856.     "Jour,  of  the  Franklin  Institute,"  Ixiii,  125. 
"         Ratio  of  Length  and  Breadth  of.     "Jour.  Franklin  Institute,"  xci,  260,  305,  404 
"         Speed  of 'Atlantic,  1852.     "Jour.  Franklin  Institute,"  Iv,  172;  Ixiv,  5. 
"         Rule  for.     "  Eel.  Engineer,"  ix,  204. 

The  following  references  to  periodical  articles  on  the  subject  of  Steam  Navigation  is  taken 
from  that  invaluable  work,  "  Poole's  Index  to  Periodical  Literature."  Third  edition,  1882. 
Some  of  these  references  have  been  already  given. 

earn  Navigation,  Introduction  of.     "Historical  Magazine,"  ii,  225;  " Jour.  Franklin  In- 
stitute," xxxi,  73,  165. 

"~  "  Invention  of.     "  Chamber's  Journal,"  xxi,  188,25;  "  Eclec.  Engineer- 

ing," xiv,  305. 

"  Ocean.     "  Chamber's  Journal,"  xxii,  188,  256;  "  Eclectic  Engineering," 

xiv,  305. 

T fit  1 


HIST  OR  Y  OF  STEAM  NA  VIGA  TION.  .  421 

Steam  Navigation,  On  Lake  Ontario.     "  Hunt's  Mer.  Mag.,"  xvii,  527. 

To  Ch^ia.     "  Western  Journal,"  i,  259 ;  "  Hunt's  Mer.  Magazine,"  xviii, 

467;  "  Southern  Literary  Messenger,"  xiv,  244. 

To  India.     "Edinburgh  Review,"  Ivii,  313;  Ix,  445 ;  "Foreign  Quar- 
terly," xvii,  342. 

"  To  the  Pacific.     "  Am.  Journal  of  Science,"  xvi,  358. 

Transatlantic.     "  North  American  Review,"  xlc,  483. 
:Steam  Navy,  British.     "  Living  Age,"  v,  153. 
Steam  in  maritime  war.     "Nile's  Register,"  xxxvii,  45. 
Steam  packets,  American  and  English,  1853.     "  Living  Age,"  xxxviii,  168. 
.Steamboats,  American.     "American  Journal  Science,"  xxiii,  311. 

"  and  Steamboating  in  the  Southwest.     "  Hogg's  Instructor,"  viii,  4,  315. 

"  English,  1832.     "Jour,  of  the  Franklin  Institute,"  xiy,  349. 

"  in  America,  1833.     "  Edin.  New  Phil.  Journal,"  xv,  55. 

on  Western  waters,  1834.     "Journal  Franklin  Institute,"  xviii,  353. 
in  1852.     "Journal  Franklin  Institute,"  liii,  344-417;  liv,  207;  Iv,  258. 
"  Progress  of.     "  Nile's  Register,"  xxiii,  19. 

"  Safety  in.     "Am.  Jour,  of  Science,"  xx,  I ;  "Jour.  Franklin  Institute,"  x,  352, 

xi,  217. 
Arajo's  History  of  the  Steam  Engine.     "  Journal  of  Franklin  Institute."     2pth  vol.,  pp.  3, 

73,  145. 
American  Steam  Frigate.     "  Blackwood,"  vol.  30. 

Magazine  articles  on  steam  navigation — 

"  New  York  Review,"  iv,  147.  "Am.  Whig.  Review,"  i,  22.  "  Hunt's  Merchant's  Maga- 
zine," iv,  105.  "  Blackwood's  Magazine,"  xviii,  541 ;  xxi,  393.  "  Once  a  Week,"  iii, 
331.  "  Penny  Magazine,"  v,  30;  ix,  305.  American  Enterprises.  "Am.  Whig  Re- 
view," ii,  75.  Atlantic  Steam  Navigation.  "Am.  Jour,  of  Science,"  xxxv,  169,  352; 
"  Hunt's  Mag.,"  iii,  296;  xiii,  348;  xvii,  357.  "New  York  Review,"  iii,  95.  "Quar- 
terly Review,"  Ixii,  186.  "  Edinburgh  Review,"  Ixv.,  118.  "  Chris.  Quarterly  Specta- 
tor," x,  371.  "Chamber's  Journal,"  xiii,  408.  "Eclectic  Magazine,"  xxi,  135. 
Steam  Navigation,  Origin  of.  "  Hunt's  Magazine,"  xvi,  172. 

"  First  American  to  Bremen.     "  Hunt,"  xvii,  357. 

,  Improvements.     "Journal  Franklin  Institute,"  xlvi,  298. 

N.    "-—  in  United  States  before  Fulton's  Time.     "  Historical  Magazine,"  iii,  3.   - 

"  in  France,  1840.     "Jour.  Franklin  Institute,"  xxxi,  41. 

"  in  1798.     "Historical  Magazine,"  xxi,  23. 

"  in  1846.     "Journal  Franklin  Institute,"  xxxi,  41. 

"  in  the  United  States,  1839.     "Jour.  Franklin  Institute,"  xxxi,  73,  165. 

"  in  1840.     "Jour.  Franklin  Institute,"  xxx,  81. 


APPENDIX. 


STATISTICAL     TABLES. 


TABLE  I.— Steam  Tonnage  belonging  to  the  United  States,  British  Empire,  France,  and  Holland, 
from  1838  to  1881,  showing  the  Progress  of  Steam  Navigation  since  the  Advent  of  Ocean  Steam 
Navigation. 

TABLE  II.— Showing  the  Number  of  Steam  Vessels  built  in  the  United  States,  and  the  Registered, 
Enrolled  and  Licensed  Steam  Tonnage,  and  grand  total  of  the  Tonnage  of  the  Steam  Mercha'nt 
Marine  of  the  United  States,  from  1823  to  1881. 

TABLE  III.— The  Number  and  Tonnage  of  the  Mercantile  Steam  Vessels  Built  and  First  Registered 
in  the  United  Kingdom  of  Great  Britain,  1866  to  1880,  inclusive. 

TABLE  IV— The  Steam  Vessels  Built  in  the  United  States  in  1879  and  1881. 

TABLE  V— The  Number  and  Tonnage  of  Iron  Steam  Vessels  Built  in  the  United  States,  1879  and  1881. 

TABLE  VI. — Tonnage  of  American  and  Foreign  Steam  Vessels  Entered  in  United  States  Ports  from 
Foreign  Countries,  1864  to  1881.  , 

TABLE  VII.— Showing  the  Number  and  Tonnage  of  American  and  Foreign  Ocean  Steam  Vessels  in 
the  Foreign  Trade  which  arrived  at  Ports  of  the  United  States,  etc.,  during  the  Fiscal  Year,  1881. 

TABLE  VIII.— The  Number  and  Tonnage  of  the  Steam  Vessels  of  the  United  States,  June  30, 1881, 
giving  the«States  and  Territories  in  which  they  were  documented. 

TABLE  IX. — Designating  Marks  of  Ocean  Steamships. 

TABLE  X.— The  Merchant  Steam  Vessels  of  the  United  Kingdom,  1815  to  1881. 

TABLE  XI.— The  Mercantile  S-teamers  of  the  World,  1870-74  and  1882. 

TABLE  XII.— A  Parliamentary  Return  of  the  Vessels  belonging  to  British  Mail  Steam  Packet  Compa- 
nies in  1853. 

TABLE  XIII.— Exhibiting  the  Size  and  Power  of  the  Earliest  and  Largest  Transatlantic  Steamships. 

TABLE  XIV— Tonnage  of  Iron  Steam  Vessels  Built; in  the  United  States,  1868  to  1881,  inclusive. 

TABLE  XV.— Showing  the  Progressive  Improvements  in  the  Cunard  Steamships,  1840  to  1875,  and  an 
analysis  of  the  Difference  between  the  Britannia,  1840,  and  the  Bothnia,  1875. 

TABLE  XVI.— Ocean  Steamship  Lines  of  the  World,  1858. 

TABLE  XVII,— Ocean  Steamship  Lines  of  the  World,  1875. 

TABLE  XVIII.— Steamship  Disasters. 

TABLE  XIX.— The  Quickest  Passages  of  Ocean  Steamships,  1869  to  1882. 

TABLE  XX.— Steamship  Building  on  the  Delaware.  1.  Steamships  Built  by  Harlan  &  Hollingsworth 
•  Co.,  Wilmington,  Delaware,  1849  to  1882.  2.  Steamships  built  by  John  Roach,  Chester,  Penn'a, 
1872  to  1882.  3.  Steamships  Built  by  Wm.  Cramp  &  Sons,  Philadelphia,  1849  to  1882.  4.  Steam 
Vessels  Built  by  Neafie  &  Levy,  Philadelphia,  1844  to  1882.  5.  Pusey  &  Jones,  Wilmington.  Dela- 
ware, 1851  to  1882. 


423 


424 


APPENDIX. 


TABLE  I. — Steam  Tonnage  belonging  to  the  United  States,  British  Empire, 
France,  and  Holland,  from  1838  to  1881,  showing  the  progress  of  steam  ton- 
nage since  the  advent  of  Ocean  Steam  Navigation. 


YEAR. 

UNITED  STATES. 

Great  Britain 
and  its 

Possessions. 

France. 

Holland. 

Total  Steam 
Mercantile 
Marine   of  the 
Four  Powers. 

Registered  !      Enrolled* 

*n?reign    '  Coasting  Trade 
1  rade. 

1838  

2,791 
5,149 
4,155 
746 
4,701 
5,373 
6,909 
6,492 
6,287 
5,631 
16,068 
20,870 
44,042 
62,390 
79,704 
90,520 
95,036 
115,045 
89,715 
86,873 
78,027 
92,747 
97,296 
102.608 
113,998 
133,215 
106,519 
198,008 
198,289 
198,115 
221,939 
213,252 
192.544 
180,914 
177,666 
193,423 
195,245 
191,689 
198,227 
190,133 
170,838 
156,323 
146,604 
152,769 

190,632 
199,789 
198,184 
174,342 
224,960 
231,494 
"  265.270 
319,527 
341,606 
399,210 
411,823 
441,525 
481,005 
521,217 
563.536 
514.098 
581,571 
655.240 
583,362 
618,911 
651,363 
•  676,004 
770,641 
774.696 
596,465 
439,755 
853,816 
969,131 
885,023 
993,765 
975,142 
887,401 
879,522 
906,723 
933,887 
963,020 
985,300 
971,806 
968,300 
'.175,033 
990,382 
1,012,810 
1,058,587 
1,105,958 

82.716 
86,731 
95,807 
104.845 
118,930 
121,455 
125,675 
131,202 
144,784 
156,557 
168,078 
177,310 
187,631 
204,654 
227,306 
264,336 
326,484 
408,290f 
417,717f 
453,966t 
488,415} 
472,764 
500,144 
561,023 
597,932 
657,026 
769,398 
902,052 
952,318 
973,415 
977,292 
1,033,247 
1,202,134 
1,411,803 
1,640,639 
1,825,738 
1,987,235 
1,847,218 
1,870,794 
1,977,489 
2,160,126 
2,331,157 
2.723,468 
3,133,453 

9.693 
9,810 
9,535 
10,183  . 
9,757 
9,536 
9,293 
9,390 
10,921 
12,567 
13,152 
13,391 
13,925 
19,460 
22,171 
26,399 
35,098 
45,093 
63,926 
71,92!) 
66,587 
65,006 
68,025 
73,267 
78,981 
84,918 
97.884 
108,328 
129,777 
133,158 
]  35,259 
142,942 
154,415 
160,478 
177,462 
185,165 
194,546 
204,520 
218,449     . 
230,804 
245,893 
255,969 
277/789 
278,360 

1,658 
1,976 
•      1,976 
3,336 
3,692 
3.G92 
3,950 
4,452 
5,064 
5,864 
10,428 
13,302 
13,768 
14,340 
13,746 
13,012 
12,636 
13,994 
15,862 
15,068 
16,184 
20.694 
'22,19  1 
22,568 
26,394 
36,644 
46,370 
50,560 
55,360 
60,160 
65,220 
70,840 
76,827 
79,400 
80,120 
81,418 

285,232 
301,479 
307,681 
290,116 
358,348 
367,858 
407,147 
466,611 
515,256 
575,941 
811.097 
656,432 
731,175 
611,671 
896,667 
899,808 
1,043,253 
1,229,532 
1,265,148 
1,245,031 
1,298,160 
1,320,861 
1,449,852 
1,524,506 
1,400,012 
1,328,908 
1,843,479 
2,092,587 
2,181,591 
2.319,147 
2.331,826 
2,299,410 
2,455,009 
2.696,562 
2.976,018 
3,217,906 
3,217.686 
3,275,393 
3,321,090 
3,448,299 
3,643,976 
3,835,649 
4,286,538 
4,751,988 

1839  
1840  

1841...  
1842  
1843  

1844  

1845  

1846  
1847  

1848  
1849  

1850  

1851  
1852  
1853  
1854  
1855  

1856  

1857  
1858  
1859  
1860  . 

1861  

1862  
1863  
1864  
1865. 

1866  
1867  
1868  
1869  
1870  
1871  
1872  
1873  
1874  
1875  
1876  
1877  
1878  
1879  
1880  
1881  

*  The  "  Enrolled  "  tonnage  of  the  United  States  is  confined  to  the  home  and  river  trades,  and  is 
prohibited  by  law  from  going  on  a  foreign  voyage. 

t  In  consequence  of  alterations  in  the  system  of  measurement  the  British  tonnage,  as  compared 
with  years  previous  to  1855,  is  a  great  deal  less  than  if  the  old  plan  of  measurement  for  tonnage  had 
been  continued.  Changes  of  measurement  have  also  taken  place  in  the  United  States  and  the  other 
countries.  These  figures,  therefore,  are  only  approximates,  although  derived  from  official  sources. 

New  facilities  for  steam  transportation  have  been  devised,  and  year  by  year  steam  has  gradually 
gained  upon  sailing-vessels.  The  statistics  of  the  export  business  of  New  York  with  England, 
Scotland,  Germany  and  the  Netherlands,  Belgium  and  France  for  the  year  ending  June  30, 1880,  show 
that  the  value  carried  in  sailing-vessels  was  $73,029,677,  as  compared  with  $210,139,174  in  steam-vessels 
or  in  about  the  ratio  of  one  to  three.  The  figures  are  approximates  for  Holland  for  1875-77,  79-80. 
which  I  have  been  unable  to  obtain. 


APPENDIX. 


425 


TABLE  II.— Showing  Hie  Number  of  Steam-vessels  Built  in  the  United  States, 
and  the  Registered,  Enrolled,  and  Licensed  Steam  Tonnage  of  the  Merchant 
Marine  of  the  United  States  each  year,  from  1823-1881. 
(Compiled  from  Orficial  Sources.) 


Year  Ended. 

No. 
Built, 

Regis- 
tered. 

1    En- 
rolled. 

Total. 

Year 
[Ended. 

No. 
Built. 

Regis- 
tered. 

Enrolled. 

Licensed 
under 
20  Tons. 

Total. 

June  30. 

\ 

Dec.  31,  1823  

15 

21,879 

24,879 

i     1853 

271 

90,520 

514,098 

604,618 

"      1824  

26 

^ 

21.610 

21,610 

|     1854 

281 

95.036 

581,571 

676,607 

"      1825  

35 

23,061 

23,061 

1855 

243 

115,045 

655,240 



770'285 

"       1826  

45 

34,059 

34,059 

1856 

221 

89715 

583  362 

673,077 

"       1827  

38 

40,198 

40,198 

1857 

263 

86,873 

618,911 



705,784 

"       1828  

33 

39,418 

39,418 

1858 

226 

78.027 

651,363 

729,390 

"       1829  

43 

54,037 

54,037 

1859 

172 

92,748 

676,005 

768,753 

"      1830  

37 

1,419 

63.053 

64,472 

1860 

264 

97,296 

770,641 

867  937 

"       1831  

34 

877 

68,568 

69,445 

1861 

264 

102  608 

774  596 

877.204 

"      1832  

100 

181 

90,633 

90,814 

1862 

183 

113.998 

598,465 



710,463 

"       1833  

65 

545 

101,306 

101,851 

1863 

367 

133.215 

442,304 

575,519 

"       1834  

88 

340 

122,474 

122,814 

1864- 

498 

122  006 

855  954 

977,960 

Sept.  30,  1835  

30 

340 

122,474 

122,814 

1865 

411 

98,008 

969,131 

1,067,139 

(9  months.) 

Sept.  30,  1836  

124 

454 

145,102 

145,556 

1866 

348 

198,289 

885,223 

1,083512 

"       1837  

335 

1,104 

153,661 

154,765 

1867 

180 

198,115 

993,765 

j 

l,19l!880 

"      1838  

90 

2,791 

190,632 

193,423 

1868* 

236 

221,939 

975,142 

"2,334" 

1,199,415 

"      1839  

125 

5,M9 

189,879 

195,028 

1869* 

277 

213,252 

887,401 

2.915 

1,103,568 

"      1840  

63 

4,155 

198,184 

202,339  J 

1870 

290 

192,544 

879,522 

3,029 

1,075,095 

"       1841  

78 

746 

174,342 

175,088 

1871 

302 

180,914 

90*,543 

3,180 

1,087,637 

"      1842  
June  30,  1843  

137 
79 

4,701 
5.373 

225,050 
231,494 

22!),751 
236,867 

1872 
1873 

292 
402 

177,666 
193,423 

929,962 
958,417 

3,925 
4,603 

1,111,553 
1,156,443 

(9  months.) 

June  30,  1844  

163 

6,910 

265,270 

272,180 

1874 

404 

195,245 

985,569 

4,796 

1,185,610 

"      1845  

163 

6,492 

319,527 

326,019 

1875 

323 

191,689 

971,806 

5.173 

1,168,668 

"       1846  

225 

6,287 

341,606 

347,893 

1876 

338 

198.227 

968,300 

5,845 

1,172,372 

"       1847  

198 

5,631 

399,210 

404,841 

1877 

265 

190,133 

975,033 

6,031 

1,171,197 

"      1848  

175 

16,068 

441,823 

427,891 

1878 

334 

170,838 

990,382 

6,458 

1,167,678 

"       1849  

208 

20,870 

441,525 

462,395 

1879 

335 

156,323 

1,012,810 

7,039 

1,176,172 

"      1850  

159 

44,942 

481,005 

525,947 

1880 

346 

146.604 

1,058,587 

6,367 

1,211,558 

"       1851  
"       1852  

233 

259 

62,390 
79,704 

521,217 
563,536 

583.607 
643,240  i 

1881 

444" 

152,770 

1,105,958 

6,274 

1,264,998 

*  New  measurement  from  1869. 


TABLE  III. —  The  Number  and  tonnage  of  Mercantile  Steamers  built  and  first 
Registered  in  the  United  Kingdom  of  Great  Britain  from  1866  to  1880, 
inclusive. 


Year. 

No. 

Tonnage. 

Year. 

No. 

Tonnage. 

1867 

295 

97,219 

1874 

482 

333,890 

1868 

232 

79,096 

1875 

357 

178,905 

1869 

281 

123,203 

1876 

320 

123,475 

1870 

434' 

226,591 

1877 

389 

221,330 

1871 

537 

330.798 

1878 

499 

287,080 

1872 

635 

415,961 

1879 

412 

297,720 

1873 

509 

363,9*7 

1880 

474 

346,361 

426 


APPENDIX. 


TABLE  IV. — The  Steam-vessels  built  in  the  United  States  during  the  fiscal  years 
ending  June  30,  1879,  and  June  30,  1881. 


• 

Class  of  Vessels. 

t 
No. 

1879. 
Tonnage. 

No. 

1881. 
Tonnage. 

re 

21  6l8  4O 

c  i 

it;  Qs6.ni 

\2l 

27,038.85 

IOS 

18,585.85 

120 

6  4.61;  81 

18; 

18  411.72 

2 

2,219.83 

2 

1,197.38 

a             «       propellers                     

I  c 

8002  64* 

Q"? 

<7  066.04 

Ocean  steamers   propellers             

j-j 

18,001;  80 

96 

^,641.10 

«             *«        side-wheel        

2 

^10.06 

Total                             

1  ir 

86,161  is 

4.4.4. 

1  18,070.  ^ 

TABLE  V. — Number  and  Tonnage  of  Iron  Steam-vessels  built  in  the   United 
States  during  the  fiscal  years  ending  June  30,  1879,  and  June  30,  1881. 


Ports. 

No. 

1879. 
Tonnage. 

No. 

1881. 
Tonnage. 

Philadelphia    Pa        

iq 

17,118.24 

27 

20,164.10 

Pittsburgh   Pa     

I 

44.40 

6 

4,010  72 

4 

1,066.28 

2 

614.16 

I 

417.  80 

Total  

24 

22,007.81 

Detroit,  Mich  

A 

H  8O2  Q2 

All  other  ports                                               . 

6 

I  648  S4 

41 

28,319.84 

TABLE  VI. — Tonnage  of  American  and  Foreign  Steam-vessels  entered  at  United 
States  seaports  from  Foreign  Countries,  1864  to  1881,  inclusive. 


YEAR. 

AMERICAN. 

FOREIGN. 

YEAR. 

AMERICAN. 

FOREIGN. 

Tons. 

Tons. 

Tons. 

Tons. 

1864.. 

153,230 

729,730 

1873- 

870,192 

2,871,308 

1865.. 

210,027 

643,576 

1874. 

1,035,747 

3,285,128 

1866.. 

298,311 

1,062,159 

1875- 

1,141,734 

3>I42,723 

1867.. 

395,626 

1,227,120 

1876. 

1,100,513 

3,319,053 

1868.. 

.461,920 

I,354,7i8 

1877. 

1,092,103 

3,432,487 

1869.. 

417,892    , 

1,572,914 

1878. 

1,138,114 

4,172,467 

1870.. 

836,456 

1,680,704 

1879. 

1,118,459 

5,362,944 

1871.. 

781,527 

1,882,437 

1880. 

1,195,900 

6,391,126 

1872.. 

841,916 

2,341,358 

1881. 

1,240,578 

7,487,110 

APPENDIX. 


427 


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APPENDIX. 


429 


TABLE  Vlll—Steam- 


of  the  United  States  by  States  and   Territories, 
JtweSO,  1879,  and  1881. 


STATES  AND  TERRITOKIES. 

1879. 

1881. 

No.* 
40 

Tons. 
6,667 

No. 
46 

Tons. 
6  s8<: 

i 

46 

•3 

4IQ 

4 

8-u 

4 

874 

178 

72,141 

1  68 

7  r  736 

icx 

29,548 

1  08 

7O  "37Q 

22 

3,820 

27 

4I4O- 

7  District  of  Columbia 

•3.3 

7  4.6l 

78 

7  66& 

8  Florida    * 

6q 

7  8;8 

7C 

8  7^2 

27 

IO.7Q7 

16 

1  6  O28 

I  52 

16,036 

161 

17  88c 

69 

6,780 

60 

r  ,C6^ 

«*8 

crqq 

77 

8  381 

41; 

IS.  "?68 

<?8 

1  7  N"?O 

207 

cc.677 

218 

60  052 

jc  Maine                      

88 

17,4^0 

88 

l6  47O   •  - 

1  6  Maryland                     

176 

7C.747 

142 

^8  47& 

17  Massachusetts      

1C? 

45,IO8 

146 

46  607 

18  Michigan     

362 

61,210 

427 

87  067 

10  Minnesota         

C4 

C,7Q2 

C2 

6  174 

4Q 

4,070 

IO 

656 

167 

61,^19 

IC7 

C4.7Q7 

24 

4,690 

72 

6,72O 

6 

318 

7 

24Q 

IOQ 

17,462 

127 

l8,7^O 

I.OIS 

^^7,I2Q 

J 

1,129 

776,^17 

2Q 

2,852 

4Q 

4  O74. 

27  Ohio  

2OI 

62,470 

229 

84,861 

86 

28,810 

98 

71,761 

465 

133,413 

456 

128,470 

TO  Rhode  Island                

56 

20,486 

1:4 

21   3CI 

71   South  Carolina                       

44 

6,2OO 

44 

6  4QH 

qc 

I  t;,O99 

Q4 

I  ^,002 

•3  •?  Texas 

74 

C.O^I 

38 

4,660 

7 

1,531 

8 

I,9OI 

70 

6,442 

96 

7,8qi; 

70 

5,209 

44 

C,7,-32 

142 

16,994 

177 

16,056 

122 

22,463 

I^O 

2Q  O7O 

Total  

4,  569 

1,176,172 

4,860 

1,264,008 

430 


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APPENDIX.  431 

TABLE  X.—The  Merchant  Steam  Vessels  of  the   United  Kingdom,  1815-81.* 


YEARS. 

Home  Trade. 

Partly  Home  and 
Partly  Foreign 
Trade. 

Employed  in  Foreign 
.Trade. 

Built. 

No. 

Men. 

Tons.  . 

No. 

Men. 

Tons. 

No. 

Men. 

Tons. 

No. 

Tons. 

1815  

10 

1,633 

1816  
1817  
1818  
1819  
1820  
1821  
1822  
1823  

15 
19 
27 
32 
43 
69 
96 
111 

2,612 
3950 

6,441 
6657 

7,243 

10,534 
13,125 

14,153 

1824  
1825  
1826  
1827  

126 

168 
248 
275 

15739 

!!'.".'.'.'.!"">; 

20,787 



28,958 
32,490 



; 

1828  
1829  
1830  
1831 

293 
304 
315, 
347 

32,032 
32,283 
33,444 
37445 

1 

1832  
1833  
1834  

380 
415 
462 

41  669 



45.017 
50735 

1835  
1836 

538 

60,520 

600 

67,969 
78,288 
82.716 
86  731 

1837 

668 
72° 

1838 

183? 

770 

• 

1840 

824 
854 
906 
942 
988 
1019 

95,807 
104,845 
118,930 
121  456 

........ 

1841         ! 

1849 

1843 

1844 

125  677 

1845     ... 

131  202 

1846 

1070 

144,784 
146,557 
158,078 
167,310 
187,631 
204,654 
223,616 
054  336 

1847 

1154 

• 

1848 

1953 

1849 

1296 
1350 
1386 
1414 
1534 
1708 
2010 

1850 

1851 

1852 

1853 

1854 

3%  452 

1855 

408,290 

1856 

1857  

1858 

| 

I860  

29,803 
24,924 
29,463 

! 

277,437 
313,465 
328,310 
371,201 
456,241 
523,698 
553,425 
608,232 
619,199 
644,080 
760,410 
936,914 
1.185,877 
1,368,245 
1,513,210 
1,470,158 
1,489,964 
1,627,411 
1,811,024 
2,006,591 
2,289,179 

*198 
201 
221 
279 
374 
382 
864 
295 
232 
281 
434 
537 
635 
509 
482 
357 
320 
389 
499 
412 
474 

53,796 
70,869 
77,338 
107,951 
159,374 
179,649 
133,511 
97,219 
79,096 
123,203 
226,591 
330,798 
415,961 
363,917 
333,890 
178,905 
123,475 
221,330 
287,080 
21)7,  720 
346,361 

1861 

1SG2  

1863 

33547 

1864 

36,944 
43,225 
47,194 
50,201 
52,150 
73,964 
108,813 
167,964 
121,337 
97,445 
94,264 
145,308 
133,575 
108,825 
105,910 
84,496 
68,598 

1865  

1866  
1867  
1868  
1869.... 
1870.... 
1871.... 
1872  

is:;;  

1874  
1S75  
1876  
1877  
1878  
1879  
1880  

612 
657 
729 
751 
1071 
1191 
1237 
1096 
1128 
1183 
1345 
1323 
1324 
1344 
1317 

9,005 
9,451 
9,755 
10,049 
11,445 
12,613 
13.238 
13,243 
13,323 
13,479 
14,664 
14,378 
14,447 
14,279 
14,088 

147,194 
154,244 
153,265 
161,984 
170,746 
195,125 
208,490 
215,263 
219,550 
231,722 
247,255 
241,253 
243,092 
240,070 
236,358 

110 
125 
134 
164 
234 
300 
244 
221 
221 

255 
246 
209 
170 

2050 
2249 
2339 
3048 
4221 
5767 
4605 
3817 
3727 
5682 
4833 
4097 
3913 
3153 
2700 

784 
834 
862 
810 
935 
1066 
1364 
1479 
1597 
1466 
1489 
1640 
1820 
2027 
2293 

28,748 
31,411 
31,568 
80,207 
38,089 
49,323 
48,776 
54,302 
57,823 
64,866 
53,330 
54,524 
57,140 
60,929 
67,516 

*  Compiled  from  tie  Statesman's  Year-Book,  1881,  and  general  official  documents. 

This  table  for  1815  to  1855,  is  from  an  official  return  of  the  number  and  tonnage  of  British  Merchant 
Steamers  after  1836.  I  have  designated  the  steamers  as  partly  in  this  home  and  partly  in  the  foreign 
trade,  as  the  transatlantic  voyages  had  their  inception  then. 


432 


APPENDIX. 


TABLE  XL— Table  of  the  Mercantile  Steamers  of  the  World,  1870,  1873-74, 

and  1882. 


NATIONALITY. 

Number. 

Average  Size, 
in  Tons. 

Tonnage. 

1870. 

1873. 

1874. 

1882. 

1870. 

1873. 

1874. 

1870. 

1873. 

1874. 

1882. 

597 

403 

613 
6 
81 
39 
3,002 
9 
67 
107 
315 
220 
9 
110 
112 
2:5 
144 
72 
212 
195 
29 

569 

861 

1,199 

1,254 

513,792 

483,040 

768,724 
3  459 

408,496. 

74 
14 
2,426 

'"it 
82 
288 
127 
8 
86 
26 
18 
62 

91 
42 
3,061 

"*71 
95 
392 
200 
8 
103 
88 
17 
114 

b6 
4,106 

599 
746 
681 

925 
725 

857 

1,025 
1,0:59 
1,005 
592 
582 
876 
1,012 
1,222 
592 
827 
453 
802 
771 
728 
733 
897 
949 

44,312 
10,462 
1,651,767 

84,155 
30,444 
2,624,431 

83.039 
40,536 
3,015,773 
5,332 
38,976 
93,723 
318,757 
268,828 
5,329 
91,011 
51,103 
18,452 
111,072 
52,387 
155,417 
77,440 
27,530 

66,352 

Belgian                

British  

3,133,453. 

Central  American.. 

115 

£ 

304 
18 
108 
44 
19 
179 
89 
237 
249 

'261 

275 
481 
739 
827 
408 
423 
282 
729 
458 

486 
766 
808 
1,024 
424 
826 
473 
855 
592 

12,085 
39,405 
21''  976 

34,498 
72,753 
316,765 
204,894 
3,390 
85,045 
41,602 
14,536 
67,522 

57,189 
81,048- 
302,432 
284,660 
11,019 
75,646 
53,340 
12,513. 
87,997 
40,822 
144,691 
66,204 

Dutch           

German  

105,131 
3,267 
36,358 
7,321 
13,126 
28,422 

Greek              

Italian  

South  American 

Spanish  

148 
83 

"49 

202 
143 
9 
109 

492 
224 

481  ' 

686 
373 
339 
643 

72,845 
18,633 

138,675 
53,327 
3.049 
70,067 

Turkish  &  Egypt'  n.. 
Various           

23,550 

110,693 

Totals  

4,132 

5,148 

5,365 

6,857       676 

841 

974 

2,793,432 

4,328,193 

5,226,888    4,880,558- 

The  countries'included  in  the  total  under  the  head  of  various  or  "  other  countries"  in  1882 
are  as  follows  :  Turkish,  10  steamers,  with  a  net  tonnage  of  5,579  tons ;  Belgian,  163  steamers, 
53,811  tons;  Central  American,  14  steamers,  3,760  tons;  Asiatic,  35  steamers,  24,823  tons; 
Egyptian,  33  steamers,  16,887  tons;  Roumanian,  i  steamer,  in  tons;  Tunisian,  I  steamer, 
726  tons  ;  Zanzibar,  i  steamer,  720. 


TABLE  XII. — A  'Parliamentary  Return  of  the  Number  of  Vessels  of  Wood  and 
Iron  belonging  to  British  Mail  Contract  Steam-packet  Companies,  in  March, 
1853. 


NAME  OF  COMPANY. 

» 

No.  OF  VESSELS. 

TONNAGE. 

HORSE-POWER. 

Wood. 

Iron. 

Total. 

Wood. 

Iron. 

Total. 

Wood. 

Iron. 

Total. 

Peninsular  and  Oriental  
Royal  West  India  

11 
19 
8 

22 
1 
1 
8 
8 
5 
4 
4 

33 
20 
9 
8 
8 
5 
4 
4 

11,800 
32612 
14991 

26,449 
2,700 
•  2,500 
6,688 
13,496 
8,600 
1.612 
3,920 

38,249 
35,312 
17,491 
6,688 
13,496 
8,600 
1,612 
3,920 

4,086 
8,750 
5,690 

7,481 
800 
1,000 
2,298 
2,250 
1,800 
677 
530 

11,567 
9.550 
6,690 
2,298 
2,250 
1,800 
677 
530 

British  and  North  America  
Pacific 

General  Screw  Steam  Shipping 
Australian                     

... 

Total  .)... 

38 

53 

... 

59,403 

65,965 

18,526 

16,836 

L  

Grand  total  

91 

125,368 

35,362 

APPENDIX. 


TABLE  XIII.—  Table  Exhibiting  the  Size  and  Power  of  some  of  the 
Transatlantic  Steamships^. 


DIMENSIONS  AND  POWER. 

NAMES  OF  VESSELS. 

British 
Queen. 

President. 

Great 
Western. 

Liverpool. 

Acadia.* 
Britannia. 
Caledonia. 
Columbia. 

i 
Length  from  figure  head  to  taffrail.. 
Length  of  upper  deck,  or  between 
the  perpendiculars  

ft.     in. 
275 

245 
40 
61 
27 
31 
6  S1A 

500  H.  P. 
2,016 

//.     in. 

273 

243 
41 
68 

30 
30 
7     6 
7     6 
600  H.  P. 
2,366 

ft.     in. 
240 

57 

20 

46o  H'.'P. 

'  1,340 

//.     in. 
234 

212 

35    4 
58    4 

23    3 
28 
6     i 

464  H.  P. 

i,543 

ft.     in. 
228 

206 
34    4 
56 

22      6 
78 

6 

6  10 
425  H.P. 
1,150 

Breadth  within  the  paddle-boxes.... 
Breadth  over  all  

Depth  of  hold 

Diameter  of  paddle-wheels 

Power  of  engines    

Tonnage  

*  These  were  the  first  four  steamships  of  the  "North  American  Royal  Mail  Line,"  better 
known  as  the  Cunard  Line.  The  vessels  named  were  respectively  of  1,154,  1,135,  I»I3^, 
and  1,175  tons,  and  probably  varied  slightly  from  the  dimensions  given  in  the  table. 

Timbs,  in  his  Year-book  for  1840,  says  the  "  Briti^ti  Queen"  and  "  President"  were  the 
two  largest  ships  in  the  world  at  that  time. 


TABLE  XIV. —  Tormage  of  Iron  Steam-vessels  built  in  the  United  States 
from  1868  to  1881,  inclusive. 


Year. 

Tonnage. 

Year. 

Tonnage. 

Year. 

Tonnage; 

1868 

2  801 

1873... 

26,548 

1878..., 

26,960 

1869 

•j  C4.1T 

?**/•»••• 

1874  

71,007 

1870  

22,008 

igyo         

7  602 

1871;  

21,632 

,880  

2S,<n8 

l87I 

1  1  4.12 

i8-j6  

2  I  ,  346 

1881  

28.32O 

l872 

12  766 

1877... 

C.027 

1882  

28 


434 


APPENDIX. 


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APPENDIX. 


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436 


APPENDIX. 


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APPENDIX.  437 

TABLE  XVI. —  Ocean  Steamship  Lines  of  the  World  in  1858. 


LINE. 


SERVICE. 


Cunard,  Paddle-wh«el Liverpool,  New  York,  Boston  and  Halifax 

Screw "  •'  "       "         "        

North  Atlantic  Steamship  Company.  St.  John's  and  Portland 

European  &  American  Steamship  Co.  Bremen,  Antwerp,  Southampton  &  New  York. 


«  '  TONNAGE. 

' 


to  Brazil 

London  and  Canada 

Liverpool  and  Canadian.... 

Liverpool,Philadelphia,  &  New  York  "    New  York 

Glasgow  and  New  York '•  Glasgow  and  New  York 

Belgian  Transatlantic !  Antwerp  and  New  York 

i         "  "    Brazil 

Hamburg  and  American j  Hamburg  and  New  York 

"     Brazilian* Hamburg  and  Rio  de  Janeiro 

•Genoa  and  Brazilian ]  Genoa          "  

Royal  Mail  Company ;  Southampton,  West  Indies,  Central  America. 

[     South  America 

"        I  Southampton,  Pernambuco,  Rio,  Bahia,  and 

La  Plata ' 

Pacific  Steam  Navigation  Company..  Panama  to  Valparaiso  and  intermediate 

Peninsular  and  Oriental  Company...!  Portugal,  Spain,  Malta,  Alexandria,  East  In- 1 

dies,  China,  and  Australia 

European  &  Austian  Royal  Mail  Co..|  Southampton,  Alexandria,  Suez  and  Sydney... 

Australian  Royal  Mail  Company '  Transport  and  other 

Rotterdam  and  Mediterranean •  Rotterdam,  Leghorn,  and  Trieste 

North  of  Europe  Steam  Navigat'nCoi  African. ..s. 

Mclver's •  Liverpool  and  Mediterranean 

Havre 

Bibby's , | 

Fowler's ] 

Dixon's " 

Liverpool  and  Australian ! 

London       "  !  London  and 

African I         "       Liverpool,  and  Africa 

Union  Screw  Company j  Southampton  and  Cape  of  Good  Hope... 

Luzo-Brazileira j  Lisbon  and  Brazil 

Austrian  Lloyds Very  large  Mediterranean  service 

Mediterranean,  Black  Sea,  Levant 


Mediterranean- 


Australia. 


Messageries  Imperiales 

W.  Hartlepool  Steam  Navigation  Co. 
Danube  Steam  Navigation  Company 
Hamburg  and  Spanish... 


East  India  Company 
Spanish  and  Cuban 


Hartlepool,  Hamburg,  and  St.  Petersburg I 

Vienna,  Galatz,  and  Constantinople I 


HamburgLSquthamptpn,  jand  all  Spanish  ports,  j    2 

6 

7 


Suez  and  India,  and  the  Bombay  Mail  Lines... 

Cadiz,  Havana,  and  Mexico 

Companhia  Brazileira !  Rio  de  Janeiro  to  the  Amazon  and  La  Plata.... 

Collins  Company New  York  and  Liverpool- 


Havre  Steam  Navigation  Company.... 

Cornelius  Vanderbilt 

United  States  Mail  Steamship  Co 


Southampton,  and  Havre.... 
Bremen. 


New  York.Havana.Aspinwall  &  New  Orleans... 


Pacific  Mail  Steamship  Company |  Panama,  California  and  Oregon. 

New  York  and  New  Orleans j  New  York,  Havana,  and  New  Orleans. 

New  York  and  Alabama... ]        "  *'          "     Mobile 

Charleston  and  Havana Charleston,  Key  West,  and  Havana 

Savannah  Steamship  Company !  New  York  and  Savannah, 

New  York  &  Chariest' n  Steamsh'pCo!  '     Charleston 

"          "Virginia Norfolk,  and  Richmond... 

Philadelphia  and  Savannah 

Boston  and  Baltimore 


Philadelphia  and  Savannah 

Boston  and  Baltimore 

Texas  Steamship  Company i  New  Orleans  and  Galveston 

Southern  Steamship  Company '    Key  West 

Mexican  Steamship  Company Tampico,  and  Vera  Cruz 


12,000 
4,800 
4,800 

10,000 
9,000 
1,870 
5,000 
8,700 
6,206 
8,800 
6,500 
7,300 
4.500 
8,000 

21,510 

fi,820 
5,719 

49,416 
15,500 
7,800 
19,00 
3,200 
9,000 
2,000 
11,700  ] 
7,500 
3,800 
7.000 
7,500 
5,000 
1,800 
8,000 
Unknown. 


2,000 
11,471 
9,000 
5,500 
9,727 
4,548 
6,523 
8,544 
16,421 
3,198 
1.300 
1,115 
4,793 
4,680 
2,371 
2,600 
2,600 
2,400 
1,000 
960 


*  These  vessels  average  about  250  horse-power  each.    Their  tonnage  is  large,  probably  12,000  tons 
each. 


438 


APPENDIX. 

TABLE  XVII. —  Ocean  Steamship  Lines  in  1875. 


TONNAGE. 

HORSE- 
POWER. 

Gross. 

Net. 

The  Cunard  Line. 
25  Transatlantic  

64,718 
16,215 
2,384 
2,372 
3.992 
691 

41,073 
10,580 
1,618 

i,43i 
2,296 

331 

10,009 
2,126 
392 
56o 
1,340 
150 

II  Mediterranean  and  Havre  

3  Halifax  and  Bermuda  Trade  

3  Glasgow  and  Liverpool  

6  Glasgow  and  Belfast  

I  Glasgow  and  Londonderry  

49  Vessels  

90,372 

56,329 

14,577 

Inman  Line. 
16  Vessels  Transatlantic  Fleet  

43.955 
54,6i9 
71,328 
25,198 

29,398 
83,317 
47,474 

6,760 
8,350 
15,417 
4,020 

Allan  Line. 
23  Vessels  Transatlantic  Fleet  

Anchor  Line. 
31  Vessels  : 

White  Star  Line. 
6  Vessels  

Guion  Line. 

National  Line. 
8  Vessels  

25,342 

2,700 

Bremen  Line. 

Hamburg  Line. 

Royal  West  India  Mail  Line. 
24  Vessels  

53,806 
32,995 

9,35° 

Liverpool  ',  Brazil,  and  River  La  Plata  Steam 
Navigation  Company. 
31  Vessels  

49,294 

Peninsular  and  Oriental  Steam  Navigation  Company. 
35     Vessels,     Mediterranean,    Adriatic,    India,    and 
China  Service  

3  Australian  Service  

5  China  and  Japan  Local  

5  Cargo  Vessels  

5  Refitting  

122,030 
1,240 

22,095 
460 

13  Steam-Tugs  

3  Cargo  and  Coal-Hulks.... 

4,417 

67  Vessels  

Fleet  of  the  Messageries  Maritime  Company. 
18  Screw-  Vessels  India,   China,  Japan,   Batavia,  and 
Mauritius  Line.                         k 

43,083 
17,304 

44,"3 

4,476 
16,000 

7,75° 
3,100 

10,320 

750* 
2,400 

6  Screw-  Vessels  River  La  Plata  and  Brazil  Lines 

29  Screw-Steamers,  Mediterranean,   and  1 

raddle                  iJlack  bea  Line.          j 
3  London  and  Marseilles  Line  
4  Building,  Screw...  . 



64  Vessels  

Total  

124,976 

24,320 

Anchor  Line. 
8  Vessels  Transatlantic  Service  .. 

13        "        Mediterranean     " 

26,428 

*  Compound. 


APPENDIX. 


FAST  BOATS  ON  THE  MISSISSIPPI,  1814-1870. — A  record  made  of  the  fastest  passages  orr 
the  Mississippi  River,  between  New  Orleans,  La.,  and  Natchez,  Mis.,  a  distance  of  two  hun- 
dred and  ninety-five  miles,  is  : 


Year. 

BOAT. 

Days. 

Hours. 

Min. 

Sec. 

1814 

Orleans 

6 

6 

4.O 

1828 

Tecumseh 

•i 

I 

2O 

1840 

Edward  Shippen           . 

8 

184.4. 

Old  Sultana  

IQ 

AC 

1  8*6 

New  Princess  

17 

3O 

1870 

Robert  E   Lee  

16 

36 

4-7 

FAST  BOATS  ON  THE  HUDSON,  1826-1864. — The  following  shows  the  best  time  made 
between  New  York  and  Albany  from  1826  to  1864.  To  draw  a  correct  conclusion  from 
this  record  one  should  know  the  condition  of  the  tide  and  wind,  whether  there  were  any, 
or  how  many,  landings,  whether  time  was  deducted  for  them,  and  how  much,  etc. 


Year. 

BOAT. 

Hours. 

Min. 

Year. 

BOAT. 

Hours. 

Min. 

1826 

Sun 

12 

16 

18*1 

New  World  

7 

41 

1826 

jO 

20 

T8C2 

Francis  Skiddy 

7' 

24. 

1840 

Albany        

8 

27 

18*2 

7 

27 

184.1 

Troy         

8 

IO 

1860 

7 

42 

1841 

7 

28 

1864. 

Daniel  Drew  

r  i 

184.0 

Alida  

7 

4C 

i   1864 

Chauncey  Vibbard.... 

Q 

42 

The  "  Mary  Powell,"  built  in  1861,  is  one  of  the  fastest  boats  on  the  Hudson.  Her  regu- 
lar time  between  New  York  and  Rondout  is  twenty  miles  an  hour.  The  new  steamer  "  Al- 
bany" (1882)  is  a  very  fast  boat,  but.  has  not  exceeded  the  speed  of  the  boats  of  eight  years 
since.  In  past  time  everything  wa?  sacrificed  to  speed. 


TRANSATLANTIC  STEA.M-VKSSKLS  AViu:< -KKI>  AND  LOST   FROM  1838  TO  MARCH,  1879,  GIVING 


Flag. 

Name.                 Rig. 

Where  and  When 
Built. 

Ton-  Bulk- 
lage.  heads. 

Draft.  Piate.              Line.                        From.- 

BrJ 
Br  

18SQ  r>r  1S40 

2:566        

*                                      Yew  York 

"Columbia  j  

Cunaru  Boston  

Br.... 
Am... 
Br....; 
Am... 
Am... 
Am... 

Br.... 

Am... 
Am... 

Fr.... 
Br.... 

Br.... 
Ger... 
Br....! 

*Humboldt  1                                   .IXowYiirk-     IS5U 

2500 

19 
16 
19 

"City  of  Glasgow  
••Franklin  i  
*City  of  Philadelphia 
'Arctic  i  

"Her  Majesty     

Glasgow,  1850  
]  New  York,  1848  

1609          5     i 
2300   ! 

All/5  Inman  .Liverpool  
A  \.y%  Southampton  ... 
Liverpool 

New  York,  1850  

3000   

1'J 

Al      Collins  Liverpool  

*North  Carolina1  
•^  Pacific  ^ 

"... 

Philadelphia,  1854.... 
New  York,  1849  

Liverpool,  1856  

700   

12 

A2       Philadelphia      . 

Al      Collins              Liverpool 

1065 
798 

1764 
2400 
^315 

5 
4 

5 
G 

19     ' 

20     j 
19  2 

18    ; 

Tempest  Ship- 
Canadian  (1)  Bk  
Austria  13k  
Argo  

Glasgow,  1855  

Dumbarton,  1854  
Greenock,  1857  
London  1853  

A  1^'  New  York  

A  1%.  Kunhardt  Hamburg  
All                       ....    iNew  York 

Dumbarton,  1855  

1764 

5 

Al]4  Canadian  Liverpool  

Br.... 
Br.... 

Br.... 
Br.... 

Br 

Counaught  

Canadian  (2) 



Newcastle,  1859  

4400   

Gal  way  

North  Briton  1  t. 

Dumbarton,  1857  

2000 

A1J4  Montreal  Ocean  S. 

Soivt'in 

Br 

Uechid      1  

Br.... 

BrJ 
Br 

Caledonia  
Anglo-Saxon  

Bk  

Glasgow,  1862  
Dumbarton,  1856  

1260 
1673 

5 

18 
21 

Br....! 
Br....  ! 
Br.... 

Br.... 
Br.... 
Br.... 

Br.... 
Br.... 
Br.... 

Br.... 

Br.... 

Br.... 
Br.... 

Br.... 

Br.... 
!  Br.... 
Br.... 

n,r._ 

Br.... 
Br.... 
Br.... 

Br.... 

Fr.... 
Br.... 

Br.... 

Br.... 
Br.... 

Br.... 
Ger... 

Newcastle,  1863  

2635 

5 

21 

A  1      Williams  £  Guion..  New  York  

Bohemian  

City  of  New  York....  Bk  
Jura  Bk  
Iowa  Bk  

George  Olympus  Trn  ... 

Glasgow,  1861  
Glasgow,  1854  
Waterford,  1864  

England,  1860  
Glasgow,  1851  
Belfast,  Ireland,  1857. 

J  Newcastle,  1864  
Newcastle  1865 

2609 

2W4 

423 
1962 
1387 

1438 

3803 
639 
1948 

1264 

1669 
998 

1255 

2552 
982 
1854 
2254 

2140 
2873 

2105 
803 

3204 
988 

2888 

1100 
1681 

1963 

2064 

1270 
IffiH 

1120 
1146 

5 

5 
G 

5 
4 

4 

6 
5 
5 

4 
5 
4 
4 

\ 

6 

6 

7 
4 
4 

6 
5 

5 

G 

7 
5 

4 
4 
4 
3 

22 
20 
21 

9 
19 

20 

19 

8 

22 

18 
17 
15 
18 

22 
15 

20 

19 
19 
21 
15 

18 
17 

23 

18 
17 

20 
20 

17 
17 
17 
16 

Montreal  S.  N.  Co..  Liverpool  

AlV^'Ininan  New  York  
A  l1^!  Quebec  

A2V£'         New  York 

A2      Bremen  

Ephesns....           ...  > 

4  Mats 
Sen.... 
Bk  
Bgt... 
Bg  

Bk  

All.,  Norfolk  

A  1       Williams  &  Guion..  New  York  
\li^   Malaga  

Scotland           . 

Amsterdam  
Chicago  

Melita......  
Hibernia 

Newcastle,  1866  

A  1       Williams  &  Guion..  New  York  
Al%  'Boston  

Dumbarton,  J.853  
Glasgow  1865 

Bk  
Bk  

Bk  
T.  Sch 
Bk  
Ship... 

Bktn.. 
Bg  
Bg  
T.  Sch 

Igt;:;.' 

Bg  

Bkt  ... 
Bg  

Bg  
Bg  

Preston,  Eng.,  1867... 
Greenock  1857  .... 

A  li/£'  New  Orleans 

United  Kingdom  
Germania  

Greenock,  1863  
Sunderland,  1865  
Belfast,  1861  
Greenock,  1864  

Port  Glasgow,  1869... 
Greenock,  1866  
Dumbarton,  1870  
Suuderland,  18G8  

Greenork,  1864  

Al      Kunhardt  New  York  
Al^                                      Montreal 

Grecian  
City  of  Boston  

Cambria 

A1J4  Anchor  Palermo  

A  1.14  Anchor  New  York  
Al      N  G   Lloyds              Bremen 

Union  
Crescent  City  
Zoo  

Lafayette- 

Al      L.&  Miss.  S.  S.  Co..!  New  Orleans.... 
\.\]/2        New  York 

All/'  Com.  Getil.  Trans...  New  York  
A  li/£                                     ,New  York 

Colorado  
Dacian 

Jarrow,  18G7  
Glasgow  1  868 

Al      Williams  &  Guion..  Liverpool  
VI1      Vnchor                       London 

Concordia  

Tripoli  
Baltimore  

Adalia  .  . 

Glasgow,  1862  

Glasgow,  1865  
Greenock,  1868  

Sutherland,  1864.... 
Low  Walker,  ISTI.... 
Mid.llesboro',  1*71.... 
Newcastle,  1871  

\  ['•'•'              New  Orleans  

Al-     Cunard  (?)  'Liverpool  
A  1J4  N.  G.  Lloyds  Baltimore  

^l^/                                        London          

Br.... 
Br.... 
Br.... 

With  Emliy"""'.'.!'." 

George  Carins  

S.-.  
Sc  
Trn... 

\  1  1  "                                        Mon  (real 

\  1  '  ",     .             ;  Montreal  

Wooden  renelfl. 


1  Side-wheels. 


TIIK  PARTICULARS  KKI.ATI.M;  TO   KACH   DISASTKK,  ANDTHK  Loss  OK  LIFK  AYHKRK  KNOWN. 


To. 

Liverpool  
Halifax  
M.  John's,  N.  B.. 
New  York  
Philadelphia  
.New  York  
Philadelphia  
New  York  

Quebec  

Liverpool  
New  Yolk 

Date  of  Loss.               Location  of  Loss. 

Nature   of 
Loss. 

L..«w    of 

Life. 

All  lost  
Innm  lost... 
A  II  saved.... 
All  saved.... 
450  lost  
All  saved.... 
All  saved  ... 
562  lost  

AH  lost  

All  saved... 

200  lost  
260  lost  

All  1-st  
Ail  saved... 
5:',3  lost  
All  saved... 
3  lost  
205  lost  
All  saved... 

Remarks. 

Sailed  Mcb    1841 

Sunk      bv     collision      with 
'•  Vesta"  (S.S.). 
Intended  for  service  on  the 
lakes.     No   passengers    ur 
cargo. 

Sunk  by  collision  with  bark 
"Adriatic." 

1 

Said  to  have  been  a  cheap, 
poorly-built  ship. 

Saved,   repaired,   and   name 
changed  to  "  Concordia." 

Formerly  a  "  Cunarder." 
Raised,  repaired,  and   name 
changed  to  "  Macedonia." 
Was  consid'd  a  poor  sea  risk. 
By  Am.  bark  "  Rosamond." 
Off,  and  taken  into  A.ichat, 
Nov.  9,  1865. 

Col.  with  ship  "Kate  Dyer." 
Collided  with  "Heroine." 

Was  ashore  Dec.,  1869,  in  the 
same  neighborhood. 

Rescued  by  Cunard  steam- 
ship "  Aleppo." 

Was  in  collis'n  with  steamer 
''  Arabian,"       and      sunk 
when  in  tow. 

Ex       "Caledonia."       Light 
upper  deck  added. 

Gotten  off  and  repaired. 
Condem'd  and  sold  Oct.,  1872. 

July  2,  184:'.  
Dec.  25,  1852  
Dec.  G.  1853  
Sailed  Men.,  1854 
July,  1854  
Sept.  14,1854  
Sept.  27,  1854  

Sailed  Aug.,  1854 

April,  1855  
Sailed    Jan.    23, 
1856....  .? 

Black  Ledge  

Wrecked  

Near  Currituck,  N.  C  
Near  Halifax  

Off  Montauk  Point  
Cape  Race 

Wrecked  
Wrecked  
Missing  
Wrecked  
Wrecked  
Sunk  

40  miles  off  Cape  Race  

Off  Holyhead  

Sunk  by  col... 
Missing  

Havre  ... 
dlasgow  
Quebec  

Nov.  2,  1856  - 

Sailed    Feb.  11, 
1857 

Off  Nantucket  

Sunk  

AT  is«i  no- 

June  1,  1857  Near  Quebec  Wrecked  
Sept.  13,  1858  ILat.  45°  1'.     Lon.  41°  30'...  'Burned  
June  23,  1859  Trepassy  Bay,  N.  F  'Wrecked  
Nov.  21,1859  Guysboro',  N.  S  i  Wrecked  
Feb.  19,  1860  Cape  Sable,  N.  S  'Wrecked  
Oct.  6,  1860  Near  Boston  Burned  

•Gal  wav  

Portland  
Portland  
Boston  

Liverpool  

Liverpool  
Halifax  

June  4,1861  

Nov.  5,  1861  
Feb.  16,  1862  

Straits  Belle  Isle  

Sunk  by  ice... 
Wrecked  

30  lost  
All  saved 

Lat.43°9'N.  Lon.  38°  2'  W. 

Abandoned.... 
Missing  
Wrecked  

Wrecked  
Wrecked 

All  saved... 
All  lost  
All  Ba»ed... 

2:i7  lost  

All  saved... 
All  saved... 
All  saved... 

20  lost  
AH  saved... 
All  saved... 
All  saved... 

All  saved... 
All  saved... 
All  saved... 

All  saved... 

All  saved... 
All  saved... 

All  saved  .. 
AH  saved... 
50  lost  

Sailed  Dec    1861 

New  York  

•Quebec  

Quebec 

Dec.  ol,  1862  

April  27,1863  
June  14,  1863  
Aug.  4,  1863  
Sept.  8,  1863  
Feb.  22,1864  

March  29,186.4... 
Nov.  3,  1864  
Dec.  6,  1864  

Mav  24,1865  
July31,lS65  
Oct.  20,  1865  

July  6,  1866  
Dec.  1,1866  
Oct  20  1867  

Capo  Cod,  Mass  

Cape  Race  
St  Paul's  Island  C  B 

Liverpool  
St.  John's,  N.  B.. 
Portland  

Sable  Island,  N.  S  
Little  Hope  Bar,  N.  F  
Alden's    Rock,  Cape   Eliz- 
abeth Me 

Wrecked  
Wrecked  

Wrecked  
Wrecked  
Wrecked  

Liverpool  
Liverpool  
New  York  

London  
Liverpool  
New  York  

Liverpool  
Liverpool  
New  York  

Daunt's  Rock,Queenstown 
Mouth  of  the  Mersey 

Near  -Cherbourg  
Off  Sandy  Hook  

Wrecked  

Foundered.... 
Burned  
Wrecked  

Wrecked  

Wrecked  
Wrecked  

Wrecked  
Burned  
Foundered.... 

At  sea  
Arichat.C.  B  

Cape  Sable  

Middle  Bar,  Sandy  Hook... 
Near  Montauk  Point  
Roche's  P'nt,  near  Queens- 

Liverpool  
Liverpool  

Jan.  12,  1868  
Sept  5,  1868   

Lat  49°  Lon.  28°  40'  

Glasgow  

Nov.  25,  1868  
March  (i,  18K9  
Sailed   April    17, 

I860 

S  W  Pass  N  0 

Sunk  

All  saved... 

All  lost*.... 
All  saved... 

All  saved... 
Ail  saved... 

All  lost  

•Glasgow  

Hamburg  
London..  
New  York  
Liverpool  

Glasgow  
.New  York  
Liverpool  
Brest  

Havre  

Missing  

Aug.  7,1869  
Aug.  8,1869  
Dec.  15,  1869  
Sailed     Jan.    25, 
1870 

Trepasxy  N  F 

Wrecked  
Wrecked  
Wrecked  

Missinsr  

Trepnssy,  N.  F  
Jones'  Inlet,  L.  1  

Oct.  19,1870  Coast  of  Ireland.-  ..Wrecked  
Nov.  29,  1S70  Rattrav  Head,  Scotland....  [Wrecked  
Feb.  8,  ls71  Galley  Head,  Ireland  Wrecked  
Feb.  20,  1871  Bell    Rock,   near  Sambro, 
i      M    S                                              Wrecked  

196  lost  
AH  saved... 
All  saved... 

All  saved... 

All  saved... 
All  saved... 

5  lost  

All  saved... 
AH  saved... 

All  saved... 

All  saved... 

All  sa-ed... 
All  saved... 

Sept    2.'!,  1871  

Havre  
Lat.  50°  18'.  Lon.  29°  3'.... 

Mouth  of  the  Mersey  
Jeddore,  near  Halifax  

Burned  
Abandoned  ... 

Collided    and 
wrecked  

Wrecked  
Wrecked  

Liverpool  
New  Yoik  

New  York  
Liverpool  

Boston  
Bremen 

Dec.  3,  1871  
Feb.  7,  1872  

April  9,  1872  
May  1,1872  

Mav  17,  1*72  
Mav  ''•'   IS?' 

Coast  of  Ireland  

Wrecked  
Ashore     alter 
collision  
Wrecked  
Wrecked  

Quebec  
AVaterford  
Montreal  
-    "Limerick,  

June  2.-..  1*72  
A  tig.  9,  1872  
Sept.  2,  1X72  
Oct.  4,1872  

St.  Paul's  Island  
Belle  Inland  

Point  do  Montes  
Off  Sydney,  C.  B  

Wrecked  
Capsized  

All  saved... 
8  lost  

TRANSATLANTIC  STEAM-VESSELS  WRECKED  AND  LOST  FROM  1838  TO  MARCH,  1879, 


Flag.                Name.                 Rig 

Where  and  When  I 
Built. 

Ton-   Bulk-   DraftRate 

nige.  heads. 

Line. 

From. 

Br.... 
Br.... 
Br.... 
Br....i 

Br.... 

"Carolina                       T  Scb  Stockton.  1860  

1174 
19S3 
3525 
lloO 

3 
4 
6 
4 

16 

22 
19 

i?# 
AT> 

^1A 

Baltimore  

*Scandena  Bkt.. 
*Tacora  Bk... 
Commander  Sc.... 

..  Glasgow,  I860  
..  Glasgow,  1872  
..  Sunderlaud,  1871  

..  No  record  

E.  E.  Morgan  

New  York  

Montreal  
Montreal  ... 



< 

Montreal  
Montreal  

Br.... 
Br.... 
Span. 
Br.... 
Br.... 
Nor. 
Br.... 

Br.... 

Ger... 
Br.... 
Br 

Shannon  Bg... 
Germany                     JBk... 

Dundee  1871  

1210 
3244 
905 
1833 
1411 
1037 
580 

3707 

2206 
2408 

6 

7 
5 
3 
5 
4 
5 

7 

5 
5 

17 
22 
15 
19 
20 
19 
16 

21^ 

20 
21 

A-l^ 
Al 

A1H 
Al 
Al 
Al% 
A  2 

Al 

A  zy2 

Al^ 


Allan  

..  Stockton,  18(38  
..  Seacombe,  1870  
..  Glasgow,  1872  
..  Port  Glasgow,  1872... 
..  W.  Hartlepool,  1869.. 

New  York  

Sir  Francis  JBg.,. 
Devon  'Sc... 

Warren  &  Co  

Montreal  
Newcastle  
Brazil  

Talisman          T.  St 

h  Greenock,  1860  
Ui  1  Belfast.  1871.... 

White  Star  

Atlantic              ....  I  t>?l° 

\  Bkt....l  J 
Thorwaldsen  Bg  Sunderland,  1872  
City  of  Washington..  Ship...!  Glasgow,  1855  
Panther                         No  vfionrd  

Baltic  Lloyds  
Iiiman  

New  York  
Liverpool  

Montreal  
Quebec  
Liverpool  
Now  York 

Br.... 
Br.... 
Br.... 

Fr.... 
Ger... 

Br.... 

Br.... 

Fr.... 
Fr.... 
Br.... 
Nor.. 

£r. 

Br.... 
Br.... 
Br.... 
Br.... 
Fr.... 
Br.... 
Ger... 
Br.... 
Br.... 
Br.... 
Br.... 
Span. 
Span. 
Ger... 
Fr.... 
Br.... 
Br.... 
Belg. 
Br.... 
Ger... 
Br.... 

Fr.... 

Br.... 
Br.... 

Medway  Bg.. 
Missouri            Bk.. 

..  Sunderland,  1865  
..  Greenock,  1855  

1834 
1989 
1629 

5086 
3300 

1376 

1967 
839 
5333 
2159 
1391 

1046 
744 

885 
959 
411 
1974 
1971 
978 
3408 
2484 
1081 
25-10 
3609 
1758 
1757 
2*73 
1780 
1323 
1543 
1556 
1202 
1090 
26*4 

4584 

2273 
#>95 
43:52 
*T79 
1315 

1U8 
1350 
1^31 
1483 

1493 

1487 

1268 
1:W4 
4376 

2024 
1989 

5 

7 

7 

G 
G 

6 

G 
3 
G 
4 
5 

4 

4 

5 
4 

""G" 

4 
4 
7 
4 
5 
G 

4 
5 
4 
4 
4 
5 
5 
4 
5 
3 

10 

7 
5 

7 
4 
5 

4 
5 
4 
4 

B 

4 

4 
9 

5 
5 

20 
18ft 
1»>! 

22 
20 

19 

8* 

19 
20- 
20 

18 
16 

15 
15 
10 
18 

& 

21 
21 
15 
20 
22 
21 
20 
22 
21 
17 

WA 

19 
16 
19 
21^ 

23 

20 
21 
25 
'19 
16 

14 
18 
19 
17 

20 
20 

13 

16 
23 

21 
21 

AlVi 
Al% 
A1J4 

Al 
Al 

Al^ 

AIM 
AlU 
Al>| 
Al 
Al^ 

A  \y± 

AIM 

AIM 
Al-fc 

Al^l 

Al|/2 

A1*J 
Al% 
Al 
Al 

Al^ 
Al 
A1U 

AlK 
AIM 
Al 
Al% 
Al^ 

W 
X$ 

Alk 
AIM 

A2 

AU4 
AL 
AIM 
Al% 

A2 

iJH 

AIM 

Al% 

AIM 
AIM 

Al% 
Al 

Al^ 
AIM 

Miss.  &  Dominion.. 

Ismalia  Bkt. 

Villedu  Havre  |Bk.. 

Konig  Wilhelm  I  Bg.. 

Flamsteed  i  Bg.. 

Ravensworth  Castle..  Bkt. 
Alexandre  Lavallay..  Bk.. 
Europe  'Bg.. 

..'Glasgow,  1870  

/  Black  wall,  1865..  1 
"   )  Rebuilt,  1872  j" 
..  Greenock,  1870  

..  Newcastle,  18GG  

..  Sunderland,  1871...... 
..  Nantes,  1869  
:.  Glasgow,  1864..  
..J  Dumbarton,  1871  

Comp.  Genl.  Trans. 
N  G  Lloyds  

New  York  
New  York  

Liverpool  

Brazil  Line  

London  

Comp.  Genl.  Trans.|  Havre  

Anna  Bkt 

Linda  Sch 
Trojan  Bk.. 

Viking  ISch 
Corinth  T.  Sc 

..  Middlesboro,  1873  
..  Liverpool   1873 

New  York  

Barrow,  Eng  .... 
London  

ILivprnnnl 

...  Port  Glasgow,  1867... 

..  Dundee,  18G9  
h  Sunderlaud,  1872  
...  Glasgow,  1874  
...iHull,  1872  
...  La  Seyne,  1873  
;h  Suuderland,  1873  
...'Glasgow,  1873  

!...;  New  York  
Glasgow  » 

Mary  Sc... 
Delta  jBg.. 
Morena  
Life  Brigade  iT.  S 

Rio  Janiero  
i  Liverpool  
[New  York  

Schiller  Bg.. 
Vicksburg         ...     .  B^  . 

j  Eagle  
Mi*s.&  Dom  S.S.Co. 

...|  Dumbarton,  1872  
:h  Duudee,1871  

Strathtay  (1)  T.  S 

1  Mont  real  
1  Philadelphia.  ... 
Aspinwall  

Abbotsford       Bg.. 

!  Dundee  1873 

Shannon  Bg.. 
Villede  Bilbao  

Glasgow,  1859  
...Port  Glasgow  1874 

n.  M.  s.  s.  Co  

Algeria 

Sunderland  1873 

N.  G.  Lloyds  
Comp.  Genl.  Trans 

Barcelona...  
Bremen  
West  Indies  

Dentschland  jBg.. 

...  iGreenock,  1806  
...  Glasgow   186;> 

Bothnia  T.  S 
Great  Western  Bgt 

ih.  Newcastle,  1871  
..  iSunderland,  1872  
...  Kirkcaldy,  1871  
...  Suuderland,  1872  
...'Kiel,  Germany,  1872.. 
...  Hull,  England,  1872.. 

•  J  St.  Nazaire,  1804) 
"    (Reb't,  Eng.,  1873.J 

...  Greenock.  1856  
...  Dundee  1872 

C.  F.  Funch  Bk. 
Arbitrator  Sc.., 
Sylvia  Sc... 
Colombo  Bk. 

Ameriqne  Bk. 

Bavaria  Bk. 
Ruslund  Bg. 

'  New  York  

Philadelphia  
iHull  

Havre  
New  Orleans  

Wilson  Line  
Comp.  Genl.  Trans 
Miss.&Dom.S.S.Co 

Br.... 
Span 
Br.... 

Br.... 
Br.... 
Br.... 

Br.... 

Br.... 
Br.... 

Ger.. 
Br.... 
Br.... 

Br.... 

Br.... 

Dakota  Bg. 
Diego  Bk. 
Mexic.n  Bg. 

Durley  Bkt 
St  rat  lisa  v  Sc.. 
Rowland  Be.. 

..Jjurrow,  Eng.,  1874... 
...  Liverpool,  1865  
...  Hartlepool,  18G3  

...  Jarrow,  Eng.,  1871.... 
...  Dundee,  1877  
...  Suiiderland   1875 

Williams  AGuion. 

NPW  York  

W.  I.  &  Pacific  Co..;  Port  Royal  

1  New  York 

Montreal  

fitaiiitbrdhani  Bgt 

Arratoon  Apcar  Trn 
IChelydra                        Sc 

..    Heblmrn,ls77  

..   Renfrew,  1801  
MMiilesboro'    187'J 

Liverpool  
Newcastle  

Montevideo,  etc. 
W.  Hartlepool... 
Liverpool  

New  York  
Nf\v  York 



K.-trnak  
Chicago  Sc  ... 
Sardinian  Uk.. 

Idaho  Bg.. 
Yoxford  Bgt 

...  Martlepool.  1872  
...  W.  Hartlcpool,   1H7.S.. 
...  Greenock,  Ib74  

Ai'ian"!^^!!!!!!!! 

Williams  &  Guion. 

i 

..  Jarrow,  Eng.,  I860.... 
...  Low  Walker,  1878  

| 

*  Wooden  vessels. 


GIVING  THE  PARTICULARS  RELATING  TO  EACH  DISASTER,  ETC. — 


To. 


Date  of  Los* 


Location  of  Loss. 


Nature  of 
Luss. 


Queenstown 'Nov.  14,1872 JLat.  44°.    Lon.  53°  20' Abandoned  . 

Queenstown I  Sailed  Oct.  8,1872] Missing 


Montevideo IDec.  1872 |  Near  Montevideo 

Falmouth Sailed  Nov.2,1872 ....  Missing 


Wrecked. 


Loss  uf  Life. 


All  saved... 
A 11  (45)  lost. 


Remarks. 


Liverpool 

Liverpool 

London 

New  Orleans 

Waterford 

Boston 

United  Kingdom 

New  York 

Hamburg 

New  York 

Stettin 

New  York 

England 

London 

New  Orleans 

Glasgow 


Sailed  Nov.,  1872! {Missing 

I  NOT.  1872 1  At  sea [Foundered. 

Sailed  Nov.4,1872| IMissing 

Mouth  of  the  Gironde i  Wrecked.... 

Missing 


All  lost Loaded   with  grain,  alleged 

i     badly. 
All  lost Reported  badly  loaded. 

Reported  badly  loaded. 


i  Dec.  23,  1874 

[Sailed  Nov.2,1872 
I  Jan.  3, 1873 


Havre 

Bremen 


Salisbury  Beach  N.  H Wrecked.... 

Sailed  Nov.2,1872  Missing 

Feb.  2,187:? lisle  of  Wight [Wrecked.... 

Jan.  21,  1873 Off  Lisbon Foundered. 


April .1, 1873 Meagher's  Head,  N.  S Wrecked.. 

April  4, 1873 [Coast  of  Sweden Wrecked- 
July  5,  1873 170  miles  from  Sambro.N.S.  Wrecked.. 

Sept.  1873 'Strait  of  Belle  Isle (Wrecked.. 

Sept.  C,  1873 Strait  of  Belle  Isle Wrecked.. 

Oct.  1, 1873 'Bahamas Wrecked.. 

Sailed    Sept.   29, 
1873 I [Missing.... 

iNov.  23, 1873 !  Lat.47°21' N.  Lon.35°31'W.'sunk 

lAb'tNov.27,1873|Nieuw  Dieppe,  Holland Wrecked.. 


Rio  Janeiro Nov.  24,1873 Lat.25°35'N.  Lon.50°61'W. 


Leith 

New  York 

New  York 

New  Orleans.. 
Rotterdam.... 


.1A11  lost 

.130  lost 

.  All  lost 

jAll   saved... 

.IAU  lost 

,'All  saved... 
12  lost ;.. 

546  lost 

All  saved... 
All  saved... 

14  lost 

Several  lost. 
All  saved... 

All  lost 

230  lost...  | 
All  saved... 

All  saved... 


Quebec 

<ew  York.... 


Jan.  8, 1874 Scrabster,  England Wrecked All  saved. 

Jan.  23, 1874 Southampton,  L.  I Wrecked All  saved. 

I  April  4, 1874 1 iAbandoned...  All  saved. 

lApril  20,1874 | Cape  Florida iWrecked All  saved. 

Sailed     Feb.    15,1 

[     1874 | Missing All  lost , 

May  1,1874 iLon.  43°  W Burned All -saved...!  Rescued  by  S.S."Circassian.v 

'Sailed     April    9, 


Lightly  built. 

Gotten  off  June,  1873. 
22  miles  west  of  Halifax. 
Lengthened  39  feet,  1869. 


By  collis'n  with  ship  "  Locli 
!     Earn;"  ex  "Napoleon  HI/' 
This   vessel   may  have  been 
1     ultimately  saved, 
By   collision   with    ironclad 
"  Bellerophou"  ;  sunk   by 
rain. 


Lengthened  50  feet  in  1873. 
Afterwards  gotten  off. 


Montreal 
Liverpool 
Trinidad 

Quebec 

Havre 

New  Orleans. 

Hamburg 

Liverpool 

London 

Liverpool 

Southampton 

Havana 

West  Indies.. 

New  York 

France 

Liverpool 

New  York 

Antwerp 

Liverpool 

Havre 

New  York.... 


Missing !A11  lost 

1  May  11, 1874 Point  An  Strete,St.Lawr'ce  Wrecked IA11  saved... 


1874. 


.Aug.  2. 1874 Galley  Head. 

,  Oct.  21, 1874 At  sea 

.[Nov.  4,  1874 Cape  Chatte,  Anticosti.... 

.  iOct.  15, 1874 Maricoa  Bar 

.  Feb.  8, 1875 Near  Nassau 

.May  7, 1875 iScilly  Islands. .. 


.June  1,  1875 120  miles  from  St.  Jns.,N.B. 

(June  21, 1875 Bio- Island  Reef 

'July  21,1875 Coast  of  Wales. 


[Sept.  1875 i  Pedro  Bank,  Jam 


Wrecked !A11  saved. 


Foundered.... 

Wrecked 

Wrecked 

Wrecked 

Wrecked 

Sunk  by  ice- 
Wrecked: 

Wrecked 

Wrecked 

Wrecked 


10  lost 

All  saved... 

All  saved... 

200  lost 

40  lost 

All  saved... 

? 
2  lost.... 


Sept.  30,1875 Near  Brest. 

.  Nov.  25, 1875 'Cabrita Island Wrecked 

.[Dec.  5,1875 ! Kentish  Knock,  North  Sea.  Wrecked 157  lost 

.[Dec.  20, 1875 Sunk  by  collision 'In  theGironde  16  lost 

.Feb.  15, 1876 At  sea Burned 'All  saved. 

.  March  25, 1876...  Amityville,  L.  I Wrecked [All  saved. 

.jAng.  24, 1876 River  Shelde Burned All  saved. 

.'Aug.  23,1876 |At  Sea Sunk  by  ice. ..[All  saved. 

.  Sept.  22, 1876 [At  Sea iAbandoned...  All  saved. 

.  Sailed Dec.3,1 876 1 [Missing All  lost.... 


New  York Jan.  7, 1877 'Seabright,  N.  J Ashore 3  lost 


Liverpool 
New  York 
New  York 
Liverpool 
Liverpool 


Brest..  ... 
Aberdeen 
England 
Ipswich 

Havana 
New  Orleans 


Wrecked 

Burned 

Missing 
Missing 


Antwerp 

Boston 
Quebec 


[Feb.  6,  1877  ........  Lat.  31°  14'.     Lon.  78°  42'.  Burned 

March  17,  1877...  Long  Branch,  N.  J  ...........  Wrecked 

(May  9,1877  ........  Anglesea,  Wales 

[Sept.  8,  1877  .......  iLat.  46°.     Lon.  37 

[Sailed    Sept.   15,! 
1877  ...............  | 

'Sailed  Oct.5,1  877. 
Nov.  17,  1877  ......  St.  Pierre  Miguelon  .........  'Wrecked  ..... 

[Sept.  19,1877  ......  ,Holyrood  Beach,  N.  F  ......  ;  Wrecked  ..... 

'Sailed    Dec.    29,1 

I     1877  ...............  !  ......................................  Missing  ......  , 

iFeb.  17,1878  ......  Fovvey  Rocks.BahamaB'ks  Wrecked...., 

..»..;Dec.  19,  1877  ......  Silver  Bank,  oft'  Port  An 

|     Plata  ...........................  'Abandoned  , 

!Jan.  23,  1878  ......  iPuntade  Medanos  ............  Wrecked  — 

May  8,1878  ........  Longsand,  near  Ilardwick.  'Wrecked  — 

May  10,  1878  ......  Off  Londonderry  ..............  Burned  ......  , 


All  saved. 
All  saved. 
All  saved. 
All  saved. 

All  lost.... 
jAlllost.... 
IAU  saved. 
All  saved. 


Was  rep.  lost  in  Aug.  1872. 
Lengthened,  1875. 


Gotten  off  April  10,  1877. 
Was  aband.  April  14, 1874, 
bet.  Brest  and  Havre,  and 
after'ds  towed  to  Falmouth. 

Saved  by  Br.  bk. "  Dorothea." 


Rescued  by  bk.  "  Arklow." 
Was  rep."  loaded  too  deeply." 


.All  lost.... 
.lAll  saved. 

.All  saved. 

.All  saved...  Mouth  of  Rio  de  la  Platte. 

.lAll  saved 

.Many  lost 


Liverpool 

Havre Sept.  12,  1878 English  coast ft Abandoned....  All  saved... 


June  1,  1878 IN'r   Coninbeg    Lightship, 

I     coast  of  Ireland Wrecked All  saved. 


This  fire  occurred  from  an  j 
cxplos'n.  She  was  scuttled  j 
and  raised  again. 


Rescued  by  bg. "  Wesley  and 
j     Seymour." 


TRANSATLANTIC  STKAM-VKSSKLS  WRECKED  AND  LOST  FROM  1838  TO  MARCH,  1879, 

Name. 


Big. 


Where   and    When     Ton- Bulk- 


Built. 


Draft.  Rate 


Line. 


From. 


Br  ... 

Copia:  

Sc  

Newcastle,  1876  

lou'.i 

18 

Al%                                      Barrow  Eng 

Br.... 
Br.... 

Juhn  Bramall  
Elv  Kiso  

Bkt... 
Srh... 

Stockton,  1873  
Sunderland,  1877  

1463 
V>19. 

4     . 
5 

15  2 

Al%  X-ew  Haven  
Al%  Carilifi'    . 

Ger... 
Belg. 

Pommerania  
Hermann  Ludwig  

Bkt.'.'.' 

Greenock,  1873  
Kingliorn,  Scot.,  1870 

3382 
1505 

5 

22 

Al      Ham.  Am.  Pack.  Co.  New  York  
A  1       Antwerp  New  York 

Br.... 
Br... 

State  of  Louisiana.  ... 
Lartiugtun  

Bkt  .. 
Tin... 

Glasgow,  1872  
Sunderland,  1875  

18fi9 

4 

5 

20 
!.-> 

Al      State  Line  Glasgow  
A  1%  Savannah 

Br.... 
Br 

Kate  

Sc  
Trn 

\Vhithy,  1874  
Stockton   187s 

141(5 
1493 

4 

20 
20 

Al^j  Galveston  

Br.... 

Horner  

Sc  

Low  Walker,  1877.... 

19  IU 

r^ 

20 

Br.... 
Br.... 

Wycliffo  
Zanzibar  

T  Sc.. 
T.  Sch 

,  Newcastle,  1874  
U".  Ilartlepool,  1877.. 

1252 

4 
4 

20 
21 

Al%!  :..:  Philadelphia  
Al%  New  York 

«r 

Aberfeldv  

Sch... 

Ilartlepool,  1875  

1  351' 

4 

1'J 

A1V£                                      Phil'idelphi-i 

Span 

Guillenno  

Bkt... 

i 
i  Liverpool   1872  

1733 

4     i 

9Q 

2i 

STEAMSHIP  DISASTERS  IN  1882. 

From  the. New  York  Tribune  of  Januarys,  1»33,  and  republished  by  special  permission. 

[This  list  is  compiled  from  records  of  the  American  Shipmasters'  Association,  and  of  the 
Uureau  Veritas,  and  from  the  English  shipping  registers  :] 

Achilles.  British,  iron,  screw,  1433  tons;  built,  1865;  Montevideo  for  New  York; 
stranded  Little  Egg  Harbor,  February. 

Adder.     Dutch  man-of-war;  Ymudieu  for  Helvoet ;  foundered  on  July  7, 400  miles  at  sea. 

Adonis.  French,  iron,  screw,  406  tons;  built  at  Barrow,  1874;  Marseilles  for  Hamburg; 
foundered  near  Cape  St.  Vincent,  August  31. 

Afgar.  British,  iron,  screw,  1007  tons;  built  at  Hull,  1873;  Hull  for  Cronstadt,  cargo  of 
coal;  sunk  by  collision  in  Hull  Roads,  May  4;  one  life  lost. 

Alene.  British,  iron,  screw,  1369  tons;  builfat  Glasgow  in  1881  ;  sunk  by  collision  with 
Monitor  Nantucket  in  North  River,  New  York,  October  27  ;  afterwards  raised. 

Alert.  British,  iron,  screw,  1382  tons;  built  at  Newcastle,  1880;  Cardiff  for  Port  Said, 
coal  laden;  sunk  by  collision  in  Penarth  Roads,  March  16.  • 

Alexander.  Swedish,  iron,  screw,  476  tons;  built  at  Hull,  1858  ;  stranded  at  Sandham, 
November  4. 

Alfred.  British,  iron,  screw,  1063  tons;  built  at  Newcastle,  1870;  Craral  for  Glasgow; 
foundered  off  Loch-Gau,  February  28. 

Alpha.     British,  iron,  screw,  653  tons ;  built  at  Glasgow,  1863 ;  sunk  off  Miquelon  Oct.  21 

America.  German,  iron,  screw,  2118  tons;  built  at  Low  Walker,  England,  1881  ;  New 
York  for  Hamburg,  February  I,  general  cargo;  never  heard  from;  34  lives  lost;  water 
ballast  vessel. 

Amulet.  German,  iron,  screw,  970 -tons;  built  at  Glasgow,  1876;  Rotterdam  forLeith; 
stranded  on  South  Coquet  Island,  December  3. 

Amy.  British,  iron,  screw,  808  tons;  built  at  Sunderland,  1870;  from  Hobart  Town 
January  6;  never  heard  from;  thirty-two  lives  lost. 


GIVING  THE  PARTICULARS  RELATING  TO  EACH  DISASTER,  ETC. — Continued. 


To.  !     Date  of  Loss.    |         Location  of  Loss.  Na,t"^  of        L°8  ?  °f    !  Eemarks. 


Loss.  Life. 


Montreal [Sailed    Sept.   11, 

1878 : Missing All  lost 

Constantinople...  Oct.  18,1878 Little  Gull  Island,  L.I.  S..  Wrecked All  saved... 

Tybee | Oct.  23,  1878 Scilly  Islands Ashore,  towed) 

;     off,  sunk....  'All  saved...  She  was  subsequently  raised. 

Hamburg Nov.  25,1878 Off  Folkestone Sunk  by  col...  Over  50  lost. 

Antwerp Sailed    Sept.    28, 

|     1878 ! Missing All  lost 

New  York 'Dec.  24,  1878 i  Lough  Lame,  Ireland Wrecked All  saved... 

Reval 'Dec.  14,  1878 Bermuda ; Wrecked All  saved... 

Havre Dec.  1, 1878 Bermuda Wrecked 'All  saved... 

llouen Dec.  10,  1878 At  ea Foundered....  Only^saved 

Liverpool 'Sailed     Dec.    17,s 

1     1878 : Missing 'All  lost | 

St.  Nazaire 'Feb. 17,  1879 ^Entrance  to  Loire  Kiver...  Wrecked All  saved...! 

Glasgow Sailed    Jan.    II,1 

1879 Missing ;A11  lost i 

Ipswich Feb.  1S79 Gulf  Stream • Abandoned  ...All  saved...  This  vessel  had  put  back  to- 

Phila.,  Feb.  7,  leaking  from 
I     dam.  by  ice,  &  sailed  again. 
Liverpool March  1,1879 Coast  of  Ireland Sunk  by  col... [All  saved... 


TABLE  XVIII. — The  foregoing  table  is  a.  full  and  complete  list  of  steamers  in  the  trans- 
atlantic trade  wrecked  and  lost  since  the  steamship  "  Sirius"  first  crossed  the  Atlantic  Ocean, 
in  the  year  183810  1879,  inclusive, — a  period  of  forty-one  years, — is  reprinted  by  special  per- 
mission of  the  American  Ship  Publishing  Company,  by  whom  it  was  copyrighted,  April  19, 
1879,  and  it  was  then  published  as  a  supplement  to  the  "  American  Ship."  All  vessels  not 
marked  as  side-wheel  were  screw  steamers;  those  marked  thus  *  were  wooden  vessels;  all 
the  others  were  built  of  iron.  The  compilation  of  such  a  schedule  is  a  work  of  no  small 
magnitude,  involving,  as  it  does,  careful  reference  to  almost  forgotten  and  dust-covered 
records  of  disaster,  and  an  equally  careful  comparison  of  the  data  thus  obtained  with  the 
various  imperfect  lists  prepared  from  other  sources,  which  have,  from  time  to  time,  appeared 
in  the  public  prints.  This  list  was  compiled  from  records  in  the  archives  of  the  Atlantic 
Mutual  Insurance  Company,  of  New  York  City,  by  one  of  its  employes.  The  details  of  con- 
struction of  each  vessel  have  been  given  in  every  instance  in  which  it  was  possible  to  obtain 
them.  The  ratings  are  those  of  the  Board  of  Inspectors  of  that  standard  company, 


Annie.     British,  steel,  screw,  443  tons;  built  at  Hull  1864;  stranded. 

Antarctique.  French,  iron,  screw,  1833  tons;  built  in  England  1882;  Eten  for  Bor- 
deaux ;  foundered  near  Eten,  November  20. 

Antisana.  British,  iron,  screw,  1097  tons;  built  at  Liverpool  1880;  Odessa  for  Limerick, 
November  3,  1881 ;  never  heard  from;  thirty-five  lives  lost.  , 

Apollo.  British,  iron,  screw,  1336  tons;  built  at  Hull  1864;  Hull  for  Trieste,  general 
cargo;  sunk  by  collision  170  miles  southwest  of  Ushant,  March  6. 

Ardanmor.  British,  iron,  screw,  747  tons ;  built  at  Sunderland  1876;  Dunkirk  for  Greenock, 
November  23,  1881 ;  never  heard  from;  twenty-eight  lives  lost. 

Ariel.  Danish,  iron,  screw,  377  tons;  built  at  Hull  1865;  Newcastle  for  Pillau;  cargo 
of  coal ;  stranded  at  Liebton,  January  20. 

Armenian.  British,  iron,  screw,  1123  tons;  built  at  Durham  1871;  Middlesboro'  for 
the  Baltic,  August  i ;  never  heard  from ;  thirty-two  lives  lost. 

Aros-Castle.  British,  iron,  screw,  140  tons;  built  at  Port  Glasgow  1878;  Burmesan  for 
Glasgow;  stranded  in  lona  Sound,  March  10. 

Arragon.  British,  ir,on,  screw,  1317  tons;  built  at  Glasgow  1869;  Avonmouth  for  Mon- 
treal ;  stranded  in  Fox  Bay,  Anticosti,  November  30. 

Asdrubal.  British,  iron,  screw,  1844  tons  ;  built  at  Newcastle  1877  ;  St.  John,  N.  B.,  for 
Bristol,  England ;  sunk  by  ice  off  Cape  Race,  June  21. 


446  APPENDIX. 

Ashland.  American,  wooden,  paddle,  762  tons;  built  in  1863;  destroyed  by  fire  near 
New  Orleans,  July  14. 

Asia.  British,  owned  by  Northwestern  Transit  Line,  Collingwood,  Ontario,  September 
15,  for  Upper  Lakes;  foundered;  ninety-eight  lives  lost. 

Athlete.  British,  iron,  screw,  363  tons;  built  at  Bristol,  England,  1855;  Bilbao  for 
Swansea,  cargo  of  iron  ore ;  abandoned  at  sea,  May  20. 

Athos.  British,  iron,  screw,  1944  tons;  built  at  Glasgow,  1879;  owned  by  Atlas  Steam- 
ship Company,  New  York  for  Port  au  Prince;  stranded  on  Inagua,  November  8. 

Aurora.  Austrian,  iron,  screw,  1828  tons;  built  at  Dumbarton  1869;  owned  by  Austrian 
Lloyds ;  Copenhagen  for  Constantinople,  in  ballast ;  stranded  at  Kakalava,  February  8. 

Austral.  British,  steel,  screw,  5588  tons ;  built  at  Glasgow  1881 ;  owned  by  Orient  Steam- 
ship Co. ;  from  London  for  Sydney,  N.  S.  W. ;  foundered  in  Sydney  Harbor,  November  10. 

Austria.  Austrian,  iron,  screw,  1234  tons;  built  at  Trieste,  1865;  owned  by  Austrian 
Northwestern  Steamship  Co. ;  destroyed  by  explosion  at  Magdeburg,  April  8. 

Avondale.  British,  iron,  screw,  1862  tons;  built  at  Middlesboro  1875;  Coosaw  for  Lon- 
don; stranded  Isaac's  Harbor,  N.  &,  August  9. 

Azalla.  British,  iron,  screw,  1828  tons;  built  at  Low  Walker,  England,  1877,  Reval  for 
;  cargo  of  grain ;  stranded  at  Arnholdt,  January  31. 

Bahama.  British,  iron,  screw.  1009  tons;  built  at  Stockton,  England,  1861 ;  owned  by 
Quebec  and  Gulf  Ports  Steamship  Company ;  Porto  Rico  for  New  York,  general  cargo ; 
foundered  off  Cape  Hatteras,  February  10;  twenty  lives  lost. 

Balder.  Swedish,  iron,  screw,  426  tons;  built  at  Norkoping  1872;  Libau  for  Gothen- 
burg ;  stranded  at  Blakeback,  January  2. 

Balgairn.  British,  iron,  screw,  4000  tons;  built  at  Aberdeen,  1882;  stranded  on  Learsay 
Island,  near  Loch  Carnan,  while  on  trial  trip,  October  12. 

Ballater.  British,  iron,  screw,  741  tons ;  built  at  Aberdeen  1876;  Libau  for  Liverpool, 
cargo  of  grain;  foundered  in  harbor  of  Libau,  November  19. 

Ballina.  British,  iron,  screw,  341  tons;  built  at  Barrow,  1878;  Liverpool  for  Larne, 
January  5  ;  never  heard  from;  40  lives  lost;  (loaded  until  PlimsolPs  Mark  was  out  of  sight.) 

Banda.  Dutch,  iron,  screw,  445  tons;  built  at  Port  Glasgow,  1874;  owned  by  Nether- 
land-India  Steam  Navigation  Company;  Brina  for  Nangamussie;  capsized  in  Sapi  Strait?, 
April  20 ;  one  lost. 

Barletta.  Italian,  iron,  screw,  843  tons;  built  at  Glasgow  in  1864;  Taganrog  for  Gibral- 
tar; cargo  of  grain;  stranded  at  Oporto,  March  14. 

Bassac.     Foundered  near  Raz-el-Garab  in  February. 

Beballos.     Spanish;  stranded  at  Cienfuegos,  September  5. 

Bella  Mac,  American,  Mississippi  River  steamboat ;  destroyed  by  explosion  at  La  Crosse, 
Wis.,  April  7;  six  lives  lost;  built  in  1879. 

Bendigo.  British,  iron,  screw,  1414  tons;  built  at  Barrow  in  1877;  owned  by  Bendigo 
Steamship  Company,  Liverpool ;  foundered  140  miles  west  of  Tuskar,  Oct.  I ;  two  lives  lost. 

Blenheim.  British,  iron,  screw,  1163  tons;  built  at  Hartlepool,  England,  1877;  London 
for  Belize,  Honduras;  stranded  at  Eleuthera,  August  n. 

Borrowdale.  British,  iron,  screw,  1528  tons;  built  at  Sunderland,  1873;  Messina  for 
Odessa;  stranded  in  the  Dardanelles  June  18  (no  look-out  at  all;  the  captain  not  on  the 
bridge ;  the  mate  on  watch  attending  to  other  duties ;  vessel  in  charge  of  herself  going  at 
eight  knots). 

Bucar,  St.  French,  iron,  screw,  1725  tons;  built  at  Dumbarton  1881;  Ibrall  for  Mar- 
seilles, cargo  of  grain ;  stranded  and  wrecked  at  Riva,  May  23. 

Buckeye  State.     American  ;  Mississippi  River  steamboat ;  stranded  at  Louisville,  Aug.  1 1. 

Cambrian.  French,  iron,  sere-,/,  958  tons;  built  at  Southampton  1860;  Bordeaux  for 
Alicante ;  foundered  near  Bordeaux,  October  30. 


APPENDIX.  447 

Cambronne.  French,  iron,  screw,  742  tons;  built  at  Newcastle  1877;  sunk  by  collision 
i  i  British  Channel,  November  27  ;  fourteen  lives  lost. 

Cardiff.  British,  iron,  screw,  1041  tons;  built  at  Newcastle  1875;  Cardiff  for  Genoa; 
stranded  and  wrecked  on  the  Barlings,  September  20. 

.Cassiar.  British,  iron,  screw,  290  tons;  built  in  1879;  cargo  of  railway  materials; 
stranded  in  Fraser  River,  British  Columbia,  April. 

Cats.  Dutch,  iron,  screw,  274  tons;  built  at  Slikerveer  1881  ;  Riga  for  Rotterdam,  July 
27  ;  never  heard  from ;  thirty-four  lives  lost. 

Cedar  Grove.  British,  iron,  screw,  2181  tons;  built  at  Hayleton,  England,  1882;  Lon- 
don for  Halifax  ;  stranded  off  Cape  Canso,  November  30;  five  lives  lost. 

Charlton.  British,  iron,  screw,  1218  tons;  built  at  Middlesboro'  in  1869;  Newcastle  for 
Hong  Kong;  never  heard  from,  cargo  of  coal;  forty-two  lives  lost. 

Chilian.  British,  iron,  screw,  2114  tons;  built  at  Glasgow  1871 ;  owned  by  West  Indies 
and  Liverpool  Steamship  Company ;  Liverpool  for  Barbadoes;  stranded  Magdalena  River, 
P'ebruary  17. 

Chrysolite.  British,  iron,  screw,  1045  tons;  built  at  Stockton,  England,  1881  ;  Cardiff 
for  Salina;  slranded  near  St.  Stephano,  October  27. 

Cienfuegos.     Spanish;  stranded  near  Cienfuegos,  September  5. 

€ity  of  Antwerp.  British,  iron,  screw,  731  tons;  built  at  Sunderland  1881 ;  Workington 
for  Antwerp;  sunk  by  collision  off  Eddystone  Light,  October  17. 

City  of  Limerick.  British,  iron,  screw,  2536  tons;  built  at  Greenock,  Scotland,  1855; 
owned  by  Centaur  Steamship  Line,  London;  New  York  for  London,  January  8;-  never 
heard  from ;  thirty-two  lives  lost. 

City  of  Sandford.  American,  wooden,  145  tons;  owned  at  Jacksonville,  Florida;  burned 
near  Jacksonville,  April  24 ;  nine  lives  lost. 

Clan  Campbell.  British,  Iron,  screw,  2434  tons;  built  at  Glasgow  1882;  owned  by  Clan 
Steamship  Line ;  Capetown  for  Glasgow ;  stranded  at  Mauritius,  September  20. 

Clan  Stuart.  British,  iron,  screw,  2094  tons;  built  at  Glasgow  1879;  owned  by  Clan 
Steamship  Line,  Liverpool ;  Kurrachee  for  Liverpool;  stranded  near  Persin,  October  18; 
afterwards  floated. 

Clinton.  American,  iron,  screw,  1187  tons;  built  at  Wilmington  1863;  burned  in  Wil- 
mington, September  2. 

Cleveland.  British,  iron,  screw,  1 210  tons;  built  at  Newcastle  1872;  Grimsby  for  the 
Baltic,  with  cargo  of  coal^  January  4 ;  never  heard  from ;  twenty-four  lives  lost. 

Coban.  British,  iron,  screw,  1055  tons;  built  at  Sunderland  1882;  Cow  Bay,  N.  S.,  for 
Montreal;  stranded  near  Cow  Bay,  June  19. 

Collingwood.     American,  wooden,  paddle;  destroyed  by  fire,  May  22. 

Colon.  Spanish,  iron,  screw,  742  tons;  built  at  Seacombe  1871  ;  wrecked  during  hurri- 
cane in  Cuba,  October  12. 

Comeet.  Dutch,  iron,  screw,  767  tons;  built  at  Middlesboro'  in  1871;  owned  by  Neder- 
land  Steamship  Company;  Bari  for  Amsterdam;  sunk  by  collision  near  Gibraltar  Rock, 
September  29. 

Constance.  British,  iron,  screw,  369  tons;  built  at  Paisley  1881 ;  stranded  at  Goswick 
Bay,  October  7  ;  afterwards  floated. 

Conatio.  German,  iron,  screw,  1041  tons;  built  at  West  Hartlepool  1875;  Theodosia  for 
Rotterdam,  cargo  of  wheat ;  never  heard  from  after  sailing,  February  I ;  28  lives  lost. 

Cosmo.  British,  iron,  screw,  1009  tons;  built  at  Dumbarton,  Scotland,  1879;  Galveston 
for  Sebastopo^  cargo  of  grain ;  foundered  in  the  Black  Sea,  February  6 ;  27  lives  lost. 

Craiglands.  British,  iron,  screw,  1113  tons  ;  built  at  West  Hartlepool  1879  ;  stranded  in 
Gulf  of  Bothnia,  September. 


448  APPENDIX. 

Crest.  British,  iron,  screw,  1696  tons;  built  at  Sunderland,  1877  ;  for  New  York;  stranded 
on  Isle  of  St.  Sebastian,  December  16. 

Crosby.  British,  iron,  screw,  1814  tons;  built  at  North  Shields  in  1880;  Newport  for 
Ancona,  cargo  of  coal;  stranded  on  coast  of  Portugal,  August  31. 

Curfew.  British,  iron,  screw,  815  tons;  built  at  Dundee,  1877;  Cronstadt  for  London; 
cargo  of  gi'ain;  abandoned  off  Spurn,  November  n. 

Dallam  Tower.    British,  iron,  screw,  2055  tons  ;  built  at  Stockton,  1880 ;  New  Orleans  for 
Rotterdam,  September  7,  cargo  of  grain  ;  never  heard  from  ;  thirty-three  lives  lost. 
•    Dan.     Danish,  iron,  screw,  958  tons ;  built  at  Renfrew,  1882;    Cronstadt  for  Dunkirk; 
stranded  near  Salvanef,  September  30 ;  afterwards  floated. 

Dana.  Danish,  iron,  screw,  1026  tons;  built  at  Malma,  1875  '•>  Reval  for  Dunkirk,  cargo 
of  grain;  stranded  near  Hittark,  May  12. 

Dartmore.  British,  iron,  screw,  1609  tons;  built  at  Stockton,  1881 ;  Ibrail  for  Glasgowr 
cargo  of  grain;  sunk  by  collision  near  Glasgow,  August  13;  afterwards  raised. 

De  Gray.  British,  iron,  screw,  1000  tons;  Currachee  for  Calcutta;  foundered  in  Gulf  of 
Cutch,  December  6. 

Delphin.     British,  iron,  screw,  641  tons  ;  bound  for  Hartlepool ;  sunk  by  collision,  May  26. 

Diana.  German,  iron,  screw,  263  tons  ;  built  at  Flensburg ;  Flensburg  for  Libau  ;  sunk 
by  collision  near  Libau,  April  14. 

Dora.  British,  iron,  screw,  861  tons;  built  at  West  Hartlepool,  1876;  from  Tynemouth ; 
abandoned,  April  18. 

Douro.  British,  iron,  screw,  2846  tons;  built  at  Greenock,  1865;  owned  by  Royal  Mail 
Steamship  Company,  London;  Brazil  for  Southampton;  sunk  by  collision  off  Cape  Fin- 
isterce,  April  I  ;  thirty-four  lives  V>st. 

Dover.  American,  wood,  paddle,  327  tons  ;  built  in  1862;  Havana  for  Mobile  ;  foundered 
in  Tampa  Bay,  January  I. 

Druid.  British,  iron,  screw,  696  tons;  built  at  Middlesboro',  1865  ;  stranded  near  Bilbao, 
July  20. 

Durley.  British,  iron,  screw,  950  tons;  built  at  Jarrow,  1867;  from  Constantinople; 
stranded  on  Cape  Cara,  January  8. 

Edam.  Dutch,  iron,  screw,  3300  tons  ;  built  at  Dumbarton,  1881  ;  owned  by  Netherlands- 
American  Steam  Navigation  Company,  Rotterdam ;  New  York  for  Rotterdam ;  sunk  by  col- 
lision 350  miles  east  of  Sandy  Hook,  September  21 ;  two  lives  lost ;  general  cargo. 

Eglinton.  British,  iron,  screw,  186  tons;  built  at  Paisley,  1877;  Grimsby  for  Shetland ; 
stranded  on  Fagot  Rock,  April  22. 

Ella  Constance.  British,  iron,  screw,  656  tons;  built  at  Stockton,  1858;  stranded  near 
Lochbay,  April  16. 

Ems.  British,  iron,  screw,  207  tons ;  built  at  Hull,  1857 ;  Wick  for  Stettin ;  stranded 
near  Proudfoot,  July  17. 

Escambia.  British,  iron,  screw,  2154  tons;  built  at  Sunderland,  1879  >  owned  by  Escam- 
bia  Steamship  Company,  Liverpool ;  San  Francisco  for  St.  Vincent,  wheat  cargo ;  capsized 
near  San  Francisco,  June  19;  sixteen  lives  lost. 

Ethelwin.  British,  iron,  screw,  916  tons;  built  at  Sunderland,  1878 ;  Bilbao  for  Rotter- 
dam ;  sunk  by  collision  off  Rozenburg,  June  25. 

Ethiopia.  British,  iron,  screw,  1761  tons ;  built  at  Liverpool,  1873 ;  foundered  off  Loango, 
September  9. 

Europe.  British,  iron,  screw,  814  tons ;  built  at  Port  Glasgow,  1873  ;  Amoy  for  Shanghai ; 
stranded  in  Waga  Straits,  China,  September  8. 

Evadne.  British,  iron,  screw,  1031  tons;  built  at  Stockton,  1869;  Hull  for  Reval; 
stranded  at  Torckou,  January  26. 


APPENDIX.  449 

Fiona.  British,  iron,  screw,  439  tons;  built  at  Glasgow.  1874;  Sydney  for  Brisbane  j 
stranded  on  Seal  Rock  Point,  N.  S.  W.,  February  n. 

Fleurs  Castle.  British,  iron,  screw,  247  2tons;  built  at  Glasgow,  1874;  China  for  New- 
York,  cargo  of  tea ;  stranded  near  Ras  Asir,  July  9 ;  several  lives  lost. 

Flora.  German,  iron,  screw,  314  tons  ;  built  at  North  Shields,  1872  ;  owned  by  Lubeck 
Steamship  Company,  Lubeck;  Lubeck  for  Libau;  stranded  near  Prerow,  January  i. 

Fomento.  Spanish,  iron,  screw,  207  tons;  built  at  Preston,  1860;  owned  by  Spanish  Gov- 
ernment; stranded  during  hurricane^n  Cuba,  October  12. 

Frankland.  British,  iron,  screw,  746  totvs;  built  at  Sunderland,  1869;  from  London,  cargo- 
of  coal ;  sunk  by  collision  near  Gravesend,  February  5. 

Garnet.  British,  iron,  screw,  1824  tons;  built  at  Glasgow,  1878;  Calcutta  for  London  ~ 
stranded  at  Seaford,  February  15. 

General  Court.  French,  iron,  screw,  380  tons  ;  built  in  1862  ;  Cardiff  for  Barcelona,  cargo- 
of  coal ;  foundered  in  Bay  of  Finisterre,  October  4. 

George  Wascoe.  British,  iron,  screw,  647  tons;  built  at  Sunderland,  1871  ;  Shields  for 
Messina;  sunk  by  collision,  January  9,  near  Lisbon  ;  afterwards  raised. 

Gerarda.  British ;  Newcastle  for  Genoa,  cargo  of  coal ;  sunk  by  collision  in  the  English 
Channel,  October  24. 

Germania.     German,  iron,  screw,  636  tons;  built  at  Sunderland,  1867. 

Gladys.  British,  iron,  screw,  1601  tons;  built  at  Westlepool,  1872;  for  Sunderland ;-. 
stranded  near  Sunderland,  December  5. 

Glen  Gelden.  British,  iron,  screw,  790  tons  ;  built  at  Aberdeen,  1881 ;  stranded  near  Port 
Talbot,  March  9. 

Glenwilliam.  British,  iron,  screw,  365  tons;  b'lilt  at  Paisley,  1880;  sunk  at  Havre,  Feb- 
ruary 16;  afterwards  raised. 

Gold  Dust.     America,  burned  by  an  explosion,  August  7  ;  twenty-two  lives  lost. 

Golden  City.  American,  wood,  Mississippi  River  steamboat;  destroyed  by  explosion  at 
New  Orleans,  March  30  f  twenty-three  lives  lost. 

Grandholm.  British,  iron,  screw,  369  tons;  built  at  Aberdeen,  1879  '•>  St.  Malo  for  Camp- 
belltown,  cargo  of  grain;  stranded  on  Balleyteigne  Burrow,  November  23. 

Guaniguanico.  Spanish,  iron,  screw,  1061  tons;  stranded  during  a  hurricane  in  Cuba,. 
October  12. 

Gulf  of  Finland.  British,  iron,  screw,  2323  tons  ;  built  at  West  Hartlepocl,  1880 ;  owned? 
by  Greenock  Steamship  Company,  Greenock ;  London  for  Sydney ;  stranded  near  Aden,, 
October  19. 

Gulf  of  Panama.  British,  iron,  screw,  1592  tons;  built  at  Newcastle,  1880^  owned  by 
Greenock  Steamship  Company,  Greenock  ;  Mediterranean  for  Bremen;  stranded  near  Texel, 
October  30 ;  twenty-five  lives  lost. 

Guy  Mannering.  British,  iron,  screw,  2815  tons;  built  at  Newcastle,  1873;  Havre  for 
Birkenhead ;  burned  near  Tripoli,  August  5  ;  two  lives  lost. 

Hartlepool.  British,  iron,  screw,  555  tons;  built  at  Sunderland,  1865;  Newport  for  St. 
Nazaire;  stranded  near  Newport,  England,  April  2;  afterwards  raised. 

Harriet.  British,  iron,  screw,  504  tons;  built  at  North  Shields,  1857  ;  Cow  Bay  for  Yar- 
mouth, N.  S. ;  stranded  and  wrecked,  entrance  to  Pubnico  Harbor,  December  14. 

Henry  Fisher.  British,  iron,  screw,  533  tons;  built  at  Newcastle,  1878;  stranded  near 
Port  Talbot,  March  9. 

Henry  Scholefield.  British,  iron,  screw,  622  tons ;  built  at  Sunderland,  1872 ;  stranded  at 
St.  Bees  Head,  January  6. 

Herder.  '  Belgian,  iron,  screw,  2313  tons;  built  at  Glasgow,  1873;  owned  by  the  Ham- 
burg-American  Packet  Company,  Hamburg ;  New  York  for  Hamburg ;  stranded  three  miles 
from  Cape  Race,  October  10. 

29 


450  APPENDIX. 

Herlha.  German,  iron,  screw,  531  tons;  built  at  Bergen,  1880;  Leith  for  Caen;  missing 
after  sailing  on  February  9  ;  twenty-two  lives  lost. 

Hesledan.  British,  iron,  screw,  1536  tons;  built  at  West  Hartlepool,  1876  ;  cargo  of  coal; 
burned. 

Hoche.  French,  iron,  screw,  1148  tons;  built  at  Jarrow,  1871 ;  owned  by  Soc.  Rouen  de 
Trans.  Maritime,  Rouen  ;  Rouen  for  Cardiff";  stranded  and  wrecked  on  Hartland  Point, 
July  2. 

Holyrood.  British,  iron,  screw,  555  tons;  built  at  Glasgow,  1852;  Saigon  for  Singapore, 
cargo  of  rice ;  foundered  at  sea,  May  — . 

Hong  Kong.  British,  iron,  screw,  1476  tons ;  built  at  Newcastle,  1881;  stranded  and 
wrecked  at  Haitan,  August  13. 

Huntingtower.  British,  iron,  screw,  2408  tons;  built  at  Newcastle,  1881 ;  stranded  on 
Ras  Garib,  November  28. 

Iduria.  French,  iron,  screw,  394  tons;  built  at  Flensburg,  1879;  sunk  by  collision  in 
River  Niger,  November  I. 

Intrepid.  British,  iron,  screw,  1470  tons  ;  built  at  Sunderland,  1879  ;  Odessa  for  Malta  ; 
grain  ;  stranded  in  Marmora  Sea,  January  30. 

lona.  British,  iron,  screw,  909  tons;  built  at  Glasgow,  1866;  owned  by  London  and 
Edinburgh  Steamship  Co.,  Leith;  London  for  Leith  ;  stranded  near  Inchkeith,  March  20. 

Iron  Era.  British,  iron,  screw,  494  tons;  built  at  Stockton,  1856  ;  Gothenburg  for  Lon. 
don;  foundered  100  miles  east  of  Spurn  in  the  North  Sea,  June  5. 

James  W.  Barber.  Belgian,  iron,  screw,  1443  tons;  built  at  Stockton,  1868;  Antwerp 
for  Odessa;  stranded  near  Cape  Fountain  Lighthouse,  November  25. 

Jan  May  en.  British,  iron,  screw,  337  tons;  built  at  Peterhead,  1859;  owned  by  Tay 
Whale  Fishing  Co.,  Dundee ;  sunk  by  ice  in  Baffin's  Bay,  April  22. 

Jean  Dupuis.     French,  iron,  screw,  419  tons;  Clyde  for  Saigon  ;  foundered,  February  4. 

John  Beaumont.  British, 'iron,  screw,  165  tons;  built  at  Kinghorn,  1876;  stranded  near 
Port  Edgar,  January  6. 

John  Redhead.  British,  iron,  screw,  1695  tons;  built  at  South  Shields,  1882;  Newcastle 
for  Cronstadt ;  cargo  of  coal ;  sunk  by  ice  near  Leskar,  April  28. 

John  Wilson.  American ;  Washington  for  New  Orleans  ;  foundered  in  Atchafalaya  River, 
July  1 6. 

Junon.  French,  iron,  screw,  1082  tons  ,  built  at  Hull,  1861 ;  Salonica  for  Constantinople ; 
stranded  Marmora  Sea,  February  14. 

Kate  Forster.  British,  iron,  screw,  580  tons;  built  at  Newcastle,  1879;  Newcastle  for 
Oporto  ;  stranded  near  Aveiro,  October  15. 

King-Coal.  British,  iron,  screw,  763  tons  ;  built  at  North  Shields,  1871  ;  Newcastle  for 
Hamburg,  cargo  of  coal ;  standed  near  Vogelsand,  August  4. 

Kittiwake.  British,  iron,  screw,  341  tons;  built  at  Glasgow,  1866;  Isle  of  Whithorn  for 
Liverpool ;  cargo  of  grain  ;  stranded  in  Whithorn  Harbor,  March  6. 

Lake  Ontario.  British,  iron,  screw,  1113  tons;  built  at  Glasgow,  1868;  foundered  in 
Beautharnois  Canal,  August  18. 

Lanarkshire.  British,  iron,  screw,  949  tons  ;  built  at  Port  Glasgow,  1871;  Glasgow  for 
Lisbon  ;  cargo  of  coal ;  foundered  off  Wicklow,  January  15. 

Largo  Bay.  British,  iron,  screw,  1700  tons;  built  at  Hebburn,  1881;  stranded  and 
vf recked  near  Mabbella,  December  10. 

Larpool.  British,  iron,  screw,  1288  tons;  built  at  Sunderland,  1880;  stranded  in  Kirten 
Breakwater,  April  9. 

Lersundi.  Spanish,  iron,  screw,  292  tons  ;  built  in  1866  ;  owned  by  Southern  Navigation 
Co. ;  stranded  in  a  hurricane  in  Cuba,  October  12. 

Lesreaux.  British,  iron,  screw,  1316  tons ;  built  at  Sunderland,  1880;  Bilbao  for  Cardiff; 
iron  ore;  stranded  in  Penarth  Roads,  February  22;  afterwards  floated. 


APPENDIX.  451 

Libau.  French,  iron,  screw  382  tons;  built  at  Preston,  1881  ;  St.  Malo;  Bilbao  for  New- 
port ;  iron  ore ;  stranded  on  Tuskar  Rocks,  March  28. 

Liddesdale.  British,  iron,  screw,  1735  tons  ;  built  at  Sunderland,  1877;  New  Orleans  for 
Keval ;  cargo  of  cotton  ;  stranded  near  Trepassey,  December  4. 

Lion.  British,  iron,  screw,  393  tons  ;  built  at  Greenock,  1866  ;  St.  Johns  for  Trinity  Bay, 
•coal  and  provisions ;  foundered  near  Baccalien  Island,  January  6 ;  forty-three  lost.  ' 

Lipp.  Belgian,  iron,  screw,  491  tons;  built  at  Dundee,  1867  ;  Bilbao  for  Antwerp,  iron 
ore  ;  foundered  near  Bilbao,  January  17. 

Livadia.  British,  iron,  screw,  1447  tons;  built  at  South  Shields,  1877;  South  Shields  for 
Alexandria,  cargo  of  coal;  stranded  on  Cross  Sands,  February  28. 

Llangollen.  British,  iron,  screw,  1752  tons  ;  built  at  Newcastle,  1881 ;  Cardiff  for  Cadiz, 
•cargo  of  coal ;  stranded  near  Peniche,  Portugal,  August  3. 

Llanishaw.  British,  iron,  screw,  1035  tons  ;  built  at  Newcastle,  1875  ;  Malta  for  Constan- 
tinople ;  stranded  near  Taganrog,  March  20. 

Llewellyn.  British,  iron,  screw,  359  tons;  built  at  Sydney,  N.  S.  W.,  1875:  stranded 
near  Sydney,  N.  S.  \V.,  July  18. 

Lloyds.  British,  iron,  screw,  888  tons;  built  at  Newcastle,  1869;  Newcastle  for  Copen- 
hagen; stranded  near  Stubben,  January  17,  afterwards  floated. 

Loch  Awe.  British,  iron,  screw,  554  tons ;  built  at  Glasgow,  1878 ;  owned  by  Dundee 
Lock  Line  Steamship  Company,  Dundee ;  Burntisland  for  Aarnus;  foundered  near  Shagorack, 
January  7. 

Lockyer.  British,  iron,  screw,  2072  tons ;  built  at  Sunderland,  1881 ;  Calcutta  for  Lon- 
don, January  15  ;  not  heard  from  ;  forty-seven  lives  lost. 

Lord  Bute.  British,  iron,  screw,  754  tons;  built  at  Low  Walker,  1868;  Newcastle  for 
"Valencia,  cargo  of  coal ;  not  heard  from  since ;  forty-two  lives  lost. 

Lord  Nelson.  British,  iron,  screw,  1780  tons;  built  at  Newcastle,  1871 ;  Malta  for  Ant- 
werp ;  lost  at  sea,  October. 

Louise.  Danish,  iron,  screw,  1113  tons ;  built  at  Copenhagen,  1872  ;  stranded  near  Copen- 
hagen, January  17. 

Luneburg.  British,  iron,  screw,  815  tons;  built  at  Sunderland,  1872;  Bilbao  for  London, 
iron  ore  ;  stranded  and  broke  in  two  near  Bilbao,  February  20. 

Mallard.  British,  iron,  screw,  939  tons;  built  at  Greenock,  Scotland,  1871 ;  New  York 
for  Belize,  general  cargo ;  stranded  on  Central  American  coast,  September  14. 

Malma.  British,  iron,  screw,  2959  tons ;  built  at  Greenock,  1873;  owned  by  Peninsular 
and  Oriental  Steamship  Co.,  Greenock ;  Brindish  for  India  ;  sunk  by  collision  in  the  £uez 
Roads,  November  25. 

Malmochus.  Sweden,  iron,  screw,  1400  tons;  from  Oskarshaum ;  foundered  Calenar 
Sound,  January  17  ;  fifteen  lives  lost. 

Manila.  Spanish,  iron,  screw,  2620  tons;  built  at  Glasgow,  1867  ;  owned  by  Marquis  de 
Campo,  Cadiz  ;  Spain  for  West  Indies  ;  stranded  near  St.  Johns,  Porto  Rico,  May  u. 

Manna.  British,  iron,  screw,  1056  tons;  built  at  West  Hartlepool,  1881 ;  stranded  near 
Syra,  February  3. 

Marguerite.  British,  iron,  screw,  470  tons;  built  at  Port  Glasgow,  1872;  Glasgow  for 
Algiers,  cargo  of  coal;  foundered  100  miles  off  Sciliy  Isles,  January  6. 

Marmion.  British,  iron,  screw,  946  tons;  built  at  Hartlepool,  1871;  stranded  on  the 
Gulf  of  Bothnia,  in  May. 

Mary  Tatham.  British,  iron,  screw,  1664  tons;  built  at  Sunderland,  1879;  Hong  Kong 
for  Portland;  stranded  near  Cape  Jermio,  Japan,  April  —  ;  afterward  floated,  and  founderea 
three  miles  from  Hovoidzumi,  while  in  tow,  on  August  31. 

Merlin.  British,  iron,  screw,  1050  tons;  built  at  Newcastle,  1878;  bound  for  St.  Johns 
N.  F. ;  stranded  near  Burges,  N.  F.,  October  31. 


452  APPENDIX. 

Milo.  British,  iron,  screw,  1050  tons;  built  at  Glasgow,  1865  ;  T.  Wilson,  Sons  &  Co.,. 
Hull;  sunk  by  collision,  ten  miles  from  South  Copelands,  April  27. 

Mobile.  British,  iron,' screw,  1409  tons;  built  at  Glasgow,  1879;  owned  by  Gulf  Steam- 
ship Co.,  Glasgow;  stranded  near  Apalachicola  in  September. 

Moravian.  British,  iron,  screw,  3567  tons;  built  at  Greenock,  Scotland,  1864;  stranded 
near  Yarmouth,  N.  S.,  December  31,  1881. 

Morea.  British,  iron,  screw,  1054  tons;  built  at  Hartlepool,  1879;  Odessa  for  London^ 
cargo  of  grain;  sailed  November  15,  1881,  and  not  heard  from  since  ;  thirty  four  lives  lost. 

Morning'Star.  British,  iron,  screw,  1 121  tons;  built  at  West  Haitlepool,  1882 ;  Bilbao- 
for  Rotterdam;  cargo  of  iron  ore;  stranded  and  wrecked  near  Vieuxboucan, October  26. 

Musel.  German,  iron,  screw,  3200  tons;  built  at  Greenock,  1872;  owned  by  North 
German  Lloyd,  Bremen  ;  Bremen  for  New  York  ;  stranded  on  Lizard  Point,  August  9. 

Moskwa.  Russian,  iron,  screw,  2946  tons;  built  at  Greenock,  1867;  Singapore  for 
Odessa,  cargo  of  tea;  stranded  near  Ras  Hatur,  July  9. 

Na'hkin.  British,  iron,  screw,  2423  tons;  built  at  Newcastle,  1872  ;  New  York  for  Liv- 
erpool ;  sunk  by  collision  in  New  York  Harbor,  May  6. 

Napier.  British,  iron,  screw,  1927  tons;  built  at  Newcastle,  1881 ;  Kertch  for  Hull; 
stranded  in  Kertch  Straits,  November  27. 

Nestor.  British,  iron,  screw,  438  tons;  built  at  Sunderland,  1868;  Hamburg  for  London; 
sunk  by  collision  in  the  Elbe,  October  26. 

New  England.  British,  iron,  screw,  360  tons;  built  at  Glasgow,  1868;  foundered  in 
Clarence  river,  N.  S.  W.,  December  24;  all  (about  130)  lost. 

New  Era.  British,  iron,  screw,  630  tons;  Chatham,  N.  B.,  for  Newcastle,  N.  B. ;  sunk 
by  collision  near  Chatham,  September  7. 

Nordsee.  Russian,  iron,  screw,  812  tons;  built  at  Hull,  1854;  Cronstadt  for  Grimsby; 
stranded  near  Liilegrunded,  November  10. 

Norfolk.  British,  iron,  screw,  3196  tons;  built  at  Blackwalls,  Eng.,  1879;  Reval  for 
Rouen ;  cargo  of  grain  ;  sailed  December  16,  1881,  and  never  heard  from  ;  thirty-four  lives 
lost. 

North  Eastern.  British,  iron,  screw,  1069  tons;  built  at  Sunderland,  1871;  Granton  for 
Copenhagen ;  cargo  of  coal ;  sailed  January  6,  and  never  heard  from ;  twenty  lives  lost. 

North  Star.  British,  iron,  screw,  489  tons  ;  whaling  vessel ;  crushed  by  ice  near  Point 
Barrow,  July  8. 

Nouvelle  Bretagne.  French,  iron,  screw,  380  tons;  built  in  1873;  stranded  at  Manila, 
October  23. 

Nuphar.  British,  iron,  screw,  1963  tons;  built  at  Newcastle,  iSSi ;  Newcastle  for  Phila- 
delphia; stranded  near  Seabright,  N.  J.,  September  23;  afterwards  floated. 

Olaf.  Danish,  iron,  screw,  1539  tons;  built  at  Renfrew,  1875;  owned  by  Carl  Steam- 
ship Company,  Kjobenhaven ;  Hadikswall  for  Barcelona ;  abandoned  near  Gothenburg, 
February  13. 

Olbers.  German,  iron,  screw,  528  tons;  built  at  Hamburg,  1880;  owned  by  Neptune 
Steamship  Co.,  Bremen  ;  Sunderland  for  Cronstadt,  cargo  of  coal ;  abandoned,  April  29. 

Ontario.     Spanish,  iron,  screw,  3175  tons;  stranded  near  Cienfugos,  September  5. 

Oscar.  British,  iron,  screw,  355  tons^;  built  at  Dumbarton,  1850;  London  for  Middle- 
boro  ;  cargo  of  grain  ;  stranded  near  Terschelling,  July  16. 

Ostsee.  German,  iron,  screw,  345  tons;  built  at  Northfleet,  1871;  owned  by  Lubeck 
Steamship  Co.,  Lubeck;  Konigsberg  for  Lubeck ;  stranded  near  Jasmund,  January  18. 

Otto  Eichmann.  German,  iron,  screw,  1294  tons  ;  built  at  Jarrow,  1879  ;  Blyth  for  Ham- 
burg, October  23  ;  cargo  of  coal;  never  heard  from  ;  thirty-four  lives  lost. 

Paladin.  British,  iron,  screw,  1375  tons;  built  at  Glasgow,  1872;  stranded  at  Parcels, 
November  6. 


APPENDIX.  453 

Paola.  German,  iron,  screw,  1040  tons  ;  built  at  Sunderland,  1882  ;  cargo  of  mineral 
ore  ;  foundered  near  Pomaron,  April  18. 

Payta.  Chilian  Government  transport;  997  tons;  built  in  1864;  Valapaiaiso  for  Callao ; 
stranded  near  Sarco. 

Pelton.  British,  iron,  screw,  816  tons;  built  at  Low  Walker,  1876;  Cardiff  for  Havre  ; 
foundered  off  Ilfracombe,  March  20. 

Penedo.  British;  iron,  screw,  1129  tons;  built  at  Dumbarton,  1864;  owned  by  Bahia 
Steamship  Navigation  Co.,  Bahia;  Brazil  for  Glasgow  ;  broken  in  two  near  Maderia,  May  8  ; 
four  lives  lost. 

Pera.  British,  iron,  screw,  2119  tons ;  built  at  London,  1855  ;  Quebec  for  London  ;  sunk 
by  ice,  June  10. 

Peruvian.  British,  iron,  screw,  3400  tons;  built  at  Glasgow,  1873;  Montreal  for  Liver- 
pool; sunk  by  collision  in  River  Mersey,  December  5  ;  afterwards  floated. 

Petrel.     Spanish,  iron,  screw,  841  tons;  Barbadoes  for  Tobago  ;  foundered  at  sea. 

Pfeil.  German,  iron,  screw,  853  tons;  built  at  Newcastle,  1872;  Hartlepool  for  Ham- 
burg; sunk  by  collision  near  Hamburg,  January  18. 

Phoenix.     British,  sloop-of-war ;  stranded  on  coast  of  Prince  Edward's  Island  in  July. 

Pliny.  British,  iron,  screw,  1674  tons  ;  built  at  Barrow,  1878  ;  owned  by  Liverpool,  Brazil 
and  Rio  Plata  Navigation  Company;  from  Rio  Janeiro  for  New  York ;  stranded  on  Deal 
Beach,  May  13. 

Portugalett.  British,  iron,  screw,  600  tons;  built  at  Jarrow-on-Tyne,  1877;  Bilbao  for 
Cardiff;  cargo  of  iron  ore ;  foundered  in  English  Channel,  February  24. 

Preston.  British,  iron,  screw,  2349  tons;  built  at  West  Hartlepool,  1882;  New  York  for 
Newcastle;  stranded  at  Berwick,  October  14;  afterward  floated. 

Primus.  British, iron,  screw,  656  tons;  built  at  Sunderland,  1865  ;  Middlesboro'  for  New- 
port; cargo  of  iron  ore;  sunk  by  collision  and  broke  in  two  at  Newport,  January  10. 

Principia.  British,  iron,  screw,  2749  tons  ;  built  at  Newcastle,  1881  ;  owned  by  Principia 
Steamship  Company,  London;  Bombay  for  Hull,  grain  cargo;  sunk  by  collision  near  Port 
Said,  March  i. 

Progress.  British,  iron,  screw,"267  tons;  built  at  Port  Glasgow,  1880;  Quebec  for  Peru- 
vian ports;  burned  at  Green  Island,  May  16;  three  lives-lost. 

R.  M.  Hunton.  British,  iron,  screw,  977  tons;  built  at  Whitby,  1872;  Alexandria  for 
Bristol ;  cargo  of  cotton-seed ;  foundered  at  mouth  of  Avon,  January  6. 

R.  W.  Boyd.  'British,  iron,  screw,  1307  tons;  built  at  South  Shields,  1880;  Shields  for 
Constantinople,  cargo  of  coal;  stranded  near  Black  Middens,  March  22  ;  afterwards  floated. 

Raleigh.  British,  iron,  screw,  1347  tons;  built  at  Barrow,  1881  ;  stranded  near  Queens- 
land, March  18. 

Ranelagh.  British,  iron,  screw,  836  tons  ;  built  at  Kinghorn,  1861  ;  owned  by  Australian 
Steam  Navigation  Company,  Sydney ;  Sydney  for  Brisbane ;  stranded  and  wrecked  on  the 
King's  Reef,  May  n. 

Red  Star.  British,  iron,  screw,  1549  tons  ;  built  at  Sumderland,  1876;  Salini  for  Queens- 
town,  cargo  of  barley ;  foundered  in  harbor  of  Salina,  October  13  ;  three  lives  lost. 

Renpor.  British,  iron,  screw,  1323  tons;  built  at  Sunderland,  1874  ;  West  Hartlepool  for 
New  York,  cargo  of  pig-iron  and  general  merchandise;  sunk  by  ice  on  the  banks  of  New- 
foundland, April  13. 

Regent.  British,  iron,  screw,  2350  tons;  built  at  Sunderland,  1881  ;  owned  by  Regent 
Steamship  Company,  Liverpool ;  Cardiff  for  New  Orleans  ;  abandoned  in  sinking  condition 
at  sea,  December  12  ;  cargo  of  railroad  iron. 

Riga.  British,  iron,  screw.  1440  tons;  built  at  Hebburn,  1 86 5,  cargo  of  coal;  stranded 
near  Alexandria,  November  10. 

Rio  Apa.  French,  iron,  screw,  254  tons;  built  at  Havre,  1868;  Havre  for  Bayonne ; 
sunk  by  collision  near  Raz  de  Seine,  July  16 ;  seven  lives  lost. 


454  APPENDIX. 

Rio  Grande.  American,  iron,  screw,  2566  tons;  built  at  Chester,  Pa.,  1876;  burned  and 
sunk  in  Delaware  River,  May  17 ;  afterwards  raised. 

River  Forth.  British,  iron,  screw,  11*27  tons;  built  at  Belfast,  1882;  cargo  of  coal; 
abandoned  at  sea  in  November. 

Riverain.     French,  iron,  screw,  742  tons;  stranded  at  Blaye,  February  27. 

Robert  E.  Lee.  American,  Mississippi  River  steamer  ;  built  at  St.  Louis,  1869  ;  destroyed 
by  fire  opposite  Point  Pleasant,  September  30;  twenty  lives  lost.  (Was  the  fastest  boat  on  the 
river  and  carried  the  silver  horns.  In  a  race  against  the  Natchez  in  1870  made  iSj^  miles. 
an  hour,  burning  all  the  cotton  freight  and  cabin  furniture.) 

Rochdale.  British,  iron,  screw,  1491  tons;  built  at  South  Shields,  1878;  Sebastopol  for 
England ;  cotton  cargo ;  burned  and  scuttled  at  Sebastopol,  April  20. 

Rodgers.  United  States  Navy  search  vessel  for  the  Jeannette  ;  burned  in  Lutka  Harbor, 
Siberia,  November,  1881. 

Roland.  German,  iron,  screw,  603  tons ;  built  at  Shields,  1855  ;  Libau  for  Rotterdam; 
stranded  at  Terschelling,  March  6. 

Romania.  British,  iron,  screw,  1297  tons  ;  built  at  Sunderland,  1882  ;  owned  by  Romania 
Steamship  Co.,  London ;  Galatz  for  Amsterdam  ;  cargo  of  grain  ;  foundered  on  the  Island 
of  Bannee  in  November;  one  life  lost. 

Rosebud.  British,  iron,  screw,  735  tons;  built  at  Newcastle,  1878;  Newport  for  Cardiff, 
England ;  cargo  of  coal ;  sunk  by  collision  off  Land's  End,  February  15  ;  four  lives  lost. 

Rosvik.     Russian;  stranded  in  Lake  Wener,  August  24 ;  one  life  lost. 

Rotterdam.  British,  iron,  screw,  650  tons;  Newport  for  Oporto  ;  cargo  of  coal;  stranded 
and  wrecked  at  Torianna,  August  23. 

Royal  City.  British,  iron,  screw,  459  tons  ;  built  in  1875  ;  capsized  May  17,  near  Victo- 
ria, Vancouver  Island. 

St.  Albans.  British,  iron,  screw,  2037  tons;  built  at  Liverpool,  1880;  owned  by  St. 
Albans  Steamship  Co.,  Liverpool ;  Kraina  for  Sydney,  N.  S.  W. ;  stranded  in  Botany  Bay, 
May  17. 

St.  George.  British,  iron,  screw,  548  tons  ;  built  at  Glasgow,  1881  ;  Swansea  for  Nantes  ; 
cargo  of  coal ;  foundered  near  Swansea,  November  28 ;  eleven  lives  lost. 

St.  Pauli.  German,  iron,  screw,  979  tons;  built  at  Sunderland,  1880;  Grimsby  for 
Rosario ;  cargo  of  railroad  iron ;  foundered  in  the  Bay  of  Biscay,  March  2. 

Salvador.  American,  wooden,  paddle,  1050  tons;-  built  at  Wilmington,  Del.,  1861  ; 
owned  by  Pacific  Mail  Steamship  Co. ;  stranded  on  St.  Lucas  Island,  in  April. 

San  Augustin.  French,  iron,  screw,  233  tons;  built  at  St.  Malo,  1874;  Bordeaux  for 
Mexico;  stranded  near  Ferrol  in  October. 

San  Jose.     Spanish,  iron,  screw,  660  tons  ;  stranded  and  wrecked  at  Cape  Horn,  May  31. 

Savernake.  British,  iron,  screw,  633  tons  ;  built  at  Sunderland,  1872;  Yembo  for  Con- 
stantinople ;  stranded  near  Yembo,  January  2. 

Scud.  British,  iron,  screw,  482  tons;  built  at  Popla,  1861 ;  Boston  for  Halifax; 
stranded  on  Owen's  Reef,  N.  S.,  August  8. 

Secret.  British,  iron,  screw,  397  tons;  built  at  Dumbarton,  1847  ;  Hartlepool  for  Ply- 
mouth ;  cargo  of  coal ;  stranded  on  Kensingland  Beach,  October  28  ;  twelve  lives  lost. 

Severn.  British,  iron,  screw,  291  tons;  built  at  Barrow,  1880;  foundered  off  Kors 
Fjord,  July  II. 

Silkstone.  British,  iron,  screw,  393  tons;  built  at  Sunderland,  1880;  sunk  by  collision 
near  Waterford,  August  3. 

Snowdoun.  British,  iron,  screw,  527  tons;  built  at  Glasgow,  1854;  owned  by  Leith, 
Hull  &  Hamburg  Steamship  Company ;  Leith  for  Hull ;  foundered  in  the  Humber  River, 
September  I. 


APPENDIX.  455 

Spes  et  Fides.  Norwegian,  iron,  screw,  from  Christiana ;  stranded  near  Ormedyngen, 
February  20. 

Spey.  British,  iron,  screw,  1004  tons;  built  at  Dundee,  1879;  stranded  near  Selby, 
October  i. 

Stadrath  Geese.  German,  iron,  screw,  225  tons;  built  at  Grabo,  1876;  owned  by  Col- 
burg  Steamship  Co.,  Colburg;  Livau  for  Stettin;  cargo  of  grain;  foundered  off  Colburg, 
June  19. 

Stanton.  British,  iron,  screw,  .800  tons  ;  built  at  Sunderland,  1870;  Sunderland  for  Con- 
stadt;  cargo  of  coal  *  stranded  near  Hamra,  April  21  ;  afterwards  raised. 

Storm  Queen.  British,  iron,  screw,  2129  tons;  built  at  Wallsand,  1880;  Sebastopol  for 
Constantinople,  in  January ;  never  heard  from ;  thirty-three  lives  lost. 

Strathmore.  British,  iron,  screw,  2138  tons;  built  at  Middlesboro',  1878;  Savannah  for 
Bremen;  stranded  near  Callansburg,  December  3. 

Sunrise.  British,  iron,  screw,  2113  tons  ;  built  at  Stockton,  1882;  Bombay  for  Antwerp  ; 
cargo  of  cotton ;  stranded  near  Finnisterre,  June  20. 

Tcherkask.  Russian,  iron,  screw,  1 198  tons  ;  built  at  Newcastle,  1867  ;  owned  by  Russian 
Steam  Navigation  Co.,  Odessa;  Odessa  for  Constantinople;  stranded  in  the  Black  Sea, 
February  n. 

Teesdale.  British,  iron,  screw,  307  tons;  built  at  Middlesboro,'  1876;  stranded  near 
London,  January  26.  i 

Teutonia.  German,  iron,  screw,  1770  tons  ;  built  at  South  Shields,  1872  ;  Lubeck  for  St. 
Petersburg  -f  stranded  at  Lillymud,  near  Hamra,  October  8. 

Thessalia.  British,  iron,  screw,  1857  tons;  built  at  Glasgow,  1855;  Cardiff  for  Naples, 
cargo  of  coal ;  stranded  near  Villa  Nova  de  Milfontes,  March  20. 

Thesis.  British,  iron,  screw,  830  tons  ;  Liverpool  for  Galway  ;  stranded  near  Black  Rock, 
January  12. 

"  Thomas  Lea.     British,  iron,  screw,  634  tons;  built  at  Newcastle,  1864;  sunk  by  collision 
near  Southend,  October  26. 

Thomas  Vaughn.  British,  iron,  screw,  645  tons;  built  at  Middlesboro',  1871;  White- 
haven  for  Rotterdam,  cargo  of  iron  ore  ;  sailed  January  7  and  never  heard  from ;  thirty-six 
lives  lost. 

Tiber.  British  iron,  screw,  1134  tons;  built  at  Glasgow,  1866;  owned  by  Mercantile 
Steamship  Company,  London  ;  St.  Thomas  for* Havana;  foundered  off  Porto  Plata,  Feb.  17. 

Times.  British,  iron,  screw,  303  tons  ;  built  at  Glasgow,  1851  ;  owned  by  Belfast  General 
Coasting  Steamship  Company,  Belfast. 

Titania.  British,  iron,  screw,  1963  tons;  built  at  Middlesboro',,  1879 ;  New  York  for 
Newcastle,  January  24 ;  never  heard  from ;  thirty-four  lives  lost. 

Troubadour.  British,  iron,  screw,  1575  tons;  built  at  North  Shields,  1878;  Odessa  for 
Liverpool,  cargo  of  grain  ;  strande  1  near  Gape  Ingerbournous,  August  6. 

Vagliano  Brothers.  Greek,  iron,  screw,  1280  tons;  built  at  Sunderland,  1878;  Taganrog 
for  Rouen,  cargo  of  linseed;  stranded  in  Serroux  Roads  in  November. 

Valley  City.  American,  wood,  screw,  319  tons;  built  at  Philadelphia,  1859;  Tampa  Bay 
for  Pensacola;  foundered  near  Pensacola,  January  23. 

Vanguard.  British,  iron,  screw,  905  tons;  built  at  Newcastle,  1872;  Lisbon  for  London, 
February  26,  cargo  of  mineral ;  never  heard  from  ;  forty-three  lives  lost. 

Vendome.  British,  iron,  screw,  418  tons;  built  at  Sunderland,  188^2 ;  Neath  for  Rouen; 
sunk  by  collision  near  Croisset,  September  23. 

Vesta.  Russian,  iron,  screw,  1030  tons;  sunk  by  collision  in  the  Black  Sea,  February  24; 
fifty  lives  lost. 

Viking.  British,  iron,  screw,  1031  tons;  Mackay  for  Maryborough;  stranded  in  Broad 
Sound,  Austral!  .1,  April  10. 


-456'  APPENDIX. 

Ville  de  Lille.  French,  iron,  screw,  1077  tons;  built  at  Antwerp,  1877;  Cronstadt  for 
.Dunkirk;  stranded  near  Faroe,  October  17. 

Vindobala.  British, iron, screw,  1744  tons;  built  at  Hebburn,  1879;  Shields  for  Bombay; 
-stranded  in  the  Red  Sea,  May  10. 

Virago.  British,  iron,  screw,  1823  tons;  built  at  Hull,  1871  ;  Hull  for  Odessa,  May  31 ; 
never  heard  from  ;  thirty-four  lives  lost. 

Volga.  British,  iron,  screw,  836  tons;  built  at  Hull,  1862;  Bilbao  for  London,  cargo  of 
iron  ore;  stranded  near  Bilbao,  March  18. 

Voorwaarts.  Dutch,  iron,  screw,  2716  tons;  built  at  Glasgow,  1871 ;  Batavia  for  Amster- 
dam ;  stranded  near  Ganzirrio,  April  23. 

Vulcan.  British,  iron,  screw,  530  tons ;  Middlesboro'  for  Grangemouth ;  stranded  near 
Kirkcaldy,  October  16. 

W.  D.  C.  Balls.  British,  iron,  screw,  1251  tons;  built  at  South  Shields,  1878;  Shields 
for  Lyham,  cargo  of  coal ;  stranded  near  Cape  de  Yarte,  June  18. 

W.  R.  Rickett.  British,  iron,  screw,  803  tons;  built  at  Sunderland,  1871;  Cardiff  for 
•Gibralta),  cargo  of  coal;  stranded  near  Figueria,  April  27  ;  two  lives  lost. 

Wambe.  British;  Hong  Kong  for  Victoria;  foundered  north  of  Sti aits  of  Juan  de  Fuca 
in  October;  sever?vl  hundred  coolies  lost. 

Wearmouth.  British,  iron,  screw,  1680  tons;  built  at  Sunderland,  in  1880;  Quebec  for 
London;  stranded  on  Magdalen  Island,  November  19;  sixteen  lives  lost. 

Westbourne.  British,  iron,  screw,  1886  tons;  built  at  Sunderland,  1877;  foundered  off 
Flaxbourne. 

Westport.  British,  iron,  screw,  421  tons  ;  built  at  Port  Glasgow,  1881 ;  for  Wellington  ; 
foundered  at  Flaxbourne,  June  22. 

William  Crane.  American,  iron,  screw,  1416  tons;  built  at  Wilmington,  Del.,  1871; 
owned  by  Merchants'  and  Miners'  Transportation  Company,  Baltimore. 

Winion.  British,  iron,  screw,  1913  tons;  built  at  Newcastle,  1880 ;  Odessa  for  London, 
cargo  of  grain  ;  foundered  off  LJjhint,  November  21  ;  thirty  lives  lost. 

Wotonga.  British,  iron,  screw,  997  tons;  built  at  Dumbarton  1876;  owned  by  Australian 
Steam  Navigation  Company,  Sydney;  Sydney  for  Brisbane;  stranded  near  The  King  Point. 
N.  S.  W.,  January  2. 

Vrurac  Bat.  Spanish,  iron,  screw,  2197  tons;  built  at  Sunderland,  1871 ;  Liverpool  for 
West  Indies;  sunk  by  collision  oft  Cape  Finisterre,  April  I. 

Zenaide.  French,  iron,  screw,  692  tons;  built  at  Nantes,  1872;  Cardiff  for  Nazaire,  cargo 
of  coal;  never  heard  from  after  sailing  on  December  16,  1881 ;  thirty-two  lives  lost. 

In  every  case  where  the  vessel  belonged  to  a  regular  line  the  name  of  the  company  is  given 
as  the  owner.  Where  that  is  omitted  the  vessel  belonged  to  private  owners  and  what  has 
become  known  as  an  "  Ocean  tramp."  The  list  discloses  how  large  a  proportion  of  the  dis- 
asters occur  to  vessels  of  that  description. 


APPENDIX.  457 

TABLE  XIX.— The  Quickest  Passages  of  Ooean  Steamships,  1869  to  1882. 


Route. 

Miles. 

Steamship. 

Line. 

Date. 

Days. 

Hours. 

9 
7 
12 
15 
7 
20 
6 
22 
15 
11 
6 
1 

""'is'"" 

23 
2 
19 
....._.„.... 

10 
18 
8 
7 
18 
15 

Min. 

New  York  to  Queenstown  

Queenstown  to  New  York  

Liverpool  to  New  York  
Queenstown  from  New  York, 
to  Cape  Henlopen 

2950 

« 

3050 
2950 
3010 
3010 

Arizona  

Guion  

June.  1879 
Sept.  1881 
Dec.   1876 
Oct.    1875 
Jan.    1882 
.     1873 
April  1882 
June,  1882 
1871 
1877 
July,  1869 
Sept.  1881 
Aug.  1882 
Sept.  1875 
1872 
June.  1869 
1871 
1872 
1876 
Aug.  1877 
May,  1882 
1869 
Jan.   1882 
Dec.  1876 
Oct.    1880 
1882 
Aug.  1876 
May,  1875 
1875 
1875 

7 
7 

7 

| 

7 
8 
8 

7 
7 
8 

0 

I 

7 
8 

I 
1 

6 
16 
15 
4 

1 

23 
48 
46 
48 
41 
09 
43 
10 
03 
37 
30 
58 

"02"* 

17 
58 
52 
02 
17 
53 
32 
12 
41 
13 
34 

Britannia  

City  of  Berlin  
Servia 

Inman  
Cunard  
White  Star 
Guion  

Baltic  !  

Alaska  

Baltic  

White  Star 
Cunard  

Guion........ 
Inman  

Germania 

Russia  

Gallia  

Arizona 

City  of  Berlin.... 
Adriatic 

Baltic  

City  of  Richmond- 
Germanic  
Britannic  
Gallia  

Inman  
White  Star 

Russia  

Servia 

Cunard  
American- 
Allan  ". 

Illinois  

Parisian 

Havana  to  New  York  
New  York  to  Havana 

1225 
1225 
2300 
2300 
4764 
4764 

"iijaso" 

City  of  Vera  Cruz.. 
City  of  New  York.. 
Henry  Chaniiiriir 

0 
10 
14 
5 
9 
13 
4 
22 

43 
07 
00 
30 

New  York  to  Aspinwall  
Aspinwall  to'  New  York  
San  Francisco  to  Yokohama 
Yokohama  to  San  Francisco. 
Southampton  to  Sandy  Hook 
London  to  Hankow,  China... 

J  n 

City  of  Peking  
Oceanic  

P  M  S  Co 

White  Star 
German  

1876 
1881 
1882 

Elbe  
Sterling  Castle.*.... 

25 

*This  steamer  went  at  the  rate  of  at  least  375  miles  a  day,  including  detention  at  coaling 
ports  and  time  occupied  passing  through  the  Suez  Canal. 

In  1872  the  average  of  24  trips  made  by  four  vessels  of  the  White  Star  Line  from  New 
York  to  Queenstown  was  8  days,  15  hours  and  2  minutes. 

The  first  steamer-load  of  passengers  that  ever  left  Europe  on  one  Sunday  and  were  landed 
at  Castle  Garden  the  following  one  was  by  the  "  Alaska,"  in  1882  ;  yet  her  best  run  was  419 
miles  in  24  hours.  Before  1850,  the  sailing-ship  "James  Baines,"  built  by  Donald  McKay, 
ran  420  miles  in  24  hours.  The  ship  "  Red  Jacket,"  built  at  Rockland,  Me.,  ran  2280 
miles  in  7  days,  or  325  miles  per  diem  for  a  week;  and  the  "  Flying  Cloud  "  once  made 
374  knots,  or  433  miles,  in  24  hours  and  25  minutes,  equal  to  17.17  miles  per  hour. 

The  "  Arizona  "  made  thirteen  successive  trips  in  1881,  all  of  which  were  under  8  days. 

Twenty-five  years  ago  1 1  or  12  days  were  deemed  good  enough  time  between  Sandy 
Hook  and  Liverpool,  the  points  between  which  accounts  were  then  kept,  instead  of  Sandy 
Hook  and  Queenstown,  as  at  present.  Gradually  the  time  grew  shorter,  and  the  progress 
was  by  clearly  marked  steps.  The  rivalry  between  the  several  lines  would  account  natu- 
rally for  this  progression,  each  pushing  its  best  boat  to  beat  the  time  made  by  some  competi- 
tor; but  that  could  have  gone  only  a  little  way  toward  the  attainment  of  the  results  of  to-day 
had  there  not  been  a  wonderful  advancement  in  marine  engine  building  and  in  marine 
architecture. 

So  great  have  been  the  improvements  in  steamship  machinery  within  the  past  ten  years 
that  ocean  vessels  now,  with  half  their  former  consumption  of  coal,  make  far  better  time. 
The  "  Nevada,"  of  the  Guion  Line,  for  instance,  now  makes  her  trips  in  an  average  of  at 
least  one  day  less  than  'she  used  to  take,  and  on  half  the  quantity  of  coal.  Invention  is  so 
rapid  that  a  boat  grows  old-fashioned  in  nine  or  ten  years,  and  must  either  be  replaced  by  a 


458  APPENDIX. 

new  one,  improved  up  to  date,  or,  if  retained  in  a  first-class  line,  must  have  her  machinery 
entirely  replaced  by  the  new  and  better  engines  which  have  come  out. 

The  increased  speed  of  late  years  is  due  no  less  to  the  improvement  in  steamship  models 
than  to  that  in  machinery,  the  long  and  narrow  hulls  enabling  them  to  make  time  now  that 
could  never  have  been  made  with  the  old  style  of  steamships. 

As  late  as  1866,  a  voyage  between  New  York  and  Liverpool  made  in  less  than  II  days 
was  phenomenal.  In  1870  the  Cunard  and  Inman  Lines  pretended  to  make  excellent  time, 
and  then  io}4  days  from  Liverpool  to  New  York  was  looked  upon  as  wonderful.  The 
difference  of  time  allowed  between  Queenstown  and  Liverpool  is  about  5  hours. 

It  is  not  in  the  exceptional  voyages  in  which  the  increasing  capacity  for  speed  of  the 
ocean  steamships  of  the  present  day  is  most  impressively  presented,  but  in  the  general  aver- 
ages attained  in  a  succession  of  voyages,  and  in  the  increasing  speed  thus  shown  by  the 
same  vessels,  owing  to  the  great  improvements  made  in  their  machinery.  Thus  the  two 
fastest  steamships  of  the  White  Star  Line,  the  "  Britannic,"  which  in  six  westward  voyages, 
in  1875,  averaged  9  days,  5  hours,  35  minutes,  in  1880  made  nine  voyages  which  averaged 
only  8  days,  8  hours,  29  minutes;  and  the  "  Germanic  "  reduced  her  average  of  9  days,  5 
hours,  1 6  minutes,  in  seven  westward  voyages  made  in  1875, to  8  days,  20  hours,  17  minutes, 
in  ten  voyages  made  in  1880.  The  general  averages  of  these  two  vessels  are  :  "  Britannic,". 
54  voyages  westward  in  seven  years,  8  days,  1 1  hours,  10  minutes  ;  53  voyages  eastward  in 
seven  years,  8  days,  4  hours,  18  minutes.  "  Germanic,"  52  voyages  westward  in  six  years, 
8  days,  14  hours,  16  minutes  ;  51  voyages  eastward  in  six  years,  8  days,  6  hours,  17  minutes. 
The  North  German  Lloyd  Line  has  one  fast  steamship,  the  "  Elbe,"  which  in  1881  made 
the  voyage  from  Southampton  to  Sandy  Hook  in  8  days,  4  hours,  25  minutes,  which  would 
be  about  the  equivalent  of  7  days,  9  hours,  49  minutes  between  Sandy  Hook  and  Queens- 
town.  She  has,  however,  been  U3ed  hitherto  as  only  an  emergency  boat  in  summer,  when 
the  demands  of  travel  are  greatest. 


APPENDIX. 


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APPENDIX.  461 

WILLIAM  CRAMP  &  SONS  SHIP  AND  ENGINE  COMPANY. — This  company  and  establish- 
ment was  founded  in  1830  by  William  Cramp,  who  died  a  few  years  ago  full  of  years  and 
full  of  honors.  He  was  a  man  whose  word  was  as  good  as  his  bond.  Highly  respected  in 
the  community  in  which  he  lived,  he  likewise  merited  the  esteem  of  the  government  and 
that  of  foreign  powers,  whose  contracts  for  work  he  faithfully  executed.  The  firm  to-day  has 
an  inheritance  of  wealth  as  rich  perhaps  in  their  father's  honored  name  and  example  as  in 
the  property  and  business  he  bequeathed  to  them.  The  ship-building  establishments  of  the 
firm  are  among  the  most  complete  of  their  kind  in  America. 

Independent  of  what  they  own  and  manage  at  home — the  largest  dry-dock  in  the  world — 
the  Erie  basin  at  South  Brooklyn,  New  York  Harbor,  has  lately  come  under  the  immediate 
and  personal  control  of  Cramp  &  Sons.  In  Philadelphia,  two  large  yards,  affording  the  most 
extensive  facilities  for  ship-building,  one  at  the  foot  of  Palmer  and  the  other  at  the  foot  of 
Norris  streets,  on  the  Delaware  River,  comprise  their  main  works.  At  the  first  named 
locality  is  to  be  found  one  of  the  largest  basin  docks  in  the  United  States.  The  extreme 
length  of  this  basin  is  462  feet,  thereby  accommodating  a  vessel  450  feet  long  on  a  draught 
of  20  feet  on  3-leet  blocks.  It  has  a  width  of  in  feet,  and  required  4,200  piles.  The  keel 
blocking  is  of  wedged  blocks,  arranged  to  haul  under  and  fit  a  damaged  keel.  The  basin 
has  four  centrifugal  pumps,  each  capable  of  lifting  30,000  gallons  of  water  per  minute,  or  an 
aggregate  pumping  capacity  per  minute  of  120,000  gallons.  By  these  pumps  it  can  be 
emptied  of  water  in  forty-five  minutes.  To  build  this  basin  and  secure  the  land  cost  half  a 
million  of  dollars.  The  Norris  Street  establishment  has  a  frontage  on  the  Delaware  of  750 
feet,  extending  back  to  Beach  Street  700  feet.  Here  all  new  work  is  done,  such  as  the 
building  of-  iron  and  wooden  hulls  for  vessels,  marine  engines  and  boilers.  The  machine 
t  and  boiler  shops  are  fitted  with  tools  and  machinery  of  the  most  recent  and  approved  pattern 
and  of  the  greatest  possible  power.  The  working  force  of  the  establishment  consists  of  2,000 
men,  and  3,000  can  be  readily  employed. 

During  the  civil  war  Cramp  &  Sons  built  for  the  United  States  Government  the  steam 
frigate  "  New  Ironsides,"  the  monitors  "  Yazoo"  and  "  Tunxis,"  the  double-ender  "  Wyalu- 
sing,"  and  the  screw  frigate  "  Chattanooga." 

In  1870  and  after,  they  built  the  "  Pennsylvania,"  "  Ohi'o,"  "Indiana,"  and  "Illinois," 
screw  steamships  of  3,000  tons  for  the  American  or  Keystone  Lines.  , 

In  1879  the  Russian  Government  purchased  two  merchant  steamships  that  had  been  built 
by  them,  and  converted  them  into  ships  of  war  for  that  government,  which  renamed  therrj 
the  "  Europe"  and  the  "  Asia."  They  also  reconstructed  another  vessel,  which  was  named 
the  "  Africa,"  and  built  for  the  same  government  the  "  Labiaca,"  which  maintains  a  speed 
of  15^  knots  an  hour. 

William  Cramp  &  Sons  have  built  two  hundred  and  thiity-four  vessels  of  various  classes, 
registering  a  total  of  150,000  tons.*  The  "  Samson,"  the  first  screw  steam  tzig  was  built  by 
them  in  1849. 

In  the  table  annexed,  to  each  vessel  is  attached  a  building  number,  those  numbers  omitted 
•  belong  to  sailing  ships,  tugs,  and  small  steamers. 

Win.  Cramp  &  Sons  are  lessees  of  dry  docks  at  the  Erie  Basin,  South  Brooklyn,  N.  Y., 
which  are  the  largest  dry  docks  on  the  continents  of  North  and  South  America,  and  are  be- 
lieved to  be  the  largest  in  the  world.  These  dry  docks  are  two  in  number,  and  of  the  fol- 
lowing dimensions : 

*  From  Sheridan  Hood  s  paper  in  Our  Continent,  September  6, 18£2. 


462  APPENDIX. 

DOCK  No.  i. 

Feet. 
Length  over  all  on  coping,      .......     540 

Length  inside  of  caisson  when  at  outer  abatement,  .         .         .     510 
Length  inside  of  caisson  when  at  inner  abutment,    .         .         .     490 

Width  on  top  in  body      .         . 1 24 

Width  on  floor  in  top,      .         .         .         .         .         .         .  52 

Width  on  floor  at  entrance,      .         .         .         .         .         .         .46 

Widtfr  on  top  at  entrance,        .......     100 

Depth  of  gate  sill  below  coping,      ......       27 

Depth  of  gate  sill  below  high  water, 22 

DOCK  No.  2. 

Feet. 
Length  over  all  on  coping,      .......     630 

Length  inside  of  caisson  when  at  outer  abutment,    .         .         .     600 
Length  inside  of  caisson  when  at  inner  abutment,    .         .         .     580 
Width  on  top  in  body,    .         .          .         .         .         .         .         .in 

Width  on  floor  in  body,  ........       46 

Width  on  floor  at  entrance,      .......       45 

Width  on  top  at  entrance,        .......       85 

Depth  of  gate  sill  below  coping,      ......       30 

Depth  of  gate  sill  below  high  water,        .....       25 

The  docks  are  built  upon  spruce  pile  foundations  throughout,  the  floor  foundation  piles 
being  driven  in  rows  spaced  three  feet  from  centres  transversely,  and  about  four  feet  eight 
inches  longitudinally,  upon  which  are  fitted  and  secured  heavy  transverse  floor  timbers  of 
yellow  pine,  covered  with  spruce  planking  to  form  the  floor,  and  carrying  the  keel  blocks,  the 
latter  being  additionally  supported  by  four  rows  of  piles  firmly  driven  under  the  floor  timbers 
and  capped  with  heavy  yellow  pine  timbers  along  the  axis  of  the  dock. 

The  heads  of  these  piles  along  the  keelway  are  also  inclosed  in  a  continuous  "bed  of  Port- 
land cement  concrete. 

«  Open  box  drains  are  provided  on  each  side  of  keelway  beneath  the  floor  timbers,  leading 
to  the  drainage  culverts  at  the  head  of  each  dock. 

«  The  sides  and  heads  of  the  docks  are  built  with  a  slope  of  about  45  degrees  ;  the  alters  to 
high  water  level  are  of  yellow  pine  timber,  nine  inches  rise  and  ten  inches  tread,  and  bolted 
to  side  brace  timbers,  which  are  supported  by  piles  and  abut  upon  the  ends  of  the  floor 
timbers. 

The  alters  are  carefully  filled  in  behind  with  clay  puddle,  as  the  sides  are  built  up,  and 
from  the  level  of  high  water  to  top  of  coping  the  sides  are  built  of  concrete  en  masse,  faced 
with  Hoope's  artificial  stone,  the  alters  being  continued  of  the  same  material  to  coping  level. 

The  keel  blocks  are  placed  upon  every  floor  timber,  and  high  blocks  of  the  usual  form, 
sliding  upon  oak  bearers,  upon  every  other  floor  timber. 

Lines  of  close  sheet  piling  of  tongued  plank  inclose  the  floor  of  the  dock,  and  also  extend 
entirely  around  the  dock  outside  of  coping,  and  across  the  entrance  of  outer  end  of  apron  and 
at  each  abutment,  forming  cut-offs  to  exclude  the  tide  water,  etc. 

An  iron  caisson  or  floating  gate  is  used  to  close  the  dock,  made  with  sloping  ends  corre- 
sponding substantially  with  the  slope  of  side  walls  in  the  body  of  the  dock,  which  bears 
against  the  sill  and  solid  timber  abutments  the  whole  length  of  its  keel  and  stem,  "no 
grooves"  being  used. 

Each  dock  has  two  gate  sills  and  abutments,  the  outer  one  being  provided  chiefly  to 
facilitate  examination  of  and  repairs  to  the  inner  or  main  one  generally  used.  The  joint  is 
made  water-tight  by  means  of  a  rubber  gasket  secured  to  the  face  of  sills  and  abutments 


APPENDIX.  463 

The  advantages  these  docks  possess  over  stone  docks,  as  constructed,  are  better  facilities  for 
shoring  vessels,  better  distribution  of  light,  and  dryness. 

The  narrow  alters  and  gently  sloping  sides  afford  safer  and  easier  means  of  ingress  and 
egress  at  every  point,  furnish  a  better  supply  of  light  and  air,  and  the  shoring  is  more  easily 
adjusted,  w.hich  materially  aids  in  the  dispatch  and  economy  with  which  repairs  can  be 
prosecuted. 

The  life  of  timber  docks  is  as  yet  unknown,  though  the  substructure,  which  is  kept  con- 
stantly wet,  can  be  said  to  be  practically  imperishable.  Judging  from  all  the  information  ob- 
tainable, a  timber  dock  of  good  quantity,  of  good  materials,  and  well  built,  would  be  in- 
significant for  a  period  of  say  twenty  years,  when  it  would  probably  be  found  necessary  to 
renew  all  woodwork  above  high  water  level,  and  the  face  timber  above  half  tide  level. 


464 


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10    8    S    ^ 

IS         S  §       isss  1 

o 

§  S      1.2  co      co 

CO        CO        0        Tt< 

i-l       rH                   CO  CC  CO  CO       rt 

H 

:     »: 

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r-'  <N                                          j 

:    :      ^ 

o'd                        oj              :   i   :   •       • 

0 

:   :      o 

J  A     ^ 

^^                                             'O                            "Silt 

| 

f^  o        "^ 

||                        5            "3   :    |    j       : 

1 

*5'3     S3     w 

p3 

««s  ,      •£      1.  il;j 

SS5    1          «         -Siga    •§ 

Si  ll 


5,2 


o 

o    o 


MHH        O 


I>COCC 
' 


is  i  I  S 


466 


APPENDIX. 


•3      ° 
J     « 


11  3 

S^S 

:isi 
ii|! 


g     M     JS«2     O  -aw^        'S  9>     ST 

»  I  "J§  I  "Ssri  |  I  «| 

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el     to 


88 


illisli  s  s 


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s  -3 


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g     |£ 
^     « a 


rH  C1  OO 
,_(  rH  r-( 
04  Cl  CM 


IC^CO 
x  -  1 
lTI  fi 


APPENDIX. 


467 


Iron  Steamers  and  other  Vessels  built  by  ike  Pusefy  and  Jones  Company,  Wil- 
mington, Del.,  from  the  year  1851  to  1882,  inclusive. 


Year 

STYLE. 

• 

NAME. 

DIMENSIONS. 

HULL. 

NATIONALITY. 

Length 

Br'dth 

Depth. 

1851 

1852 

1853 
1854 

« 
it 

1856 

1857 
1858 

1859 
ti 

1860 
tt 

u 

1861 
« 

M 

« 

1862 
tt 

it 
(. 
U 

I863 

tt 

4< 

4< 

44 
(1 

« 
(( 
.« 
« 

(( 

1864 

Side-wheel                Gilpin 

fett. 

120 
120 
1  2O 
80 
1  2O 
90 

100 

125 

105 
137 

$ 

76^ 
76^ 
115 

68 
1  80 
1  80 
80 
90 
80 

IOO 

1  20 

115 

75 

IOO 

60 
70 

2OO 
2IO 
2IO 
80 
76 
I30 
1  80 
250 
250 

75 
1  60 

150 
92 

I25 
60 
76 
80 
1  20 
130 

150 
68 
no 
119 

feet. 

22 
22 

16 

17 
20 
18 

20 
26 
22 
26 

16 
28 
•7^ 
•7# 

19 
16 
29 
29 
16 
16 
17 
19 

22 
*9 

18 
17 
15 
16 

32 
32 

\l 

16 
26 
30 
33 

8 

34 
28 

19 
28 

H 
16 

17 

22 
24 
26 

17 
22 
21 

fff 

6 
6 

r/2 

4 
6 

8 
8 
8 

rA. 

7A 

10 

r/* 
I* 

6 
i6/2 

? 

8 

4 
6 

Iy2 

5 

i 

16 
17 
17 
6 
6 
8 
16 

12 
12 

I* 

10 

7K 
6^ 

5 

I* 

10 

10 

IO 

4M 

i 

Wood... 

« 
« 
«« 

Iron  
ft 
u 

wood"!!! 
« 

Iron 

United  States 
u 
« 

< 
? 
« 
« 

< 

« 
< 

« 

< 

R.of  Equador 
United  States 
R.of  Equador 
«< 

United  States 
«< 

M 
H 
M 
M 

«( 
« 
U 

« 
(( 

Mexican. 
United  States 

tt 
ti 

M 

R.of  Equador 
United  States 
«« 

Spray  
"            1  James  Porter  

Propeller  .              i  U.  S.  Trent 

Side-wheel    

Flora  McDonald.. 
Caledonia     . 

Propeller 

Schooner  Mahlon  Betts  

Propeller  J.  W.  Bass  

Side-  wheel  Oueen  

Propeller  . 

Diamond  State  
Robt.  Waterman.. 
J.  L.  Pusey 

it 

if 

<( 

Wood  ... 
« 
<« 
«« 
«« 
«« 

« 

<« 
« 
Iron 

tl 

Southern  Star 

tl 

Delaware  . 

« 

Raritan  ,... 

i« 

Tuscarora  

u 

Mary  .. 

(C 

Mount  Vernon  
Monticello  

It 

Side-wheel  

E.  L.  Sewell  

Propeller  

E.  Chamberlain... 
J.  F.  Starr  
A.  P.  Hunt 

Side-wheel 

Propeller. 

Gen'l  Floves  
Jas.  Petteway    .... 

Wood... 

it 

Iron 

Side-wheel 

M 

« 

Capt.  Lee  

Propeller 

Keystone. 

Wood... 
«« 
«< 
<« 
<« 
« 
<« 
«« 
« 
« 
« 
« 
Iron 

< 

Tos.  Baker  ... 

« 

Juniata 

. 

Geo.  Washington.. 
Geo.  Cromwell  ... 
Boston  

, 

( 

if 

J.  K.  Kirkman  ... 
Empire  . 

(( 

tt 

Fahkee  . 

Side-wheel 

Wyalusing       ..  .. 

it 

Mingo                .... 

Propeller. 

Stern  wheel 

Tamaucipas  

Propeller  .        .... 

Tappahannock  
Pontiac  . 

Wood... 
<« 
(i 
it 
Iron  
Wood... 
<« 

it 

tt 

Iron  
Wood  ... 
Iron  

Side-wheel.  .4.  
Propeller 

Wawaset            .... 

Ella              

« 

Chesapeake  

(( 

Gov.  Curtin  

K 

Alice  

(( 

Francis  .          

(( 

S.  Cloud  

Side-wheel 

Vinces  

Propeller 

Pilgrim.... 

468 


APPENDIX. 


PUSEY  AND  JONES  COMPANY — Continued. 


Year 

1864 
« 
«( 
« 
« 
« 

1865 
« 
« 
«« 

1866 
« 
«< 

«« 
{« 
« 

" 
« 

« 
it 

1867 
«< 
<« 
« 
« 
<« 
« 

" 
1869 

(i 

1870 
« 

<« 

<« 
«< 

1871 
« 

« 
<« 
« 

« 
« 
«« 
<« 
« 
« 
« 
1872 

<« 

«< 

STYLE.                        NAME. 

DIMENSIONS. 

HULL. 

i 
NATIONALITY. 

Length  [  Br'dth 

Depth. 

Propeller                    Stanton 

feet. 
175 
175 
175 
175 
185 
76 
75 
155 

I25 
136 

125 
i34 

100 

75 
60 
80 
60 
114 
90 
45 
138 
67 

i33 
133 
1  20 
104 
1  68 
138 
155 

120 
138 
136 
114 

32 
i36 

J75iS 
130^ 
130^ 
148 
140 

75 
146 

150 
30 
30 
30 
30 
130 
240 
50 
125 
60 
80 
1  06 
150 

feet. 
18 
18 
18 
18 

35 
16 

15 

26 

20 
22 
20 

22 

17 
2O 

13 

17 

18 
20 
19 
9 
25 
16 

23 
23 

22 

17 
26 

24^ 
26 
2O 
28 

23 
2O 

6 

22 
28 
25 
25 
25 
23 
17 
29 
26 

8* 

Si 

1* 
*& 

23 
33 

12 

23 
12 

16 

22 
26 

feet. 

10 
10 
IO 
IO 
IO 

7A 

k 

4/2 

6 
4^ 

5/2 

5 
3A 

5/2 

4tf 

4/2 

8 

3l% 

4X 
8^ 
14^ 
HX 
5^ 
5X 
9 
8^ 
»A 
5 
6^ 

I* 

2^ 

7^ 
5^ 
5X 

10 

\\ 

4 

3*A 

3/2 
3l/2 
3/2 
7/2 

26* 

4 

7 
4^ 
5K 

10 

7^ 

Wood.... 

M 
M 

(« 

Iron  
W7ood.... 
Iron  

« 
< 
« 
c    ' 

( 

Wood.'.'.'. 
Iron  

« 

Wood'.!'.] 
Iron  

Wood'.'.'.! 
«  «  

Iron  

14 
« 

wood!!!! 

Iron  

M 

<« 
M 

wood!!!! 

Iron  

*  «( 

«« 
« 

H 

wood!!!! 

Iron  

»  

« 

« 
it, 
tt 

<« 
« 
« 

wood!!!! 

Iron  

United  States- 

"J 
« 

i 
«< 

Argentine. 
United  States 

14 

U.S.  Col'mbia 
H 

United  States 
.  Ecuador. 

a 

United  States 

Columbia. 

United  States 
(i 

(4 
(4 

Brazil. 
United  States 

(4 

Brazil. 
United  States 
Peru. 
Venezuela. 
United  States 
Brazil. 
United  States 
Brazil. 
«< 

United  States 

14 

Ecuador. 
Venezuela. 
Brazil. 

Ecuador. 
Brazil. 

United  States 
n 

Brazil. 

Ecuador. 
United  States 

Brazil. 

.Welles  

"                          Foote 

«                           Porter          

Side-wheel                 Columbia  

Propeller   Annie             

Kalie  Wise  

H.  I.  Davison  
Two  Bovs... 

Side  -wheel 

"                           E.  S.  Hardee  

« 

L.  B.  Vance  
Gov.  Worth  

(C 

,< 

Sofiay  Esperanga. 
Tairnna. 

4< 

Propeller    .                Falcon  ,  

Side-wheel               '  Gaiayas. 

Baba  

Stern  paddle-wheel   Old  North  State... 

Canoe  

Side-wheel.              !  Katie  

Propeller                    Argus  

««                      ..   Coquette  

«                              "Brunette 

Side-wheel 

Guama 

Propeller 

Moja...  

Fanita 

Side-wheel 

Florence 

t( 

Anajas.             .  .. 

Stern  paddle-wheel 
Side-wheel 

D.  Murchison  
Tambo  

« 

Nutrius  

« 

North  State  

"         (launch) 
« 

Rosa... 

«                        i  Amazonss  

Mamore  

<( 

Rio  Branco  

Propeller  

U.  S.  Grant  

tt 

A.  D.  Bache  

« 

Water  boat,  Peru.. 
San  Fernando  
loas  Augusto  
Leon  

Stern  paddle-  wheel 
Side-wheel  
Propeller 

tt 

Estelle  

tt 

Miranda  . 

« 

Quadra 

Side-  wheel 

Fortaleza   . 

« 

Pulaski  

Side-wheel 

Teixeira  &  Ruiz  .. 

« 

ft 

Wrightsville  
Cora  Staples  
Andira  

Propeller  . 

Side-wheel  

APPENDIX. 

PUSEY  AND  JONES  COMPANY — Continued. 


469 


Year 

STYLE. 

NAME. 

DIMENSIONS. 

HULL. 

NATIONALITY. 

Length 

Br'dth 

Depth. 

j 

1873' 
tt 

« 

|| 
|| 

(( 
ft 
(I 
1C 

1874 

« 

1875 

(( 

tt 

1876 

it 
(f 

;; 

« 

« 

1877 
tt 

i< 
i 
< 
i 

M 

1878 

«( 
H 

n 

1879 
ti 

M 

<« 
II 
(« 
« 
«< 
II 
ft 

«( 
II 

1880 

Maggie. 

feet.   • 
30 
3° 
85 
256 
40  • 
70 
160 
1  20 
150 
280 

105 
130 

159 
no 

156 

i6o/2 
132 
90 
50 
45 
30 
292 
140 
104 
216 
75 
75 
146 
60 
90 
60 
65 
75 
150 

210 

150 
100 

130 

45 
60 

120 
100 
60 
1  2O 
90 
146^ 
I36 

95 

I2C 

30 

1  2O 

40 

HOfl 

feet. 

I* 
it* 

33/2 
10 

17 

26 

22 

26 

34 

21)4 

25 

22^ 

2% 

3° 
23 

22^ 

17 
12 

i°/2 

7 

40 
23 
17 

39 
t7 
17 
23 
17 
18 

12 

16 
17 
25 
30 
3° 
18 

22 
II 
22 
24 
24 
15 
2O 

18 
27 
24 
18/2 

22 

8^ 
24 

10 

25 

feet 

3/2 

3/2 

5/2 

2SA 

4/2 

7# 

5/2 
7/2 
25r9Z 

1/2 

8 
13 
<JA 

H 
13/2 

5/2 
4/2 
4/2 

3 

10 

8 

5/2 
8/2 

7A 

7T% 

7/2 
4/2 
S/2 

4 
4 

7/2 

7* 

9 
6 

7/2 

8A 
4H 

5^ 
4 
3 
"tV 
5A 
i°A 
6i9a 
9 

9A 

3X 

• 

4 
3 

n^ 

Iron  

M 

<« 
II 

« 

wood!!!! 

Iron  

« 
« 
<« 

wood!!!! 

Iron  
Wood.... 
<« 

Iron  

Wood.... 
<« 

Iron.  ... 
« 

Wood*.'.'.'. 
Iron  
« 
ii 
« 
Wood'.'.'.! 
Iron  

« 
< 
« 

< 

ii 
M 

Wood.!!! 
Iron  

«« 
Steei!.'.'.'! 

Iron  

«< 
«« 
« 

«< 

Steel  
H 

Iron  

United  States 
Brazil. 

United  States 
Brazil. 
Ecuador. 
Brazil. 
<« 
« 
United  States 

Venezuela 
United  States 
« 

Colombia  
United  States 
ft 

Ecuador. 
<( 

United  States 
Ecuador. 
United  States 
Brazil. 
tt 

United  States 
Columbia. 

Brazil. 
Columbia. 
Ecuador. 
« 
tt 

Columbia. 
Venezuela. 
United  States 
Columbia. 
Mexico. 
Cuban. 

Columbia.; 
«« 

Brazil. 
Columbia. 
United  States 
Venezuela. 
Brazil. 

United  States 
M 

«< 

Mexico. 
fi 

Columbia. 
« 

United  States 

Victor    

Side-wheel 

(Hull  only)  

Propeller  

Knickerbocker.... 
Isabeliba  ;. 

Side-wheel  

Quinto  

H 

Aruan 

« 

Barao  de  Teffe.... 

M 

Propeller.   . 

Alert  

Side-wheel. 

El  Uribanke  
Tunlet  ... 

Propeller 

"           ..             Monarch  

Stern  paddle-wheel   Francia  Elena  
Propeller                    Defiance    . 

"                             Tacorua 

Side-  wheel  t 

(Guayaquil) 

<« 

(Hoadley) 

Propeller.. 

Hamilton 

Side-wheel. 

(Amsinck)     . 

" 

Newark  

Arapixy  

« 

Columbia    

Stern  paddle-wheel 
Propeller  

Wide  West  .. 

Gen'l  Narino  
Gen'l  Maza  

tt 

Side-wheel 

"          .                Don  Juan 

"          .                Chimborazo  

Lighter           !  

Propeller  ... 

Gen'l  Padilla  
El  Progreso 

Side-wheel     

<( 
Hull  only....'.'.'.'!!'.!! 

Thos.  Clyde  

Propeller..  .. 

Frontera        

Side-wheel. 

Caibarien  

Propeller  . 

El  Liberbador.... 
Cristobal  Colombo 
Cayuete  
Tolimo  

Dredging  Machine 
Side-wheel  
it 

Stern  paddle-wheel 
Propeller.. 

Flor  de  Mayo  

"     twin  screw 
Side-wheel  

Fish  Hawk  .     .. 

H.  B.  Plant  

i  Propeller 

Meteor  

« 

Mexico  

Stern  paddle-whee] 

«             ti 

>  Lightship   (U.   S.) 
No.  43. 

Elona  de  Noriem 

470 


APPENDIX. 


PUSEY  AND  JONES  COMPANY. —  Continued. 


Year 

1880 
« 
« 
« 
« 
c< 

(( 
« 
« 
« 
«( 
« 

u 
(« 

1881 
« 
« 
« 

u 

«( 

M 

« 
« 
M 

<( 
(« 
(( 

n 

« 

« 
«« 

1882 
« 

<< 
« 

STYLE. 

NAME. 

DIMENSIONS. 

HULL. 

NATIONALITY. 

Length 

Br'dth 

Depth. 

Side-wheel. 

feet. 
60 
80 
1  60 
1  60 

50 
125 

30 
40 
40 
30 
190 

32ft 

'45 
56 
95 

60£ 

n 

32 

100 

i"# 

120 

146 

150 
120 
140 

&* 

110 

80 

55 
50 
45 
200 
130 
"5 

feet. 
H 
17 
25 

27 
20 

23 

7 
18 

22 
15 

30* 

24 

i6# 

18 
16 

12 

18 

*# 

18 

25 
26 

23 

25 
24 

25 

16 

22 
25 
25 

18 
J5 

27A 

26 

24 

feet. 
4^ 
5 
9 
9 

7/2 

4T9i 

3>^ 
3>^ 

loji 
3A 

7T% 
6^ 

9 

7T% 
4 
8 

3X 
7K 

n^ 
6 

7X 

10 

3i§ 
lOfi 

9/2 

4 

3^ 
3 

I!A 

7 

SA 

Iron  

M 

(« 

Comp'ste 
Iron  

«( 

M 

(( 

Wood'.!.'.' 
Iron  
<. 

<« 
« 

wood!!!! 

Iron  
« 
« 

« 

(C 

(« 

(« 

Steel!.'!!.' 
Iron  

Wood'.'.!! 
Iron  
Steel  
«< 

Iron  

M 

(( 

Brazil. 
Ecuador. 
Brazil 
English. 
Brazil. 
Mexico. 

tt 

Columbia. 
<( 
<« 
Venezuela. 

United  States 
Mexico. 
Columbia. 
United  States 

English. 
Columbia. 
Mexico. 

United  States 
Columbia. 
Brazil. 
United  States 
Columbia. 
United  States 
« 
tt 

Columbia. 

United  States 
Nicaraugua. 
United  States 

u 

Trombetas 

(t 

Tapaiof. 

Side-  wheel  

San  Andreas  Tux- 
bla  

Propeller  

Barge.... 

« 

Derrick  Barge...... 

Side-  wheel. 

Bolivar.. 

« 

Fred'k  de  Bary... 
San  Jose  

Schooner  .. 

Propeller 

Meteor  No.  2  
Taurus    

« 

« 

Claudia  . 

« 

Reliance 

it 

Diligencia. 

it 

Asturias  

Lightship   (U.  S.) 
No.  4  

Stern  pad'le  dredge 
Side-wheel  '  

Drago  

Salimses  

Wistaria  

Stern  paddle-wheel 
Propeller 

Emelia  Durrn  
Walter  Forward  .. 
Angie  &  Nellie... 
Gen'l  Miles 

u 

(I 

Scows  (2)  

"         (2)  

«  U....:.:::: 

Scow  (4)  

Propl.  (twin  screw) 
"     (fire-boat) 

Albatross  

APPENDIX. 


471 


THE  PENN  WORKS,  PHILADELPHIA,  1838-82. — This  establishment  was  started  in  the 
year  1838,  with  a  very  limited  capital,  as  the  "  Penn  Works,"  by  Reany,  Neafie  &  Co.,  the 
firm  consisting  of  Thomas  Reany,  Jacob  G.  Neafie,  and  John  P.  Levy.  It  became  very  suc- 
cessful, doing  nothing  but  first-class  work,  and  established  a  reputation  second  to  none  in 
the  country.  Since  Mr.  Reany  retired  from  the  business  it  has  been  continued  by  Neafie  & 
Levy  as  iron  ship  builders.  The  shops  and  ship  yards  occupy  an  area  of  seven  acres.  Every 
branch  is  carried  on  within  them,  and  they  have  capacity  for  any  work.  Following  is  a  table 
of  the  iron  vessels  that  have  been  built  at  the  Penn  Works  since  1844,  with  their  dimensions  : 

TABLE  XXIII.— Iron  Vessels  built  by  Neafie  &  Levy,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


Name. 

Year. 

Length. 

Breadth. 

Depth. 

Conestoga    . 

1844 

u 

" 

1852 

feet.      inch. 
80 

feet 
16 

20 

8 
23 
H 
16 
10 
17 

15 
19 
19 
19 
19 
23 

18 

24 

23 
29 

15 
23 
15 

32 
32 

'5 

23 

3° 
26 

34 
18 

37 
37 
15 
1  8 
18 
18 
24 

13 
1  8 

21 

inch. 

feet.     inch. 
6 
6          o 

f     * 

i     6 

3          6 
3          o 
8          o 
5          6 
7           o 
6           o 

7          ° 
7          6 
8          o 

8          o 
6          o 
8          o 

9          o 
6          6 
8           o 

7          o 
8          6 
20          8 

10              0 

7          o 
ii 

6          6 
8          6 
9          6 
9          o 
14          o 
24          o 
4          3 

A.              O" 

4          o 
6          o 
8          o 
8          o 
8          o 
9          o 
6          o 
8          o 
7          o 

Barclay    ...         ... 

I2C. 

Tecumsch  

7C. 

Apure... 

1  60        

no 

6 
...„. 

6 
6 

vSan  Tuan...                                  .... 

_      J 
Kancocas  

125 

Montezuma  

60 

Geo.  Moorhead  

IOO          

"5       

6c, 

Orinoco 

Decatur                     .              « 

1855 

Board  man  I 

I2C 

6 

Boardman  2 

IOO         

80     

OI 

Jacob  G.  Neafie  . 

1856 

6 

""8 

Major  Brewerton       

Fanny  Cadwalader  

158 

Elizabeth  

Tas.  Gray  

;; 

1860 

1860 
1862 

1863 
M 
ii 

1866 

1870 
1878 

1873 
1872 

85 

1  20 

Octoran  

158 

8 

Philadelphia 

200 

Pacific 

75       
158 

3 
8 
6 

Wm.  Woodward 

Janaluska           

Arasapha  

120          
2IO         

Oriental  

General  Scott  

Union 

,, 

Russia 

-- 

6 

Siberia 

i« 

Amoor              .                              .  .. 

«< 

Van  Vliet                              

1  60         ".'.'". 

'3°       
230       
60       
129       
129       

65       
80       

95       
86          3 
118       
60       
9»       

IOO         



Joseph  Thompson    

General  Meigo  

Pocahontas  

Charles  Pearson. 

Havana               ..                    

Dashing  Wave     .  .    .        

Julia  St.  Clair  

Bandy  Moore  

Ida  

Seminole  

Cynthia               ..                  

Mary  Louisa            

W.  E.  Gladwish  

Sallie  

Tisdale                                  

Alfred  Edwin          

472 


APPENDIX. 

TABLE  XXIII.—  Continued. 


Name. 


Year. 


J.  L.  Witterbee 1872 

Ethel 

Convoy 1873 

Dahlia 1874 

William  S.  Stokely. 

Ivanhoe 

Startle 1876 

Transfer 1877 

Cuba 1878 

Ella  Andrews. 

John  E.  Tygert 1879 

Neptune , 
Rattler... 
Atlantic  , 

Transfer  2 1          1880 

George  W.  Watrous j  " 

Conoho I         1881 

W.  M.  Wood 

William  S.  Hart 

Battler 

William  A.  Marbing. 

Nat.  Wales 

Storm  King 1882 

City  of  Philadelphia. 

Leo 

City  of  Alma 

Rushing 

Tyson 


Length. 


feet,     inch 

108       

60       

85       

141           6 
loo       

67 
60 

100 
211 

80 


110 

159 

100 
100 

170 

80 

294 

116 
105 

85 
118 
100 

90 
no 

100 

176 


Breadth. 


feet. 

20 

14 

19 
25 

18 
H 
14 

21 
32 
17 
22 
2O 
22 
30 
21 
21 
23 
17 
42 
,  22 
21 

18 

21 
19 
19 
20 

19 
23 


inch. 


Depth. 


feet. 

9 
6 

9 
o 
8 
6 

6     I 
10 

21 

8 

6 

6 

n 

1 1 

10 

IO 

9 

8 

13 
n 

9 

9 

13 

ii 

9 
5 

10 
10 


inch. 
o 
o 

6 
6 
6 
6 
o 
6 
o 
o 
o 
o 

9 
o 
o 
o 
o 
o 
o 
6 
o 
o 
o 
o 
o 
6 
o 


TABLE   XXIV. —  List  of    Vessels  built  by  the  Delaware  River  Iron  Ship  Building  and 
Engine    Wotks  oj  Chester,  Pa.,  from  1872.  to  2882,  both  inclusive. 


NAME. 


Tonnage. 


NAME. 


Tonnage. 


NAME. 


Tonnage. 


San  Antonio H12tffo 

Garden  City  (ferry-boat) 825.55 

City  of  Chester 1106.21 

Colon 2685.75 

Colima 2905.64 

Erie  (ferry-boat) 981. 

City  of  Peking 5075.25 

"     Tokio 5079.25 

"     Waco 1486.21 

Perkiomen 1035.35 

Berks 553.99 

State  of  Texas 1548.66 

City  of  Panama 1490.24 

"     Guatemala 1487.30 

Geo.  W.  Elder 1561.82 

Geo.  E.  Weed  (tug-boat) 30.49 

U.  S.  Sloop  Alert 541. 

Huron 541. 

City  of  Pan  Francisco 3009.25 

"     New  York 3019.56 

"     Sydney 3016.46 

U.  S.  monitor  Miantonomah.  2025.75 
Spanish  gun-boat  Gracioso...         72. 

If.  S.  monitor  Puritan 2898. 


Newberne 

Rio  Grande 

Niagara 

Saratoga 

City  of  Macon 

Western  Texas 

Panama  (tug) 

City  of  Washington... 

"      Savannah 

Oregon 

City  of  Rio  de  Janeiro. 

"     Para 

Saratoga  No.  2 

City  of  Columbus 

Gate  City 

luan  Mir 

Colorado 

Santiago 

Elias , 

City  of  Alexandria 

Manhattan 

Louisiana 

Columbia 

Newport 


412.27 
2566.48 
2265.28 
2285.65 
2092.80 
1121.12 

195.30 
2618.21 
2029.40 
2335.38 
3548.30 
3532.25 
2426.14 
1992.37 
1  DH7.11 

422.57 
2810. 
1M5N.78 

299.80 
2580.32 
1525.19 
2840.13 
2722, 
2735. 


Breakwater 

Yosemite 

City  of  Augusta 

Willamette 

Umatilla 

Walla- Walla ... 

Cygnus 

Cepheus 

Sirius 

Guadalupe 

Pilgrim 

San  Marcos 

Roanoke 

|  Guyandotte 

San  Jose 

San  Juan 

San  Bias 

Tallahassee 

Chattahooch.ee 

Nacooche 

!  Finance* 

Advance* 

Reliance* 


1044.39 
481.51 
2870. 
2269.11* 
2139.49 
2134.80 
857.44 
882.03 
903  31 
2839.29 
ab't  3500 
2839.29 
2350.57 
2354.58 
ab't  2200 
2200 
2200 
2600 
2600 
2600 
1900 
1900 
1900 


*  For  Brazil  trade  (new). 

Note  for  some  account  of  Roach  &  S)ns'  Brazil  Line,  see  pages  373-76.     This  table  came 
frcm  him  too  late  to  give  any  more  particular  acconnt  of  this  extensive  establishment. 


APPENDIX.  473 

JOHN  ROACH  &  SONS'  ESTABLISHMENT. — The  ship-building  yard  of  John  Roach  &  Sons, 
established  in  1871  at  Chester,  on  the  Delaware,  has  a  frontage  on  the  river  of  2,500  feet, 
with  a  depth  from  the  flowing  stream  to  street  of  1,200  feet.  They  are  now  employing  at 
this  yard  1,400  men.  Since  the  establishment  was  organized  in  1871  the  population  of 
Chester  has  increased  from  5,000  to  15,000. 


THE  ATLANTIC  WORKS,  EAST  BOSTON,  MASS. — In  1853  a  half-dozen  enterprising  young 
mechanics  were  incorporated  under  a  special  charter  and  commenced  business  on  Chelsea 
Street,  at  the  corner  of  Marion  Street,  East  Boston,  and  gradually  their  skill  and  business 
energy  developed  to  what  is  now  known  as  the  Atlantic  Works.  Mr.  Abishai  Miller  was 
the  originator  of  the  scheme,  and  now  is  the  honorable  president  of  the  corporation- 
Some  idea  of  their  business  while  on  Chelsea  Street  may  be  derived  from  the  following  facts  : 

They  built  engines  for  the  corvette  "  Mrndjoor,"  of  the  Russian  Imperial  Navy;  for  the 
•"  Voyageur  de  la  Mer,"  an  iron  steamer  of  about  13,000  ton's  for  the  Pasha  of  Egypt,  and  the 
"  Argentina"  for  the  Republic  of  Paraguay.  These  works  have  constructed  several  iron 
steamers  for  Russia  and  Chinese  waters — on  the  "Amoor,"  "Aldha,"  "  Delta,"  "  Beta,"  etc.» 
the  "Kilanea"  for  the  Sandwich  Islands,  the  "Niphon"  (composite),  "  Pembroke"  (iron), 
and  others  for  American  owners.  The  "  Pembroke"  was  sold  for  East  India  service,  and 
was  some  time  since  fired  upon  by  the  Damio's  orders,  in  retaliation  for  which  the  United 
States  steamer  "  Wyoming"  demolished  several  of  his  forts.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  rebellion 
the  entire  resources  of  the  Atlantic  Works  were  employed  in  Government  work,  which  con- 
tinued for  a  year  after  its  close.  The  monitors  "  Nantucket"  and  "  Casco"  were  built  here; 
and  here  the  "  Monadnock,"  "  Agamenticus,"  "  Passaconaway,"  and  "  Shackamaxon"  re- 
ceived their  turrets,  and  the  United  States  steamers  "  Canandaigua,"  "  Sagamore,"  "  Sassa' 
•cus,"  and  "  Osceola"  their  engines.  At  the  end  of  the  rebellion,  when  the  government  de- 
sired to  send  a  first-class  ship-of-war  into  European  waters,  under  command  of  Admiral  Far- 
ragut,  it  selected  for  his  flag-ship  the  screw  frigate  "  Franklin."  Her  hull,  which  had  laid 
for  years  on  the  stocks  at  the  Portsmouth  Navy  Yard,  was  launched,  and  the  contract  for  her 
machinery  was  awarded  to  the  Atlantic  Works.  The  machinery  cost  about  $500,000.  Her 
two  engines  were  horizontal  back-acting,  with  68-inch  cylinder,  3  feet  6  inches  stroke  of 
piston.  She  had  six  boilers,  with  585  square  feet  of  grate  surface. 

The  surface  condenser  had  6^  miles  of  five-eighths  brass  tubes  in  it.  The  total  weight 
of  boilers  and  engines  was  500  tons.  The  ship  and  her  engines  were  looked  upon  abroad,  as 
well  as  at  home,  as  an  honor  to  American  skill. 

The  Atlantic  Works  Company,  in  1869,  purchased  the  property  formerly  occupied  as  a 
ship-yard  for  a  grand  establishment  for  the  construction  of  iron  steamers  and  ships  and  all 
kinds  of  marine  engines  at  one  time. 

The  Works  have  employed  eight  hundred  men.  The  present  establishments  occupy  six 
.acres  of  land.  There  are  two  machine-shops,  three  stories  in  height — one  of  brick,  200 
feet  long  and  36  feet  wide;  the  other  of  wood,  180  feet  by  50  feet.  The  boiler  shops  cover 
an  area  of  360  by  72  feet;  the  blacksmith  shops,  185  by  55  feet :  setting-up  shops,  215  by  48 
feet;  wood  shop,  350  by  30  feet;  forge  shops,  75  by  40  feet;  a  brick  engine  and  boiler 
house,  25  by  22  feet.  These,  with  the  foundry,  dry  house,  and  other  buildings,  occupy  an 
area  of  about  two  acres  under  roof.  Four  stationary  engines  furnish  the  motive-power.  On 
the  end  of  one  of  the  piers  is  a  pair  of  shears,  90  feet  in- height,  capable  of  hoisting  100  tons. 
The  launching-ways  extend  to  deep  water,  directly  opposite  the  Charlestown  Navy  Yard. 
The  investment  in  the  premises  and  machinery  in  1870  had  been  over  $400,000,  and  has 
since  been  increased  in  the  improvements  decided  upon.  The  United  States  dredge  boat 
*'  Essayons,"  which  has  done  such  great  service  at  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi,  was  built  at 
these  Works  at  a  cost  of  $223,000.  The  iron  brig  "  Novelty,"  used  to  transport  molasses  in 


474 


APPENDIX. 


bulk,  was  built  here.  She  is  a  perfect  success,  saving  over  $5,000  on  each  cargo,  and  entirely 
doing  away  with  cooperage  bills  and  loss  by  leakage.  In  1868  they  built  the  iron  steamship 
"  Wm.  Lawrence,"  of  1,100  tons  for  the  Boston  and  Baltimore  Line. 

The  following  named  vessels  have  been  built,  wholly  or  partly  since  1870  at  these  works  : 

Tug-boats—"  Weymouth,"  "  Glide,"  "  Camilla,"  "  Elsie,"  "  Francis  J.  Ward,"  "  Border 
City,"  "Joseph  Church,"  "  A.  M.  Hathaway,"  "A.C.Whitney,"  "Atlantic,"  "Jemima 
Boomer,"  "William  Woolley,"  "P.B.Bradley,"  "  William  Sprague,"  "  Seacomet,"  "  Ida 
M.  Dolby." 

The  "Joseph  Church,"  "A.  M.  Hathaway,"  "Jemima  Boomer,". and  "Seacomet"  were 
for  parties  at  New  Bedford,  Mass  ,  and  Tiverton,  R.  I.  The  "  Atlantic"  was  sold  to  the 
United  States  Government,  and  is  now  run  in  New  York  harbor.  The  "  A.  C.  Whitney" 
was  for  Halifax  parties. 

Lighters,  built  or  supplied  with  machinery. — "James  Anderson,"  "Daniel  Peggotty,"' 
"  Nettle,"  "  William  S.  McGowan,"  "  Laura,"  "  Bessie,"  "  Merchant." 

Ferrv-boats. — "  Franklin,"  machinery  and  boilers;  "  Winthrop,"  machinery  and  boilers;. 
"  D.  D.  Kelly,"  machinery  and  boilers;  "Jamestown,"  (New  Bedford),  machinery  and 
boilers;  "City  of  Boston"  (Chelsea),  machinery  and  boilers;  "  City  of  Maiden"  (Chelsea,) 
now  being  fitted,  machinery  and  boilers;  fire  boat  (iron  hull)  "Wm.  M.Flanders;"  police- 
boat,  "  Protector;"  revenue  cutters,  "  Samuel  Dexter"  and  "  Richard  Rush ;"  sloop-of-war 
"Adams;"  sloop-of-war  "  Essex"  (machinery  and  boilers) ;  passenger  steamer  "  Gen.  Bart- 
lett;"  coal  steamer  "  Vidette;"  steamer  "  Penobscot"  (completed  in  1882). 

The  "  Penobscot"  is  the  first  side-wheel  steamer  built  in  Boston  in  the  last  twelve  years.. 
The  hull  of  the  "  Penobscot"  was  built  by  Smith  &  Townsend,  the  machinery,  boiler,  etc.,  at 
the  hands  of  Atlantic  Works.  The  motive-power  of  the  "Penobscot"  consists  of  abeam 
engine,  58  inches  diameter  of  cylinder  and  12  feet  stroke  of  piston.  Her  boiler  is  of  the 
flue  and  return  tubular  type,  15  feet  diameter  of  shell,  and  25  feet  long.  The  steam  chimney 
is  9  feet  4  inches  diameter,  and  8  feet  5  inches  high.  The  weight  of  the  machinery  is  about 
145  tons.  The  weight  of  the  boiler,  65  tons. 

Iron  Vessels  Built  by  the  Atlantic  Works. 


Year. 

NAME. 

Length. 

Beam. 

Depth. 

Tonnage. 

Screw  or 
Side-wheel. 

1858 

216 

T.J 

21 

IT.OO 

Screw. 

1859 
1860 

(No  name)  for  South  American  Mail 
Amoor  

65 
70 

15 

1C 

\ 

40 

*  45 

Side  wheel.. 

Osuree  

60 

12 

6 

"35 

(i 

tt 

Argentina  

60 

12 

6 

15 

H 

(( 

Screw. 

1861 

Beta  

65 

15 

7 

40 

Gamma  

7C. 

I  c 

8 

CO 

< 

1862 

« 

1863 

Nantucket  (monitor)  

2OO 

46 

12]/Z 

< 

186^-61; 

Casco  (monitor) 

22C 

At 

Q1/ 

, 

1868 

\Vm    Lawrence  (Baltimore  Line) 

2OO 

15 

20  V-, 

< 

1872 

Wm.  M.  Flanders  (fire-boat,  Boston). 

75 

15 

7 

5° 

' 

APPENDIX. 


475 


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476  APPENDIX. 

About  Boston  there  are  many  steam  yachts,  the  following  being  among  the  number  found 
on  the  books  of  the  yacht  clubs  of  that  section  : 

The  "  Gulnare,"  late  the  "Adelita."  She  belongs  to  Mr.  J.  R.  Brackett,  of  Boston,  a 
member  of  the  Eastern  Club ;  is  of  wood,  and  built  in  1879  b7  O.  J.  Lawlor,  of  East  Boston. 
Length  over  all,  53  feet;  48  feet  water-line,  and  10  feet  beam;  tonnage,  15.03  tons,  new 
measurement.  Has  two  cylinders,  each  7  inches  by  7  inches  stroke ;  steel  boiler,  4  feet  by 
9  feet  6  inches. 

Mr.  F.  H.  Peabody,  of  Boston,  owner  of  the  old  "Adelita,"  built  a  larger  steam  yacht, 
and  gave  it  the  name  of  the  "Adelita."  It  is  of  wood,  and  was  launched  late  last  year  from 
the  yard  of  D.  J.  Lawlor,  of  East  Boston.  She  is  95  feet  over  all,  80  feet  on  water-line,  and 
1 6  feet  beam.  Her  engines  are  of  the  compound  inverted  type,  22^  and  15  inches  by  14 
inches  stroke,  is  fitted  with  a  steel  boiler,  7  feet  6  inches  by  9  feet. 

The  "  Sappho"  belongs  to  Mr.  George  H.  Brooks,  of  Boston,  and  was  built  by  James 
Lennox,  South  Brooklyn,  in  1879.  In  1881  she  was  lengthened  and  her  machinery  thor- 
oughly overhauled.  She  is  93  feet  over  all,  83  feet  on  water-line,  15  feet  beam,  6  feet  2 
inches  hold,  and  6  feet  6  inches  draught  of  water. 

The  screw  schooner  "  Promise"  is  owned  by  Mr.  James  Blake,  of  Boston. 

At  the  yards  of  Samuel  Pine,  Greenpoint,  L.  I.,  there  are  three  good-sized  boats  being 
built,  two  of  which  are  under  the  supervision  of  Mr.  Jacob  Lorrilard.  The  first,  or  rather 
the  one  more  advanced,  is  for  Mr.  Starbuck,  of  New  York.  It  is  117  feet  over  all,  100  feet 
on  load  water-line,  16  feet  6  inches  beam,  5  feet  9  inches  depth  of  hold,  and  will  draw  5  feet. 
The  hull  is  of  oak,  hackmatack,  yellow  pine,  and  chestnut.  She  is  planked,  and  the  ceiling 
'is  in  place.  Engines  of  a  compound  type  will  be  supplied;  the  cylinders  12  and  20  inches 
by  14  inches  and  16  inches  stroke.  Will  be  schooler  rigged. 

The  second  yacht  is  98  feet  over  all,  87  feet  on  load  water-line,  16  feet  6  inches  beam,  5 
feet  9  inches  deep  and  5  feet  hold.  She  is  of  oak,  hackmatack,  and  yellow  pine.  The 
engines  will  be  12  inches  and  20  inches  cylinders,  and  14  inches  stroke  of  piston. 

The  third  is  117  feet  over  all,  100  feet  on  water-line,  16  feet  6  inches  beam,  7  feet  2 
inches  depth  of  hold,  and  will  draw  6  feet  of  water.  She  will  be  of  oak,  hackmatack,  and 
yellow  pine,  with  white  pine  deck.  The  builders  of  the  engines  do  not  care  to  give  details 
at  present. 

A  fourth  boat  is  building  under  Mr.  Lorrilard's  supervision,  but  is  intended  for  a  trial 
craft  only.  She  is  55  feet  over  all,  8  feet  beam,  and  3  feet  6  inches  deep.  Two  sets  of 
engines  are  to  be  built  for  this  boat,  and  after  a  thorough  trial  of  the  first  the  second  will  be 
put  in  place  and  used  long  enough  to  make  the  comparisons  required.  These  engines  will 
be  of  the  same  dimensions,  6  inches  and  10  inches  diameter  of  cylinders,  and  9  and  10% 
inches  stroke.  . 

The  Messrs.  Herreshoff,  of  Bristol,  R.  I.,  are  building  two  or  three  steam  yachts,  but  the 
name  of  the  gentleman  for  whom  the  largest  is  intended  has  not  been  made  public.  She  is 
of  composite  construction,  and  is  said  to  be  125  feet  by  17  feet.  It  is  believed  that  this  craft 
is  for  a  member  of  the  New  York  Yacht  Club. 

They  have  in  hand  a  steam  yacht,  76  feet  by  12  feet  6  inches,  building  for  Colonel  I.  J. 
Gray,  of  Utica,  N.  Y. 


INDEX 


A. 

Acadia,  The,  294. 
Aconcagua,  The,  310. 
Admiral  General,  The,  224. 
Adriatic,  The,  245. 

"      319- 

Air,  A  Canal-Boat  Propelled  By,  254. 
Alice,  The  Fryer  Buoyant  Propeller,  278- 

279. 

Amazon,' The,  316-317. 
America,  North,  176. 
Amoor,  Steaming  on  the,  225. 
Amoor,  The  First  Steam- Vessel  on  the,  225. 
Anthracite,  The,  257-258. 
Atlantique,  Societe  Postale  De  1'Francaise, 

383-384. 

Appleby,  Ropner  £  Co.,  290. 
Archimedes,  The,  145. 
Arctic,  The,  318-320. 
Argyle,  The,  79. 
«    178. 

Atlantic,  The,  318. 
Atlas,  Launch  of  the,  117. 
Atrato,  The,  3i5~3l6- 
Aurania,  The,  298. 
"      4iq. 
Austral,  The,  272-312. 

"     389-390. 

Australia,  The  First  Mail  Steamer  to,  201. 
Austrian  Steamers,  265. 
Auxiron,  Comte  de,  10. 

B. 

Baker,  Report  of  Charles  H.,  246. 
Baltic,  The,  205. 
«     319. 

Bangor,  The,  179. 
Banvard,  Reminiscences  of,  61. 
Battle,  The  First  Trial  of  Steamers  in,  178. 
Beardslee,  Report  of  Commander,  245. 
Benisaf,  Steamers  from,  290. 
Berlin,  City  of,  326-327. 
Bessemer,  The,  248-249. 
Bibliography,  414-421. 
Bigler,  The  Comet  on  Lake,  253. 
Bliss,  Hezekiah,  58. 
Boat,  The  Largest  Torpedo,  261. 
Bournoulli,  David,  9. 
Brake,  A  Steamship,  281. 
Bramah,  The,  13. 


Bristol,  The,  262. 

Bristol  Patent  Office,  the,  242. 

Britain,  The  Great,  172.  • 

Britain  Great,  Tonnage  and  Value  of  the 

Steamers  of  the  Mercantile  Navy  of,  256. 
Britain  Great,  Resources  of,  180. 
Britain  Great,   Early   Screw  Steamers  in, 

1 80. 
Britain  Great,  Registered  Steam- Vessels  of, 

137- 

Britannia,  The,  293-295. 
Britannia,  Progress  Achieved  since  the  first 

Voyage  of  the,  302. 
Brothers,  The  Three,  253. 
Brown,  Samuel,  33. 
Bushnell,  William,  12. 
Bushnell,  C.  S.,  228. 
Butterfield,  Swine  &.,  227. 
• 

C. 

Cairo,  The,  176". 
Caledonia,  The,  400-401. 
Calcutta,  First  Steamer  to,  115. 
California,  The,  196, 
Campertown,  The,  266. 
Campo  de  Marquis,  The,  289. 
Carrs  de  Salomon,  4. 

"     "        "         397- 
Castalia,  The,  247. 

"      Trial  Trip  of,  248. 
Castle  Sterling,  The,  289. 
Champlain   Lake,    The    First    Steamboat 

Launched  on,  64. 
Centinel,  The  Columbian,  401. 
Chain  Steamers,  268,  269. 
Chattahocchee,  The,  267. 
Chicago,  The  First  Steamer  to,  121. 
China,  The  .First  Steamer  in,  129. 
China,  Iron  Paddle-wheel  Steamer  sent  to, 

197. 
Chinese,  The  First  Steamer  Owned  by  the, 

227. 

Chinese  Enterprise,  252. 
China's  Debut  upon  the  Sea,  255. 
Chronicle,  The  London  Morning,  178. 
Cimbria,  The  Loss  of  the,  412. 
City  Line  Steamers,  The,  288. 
City  of  New  York,  voyage  of,  322 
Clermont,  The,  42. 
Clermont,  The  First  Trip  of  the,  44. 
Clyde,  The,  75. 

477 


478 


INDEX. 


Coal,  Experiments  with  Anthracite,  125. 

Cock,  The  Game,  267. 

Coit,  Experiments  of  Captain,  401. 

Collier.,  The  First  English  Steam,  188. 

Colossus,  The,  265. 

Colossus,  Delay  in  Regard  to  the,  265. 

Colossus,  A  Novel  Feature  in  Armament 
of  the,  265. 

Colossus,  Experiments  with  Propellers  of 
the,  265-266. 

Columbus,  The,  174. 

Comet,  The,  399-400. 

Company,  Capital  of  the  Collins,  320. 

Company,  The  Fleet  of  the  Cunard,  295. 

Company,  Wealth*  of  the  Cunard,  297. 

Company,  Early  History  of  the  Cunard,  298. 

Company,  The  Mitsu-Bishi  Steam  Naviga- 
tion, 372. 

Company,  Eastern  Steam  Navigation,  206. 

Company,  The  British  India  Steam  Navi- 
gation, 287-288. 

Company,  Ocean  Steam  Navigation,  190. 

Company,  Steam  Navigation,  129. 

Company,  The  Royal  West  India  Mail 
Steam  Packet,  312-314. 

Company,  Subsidy  of  the  Royal  West  India 
Mail  Steam  Packet,  410. 

Company,  Early  Ships  of  the  Royal  West 
India  Mail  Steam  Packet,  314-315. 

Company,  The  Hamburg-American  Packet, 
339-342.  • 

Company,  The  Peninsular  and  Oriental, 
202. 

Company,  The  Great  Ship,  208. 

Company,  Formation  of  an  Atlantic  Steam, 
in  1825,  402. 

Company,  Oldest  Steamboat,  71. 

Company,  Atlantic  Steamship,  291. 

Company,  The  Atlas  Steamship,  372-373. 

Company,  The  Old  Dominion  Steamship, 

356-358. 

Company,  The  New  York  and  Cuba  Mail 
Steamship,  383. 

Company,  Pacific  Mail  Steamship,  321. 

Company,  National  Steamship,  350-354. 

Company,  Ocean  Steamship,  289. 

Company,  The  Oriental  and  Occidental 
Steamship,  288. 

Company,  Boston  and  Savannah  Steam- 
ship, 378-381. 

Company,  The  Union  Steamship,  288, 404. 

Company,  The  French  Transatlantic,  288. 

Companies,  Great  Ocean  Steamship,  287. 

Congress,  Mr.  Collins'  Report  to,  320. 

Contract,  The  First  Mail,  1 24. 

Corca,  Steamboats  in,  251. 

Cour  la  de  Mathon,  9. 

Corvettes,  Steel,  250. 

Cunard  Mr.,  and  the  Captain  of  The  Uni- 
corn, at  Boston,  Hospitalities  Extended 
to,  292-293. 

Cunard  and  Collins  Steamers,  Average 
Passages  of,  199. 


Cunard    Steamers    in     the     Transatlantic 

Trade,  295. 
Curacoa,  The,  117. 
Cyclops,  The,  174. 

D. 

Danube,  First  Steamer  on  the,  119. 
Danube,  Steamers  on  the,  150. 
Darciaf,  Abbe,  1 1 . 
Dart,  The  Fire,  226. 
Delanguis'  Patent,  115. 
Delaware,  Steamboats  on  the,  56. 
Delaware,  Steam  Tow-Boats  on  the,  137. 
Delaware,   First  Steamboat  on  the  Upper, 

259- 

Hydraulic  Ship,  Description  of  an,  259. 
Dessoug,  The,  259. 
Destroyer,  The,  261. 
Destroyer,  Experiments  with  the,  262. 
Destroyer;  Charge  of  Projectile  of  the,  262. 
Dickens,  Recollections  of  Charles,  294. 
Disasters,  Steamship,  263-264;  405-409. 
Distrusted,  Rise  of  Iron  for  Steamers,  197. 
Dod,  Invention  of  Daniel,  61. 
Dod,  Second  Patent  of  Daniel,  62. 
Don,  Samuel,  169. 
Douver,  The  Calais-,  249. 
Dredger,  The  Hopper  Steam,  270. 
Ducrest,  M.,  10. 
Dumbarton  Castle,  The,  75. 
Dugnet,  M.,  6. 
Duncan,  The,  266. 
Duncan,  Estimated  cost  of  the,  266. 
Dunderberg,  The,  233. 

Sale  of  the,  233. 
Description  of  the,  234-237. 
"          Engines  of  the,  237-238. 
Durbin,  The,  251. 

E. 

Early  Experiments,  I. 

Eastern,  Great,  The,  206. 

Eastern,  Great,  Descripton  of  the,  207. 

Eastern,   Great,    Preparation  for  launching- 

the,  208. 
Eastern,  Great,  (Christened  by  Miss  Hope,) 

208. 
Eastern,  Great,  Summary  of  Statistics  of  the, 

209. 
Eastern,   Great,  (Comparison  with  Noah's 

Ark,)  210. 
Eastern,   Great,    (Articles   in  the  English 

Papers,)  211-213. 

Eastern,  Great,   (Passage  across  the  Atlan- 
tic,) 214-221. 
Edith,  The,  189. 

Electricity,  A  Boat  Propelled  by,  280-281. 
Elizabeth,  The,  73. 
Ellicott,  Andrew,  10. 
Engine,     Oliver     Evans'     High- Pressure, 

40. 


INDEX. 


479 


Engine,  Herr  Beck's  Gunpowder,  268. 

Engines,  Compound,  177. 

Engineers,  Appointment  of,  158. 

Engineer  Apprentices  Appointed,  159. 

England,  The,  227. 

England,  Steamboats  in,  72. 

England,   Cost   of  Ocean    Steamships  in, 

260-261. 

Enterprise,  The,  142. 
Enterprise,  David  Napier's,  104. 
Enterprise,  A  West  India  Steamship,  269- 

270;  382-383. 
Erebus,  The,  190. 
Eruktor,  Amphibolis,  40. 
Errors,  United  States  Court  of,  401. 
Euler,  9. 

Evans,  Oliver,  16. 
Evans,  Experiments  of  Oliver,  40. 
Excursion,  First  Steamboat,  109. 
Experiments,    Recent    Novel    Inventions 

and,  271. 
Experiment,  Fuel  Savings,  246. 

F. 

Faraday,  The,  247. 
Fly,  The  Fire,  176. 
Firebrand,  The  First  Long  Voyage  of  the, 

125. 

First  English  Mail  Steamer,  119. 
First  French  Atlantic  Steamer,  193. 
First  Practical  Screw  Steamer,  The,  138. 
Fitch,  John,  13. 
Forforo,  The,  203. 
France,  Experiments  in,  36. 
French  Officers  sent  to  the  United  States, 

108. 

Fulton,  The,  196. 

Fulton,  Destruction  of  the  (3,)  158. 
Fulton's  First  Successful  Boat,  48. 
Fulton's   Submarine  Boat  at   Brest,  398- 

399- 
Fulton's  Project  Rejected  by  the  French 

Institute,  39. 
Future,  Ships  of  the,  337. 

G. 

Gallia,  The,  303-304. 

Garray  de  Blasco,  I. 

Gautoir,  9. 

Gemini,  The  Twin  Steamer,  198. 

Genevois,  M.,  10. 

General,  The  Governor,  226. 

Generale  Transatlantique  Company,  The, 

348,  350. 

Gentleman's  Magazine,  Remarks  of,  50. 
Geyser,  The,  267. 
Glasgow,  The,  75. 

Globe,  The  First  Steamer  to  Circumnavi- 
gate the,  203. 
Golden  Age,  The,  203. 
Gordon,  David,  113. 


|   Great  Salt  Lake,  First  Steamer  on,  244. 
Gull,  Sea,  157. 

H. 

1  Hall  Line  Steamers,  The,  288. 

I  Hamburg  Line  Steamers,  The,  288. 

!  Hankow,  The,  226. 

i  Ferry-Boats,  Steam,  in  New  York  Harbor, 

59- 

Hecla,  The,  267. 
|   Herald,  The  Dome  Steam-Yacht,  284,  285. 

Himalaya,  The,  200. 

Hotspur,  The,  245. 

Hudson,  Navigation  of  the,  36. 

Hudson,  Steamboats  on  the,  57. 

Hudson,  Table  ot  Dimensions  of  Steamers 

oa  the,  53. 
j   Hudson,  The  Steamboat  on  the,  339. 

Hulls,  Jonathan,  6. 

Hull,  First  Sea-going  Steamboat  for,  108. 
!   Hunter,  Lieutenant  W.  W.,  171. 

I. 

Iberia,  The,  311. 
Ice- Cutting  Steamboat,  181. 
Iceland,  The,  413. 
Ichang,  The,  226. 
Ichang,  The  Opening  of  the,  227. 
Illinois,  The,  194. 
India,  First  Steamers  in,  65. 
India,  Steamers  to,  176. 
Inland  Voyage  Extraordinary,  244. 
Indus,  First  Steamboat  on  the,  108. 
Invention,  British  Steam,  242. 
lona,  The,  250. 
Ionic,  The,  413. 
Iris,  The,  250. 

Ironclads,  New  French,  226-227. 
Island,  Long,  Steamers  on,  384. 
Italiana  Generale  Navigazione,  362-363 ; 
412. 


ackson,  The  General,  124. 

apan,  Steamers  in,  227. 

apanese,  Ingenuity  and  Skill  of  the,  227. 

ardine,  Correspondence  in  Relation  to  the, 

130-131. 

Jersey,  The  New,  143. 
Jouffroy,  Marquis  de,  10. 
Journal,  The  Edinburg,  204. 

K. 

Khedive,  The,  306-307. 
Kiang-tse-Yang,  Steamers  on  the,  225. 
King,  Report  of  J.  W.,  246. 
Kingdom,  Extract  from  Williams  Middle, 

133- 

Kingston,  Arrival  of  the  City  of,   152. 
Kittatinny,  The,  259. 


480 


INDEX. 


L. 

Lake,  The  Lady  of  the,  243. 

Lakes,  Side-Propellers  on  the,  205. 

Lakes,  Early  Steamboats  on  the,  124. 

Lane,  The  Harriet,  259. 

Lardner,  Remarks  of  Dr.,  54. 

Last,  How  Long  Will  a  Steamboat,  405. 

Launch,  The  First  Steam,  181. 

Lawrence,  St.,  First  Steamers  on  the,  65. 

Liguria,  The,  311. 

Lind,  Major  John,  166. 

Line,  The  Allen,  390-396. 

Line,  The  Anchor,  342-345. 

Line,  The  Aspinwall,  203. 

Line,  The  Bremen,  194. 

Line,  The  New  York  and  Bremen,  404. 

Line,  The  Castle,  390. 

Line,  The  Clan,  289. 

Line,  The  Collins,  317-318. 

Line,  The  Cunard,  290-291. 

Line,   The  Transatlantic  Steamers  of  the 

Cunard,  298. 

Line,  The  Fleet  of  the  Cunard,  298. 
Line,  A  Danish,  267. 
Line,  The  Williams  and  Guion,  354-356. 
Line,  The  Harrison,  371. 
Line,  The  Havre,  195. 
Line,  Lamport  and  Holts,  288. 
Line,  The  Inman,  325. 
Line,  The  Fleet  of  the  Inman,  335-336. 
Line,  The  China  and  Japan,  322. 
Line,  The  Law,  193. 
Line,  The  Leyland,  347-348. 
Line,  The  Spanish  Mail,  413. 
Line,  The  Monarch,  369-370. 
Line,  The  City  of  Worcester  of  the  Nor- 
wich, 387-389. 
Line,  The  Fall  River,  362. 
Line,  The  Pilgrim  of  the  Fall  River,  384- 

386. 

Line,  The  White  Star,  358-362. 
Line,  The  Red  Star,  368. 
Line,  Roach's   United    States   and   Brazil 

Mail  Steamship,  373-376. 
Line,  New  York,  Havana   and    Mexican 

Mail  Steamship,  377-378. 
Line,  The  State  Steamship,  365-368. 
Line,   The   Rhode  Island  of  the  Stoning- 

ton,  386-387. 

Line,  The  Thingvalla,  381-382. 
Line,  The  Warren,  324-325. 
Livingston,  Robert  H.,  30. 
Livingston,  The  Chancellor,  52. 
Liverpool,  The,  173. 
Lloyds,  The  North  German,  345-347. 
Lloyds,  The  Austrian,  412. 
Londonderry,  The,  170. 
Longstreet,  William,  23. 
Long  Island  Sound,  Early  Steamboats  on, 

no. 

Long  Island  Sound,  Temperance  on,  117. 
Loring,  Report  of  Charles  H.,  246. 


Lone,  The  Robert,  225. 
Louisville,  Public  Rejoicings  at,  71. 
Lost,  Steamers,  245. 
Lost,  Steamships,  245. 
Lytlleton,  William,  29. 

M. 

Macao,  Arrival  of  first  Steamer  at,  129. 

Machinery,  First  Attempt  to  Move  Vessels 
by,  35- 

Magdalene,  The,  317. 

McGregor,  Son  &  Co.,  289. 

Maine,  Steamboats  in,  113. 

Marina  Rio,  Steamers  from,  290. 

Maritimes  Messageries,  The,  338-339. 

Massachusetts,  The,  191. 

Mediterranean,  Steam  Communication  Be- 
tween Liverpool  and  the,  295. 

Mujoo,  The,  256. 

Memphremagog,  Steamers  on  Lake,  243. 

Mercantile  Ocean  Steamers,  282. 

Merrimac,  First  Steamer  on  the,  126. 

Meteor,  The  Dome  Steam-Yacht,  283. 

Miantonomah,  The,  239. 

Miantonomah,  Passage  Across  the  Atlan- 
tic and  Return  of  the,  239. 

Miantonomah,    The,    (Report  of    Captain 
Murray,)  241. 

Miantonomah,  Cruise  in  Northern  Europe 
of  the,  242. 

Miantonomah,  Tonnage  of  the,  242. 

Michigan,  First  Steamboat  on  Lake,  106. 

Midas,  The,  189. 

Millar,  Patrick,  20. 

Millar,  Experiments  of  Patrick,  397,  398. 

Minia,  The  Cable  Steamer,  405. 

Mint,  The,  197. 

Mississippi,  The,  205. 

Missouri,  First  Steamboat  on  the,  106. 

Missouri,  First  Steam-whistle  on  the,  187. 

Monadnock,  The,  239. 

Monadnock,   Passage  to  San  Francisco  of 
the,  239,  240. 

Monadnock,  Report  of  Commander  Rogers 
of  the  Arrival  of  the,  240. 

Monadnock,    Report   of  Lieutenant-Com- 
mander Bunce  of  the  Passage  of  the,  240. 

Monadnock,  Tonnage  of  the,  242. 

Monarch,  The,  259,  260. 

Monitor,  The,  227-231. 

Monitor,  Contract  with  the  Secretary  of  the 
Navy  to  build  the  original,  228. 

Monocacy,  The,  227. 

Morey,  Samuel,  29. 

Moselle,  The,  317. 

Motor,  A  New,  285,  286. 

Mountain  Maid,  The,  243. 
Mountain  Steamer,  A,  254. 

N. 

Napier,  Cunard's  Interview  with  Robert, 
290. 


INDEX. 


481 


Napoleon,  '.Robert  Fulton's  Relations  with,  j 

36. 

Navigation,  Atlantic  Steam,  151. 
Navigation,  Rainey  on  Ocean  Steam,  196.   ! 
Navigation,  The  Origin  of  Ocean  Steam,  ' 

126.  . 

Navigation,  Progress  made  in  the  History  j 

of  Steam,  214. 
Navigation,  Inauguration  of  Regular  Trans-  ; 

atlantic  Steam,  162. 

Navigation,  Lardner  on  Transatlantic,  154.  j 
Navy,  Early  Steamships  of  the  French,  1 18.   ; 
Navy,  French  Steam,  179,  404. 
Navy,  First  Steam-Vessels  in  the  Royal,   , 

107. 

Navy,  Royal,  (Steam  in  1840.) 
Navy,  Auxiliary  Steamships  for  the  Royal, 

189. 

Navy,  Fastest  Steamers  in  the  Royal,  202.    > 
Navy,  Steam-Vessels  of  the  Royal,  205. 
Navy,   Compound  Engines  in   the  Royal,  > 

246. 
Navy,   The    Germ   of  the    United    States 

Steam,  157. 
Navy,  Report  of  the  Secretary  of  the  United  j 

States,  174. 
Navy,  Compeund  Engines  in  the  United  i 

States,  246. 

Navy,  Engineers  of  the  United  States,  160. 
Navy,  Pay  of  the  Engineers  of  the  United  ; 

States,  1 60. 
Nemesis,  The,  177. 
Neptune,  Car  of,  41. 
Newburgh,  The  Railroad  Iron  Ferry-Boat 

270,  271. 

New  York,  Exports  of  Grain  from,  251. 
Nice,  Steam- Yacht  Race  at,  267. 
Normandie,  La,  410,  411. 
Nott  and  Hill,  289. 
Novelty,  The,  141. 


Ohio,  The,  194. 

Oregon,  The,  192. 

Organized  Line  of  Freight  Steamers,  The, 

288. 

Orient,  The,  256,  389. 
Orinoco,  The,  317. 

Orleans,  New,  The  First  Trip  of  the,  66. 
Orleans,  New,  Improvement  in  Speed  of 

Boats  from  Louisville  to,  71. 
Ormsbee,  Elijah,  26. 

P. 

Pacific  Mail,  Fleet  of  the,  323-324. 
Pacific,  The  First  Chinese  Steamer  to  Cross 

the,  255. 

Packets,  Dublin  and  Holyhead,  197. 
Palos,  The,  245. 
Papin,  Dennis,  5. 

31 


Para  de  Ville,  The,  413. 

Paragon,  The,  44. 

Parana,  The,  317. 

Paris,  City  of,  327. 

Patent,  Robert  Fulton's,  63,  76. 

Patent,  Edward  Shorter's,  33. 

Patent,  Dickinson  and  Hunter's,  33. 

Patent,  Perkins  &  Sons,  233. 

Pavonia,  The,  298,  303. 

Peace,  The,  265. 

Pekin*  The,  226. 

Perkins,  The  Invention  of  Loftus,  258. 

Perry,  Commander,  202. 

Persia,  The,  296. 

Petroleum  as  Fuel  on  Board  Steamers,  245. 

Philadelphia,    The    American    Steamship 

Company  of,  364,  365. 
Phoenix,  The,  42. 
Pilgrim,  The,  408. 
Pioneer  Steam  War  Vessel,  The,  157. 
Pittsburgh,  Steamboat  Launched  by  Fulton 

and  Livingstone  at,  64. 
Plombiere  de  la  Guy  on,  10. 
Pomone,  The,  144. 
Portland,  The,  52. 
Ports,  The  Formal  Opening  of  the  Chinese, 

226. 

Power,  A  Novel  Propelling,  259. 
President,  The,  173. 
Pressure,  The  Limit  of  Steam,  282. 
Princeton,  The,  143,  181. 
Project,  Napoleon's  Acceptance  of  Fulton's, 

37- 

Propeller,  The,  176. 

Propeller,  French  claim  for  the  Invention 
of  the  Screw,  39. 

Propeller,  Canal  Towing  Company,  116. 

Propellers,  Steam,  188. 

Propeller,  Jacob  Perkin's,  115. 

Proposition,  Ericsson's,  228. 

Proposition,  Root's,  276. 

Proserpine,  The,  176. 

Providence,  Construction  of  a  Screw- Ves- 
sel at,  50. 

Providence,  The,  262. 

Pumps,  A  Vessel  Propelled  by  Pressure, 
178. 

Puritan,  The,  263. 


Q. 

Queen,  The  British,  174. 
Queen,  Review  of  the  Channel  Fleet  by  the, 
185. 

R. 

Rainbow,  The,  175. 

Ram,  Commodore  Barren's,  134. 

Rattler,   The  First  English   Screw    War 

Steamer,  149. 
Rattler,  The,  186. 
Read,  Nathan,  17. 
Red  Sea,  First  Steamer  on  the,  119,  121. 


482 


INDEX. 


Remarkable  Voyage  of  a  wrecked  Steamer, 

252,  253. 

Ritchie,  The  Elliott,  259. 
River,  Canton,  Attempt  to  Place  a  Steamer 

on  the,  130. 
River,  Sacramento,  The  First  Steamboat  on 

the,  404. 
Robert   Fulton,  Steamship   Between  New 

York  and  New  Orleans,  106. 
Rodney,  The  Ironclad,  266. 
Rome,  City  of,  328,  335. 
Ronans,  The  St.,  290. 
Roosevelt,  Nicholas,  31. 
Rosen,  Count  Adolph,  E.  de,  187. 
Ross,  Sir  John,  156. 

Rosse's  Catamaran  Steam  Tug,  279,  280. 
Rob  Roy,  The,  75. 
Rumsey,  James,  II,  389. 
Russell  &  Co.,  227. 
Russia,  High  Speed  Boats  in,  250. 
Russia,  The,  298.' 

s. 

Sail- Vessels  to  be  Propelled  by  Steam,  1 70. 

Sailing  and  Steam  Vessels,  Comparative 
Voyages  of,  112. 

Savannah,  The,  97. 

Savannah,  The  Ocean  Steamship  Company 
of,  371,  372. 

Savary,  Thomas,  6. 

Screw  Steamers,  Report  of  the  Result  of 
Trials,  186  of. 

Screw,  Felix  Peltier's,  118. 

Screws  Applied  to  French  Ships  of  the 
Line,  113. 

Screws,  Twin  Gain,  256. 

Screw,  Smith's  Archimedean,  144. 

Screws,  Patent  for  Applying  the  Steam 
Engine  to  two,  39. 

Screw,  A  Novel  Application  of  the,  282, 
283. 

Screw,  Woodcroft's,  116. 

Scotland,  The,  225. 

Scotia,  The,  297. 

Sea,  Steamers  Foundered  at,  245. 

Seguur,  Baron,  25. 

Servia,  Voyage  of  the,  298. 

Servia,  Description  of  the,  299,  301. 

Shaft,  Josiah  Coply's,  118. 

Shanghai,  The,  226. 

Shanghai,  Steamers  Loading  between  Han- 
kow and,  226. 

Ships  that  were  never  heard  from,  254. 

Skiddy,  The  Francis,  200. 

Sirius,  The,  162,  167. 

Smith,  Junius,  403. 

Solano,  The,  252. 

Speed  of  Steamers  in  the  British  Mer- 
chant Marine,  282. 

Stanhope,  Earl,  25. 

Steamboats,  Duration  of,  405. 

Steamboats,  French,  126. 


Steamboats,  Iron,  121. 
Steamboat  Ramsgate,  106,  107. 
Steam  vs.  Sails,  251. 
Steamships,  The  Red  "  D"  Line  of,  377. 
Steamships,  The  Mallory  Line  of,  376,  377. 
Steamships,  The  First  American  Mail,  193. 
Steamships,  City  Line  of  Ocean,  365. 
Steamships,  Roots'  Side-Screw,  275. 
Steamships,    Captain    Lundborg's    Twin- 

Screw,  273,  275. 

Steamships,  Coppen's  Triple,  277,  278. 
Steamships,  Morse's  Unsinkable,  271,  273. 
Stevens,  John  C.,  25. 
Stevens,  John,  Steamboat  41. 
Stevens,  Robert  L.,  49,  50. 
Stockton,  The  Robert  F.,  142. 
Stockton,  R.  F.,  Letter  from  182. 
Stockton,  R.  F.,  Screw-Steamer  176. 
Subsidies,  British  Steamship,  264. 
Swan,  Monument  to  John,  39. 
Symington,  William,  20. 
Symington's,  William,  Steam  Tug,  34. 

T. 

Tagus,  The,  317. 

Taylor,  James,  20. 

Terror,  The,  190. 

Thames,  Steam-Tug  on  the,  398. 

Thames,  Steamboats  on  the,  76,  191. 

Theodosius,  The  St.,  226. 

Thingvalla,  The,  267. 

Thistle,  The,  202. 

Thomason,  Edward,  30. 

Thornton,  Fulton's  Letter  to  Doctor,  64. 

Titicaca,  First  Steamer  on  Lake,  197. 

Town,  A  Busy  Ship-Building  English,  412 

Tramp,  The  Ocean,  290. 

Triple  Steamers,  Captain  Coppen's,  410. 

Traveling,  Rapid,  64. 

Turkey,  First  Steamer  in,  117. 

u. 

Unicorn,  The,  291,  293. 

Union,  The,  171. 

United  States,  Shipping  Belonging  to  the, 

251. 
United  States,  The,  193. 

w. 

Wall,  Lieutenant,  174. 

Warren  &  Co.,  289. 

Washbrough,  Mathew,  n. 

Walk-in-the-Water,  106. 

Waters,  Number  of  Steamboats  on  Amer- 
ican, 113. 

Waters,  Steamboats  in  United  States,  152. 

Waters,  Introduction  of  Steamboats  on  the 
Western,  66. 


INDEX. 


483 


Webb,  Acknowledgment  of  the  Emperor  of 
Russia  to  W.  W.,  224. 

Wells,  Visit  of  Secretary,  228. 

Western,  The  Great,  165. 

Western,  Race  Between  the  Princeton  and 
Great,  182. 

Wilson  &  Co.,  289 

William,  The  Royal,  401. 

Witch,  The  Iron,  189. 

Witch,  The  Water,  190. 

Wheel,  Root's  Method  of  Applying  the 
Screw- Propeller,  276. 

Wheel,  Remarks  in  Relation  to  Craft  Pro- 
pelled by  a  Stern  Screw- Propeller,  276. 


Wheels,  Hall's  Reefing  Paddle,  177. 

Wheel,  John  M.  Patten's  Screw,  118. 

Wheelwright,  William,  311. 

Whistle,  The  First  Steam,  152. 

Winter     Steamboat    Line   Between    New 

York  and  Philadelphia,  117. 
Worcester,  Marquis  of,  5. 
Workshop,  Root's,  276. 
World,  Mercantile  Steamers  of  the,  244. 

Y. 

Yacht,  The  Pacha  of  Egypt's,  232. 


ERRATA. 


Page  i. — For  "  Developments"  read  Development, 

Page  28. — Eighth  line  from  top,  for  "  after  the  rates"  read  at  the  rate  of. 

Page  33. — Last  line  but  one,  for  "  Lathrop"  read  Latrobe. 

Page  34. — In  Table  of  Contents,  for  "  Loss  by  Wreck  of  Steamers  in  War"  read  Employ- 
ment of  Steamers  in  War. 

Page  52. — Last  paragraph  but  one,  for  "  working  beams"  read  walking  beams. 

Page  56. — First  line,  for  "  seventh  vessel"  reader*/  vessel. 

Page  59. — Eleventh  line  from  bottom,  for  "  diagonal  traces"  read  diagonal  braces.  Sixth 
line  from  bottom,  for  "  awing"  read  awning. 

Page  87. — Last  paragraph,  for  "  Capt.  E.  C.  Bowery"  read  Capt.  E.  C.  Bowers. 

Page  94. — Nine  lines  from  bottom,  for  "  Friefly"  read  Firefly. 

Page  103. — First  foot-note,  for  "  1810"  read  1819. 

Page  104. — Tenth  line  from  top,  for'"  old  Erie"  read  the  Erie  Canal. 

Page  no. — First  line,  for  "  from"  read  to. 

Page  114. — Third  paragraph,  third  line,  for  "  1832"  read  1882. 

Page  118. — Tenth  line  from  bottom,  for  "marines"  read  marine. 

Page  123. — For  "  Rhodamanthus"  read  Radamanthus,  and  seventh  line  of  third  paragraph 
for  "  40  feet  over  all"  read  340  feet. 

Page  142. — Fourth  line  from  bottom,  for  "  craate"  read  create.  Third  line  from  bottom, 
for  "  The"  read  This. 

Page  155. — For  "theery"  read  theory. 

Page  156. — Third  line,  for  "  1839"  read  1837.. 

Page  158. — Erase  the  whole  of  the  first  paragraph,  which  is  duplicated  below,  and  in 
paragraph  third  for  "  the  hu  1  of  this  Fulton  2d"  read  Fulton  third. 

Page  162. — Fourth  paragraph,  for  "  second"  read  third. 

Page  170. — Last 'paragraph,  for  "  SCREWS"  read  screw  steamers. 

Page  $71. — Third  line  from  the  bottom,  for  "steering"  read  steaming,  and  last  line,  for 
"  orders"  read  ordinary.  Same  line,  for  "  Allegheny"  read  Alleghany. 

Page  172. — Sixth  line,  for  "sacrifice"  read  sacrifices. 

Page  190. — Sixth  line  from  the  bottom,  for  "  Losser"  read  Loper  propeller. 

Page  202. — For  "M.  O.  Perry"  read  M.  C.  Perry  ;  also  on  page  205. 

Page  227. — Third  paragraph,  for  "  Chinese,"  twice  repeated,  read  Japanese,  and  transfer 
the  paragraph  to  the  one  below,  under  the  heading  Steamers  in  Japan. 

Page  293. — Third  line  from  bottom,  for  "  Puritan  "  read  Pilgrim. 

Page  298. — In  the  table  of  Cunard  steamships,  for  "  Cessatoria"  read  Cephalonia. 

Page  311. — Third  line,  for  "with"  read  have. 

Page  3 2 1. —Second  paragraph,  first  line,  for  "  are"  read  were.  Second  line  of  same 
paragraph,  after  years,  insert  their,  and  after  repairs  was,  so  it  will  read  "  after  running  six 
years  their  cost  for  repairs  was,"  etc.  Note  at  bottom  of  page,  for  "  Ranie's"  read  Rainey. 

Page  365. — Erase  fourth  paragraph,  as  the  managers  of  the  American  Line  deny  its  being 
a  financial  success. 

Page  368. — Omit  "  also"  from  the  fourth  line  from  the  bottom. 

Page  372. — Hon.  Edward  C.  Anderson  has  deceased  while  this  book  has  been  passing 
through  the  press. 

Page  373- — Add  "  Etna",  1,250  and  "  Claribel,"  1,100  tons,  to  the  fleet  of  the  Atlas  Co. 
Page  375- — Seventh  line  from  bottom,  add  and  after  "  certainty,"  so  it  will  read,  "  certainty 
and  regularity." 

Page  397. — Fourth  line  from  bottom  of  note  to  page  4,  for  "  Dirctfs"  read  Dircks. 

Page  400. — First  line  of  note  to  page  107,  for  "Mandy"  read  Manby.    • 

Page  411. — Eighth  line,  for  "fore"  read  forward. 

Page  414. — Fourth  line,  for  "  piles  of  newspapers"  read_/£/b  of  newspapers. 

484 


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