Part 54 (1/2)

One zinc-etching illustration reproducing an old wood-cut of the shi+p, with the caption, ”The Savannah, First Steamshi+p That Crossed the Ocean”

CENTENNIAL OF THE FIRST STEAMshi+P TO CROSS THE ATLANTIC

(7-coluo this week there was launched at New York the shi+p Savannah, which may be called the father of the scores of stea our soldiers and supplies from the New World to the Old World

The Savannah was the first shi+p equipped with steam power to cross the Atlantic ocean It ine, and the arrival of the strange craft at Liverpool was the cause of unusual stir alish cousins Like every step from the beaten path the idea of steam travel between the New World and the Old World was looked upon with much scepticisular, or nearly regular, stea of the Savannah took place on Aug 22, 1818 It was not accompanied by the ceremony that is accorded many of the boats upon similar occasions to-day As a matter of fact, it is probable that only a few persons knew that the craft was intended for a transatlantic trip

The keel of the boat was laid with the idea of building a sailing shi+p, and the craft was practically coinator of the venture, induced Scarborough & Isaacs, shi+p ine for service between Savannah and Liverpool

The shi+p, which was built by Francis Fickett, was 100 feet long, 28 feet broad and 14 feet deep It had three reater iress toward its destination than was the steareat courage and skill in sailing He had already had the honor of navigating the sea with a stea the New Jersey froe which was then thought to be one of great danger for such a vessel

It was natural, then, that he was especially ao down in history as the first master of a steam shi+p to cross the ocean As soon as the vessel had been purchased by the Savannah shi+p un This was built by Stephen Vail of Speedwell, NJ, and the boiler by David Dod of Elizabeth, N J

The paddle-wheels were made of iron and were ”detachable,” so that the sections could be removed and laid on the deck This was done when it was desired to proceed under canvas exclusively and was also a precaution in rough weather

In short, the Savannah was an auxiliary steamer, a combination of stea This is ine, which was an auxiliary to the sail, a coers took the boat fro steaers, the Savannah set sail from her home port for Liverpool andas the trip took, the voyage was considerably shorter than the average for the sailing shi+p in 1819, and this reduction in time was accomplished in spite of the fact that the Savannah ran into ers used steam on 18 of the 25 days and doubtless would have resorted to engine power e of the voyage the fuel was exhausted

It was natural that the arrival of the stealish waters should not have been looked upon with any great favor by the Englishmen In addition to the jeers of the sceptical, the presence of vessels was accompanied by suspicion on the part of the naval authorities, and the merchants were not favorably ilish coast with her single stack giving forth voluht by those on shore that she was a shi+p on fire, and British men-of-war and revenue cutters set out to aid her When the truth was known, consternation reigned alish officers They were astonished at the way the craft steamed away froht was a shi+p in distress

The reception of the Savannah at Liverpool was not particularly cordial

Soested that ”this steam operation may, in some manner, be connected with the ambitious views of the United States”

A close watch was kept on the boat while she lay in British waters, and her departure elcome In the second volume of ”Memoranda of a Residence at the Court of St James,” Richard Rush, then A of the Savannah Dispatch No 76 from Minister Rush reports the arrival of the shi+p and the comment that was caused by its presence as follows:

London, July 3,1819

Sir--On the 20th of last month arrived at Liverpool froers, being the first vessel of that description that ever crossed the sea, and having excited equal admiration and astonishment as she entered port under the power of her steam

She is a fine shi+p of 320 tons burden and exhibits in her construction, no less than she has done in her navigation across the Atlantic, a signal trophy of American enterprise and skill upon the ocean

I learn froers, who has coreat ease and safety on the voyage, and used her steaine acts horizontally and is equal to a 72 horsepower Her wheels, which are of iron, are on the sides, and removable at pleasure The fuel laid in was 1500 bushels of coal, which got exhausted on her entrance into the Irish Channel

The captain assures eneral was extremely unfavorable, or he would have e; besides that, he was five days delayed in the channel for want of coal I have the honor to be, etc, RICHARD RUSH

To have e across the Atlantic Ocean under steaht no little credit to Capt Rogers and the United States Pioneers in many ventures, the American people had added another honor to their record And this was even more of a credit because in those early days skilled workmen were comparatively few on these shores and the e of efficiency that came a short time later