Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1847-09-06
OCEAN STEAM NAVIGATION

II is now almost ten years since DR.. I.ardner. /, H..
Edinhurg Review, proved to the satisfaction of all i.
souable men, that the idea Of navigating the oce,, /.
vessels, propelled, altogether or in part, by steam w.
one never 10 be realized. Its facts were 50 siropo -,
the deductions theretroin 50 logical and rcsislless. ,h.,
his article amounted to demonstration. TIE British NJ,
lie thanked him for having thus. in advance, shown H..
iuiility Of a project 10 attempt TO acco nplisl " hich mioL,
possibly cause the loss ct thousands of pounds n
fact, that steal navigation Of he ocean was imrr,c,;,,
BILE, was admitted ly all, except a few persons who had
not a proper deleItnce for The lights OF science. and ,6a
not surrender their Judgment 10 the authority Of a nam.
Among these, were a few capitalists of Bristol who. i,
spite Of DIR. lardner's science aud logic, proceeded IA
build a vessel for the purpose Of making the experiment,
In less tllan a year after the Doctors demons, ration an.
peared. the Great Western arrived in the barb, -
New York, and has ever since, until the present seasDn
run regularly between England aud this country. In,
king the passage in about TWO thirds of the time he had
conceived possible.
\ few years afterwards, a private individual, aidedhv
the lIbet al patronage # the British Government, .sab-
lished a semi monthly line of steamers between boston
and Liverpool, touching at Halifax. The enterprise ha,
proved emineutly successful aud afforded lnfneuse IA.
clfties fr the transportation Of intelligence.
The French Government, Some five years age, luil,
several very fine steam vessels, with a view 10 establish
a line between llavre and New York. The vessels
were subsequently added loihe armed marine. and tho
project abandoned. Within the present year. the Gov.
ernment has transferred -four of these magnificent steam
ers 10 a private company upon certain conditions. and tho
line is now i'll operation, leaving each country twice.
month.
The American Government, somewhat too tardiIy, has
entered upon the business oftTansporting lis own mails to
Europe. by a handsome allowance to a CON pauy in
New York, they were induced to build steamers and Is
tablsh a lire to Bremen. touching at Southampton. in
England. But one vessel Of this line, tie Washington,
is yet all at. Her first voyage did bot realize anticlpa-
lion, bat She is undergoing alteration, and we venture to
predict dat the American line will exceed all Others in
speed. Another vessel will be launched in a few days,
and the other two in the course Of tic coming winter.
Another line, between Liverpool aud New York. is
about 10 be established by a company in England. The
first otlhese steamers the Niagara, is already launched
and will soon cross the ocean.
The lines already established. and tie che projected,
when in fall operation, if The days of sa ling be proper
arranged, would furnish a steamer trice a treek, for Err
r pc, from the ports of Boston and New York.
I In addition TO these lines, The Royal West India mail
line will hereafter touch, once a month. al New Orleans.
1t may be asked, what effect has This increase Of s,ea-
mefs upon the lines II noble pa .ket ships for which New
York has been SO famous? The owners have substitute.
for the former large and splendid packets, vessels sull
larger aud more splendid, and seem to be doing a bet,er
business than they did when they had 10 rivals in the
steamers.