American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-06-17

WASHINGTON, June 16, 1851.
From the London Times, May 2s.

From the London Times May %.
THE FIRST STEAMSHIP THAT CROSSED TIE
ATLANTIC.
To the Editor Of tie Times.
SIR: In your potential journal of the 22d
instant, the following statement occurs in an
article descriptive of machinery in the great
exhibition about 1S3G-'37 the project OF
crossing the Atlantic was started the Sirius
was, we believe, the first steam vessel which
performed this feat"
On referring to the Times of June 81, 1919,
you will find the following paragraph, credited
to Marwades Commercial Report for that week
"Among the arrivals yesterday at this port
we were particularly gratfed and astonished
by the novel sight of fine steamship, which
came round at y, p. M, without the assistance
of single sheet, in style which displayed the
power and advantage of the application of
steam to vessels CT the largest size, being 35C
tons burden. She is called the Savannah, Cap.
tain Rogers, and sailed from Savannah (Geor
gia, United States) the Goth of May, and ar
rived in the channel five days since. During
her passage she worked the engine eighteen
days. Her model is beautiful and the accom-
modations for passengers elegant and complete.
She is the first ship on this construction that
has undertaken voyage across the Atlantic"
The Times Of June 80, 1919, says: "The
Savannah steam-vessel recently arrived at Liv-
erpool from America-the first vessel of the
kind that ever crossed the Atlantic--was chased
q whole day off the coast Of Ireland by the Kite
revenue cruiser, on the Cork station, which
mistook her for ship on fire."
Lloyd's list reports the arrival of the Savannah
at Liverpool on the 10Th of June, 1919, bound
to Petersburg and in Cores annals of Licer-
pool you will find this American steamers arri-
val recorded among remarkable events.
The steamship Savannah was an American
ship-built, owned and navigated by Americans.
Francis Ficket, of New York, built her for
Daniel Dodd; and the engines were made by
Stephen Vail, of Morristown. She was COM
nanded by Captain Moses Rogers and navi-
gated by Stephen Rogers, of New London, Con-
nectcut, who is still living to see the same voy-
age performed in less than half the time by
line of American steamers, the chief engineer of
one of which (the Atlantic, Captain Vest is his
nephew, J. W. Rogers. 1t is not inappropriate
to mention that at the present writing, the
quickest trip across the ocean has been made by
the Pacific, one of the Collins line Of American
steamers, in less than ten days; so that we are
not only the first but the fastest.
In England, Copenhagen, Stockholm, st. Pc
tersburg, and Constantinople, the arrival Of
the steamer Savannah excited great curiosity
and attracted thousands of visiters. The King
of Sweden presented Captain Rogers with a
4" stone and muller" and the Emperor of Rus
sia presented silver tea-kettle as a token of
his qualification at the first attempt to cross the
Atlantic by steam" Lord Lynedoch, of Eng
land, who went passenger in this ship to St.
Petersburg, presented stephen Rogers with a
"superb gold snuffbox." All these testimo-
malls, are now in the possession of the family.
The log-book, containing an official account of
the voyage, is in the National Institute at
Washington city, and may be seen at any time.
Very respectfully, sir, your obedient servant,
JOHN s. CUNNINGHAM,
of Norfolk, Virginia.