The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1875-10-30
AMERICA IN OCEAN sTEAM-NAVI-
CATION.

AMERICA IN OCEAN STEAM-NATl-
CATION.
Our countrymen have sometimes been
accused, by Europeans, OF being a nation
of boosters. And 1t must be confessed
that Jonathan does occasionally indulge
In selEgloriication to degree that may
seem to foreigners rather extreme and
persistent. But then j Jonathan really has
a good deal to boast about; and 1t is, after
all, quite doubtful whether he does not
sometimes underestimate himself to his
own harm and to the extent of downright
injustice to his own merits.
For instance, we have become accus-
toned to accord to England the honor
able distinction of being the pioneer in
trans-oceanic steam-navigation. In 1888
the first British steamship, Great West
ern, steamed into New York harbor di-
rect from Liverpool; and the people and
the press OF the city Of New York went
into ecstatie laudations of British genius
and enterprise, which had subdued The
ocean to the possibility Of steam-nayiga-
tion. And England accepted this oblation
from Americans as her just dues in rec
ognition of her pre.eminence as the
pioneer Of steam-navigation across the
Atlantic ocean; and has ever since con-
tinued to assert herself as entitled to
that distinction.
But the fact is undeniable, that of all
nations who have crossed both the Attain
tic and the Pacific Oceans by steamship
navigation, America, and not England,
was the first. The first steamship nayi-
cation across the Pacific is matter of
but recent date. On New Years day,
1867, the American steamship Colorado,
of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company's
line, left the port of San Francisco for
China, by the way of Japan; and on the
81st day of January, 1867, she steamed
into the harbor of Hong-Kong, under the
starry banner of our country; and was
there saluted as the pioneer steamship
Of that line, the first that had ever
crossed the Pacific Ocean by steam.
There she met the great steamship lines,
both French and English from Eu-
rope; and then and thus 1T was
that the globe was first girdled by
steam. The American flag foated over
the first steamship that ever crossed
the Pacific Ocean. And that IS some
thing worth boasting about. Yet it is
not improbable that, twenty years hence,
England will claim that distinction to
herself. 1t is way she has.
The foundation OF England's claim to
the honor OF being the first to cross the
Atlantic by steam, is no more just than
would be her assertion to such claim
as the first to cross the Pacific by steam.
1t was nineteen years after the first
American steamship had crossed the
Atlantic ocean, that the first British
steamship, the Great Western, appeared
at New York.
In 1918 there was built in New York a
steamship, called the Savannah. Size
was launched on the 22d Of August OIL
that year. Having received her engines
and equipment, in April, 1919, she
sailed for Savannah, Ga, which port she
reached in seven days by steam, against
very boisterous weather. Remaining
at that port for cargo and outfit for Q
month, she departed from Savannah, or
the 25th of May, 1919, bound for st. Pc
tersburg, Russia, by the way of Liver
pool. She was twice spoken by Other
vessels ON her voyage; and on the 2Otl
of June, being twenty days out, she
steamed into the harbor OF Liverpool, al
the account says-"much to the aston
ishment of the people of that city" She
was commanded by Capt. Moses Rogers
In her run across the Atlantic she
worked her engines eighteen days ou
of the twenty five; the rest OF the tim,
she went under canvas.
A story is todd of British revenue
cutter, cruising off the coast, whicl
sighted the Savannah as she was steam
ing in for Liverpool, and supposing it t.
be a ship onfire, gave chase with the hu
name intent OF rescuing her people from
dreadful death; but the smoking ehil
was too fast for the cutter, and went OF
her way rejoicing and still smoking.
At Liverpool her presence excited un
common interest; but the people ant
press OF that city, instead of glorifyin!
and bapqueting the American Capt
Rogers as the pioneer in ocean steam
navigation, only wondered, as they dit
atJohn Gilpin, show he come, and VIII,
he came at ali;" and gave vent to tbs
amiable insinuation that the enterpris'
was sin some way connected with tbs
ambitious views of the United States.'
From Liverpool Capt. Rogers pro
ceeded with his smoking ship TO st. Pc
Iersburg. He returned thence. and 'afte
lEoyage OF fifty days landed at Savan
nah, the port of departure, in December
1919; having touched at Copenhagen ant
port in Norway. And when she cam
70 anchor in the harbor OF Savannah
Capt. Rogers reported her arrival, say
ing: sin all her round trip not screw
bolt or rope-yarn had parted"
After few days in her home port, tn
Savannah steamed up to the Navy-yar,