The Hawaiian gazette., 1876-09-06
American. have the Honor.

The following article from the San Francisco
Ne,cs Letter is Of great value as contribution to
the correct history Of ocean steam navigation.
Apropos of the article published in our last
weeks issne in regard to the first steamer that
crossed the Atlantic the following letter written
to the London Times in 1851. by Pay-drectcr
John 5. Cunningham, now in charge of the Ma
val pay station here. will be found conclusive on
the subject The honor is clearly due to the
Americans
prom the London Times, May Is, 1851
TO THE EDITOR OF THE TINEs-Sr: In your
journal OF the 22d inst, the following statement
occurs in nu article descriptive of machinery in
the great exhibition: About 1869 the pro-
ject of crossing the Atlantic was started The ST.
RUS was, believe, tie first steam vessel which
performed this feat"
On referring to the Times of June 81, 1919
you will ind the following paragraph credited to
Marwaies Commercial report for that week:
Among the arrivals yesterday at this port
Re we're particularly gratifed aud aslOnshed by
the novel sight OF hue steamship. which came
round at : = P. N. without the assistance Of q
single sheet, in a style which displayed the power
aud advantage OF the application OF steam to yes
sells of the largest size, being $50 tons burden
She is called the Savannah aud sailed from Sa-
vannah (Ga. U. s. the Goth Of May, and arrived
in the channel five days since. During her pas
sage she worked the engine Is days. She is the
first ship on this construction hat has undertake
Ell voyage across the Atlantic"
The Times of June 80 1919, says 1.-THE Sa-
vauuah steam-vessel recently arrived at Liverpool
from America-tho first vessel of the kind that
ever crossed the Atlanlic-was chased a whole
day of the coast Of Ireland by the Kite. revenue
~ i L. L
for a ship on fire."
Loyd's List reports the arrival of the Savan-
nah at Liverpool. on the Goth of June, 1873,
bound TO St. Petersburg and in Cores Annual
Of Liverpool you will find this American steam
eT's arrival recorded among remarkable events.'
The steamship Savannah was American
ship built. owned, and navigated by Americans.
Francis Ticket, Of New York, built her for
Daniel Dodd; and the engines were made by
Stephen Vail, OF MOrristOwn, y. j. She was
commanded by Captain Moses Rogers, and navi
gated By Stephen Rogers. of New London, Con.
necticut, who is slil living to see the same voyage
performed 10 less than half the time by line of
American steamers, the chief engineer of Que Of
which 1.-THE Atlantic, Captain West,) is his
nephew, j. w. Rogers. 1t is not inappropriate
to mention at this present writing, the quickest
trD across the ocean has been made by the
Pacific one oil the Collins line OF steamers, IN
less than ten days so that we are not only the
first, but the fastest
In England. Copenhagen, Stockholm, and st.
Petersburg the arrival of the STEINER Savannah
excited great curiosity and attracted thousands
of visitors. The King of Sweden presented
Captain Rogers with stone and muller" and
the Emperor of Russia presented silver tea
kettle as a token of his qualification at the first
attempt to cross the Atlantic by steam Lord
Lynedock, of England, who went passenger IN
this ship to ST. Petersburg. presented Captain
Rogers with superb gold snuff-box" All
these testimonials are now in the possession of
the family. The log-book, containing an official
account of the voyage, is in the National Insli-
tute of Washington City, and may be seen at
any time.
Very respectfully, sir, your obedent servant,
JOHN S. CUNNINGHAM.