The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-07-28

BRITISH ASSUMPTION. - some time
since, we made mention in the columns
OF the STAR of the fact, and detailed the
circumstances of the first passage across
the. Atlantic by any steam vessel. In
that article we showed that the vessel
which first made this ocean transit by
steam was the American steamship
SqcanHah, under command of Captain
Moses Rogers, as early as 1919,
In the same article we made mention
likewise of the fact that an American
steamship, the Colorado, was the first to
cross the Pacific by steam; and stated
that in due time the British would claim
this achievement for their own flag, as
they had done in the case of steam navi-
cation across the Atlantic.
Recently certain documents have come
to light from British authorities con-
clusively settling the question of prior
ity against the British assumption. A
Sir John Hawkshaw, in a lecture before
the British (Engineering) Association,
had claimed that the Brush merchant
ship SiIius was the first to cross the
Atlantic by steam, in 1888. This was
afterwards corrected by the statement
that five years before, in 1888, British
naval vessel, the RhadansanthuS, had pro-
ceeded to Jamaica by steam.
1t will be perceived that in all this in
yestigation as to dates, the British
writer's utterly ignored the voyage the
American steamship .SdudRRdb fourteen
years before the first British vessel had
crossed the Atlantic by steam. And yet
The data and authority for establishing
this tact were upon their own records.
In LIQUIDS List the arrival OF the Savan-
nah is reported at Liverpool June 20,
1918. In Cores Annals of Liverpool the
same fact is recorded as among s're-
markable events" In Marwade's Com
nle7ctdl Report for that week the same
event is thus fully chronicled:
"Among the arrivals at this port we
were particularly gratitied and aston
ished by the novel sight of fine steam
ship. which came round at half-past p.
Nj, without the assistance OF a single
sheet, in a style which displayed The
power and advantage of the application
OF steam to vessels of the largest size,
being three hundred and fifty tons bur-
then. sSne is called the Savannah, Cap
tain Rogers. and sailed from Savannah
Georgia, United States the 18th day of
Nav, and arrived in tne channel five
days since. During her passage sne
worked the engine eighteen days, Her
model is beautiful, and the accommodate
lions for passengers elegant and COM
plete. She is the first ship on this con
sIruction that has undertaken a voyage
across the Atlantic"
The London Times of June 80. 1919
also announces the tact of the SdUdn
naFs arrival at Liverpool, adding-"the
first vessel of the kind that ever crossed
the Atlantic" 1t furthermore stated
that the SdUdRndh ''was chased whole
day off the coast Of Ireland by the Kite
Revenue cruiser on that station, whicl
mistook her for ship on fire."
The SaUdRHdh was bound for st. Pc
tersburg, and only touched at Liverpoo
for coal arc supplies. She also pu
into ports in Sweden and Norway. Ii
England, Copenhagen, Stockholm ant
St. Petersburg, the arrival of the sSdCan
nah excited great curiosity, and at
traeted thousands of visitors. The
King of Sweden presented Captain
Rogers with '!stone and muller"
and the Emperor OF Russia presented
''silyer tea-kettle," as token Of his
qualification at the first attempt to cross
the Atlantic by steam." Lord Lyme
dock, of England, who went passenger
in this ship to ST. Petersburg, presented
Stephen Rogers with a "superb gold
snuf-box." All these testimonials are
now III the possession of the family. The
log-book containing an official account
Of the voyage is at the National Insti
tute at Washington City, and may bt
seen at any time.
And yet the British writers and lee
turers, notwithstanding the testimony
of their own records, still assert the IN
truth that the British flag foated ovel
the first steamship that ever crossed the
Atlantic. They evidently think that &
falsehoOd well stuck to Will finally come
to answer their purpose q little bsttel
than the truth.