Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-02-02
NO. 5.
The Log.BooL OF the "snvannah."


The Savannah, the first steamer that
crossed any of the oceans, was built at the
city of New York by Francis Ticket for
Daniel Dodd. Her engines we're made by
Stephen Vail, Of Morristowp. She was
launched on the 22d of August, 1878. She
could carry only seventy-five tons OF coal
and twenty-five cords Of wood. Command
cd by Captain Moses Rogers, and navlgat-
ed by Stephen Rogers, both of New Lon
don, Connecticut, the Savannah sailed from
the city of Savannah, Georgia, on the 25ih
Of May, 1919, bound for st. Petersburg vid
Liverpool. She reached the latter port on
the goth of June, having used steam eigh-
teen days out Of the twenty.six, and thus
demonstrated the feasibility of transatlan-
tic steam navigation.
The original log-book of the Savannah
containing the daily record of her nlemora-
bic voyage, is still in possession Of Captain
Rogers descendants.
This valuable relic Is made up OF ninety.
six pages of coarse paper OF unusual size,
twelve inches wide, and nineteen and half
long, Drowned with age, and with edges
ragged from much handling. Ooly fifty
two pages are written on, the rest remain
ing blank. 1t is not bound, but the large
sheets are sewed into an enveloping piece
OF sail cloth, which is rudely hemmed at
the upper and lower edges. This cloth
cover bears the simple inscription, "Steam-
ship Savannah's Log book" printed in
bold characters. The handwriting is that
Of Stephen Rogers, the sailing master. Ev-
cry word in the closely written pages is
legible, the ink being still black but
small bortion OF the entries, however, have
any present interest, tho larger part being
marks on the weather, on the DISPOSE
ton Of the ships sails, and the results Of
The observations Of latitude and longitude.
The caption Of the first page is as follows:
"a Journal of Voyage from New York
towards Savannah on board steamship Sa-
vannah Moses Rogers, Master"
This is continued on three pages; the cap
ton of the ifth being,
"a Harbour Journal on board steamship
Savannah; Moses Rogers, Master"
And after few pages this in turn gives
place to:
"a Journal of Voyage from Savannah
towards Liverpool on board steam ship Sa-
vannah Moses Rogers, Master
The caption changes aflerward several
times, but preserves the same formula.
The first entry in the log book is the fol-
lowing:
"Sunday March 2Slh 1919. These "a
hours begins with fresh breezes at N. w.
At 10 A. NJ. got under way for Sea with the
crew on board. At P. NJ. the Pilot left the
Ship off Sandy hook light"
Arler this entry the page is ruled on ihe
left side into six narrow columns, which
are headed respectively, "H, X, HK
(Hours, Knots, Half knots), Course, Winds,
LW;" aud then comes a longer space,
headed, "Remarks on board" with the
proper date.
The second entry is as follows:
"Remarks on board Monday March 29lh
1919. These "a hours begins with fresh
breezes and clear. At p. NJ. the Hilands
of Neversink bore N. b. w. 9 Leagues dis
tant from which take my departure. At
10 p. NJ. took in Topgallant Sails. AT A. NJ.
Set Tepgallant Sails. At A. NJ. Tackled
Ship to the Westward. Saw brig and
Schooner Steering TO the Westward. At IL
A. NJ. took in the NIXON and Fore Top gal
liant Sails. At IL A. NJ. got the Steam up
and it come on to blow fresh we took the
Wheels in on deck in 80 minute. At me-
ridion fresh breezes and Cloudy. Lat. by
Obs. 800 49,"
This is fair sample of the daily records,
eS'ending, without much 10 relieve the
mnnotony, over a period Of nine months.
The statement, 1--WE took the Wheels in
on deck in 80 minute" refers to the fact
that this steamer was SO constructed that,
in case of boisterous weather, her paddle
wheels could be brought on deck.
Land was sighted on June l6, being The
coast of Ireland, and on the 18th the Savan-
nah twas boarded by the Kings Cutter
Kite, Lieutenant John Bowie"
Tue log book here, as elsewhere, is Stern
ly brief, but fortunately we have in Steph'
en- Rogers own words a fuller account of
the musing circumstances connected with
this boarding by the kings cutter. He
said, in communication 10 the New Lon
don (Counecticut) Gazette: "She 1.-THE
steamerl was seen from the telegraph sta
tion at Cape Clear, on the southern coast of
Ireland, and reported as ship on fire. The
admiral, who lay in the Cove Of Cork, dis
patched one of the kings cutters TO her re-
lief. But great was their wonder at their
inability, with all sail in fast vessel, TO
come up with a ship under bare Ioles. Af-
Ter several shots were fired from the cutter,
the engine was stopped, and the surprise
of her crew at the mistake they bad made,
as well as their curiosity 10 see the singu-
lar Yankee craft, can be easily imagined.
They asked permission 10 go on board, and
were much gratified by the inspection OF
this naval novelty"
Two days later June 2O) they shipped
the wheels aud furled the sails and run in
to the River Murcer, and at P. NJ. come to
anchor off Liverpool with the small bower
anchor"
These simple words are all that were
thought necessary to record the successful
termination of the daring venturei not a
word of boasting, of conGratulation, nor
even of thankfulness, does this man OF
deeds place on record.-HGrpe''s for Feb
TttIiy.
TOOTH PULLING ExTRAoRDINARY.-On
of the youthful inmates ofthe Aquarium in
New York got the tooth-achs the other day
-Baba, the petied baby hippopoiamus. 1t