The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1879-03-22

lerprise soon came TO an end. Il did so
chiefly on account Of the soundings of
alarm that arose on all sides against steam
1t was decried by almost all
persons deemed to be competent to have
Judgment in the matter, as an undertaking
utterly foolish in ITSELF and beyond hope
Of practical attainment The majority Of
the so-ealled men of science were fore
most in deuouncing Atlantic steam navi-
CATION, showing, by elaborate arrays of
figures aud OF argument, the impossbility
Of such feeble thing as awhiff Of
steam" to combat the tremendous power
of wind, waves aud tides, aud predicting
dire calamities if such attempts were per-
severed in. The effect Of these evil fore
bodings became visible in the temporary
cessation Of further Atlantic steam trips.
While nine years had elapsed from the
first voyage Of the Savannah to that Of the
Curacao, full ten years were to 20 by till
another steamer was sent across the broad |
Atlantic. For the first time the start was
on the British side. At 10 o'clock in the |
morning Of "Wednesday, the 4th of April,
1888, the steamship Sirius, Lieutenant
Roberts, II. n, commander, left London
for New York, with ninety-four passengers
on board An immense crowd on the
shore greeted with their hurrahs the de-
parture of the first English steamer for
America as she slowly glided down the
Thames.
The Sirius, vessel Of 700 tons register,
with engines Of 32O horse horsepower,
built by Thomas Wingate, Of Glasgow, was
not destined originally for Atlantic naviga-
tion. Her construction was due to small
joint stock association, called the St. George
Steam Navigation Company, with the in
tention OF establishing ? line between
London and Cork. On this route the
Sirius was first placed, with excellent ef-
feet, her performances being SO good as to
create the delighted surprise of all persons
interested in steamships. This led to an
important consequence. Among the few
persons in England who had faith at that
time in the ocean steam navigation was
Mr.. M,Gregor Laird, Of Liverpool, brother
Of the late Mr.. John Laird, NJ. p, for
Birkenhead, who had become known as
the leader Of stout controversy on the
subject, maintaining his ground well against
host Of would-be scientific antagonists.
Among the latter was DR.. Dionysius Lard
ner, the well-known compiler Of number
Of scientific treaties. He laid it down, in
his great Encyclopedia" as an absolute
rule, perfectly indisputable, that the pro.
ject of building steamers to cross the At
lantic was quite absurd, and, the more to
enforce this dogma, the learned doctor
took the trouble of running down to Liv-
erpool and lecturing an audience, when
hearing that company, projecting to
build Atlantic steamships, was about to be
established in the growing town on the
Mersey. A part of the curious lecture Of
the distinguished encyclopaedia has been
preserved in the Liverpool AiJion Of De-
cember II, 1895, which gave report of
it. After dwelling on storms, trade winds
and all kinds of "natural phenomena" on
sea, earth and sky, DIR. Lardner thus pith-
lily expressed himself about Atlantic steam
navigation ;-"As to the project, he ex-
claimed, (which is announced in the news.
papers Of making the voyage directly from
New York to Liverpool, it is, have nc
hesitation Of saying, perfectly chimcrical,
aud you might as well talk Of making .
voyage from New York or Liverpool tc
the moon" This was as decided as strong,
but Mr.. MGregor Laird, doughty Scot,
had nevertheless no fear to attack the
great authority He did so in remark
able letter to the Liverpool Albion, signed
"Chimera,' in which he demolished, one
by one, all the arguments of DR. Lardner
against ocean steam navigation. The
principle Of these, aside Of natural phe-
nomena" fancies, was that, even il steam
ers could be instructed to brave the dan
gers Of the Atlantic, their whole space
would have to be filed with coal, TO the
exclusion Of any other cargo, as well as of
passengers. Being practical shipbuilder
and engineer, it was easy for Mr.. Laird to
prove that all that DR.. Lardner had said
about the necessity of filling steamers en-
tirely with coal was absolutely nonsense;
he told him so most distinctly, though 10
the politest form. The letter of sChime-
r." created a great impression, gaining
not a few influential men in Liverpool
previously prejudiced against ocean steam
navigation. One Of the immediate con-
sequences was the establishment Of a com
pany for starting line Of steamers from
the Mersey to New York II received the
title Of the British aud North American
Steam Navigation Company The for
nation Of the undertaking was somewhat
sudden, owing to the ancient rivalry be-
tween Liverpool and Bristol The city on
the Avon, ancient home of the American
trade, had been bestirring itself for some
time to get steam navigation with the
United States, and u number of wealthy
merchants, il was known, was constructing
ship of extraordinary dimensions to be
the pioneer Of the new line. It was this
which fred the Liverpool ship-owners
with sudden energy, aud, headed by Mr..
MGregor Laird, they decided to take the
field before their Bristol rivals. There
was no time to build steamer in any way
like the one constructing for Bristol, and
they therefore decided to purchase the
best existing one. This was, by unani-
nous consent, the Sirius, belonging to the
st. George Steam Navigation Company.
Negotiations concluded quickly, the price
asked being at once accepted, and so it
came that the steamer Sirius left London
at the shortest notice, on the Wednesday
morning of April 4th, 1888, bound for
New York, but touching on the way at
her old destination, Cork Liverpool had
beaten Bristol ip sending the first English
steamer across the Atlantic.
But the victory was not one Of many days.
No sooner became the Bristol merchants
aware Of the Liverpool project, when the
utmost haste was made to start their own
steamer, named the Great Western. They
were duly proud Of their own achievement,
for il was, beyond dispute, not only BY far
the most splendid steamer yet constructed,
but the only one designed, with all scien.
tihc appliances, for Atlantic navigation.
The Great Western was built by Mr.. Pat
erson, Of Bristol, after his own designs,
but assisted by Mr.. Burnel, the registered
burthen being Of lsI0 tons, and the power
Of the engines-made by Messrs. Mauds-