The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-05-22
TODAY IN HISTORY
First ocean steamstlp-May %.
SUNDAY, MAY %, 1910.

NIncty-one years ago today the first
ocean steamship to cross the Atlantic
started from Savannah. Ga. This vessel
was called the Savannah. and was
launched In New York on August %, 1878.
The notice that was printed OF this
launching III the Evening Post of August
Il, 1918, reads as follows:
"Iaunch-Tomorrow, ut o'clock, will
be launched from the shipyard Of Messrs.
Picket s. Crockett. the elegant steamship
Savannah. TO be commanded by Captain
Moses Rogers, and intended as regular
trader between Savannah and Liverpool
principally for the accommodation OF pas
sengcrs."
BY the records Of the New York GUS
toms house II Is shown that tho Savan-
nah had one deck and three mastS. that
she was a few inches more than 9S feet
long. 25 feet 10 inches beam and ii feet
inches deep. She was OF 32O tons burden.
There were n number Of trial trips OF
the boat In and about New York harbor,
but IL was not until the spring of 1919
that the boat started for her home port,
Savannsh. The first trip. which was
started on May 22, 1910 was not completed
in Liverpool harbor until July n, she
then started for ST. Petersburg and an
chored In the Neva on September l3, On
October 10 she turned her prov home
ward and ended her first round trip Voy-
age on November 30.
Tho trip was made twelve years after
Hudson's Clcrmont had her successful
trial In that time the use Of steam had
increased rapidly on the inland waters
of the country, but IT was regarded as a
matter of doubt If steam could be de-
pended upon to propcl an ocean going
craft such a long distance as that which
stretched between this country and Eu-
rope.
In 1909 steam had been tried at sea
with the boat Phoenix. which was built
by John Stevens OF uoboken. 10 compete
with Fulton's Clermont. Fuiton's monop-
oily by which the New York legislature
gave him the exclusive right to navigate
was too strong for Stevens. so he with
drew from the local field and sent the
Phoenix around Cape May Into the Della
ware for service on that river Her COM
mander on the voyage was Captain Rog-
ers. So well did the Phoenix behave un-
der steam that Rogers became an en-
thusiast on the subject OF developing the
science on the high seas
While the Savannah is always mon
toned as the first steamer to cross the
Atlantic the first ship, actually TO steam
Of propulsion. was Canadian-the Royal
William, launched at Quebec In 1881, her
engines being sent from England. In
1888 she went from Pictou. Nova Scotia.
TO Gravesend in twenty-five days. In
1886 a series Of liners" accomplished
the voyage from New York 10 London
in about twenty days.
The Atlantic passenger has today
a choice of any one Of thirty-three reSu-
lar lines OF steamships In crossing the
Atlantic with an average. Of three SAIL
ihEs 'NelS "dE ~ VIC Mt'N, - o'HP ~, -
be said 10 sail for Europe every eight
hours FIFTY years ago there were but
three regular lines, and these offered only
monthly saillnGs. Twenty five years ago
Il was possible 10 cross by upwards 'of
score OF lines. and the time had been
reduced to seven days The five day boat
appeared a trine more than ten years
ago, while the fonr-day boat is one OF
the accomplishments OF today. The fast
est trip thus far made was by the Maui
retania. from New York 10 Queenstown,
in four days. ten hours and fifty-one min
utcS-