The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1912-06-13
STEAMER Of 1917
In That Year Henry Bell Launch
ed the Comet.
seotehmsn After Many Struggles Sue.
eeeded In Making vesseI-stone
pillar on Banks Of Clyde In
Memory Of Inventor.

London.-On January is, 1872, there
was launched at Glasgow, on the
Clyde, a little wooden vessel 40 feet
IN legnth and 10 feet 6 inches in
breadth.
She received the name Of Comet, be-
eause just at the time when she be-
gan to be built in the summer Of 1911
a remarkable comet was visible in the
heavens. That comet is still re.
ferred to In astronomical books as the
great comet of 1911.
The owner Of this little boat was
Henry Bell, originally a working ma
son, who had seen at Calrron In 1888
the first attempts at steam naViga-
ton on board q vessel which was built
for the purpose Of towing barges on
the Forth and Clyde canals.
Henry Bell was certain tha. # was
possible to employ steam for yes
eels intended for passenger trade. But
the difficulty was to find the money.
In 1900 he Ind before the British gov
eminent Of the day his plans for the
construction Of a vessel that could
carry passengers. But after waiting
for some years he found there was no
help to be obtained from the govern
ment. II there had been some far
seeing man about the admiralty at
that time the invention might have
been taken up, and Nelson in his later
years would net have had to wait on
the winds when he went to attack the
French feet.
Henry Bell did not lose heart. He
went to Helensburgh, on the Clyde.
and there built small hotel, which
still stands, with additions toit between
Helensburgh and the North British
railway station at Craigendoran. He
made some money at this hotel, and In
the summer Of 1911 he gave an order
to Messrs. John Wood G. Co., ship
builders at Port Glasgow, for the con-
struction of the Comet, the fret pas
senger steamer. The same shipbuild-
Ing firm that launched the Comet In
1872 launched for the Cunard line in
1889 the Acadia, the second steamer
OF the famous line, the Britannia be-
Ing the first, so that from Port Glas-
cow there came the first passenger
river steamer and the second Allan
tic liner.
At length all was ready, and in the
autumn of 1912 the Comet had the
sole passenger steam traffic on the
River Clyde. She was pronounced a
success. But her success brought imi.
tators and rivals, and In the next year,
1913, there were three othag steamers
on the Clyde, all OF them larger and
swifter than the Comet. So that the
first passenger steamer in the world
was already left behind, and as a re-
suit the passengers chose to go with
the faster steamers and poor Henry
Bell met the fate of many another in
ventor. His vessel was success from
the point of view of the engineer, but
she did not bring in money to her
owner.
AS the Comet had been beaten In
speed on the Clyde, she was sent to
the Firth of Forth, and for a time
made better speed there than on the
Clyde, because the water was deeper.
But after awhile rival steamers ap-
peared on the Forth and the poor lit
tie Comet, the pioneer of the steam
passenger ships of the world. came to /
an inglorious end. She had not made
a fortune for her owner, but left him
10 be dependent in his old age on an
annuity Of eco granted by the Clyde
trustees.
Though there is monument to
Henry Bell on the north bank of the I
Clyde at Bowling about half way
between Glasgow and Greenock, prob
ibly very few of the many thousands
who go up and down the Clyde every
summer take notice of the weather
stained stone pillar at Bowling. Few.
'r still, are aware that the monument
commentaries the man to whom the
iiyer Clyde and every navigable
liver and sea in the world owe SO
much.