John Kennedy

“ For upwards of nine years Great Britain had held a monopoly of the transatlantic steamship business. America could and did build sailing vessels that were unsurpassed by those belonging to any other nation; her Baltimore clippers, Boston packets, and New York liners were all of them vessels of the highest class and reputation. But apparently Americans could neither build, nor own ocean steamers that were capable of successfully competing with British owned steamships. ”

“ One of the most convincing proofs of the splendid management of the several steamship companies which trade between Liverpool and Glasgow, of the skill and honest workmanship put into the vessels, and of the great care exercised by the officers who navigate these ships, is the fact that for upwards of eighty years there has been but one disaster accompanied by loss of life on this station. ”

“ The daring mariners who navigated her are nameless, and the incidents of this pioneer voyage are left unrecorded.
“The evil that men do lives after them,
The good is oft interred with their bones.”
Fortunately we are able, from other sources, to gather some idea of the size and appearance of the vessel, and of the impression she made on the minds of the spectators. She was presumably one of the three steamers built on the Clyde in 1813, as competitors against the Comet, for passengers between Glasgow and Greenock; the other two were the Argyle and the Industry. ”

“ Fortunately all men are not so unobservant; and so we find tourists from Great Britain and Ireland; from Canada and the United States; from South Africa and the Antipodes, journeying to enjoy not alone the beauties of the Kyles of Bute, but also the grand and beautiful scenery of the Western Highlands, now so easy of access by the splendid steamers of the MacBrayne fleet. ”

“ We feel much indebted to the agent (Mr. M. Langlands) of this splendid steamer for putting us in possession of the ‘Morning Chronicle’ of yesterday morning three hours before the arrival of the ‘London Mail’ containing the details of the attempted assassination of Her Majesty. Copies of the ‘Chronicle,’ ‘Times,’ and other London journals were, the moment the train arrived from Greenock, forwarded to the different public reading rooms in town, and altogether the public are much indebted to the proprietors and agents of the vessel at Liverpool and Glasgow for their public spirit and enterprise. ”

“ THE CUNARD STEAMSHIP COMPANY,
LIMITED. It seems incredible that less than three-quarters of a century ago steamers were unknown on the Atlantic. The mail-boats of that date were wretched old Government 10-gun “coffin brigs,” slow and uncertain in their passages. But there were men, even in those days, who dreamed of a time to come when steamers should cross the ocean with the regularity, though not with the speed, of railway trains. Amongst these enthusiasts was Mr. Samuel Cunard, a shipowner of Halifax, Nova Scotia. ”

“ This was the famous Great Britain. She was the first Western Ocean steamship constructed of iron, and the first and only one for several years that was propelled by a screw propeller instead of paddle-wheels. She was considered a colossal steamer in her time, and excited quite as much public interest as did the Great Eastern at a later period. Her principal dimensions were, length of keel 289 feet, between perpendiculars 296 feet, over all 322 feet, her breadth was 51 feet, depth of hold 32 feet 6 inches, her measurement 2,984 tons, and her engines 1,000 h.p. ”

“ Many circumstances combined to make the Clyde the birthplace and the home of the Marine Steam Engine. Coal and iron mines were in close proximity, and skilled labour for the construction of engines and of ships was abundant. The beautiful Firth, with its numerous lochs and islands, constituted an ideal locality for the employment of steamboats while yet the art of steamship building was in its infancy. And on the shores of the River, or within easy distance of it, dwelt a large industrial population, eager to take advantage of the facilities for travel which steamboats afforded. ”

“ The promoters of the Great Eastern Steam Navigation Company were very sanguine that the Government would frequently employ their vessel for the conveyance of troops, of which they estimated she could carry ten thousand. The Government very wisely never risked so great a body of men in one vessel. ”

“ In the accommodation for passengers all the latest improvements are to be found, and everything calculated to render ocean travelling more comfortable and enjoyable is introduced. The grand saloon, drawing room, library and smoking rooms are noble in their proportions, and suggest the stately chambers of a palace rather than accommodation within the steel walls of a ship. ”

“ The great superiority of the Swift over the Cock Boat that is puffed off as sailing direct from the Bromielaw is now so well known at Glasgow and Belfast as scarcely to require to be noticed in this advertisement, but for the sake of strangers coming from a distance it may be proper to state that her power and size are double, and her speed so much greater, that when the two vessels start together the Swift runs the other out of sight in five or six hours. ”

“ To quote the words of a prominent member of Parliament: “The Government were giving an opulent railway company not only a monopoly of the passenger traffic, but a large subsidy besides, for merely carrying [Pg 192] the mail bags on their established line of passenger steamers.” So powerful was the agitation that arose, that the Government discovered they would not be able to get the contract confirmed by the House of Commons, the Irish members to a man being determined to vote against it. ”

“ Late on the evening of the 31st May, she sailed in company with the Myrtle, sloop-of-war, whose captain (Bingham) and a company of ladies were aboard the steamer, anxious to see how she would behave in a rough sea. The Myrtle was obliged to hoist royals and studding sails to keep up with the Thames, and at last by crowding all sail, she got a little ahead. But the great superiority of steam was yet to be shown. Dodd gallantly determined to carry the ladies back to Milford, instead of transferring them to the Myrtle in an open boat. ”

“ By an ingenious arrangement (which is quite novel) every stateroom has a port opening to the outside of the ship, and all the rooms are equally light and airy, while many of the rooms provided are fitted up for the accommodation of one or two passengers only. The Warwickshire has marked a new era in the equipment of large passenger steamers, and the above mentioned Bibby Patent Stateroom is now being adopted by the principal Mail Lines in the construction of new boats. A twin-screw steamer, to be named the Worcestershire, is now under construction at Belfast. ”

“ It is an open secret that for this the Jamaicans are indebted in great measure to the enterprise of Messrs. Elder, Dempster and Co., who have practically created the demand in Great Britain for Jamaica grown fruits, and who have established a service of swift steamers, specially built for the trade. This Line of steamers, which is known as the Imperial Direct West India Mail Service although only established in the first year of the present century, has already achieved a remarkable success. ”

“ Any person travelling by these steamers will find that very few vessels will pass them, and those which do are probably some crack mail packets running short passages.
The ships of the British and Irish Steam Packet Company are as well-known at Falmouth, Plymouth, Southampton, and Portsmouth as they are at the terminal ports of London and Dublin. Being so well-found, roomy, comfortable, and up-to-date, and calling in at all the principal southern ports, it is but natural that they should be favourites with the holiday-making and touring public. ”

“ It is the existence of such splendidly managed mercantile fleets, such as the Elder-Dempster Line, that enabled Great Britain to astonish the world by the rapid and safe transport of troops and munitions of war during the progress of the late War in South Africa. ”

“ The vessels which would ultimately be found the best adapted for the voyage between this country and the United States would be those of 800 tons, which would carry machines of 200 horse-power, and would be able to stow 400 tons of coal. To supply a 10 horse-power daily required an expenditure of a ton of coals, and, consequently, 200 horse-power would require 20 tons of coal daily; but if the vessel carried 400 tons of coal only, it would not be practicable to undertake a voyage which would require the whole of the quantity. They must make an allowance of 100 tons for contingencies. ”

“ The City of Dublin Steam-Packet Company commenced a regular steamship passenger service between England, Ireland and France in June, 1827. The route was from Belfast to Dublin, thence to Bordeaux. Passengers from the North of England were carried by the Company’s steamers between Liverpool and Dublin, connecting at the latter port with the steamer to France. The pioneer steamer of the service was the Leeds, which sailed on her first voyage from Belfast on Sunday, 17th June, and from Dublin on the following Wednesday, continuing to sail at fortnightly intervals during the season. ”

“ Many years of experience in the management of steamships have enabled the company to design and construct a magnificent fleet of fast cargo liners, having lofty ’tween decks, and fitted with anti-rolling keels, electric light and every modern improvement. Several of these were chartered at an early stage of the war by the British Admiralty, and retained for voyage after voyage as transports. Nine steamers, of an aggregate gross tonnage of 52,000 tons, were requisitioned in this way. ”

“ The successful voyage from the Clyde to the Thames achieved by Captain Dodd, and the less-known one by the Runcorn Packet from the Clyde to the Mersey, gave a great impetus to steam-packet building, and created active opposition, especially on the London and Margate service. The Thames, after being refitted, opened the service in July, 1815. She had a monopoly of the station for about three months, when the Defiance was put on in opposition. The following year saw the Majestic placed on the River Thames, and this vessel was probably the first steamer employed in towing ships. ”

“ COMPANY. In the summer of the year 1822 Mr. C. W. Williams, of Dublin, crossed over to Liverpool with the object of inducing the merchants to take shares in a line of steampackets he proposed building for the Liverpool and Dublin trade. Except to the most sanguine, the time did not appear to be favourable for such a scheme. A large fleet of sailing smacks maintained daily communication (subject to the weather) between the two ports, carrying all kinds of goods, and even cattle. The steampackets Waterloo and Belfast sailed with passengers only every alternate day from each side. ”

“ Recognising that very considerable numbers of passengers are willing to sacrifice speed to comfort and safety, the managers of the White Star Line determined to make an innovation by building a twin-screw cargo steamer of exceptional size and power, fitted with accommodation for a limited number of saloon and third-class passengers. The new steamer which was called the Cymric, commenced work in the Liverpool and New York trade in 1898. Her tonnage is 13,096 tons gross. Her passenger accommodation in both classes is excellent, and she has proved a very attractive ship. ”

“ The first serious accident to a Clyde steamboat of which there is any record, occurred in the early part of the year 1816. The new steam-packet Rothesay Castle, while entering the harbour of Tarbert on her return voyage from Inverary, struck on a reef of sunken rocks. All her passengers were rescued by fishing boats, which also landed the luggage. One of the fishing boats was also despatched to request the Master of the Argyle (which was to leave Inverary four hours later than the Rothesay Castle) to call at Tarbert. ”

“ She is fitted with electric light in the saloon, staterooms and holds. Her saloon, which is a handsomely furnished and spacious apartment, is situated amidships forward of the engine room. The great breadth of the vessel makes her a remarkably steady sea boat, while her engines, which are triple-expansion and of great power, are capable of propelling her at the rate of 151⁄2 knots per hour. She is nearly 1,400 tons gross, and carries 140 saloon passengers, in addition to those in the steerage. ”

“ A further and larger addition, the Clodagh, now building, will shortly be added to the fleet, embracing all the above improvements, with an increased speed, and increased first-class passenger accommodation.
The Waterford Steamship Company were amongst the first steamship owners to discard the bowsprit and figure-head, and to adopt the straight stem. They were also amongst the first owners to build steamers with saloons amidships, and it is their proud boast that in the Liverpool and Waterford service, extending over sixty years, they never lost a ship or a human life. ”

“ It is to be hoped that they will ever bear in mind that the safety of the lives and property entrusted to their care is the ruling principle that should govern them in the navigation of their ships, and no supposed gain in expedition or saving of time on the voyage is to be purchased at the risk of accident. ”

“ In 1884 the Directors purchased the celebrated iron steamship Oregon, built by Messrs. John Elder & Co. She was 501 feet by 542/10 feet by 38 feet, and of 7,375 tons and 13,500 I.H.P.; speed 18 knots per hour. On her first and second voyage she did not distinguish herself, but on her third voyage she made the passage from Queenstown to New York in 6 days 10 hours 9 minutes, thereby excelling all previous records, and earning for herself the title of “The Greyhound of the Atlantic.” ”