1864. | SamvELson on Steam Navigation. 239 
saw with astonishment that it was rapidly coming towards them ; and 
when it came so near that the noise of the machinery and paddles was 
heard, the crews in some instances shrunk beneath their decks from 
the terrific sight, and left their vessels to go ashore; while others 
prostrated themselves and besought Providence to protect them from 
the approach of the horrible monster which was marching on the tide, 
and lighting its path by the fire which it vomited.” 
She was called the ‘ Clermont,’ and was the first steamer which, as 
well as being a practical success, remunerated her owners. 
About this time, a countryman of Fulton’s, John Cox Stevens, had 
completed a steamer; but as Fulton had obtained the exclusive right 
of navigating the waters of the state of New York, Stevens boldly 
determined to convey his ship to the Delaware by sea: he was thus 
the first who took a steam-boat to sea. Fulton had much prejudice to 
overcome in introducing steam navigation, but the Americans soon 
became aware of the immense commercial advantage that must result 
from its adoption, and accordingly steamers multiplied with great 
rapidity, so that in the year 1821 there were not less than 300 steamers 
at work in America. 
Returning again to England, it was not until the year 1812 that 
steam navigation was brought into practical use in this country, when 
Mr. Henry Bell started on the Clyde a small steam-boat, called the 
‘Comet.’ She was only 40 feet long, 10 feet 6 inches beam, and of 
33 horse-power. There was nothing novel in this small boat, and, in 
fact, Symington’s ‘ Charlotte Dundas,’ which has already been referred 
to, was a far more perfect steamer than either Fulton’s ‘Clermont’ or 
Bell’s ‘Comet ;’ but great merit is due to Bell that he succeeded in 
establishing steam navigation in this country, just as Fulton had done 
in America. ‘Tio Symington, however, is due the honour of having 
constructed the first practical steam -boat. 
From this time the number of steam-boats began to augment with 
astonishing rapidity, not on the Clyde alone, but on many of the prin- 
cipal rivers of England. The steam navigation of rivers having now 
become an established fact, enterprise soon determined that steamers 
should be sent to sea. Accordingly, in 1815, the ‘Rob Roy,’ a 
steamer of 90 tons and 30 horse-power commenced running between 
Glasgow and Belfast, and was therefore the first regular sea-going 
steamer in England. 
In 1816, several wealthy men formed a company for the purpose 
of establishing a line of steamers between Dublin and Holyhead; they 
had two built, the ‘ Britannia’ and ‘ Hibernia,’ both of 107 tons and 
20 horse-power. In this early stage of steam navigation they accom- 
plished the run with tolerable regularity, but the defects in the form 
of the ships and the imperfection of the machinery caused them even- 
tually to be placed on one side. The problem of making successful 
sea-going steamers being now thoroughly solved, they began rapidly to 
increase their numbers, and steam navigation quickly extended to 
other countries, France, Russia, and Holland all pressing forward to 
participate in the grand invention. It would be needless to enumerate 
