42 Book of Steamships 



first of that brilliant company of trans- 

 Atlantic steamships. 



A claim is made that Lord Cochrane 

 built the Rising Sun in 1818, and this 

 vessel was the first to cross the Atlantic. 

 The claim is not, however, generally 

 admitted, and I find no definite details of 

 the ship. 



That the Savannah was not quite a 

 success as an auxiliary steamship may be 

 gathered from the fact that she was con- 

 verted to a sailing vessel a short time 

 after her momentous voyage. It is said 

 that on approaching the Irish coast 

 with smoke pouring from her funnel 

 the look-out ashore decided that she 

 was on fire, and a revenue craft of 

 good speed was sent out to aid the 

 hapless vessel. 



To the amazement of the crew of the 

 swift cutter they could not come up with 

 the " ship on fire ", which, strange to say, 

 appeared to be getting along quite com- 

 fortably almost under bare poles! 



