THE LOG OF THE SAVANNAH. 617 



Fulton and bearing his name, was launched at Brown's ship-yard in 

 New York City. 



In 1815 the pioneer of the fleet of steamers, soon after built to run 

 between Liverpool and various ports of the English, Irish, and Scotch 

 coasts, was launched on the Clyde, arriving safely in the Mersey, after 

 calling at the Isle of Man. This was followed by several other boats 

 for the same service during the next three or four years. 



In 1815 there were five steamers on the Thames. By 1816 eight 

 steamboats had been built to run on the Hudson and five or six on the 

 Delaware. 



In 1817 the first steamboat ran from New York to Newport, and the 

 same year the first steamboat was put in service in Boston Harbor. 



In 1818 steam navigation was inaugurated on Lake Brie, and in the 

 same year the first steamboat was lauuched in Russia and steam tug- 

 boats were introduced on the Mersey. 



This was the condition of steam navigation when the Savannah, the 

 first ship equipped to be driven across the Atlantic by steam, stood 

 upon the stocks at New York, in August, 1818, waiting to be lauuched. 



THE OCEAN NAVIGATED BY STEAM. 



It is conceded by all writers familiar with the subject that the Phceniv, 

 built by Robert L. Stevens in conjunction with his father John Stevens, 

 of Hoboken, New Jersey, was the first steam vessel to brave the dangers 

 of the ocean.* This was in 1808, when the vessel went around from 

 New York to Philadelphia by sea, navigating the Atlantic from Sandy 

 Hook to Cape May. This boat did service on the Delaware River for 

 many years, being an important link in the route from Philadelphia to 

 New York. 



THE STEAMSHIP "SAVANNAH." 



The Savannah was a full-rigged ship of 350 tons burthen and was 

 built at Corlear's Hook, New York, by Francis Fickett. At first she was 

 intended to be used as a sailing packet between New York and Havre, 

 France. The keel was laid in 1818, and the vessel was launched August 

 22 of the same year. 



While the Savannah stood upon the stocks she attracted the atten- 

 tion of Capt. Moses Rogers, who had been associated with Fulton aud 

 Stevens in commandin g several of the early steamboats. It was through 

 his exertions that Scarborough & Isaacs, a wealthy shipping firm in 

 Savannah, were induced to purchase the vessel and fit her with engines 

 with a view of giving to that city, which was then one of the most im- 



* Scott Russell thus alludes to this eveut : " Robert L. Stevens is probably the man 

 to whom, of all others, America owes the greatest share of its present highly improved 

 steam navigation. His father was associated with Livingston in his experiments 

 previous to the connection of the latter with Fulton, and persevered iu his experi- 

 ments during Livingston's absence in France. Undisputedly he is the pioneer of 

 steam navigation on the open seas." 



