Chapter III.
Steamboats on the River Clyde, the Comet, Industry, Argyle.—On the Thames, the Margery and the Thames.—The first Irish Steamer, the City of Cork.
Without, in the slightest degree, detracting from the credit due to the inventors referred to in the earlier pages of this history, it is indisputable that the River Clyde is the birthplace of European Steam Navigation.
For many years the Charlotte Dundas (a success from an engineering point of view, but a failure commercially), lay idle and corroding at Lock 16 on the Forth and Clyde Canal. She was regarded by the majority of those who saw her there, as a monument of Symington’s folly—the embodiment of a “fad.”
Bell, however, throughout these years, retained his faith in the ultimate success of the Marine Steam Engine. There seemed to be no probability of steam being utilized as a motive power for vessels in British waters, but the Americans were more enterprising, and Fulton, who accompanied Bell to inspect the Charlotte Dundas in 1803, gave the latter to understand that he had influential friends in America, whom he could induce to build steamers. Bell had good reason to consider himself badly treated by Fulton in this matter, yet, undoubtedly, indirectly Bell was benefited by Fulton’s success. It is more than probable that during the five years that succeeded the building of the Clermont, frequent reports regarding both this vessel and her successors in the United States and Canada, reached Scotland. And as a consequence of the success of these boats, Bell succeeded in getting a small steamer built to trade on the River Clyde. The following is a copy of Mr. Bell’s advertisement of the sailing of his steamer:—
“The Comet, between Glasgow, Greenock and Helensburgh, for passengers only. The subscriber having at much expense, fitted up a handsome vessel to ply upon the River Clyde, between Glasgow and Greenock, to sail by the power of wind, air, and steam, he intends that the vessel shall leave the Bromielaw on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, about mid-day or such hour thereafter as may answer from the state of the tide; and to leave Greenock on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, in the morning to suit the tide. The terms are fixed for the present at 4s. for the best cabin, and 3s. for the second; but beyond these rates nothing is to be allowed to servants or any other person employed about the vessel.”
The Comet was a steamer of 25 tons burden, 40 feet long, and 10 feet 6 inches broad, and she steamed about 5 miles per hour.
A correspondent of the “Steamship” (1st January, 1883), relates regarding one Dougal Jamson, a Clyde skipper, of the time of the Comet, that whenever the steamboat passed his slow going sloop, he invariably piped all hands—a man and a boy—and bade them “Kneel down and thank God, that ye sail wi’ the Almichty’s ain win’, an’ no’ wi’ the deevil’s sunfire an’ brimstane, like that spluttery thing there.”
The following year there were three additional steamers constantly plying on the Clyde between Glasgow and Greenock. One of these was probably the steamer (whose name has not been recorded), which came from the Clyde to Liverpool in 1815. The second of this trio was the Industry, whose remains were to be seen more than half a century later at Bowling. And the third was the steamer Argyle, afterwards re-named the Thames.
All these boats were faster than the Comet, and were twice as large, being 75 feet long and 14 feet broad. Against such competitors the Comet could not compete successfully. In his later years Bell received a small annuity from the Clyde Trustees, who, after his decease, erected an obelisk to his memory, which may still be seen standing on a rock a little below Bowling.
For two or three summers Glasgow was the only City in Great Britain or Ireland whose citizens enjoyed the advantages of steam packet communication with the coast. But, in the summer of the year 1815, the citizens of London and of Cork were given equal facilities.
Ireland has always occupied a most honourable position in the Annals of Steam Navigation. Cork had a steamship service certainly as early as Liverpool; the pioneer of the Liverpool coasting steamship trade was a Belfast steamer; from Cork, sailed the first steamer with passengers from Europe to America; the first Trans-Atlantic Liner from Liverpool was a Dublin steamer; and in this year of grace 1903, the steamers built in Belfast, which carry the White Star flag across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, have a reputation unsurpassed by any steamships afloat. But Cork anticipated Belfast in shipbuilding and ship-owning. Messrs. Michael O’Brien and Christopher Owens, of Cork, were the first to introduce steamers to the merchants and travelling public of the South of Ireland. They built, in 1815, the river steamer City of Cork. She was a wooden paddle steamer of 50 tons register; and of slightly larger dimensions than the Clyde-built steamers referred to, being 86 feet long, 13 feet broad, and 9 feet deep.
The steam fleet of the Thames consisted at this date of the three steam-packets Marjory, Defiance and Thames, which steamers plied between London and Margate. The Defiance, probably a locally built vessel, was commanded by William Robins, and sailed from near Summer Quay, Billingsgate, every Sunday and Wednesday morning, at 7 o’clock, returning from Margate every Tuesday and Friday morning.
“The Thames, steam yacht,” (says the London “Times,” of the 8th July, 1815), “from London to Margate, starts from Wool Quay, near the Custom House, Thames Street, every Tuesday and Saturday at 8 o’clock a.m., precisely, and leaves Margate on her return to London every Monday and Thursday at the same hour. This rapid, capacious and splendid vessel lately accomplished a voyage of 1,500 miles, has twice crossed St. George’s Channel, and came round the Land’s End with a rapidity unknown before in naval history, and is the first steam vessel that ever traversed those seas. She has the peculiar advantage of proceeding either by sails or steam, separated or united, by which means the public have the pleasing certainty of never being detained on the water after dark, much less one or two nights, which has frequently occurred with the old packets. Against the wind, the tide, or in the most perfect calm, the passage is alike certain, and has always been achieved in one day. Her cabins are spacious, and are fitted up with all that elegance could suggest, or personal comfort require; presenting a choice library, backgammon boards, draught tables, and other means of amusement. For the express purpose of combining delicacy with comfort a female servant attends upon the ladies. The fares (which include Pier Duty) are in the Chief Cabin 15s., and in the Fore Cabin 11s., children half price. No articles or goods will be taken, except the luggage accompanying passengers; and the proprietors will not be answerable for any of the above, unless delivered into the care of the Steward, nor to the amount of more than £5 value, except entered and paid for as such.”
A narrative of the remarkable voyage of this steamer from the Clyde to the Thames, referred to in the above quotation from the “Times,” will be found in the following chapter.
