May 22, 1819: SS Savannah Begins First Trans-Atlantic Trip by a Steam Ship

 

Cutting edge technology is always risky to use.  And therefore it was not certain what would happen when on May 22, 1819 the SS Savannah began a three week journey across the Atlantic, becoming the first steam ship to cross the Atlantic.  The Savannah was equipped with sails and only used its boilers for eighty hours during the crossing.  During its twenty five days stay in Liverpool the ship and crew were celebrities and were visited by thousands including influential members of the British government and Roayl Navy. Upon its return to the US from its journey, the fate of the Savannah was not happy.  Unable to make a profit, the ship was converted to sails only, and was broken up after running aground on Long Island on November 5, 1821.  However, the fact remains that the Savannah blazed a path.  Regular steam ship traffic across the Atlantic would not occur for another twenty years.  Her legacy was remembered in 1959 when the first nuclear powered merchant vessel bore the name Savannah.

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