Clyde Passenger Steamer - 01 - Pages 001 - 041

8/9/2019 Clyde Passenger Steamer - 01 - Pages 001 - 041

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The Clyde Passenger Steamer


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PUBLISHED BYJAMES MACLEHOSE AND SONS, GLASGOW

^publishers to the tlmbersitt).

MACMILLAN AND CO., LTD., LONDON.New York, The Macmillan Co.London, Simpkin, Hamilton ami Co.Cambridge, - Macmillan and Bowes.Edinburgh, Douglas and Foulis.Sydney, - - - Angus and Robertson.

MCMIV.


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WILLIAM DENNY


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The

Clyde Passenger SteamerIts T^ise and 'Progress during

the {Nineteenth CenturyFrom the 'Comet' of 1812 to the

* King Edward' of 1901

ByCaptain James Williamson, c>P

* //

GlasgowJames MacLehose and Sons

Publishers to the University1904


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GLASGOW I PRINTED AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESSBY ROBERT MACLEHOSE AND CO. LTD.


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Preface

A DESIRE has been widely expressed for somepermanent record of the rise and progress ofthe passenger steamer on the Clyde. I haveventured to undertake the task on the strengthof an intimate and continuous association withthe enterprise from my earliest years, and ofan active share in it since 1868.

For records and data, I gratefully acknow-ledge my indebtedness to the builders andengineers of the steamers, and to other gentle-men who have had a personal connection withthe traffic. In every case pains have beentaken to obtain authentic information.

CRAIGBARNET,GREENOCK, July, 1904.


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Contents

CHAPTER I.PAGE

EARLY DAYS, v - i

CHAPTER II.SUCCESSORS TO THE 'COMET/ 22

CHAPTER III.EXCURSIONS, ENTERPRISES AND DISASTERS, - - 44

CHAPTER IV.INVENTIONS AND DEVELOPMENTS, - - - 67

CHAPTER V.RAILWAY AND STEAMER, ... 81CHAPTER VI.THE LIVELY FIFTIES, 99


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x CONTENTSCHAPTER VII.

PAGETHE RAILWAY INVASION, 121

CHAPTER VIII.RAILWAY RIVALRIES, - 158

CHAPTER IX.DECLINE OF PRIVATE OWNERSHIP, - 180

CHAPTER X.FIGHT OF THE PACKET COMPANIES, - - - - 212

CHAPTER XI.THE TURBINE STEAMERS, - - 246

CHAPTER XII.OWNERS, MASTERS AND CREWS, 260

CHAPTER XIII.THE PRESENT POSITION, ... 294

CHAPTER XIV.BOILERS AND ENGINES, 301


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CONTENTS xiCHAPTER XV.

ROBERT NAPIER,-

CHAPTER XVI.PETER DENNY, LL.D., ...... 331COMPLETE LIST OF STEAMERS FROM THE 'COMET'

TO THE 'KING EDWARD,' ..... 347DIRECTORS AND CHIEF RAILWAY OFFICIALS IN 1901, 378


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List of IllustrationsPAGEWilliam Denny, Frontispiece


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XIV LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS'Viceroy,' - - 170'Adela,' - - - 171'Sheila,' - - - 172Captain Peter M'Dermid, 173' Lord of the Isles,' - 174Captain Alex. M'Kinnon, 175'Columba,' - - 176Captain Angus Campbell, 177Captain John Barr, - 178' Ivanhoe,' - - - 181Dining Saloon, - - 183General Saloon, - - 185Robert Darling, - - 188'Scotia,' - - - 190Captain Alex. Gillies, - 191' Meg Merrilies,' - - 193Captain Hugh Macpherson, 194'Jeanie Deans,' - 195'Grenadier,' - - 197Captain Arch. M 'Arthur, 198Captain Donald M'Callum, 198'Victoria,' - - rnnMalcolm M'Naughton,' Madge Wildfire,' -Captain Arch. Cameron,' Lucy Ashton,'Capt. Roderick M 'Donald, 204'Caledonia,' - - - 205Captain Smith, - - 206'Galatea,' - - - 207Captain Arch. M'Pherson, 208Captain John Buie,

- 208Pier Signals, - - - 209' Marchioness ofBreadalbane' 214Captain Duncan Munro, - 215CaptainDuncan Macdougall, 215' Duchess of Hamilton,' - 216General Saloon, - - 217Dining Saloon, - - 218Captain Robt. Morrison, 219Eb. M'Millan, - - 219John Houston,

- - 220Robert Houston, - - 220' Marchioness of Lome,' - 221Captain W. Gordon, - 222' Lady Rowena,' - - 223Captain D. M'Arthur, - 223Captain Angus Carmichael, 223' Duchess of Hamilton '

as Club Steamer, - 224

1992002O I202203

PAGE' Lord of the Isles ' No. II, 225Captain Donald Downie, 226' Glen Sannox,' - - 227Captain Colin M'Gregor, 228Captain Fowler, - - 228' Mercury,' - - - 229Captain Peter M'Gregor, 230Captain Charles Brown, - 230'Minerva,' - - 231Captain John Cameron, - 232Captain A. Turner, - 232' Duchess of Rothesay,'

-233Captain Allan Macdougall, 234

Captain Donald M'Phedron, 234' Red Gauntlet,' - - 235'Dandie Dinmont,' - 235Captain D. M'Farlane, - 236Captain D. M'Neill, - 236' Glenmore,' - - - 237'Jupiter,' - - - 238Captain Donald M'Tavish, 238'Talisman,' - - - 239Captain J. M. Gray, - 239' Strathmore,' - - 240'Juno,' - - - - 241Captain D. M'Phedron, - 241' Kenilworth,' - - 242Captain John Clark, - 242'Waverley,' - - - 243Captain Malcolm Gillies, 244Chart of 'Turbinia,' - 247Turbine, - - - 248' King Edward,' - - 249H. Hall, Chief Engineer, 250Hon. C. A. Parsons, 253John Williamson, - - 254Walter Brock ofDenny& Co., 254Captain M'Innes, - - 257Captain John Thompson, 257Captain John Sinclair, - 257Captain M'Callum, - 257Diagram ofCostsofthe work-

ing of Paddle Steamers, 258Captain John M'Millan, 259Captain Neil M'Tavish, - 259Captain Lachlan Campbell, 259Captain J. D. Buchanan, 259Captain Wm. Buchanan, 259Captain John M'Kinnon, 271Captain Duncan M'Kellar, 272


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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xvCaptain Alex. M'Kellar, 272D. Hutchison, - - 274Alex. Hutchison, - - 274David MacBrayne, - - 275Captain Alex. Campbell, 275Captain John Campbell, - 275Captain Bob Campbell, - 277Peter Campbell, - - 277Capt. Alex. Williamson, Sr., 277Captain W. Buchanan, - 277Captain Jas. Williamson, 278A. Williamson, Jr., - 278Allan Stewart, - - 279Bob Stewart, - - - 279Captain Alex. M'Lean, - 280Jas. Gillies, - - 281

PAGECaptain Alex. Campbell, 281Dunoon Pier, - - 295Rothesay Pier, - - 295Gourock, - - - 297Wemyss Bay,- - - 298Craigendoran, - - 299Princes Pier, - - - 3001 Vivid's ' Engine, - - 302'Vivid's' Engine, - - 303' Ivanhoe's ' Boiler, - 305'Duchess ofMontrose' Boiler, 307' Lome's ' Engine, - - 309Paddle Wheel, - - 311Robert Napier, - - 319Peter Denny, - 333Map of Steamboat Route, 346

The illustrations are from photographs taken byMessrs. Adamson Son and C. Sweet, Rothesay ;Robertson & Co., Gourock ; and Valentine & Co.,Dundee. The photos of David Napier and the Hon.C. A. Parsons are by Messrs. R. Brinkley & Son,Glasgow, and Elliott & Fry, London.


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CHAPTER IEARLY DAYS

PECULIAR interest belongs to the inception anddevelopment of the passenger steamer on theRiver Clyde. The Clyde was the cradle of thesteamship enterprise of the world, and the Clydepassenger steamer has been the pioneer ofmany, if not most, of the improvements in hullsand machinery and of the countless amenitieswhich make travelling by sea a pleasure to-day.The sustained excellence of the boats is provedby the fact that most of them are ultimatelybought up for service elsewhere. During

theAmerican War many were purchased and sentacross the Atlantic to distinguish themselvesas blockade-runners, while others have beenacquired for places as far apart as Bordeauxand the Bosphorus, Japan and the River Plate.

Locally, the benefits conferred by the pas-senger steamer are beyond calculation. Tosay nothing of the health and prosperity givento the city of Glasgow, one has only to pointto the shores of the Firth, where pleasureresorts have everywhere sprung into flourish-


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2 THE CLYDE PASSENGER STEAMERing existence since the coming- of the swiftsteam craft. Sir James Marwick, in his admir-able account of The River Clyde and theHarbour of Glasgow, points out "how muchnot only the City of Glasgow, but the wholeof the Clyde district, owe to the far-seeingenergy of those who have made the river agreat commercial highway." On the otherhand, a large part of the credit is undoubtedlydue to the steamship enterprise which ren-dered the deepening and widening of the rivera necessity, and in that enterprise the Clydepassenger steamer played a leading part.Previous to the year 1812, according to theChronicles of St. Mungo, "the vehicles of com-munication to the new port of Greenock werea species of wherry-built nutshells designated' Flyboats,' and the value of this term will beappreciated when it is considered that theygenerally completed their voyage in the shortspace of ten hours. The conveyance of goodsand passengers to places more remote thanGreenock was a more ambitious ship, generallyknown by the name of ' Packet,' which, with afair wind, could reach the Isle of Bute in threedays, but, when adverse, thought it * not wonder-ful ' to plough the billowy main for as manyweeks ! "

All this was to be changed by two men whohailed from the shores of the Firth. It wasJames Watt, a native of Greenock, who,as instrument-maker in Glasgow Universityin 1765, had the little model of Newcomen's


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HENRY BELL

EARLY DAYS 3engine placed in his hands for repair, and,in the course of the work, discovered theseparate condenser which has revolutionisedthe navigation of the world. ^^^^^^And it was Henry Bell, aresident of Helensburgh,who, in 1812, placed onthe waters of the Clyde thelittle steamer "Comet,"which was the pioneer ofthe splendid fleet of pas-senger steamers which plyon these waters at thepresent day.This is not the place todiscuss the disputed claims as to who wasthe original inventor of the steamship. HenryBell has left it on record that in 1800, andagain in 1803, he laid before Lord Melvilleand the Lords of the Admiralty a schemeshowing "the practicability and great utility ofapplying steam to the propelling of vesselsagainst winds and tides, and every obstruc-tion on rivers and seas, where there wasdepth of water." Of all the Lords of theAdmiralty, Lord Nelson alone believed inthe practicability of the scheme. " My lordsand gentlemen," he said emphatically, " if youdo not adopt Mr. Bell's scheme, other nationswill, and in the end vex every vein of thisempire. It will succeed, and you shouldencourage Mr. Bell." Notwithstanding theadvocacy of the most influential naval officer


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4 THE CLYDE PASSENGER STEAMERof his day, " My Lords" considered that "theplan proposed would be of no value." Com-menting on the result of his appeal to theAdmiralty, Mr. Bell proceeds : " Havingobtained no support from my country, I madecorrect prospectuses of my long matured plan,and forwarded copies to the nations of Europeand to the United States of America. TheAmericans were the first who put my plan intopractice, and were quickly followed by othernations."

There had been experiments before Bell'stime in propelling vessels by steam. In 1781the French Marquis de Jouffroy had made fruit-less attempts on the Saone at Lyons. In 1785two Americans, Ramsay and Fitch, encouragedby George Washington, made similar effortswith the same result; and in 1788, PatrickMiller of Dalswinton, with Andrew Syming-ton for his engineer, experimented with amid-wheel boat on Dalswinton Loch withsome degree of success. But it was not untilthe year 1802 that the project proved itselfto be practicable. In March of that year, atthe instance of Lord Dundas, governor of theForth and Clyde Canal, Symington put hisstern-wheel steamer, the "Charlotte Dundas,"upon that water-way, and. towed two loadedsloops, the " Euphemia " and "Active," ofseventy tons each, from Lock 20 to PortDundas 19^ miles in six hours against astrong wind. Robert Fulton, who had visitedHenry Bell, and been in correspondence with


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EARLY DAYS 5him on the subject, came next, and in 1807the steamer " Clermont " was plying betweenNew York and Albany. The triumph of theHelensburgh inventor came four years later.Whoever may be entitled to priority in theconception of a navigable steamer, it is anundoubted fact that the credit of the intro-duction of the first steamboat on the Clydeis due to Henry Bell.Edward Morris, in his biography of Bell,describes him as " a man of a restless, ingeni-ous mind, ever plodding and scheming to reachan eminence by original inventions. Hiscurious propensity to try experiment after ex-periment, to drive at a new scheme when theprevious one was but half completed, perplexedand involved him in great difficulties, but thesteamboat wras ever before his mind's eye, andafter all our British engineers, and James Wattat their head, had nearly abandoned the hopeof conquering the ocean by fire-driven, steam-propelled vessels, Henry Bell made theBroomielaw resound with the shout of thou-sands when he put the new fiery power tohis little vessel." The inventor was descendedfrom a family which had followed the occupa-tion of millers and mill-wrights for centuries,and at one time held all the principal mills onthe Water of Evan. He was born at Tor-phichen Mill, near Linlithgow, on 7th April,1767, and after trying masonwork and servingan apprenticeship with his uncle as a mill-wright, he wrought successively at the trades


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6 THE CLYDE PASSENGER STEAMERof ship-modelling and engineering, and wasengaged for a time under the celebrated en-gineer, Rennie, in London. In 1790 he settledin Glasgow, and as chief partner of a buildingfirm erected many public works in the city.Eight years later, to quote his biographeragain, " he turned his attention chiefly to hisgrand object, the steamboat. In the springof 1800 he became acquainted with a gentle-man who had a fine pleasure vessel. In thisBell placed a boiler and engine of four horsepower, with machinery for the paddles, and astrong cover-board that folded over from thetop of the bulwarks, to prevent the rushing upof the water when at work." In the followingyear, seeking to improve on his experiment,he applied to James Watt at Birmingham foradvice as to a portable engine that would standon its own base with stout levers, of which heprepared a plan. Watt's reply was discouraging." How many noblemen, gentlemen, and engin-eers," he wrote, ''have puzzled their brains,and spent their thousands of pounds, and noneof all these, nor yourself, has been able tobring the power of steam in navigation to asuccessful issue?" Driven back upon his ownresources, Bell struggled for ten years for therealization of his project, but he realized itat last.The " Comet," so called from a meteor whichappeared in the heavens at this period, andattracted much attention, was built in 1811, tothe order of Henry Bell, by John Wood at


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8 THE CLYDE PASSENGER STEAMERdriven by spur gear, with the paddles on de-tached arms, but this arrangement givingtrouble, complete wheels were substituted, andsubsequently, after the vessel had been length-ened about twenty feet, the number of wheelswas reduced to two. A speed of about fiveknots per hour was attained.

'COMET,' 1812

After several experiments, the ''Comet"sailed regularly from Glasgow. She was thefirst vessel moved by steam which successfullycarried on a regular service in Europe,thirteen years before the opening

of the firstpublic railway. Her first master was CaptainWilliam Mackenzie, 1 originally a schoolmaster

1 The records in the Custom House at Port-Glasgow give thename of the first master of " Comet" No. i as J. Bruce, althoughall other records state that Wm. Mackenzie was first master.


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io THE CLYDE PASSENGER STEAMERpast, and a vessel will be in readiness to con-vey passengers by the "Comet" from Greenockto Helensburo-h.oPassengers by the "Comet" will receive in-formation of the hours of sailing by applyingat Mr. Houston's Office, Broomielaw, or toMr. Thomas Blackney's, East Quay Head,Greenock. HENRY BELL.

Helensburgh Baths,15th August, 1812.

The feelings with which the first appearanceof the "Comet" were regarded by the nativesof the coast towns may be judged by an anec-dote supplied to me by the late Captain WilliamOrr, of Greenock, as follows :" I was born in Greenock not far from theriver side, and have a distinct recollection whenthe 'Comet' first came to our quays, and of theopinion then entertained about her by many inour town. When she would be reported ascoming round Bailie Gammell's Point, all of uschildren ran down the quay to see her blow upand see the sailors and passengers 'fleein' inthe air.' We were not much disappointed at thetime, as it was sure to happen soon."On the 2nd September the sailings of the"Comet" were extended via Tarbert and theCrinan Canal, to Oban, Port Appin, and Fort-William, the return journey occupying fourdays. Before long, however, the steamer seems

1 Bell had removed to Helensburgh in 1808, and becometenant of the new Baths Hotel, which continued to bemanaged by his wife till her death in 1856.


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EARLY DAYS u

fi~~~.& ^C^U^ /-

7fif original flocv/nenrj tiff the prvperlif of* \apter Brothers, and are tfftt 6y lAemto iVis' KtlvayroveJtfusfMfn Glastfou-'ja

BELL'S PROMISSORY NOTES


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12 THE CLYDE PASSENGER STEAMERto have been transferred to Grangemouth, butin August, 1819, she re-appeared on the WestHighland route.

1She continued that servicetill the following year, when, on i3th Decem-

ber, 1820, on the passage from Fort-William toGlasgow, she was caught by the strong tide-race and easterly wind, and wrecked at theDoris-Mhor, outside Crinan. The after partof the vessel drifted towards Corrievreckan,but the fore end, from which Henry Bell andthe crew and passengers had scrambled ashore,remained on the rocks, and from it the ma-chinery was afterwards removed.2In connection with this earliest of Clydepassenger steamers some details regardingbuilders and engineers seem worth preservinghere. The following account of the career ofJohn Wood, the builder of the "Comet,"appeared at his death in the Glasgozu Heraldof 24th December, 1860:"Mr John Wood was born on the loth ofOctober, 1788, and learnt the elements of hisprofession from his father, who was also a ship-builder in Port-Glasgow, and a man of much

1 August, 1819, is the date of the first run recorded in the Re-ports of the engineers of the Crinan Canal, William Thomsonand Thomas Telford.

2 It may interest many readers to know that General Beatson,R.E., the late brother of the present respected secretary of theRoyal Exchange, Glasgow, when a youth at Greenock, made asketch of the " Comet," which he sent to the Hon. Mrs. Mac-kenzie of Seaforth. That lady passed it to the Duchess ofWellington, and it was the means of procuring for Beatson hisfirst commission. The model of the " Comet" is in possessionof James Reid, Glenhuntly, Port-Glasgow, whose father waspartner with Wood, its builder.


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EARLY DAYS 13talent and ingenuity. About 1806 he wasplaced under Mr. Brocklebank, shipbuilder inLancaster, for ten years. At this time Lan-caster enjoyed a considerable reputation forshipbuilding, and it was with the view of pro-fiting by a superior know-ledge there to be acquiredthat Mr. Wood served apart of his apprenticeshipat that place. In 1811,on his father's death, Mr.Wood assumed the respon-sibilities of the building yardat Port-Glasgow, having fora year or two previouslybeen actively engaged inthe management of the JOHN WOODwork. One of his first engagements was theconstruction of the steamer 'Comet' for Mr.Henry Bell, which had been contracted for byhis father. He subsequently built an immensenumber of river steamers, and steamers fordeep sea navigation. One of the most cele-brated of the latter at the time, and in everyway successful (though the first of sea-goingsteamers), was the 'James Watt,' 1 which he

1 Above statement as to the "James Watt" being the first ofsea-going steamers is incorrect. Pollock (Modern Shipbuild-ing) gives her date as 1822, four years after the "Rob Roy" hadbeen placed by David Napier on the route between Glasgowand Belfast. Probably the reference is to the "Caledonia,"built by John Wood in 1815. According to Galloway (SteamEngine and its Inventors) she was bought by James Watt, jun.,in 1817, fitted with new engines by Boulton and Watt, and sentfrom England to Holland.


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14 THE CLYDE PASSENGER STEAMERbuilt in conjunction with his brother, Mr.Charles Wood, to open a steam communica-tion between London and Edinburgh. In themiddle portion of his career he was chiefly en-figed

in building deep-sea and ocean steamers.y him the reputation of the Clyde as a field of

production of steam vessels was raised to the

PLAN AND LINES OF ' COMEThighest pitch, and other Clyde firms partici-pated in the reputation thus brought to theirdoors. Of late years Mr. Wood has built fewwooden ships, partly from the fact of thesehaving fallen much into disuse, and partly fromhis having become a partner of his relative, Mr.John Reid, shipbuilder, Port-Glasgow, and, assuch, aiding in raising the firm of Messrs. JohnReid & Co. to the high reputation it now


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EARLY DAYS 15enjoys. From this firm he retired some yearsago." Mr. Wood's brother, Mr. Charles Wood,who died a few years ago, was for some timeassociated with him in business, and he, too,was a very remarkable man, but perhaps toofar in advance of the age in which he lived.Among his other designs he projected andconstructed the great ship-rafts 'Columbus'and ' Baron of Renfrew' as a new expedient forbringing timber to this country. Although thelatter of these was lost, the soundness of theprinciple may be held as established from thefact that the former reached this country insafety. There can be no doubt that thesebrothers have, by their talents and other gifts,conferred honour upon their profession, andhave added to the lustre of their native land."To this may be added an interesting anecdoteof Wood's boyhood, furnished to the presentwriter by Mr. Matthew Blackwood, Port-Glasgow."His father," Mr. Blackwood says, "hadgot a large chest of tea sent him, and he beggedhard of his father to get the chest, which hemade into a boat, and sailed in it, on one of theburns at Bishopton. The first night he wasout he was watched by the natives of the place,and when he came ashore in his boat, lifted it,and put it on his head, to carry it home, thepeople fled to their homes, thinking he wasa 'kelpie.' I expect this would be the firstattempt at shipbuilding in the Wood family."


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1 6 THE CLYDE PASSENGER STEAMERThe following account of John Robertson,maker of the "Comet's" engine, has been

furnished to me by Mr. David Bell, of the latefirm of Messrs. Napier, Shanks & Bell, ship-builders, Yoker, to whom I am indebted for anumber of particulars regarding early Clydesteamers :"Mr. John Robertson, whose name is asso-ciated with the first 'Comet,' as maker of itsengines, was born in the year 1782, in thevillage of Neilston, Renfrewshire, where hisfather, James Robertson, was superintendentof the cotton-spinning machinery at BroadleyMills."At the age of 14 John was apprenticed tothe trade of spinning-wheel wright with a Mr.Cuthbertson in the same village. On complet-ing his apprenticeship he went to StanleyCotton Works, Perthshire, and after two yearsgot employment in the machine shop of the lateMr. Dunn, of Duntocher and John Street,Glasgow. He continued in this service foreight years, and then commenced business forhimself (about 1810) in a small machine shopin Dempster Street, off North FrederickStreet, Glasgow."In 1808 Henry Bell, then lessee of theBaths Hotel, Helensburgh, had seen a smallsteam engine made by Robertson in his leisurehours, and got him to fit it up at the hotel, topump sea water for the baths. Robertson wasamong the first to undertake the heating ofmills and factories by steam, one of his con-


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EARLY DAYS 17tracts, in 1810, being to supply and fit theheating apparatus for the drying stoves atMessrs. Stirling & Sons' Printworks, Cordale,Vale of Leven. He also constructed steam

JOHN ROBERTSON AND ' COMET ' ENGINEengines of small size, and carried on a variety)f engineering work, being recognised as aclever and expert mechanic.

' In 181 1 Robertson commenced a small side-


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1 8 THE CLYDE PASSENGER STEAMERlever engine, having a cylinder 1 1 inches dia-meter, 1 6 inches stroke, and about 3-horsepower. 1 Henry Bell, being then engaged withhis first steamer, arranged with Robertson to fitthis engine, which was then about finished, intothe ' Comet,' the price, without boiler, being,165. It was fitted into the vessel while inMr. Wood's yard, Port-Glasgow, and appearsto have been also started under steam there." Robertson was convinced that this enginewould prove insufficient in power for Bell'spurpose, and, it is also said, recommendedstrongly the fitting of only two paddle wheels-one on each side, instead of the two wheels oneach side, which Bell had arranged for. The'Comet' commenced to run in August, 1812(Captain William M'Kenzie, master), buther speed was found unsatisfactory, and, aftertwo months trial, Bell made a further agree-ment with Robertson to supply a cylinder ofi2j inches diameter and about 4-horse power.The first engine had not been paid for, andthe price agreed on, to include both engines,with alteration of paddle wheels, etc., was^"365. The alterations being completed, the4 Comet' was again started, and, under favour-able circumstances, went easily at the rate ofsix miles per hour. Unfortunately, however,she did not prove a success financially, and,Bell's affairs becoming embarrassed, it is be-

1 This cylinder was in 1876 presented by Mr. Andrew Mac-George to the Corporation of Glasgow. It is now exhibited inthe Art Galleries.


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EARLY DAYS 19lieved that neither the builders' nor Robert-son's accounts were ever settled.

" The original engine of the ' Comet' wasacquired by the late Bailie MacLellan, coach-builder, Glasgow, as payment for a vehicle hehad previously supplied to Mr. Bell. Afterbeing used to drive the machinery in Mac-Lellan's coach works, Miller Street, forseveral years, it was taken to Greenock anddid duty at a brewery there, whence it cameback to Glasgow. It was ultimately purchasedby Messrs. R. Napier & Sons, of Lancefield andVulcan Foundries, Glasgow, and by them itwas, in 1862, presented to the South KensingtonMuseum, London, where it is preserved. Be-fore being despatched, it was photographed atVulcan Foundry, with Robertson sitting besideit, and he was sent to London to see it re-erected in the Museum. The photographsthen taken give a very good likeness ofRobertson, and another small likeness, pre-sented by his old friend, Mr. Carswell, is pre-served in the Art Galleries Museum, Glasgow.The photograph bears the inscription, * Engineof the "Comet," designed and constructed bythe Subscriber at Glasgow in 1811, and startedin vessel in August, 1812. (Signed) JohnRobertson.'

" With the experience of the ' Comet ' toguide him, Robertson set about the construc-tion of another engine, which he hoped wouldgive satisfactory results, and arranged withMr. Wood to build for him the ' Clyde,' 1813,


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20 THE CLYDE PASSENGER STEAMERthe dimensions of which were 72 ft. x 14 ft.x 7^ ft. Capt. Wm. M'Kenzie's memoirstates that he was appointed pilot to the1 Clyde ' in March, 1813, and that she sailed inJune of that year with passengers betweenGlasgow, Greenock, and Gourock. He becamemaster early in 1815, and continued to sail hertill February, 1817. This boat was a favouritewith passengers, regular in sailing, and provedcomparatively successful financially. She couldsteam from Glasgow to Gourock and back-about 48 miles with 24 cwts. of coal, the timebeing about 3^ hours each way, including eightstoppages at ferries, etc."Next year, 1814, Robertson had a riversteamer built for him at Dundee. He con-structed the engine, and fitted it on boardthere. The 'Tay,' as she was named, pliedfor four years between Perth and Dundee,and thereafter, under the name of the 'Oscar,'sailed between Glasgow and Lochgoilheadin 1818." Two more boats the ' Caledonia ' and the' Humber' were, in 1814, built to Robertson'sorder at Dundee, and engined by him ; beingthen taken under steam to the river Humberone to ply between Hull and Selby, the otherto Gainsboro'. Probably , therefore, Robert-son's steamers were the first sent from Scotlandto England. They were run on his ownaccount for about eighteen months, but notproving profitable, were disposed of by him ata considerable loss.


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EARLY DAYS 21"In 1817 Mr. Wood built for him the

' Defiance/ and in 1818 the ' Marquis of Bute,'the engines of both being from the samepatterns as those of the ' Clyde.' These boatsappear to have plied on the Clyde, but thecompetition between the various river steamersbecame, after a time, so very keen, that Mr.Robertson found it impossible to maintain theposition he had so honourably won by his earlierengineering successes. Gradually his property,which was wholly in steamboats, passed intoother hands, and during the latter years ofhis life he became, to a large extent, dependenton the generosity of friends who had appre-ciated the distinguished merits and labours ofthe old engineer."

Clyde Passenger Steamer - 01 - Pages 001 - 041

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