SS Savannah

The SS Savannah was the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean. Built in New York by the shipyard of Crockett and Fickett, Captain Moses Rogers chose the vessel while under construction so changes could be made for the installation of an auxiliary steam engine. The Savannah measured in at 320 tons which was not a large ship for the times. Launched August 22, 1818 her 98ft-6in length of hull could have her sitting across the beam of today's passenger liners. Her historic voyage from Savannah, GA to Liverpool, England to St. Petersburg, Russia then back to Savannah and off to Washington, DC was the first ever taken by a vessel with a steam propulsion plant. Though not a commercial success the experiment (as it came to be called) started the world to wondering and dreaming of bigger plans for ocean travel. The Savannah was sold and her steam plant removed. She continued sailing up and down the east coast until wrecked off Fire Island, NY on a stormy night. Her remains have been looked for but not located to date.