THE FIRST STEAMBOATS ON LAKE ONTARIO AND THE NIAGARA RIVER.
The era of steamboating had now arrived. The _Clermont_, built by Robert
Fulton, and furnished with English engines by Boulton & Watts, of
Birmingham, had made her first trip on the Hudson from New York to Albany
in August, 1807, and was afterwards continuing to run on the river.
In 1809 the _Accommodation_, built by the Hon. John Molson at Montreal, and
fitted with engines made in that city, was running successfully between
Montreal and Quebec, being the first steamer on the St. Lawrence and in
Canada.
The experience of both of these vessels had shown that the new system of
propulsion of vessels by steam power was commercially profitable, and as it
had been proved successful upon the river water, it was but reasonable that
its application to the more open waters of the lakes should next obtain
consideration.
The war of 1812 between Great Britain and the United States, accompanied by
its constant invasions of Canada, had interrupted any immediate expansion
in steamboating enterprises.
Peace having been declared in February, 1815, the projects were immediately
revived and in the spring of that year a British company was formed with
shareholders in Kingston, Niagara, York, and Prescott, to build a
steamboat to ply on Lake Ontario. A site suitable for its construction was
selected on the beaches on _Finkle's Point_, at _Ernestown_, 18 miles up
the lake from Kingston, on one of the reaches of the Bay of Quinte.
A contract was let to Henry Teabout and James Chapman, two young men who
had been foremen under David Eckford, the master shipbuilder of New York,
who during the war had constructed the warships for the United States
Government at its dockyard at Sackett's Harbor. Construction was commenced
at Finkle's Point in October, 1815, and with considerable delays caused in
selection of the timbers, was continued during the winter.
(Canniff--Settlement of Upper Canada). The steamer was launched with great
eclat on 7th September, 1816, and named the _Frontenac_, after the County
of Frontenac in which she had been built.
A similar wave of enterprise had arisen also on the United States side and
it becomes of much interest to search up the annals of over a hundred years
ago and ascertain to which side of the lake is to be accorded the palm for
placing the first steamboat on Lake Ontario. Especially as opinions have
varied on the subject, and owing to a statement made, as we shall find,
erroneously, in a distant press the precedence has usually been given to an
American steamer.
The first record of the steamboat on the American side is an agreement
dated January 2, 1816, executed between the Robert Fulton heirs and
Livingston, of Clermont, granting to Charles Smyth and others an exclusive
right to navigate boats and vessels by steam on Lake Ontario.
These exclusive rights for the navigation on American waters "by steam or
fire" had previously been granted to the Fulton partnership by the
Legislature of the State of New York.
The terms of the agreement set out that the grantees were to pay annually
to the grantors one-half of all the net profits in excess of a dividend of
12 per cent. upon the investment. On the 16th of the next month a bill was
passed in the Legislature of New York incorporating the "Ontario Steamboat
Co.," but in consequence of the too early adjournment of the Legislature
did not become law.
At this time, (February, 1816) the construction of the Canadian boat at
Ernestown was well under way.
By an assignment dated August 16th, 1816, Lusher and others became partners
with Smyth, and as a result it is stated (Hough--History of Jefferson
County, N.Y.) "a boat was commenced at Sackett's Harbor the same summer."
Three weeks after the date of this commencing of the boat on the American
side, or Sackett's Harbour, the Frontenac, on the Canadian side, was
launched on the 7th September, 1816, at Finkle's Point.
In the description of this launch of the _Frontenac_ given in the September
issue of the Kingston Gazette, the details of her size are stated. "Length,
170 feet; beam, 32 feet; two paddle wheels with circumference about 40
feet. Registered tonnage, 700 tons." Further statements made are, "Good
judges have pronounced this to be the best piece of naval architecture of
the kind yet produced in America." "The machinery for this valuable boat
was imported from England and is said to be an excellent structure. It is
expected that she will be finished and ready for use in a few weeks."
Having been launched with engines on board in early September the
_Frontenac_ then sailed down the lake from Ernestown to Kingston to lay up
in the port.
In another part of this same September issue of the Kingston Gazette an
item is given: "A steamboat was lately launched at Sackett's Harbor."
No name is given of the steamer, nor the date of the launch, but this item
has been considered to have referred to the steamer named _Ontario_, built
at Sackett's Harbor and in consequence of its having apparently been
launched first, precedence has been claimed for the United States vessel.
This item, "_A steamboat was lately launched at Sackett's Harbor_,"
develops, on further search, to have first appeared as a paragraph under
the reading chronicles in "Niles Weekly Register," published far south in
the United States at Baltimore, Maryland. From here it was copied verbatim
as above by the Kingston Gazette, and afterwards by the Quebec Gazette of
26th Sept., 1816.
Further enquiry, however, nearer the scene of construction indicates that
an error had been made in the wording of the item, which had apparently
been copied into the other papers without verification.
In the library of the Historical Society at Buffalo is deposited the
manuscript diary of Capt. Van Cleve, who sailed as clerk and as captain on
the _Martha Ogden_, the next steamboat to be built at Sackett's Harbor six
years after the _Ontario_. In this he writes, "the construction of the
_Ontario_ was begun at Sackett's Harbor in August, 1816." He also gives a
drawing, from which all subsequent illustrations of the _Ontario_ have been
taken. Further information of the American steamer is given in an
application for incorporation of the "Lake Ontario Steam Boat Co." made in
December, 1816, by Charles Smyth and others, of Sackett's Harbor, who
stated in their petition that they had "lately constructed a steam boat at
Sackett's Harbor"--"the Navy Department of the United States have
generously delivered a sufficiency of timber for the construction of the
vessel for a reasonable sum of money"--"the boat is now built"--"the cost
so far exceeds the means which mercantile men can generally command that
they are unable to build any further"--"the English in the Province of
Upper Canada have constructed a steam boat of seven hundred tons burthen
avowedly for the purpose of engrossing the business on both sides of the
lake."
All this indicates that the American boat had not been launched and in
December was still under construction.
It is more reasonable to accept the statements of Capt. Van Cleve and
others close to the scene of operations rather than to base conclusions
upon the single item in the publication issued at so far a distance and
without definite details.
It is quite evident that the item in Niles Register should have read "was
lately _commenced_," instead of "was lately _launched_." The change of this
one word would bring it into complete agreement with all the other
evidences of the period and into accord with the facts.
No absolute date for the launching of the _Ontario_ or of the giving of her
name has been ascertainable, but as she was not commenced until August it
certainly could not have been until after that of the _Frontenac_ on Sept.
7th, 1816. The first boat launched was, therefore, on the Canadian side.
The movements of the steamers in the spring of 1817 are more easily traced.
Niles Register, 29th March, 1817, notes, "The steamboat _Ontario_ is
prepared for the lake," and Capt. Van Cleve says, "The first enrollment of
the _Ontario_ in the customs office was made on 11th April," and "She made
her first trip in April."
The data of the dimensions of the _Ontario_ are recorded, being only about
one-third the capacity of the _Frontenac_, which would account for the
shorter time in which she was constructed. The relative sizes were:
Capacity,
Length. Beam. tons.
_Frontenac_ 170 32 700
_Ontario_ 110 24 240
No drawing of the _Frontenac_ is extant, but she has been described as
having guards only at the paddle wheels, the hull painted black, and as
having three masts, but no yards. The _Ontario_ had two masts, as shown in
the drawing by Van Cleve.
No distinctive date is given for the first trip in April of the _Ontario_,
on which it is reported (Beers History of the Great Lakes) "The waves
lifted the paddle wheels off their bearings, tearing away the wooden
coverings. After making the repairs the shaft was securely held in place."
Afterwards under the command of Capt. Francis Mallaby, U. S. N., weekly
trips between Ogdensburgh and Lewiston were attempted, but after this
interruption by advertisement of 1st July, 1817, the time had to be
extended to once in ten days. The speed of the steamer was found to seldom
exceed five miles per hour. (History of Jefferson County. Hough).
The _Ontario_ ran for some years, but does not seem to have met with much
success and, having gone out of commission, was broken up at Oswego in
1832.
In the spring of 1817 the first mention of the _Frontenac_ is in Kingston
of her having moved over on 23rd May to the Government dock at Point
Frederick, "for putting in a suction pipe," the Kingston Gazette further
describing that "she moved with majestic grandeur against a strong wind."
On 30th May the Gazette reports her as "leaving this port for the purpose
of taking in wood at the Bay Quinte. A fresh breeze was blowing into the
harbor against which she proceeded swiftly and steadily to the admiration
of a great number of spectators. We congratulate the managers and
proprietors of this elegant boat, upon the prospect she affords of
facilitating the navigation of Lake Ontario in furnishing an expeditious
and certain mode of conveyance to its various ports."
It can well be imagined with what wonder the movements of this first
steam-driven vessel were witnessed.
In the Kingston Gazette of June 7, 1817, entry is made, "The _Frontenac_
left this port on Thursday, 5th, on her first trip for the head of the
lake."
The opening route of the _Frontenac_, commanded by Capt. James McKenzie, a
retired officer of the royal navy, was between Kingston and Queenston,
calling at York and Niagara and other intermediate ports. The venture of a
steamer plying on the open lakes, where the paddle wheels would be
subjected to wave action, was a new one, so for the opening trips her
captain announced, with the proverbial caution of a Scotchman, that the
calls at the ports would be made "_with as much punctuality as the nature
of lake navigation will admit of_." Later, the steamer, having proved her
capacity by two round trips, the advertisements of June, 1817, state the
time-table of the steamer as "leaving Kingston for York on the 1st, 11th,
and 23rd days," and "York for Queenston on 3rd, 13th, and 25th days of each
month, calling at all intermediate ports." "Passenger fares, Kingston to
Ernestown, 5s; Prescott, L1.10.0; Newcastle, L1.15.0; York and Niagara,
L2.0.0; Burlington, L3.15.0; York to Niagara, L1.0.0." Further excerpts
are: "A book is kept for the entering of the names of the passengers and
the berths which they choose, at which time the passage money must be
paid." "Gentlemen's servants cannot eat or sleep in the cabin." "Deck
passengers will pay fifteen shillings, and may either bring their own
provisions or be furnished by the steward." "For each dog brought on board,
five shillings." "All applications for passage to be made to Capt. McKenzie
on board." After having run regularly each season on Lake Ontario and the
Niagara River her career was closed in 1827 when, while on the Niagara
River, she was set on fire, it was said, by incendiaries, for whose
discovery her owners, the Messrs. Hamilton, offered a reward of L100, but
without result. Being seriously damaged, she was shortly afterwards broken
up.
Such were the careers of the first two steamers which sailed upon Lake
Ontario and the Niagara River, and from the data it is apparent that the
_Frontenac_ on the British side was the first steamboat placed on Lake
Ontario, and that the _Ontario_, on the United States side, had been the
first to make a trip up lake, having priority in this over her rival by
perhaps a week or two, but not preceding her in the entering into and
performance of a regular service.
With them began the new method for travel, far exceeding in speed and
facilities any previously existing, so that the stage lines and sailing
vessels were quickly eliminated.
This practical monopoly the steamers enjoyed for a period of fifty years,
when their Nemesis in turn arrived and the era of rail competition began.
[Illustration: The ONTARIO. 1817. The second Steamer on Lake Ontario.
From the original drawing by Capt. VAN CLEVE page 21]
[Illustration: The GREAT BRITAIN. 1830.
By courtesy of Mr. John Ross Robertson reproduced from his "Landmarks of
Toronto." page 29]