_Pioneered Our
Trans-Atlantic Steamship Service_
Truro, Cape Cod, looks out over the heaving Atlantic to the horizon,
and beyond lies Spain. Great romance colors the adventures of Truro’s
seafaring men of long, long ago. There is also, in consistent fashion,
the darkest tragedy.
Truro is the birthplace of Edward K. Collins, who established the first
trans-Atlantic steamship service from the American shore. His elegantly
equipped paddle-wheel steamer, “Atlantic”, embarked on the first
crossing on April 27, 1850 and completed the voyage within 11 days.
The story of Edward Collins’ career has all the elements to make an
exciting novel or a Hollywood movie--for the lad of 15 who went to
New York to become the nation’s mightiest ship operator--launching
“the most ambitious and spectacular attempt of the American merchant
marine to challenge British supremacy”--finally ended up as a hum-drum
land-bound provision dealer, yet “rosy, hearty and not careworn as when
he had those mighty American steamships resting on his shoulders.”
Seafaring was deep-rooted as the trade of the Collins family. Edward
began with his father in the shipping and commission business; they
operated a service to Vera Cruz and New Orleans. The father died, then
the E. K. Collins & Co. firm was founded and its sign was prominent
on the New York waterfront for almost a half century. Associated with
Collins was a Count Foster of New Orleans.