Page 243 - Third Book of Reading Lessons

242 'HIRD BOOK OF
SUPERB', a., magni cent, sumptuous. F. superbe, om s erbus, L., proud, and this om uperbios, G., overbearing, haughty.
ATLAN'Tic, n., a name applied to the ocean bounded by N. and S. America on one side, and by Europe and A ica on the other. Atlantic om the Atlas mountains, contiguous to their western extremity.
For "Dimensions," see p. 184; "Keel," p. 148; "Diame er," p. 65; "Apparatus," p. 150 ; and " Superior," p. 65.
1. THE rst idea of steam navigation was set rth in a patent, obtained in 1736, by Jonathan Hulls, r a machine r carrying vessels against wind and · tide, or in a calm. In America, in 1778, this appli­ cation of steam was proposed. In 1781, the Marquis de Jou roy constructed a steamer on the Saone; and in 1785, two Americans wrote and published a book upon it. In 1789, Symington made a voyage in one on the Forth of Clyde Canal, and in 1802, the exper­ iment was repeated with success. Soon a er, ir. :Fulton went to America, and in 1807, started a steam­ boat on th Hudson's River, which, succeeding, was imitated by hundreds. In June, 1819, the Savan­ na , of 350 tons, came om New York to Liverpool by steam. Our own rivers at the present d give su cient proof of the rapidity with which we have multiplied this advantageous method of increasing commerce and pro ts.
2. The contemporary-if we may be allowed thus to express it-with the Great Western, was the equally splendid vessel, Tlie British Queen. She was built by Messrs. Curling and Young, of Lime­ house, r the British and American Steam Navjga­ tion Company, and was launched on the birth-day of the Queen, 24th of May, 1838; hence her name. This vessel plied between London and New York, and the llowing is an accurate description of her dimensions, capacity, and power :-Extreme length om gure-head to ta erel, 275 feet; length of up-